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Sikh backlash may spoil Cong poll prospects
Protest against clean chit to Tytler
Cong, BSP will pay for harassing Varun: BJP
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Options open on post-poll alliance with Left: Cong
Cong banks on ‘top three’ to woo voters in Assam
Cong, BJP brace up for polls in MP
Not in race for PM’s post: Naidu
UP govt justifies NSA against Varun
SC notice on smoking in films
File status report on GM food in eight weeks: SC tells Centre
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Sikh backlash may spoil Cong poll prospects
On anonymity, senior Congress leaders admitted that the clean chit for Tytler could spoil Congress’ prospects not only in the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab, but also in the four seats in northern Haryana, the lone constituency in Chandigarh and all the seven parliamentary segments in Delhi. All these seats have a sizeable Sikh votes. Besides, the Terai belt in Uttarakhand and parts of western UP, too, constitute a large number of Sikh votes. So much so that, at several place there even the MLAs are Sikhs. In Punjab, the hardliners could whip up passions over the issue. At least 3,000 innocent Sikhs were brutally massacred in the streets of Delhi and elsewhere in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi’s assassination in October 1984. Only time would tell what the reaction of the Sikhs would be, another Congress leader said, adding the community had softened its stance towards the party recently after Manmohan Singh was made the first ever Sikh Prime Minister in 2004. As the CBI was to submit its reply today, a large number of Sikhs held protests against Tytler in the national capital. The case, which has dragged on for around 25 years, was being watched closely by the Sikh community across the globe. Their hopes had gone up especially after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had, in 2005, assured that the Centre stood committed against all those individuals about whom the Nanavati Commission had drawn adverse inferences, suggestions and recommendations. Meanwhile, the BJP has said that the clean chit to Tytler had “exposed the hypocrisy of the Congress”. “The news of Tytler being given a clean chit is really shocking. It has shaken the faith of the common man in the judicial system,” BJP spokesperson Balbir Punj, also the party’s in charge for Punjab, said.
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Cong, BSP will pay for harassing Varun: BJP
Lucknow, April 2 After visiting the young BJP leader detained at Etah jail today senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu said invoking NSA against Varun Gandhi was clearly politically motivated for which both Congress and BSP would have to pay a heavy price. The first BJP leader to visit Varun Gandhi in Etah jail, Naidu informed that the matter would soon be taken up at the national executive meeting of the party so that Varun could be supported politically and legally. Claiming that NSA against Varun was ‘unwarranted and out of proportion, Naidu said, “These parties would have to bear the brunt of the people in the coming polls.” In a related development Pilibhit chief judicial magistrate today issued a notice to Pilibhit jailor, asking him to personally appear in court and explain why Varun Gandhi was shifted to Etah jail without seeking permission from the court. Meanwhile, even in Etah a large number of Varun supporters gathered outside the Etah jail shouting slogans. Heavy police deployment was made outside the jail to prevent any untoward incident from taking place. Security forces staged a flag march in the town to instill a sense of confidence among the citizens.
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Options open on post-poll alliance with Left: Cong
New Delhi, April 2 Choosing his words carefully, Home Minister P Chidambaram today maintained that the Third Front constituents, headed by the Communists, and the Congress were natural allies as they were all united in their battle against communal forces represented by the
BJP. Addressing a press conference at Congress headquarters, Chidambaram was hopeful that the next government would be formed by secular forces, adding that all major parties fighting communal forces could come together after polls. When asked if the Congress considers the Left parties as natural allies, he responded: “It is necessary that the forces which fight communalism should come together. I am sure the very laws of nature you mentioned will apply.” He was also quick to add that the next government would be headed by the Congress and “we will have enough post-poll allies” to do so. Chidambaram also made it abundantly clear that Manmohan Singh has been declared as their party’s Prime Ministerial candidate and “everybody has to work their options after recognising this fact.” This message was clearly meant for the Left parties whose antipathy towards the Prime Minister is well known. Its leaders have privately said they would not support him for the top job in case of a post-poll situation where the Congress and the Left have to do business again. Unlike External Affairs Minister Pranab
Mukherjee, who had slammed the Third Front and even described it as a mirage and an inherently unstable dispensation, Chidambaram today refrained from attacking the emerging political grouping. On the contrary, Chidambaram was categorical that the Congress sees the BJP and its communal agenda as its main enemy. Almost alluding to the Congress and other secular forces as “brothers-in-arms”, Chidambaram maintained that they were all fighting against communalism. “The Left parties are also battling communalism but they are confined to three states but the Congress is spearheading this fight in almost the entire country,” Chidambaram said. Playing down the desertion by UPA allies, the minister said the situation this time was no different from 2004 as not all UPA partners were pre-poll allies and that the Congress had also forged post-poll alliances. At the same time, Chidambaram did not shy away from expressing his displeasure over NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s plan to attend a rally of the Third Front in Bhubaneswar tomorrow. “It would be better if he does not share the dais with parties opposed to the Congress,” the Home Minister said.
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Cong banks on ‘top three’ to woo voters in Assam
Guwahati, April 2 Assam Congress spokesman Bichitra Choudhury said the Prime Minister was expected to hit the campaign trail in Assam by addressing two election rallies at Dibrugarh and Diphu on April 7 under Dibrugarh and Autonomous parliamentary constituencies, respectively. Congress President Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Rahul Gandhi are also scheduled to hit the campaign trail to woo voters for 13 party candidates in Assam where election is being held in two phases on April 16 and 23. Already senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee held election rallies in Guwahati and Barak Valley Rahul Gandhi today addressed an election rally at Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh where he launched a scathing attack on BJP. He said the BJP which criticises Congress-led UPA government for being soft on terror, shouldn’t forget that it was during BJP-led NDA government when terrorists attacked Parliament besides Kandahar episode where the government was brought to its knees by the terrorists. Congress candidates Takam Sanjay and Ninong Ering are contesting from two Lok Sabha seats in Arunachal Pradesh. The BJP has already brought ‘dream girl’ of Indian cinema of yesteryears and its leader Hema Malini to campaign for the party in Assam while Vinod Khanna, Mukesh Khanna, Smriti Irani are scheduled to arrive on later dates. Senior party leaders Narendra Modi, Rajnath Singh, Arjun Munda will also campaign in Assam. L K Advani has already addressed three election rallies at Kheroni, Karimganj and Silchar in the state.
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Cong, BJP brace up for polls in MP
Bhopal, April 2 The BJP’s confidence springs from its spectacular performance in the Assembly polls held only four months back while the Congress is hopeful that the issues that had weighed on the voters’ mind when they were choosing the state government would be quite different when they press the buttons of the EVMs to decide who will rule from Delhi for the next five years. Madhya Pradesh has an essentially bi-polar polity. Besides the Congress and the BJP, there is no other political party which has any significant role to play in the state. The BSP and the SP have been trying for quite some time now to make inroads into MP from the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh but their efforts have met with little success. And neither is the Left a force to reckon with in the state. And, MP along with Rajasthan, is the only state in the Hindi belt and one of the few in the country that does not have a regional political outfit of its own. Since its formation 52 years back, no other party, barring the BJP and the Congress, could ever form the government in the state.
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Lage raho Munnabhai!
New Delhi, April 2 In the news so far for fielding the largest number of cine artistes in the forthcoming elections, the SP today made history of sorts by offering a film star the most coveted position in party organisation. No other political party has done this so far. With today’s development, Dutt becomes SP’s fifth general secretary after Amar Singh, Ram Gopal
Yadav, Azam Khan and former BJP leader Kaylan Singh’s son Rajvir Singh. Simply put, Dutt will now have a say in all policy level decisions of SP, and will lead its election campaign from the front, not as an actor but as a leader with party backing ranks. Some see the move as Amar Singh’s return gift to
Dutt, who has been joining the former in badmouthing the Congress. Only yesterday, the two alleged that a senior cabinet minister threatened Dutt against joining the SP. Overjoyed, Dutt quickly swapped into his role as a politician, as was evident from the first statement he made upon assuming charge: “Main dil se, sach ke liye kaam karunga…(I will work with all my heart, for the truth), and will canvas actively for the party.” Cross with the Congress, which he said caused his father’s death by inducting Sanjay Nirupam into the party, Dutt said, “Some days before he died, my father told me how hurt he was at the move. Nirupam was openly campaigning against my father. The Congress has again fielded
Nirupam. Had Sunilji been alive, he would have been very unhappy today.” Pain apart, the actor remembered to be “politically correct” when asked if the SP and Congress should ever trade in the future, given the wrong the Congress had done to his father: “Elders will decide that. I still have to learn a lot.” Earlier, Dutt thanked ‘Bhaiya’ (brother) Amar Singh for the new role and declined to comment on whether he had stung law minister H.R.
Bhardwaj, who allegedly threatened him against joining SP. “I didn’t take names. Amar Singhji will bare the entire truth,” said a cautious
Dutt, who didn’t want to jump the gun on his big day. The actor, however, hinted that he would campaign against the Congress in elections. Reminded that he had earlier supported sister Priya
Dutt, a Congress nominee, Dutt said he canvassed for Priya as a brother, not a politician. “I will still do anything for her,” he added, before leaving for Saharanpur to campaign. The SP, meanwhile, said Dutt’s induction would help the party contest elections with a renewed zeal. Party general secretary Ram Gopal Verma, while announcing Dutt’s elevation, said the move would “hugely benefit the party.” “Nothing impossible”: SP on remarrying Cong Despite the ongoing spat between Congress and Samajwadi Party, the latter today said a remarriage with the former ally was still possible.
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Not in race for PM’s post: Naidu
Hyderabad, April 2 He said he was “offered” the Prime Minister’s post twice in the past but had declined. Naidu had played a key role in the formation of the United Front government at the Centre in 1996 and then provided crucial outside support to the BJP-led NDA coalition. “I am not in the race for PM’s post. I will put in best efforts to see that the Third Front forms the government,” the former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister said. Claiming that “some more regional parties” will join the Third Front after the elections to pave the way for formation of the non-Congress and non-BJP government, he said the Nationalist Congress Party, headed by Sharad Pawar, was likely to join hands with the Third Front forces. The TDP leader said Pawar’s decision to attend the Third Front rally in Bhubaneshwar was a clear indication of the growing strength of the Front. “I am confident that many others will also leave the UPA and NDA to join the Third Front. There is no doubt about it,” he said. “The Congress has already lost hope and its leaders are ready to sit in the opposition. This was admitted by their official spokesperson. There is no chance for the BJP. Third Front is the only option,” Naidu said.
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Protest against clean chit to Tytler
New Delhi, April 2 The protestors reached the court in buses and in other vehicles. When Manjit Singh announced that the protestors would demonstrate in front of the residence of AICC president Sonia Gandhi, the police confiscated two buses and took them to Vivek Vihar police station. However, protestors managed to reach Sonia’s residence and disrupted the traffic on Akbar Road for two hours. Addressing the protestors, Manjit Singh said the CBI had played in the hands of the Congress. That the Congress had given directions to the CBI was understood from the very beginning when it gave ticket to Jagdish Tytler after the riots, he said. National vice-president of the Akali Dal (Badal), Onkar Singh Thapar said, “Now people of the Sikh community will not have faith in the CBI.” He said the Akali Dal would launch a mass movement, taking support of other communities, against the government. He also said Sikhs would go to Supreme Court for justice. Delhi unit chief of Akali Dal (Youth) Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the Congress had always done injustice with the Sikh community. Rajya Sabha MP Tarlochan Singh said by giving clean chit to Tytler, the Congress had diluted the credibility of the CBI.
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Avoid addressing media, EC tells ministers
New Delhi, April 2 The EC said it was the normal practice of Union ministers to address press conferences after cabinet meetings but as the model code of conduct was in force, such practice should be avoided as far as possible. Instead of addressing the media, the EC said, press releases could be issued. Notably, the commission’s directive follows a BJP complaint against Home Minister P Chidambaram, who made certain comments about Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at a press conference recently.
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PC advises Advani on security
New Delhi, April 2 Later, the Home Minister said the main issue of discussion was dos and don’ts of an individual security matters and no political issue was discussed. Chidambaram said he had written to all leaders regarding their personal security while campaigning and his visit to Advani’s residence was in deference to the BJP leader’s position as the Leader of Opposition. On overall security situation in the country, the Home Minister said the government had done all that was required to ensure peaceful elections.
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UP govt justifies NSA against Varun
Lucknow, April 2
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SC notice on smoking in films New Delhi, April 2 A Bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan issued notices after Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium contended that allowing such scenes would result in more and more people getting hooked to the hazardous habit. Bhatt and others had successfully challenged in the High Court the 2006 ban imposed at the initiative of then Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss. The High Court had, in January this year, quashed the ban on smoking scenes in films and television programmes, observing that such scenes were a reality of life and curbing it would violate creative artistes’ fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression. The Centre’s petition, filed by the Health Ministry, has cited as many as 63 reasons for setting aside the HC verdict.
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File status report on GM food in eight weeks: SC tells Centre
New Delhi, April 2 A Bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan issued the order after senior counsel Pinky Anand, appearing for the PIL petitioner Vandana Shiva, maintained that the government was not facing any constraint in its implementation due to its obligations under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) The government had notified a law making labelling of GM food items compulsory, but it was enforcing it,
she said. Appearing for the Centre, counsel TS Doabia said the government was taking steps in this direction. The government had not approved genetically modified (GM) food or crops, he contended. Counsel Anand said the people had the right to have information relating to the food products they
were buying.
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Lawyers booked for supporting VarunGHAZIABAD: The Ghaziabad police have registered a case against a group of lawyers who had submitted a memorandum in support of jailed BJP leader Varun Gandhi, officials said on Wednesday. Kavi Nagar police station officer Gajendra Singh said the lawyers in their memorandum used derogatory language against a community.The Police have registered case against former bar association president Rukan Singh Teotia, Ram Dass Tyagi, Anand Kumar and Jai Karan Sharma. Maoists blow up BJP leader’s house Jaswant Singh may contest from Darjeeling 5 expelled for ragging Akshay invites trouble
IIM-B hikes fee Prez leaves for Tawang Source: Agencies
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New Delhi, April 2
