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Ayodhya din forces adjournments
MPs of different parties at a demonstration on the Babri Masjid issue, on the anniversary of the demolition of the mosque, at Parliament House in New Delhi on Wednesday. — PTI
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It is Ram vs Babar in UP poll: BJP
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Bid to polarise society: Govt New Delhi, December 6 As the BJP signalled its decision to return to its Hindutva agenda ahead of next year’s Uttar Pradesh Assembly poll, the government today lambasted the main opposition party for its attempts to polarise society for electoral gains. UP Governor meets PM amid Central rule shouts
Kalam calls upon youth to eradicate corruption
Dalits
torch buses near Bidar
‘Double standards’: NDA to boycott Speaker’s meetings
Somnath meets NDA leaders
Second phase of rural job scheme soon
$250-m World Bank loan for Punjab
ED probes
cash for Ash
No-confidence move
TN abolishes CET
We are not against Tatas, says BJP
Army told to be liberal in granting leave
Faulty policies led to price rise: Oppn
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Ayodhya din forces adjournments
New Delhi, December 6 In both the Houses, BJP-Shiv Sena members clashed with the SP, Left, Congress and RJD members. Both Houses were adjourned for the day in the afternoon without transacting any business except the question hour in the upper house. The Lok Sabha saw two adjournments before lunch, while the Rajya Sabha plunged into pandemonium during zero hour, leading to an adjournment. A strident BJP-Shiv Sena and an equally vociferous SP, Left and RJD members and also those of Congress utilised the opportunity of the anniversary to derive maximum political mileage in the run- up to the Assembly poll in the state early next year. Both the Houses witnessed noisy scenes over the Babri issue, which generated a lot of heat. The shape of things to come was known when the two Houses assembled for the day. Shiv Sena members sported saffron scarves, clearly indicating that the Ayodhya issue would figure in the House. In the Lok Sabha, BJP-Shiv Sena members shouting slogans waved placards reading “Jai Shri Ram, we will construct temple at the same spot” and “Ram naam se sharmate, Afzal ko gale lagate” (Shy away from Lord Ram’s name and embrace Afzal). SP, Left, RJD and some Congress members raised anti-BJP slogans and some of them even demanded punishment of those guilty of the demolition and arrest of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. In the din, the Speaker ordered laying of papers listed for the day. In the upper house, trouble broke out during zero hour when Amar Singh (SP) raised the issue. Bhartiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena members were on their feet and soon they trooped into the well of the House shouting “Jai Shree Ram”. Countering them, SP members joined by RJD and Left members too rushed into the well and tried to shout BJP-Shiv Sena members down. Similar scenes prevailed after the Houses met at 2 pm, leading to their adjournment for the day by Presiding Officers.
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It is Ram vs Babar in UP poll: BJP
New Delhi, December 6 Addressing newspersons, BJP Parliamentary Party spokesman V. K. Malhotra accused the UPA parties of following a ritual of getting Parliament adjourned on the anniversary of the demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. Whether in the Opposition or in the ruling combine, these parties have been getting the Parliament adjourned for the last 14 years, Mr Malhotra said and claimed that there was no mosque as no 'namaj' had been offered at the disputed site since 1946. "Minority Muslim community is even otherwise not allowed to enter the 100 meter radius of the Ram temple in Ayodhya", he said. "What was demolished in 1992 was not a mosque. Since 1949, there has been a make-shift Ram temple there. What we want is the construction of a magnificent temple. We are committed to it", the spokesman said and challenged the BJP's opponents to fight the UP Assembly elections on the issue of Ram vs Babar.
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Bid to polarise society: Govt New Delhi, December 6 The BJP made its intentions clear today on the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition when its members disrupted proceedings in both Houses of Parliament and flashed placards saying, “Mandir wahin banayenge”. Coming down heavily on the BJP, parliamentary affairs minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi recalled that a day after the Babri Masjid demolition, its leadership had expressed regret at the turn of events while former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had promised during the formation of the NDA that his government would abide by the judicial verdict in the Ayodhya case. Even today, he said, the BJP was isolated within the NDA as its allies, the Janata Dal (U) and the Biju Janata Dal, had openly dissociated themselves from the main opposition party on the mandir issue. Reminding the main opposition party about its stance, Mr Dasmunsi asked leader of opposition L.K. Advani to explain if his party had gone back on this promise. “If that is the case, let them say so clearly”, he said, adding that what transpired today was a total negation of the collective declaration of the
NDA. Accusing the BJP of double standards, the minister said it was now polarising society on communal lines on the eve of the Uttar Pradesh elections. Mr Dasmunsi said it was ironical that while the accused in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case had been convicted, the Babri Masjid demolition case was nowhere near completion.
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UP Governor meets PM amid Central rule shouts New Delhi, December 6 Mr Rajeshwar, after meeting the Prime Minister in his Parliament House Office, declined to talk to mediapersons. The meeting between the Prime Minister and the UP Governor came after the latter had met President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Home Minister Shivraj Patil over the weekend. Mr Rajeshwar’s interaction with the leadership in Delhi assumed significance as it came against the backdrop of growing demand from political parties, including the BJP and the Congress, to impose President’s Rule ahead of the Assembly elections. Citing large-scale violence and irregularities in the recent local body poll in the state as also alleged deteriorating law and order situation, the BJP, the BSP and the Congress have been demanding the imposition of President’s Rule saying free and fair Assembly poll was not possible under the Mulayam Singh Yadav government. The demand was articulated by a delegation of BJP leaders, who had called on Dr Kalam on Sunday. Mr Rajeshwar’s meeting with Central leaders also came in the wake of desecration of Ambedkar’s statue in Kanpur and violence there. Meanwhile, in Rajya Sabha Minister of State for Home Manikrao H. Gavit said the Uttar Pradesh Governor had not sent a report to the Centre with regard to the breakdown of constitutional machinery in the state. He was replying to a query from BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi.
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Kalam calls upon youth to eradicate corruption
Kolkata, December 6 “This is a necessity now”, he stressed, adding that the interest of the nation was more important than that of a political leader or any other individual. The President was speaking at the Science City auditorium, near Salt Lake, on the 150th foundation day anniversary of Calcutta Girls High School. Earlier, he opened the Infocom 2006 exhibition and seminar at a hotel. Over 150 delegates from various IT and software companies in the country and abroad were present. He also attended two other functions at the Mahajati Sadan and the Rabindra Sadan before returning to New Delhi in the evening. Dr Kalam’s visit today to the city coincided with the “rail and rasta roko” agitation of the Trinamool Congress and 18 other like-minded parties against the eviction of farmers from Singur and transferring their farmlands to Tata Motors. By organising this agitation, Ms Mamata Banerjee, now at a dharna and on a fast in the Esplanade area, wanted to draw the President’s attention and sympathy towards the affected farmers of Singur. She had already sought the Prime Minister’s invention in this case and sent urgent messages to Dr Mammohan Singh and the UPA Chairperson, Mrs Sonia Gandhi. The Trinamool Congress president, Mr Mukul Roy, and Mr Partha Chatterjee, Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, met Dr Kalam at the airport in the evening and handed over to him a memorandum against the forcible eviction of the farmers. Social activist Medha Patkar, who had been restrained from entering Singur and kept confined in the Coal India guest house near Dankuni for the past three days, also met Dr Kalam. NDA convener George Fernandes, who shared the dais with Ms Banerjee today, will be leaving for Singur tomorrow. Ms Banerjee said she would visit Singur within a day or two. She declared that they would intensify the agitation further. Over 1,000 TMC workers and supporters were arrested from the city and several other districts in connection with the agitation. Speaking at the Calcutta Girls High School’s function, Dr Kalam said the women should also take more active part in the country’s decision making. They should have a larger representation both in Parliament and the state Assemblies.
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Dalits
torch buses near Bidar
Bangalore, December 6 The violence, which started at Mannaekkelli, where Dalit youths torched two buses, quickly spread to nearby Bidar town where Dalits went on a rampage stoning buses and shops. Life in Bidar came to a standstill following this with shop keepers downing shutters. Prohibitory orders were clamped at both places for 48 hours by the district administration. According to police sources, a few thousand strong mob blocked the national highway at Mannaekkelli and started indulging in stone pelting. Soon two buses were also torched. Police sources said a total of eight buses and some private vehicles were damaged on the highway situated close to the village, including two buses from Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. The police resorted to firing in the air after a lathi charge and lobbing of tear- gas shells proved ineffective. Around 15 to 20 persons were injured in the lathi
charge. The rioters were subsequently dispersed and the situation is under control, according to the administration. Meanwhile, a bandh was observed in Bidar and the nearby Bhalki township. There were reports of stray protests in villages and towns near Bidar but had petered out by the evening.
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Big show in Mumbai Mumbai, December 6 The authorities pressed in 400 policemen in and around Shivaji Park in addition to 200 Homeguard volunteers as a precautionary measure. With reports of possible violence being played up in the media, the number of people turning out at the Ambedkar samadhi was lower today, the police said. People began leaving the venue in the morning itself to avoid being caught in a violent situation. However, the crowds peaked towards late evening.
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‘Double standards’: NDA to boycott Speaker’s meetings
New Delhi, December 6 The meeting, attended by all NDA parties, was unanimous that the boycott will continue until the issue was resolved, BJP Parliamentary Party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said. Malhotra said, “We want this issue to be resolved and for that the NDA wants a commitment from the government that no Bill, other than a finance or an ordinance of great significance, would be passed in Parliament amid noise”. Moreover, the spokesman said a convention was started during Lok Sabha Speaker G.M.C. Balayogi's time according to which if the Leader of the Opposition or the Chief Whip of the main opposition party wanted to raise an issue then he or she would be permitted to do so. The convention was followed even during Mr Manohar Joshi's time but it appeared that the present Speaker had stopped following it, Mr Malhotra said. Referring to the issue of arrest of BJP president Rajnath Singh in Singur on Monday, Malhotra said Mr Advani wanted to raise the issue but the Speaker did not allow which was a breach of the convention. He said the NDA leaders, who met at the chamber of Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani were concerned about the double standards adopted against the Opposition.
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Somnath meets NDA leaders New Delhi, December 6 Mr Chatterjee’s invitation follows a message from parliamentary affairs minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi that opposition leaders are keen on a reconciliation with the Speaker and will like to meet him in this connection. Both Mr Dasmunsi and Lok Sabha leader Pranab Mukherjee have contacted BJP leaders, including leader of opposition L.K. Advani, in an effort to end the impasse in Parliament. An angry BJP had decided to boycott meetings of the business advisory committee in protest against the Speaker’s bias towards them. They had claimed that they were not given an opportunity to present their case, particularly when BJP president Rajnath Singh was arrested in West Bengal. The Speaker’s office, on the other hand, maintained that Mr Chatterjee had always gone out of his way to accommodate the opposition and that it was the NDA leaders who constantly disrupted proceedings after giving their word that they would allow the House to function. With Mr Chatterjee indicating that he would not initiate any dialogue with the opposition this time, Mr Mukherjee and Mr Dasmunsi got in touch with the NDA leaders in an effort to resolve the differences and ensure the smooth functioning of Parliament.
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Second phase of rural job scheme soon
New Delhi, December 6 "The first phase covering 200 districts started on February 2, 2006, and before the completion of its one year, the second phase will commence," he said replying to supplementary questions during question hour in the Rajya Sabha. The Rural Development Ministry was in touch with the Planning Commission for the identification of districts to be included in the second phase, the minister said. The ministry had developed a comprehensive system of monitoring the implementation of the scheme, he said. Pension benefits: Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes informed the Rajya Sabha that there was at present no proposal to increase pension benefits. “Increase in the amount of pension benefits depends on the position of the Pension Fund. At present, no such proposal is under the consideration of the government,” Mr Fernandes said. Area requirement for SEZ: Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said while the minimum area required for a multi-product special economic zone (SEZ) was 1000 hectares, the requirement for setting up a sector-specific SEZ is 100 hectares.
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$250-m World Bank loan for Punjab
New Delhi, December 6 In the first phase ending 2008, 700 km will be taken up for maintenance. The state government under the supervision by the World Bank will implement the project. "Economic diversification is critical to accelerate economic growth in Punjab," says Fayez Omar, Senior Manager, India Programme and Acting World Bank Country Director for India. The project will assist the state government to provide a targeted approach to the comprehensive improvement and maintenance of the 7,400 km of plan roads (state highways, major district roads and other district roads), which link the rural road network to the national highways and provide most of the main road links in the state. Better roads, lower transport costs and higher transport service standards have been identified by the Government of Punjab in its 10th Five-Year Plan. The state has the highest per-capita income and lowest poverty headcount in the country and it ranks second in the India Human Development Index (2001). However, the deterioration of state's economic environment since the mid-1990s brings into question the state's ability to sustain these improvements. Although some improvement has been visible since 2004, economic growth in the state of 6.2 per cent in 2005-06 is still below the national average of 8 per cent, the bank said.
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ED
probes cash for Ash
New Delhi, December 6 The ED has asked the customs department in Mumbai to submit its report about the parcel, sent to the former Miss World by Avineshwar from Rotterdam in September-end. The ED has asked its Mumbai office to approach the customs department to obtain the report pertaining to the parcel, which contained electronic goods and 23,000 Euros, so that it could ascertain if a case under the Foreign Exchange Management Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act could be made out. The ED’s move came after the customs department and the directorate of revenue intelligence gave a clean chit to her in the matter.
— PTI
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No-confidence move
Bangalore, December 6 Speaker Krishna had announced the formation of a House committee to probe incidents of land grabbing by a mafia with the alleged tacit approval of politicians. Former Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh claimed that the party had suggested the appointment of Shivakumar and two others, including A. Krishnappa and R. Ramalingareddy to the committee.
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TN abolishes CET
Chennai, December 6 The Bill proposes a procedure under which the marks of all boards will be standardised to make a common list of merit for admissions. The earlier Jayalalithaa government had tried to do it but it was rejected by the Madras High Court. Under the changed procedure, the highest marks obtained by Plus Two students of various boards in each subject will be equated to the highest marks obtained by students of state board in that subject. If the highest marks secured by a student of the Tamil Nadu State Board in a particular subject is 100 and the highest mark secured by a student of another board is 90, both highest marks will be considered as 100 for admission purposes. The Bill stated that this would remove possibilities of any discrepancy. The marks obtained by students of other boards would be multiplied by 100 and divided by the highest marks obtained by a student of the state board to determine the relative marks obtained by the former. The Bill also stated that there would be reservation for certain sections of the society.
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We are not against Tatas, says BJP
New Delhi, December 6 “We are not against Tatas. We are not against their setting up of the project. But we are opposed to the acquisition of lands, where two or three crop cultivation was being done, by the West Bengal Government through coercion,” former BJP president and member of the Rajya Sabha M. Venkaiah Naidu said.
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Army told to be liberal in granting leave
New Delhi, December 6 Replying to Supplementaries during Question Hour, Defence Minister A K Antony said there were 23 cases of fratricide involving three officers and 16 jawans in 2006. The Minister said he would write to Chief Ministers to provide assistance to armed personnel from their respective states.
— PTI
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Faulty policies led to price rise: Oppn
New Delhi, December 6 "Since the UPA government has come to power, prices of all essential items like wheat, sugar, pulses and vegetables have shown a big jump because of its faulty policies," BJP member Maya Singh said while initiating a short duration discussion on price rise in the Rajya Sabha.
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Boy falls in hot rasam, dies Coop DGM kidnapped 3 die in roof collapse
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New Delhi, December 6
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