Press Trust of India

Force India deputy team principal Robert Fernley has said the Formula 1 team is “saddened” by the arrest of its co-owner and Sahara Group chief Subrata Roy but hastened to assure that the off-track activities will have no bearing on their performance this season, beginning March 16 in Melbourne.

BJP Lok Sabha MP Gopinath Munde Monday demanded full waiver of bank loans and electricity bills and a special relief package for farmers severely affected by rain and hailstorms in Maharashtra.

“An unprecedented natural calamity has befallen the state in the past few days. Rabi crops have been totally destroyed, besides fruits and vegetables. The state government must give full waiver of bank loans and electricity bills to the affected farmers,” the deputy leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha told media persons here in his home town.

Minister of State for External Affairs E.Ahamed and his Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) colleague E.T.Mohammed Basheer were Monday renominated to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from their respective seats in Kerala.

IUML is the second-biggest constituent of the ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front and the party has been given two seats, of the state’s 20, to contest. Barring 2004 – when they lost one – they have always won both the seats.

Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav, the former MP who was acquitted last year in the murder of a CPI-M leader, Monday joined the RJD. He is set to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Madhepura.

Pappu Yadav will take on Janata Dal-United chief Sharad Yadav, who was elected to the Lok Sabha from Madhepura in 2009.

Also Monday, the RJD was jolted when its leader in the Bihar legislative council, Ghulam Ghouse, joined the ruling JD-U. He is likely to contest from Madhubani.

Pappu Yadav thrice won the Lok Sabha polls from Purnia — 1991, 1996 and 1999 – and once from Madhepura (2004).

The Election Commission in Delhi Monday asked government departments to keep a strict vigil on the illegal flow of money and alcohol ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in the capital.

Delhi’s seven constituencies go to polls April 10.

The excise and income-tax department under the Delhi government has been entrusted with this task, said Delhi’s Chief Election Commissioner Vijay Dev.

Liquor shops — whose sales are 30 percent more than normal — will be identified and a thorough investigation will be done.

Strict action, including cancellation of licence, will be taken against them.

Two of the eight DMK parliamentarians who have been renominated to fight the general elections did not open their mouths during the 15th Lok Sabha, according to PRS Legislative Research data.

The two are former union ministers A. Raja and S. Jagathrakshakan. While the former resigned as telecom minister in November 2010, the latter quit March 2013.

According to PRS Legislative Research the data relating to Raja and Jagathrakshakan pertains to the period after they resigned.

The Election Commission’s move to provide another chance to eligible and first time voters received an enthusiastic response in Punjab with over two lakh voters enrolling themselves in a single day, while 80,000 did so in Haryana, officials said Monday.

The enrolment of new voters was carried out Sunday, Punjab’s chief electoral officer (CEO) V.K. Singh said here.

“The novel concept of ECI to enrol left-out eligible voters, including first time young voters received unprecedented response with more than two lakh people applying for enrolment as voters in a single day,” he said.

A court here Monday dismissed the bail application of Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal and his aide Asadullah Akhtar for the Sep 13, 2008 Karol Bagh blasts.

It was the first bail application moved by Bhatkal, who was arrested for his alleged involvement in various terror cases.

Additional Sessions Judge Daya Prakash refused to release him and Akhtar on bail.

Defence counsel M.S. Khan requested the court to release his client and said he was arrested in the case Dec 10, 2013 and the statutory period of 90 days for investigation expired Monday.

Heavy rain accompanied by hailstorms in 28 districts of Maharashtra claimed the lives of at least 12 people and caused widespread damage to crops, affecting nearly five million farmers, officials said Monday.

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Election Commission to apprise them of the situation, and said the government will ensure aid to the farmers while taking care not to violate the model code of conduct.

Large areas of Baramati, Nagpur and Pune were hit by rain even Monday.

Vice President Hamid Ansari will represent India at the funeral of Afghanistan’s first vice president Marshal Mohammad Qasim Fahim in Kabul Tuesday, official sources said.

They said Ansari will take part in the prayer meeting to be held at the presidential palace and also meet Marshal Fahim’s family members.

Marshal Fahim died Sunday following cardiac arrest at his Kabul home.

BJP’s West Bengal unit president Rahul Sinha Monday claimed eminent author Mahasweta Devi had approached him after the Trinamool Congress refused to honour its promise of fielding her foster daughter from Alipurduar Lok Sabha seat. She denied the claim.

“Today(Monday) I got a call on behalf of Mahasweta Devi, saying that (Trinamool supremo) Mamata Banerjee had promised her about nominating her foster daughter from Alipurduar. But like always, Trinamool backtracked from its promise.

Myriad complexities of a long distance relationship, personal struggles where one loses sense of self or stifled voices of the marginalised — a three-day festival in the capital that began Monday will narrate various tales of displacement in a modern Indian society.

Focussing on the theme of displacement, the 38th Vikram Sarabhai International Arts Festival aims to create awareness amongst people regarding this neglected issue through the performing arts. It is being held at the Sri Ram Centre and entry is free for the public.

India and the African countries should mull forming a working group to explore healthcare cooperation, stakeholders and experts said here Monday.

“Cooperation in sharing local-level experiences in healthcare of both the regions will help,” Naresh Trehan, chairman and managing director of the Medanta group of hospitals, said at a discussion on “Delivering affordable healthcare solutions for Africa”.

The discussion took place at the 10th CII Exim Bank conclave of India-Africa Project Partnership.

Thirty-five girls at an Uttar Pradesh college fell ill Monday after they were administered iron pills following lunch, officials said.

The incident took place at the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya in Shahjahanpur, about 200km from here. The girls, after being administered iron pills, aimed at improving blood content in the body, complained of giddiness and sickness.

They were immediately rushed to the community health centre. When their condition deteriorated, they were referred to the district hospital, where more than two dozen of them are still serious.

The Supreme Court Monday reprimanded the Central Bureau of Investigation over delay in filing the charge sheets in five cases relating to the coal scam in which its investigations are already over.

“This is too much. You can’t do it. Ultimately it has to be finished by you, then why delay,” said a bench of Justice R.M. Lodha, Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Kurian Joseph as senior counsel Amrendra Saran appearing for CBI sought four weeks’ time to file the charge sheets.

Delhi Metro commuters faced a tough time Monday when two stations in the heart of the capital were shut down for around three hours due to a religious gathering on a disputed land.

The two stations closed down were Jor Bagh and INA.

“Due to security reasons, Jor Bagh and INA metro stations were closed for passenger service from 3.20 p.m. till 6.23 p.m.,” a Delhi Metro official said.

According to a Delhi Police official, the stations were advised to be shut due to a religious gathering at a disputed plot of land in Jor Bagh area.
(IANS)

In many rural families in India, there is still a preference for investing in education for boys as compared to girls, especially beyond the primary level, said a report released here Monday.

The report, “Hearts and Minds: Women of India Speak”, an initiative of the UN Women along with a team of authors, intends to share the “lived experiences” of women and girls across five Indian states – Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) which had seat-sharing arrangements with the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the 2009 polls, Monday said this time it would fight the elections alone in Odisha.

The party will contest two Lok Sabha and 12 assembly seats, CPI-M’s state secretary Janardan Pati told IANS. Elections for the 147-member assembly and 21 Lok Sabha seats will be simultaneously held April 10 and April 17.