Month: February 2015

Will fiercely resist Centre’s Land Acquisition Bill, says Shiv Sena in Saamna editorial

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Stepping up its resistance against the land acquisition law, the Shiv Sena on Thursday said it will fiercely oppose the bill and not commit the sin of “damaging” the interest of farmers at the cost of being in power.

Calling it as a “draconian” law that will finish off the very existence of farmers, the BJP-ally in Maharashtra said the Government cannot budge an inch forward by “insulting” the struggle of farmers assembled at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi under activist Anna Hazare’s leadership.

Pak inducts China-built Eagle AWACS into air force

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Pakistan air force today inducted the advanced China-built Karakoram Eagle AWACS aircraft, capable of detecting hostile aerial and sea surface targets far before ground-based radars regardless of their height.

Pakistan Air Force (PAF) said the new aircraft were inducted into its premier No 4 Squadron at ceremony held at an operational PAF base in Karachi.

“With the addition of AWACS, Pakistan air defence is now able to look deeper in enemy territory, be it land or sea,” the air force said.

Police open fire to disperse armed miscreants in Panrui

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Armed miscreants today raided several villages in the Panrui block of Birbhum district, using firearms and hurling bombs, prompting the police to open fire in order to bring the situation under control.

Trouble started this morning when armed miscreants started raiding villages of Bheramari, Simulia, Palsa, Beluti, Salan, Bishnu Khand and Mahula one after the other, creating panic among the villagers.

Delhi govt hospital docs plan day-long strike tomorrow

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At a time when swine flu cases are on the rise, resident doctors of different government hospitals in the national capital today announced that they will go on a day-long strike tomorrow.

The strike was called after a doctor at Guru Tegh Bahadur (GTB) hospital was allegedly assaulted by the attendants of a patient late on Monday night.

Around 15,000 resident doctors from Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, GTB, Safdarjung, Lady Hardinge, Hindu Rao, Ambedkar, DDU, Mahrishi Balmiki, ESI are likely to join the strike tomorrow.

Missing East Delhi bizman murdered over money, 1 arrested

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An east Delhi businessman, who had been missing for the past one month and was feared to have been kidnapped, was allegedly murdered by four persons in Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh to avoid paying Rs 3.5 lakh which they borrowed from him.

Police today claimed to have solved the case of kidnap-cum-murder of Naresh Sahni with the arrest of one Rajnish Mishra (22) from Pilibhit. Police have also recovered the victim’s bones from Panipat where they had dumped him and after murder.

HC seeks reply on mass sterilisation of 73 women in Varanasi

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Allahabad High Court today sought Uttar Pradesh government’s reply on a petition alleging that over 70 women were sterilised within hours at a recent mass sterilisation camp in Varanasi, where they were operated upon on floors.

A division bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice Suneet Kumar asked the Director, Family Planning of Uttar Pradesh and the Chief Medical Officer of Varanasi to file their reply and fixed the matter for hearing after four weeks.

3 injured in Assam police firing

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Three persons were injured when police opened fire to quell a mob which attacked them and vandalised an office in lower Assam’s

Kamrup district today, an official said.

The condition of the injured were stated to be stable, Deputy Commissioner Dr J Balaji said.

People in Chaygaon under Boko police station had been protesting since sometime against setting up of an office in the industrial estate, which they suspect to be a brewery.

Gold, silver seized from air passenger

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Customs officials seized 400 gm of gold and 390 gm of silver from a man as he got down from a Thai Airways flight at the N S C B International airport today.

A senior airport customs official said the man, identified as Samir Ahmed, was however allowed to go after grilling by the officials.

Ahmed had arrived from Bangkok.

The seized gold and silver were valued as Rs 10.50 lakh in international market.

Sharif condoles death of Pak Hindu top judge Bhagwandas

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Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today condoled the death of Rana Bhagwandas, the only Hindu to serve as chief justice of Pakistan’s Supreme Court, as he visited the former top judge’s residence here.

Talking to the family members, the prime minister said that the late judge was “a man of honour, conviction and an eminent judge of impeccable character”.

Justice Bhagwandas was appointed as acting chief justice for a few days in 2005 and 2006, during the absence of then Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry from the country.

13 criminals arrested in Noida

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Thirteen criminals, who were booked in different cases, were arrested here, police said today.

Bisrakh police has arrested four criminals last night and recovered a robbed car and one country-made pistol from them, an official said.

The arrested were identified as Saurabh, Anil, Goli and Ajay, he said.

Police arrested other four criminals from two different places last night who were identified as Gulfam, Aas Mohammad, Janu Singh and Rajnish, the official said.

Greater Noida police team has also arrested one Anup Bhati, who is a murder accused.

Vyapam scam: Digvijay claims SMS exchanged between accused, MP

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Congress leader Digvijay Singh today released an SMS which was purportedly exchanged between the wife of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and an accused in the multi-crore Vyapam scam.

While AICC today issued a press note about the said SMS, Singh put up a link on his twitter page of the message which was purportedly exchanged between Chouhan’s wife Sadhana Singh and Sudheer Sharma, an accused in the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board or Vyapam scam.

Inter-religious love affair leads Hyderabadi Muslim girl to suicide

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Love affair between a Muslim girl and a Hindu boy had a tragic ending where the girl consumed poison and committed suicide. According to details 21-year-old Muslim girl loved a Hindu boy. Boy’s family was persuading the girl to perform puja in order to perform marriage with the boy. In her suicide note the girl revealed that the boy’s family members wanted to get a treasure. The incident occurred at Kuttagudam, Hayath Nagar.

Ready to extend power benefits to all if Centre shares cost

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Welcoming the state BJP’s demand that 50 per cent power subsidy benefit should be extended to all, AAP today said the welfare initiative will be extended to all immediately if the Centre agrees to bear the extra cost.

“The Aam Aadmi Party welcomes Delhi state BJP’s demand that 50 per cent power subsidy benefit should be extended to all, and not just to consumers with electricity consumption up to only 400 units.

Rail Budget ‘pragmatic’, says Railwaymen’s Federation

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All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF) today said Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu’s maiden Rail Budget was “pragmatic”.

“We appreciate budget proposal of not hiking fares and also not announcing any new train,” AIRF General Secretary S Gopal Mishra told PTI.

He said any “fare hike would have caused hardship for the common man. Announcements of new trains would also create more burden on already saturated lines. Then there is a problem of manpower shortage.”

Why is sewage still being let in river despite funds sanction’

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Annoyed by Periyakulam Commissioner’s claim that government had sanctioned Rs 10.64 crore in 2009 for implementating an Underground sewerage scheme and not a drop of waste water was being let into Varaganathi (river), Madras High Court bench today sought to know why sewage was still being let out if the scheme had been implemented.

Justices S K Kaul and S Tamilvanan asked him why nothing had been done since 2009,despite sanction of funds. They wondered if that money too had gone down the drain.

Bihar: RJD MP Pappu Yadav meets Modi, sparks speculation

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Upset over RJD’s support to Nitish Kumar’s bid to become Bihar Chief Minister, party MP Rajesh Ranjan, alias Pappu Yadav, on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, setting off speculation about his future course of action.

The five-time-Lok Sabha member, however, claimed his meeting with Modi was about development of Bihar and said no political motives should be attributed to it.

The RJD strongman said he was “very satisfied” with his meeting with Modi who offered him all support.

PIL in HC on judges appointment

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The Allahabad High Court bench here today fixed March 12 as the next date of hearing on a PIL seeking a direction to make appointments to the office of judges of Supreme Court and Allahabad High Court on the recommendations of National Judicial Appointment Commission (NJAC) and to restrain to adopt any other method.

A division bench of Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and A R Masoodi passed the order on a PIL filed by four local lawyers through their counsel H S Jain.

According to the petitioners’ counsel, the central and the UP government are made as respondents in it.

‘Modi’s decisive leadership to bring India, US closer’

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Praising the decisive leadership style of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on both the domestic and foreign policy fronts, a top American spy official today told lawmakers here that India under Modi would work more closely with the US on security, terrorism and economic issues, despite maintaining an independent foreign policy.

New BJP Mahila Morcha team

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BJP Mahila Morcha President Vijya Rahatkar today announced her new team with six vice-presidents, a general secretary, a treasurer and eight secretaries and a 17-member national executive.

The list was finalised in consultation with BJP President Amit Shah.

Among the new women wing vice presidents are Kaushalya Kuarwa,, Latika Sharma, Seema Dwivedi, Sharda Devi, Rashmidhar Sood and Asha Jaiswal.

Besides, Victoria Gaudi is the new general secretary and Kanak Agarwal the new treasurer.

Rangasamy meets Union Home Minister in Delhi

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Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy today called on Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi during his visit to the capital weeks ahead of commencement of the Puducherry Assembly’ budget session.

The CM also met xternal Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Urban Development Minister Venkiah Naidu, among others, a release from the office of Chief Minister said.

The Rangasamy led government will present the budget in the forthcoming session for the 2015-16 fiscal. The Assembly will commence its session on March 11.

Jammu doctor dies of swine flu in Delhi

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A senior doctor who was in a critical condition after having tested positive for swine flu here, passed away today in a hospital in New Delhi where he had been airlifted, a health official said.

“We have come to know that Dr Bupinder Singh who had tested positive for swine flu and was admitted in GMC hospital in Jammu expired in New Delhi where he was airlifted this afternoon, but so far we don’t have any official confirmation of his death,” Director Health services Jammu, Dr Baljeet Pathania told PTI.

Pak Rangers violate ceasefire, target BoP in RS Pura

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After a week-long lull in firing from across the International Border (IB), Pakistani Rangers tonight violated the ceasefire and targeted a Border-out-Post (BoP) in the R S Pura sector of Jammu.

“Pakistan troops resorted to small arms firing around 9:30 PM,” a police officer said.

He said the Pakistani Rangers fired three rounds of small arms fire at the Nawapind BoP in the RS Pura sector.

The fire came from the Thathi area of the Pakistani side.

“The BSF exercised restrain and did not retaliate to the Pakistani fire,” the officer said.

‘China concerned about domestic unrest in Xinjiang, Tibet’

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China is likely to remain concerned about potential unrest or terrorist acts in Xinjiang and Tibet regions leading to renewed human rights abuses, a top American offical told lawmakers here today who expressed concern over massive Chinese military modernisation.

Testifying before a Congressional committee on emerging global threats, James R Clapper, Director of National Intelligence, said though China will continue to pursue an active foreign policy, Chinese leaders will focus primarily on addressing domestic concerns.