Nitish calls Maoists for talks
Patna, September 2, 2010: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday offered to hold talks with Maoists for securing the release of the four policemen kidnapped by them during an encounter in Lakhisarai on Sunday and assured the ultra-Left activists safe passage for the negotiations.
“Who says we aren’t ready to hold talks with the Maoists? We have been ready for talks for securing the release of the hostages. We are here and ready for talks. Who wants to come for talks. Come for talks,” Mr. Kumar said on the sidelines of a function here.
Mr. Kumar said “we can decide the agenda for talks. If it has anything to deal within the boundaries of Bihar, I’m ready for talks.”
He said Maoists who were in different jails or apprehended during operations were being properly looked after by the state government and “we expected similar treatment for the kidnapped policemen.
“Whenever a person (Maoist) was injured in action, we ensured best treatment for him. We sent him out of Bihar for treatment”, the Chief Minister said.
“In a democratic set—up, we respect the human rights of any person arrested and we will take care of their health,” he said.
“They hold four policemen captive and it is their duty to protect them,” he said, adding had they been killed in the course of the ecnounter it would have been a different matter.
Mr. Kumar said “holding hostages for the sake of bargain is highlighly objectionable in democracy It is not reflective of either good ideals or good decision... after all, policemen are doing their duty.
“Action keeps happening from both sides. They (Maoists) do and we also do but this thing (abduction of policemen and the reported killing of one of them) is not good”, Kumar said.
“Naxalites are also part of our society... they should do no harm,” Mr. Kumar said.
He said safe passage would be given to Maoists coming for talks as also their travelling expenses. “But it should also be known that the demand of anyone for talks on any issue is within the domain of the state...”
No coordination between ministers and Congress MPs: BJP
New Delhi, September 1, 2010: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday attacked the government saying there was no coordination between union ministers and ruling party MPs during the just-concluded monsoon session of Parliament.
”The government appears to be losing direction...there is no collective governance. There is a gap between ministers and ruling party MPs,” Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley told reporters in New Delhi.
He was referring to Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal deferring a key education reforms bill following strong opposition from members cutting across party lines, including senior Congress leader K .Keshava Rao.
Expressing satisfaction over his party’s performance during the session, Mr. Jaitley’s counterpart in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said the BJP played the role of constructive Opposition by helping government pass important bills where its concerns were addressed.
“But for the government, it was a refer and defer session,” she said.
Two bills, including the Prevention of Torture Bill, were referred to the respective Standing Committees, while the Education Tribunal Bill and the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill were deferred, she pointed out.
The BJP leaders scoffed at suggestions of a ‘deal’ between the main opposition and the Congress during the session.
“I strictly object to the use of the term deal. A deal has to be for the entire session and not a particular bill...it is a baseless allegation that it was a deal,” Ms. Swaraj said referring to the crucial nuclear liability bill passed by the Parliament.
Rathore’s plea challenging enhanced sentence rejected
Chandigarh, September 1, 2010: Former Haryana DGP S.P.S. Rathore will have to undergo his 18-month prison term, with the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday dismissing his plea challenging the sentence awarded to him for molesting a 14-year-old girl 20 years ago.
Justice Jatinder Chauhan also dismissed a petition by 68-year-old Rathore, who is undergoing the sentence in high-security Burial Jail here since May 25, seeking release on probation.
The Sessions Court here had enhanced his six-month imprisonment awarded by a trial court in December last year to 18 months in jail on an appeal by the CBI and the girl’s family. Rathore’s escape with a lighter sentence had sparked an outrage.
The budding tennis player had committed suicide three years after being molested by Rathore on August 12, 1990.
Rathore’s lawyer-wife Abha Rathore had filed the review petition on his behalf in the High Court on May 26 seeking bail, a day after he was sentenced and jailed.
Hailing the verdict, the teenager’s friend and only eyewitness in the case, Aradhana, said, “Justice has prevailed. I really appreciate the judiciary for taking such a stand.... It has really strengthened the people’s confidence in the judiciary once again.”
Dengue cases reach 1,081 in Delhi
Thursday, September 02, 2010, New Delhi: The dengue menace showed no signs of abating in the national capital where the number of cases reached 1,081 on Thursday with 67 more patients testing positive for the vector-borne disease.
Of the total cases so far, 927 have been reported from MCD areas, 117 from NDMC areas and the rest from other parts of the city besides some outstation cases.
The highest number of 183 cases have come from MCD South Zone followed by Central Zone (162) and Civil Lines (121).
According to statistics released by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the number of cases till this time in 2009 was only four.
The figure was 86 and 22 in the same periods in 2008 and 2007 respectively.
Authorities are more worried about the spread of dengue as the city will host the Games in October, a month which generally sees high prevalence of the disease.
Govt. to give rotten food grains to poor at BPL price
New Delhi, Sep 2: The Central Government on Thursday decided to release an extra 2.5 million tonnes of food grains to the various states for distribution among the poor at a BPL price following the directives of the Supreme Court on the issue of rotten food grains.
"As an interim ad-hoc measure, pending a final decision on the issue, the government is releasing an additional quantity of 2.5 million tonnes of wheat and rice to the states at a BPL price for next six months," said Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar after a meeting of an Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) here today.
"The government is considering an overhaul of public distribution system including upgrading the number of eligible BPL families. This is expected to increase the number of BPL families eligible for assistance and corresponding increase in allocation by central government," he added.
Earlier on August 31, Pawar said the Government will accept the directives of the Supreme Court on the issue of rotten food grains.
The Supreme Court had on August 31 asserted that it had ordered free distribution of food grains to the poor instead of allowing them to rot in godowns, and added that it was not a suggestion as made out by Sharad Pawar.
"It was not a suggestion. It is there in our order. You tell the Minister," the court told the government counsel.
Justices Dalveer Bhandari and Deepak Verma clarified that they had passed an order, not an observation as was being made out in newspaper reports quoting Pawar.
Pawar had earlier said, "The Supreme Court's suggestion (for free distribution) is not possible to implement." (ANI)
Sonia Gandhi can become party chief 40 times: Congress
New Delhi, Sep 2: Reacting to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad's remarks that Sonia Gandhi should offer the position of Congress president to someone from outside the Gandhi family, the Congress on Thursday said she can become the party chief as many as 40 times.
"We do not discuss the constitution of another party. Why four times she (Gandhi) could be the party president 40 times if the party wants," said AICC General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi.
"This democracy has seen that Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister for 17 long years and almost similar was the case with Indira Gandhi. Since, other people do not get a chance they talk about it," he added, hitting out at Prasad.
Prasad had earlier said Sonia Gandhi should offer the position of party chief to somebody outside the Gandhi family just as she had "sacrificed" the post of Prime Minister.
Earlier today, the process of re-electing Sonia Gandhi as Congress President was set in motion with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi proposing her name for the top post along with a host of other party leaders.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda proposed the name of Gandhi, 63, along with the other Congress leaders.
Sonia Gandhi's nomination was later submitted to chairman of the party's Central Election Authority, Oscar Fernandes, who is the returning officer for the poll.
The election process was set in motion last week with the issue of the notification.
The scrutiny of nominations will be held on September 3 as per the election schedule. The last date of withdrawal is September 10 and the polling date is September 17.
The counting of votes will take place on September 21.
Gandhi, who is also the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson, has created a record for the longest tenure as Congress chief by steering the party's affairs since April 1998 when she replaced the late Sitaram Kesri. (ANI)
