Six Congress MLAs wanted to join ruling BJP in Goa?

PANAJI: Dismissing claims of a senior Congress leader that some BJP MLAs from Goa are "in touch" with the party, the BJP today said at least six Congress legislators wanted to defect their party.

"Six Congress MLAs were begging for favours,forgiveness and entry in BJP," state BJP spokesman Dr Wilfred Mesquita said.

He was responding to AICC secretary P Sudhakar Reddy's statement yesterday that Congress was not intending to topple the Manohar Parrikar-led government although some of the BJP MLAs are in touch with the party.

"They (Congress) cannot bring down the BJP government in Goa because it was elected by people with full mandate to rule for next five years," Mesquita said, adding the state government has fulfilled all promises it had made to people in the last six months.

In the 40-member House, BJP has 21 MLAs, its alliance partner Maharashtravadi Gomantak Party (MGP) 3, Independents 2 Congress 9 and remaining five seats are represented by other parties.

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Cyclone Nilam hits Tamil Nadu, no major damage reported so far

Cyclone Nilam hits Mahabalipuram near Chennai

CHENNAI: Cyclone Nilam made landfall on the Tamil Nadu coast between Mahabalipuram and Kalpakkam on Wednesday evening with strong winds. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the cyclone started crossing the coast around 4.45pm and is expected to cross the coast in about two hours. Strong winds have been recorded and wind speed is expect to touch 110kmph.

Mahabalipuram was an ancient port city around 55km from the state capital Chennai and is popular tourist destination. Kalpakkam is known for its nuclear plants and affiliated research installations.

Earlier, Cyclone Nilam has shown its strength even before it crossed the coast, sending an oil tanker in the Bay of Bengal drifting towards the Besant Nagar beach on Wednesday afternoon.

A lifeboat carrying 14 people from the ship capsized in the choppy waters, and fishermen rescued and brought to shore six of them. Eight others were still on the boat at 4.30pm.

The regional meteorological office in Chennai forecast storm surges up to 1.5 metres that could inundate low-lying areas of Chennai and the neighbouring districts of Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur. "The cyclone could bring heavy rains of up to 25cm in the next 24 hours," a Met official said.

Many people remained indoors through the day marked by intermittent spells of rain. However, the Besant Nagar beach attracted a large number of people who jostled to catch a glimpse of Pratibha Cauvery, the ship that started drifting towards the beach.

In the city, gusty winds uprooted more than 40 trees. The Tamil Nadu government and Chennai Corporation have activated their disaster management machinery. Chennai airport is likely to close down if the wind speeds increase as predicted.

Chennai port, which has sounded the warning signal 'level 7,' sent out several ships to the outer sea, as keeping them berthed at the port could cause damage when the cyclone crosses the shore.

An official communique from the Madras Atomic Power Station at Kalpakkam said vigil is being maintained on all important systems.

"Now both the reactors are operating safely. Kalpakkam being a coastal site, all the structures and equipment are designed to withstand wind velocity of up to 160kmph. Additional personnel have been deployed to vigil on important systems," the statement said.

Schools will remain closed on Thursday, the third consecutive holiday. Several offices gave half-a-day off for employees to reach home safe before the cyclone landfall.

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'Horrified' Shashi Tharoor's wife Sunanda says Narendra Modi's comment 'disgusting'

Sunanda Pushkar (right) said she was "completely horrified" to hear the remarks by "this guy" who comes from the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel.

NEW DELHI: Sunanda Pushkar on Wednesday termed as "downright disgusting" and belittling of women the comment of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi describing her as the "50-crore-rupee girlfriend" of Shashi Tharoor.

In an interview to NDTV news channel, Pushkar, who was allegedly linked to the IPL Kochi cricket controversy in 2009, said she was "extremely disappointed" at Modi's remarks and wondered, "how can someone stoop to something like that".

Modi made the comment at an election rally in Himachal Pradesh two days ago, after Tharoor was brought back into the union council of ministers. The Thiruvananthapuram MP had resigned from the Union ministry in 2010 over the IPL Kochi episode.

Pushkar said she was "completely horrified" to hear the remarks by "this guy" who comes from the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel.

"In the case of the Gujarat chief minister, I feel sad why they get so personal and belittle ... It is downright disgusting," she said.

Asked if she would demand an apology, Pushkar said, "A man who hasn't apologized to his people for the killing of innocent Gujaratis on his watch (2002 riots), how would I expect an apology from him?"

She also said she had got a lot of support from people, including many men, who had reached out to her and asked her to speak out following Modi's comments.

Referring to the IPL Kochi team issue, Pushkar said: "we have completely sorted it out, answered all questions of the ED (Enforcement Directorate)". "Where is the Rs 50 crore?" asked Pushkar.

"I was highly amused by the figure ... Earlier, the figure was Rs 70 crore, so where has Rs 20 crore gone?"

"The BJP needs to figure it out ... it is an imaginary figure," she said, adding: "Show me the money."

Pushkar claimed there was "no money involved" in her venture in the IPL Kochi.

Referring to the allegations of financial impropriety in land deals against Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law, Robert Vadra, she wondered why people not involved in politics were being targeted.

On BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi terming her husband a "love guru" who should be given the "ministry of love affairs", Pushkar said the remark was "very sad" as she came from an affectionate family that believed in "PDA" or public display of affection.

"The BJP had nothing else to attack ... If they were real men, they would attack on proper issues ... They attack everybody without proof," said Pushkar, adding that "This guy (Modi) wants to win the elections."

To Modi's comment, Tharoor had retorted with a tweet: "My wife is worth a lot more than your imaginary 50 crores. She is priceless. But you need to be able to love someone to understand that."

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Rains, fast winds lash cyclone-hit Andhra Pradesh

HYDERABAD: Heavy rains and gale continued to lash Nellore and other districts of Andhra Pradesh close to Tamil Nadu today due to the cyclonic storm 'Nilam.'

The cyclone was supposed to cross north Tamil Nadu and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coast -- between Puducherry and Nellore near Chennai -- this evening, official sources said.

The arrival of the cyclone led to rainfall at most places. Heavy to very heavy rainfall would also occur over south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema during the next 48 hours, according to the Met department.

There were no reports of death or damage to property till evening, the state Commissioner for Disaster Management said. However, media reports showed damaged huts and uprooted trees at many places.

Larger-than-usual tidal waves would inundate the low-lying areas of Nellore district, the sources added.

The cyclone was expected to cause minor damage to power and communication lines, and also to the standing rice and groundnut crops.

The government has set up control rooms at the Secretariat here and at the district and division level. Senior IAS cadres have been posted in 13 coastal mandals as special officers and teams have been kept ready for evacuation in low-lying areas, the Commissioner said.

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Nitish organising rally to cover up 'failures': Tariq Anwar

PATNA: Nationalist Congress Party leader Tariq Anwar today claimed that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was organizing the 'Adhikar rally' to cover up his 'failures'.

"The Adhikar rally is being organized by the JD(U) as a political agenda of the chief minister. Kumar cannot get away for the failure of his government on all fronts by passing the buck on the Centre," Anwar told a felicitation held at the state NCP office here after his elevation as Union Minister of State for Agriculture.

Claiming that no political benefit would come Bihar's way following the November 4 rally at Gandhi Maidan, Anwar charged Kumar with adopting double standard on the special status issue.

Anwar said that Kumar should have used his influence as a minister in the then NDA government to grant such a status to Bihar post-bifurcation, but was making the demand now to suit his political convenience.

The senior NCP leader alleged that Kumar failed to deliver on his promise to change the face of Bihar within 100 days after taking over the reins of the state in 2005 and was raising the bogey of the special status to cover up his 'failures'.

Stating that he maintained that the status issue was not a panacea of all problems and the state required special package to boost development, he said that the chances of the Centre according special status to Bihar appeared remote as there were other states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan raising similar demands.

Bihar should rather seek a special package which the NCP would support, he said.

On Arvind Kejriwal's charge that the UPA government allegedly helped Reliance Industries in making a fortune from the KG basin, the union minister said that he did not take the them seriously.

On Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's attack on union minister Shashi Tharoor's wife, Anwar said that he did not approve of 'loose talk' by the chief minister of a state against a political leader's family members.

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Mamata calls UPA government a corpse

KOLKATA: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday barbed the UPA government "a corpse", pooh-poohing Sunday's cabinet rejig by a "single-party government".

Addressing a media conference at Writers', she said, "This government is minority, unconstitutional and unethical. Can you infuse life into a dead body?" On October 15, the Trinamool supremo had called the UPA brain-dead, saying, "The patient is dead. Somebody must remove the tube," she had said.

Continuing on the same breath on Tuesday, she went to the extent of supporting Anna Hazare - for his demand for dissolution of Parliament. "I was watching him on television ... he said this government doesn't have the moral right to govern," Mamata said, adding, "I had reservations about his (Anna's) movement, but now I am supporting him - because he has spoken in people's interest."

The chief minister's reaction came 48 hours after her lieutenants dutifully fired salvo at the UPA, which introduced the biggest reshuffle ever while gearing for its last leg in power. On Tuesday, it was their leader's turn to hit out.

Initially, Mamata feigned indifference: "This is the Congress' (internal) matter." And then came the outburst. Claiming that the reshuffle didn't make sense, she said, "Tell me - who's is with them? Not Mayawati, nor Mulayam or DMK. When we joined the government, we gave our support in writing. When we quit, we wrote to the President. No dubious role here. We have simply asked for a no-confidence motion against the government," scathingly adding, "Why don't they (the UPA) prove their majority suo motu?"

To rejuvenate the Bengal Congress, and more importantly, get even with the former ally, Prime minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday included two Mamata bete noir - Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Deepa Dasmunshi - into his Cabinet along with A H Khan Choudhury. Worse, Adhir was made the MOS, railways which has been the chief minister's baby till she pulled out of the UPA. Both Choudhury and Dasmunshi, who is the Union minister of state for urban development, have threatened to expose the Trinamool ministers, in whose shoes they are now in.

Mamata quipped, "Pushed to a minority, this government is using the CBI and the enforcement directorate to intimidate. It has let loose customs and income-tax. As if the country is being ruled by the CBI ..." Barely two years ago, she made it to the helm of the state, Mamata was know for her fetish for CBI inquiries into almost every "wrong-doing" committed by the erstwhile Left Front.

To questions on the plethora of railway projects announced by her and her successor Mukul Roy, Mamata clarified, "Every project has been cleared by the Planning Commission. Bids have been called for most projects. Work is on. If anyone tries to stall it, the people will speak out."

She continued to rub in: "No other party, except Sharad Pawar's NCP (she meant Tariq Anwar) is with them. This is the Congress' way of adjusting (read rewarding) Sharad Pawar. The Congress government is unconstitutional," she said.

State Congress president Pradip Bhattacharya returned the jibe in a counter press conference, saying, "The chief minister should read the Constitution first."

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Date for homecoming to be announced soon: Kalyan Singh

LUCKNOW: Former UP chief minister and Jan Kranti Party patron Kalyan Singh today said he was returning to his parent party BJP and the date for his re-entry would be announced soon.

"Several rounds of talks have already been held with state and national-level leaders and a final decision on it (re-induction) will be taken after a meeting with party chief Nitin Gadkari," he told reporters here.

"As campaigning for assembly polls in some states is on and leaders are busy there, a date for my return has not been finalised as yet but it will be announced soon," the former BJP leader said. Singh, a one-time poster boy of the saffron party, said he had a formula for strengthening the BJP. If accepted, it could take the party to new heights, he said adding he would leave no stone unturned to make it strong in Uttar Pradesh.

Last week, the former chief minister had said he favoured merging his party with the BJP at an appropriate time for uniting "Rastravadi" (nationalist) forces. About his exit and re-entry into the BJP, Singh had said only time had done whatever had happened and it had made both (him and the party) understand that there was need for nationalist forces to unite.

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Gurdwaras turned into shelter homes in Sandy-hit areas of United States

AMRITSAR: As superstorm Sandy hit the US East Coast affecting millions of people, an international Sikh forum today announced that Gurdwaras in the country have been turned into shelter homes for the affected.

American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (AGPC) said that arrangements have been made in Gurdwaras for providing food, water and shelter to those affected by the storm.

"As the Gurdwaras are often situated in large compounds, having enough food and water in stores, we would like to help the needy in this one of the biggest crisis in the areas, currently facing the impact of the storm," said the AGPC in a statement issued from Freemont, California.

The Sikh leaders said the Gurdwaras management had been asked to store sufficient food as soon as the alarm was sounded for the storm.

Sandy, one of the biggest storms ever to hit the US, battered the coastline of New Jersey, where a large number of Indian families reside, with 80 mph winds, pushing seawater up by an unprecedented 13-feet in New York City.

Floods inundated large number of areas in New York and New Jersey and an explosion at a sub-station on the east side of Manhattan's Midtown left 500,000 people without power.

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Ready to join hands with BJP to resolve mining crisis: Congress

PANAJI: Congress today said it was ready to bury political differences with the BJP to find a solution for the current crisis in the mining industry.

All India Congress Committee Secretary P Sudhakar Reddy told reporters that the party looked at the entire issue from the "humanitarian point of view".

"Congress is always for the legal mining and opposes illegal mining in Goa. When it comes to issue of people affected with mining, we should look at the issue on humanitarian grounds," Reddy said.

He expressed fear that if economic slowdown, due to the halt in mining activities, is not arrested at this juncture, the situation would become critical over the next couple of months.

Responding to a question, Reddy said if the state government came forward, the Congress party was ready to keep aside political differences to lobby with the Centre.

"Our MPs are ready. Whatever is required for Goa, we will do it within the legal framework," he added.

Reddy expected that the Supreme Court will arrive at a decision as soon as possible. He also said the party will also consult the legal department of AICC to resolve the situation.

The apex court has halted the extraction and transport of iron ore in the state pending inquiry by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which is currently in Goa and is on visit of the mining leases.

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Darul Uloom should modernise: Jamia VC Najeeb Jung

NEW DELHI: Calling Darul Uloom Deoband a shadow of its once great self, Jamia Milia Islamia Vice- Chancellor Najeeb Jung today rued that the seminary had failed to adopt modern education for its students.

Speaking about Muslims and their evolution in India over centuries, Jung said the historic institution at Deoband was once a centre of progressive thought that produced students who joined India's freedom movement.

However, he said, over the years the seminary had failed to adapt to modern times and stands pale in comparison to what it once stood for.

While tracking the history of Muslims in India in his Founder's Day lecture, Jung said both Darul Uloom Deoband and Darul Uloom Nadwa of Lucknow were institutions that were symbols of freedom and resistance to the British.

"Unfortunately, the seminary today is a shadow of its great self, where students are provided Islamic education but little of modern education, with the result that it makes no contribution to the job sector of India," he said.

Making a strong pitch for introduction of modern education at the seminaries, he said this would provide their students a much-needed progressive thought.

"I wish Deoband and Nadwa would modernise and take a lead in guiding the present generation," he said.

Founded in 1866 by prominent Islamic scholars led by Maulana Muhammad Qasim, the seminary in Deoband is looked up to by Muslims not only in India but also in South Asia as a respected centre of Islamic learning.

Jung termed the Liberation War of Bangladesh a watershed year for Indian Muslims as it shattered the two-nation theory that was the bedrock of Pakistan's establishment.

He said while for at least two decades after the Partition, Muslims in India lived under its shadow, they started breaking free from history only in the 80s and 90s.

"Unfortunately, the same period saw the rise of Hindu communalism," he said while referring to L K Advani's Rath Yatra and the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992.

"Today, we in India understand that there is Muslim terrorism and there is non-Muslim terrorism and that there is need to and ensure greater involvement of Muslims in the mainstream," he said.

Veteran journalist and writer Kuldip Nayar said he strongly believed that communal harmony in India depends on New Delhi's friendly relations with Islamabad.

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Hurricane Sandy: Air India flights to US delayed

MUMBAI: Air India's fights AI 101/102 from Delhi to New York and back and AI-191/192 from Mumbai to Newark and back for October 30 have been delayed inordinately due closure of airports in New York and Newark due to current weather conditions on the east coast of the United States.

"This part of the continent has been hit by the Sandy hurricane causing disruption of all flight operations,'' said a release issued by the airline on Monday.

The Delhi-New York (AI-101) and Mumbai-Newark (AI-191) flights for October 30 has now been rescheduled to leave at 1300 hrs instead of 0120 hrs and 0135 hrs respectively, it said.

"However the flights are expected to be operated only after receiving clearance for flight operation from the US government and availability of airport services,'' the airline said.

The airline said that passengers are required to be in touch with the airlines' call centre for information on their flights to the US.

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Anna Hazare, Gen VK Singh attack UPA, seek dissolution of Parliament

Heralding formation of a new movement against corruption, Anna Hazare and former Army chief General VK Singh targeted the "unconstitutional" UPA government over decisions like FDI in multi-brand retail.

MUMBAI: A new-look Team Anna mounted a scathing attack on the UPA government on Monday and sought immediate dissolution of Parliament, saying the two pillars of democracy were not acting in the manner enshrined in the Constitution.

Heralding formation of a new movement against corruption, Anna Hazare and former Army chief General VK Singh targeted the "unconstitutional" UPA government over decisions like FDI in multi-brand retail.

Addressing a joint press conference here this evening, Singh said the government had taken the controversial decision on FDI despite being in minority.

"As per the Constitution, India is a welfare state in which a democratically elected government is duty bound to protect and improve the lives of the people. However, the current system has completely ignored the directive principles enshrined in the constitution and has surrendered to market forces," Singh said.

"Parliament should be dissolved and fresh elections held," he said, reading from a prepared statement. Hazare endorsed Singh and said they had jointly prepared the statement.

The government policies were being framed to benefit private businesses instead of the common man and no one was raising voice against this in Parliament, the retired general said.

Elections should be held to allow formation of a new government which works for people, he said, adding "Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has ignored the principle of collective responsibility."

On the recent reshuffle in the Union government, Hazare said, "the reshuffle is nothing but misleading the people".

Hazare, who announced launching a year-long campaign from January 30 to create awareness among the people for bringing about a change in the system, said he would support candidates with clean image in the next general elections.

To a query, Hazare said he would support Arvind Kejriwal if he contests polls. "Arvind is a nice man," he added.

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Not unhappy with new ministry: Jaipal Reddy

NEW DELHI: Dismissing claims that he was unhappy with his new charge, newly-appointed Science and Technology Minister S Jaipal Reddy on Monday said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took him into confidence about the change in his portfolio.

"The prime minister took me into confidence about the change in my portfolio and that was enough for me. I have never in my life haggled or bargained for portfolios," he told reporters here.

In the cabinet reshuffle Sunday, Jaipal Reddy was transferred from the crucial petroleum ministry to the science and technology ministry. M Veerappa Moily succeeded him as the new petroleum minister.

"It has been my effort to be a faithful partyman under a truthful (prime) minister and that shall be my focus and that has been my focus," said Jaipal Reddy.

Asked whether he was given a reason for his removal from the petroleum ministry, Jaipal Reddy said: "No minister is ever told about the reason and I think the PM should not give the reason for change in a portfolio."

He added that he had an "excellent" relationship with the prime minister and that he had always been shown affection by him.

"I don't take positions on portfolios and all my life I have taken ideological positions on issues... I've no regrets about portfolios," said Jaipal Reddy.

Asked why he did not personally hand over the charge to Moily, he said he was busy learning about his new ministry.

"I told the secretary that I will come at five (p.m.) as I wanted to understand about this department. I am a student of social science, not of natural science so I needed time. I am not an officer to hand over charge," he said.

"When I took over as petroleum minister, I did not let Murli Deora give charge to me. Moily came to see me...you are free to indulge in your imagination," he added.

The minister said that the science ministry was very important because it works in the areas of fundamental research.

"I believe in the philosophy and the technology of science. I ardently share (former prime minister Jawaharlal) Nehru's admiration for science and technology and offer my salutation to him for having laid the foundation of science and technology in the country".

The minister said that he aims to increase the number of scientific researchers from present 154,000 to 254,000 in the 12th Plan period.

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Congress makeover likely before Diwali

NEW DELHI: A day after the new-look Manmohan Singh cabinet unfolded, the much-awaited Congress reshuffle is likely to happen before Diwali, which falls on November 13, party sources said on Monday.

Congress sources indicated that the reshuffle may see party general secretary Rahul Gandhi take on a more prominent role assuming the post of vice president or working president.

"The hurdle of cabinet reshuffle is over. An AICC (All India Congress Committee) makeover could either happen in the next few days or after Nov 4," a Congress Working Committee member who declined to be named told IANS.

Nov 4 is crucial as the Congress has planned a big rally in Delhi, which will be addressed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

Besides AICC leaders, central ministers, chief ministers, members of parliament and state unit chiefs are expected to attend the rally in a show of strength.

While Rahul Gandhi is believde to have played a key role in finalising the list of 22 ministers, who were sworn in Sunday, he is expected to give important roles to his close aides, including party MPs Ashok Tanwar, Meenakshi Natrajan and Manicka Tagore.

Rahul Gandhi's imprint was clearly visible in the cabinet rejig in which Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot, Jitendra Singh and Manish Tewari were given independent charges of ministries.

Congress sources said new faces in important organisational positions would convey the message that the party is prepared to face future challenges.

While former external affairs minister SM Krishna is set to play an important role in Karnataka, which will have assembly elections in May 2013, former information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni is expected to be drafted for party work.

According to party sources, the blueprint for the AICC reshuffle has been prepared. Sonia Gandhi will decide when to announce it, said the sources.

"The AICC reshuffle has to match the scale of the cabinet reshuffle," a Congress leader, refusing to be named, told IANS.

The AICC reshuffle is expected to ready a team which will take on the challenges of nine assembly elections in 2013, culminating in the big electoral battle of the 2014 general elections.

However, a section of the Congress leaders said given the political situation in the country, the party should be ready for the Lok Sabha polls next year as well.

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Ramdev to campaign against Congress in Gujarat

AHMEDABAD: Yoga guru Baba Ramdev said on Monday that he would campaign against the Congress in Gujarat until November 8.

However, Ramdev who had earlier praised Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi claimed that he will not promote the ruling BJP here, but support whoever can defeat Congress.

Ramdev will start his campaign in Alampur village from Bhavnagar district from tomorrow and then travel to Halol, Panchmahal, Nadiad and Bilimora among others.

"During the Ramlila Maidan agitation I had said that we will campaign against Congress and we are going to do that in Gujarat," Ramdev said addressing reporters here.

"Congress is like a cancer and everybody should work to remove it from the system", Ramdev said.

Asked if his campaign would benefit Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Ramdev said, "I am not campaigning for any party but against the Congress. Anybody who can defeat Congress will have our support".

On the issue of allegations against BJP president Nitin Gadkari, Ramdev said that "The Congress government is involved in big scams like 2G, coalgate and Common Wealth Games, while allegations against the BJP president only involves use of fake addresses".

He went on the add that there should be an inquiry into every allegation of corruption.

"Congress is a greater evil, while other parties are lesser evils as far as corruption is concerned," he said.

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Yeddyurappa firm on quitting BJP, says will not take part in peace talks

BANGALORE/TUMKUR: Its a tug- of -war between former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and his loyalist ministers-legislators who are doing their utmost bid to make him stay back in the BJP.

Even as "mission Yeddyurappa retention" has been initiated by chief minister Jagadish Shettar and his two deputies K S Eshwarappa and R Ashoka, the beleaguered former CM on Sunday said in Tumkur, 70km from Bangalore, that there is no change in his plans to quit the party and launch the Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) on December 10 in Haveri. "Patch-up meeting is a drama by the BJP leaders to create confusion among the people. Neither my followers nor I have attempted a patch-up. I am not going to New Delhi for talks," he maintained.

Though Yeddyurappa made this statement, both Shettar and Eshwarappa were confident that talks would happen and have booked flight tickets to New Delhi and are scheduled to leave on Monday evening. Yeddyurappa loyalist ministers Basaraj Bommai, Umesh V Katti and C M Udasi have official programmes in the capital and are expected to attend the meeting with Nitin Gadkari and senior leaders of BJP.

Ministers and legislators loyal to Yeddyurappa seems to be a worried lot as his proposed new regional party is not getting the desired support from expected quarters. The last three public meetings organized by Yeddyurappa at Chamarajanagar, Shimoga and Gulbarga, to woo leaders and cadres to his proposed outfit did not elicit good response.

Before Shettar and Ashoka tried to convince Yeddyurappa, his close aides Bommai and Katti reportedly approached Eshwarappa on Thursday to make efforts to retain the former CM.
On reports that some of his emissaries will be going to New Delhi on October 30 to work out a rapprochement between the central leadership and him, Yeddyurappa in Tumkur said: "I don't send any of my followers for any patch-up. Also it is none of my business to persuade my followers to come with me. Its left to them. In the coming days, people of Karnataka will know who all will be with me," he maintained.

Reiterating he was not going to go back on his decision to quit the BJP, Yeddyurappa claimed some of the party leaders were already planning to face the assembly polls without him. "More than 70 MLAs are with me and I will surely launch the party," he said.

The BJP appears that it cannot lose the Lingayat leader as the party has set its eyes firmly on the next parliamentary polls and may forget Yeddyurappa's recent outbursts against its leaders in a bid to win maximum number of Lok Sabha seats from Karnataka.

A BJP senior leader said the central leadership may agree to offer the campaign committee chairman's post to Yeddyurappa if he is willing.

Three prominent Lingayat pontiffs have reportedly expressed their dissatisfaction with Yeddyurappa's decision to quit the party.

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Earthquake jolts Kashmir Valley, no casualties

SRINAGAR: An earthquake of modern intensity today shook Kashmir Valley sparking panic among residents but there were no reports of any damage or casualties. The quake, measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale, struck at 1741 hours and lasted nearly 10 seconds, officials said. Terrified residents rushed out of their houses but there were no reports of any damage to property or casualties, they said.

The epicentre of the tremor was in Hindukush region of Afghanistan.

On October 8, 2005, a devastating earthquake flattened vast swathes of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and many hamlets in the Valley along the LoC, killing thousands of people.

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MP disappointed; expected more cabinet berths

BHOPAL: The Jyotiraditya Scindia faction in Madhya Pradesh rejoiced with the elevation of the Gwalior royal scion to the more prestigious minister of state for energy (independent charge) portfolio. Though he was not yet a cabinet minister but to be offered independent charge of the energy ministry was reason to celebrate. Scindia supporters argued that the energy portfolio had previously been held by ministers of cabinet rank only. Hence, even as minister of state Scindia s responsibilities would be no less than that of a cabinet berth.

Speaking to the media, Jyotiraditya Scindia thanked the party high command for giving an opportunity to the youth. Asked about the boost in his stature, he said: I am grateful for this opportunity and hope to work to the best of my abilities and serve the nation.

But other than Scindia faction, the Madhya Pradesh Congress resembled a face of disappointment. With elections coming up next year in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, the Congress was hopeful of getting more berths in the Union cabinet which would send a positive message and increase the party s prospects in Mission 2013. The only other minister from the state and in the cabinet, Kamal Nath, was given the additional charge of Parliamentary affairs. He will continue to hold his primary urban development ministry.

But the reshuffle came as a disappointment to the newly elected young MPs from the state who considered themselves as an integral part of AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi s team the foremost among them is Meenakshi Natarajan, first-time MP from Mandsaur. Party was also expecting the return of Khandwa MP Arun Yadav, former minister of state for heavy industries, public enterprise, agriculture, youth affairs and sports who was dropped in the July 2011 reshuffle.

AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, who was in Bhopal on Sunday to attend a Mahila Congress function, said: We are disappointed and had expected more berths for Madhya Pradesh but that should not be a deterrent. We will work very hard and with all our might for the upcoming assembly elections next year.

MPCC president Kantilal Bhuria under whose leadership the party has declared will contest the November 2013 elections said: Our party workers should not feel dejected or neglected because we already have two ministers in the Centre. Kamal Nath has been given one more portfolio and Jyotiraditya Scindia has been promoted to handle a prominent ministry independently. Congress leader of Opposition Ajay Singh added: The Cabinet formation is totally the Prime Minister s prerogative. He chooses his team.

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Digvijaya Singh defends Centre over reduction of cooking gas subsidy

BHOPAL: AICC general secretary and former chief minister Digvijay Singh on Sunday accepted that inflation is the greatest challenge facing the nation today. Addressing a gathering of state Mahila Congress workers at a function here, Digvijay Singh defended the Manmohan Singh government s decision on reducing subsidy on cooking gas cylinders.

"You must be wondering why such a step was taken to reduce subsidy on cooking gas cylinders," Singh said. From petroleum products including sale of petrol and diesel, the Union government earns Rs 85,000 crore as taxes. But the subsidy towards cooking gas costs the exchequer an exorbitant Rs 1.4 lakh crore. The state governments earn as much as Rs 1.1 lakh crore from VAT alone but do not want to shell-out anything towards subsidising cooking gas.

Digvijay Singh said that if the Union government was giving subsidy on six gas cylinders, then states should fund the rebate on at least three more cylinders. That way there would be nine gas cylinders at subsidised rates available for every family. Congress-ruled states like Rajasthan and Haryana have already taken the decision to subsidise the three additional cylinders, he claimed.

He contended that Madhya Pradesh sells gas cylinders at the highest price in the country. The BJP calls for Bharat bandh to protest cut in cooking gas subsidy while it sells the same at the steepest rate in a state ruled by the party, Digvijay Singh said. According to the AICC general secretary, the price kerosene increased from Rs 3 per litre to Rs 10 per litre during the BJP-led NDA rule at the Centre. In the UPA, the prices of kerosene has been raised only once by Rs 2, he claimed. But kerosene is selling in the blackmarket at Rs 35 to Rs 40 per litre. And why is the Congress women s wing in Madhya Pradesh sleeping over it?

Singh asked the Congress women workers to spread the word of kerosene blackmarketeering throughout the state and the assembly elections would be won. Go to every village and inform the people that the BJP government is selling the Centre s schemes as their own. The funds are coming from the Union government and the BJP state is only changing the names of the schemes and proclaiming them as their own. You do this much of a task and the Congress will come back to power, he added.

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Cabinet rejig: Congress tries to strengthen backward-dalit-minority vote base in Karnataka

BANGALORE: By inducting K Rahman Khan in place of S M Krishna, the Congress is aiming at strengthening their traditional vote base Backward-Dalit-Minority (BDM) in the state ahead assembly elections due next year.

Karnataka's package in the Union cabinet can be said to be good both in terms of representation and the portfolios considering the state has 10 MPs (six in Lok Sabha and four in the Rajya Sabha) with four making it to the ministry again.

Giving weightage to BDM factor ahead of assembly polls in the state, due next year, Khan has been given minority welfare with cabinet status. Mallikarjun Kharge and K H Muniyappa are dalits and hold labour and micro, small and medium enterprises respectively. M Veerappa Moily, a backward has been given all important portfolio of petroleum and natural gas.

Krishna, who was asked to resign before cabinet rejig, belonged to the major Vokkaliga community. However, the Congress leadership has ensured that Mandya district, heartland of Vokkaligas and Cauvery, has been represented by inducting Khan, who hails from K R Pet in the same district.

The petroleum portfolio is seen an elevation for Moily, who was moved from law to corporate affairs and energy. The portfolio is important for Karnataka as Gas Authority of India Ltd )GAIL) and Karnataka State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corp (KSIIDC) have formed a joint venture company to set up city gas distribution (CGD) network for Bangalore households and fuel for CNG-run vehicles.

GAIL is laying 2,500 km natural gas pipeline covering Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra at an estimated cost of Rs.10,000 crore inculding Dabhol-Bengaluru pipeline at an investment of Rs 5,000 crore and Kochi-Bangalore pipeline at investment of Rs 3,782 crore. These gas pipelines would function as energy lifelines for the state. Natural gas, the cleanest fuel, is being planned as substitute for diesel and CNG corridor for city of Bengaluru. Besides meeting energy requirement for all the fertilizers and gas based power plants in the state, this projects in the pipeline is expected to provide gas for City Gas Distribution projects for all major cities/towns such as Bangalore, Belgaum, Mysore and Mangalore (Moily's home district).

State-owned Karnataka Power Corporation Limited is also setting up a 700 Mw gas-based power project at Bidadi.

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Cabinet reshuffle an 'exercise in vain': BJP

CHANDIGARH: BJP on Saturday termed Sunday's reshuffle of Union council of ministers as an "exercise in vain", saying the government should have taken a fresh mandate before going for it.

"After Trinamool Congress' withdrawal...government lost its credibility. BJP feels this (reshuffle) is an exercise in vain," party spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy told reporters here adding the government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh "should have sought a "fresh mandate" before going for this exercise (reshuffle)".

The Prime Minister also came under sharp attack from the BJP leader who said Singh was known as an economist and for his honesty but in UPA-II that has "changed".

Rudy also said the PM was a Cambridge University scholar, had served in prestigious positions, including finance minister, finance secretary, governor of RBI etc and "nowhere in the world do we have a Prime Minister who is so qualified".

"But after promising growth rate of 9.2 per cent, it is hovering around 5.2 per cent", he added.

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Kalyan Singh owns responsibility for Babri Masjid demolition

"As UP CM, I had ordered police not to fire at Ram bhakts who had assembled at Ayodhya in 1992, which led to demolition of the Babri mosque," Kalyan Singh said.

LUCKNOW: Ahead of his re-induction into Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), former Uttar Pradesh (UP) chief minister and Jan Kranti Party (JKP) patron Kalyan Singh has worn hardline Hindutva mask again.

Addressing reporters in Etah, Kalyan said that he owns full responsibility for the demolition of the 16th-century mosque in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, thus reigniting the controversial Ramjanmabhoomi dispute.

"As chief minister of UP, I had ordered police not to fire at Ram bhakts who had assembled at Ayodhya in 1992 during the Ram temple movement, which led to demolition of the Babri mosque. I take full responsibility," he said.

One-time Hindutva poster boy Kalyan Singh had left BJP first in 1999 due to difference with the top leadership but came back in 2004. However, he left the BJP again in 2009, alleging neglect and humiliation by the senior BJP leaders.

However, BJP national president Nitin Gadkari is trying to bring back all the Hindutva faces, who left the party for some reason or another, before 2014 Lok Sabha election. The attempt is to re-build BJP's vote bank by polarizing people.

Kalyan has agreed for homecoming and is expected to join BJP soon. Uma Bharti, a fire-brand leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, joined BJP before UP assembly polls and is working to strengthen party's vote bank.

Kalyan's re-entry, BJP leaders said, will not only boost the Hindutava cause but will also bring back the votes of the backward classes to the party. Kalyan is a Lodh by caste and enjoys support among backward classes in UP.

When asked why he was joining BJP again, Kalyan said "Its right time for uniting nationalist (Hindutava) forces." Kalyan said he had positive talks with the BJP top brass and party's national president would decide the date of his re-entry.

Training guns at the Samajwadi Party government in UP, Kalyan said that by announcing release of accused of terror attacks in Varanasi, Faizabad and Lucknow, the government is trying to create communal tension in UP.

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UN warnings on internal displacement important for India

MUMBAI: A United Nations expert this week warned about internal displacement emerging as a significant human rights and humanitarian challenge in a message that carries an important wake-up call for India.

Around 26 million persons across the globe were internally displaced across the globe due to armed conflict, violence or human rights atrocities, estimated the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, Chaloka Beyani adding that another 15 million were displaced by natural calamities.

The rapporteur pointed out that such persons are often wrongly tagged as 'refugees' and it was time that states have frameworks to manage mass internal displacements and put in place appropriate response systems. The lack of such a crises intervention system was cleary felt during the recent exodus of people from the state of Assam following riots.

Similar crises have been seen following natural calamities such as floods as well. Agencies' conservatively estimate IDPs in India to be around 5.06 lakh till December 2011 though experts point out that the population is hard to cover statistically.

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SM Krishna's re-entry into Karnataka state politics may not help Congress

Though it appears that AICC may not give any top post to Krishna in the KPCC, it may look at placing him as the campaign committee chairman.

BANGALORE: Former external affairs minister SM Krishna's return to Karnataka state politics after a gap of nine years may not result in a 360-degree change for the Congress which has failed to play the role of an effective opposition party.

Though it appears that AICC may not give any top post to Krishna in the KPCC, it may look at placing him as the campaign committee chairman. There are also talks of him being placed as a coordinator to bring unity in the party. But this move may also boomerang by creation of yet another group in the party.

Though his resignation to the Union cabinet is touted as return to state politics, there has been mixed reaction in the Congress circles on the move. While a section is rejoicing maintaining that he will strengthen the party ahead of assembly elections due next year, other leaders are wary about the age of Krishna who is 80 now.

In 1999, when he led the party to polls, there was an anti-incumbency wave against the Janata Parivar, which helped the Congress return to power. He is also blamed for bringing down the party from nearly 130 seats to little more than 60 in the subsequent elections in 2004. The magic was lost as his government gave more emphasis to urban development than rural areas. There is a large group within the Congress which is opposed to Krishna. With age against him, he can play the role of elderly statesman guiding the party under a collective leadership.

Soon after relinquishing governor's office in Maharashtra, a section of his loyalists had planned great welcome to him to state politics before the assembly elections in 2008. However, the party headed by Mallikarjun Kharge and AICC in charge of Karnataka affairs Prithviraj Chavan thwarted Krishna's plan.

Situation is totally different from what it was five years ago. KPCC president G Parameshwara is seen as Krishna's man and the former may bat for a prominent role for him in the party. According to Krishna, he would tour the state as an ordinary party worker without expecting a position.

A section in the party feels that Krishna's active role in state politics would dent BJP's prospects in Bangalore in the coming elections. The Bangalore urban district accounts for 28 assembly seats, highest in the state. At present, the ruling BJP is represented in 17 segments of the 28 and the party has won 110 of the total 198 wards in the BBMP. "Krishna has a charisma in Bangalore and Congress stands to benefit if he takes an active role in Bangalore and Mysore-Karnataka region. The BJP is anyway declining due to the alleged corruption cases against its top leaders," a senior Congress leader said.

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SM Krishna recalls personal chemistry with Pakistani foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar

"I made two trips to Islamabad. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar came to Delhi. That certainly did improve the relationship between the two countries,"Krishna said.

NEW DELHI: Personal chemistry helps in diplomacy. Recalling his years as foreign minister, SM Krishna on Saturday said he forged a "good understanding" with his Pakistani and Chinese counterparts, Hina Rabbani Khar and Yang Jiechi respectively, which helped him to improve India's relations with these countries.

"I had a good understanding with Hina Rabbai Khar and Yang Jiechi," Krishna told reporters here to queries whether he forged personal relationships with world leaders and foreign ministers of other countries during his stint as foreign minister.

He also spoke about personal equations with Brazil's Foreign Minister Antonio de Aguiar Patriota and South Africa's Maite Nkoana-Mashabane. Last but not the least, he spoke warmly about US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with whom he co-chaired three rounds of the India-US strategic dialogue.

When Krishna became the foreign minister in May 2009, India's relations with Pakistan had plummeted to a new low following the 26/11 attacks and the dialogue process with Pakistan was frozen.

A year later, Krishna went to Islamabad with a view to resuming the peace process, but aggressive posturing by the then Pakistani foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi led to the collapse of the talks. Qureshi was replaced. The relations showed signs of improving after Khar became foreign minister in July last year and made her first visit to India.

Although Krishna is more than three decades senior to Khar, Pakistan's youngest foreign minister, the two had a mutual regard and developed a rapport over the next few months, informed sources said. This rapport was reflected in the changed tone and atmospherics in the India-Pakistan relations, leading eventually to the resumption of the dialogue process in February last year.

Recalling his efforts to improve relations with Pakistan, Krishna said: "I made two trips to Islamabad. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar came to Delhi. That certainly did improve the relationship between the two countries."

Similarly, Krishna managed to forge personal equations with the Chinese foreign minister, who praised Krishna's statesman-like quality when the two met in Beijing in June on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meet.

In the last three years, India's relations with China came under strain on many issues, including incursions, and issuing of stapled visas to Indian residents of Jammu and Kashmir, but a pragmatic approach by the leadership and foreign office of the two countries ensured that the relations remained on an even keel.

Bilateral trade has exceeded $75 billion, and is likely to reach $100 billion by 2015.

"We have a border dispute with China but that didn't affect the overall relationship," Krishna said a day after he resigned to make way for "younger blood".

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India-US-Japan trilateral meet on Monday

NEW DELHI: The US' 'pivot-to-Asia' policy, Iran, China-Japan maritime dispute and South China Sea will be among the issues to be discussed during the 3rd round of India-US-Japan Trilateral dialogue here on Monday apart from finding areas of cooperation between the three countries.

According to official sources, the US is expected to brief about its much-talked about policy of 'pivot to Asia', an American move driven by the allure of emerging Asian economies, especially China and India. Another reason includes the draw-down of US forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan, which enables the US military to concentrate more resources on the Asia-Pacific. The US is also expected to talk about Iran's contentious nuclear programme.

Japan will be briefing about its maritime dispute with China. Discussion on the increasing Chinese influence in South China Sea is also expected to figure during the trilateral, sources said.

The three sides will also explore the possibilities of cooperation in various strategic areas, including piracy and safety of sea lanes in Asia Pacific amidst increasing Chinese influence in the region.

The Japanese delegation will be led by deputy vice-minister of foreign affairs Kenji Hiramatsu, the US delegation by assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia Robert Blake and the Indian delegation by joint secretary (East Asia) Gautam Bambawale.

The trilateral also comes ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Tokyo on November 15 for the bilateral summit.

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New committee in place for aircraft imports, induction

MUMBAI: A new Aircraft Acquisition Committee (AAC), which will consider, examine and make recommendations on all proposals for providing air transport services and for permitting import or acquisition of aircraft for various purposes has been put in place.

A release issued by the press information bureau said that the new AAC will consist of additional secretary & financial adviser as the chairman and the members will include HS Khola, former official, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), chairman, Airports Authority of India, the Director General, Civil Aviation, the commissioner, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and joint Secretary (Domestic Transport).

The Domestic Transport Section in the Ministry of Civil Aviation will serve as the Secretariat of the Committee, said the release adding that the AAC shall examine and appraise applications/proposals, from the perspectives of air transport capacity required to meet the air traffic demand, as well as the safety, security, financial, commercial and other relevant aspects of the proposal to ensure orderly growth of air transport services.

After examination and appraisal, the AAC shall make appropriate recommendations on the following categories of proposals: Operation of Scheduled Air Transport Services, Operation of Regional Scheduled Air Transport Services, Operation of Non-Scheduled Air Transport Services, Acquisition of aircraft for Flying Training Institutes, Acquisition of aircraft for private use, "In-Principle Approval" for import/acquisition of aircraft on the request of the applicant to enter into long-term contract of supply with other parties like manufacturer, lessor and also to plan their operations in future, extension for initial 'No Objection Certificates' and import permissions. Actual induction of aircraft for which 'In-principle' approval has been obtained earlier and replacement of aircraft if the seating capacity of the replacement aircraft exceeds by more than 10% of the capacity of the aircraft being replaced.

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'No war like situation' with China: Sushilkumar Shinde

NEW DELHI: There is "no war like situation" with China but the country is better prepared than it was in 1962, when the Sino-Indian war erupted and it was caught offguard, home minister Sushilkumar Shinde said on Friday.

"In 1962, whatever happened, we were not ready for it but today we are. Whether it is our military or paramilitary forces, they are very well trained and our soldiers are very capable. We are better prepared than before," Shinde told reporters here on the sidelines of the golden jbilee celebrations of the paramilitary Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) that guards the border with China.

There was "no war like situation with China" and "there have been no cases of (land) intrusions from the Chinese side lately but attempts to infiltrate from the Pakistani side are rising and we are very alert", Shinde said.

On the issue of Chinese intrusions, ITBP chief Ranjit Sinha had said Thursday that while violations of Indian airspace had increased, the "situation is not alarming".

Sinha also said that the ITBP may get an air wing to better patrol the frontier.

Raised in 1962 in the wake of the Sino-Indian war, the ITBP is deployed from the Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Diphu La in Arunachal Pradesh, manning border outposts across 3,488 km at altitudes ranging from 9,000-18,500 feet in the western, central and eastern sectors of the India-China border.

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India-US-Japan trilateral meet on Monday

NEW DELHI: The US' 'pivot-to-Asia' policy, Iran, China-Japan maritime dispute and South China Sea will be among the issues to be discussed during the 3rd round of India-US-Japan Trilateral dialogue here on Monday apart from finding areas of cooperation between the three countries.

According to official sources, the US is expected to brief about its much-talked about policy of 'pivot to Asia', an American move driven by the allure of emerging Asian economies, especially China and India. Another reason includes the draw-down of US forces in both Iraq and Afghanistan, which enables the US military to concentrate more resources on the Asia-Pacific. The US is also expected to talk about Iran's contentious nuclear programme.

Japan will be briefing about its maritime dispute with China. Discussion on the increasing Chinese influence in South China Sea is also expected to figure during the trilateral, sources said.

The three sides will also explore the possibilities of cooperation in various strategic areas, including piracy and safety of sea lanes in Asia Pacific amidst increasing Chinese influence in the region.

The Japanese delegation will be led by deputy vice-minister of foreign affairs Kenji Hiramatsu, the US delegation by assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia Robert Blake and the Indian delegation by joint secretary (East Asia) Gautam Bambawale.

The trilateral also comes ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Tokyo on November 15 for the bilateral summit.

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Corruption charges: Sudheendra Kulkarni backs Nitin Gadkari

Kulkarni said the UPA government should show the same seriousness as exhibited by BJP president Nitin Gadkari and face probe into corruption charges against their leaders.

BANGALORE: BJP leader L K Advani's former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni said former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa quitting BJP was a matter of serious concern.

"Yeddyurappa is a principal contributor to BJP's growth in Karnataka. He is a mass leader. Some unfortunate developments led to his ouster from the chief minister's post," Kulkarni said at a "meet the press" programme jointly organized by the Bangalore Press Club and the Bangalore Reporter's Guild here on Friday.

Kulkarni said retention of Yeddyurappa was something the party national leaders should decide. "All I want to say is that the party was voted to power by people of Karnataka with great expectations. State BJP leaders should respect it and act accordingly," Kulkarni said when asked about BJP retaining the former CM in the party.

On national front, Kulkarni said the UPA government should show the same seriousness as exhibited by BJP president Nitin Gadkari and face probe into corruption charges against their leaders.

"Gadkari has expressed his willingness to face probe over allegations leveled against him. Let Congress-led UPA Government show the same seriousness in probing far more serious allegations with much more evidence against its functionaries," he maintained and said that people should wait for the truth to come out since Gadkari had expressed his willingness to face any probe on his company's funding.

Defending Gadkari, Kulkarni said long before the national highway development project was conceptualized, he (Gadkari) had made the first expressway in the country as Maharashtra PWD Minister and he did it without facing any allegations of corruption.

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Gadkari being framed as Congress faces serious corruption charges, BJP says

Launching a counter-attack on the Congress at a poll rally in Himachal Pradesh, BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said Congress has set "new records" in corruption and linked it to steep rise in prices.

SUNDERNAGAR ( HP): Refusing to be on the back foot over allegations against its president Nitin Gadkari, BJP on Thursday suggested that he was being framed as Congress was facing serious charges of corruption.

Launching a counter-attack on the Congress at a poll rally here, BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said Congress has set "new records" in corruption and linked it to steep rise in prices.

"The central government has only two accomplishments — breaking the back of the common people and breaking records in corruption. The price rise is due to the wrong policies of the government and corruption indulged in by it," she said.

Referring to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remark that "money does not grow on trees", the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha said, "Pradhan mantriji money does not grow on trees, but money is found in the pockets of Congress leaders."

Referring to allegations against Gadkari, she said, "When Congress leaders' faces were blackened, they decided to malign us also and accused our national president Nitin Gadkari. But he did not sit at home. He faced the media alone and replied to all charges made against him.

"He is the only leader to have volunteered for a probe into the allegations against him from any agency, even though these agencies are controlled by them (government) ... He is confident that he will not be found guilty," she said.

"We come out with pride, they do it with shame," Swaraj said chiding at the Congress leaders embroiled in scams.

She said the government has turned inimical towards corruption and scams and has indulged in scams on the ground, above it and even below it — reference to CWG, 2G and coalgate scams which totalled up to Rs 4.38 lakh crore.

Urging people to take a conscious decision during polls, she told them to make a comparison between the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre and the Dhumal-led BJP government in the state before casting vote.

"You have to chose between a government working for people and the one which is corrupt," she said.

Swaraj also lashed out at Congress leader Virbhadra Singh for corruption charges against him and called upon the people to pat Dhumal for the good work done by him. She also urged rebels in the fray to return to the party.

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BS Yedyurappa attacks BJP, JDS

Yeddyurappa has made it clear that his days in BJP are numbered and all his relations with the party will be publicly severed on 10 December when he launches his own regional outfit .

MYSORE: Former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa appears to be determined to take on both BJP and JDS in the coming elections. Yeddyurappa has made it clear that his days in BJP are numbered and all his relations with the party will be publicly severed on 10 December when he launches his own regional outfit .

Unleashing his tirade against BJP leaders and JDS's father son duo, Yeddyurappa tried to remind the people on how he was cheated by Appa Makkalu and his own party leaders . First it was father son duo who cheated and refused to share power as promised by them, and after that when , " I returned to power with a mandate to rule the state for five years, it was my own party men who discarded and cheated me by removing me from power posing the Lok Ayuktha report which has no truth in it" he said .

"What has pained me more was the cheating done by my own party men" he rued. " BJP leaders be it Eshwarappa or Ananthkumar , they never questioned my credibility when I managed to win 110 seats to bring BJP to power on it's own, but they suddenly started finding fault when they removed me from power besides starting to suspect me and leaders who joined BJP for my sake" he added.

Yeddyurappa who went hammer and tongs at Eshwarappa and Ananthkumar said both conspired against him to oust him from CM's post. "But I know that people of the state irrespective of the caste and community they belonged loved me and my programmes" he claimed, adding that more than 1.5 crore people in the state sitting in their houses directly got one or the other benefits to support their life.

" I will launch my party formally on 10 December , but I have started short listing candidates to contest the next assembly elections and candidates for more than 100 constituencies are finalized" he said, adding that he is going ahead with the preparations without bothering about who is joining him in the forthcoming days.

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Tamil Nadu fishermen 'attacked' by Lankan navy

RAMESWARAM: Sri Lankan naval personnel attacked a group of fishermen from Tamil Nadu with stones when they were fishing near Katchatheevu on Thursday, officials said.

Around 4,000 fishermen from this island had sailed in 614 boats last night and were fishing near International Maritime Boundary Line off Katchatheevu, an islet ceded to Sri Lanka by India in the 1970s, when a section of them came under attack, they said

Accusing the fishermen of having entered their territory, the Sri Lankan naval personnel pelted stones at them, forcing them to return to the shores, officials said adding they had also cut some fishing nets.

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Narendra Modi inviting tenders to favour industries: Congress

AHMEDABAD: The state government officials are busy making tenders for laying pipelines in such a manner that it benefit certain companies from Kutch, alleged Gujarat leader of Opposition Shaktisinh Gohil.

He said that GSPC's group company GSPL had bagged three cross-country gas pipeline projects Mehsana-Bhatinda (1,611 km), Bhatinda-Srinagar (740 km), and Mallavaram-Bhopal-Bhilwara-Vijaipur (1,738 km).

GSPL holds 52 per cent stake, while other JV partners such as IOCL, BPCL and HPCL will have 26 per cent, 11 per cent and 11 per cent stake holding respectively. These three projects are worth over Rs 13000 crore.

Now, execution of these pipeline projects are about to begin so the GSPL and Modi government officials are preparing tender documents regarding awarding contracts for pipeline projects.

"It is learnt from the insiders that tenders for procuring pipelines and civil works are being prepared in such a manner with certain conditions that only a Kutch based pipeline manufacturing firm gets selected as sole supplier of pipelines. This is aimed at thwarting competition, which would bring competitive rates, and allow monopoly of a single firm, which would create cartels of its own contractors for civil works," he alleged.

"This is being done at the behest of the Chief Minister because the firm concerned has reliably offered election funds of Rs 500 crore to the ruling party in the state assembly polls. Earlier, this company had, again by rigging bidding process, obtained contracts of supply of pipelines for water supply in the BJP government," Gohil claimed in a statement.

In this scam in making, several high profile officials of the GSPL, GSPC, energy department and finance department are involved to carry out the deal as per instructions of CM.

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I will take over as president of Karnataka Janata Paksha on December 10: Yeddyurappa

BANGALORE: Former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, yet again challenged the ruling-BJP by announcing that he would quit BJP and take over as the president of the Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) on December 10 in the presence of 4-5 lakh people.

The Lingayat strongman on Thursday extended an open invitation to his supporting ministers, legislators and MPs to attend the December 10 programme scheduled at Haveri, 350km from Bangalore, where he is expected to launch his new party KJP.

"Don't fear of action from the government and party, let us see what action they (BJP) would take. I am inviting all my supporters, well-wishers including chief minister Jagadish Shettar and cabinet colleagues, legislators and MPs belonging all political parties to attend the programme," Yeddyurappa told reporters here before leaving to Chamarajanagar.

Yeddyurappa's close aide and former Union minister V Dhananjay Kumar, who was recently expelled from the BJP has taken the membership of the KJP. He is expected to be the temporary president of the party till December 9, where in a KJP executive committee meeting scheduled on that day and the appointment of Yeddyurappa as the new president would be announced.

Kumar also dared the party high command to take action against Yeddyurappa while holding state BJP president KS Eshwarappa responsible for the present crisis in the BJP.

Soon after Yeddyurappa announced that he would take over as the president of the new party, state BJP leaders attacked him. Party vice president Bhanuprakash at a public function in Shimoga said that BJP had given everything to Yeddyurappa and he should be grateful to it. "He was made MLC even after he was defeated in the assembly elections in 1999. The BJP has given everything to him. Yeddyurappa should remember this," he said. Social welfare minister A Naranayaswamy also maintained the same line and said Yeddyurappa became chief minister because of the BJP.

However, Yeddyurappa said he had no intention to topple the Shettar government.

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Uncertainty on Telangana creation persists

HYDERABAD: Uncertainty over creation of a new Telangana state persists as the Congress high command and the Centre continued discussions on the issue.

"The process of negotiations is continuing and no decision will be possible till a consensus is arrived at (on the demand for bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh)," is reportedly the refrain of Congress leaders.

A group of ministers from Telangana region who held "talks" with the Congress top brass in New Delhi last week were given to understand that the party would take its time before announcing anything concrete on the statehood issue.

"We may have to wait till the end of Parliament's Budget session next year," one of the ministers, who was part of the group, said on his return here.

Given its preoccupation with too many other issues, including the forthcoming elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, the Congress leadership was not in a position to focus its attention on Telangana, he pointed out.

In fact, the ministers' trip to New Delhi was not exactly to exert pressure on the party high command or extract an announcement on the vexatious issue.

It was only a "face-saving" exercise in the wake of mounting pressure from the statehood protagonists here.

The Congress MPs from the region too silently disappeared from the scene after making some noise late last month when the Telangana march was held in Hyderabad.

On his part, Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhar Rao, the self-styled torch-bearer of the statehood movement, has retreated into his farm house in Medak district after spending a month in New Delhi.

He told various Telangana groups -- off the record -- that a separate state would happen by Dussehra but the festival ended today without bringing any cheer for them.

"After the repeated statements by Congress leaders in New Delhi, if anyone still believes Telangana state will become a reality, they will only be fooling themselves," political observer N Radhakrishna remarked. There are many who share his view.

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Markandey Katju slams politicians for being 'intolerant' towards media

NEW DEHLI: Slamming the "ugly display of temper" by Virbhadra Singh after he threatened to break cameras of mediapersons, Press Council chief Markandey Katju today said such increasingly intolerant behaviour by politicians against journalists was unacceptable in democracy.

"It is deeply regrettable that certain politicians are of late becoming increasingly intolerant towards the media, and are not behaving in a manner which is expected of them in a democracy," he said in a statement here.

"The latest instance of such undemocratic behaviour is the alleged statement of a senior politician that he will break the camera of a journalist when asked about some allegations against him," Katju said in a reference to the Congress leader.

The Press Council of India chairperson said that in a democracy it was the people who were supreme and politicians were only servants of the people.

Media acted as an agent of the people for giving them information about their servants and intolerant behaviour by politicians had no place in a democracy.

"If something untrue is published about a politician he has certainly a right to get his rejoinder published, but losing one's balance or giving an ugly display of temper is just not acceptable in a democracy," Katju said.

Singh had threatened to break the cameras of mediapersons on being questioned about allegations of corruption against him at Ani in Kullu district last evening.

In his statement, Katju also referred to previous instances where he felt that the political class had not been tolerant enough towards the media.

"Before that there was a statement of a chief minister of a certain state that a section of the media is doing dadagiri and spreading negative canards about the state government," Katju said in his statement.

He was apparently referring to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's remarks.

Katju said that in some states some "political workers (evidently at the orders of their leaders) had physically assaulted media people and even vandalised the office of a leading newspaper in Mumbai."

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India celebrates Dussehra; PM Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi at Subhash Maiden

NEW DELHI: Giant effigies of demon king Ravana along with his brother Kumbhkarana and son Meghnad went up in flames today as country celebrated Dussehra symbolising the triumph of good over evil.

In the national capital, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Hamid Ansari were among a large number of dignitaries who watched the evil going up in smoke at the Parade Ground and Subhash Maidan near the historic Red Fort.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna and union Communications Minister Kapil Sibal were also present.

The President, the Vice-President, the Prime Minister and a host of leaders had greeted the people on the joyous occasion hoping the festival would usher in peace, prosperity and happiness for all.

The capital was all in festive colours and people who were seen dressed in their festive best attended Ramlilas and watched the Ravana effigies going up in flames. Ramlilas, vivid enactments from the life of Lord Rama, were staged in large parts of the country during the nine days preceding the festival.

At sundown, the fire crackers-stuffed effigies, dotting grounds and open spaces in villages and towns, blazed and crackled in fiery splendour as crowds burst into cheers.As the effigies were set ablaze amid chants in praise of Lord Ram, people witnessed spectacular fireworks which illuminated the sky leaving many in awe.

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Intense cold wave grips Himachal Pradesh

Several areas in mid and higher hills were lashed by high velocity icy winds followed by intermittent showers.

SHIMLA: High altitude areas of Himachal Pradesh experienced snowfall as intense cold wave conditions prevailed parts of the state on Wednesday.

Several areas in mid and higher hills were lashed by high velocity icy winds followed by intermittent showers.

The Rohtang, Kunzam, Saach and Chansel passes, high altitude tribal areas of Lahaul and Spiti and Pangi and mountain peaks in Kullu, Mandi and Shimla districts experienced mild snowfall.

Keylong recorded 2cm of snow while Rohtang and Kunzam passes had 10cm of snow.

Shimla was lashed by high velocity icy wind followed by intermittent showers, causing a sharp fall in temperature which dipped to 6.5 degree Celsius while Keylong and Kalpa in tribal Lahual and Spiti and Kinnaur reeled under intense cold wave conditions with mercury dropping to minus 0.5 degree and 1.0 degree Celsius respectively.

The lower areas of Kangra and Mandi district received moderate rains.

Manali recorded minimum temperature at 5.0 degree while Sundernagar and Bhuntar recorded a low of 10.1 degree, followed by Nahan 11.7 degree, five degrees below normal.

The sky remained cloudy and a strong wind swept the region, forcing people to stay indoors.

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India celebrates Dussehra; President, PM, Sonia attend Dussehra function

President, PM, Sonia attend Dussehra function

NEW DELHI: President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi were among the dignitaries to witness the burning of the effigy of Ravana, symbol of evil, at the Dussehera celebrations Wednesday at Subhash Maidan near the historic Red Fort here.

Vice President Hamid Ansari, Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna and Union communications minister and local MP Kapil Sibal were also present at the function organised by the Sri Dharmik Leela Committee. A large number of people also attended the celebrations.

Sitting on an embellished dais, the leaders watched the spectacle of fireworks and the burning of effigies of Meghnad and Kumbhkaran - son and brother, respectively, of Ravana - before the effigy of the demon-king was set alight.

Addressing the gathering, the president said: "This auspicious season is a time when the people of India re-enact our great epic - Ramayana - and celebrate the triumph of truth and righteousness over evil forces."

"May this festival stimulate in all of us the determination to emulate the righteousness of the 'Maryada Purush' (Rama), the loyalty of his brothers - Bharata and Lakshmana, the virtues of Sita (Rama's wife) and the valour as well as humility of Hanuman," he added.

The dignitaries also released pigeons as a symbol of peace.

Earlier, the leaders showered flowers on the actors, who played the lead characters of Rama, Lakshman and Hanuman.

Gandhi performed a traditional Indian "aarti" and put ceremonial vermillion marks on the foreheads of the main actors.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi later witnessed the Dussehera celebrations at the Ramlila ground in central Delhi.

Ramlila plays, based on the life of Ram, are enacted at numerous places in north India to depict his journey as a prince, his 14-year exile in the forest, his wife Sita's abduction by Ravana, the king of Lanka, and the war fought to rescue her.

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Home ministry rejects 26/11 terrorist Kasab's mercy plea

Home ministry rejects Ajmal Kasab's mercy plea

NEW DELHI: Acting swiftly on 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case convict Ajmal Amir Kasab's mercy petition, the Union home ministry has rejected his plea of commuting death penalty and sent the file to President Pranab Mukherjee for taking the final decision.

In an unprecedented move, the home ministry -- which took years in sending mercy petition files of other convicts on death row -- has sent Kasab's file to Rashtrapati Bhavan within three weeks of getting the note of rejection from Maharashtra governor K Sankaranarayan.

"Since the state government and the governor had already rejected Kasab's mercy petition, the home ministry need not send it again to state. It simply processed it at its end taking state's advice and sent it to the President for taking final call", said a senior home ministry official.

The official said it was now upto the President to take a decision.

"Since Article 72 of the Constitution doesn't prescribe any time limit, it is entirely upto President as to when he takes his call --- whether to accept Kasab's mercy petition or reject it", said the official.

The petition of the Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist, addressed to President Pranab Mukherjee in Urdu which was converted into Hindi, had first reached the state government early last month.

The state government had then sent it to the governor who subsequently rejected it.

The Supreme Court had on August 29 confirmed the death sentence, awarded to Kasab for waging war against India in which 166 persons were killed and more than 300 were injured.

Kasab was the only terrorist captured alive in the November 26 Mumbai terror attacks.

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Allegations levelled by BJP fabricated: Virbhadra

NEW DELHI: Under attack from BJP, former Union minister Virbhadra Singh on Tuesday brushed aside allegations of income tax evasion, money-laundering and forgery as "false and fabricated" and threatened action against those behind the "malicious" campaign ahead of Himachal assembly polls.

Lashing out at BJP leader Arun Jaitley for making the allegations, the former Himachal chief minister and state Congress chief said the "malicious" campaign against him is being carried out to divert his attention from the poll campaign and create confusion in the minds of voters.

"The information carried out by a section of the media is factually incorrect and details are being put out to create confusion in the public, and even divert my attention from the election campaign," he said.

Singh said, "the assessment proceedings are still pending before the appropriate authority for scrutiny. I have not received any questionnaire in this matter from the authority concerned...if there is any query I will reply to everything."

"Their ill-timed malicious campaign cannot replace facts and truth," he said, adding "I will take appropriate action against those who are involved in such malicious campaign against me after the elections are over."

"I want to tell those trying to defame me during these assembly elections that I leave to the public of Himachal Pradesh to decide my fate - let the people judge me and let the IT department ask me whatever they wish to," Singh said claiming that people knew him well as he had spent 50 years in public life.

Jaitley alleged that Singh had altered his income tax account books from 2008 onwards to show a forged, back-dated contract and a highly inflated income of around Rs 6.5 crore. He faced allegations of receiving payments from a steel firm which came to light recently after raids on it in 2010.

Singh said let law of the land prevail and challenged Jaitley and others in BJP "to approach appropriate law enforcement agencies if they want to prove something against me."

He said, "I am surprised and shocked by the news...about my income and my Income Tax (IT) returns. Some senior leaders of BJP and specially Arun Jaitley seems to know more than me about my IT returns and their information appears to be based on imaginary details supplied by BJP leadership in Delhi."

Clarifying his position on the Income Tax returns, Singh said, "I have filed my income tax return for the financial year 2011-12 which is true and factual and they are supported by vouchers and receipts. The record pertaining to income tax return will be shown to the appropriate authority as and when asked for.

"I am surprised how the personal information pertaining to my tax return, which are not even provided under RTI Act without the permission of the assesses, are being highlighted through the media during the peak of election campaign."

He said, "I am surprised that how Arun Jaitley acquired a private and personal document which is in safe custody of the competent authorities. As BJP is badly losing the assembly elections they are using these methods to mislead the people by putting up false, fabricated and fake allegations."

He said he did not wish to respond to "fiction based on theories circulated by the losing BJP".

"Repeated attempts are being made to scrutinise me on every front - I have no problem with it. I fail to understand how some senior BJP politicians have taken over the role of the Income Tax department, which has so far not sought any clarification from me," he said.

Denying the Ispat Industries pay-off allegations, he said, "I had demanded a CBI inquiry so that the truth can come out."

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Home Ministry rejects 26/11 terrorist Kasab's mercy plea

Home ministry rejects Ajmal Kasab's mercy plea

NEW DELHI: The Home ministry on Tuesday rejected the mercy plea of 26/11 lone surviving terrorist Ajmal Kasab. The ministry has sent its recommendation to President Pranab Mukherjee.

The Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist had filed his mercy plea before the President on September 18 after he lost the battle in the Supreme Court.

The apex court had upheld Kasab's conviction and death sentence in August this year.

Kasab was the only terrorist captured alive after the attacks in Mumbai that began on November 26, 2008.

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Digvijaya writes to PM, seeks probe against Gadkari

NEW DELHI: Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding a probe into allegations of dubious funding of companies run by BJP president Nitin Gadkari.

In his communication, Digvijaya Singh urged the Prime Minister to ask the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to institute an inquiry by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) into the matter, saying that, "a prima facie case does exist".

He was referring to reports related to the association of BJP chief with a Nagpur-based company Purti Power and Sugar Limited, regarding which "irregularities" have come to the fore.

"Gadkari has also said that he is open to a free and fair investigation. Being the national president of BJP, it is in the fitness of things that his case is properly investigated and he gets a fair opportunity to prove his innocence and clear his name," Singh said.

It is for the first time that any Congress leader has demanded a probe into the issue.

The party has so far been maintaining that there should not be any politics on the private business of individuals and unless some investigating agency stumbles upon any irregularity, there is no need for Congress to target the BJP chief.

Singh has also attached with the letter a report compiled from information taken from the official site of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and said that findings of a TV investigation as well as this report make "some very pertinent points that requires serious attention.

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As more details emerge, Gadkari in trouble over funding for his companies

Gadkari in trouble over funding for his companies

NEW DELHI: BJP chief Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday found himself in trouble with the government deciding to go into allegations of dubious funding in his companies which cast a shadow over his getting a second term as party president in December.

As embarrassing details tumbled out about the funding for Purti Power and Sugar Ltd run by Gadkari, corporate affairs minister M Veerappa Moily said as the information on the issue has come in public domain, the Registrars of Companies will "definitely inquire into it".

"We have not ordered anything. It is all coming in the newspapers. Since it has come in public domain, we told our ministry to make some discreet inquiry to find out what exactly is the matter. Are there any violations of Companies Act?" he said.

When asked whether the business dealings of Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, will also be scrutinised, he said the two issues were separate and there was no link between them.

Media reports have raised questions over the source of funds for Purti Power and Sugar Ltd controlled by Gadkari. Media investigations claim that major investments and large loans to Purti were made by a construction firm Ideal Road Builders (IRB) group, which had won contracts between 1995 and 1999, when Gadkari was PWD minister in Maharashtra.

Gadkari has denied the allegations and offered himself and his companies to any probe.

BJP attacked the government saying its approach was "selective and prejudiced" about dealing with Gadkari issue while ignoring corruption allegations against Vadra and former Union minister Virbhadra Singh.

The party said it endorses the stand of Gadkari that he was open to any investigation by any competent authority.

Adding to Gadkari's discomfiture, his party MP Ram Jethmalani demanded his resignation in the wake of corruption allegations and asked him not to seek a second term in office.

"In the interest of the party, in his own interest, he should get out of the fray now and he must give the position to somebody who inspires greater confidence. He should not aspire for a second term," he said.

"Obviously, there is suspicion about his integrity and in the interest of the party and his own interest he must get out of this position. It weakens the party position.

"In the coming elections we are fighting against corruption and we have to have a man of absolute impeccable integrity," he said.

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who has been attacking Gadkari, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, seeking an investigation into the dealings of Gadkari's company. "Gadkari has also said that he is open to a free and fair investigation. Being the National President of BJP, it is in the fitness of things that his case is properly investigated and he gets a fair opportunity to prove his innocence and clear his name," Digvijaya Singh wrote in his letter.

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