Rahul starts deliberations after string of poll reverses

NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi has embarked on brainstorming sessions with senior Congress leaders to decide the future course for the party in the wake of a string of electoral debacles since the Lok Sabha polls in May.

As part of the exercise, the Congress vice-president held lengthy consultations on Friday with senior party leaders Sushilkumar Shinde, Amarinder Singh, Janardan Dwivedi, Mukul Wasnik, Girija Vyas, Shashi Tharoor and Ajay Maken.

This was the third such interactive session held by him in the last few days, seen as an exercise by the leadership to assess the situation to decide the future course, Maken told reporters.

While the Antony Committee, which went into the debacle in the Lok Sabha polls, was the first step, the interactive sessions initiated by Gandhi is the second step in the plans to decide the future course and strengthen the organization.

Gandhi's exercise comes close on the heels of the party losing power in Maharashtra after 15 years and finishing third in Haryana in the assembly elections held recently.

The talk in the party is that the exercise initiated by Gandhi was akin to "mini Chintan shivirs" to generate fresh ideas for revival of the organization.

The Congress leadership has been talking about holding a 'Chintan shivir' ever since the defeat in the Lok Sabha polls in May which saw the party securing the lowest number of seats, 44, in the 543-member Lower House.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi meeting supporters after paying tribute to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 30th death anniversary at Shakti Sthal in New Delhi on Friday. (PTI Photo)

Reports had it that Gandhi has called leaders from across the country to Delhi to draw up a strategy to "revive" the party and stop the BJP's "upsurge" under Narendra Modi.

On Thursday, he chaired a meeting of party leaders, including Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ambika Soni, Jaipal Reddy, Jairam Ramesh, Sachin Pilot and Meenakshi Natarajan, Mani Shankar Aiyer and Ashok Tanwar.

President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and others during remembrance ceremony of former PM Indira Gandhi to mark her death anniversary.(PTI Photo)
Party chief Sonia Gandhi is not participating in the "first of its kind" meeting — a signal that Rahul may play a more pro-active role in the party in the coming months.

An organizational revamp is long overdue in the party. The process of party polls has also been set in motion with Gandhi asking party leaders to utilize the exercise as an opportunity to revive and revitalize the organization

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Muslim cleric joins BJP in J&K

JAMMU: A Muslim cleric joined the state unit of BJP on Friday among others ahead of the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Muslim cleric from Nowshera-Lam area, Imaam Ikhlaq Ahmed Nakshabani joined BJP at a function here which was attended by senior party leader and MLA Ashok Khajuria.

"It is after a very long that people have found a leader of high stature such as Narendra Modi and a party like BJP which has been attracting the masses for its sincere commitment for development and welfare of one and all".

"BJP did not work on region or religion lines but embraced every one, which is the reason for its growing popularity even among the Muslims," Nakshbandi said.

Addressing the gathering, Khajuria said, "BJP is a secular party. People have started realizing the false propaganda of Congress and other self-proclaimed secularists and are now coming closer to us."

Besides Nakshabani, state youth president of Shri Guru Ravidas Seva Samiti Narinder Kesar and state vice president Gujjar Bakerwal Welfare Association Mohammed Ayeb Chowdhary joined the party at the function organised to welcome them.

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CBI arrests BJD MLA Pravat tripathy, party suspends him

BHUBANESWAR: In a major embarrassment for the ruling BJD in Odisha, the CBI on Friday arrested senior MLA and former government chief whip Pravat Tripathy for alleged link with the Artha Tatwa Group, a ponzi company involved in the multi-crore chit fund scam.

"Tripathy, an MLA from Banki in Cuttack district, has been arrested in Artha Tatwa scam case on the charge of criminal conspiracy," sources in the CBI said adding the BJD MLA had allegedly received a huge sum from the AT Group.

Minutes after being arrested by the CBI, Tripathy was suspended from the BJD, party sources said.

Earlier, Tripathy was summoned to the CBI state headquarters here this afternoon and taken in custody after a brief interrogation by the investigating officer.

Tripathy was asked questions on how AT group chief Pradeep Sethy could get the best cooperator award in 2011 when he (Tripathy) was the president of the State Cooperative Society, sources said.

This apart, the CBI had also laid its hand on an audio CD containing certain conversation between Tripathy and Sethy, sources said.

This was the fourth time Tripathy was asked to appear before the CBI. On October 25, the last time he was at the CBI office, Tripathy was grilled for two and a half hours by the Central investigating agency.

This is Tripathy?s second appearance before the Central investigating agency after the Odisha High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea on October 20.

The court had earlier given him interim relief on September 30 for about 20 days preventing his arrest by the CBI.

Tripathy's house was also raided in August by the CBI in connection with its probe into the chit fund scam. The BJD MLA had moved the Orissa High Court seeking interim bail which was also rejected.

Tripathy is the first politician and sitting MLA in Odisha to have been arrested by the CBI in the chit fund scam.

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Petrol price cut by Rs 2.41 per litre, diesel by Rs 2.25

NEW DELHI: Petrol price was on Friday cut by Rs 2.41 a litre, the sixth reduction since August, and diesel by Rs 2.25 per litre on back of falling international oil rates.

The reduction in rates of petrol and diesel, which was deregulated for the first time in more than a decade, will be effective from midnight tonight, Indian Oil Corp, the nation's largest fuel retailer, announced.

The Rs 2.41 a litre price cut in petrol and Rs 2.25 in diesel was after accounting for a 10-15 paise increase in commission paid to petrol pump dealers. The reduction should have been higher by 10-15 paise if the dealer commission had not been increased.

Petrol will cost Rs 64.25 a litre in Delhi from tomorrow as against Rs 66.65 currently. In Mumbai, the rate will be cut by Rs 2.55 a litre to Rs 71.91.

Since August, petrol price has been cumulatively cut by Rs 9.36 per litre.

Prices vary from state to state because of differential rate of local sales tax or VAT.

Diesel rates have been cut for the second time this month. The nation's most consumed fuel will now cost Rs 53.35 per litre in Delhi from tomorrow compared to Rs 55.60 a litre at present.

In Mumbai, diesel price has been reduced by Rs 2.50 to Rs 61.04.

The government had on October 18 freed diesel prices from its control, giving freedom to oil marketing companies to adjust rates in line with cost. On that day, rates were cut by Rs 3.37 per litre, the first reduction in price of diesel in over five years. The previous decline dates back to January 2009.

Simultaneously, the price of non-subsidised cooking gas (LPG) was cut by Rs 18.5 to Rs 865 per 14.2-kg cylinder.

Since August, this is the fourth reduction in rate of non-subsidised LPG which consumers buy after exhausting their quota of sub-market priced domestic cooking gas.

Non-subsidised LPG in Delhi was priced at Rs 922.50 in July and rates have in every subsequent month been reduced. The only exception being October 23 when prices went up by a marginal Rs 3 per cylinder following government raising the commission paid to LPG dealers/distributors.

BJP credits Modi government for reduction in petrol, diesel prices

BJP on Friday welcomed the reduction in petrol and diesel prices and hoped that it will help bring down inflation to make life easier for the common man.

Crediting the Narendra Modi government for having reduced the price of petrol six times and that of diesel twice after coming to power, the party attacked the previous Congress-led UPA dispensation, saying it was only raising the prices.

"The BJP-led government has reduced prices of petrol six times and that of diesel twice within the last three months. This shows the commitment of the Modi government towards the poor, the farmers and the common public," BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said.

The reduced diesel prices, he hoped, would bring relief to farmers and also further bring down inflation.

"While the Congress government continued to raise the prices of petrol and diesel that further raised inflation rates making lives of poor miserable, the Modi government is continuously reducing the prices of these items," he said.

The party leader said the government has taken a number of initiatives since it assumed office, including tough action against hoarders and limiting export prices of essential commodities like onion, rice and wheat.

Sharma said the government is committed to bringing inflation down and helping improve the state of the economy, which was left "in a shattered state by the previous Congress -led UPA government due to mismanagement, bad governance and corruption".

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Are foreigners sexually abusing children in the name of providing education, asks Madras high court

MADURAI: The Madurai bench of the Madras high court on Friday impleaded the Union secretary of women and child development in a child abuse case and directed the assistant solicitor general (ASG) to obtain details of child abuses by foreigners in India.

The matter relates to the alleged sexual abuse of a 15-year-old school boy in Tirunelveli district by Jonathan Robinson, a British national. The case is pending before the judicial magistrate court in Tirunelveli. The court has issued a summons to him.

Robinson filed a petition in the high court to get the case quashed.

In his interim order, Justice N Kirubakaran said since the interest of children was involved, it was appropriate to implead the Union's secretary of women and child development as a third respondent in the case.

The judge directed the ASG to get details from the secretary of the child abuses by foreigners in the country.

The judge wanted to know if foreigners are sexually abusing children in the guise of providing good education and adoption. He also wanted to know the steps taken by the government to prevent child abuses by foreigners.

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Panneerselvam seeks Modi's help to save lives of five Indian prisoners in Sri Lanka

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam on Thursday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention to save the lives of five fishermen from Rameswaram who were sentenced to death by a Sri Lankan court on charges of smuggling narcotics.

In a letter to Modi, the chief minister said, "The people of Tamil Nadu are shocked and deeply grieved to learn of the judgment of the Colombo high court convicting and sentencing the fishermen from Tamil Nadu to death on charges of smuggling narcotics."

The fishermen -- Emerson, Agastas, Wilson, Prasath and Langlet -- set out from Rameswaram fishing base on November 28, 2011. They were apprehended by the Sri Lankan navy on charges of possessing narcotics. The state consistently insisted that the fishermen were innocent and that the case had been foisted on them.

Raising serious doubts over the trial, Panneerselvam said it was the paramount duty of the Union government to protect the lives and liberty of the innocent fishermen. "I request you to take up the matter with the highest authorities in Sri Lanka to ensure that the lives of the five innocent Indian fishermen are saved and they are released to return home at the earliest," he said.

The chief minister said Indian high commission in Sri Lanka should set in motion the legal procedure for appeal within the statutory period in the appropriate appellate forum. The state government would continue to meet the entire legal costs of the case, he said.

He urged the Prime Minister to instruct the Indian high commission not to spare any effort to save the lives of the fishermen.

"Failure to take immediate decisive action in this case and secure justice for the five fishermen will greatly inflame the already bruised emotions among the people of Tamil Nadu," Panneerselvam said.

The state government has sanctioned special assistance to pay the legal fees for defending the fishermen, besides sanctioning a special livelihood assistance to their families.
READ ALSO: Rameswaram fishermen go on rampage after Sri Lankan court sentences five Indians to death

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Black money: We will go after offenders, SIT chief justice Shah says

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court-appointed SIT, looking into the black money cases, on Thursday said it will go after the offenders "big or small" and will submit its report by the first week of December.

It also made clear that confidentiality about account holders abroad will not be violated. The SIT said it was gathering more names other than the over 600 account holders in HSBC bank, Geneva, given by the government to Supreme Court on Wednesday, for investigation.

"The second report would be given to Supreme Court on December 3 or 4," Justice M B Shah told PTI after a meeting of SIT members here on Thursday. Its first report was submitted in August this year.

The panel said that everyone was equal before it and it would not spare any offender.

"Before us, nobody is big, nobody is small. Everybody is equal. Whoever has looted this country will be caught and will be punished, economically and otherwise also. That we assure," Vice-chairman justice Arijit Pasayat said.

Justice Shah said up till now they have decided a number of cases against the big personalities of the country. "We won't bother who is big. We will treat them equally with a poorest person of the country," he said. Both are retired judges of Supreme Court.

Amidst a raging debate over disclosure of names of foreign bank accounts holders that could threaten future cooperation with other countries, the SIT chairman said confidentiality agreement cannot be violated.

"Confidentiality clause is there and for the time being we have to respect it unless the other country (says) ...

"Confidentiality is an international agreement. You cannot violate the agreement. If you violate it, further information would not be given by them and confirmation by other country is necessary. There is a proof that man is having that account. That proof you won't get it," he said.

Justice Shah said the investigation against people accused of stashing money abroad is going on at "very fast" pace and necessary action will be taken against them.

"The investigation in all black money cases is going on at a very fast pace and all the agencies have their task clear. I am sure it will give us good results. I don't think the speed is slow as investigation of tax and other such cases involves procedures of law. The agencies are doing it and the SIT is seeing that," he said.

"Even if the order is passed, party approaches the court and obtain a stay order. So in that set of circumstances, it is difficult to say that department is not moving fast. The department is moving fast. They (department and officials) have taken action also," he said.

Attorney general Mukul Rohatgi had on Wednesday submitted a list of 627 names having accounts in HSBC bank, Geneva. These names were earlier shared with the SIT also.

Justice Shah said there will be more prosecution of people who have stashed black money "within the reasonable time". The SIT is also sharing data with other agencies to help it in speeding up its probe, he said.

Justice Shah said there is no problem in sharing of information among various members of the SIT. "There are some cases with the ED and CBI also and there is no problem of sharing. Everything that can be shared is being shared," he said.

To a question, the SIT chief did not rule out the possibility of black money being routed through foreign banks. "They must be... For the time being we are not having that information," he said.

The joint mecretary (Revenue) in the finance ministry is member secretary in the SIT. The JS (Revenue) is coordinating with all the agencies and there is no problem in sharing of information, official sources said.

The SIT, which was notified on May 29, has held its first meeting on June 2. The members of the SIT includes revenue secretary, deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India, directors of Intelligence Bureau (IB), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

Besides, chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), directors general of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and DRI, and Joint Secretary (Foreign Tax and Tax Research Division-I) are also members of the group. The SIT is responsible for investigating cases of black money stashed abroad through coordination of various members.

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Rs 5 lakh additional compensation each to kin of 1984 riot victims

NEW DELHI: Union home minister Rajnath Singh has approved a substantial hike in compensation awarded by the government to families of civilians killed in communal, terrorist and Naxal violence.

An amount of Rs 5 lakh, up from the existing Rs 3 lakh compensation, shall be given for each death or permanent incapacitation under the Central Scheme for Assistance to Civilian Victims of Terrorist, Communal and Naxal Violence.

The proposal for enhanced financial compensation under the 2008 scheme of the Union home ministry was approved by Singh on Thursday. The revised Rs 5 lakh relief to be given for each civilian death/permanent incapacitation on account of riots, terror attacks or Left-wing extremism violence, will be put in a fixed deposit account in a nationalized bank. As per the existing scheme, it would have a minimum lock-in period of 3 years, or if there are only minor children in the family, till the eldest child attains the agent of majority, whichever is later.

The interest on the compensation is credited directly by the bank to the beneficiary's saving account on a quarterly basis.

At the end of the lock-in period, the principal amount is transferred directly to the saving account of the beneficiary. In case the beneficiary dies or is permanently incapacitate, his or her next of kin gets to operate the account.

In case of permanent incapacitation, the victim himself becomes the beneficiary. He or she can declare a nominee to operate the account if not in a position to do so himself or herself.

The beneficiaries must be identified by a district level committee headed by district magistrate/collector or deputy commissioner. The committee is tasked with verifying the eligibility for assistance under the scheme after examining the police report/FIR, death-cum-postmortem certificate in the event of death and medical certificate in the event of permanent incapacitation, and the eligibility certificate issued by district SP in case of Naxal violence.

The district committee must send its recommendations to the Union home ministry, as far as possible, within a month of receipt of claim for assistance to victims or family of terrorist or communal violence. The district collector may also recommend assistance under the scheme on his own, with suitable justification.

As per the existing scheme, the MHA must process the claim within three weeks upon receipt of recommendations of the district committee. It may then issue the cheque in the name of the beneficiary and send it to the district magistrate concerned, with a letter of sanction.

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Coast Guard ships to rescue fishing boats from Cyclone Nilofar

AHMEDABAD: Taking precautionary measures ahead of Cyclone Nilofar, Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Thursday deployed its four ships at Porbandar coast to search and rescue fishing boats sailing along the Gujarat coast and to place them at the nearest safe harbours.

"Four Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ships Vijit, Meerabehn, Rajratan and Amritkaur fully equipped with search and rescue (SAR) equipments have been pressed into service from Porbandar today for search and rescue operations as well as shepherding fishing boats operating along the Gujarat coast to the nearest safer harbour," a statement issued from Indian Coast Guard's Gandhinagar headquarters said in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

However, Cyclone Nilofar which was earlier described as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) over the west-central Arabian sea, is now expected to make its landfall near Naliya in Kutch tomorrow as a "depression", an MeT Department release said.

The Indian Coast Guard is also quipped with aircraft to tackle any eventuality.

"Two daily air sorties are flown in search and rescue (SAR) configuration, while two Dornier aircraft and two ALH helicopters are also on standby at Porbandar," the Coast Guard statement said.

The Coast Guard has kept a logistics and medical contingencies plan ready for an immediate response.

Coast Guard stations have also been equipped with a power back up and sufficient fuel for alternate power supply for unhindered response during the cyclonic phase, it said.

Regular advisory for mechanised sailing vessels and the fishermen community for safe berthing and discontinuation of sea operations are being passed through seven radar stations along the Gujarat coast, Coast Guard aircraft and ships on patrol, it said.

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Information can't be disclosed outside specific proceedings: Swiss govt

NEW DELHI/BERNE: Amid a debate on disclosure of names of suspected black money holders, Switzerland on Thursday said information exchanged under Swiss-India tax treaty cannot be disclosed "in principle" to a court or any other body outside the proceedings of a 'specific and relevant' case.

The comments come at a time when a Supreme Court-monitored Special Investigation Team is probing alleged stashing of black money by Indians aboard, including Swiss banks.

Switzerland, long accused of being a safe haven for illicit funds, has promised to extend assistance to India and reply to requests for information in a "time-bound" manner on cases of alleged tax evasion and financial crimes, or provide a reason if no information can be shared.

Explaining the treaty provisions about disclosure of such 'secret' information, a Swiss finance ministry spokesperson told PTI from Berne that authorities from the two countries are having "regular contacts on bilateral tax matters" but refused to comment on particular cases.

Justice MB Shah, head of the Special Investigation Team.

The government on Wednesday gave to the Supreme Court a list of 627 Indians with accounts in a Swiss branch of HSBC bank, on which probe for suspected black money is underway.

While this list was given in 'sealed envelopes', three other names were made public a day earlier as prosecution had been launched against those persons.

There has been a debate on whether disclosure of names, without prosecution, could violate tax treaties under which these names and other details are shared by foreign countries.

Replying to queries in this regard, the Swiss federal department of finance spokesperson said that the protocol to Swiss-Indian DTA (Double Taxation Agreement) states that any information received "by a contracting state shall be treated as 'secret' in the same manner as information obtained under the domestic laws of that state..."
The treaty further provides that any such information "shall be disclosed only to persons or authorities (including courts and administrative bodies) concerned with the assessment or collection of (information), the enforcement or prosecution in respect of, or the determination of appeals in relation to the taxes ... or the oversight of the above."

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