Howrah News Service - Latest news and headlines on Howrah and West Bengal

Jail visit personal, say Priyanka and Rahul

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:19:28 -0400

By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi, April 15: Ms Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday said her meeting with Nalini Sriharan in Vellore Central Jail was a purely personal visit which she undertook completely on her own initiative.

In a statement she said: "It is true that I met Nalini Sriharan in Vellore Central Jail on March 19, 2008. I would like to say it was a purely personal visit that I undertook completely on my own initiative. I would be deeply grateful if this could be respected."

She added: "I do not believe in anger, hatred and violence and I refuse to allow it any power over my life. Meeting with Ms Nalini was my way of coming to peace with the violence and loss that I have experienced."

Echoing her views, her brother, AICC general Rahul Gandhi, said he did not have any problems with Priyanka meeting Nalini. "We don't carry hatred, we don't carry anger. It's not an exercise. She felt that she wanted to go and see the person. She has been feeling it for sometime. I have a different way of looking at these things. I don't have a problem either," Mr Rahul Gandhi said.

LS adjourned over price rise

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:20:15 -0400

By OUR CORRESPONDENT

New Delhi, April 15: Facing loud protests from the Opposition members over the issue of price rise, Parliament was adjourned till Wednesday on the first day of reopening after the Budget Session recess.

The issue is set to rock both Houses of Parliament on Wednesday. Despite several requests from Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to restore order, the Opposition members disrupted the Lok Sabha, raising anti-government slogans.

The House was adjourned for the first time just when Question Hour had started when the members of the BSP and the TDP rushed to the well while the others, including the BJP and the SP, stood up and raised voices from their seats. When the House reconvened at 11.30 am, it was the same sight, leading to the Speaker adjourning the Lok Sabha at 11.34 am till Wednesday. The Speaker kept requesting the members to debate the issue of price rise as it was listed on the day’s business but the request fell on deaf years.

Meanwhile, the Left parties joined the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) as they staged a dharna together inside Parliament premises against price rise.

While SP general secretary Amar Singh insisted that the protest was not symbolic but a "genuine" one, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury was firm on his demand for a discussion of the issue in Parliament.

"We will take the streets till April 23 to protest the inflation rate along with UNPA leaders," Mr Yechury said. "We have been seeking a discussion on the issue during the past three sessions of Parliament."

Mr Yechury blamed a weakened public distribution system and inclusion of essential commodities within the ambit of futures trading for the rise in inflation. "It was a genuine protest," said Mr Amar Singh. "When the GDP rate was four per cent, farmers were still happy. Now that it is at eight per cent, there is starvation all around," he said. The dharna was preceded by a protest march starting at Mavlankar Hall which was attended by CPI national secretary D. Raja, CPI(M) MP Brinda Karat and SP MP Ramgopal Yadav.

JD(U), BJP yet to decide pact

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:18:30 -0400

New Delhi, April 15: Talks between the Janata Dal (United) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the issue of seat-sharing in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections are yet to yield any results.

Talking to mediapersons here on Tuesday, JD(U) president Sharad Yadav said talks with the BJP on seat-sharing for the Karnataka polls are currently on but "the ball is in the court of the bigger party".

Mr Yadav did not give a specific reply to the query on how many seats the party has sought and how many seats the BJP is willing to offer it in the state.

Out of a total of 224 seats in Karnataka, the BJP has already announced its candidates for 173 of them.

The deadlock over seat-sharing between the two parties persists as the JD(U) is understood to have given a list of 25 seats to the BJP, while the latter is ready to offer only six seats to it.

Last week, Mr Yadav had expressed his anger over the BJP announcing its candidates for the Assembly polls in the state without any discussions with the JD(U) and called it a violation of "coalition dharma".

Mr Yadav said that the party’s state unit is in talks with the BJP on seat-sharing.

However, in another development, JD(U) general secretary Shambhu Srivastav had issued a threat in Bangalore on Monday that if the BJP did not yield then the party would contest the polls alone in more than 100 seats.

Polls in Karnataka are scheduled in three phases on May 10, 16 and 22. (PTI)

50 RS members take oath

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:18:50 -0400

By OUR CORRESPONDENT

New Delhi, April 15: Fifty new members of the Rajya Sabha, including petroleum minister Murli Deora and corporate affairs minister Premchand Gupta, took oath as members of the House on Tuesday. The members were among the 55 elected in the biennial elections to the Upper House.

Minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office Prithviraj Chavan and minister for statistics and project implementation G.K. Vasan were among the members who took the oath of allegiance to the Constitution.

Prominent among those sworn in included former bureaucrat N.K. Singh, Reliance Industries executive Parimal Nathwani, Videocon Industries head Venugopal Dhoot, Congress treasurer Motilal Vora and BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar.

Chairman Hamid Ansari welcomed the newly-elected and re-elected members and said he looked forward to their contribution towards enriching the traditions of the House. From the BJP, Shanta Kumar, C.P. Thakur, Bharat Singh Parmar, Purshotam Rupala, Prabha Jha and Balbir Punj took the oath. Forward Bloc general secretary Debabrata Biswas, former Union ministers T. Subbarami Reddy, former Manipur chief minister Rishang Keishing and Congress spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan were a few others who took the oath.

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BJP member disqualified

New Delhi, April 15: Captain Jainarayan Prasad Nishad, a BJP member, was disqualified from the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. According to a statement by Chairman Hamid Ansari, Mr Nishad ceased to be a member with effect from March 26. The matter first arose when BJP leader Sushma Swaraj filed a petition before then Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat in December 2005 praying that the Chairman may declare that Mr Nishad stands disqualified.

Guillotine on demand for grants on April 24

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:18:14 -0400

By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi, April 15: The guillotine will be applied in the Lok Sabha on April 24 to the demands for grants of various ministries.

Parliamentary affairs minister Vayalar Ravi told reporters that the Finance Bill will be discussed on April 28 and 29. The passage of the Finance Bill marks the end of the budgetary exercise.

In the discussion on the Budget, the demands for grants of the ministries of home, defence, rural development, and youth affairs and sports would be taken up from April 21 to 24.

Minister of state for parliamentary affairs Pawan Kumar Bansal said if possible demands for grants of the information and broadcasting ministry would also be taken up. Mr Ravi denied moves to curtail the session, which is to conclude on May 9.

Meanwhile, the business advisory committee of the Lok Sabha, which met here on Tuesday, decided to have a discussion on price rise in the House on Wednesday.

The discussion, to be taken under Rule 193, would begin after 12.30 pm.

Union agriculture and consumer affairs, food and public distribution minister Sharad Pawar would reply to the debate. Finance minister P. Chidambaram would also be present during the debate if the BJP allows it to take place, sources said.

Government to maintain balance of power: PM

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:09:54 -0400

By SHAFQAT ALI

Islamabad, April 15: Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has said that the present government will ensure "balance of power" between the presidency and Parliament.

"The present government is committed to the supremacy of Parliament, rule of law and balance of power between various state institutions. We will ensure balance of power between the President and the elected Parliament," he said.

Talking to a delegation of the All-Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) here on Monday night, the Prime Minister said the mandate given by the people clearly indicates that they want to see a change in the system.

The political leaders have the ability to look into future and they have a vision to solve the problems of the people, he added.

Regarding the issue of reinstatement of sacked judges, the Prime Minister said, "Our immediate action to free the (detained) judges reflects our intentions. We believe that Parliament is the supreme body and all important issues should be solved by Parliament."

He said a parliamentary committee would be able to give the best possible solution on the judges’ issue.

Mr Gilani said that a new anti-terrorism policy would be in place after taking the nation and Parliament into confidence.

He made it clear that no compromise shall be made on issues of national security and defence of the country.

The Prime Minister emphasised that force is not the only way for solving conflicts and emphasis will be on dialogue to solve problems.

He said that the media has an important role to play in the national affairs which it is expected to discharge with responsibility and commitment.

He asked the members of the APNS delegation to extend cooperation, support and guidance to the government as well as the people to face the challenges with courage.

Discord marks judges’ issue

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:08:50 -0400

By OUR PAKISTAN CORRESPONDENT

Islamabad, April 15: Pakistan’s newly elected government and President Pervez Musharraf are at odds on the issue of reinstatement of sacked judges, media reports said.

"The fate of judiciary is tearing at the country’s fragile democracy, with the new governing coalition at odds on the reinstatement of the judges fired by President Pervez Musharraf", the Globe and Mail reported.

A powerful clique within the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is attempting to remove the deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry from the coalition’s commitment to restore the judges, under pressure from the President and the United States, the newspaper reported.

One plan promoted by some within the PPP would see Mr Chaudhry reinstated, but then retire almost immediately through the introduction of new rules about the tenure of Chief Justices.

Such a move would technically fulfil the pledge to reinstate all the judges removed by President Musharraf last November, but any such move risks putting the government at war with the country’s lawyers, who have backed Mr Chaudhry.

"The PPP is reluctant to restore the judiciary", said Mr Zafar Ali Shah, vice-president of the PML-N.

It is pertinent to mention that the present judiciary has given a lot of relief to the PPP. After the forced exit of Mr Chaudhry and 60 Superior Court judges, hand-picked new judiciary approved an amnesty that had been granted by President Musharraf to politicians, which was tailored to help the PPP.

As a result, a series of charges against PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari, including a murder case, were dropped. Critics point out that Mr Zardari may not be keen to bring back an activist chief justice.

A group of PPP leaders, considered close to Mr Zardari, including party treasurer Babar Awan and Law Minister Farooque Naek, is promoting the plan to sideline Justice Chaudhry.

India will coach Brazil in cricket, seeks soccer help

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:06:40 -0400

Rio de Janeiro, April 15: You help us in cricket and we will help you in soccer. This was the message given to President Pratibha Patil, who visited this soccer-obsessed Latin American country as part of her 13-day three-nation tour of Brazil, Mexico and Chile.

Under an understanding arrived between Brazil and India, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will soon send a coach to train the cricketers here. "BCCI will soon be sending a coach as Brazil wants the status of a cricket Test playing nation," Indian ambassador to Brazil Hardeep Singh Puri said here.

While a coach from India, which ranks number two in Test cricket in world, has been selected to train the Brazilians, search for a football coach for India was still on, he added. "Football in this part of the world is highly professional and coaches charge a large amount. But something will be worked out shortly," Mr Puri said. Brazil became an ICC member in 2002 and its international debut came in 2006 when it participated in Division Three of the ICC Americas Championship in Suriname. It lost all three games. (PTI)

Pratibha in Brazil, India to sign 4 pacts

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:07:19 -0400

By SUMIR KAUL

Rio de Janeiro, April 15: Continuing her three-day visit to Brazil, President Pratibha Patil will address the country’s Senate and oversee the signing of four bilateral agreements, including an extradition treaty, before leaving for Mexico on the second leg of her three-nation tour.

On the second day of her visit, Ms Patil had an early morning meeting with a business delegation at the Federation of Industry of the State of Sao Paulo (FIESP) during which she discussed ways and means to boost the bilateral trade.

During the meeting in Sao Paulo, in which a 14-member Indian business delegation accompanied her, Ms Patil said: "Both sides have the acumen, desire, will and the skill to take (the trade relation between the two countries) forward."

It was the suggestion of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva that the Indian President should meet the FIESP delegation during her trip to Brazil, said Indian ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri.

During the meeting with the Brazilian trade delegation, the two sides, while noting that bilateral trade touched $3.12 billion, agreed that the figure was nothing going by the opportunities the two countries have. "We want Brazilian companies to take advantage of the opportunities in infrastructure development, which has a scope of $500 billion," Mr Puri said appreciating Ms Patil’s move in engaging both sides in discussions. (PTI)

Sobhraj sees new hope in Maoist win

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:07:54 -0400

By SUDESHNA SARKAR

Kathmandu, April 15: The imminent Maoist victory in Nepal’s historic Constituent Assembly election has given new hope to someone who has no role to play in the politics of the Himalayan nation — the "Bikini killer" of yesteryear, Charles Gurmukh Sobhraj.

The 64-year-old, currently serving a 20-year jail term in Nepal for the murder of an American tourist almost four decades ago, has been devouring the newspapers to discover the outcome of last week’s election, which is expected to usher in peace and stability in the civil strife-torn country.

Sobhraj, who is fighting his last appeal in Nepal’s Supreme Court against the life term slapped on him four years ago, longs for stability in the country as unrest in the past frequently delayed his trial.

In 2006, the hearings were put off due to the outbreak of protests against King Gyanendra’s direct rule, which prompted the royal government to impose day-time curfew and issue shoot-on-sight orders.

This month, the new government declared a five-day national holiday to ensure a peaceful election and enable voters to return to their constituencies and cast their ballot. The SC also remained closed for five days, adding to the jailed man’s impatience.

As the indications were that the former guerrillas were poised for a landslide victory, Sobhraj has seen a ray of hope for himself. (IANS)