Archives for April 2017

Bengaluru: Beginning May 14, fuel outlets in eight states will be shut every Sunday following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to conserve oil, a fuel pump owners’ body said here on Tuesday.

“We had planned to shut our outlets on Sundays a few years back. But oil marketing companies had then requested us to reconsider our decision. Now we have decided to shut the outlets on Sundays,” said Suresh Kumar, an executive committee member of the consortium of Indian petroleum dealers.

He said the association’s decision was made in view of the Prime Minister’s call during his recent ‘Mann ki baat’ programme to conserve oil to save the environment. Kumar, also the vice-president of Tamil Nadu Petroleum Dealers Association, said nearly 20,000 outlets in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Haryana would be shut for 24 hours on Sundays, starting May 14.

“In Tamil Nadu, we expect a business loss of Rs 150 crore if we do not operate on a Sunday. But we have been seeing a decline in sales on Sundays by upto 40 per cent,” he said. Asked if the association’s decision was supported by the OMCs, he said, “We will communicate our decision to them shortly.”

Kumar said the fuel outlets which normally have about 15 staff each would have one staff member on the holidays to provide fuel if there was an emergency situation. On the issue of OMCs hiking the margins+ to petroleum outlets, he said the association was discussing it and would soon make an announcement in this regard. “That struggle is going on. We are meeting our association members shortly. We will announce our decision soon,” he said.

(Agencies)

Madikeri: Somwarpet court on Tuesday dismissed a sedition case filed against Kannada actress, former MP Ramya after the court observed no sufficient evidence to prove the charges. Ramaya made a comment on Pakistan stating it as peaceful country, good and affectionate after returning from Pakistan.

A complaint of sedition was filed in 2016 by lawyer, KV Gowda against Ramya. The lawyer alleged in his complaint that the actress insulted India by stating Pakistan as lovable, good country and requested the court to direct the police to register a complaint against former MP. Following the petition, a case was registered in a local court here. Meanwhile, the petitioner informed that he would approach higher court for justice.

(Agencies)

Patna: RJD chief Lalu Prasad today alleged that the Supreme Court order allowing trial of top BJP leaders in the Babri Masjid case was a “well-thought-out politics” of the Prime Minister to remove L K Advani’s name from the Presidential race.

“The CBI is under the influence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It stood in the Supreme Court and sought permission to run trial against Advani and others in the Babri Masjid demolition case,” Prasad alleged.

“Since Advani’s name was in circulation as a probable for the post of President, Modi through well-thought-out politics struck out his (Advani’s) name,” he alleged.

“It is well known that the CBI does what the government desires,” the RJD chief claimed.

Prasad was reacting to the apex court order today allowing the CBI plea and restoring criminal conspiracy charges against Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti.

“The BJP makes no difference between itself and others while playing dangerous politics against anyone considered opposed to Modi,” he claimed.

Speaking to reporters, Prasad also demanded a probe into “why BJP veteran A B Vajpayee had become physically incapacitated?”

The RJD chief also sought to turn the tables on the BJP, claiming if Union Minister Rajnath Singh and other NDA leaders did not attend Monday’s programme in Patna to honour freedom fighters due to the presence of ‘convict’ Lalu Prasad, “then how could they make Kalyan Singh a Governor?”

The apex court in its order had today noted that Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh enjoys Constitutional immunity and can be tried only after he ceases to hold the office.

Singh was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1992.

“On one hand, they garland Gandhiji’s statue, on the other they salute his killer Nathuram Godse,” he claimed.

(Agencies)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court’s order reviving the criminal conspiracy case against senior BJP leaders L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi is a major setback for them if they had nursed any hopes to be in the race for the post of the President.

The election for the presidential polls are due in June-July.

Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi has kept card close to his chest as to who would be the National Democratic alliance candidate, 89-year-old Advani and 83-year-old Joshi were seen as serious contenders for the presidential elections.

The Supreme Court has said Advani, Joshi, union minister Uma Bharti, among 13 others, will have to stand trial for criminal conspiracy to demolishing the Babri Masjid structure on December 6, 1992. The court has fixed two years for completion of the trial that is currently ongoing in Lucknow, and that the trial judge will not be transferred.

Hitherto, Advani and Joshi, along with Uma Bharti and Vinay Katiyar (BJP), Sadhvi Rithambra, and late Acharya Giriraj Kishore, Ashok Singhal and Vishnu Hari Dalmia (VHP) were facing trial for making speeches from the dais at Ramkatha Kunj prior to the razing of the 16th century structure in Ayodhya by mobs.

Until two days ago, Advani had given enough hints that his role in politics was far from over. In an interview to Lokmat, he had said it hurts him when his own party men declare him an old dodderer and advice him to retire.

Advani had said, “It does not at all go down well with me whenever someone says something like that about me.”

Advani even stressed that there is no correlation between age and the capacity to work. “Age is never a stumbling block if your mind is alert and you are eager to work.”

Advani, who was upset when BJP declared Modi as PM candidate in 2013, has always held that he was not in the race for any post.

But some Opposition leaders began to see new conspiracy. “The revival of the conspiracy charge against Advani is itself a conspiracy of Modi to remove the BJP veteran from the Presidential race,” Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad said.

“The CBI is in the hands of the PM, and the CBI today said in court that the case of conspiracy should take place against Advani in the Babri case. Advani was tipped to become President this time. The PM has clipped Advani’s chances of becoming the President. Anyone can understand that it is a political conspiracy of the Modi government to eliminate Advani from the race,” Lalu said in Patna.

Though the BJP leaders are backing Advani and Joshi against the revival of the conspiracy case, some see that the SC’s order might put pressure on them to quit their Lok Sabha membership to defend themselves.

However, senior BJP leader Uma Bharti said she won’t quit from the Modi cabinet or give up her Lok Sabha membership.

Politically, the revival of the criminal conspiracy case in Lucknow suits the BJP. It could help the Sangh Parivar outfits to again drum up support to for building the Ram temple in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The civil case on the dispute over the ownership of the land where Babri Masjid stood is before the Supreme Court after Allahabad High Court favoured a three-way split.

The High Court said Ram was born under the central dome of the makeshift temple and Hindus have the right to worship there. It ruled by a majority verdict that the disputed disputed site of 2.77 acres (120 feet by 90 feet plot) land be divided into three equal parts among the three petitioners — Sunni Wakf Board, Nirmohi Akhara and the party representing Ram Lalla.

(Agencies)