Varanasi,(IANS) Uttar Pradesh’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be wiped out in the state in Lok Sabha elections if the BSP and Samajwadi Party join hands, state cabinet Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar said on Monday.
“It is very clear that if these two one-time rivals come together, the BJP will certainly be decimated in the state” where it won 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in 2014, said the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief, a BJP ally.
He also announced that his party would stage state-wide protests from December 24 on the issue of 27 per cent reservations.
He added that so far he had not received any invite for the Prime Minister’s rally in Ghazipur and so would not attend it.
Asked about his unceasing outbursts against the BJP, he said the SBSP had ensured the BJP’s victory in 125 Assembly constituencies in the 2017 elections.
PM’s packed schedule in Maharashtra tomorrow to focus on development
Mumbai, (IANS) With development topping his agenda, a series of engagements have been lined up for Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Maharashtra on Tuesday, an official said here on Monday.
The highlights will be laying the foundation stone for two metro corridors in Thane district and launching of a housing project for the economically weaker sections and the low income group under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
In Kalyan, Modi will attend a function related to the Thane-Bhiwandi-Kalyan Metro 5 and the Dahisar-Mira-Bhayander Metro 9 corridors that would ease the transportation problems in these bustling towns in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) adjacent to the island-city.
He will also launch a housing scheme involving 90,000 homes for the poorer sections of society at the venue, constructed under the PMAY here by the City and Industrial Development Corporation Ltd. (CIDCO).
Thereafter, he will fly down to Pune and lay the foundation stone for the Pune Metro Rail Phase 3 and address a public meeting.
Interestingly, the ruling NDA ally Shiv Sena has been kept out of the crucial events in Thane amid the ongoing war of words between the two parties.
Earlier in the morning, Modi will attend and address the Republic Summit organised by Republic TV, a private news channel.
Thereafter, he will go to Raj Bhavan and release a book titled ‘Timeless Laxman’ based on the life and little known facets of the legendary cartoonist, the late R K Laxman.
The book has been penned by his daughter-in-law, Usha Srinivas Laxman.
Laxman, famed for his creation, The Common Man, through whose eyes he chronicled Indian history and regaled millions daily in ‘The Times Of India’ and other publications for nearly seven decades, passed away in January 2015 in Pune.
Modi, who will reach Mumbai Tuesday morning around 8 am shall be received by Maharashtra Governor C. V. Rao and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis besides other dignitaries and will depart for New Delhi from Pune the same evening.
Lok Sabha passes transgender persons rights bill amid din
New Delhi, (IANS) The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016 that provides for protection of rights of transgender persons and their welfare was passed amid din by the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Seeking passage of the Bill, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot said the Bill was important in view of the rights of the transgenders and urged the members to pass it.
The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in August 2016 and as per the demands of the members, the Bill was referred to the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment.
Gehlot said that as many as 27 suggestions made by the standing committee were accepted in the Bill amid protests by the Congress, AIADMK and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) members on different issues.
Amid the din Congress’ Shashi Tharoor, Biju Janata dal (BJD)’s Bhartruhari Mahtab, Natinalist Congress Party (NCP)’s Supriya Sule and Trinamool Congress (TMC)’s Kakoli Ghosh spoke and presented their concerns on the various clauses of the Bill. They also sought some amendments but were rejected.
According to the 2011 Census, the number of persons who do not identify as “male” or “female” but as “other” stands at 4,87,803 — 0.04 per cent of the total population.
This “other” category stands for transgender persons.
In 2013, the government set up an expert committee to examine issues related to transgender persons. The committee stated that transgender persons faced issues of social stigma and discrimination which affected their access to education, healthcare, employment and government documents.
In 2014, the Supreme Court recognised transgender person’s right to self-identification as male, female or the third gender. Further, the Court directed the Central and state governments to grant legal recognition to transgender persons, address issues of social stigma and discrimination, and provide social welfare schemes for them.
Nalapad Haris lawyer says it’s hoodwinking tactic
The Special Public Prosecutor said that he will convince Karnataka court that the Central Crime Branch can file a chargesheet as contested by Nalappad’s lawyer.
Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Shyam Sundar has called the latest move by the lawyer of Mohammed Nalapad, the accused in the high profile Farzi Cafe assault case, a ‘hoodwinking tactic’. Nalapad’s lawyer has secured a stay for eight weeks from the Karnataka High Court on the criminal proceedings against him in the attempt to murder case. Speaking to media, Shyam Sundar, who was appointed as an SPP, said, “They (Nalapad and lawyer) have kept us in dark. What they have done is wrong and moved the court without serving me. As there is a Special Prosecutor in the case, he has no business to move the court without letting us know. We are going to file a complaint with the court, as this is a matter of great impropriety. They should not have done it. We will explain to the court that this is nothing but a hoodwink tactic from the petitioner.” While seeking dismissal of the case, Nalapad’s lawyers had claimed that the Central Crime Branch (CCB) was not a recognised police station according to the Criminal Procedure Code and hence, it cannot file a chargesheet.
When asked if the case will be dismissed on the ground that the CCB cannot file a chargesheet, Shyam Sundar said, “It (Nalappad council’s version) does not have a legal standing. For now, they have tried to convince the court of some technical reason, but we will demystify that. If this kind of interpretation is made, then it will defeat the very purpose of the dispensation of justice.” He added, “Apparently in one or two cases in the past, a single stay has been granted but we will convince the court that the CCB can file a chargesheet.” Son of Congress MLA NA Haris, Mohammed Nalapad is currently out on bail after he was arrested on February 19, two days after he and his friends allegedly assaulted Vidvat, the son of a prominent businessman, at Farzi Café, an uptown café in Bengaluru, over a minor altercation. He is charged with attempt to murder (Section 307) and other sections of the Indian Penal Code.
K’taka sugar factory explosion that killed 6 people behind Faulty valve suspected
Officials are suspecting that a faulty valve may have been responsible for the sugar factory explosion which happened in north Karnataka on Sunday, which left six dead and another five injured.
According to initial reports, a faulty valve led to an excess build-up of gas, which led to the boiler explosion. “Technical experts from Belagavi are conducting an investigation into the incident. The report is expected within a day or two,” said Deputy Commissioner KG Shantaram, speaking to media.
On Sunday, at least six people were left dead and another five injured after an explosion occurred in a sugar factory in Bagalkot district. The factory located in Mudhol taluk’s Kulali village is allegedly owned by former BJP minister and Bilgi MLA, Murugesh Nirani.
“This kind of an explosion is very rare. It is the chief engineers who take care of this delicate unit every day. We can therefore say for sure that this incident is not a result of negligence on the part of employees or factory owners,” stated factory MD Siddarth Wadennavar
Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy told officials in the district to shift those injured to hospitals and asked for an investigation to look into the accident. A statement from his office said, “The death of the six people in the blast in the sugar factory is saddening. Bagalkot district officials have been directed to conduct a probe and submit a report. The state government will provide compensation to the deceased’s kin.”
The incident occurred just two days after at least 13 people died after eating prasadam served at a temple in Chamarajnagar. Another 80 have been admitted to hospitals and are being treated.
Cracks on a pillar number 155 on the stretch of Namma Metro on M G Road.
By : Pramesh S Jain
Dy CM,Dr.G.Parameshwara with MD, BMRCL,Ajay Seth inspects metro pillar,155 rules out panic situation says Namma Metro is Safe
Cracks observed in same pillar in 2012 and were repaired, says BMRCL.
The Bengaluru Namma Metro has been a boon to lakhs of commuters in the traffic choked city but there has been some concern of late over what appeared to be cracks on a pillar number 155 on the stretch of Namma Metro on Mahatma Gandhi Road.
Eight years after the Purple Line of Namma Metro became functional, one of the pillars has developed cracks and a slider which is holding the bridge together has got dislocated.
A routine inspection had revealed a honeycomb in the diaphragm wall of the pillar, which forced BMRCL to take precautionary measures by providing temporary support structures around the pillar. As an additional precaution the speed of the trains was also asked to be reduced.
These steps raised doubts whether travelling in the namma metro was still safe? The continous media coverage as well as speculations on social media forced the BMRCL to call for a press conference on Friday to allay all fears regarding the safety of metro structures.
According to Ajay Seth, an inspection team on Sunday night detected a honeycomb formation in a diaphragm wall of pillar 155 near Trinity Station.
Speaking to Media BMRCL Managing Director, Ajay Seth with Chief public relations office, BL Yashavanth Chavan, and other officers at a press conference told media persons that,”BMRCL takes the responsibility on it for public safety very seriously and no compromise is made on it. News items have drawn attention to apparent gaps between viaducts pillars, we would like to allay such anxiety arising out of lack of information.The gaps between viaducts are part of the design and well within the prescribed standards and we reassure that there was no need to panic.We are preparing an action plan to be implemented but I would like to assure all commuters that all the metro structures are fully safe and all possible care is being taken.
BMRCL has now taken a decision to shut metro services on Dec 22nd and 23rd in order to complete the restoration work. Being a weekend,the metro authorities hope that inconvenience is minimised.It has also promised to help commuters by increasing BMTC services on routes in this direction.The temporary barricades raised have reduced the space on the road which has also caused inconvenience to commuters by slowing traffic near the trinity metro station junction.We have not finalised the date when we will suspend services as yet but, once we do, we will inform the public in advance.We will plan for any curtailment of services on December 22 and 23, to avoid any inconvenience to office-goers.Free shuttle bus services will be provided between MG Road and Indiranagar on days when services on the section are suspended.A honeycomb is a formation of gaps in cement structures.The honeycomb was found in the metro pillar as part of a routine inspection of the metro tracks. Authorities also noted that during the inspection they had found that the slider (concrete slabs in a structure) supported by Pillar no 155, had moved from its original position.In 2012, just a year after the Baiyappanahalli to MG Road train began plying, BMRCL had found an issue with the same pillar and had narrowed it down to honeycomb formation.Back then, we were unable to determine the exact cause but had narrowed it down to honeycomb formation.It was repaired and there were no problems until recently,” Ajay Seth said.
Officials from the BMRCL had earlier said that it would take 10 days to fix the issue and that in the meantime, services would be affected. Operations will tentatively be stopped next weekend on December 22 and December 23 between MG Road and Indiranagar stations, and maintenance work will be carried out at night.
A special team has been formed to investigate and measure how over a period of time, the vibrations will increase or decrease the sturdiness of the pillar.They are looking to see whether there was negligence during construction or whether the quality of materials was substandard. But there have been so many protocols which were not followed and it would be difficult to find out,” the official added.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru Development Minister,Dr G Parameshwara went on a ride in the purple line from Vidhana soudha to Trinity Metro Station, to check whether passengers are being incovenienced.
Dr.G.Parameshwara,Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister of karnataka state with MD,Ajay Seth and Senior officers as,Seemanth Kumar Singh,P.Harishekaran,Rahul S,D.Devaraj,Jagadeesh was accompanied and after inspecting the pillar number 155 on the Trinity circle and after collecting the stock of the situation Parameshwara told media persons that,For safety purpose bearings are used to place cross beams on the top of the pillar.But now it has come to light that the bearing has moved slightly there is nothing to worry,Experts from Delhi metro and Indian Institute of Science will suggest to us on how to fix this after receiving the report action will be taken against the concerned contractor for the mistake.Now our priority is to recapture the trust we have lost and prove ourselves right he added.
The BJP, MP,PC Mohan has also inspected the pillar near Trinity Metro Station on Saturday evening. After inspecting the spot he said,i have Inspected the damaged pillar of Metro rail and urged officials to take steps to repair the damage and instill confidence among users. Will speak to Shri.Hardeep Singh Puri,Union Urban Development Minister to send a team of experts to help Bengaluru Metro team. I was accompanied by MLAs Suresh Kumar and Ashwath Narayana with Prakash and other party leaders he added.
Editors Guild laments Meghalaya HC summoning editor for alleged contempt
New Delhi,(IANS) The Editors Guild on Sunday expressed grave concern over the Meghalaya High Court summoning ‘The Shillong Times editor and publisher for alleged contempt over reporting on how the judges of the court have granted themselves and their families multiple facilities and benefits.
“It is unfortunate that an editor has been summoned by the Meghalaya High Court for what appears to be a factual news report,” the Guild said over The Shillong Times editor Patricia Mukhim and publisher Shobha Chaudhuri being issued a show cause notice for contempt and asked to appear personally before the court.
The notice was issued by Justice Sudip Ranjan Sen over the daily’s December 10 report “When judges judge for themselves”, about a recent order passed by Sen calling for better facilities for retired judges and their families.
Justice Sen has been facing criticism for his recent observation that “nobody should try to make India… another Islamic country” and that the government should allow non-Muslim and tribal communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to live in India without any cut-off year.
The Guild said the judiciary was one of the pillars of democracy and should stand by the media in helping it discharge its functions in an independent and unbiased manner.
“Such contempt notices are regrettable and will be seen as judicial intimidation of the media. Judges, who have broad shoulders and are tolerant of criticism, are the need of the hour.
“The Guild urges the Meghalaya High Court to take necessary steps that uphold the spirit of unbiased and independent functioning of both the judiciary and the media,” added the Guild.
Both Mukhim and Chaudhuri appeared before the court on Thursday in pursuance of the court’s directive.
Sudan President becomes first Arab leader to visit Syria since civil war
Damascus,(IANS) Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir arrived in Syria’s capital Damascus, the first Arab leader to do so since the Syrian civil war erupted in 2011, state news agency SANA reported.
The Sudanese President was received by his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad at the international airport of Damascus, Xinhua news agency cited a report by SANA on Sunday.
Al-Bashir arrived in Damascus for an official working visit.
During their meeting, the two leaders agreed that the crises in many Arab countries require new approaches based on the respect of the sovereignty and the policy of non-interference in their internal affairs.
Al-Bashir wished Syria a quick recovery, hoping that its people can determine their own future without foreign interventions.
The Sudanese president also highlighted his country’s support to Syria, saying Sudan is ready to provide whatever needed to support the territorial integrity and unity of Syria.
For his part, Assad said al-Bashir’s visit will give a strong push toward restoring the bilateral relations to what they were before the war.
Al-Bashir arrived in the afternoon and left the country hours later in the evening.
Throughout the Syrian crisis since 2011, most Arab countries have cut or downgraded their diplomatic relations with Syria.
But in recent months, reports emerged that some Arab countries had requested the resumption of their diplomatic relations with Syria.
The fresh nudge in the diplomatic relations comes amid a succession of victories of the Syrian army, which enabled the Syrian government to control much of the country.
Bhupesh Baghel is Chhattisgarh’s new CM
Raipur, (IANS) State Congress President Bhupesh Baghel was on Sunday named the new Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh and he vowed in no time to cancel within 10 days bank loans taken by farmers — a campaign promise that led to the BJP’s rout in Assembly elections.
Shortly after the 58-year-old Baghel was elected the Congress Legislature Party leader by party MLAs, the Congress leader announced that he would take oath as the third Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh on Monday at 4.30 p.m. at the Science College Ground here.
Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress observer for Chhattisgarh, told the media that Baghel was elected unanimously by the MLAs but only he would take oath on Monday. The names of Ministers would be declared later “after detailed discussions with all stake-holders”.
“I am committed to waiving farmers’ bank loans within 10 days,” said Baghel, a post-graduate from Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University here and a father of four.
He added that the Congress government will unravel the conspiracy that led to the killing by Maoists of top Congress leaders in the Jheeram Valley in Bastar in May 2013 including the then state Congress chief Nandkumar Patel, the veteran V.C. Shukla and Mahendra Karma.
In his first tweet as Chief Minister elect, Baghel expressed his gratitude towards Congress President Rahul Gandhi and said Gandhi had given him the responsibility of building “a new Chhattisgarh”.
“I can assure the great people of Chhattisgarh that the new Congress government would live up to their expectations and wishes.”
The Congress said on Twitter: “We wish him the best as he forms a government of equality, transparency and integrity starting off with farm loan waiver for farmers as we promised.”
Baghel is a powerful leader of the OBC community which makes up 52 per cent of the state’s 2.55 crore population.
The five-time MLA was elected from Patan in Durg district. He was Revenue Minister in Ajit Jogi’s first government in Chhattisgarh that was voted out in 2003.
Baghel was also in the centre-stage of the ousted BJP government’s attacks and was recently jailed for some days in Raipur after he was charge-sheeted by the CBI for his alleged role in the circulation of a sleaze CD against a powerful BJP Minister in Chhattisgarh.
He launched his political career in early 1980s from Durg district under the guidance of the late Chandulal Chandrakar. He joined the Youth Congress in 1985 and was elected to the undivided Madhya Pradesh Assembly for the first time in 1993.
Hailing from a farmer’s family, Baghel is credited with leading the party from the front in the fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and scripting the crushing defeat of the 15-year-old regime of Raman Singh. The Congress won 68 of 90 seats.
And although there were other contenders too for the Chief Minister’s post, Baghel was far ahead of them unlike in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan where there was intense tussle as to who would get to helm the states.
Ashok Gehlot is Rajasthan’s Chief Minister designate and Madhya Pradesh has Kamal Nath in the top post. They too will take oath on Monday.
With Sunday’s development, all three states in the Hindi heartland where the BJP lost power to the Congress now have Chief Ministers.
Sonia Gandhi unveils Karunanidhi’s statue at DMK party office
(17:48)
Chennai, (IANS) The Chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and former President of the Congress party Sonia Gandhi on Sunday unveiled the bronze statue of late DMK President M. Karunanidhi in Tamil Nadu.
Sonia Gandhi was received by DMK President M.K. Stalin at the party headquarters.
She unveiled former Chief Minister Karunanidhi’s statute installed at the DMK headquarters Anna Arivalayam here in the presence of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N. Chandrababu Naidu, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, leaders of DMK and several other parties, movie actors and industrialists.
Actor-turned-politician Rajnikanth also participated in the function.
Later in the evening Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Stalin, Chief Ministers Naidu, Vijayan, Narayanasamy and others will be addressing a public rally here.