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Trinamool win Bongaon LS seat, state ruling parties triumph in bypolls

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Trinamool Congress Chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. (File/PTI)

Trinamool Congress Chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. (File/PTI)

Kolkata/Chennai/Hyderabad/Panaji/Itanagar/Mumbai: West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress retained the Bongaon Lok Sabha seat, while the BJP bagged two assembly constituencies in bypolls covering six states that saw the triumph of the states’ ruling parties and a poor show on the part of the Congress.

Apart from Bongaon, six assembly constituencies had gone to the hustings Feb 13. In the vote count, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won two, and the Trinamool, AIADMK, Telugu Desam and Congress triumphed in one assembly seat each.

Days after failing to open its account in the Delhi assembly polls, the Congress saw its candidates forfeit their deposit in both the Bongaon parliamentary and Krishnaganj assembly seats in West Bengal, was unable to open its account in Andhra Pradesh legislature, and bit the dust in Maharashtra and Goa.

All the seats including the Bongaon Lok Sabha constituency went to the parties which were in power in the respective states.

In West Bengal, the embattled Trinamool got relief by emphatically retaining both the parliamentary and the assembly seats.

In Bongaon, Trinamool candidate Mamatabala trounced her nearest rival Communist Party of India-Marxist nominee and former state minister Debesh Das by over 2.11 lakh votes.

The Bongaon bypolls, necessitated by the death of Trinamool MP Kapil Krishna Thakur, assumed extra significance for the ruling party after state minister and Kapil Krishna’s brother Manjul Krishna quit his post and joined BJP in the lead up to the election.

The BJP, which has been gaining ground in the state, finished second at Krishnaganj, pushing the CPI-M to the third spot. In Bongaon, the CPI-M narrowly succeeded in retaining the second position after a close battle with the BJP.

The Congress candidates lost their deposits and came fourth in both the seats.

In Nadia district’s Krishnaganj, Trinamool candidate Satyajit Biswas won by over 37,000 votes against his nearest rival Manabendra Roy of the BJP.

The Trinamool vote share dropped two percent compared to last year’s Lok Sabha polls, while the BJP’s vote almost doubled.

The twin electoral success boosted the Trinamool, which is also battling internal strife with one-time second-in-command and general secretary Mukul Roy distancing himself from the party.

Trinamool supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described the twin victories as a “miracle”.

In the Maharashtra, BJP candidate Tushar Rathod, son of Govind Rathod, whose death last October necessitated the bye-election, won the Mukhed Assembly seat by defeating his nearest Congress rival Hanumantrao Patil Betmogrekar by 47,248 votes.

The BJP also tasted success in Goa, where Sidharth Kunkolienkar won the Panaji bypoll, defeating his nearest rival Surendra Furtado from the Congress by 5,368 votes.

The bypoll was held after the elevation of sitting legislator and former chief minister Manohar Parrikar to the union cabinet last November.

In Andhra Pradesh, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) retained the Tirupati seat.

Riding on the sympathy wave, M. Suguna of the ruling party won the by-poll caused by the death of her husband M. Venkatramna, defeating Congress nominee R. Sreedevi by over 1.16 lakh votes.

All other candidates including Sreedevi of Congress lost their deposit.

The Congress had no representation in the assembly. It drew a blank in general elections held in May last year as people vent their ire on the party for bifurcating the state.

The Congress’ consolation win came from the north eastern state of Arunachal, where its nominee Nyamar Karbak defeated his nearest BJP rival Bai Gadi by a margin of 119 votes in a five-cornered contest from Liromoba constituency.

Tamil Nadu’s ruling AIADMK retained the Srirangam assembly constituency with a huge 96,000 plus margin margin over archrival DMK.

AIADMK candidate S.Valarmathi polled 151,561 votes while DMK’s N.Anand secured 55,045.

The assembly seat was earlier held by former chief minister J.Jayalalithaa and the bye-election was necessitated following her disqualification after her conviction in a corruption case and sentence of four years in jail.

In a statement issued in Chennai, Jayalalithaa thanked the voters of Srirangam for electing her party’s candidate.

(IANS)

Hindu temple vandalised in US, 'Get Out' scribbled on wall

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'Get out' painted on the temple wall. Agencies

‘Get out’ painted on the temple wall. Agencies

Washington: A Hindu temple has been vandalised with a hate speech in the US state of Washington, sending shock waves through the community in the area and prompting authorities to launch an investigation.

The incident happened when unidentified miscreants sprayed swastika and painted “Get Out” on one of the walls of the temple in the Seattle Metropolitan area. It is one of the largest Hindu temples in the entire North West.

The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department is investigating this case as malicious harassment. On Monday, top county officials visited the temple.

“This kind of thing should not happen in the US. Who are you telling to get out? This is a nation of immigrants,” Nitya Niranjan, chairman of board of trustee of the Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre, Bothell, Washington told PTI.

On Tuesday, the temple is celebrating Mahashivratri.

Niranjan said some kind of painting was sprayed on the outside wall of the temple a few years ago, but they did not bring it to the notice of the law enforcement authorities as nothing was written.

“We have no idea, who did it,” Niranjan said.

While the temple has been there for nearly two decades, the construction on the second phase of the current building began recently.

The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) condemned the incident.

“The timing of this crime, occurring before a major Hindu festival, warrants special attention from law enforcement,” said Jay Kansara, director of Government Relations, Hindu American Foundation.

“We are encouraged by the ongoing thorough investigation of the Bothell City Police Department. HAF will continue to engage through the local community with city, state, and federal officials until the perpetrator is brought to justice,” Kansara said.

Of late there has been increasing incidents of vandalism of Hindu temples in the US including one in Loudoun County, Virginia and Monroe, Georgia last year.

As of 1 January, 2015, the Department of Justice ordered all crime reporting forms to include the category anti-Hindu under the possible motives of hate crimes.

“Houses of worship are places where people should be able to be safe, at peace, and inspired to serve others,” said Padma Kuppa, HAF board member.

“Instead, the vandalism of the Hindu temple in Seattle and the arson of a mosque in Houston this past weekend incite fear and result in distrust among communities,” he said.

(PTI)

Aam Aadmi Party government orders cut in power tariff, ban on demolitions

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arvind-kejriwal

New Delhi: On the first working day of his government, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet ordered steps to be taken towards the party’s poll promise of cheaper electricity and water and ordered a status quo on proposed demolitions of slums or residential premises.

Following the first cabinet meeting, the Delhi government directed the departments of finance and power to “immediately send their proposals for implementation of the election promises to slash electricity tariffs by 50 per cent till the audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of the private power companies (discoms) is completed, and also on the provision of lifeline water (up to 20,000 litres for every household per month)”.

In another decision, directions were issued to various government agencies to not carry out any demolitions of residential premises and slums. The government stated that it was taking a “holistic view” on the existing policy of carrying out demolitions of residential premises and jhuggis and that no agency must carry out any demolition until the policy review is completed.

The directions were issued to agencies including the New Delhi Municipal Council, East, South and North municipal corporations, Delhi Jal Board, environment and forests department and the revenue department. “In case any demolition has already been planned or are in the pipeline, the agency concerned shall seek prior approval of the urban development minister,” the government directed. The urban development portfolio has been assigned to deputy CM Manish Sisodia.

The government, however, clarified that its order shall not apply to action taken in pursuance to a court order.

The Delhi government also announced that the cabinet had decided to recommend the first session of the newly elected Delhi Assembly on February 23 and 24 for the swearing-in of MLAs and election of the speaker and his deputy.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s home minister, Jitender Singh Tomar, said he would soon begin work with the Home Guard to ensure the AAP promise of setting up the Mahila Suraksha Dal — a women’s security force made up of a 10,000 home guards who currently work as help at the residence of senior officers and ministers.

AAP will also deploy 5,000 bus marshals to prevent and deter crime on public transport. A senior official said that posting of home guards on buses is likely to be discussed in the subsequent meetings with the minister.

Delhi has a total of 5,500 home guards and approximately 2,500 are on extension beyond five years. Home Guards chief J K Sharma said the department will need to recruit home personnel if they need to be deployed for women’s security. “In February next year around 25,00 home guards will be due for retirement,” he said.

(Agencies)

Karnataka growth rate at 14.3%, highest compared to all south Indian states

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Photo: IE

Photo: IE

Bengaluru: Countering charges of various opposition parties, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has asserted that Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) has at 14.3 per cent in 2014-15 against the target of 14.5 per cent.

Replying to a debate on the motion of thanks to governor’s address, Siddaramaiah said that Karnataka’s growth was best compared to all other south Indian states. Reeling out statistics, he said the total revenue collection till January has already reached 80% and they are set to cross 100% by March.

He also said the Congress government has cleared about 54,500 crore investments in the high level committee in 21 months of it’s compared to 44,000 crore of BJP’s five year rule. He said the hero moto corp shifted to Andhra Pradesh lured by incentives and not because Karnataka delayed them facilities.

(Agencies)

Solidarity with Teesta Setalvad – Demonstration in Mumbai

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Teesta Setalvad

by Preethy Sekhar, DYFI

A large number of activists gathered outside Dadar Railway Station in Mumbai on Sunday (15-2-2015) evening for a public demonstration of solidarity with Teesta Setalvad & Javed Anand who are being hounded by Gujarat police with false cases. Famous film maker Anand Patwardhan, renowned writer-activist Dr. Ram Puniyani, AIDWA Maharashtra Secretary Sonya Gill, CITU leader Dr.Vivek Monteiro, Dolphy D’souza, Subodh More, Vandana Shah, Sumedh Jadhav and several eminent citizens of Mumbai participated in the meeting organized by Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) Maharashtra committee. DYFI state president conducted Adv.Bhagavan Bhagwan Bhojne, Secretary Preethy Sekhar and State committee member Moin Ansar also spoke.

Anand Patwardhan detailed the long standing criminal record of Gujarat Police which has become a tool in the hands of Sangh Parivar. Cruel encounter killings, diabolic attempts to destroy evidence and frame innocents – these are the credentials of Gujarat Police.

Dr. Ram Puniyani said that Gujarat Police is targeting Teesta because Teesta had shown many BJP leaders their way to Jail. What is now taking place is part of the efforts to insulate the perpetrators of 2002 massacres from the process of law. Fascist forces occupying state power are not going to stop at this. They will try to hunt down everyone who will stand up for justice. All citizens who wants secularism and democracy to prevail must fearlessly resist SanghParivar machinations, said Dr. Puniyani.

Sonya Gill said drew attention to the irony of Police officers accused of infamous encounter killings walking free even as Teesta Setalvad and Javed Anand are sought to be put behind bars. Tireless and courageous work by Teesta and Javed have been instrumental in bringing high-placed criminals to justice. Now the state machinery is trying to frame them in the hope that their work could be obstructed. It is a matter of much pride that Teesta and Javed are undeterred by all the machinations of Gujarat Police.

Dr. Vivek Monteiro explained how BJP has been using the police machinery in Gujarat and elsewhere to frame innocents. It is a pity that judiciary is not able to prevent the bias in our police system against minorities and those who stand up for the rights of the marginalized sections.

Police personnel were deployed in large number at the protest site. Their attempts to disrupt the programme was met with stiff resistance from DYFI activists leading to a scuffle but the programme continued challenging the Police. It was yet another instance of Mumbai Police’s intolerance towards secular organizations exercising the right to assembly.

Slogans like “Teesta tum sangharsh karo, hum tumhare saath hai”, “BJP sarkkar ki dadagiri nahi chalegi” electrified the evening at Dadar, it was a show of determination and unity of secular forces in Mumbai. DYFI leaders declared that, in the days to come, the organization will galvanise the secular collective of Maharashtra and meet the challenges posed by Hindutva forces in the state.

Gangster Abu Salem convicted in builder Pradeep Jain's Murder Case

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Abu Salem

Mumbai: A special court has convicted gangster Abu Salem in the murder of a Mumbai-based builder in 1995. Salem was extradited from Portugal in 2005 and has been in Arthur Road Jail ever since.

A TADA court found Salem guilty of the murder of builder Pradeep Jain, who was shot dead by assailants outside his Juhu bungalow in March, 1995. The police alleged that he had refused to give up a huge property to Salem.

This is the first judgement in a case involving Salem in India after he was extradited in 2005. Salem, another builder Virendra Jhamb and Mehndi Hassan faced the trial in the case.

Salem, an accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, was extradited from Portugal on November 11, 2005, after a prolonged legal battle.

The Supreme Court of Portugal, in 2012, had dismissed an appeal of the CBI which had challenged termination of his extradition. He has also moved Supreme Court of Portugal seeking directions to the Indian government to execute its order of cancelling his extradition.

In June 2012, Salem was shot at in Taloja Central jail in Navi Mumbai allegedly by gangster Devendra Jagtap alias JD, an accused in the murder of advocate Shahid Azmi who had represented a 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused.

(Agencies)

Maharashtra: Veteran CPI leader Govind Pansare, wife injured in firing

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Govind Pansare

Kolhapur: Unidentified persons shot at veteran communist leader Govind Pansare (78) and his wife Uma near their residence in Sagarmala, Kolhapur district of Maharashtra, on Monday morning.

The assailants fled from the spot after the attack. Local residents who heard the gun shots around 8:30 am initially thought it was noise of crackers busted for celebrating victory of India over Pakistan in the World Cup cricket match. But soon some residents found Pansares lying in a pool of blood. They were then admitted to a hospital in Kolhapur for treatment. Pansare’s condition was reported to be critical, but stable. His wife Uma was known to be out of danger.

Pansare is a well known name in the communist movement and is known to be a critic of right wing groups. Police are probing if his speeches, agitations and movement against the opposite ideology has anything do with the attack. So far there is no clue regarding the assailants.

Ankit Goyal, Additional superintendent of Kolhapur police told the Indian Express that both Pansare and his wife were attacked in the morning at Sagarmala. “Police teams are on spot. Assailants have not been identified yet. All angles are being probed. Investigation is on.”

The incident has shaken the social political circles of Maharashtra. It is being compared to the murder on rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar in Pune about one and a half year ago. Dabholkar was also shot dead while he was on morning walk on the Omkareshwar bridge on August 20, 2013. Now, Pansare has also been shot at in the morning hours. Doctors have identified a bullet in his chest.

Speaking to news channels, chief minister of state Devendra Fadnavis condemned the attack and said that he has asked the superintendent of Kolhapur police for carrying out detail probe into this case and find out the assailants.

Social activist Medha Patkar said,”Assailants should be arrested and it should be probed whether there is any common link with attack on Comrade Pansare and Dr Dabholkar’s murder. Police should probe the speeches given by Pansare in the recent times and other aspects.”

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar told media it is sad that progressive persons like Dabholkar and Pansare are being attacked in progressive state like Maharashtra. “In depth investigation should be done,” he said.

(Agencies)

Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena begins first India visit

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Maithripala Sirisena being welcomed P Radhakrishnan on his arrival at the ceremonial lounge at IGI Airport T3 in New Delhi on Sunday. (PTI)

Maithripala Sirisena being welcomed P Radhakrishnan on his arrival at the ceremonial lounge at IGI Airport T3 in New Delhi on Sunday. (PTI)

New Delhi: In his maiden foreign trip after assuming charge, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena arrived in Delhi on Sunday on a four-day visit during which he will hold talks with the Indian leadership on the entire gamut of bilateral ties including ways to further enhance cooperation, peace and the reconciliation process in the island nation.

Mr Sirisena, who had dethroned Mahinda Rajapaksa from his 10-year rule after a bitter Presidential poll, has already indicated that he wants to have a closer relationship with India and chose it for his first foreign visit. The Sri Lankan President and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold today during which they are likely to deliberate on all major issues such as devolution of power to the Tamil community and the fishermen issue.

India has been hoping that the new Lankan government will develop ties on the “foundation of genuine and effective reconciliation” creating harmony among all sections there.

India has also been pressing for implementation of the 13th amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution.

The amendment that followed the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord of July 1987 signed between the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and then Sri Lankan President JR Jayewardene envisaged the devolution of powers to the provinces in the midst of the island’s bitter ethnic conflict.

In the evening today, Mr Sirisena will meet President Pranab Mukherjee who will also host a banquet in the honour of his Sri Lankan counterpart.

Mr Sirisena is leading a delegation that includes Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne, Resettlement Minister DM Swaminathan, Power and Energy Minister Champika Ranawaka and Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapaksha.

The Sri Lankan Foreign Minister visited India last month on his first foreign trip soon after assuming charge during which he held talks with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

In the meeting between Ms Swaraj and Mr Samaraweera, both sides agreed to re-engage on repatriation of refugees from India, besides holding talks on a raft of crucial issues, including political reconciliation process and the sticky fishermen issue.

According to official figures, more than 1,00,000 Sri Lankan refugees are in Tamil Nadu, out of which some 68,000 are housed in over 100 government-run camps.

Last week, the Spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry had said both the countries were looking at “substantive talks”.

The Sri Lankan president will travel to Buddhist pilgrimage site Bodh Gaya and the temple in Tirupati on February 17 before returning home on February 18.

(PTI)

IPL 2015 Player Auctions: Delhi Daredevils buy Yuvraj Singh for record Rs. 16 Crore

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Yuvraj Singh was bought for Rs. 16 crore by Delhi Daredevils at the IPL-8 player auction. Photo: REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Yuvraj Singh was bought for Rs. 16 crore by Delhi Daredevils at the IPL-8 player auction. Photo: REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

by ESPNcricinfo

For the second successive year, Yuvraj Singh attracted a record bid in the IPL auction, this time from Delhi Daredevils who purchased the allrounder for Rs 16 crore (approx. $2.67 million).

In the 2014 auction, Royal Challengers Bangalore had purchased Yuvraj for Rs. 14 crore (approx. $2.33million) and the franchise was involved in a bidding contest with Daredevils that pushed the bid for the allrounder past the Rs 10-crore mark. Incidentally, Yuvraj was one of the players released by Royal Challengers before the auction.

Only two other players – Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Karthik – attracted million-dollar bids in the marquee round of the auction in Bangalore. Mathews was purchased by Daredevils for Rs 7.5 crore (approx. $1.25 million), while Karthik was signed by Royal Challengers for Rs 10.5 crore (approx. $1.75 million). In last year’s auction, Karthik was purchased by Daredevils for 12.5 crore (approx. $2.08 million).

Sunrisers Hyderabad purchased Kevin Pietersen for his base price of Rs 2 crore ($0.33 milion) and Eoin Morgan for Rs 1.5 crore (0.25 million). Sunrisers also purchased New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson for Rs 60 lakh ($100,000).

Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and South Africa Test captain Hashim Amla were unsold in the first round of the marquee-player auction.

Player auction: a snapshot

Player and team Price (in Rs.)
Murali Vijay – Kings XI Punjab 3 crore
Angelo Mathews – Delhi Daredevils 7.5 crore
Kane Williamson – Sunrisers Hyderabad 60 lakh
Yuvraj Singh – Delhi Daredevil 16 crore
Kevin Pietersen – Sunrisers Hyderabad 2 crore
Dinesh Karthik – Royal Challengers Bangalore 10.5 crore
Aaron Finch – Mumbai Indians 3.2 crore
Eoin Morgan – Sunrisers Hyderabad 1.5 crore
Michael Hussey – Chennai Super Kings 1.5 crore
S. Badrinath – Royal Challengers Bangalore 30 lakh
James Neesham – Kolkata Knight Riders 50 lakh
Ravi Bopara – Sunrisers Hyderabad 1 crore
Praveen Kumar – Sunrisers Hyderabad 2.2. crore
Trent Boult – Sunrisers Hyderabad 3.8 crore
Jaydev Unadkat – Delhi Daredevils 1.1 crore
Sean Abbott – Royal Challengers Bangalore 1 crore
Adam Milne – Royal Challengers Bangalore 70 lakh
Pragyan Ojha – Royal Challengers Bangalore 50 lakh
Rahul Sharma – Chennai Super Kings 30 lakh
Brad Hogg – Kolkata Knight Riders 50 lakh
David Wiese – Royal Challengers Bangalore 2.2 crore

Anna Hazare to protest in Jantar Mantar against land ordinance

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anna-hazare

New Delhi: Social activist Anna Hazare will hold a two-day protest at Jantar Mantar in February against the recent amendments in the Land Acquisition Act by the Centre.

The agitation will be supported by several farmers’ organisations and many other social activists including Medha Patkar will participate in it.

“The two-day protest starting February 23 will focus on the recent anti-farmers amendments in the Land Acquisition Act made by the Narendra Modi government. Farmer organisations across the country will participate in the agitation. Medha Patkar is also expected to join the agitation,” Hazare’s office said.

Hazare will reach the national capital on the morning of February 23. Prior to this, he will go to Palwal in Haryana and participate in a farmers’ agitation there.

This will be Hazare’s first visit to the national capital after the landslide victory of his one time aide and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal.

Incidentally, the AAP too have voiced his opposition to the amendments made in the Land Acquisition Act.

“We will support Annaji’s ‘sangharsh’. We respect him. Whatever order he gives, I will follow it. We support his stand and his order is an instruction for us. His struggle is, however, away from political parties. Still, I will ask time from him and if he gives me time then I will certainly meet him. I request everyone to support him in his crusade,” senior AAP leader Kumar Vishwas said.

On December 29 last year, the government had recommended promulgation of an ordinance making significant changes in the Land Acquisition Act including removal of consent clause for acquiring land for five areas of industrial corridors, PPP projects, rural infrastructure, affordable housing and defence.

(PTI)

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