NEWS IN BRIEF – OCT 21, 2011
1. Clinton issues blunt warning to Pak, India calls for calm :
New Delhi : US secretary of state Hillary Clinton on Thursday warned Pakistan leaders that they would face serious consequences if they continued to tolerate safe havens of extremist organisations that have crossed the border to attack Americans and Afghans.[HT p1]
2. Kathmandu woos Delhi again, Bhattarai Signals New Chapter That
May Be Welcome To India:
New Delhi: “The time has come for us to solve the real problems of South Asia. For this, India and Nepal have to unite because our destinies are the same,” Baburam Bhattarai said as he arrived here for his first visit to India as prime minister of Nepal. [TOI p18]
3. FBI yet to share Headley bank info with India :
New Delhi : Even though the FBI released on Thursday the interrogation tapes of Lashkar-e- Taiba operative and a conspirator in the November 26, 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, David Coleman Headley, on court orders, the agency has not yet shared his bank account details with New Delhi.[HT p1]
4. After Pawar, DMK calls UPA weak : New Delhi : Already rattled by Anna
Hazare’s anti-corruption campaign and still to come to terms with the byelection
defeats, the Congress-led UPA government is now facing the
heat from its allies. After NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s strong remarks that a
series of scams have weakened the UPA-2 authority and resulted in other
forces, such as the judiciary, asserting itself, it was the turn of the DMK to
put the Congress-led government on the mat.[HT p10]
5. PM calls Khurshid remark on Judiciary stray thoughts : New Delhi :
The opposition on Thursday slammed the UPA government for its internal
disconnect, after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described law minister
Salman Khurshid’s remarks against the judiciary sending top business
executives to jail as “stray thoughts”. [HT p10]
6. Ramesh reaches out to Oppn for land bill support : New Delhi : The
UPA managers have reached out to the opposition camp to pass key bills
in the upcoming winter session of Parliament, slated to start in mid-
November. In the last two days, rural development minister Jairam
Ramesh got in touch with key BJP leaders to pass the National Land
Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill.[HT p13]
7. Ramesh meets Sushma, Jailtey : NEW DELHI: After the Standing
Committee chairman Sumitra Mahajan indicated last week that the land
bill might not be passed in the Winter Session of the Parliament, Union
rural development minister Jairam Ramesh has approached senior BJP
leaders of their help for early passage of the legislative proposal.[AA p3]
8. Mercy Pleas : UPA decided 15 cases, NDA zero : NEW DELHI : The
UPA government has tried to impress the Supreme Court with its “better”
track record in deciding a total of 15 mercy petitions of death row convicts
during the past seven years of its rule while comparing it with the six-year
tenure of the NDA when not even a single petition was decided.[AA p3]
9. Govt goes the extra kilo metre for Cong in UP : New Delhi : The union
rural development ministry has sanctioned 514 rural road projects in poll
bound Uttar Pradesh, as many as 260 — 50 per cent — of which are in
Lok Sabha constituencies represented by Congress politicians. The 514
projects are spread over 31 districts, 14 of which fall fully or in part in LS
constituencies held by the Congress.[IE p1]
10. Cong offers sops to debt-ridden Bengal : New Delhi : To keep the
Trinamool Congress – the biggest Congress’ ally – in good humour, the
UPA government on Thursday offered a development package for West
Bengal’s Maoist-affected Jangalmahal area. [HT p10]
11. Why is Mamata silent on Govt’s scams, asks Advani : Kolkata : West
Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee likes to call a spade a spade but
she is mysteriously quiet about the numerous scams that has hit the
Congress at the Centre, BJP senior leader L K Advani remarked on
Thursday.[HT p10]
12. Advani stands by weak PM remark : Kolkata : Senior BJP leader LK
Advani stood by his ‘harsh’ impression about Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh. Taking off where he stopped a day before the former Deputy Prime
Minister reiterated his ‘harsh words’ for the Prime Minister calling him
weak and indecisive who trembled to move even a twig without clearance
from 10 Janpath.[Pioneer Daily p1]
13. BJP will raise land swap deal with Dhaka during winter session :
Advani : Guwahati : Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani on
Thursday said he would raise the issue of the recent land swap deal,
signed by the Government of India with Bangladesh, during the winter
session of Parliament.[The Hindu p12]
14. Now, Modi refuses Arab headdress : Navsari: Gujarat chief minister
Narendra Modi turned down a party worker’s offer to present him Arab
headdress — keffiyeh — during his Sadbhavana mission event in Navsari
on Thursday. The CM welcomed a number of supporters, who offered him
scarves, before declining to accept keffiyeh. [HT p14]
15. ‘Modi regime caused huge loss in gas exploration’ : Gandhinagar :
Leader of the Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly Shaktisinh Gohil of the
Congress on Thursday levelled charges of corruption against the
Narendra Modi government in oil and gas exploration.[The Hindu p12]
16. Bangaru Laxman withdraws petition in corruption case : New Delhi :
The former BJP president, Bangaru Laxman, on Thursday withdrew his
petition from the Delhi High Court seeking the quashing of a corruption
case against him borne out of the sting operation conducted on him by
Tehelka.com in 2001.[The Hindu p13]
17. BSY sheds tears in jail as pet project takes off : Bangalore: As
Bangalore celebrated an early Diwali gift, one man shed tears, more so
because he was part of the venture. B S Yeddyurappa lost the privilege of
being on the spot for the historic moment as he is in jail. [HT p15]
18. CBI team assesses value of Jagan’s house : Hyderabad : The CBI on
Thursday sent a team of officials from different government departments
to Kadapa MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy’s house at Lotus Pond in Jubilee
Hills here to assess its cost. The action is part of the probe into the illegal
assets case the agency has filed against the MP in the Andhra Pradesh
High Court.[The Hindu p13]
19. With eye on UP, Cong set to expand Muslim outreach: New Delhi:
The government intends to discuss ‘Muslim demands’ related to
education, entrepreneurship, skill development and security concerns in
the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, in what is seen as a massive
build-up to the poll effort in Uttar Pradesh. [TOI p1]
20. UP polls: Cong unsure of Muslim support : New Delhi: In a build up to
the forthcoming UP polls, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs
(CCPA) is all set to discuss issues related to Muslim education,
entrepreneurship and security concerns. [TOI p19]
21. Communal Incidents on Rise, PC Asks States to Maintain Vigil : NEW
DELHI : The Centre, concerned over the recent rise in incidents of
communal strife in many states, has asked all chief ministers to identify
communally sensitive areas and step up vigil there. In a letter sent to all
chief ministers, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram pointed to the
increase in incidents of communal tension in the recent weeks. [ET p2]
22. Anti-India slogans on Samjhauta : Amritsar: Anti-India slogans were
written on all 13-coaches of Lahore-Delhi Samjutha Express that arrived at
Attari railway station in Punjab on Thursday. [TOI p18]
23. Oppn CMs may turn NDC meet stormy : New Delhi : The National
Development Council (NDC) meeting on Saturday may turn out to be a
stormy affair, with chief ministers of opposition-ruled states led by NDA
planning to protest against the UPA government for trying to disturb the
country’s federal polity.[HT p10]
24. Inflated bills not for personal gain: Bedi: New Delhi: Controversy
continues to shadow Team Anna, with core member Kiran Bedi accused
of availing a 75% discount on airfare and then claiming full charge from
organizers who had invited her for various functions. [TOI p1]
25. I am downgrading myself to save money for a cause, says Kiran Bedi
: New Delhi : Team Anna slipped into deeper crisis on Thursday with
allegations levelled against key member Kiran Bedi for charging her hosts
full fare on air tickets while availing herself of discounts.[The Hindu p7]
26. Bedi must come clean, says Cong : New Delhi : The Congress today
came down heavily on Team Anna, especially Kiran Bedi, following The
Indian Express report that she charged full fare for air tickets while availing
discounted rates. Terming it as a “very serious allegation”, party general
secretary Digvijaya Singh asked her to “come clean”.[IE p5]
27. Did no wrong saved money to educate kids : Kiran Bedi : New Delhi
: Former IPS officer and one of Team Anna’s most vocal members Kiran
Bedi today claimed she was only trying to “save money” to educate
children when she claimed full air fare — in many cases, even Business
Class — from her hosts while flying Economy at 75% discount thanks to
her police gallantry medal.[IE p5]
28. People watching, says Naqvi : New Delhi : BJP vice-president Mukhtar
Abbas Naqvi said on Thursday that people are keeping an eye on both —
those who were silent over corruption as also those who were vocal about
it.[IE p5]
29. CBI quizzes AMU VC over financial irregularities : New Delhi: The
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday questioned vicechancellor
of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), P K Abdul Azis, for alleged
financial irregularities during his tenure in the varsity. The agency had
registered a preliminary enquiry in July against Azis (64), who is also
accused of flouting rules of the prestigious institution. [TOI p18]
30. Cong puts Kamat on notice again : New Delhi : Goa chief minister
Digambar Kamat, who has been facing flak over mounting allegations of
illegal mining, may have earned a temporary reprieve but the Congress
high command has not yet closed the option of replacing him.[HT p17]
31. M’rashtra Govt to Take Action Against Lavasa, Govt’s counsel tells
Bombay HC action against firm within two weeks for green laws
violation : MUMBAI : Lavasa Corporation will face action from the
Maharashtra government for violation of environmental laws within the
next two weeks. This was declared by the state government’s counsel in
Bombay High Court on Thursday. [ET p3]
32. Giving Fake Bills Wrong: Kejriwal : NEW DELHI : Issuing fake invoices
for reimbursing travel expenses was wrong, Team Anna member Arvind
Kejriwal said on Thursday and added that only a proper investigation
could prove whether his Team Anna colleague Kiran Bedi had given
inflated bills.[ET p2]
33. Hissar loss : JP flays detractors within Cong : New Delhi : Congress
candidate from Hisar Jai Parkash has blamed two Congress MPs,
including a union minister, for his humiliating defeat in the just-concluded
Lok Sabha bypolls. [HT p11]
34. ‘Paid news’ claims first political scalp as EC disqualifies MLA : New
Delhi : The Election Commission delivered a historic verdict on Thursday
by disqualifying Uttar Pradesh MLA Umlesh Yadav from contesting again
for three years for not including in her official accounts of expenditure the
amount she spent on advertisements in two Hindi dailies that were
masquerading as news items.[The Hindu p1]
35. Rape charge against Minister false, says Mayawati : Lucknow : Uttar
Pradesh Rural Development Minister Daddu Prasad, who has been
accused by a girl of allegedly raping her in a dak bungalow in Chitrakoot
district in 2007, has been given a clean chit by Chief Minister Mayawati.
She has categorically said no action will be taken against the Minister. Mr.
Prasad is an MLA from the Manikpur (reserved) constituency in
Chitrakoot.[The Hindu p5]
36. Give Tickets to Clean: Amethi Mob to Rahul : NEW DELHI : The Anna
effect may have been in display when a group of locals stopped Congress
General Secretary Rahul Gandhi’s convoy at his constituency Amethi to
demand that Congress allow only people with a clean image to contest
polls. [ET p2]
37. Rahul in Amethi, mounts pressure on Mayawati : Gorakhpur :
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi brought two more issues – the
spate of children’s deaths due to Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and the
shortage of fertilisers – within the poll ambit on Thursday. The disease has
killed 450 children in 30 districts of the state in three months.[HT p11]
38. Cong, RLD haggle over seat-sharing : NEW DELHI:Hard bargaining for
more seats has begun between the Congress and the Rashtriya Lok Dal
for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Although, both the
parties are sending positive signals for fighting the elections together
against the BSP, SP and the BJP, the smaller parties moving closer to the
Congress are bargaining for more seats.
39. AIADMK Wins in TN, AINRC in Puducherry CHENNAI : The ruling
parties of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, AIADMK and All India NR
Congress (AINRC), on Thursday retained the Trichy West and Indira
Nagar seats in the two states, respectively. [ET p2]
40. ED to send FEMA notice to Kalmadi : New Delhi : The Enforcement
Directorate is set to send notices under Foreign Exchange Management
Act (FEMA) to jailed fromer CWG organising Committee chairman Suresh
Kalmadi and other OC officials in connection with the Queen’s Baton
Relay (QBR) of October 2009.[IE p9]
41. Ramanujan has hurt crores of people : BJP : New Delhi : The
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has jumped into the ongoing debate on the
removal of an essay — 300 Ramayanas by AK Ramanujan — from the
syllabus of history honours course in Delhi University. Justifying the
move, leader of the Opposition in Delhi Assembly, Vijay Kumar Malhotra
said that the essay has hurt the sentiments of crores of people.[HT p3]
42. Janak Setu partially opened on Thursday MCD unhappy : New Delhi :
After facing perennial traffic chaos for the past four months, the residents
of west Delhi heaved a sigh of relief on Thursday with the partial reopening
of Janak Setu. One carriageway of the bridge that connects west
Delhi with Delhi Cantonment area was opened on Thursday morning for
cars and two wheelers.[HT p8]
43. SC tells BSES to pay 45cr to DVC by Nov 30 : New Delhi: BSES
Rajdhani Power Ltd and BSES Yamuna Power Ltd owe Damodar Valley
Corporation (DVC) Rs 140 crore, and the Supreme Court has asked them
to make an ad hoc payment of Rs 45 crore by November 30. [TOI p8]
LEGAL/CRIME NEWS
44. 12,000 prisoners to return home,UAE repatriates them to Indian jails,
gets one back : New Delhi : Nearly 12,000 Indian prisoners languishing
in UAE jails for petty offences can hope to return home soon. In exchange,
UAE will get back its lone jail inmate who is in an Indian prison.[Pioneer
Daily p8]
EDITORIAL/OPINION
45. Not just idle worship :Rajdeep Sardesai : At a time when Mayawati’s
Dalit memorials have sparked off a raging debate, it might be instructive to
consider what the original Dalit icon Babasaheb Ambedkar would have
done in a similar situation. [HT p12]
46. Keeping The Faith, Having spiritual leaders in politics adds wellbeing
to all, as our history shows: Srijana Mitra Das : In India,
debating whether spiritual leaders should enter the political arena is like
sporting sunglasses at night – mildly provocative but largely pointless.
Important facts from India’s history and politics negate naysayers right
away. Most important of all is India being a democracy. [TOI p20]
47. Walk the talk, Commonwealth leaders told : Hasan Suroor : Leaders
will gather in Perth from October 28 to 30 for their biennial Commonwealth
Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) against the backdrop of a
deepening global financial crisis, on the one hand, and a crisis of
governance in several member-nations — Pakistan, Fiji, which is currently
suspended from the Commonwealth, and Zimbabwe — on the other.[The
Hindu p10]
48. UPA’s leadership crisis, Congress clueless on containing drift :
Instead of exulting over the turmoil in Team Anna, the Congress must
address the growing rift among its senior leaders, and more importantly
key members of the UPA Government, on various contentious issues.
[Pioneer Daily p8]
49. Many losses, no lessons learnt : Kalyani Shankar : Alarm bells should
be ringing for the ruling Congress and its UPA allies after the damning
results of the recent by-polls. This is even more so because the Congress
is ruling in three of the four States where the elections were held; only in
Bihar, it is the JD (U)-BJP combine that is at the helm.[Pioneer Daily p9]
BUSINESS NEWS
50. Food Inflation at 10.6% may Force RBI’s Hand, Food prices hit 25-
week high raising spectre of another rate hike on Oct 25: NEW DELHI
: Food inflation shot up to a 25-week high, moving again into double-digit
territory and increasing the likelihood the RBI will raise interest rates yet
again at next week’s monetary policy review.[ET p1]
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
51. Gaddafi Showed No Mercy In Life, Got None In Death, Dragged Out
Of Drain & Killed, Son Also Dead: Sirte (Libya): Muammar Gaddafi,
who ruled Libya with an iron fist for 42 years, was dragged out of a drain
and killed by the very Libyans he once scorned as “rats”, dying of several
gaping wounds, some seemingly inflicted after his capture by fighters who
put a bloody end to his bid to escape hometown Sirte. [TOI p1]
52. Pak seeks friendly ties with India : Islamabad : Ahead of the second
round of official-level talks on various components of the resumed
dialogue process with New Delhi, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on
Thursday said Pakistan sought friendly relations with India on the basis of
mutual respect and equality. [The Hindu p12]
