Zee News : India National

BJP distances from its HR cell convenor`s letter

News

Dec 122012

New Delhi: BJP Wednesday distanced itself from a complaint made to President Pranab Mukherjee by convener of the party’s human rights cell against the Chief Justice of India and expressed regret over it.

In a letter to Mukherjee, BJP president Nitin Gadkari said the party dissasociates itself from the complaint and conveys its regrets to the President.

“This is completely unauthorised and does not represent the view of the party. We disown it completely and convey our regrets for the agony it has caused to the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India whom we hold a high regard,” Gadkari said in his letter.

He said he was “distressed” to know that a representation has been made to the President, with copies to the Vice President and the Prime Minister, making certain “uncalled for and unwarranted” allegations against the CJI.

The representation made by Sudhir Aggarwal, national convener of BJP’s Human Rights Cell, has said the CJI should have recused himself from the hearing of the petition filed by P A Sangma challenging the election of Pranab Mukherjee as President, due to his close proximity to the counsels arguing the case.

PTI

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First Published: Wednesday, December 12, 2012, 23:48

Mulayam disapproves Mayawati`s attack on RS Chairman

News

Dec 122012

New Delhi: Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday disapproved of BSP supremo Mayawati’s attack on Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari, saying the Chair should not be insulted.

Yadav put the onus of proper functioning of Parliament on the government while accusing it of shirking its responsibility.

“The Chair should not be subjected to insult…Whether it is Rajya Sabha or Lok Sabha, there should be no comment against the respect of the Chair,” he told reporters here.

Yadav, who is a member of Lok Sabha, said this when asked to comment on Mayawati’s criticism of Ansari over disorder in Rajya Sabha.

Mayawati’s outburst came over repeated disruptions in Rajya Sabha where she wants early consideration of Constitution (117th Amendment) Bill that provides for reservation to SCs/STs in government job promotions.

Samajwadi Party is strongly opposing the bill, arguing that it will divide the society.

With regard to Parliament not being able to function properly for several days, the SP chief said, “This is not the task of the Chair but the government. The government is shirking (its responsibility).”

Yadav, whose party’s support is crucial for the UPA, said the government should listen to others or hold talks with parties.

“If there is an issue concerning the public, poor people or farmers, the government should listen…If the government does not listen, the opposition will have to speak,” he said.

Yadav was evasive when asked whether Mayawati’s issue of quota for SCs and STs in government job promotions was related to poor people and farmers.

On reports that force, include marshals, may be used in Parliament against SP members who are stalling consideration of the Bill, Yadav expressed confidence that no such thing would happen.

PTI

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First Published: Wednesday, December 12, 2012, 23:38

Lok Sabha adjourned over coal blocks allocation

News

Dec 122012

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 3 pm on Wednesday after BSP members stalled proceedings seeking action on alleged irregularities in the allocation of coal blocks.

Bahujan Samaj Party members had approached Speaker Meira Kumar’s podium to raise the issue earlier too, leading to the adjournment of the house till noon.

Trouble continued when the house met again. Congress member Francisco Sardinha, who was in the chair, adjourned the house till 2 p.m. and again for a third time till 3 p.m.

Some MPs felt the BSP aggression was aimed at building pressure on the government to get the bill on reservations in job promotions for Dalits as well as tribals passed in the Rajya Sabha.

The Congress says it is committed to the bill, which is staunchly opposed by the Samajwadi Party.

IANS
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First Published: Thursday, December 13, 2012, 00:32

PM calls Hamid Ansari after Mayawati`s outburst

News

Dec 122012

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reportedly called Hamid Ansari to convey distress over Mayawati’s attack on him in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday shocked the Rajya Sabha by telling Chairman Hamid Ansari that he is “not seen” in the House in the afternoon after

“You are not seen here after 12 PM… What kind of House is this? You have to take decision that what has to be done for this (ensuring the functioning of the House),” the BSP chief said.

She was protesting against the frequent disruption over a bill for providing reservation in promotion to SC/STs in government jobs, an issue that has seen the party at loggerheads with the Samajwadi Party, its arch detractor in UP politics.

The protest by the BSP on the quota issue saw the House being adjourned twice before lunch.

Mayawati’s remarks left the House stunned. The Chairman told her that she was a senior leader and should allow the House to function. He said it was the responsibility of everyone to let the House function.

But, BSP members were unrelenting.

Mayawati’s outburst came at 11.30 am when textile minister Anand Sharma was replying to a query on the plight of weavers in Uttar Pradesh.

The BSP supremo, along with her party colleagues, came into House and started speaking even before taking her seat.

As the Chairman tried to pacify Mayawati and asked her to allow the Question Hour to proceed, the BSP chief went into the Well with her party members continuing with her verbal attack.

Mayawati’s remarks came on a day when the Chairman has called a meeting of the Rules Committee of the Rajya Sabha anguished over frequent disruptions of the Question Hour.

Mayawati said, “The Chairman leaves at 12 noon and thereafter the Deputy Chairman sits on the Chair and thereafter there is drama. This drama is repeated every day,” suggesting action like use of marshals against members disrupting the House or suspending them to ensure that the House functions normally.

“There is a limit to tolerate things,” she said while justifying the “tough” stand taken by her party in the Rajya Sabha earlier in the day.

Proceedings in Parliament touched a new low today with Mayawati stunning Rajya Sabha by her outbursts against the Chairman over its frequent disruptions.

She said the House turns disorderly after the Chairman leaves, adding since the House is not in order the SC/ST Bill is not being taken up.

Mayawati’s party colleagues started shouting ‘dalit virodhi ye sarkar nahi chalegi’ (anti-dalit government is not acceptable).

A visibly upset Ansari adjourned the House till noon.

When the House reassembled, BSP members again trooped into the Well shouting anti-government slogans.

On Monday, Mayawati had threatened to take a “tough stand” in case the government does not help bring order in the Rajya Sabha and get the bill passed.

Amid the uproar, BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu took strong objection to reports on Government’s plans to increase the cap on subsidised LPG.

As the din continued, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien adjourned the House for another 30 minutes till 12.30 PM. However, there was no improvement in the situation when the House met again and minutes after it was adjourned for the day.

PTI

Manish Tiwari hits out at Narendra Modi

News

Dec 122012

New Delhi: In a sharp attack on Narendra Modi for his letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sir Creek issue, Congress today alleged the Gujarat Chief Minister was resorting to “shallow and superficial politicking” to shore up his “faltering” political fortunes.

“It is most unfortunate that the Chief Minister of Gujarat has stooped to the extent of creating a fictitious issue to shore up his faltering political fortures,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari told a news agency.

He said “matters which have a bearing on national security need to be articulated with a modicum of responsibility and gravitas. We do hope the people of Gujarat would see through this shallow and superficial politicking which does not even spare matters of strategic importance.”

The Prime Minister’s Office today rubbished Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s claim that Sir Creek was being “handed over” to Pakistan, saying the “baseless charges” were “mischievous” and motives questionable as these came on the eve of polls in the state.

Responding to a letter written by Modi to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the PMO dubbed as “unsubstantiated allegations” its contents about discussions with Pakistan on the Sir Creek issue.

Expressing apprehensions just ahead of Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s visit to India on December 14 to discuss a range of bilateral issues, Modi, in his letter to the Prime Minister, said Sir Creek, a marshy land in Gujarat, should “not be handed over to Pakistan” and talks on this issue should be stopped.

Union Minister and Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said it is “very mischievous” on the part of the Chief Minister to “stoop to such level of politics”.

“There is no question of giving the land to Pakistan and there is no such proposal,” he said.

He added that in a bid to take advantage in elections, Modi is trying to resort to “all sorts of lies”.

PTI

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First Published: Wednesday, December 12, 2012, 23:41

Court restrains AIFF from taking action against Mohun Bagan

Sports

Dec 122012

Court restrains AIFF from taking action against Mohun Bagan Kolkata: A city court on Wednesday restrained the All India Football Federation (AIFF) from preventing Mohun Bagan from participating in the I-League.

The city civil court seventh judge Sandip Chaudhury, taking up an ex-parte petition by Bagan after the AIFF deferred its December 15 match against Pailan Arrows, restrained AIFF from taking any decision on the issue without giving Mohun Bagan opportunity of being heard.

The matter would come up before the court again on January 11.

Counsels Gitanath Ganguly and his son Sourav Ganguly, appearing for Mohun Bagan, submitted that AIFF be restrained from taking any arbitrary decision on the violence-marred I-League derby against East Bengal as the former pulled out after the interval with their side trailing 0-1.

Mohun Bagan filed the case before the city court against the CEO of I-League.

According to AIFF`s Clause 22, if a team withdrew in the middle of a match, it would be suspended from the I-League for the current season and the following two seasons unless it was dubbed a `force majeure`.

The FIFA rule states that if a missile of any kind lands on the ground or if a player is injured, then a team has every right to walk off.

However, in this case, Mohun Bagan played out the stoppage time in the first half after Syed Rahim Nabi was hit.

PTI

India vs Pakistan: Online ticket sales for Bangalore T20 to start on Thursday

Sports

Dec 122012

India vs Pakistan: Online ticket sales for Bangalore T20 to start on Thursday Bangalore: Online ticket sales for the India-Pakistan T20 match to be played at M Chinnaswamy stadium here on December 25 will start from tomorrow, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) president Anil Kumble said.

Speaking to reporters here, Kumble said as many as 7,187 online tickets are up for sales.

He said after setting aside tickets for others, as many as 26,565 tickets will be sold to cricket fans.

Affiliated Cricket Clubs will be given 10 tickets each and 3,705 tickets will be made available for corporates, Kumble said.

“KSCA members will get 2,800 tickets,” he said.

Replying to a question, KSCA secretary Javagal Srinath said all steps have been taken to ensure foolproof security during the match.

“We have taken security steps in consultation with the city police,” he said.

PTI

India vs England: Opportunity for Cook to create history

Sports

Dec 122012

India vs England: Opportunity for Cook to create history Nagpur: Skipper Alastair Cook is in line to become the first England batsman since 2003 to top the ICC Test Player Rankings, when his side takes on India in the fourth and final cricket Test starting here from Thursday.

Cook is currently ranked fourth in the table with 874 points, just five behind number-one ranked Shivnarine Chanderpaul. And although Michael Clarke is just one rating point behind Chanderpaul, Cook will have the first crack on the number-one ranking as his Test finishes a day before the Australia-Sri Lanka Test, which begins in Hobart on Friday.

With Cook having already scored 548 runs at an healthy average of 109.6 in the series so far, there is a strong possibility of him achieving the coveted number-one ranking for the first time in his career.

The last England batsman to top the batting table was former England captain Michael Vaughan who surged to the top at the conclusion of the fifth and last Ashes Test in Sydney in January 2003.

The other England batsmen to top the batting table are Graham Gooch in June 1994 and David Gower in February 1986.

Cook also has an opportunity to create history not just with his batting but also by hoping to achieve England`s first Test series win in India since 1984-85. England currently lead the four-match series 2-1.

While England is in line to create history in India, they can also retain the number two spot if they either win or draw the final Test.

PTI

Sri Lanka Cricket to generate revenue from stadiums

Sports

Dec 122012

Sri Lanka Cricket to generate revenue from stadiums Colombo: Sri Lanka`s newly-built cricket stadiums, which are at the heart of massive financial losses incurred by the governing body, will be converted into revenue-generating ventures.

This is among other far-reaching marketing plans of the governing body for the next year.

“Transforming stadium properties into sustainable revenue generating centers is also another step towards rebuilding Sri Lanka Cricket not just as a brand but as an entity with a firm competitive advantage,” a Sri Lanka Cricket spokesman said.

However, no details were given about the plans. Sri Lanka Cricket suffered significant financial losses valued at USD 69 million after co-hosting the 2011 World Cup with India and Bangladesh.

The losses mainly stemmed from the construction of brand new stadiums at Hambantota and Pallekele and modernisation of the facilities st the Premadasa Stadium.

The SLC was forced to look for a government bail-out and consequentially the players` fees was delayed for over six months.

PTI

First Published: Wednesday, December 12, 2012, 20:09

Canadian Kabaddi player tests positive in World Cup

Sports

Dec 122012

Canadian Kabaddi player tests positive in World Cup Chandigarh: A Canadian player participating in the ongoing third kabaddi World Cup here has tested positive for a banned substance.

“He has been found guilty of consuming banned drugs. It was disclosed in the report of National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) to the organising committee of the tournament,” a release from the Punjab government, the organisers of the event, said here today.

The release said that Canadian player Varinder Singh Dhanoa has been found guilty and he was banned from taking any further participation in the World Cup.

The player has also been fined, which would be deducted from the prize money of the Canadian team, the release said, adding that the teams of NADA have till date collected 88 samples from different teams.

PTI

First Published: Wednesday, December 12, 2012, 20:03

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