Fight against climate change is responsibility of all: PM @narendramodi

Fight against climate change is responsibility of all: PM @narendramodi

Preparing to attend the world meet on climate change in Paris tomorrow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said it is the responsibility of all to ensure that the Earth's temperature does not rise as global warming is already creating disasters like recent heavy rainfall in Chennai.He asked the people to adopt energy conservation and energy efficiency measures like the maximum use of solar-powered items.

In his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat', Modi recalled his proposal for setting up a SAARC disaster response mechanism and said the recently-held 'table talk exercise and best practices seminar' in Delhi was a good beginning in this regard. "We keep receiving news about the natural disasters from every corner of the world. Such are the tragedies which have never been heard earlier or imagined. We are now experiencing the impact of fast-changing climate. In our own country, massive rains recently hit Tamil Nadu and caused losses to it as well as other states. Several people lost their lives. I offer my condolences to them," he said.

"The whole world is worried about climate change. There are discussions everywhere over it and concerns are being expressed. There is acceptance for it (climate change) as an index before any work is done. The temperature of the Earth should not increase now. It is the responsibility and concern of all," he said in his 20-minute programme. His emphasis on the responsibility of all assumes significance as the developed world is placing greater onus on developing nations like India in the fight against climate change. India has been maintaining that the developed countries have been the major polluters over centuries and should assume greater role in fighting global warming by funding and transfering low-cost technology to developing nations.

Commonwealth wants legally-binding & durable deal at COP21

Commonwealth wants legally-binding & durable deal at COP21

The Commonwealth has vowed to work towards an ambitious, durable and legally-binding deal at the Paris Climate Summit and sought adequate financial assistance to poor countries to help them cut green house gas emissions, a view strongly supported by India.

After lengthy deliberations at its biennial summit here, the 53-nation bloc which represents around a third of the world's population, also agreed to make concerted efforts in fighting extremism and radicalisation and formed a separate unit to deal with the challenge. The unit will help finance programmes to counter radicalisation.

On climate change, the Commonwealth leaders called for urgent global response in checking global warming and said they were "deeply concerned" about the disproportionate threat to its most vulnerable countries. "We are committed to working towards an ambitious, equitable, inclusive, balanced, rules-based and durable outcome of COP21 that includes a legally-binding agreement," the Commonwealth said in a statement on Climate Action. It said such an outcome, joined and implemented by all parties, should put the global community on track towards low-emission and climate-resilient societies and economies.

The grouping, where India is the biggest member in terms of population, agreed to work towards a legally-binding outcome at the Paris climate conference and said the climate change challenge could only be met by a deep cut in global green-house gas emission. It also agreed to abide by the target to hold the increase in global average temperature below 2 degrees Celsius or 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. An unnamed country expressed reservations about this as well.

The statement said Commonwealth countries will work together to achieve an outcome at the Paris summit that will stimulate sustainable economic growth, give a clear signal of the need for deep cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions and support vulnerable states. "We are deeply concerned by the threat posed by climate change, which continues to put at risk the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of our member states and citizens. Many of our most vulnerable states and communities are already facing the adverse impacts of climate change," it said.

The Commonwealth statement said reservations were expressed on certain clauses by one country, indicating that achieving a deal at Paris would not be easy. Commonwealth secretary general Kamalesh Sharma refused to name the country.The session on climate change was attended by UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon and French President Francois Hollande besides leaders of major Commonwealth members including Britain, Canada, Australia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. India was represented at the summit by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. 

Militants attack Army camp in Tangdhar, two injured

Militants attack Army camp in Tangdhar, two injured


Heavily armed militants today attacked an Army camp in Tangdhar sector near the Line of Control (LoC), leaving two persons injured. The militants attacked from the rear side of the camp at 6.15 AM, which resulted in few vehicles catching fire, defence sources said.

"Two individuals sustained injuries in the attack. Efforts are on to put out the fire," the sources said.An Army official said that the militants seem to be heavily
armed as they used small fire arms and UBGLs to carry out the attack."There was a stand off fire from Kalsuri Ridge (in Tangdhar sector) towards an army camp this morning," the official said. There was a brief lull before the militants opened fire again, triggering off a gunbattle, which was going on till last reports came in.\

Tangdhar sector is close to the LoC in Kupwara district and has been used as an infiltration route in the past. The official said it was not yet clear whether the militants were part of an infiltrating group. "That is a matter of investigation. We can comment on it only after the operation is over," he added.

Bishwajeet,Aajtak,Delhi

Modi, Obama to meet on sidelines of Paris climate conference

US President Barack Obama will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Paris summit next week as part of an effort to forge a strong global agreement on climate change, the White House has announced.

Obama would meet Modi on November 30, the opening day of the Paris climate change conference. The US President will also meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the start of the two-week climate summit, Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes told reporters. He said the US "wants to send a clear signal" in meetings with China, India and France that it will be working with the "key players" for a strong international agreement on climate change. Obama's meeting with Modi will be their seventh since 2014.

"We have been engaging with India throughout the year in determining how they can contribute constructively to a successful outcome in Paris," Rhodes said.Modi and Obama have had talks in this regard during the US President's trip to India, the bilateral meeting in New York at the UN General Assembly and on the margins of the recent summits they attended.Replying to a query, Rhodes said that cooperation from major emitters like India and China is "key to the success of the Paris Summit on climate change"."We need to have the broadest set of countries engaged in this if it's going to be successful. That was the lesson from Copenhagen, which is that if you restrict this to a certain form, you will likely be limited to the Kyoto countries or even a small number of countries.

"And it's not simply a question of the US coming to the table, it's a question of whether China and India and Brazil and other major emitters are a part of this framework," he said. He said the US has broadened the scope of the countries that are participating in the Summit.

Bishwajeet,Aajtak,Delhi

India, China 'most affected by weather-related disasters': UN

India, China 'most affected by weather-related disasters': UN

India and China are among the countries most affected by weather-related disasters with the two nations accounting for more than three billion disaster-affected people between 1995 and 2015, a new UN report has said ahead of the crucial Paris climate conference. The report titled 'The Human Cost of Weather Related Disasters by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction' said the five countries hit by the highest number of disasters are the US, China, India, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

"Asian population giants, China and India, dominate the league table of countries most affected by weather-related disasters. Together these two nations account for more than 3 billion disaster-affected people between 1995 and 2015. That is 75 per cent of the global total of 4.1 billion people," the report said.

In India, 805 million people were affected by weather- related disasters during the 1995-2015 period, second only after China where 2,274 million were people affected. India was hit by 288 disasters over the last 20 years, third only after the US (472) and China (441). The Philippines (274) and Indonesia (163) round of the five nations hit by the highest number of disasters.

The report, however, said in recent years, national preparedness and more efficient responses to disasters have significantly reduced the numbers of people dying from weather-related hazards in some countries. India, China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand and Myanmar have each made major commitments to reduce disaster losses by acting on the priorities of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA). For India, a key trigger was the 1999 cyclone which claimed around 10,000 lives in Odisha as casualties in two recent major cyclones were minimal, the report said.The report, which comes ahead of the Paris climate conference starting November 30, further shows that over the last 20 years, 90 per cent of major disasters have been caused by 6,457 recorded floods, storms, heatwaves, droughts and other weather-related events.

Claude Arpi: When Nehru left the Tibetans to their fate

Claude Arpi: When Nehru left the Tibetans to their fate: S. Sinha, second from the left with Gyalo Thondup (the Dalai Lama's brother) on his right My article When Nehru left the Tibetans to...

Modi to file nomination tomorrow after 'mini-India' road show

Modi to file nomination tomorrow after 'mini-India' road show

BJP is making hectic preparations

ahead of tomorrow's nomination by Narendra Modi, who will

undertake a "grand road show" before filing his papers for the

mega battle in this holy city where he is challenged by AAP

leader Arvind Kejriwal and others.

          Modi's campaign managers said lakhs of people are expected

to participate in the two-km-long road show from Nadesar to

Kacheri locality in the heart of the city during which a

number of leading local organisations will greet him.

          He will also pay tribute to four doyens- Sardar Patel,

Vivekananda, B R Ambedkar and Madan Mohan Malvya- before

filing nomination, in-charge of BJP's campaign in Varanasi

Ashok Dhawan told PTI.

            Though invited all sections of people to the road show,

the party has specifically requested the citizens from Punjab,

Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, residing

here, to come in their traditional attire.

            "They have been requested to come in their traditional

attire so that a mini-India can be presented in the road

show," said Navratan Rathi, a BJP leader who is coordinating

arrangements.

            Modi will arrive at Lal Bahadur Shastri airport tomorrow

morning from where he will go to Benaras Hindu University

campus by helicopter to pay tribute to Pandit Madan Mohan

Malvya at his statue in the Lanka crossing, said Rathi.

            Then he will go to Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, one

of the premier educational institutions here, where he will

garland the statute of Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel and start his

road show.

            The Gujarat Chief Minister has been highlighting

contribution of Patel to attack Congress and had laid the

foundation stone for a huge statue of Patel last year in

Kevadia area of Gujarat.

            Rathi said Modi will also pay tribute to Vivekanada and

Amebdkar at their statues in the Cantonment area and

Collectorate Square respectively, Rathi said.

            Another function has been organised where the Gujarat

Chief Minister will be offered blessings by over 100 priests.

            BJP units in all the 90 wards in the city have been told

to carry out procession from their respective wards to reach

the venue of the road show. (MORE) PTI MPB PYK

ZMN

04231732

BJP blocks its website access in Pak, its PM candidate's is on

BJP blocks its website access in Pak, its PM candidate's is on

 People in Pakistan cannot access

the BJP website as the saffron party has blocked its Internet

page though its high-profile Prime Ministerial candidate

Narendra Modi's portal can be accessed for those who want to

know about him.

          "Error 1009 The owner of this website (bjp.org) has

banned your IP address (---) on the country or region you are

accessing it from," says the page as one logs in from here.

          People logging in from Pakistan have to use Virtual

Private Network, masking Pakistani IP address to log into the

BJP website.

            The party had attached on its Twitter handle links to a

'charge sheet' it had recently released against the UPA

government but the links did not work for those logging in

from Pakistan.

            Some questioned the logic of blocking the access saying

even if someone fears hacking, hackers don't use their own IP

addresses.

            Be it the government or local Pakistanis, everyone is

eager to know about the general sentiments and trends as to

who will form the next government.

            However, asked about Modi, top Pakistan government

officials say they are willing to "deal" with whoever forms

the government after the Lok Sabha elections and that includes

Modi.

            Even though the 2002 Gujarat riots loom large here,

Pakistan is hopeful that the peace bogey would not be derailed

if the UPA government is replaced by Modi-led NDA.

            Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who has stressed on

the need for better ties with all its neighbours, had said his

country believes in good relations with India "regardless of

whosoever is in power".

            Asked what will be Pakistan's strategy if Modi comes to

power, Foreign Office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said, "I

understand India is undergoing elections, a normal election in

democracy and we also have seen reports follow that BJP seems

to be in a strong position."

            She said the elections are an internal affair of India

and it is for Indian people to decide, to exercise their

right, to choose and elect a government.

            "We deal with countries... So, we hope that whoever is

elected in India would have that conviction and consciousness

that peace is something that we owe to our people," she told

PTI recently in an interview.

            Tasnim added that Pakistan strongly believes that "our

region needs peace for economic development, for better life

for our people. They deserve it"

Kejriwal to file nomination tomorrow

Kejriwal to file nomination tomorrow

Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind
Kejriwal will file nomination tomorrow for the high-profile
electoral contest in this historic temple town in which the
former Delhi Chief Minister will face stiff challenge from
BJP's Prime Ministerial nominee Narendra Modi.
Last month, Kejriwal had announced that he will contest
from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat after BJP's decision to field
Modi from the city, considered one of the most prestigious
constituencies in politically crucial Uttar Pradesh.
45-year-old Kejriwal, who had led his fledging AAP to a
spectacular victory in the Delhi Assembly polls in December
last year, has been trying to replicate the successful Delhi
campaign model here by holding scores of road shows and corner
meetings across Varanasi.
Hundreds of AAP volunteers are also visiting door-to-door
to garner support from people in this holy city where BJP has
been running an aggressive campaign to consolidate its vote
bank.
In 2009 Lok Sabha election, senior BJP leader Murli
Manohar Joshi had won the seat defeating gangster-cum-
politician Mukhtar Ansari by a margin of 17,000 votes.
Quami Ekta Dal's Ansari, who is known to have a strong
support base among Muslims, has decided not to contest against
Modi from the seat "to avoid division of secular votes".
The four-time MLA from Mau is currently lodged in Agra
jail in BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai murder case.
Congress has fielded Ajay Rai,�a Varanasi local, who is
an MLA from Pindra assembly constituency. Samajwadi Party
candidate Kailash Chaurasiya is also a sitting MLA from nearby
Mirzapur.
Both Rai and Chaurasiya have already filed their
nominations.
The entry of Modi and Kejriwal has escalated the
political temperature in the battle turning it into one of the
most keenly watched contests in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
Exuding confidence of pulling off a surprise, the Aam
Aadmi�Party leader says people of Varanasi will stand behind
him and defeat the BJP strongman while the saffron party feels
Modi will not face any significant fight in the constituency.
The constituency has around 1.5 lakh Muslim voters and
Kejriwal has been trying hard to woo the community.
An AAP leader said Kejriwal will hold a road show before
filing his nomination tomorrow.
Polling in Varanasi would be held in the last phase of
Lok Sabha elections on May 12.
Modi will file nomination on May 24, the last day.
BSP has fielded Vijay Prakash Jaisawal while CPI(M) has
given ticket to veteran party worker Heera Lal Yadav.
Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress has given ticket to
Indira Tiwari.

Next Oxford dictionary may be too big to print

Next Oxford dictionary may be too big to print

The Oxford English Dictionary may
disappear from bookshelves as future editions may be too big
to print, its publishers fear.
Only an on-line format would be practicable and
affordable as the third edition is expected to be twice the
size of the current version, according to its publishers.
The publishers say the third edition of the famous
dictionary, estimated to fill 40 volumes, is running at least
20 years behind schedule, 'The Telegraph' reported.
The mammoth masterpiece is facing delays because
"information overload" from the Internet is slowing compilers,
Michael Proffitt, the OED's first new chief editor for 20
years, said.
Proffitt's team of 70 philologists, including
lexicographers, etymologists and pronunciation experts, has
been working on the latest version, known as OED3, for the
past 20 years.
The next edition will not be completed until 2034, and
likely only to be offered in an on-line form because of its
gargantuan size, Proffitt told Country Life magazine.
"A lot of the first principles of the OED stand firm, but
how it manifests has to change, and how it reaches people has
to change," said Proffitt.
Work on the new version, currently numbering 800,000
words, has been going on since 1994, the report said.
The first edition, mooted in 1858 with completion
expected in 10 years, took 70 years.

Campaign for second phase of LS polling in Maha concludes

Campaign for second phase of LS polling in Maha concludes

Campaign for the second phase of
polling in Maharashtra where nearly 3.25 crore voters will be
sealing the fate of 358 candidates including stalwarts like
Union Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, ex-Chief Minister Ashok
Chavan and BJP leader Gopinath Munde, came to an end today.
About 3,24,27,558 electorate in 19 constituencies of
western Maharashtra, Marathwada, Konkan will cast their votes
in the state on April 17.
Ten constituencies of Vidarbha went to polls in the first
phase on April 10 and more than 60 per cent electorate have
cast their votes.
In the second phase, there are 358 candidates in fray,
including 24 women and 201 independents.
The voters in the second phase include 1,69,54,391 men
and 1,53,77,605 women. There are 306 voters in the others
category and 95,256 in the service category.
The constituencies which will go to polls are - Hingoli,
Nanded, Beed, Parbhani, Osmanabad and Latur in Marathwada,
Pune, Baramati, Shirur, Maval, Solapur, Madha, Sangli, Satara,
Kolhapur, Hathkanangale in Western Maharashtra, Shirdi,
Ahmednagar in North Maharashtra and Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg in
Konkan.
The generation next of Maharashtra politics - Supriya
Sule (Baramati) and Nilesh Rane (Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg) - are
seeking a second term.
Indian Youth Congress chief Rajiv Satav, who is currently
a legislator, is seeking to enter Lok Sabha from Hingoli.
Vishwajit Kadam, who is the state Youth Congress chief
and son of Congress veteran Patangrao Kadam, is also making
foray from Pune.
Beed constituency has maximum 39 candidates, while
Baramati has the lowest nine.
The largest constituency electorate wise is Maval with
19,46,127 voters. The smallest constituency electorate wise is
Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg (13,63,957).

Campaign ends for 7 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar

Campaign ends for 7 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar

Loudspeakers fell silent this evening
with campaigning coming to an end for the second phase voting
to seven Lok Sabha seats in Bihar on April 17.
     Tight security arrangements have been put in place as
many of the constituencies fall in Maoist-hit areas.
     Voting in Patna and nearby districts would decide the
fate of 117 candidates, including actor-politician Shatrughan
Sinha, former Home Secretary R K Singh, Lalu Prasad's eldest
daughter Misa Bharti and her two uncles Ramkripal Yadav and
Ranjan Yadav.
A total of 11,85,07,86 electors would exercise their
franchise in 11,846 polling stations in Patna Sahib, Nalanda,
Patliputra, Jehanabad, Munger, Ara and Buxar Parliamentary
Constituencies.
     Keeping up the BJP momentum, its Prime Ministerial
candidate Narendra Modi addressed rallies at Jehanabad, Ara
and Bikram in Patliputra seats on April 10.
     BJP veteran L K Advani made his maidan poll campaign in
Bihar by addressing rallies at Banka and Katihar on April 14.
     Cinestar Shatrughan Sinha, seeking re-election from Patna
Sahib on BJP ticket, mainly campaigned for himself conducting
a large number of rallies and road shows.
His Congress rival and Bhojpuri actor Kunal Singh worked
hard to give him a challenge on the seat in the state capital.
     Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad, Ramvilas Paswan
and former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi criss
crossed constituencies to garner support for their parties.
     Chief Secretary A K Sinha told reporters that a total of
42,600 security personnel would be deployed for smooth conduct
of the polls.
    As in the first phase of polls in six seats in naxal-hit
areas on April 10, two helicopters would be in service in the
second phase of voting also.
     Accompanied by Director General of Police Abhyanand,
Sinha said 152 companies of central forces and 74 Bihar
Military police would be on duty on April 17 polling.
     As per Election Commission decision, voting in seven
Maoist-hit Assembly constituencies would end at 4 pm while in
the rest it would be conducted till 6 pm.
     The seven Assembly constituencies that would witness
curtailed voting time are in naxal-affected Munger,
Lakhisarai, Jehanabad and in rural Patna comprising areas in
Patliputra Parliamentary constituency. 

AAP's Kumar Vishwas declares assets worth Rs 4 cr

AAP's Kumar Vishwas declares assets worth Rs 4 cr

Aam Aadmi Party nominee from Amethi
Kumar Vishwas today declared his assets about Rs four crore in
an affidavit filed along with his nomination papers for the
Lok Sabha polls.
Kumar has declared assets including that of his wife Manju
Sharma. As per the affidavit, while gross total value of
Kumar's movable assets is more than Rs 1.28 crore, that of his
wife is more than Rs 56 lakh.
The current market value of his immovable properties,
including two residential flats in Rishikesh and Vasundhara in
Ghaziabad is around Rs 1.29 crore, while that of his wife is
Rs 65.07 lakh, which includes agricultural land.
The 44-year-old poet-turned-politician has mentioned
lecturer as his occupation.
He has liabilities of Rs 6.73 lakh against him.
The PhD scholar has declared cash in hand of Rs 1.75 lakh.
His wife Manju Sharma has Rs 1.1 lakh cash in hand. He holds
four bank accounts and a Fixed deposit of Rs 2 lakh.
Kumar is in the fray along with BJP's Smriti Irani and
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi from Amethi constituency
which goes to poll on May 7.

Modi hits back at Rahul for 'toffee' jibe

Modi hits back at Rahul for 'toffee' jibe

 Taunting Rahul Gandhi, Narendra Modi today compared him with a child,
saying 'toffee' has caught the Congress vice president's fancy
after he repeatedly spoke about 'balloon'.
"Such an important election about the country's future,
but for ten days, a word that gripped him (Rahul) was
'balloon'. For ten days he kept repeating it. However,
children don't stick to a toy for too long and now he has
caught the word 'toffee'," Modi said campaigning in Jharkhand
in a clear dig at Rahul who yesterday dubbed the Gujarat model
of development as a "toffee model".
"His childishness has not yet gone. First he used to
talk about balloons and now he is talking about toffees�
Gujarat has got 300 trophies and not toffees.
  "Now you tell me what to do. I am not of an age where
I can play with balloons," Modi said.
Modi's jibe came a day after Rahul dubbed the BJP Prime
Ministerial candidate's repeated reference to the Gujarat
model of development as a "toffee model", alleging that land
was given to few industrialists at throwaway prices.
Rahul had earlier come under Modi's firing line for
stating the BJP's balloon will burst with the Lok Sabha
results going against it.
Targeting Sonia Gandhi, Modi said, "Mother and son
(Rahul) have ruined the country and the Prime Minister has to
bear the brunt".
Modi said he considered serious issues would be
discussed in the election which BJP leaders including L K
Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Yashwant Sinha, Arun Jaitley and Murli
Manohar Joshi were doing. "But on the other side, there is a
player whose mind doesn't move away from childishness.
He said it was for the people to decide whether or not
they wanted those who played with balloons and craved toffees.

Sixth FIR against Azam Khan by UP police after EC's rebuke

Sixth FIR against Azam Khan by UP police after EC's rebuke

 Samajwadi Party leader Azam
Khan has been booked yet again for allegedly making
provocative speech at an election rally, the sixth case to be
registered against the UP minister after the Election
Commission cracked the whip on him.
The latest FIR was registered against Khan on April 13
night at Afzalgarh police station in Bijnore, official sources
said today.
While two FIRs have been lodged against Azam in Bijnore,
one FIR each has been lodged in Ghaziabad, Rampur, Sambhal and
Shamli districts for allegedly making inflammatory speeches
and violating the mode code of conduct.
On April 11, the EC had banned Khan from campaigning in
Uttar Pradesh and asked authorities to initiate criminal
proceedings against him.
The EC had been critical of the role of Samajwadi Party's
government in the state for "soft-pedalling" on registration
of FIRs against Khan and not dealing with the sensitive issue
with alacrity.
    Khan had addressed an election rally at Afzalgarh in
support of Moradabad's SP candidate, ST Hasan on April 10 in
which he had allegedly tried to flare up communal feelings by
speaking on the Gujarat and Muzaffarnagar riots in detail.
Another FIR was lodged against Khan in Bijnore on April
11 for allegedly making provocative remarks at an election
rally in Nehtaur on the same day. He has been accused for
flaring up communal feeling and trying to divide people on
religious lines.
Earlier, an FIR was lodged against Khan in Sambhal on
April 12 on charges of inciting communal passions during his
election meeting on April 9 where Khan had exhorted the
electorate to take revenge from the rioters of Muzaffarnagar
by pressing the (EVM) button in the Lok Sabha polls.
On April 12, Khan was booked in Masuri police station of
Ghaziabad for his controversial remarks on Kargil war on
April7.
      The SP leader, during his party rally in
Muslim-dominated area Masuri area, said. "Kargil ki pahadiyo
ko fateh karne wala koi Hindu nahi tha, balki Kargil ki
pahadiyo ko nara-e- takbeer Allah-Hu-Akbar kehkar fathe
karnewale Musalman fauji the" (peaks of Kargil were not
conquered by Hindus, but by Muslims).
Another FIR was registered against Azam in Shamli
district on April 12.
In his home district Ramppur too, an FIR was
registered against Khan for his speech at Kila Rampur made on
April 10 in which he purportedly reiterated his controversial
Kargil remarks and also targeted BJP leader Amit Shah terming
him "fascist and insaniyat ka qaatil".
In these FIRs charges against Khan included Sections 153A
(Promoting enmity between different groups on ground of
religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc),
153B( imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-
integration) and 505 (Statements creating or promoting
enmity, hatred or illwill between classes) of IPC besides
Section 125 Representation of the People Act, 1951).

Charges framed against 5 in Muzaffarnagar riots case

Charges framed against 5 in Muzaffarnagar riots case

Charges against five accused
in connection with murder of two youths during Muzaffarnagar
riots were today framed in a local court here.
Additional District Sessions Judge Jitender Kumar framed
charges against five accused Mujassim, Mujammil, Nadeen,
Jahangir and Furkan -- under various sections of IPC in
connection with the murder of two youths -- Sachin and Gaurav
in Kawal village on August 27 last.
All accused were produced in the Court from jail today.
Special Investigation Team had filed charge sheet on
November 27 last against the all five accused.
Two motorbikes had collided, after which a man named
Shahnawaz was allegedly stabbed to death by Gaurav and his
friend Sachin. On hearing his cries, locals had rushed to the
spot and beaten the duo to death.
Cross cases were registered in this regard. SIT had filed
the case of Gaurav and Sachin's killing in court, while a
cross case of Shanawaz's murder is under investigation.
Tension had prevailed in Kawal village after the incident,
making it the epicentre of the riots in Muzaffarnagar and
adjoining areas that claimed over 60 lives and left thousands
homeless.

Maha: Campaign for 2nd phase of polling to end tomorrow

Maha: Campaign for 2nd phase of polling to end tomorrow

As the campaign for second phase of
polling in Maharashtra draws to a close tomorrow, in which
nearly 3.25 crore voters are expected to decide the fate of
358 candidates, leaders are working feverishly to canvass and
take out rallies to ensure maximum support for their parties.
Several political bigwigs, including Union Home Minister
Sushilkumar Shinde, former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and
senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde are in the fray in the second
phase of polling.
Total number of 3,24,27,558 electors in 19 constituencies
in western Maharashtra, Marathwada and Konkan will exercise
their franchise during the second phase of Lok Sabha polls in
Maharashtra on April 17.
The voters include 1,69,54,391 men and 1,53,77,605 women.
There are 306 voters in the others category and 95,256 in the
service category.
Ten constituencies of Vidarbha have already voted in the
first phase on April 10 and more than 60 per cent electorate
have cast their votes.
In the second phase, there are 358 candidates in fray,
including 24 women and 201 independents.
The constituencies that would go to polls are - Hingoli,
Nanded, Beed, Parbhani, Osmanabad and Latur in Marathwada,
Pune, Baramati, Shirur, Maval, Solapur, Madha, Sangli, Satara,
Kolhapur, Hathkanangale in Western Maharashtra, Shirdi,
Ahmednagar in North Maharashtra and Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg in
Konkan.
The generation next of Maharashtra politics - Supriya
Sule (Baramati) and Nilesh Rane (Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg) - are
seeking a second term.
Indian Youth Congress chief Rajiv Satav, who is
currently a legislator, is making a debut in electoral
politics from Hingoli.
Vishwajit Kadam, who is the state Youth Congress chief
and son of Congress veteran Patangrao Kadam, is also making
his debut from Pune.
There are 11 constituencies with more than 16 candidates,
while at one seat there are more than 32 candidates. Beed
constituency has maximum 39 candidates, while Baramati has the
lowest nine.
The largest constituency electorate wise is Maval with
19,46,127 voters while the smallest is Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg
with 13,63,957 electors. 

Campaign to end tomorrow for 20 LS seats in Rajasthan

  Campaign to end tomorrow for 20 LS seats in Rajasthan

 Campaign will come to an end tomorrow
in 20 Lok Sabha seats that will go to polls in Rajasthan on
April 17.
    The state will have a two-phase polling, with five
remaining seats going to polls in the second phase on April
24.
    Chief Election Officer Ashok Jain today said that public
meetings, rallies, processions or campaigning through
electronic media and SMSes will be restricted after 6 PM
tomorrow.
    Candidates can, however, do door to door canvassing, he
said.
    239 candidates, including BJP rebels Jaswant Singh and
Subhash Maharia, are in the fray in the 20 seats that go to
polls on April 17.
    Of the 17 women contestants figuring in the first phase,
Congress accounts for six, including three sitting MPs, and
BJP one.
    About 4.26 crore voters, including 2.01 crore women are
eligible to exercise their franchise at 47,948 polling booths
in the state in both the phases. 

Dubai runway closure to hit several flights from May 1

 Dubai runway closure to hit several flights from May 1

Several flights to Dubai would be
affected for 80 days from May one due to closure of two
runways there for upgrade, with Jet Airways and Air India
Express announcing shifting of most of their flights to
neighbouring Sharjah and revising timings for some operations.
    Indigo and Dubai-based Emirates also said they would slash
some of their flights between India and the UAE city.
    "With partial runway closure at Dubai airport from May one
to July 20, flights between Dubai and Amritsar, Lucknow,
Trichy, Jaipur and Pune will operate to and from Sharjah," Air
India Express said today.
    Similarly, Jet Airways would operate some flights with a
revised timing during this period to and from Sharjah. It
assured its passengers that there would be no cancellation of
any of its listed flights, a Jet spokesperson said.
    Some of Jet's flights to and from Mangalore, Mumbai and
Delhi would operate to Sharjah, though the private carrier
would fly to Dubai from Mumbai (9W 538) on Sundays.
    Both Jet and Air India Express have advised customers to
check their websites for detailed flight timings.
    A report in a Dubai daily said eight airlines, including
Jet Airways have applied for slots at Al Maktoum International
- Dubai's second airport - during the runway closure.
    IndiGo would also curtail some of its flights from Delhi
and Mumbai to Dubai temporarily, while Dubai-based Emirates
Airline would also temporarily reduce flights to Delhi and
Bangalore.
    An IndiGo spokesperson said the airline would operate 37
weekly flights from six Indian cities to Dubai International
airport from 56 weekly flights at present.
    In a statement, Dubai Airports said all systems would
undergo a comprehensive runway upgrade during the period.
    The work would last 80 days during which the runways
would be closed alternatively � the southern runway from May
one to May 31 and the northern runway from May 31 to July 20.
The number of flights at Dubai International is likely to be
reduced by 26 per cent during the repair. 

AAP demands EC's immediate intervention

  AAP demands EC's immediate intervention

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today
demanded Election Commission's "immediate intervention" to
ensure free and fair elections after two of its candidates
were attacked in two seperate incidents in Jharkhand and
Bihar.
A statement released by the party said AAP candidate from
Nalanda parliamentary constituency in Bihar, Pranav Prakash
was allegedly attacked and brutally beaten up on Sunday night.
"He was in Udarfu village under Bind police station,
(Asthava vidhan sabha) of Nalanda district. A group of 20-30
goons, armed with rods, pistols and other weapons, attacked
the car in which he was travelling, broke the windows of his
car, dragged him into a ditch and brutally beat him, till he
fell unconscious", the statement said.
"It is shocking and highly regrettable that when the EC
officials/observers in Nalanda district were contacted, they
refused to come and informed the AAP volunteers that they
would meet them in the morning," it said.
In the second incident, the AAP candidate from Khunti
parliamentary constituency of Jharkhand and well-known adivasi
activist Dayamani Barla and her campaign team are being
regularly threatened, the party alleged.
"On April 7, the vehicle carrying the AAP supporters
towards Arki block was stopped at Birbanki by some armed
militants at 3 PM. They took away the car keys and mobile
phones of all members, who however, managed to escape on foot
at 7 PM and walked through the jungle all night to reach
Khunti back only the next morning.
"The next incident took place on April 9, when some AAP
supporters were stopped at Bikwadag in Karra block by six
armed men. One of them said that he was the zonal commander of
extremist outfit People�s Liberation Front of India (PLFI),
which will not allow any campaigning for the AAP, and anybody
doing so would be killed," the statement added.
AAP alleged that PLFI has made it clear that it will only
allow  the campaign of Jharkhand Party's candidate Anosh Ekka.
"These incidents show that vested interests are trying to
discourage the presence of AAP in the electoral arena and
it is for the EC to ensure that candidates are allowed to
campaign without any fear and people are allowed to
participate in the democratic process without any undue
influence," the statement added