CAPSULE

hkYkh kVElFh8 Q 0Ah0hhA0AR/MuMBA

T
he poll battle continues to turn uglier day after day.
On Thursday, Congress general secretary
Madhusudan Mistry, who is contesting against BJP prime
ministerial candidate Narendra Modi from Vadodara con-
stituency, was arrested for trying to vandalise Modis
poster on a streetlight pole. At the same time, Shiv Sena
called Sonia Gandhi fox and Shahi Imam wolf , while
Congress candidate for Saharanpur Imran Masood, who
was released on bail on Thursday, defended his hate
speech against Modi will chop Modi into pieces.
However, Mistrys heroic was certainly the highlight
of the day. The trouble started after around 100 Congress
workers gathered on streets to protest allocation of
Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) owned adver-
tising billboards on streetlight poles to the BJP.
Banners of the BJP PM candidate feature on 1,000
such poles in the city. Around a fortnight back, the saf-
fron party booked these billboards at almost all the prime
locations till the end of the election process. The Congress
workers are demanding that allocation of hoarding should
be made in equal numbers.
Management of these billboards has been given to pri-
vate contractor, who showed other locations to the local
Congress leaders. But Mistry and other leaders wanted
hoardings in the area where BJP has already raised Modis
posters. The Congress want 50 per cent of Modis banner
to be removed and given to them, said a senior official in
VMC. Opposing the process of allocation, Mistry had also
filed a complaint with the Election Commission and had
set a deadline of Wednesday to remove Modi banners.
On Thursday, around 11 am, Mistry and 100
Congress workers assembled at Vadodara city office of
the party in Dadiya Bazaar area. Subsequently, they start-
ed shouting slogans and marched towards one of the
advertising billboard near the Congress office.
The 69-year-old Rajya Sabha member not only
climbed a ladder to reach the billboard but also attempt-
ed to paste his own poster on the Gujarat Chief
Ministers banner.
Accusing the Narendra Modi Government of mis-
using the State machinery, the Congress on Thursday
approached the Election Commission, saying the admin-
istration was denying its candidates an equal footing in
poll campaigning. Referring to the detention of
Madhusudan Mistry and other party workers for tear-
ing Modis banners, a Congress delegation demanded EC
to ensure that the State machinery is not used to bene-
fit BJP. Vadodaras deputy commissioner of police
Dipanker Trivedi informed that an FIR had been
lodged against the Congress candidate and 36 others.
Continued on Page 4
8TkII EFTE Q hEw 0ELh
I
n a major relief to parents,
the Delhi High Court on
Thursday lifted its stay on
nursery admissions and
ordered its resumption with
certain directions, including
kids selected in draw of lots
under neighbourhood criteria
will get admission.
A Bench headed by Acting
Chief Justice BD Ahmed,
which heard two separate peti-
tions for almost the whole day,
passed its interim order in the
evening saying, Appellants,
who have 70 points
under neighbourhood criteria
and were selected in the draw
of lots, will not be
disturbed. They will be given
the admission.
It, however, clarified those
kids, who emerged winner in
the draw of lots in more than
one school, shall choose one
school and will have to relin-
quish other seats on or before
April 9. Otherwise, they shall
lose the right of admission in
any of them.
The Bench, also compris-
ing Justice Siddharth Mridul,
asked the Directorate of
Education (DoE) to collect the
data from all unaided recog-
nised private schools about
the number of seats, which fell
vacant and remained unfilled,
and provide it to the court on
next date of hearing on April
16. The court said on the next
date, it will try to find a solu-
tion by considering the num-
ber of remaining seats and the
claim of the parents who were
initially given 5 points under
inter-State transfer category.
The Government later had
done away with the criteria.
Earlier, the court had
stayed the fresh draw of lots
being conducted for admission
in nursery classes in pursuance
of the March 6 order of the sin-
gle judge Bench and had
ordered that no further admis-
sion will take place without its
permission. The single judge
Bench had asked the Delhi
Government to conduct a fresh
draw of lots among similarly
placed kids who had secured 70
points on the basis of neigh-
bourhood criteria. The present
dispute started after the Lt
Governor had on February 27
issued an order abolishing 5
points, out of 100, being award-
ed to inter-State transfer cases.
Maximum 70 points are being
awarded to kids who live with-
in eight kilometres of a school.
The single judge found
fault with the order and said,
However, this court is of the
view that all equals have to be
treated alike and all children
who have secured equal points
should participate in a single
draw of lots. The single judge
had directed that candidates
having equal marks be consid-
ered equally by conducting a
fresh draw of lots, wherever
necessary. An appeal was filed
by guardians of 14 kids alleg-
ing they were already declared
selected for nursery admis-
sion after the draw of lots and
will have to undergo the same
process again in pursuance of
the single judge bench order on
the issue. It had sought setting
aside of the order.
The larger Bench was on
Thursday in agreement with
the plea and said the success-
ful kids, having 70 neighbour-
hood points, were not before
the single judge bench when
the order to conduct fresh
draw of lots was passed and
hence, their admission cannot
be stalled.
Fh8 Q hEw 0ELh/JAMMu/0hAZABA0
T
he BJP and its prime ministerial candidate
Narendra Modi moved EC against UPA
chairperson Sonia Gandhi for holding a meeting
with the Shahi Imam of Delhis Jama Masjid in a
bid to polarise Muslim votes. The Election
Commission had earlier said that it would take
cognisance if it received a complaint in this regard.
The BJP complained that Sonia Gandhis
request to Jama Masjids Shahi Imam to ensure that
the communitys votes did not get split was a vio-
lation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and
demanded stern action.
The BJP also alleged that such a meeting was
aimed at polarising elections and could lead to a
communal flare-up.
We are confident that the EC will take seri-
ous note of these developments and initiate pre-
ventive steps so that their efforts, as always, to con-
duct free and fair elections are not frustrated by
determined spoilers who are aiming at a com-
munal conflagration, BJP said in a memorandum
to the EC.
BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and
convener of
election cell R
Ramakrishna
said as per
para 1 of the
MCC, There
shal l be no
appeal to caste
or communal
feelings for
securing votes.
Mo s q u e s ,
churches, temples or other places of worship shall
not be used as forums for election propaganda.
The CEC had earlier said that the EC will take
cognisance of any complaint in this regard, but it
had not got a complaint.
We generally, in such matters (Sonias meet-
ing with Shahi Imam), will take cognisance on the
receipt of a complaint. We are awaiting that. As
soon as it is received, we will definitely
examine and further action would be taken. Chief
Election Commissioner VS Sampath told reporters
in Jammu. The BJP, on its part, sought the ECs
suo motu intervention as the remarks were in pub-
lic domain. The BJP also dubbed the
Congress a pseudo secularist and accused it of
playing communal politics.
Continued on Page 4
Related report on P3
FTI Q KuRuKShETRA/0uR0A0h
N
arendra Modi on Thursday tar-
geted Sonia Gandhis son-in-law
Robert Vadra, who is in the line of fire
on his controversial land deals.
Moving on to Kurukshetra and
Gurgaon in Haryana, Modi targeted
Vadra while taunting Rahul Gandhi for
his chowkidar comment. He said
that when he projected himself as a
chowkidar (watchman) of
the country, Shehzada (Rahul) con-
tended that there was need for all the
125 crore people of the country to act
as watchmen.
In a poser to Rahul, he said, Will
your brother-in-law (Vadra) also be a
chowkidar. Will he guard peoples
land?... Will those accused of stealing
coal also be the watchmen?.. Can a cat
be entrusted with the responsibility of
keeping a watch over milk?
Modi again apparently targeted
Vadra, saying, The country wants to
know, farmers of Haryana want to
know who is this baazigar
(gambler) who grabbed
Continued on Page 4
Fh8 Q hEw 0ELh
T
he BJP will release its much-delayed
manifesto focusing on development
on April 7, the day when the first phase of
polling starts in North-East.
Ahead of the manifesto, the BJP will on
Friday bring out its chargesheet against the
UPA Government it would be a compi-
lation of charges against the Congress-led
dispensation at the Centre.
The chargesheet, running into 45 to 50
pages, will set the tone for a Congress-Mukt
Bharat campaign, said party spokesperson
Nirmala Seetharaman, who announced
that the date of release of the much-await-
ed manifesto of the party. The Congress has
taken a dig at the BJP over the delay in
announcing its election manifesto saying it
reflects the deep personality clash within the
party. The manifesto is being re-done and
pruned as per BJPs prime ministerial can-
didate Narendra Modis directives.
The spokesperson said the top leaders
have been campaigning across the country
and the party was working out a time when
all leaders were available together.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court
on Thursday told Sahara chief
Subrata Roy that payment of
C10,000 crore was not a bail
bond for his release but a part-
payment of the total sum to be
paid to market regulator SEBI in
order to prove his bonafides.
While the argument was
still underway, Roy came up
with a revi sed of fer on
Thursday. His senior counsel
CA Sundaram reiterated the
proposal to pay an upfront
amount of C2,500 crore and
the balance C2,500 crore with-
in three weeks of his release
from jail.
Detailed report on P5
Fh8 Q JAFuR
M
anvendra Singh, the MLA son of
expelled BJP leader Jaswant Singh, has
to choose between his party and his father.
The Rajasthan unit of the BJP on
Thursday stepped up pressure on sulking
Manvendra to quit the party or face discipli-
nary action and disqualification proceedings
for alleged anti-party activities.
Manvendra Singh, who is campaigning
against the official candidate of the party, Sona
Ram, in Barmer Lok Sabha seat should first
quit the party on moral grounds as it amounts
to anti-party activities or face disciplinary
action soon, State BJP vice-president Onkar
Singh Lakhawat told reporters here.
Manvendra has been attending political
meetings of his father who is contesting the
Parliamentary elections as an Independent
candidate from Barmer. Jaswant was expelled
from the party recently for contesting as a
rebel against the official candidate of the party.
The BJP is keeping all options open against
Manvendra Singh. It will write to the Assembly
Speaker for his disqualification, or expel him
Continued on Page 4
8WETk 8WkMI Q hEw 0ELh
S
teering its maiden attempt in the Lok
Sabha elections beginning in a couple of
days, the Aam Aadmi Party, on Thursday,
released its manifesto in the national
Capital with focus on swaraj and a cor-
ruption-free Government.
Aam Aadmi Party
(AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal
who had rubbed Delhi Police
the wrong way during his
stint as Chief Minister of
Delhi also vowed to bring
reforms in the police, health,
education and the judiciary.
Attacking the Congress
and the BJP, Kejriwal also
promised to bring back black
money stashed in foreign
banks. Clearing the partys
stand on FDI, he said the
party was not against it in
principle barring that in the retail sector.
Elaborating on the partys goal of
swaraj, Kejriwal said his party would
decentralise power, introduce the Jan
Lokpal Bill and ensure time-bound deliv-
ery of services apart from providing
good governance. However, the party has
softened its stand on swaraj with the for-
mer Delhi CM acknowledging that there
was a long way to go before that dream
could be realised.
Continued on Page 4
8hkMIIk kI8hhk Q
LuCKh0w
T
he countrys first all-women
party, the Bharatiya Awam
Party, that is headed by a
Muslim woman, is all set to
support the BJPs prime min-
isterial candidate Narendra
Modi in the upcoming Lok
Sabha elections.
President of the Bharatiya
Awam Party (BAP) Najma
Parveen says they are confident
that Modi will be effective as the
Prime Minister and will work
for the betterment of all sections
of society, including women.
Najma comes from a fam-
ily of weavers and has done her
Masters in Conflict
Management from the BHU.
She says the prime aim of
forming the party was to get
more women involved in the
political process.
If we look at the social
parameters, women are
trapped everywhere. They are
treated as vote banks and at
home they are even told who
they have to vote for. This
party, which is Indias first all-
women party aims to increase
participation of women in pol-
itics, said Najma.
However, the party is all
inclusive and has a ten per cent
quota for men. But it has no
intentions of entering the polit-
ical arena this time round.
Incidentally, the party con-
siders Netaji Subhash Chandra
Bose as its idol and was set up
on January 23, 2013 to coincide
with the birthday of Netaji
and registered on January 9,
2014. They already have 35,000
members, out of which more
than 2,500 are men.
We are supporting Modi
because we have high hopes
from him. We are sure that he
will do something for the coun-
try. He is going to work for the
uplift of all sections of society,
including women Najma said.
On being asked how a
well-informed Muslim woman
like her could ignore the alle-
gations Modi has faced in con-
nection with the 2002
Gujarat riots, Najma said she
never thought in terms of
belonging to any particular
religion or caste.
I have always believed
that there is a national religion
and that we should end the
conflict between Muslims and
Hindus. And as far as allega-
tions are concerned,
all political leaders are
accused of
something or the other.
Take the example of the
recent riots in
Muzaffarnagar where-
in allegations have
been made against the
Samajwadi Party,
Najma said.
Continued on Page 4
0amaIa ettIa
aastIer 4ay hy 4ay
B]P moves IC
against Sonia on
Muslim votes
81F's charesheet
0a 00aress t04ay,
maaIfest0 0a r 7
Maavea4ra faces
axe, has t0 ch00se
hetWeea 4a4, arty
P+]||| u| C!J| |
|u| |+il |u|J, SC
|ll S+|+|+ |i|
SEE NSDE
Shahi mam's younger
brother Syed Yahya
Bukhari also
criticised Jama
Masjid's religious
head and branded the
Congress as the most
communal party
Cu|| +|JiJ+| |+J|uuJ+| |i||] ||u1 +
pu|| u| |+||J|+ |uJi ||u| + |||li|| pul i|
V+JuJ+|+ u| l|u|J+] Pll
Cong V-P denied
domicile certificate
from Amethi
Amethi: The local administration
has cancelled application of Congress
vice-president and MP Rahul Gandhi
for issuance of domicile certificate.
The application should have
been made by Gandhi himself with
his signature, which was not there. The
application was made by one Rajendra
Singh which is against law, district
magistrate, Jagatraj Tripathi told
PTI when asked about the cancellation
of the application.
The papers needed with the appli-
cation were also not there, he added.
Detailed report on P4
l l+|J|+||| V+J|+
R+|ul W+|||+|. |uJi
The country wants to
know, farmers of
Haryana want to
know who is this
'QPPiXVPa {gambler]'
who grabbed farmers'
land and made C50 crore
in three months
~ NARENDRA MOD
ndia's first
all-women party, the
Bharatiya Awam
Party, that is headed
by a Muslim woman,
is all set to support
the BJP's prime
ministerial candidate
Narendra Modi
in the upcoming
Lok Sabha elections
Najma leads S5,000 women in NaMo chant
Kejri romises swaraj,
corrution-free Govt
AAP |+|i||u 1uW
||u|| i| puli & |uJii+|]
HC olays nursery aomissions
Mislry climbs ole lo vandalise
Modi's osler; Shiv Sena calls
Sonia 'ox' and Shahi mam 'wol'
AAP u|1|| A|1i|J |||iW+l, Wi|| p+||] l+J|, |l+ ||i| l|iu|
|+|i||u i| |W l|i u| l|u|J+] R+||+| i||i | Piu||
P2: Don't want to be
called a villain 5 years
hence: Manoj Tiwari
P3: Yahya Bukhari
calls Congress 'most
communal'
P6: Amma trains
guns on EC
P6: am not
contesting polls as
Muslim but as an
ndian: Jaaved Jaaferi
Jpui|| |i||uu||uuJ
|i||i+ |+], |ilJ||
l|J |u| |u| ||+|
u| |uul |+1 |u i1
up u||| +| |] Ap|il 9
3 IITY I khkFE
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Mumbai: Mumbai courl on
Thursday held lhree men,
convicled earlier or gangrae o
a call cenlre emloyee in lhe
Shakli Mills comlex here, also
guilly o raing a holojournalisl
laler in lhe same comlex. F6
8h6k I 6hE88,
6khIkTE 1Ih8 81F
heW eIhi: n yel anolher
embarrassmenl or lhe arly
wilhin a monlh, Congress
candidale rom 0aulam Buddha
hagar in uF Ramesh Chand
Tomar on Thursday led rom lhe
conlesl and joined rival BJF wilh
jusl a week lel or lhe Lok Sabha
oll in lhe consliluency. F3
EFT EVEkI8 hEX8
8ETWEEh FkTIE8, hkXkI8
heW eIhi: 0||-I5| has
accessed a CRFF reorl which
hinls al a ossible link belween
haxals and olilicians in Bihar,
Chhallisgarh and 0disha.
M8hkkI E86kFE8
k88k88IhkTIh kTTEMFT
IsIamabad: Fakislan's ormer
mililary diclalor Ferve/
Musharra, acing lreason lrial,
on Thursday narrowly escaed
an assassinalion alleml when a
owerul bomb wenl o near
his armhouse here minules
aler his convoy had assed. F1Z
9MhThI 8kE
I ME Ih Fkk
Iahore: n a bi/arre incidenl, a
ninemonlhold Fakislani boy
has been booked or allemled
murder by allacking a olice
leam here. F1Z
I kIIIE Ih 8
MIIITkY 8k8E 8hTIh
housIon: A soldier oened ire
on Thursday al an enormous
uS army base in Texas lhal was
lhe scene o a deadly shooling
ramage in 2OOO, killing
lhree ersons and wounding
1G olhers beore laking
his own lie. F1Z
EsIabIished 1B64
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CASTE MuST BE FASS

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A|lhough eve|y poss|b|e ca|e aud caul|ou has beeu la|eu lo avo|d e||o|s o| om|ss|ous, lh|s pub||cal|ou |s be|ug so|d ou lhe coud|l|ou aud uude|slaud|ug lhal |ulo|mal|ou g|veu |u lh|s pub||cal|ou |s me|e|y lo| |ele|euce aud musl uol be la|eu as hav|ug aulho||ly ol o| b|ud|ug |u auy way ou lhe w||le|s, ed|lo|s, pub||she|s, aud p||ule|s aud se||e|s who do uol owe
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capital 02 NEW DELH FRDAY APRL 4, 2014
8WETk 8WkMI Q hEw 0ELh
A
ll hopes of re-election of
South Delhi MP Ramesh
Kumar rest on past glory and
influence of Jat leader and his
elder brother, Sajjan Kumar.
Pitching in for the upcoming
Lok Sabha elections, the duo
has seemingly cashed in on the
latters popularity to woo voters.
As the final countdown to
polling day has begun, the two
have become inseparable. Sajjan
never fails to be at his brothers
side during each of his cam-
paigns helping him make a bet-
ter connect with the public.
Younger Kumar attends
over a dozen corner meetings
in a day, but in all of them the
hardest applause and maxi-
mum slogans come when Sajjan
gets up to address the people.
Similar was the scene when
Ramesh attended a corner
meeting at
Fatehpur Beri.
Gentle as he is
known to be,
Ramesh delivered a routine
speech where he spoke of the
development done in the past
five years where he specifical-
ly highlighted of having built
graveyards in constituencies
like Sangam Vihar and
Badarpur. Talking briefly on the
issue of unauthorised colonies
in the area, he did not fail to
mention the role
Sajjan played in devel-
oping the national
Capital, especially
Outer Delhi. The Congress has
done a lot for those living in JJ
clusters and unauthorised
colonies. Sajjan has had a big
influence. He installed sewer
networks and created roads in
the area, Ramesh said, receiv-
ing a mild applause from the
audience.
The crowd looked more
eager to listen to Sajjan and
when he was called to speak, a
thrill ran through them. We
accept that we did not perform
well in the Delhi Assembly
elections. But it was because of
all the lies that Arvind Kejriwal
and his Aam Aadmi Party told
people that divided our vote
share. Now people have regret-
ted their decision and are com-
ing back to us, said Sajjan, to
an excited audience. Sajjan had
first contested Lok Sabha elec-
tions in 1980 after which in
2009 he was denied a ticket
over his alleged involvement in
the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
For Ramesh, his brothers
profound support is only a pos-
itive sign. Sajjan has had a big
influence in the area. I see no
harm in the fact that he is help-
ing me out to campaign. If fam-
ily members do not help, who
else will? He has been a father
figure for me, he said. While
Sajjan said, I am his brother and
I have worked in the area for
years. I am beside him to guide
him. Party workers believe it is
the experience and years that
Sajjan has spent with the people
that fetches him all the love from
the public. Apart from Fatehpur
Beri, the Kumar brothers cam-
paigned in areas like Mehrauli,
Deoli and Chhatarpur Assembly
segments on Wednesday.
8TkII EFTE Q hEw 0ELh
C
ongress candidate from
North-West Delhi parlia-
mentary constituency, Krishna
Tirath, on Thursday appealed
to the people to cast their bal-
lot for the right candidate on
the basis of development.
Focussing on development and
commitment for women safe-
ty, farmer issues and water
and power crises, Tirath urged
people to elect her for carrying
ongoing developmental pro-
jects in the region. Tirath start-
ed a roadshow from
Manglopuri area.
During her campaign, she
interacted with the
women, talked about
their problems and
assured them of a
solution. While talking to the
voters, she promised them to
improve public transport sys-
tem, provide clean water and
other civic amenities if she wins
the election this time. During
my two terms as MP, I have
worked for development of
the region. I have made efforts
to provide clean
water to every
household, said
Tirath, during her campaign,
adding, I have upgraded hos-
pitals and constructed chau-
pals, hospitals, maternity hos-
pitals and community centres.
We spent C400 crore on con-
structing roads and another
C200 crore on roads in areas
where they never existed like
Nangloi to Najafgarh.
Tirath further said that
the Manmohan Singh-led
UPA Government had done
good work but the Opposition
candidates were misleading
the people by deflecting atten-
tion from real issues. People
of the constituency have
always supported me and
hopefully they will elect me a
third time. I am happy with
the support of the people and
I am confident of my victory.
If I retain the seat again, I will
give my best to develop the
region, she said, adding, The
Metro has come till Mundka.
Now we want to extend the
line going from Siraspur vil-
lage till Narela. It was halted
in between because of some
issue with farmers land for
which they are being com-
pensated. In Rohinis Sectors
1-40, we plan to have more
schools, dispensaries, hospi-
tals, community centres,
parks and religious centres.
Pipelines have been laid in
Kirari and a reservoir made
for increased water supply.
8ajjaa k0mar Is hIs hr0ther's keeer
Soulh 0elhi MF
Ramesh Kumar rides
on asl glory o big
brolher or voles
Sanguino Tirath kioks o
Mangolpuri roadshow
8TkII EFTE Q hEw 0ELh
T
he Special Cell of Delhi
Police has busted an alleged
gang of Nigerians involved in
preparing fake passports of
African countries and forged
Indian Visa for overstaying in
India and other illegal activities
with the arrest of three Nigerian
nationals, police said. Kelvin
alias Eboy (28), Ibitoroko
Melville (53) were arrested on
March 19 following a tip off
while Martins Cletus
Okechukwu alias Charles (36)
was nabbed on March 21 on
their instance. Police recovered
20 filled/blank passports of
Ghana, South Africa, Sierra
Leone, Nigeria and blank and
affixed forged Indian Visa stick-
ers, seven rubber stamps of
Arrival/Departure of
Immigration of Indian and
Nigerian airports, stamp pads,
papers, CPU, pendrive etc. In
the second week of March, we
got information that Kelvin and
Melville are running a big rack-
et of fake Indian visas stickers
and fake passports of different
African countries. The duo was
selling them to the citizens of dif-
ferent African countries for facil-
itating their illegal stay in India
even after expiry of their Indian
visas, said Deputy
Commissioner of Police (Special
Cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav.
On March 19, specific input
was received that Melville would
exchange fake passports, visas
with his associate Kelvin in
Sectors 13 and 3, Dwarka, Delhi.
A trap was laid and both the
accused persons were nabbed.
Both of them were arrested
under Sections of IPC and
Foreigners Act, police said.
8TkII EFTE Q hEw 0ELh
T
ilak Nagar, Subhash Nagar
and Tagore Garden Metro
stations were shut down after
Akali Dal activists laid seige to
the premises of an old age
home owned by the Delhi Social
Welfare department. Delhi
Police removed the encroach-
ment from the old age home
after it received a complaint
from the Delhi Government. It
has been revealed that group of
Sikhs started Akhand Kirtan in
the premises as it was lying
vacant. Tension gripped the
area after Delhi Police moved in
and the cleared the premises
from those who claimed to be
in a religious congregation.
According to the police, the
tension flared in the early
hours on Thursday when locals
in the area complained of a reli-
gious meeting being held at an
open land in 1984 anti-Sikh
riots widows colony by the
Akalis. Police officials imme-
diately reached the location and
dispersed the crowd. Angry
over this a large number of Sikh
protesters staged a protest and
blocked one of the carriageways
outside the Tilak Nagar police
station, which led to traffic jam.
The protesters alleged that the
police officials forcefully
stopped there Akhand Path
and also took the custody of
their holy book Guru Granth
Sahib. President of the Delhi
Sikh Gurudwara Management
Committee (DSGMC) Manjit
Singh GK told The Pioneer that
the keys and the custodians of
the said land are former
Member of Legislative
Assembly (MLA) and it was
only a religious meeting which
is conducted in favour and for
the welfare of the people.
We registered a case of tres-
passing on the complaint of the
Social Welfare Department. The
four men were detained and let
off after finishing the formalities.
Precautionary measures were
taken and force was deployed
including the paramilitary forces
to avoid any untoward incident,
said Deputy Commissioner of
Police (West) Ranvir Singh.
FkM kMk 8Ihh Q
hEw 0ELh
D
elhi Police was given pref-
erence over NIA to quiz IM
men Tehseen Akhtar and Zia-
ur-Rahman, alias Waqas by a
court here as the continuity in
the probe done by the local cops,
who caught them, would have
been broken if they were hand-
ed over to the federal agency.
Earlier the unsavoury con-
troversy generated by the
National Investigative Agency
(NIA) while trying to seek the
custody of Indian Mujahideens
(IM) top operatives Zia-ur-
Rahman, alias Waqas and
Tehseen Akhtar, alias Monu has
stirred a hornets nest. These
two hardened terrorists were
arrested by the Special Cell of
the Delhi Police and are in
police custody. The NIA field-
ed a battery of lawyers on
Wednesday in Patiala House
courts and there were heated
exchanges between the coun-
sels of NIA and Delhi Police.
While senior police officials
of several States visited Special
Cell officials to exchange notes
and also see the interrogation
details, NIA officials never
communicated with Delhi
Police top brass about the inter-
rogation details but sought to
snatch the two prized catch by
claiming that they were the
federal agency against terror
hence they must get the custody.
This was refuted by Delhi Police
as it succeeded in convincing
the judge at Patiala House
courts that the police custody of
Waqas and Monu was needed as
the investigation was in the cru-
cial stage. Interestingly, the con-
stitution of the NIA makes it
mandatory for the agency to
wait for the Ministry of Home
Affairs (MHA) sanction to start
investigations of a terror attack
and module. It can not start
investigations on it own.
Delhi Police would have
been left twiddling its thumbs if
NIA has succeeded in getting the
police custody of Pakistan
national Waqas and Monu for
questioning for their roles in
Dilsukhnagar blasts of
Hyderabad. The NIA was trans-
ferred the case by the Ministry of
Home Affairs (MHA) but it has
not succeeded in arresting all the
accused persons. Sources said
that Central security agencies
have started dealing with Special
Cell directly for operations
against IM after a senior NIA offi-
cial had leaked the arrest of IMs
India chief Yasin Bhatkal to the
media. This NIA official who had
also worked with the CBI and
handled high profile cases was
repatriated to his parent Kerala
cadre. His premature leak had
caused irreparable damage to the
ongoing operation against the IM
and its sympathisers by the
Intelligence Bureau (IB).
Many in the Central secu-
rity agencies were flabbergast-
ed after the information of
Bhatkals arrest was leaked with-
in minutes. This led to IM men
being alerted and they all went
underground. It took intense
investigations by Special Cell
and the central security agencies
to dig out Waqas and Monu.
With their arrest Delhi Police
has neutralised the entire lead-
ership of IM and efforts are on
to get the fringe elements too,
source said on Wednesday.
NIA is believed to have
botched up the investigations
pertaining to Narendra Modis
27th October, 2013 rally at
Patna. Haider, alias Black
Beauty, a hardcore activist of
Students Islamic Movement of
India (SIMI) managed to flee
after the amateur handling by
the NIA team officials who
started summoning suspects
for questioning and thus, alert-
ing Haider to escape.
LS SEAT
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T
he BJP candidate and
Bhojpuri star MANOJ
TIWARI is contesting from
North-East Delhi seat. Tiwari,
who joined the BJP last year, is
banking on the support of
Purvanchali voters. Vowing to
bring development in the
region, Tiwari said he was ready
to curtail his film career and
devote more time in the con-
stituency unlike previous MPs.
The actor is confident to wrest
the elections and said he would
certainly facilitate the party to
reach the magic figure of 272
plus seats. In a candid conver-
sation with RAJESH KUMAR,
the BJP nominee said the coun-
try is in dire need of a good
administrator and BJPs prime
ministerial candidate Narendra
Modi fits the bill.
Q There are allegations that
you are an outsider because
you dont belong to the area?
I am an Indian. How am I
an outsider? Moreover, I have
houses in Delhi in Saket and
Dwarka. The way people of my
constituency have been treating
me, is really encouraging. I
was never treated like an out-
sider. Such allegations against
me are being made by those
who have become insecure
with my candidature.
Q What is your agenda
and why should people
vote for you?
People should vote for me
to facilitate Narendra Modi to
become the Prime Minister of
the country. This country
needs a good adminis-
trator, not a Prime
Minister like Manmohan
Singh who had destroyed the
economy of the country. My
agenda is to help Modi become
the Prime Minister by con-
tributing to one of his seats in
the 272 plus target. Secondly,
North-East Delhi constituency
has received stepmotherly treat-
ment from the previous
Congress leaders. I want to
develop this constituency and
make it a model one if I get
elected.
QBut being an actor, how will
you devote time to your
constituency?
Usually I do eight to 10
films in a year, but I will reduce
it to two-three. I will do fewer
films and devote more time to
the people of this constituency.
Moreover, I dont need to go to
Mumbai to do films. I dont
want to be called a villain five
years hence.
Q Why do you think people
will vote for you?
People of this country are
sick and tired of corruption and
inflation. They are fed up of
Congress. In every election, so-
called secular parties raise the
bogey of communalism to
deprive the minority.
Q You had earlier joined the
Samajwadi Party but finally
joined the BJP. Why?
I had not joined SP
formally but when Amar
Singh asked me to
contest. I couldnt
say no. I
thought my star-
dom was an asset
but when I lost the
elections, I realised
you have to under-
stand the pulse of the
voters. I joined BJP
because of its devel-
opmental agenda.
'!on`t want to le calleo
a villain 5 years lence`
But a real life hero
who jettisoned
his reel life, says
Manoj Tiwari
LS SEAT
|Rl|EASl E||l
am an
ndian. How
am an
outsider?
n every
election,
so-called
secular
parties raise
the bogey of
communalism
to deprive
the minority
SA, S|C p|u|| +||iSi|| |iu|
Tilak Nagar, Subhash
Nagar, Tagore Garden
Metro stations closed
Sul| E||l
LS SEAT
/i+u|R+||+|, +li+ w+(+ |i| u||J |] puli |ulluWi| |i +||| i| 1uJ|pu| l+| |u||| |il p|u|u
Dolhi Polioo givon prooronoo
ovor NA on M mon grilling
FTI Q hEw 0ELh
T
he National Green Tribunal
(NGT) has given its nod to
road widening project for con-
struction of 16-lane DLF-HUDA
expressway in Gurgaon, which
was embroiled in controversy
over cutting of trees. The 16-lane
expressway is 8.3 km long signal
free corridor connecting NH-8
toll plaza to the Golf Course
Road and is to come up in
Sectors 55-56 of Gurgaon.
A bench of NGT headed by
Justice P Jyothimani in a recent
order held that widening of
road project does not adversely
affect the residents of nearby
areas. Recognising the need of
the project in question which will
serve the larger public interest by
way of resulting in smooth flow
of traffic, we are of the opinion
that project in question may be
allowed subject to the environ-
mental safeguard which would
keep the likely adverse impacts
to the bare minimum, the tri-
bunal said. The tribunals order
came on a plea by residents of
the National Media Centre
(NMC), a housing society locat-
ed in Sectors 55-56, who had
challenged cutting of trees by
HUDA, DLF and Infrastructure
Leasing and Financial Services
Ltd (IL&FS). Noting that the
road widening project would
help in smooth flow of traffic,
the NGT said the land in ques-
tion does not fall within the
ambit of the forest land as per
provisions of Forest
Conservation Act, 1980 as
informed by the State
Government to the Supreme
Court. The tribunal also noted
that efforts were being made to
plant 10 trees for every tree cut
as per the permission obtained
from Forest Department and
now only 26 trees would be cut
near the NMC on the land
which belongs to the
Government.
86I a04 t0 r0a4
WI4eaIa r0ject
Ia 60ra0a
Folice busl gang orging
ndian visa, 8 higerians held
capital 0S
NEW DELH FRDAY APRL 4, 2014
8F 8Ihh Q 0hAZABA0
T
he Bharatiya Janata Partys
prime ministerial candi-
date Narendra Modi lambast-
ed Congress for trying to com-
munalise the country fearing its
defeat is certain in the nation-
al elections. The meeting of
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi
with the Shahi Imam of Jama
Masjid Ahmed Bukhari on
Wednesday is an evidence of
such efforts, Modi alleged while
addressing a rally in support of
BJP candidate General (retired)
VK Singh at Ghaziabad on
Thursday. He also addressed a
rally at Gurgaon the same day.
Modi was unrelenting in his
criticism and blamed the UPA
Government for trying to com-
munalise since last year when
the Defence Minister attempt-
ed to conduct a census of the
Indian Armys strength on caste
and community wise. Thanks
to the Army officers who
refused to abide by such uncon-
stitutional efforts and main-
tained the patriotic character of
the Armed Forces,
Modi said.
Speaking at the pub-
lic meeting, the BJPs
PM candidate paid tribute to the
former chief of the Army Staff
Field Marshal SHFJ Manekshaw
on his 100th birth day falling on
April 3. He said it is the coinci-
dental that he had come to
appeal the voters for the victo-
ry of the former chief of the
Army Staff General VK Singh
on Field Marshal Manekshaws
100th birth anniversary who
belonged to the micro minori-
ty of Parsi community.
Till now the Congress
party has been dividing the
country in the name of caste
and community. Their
ruling mantra is to
divide and rule but now
they have realised that
their divisive trick is not going
to work. Therefore, the UPA
chairperson Sonia Gandhi
came out in the open to seek
the support of the Muslims
with the help of Muslim cler-
ics, Modi said, while attacking
directly Congress president.
Whenever I talk about the
development they say talk about
secularism, whenever I talk
about the farmers issue they say
talk about secularism, whenev-
er I talk about the welfare of
farmers they say talk about sec-
ularism. They never realised
that one day a tea seller would
come and ask the total account.
So they are worried that they
would not be able to fool the
masses for long so they are try-
ing to communalise the atmos-
phere of the country. It is their
last and desperate attempt to
retain power by hook or by
crook, said Modi.
Now 24 hours have passed
after the meeting. I appeal to
the Election Commission of
India to take a suo motu cog-
nisance on Sonias appeal to the
Imam to polarise the Muslim
votes and initiate a legal action,
added Modi.
The BJP leader further said
the Congress has befooled the
youth announcing 10 crore jobs
in 2009, they are trying to again
con the youth by promising 10
job in the present manifesto.
They have developed
their skill in beguiling the
masses by false promises,
he said.
On this occasion the for-
mer IAS officer of UP cadre
Dr BP Neelratan joined BJP.
Ramesh Chand Tomar the
Congress candidate from
Noida, who j oined BJP,
announced his full support
for the BJP candidate.
FkVEZ 8ITkh Q hEw 0ELh
T
he issue of extending sup-
port to Congress in the
coming Lok Sabha elections
has apparently caused a split
in the Bukhari family of Jama
Masjid. While the Shahi Imam
of the grand mosque Syed
Ahmed Bukhari is likely to
announce his support to
Congress on Fri day, hi s
younger brother and president
of Jama Masjid United Forum
(JMUF) Syed Yahya Bukhari
on Thursday said some new
party should be given a chance
and tested. Visibly upset over
the meeting between his elder
brother and Congress presi-
dent Sonia Gandhi recently,
Yahya further said Congress is
the most communal and a big-
ger threat to Muslims in India.
Majority of riots and
mass killing of Muslims took
place under the Congress
regime. It is true that the
people of minority were treat-
ed in the same fashion under
the rule of BJP but Congress
primarily should be blamed
for t he present st ate of
Muslims in the country. It has
always been playing a pivotal
role to weaken our people eco-
nomically and socially. The
BJP is known for its frontal
attack on us but Congress
always backstabs, Yahya told
The Pioneer.
Without referring to the
Aam Aadmi Party directly, he
said, Fresh faces should be
elected to the Parliament.
New peopl e and parti es
should be given opportunity.
In Del hi AAP i s strong
enough to counter BJP or
Congress and in other states
there are several other parties
which can be tried and tested.
He also rejected the idea of
giving a call to the communi-
ty to vote, in mass, any polit-
ical party from the seat of
Jama Masjid.
I strongly oppose the
idea of this kind. Time has
changed. Muslims are now
more aware and competent
enough to take their own
decisions. They should decide
t hei r f uture t hemsel ves.
How can a committee of 11
people make a decision about
the fate of Muslims? he said,
adding that meeting between
Ahmed Bukhari and UPA
chai rperson was tot al l y
uncalled for.
However, Shahi Imam of
the Jama Masjid, Ahmed
Bukhari sought to downplay
the rift in the family. He said
in a democracy one has the
right to have a difference of
opinion and power to take
decisions on their own. It is
quite usual that in a family of
four people, individuals may
have di f ferent opi ni ons.
Tradition or law of the land
does not prohibit this. But, it
is Muslims to decide whether
we need a countr y of
Mahatma Gandhi and
Maulana Azad or the country
be governed by Sadashiv
Golwalkar or Narendra Modi,
he added.
While commenting on
ongoing debate following his
meet i ng wit h UPA
Chairperson, he claimed that
Muslims are expected to
return to Congress fold, saf-
fron bridge is anxious as their
chances to get hold of the
power are getting thinner.
When we support Samajwadi
Party or Bahujan Samaj Party,
there is no din. If Muslims
want to support Congress,
there is hullabaloo. Why? If I
make appeal to my communi-
ty and peopl e of my
community, it is not necessary
that people will obey me and
follow me. There is no need to
panic he said. Terming the
AAP as aide of BJP, Ahmed
Bukhari al so sai d t he
creation of the novice party is
an attempt to spl it t he
minority votes.
khF VEMk Q h00A
T
he Congress was dealt a
body blow when its official
candidate from Gautam Buddh
Nagar Lok Sabha seat decided to
return to BJP. The shocker came
on Thursday when Ramesh
Chand Tomar, the Congress
candidate, met BJP national
president Rajnath Singh and
renewed his links with the party.
Tomar left the fight from
Gautam Buddh Nagar seat but
its effect is expected to witness
on Ghaziabad seat also as he
enjoys good support in both
regions. Tomar was an old BJP
guard winning the Lok Sabha
polls for four times from
Ghaziabad. However, in 2009 he
had quit the party to join
Congress after he was denied a
BJP ticket from Ghaziabad
where BJP president Rajnath
Singh had contested. With
Tomar joining the BJP, there is
a huge possibility of Rajput
votes polarising in favour of BJP
in Gautam Buddh Nagar as
well as Ghaziabad as he also
belongs to the Rajput commu-
nity and hails from the same
area. There are 2.5 lakh votes of
Rajputs in Gautam Buddh
Nagar and 1.5 lakh in Ghaziabad
that play a major role in decid-
ing the fate of the candidates.
Like in
other parts of
Uttar Pradesh,
caste combina-
tion always plays a crucial role
in deciding the representatives
of Gautam Buddh Nagar and
Ghaziabad seats. This time the
equation was not in favour of
BJP due to candidature of
Tomar as a Congress candidate
as he was cutting into Rajput
votes and urban votes. Parties
like Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP),
Samajwadi Party (SP) and Aam
Aadmi Party too had an edge
earlier due to division of these
votes but the recent political
development has changed the
equation in favour of Dr
Mahesh Sharma, the BJP can-
didate from Gautam Buddh
Nagar, and General VK Singh,
BJP candidate from Ghaziabad
completely. Notably, Singh also
belong to the Rajput
community and the latest polit-
ical move would only strength-
en his prospects.
Announcing his decision
early morning, Tomar said that
the country is in deep crisis and
only the BJP prime ministeri-
al candidate Narendra Modi
can save it. I decided to quit
my candidature to strengthen
hands of
N a r e n d r a
Modi as he is
the only hope
this time. I made several con-
sultations with Modi and other
party leaders too who encour-
aged me for home coming. I
will seek votes for BJP candi-
dates in Gautam Buddh Nagar
and Ghaziabad to secure their
win, said Tomar.
|A| |A|A|. B1P uppu||| |uu| lu+| Ju|i| |+||J|+ |uJi l|iu| |+ll] i| V+i|+li u| l|u|J+] AP
The Congress is
making every
effort to
communalise
the polls. t is
worried about
giving answers
and that is why
they have
been chanting
the secularism
mantra
|ARE|RA |l
LS SEAT
|A/lABA
Cu| l|| |J|+J + lu|+| J|| |u B1P
Said did not want
to be left behind
in the nation's
endeavour to
make NaMo PM
BRl|ERS l| AR|S. B1P P| |u|i| |+||J|+ |uJi, (l||), i |uJ |]
R+|| C|+|J lu|+| +| +| l|iu| |+ll] i| V+i|+li. lu|+|, + Cu|| +|JiJ+|
||u| |uiJ+, |ui|J || p+||] |+| i| || p|| u| |uJi u| l|u|J+] AP
Tomar redicled a clean
swee or lhe BJF in
weslern ullar Fradesh,
saying lhe Congress will
draw a blank in lhe
1O seals lhal go lo
olls Aril 1O
Yahya Bukhari
oalls Congross
'most oommunal'
Shahi mam's
brother says party
a bigger threat to
Muslims in ndia
S]J A||J Bu||+|i S]J Y+|]+ Bu||+|i
kkE8h kh1kh Q hEw 0ELh
P
owerful political establish-
ments, high-end shopping
destinations, some of the most
expensive residential address-
es in the world and a number
of tourist attractions charac-
terise the posh New Delhi par-
liamentary constituency as
much its villages, JJ colonies
and slums. Some of these slums
exist since Independence and
are still craving for basic ameni-
ties like potable water and
power connection. As many as
17 resettlement camps exist in
the New Delhi Assembly con-
stituency alone; two of them
located behind Indias most
prominent residential address-
es the Prime Ministers res-
idence and the residence of
Congress vice-president Rahul
Gandhi. Taking up these issues
is BJP candidate Meenakshi
Lekhi against two-time sitting
MP Ajay Maken of the
Congress. The two are being
challenged by Aam Aadmi
Partys Ashish Khetan. Till
recently, the New Delhi con-
stituency had been the strong-
hold of the BJP and the
Congress but in the 2013
Assembly polls, the debutant
AAP trounced the two parties
winning seven seats while BJP
could manage to win only
three seats.
The New Delhi constituen-
cy, which boasts of several
political heavyweights as its
representative in the
Parliament, has failed to get rid
of its miseries despite
several high profile
leaders represent-
ing the seat in
the Parliament.
The prestige
involved with
the seat is evi-
dent with the
fact that almost all MPs from
New Delhi have either made it
to the Union Cabinet or went
on to become the Prime
Minister. However, the ground
realities are in stark contrast to
the cosmopolitan character of
the constituency.
Stinking drains, narrow
bylanes and unhygienic condi-
tion speak volumes of the
pitiable life the inhabitants of
these slums are forced to live
for want of amenities. While
Tughlak Road Camp behind
the residence of Rahul Gandhi
has nearly 500 jhuggis, the
Race Course Camp behind the
PM residence houses 3,000-
4,000 jhuggis. The biggest JJ
cluster in the constituency is
the Kathputli Colony where
over 20,000 people have been
living for the last 50 years. The
other prominent JJ colonies in
the New Delhi constituency are
located in areas like RK Puram,
Naraina, Baljit Nagar,
Inderpuri, Kirti Nagar
Industrial Area and
Jakhira Chara Mandi
among others.
Kathputli Colony
is home to over
20,000 people
of nearly 3,200
families who
have been in a
state of neglect for over five
decades. Apart from the
national issues of corruption,
price rise, women safety and
national security; water short-
age, power and sanitation
remains the local issues in the
New Delhi constituency. As
residents of these colonies
rued, no public representative
cared to address these issues
despite making promises in
every election. We were
expecting ownership of the
piece of land where we have
been living for several years.
The Government had promis-
es us flats at the same place
where jhuggis exist but not a
single flat has been allotted to
us, said Ravinder, a resident
of Tughlak Camp. Some oth-
ers also complained that no
effort was ever made by any
leader or Government to pro-
vide them with employment.
In addition to these slums,
the New Delhi constituency is
also dominated by over three
dozen villages where inflated
water and power tariff and
absence of water and sewage
pipelines are major issues.
These include Munirka,
Mohammadpur, Jiya Sarai,
Shahpur Jat, Zamrudpur, Hauz
Rani, Masjid Moth, Khirki
Village and Kotla Mubarakpur,
among others. Besides, there
are 18 dhobi ghats in the area
where the perennial issues of
subsidy on water and power
remain the key issues. The
occupants of these dhobi ghats
have also been demanding per-
manent accommodation at the
same place. Some of these
dhobi ghats include Chaman
Ghat at Sunehri Bagh Road,
Darbhanga Ghat near Krishna
Menon Marg, Munda Ghat
and South Avenue Ghat,
among others. The constituen-
cy is dominated by
Government empl oyees
belonging to various States,
Punjabi migrants and middle
class voters. The constituency
comprises North and South
Blocks, Janpath, NDMC areas,
South Extension, Lodhi
Colony, BK Dutt Colony,
Safdarjung Enclave, Rouse
Avenue, President House,
Chitragupta Road, Gol e
Dakkhana, Connaught Place,
Panchkuiyan Road, some parts
of Minto Road, RBI quarters
and Sarojini Nagar.
s it out o sight, out o mind?
New Delhi has a
dirty little secret
~ its slums hidden
from plain view
T
he hew 0elhi
a r l i a m e n l a r y
consliluency comrises lhe
Assembly seals o hew 0elhi,
0realer Kailash, Malviya
hagar, Karol Bagh (SC),
Rajinder hagar, Falel hagar
(SC), Kaslurba hagar, 0elhi
Canlonmenl, RK Furam and
Moli hagar. wilh lhe well
develoed and lanned
Lulyens' Zone and some
osh localilies comrising a
major arl o lhe
consliluency, hew 0elhi is
also lhe mosl urbanised
ockel in lhe counlry. l also
has some mosl exensive
residenlial localilies like
Frilhviraj Road, Aurang/eb
Road and Amrila Shergil
Marg. highend shoing
deslinalions like Khan Markel
and Connaughl Flace loo
characleri/e lhe consliluency.
n lhe asl, lhe hew
0elhi seal held ils charm wilh
several classic ballles. n lhe
Farliamenl, lhe seal was
reresenled by BJF icon Alal
Bihari vajayee lwice in 1O77
and 1O8O reseclively. his
lenure was ollowed by a
sensalional ighl belween
anolher BJF heavyweighl Lal
Krishna Advani and Rajesh
Khanna, lhe Bollywood
hearllhrob o lhe yesleryears,
wherein Advani had jusl
managed lo gel beller o lhe
laller in a nailbiling inish.
Laler, Khanna was also
elecled rom lhe seal
deealing anolher aclor
lurnedolilician Shalrughan
Sinha. The hew 0elhi seal
also wenl lo aolilical
ersons like Jagmohan in
1OOG, 1OO8 and 1OOO aler il
was won by Congress leader
Ajay Maken in 2OO4 and
2OOO.
'M8T 8khI8E
F6kET' 6kh IEkVE
Y TIF6kET
P
A
R
T

E
S

S
L
U
M

T
People of
New Delhi
constituency
have tested
me two times
and they will definitely
vote for me. am seeking
votes on the basis of my
performance as an MP
and a Minister. am
confident of winning from
New Delhi by a bigger
margin this time
AJAY MAKEN, CONG
The fight in
New Delhi
constituency
is between
the Aam Aadmi
Party and the
BJP. The Congress is
nowhere in the race.
People will again vote for
AAP since neither of the
two parties can provide a
corruption-free
Government
ASHSH KHETAN, AAP
A large number
of people are
living in a
pitiable state
even after 67
years of
ndependence. People in slums
are forced to live in unhygienic
condition without water and
power. People want a change
and for this they would vote for
the BJP. They have also tested
the Aam Aadmi Party which
betrayed the public trust
MEENAKSH LEKH, BJP
kTIh hkME I ThE MEM8E FkTY kIIIIIkTIh
1O5257 Suchela Krialani Kisan Ma/door Fraja Farly
1O57GO Suchela Krialani ndian halional Congress
1OG1G2 Balraj Madhok Bharaliya Jana Sangh
1OG2G7 Mehr Chand Khanna ndian halional Congress
1OG771 Froessor Manohar Bharaliya Jana Sangh
Lal Sondhi
1O7177 Krishna Chandra Fanl ndian halional Congress
1O778O Alal Bihari vajayee Janala Farly
1O8O84 Alal Bihari vajayee Bharaliya Janala Farly
1O848O Krishna Chandra Fanl ndian halional Congress
1O8OO1 Lal Krishna Advani Bharaliya Janala Farly
1OO1O2 Lal Krishna Advani Bharaliya Janala Farly
1OO2OG Rajesh Khanna ndian halional Congress
1OOGO8 Jag Mohan Bharaliya Janala Farly
1OO8OO Jag Mohan Bharaliya Janala Farly
1OOO2OO4 Jag Mohan Bharaliya Janala Farly
2OO4OO Ajay Lalil Maken ndian halional Congress
2OOO Ajay Lalil Maken ndian halional Congress
ncumbenl
VTE8 FIIIE
Tolal volers 14,OO,7G7
Male volers 8,8O,872
Female volers G,GO,8O5
0ovl Emloyees 1G.81%
Funjabi 1G.G%
SC 18%
0BC 14.8%
Mix Middle Class 8.7%
vaishya 8.5%
Brahmin G.8%
Sikh 2.1%
Jal 2.2%
Muslim 2.2%
SYE YA|YA Bu||ARl,
PRESlE|l, 1|u|
The BJF is
known or ils
ronlal allack
on us bul
Congress always
backslabs
LS SEAT
AulA| Bu| |AAR
NEW DELH
The New Delhi
constituency has
failed to get rid of
its miseries despite
several high
profile leaders
representing the
seat in the
Parliament
00a tryIa t0 4IvI4e c00atry aI0a reIII00s IIaes: M04I
nation 04
NEW DELH FRDAY APRL 4, 2014
FTI Q AMETh
T
he local administration has
cancelled application of
Congress vice-president and
local MP Rahul Gandhi for
issuance of a domicile certificate.
"The application should
have been made by Gandhi
himself with his signature,
which was not there. The appli-
cation was made by one
Rajendra Singh which is against
law", District Magistrate,
Jagatraj Tripathi on Thursday
told PTI when asked about the
cancellation of the application.
The papers needed with
the application were also not
there, he added. "If Gandhi
has to apply, he should apply
himself in person or send
application signed by him
with all the essential docu-
ments", the DM said.
Bank account of all the
candidates are to be opened on
dircetions of EC and for this
domicile certificate is needed,
the officer said.
Congress Amethi
spokesman Rajendra Singh
had applied for the certificate
showing Munshiganj Guest
house as temporary address of
Gandhi and the administra-
tion had cancelled the appli-
cation terming it against rules
and regulations.
8ah0I 4eaIe4
40mIcIIe Iea
AMETHPESDENCEPROOF
FFTE MI6IIE
6ETIII6kTE kFFII6kTIh
I khI IkkE: 6h
Amelhi: The Congress on
Thursday denied as 'ake' a
urorled alicalion in which
arly vice Fresidenl Rahul
0andhi was alleged lo have
alied or a domicile cerliicale.
According lo Chandrakanl
0ubey, 0andhi's local
reresenlalive here, lhe Congress
leader had nol alied or any
such cerliicale. The denial came
aler a urorled alicalion o
0andhi was rejecled by lhe dislricl
adminislralion. 'The alicalion, i
any is ake. 0andhi has nol alied
or lhe same. Even il is nol in his
knowledge,' 0ubey lold FT.
0islricl Magislrale Jagalraj
Trialhi earlier lold FT lhal lhe
'alicalion was made by one
Rajendra Singh which is againsl
law.' Singh is Congress' Amelhi
sokesman. 0ubey said lhal lhere
were a number o Congress
workers in Amelhi and 0andhi
should nol be held resonsible
or lheir deeds. ?C8
New Delhi: As the date of cre-
ation for Telangana nears, the
Union Cabinet on Thursday is
learnt to have given its approval
for the constitution of an 'apex
council' for Krishna Godavari
River Water.
The council will comprise
the Chief Ministers of Andhra
Pradesh, Telangana and the
Union Water Resources Minister.
Besides, Krishna and
Godavari Water Management
Boards will also be formed with
each board having a Chairman,
two member secretaries, one
independent expert and four
chief engineers. The members
would be identified before the
Appointed Day for Telangana,
which falls on June 2.
The Cabinet also decided to
extend the mandate of Krishna
Water Dispute Tribunal, headed
by Justice Brijesh Kumar. It
would be extended till July 31,
2014 and additional terms of ref-
erence would be entrusted to
make specific project wise allo-
cation between Seemandhra and
Telangana.
The Cabinet also gave its
nod for reconstitution of the
Tungabadra Board with Karn-
ataka, Seemandhra and Telan-
gana as members under Section
94 of the Andhra Pradesh
Reorganisation Act. PTI
Cabinel nod lo
crealion o
council on
Andhra rivers
A||] C|i| | Bi||+| Si||, Wi|| u||| |u||| A||] |i|, pu i| ||u|| u| || |+|u u| |ilJ |+||+l S+|
|+|||+W u| |i !J!| |i||| +||i1|+|] +| |+|||+W C||| i| |W l|i u| l|u|J+]. Bu|| u| Ap|il J, !9!4
+| A||i|+|, |+|||+W W+ || |i|| |ilJ |+||+l u| || l|Ji+| A||] +|J i |Ji|J |u| || l|Ji+| 1i|u|] i| ||
!9! B+|l+J| W+| Pll
8TkII EFTE Q hEw 0ELh
A
headless body that was
lying naked was found
packed in a gunny bag on
Thursday night from West
Delhi's Janakpuri area. The
body was found around 11:45
pm from a nearby bus stop.
The body was found from
a bag that was recovered aban-
doned by a passerby who
informed police. The body was
tied with a rope; the headless
body of an unidentified woman
was stuffed in a sack after
wrapping it with a plastic. It was
later packed in a gunny bag.
Prima facie it appears that the
woman was murdered some-
where else and then dumped
here. "There is nothing in the
bag or any article which could
help us establish her identity.
The woman looks like in her
late 30's. A case of murder has
been registered and further
investigations are underway,"
said a police official.
The body has been sent for
postmortem which will con-
firm all the speculations. The
officer further added that vic-
tim's head was slashed with any
sharp weapon.
In another incident a mans
body, which was cut in two pie-
ces, was found by a passers-by
in a drain behind the Sai Temple
in East Delhi's Vivek Vihar
area. The body was in a highly
decomposed state and could not
be identified. It was wrapped
and sealed in a plastic bag. A
case of murder and destruction
of evidence was registered at
Vivek Vihar police station.
FkEEF 8hkhkI Q J0ShMATh
T
he Char Dham Yatra is slated to
resume in about a month. The
portals of the Badrinath shrine are
slated to be reopened to the public
on May 5, but there is little progress
in the work of repairing the damaged
highway to Badrinath. Considering
the damaged condition of the
national highway, the pilgrims
undertaking the journey to
Badrinath are likely to face problems
unless the authorities are able to
complete the repairs well in time.
The dam-
aged condition
of this national
highway has
seen little change
since disaster
struck the State
in June last year.
Following the
disaster last year,
about three kilo-
metre long
stretch of the
highway from
Lambagad to
Venakuli was closed to traffic. For
the first time in recent history, this
route remained closed to traffic for
three months before it was reopened
by the Border Roads Organisation.
However, there has been limited
progress in the repair work on this
highway since the portals of the
shrine were closed to the public last
year. Considering the present state
of this stretch of the highway and if
the authorities fail to repair it on
time, the travelers and pilgrims
would face severe inconvenience
while travelling to Badrinath espe-
cially in case of rain. Every year,
traffic on this and other mountains
roads is disrupted following rain
and resulting landslides. At present
the Border Roads Organisation is
busy in clearing the snow from the
national highway to Badrinath.
The condition of the national high-
way is delicate from the Lambagad
slide zone to Venakuli. If the road
is not widened and repaired on
time, the travellers would face
severe inconvenience here. The
roads have not been leveled so trav-
elers are bound to have a bumpy
ride.
The locals are also apprehen-
sive about the possibility of the
authorities to repair and improve
the condition of the damaged
roads before the reopening of the
Badrinath shrine.
|u p|u| ]| i| |p+i|i|
J+|+J |u+J |u B+J|i|+||
8khT8h hkkYkh Q
ChATTARFuR (FALAMu)
C
oming back to his old and
trusted plank RJD chief Lalu
Prasad termed the political sit-
uation prevailing in the country
as extraordinary. He tried his best
to draw a parallel between "high-
ly communal" situation which
existed during 1990s and cau-
tioned the voters to vote for a
make or break this time around.
Addressing a poll rally on
Thursday at Chattarpur, 40 kms
from Daltonganj under Palamau
parliamentary constituency, the
RJD president lashed out at his
main opponent, the BJP. "This is
not a normal situation but an
extraordinary one. Remember
1990 when we have had similar
kind of challenge before us.
Riots were taking place like any-
thing. But I came at the helm and
I put a brake on all this. Now
what I am facing today is the
resultant of my efforts for social
engineering," said Lalu.
Lauding reservation as one
of the dreams of Baba Saheb
Ambedkar, which gave freedom
from psychological baggage to
millions, Lalu charged the BJP
with bringing the Ram Temple
issue just to counter him. "I urged
Advani ji not to take out rath
yatra but he challenged me. I
stopped his rath in Bihar. They
all took revenge of that, sent me
to jail and thought that now Lalu
is gone. But Lalu has arrived
again. It is now the time to
understand the sinister game of
the BJP. You all should come
united," he said favouring RJD
candidate Manoj Kumar, con-
testing as a coalition candidate of
Congress and JMM.
Lalu lasles
out at Mooi,
Nitisl
FkhkV FkTY8h QRAhCh
F
ollowing the footprints of vet-
eran BJP leader and Deputy
Speaker of Lok Sabha Karia
Munda, sitting MP of Lohardaga
constituency Sudarshan Bhagat
makes it a point to keep himself
attached to his rural roots and
remain active at the Centre for
guarding the interests of the peo-
ple of his constituency. Bhagat,
who is contesting the elections
from tribal dominated
Lohardaga constituency again on
BJPs ticket, talked to The
Pioneer on varied issues con-
cerning the state and the nation
at length while taking out some
time off election campaigning.
Excerpts of the interview:
You have been visiting the
rural areas of the constituency
everyday and meeting hun-
dreds of people. What is the
response of voters?
Response is quite encouraging.
It is clear that the people of nati-
on are looking forward for a pos-
itive change. There are several
problems at the grassroot levels
and the rural voters are confident
that the BJP only can solve their
age old problems. Today, there is
a strong wave of Bhai Narendra
Modi in both urban and rural
areas and they feel that Modi Jis
government would save them
from demons like uncontrolled
price hike and corruption. Rural
voters do feel that in todays time
if there is an energetic person
there with honesty and strong
will power it is none other than
Narendra Modi. They have seen
the development model of Guj-
arat and the failures of the UPA
government in last 10 years. It is
clear whom they will choose.
Your constituency
Lohardaga is known to be one
of the most underdeveloped
areas of the State. People do not
even have basic amenities, there
are no industries, not enough
water for irrigation, poverty is
rampant, huge unemployment
and migration of people as a
result. What can be done to
solve these perennial ailments
of the area?
I am fortunate that the party has
given me the opportunity to con-
test the polls from my con-
stituency. For the last five years
I have been working with some
primary goals set for the devel-
opment of the area. One of the
principal demands of the people
of the area was that Gumla gets
connected with the rail link. I
had written to the Railway
Minister and raised the question
in parliament about it. The cen-
tral Government, however, has
not taken any initiative about it.
Even the construction of
Lohardaga Tori rail line start-
ed during BJPs rule has been
delayed by the UPA government.
Secondly, there are many
areas in the constituency where
vegetables are grown on a large
scale. So, we can establish agri-
culture based industries here.
Food processing industries will
definitely flourish here. Farmers
here are quite industrious here
but due to scarcity of water for
irrigation they cant do much and
therefore we urgently need to
execute schemes for water man-
agement in the area so that the
natural water resources can be
aptly managed and the peasants
get enough water for irrigation.
In fact, multi-sectoral devel-
opment of the area will include
many aspects including contin-
ued electricity supply in rural
areas, setting up of higher edu-
cational institutions including it
is, Medical and paramedical col-
leges, establishment of health
centres, development of tourist
spots, industrial use of forest pro-
duce, construction of rural and
urban roads for better connec-
tivity. These will automatically
decrease the unemployment rate
and help in eradicating poverty
thus social evils such as migra-
tion and displacement, extrem-
ism and other related problems
will be solved inevitably.
You have strong competi-
tors in the poll, who would try
to break in the traditional vote
bank of the BJP. What about the
tribal community? Do you feel
insecure about their allegiance
towards the party in the caste
and community based politics
being played here?
I have no doubt in mind that the
tribals of the nation are with BJP
and they want Narendra Bhai to
become the PM. The party has
done a lot in the interest of the
tribals during Mr. Vajpayees
government. I am the MP who
had raised issue of Sarna Code
in the Lok Sabha. And the code
is very important for safeguard-
ing the spiritual rights of the
indigenous people.
Jrilals want Narenora Blai to
lecome PM: Suoarslan Blagat
w0maa's
hea4Iess h04y
f00a4 Ia w 0eIhI
From Page 1
from the party as
Manvendra and his father
Jaswant are speaking openly
against the BJPs ideology and
working for the last one week,
Lakhawat said.
Manvendra is virtually
violating the partys guidelines
and principles by attending
his fathers meeting against the
partys official candidate, which
amounts to gross indiscipline,
he further said.
Party was expecting a
report from the district unit
and will take a suitable decision
in respect of Manvendras
alleged activities in the election
process soon, the BJP leader
added.
Manvendra lost his first
Lok Sabha election in 1999 and
the then Congress candidate
Sona Ram from the Barmer-
Jaisalmer constituency.
However, he won the
Parliamentary constituency in
2004 against Congress candi-
date Sona Ram by a margin of
2,71,888 votes. He had won the
Shiv Assembly constituency as
a BJP candidate during the
elections last year.
From Page 1
farmers land and made
C50 crore in three month.
Modi did not name Vadra
but was apparently referring to
his controversial land deals,
including in Gurgaon.
The Haryana Government
has, however, said there was no
wrongdoing by Vadra.
The country wants to
know what is happening in
your (Rahuls) home. Who is
this baazigar (magician) and
what is his relation with the
shehzada, Modi said.
Asking the audience
whether there was anyone who
could say that he can earn C50
crore in 50 days without any
money in pocket, the BJP
leader questioned, Is he
(Vadra) is magician?
From Page 1
On being asked about the
political plans of the party, she
said they still had to decide on
the issue. We have not decided
when we would like to enter the
political arena and whether we
will fight the Lok Sabha or
Vidhan Sabha elections next
time. We are yet to decide our
strategy, said Najma.
Najma said she had done her
Masters in Conflict Management
in order to be able to tone down
the conflicts between Hindus
and Muslims. Through my
course I have understood that
ending conflicts is a difficult task
but managing the conflict
between Muslims and Hindus is
crucial, Najma said and added,
But right now the focus for us
is only Narendra Modi.
From Page 1
Although it will not be
possible to bring swaraj so
quickly, but, to a great extent we
will bring in decentralization of
power. Gram Sabhas and
Mohalla Sabhas will be revived
and made fully operational.
They will have a secretariat of
their own and will receive
untied funds from the
Government, he said.
Primary health centers and
schools will also be brought
under the jurisdiction of the
Gram Sabhas and Mohalla
Sabhas. All kinds of certificates
(birth, death, caste, etc) will be
issued by them and develop-
ment work will be done based
on community voting, he
added.
Emphasizing on judicial
accountability, he also pro-
posed to double the number of
judges in courts across the
country in the next five years.
There must be judicial
accountability. We must have a
fast, efficient and honest justice
system. In five years, we will
double the number of judges to
ensure speedy justice, he said.
The manifesto also speaks of
installing CCTV cameras in
court rooms and bringing
down the age to contest elec-
tions to 21 from 25.
Stressing on police reforms,
Kejriwal said his party will
make not lodging an FIR an
offence. Besides, he also said:
We will install CCTVs in
police stations. There should be
cameras in interrogation rooms
as well. We have proposed to
make separate investigative
and law and order wings in the
police. The internal account-
ability of police must be fixed.
The AAP leader also
announced that the four-year
undergraduate programme in
Delhi University will be with-
drawn as demanded by a sec-
tion of students and teachers.
We will also establish a num-
ber of institutes like the IITs
and AIIMS. Besides, there will
be numerous institutes for
vocational studies. Course cur-
riculum should teach students
about livelihood. Instead of
searching for jobs, they should
create jobs. Learning entre-
preneurship is important, said
Kejriwal.
The AAP leader said his
party was industry friendly as
creation of wealth was essential
for overall development of the
country but noted that it was
against crony capitalism. We
are not against industries or
business, but we are against
crony capitalism. We believe
that unless industries dont
flourish we wont be able to gen-
erate jobs, he said. When asked
about FDI in retail, Kejriwal said
the party was not in support of
it in the retail sector. We will
instead build our own storage
chains and focus on reducing
corruption. FDI in retail market
only results in mass unemploy-
ment, he said. On contractual
workers, Kejriwal said: We are
against the system of contract
labour because it violates basic
human rights.
On foreign policy, the AAP
leader said that his party advo-
cated friendly relations with all
countries, but had zero toler-
ance for cross border terror-
ism. We will work to reduce
political hostilities in our
immediate neighbourhood but
we will have zero tolerance for
cross border terrorism. Border
areas should be developed as
zones of high economic
engagement to create a larger
constituency for peace on both
sides. We will work to enhance
the countrys Defence capaci-
ty to deter the border incur-
sions by China, but will also
strive for a greater and more
balanced trade with the coun-
try, he said.
Kejriwal added that the
party will not favor nuclear
energy as a Defence strategy as
it is too hazardous for human
lives. He further went on to say
that his party will not only
work to reduce foreign depen-
dence in equipment, but will
also try to bring transparency
in procurement of equipment.
Calling the manifesto a
dynamic one, Kejriwal said:
Our manifesto has been made
after taking in all the sugges-
tions given by the people and
it is not a fixed one. We are
ready to include more points as
more suggestions come up.
Concluding his address on
a witty note, Kejriwal took a
swipe at the BJP which went
the AAP way in releasing con-
stituency-wise manifestoes for
the elections. We do not have
copyright on our manifesto.
Any other party is welcome to
implement our manifesto or
take our points, Kejriwal said.
From Page 1
They have been arrested
under Section 143, 147, 149, 188
and 147 of IPC as well as Public
Property Damages Act 3(1),
said Trivedi. They were later
released in the evening.
Among the other Congress
leaders who were arrested by the
police is Narendra Rawat, who
was earlier declared Congress
candidate from Vadodara. Later
on, he decided to withdraw his
candidature after the BJP decid-
ed to field Modi from the con-
stituency to pave way for the
AICC general secretary.
Another Modi-baiter and
Congress candidate from Sah-
aranpur Imran Masood was rel-
eased on bail on Thursday after
he was arrested last week for thr-
eatening to cut Modi into pieces.
Amid allegation that Masood
might have deliberately leaked
the eight-month controversial
video to polarise votes, the Con-
gress nominee refused to even
express regret for his diatribe.
Elsewhere, slamming
Congress president Sonia
Gandhis meeting with the Shahi
Imam of Delhis Jama Masjid to
prevent split in secular votes, Shiv
Sena Thursday said it was akin
to fox and wolf discussing
non-violence and vegetarian-
ism. Imam Bukhari and Sonia
Gandhi held a meeting and it is
said that they discussed that sec-
ular votes should not get split in
the upcoming Lok Sabha
polls...It is like fox and wolf com-
ing together to talk non-violence
and vegetarianism, Shiv Sena
chief Uddhav Thackeray said in
an editorial in party mouthpiece,
Saamana. Finally Sonia Gandhi
had to surrender before Imam
Bukhari. This is the death of the
Congress. Now the Imam will
issue a fatwa and appeal to the
Muslims to vote for the Congress
to avoid division of secular votes.
But who pays heed to fatwas
issued by Imams? Islam has no
place for such fatwas, he said.
The Imams and Maulvis
issue fatwas on trivial subjects
like the colour of nail polish and
lip-stick a woman should use.
These fatwas have failed to
improve the living standards of
the Muslims, he said.
There is poverty among
Muslims due to illiteracy and
lack of knowledge in the com-
munity. This has been going on
for generations because the
Mulla-Maulvis have confined
the new generations within the
walls of dargahs and madrassas,
he said. So far, Imam Bukhari
has never issued a fatwa to elim-
inate poverty and lack of knowl-
edge, Thackeray said.
He said that after
Emergency, former Prime
Minister Indira Gandhi had also
sought the help of the Imam of
Jama Masjid. Even then the
Imam had issued a fatwa to vote
for the Congress. However,
despite that the Congress had lost
the elections, which shows that
the Muslims had completely
ignored his decree, he said.
s landgrabber...
8ajma...
Camaign...
Ko|ri promisos swara|,
oorruption-roo Govt
Maavea4ra
faces axe,
has t0...
From Page 1
In New Delhi, the Shahi
Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari's
younger brother Syed Yahya
Bukhari also criticized Jama
Masjid's religious head and
branded the Congress as the
most communal party.
"Muslims say that the BJP
is a communal party. Yes it is.
But when the BJP attacks, it
attacks from the front and
Muslims save themselves but
the Congress always backstabs
the minorities. Check the
record of the last 30-35 years,
whether it was Bhagalpur,
Meerut, Moradabad or Surat.
All this happened during the
Congress' tenure and it is hap-
pening even today. Innocent
Muslims are being sent to jail.
Whenever elections come, the
Congress tries to become clean
and shows bonhomie toward
Muslims and seeks their sup-
port. But why should I support
the Congress?" Syed Yahya
Bukhari said.
Earlier, addressing a rally at
Indirapuram in Ghaziabad,
Modi accused Sonia of resort-
ing to "rabid communalism" by
appealing to Muslim leaders for
securing the community's vote
in favour of her party. "The
Congress is sensing defeat. So
now, their slogan has shifted
from secularism to rabid com-
munalism," Modi said and
appealed to the EC to take
action. "24 hours have passed
and the news has already
appeared in the media. Why is
the EC not taking suo motu
action in this regard?" he asked.
Sonia has, however, rejected the
BJP's accusations.
BJP movos EC against
Sonia on Muslim votos
I, Poonam Lata W/o
Sandeep Goel R/o House
No. 57/A, Ram Nagar Extn.,
Krishna Nagar, Delhi have
changed my name to
Poonam Goel for all future
purpose
PD(5937)C
I, Harioum Agrawal S/o
Late Sh. Har Prasad Bansal
R/o C-161, Sector-50, Noida
(U.P.) have changed my
name to Hariom Agrawal
for all purposes.
PD(5938)A
I, Rajjat V Agarwal S/o Sh. V
P Agarwal R/o House No.
37, Block C, Sector-26,
Noida Distt. Gautam Budh
Nagar (U.P.) have changed
the name of my son from
Divyam Agarwal to
Divvyam R Agarwal ( D.O.B.
17.12.1999) for all purposes.
PD(5939)A
I, KAVSHAL KISHORE S/o
Shri Rajendra Prasad R/o
G-258, Alpha-II, Greater
Noida have changed my
name to KAUSHAL
KISHORE for all future
purposes.
PD(5940)A
CHANGE OF NAME
nation 05
NEW DELH FRDAY APRL 4, 2014
Fh8 QChEhhA
C
ontinuing to target his erst-
while party, MK Alagiri,
who was recently expelled from
the DMK, has said that Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh did
not induct TR Baalu in UPA-II
due to his misdeeds during his
tenure in UPA-I (2004 to 2009).
DMK MP Baalu was the
Union Minister for Surface
Transport in UPA-I but did not
make it to the Government
though he was re-elected from
Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu.
Baalu is already under the scan-
ner of the Election Commission
following charges of misuse of
official machinery (postal
department) for disseminating
his campaign materials.
Addressing party workers
late on Wednesday at Thanjavur,
where Baalu is the DMK candi-
date for the upcoming Lok Sabha
election, Alagiri, the elder son of
party chief Karunanidhi, said the
former got himself shifted to
Thanjavur out of fear. Baalu
knew that the people of
Sriperumbudur would not re-
elect him as he has done noth-
ing for the constituency. Hence
he paid money to the party lead-
ers and got
himself the
Thanjavur
seat, said
Alagiri.
Alagiri
c h a r g e d
that a sulk-
ing Baalu
tried many
times to get Alagiri and other
DMK ministers ousted from
the council of ministers. The
DMK brought in Baalu to
Thanjavur by denying SS
Palanimanickam, who has been
representing the constituency
since 1996.
Alagiri also charged that
Baalu, during his tenure as the
Union Minister, bought 10
trawlers misusing his official
position. It is for the benefit of
these trawlers that Baalu is insist-
ing that the Sethusamudram
Shipping Channel project should
be implemented come, whatev-
er the cost may be, he alleged.
Baalu is the second DMK
candidate to face the wrath of the
Madurai strongman.
The Anjanenjan (braveheart,
as he is addressed by party loy-
alists) is out to wreck the DMK
poll prospects. It was Alagiri who
spoiled the re-election possibil-
ities of the DMK in 2001 when
he campaigned against party
workers in the assembly election.
Baalu initiated the
Sethusamudram Shipping
Channel Project knowing fully
well that lot of money could be
made out of dredging the area.
Though experts had warned
him that the project is not viable
economically as well as ecolog-
ically, he had over ruled them.
The Supreme Court has asked
the government to keep the
work in abeyance, said BJP
leader Dr Subramanian Swamy.
V 1kYkk1 Q
ThRuvAhAhThAFuRAM
C
ongress leaders in Kerala still
do not know who had pro-
posed Shashi Tharoors name for
candidature in
Thiruvananthapuram in 2009.
Similarly, they have no idea as to
who re-nominated him for the
2014 election. But they do not
care. They are happy with the
hope that he will win the seat for
the party and the UDF it leads
this time also.
But the picture in the con-
stituency is not very rosy, even
Tharoors own campaign man-
agers admit in secret. With his
foreign-made sunglasses, spotless
white Kurta-Dhoti, outlandish
Malayalam and the image of
Keralas global son, Tharoor was
a phenomenon in Thiruvanan-
thapuram in 2009. Not anymore.
People, especially woman
voters, are asking questions.
Weekly afternoon meetings of
womens self-help groups are
witnessing discussions on the
sidelines on how Tharoors wife
Sunanda Pushkar had died.
There are even cruel comments
like I hear that he had married
thrice. Now he can get married
for a fourth time.
Congressmen campaigning
for Tharoor are spending a lot of
time explaining his innocence in
the case of his wifes death. The
discussions are so discomforting
that he was last week forced to
make Sunandas family members
issue a release absolving him of
any role in her death.
Fully aware of the difficult
situation he is facing due to his
personal tragedy and several
controversies that came up in the
past five years, Shashi has made
the development he had brought
to the constituency the hinge of
his campaign.
Irrespective of how he was
parachuted into the Thiruvanan-
thapuram a constituency rid-
dled with difficult community
equations as the Congress ca-
ndidate, Shashi did a wonder job
there in 2009 by wresting the seat
from the LDF by defeating CPI
rival by margin of 99,998 votes.
In a sense, Tharoor then
was the symbol of everything
that the middle class voter of
Thiruvananthapuram would
yearn to be. His aristocratic
background and mannerism
appealed to them well. To a sec-
tion of the poor voters, he looked
like the man who could help
them in a big way, says Ajay
Kumar, a Thiruvananthapuram-
based sociologist. But that need
not be the case now despite the
fact that many opinion polls have
predicted victory for him. The
glamour man of that election is
now facing a tough triangular
contest. Survival is not that easy,
adds Ajay Kumar.
Bangalore: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set
to launch its indigenous second Indian Regional Navigation
Satellite System, IRNSS 1-B from space port at Sriharikota.
According to ISRO officials launch of the satellite is scheduled
at 5.14 pm on April 4.
Twenty Sixth flight of PSLV, which carried Chadrayaan-1,
GSAT-12, and Mangalyaan or Mars Orbiter Spacecraft mission
would be carrying IRNSS1-B. The indigenous satellite will reduce
Indias dependence on GPS used by the United States and the
Russian GLONASS. This is the second of the seven satellites
planned for Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System
(IRNSS). It will be launched into a sub Geosynchronous
Transfer Orbit. The IRNSS-1B satellite with a design life span
of 10 years will be part of the seven-satellite Indian regional nav-
igational system. The first navigational satellite IRNSS-1A was
launched in July 2013. PNS
Fh8 QK0Ch
S
ix years after the Canonisation
of Sister Alphonsa
(Alphonsamma) of
Bharananganam as Indias first
woman saint by the Vatican, two
other beatified candidates from
Kerala have moved closer to
attaining sainthood with Pope
Francis approving the miracles
attributed to them.
Fr Kuriakose Elias Chavara
(known as Chavara Achan) and
Sister Euphrasia (known locally
as Evuprasiamma) will be
declared saints by the Pope most
likely on October 17, according
to sources in the Syro-Malabar
Church. An official declaration
by the consistory of Cardinals
and announcement of proceed-
ings on Canonization are likely
to be made on April 27.
Both Fr Kuriakose Elias and
Sr Euphrasia belonged to the
Kerala-based Syro-Malabar
Church to which Sr Alphonsa
also belonged. On Thursday,
the Pope approved the decree
submitted by the Vaticans com-
mittee on sainthood by accept-
ing the miracles attributed to
Chavara Achan and Sr
Euphrasia, who were beatified
during the tenure of Pope John
Paul II, sources said.
Born in Kainakari near
Alappuzha in 1805, Fr Kuriakose
Elias was a social reformer and
educator of the Kerala Catholic
Church, who said that schools
should be opened along with
churches. He founded the con-
gregation Carmalites Mary
Immaculate. Chavara Achan
was beatified in 1986.
FIhEE hEW8 8EVI6E Q
hEw 0ELh
T
he Supreme Court on
Thursday told Sahara chief
Subrata Roy that payment of
C10,000 crore was not a bail
bond for his release but a part-
payment of the total sum
to be paid to market regulator
SEBI in order to prove
his bonafides.
While the argument was
still underway on Roys chal-
lenging the March 4 order of
the court arresting him and
his two directors, Roy came
up with a revised offer on
Thursday. His senior counsel
CA Sundaram reiterated the
proposal to pay an upfront
amount of C2500 crore and
the bal ance C2500 crore
within three weeks of his
release from jail.
The Bench of Justices KS
Radhakrishnan and JS Khehar
told Roys counsel that there
was no question of modifying
its earlier order to deposit
C5000 crore in cash and
another C5000 crore as bank
guarantee in order to secure
rel ease f rom j ai l . When
Sundaram sought permission
from court to file an applica-
tion seeking modification of
the courts order, the Bench
said that it would neither
allow nor restrain Roy from
filing any application permis-
sible under law.
The Bench objected when
Sundaram termed the revised
offer as a condition of bail to
secure release of Roy from
Tihar Jail. The Bench said,
When a suggestion is made
that C10,000 crore is a bail bond
that will secure release, it is an
incorrect statement. Its not a
demand made for release, but
its part payment towards ful-
fillment of payment of princi-
pal amount that will show
your bonafides for release.
SEBI counsel Arvind Datar
justified the arrest of the Sahara
chief providing details of
Supreme Court Rules and pre-
vious judgments of the Court
where persons were sentenced
to jail for failing to comply with
Courts orders. Such orders,
Datar claimed, were passed
when charges of contempt were
yet to be decided by Court.
As Sahara chief had vio-
lated courts repeated attempts
to secure repayment of over
C20,000 crore collected by two
Sahara firms under a debenture
scheme, Datar said, Nobody
contemplated a situation like
Sahara where a person would
refuse to pay money despite
having assets. He referred to
Supreme Court Rules, Rule
2(2) that allowed Court to
send a party before it to prison
on forming a view that con-
tempt is committed even when
the charge of contempt is pend-
ing determination.
The bench, while posting
the matter for further hearing
on April 9 said, Our order of
March 4 (sentencing Roy to
prison) was enforcement of
our orders and not punish-
ment. We will deal with pun-
ishment under the pending
contempt proceeding but after
our order (of August 31, 2013)
is complied with.
Two bealiied
Keraliles
move closer
lo sainlhood
Fh8 Q hEw 0ELh
I
t was double delight for
Gujarat Government in the
Supreme Court with the apex
court discharging a former
Minister in the Narendra Modi
dispensation in a murder case,
and expressing satisfaction
over the ongoing trial in the
Gujarat riots cases.
Monitoring nine riots
cases, the Bench of Justices HL
Dattu, Ranjana Desai and MY
Eqbal were told by the Special
Investigation Team conducting
the trial that in six cases trial
had ended. The remaining
three cases related to Gulbarga
Society involving death of
Congress MP Ehsaan Jaffri,
Naroda Gaon case, and Prantij
(Sabarkantha), where three
British nationals were killed.
The Gulbarga society case
has repeatedly hogged head-
lines as the widow of Congress
MP has been making several
futile attempts to probe the
role of Gujarat CM Narendra
Modi in conspiring to kill her
husband among several others.
However, the SIT gave Modi a
clean chit that even got the
backing of the Magistrate
hearing the case.
Taking the SIT report on
record, the bench said, There
is a lot of progress made. In
six cases trial is over and in
other three, trial is at
stage of completion.
The Court posted the
matter for hearing on
August 26 with
a direction to SIT to inform
about the latest status on inves-
tigation on that date.
While this development is
sure to boost the confidence of
BJP, in particular that of Modi
in an election year, what came
as an added bonanza was
another news from apex court
earlier in the day. A bench
headed by Justice CK Prasad
on Thursday pronounced its
order on a petition filed by for-
mer Gujarat Water Resources
Minister Babubhai Bokhiria
who challenged an order
of a Porbandar court to
charge him of conspiring to
murder a Congress leader
Mulu Modhwadi a i n
November 2005.
After the Gujarat High
Court approved the lower
courts order, Bokhiria
approached the apex court
seeking quashing of the charge
against him. The apex court
quashed the summons issued
by the Porbandar court and set
aside all criminal proceedings
against him.
Modhwadia was murdered
by three gunmen on
November 16, 2005. He was a
local Congress leader and
businessman in Porbandar. A
letter written by Modhwadia
was reproduced by his son
where the deceased appre-
hended threat f rom
Bokhiria to his life.
Fol l owi ng thi s
note, Bokhiria was
named as an accused
in the case.
'M0st ay C10,000 cr t0 r0ve h0aafI4es'
FIhEE hEW8 8EVI6E Q
hEw 0ELh
E
ight Networks of NGO
Neeve Delhi FORCES
which discussed individual
party manifestos on Thursday,
appealed to all parties con-
testing elections to aim to
work towards strengthening
policy, governance and admin-
istration besides working on
improvement of health, edu-
cation and basic facilities to
help people.
More than 200 represen-
tatives from 50 unregularised
colonies across Delhi spelt out
the agenda already handed
over to all major political par-
ties Congress, BJP, CPI and
AAP. The event was the cul-
mination of a series of meetings
held over last month where
their primary agenda centred
on the problems faced by urban
children.
Our children need safety
and protection, water and toi-
lets and the essentials for
healthy growth and education.
Make children your priority,
read the manifesto put forward
by the people.
Put your will behind the
Acts that have been passed;
implement the programmes
for children that have been
planned, this is the action
needed, said Devika Singh
from Delhi FORCES.
The NGOs discussed prob-
lems centering the lives of
urban poor children. They said
there was complete absence of
daycare arrangements for chil-
dren with working parents,
which had led to accidents
and neglect, mentioned poor
quality of schools, anganwadis,
and dispensaries thereby
impacting children. They also
discussed the severe problems
faced by children with disabil-
ity and those whose lives had
been disrupted by relocation
and slum clearances.
Their key demands
included strong implementa-
tion of the Pre Conception and
Pre natal Detection Test Act,
maternity entitlements for
women and nutrition entitle-
ments for children through
ICDS , under the National
Food Security Act 2013, with
thrust on quality. They also
demanded that the creche pro-
vision under Building and
Other Construction Workers
Act 1996, be implemented for
the safety and protection of
children of workers.
The NGOs asked for effec-
tive implementation of
Protection of Children from
Sexual Offences Act, 2012 and
Right to Education Act 2010.
Salara clief
comes u witl
reviseo offer to
ay C2,500 cr
New Delhi: The Congress is
facing anti-incumbency after
ten years in power, Union
Minister Jairam Ramesh admit-
ted on Thursday, saying it
poses a challenge as the party
lost the battle of perception
because the top leadership was
not communicative.
He acknowledged that it is
a challenging campaign in the
elections ahead but maintained
that the party would get a
decent, dignified and respectable
three-digit number. Hyperac-
tive judiciary, overactive consti-
tutional functionaries like CAG,
aggressive media and irrespon-
sible civil society combined...
Our reaction was also slow.
We came across...We did not
communicate our point of view
effectively. Our top leadership
was not communicative. Politics
is all about communication. So
we lost the battle of perception
and we did not take them seri-
ously enough, Ramesh said in
an interview to PTI.
He was responding to a
question as to what in retrospect
went wrong in the last two
years of UPA government to cre-
ate a perception of corruption-
ridden and indecisive govern-
ment, pushing the party back to
the wall in the elections.
However, Ramesh insisted
that there was no need to be
defensive or apologetic about
the performance of UPA-II
and Congress will be getting
a decent, di gni f i ed,
respectable, three-digit num-
ber in the elections.
Holding that the BJP has a
personality centred campaign,
Ramesh said, In media, per-
sonality-centred campaign
makes more news. That is why
the media goes after whatever
Modi does, whatever he says.
A dog biting a man is no
news. Man biting dog makes
headlines. But you do not get
votes by grabbing headlines, he
said, emphasising that the
Congress campaign was a
decentralised affair and was
very much on track. PTI
New Delhi: The CPI(M) on
Thursday released a list of six
more candidates for Lok Sabha
polls in Bihar, Maharashtra and
Punjab, taking the total number
of its nominees to 94. The party
would contest four seats Uji-
arpur, Darbhanga, West Cha-
mparan and Khagaria in
Bihar. It also announced one
more name each in Maharashtra
and Punjab, taking the total nu-
mber of its candidates to four
and three in the two States
respectively. In Bihar, Ramdeo
Verma would contest from
Ujiarpur, Hriday Narayan Yadav
from Darbhanga, Prabhuraj
Narayan Rao from West Cham-
paran and Jagadish Chandra
Basu from Khagaria. In Mahara-
shtra, it has fielded DB Naik, a
Kisan Sabha activist, from Hin-
goli, besides contesting from
Palghar (ST), Thane, Dindori
(ST) and Nashik, which were
declared earlier. It has put up
educationist Joginder Singh Aul-
akh from Sangrur. It is also con-
testing the Ludhiana and
Anandpur Sahib seats. PNS
l| ||+l+, S|+|i i |u |u|
|| 2JJ9 l+|uu| |u]
Lot of rogress in
Guj riots cases: SC
8aaI0 Was a0t Ia40cte4 Ia 0FII
40e t0 hIs mIs4ee4s: IaIrI
Cong lost ercetion
lattle, says ]airam
EEFkk k FETI QhEw 0ELh
T
he BJP will release its much-
delayed manifesto focus-
ing on development on April 7,
the day when the first phase of
polling starts in the North-East.
Ahead of the manifesto, the
BJP will on Friday bring out a
chargesheet against the UPA
Government which would be
a compilation of charges against
the Congress-led dispensation at
the Centre. The charge-sheet, ru-
nning into 45 to 50 pages, will
set the tone for a Congress Mukt
Bharat, said party spokesperson
Nirmala Seetharaman, who
announced that date of release of
the much awaited manifesto of
the party.
The Congress has taken a
dig at the BJP over the delay say-
ing it reflects the deep personality
clashes within the party which is
not seeking a mandate for itself
but for one individual (Modi).
The manifesto is being
redone and pruned according to
BJPs Prime Ministerial candidate
Narendra Modis directives with
good governance and growth
taking precedence over the
matter of faith, according to
sources.
Contentious issues such as
Article 370, which accords spe-
cial status to Jammu and
Kashmir, the construction of a
Ram Temple at Ayodhya and a
Uniform Civil Code required
fine-tuning of views within the
party, sources said.
Nevertheless, some differ-
ences of opinion among the
party top brass besides the fact
that one of the manifesto com-
mittee members Jaswant Singh
having been expelled for his
revolt also cast its shadow on the
process, sources maintained.
The manifesto may spell
out need to implement pro-
gressive article Uniform Civil
Code, which has been put on
the back burner since the time
of first Prime Minister of the
country Jawaharlal Nehru and
take a fresh positive look at
Article 370.
Modi during a public rally in
Jammu on December one, last
year, had called for examining
whether the Article has bene-
fited the common man or not
and left his political diagnosis
open-ended.
For its part, the BJP charge-
sheet would be an all-out attack
on the Congress-led Govern-
ment not fulfiling their poll
promises, Ministers breaking
oath of secrecy, the Gover-
nment failing to take steps to
ensure internal security, misuse
of the CBI irregularities in
appointment of the CVC and
Government attack on the CAG.
The charge-sheet would also
pinpoint UPAs indifference to
the core issue of internal securi-
ty and defence matters. It may
also take note of Governments
bungling on Aadhar cards.
Amount spent on Aadhar
cards without linking it with the
National Population register
which allowed illegal residents
in India to possess Aadhar
Card, said sources, saying
chairman of UIDAI did not
link the Aadhar Card with
NPR and made it available to
any resident of India.
As the BJP failed to bring the
manifesto ahead of the start of
the first phase of polls in the
North-East, it released a state-
ment on Thursday detailing the
measures on security and devel-
opment for the region under-
taken by the NDA government.
The measures included creation
of a separate department of
Development for North-East
Region (DONER), set up in
September 2001 and a provision
of 10 per cent of the budget from
each central ministry for expen-
diture in the region.
Fh8 Q LuCKh0w
A
s Varun Gandhi courted
controversy by praising
estranged cousin Rahul Gandhi,
his mother and BJP leader
Maneka Gandhi on Thursday
said her sons remark on
Amethis development was not
correct.
The advise came after Varun
Gandhi, BJP candidate from
Sultanpur, praised Rahul
Gandhis initiatives in ushering
in development in the neigh-
bouring constituency of Amethi.
The comment created a politi-
cal furore with some political
pundits indicating thaw in rela-
tions between two cousins.
Later in the day, Varun clar-
ified that he was not backing
Rahul. It should not be seen as
an endorsement of any politi-
cal party or candidate, the BJP
leader tweeted.
But it was too late.
Maneka Gandhi said:
Varun should think twice
before making any statement.
He is very innocent and gets car-
ried away very easily.
Someone said a lot of
developmental work has hap-
pened in Amethi and Varun
accepted it without verifying the
facts, she said. Varun should
confirm the facts first before
believing anyone and issue any
statement accordingly, the for-
mer Union Minister said.
Maneka Gandhi claimed
that the developmental works in
Amethi, which happens to be
parliamentary constituency of
Congress vice-president Rahul
Gandhi, had not been very sat-
isfactory in the past 45 years.
8Ix m0re aames
fr0m 0FM's
kItty f0r 8Ihar,
Maha, F0ajah
F8l t0 Ia0ach I880's I8888 18 t04ay
S Subrala Roy's senior counsel CA Sundaram reileraled lhe roosal
lo ay an uronl amounl o C2,5OO crore and lhe balance C2,5OO
crore wilhin lhree weeks o his release rom jail
S The Bench lold Roy's counsel lhal lhere was no queslion o
modiying ils earlier order lo deosil C5,OOO crore in cash and anolher
C5,OOO crore as bank guaranlee in order lo secure release rom jail.
when Sundaram soughl ermission lo ile an alicalion seeking
modiicalion o lhe order, lhe Bench said il would neilher allow nor
reslrain Roy rom iling any alicalion ermissible under law
S "when a suggeslion is made lhal C1O,OOO crore is a bail bond lhal
will secure release, il is an incorrecl slalemenl. l's
nol a demand made or release, bul il's arl
aymenl lowards ulillmenl o aymenl o
rincial amounl lhal will show your bonaides
or release," lhe Bench said
S As Roy had violaled courl's reealed
allemls lo secure reaymenl o over
C2O,OOO crore collecled by lwo
Sahara irms under a debenlure
scheme, 0alar said, "hobody
conlemlaled a silualion
like Sahara where a
erson would reuse
lo ay desile
having assels"
MONEY MATTEPS
Mumbai: A trial court
on Thursday held three
of the four convicts in the photojournalist gang-
rape case guilty of an additional charge framed
against them under Section 376 (E) of IPC for their
repeat rape offences a charge that prescribes
a maximum punishment of death penalty.
Thirteen days after she sentenced three con-
victs under Section 376 (D) of the IPC till the
remainder of their natural lives for their involve-
ment in the July 31, 2013 telephone operator gang-
rape case, Principal Sessions Judge Shalini
Phansalkar-Joshi convicted the three common
convicts under Section 376(E) (repeated offence
of rape) of the IPC in the August 22, 2013 pho-
tojournalist gang rape
case.
The three common convicts who were found
guilty and convicted by the court under Section
376 (E) of IPC in the photojournalist gang-rape
were: Vijay Jadhav (19) Mohammad Qasim
Shaikh alias Qasim Bengali (21) and Mohammad
Ansari (28). The court is likely to pronounce the
sentence for the three common convicts, after
hearing both the prosecution and defence lawyers
on Friday. Under Section 376 (E) of the IPC, the
three convicts face life imprisonment either for
the remainder of the natural lives or death on the
ground that the three convicts were repeat
offenders in rape cases. PNS
3 oonviots may aoo doath ponalty
SHAKTMLLSGANG-RAPE
0haresheet aaIast 0F t0
ave Way f0r 81F maaIfest0
Mucl-oelayeo
manifesto focusing
on oeveloment to
come out on Ar 7
The maniIesIo is being
redone and pruned
arrording Io 81F's prime
minisIeriaI randidaIe
harendra Modi's
direrIives WiIh good
governanre and groWIh
Iaking preredenre over
"Ihe maIIer oI IaiIh
Maneka slams varun over
Amelhi, says check acls
beore making a slalemenl
|+| puli], u1||+| & +J|i|i||+|iu|
|] Wu|J ||i |i|. | u| p+||i
2Q 7KH
Poll Trail
nation 06
NEW DELH FRDAY APRL 4, 2014
erhatIm
kMk 6hEIIkFFkh Q
ChEhhA
F
or the first time, Tamil
Nadu Chief Minister
Jayalalithaa has challenged the
Election Commission of India
for some of its accounting
norms. Certain rules intro-
duced by the ECI has come as
an irritant to the AIADMK
general secretary which forced
her to unleash a verbal
blitzkrieg on the Commission
on Thursday.
Rallies addressed by
Jayalalithaa are known for their
uniqueness. The AIADMK
chief spoke to the mammoth
crowd for 40 minutes listing out
the issues before the electorate
while the party candidate stand
near her with the hands fold-
ed in namaste mode. Towards
the end of the speech,
Jayalalithaa asks the audience
to vote for the party candidate
whom she will introduce
extolling his/her virtues.
However, Thursdays
AIADMK rallies at Salem and
Namakkal were different.
The candidates were con-
spicuous by their absence
while the senior leaders
of the AIADMK sat in
the row of
chairs meant
for them.
Jayal al i t haa
was at her acerbic
best as she demol-
ished the claims of
the DMK and its 10-
year-old al ly
Congress. As she
wound up her speech,
Jayalalithaa told the audience
that because of the stringent
norms introduced by the ECI,
she was not allowed to
utter the name of the
candidates.
If I introduce the
candidate to you in this
meeting, the expenses of
organising this mammoth
meeting would be added
to the election expenditure of
the candidate. My candidate is
absent due to Election
Commissions rule. I cant even
mention candidates name, the
AIADMK supremo said hitting
out at the Commission.
Election Commissions
act is a mockery of democra-
cy. Though the people make it
to the meeting venue to listen
to me at their own expenses,
why should the Commission
introduce such anti-people
laws and procedures, she
thundered vowing to chal-
lenge this rule.
Praveen Kumar, Chief
Electoral Officer, Tamil Nadu,
told The Pioneer that the norms
stipulate that a candidate
should not spend more than
C70 lakh as expenses towards
the Lok Sabha elections. The
law has been there for quite
some time. We add the cost of
holding such rallies towards the
election expenditure of the
candidate, said Kumar.
Though Jayalalithaa is on a
whirlwind campaign tour all
over the State in a hired heli-
copter, the charges of charter-
ing the chopper is not includ-
ed in the expenses, said Kumar.
There are exemptions for cer-
tain people and hence the char-
tering of helicopters are not
counted as expenses incurred,
said the CEO.
TkVI8hI 8IVk8TkVk Q
LuCKh0w
T
hese political heavyweights
have proved their mettle.
They are not in the poll fray yet
their acumen is on test since
the future of their near and
dear ones is at stake.
These leaders have already
established themselves in elec-
toral politics as they have been
branded as winners. And
now they have to ensure victory
of their kith and kin who are
following their footsteps to
enter the political scene.
Though some of these relatives
are first timers, others have had
a taste of the hustings. But now
they are not leaving anything to
take part in the prestigious
Modi versus Rahul battle.
Much depends on whether
the influence of these political
masters still sways the electorate
as they make promises of assist-
ing the voters in all seasons.
The Congress hurriedly
embraced Dr Sanjay Singh and
sent him to Rajya Sabha on the
eve of elections in an attempt
to check speculation of his
switching over to the BJP. This
time Singhs wife Amita Singh
is facing BJPs Varun Gandhi
from the Sultanpur seat. It is
definitely not plain sailing for
Singh since Varun is riding
high on the current Modi wave.
Now it becomes more impor-
tant for Singh to ensure his
wifes victory since his own
future in Congress is largely
dependent on it. Amita Singhs
vote percentage is on test.
After making a record of
sorts nine time Congress MLA
in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly
who was recently rewarded
member of the Rajya Sabha,
Pramod Tiwari has made way
for his daughter Aradhana
Misra, who is making her polit-
ical debut in a by-election
from Rampur Khas seat
in Pratapgarh con-
stituency. Tiwaris col-
league Rajkumari
Ratna Singh is also
seeking re-election
from Pratapgarh.
Pramod Tiwaris
responsibility has increased
two-fold as he has to make sure
that his daugfhter as well his
colleague come out with flying
in the election arena.
Former UP CM and senior
BJP leader Kalyan Singh is also
burning the midnight oil to
ensure that his prestige remains
intact and his son Rajvir Singh
manages to win his Etah seat.
Rajvir has faced two consecu-
tive defeats in the assembly
polls in UP and this time, his
father has handed over his seat
to the son. Kalyan Singh knows
that his sons victory is impor-
tant for him to emerge as the
OBC face of the BJP in UP.
State BJP president
Laxmikant Bajpai is neither
contesting elections and nor is
anyone else from his family but
the partys performance in
Meerut his home
constituency will
decide his future. If
the BJP wins Meerut,
Bajpai can hope to con-
tinue in his post but if he
fails, sources claim that he would
be shown the door.
V 1kYkk1 Q K0Ch
T
he offensive being carried out by a
section of Congress leaders in
Kerala against a particular judge of the
High Court for making some scathing
observations against Chief Minister
Oommen Chandy and his office in the
fraud land deal case of his ex-gunman
Salim Raj has widened the rift in the
party and the UDF led by it.
A strong section in the UDF feels
that it is improper for responsible lead-
ers to make abusive statements against
the Judiciary when unfavourable ver-
dicts are pronounced. We have so far
been saying that the CPI(M) is intol-
erant of the Judiciary. What difference
is there between them and us now?
asked a senior leader of the Kerala
Congress (M), an ally of the Congress.
The dispute in the Congress and
the UDF is over the adverse remarks
made by certain Congress leaders and
a complaint lodged with the Chief
Justice of India by a party MLA
against Justice Haroon Al Rashid who
on March 28 had made some scathing
remarks against Chandy and his office
while passing judgement in the sen-
sational land fraud case of Salim Raj.
Many Congress leaders are of the
opinion that the party need not
shoulder the blame for the faults of one
individual (Chandy). They say that
Chandy has never been in the habit of
discussing anything related to his
office or the persons he had appoint-
ed as aides and it is solely up to him
to deal with the criticisms coming in
from the Judiciary and
people over such matters.
While ordering a CBI
probe into the fraudulent
land deals carried out by Salim
Raj, Justice Rashid had leveled
criticisms like the Chief Minister
had not been prudent in selecting
his personal staff members, there
were criminal elements in Chandys
office, it had failed to remain a model
institution, etc. A division bench later
stayed two of these remarks.
Close on the heels of Congresss
Minister KC Joseph criticising the judge
for his observations against Chandy and
his office by saying that judges are not
supposed to air opinions on all matters
under the sky, party MLA TN
Prathapan petitioned the CJI against the
judge with a statement that his remarks
had become poll-time political tool in
the hands of the Opposition.
The Congress as a party has dis-
tanced itself from Prathapans act of
lodging a complaint with the CJI
against Justice Rashid though sources
pointed out that a strong section sup-
ported it. Among the leaders who sup-
port the offensive against the judge is
Rajmohan Unnithan, who demanded
that the judge be impeached.
State Congress president VM
Sudheeran made it clear the other day
that he did not approve of what
Prathapan, known as a loyalist of the
Chief Minister in the rampant group
war in the party, had done. He also said
that he was in agreement with the judge
on the principle that extreme care
should be shown when ministers select-
ed members of their personal staff.
I dont blame Prathapan. He is
such a poor soul that he is ignorant
of the laws of the land. It may be
because he comes from the poor
fishermens background, said
Government Chief Whip PC
George who in September, 2011
had carried out an offensive
against Special Vigilance Judge
PK Haneefa after he ordered a
probe against Chandy in the palm
oil corruption case.
The HC judges remarks against
Chandy and his loyalists angry
response to Justice Rashid have led to
the intensification of the group war
within the Congress which weakened
after Sonia Gandhi appointed group-
neutral leader Sudheeran as State
party chief to end factionalism.
kh8hEE WkhI Q SRhA0AR
C
ontinuing its bid to disperse the soft-sep-
aratist image of his party, the Opposition
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron and
former Chief Minister Mufti
Muhammad Sayeed said that
their candidates in the par-
liamentary election would
serve as bridge between the
people of Jammu & Kashmir
and the rest of country. He
accused the ruling National Conference of
creating a wedge between the country and
the people of J&K by hiding the ground real-
ities and ignoring the aspirations of people.
The PDP is magnifying its pro-India
credentials in this election and its leader-
ship does not show any qualms in appre-
ciating NDA whiling citing its past inter-
ventions in Kashmir. The NC accuses the
party of covertly hobnobbing with the BJP.
The PDP president Mehbooba Mufti
says that her party is nationalist by con-
viction unlike the NC that identifies itself
with New Delhi only when in power.
During a road show in his pocket bor-
ough of Pahalgam in South Kashmirs
Anantnag, Sayeed said the NC leadership
has always misused the mandate of peo-
ple and its representatives have failed to
act as ambassadors of people.
mma traIas 0as 0a F0
TkMII hk
wanls accounling
norms lo go, says
EC's acl is mockery
o democracy
Anti-]uoiciary
offensive wioens
Kerala`s !!! rift
Korala Congross (M) loador
we have s0 far heea sayIa
that the 0FM Is Iat0Ieraat
0f the 104IcIary. what
4Iffereace Is there hetWeea
them aa4 0s a0W7
MhIT kkhhkI Q JAMMu
C
hief Election Commissioner of India
VS Sampath on Thursday directed
Deputy Commissioner Kulgam to imme-
diately file status report in the complaint
lodged by PDP against National
Conference Minister Sakina Itoo.
Itoo was allegedly found threatening
people to join her party and vote for it.
The small clipping of the meeting had
also gone viral on the social networking
sites forcing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah
to target the PDP for trying to mislead the
Election Commission of India.
PDP alleged that the party Minister and
her associates are invoking the holy Quran
and the affirmation of Muslim faith to seek
the support of the people.
The CEC has taken strong note of the
issue and directed the DC to file his report
latest by Thursday for necessary action.
S+|i|+ 1iJu u
1i|+l, EC | |pu||
'VOTE FOR NC OR ELSE'
PDP goos all out to bolstor its
pro-ndia orodontials this timo
1kMM &
kk8hMI
k
E

k
I
k
Family 'winners' backing kin in UP
S|iu| B1P l+J| |+l|i l+|Ju| |uWi| P]VePbcaP\, || |] |u||| P|i| |i|i|| A|+l Bi|+|i V+|p+] Wi|| || Wi| +|J |li| |u B1P
p|iJ|| R+||+|| Si||, i| |u||uW u| l|u|J+] Pll
ThS TME SAhJAY
Sh0h'S wFE AMTA
Sh0h S FACh0 BJF'S
vARuh 0Ah0h FR0M
ThE SuLTAhFuR SEAT.
T S 0EFhTELY h0T
FLAh SALh0 F0R
Sh0h ShCE vARuh S
R0h0 h0h 0h ThE
CuRREhT M00 wAvE
There was a lime when eole were calling
BJF an unlouchable arly. Bul lhe silualion
has changed or now. Congress is
becoming unlouchable and harendra Modi
a darling o lhe masses. Thal is why lol o
eole are joining h0A. n a ew days lhe
counlry will come lo know aboul some more arlies
joining h0A
- Senior BJF leader M venkaiah haidu
Modi has roo o whal he had said he
should make il ublic. he does nol
have any evidence lo rove whal he has
said, he should wilhdraw lhe allegalion
and lender a ublic aology
- Kerala Chie Minisler 0ommen Chandy
Sonia 0andhi is doing olilics o 1Olh
cenlury wilh lhe eole o 21sl cenlury.
She is jusl lrealing Muslims as a
commodily. Flease slo urchasing a
communily wilh lhe hel o a
middleman who has losl credibilily. n lhe
lasl len years, Muslims have nol gol any
jobs, any develomenl. nslead o jobs, lhe Congress
is giving hol air and old rollen olilics lo Muslims.
Flease slo lrealing my communily like lhis. 0o nol
dro lhem inlo a baskel o ear. Treal lhem as ndians.
Treal lhem wilh equalily in slalus
- BJF sokesman MJ Akbar
you have a wave going on, why
should lhere be so much o search
or a sae consliluency and lhal lhe
candidale will ighl only rom
varanasi...The Lel arlies were working
wilh "slrong" regional arlies lo orm a nonCongress
nonBJF allernalive aler lhe Lok Sabha olls
- Senior CF(M) leader Silaram Yechury
The whole counlry is angry and
ashamed o lhe way lhe 0osilion
under Jailley's leadershi sabolaged
and undermined lhe democralic
unclioning in Farliamenl. Aclually
Jailley slill aears lo be under Rajya
Sabha hangover where he is nol accounlable lo
anyone so here he does nol aear lo bolher aboul
lhe eole rom whom he is seeking voles
-Congress candidale rom Amrilsar Amarinder Singh
Al resenl corrulion and communalism
are eroding our rools. olen gel
agilaled by walching such news and so
is lhe case wilh mosl o lhe eole. Bul
il hardly mallers. To change lhe syslem
you have lo enler inlo il, lhereore
decided lo conlesl lhe eleclion. have my
own roduclion house, which is doing good. haven'l
come here lo earn money, bul lo remove
shorlcomings revailing in lhe resenl day syslem
- AAF candidale rom Lucknow Javed Jaery
Lucknow: Putting a break on title-tattle that
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) fielded Bollywood actor
Javed Jaffery to garner Muslim votes from
Lucknow seat, he said, I am not contesting elec-
tions as Muslim but as an Indian.
People should not see me as a Muslim can-
didate as I have come to Lucknow to contest elec-
tions as a citizen of India. We all will have to fight
against caste-religion politics as it only divides
countrymen, said Javed while addressing a Press
conference in the State capital on Thursday adding
that even when he
works in movies
or TV shows he
doesnt see the reli-
gion of directors
and producers.
Speaking further,
he said being an
Indian it was hurt
and sorrowful on 1984 riots where Sikhs were
killed, Odisha riots where Christians were burnt
alive, Godhra and Gujarat riots. The politics on
riots only create differences and divide people of
the country. Answering to a question on contesting
election against big names of other political par-
ties, Javed said, Kabhi bade-bade log sahi nahi hote
aur chhote chhote log sahi hote hai. Till the time
of former Prime Minister and BJP leader Atal
Bihari Vajpayee Lucknow witnessed development
but after that all went wrong and constituency was
in the wrong hands, he added. PNS
am nol conlesling
olls as Muslim bul
as an ndian: Javed
TTk FkE8h
nation 07
NEW DELH FRDAY APRL 4, 2014
E0 appo|nIs Arora as naW Punjab P
6handigarh: The Eleclion Commission Thursday aoinled FS oicer
Suresh Arora as lhe new Slale olice chie o Funjab. The incumbenl
0ireclor 0eneral o Folice (00F), Sumedh Singh Saini, has roceeded
on leave, slarling Friday (Aril 4). A 1O82 balch ndian Folice Service
oicer, Arora is resenlly chie direclor, vigilance. The Funjab
governmenl had earlier Thursday senl a anel o lhree senior olice
oicers lo lhe EC or aoinlmenl as lhe slale olice chie.
Z06 ||cansad arms g|van Io Numba| cops
Mumbai: Mumbai Folice has launched an exercise lo collecl licenced
arms in lhe cily ahead o Lok Sabha olls, a drive which has led lo 2O5
weaons being surrendered, so ar. As er lhe direclives o lhe Eleclion
Commission, 0overnmenl aulhorilies are required lo collecl arms, rior
lo eleclion as a recaulionary measure in order lo ensure air and
eaceul eleclions.
8ax Wor|ars Io axarc|sa hTA |n proIasI
koIkaIa: The 5Olakhslrong communily o sex workers in ndia is
seriously considering lo ol or lhe h0TA olion while exercising lheir
ranchise in lhe Lok Sabha eleclions lo regisler rolesl againsl
derivalion and aalhy. Since indeendence, olilical arlies o all hues
have romised develomenl or lhe communily, bul lhey are all jusl
romises, All ndia helwork or Sex workers residenl Bharali 0ey said.
p|um: An a|acIora| |ssua |n 8armar
8armer: Suly o oium has joined lhe lisl o lradilional elecloral
issues o waler, hosilals, roads, educalion and ower in lhe second
largesl consliluency o lhe counlry here. 0ne o lhe issues, albeil nol a
major one, in lhis border consliluency is increasing suly o JcJa
pcsta (oium husk) lo which lhousands o residenls are addicled. Every
morning, one could see serenline queues o eole oulside lhe
licensed shos lo urchase lheir quola. l is a wasle roducl o oy.
na mora ax-Iop cop jo|ns AIANk
6hennai: Close on lhe heels o a ormer Slale olice chie embracing lhe
ruling AA0MK ahead o Lok Sabha olls, anolher ormer 00F, A X
Alexander, on Thursday look lhe olilical lunge joining lhe Jayalalilhaa
led arly. Recenlly, ormer 00F R halaraj had joined lhe AA0MK.
0and|daIas usa 'whaIsApp` and '8|ypa`
ThiruvananIhapuram: As lhe counldown begins or lhe Aril 1O Lok
Sabha olls, candidales on lhe camaign lrail in Kerala have also lurned
lo advanced chal olions like 'whalsA' and 'Skye' lo gel connecled
wilh lheir volers,esecially lhe honResidenl Keralile communily which
comrises a slrong vole bank in many arls o lhe Slale.
E0 raporI on Nod|`s copIar da|ay soughI
heW eIhi: Eleclion Commission has soughl a aclual reorl rom
Minislry o Civil Avialion on lhe comlainl by BJF wilh regard lo 0elhi
Airorl nol granling roml ermission lo harendra Modi's helicoler
or laking o due lo which he was lale or his rally in Bareilly on Aril 1.
haga|and 0N Io|d Io c|ar|Iy sIaIamanI
ImphaI: The EC has asked hagaland CM heihiu Rio lo clariy his
reorled slalemenl crilicising Maniur 0overnmenl as "Anlihaga
Adminislralion". The rely o Rio would be orwarded lo lhe EC, Slale
Chie Elecloral 0icer 0 habakishore lold reorlers here on wednesday.
Fh8 Q 0uwAhAT
L
ok Sabha elections in Assam
will be smoke-less this time.
The Office of the Chief Electoral
Officer, Assam on Thursday
instructed all the Deputy
Commissioners (DCs), the Sub-
Divisional Officers (SDOs) and
the District Election Officers
(DEOs) across the State to
declare all the polling booths as
no smoking zones.
All steps have been taken to
ensure all polling booths as
tobacco-free zones during the
polls. This is being done as per
the Section 4 of the Cigarette and
Other Tobacco Products Act
(COTPA), 2003 which prohibits
smoking in public places. Since
polling booths are public places,
it comes under the provisions of
the Act, said RC Jain secretary
& additional CEO, Assam.
The instruction came a day
after an NGO, Voluntary Health
Association of
Assam (VHAA),
requested the
CEO of Assam to
prohibit smoking in all the
polling booths of the state
during the three-phased
polls, starting April 7.
The VHAA, a
leading non-prof-
it organisation work-
ing in the field of public
health, while requesting
the CEO mentioned that the
Chief Electoral Officers of
Jammu & Kashmir and Bihar
had issued directives to ensure
that all the polling centres in
their respective states are
declared smoke-free.
With the instruction from
the CEO Assam today, the state
became be the first state in the
northeast and third state in the
country to do so, the VHAA said
The directives of the CEO,
assumes significance as Assam
has one of the highest inci-
dences of cancer related to
tobacco use in India.
According to the Global Adult
Tobacco Survey in 2010, 52.6
per cent of the male and 25.3
per cent of the female popula-
tion in Assam use tobacco in
some form or the other.
It may be mentioned here
that a total of 1.87 crore elec-
torates are likely to cast their
votes in 24,275 polling stations
across the state in the three
dates of polls April 7, April
12 and on April 24.
kMkhkTh TEWkY Q FAThA
A
day after Rahul Gandhis
Bihar campaign, Congress
president Sonia Gandhi on
Thursday addressed her first
poll rally in the State and
slammed both BJP prime min-
isterial candidate Narendra
Modi and Bihar Chief Minister
Nitish Kumar for being pseu-
do secular. She also emphati-
cally said that the UPA
Government has fulfilled all its
promises made during the last
two parliamentary polls.
Kuch log mukhauta pehan
kar secularism ka messiah banne
ki koshish kar rahe hainwoh
aapke saathi nahi hai..kursi ke
saathi hain, satta ke saathi hain,
charged Sonia while making
obvious references to both
Narendra Modi and Nitish
Kumar. She also blamed them,
though without taking their
names, for changing their face
from time to time.
While addressing people at
Sasaram from where Lok Sabha
Speaker Meira Kumar is a
Congress candidate, Sonia fur-
ther declared that the country
is currently passing through an
examination and those chang-
ing faces from time to time
could not be your true friends.
They shield their failures
while blaming the Congress
party but, in fact, they throw
dust in the eyes of the people
only for the sake of power and
chair, she said in her about 16
minute speech.
Jo loktantra ko muthi mein
karna chahte hon sab woh kare
jo yeh kahen kya aise logon per
vishwas karna chahiye?, asked
Sonia while responding herself
quickly: bilkul nahi.
While targeting Bihar CM
Nitish Kumar, the Congress
president said that some people
who till the other day were with
the BJP but now called them
messiah of secularism and
they blame the Congress
party for their failures.
UPA sarkar ne
pichale 10-salon mein
Bihar ke vikas ke liye
pura yogdan diya, khub
rashi di per uska upyog hua
ki nahi yeh mujhse behtar aap
jante hain, she said.
Earlier, on Wednesday
Nitish Kumar in one of his poll
rallies in Nawada had blamed
the Congress for not giving
special status to Bihar for its
development.
Like her son Rahul Gandhi,
Sonia too counted all the
achievements of the UPA under
Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh. While referring to
MNREGA, RTI, food security
law and land acquisition law.
She also defended Meira Kumar
for her hectic and busy role as
Lok Sabha Speaker.
kMkhkTh TEWkY Q FAThA
B
JP president Rajnath Singh
too addressed his first elec-
tion rally in Bihar on Thursday
and attacked Congress vice-
president Rahul Gandhi for
lacking political understand-
ing. He also targeted the
Congress leaders saying that
they speak without doing their
homework.
The Cong-
ress leaders speak
without doing their
homework.Rahul
Gandhi lacks proper
political understanding,
charged Rajnath Singh while
addressing poll rally at
Aurangabad from where the
BJP has fielded Sushil Singh as
the party candidate. Shushil
Singh had recently quit the
JD(U) to join the BJP.
What Rahul Gandhi had
said here about the water
reservoir project on River
Koel and Hariyahi Dam and
providing irrigation facilities
to farmers has remained
incomplete even after sever-
al years due to the negligence
of the State Government but
the fact is that both these pro-
j ects are of Central
Government and only they
are responsible for the slow
progress of the projects, said
Singh while addressing the
crowd in Bhojpuri.
He also reminded people
how the Pakistan Army had
beheaded two Indian soldiers
recently at the border and the
UPA Government at the
Centre had failed to provide
protection to soldiers.
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TkVI8hI 8IVk8TkVk Q LuCKh0w
F
or the ruling Samajwadi
Party Bhabhiji Dimple
Yadav is their leader number
one. Known for her simplicity
and grace, Chief Minitser
Akhilesh Yadavs wife is all set
to win the hearts of the people
of her Kannauj parliamentary
constituency.
Even the poll
material selling
outside the SP
office are brim-
ming with
Dimples photos.
Needless to say if
BJPs prime minis-
terial candidate
Narendra Modis
poll items are
reaching an all
time high, in the
SP it is Bhabhiji
pictures and other
poll material which is
much in demand.
Bhabhiji is second only to
Modi when it comes to selling
poll material. We have pho-
tographs, posters, handker-
chiefs and coffee mugs with the
Samajwadi flag and Dimples
photographs. Candidates are
placing orders for more and we
cannot cope with the demand,
says Ravish Agarwal, who runs
a Samajwadi stall in front of the
Samajwadi Party state head-
quarters here.
However, he explains that
he was not displaying Dimples
pictures in the stalls though he
has it all stocked up. This is
mainly due to security reasons
so I am distributing it only to
the candidates who are asking
me for it, he explained.
Framed photographs of
Dimple Yadav, meanwhile, are
available at a price
that ranges
between C200 -
C650, depending
on the size. A
packet of six
handkerchi efs
with Dimples
photo printed on
it is available for
C140 and the cof-
fee mugs are
priced at C150
each. Balloons
with Dimples
photograph are
also a fast selling item.
The party has no other
woman leader who can match
Bhabhijis stature. Her pho-
tographs are very attractive and
the womenfolk in my con-
stituency love her because she
exudes the warmth of a home-
maker. I am using her photo-
graph extensively in my cam-
paign and my wife distributes
her handkerchief when she goes
campaign among the women,
says a SP candidate from east-
ern UP.
Fh8 Q FAhAJ
A
false campaign accusing
the BJP in Goa of commu-
nalism could be hurting the
partys poll campaign in Goa, its
spokesperson told reporters in
Panaji on Thursday.
Addressing mediapersons,
BJP spokesperson Pramod
Sawant, however, said that the
false accusation of the party
being communal would not be
heeded by the electorate and
the BJP would sail through.
There are the false accu-
sations about communalism
which are being made. But peo-
ple will see through it, Sawant
said when asked which were
some of the critical issues
which the party needed to
look into ahead of polls.
Sawant also said that the
party would start a blitzkrieg on
ground, where partys Catholic
MLAs would speak to the elec-
torate about
how the BJP was
secular and not
communal.
With barely
ten days to go
before the State
goes to the polls,
and with the
influential Catholic Church in
Goa already exhort-
ing the faithful to vote
secular, the party had
begun to
get jittery
especially
about the
South Goa Lok
Sabha seat,
which is minor-
ity dominated.
The fact
that at the national level the party
is going gung ho about its con-
troversial chest thumping prime
ministerial candidate Narendra
Modi whose image of being
antagonistic towards minorities
is persistent.
The BJP has been in a tizzy
after deputy Chief Minister
Francis DSouza, one of the
BJPs senior most Christian leg-
islators, told a Press conference
last week that minorities have
apprehensions against Modi
and will continue to harbour
them in the future.
Minorities will have an
apprehension. It will always be
there, DSouza, the deputy
CM, said in response to queries
if minority communities would
accept BJPs prime ministerial
candidate Modi, who in the
past has been accused of hard-
line right wing politics.
8aM0, 8ItIsh se040 sec0Iar: 80aIa
Bolh change lheir
ace rom lime lo
lime, says Cong
residenl
~ Sonia Gandhi
uFA SARKAR hE
FChALE 0AS
SAL0h MEh BhAR
KE vKAS KE LYE
FuRA Y000Ah 0YA,
KhuB RASh 0 FER
uSKA uFY00 huA
K hAh YEh
MuJhSE BEhTAR
AAF JAhTE hAh
Ralul lacls olitical
unoerstanoing: Rajnatl
False communal slur againsl us: BJF
Dimplo winning
hoarts in Kannau|
1WPQWXYX is
second only
to Modi when it
comes to selling
poll material. We
have photographs,
posters, hankies &
coffee mugs with
the Samajwadi flag
and Dimple's
photographs
khF 8hkMk Q 0uwAhAT
B
JP national spokesman MJ
Akbar termed Rahul
Gandhis assurance of creating
100 million jobs in next five
years as khayali pulao (Biryani
of illusions) and termed it as
one of the worst jokes on
Thursday.
The eminent journalist,
who had recently joined the
saffron party, said that the
UPA Government had created
only 14.5 million jobs between
2004 to 2012.
When in eight years they
have created only 14.5 million
jobs, how can they create 100
million jobs in next five years,
This can only happen when
you want to fool people, said
Akbar while adding that this
fooling has to stop.
The AICC vice-chairman
had attended public rallies in
different States of the North-
East including Assam,
Nagaland, Mizoram and in
Meghalaya and in almost all the
rallies he assured that the UPA
III is going to create 100 mil-
lion jobs in the next five years.
I do not need to convince
anyone that the economy of
India had been crushed in last
ten years of UPA rule. The
younger generations of the
country had been denied jobs
in the last ten years and statis-
tics say that jobs grew only at
2 per cent during the last two
terms of UPA, Akbar said.
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8m0keIess 0IIIa Ia ssam h00ths t00
There are false
accusations about
communalism
which are being
made. But people
will see through it,
says BJP's Sawant
ALL STEFS hAvE BEEh TAKEh T0 EhSuRE ALL
F0LLh0 B00ThS ARE T0BACC0FREE
Z0hES 0uRh0 ThE F0LLS. ThS S
BEh0 00hE AS FER SECT0h 4 0F
ThE C0ARETTE Ah0 0ThER
T0BACC0 FR00uCTS ACT (C0TFA),
2OO8 whCh FR0hBTS SM0Kh0 h
FuBLC FLACES. ShCE F0LLh0 B00ThS
ARE FuBLC FLACES, T C0MES uh0ER
ThE ACT'S FR0vS0hS
~ RC Jain Secretary &
Additional CEO, Assam
8Ihk
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k88kM
A
s the stage is set for the
worlds largest elec-
toral extravaganza, one
cannot help but won-
der whether the game
is worth the expense, chaos and
manipulation. George Bernard
Shaws definition that democracy
substitutes election by the incom-
petent many for appointment by
the corrupt few might suggest we
have the worst of all worlds elec-
tion by the incompetent many fol-
lowed by appointment by the cor-
rupt few. The problem, as someone
pointed out, is that doubts about
democracy disappear when you
look at the alternatives.
One alternative I came upon
recently in AG Nooranis magiste-
rial tome, The Destruction of
Hyderabad, was proposed by the
British lawyer and politician,
Walter Monckton, who was a
friend of Edward VIII and Sir
Winston Churchill, and constitu-
tional adviser to Mir Osman Ali
Khan, the last reigning Nizam of
Hyderabad. It is a mistake to
assume that the only satisfactory
method of Government for the
whole of India is responsible
Government on the model of
Western democracy he wrote in
1946. Being a constitutional lawyer,
Noorani mentions this in tones
dripping disapproval. But
Monckton felt the Nizams plan to
involve Hindus and Muslims in his
executive council would give a
chance to build up a strong,
democractic, predominantly elect-
ed administrative machine from
the bottom, from the village pan-
chayats and the local and district
boards and taluqs. If vigorously
encouraged, this particularly
Indian organisation could create
a firm and reliable element of
internal stability in the testing
times that lay ahead for
Hyderabad and its ruler.
Of course, the Nizams attempt
to promote panchayati raj was
denounced as trampling on the
rights of the people. But when West
Bengals Left Front Government
introduced the same grassroots
institutions, it was hailed as the sav-
iour of the masses. A significant
reason for this double standard is
that the London School of
Economics philosophy which per-
meates our thinking condemns
monarchy as tyrannical and the
Left as representing the people. The
Americans adopted a presidential
Constitution because they misin-
terpreted the enormous power
George III exercised through his
cronies during their War of
Independence. They even original-
ly planned to designate their chief
executive Lord High Protector of
the United States of America.
Thanks to the LSE, we knew bet-
ter. When a Constituent Assembly
member suggested enumerating
the Presidents rights and duties,
Jawaharlal Nehru explained that
would damage the dignity of
someone who was the equivalent
of the British monarch. In theory,
Indias President should enjoy all
the powers of the British king or
queen. In practice, he should
refrain from exercising them just
like Britains sovereign.
Well, that didnt last too long.
Nehrus daughter thought it nec-
essary to codify the Presidents
powers. Even so, Rajiv Gandhi
complained of the difficulty of con-
vincing Zail Singh in Hindi that the
constitutional assertion that the
Government held office during
the pleasure of the President did-
nt mean quite that.
Despite Indias pride in the
worlds first democratic republic in
Vaishali, the parliamentary system
is an alien import. I have childhood
memories of our servants asking as
independence approached whether
Nehru or Gandhi would replace
George VI as the new king. Voters
have become sophisticated since
then, but as Bal Thackeray put it, In
India, people dont cast their vote,
they vote their caste. Had it not
been so, the BJP would not have
denied Barmer to Mr Jaswant
Singh and given it to a turncoat
Congressman, Mr Sona Ram
Chaudhary, whose Jat community
dominates the constituency.
The internationally respected
Mr Singh says Barmer is in the
desert where everyone is equally
affected if there is a famine and no
one thinks of sectarian divides. The
tragedy is that 67 years of electoral
interaction have strengthened
instead of weakening the power of
ancient loyalties. This was again
evident in the recent spat between
Ms Yashodhara Raje Scindia,
Madhya Pradeshs Minister for
Commerce, Industries and
Employment, and Mr Jai Bhan
Singh Pawaiya, the BJP candidate
from Guna, over Rani Lakshmi Bai
of Jhansis death in 1857. Like caste,
feudal loyalties are stronger than
modern politics.
The issues that matter are
naturally different here from
Europe or America. Indira
Gandhis historic defeat in 1977
was not because her Emergency
dispensation abused the
Constitution, trampled on human
rights or abridged Press freedom.
The populace turned against her
because of that one word nasban-
di. It doesnt detract from the
validity of our democratic process
that people respond to different
calls. What does or can do
is the suspicion that no matter what
the electoral verdict, governance
remains in the hands of a small
elite. This is not uniquely Indian.
President Dwight Eisenhower
deplored the power that what he
called the military-industrial com-
plex exercised in the US. Everyone
save loyal Indians recognised that
in befriending Mahatma Gandhi
before Independence, GD Birla
was astutely buying insurance for
the post-independence years. It is
no secret that the Government
ensured that Hindustan Motors
Ambassador car enjoyed a monop-
oly for many years until Sanjay
Gandhi came along.
Another industrial house is
said to be as powerful now as the
Birlas were. It doesnt play the
moral card as Birlas did with
Gandhiji, but it has vast wealth and
has repeatedly been singled out for
trying to influence the outcome of
election after election. It is suspect-
ed of persuading successive
Governments to enact laws that
promote its own business interests
and of backing business-friendly
candidates. Money power plays a
decisive role. As Mr Atal Bihari
Vajpayee told a parliamentary
inquiry committee, every Indian
Legislator starts his career with the
lie of the false election return he
submits. No matter what the ceil-
ing, candidates will spend more.
Singapores veteran leader Lee
Kuan Yew says he is not intellec-
tually convinced that one-man-
one-vote is the best form of
Government. We practise it
because thats what the British
bequeathed us. Its a historical
accident for all Commonwealth
countries. But while many have
abolished or trimmed it, India has
retained it in almost original
form. It may not produce a
Government which is honest,
effective and efficient which is
Lees most important demand,
but it does produce a Government
that people trust. And it does make
for consensual decisions. Both
are necessary for stability in a
multi-polar country. Both will
remain elusive if a tunnel vision
focuses only on caste and commu-
nity instead of taking an inclusive
view of the reality of multi-cultur-
al, multi-religious India.
T
he bumbling ways o lhe Cenlral Bureau o nvesligalion have yel again dam
aged nalional securily inleresls. Thanks lo lhe agency's incomelence, Mr
Ravi Shankaran, lhe rime accused in lhe naval war room leak case, will
nol be exlradiled lo ndia rom lhe uK, or lhe lime being. This is desile lhe
acl lhal uK home Secrelary Mary Theresa had signed Mr Shankaran's exlradi
lion order in March 2O18. Al lhal lime, lhe accused was allowed lo aeal lo
lhe England and wales high Courl, which, on Tuesday, ruled lhal lhere was no
prima facic evidence againsl Mr Shankaran. Al lhe crux o lhis decision is lhe
conlenlious email, conlaining secrel documenls leaked rom lhe naval oera
lion room, lhal was allegedly senl by ormer Commander vijendra Rana (laler
ired rom service) lo lhe email 0 'vicbranson@aol.com'. Mr MF Khushwaha,
a ormer emloyee o lhe accused, had lesliied lo lhe CB lhal lhe email was
used by his boss. And lhis leslimony was lhe only direcl iece o evidence, link
ing Mr Shankaran lo lhe leaked doc
umenls, lhal was resenled by lhe CB
in lhe uK courl. however, because lhe
CB had nol cared, callously enough,
lo gel Mr Khushwaha's signalure on
lhe slalemenl, lhe high Courl lhrew
il oul, as lhere was no "endorsemenl
o lrulh, nor indeed any warranly lhal
lhe wilness has read and underslood
lhe slalemenl."
0n ils arl, lhe CB has under
layed lhe uK high Courl's ruling and
claimed lhal il is nol a selback lo ils
case. The agency is ocussing on lhe
aulhenlicily o lhe email, which has
been challenged by lhe deence's lech
nical exerls. Bul lhal is a dierenl
argumenl allogelher. Even i lhe CB
is able lo rove lhal lhe email is gen
uine, how will il link lhe email lo Mr
Shankaran, wilhoul Mr Khushwaha's leslimony? Anyway, even lhal leslimony
is "ar loo slender a basis" or exlradilion, and lhere were "olher avenues by
which lhe ndian 0overnmenl could have soughl lo eslablish lhe link belween
lhe name vic Branson and lhe aellanl none o which... lhey managed lo use,"
as lhe high Courl has observed. The courl also aclored inlo ils decision, lhe
six years ndian aulhorilies look lo issue bail lo lhe olher deendanls who were
arresled in 2OOG. The lime aclor was imorlanl lo uK aulhorilies because lhe
CB, when requesling Mr Shankaran's exlradilion, had assured lhem il will nol
oose a bail alicalion by lhe accused. unorlunalely, lhe CB's handling o
lhis case is relele wilh such errors which nol only underline lhe agency's ine
iciency bul raise susicions o a ossible slalesonsored coveru. how else
did Mr Shankaran escae lo Euroe in 2OOG even lhough lhe CB had cancelled
his assorl and nlerol had issued a Red Corner holice againsl him?

l cannol be lhal Congress residenl Sonia 0andhi mel a Muslim delegalion

led by lhe Jama Masjid's Shahi mam, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, lo exchange noles
on heallh and lhe wealher. The mam gave lhe game away when he said lhal
lhe Congress leader had aealed lo him lo ensure lhal Muslim voles did nol
gel "slil". n olher words, Ms 0andhi had aroached lhe mam wilh a requesl
lhal he use his good oices lo gel Muslims voles or lhe Congress, al leasl in
0elhi. lhis is nol a blalanl acl o communal olilics, nolhing is. Bul lhe Congress
remains adamanl lhal il is nol. The arly claims such meelings are rouline. Thal
lhey cerlainly are or lhe Congress is acknowledged. l is nol lhe irsl lime lhal
lhe arly has lobbied or Muslim voles in a bra/en ashion, while simullaneous
ly bealing lhe secular drum. under lhe leadershi o ndira 0andhi and laler under
Rajiv 0andhi's rime minislershi, lhe Congress had courled senior Muslim cler
ics - nol lo win lheir hearls bul lhe voles o lhe minorily communily. n lhose
days, when lhe Shahi mam was an imorlanl Muslim voice, lhe arly beneil
led rom his aeclions. The silualion is dierenl loday. hol only does lhe mam
no longer enjoy lhe inluence he once did, lhere have srung olher imorlanl
clerics across lhe counlry, arlicularly in ullar Fradesh, lhal have been seak
ing oul againsl lhe aeasemenl olicies o lhe Congress and lhe damage lhese
have done lo lhe communily. These
clerics have been also harsh on olher
socalled secular organisalions such
as lhe Samajwadi Farly, which have
been laying a game o minorily
aeasemenl similar lo lhal o lhe
Congress. Add lo lhis lhe acl lhal lhe
Muslim communily is now once bil
len and lwice shy aler been laken or
a ride by lhe 'secularisls' who wooed
lhem or voles bul did nolhing or lheir
socioeconomic develomenl, and il
is nol diicull lo undersland why Ms
0andhi's inilialive is unlikely lo shore
u lhe Congress's orlunes in lhe com
ing eleclion. The young and lhe mid
dle class volers rom lhe minorily
communily have been in recenl years
veering away rom lhe olilics o vole
banks and demanding develomenl.
They have no use or lerms like 'consolidalion o Muslim voles'. The Muslims
do nol, any more, vole as a ||cc in one direclion, allhough lhey do indulge in
laclical voling where lhey eel lhe need.
The Congress residenl's meeling wilh lhe Jama Masjid's Shahi mam, com
ing as il did days beore lhe irsl hase o olling begins or lhe Lok Sabha and
in lhe wake o news lhal lhe arly was lrailing ar behind lhe Bharaliya Janala
Farly in oinion olls, clearly indicales lhal lhe arly is deserale lo somehow
roaclively rojecl a roMuslim ace and rea olilical dividend. Thal il should
seek lo simullaneously call ilsel secular and aeal lo lhe Muslims lo avoid a
slil in lheir voles or lhe Congress, is an irony which is sadly losl on lhe arly.
having exended much o ils energy in largeling lhe BJF or ils "divisive" ol
ilics and or "sowing lhe seeds o oison", lhe Congress has lunged headlong
inlo lhe worsl kind o communal olarisalion. while every arly has lhe righl
lo reach oul lo various communilies and social denominalions, il's dangerous
when a arly syslemalically largels a arlicular communily and cajoles il lo vole
in a communal ashion. Such an aroach can harden communal aull lines lhal
exisl across lhe social seclrum. Bul lhe Congress could nol have been less bolh
ered by lhis danger.
00mm0aaI caIc0IatI0as
Sonia Ganoli requests mam for Muslim votes
opinion 08 NEW DELH FRDAY APRL 4, 2014
Politics of religion ano
caste must le ass
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08I's hI0a4er 4eIIherate7
Poor aerworl lels navy secret leal accuseo
7bUQd S_]URQS[
Sir This refers to the editori-
al, Back in the reckoning (April
2). Mr Viswanathan Anands win
at the Candidates chess tourna-
ment is praiseworthy. One
expected him to be low on morale
after his crushing defeat at the
hands of Mr Magnus Carlsen at
the World Chess Championship
in November last. But the Indian
grandmaster showed resilience
and good temperament.
The scene will now shift to
the World Chess Championship
where Mr Anand will square off
with reigning champion Carlsen.
One expects that the Indian will
be better prepared this time.
Devendra Khurana
Bhopal
7bQfU Y]`\YSQdY_^c
Sir This refers to the article,
Why Ukraine Matters to India
(April 1) by Abhijit Iyer-Mitra.
The events in Ukraine have far-
reaching consequences. First, the
Cold War between Russia and the
West has been revived. Second,
with the alienation of Russia
from the US, China is trying to
exploit the situation in its favour.
Russia is likely to come closer to
China to form a block, with
accelerated economic cooperation
and increased export of Russian
resources and military hardware
to China.
This bilateral cooperation
will leave little leverage for India
vis--vis Russia. It will make
China even more stronger than
India. The balance of power will
further shift in favour of China.
Let Uncle Sam re-assess the glob-
al consequences of its confronta-
tionist policy to restrain China.
PN Saxena
New Delhi
@e^YcX dXU]
Sir The recent statement of
Samajwadi Party leader Narinder
Bhati, daring the Election
Commission and claiming that
since his party is in power in
Uttar Pradesh, it will take care of
the complaints by the EC against
the accused, is nauseating.
Such irresponsible political
leaders should be immediately
debarred by the Election
Commission from contesting
elections. Incidentally, Mr Bhati
is the same person who had ver-
bally attacked the upright IAS
officer, Ms Durga Shakti Nagpal.
Surendra Wig
Bhopal
BUcdbQY^ RQ^[c
Sir It is good news that the
Reserve Bank of India has asked
banks not to levy penalty on cus-
tomers who do not maintain a
minimum balance in basic sav-
ings bank accounts. RBI
Governor Raghuram Rajans view
that banks should not take undue
advantage of their customers,
is welcome.
Banks are often found want-
ing in rendering customer-friend-
ly services to borrowers. When
loans are given, processing
charges are debited to the account
of the loanee.
When banks recover interest
from the loanees, which is gener-
ally at least two per cent above the
interest given to the customers for
their deposits in banks, where is
the need to charge processing fees
for giving loans?
In addition to charging pro-
cessing fees when loans are given,
banks often insist that the bor-
rowers take insurance policies.
Banks should be content with the
interest they charge on the money
they loan to the people.
KV Seetharamaiah
Hassan
www.dailypionoor.oom
a e r W I t h a s s I 0 a
8hkhk k kTTkkY
LETTERS T0 ThE E0T0R
UPA Govornmont has
oausod irroparablo
damago to Andhra
Pradosh by dooiding
to biuroato tho Stato.
Formor Union Ministor
KS Pao
Pooplo ask mo to sign
that (nudo pioturo rom
CXcP]XR). don't sign it. t
ools vory unoomortablo.
Hollywood aotor
Kato Winslot
Modi has draggod in
Sonia Gandhi's namo
in tho talian Marinos
oaso. Ho should show
proo or apologiso.
Korala Chio Ministor
Oommon Chandy
ThE hZAM'S
FR0M0T0h 0F
FAhChAYAT RAJ
wAS 0Eh0uhCE0.
BuT whEh ThE LEFT
FR0hT
00vERhMEhT
hTR00uCE0 ThE
SAME 0RASSR00TS
hSTTuT0h, T
wAS hALE0 AS ThE
SAv0uR 0F ThE
MASSES
SOUNDBTE
FakIstaa c00rt has sh0Wa
c00rae 0ver M0sharraf
F
ormer Fresidenl and Army chie o Fakislan, 0eneral Ferve/ Musharra,
has been indicled on ive counls o high lreason. This marks a lurning
oinl or Fakislan where lhe mililary has dominaled lhe civilian leader
shi and no mililary ruler has ever been lried or abuse o ower. The charges
againsl 0eneral Musharra are lhal o subverling lhe Conslilulion, imos
ing an Emergency in lhe counlry and delaining judges. while no one can
conclude whelher democracy has laken a decisive sle orward in Fakislan,
lel us hoe lhal lhe develomenl will slrenglhen lhe hands o Fakislani
civilian rulers lo gel lheir counlry oul o lhe clulches o lhe Army, which
likes lo rule by roxy.
ndian courls musl learn rom lheir Fakislani counlerarls and have
lhe courage lo summon lhe Frime Minisler, lhe union Finance Minisler
and olher senior unclionaries o lhe 0overnmenl in conneclion wilh lhe
various scams lhal have hil lhe counlry.
1 kkshobhya
Myscrc
S|J ]uu| |J|+| |u.
IeIIersIopioneer@gmaiI.rom
I
get the feeling that I am not
the only person to be expe-
riencing a sense of dismay
watching the political
debates on the news chan-
nels, now that the election cam-
paign is in top gear. There is an ele-
ment of predictable monotony
about the responses.
One cannot realistically object
to the political slug-festing; after
all, that is the staple of the elec-
toral process in a democratic
state. But what is disconcerting
about the whole process in the
current election is the bile and the
venom that is routinely
exchanged. Listening to the par-
ticipants in the debates, most
would wonder how these people
managed to live in the same
country at all! For the current lot
of politicians, their opponents are
the repository of everything that
is not just venal, detestable and
rotten, but anti-national as well.
I tend to notice more similarities
than differences.
It would be meaningless to dis-
sect what is on offer; most dis-
cerning individuals who share my
unfortunate cynicism of the polit-
ical process in India realise that it
is not ideologically-driven and
that politicians can never be taken
at their word. The question that one
would wish to put to them is some-
what different.
Every political formation has
repeatedly lamented over the non-
functioning of Parliament. More
days were lost because of repeated
adjournments in this Parliament
than any previous one. That, every-
one would agree, is the major
impediment to any meaningful ser-
vice to the people who voted these
representatives in the first place.
Would it be too much to ask
all the major political parties to put
their heads together and work out
a solution to this major impedi-
ment to democracy? I have not
heard any of the major anchors host
a programme on this most vexing
issue. Neither have I read in any of
the major newspapers. And, sure-
ly, without amelioration of this
major problem we cannot expect
any meaningful improvement from
the status quo.
The main reason for this very
sorry state of affairs is the absolute
inability of the presiding officers
to exercise optimal control over
the proceedings. This has hap-
pened in Parliament after
Parliament in recent years. And
my contention is that unless we
can bring about a change here, I
fear we are headed for the repeat
performance of the sorry state we
have witnessed over the last five
years perhaps even more.
It would be apposite to dwell
on why is it that the presiding offi-
cers, in particular the Speaker of the
Lok Sabha, has not been able to
exercise the control needed for
smooth functioning of the lower
House. The answer is simple: The
office of the Speaker does not enjoy
the confidence of the House the
way it should. And in the case of
the Speaker, I would suggest that a
mere majority of members voting
for him/her is simply not enough.
He/she has to have the total con-
fidence of the house if not in
form of a consensus then at least
two third majority. This is essen-
tial to ensure that the rulings
appear to be totally above board
and impartial. I would plead that
this matter be given urgent atten-
tion. And this is an issue which can
be easily rectified provided the
political players demonstrate that
they truly are committed to the
smooth functioning of the house
which they all claim they do.
We have the example of a
Speakers office that is function-
ing excellently in Parliament that
has been the prime inspiration for
ours the House of Westminster
in the United Kingdom. While
the context is somewhat different
Britain does not have as many
political parties represented in the
House we still would do well
to learn a few lessons from them
in this regard.
There is a convention, not a
constitutional mandate, which the
Speakers would alternate from
each of the two major parties and
this is adhered to religiously. Time
and again ruling parties with huge
majorities have consented to elect
Speakers from the Opposition.
During my time in the UK, a
House with a huge Conservative
majority elected Ms Betty
Boothroyd as its Speaker although
she was from the Labour Party.
At least in the UK, there is
another convention. The Speakers
post is generally allocated to very
senior politicians who are able to
command cross-party respect and
who have no ambitions in active
politics. In the last 100 years I am
not aware of any Speaker who has
after relinquishing the post ever
vied for a ministerial position let
alone a prime ministerial one.
The conventions in practice, as
the constitutional expert Norman
St John Stevas points out, are to
ensure smooth parliamentary func-
tioning which makes sense
when we examine another con-
vention. The Speaker forgoes vot-
ing privileges except when there is
a tie; and then the Speaker is sup-
posed to cast his vote with the
Government irrespective of the
shade of that particular
Government to ensure that the
Government doesnt fall.
When we begin to look at the
Speakers, the earlier ones were a
model of propriety and rectitude
men of integrity and sense of pur-
pose whose commitment to
upholding the dignity of the House
was total. GV Mavalankar, the first
Speaker has acquired a hallowed
place. He even took on the
President of the Constituent
Assembly once when he felt that the
House was being seen as sub-
servient to the Constituent
Assembly. His early successors fol-
lowed in his footsteps and post
retirement took on only constitu-
tional positions like the Governor.
In 1967, Neelam Sanjiva Reddy set
another very healthy precedent.
After being elected Speaker he
resigned from the active member-
ship of the Congress in deference
to the demand for impartiality.
It was after Reddy resigned in
1969 to contest the presidential poll
that the Speakership was passed on
to Gurdial Singh Dhillon, a light-
weight and obscure politician with
no credentials of note. Post-presi-
dential poll he had sided with
Indira Gandhi when the Congress
split and that was his reward!
And he debased it further when
Gandhi in 1975, summoned him
and asked him to relinquish the
speakership and accept a junior
Cabinet post, which he did.
It would be wonderful if the
political formations were to decide
through a consensus on a person
who enjoys cross-party support as
a Speaker-designate and get that
person to occupy the high office.
T
he four southern States
which had always played a
crucial role in the formation
of the Government at the Centre
may not give a decisive verdict in
favour of the UPA or the NDA this
time, because of the shrinking of
both the fronts. The Congress
formed the UPA Government in
2004 and 2009 with the blessings
of the south while the NDA
Government too had its share
from the southern States.
Interestingly, both the nation-
al parties are on the backfoot as far
as their electoral fortunes are con-
cerned in view of the
stronghold of regional par-
ties and the lack of arith-
metic. The BJP is a minor
player, except in Karnataka.
The triumph of the
Congress in the 2009 poll
was largely due to its victo-
ry in Andhra Pradesh, the
DMKs performance in
Tamil Nadu and the NDAs
all-round losses due to
anti-incumbency.
The 130 seats from the
south are up for grabs.
Andhra Pradesh has 42
seats 17 in Telangana
and 25 in Andhra Pradesh.
It had been the citadel of
the Congress even at its
worst times. The rise of the Telugu
Desam Party eclipsed the Congress
for some time, but the party won
the State and contributed 29 seats
to the UPAs kitty in 2004 and 33
seats in 2009, wiping out the TDP.
But the party has squandered the
goodwill by the bifurcation of the
State. Its calculations regarding the
merger of the TRS with the
Congress in Telangana has gone
awry. The rise of the three new par-
ties may also affect the Congresss
prospects in Seemandhra.
The YSR Congress led by Jagan
Mohan Reddy is ready to challenge
the Congress. Congress Chief
Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, who
opposed the move, has launched his
own outfit after the bifurcation. The
TDP is making a desperate bid to
come back, and its alliance with the
BJP is almost final. This should ben-
efit both the parties.
In Tamil Nadu, the fight has
always been between the two
Dravidian parties the DMK and
the AIADMK and the Congress,
since it lost power in 1967, used to
ride piggyback to power. But the
Congress is isolated this time and
may not get any seat. With the
DMK facing internal quarrels and
split in the party chief M
Karunanidhis family, the
AIADMK seems to be in a strong
position and is poised to get about
25 to 30 seats. The AIADMK is
fighting alone for the first time
since its inception. Its chief J
Jayalalithaa has announced many
freebies in her party manifesto, and
has provided a good administra-
tion so far. The BJP has forged an
alliance in Tamil Nadu with the
DMDK, the PMK, the MDMK and
two smaller regional outfits. This
front may get four to five seats.
The BJP had won Karnataka for
the first time in the south in 2008,
and Mr BS Yeddyurappa formed the
Government. But he bowed out
soon due to corruption charges that
was tainted with Although the BJP
completed its term facing many
crises, it lost badly to the Congress
in the 2013 Assembly poll. This is
perhaps the only State in the south
from where the BJP hopes to get 10
to 15 seats after the return of Mr
Yeddyurappa. The Aam Aadmi
Party has also fielded candidates in
the 28 constituencies.
Kerala is a politically-aware
State and the Congress-led UDF
and the CPI(M)-led LDF have
been alternating in power.
The LDF seemed to have
the edge sometime back,
but the ruling UDF appears
to have wrested the initia-
tive for now because of the
Lefts internal squabbles. A
smooth seat-sharing
process with its allies and
a political coup engineered
by the UDF seems to have
swung the pendulum in
favour of the Congress.
Optimists expect 12 to 14
seats for the party, while
the rest may go to the Left
Front. The BJP, for many
years now, has remained an
electoral non-entity and
has not won a single seat in
this southern State.
All these go to show that the
Congress may at best get about 30
to 35 seats from the south while the
BJP may bag about 10 to 15 seats.
The lack of arithmetic is gong to hurt
both the parties. Ms Jayalalithaa
might play a prominent role if the
AIADMK bags 30 seats. Smaller par-
ties like the TRS, the YSR Congress,
the DMK, the PMK, the MDMK,
the DMDK and the Left front could
play a crucial role depending on the
number of seats they get. With the
possibility of a hung Parliament, all
parties are keeping their options
open for a post-poll scenario.
Ihe art 0f W0rkIa t0ether
Srdeye 09
NEW DELH FRDAY APRL 4, 2014
Harmony at
tle grassroots
Pupl ||u| |u|| |i|Ju +|J |uli|
u||u|i|i i| 1&| +| i|1|i| i|
||u|| |u u|+i| u||u|+l |+||u|]
t woulo le wonoerful if tle olitical formations were to oecioe tlrougl a consensus on a erson wlo
enjoys cross-arty suort on a Sealer-oesignate ano get tlat erson to clair tle Lol Salla
k8hk 1khhkVI Fk8k
The main reason
for the sorry
state of affairs in
the Lok Sabha is
the absolute
inability of
presiding officers
to exercise
optimal control
over the
proceedings.
This has
happened in
session after
Parliament
session, in
recent years
With oards oloso to
tho ohost, thoy wait
All olilical arlies, big and small, nalional and regional, are
keeing lheir olions oen or a osleleclion scenario kkIYkhI 8hkhkk
Be it 2009 or 2014,
agenoa is same
T
ry this exercise: Take a
speech of many polit-
ical leader from the
current election cacophony
and debug it of all individ-
ual names and references.
Do not confine yourself to
political speeches but also
cover the commentaries of
wel l -known tel evi si on
anchors. Cleanse the com-
mentary also of names, dates
or episodes which signify a
calendar event.
In seven out of 10 cases,
the content analysis of the
texts, of either variety, will
be a repetition of the 2009
election. The country has to
be saved for secularism, the
disadvantaged must be
helped, the opposing party
has bad pedigree, the nation
must be saved. Of course,
the Speaker or his party
alone can save the nation! If
his opponent moves for-
ward from the script you
expect him to read, he is
an opportunist!
Statements from the
2009 election and those
from this year are hugely
similar. Only some person-
al iti es have changed.
However, the five-year peri-
od from 2009 to 2014 is dif-
ferent from the preceding
five years because the num-
ber of scams has gone up
and the number of cases of
aggression by the state has
been on the rise.
If state is to be projected
as the guilty-party by default
in the episodes of violence
from 2002, what can be said
of the great ballet of flip-flops
in dealing with the Anna
Movement or Baba Ramdevs
agitation? There are many
other examples.
One is not interested in
personalities. One is talking
of processes. One can have
different views on Anna
Hazare and his movement
or whatever came of it. One
can have many views of
Baba Ramdevs movement
not just the midnight
police charge but also the
preceding and subsequent
events and whatever
came of that.
There are other symp-
toms of a severe political
virus that has gripped the
public. Even a casual analy-
sis of the key appointments
by the Union Government
positions in the eight years
between 2004 and 2011
shows a clear bias for per-
sons from a specific back-
ground. That was also the
period in which we were
told that, Prime Minister
was not informed of certain
critical matters.
Will this also be the
model of future governance?
If eight years of visible
bureaucratic manipulation
does not even merit an analy-
sis, there is always the dan-
ger of the virus getting inter-
nalised in the body politic.
Other dangers are
equally large, even if they are
subtle. Nobody seems to
care to point out that India
is part of an international
community of nati ons.
Consider a simple proposi-
tion: In 2009, Indian Oil was
109th in the Fortune 500
Companies. In 2013, it
moved to the 88th rank.
During this period, its
turnover rose by 11
per cent.
However, because of the
steady and conti nuous
decline of the rupee, Indian
Oi ls company wort h
declined by 16 per cent.
The economic columnists
have had no time to com-
ment on the demoralising
role of such a state of affairs
on the corporate going-on.
India is probably the
only nation in the world
which has created an infla-
tion-proof national organ-
isation which is simultane-
ously the biggest employer
in the country. The reference
is to Indian Railways. It is
everybodys case that rail
services improve.
However, fares cannot
be enhanced! Who takes
the risks on safety and why
must fare concessions of
one variety even keep on
escalating? Is political pru-
dence so high that this vital
Ministry has had to experi-
ence the largest number of
leadership changes in the
past five years?
Why is there such deaf-
ening silence on so many
critical issues, including
population explosion, which
constitute the core of our
nation? Indeed, if what one
hears of the state of pre-
paredness of our Armed
Forces is true, it does not
evoke unbridled confidence.
Battles political and per-
sonal skirmishes, led by its
aligned cheer leaders, hog
prime time news television
and print space.
The nation seems to be
divided among those who
do not know and those who
do not care, with a small
percentage of people at
times struggling to be heard
or hoping that their silence
will be rewarded.
The only saving grace is
that no time is constant and
this too shall pass.
Every eleclion, olilical discourse revolves around old
issues while key roblems o lhe resenl are ignored
The Congress should work like the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh and galvanise the people
to come to the voting booths.
~Senior Congress leader
SM KRSHNA
have not praised the RSS. What meant was
that the Congress must be active in getting
the people to vote during elections.
~Senior Congress leader
SM KRSHNA
PONTCOUNTERPONT
VIhkY8hII kTkM
'0
od has no religion', believed Mahalma 0andhi,
who lived in a counlry lhal has been lhe nur
luring ground or several religions since lime
immemorial. This unique ealure o our counlry, ol
lowers o dierenl religions coexisling, is our slrenglh
and our weakness, a aradox lhal has been roven
lime and again on various
occasions. An allack rom
any oreign counlry would
bring us all logelher, bul a
minor domeslic skirmish
can annihilale relalionshis
o many years wilhin sec
onds - a releclion o our
comlex social abric. n
Augusl, lasl year, lhe enlire
nalion wilnessed lwo such
incidences o communal
clashes, one in lhe ar lung
dislricl o Kishlwar in
Jammu & Kashmir and anolher in Mu/aarnagar in
ullar Fradesh, causing unwanled bloodshed. Beyond
lhe visible enallies are invisible scars lhal mar lhe
ageold lradilions which have revailed sleadily
among bolh communilies so ar.
Yel even in lhese lough limes, lhere are eole
rom bolh hindu and Muslim communilies conlinu
ing lo invesl eorls in suslaining communal harmony
and discarding lhe concel o olarisalion usually
execled aler such riols. Such examles become even
more insiralional when lhey come rom remole ham
lels o Jammu & Kashmir, a land burdened wilh lrag
ic memories and simmering anguish.
n 2O11, lhe eole o eole o Jammu &
Kashmir had gone lo lhe anchayal eleclion wilh
enlhusiasm, execling change lhrough devolulion o
anchayal owers and unclions. Bul il was nol lo
be. Their hoes have been dashed by lhe Slale
0overnmenl's incremenlal devolulion olicy. 0esile
lhese shorlcomings, in many anchayals, lhere are
lessons or olilical and urban sociely alike.
"0ur amilies (bolh hindu and Muslim) have
always shared a cordial bond. n lhe melee o 1O47,
my grandarenls saved lhe lives o our Muslim
brelhren and our enlire amily relains lhe similar
resecl or lhem lill dale", shares a humble haranjan
Singh Kaloch, saranch o FanchalB anchayal,
block Ramsoo in lehsil Banihal.
n lhese villages, lie has slayed above lhe ol
ilics o eleclions as lhe magnilude o mulual resecl
is immense. This makes il diicull or vesled inler
esls lo lake rool, or or miscreanls lo divide and
olarise village lie. n acl, lhe harmonious rela
lionshis being shared by lhese lwo communilies
become even more evidenl during lhe sensilive
eleclion eriods.
Arshad hussain, elecled second lime as lhe
saranch o village 0anesar, lehsil howshera in
Rajouri dislricl, exlains how lhey share an ageold
relalionshi. " lake care o lhem like my amily -
irreseclive o lhe religion lhey ollow and in relurn,
lhey lreal me wilh lhe same love and care. n 2OO8,
during lhe landrow agilalion, recognising lhal il
involved lhe senlimenls o my hindu brolhers, look
lhe onus o leading lhe rolesl in my village. And,
a year ago, when my sho was burnl down due lo
a shorl circuil, was glad lo see each one o lhem
slanding by my side collecling an amounl o one lakh
ruees lo rebuild my sho. This is our slrenglh",
shares Arshad wilh greal ride.
whal brings lhese villagers logelher is also lhe
acl lhal lhe socioeconomic landscae o rural
Jammu is dierenl rom rural areas in lhe resl o lhe
counlry. This is rimarily because o lhe land reorms
lhal look lace arlicularly in lhe 1O5Os in lhe Slale,
runing lhe economic exlremes and changing lhe
silualion in rural Jammu & Kashmir rom "land own
ershi o ew and agricullural engagemenl o olh
ers" lo one o "land ownershi lo all and engage
menl o all". l also redeined agrarian lie and lhe
lexlure o inlercommunily relalion. As ha/ir hussain
o village Bhallan in Ramban dislricl ul il, "Lc|at
mc |ar kissi kc ck Jusrc ki maJaJ ki zarurat |cti
|ai aur yc| aman aur pyar vi |ata|ai". (Everyone
in lhe village requires each olher's hel and assis
lance; lhese invokes love and harmony among all).
"we work logelher on many inslances lhrough
Kumer - a communily acl o working logelher, ri
marily during lhe lime o sowing, harvesling and in
silualions where lhere is a requiremenl o grou
work", inorms Abdul Rahim Sohail o anchayal
Bhallan o dislricl Ramban, exlaining lhal lhese, like
many olhers, are examles o lhose noliceable insli
lulions o agrarian sociely which creale and shae
lhe inlercommunily relalion in rural areas.
0len lagged as lradilional and backward, lhese
villages have maniesled lhe lrue sense o democ
racy. These elecled saranchs are nol lhe exemlar
o slil voling as lhey all are in minorily in lheir resec
live anchayals bul have won lhe eleclions wilh a
sweeing majorily, clearly receiving lhe wholehearl
ed aroval o lhemajor communily.
Sohail, haranjan and Arshad are nol lhe only
cases as lhere are many villages lucked away in
remole localions nurluring communal harmony,
uselling lhe commonly lalked o and acknowledged
henomenon o olarisalion. These villages o
Jammu are lhe visible icons o secular olily, re
resenling lhose who believe in il and resecl lhe oin
ion o lhe volers. Should olhers conlinue lo hold on
lo lheir ego inslead o learning rom lhem?
8khEEF 8Ihh
NEW DELH FRDAY APRL 4, 2014 money 10
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BMW launcles M6 Gran Coue for C1.75 cr
Fh8 QhEW EIhI
A
nother airfare war has erupt-
ed trigerred by the Spicejets
recent controversial C1 fare
bonanza in beginning of this
week, Air India, IndiGo and
GoAir have joined in undercut-
ting fare prices and comes at a
time when there is a reported
drop in air traffic in India.
IATA says Indias domestic
air traffic fell 1.8 per cent in
February compared to the same
month in 2013, making it the
only domestic market to see a
contraction in demand, this has
come in the wake of Lok Sabha
elections.
With this carriers like Air
India has launched a short-term
Monsoon Bonanza scheme
under which tickets on 40 select
domestic sectors can be bought
till Saturday for travel till
September 30. A spokesperson
for the national carrier said the
scheme covers 108 flights,
including select domestic legs of
international flights.
The tickets under the scheme
are priced at a flat rate of C1,499
plus applicable taxes.
No-frills carrier IndiGo also
announced discounted ticket
prices on several sectors, pro-
vided they are booked at least 90
days before the travel date. The
discounted fares start at C1,389
for a one-way ticket, the airline
said in a letter to travel agents,
adding these fares were available
only on direct flights on IndiGos
network.
While the airline was silent
about by when a passenger has
to book a ticket to get these low
fares, it said only a limited num-
ber of seats were being offered
under the scheme and travel has
to be between July one and
September 30.
Travel agents, requesting
anonymity, said C1,389 price
was the lowest on IndiGos net-
work and valid for a one-way
travel between Delhi and
Lucknow. A Delhi-Mumbai tick-
et can be bought for a little over
C2,400.
The actual fare would be
more as a flyer would also have
to pay for passenger service fee,
User Development Fee and other
taxes, they said.
GoAir also started a 48-
hour sale till tomorrow, offering
30-40 per cent discount, for 90-
day advance booking valid for
travel between July and
September, they said. This is the
fourth time this year that a fare
war has been initiated, particu-
larly by the no-frills carriers.
SpiceJets rupee one offer
had attracted a mad rush of pas-
sengers with its website crashing
on Tuesday. Within hours, avia-
tion regulator DGCA came
down heavily on it, terming the
offer as predatory and a mal-
practice and asking it to stop it
immediately.
While DGCA had asked
SpiceJet to withdraw its one
rupee scheme on Tuesday, Saying
that such pricing was not only
predatory, but amounted to
malpractice under Rule 135 of
the Aircraft Rules relating to air
tariff.
The fact that only one or two
seats were being offered on each
flight at the rate of one rupee
amounted to deceiving the trav-
elling public, officials had said,
adding that the airline was mak-
ing such an offer for 91 domes-
tic sectors.
SpiceJet came out with a clar-
ification saying its fares were
inclusive of fuel surcharge. So on
the Rupee one sale fare that was
on offer, using the example of
Delhi- Mumbai, the total fare
came to C864, all-in after adding
C863 in taxes and fees.
This fare offer, along with
the C799 fare inclusive of fuel sur-
charge but excluding taxes and
fees, was removed as per the
DGCA directive.
The lowest sale fare still
available as part of the sale is
C1499, inclusive of fuel sur-
charge, but excluding taxes and
fees. Adding taxes and fees of
C937, this fare comes to C2436,
all-in, the SpiceJet statement
said. Commenting on the devel-
opment, Sharat Dhall, President
of travel portal Yatra.Com said,
With India being a price elastic
market for air passengers, these
discounts are being used by air-
lines to create a market for them-
selves.
The advance discount fares
continue to stimulate the market
and offer lucrative opportunities
for those who are willing to book
early. We have noticed our sales
jump by five times since SpiceJet
announced its sale and expect the
momentum to continue, Dhall
said.
Neelu Singh, Chief
Operating Officer of
Ezeego1.Com, felt the trend of
discounted fares was a good
strategy to fill up seats that
would otherwise go empty.
These sales encourage
advance travel planning as peo-
ple have realised that booking
early brings down their overall
travel costs significantly, as much
as by 20 per cent, she said,
adding, We are encouraging our
customers to book early and
make the most of these limited
period offers.
Air noia, noiGo, GoAir join latest airfares triggereo ly Sicejet
khIME8h 8Ihh Q hEw 0ELh
O
ptimism seems to be the
buzzword for the newly
elected President of the indus-
try body Confederation of
Indian Industry (CII) Ajay
Shriram, who expressed a lot of
that sentiment while empha-
sising confidently in an inter-
view to The Pioneer that expe-
diting stalled infrastructure
projects and rolling out the
Goods and Services Tax (GST)
will definitely push economic
growth to 8 per cent by FY17.
Charting out his priorities
at the helm of affairs within the
industry body, Shriram said
that creation of jobs and accel-
eration of economic growth is
the thrust area for FY15 and
keeping this in mind, he
expressed confidence that
whichever Government comes
to power after the impending
Lok Sabha polls, will focus on
growth.
This is an exciting time as
a new Government is to come
in place at the Centre and
whichever Government comes,
will want economic growth
and we would like to get a
chance to share our thoughts
with them regarding our thrust
areas of job creation and
fuelling growth, Shriram said.
Shriram, who is the
Chairman and Sr Managing
Director of DCM Shriram Ltd,
said that in what ways greater
thrust can be given to fast track
stalled big ticket infrastructure
projects and ensuring GST
rollout, is his key focal point.
How to give bigger thrust
to stalled projects and how to
expedite them is the area of
focus. GST is another area
which will expedite growth as
it will bring transparency. If
GST comes into effect, GDP
will go up by 2 per cent to 3 per
cent. Manufacturing also needs
to be pushed, the CII President
emphasised.
Expressing satisfaction at
the performance of the UPA
Government over the last three
months of FY14, Shriram said
that during this period, infla-
tion was under control, current
account (CAD) was stable, and
rupee also stabilised. All this is
a good sign and any new
Government (at the Centre)
has been provided with a good
base to start with.
Referring to a recent study
carried out by CII, he said that
the outcome of the analysis was
that all the Governments at the
end of the day (irrespective of
the parties ruling in the States
covered under the study), want
growth.
At the same time though,
Shriram noted that all the
proactive attitude being shown
by the UPA Government, came
in quite late in the day, due to
which the country lost out in
terms of growth.
In terms of policy there
has been a more positive envi-
ronment in the last three
months. (However) we have
lost a year and a half. Definitely
if it (the thrust by Government)
had come two years ago it
would have been better, he
said.
Maintaining his optimistic
tenor, Shriram said that though
the growth rate has come
down, faster clearances to
stalled projects and being bull-
ish on the manufacturing pol-
icy will expedite growth.
In India transaction costs
are as high as 10 per cent to 12
per cent wherein China has 3
per cent to 4 per cent transac-
tion costs. Setting up industri-
al corridors would smoothen
movement of goods and reduce
transactional costs. Also for-
eign investors have ample faith
in India and in order to keep
ourselves in the race among top
investment destinations glob-
ally, we need to be more com-
petitive, Shriram explained.
When asked whether pre-
diction of uneven monsoon
this year may fuel inflation, he
said that its impact can be min-
imalised as India has good
food grain stock and proactive
management of the storage
situation is required.
hEW EIhI: Facing a potential
tax demand on alleged capital
gains of C24,500 crore it made
7 years back, Cairn Energy plc
has been slapped with two
more notices which the Scottish
explorer plans to counter vehe-
mently.
Cairn faces a potential tax
demand on an alleged C24,500
crore of capital gains it made
when in 2006-07 it transfered
all its India assets to a new
company, Cairn India.
It said none of the trans-
actions undertaken by it dur-
ing that fiscal were chargeable
to tax in India.
Its wholly owned sub-
sidiary, Cairn UK Holdings
Ltd (CUHL) filed a nil return
for the year in question on the
grounds that none of the trans-
actions undertaken by it dur-
ing that fiscal year is chargeable
to tax in India, the company
said in a statement.
In addition, Cairn has
received two further notices
from the Indian Income Tax
Department.
The first, dated March
29, 2014, is a request made to
Cairn Energy plc to file a tax
return for the fiscal year ended
31 March 2007. Cairn intends
to file a nil return for this
notice.
The second, dated March
31, 2014, claims that CUHL
should have withheld tax on
dividends paid to its parent
company, Cairn Energy plc, it
said.
Stating that no tax demand
has been raised, Cairn said it
intends to respond to the
notice refuting this claim.
Throughout its history of
operating in India Cairn has
been compliant with the tax
legislation in force in each
year. Cairn has stated that it
intends to take whatever steps
are necessary to protect the
companys interests, the state-
ment said.
The I-T Department has
restrained Cairn from selling its
residual 10.3 per cent stake,
worth over $1 billion, in Cairn
India till the tax dispute is
resolved.
Cairn Energy had in 2011
sold majority stake in its Indian
unit, Cairn India to mining
group Vedanta for $8.67 billion.
It still holds 10.3 per cent stake
in Cairn India.
The I-T Department had in
a January 22 order held that the
Edinburgh-based firm made
capital gains of C24,503.50
crore when it transferred its
entire India business from sub-
sidiaries incorporated in places
like Jersey, a tax haven, to the
newly incorporated Cairn India
in 2006.
It, according to the
department, received
C26,681.87 crore for the asset
transfer against its entire invest-
ment of C2,178.36 crore in the
India business.
After transferring the
assets, the Scottish explorer
listed Cairn India on the stock
exchanges through an initial
public offering (IPO) in 2006
that raised C8,616 crore.
While the I-T Department
has so far not raised a tax
demand on Cairn Energy, it has
ordered Cairn India not to
allow the transfer of UK firms
residual stake. It also ordered
that the shares cannot be
pledged or mortgaged.
Cairn Energy was widely
seen as a likely participant in
the Indian firms share buyback,
which opened on January 23.
Cairn India plans to buy 17.09
crore shares, or 8.9 per cent of
the equity, from the open mar-
ket at not more than C335
apiece, aggregating up to C5,725
crore.
The I-T Department start-
ed an investigation on January
15 to determine if capital gains
tax was due from Cairn
Energys transfer of shares of
Indian assets to Cairn India in
2006. FTI
II 0et sIas tW0 m0re
a0tIces 0a 0aIra Faery
MuMBA : Res er ve Bank
Governor Raghuram Rajan
has sai d unl ess forei gn
exchange reserves rise to the
level of the Chinese, the
economy cannot be said to
be insulated from external
shocks.
We have a lot of forex
reserves. Right now, it is
$300 billion plus. So, the key
question is at what point you
feel safe. I think, if you focus
only on reserves, there is
really no point at which you
feel safe.. 400, 500, 600...Any
level of reserves, until you
get to Chinese level, it is
probably not enough, he
told researchers and ana-
lysts in the customary post-
policy concall.
He was answeri ng a
question on whether the RBI
was comfortable with the
current level of reserves.
The comments assume
importance as the tradition-
al position of the central
bank has been not to set a
forex reserves target.
Chinas foreign exchange
reserves stood at staggering
$3.66 trillion as of end 2013,
making it the largest in the
world, while at the best of
times, India could not shore
up more than $322 billion.
The count r ys f orex
reserves rose to $298.6 bil-
l i on i n the week ended
March 21. But on March 31,
Fi nance Mi ni st er P
Chi dambaram sai d t he
reserves had crossed $300
billion by that day. RBI
would release the formal
numbers tomorrow.
Since Raj an assumed
office on September 4, the
reserves have gone up by
over $25 billion. On August
30 last, the reserves stood at
$275.5 billion which crossed
$300 billion as of March 31.
The reserves had surged
to an all-time high of $322
billion in September 2011.
Rajan said instead of
building just reserves, there
is a need to focus on creat-
i ng pol i cy envi ronment
which boosts investor confi-
dence.
We, at the RBI, have
been trying to provide this
confidence and I think this
is a far better way.
The Governor said the
central banks intervention in
the foreign exchange market
is only to curb volatility
caused by the higher inflows
or outflows.
Our i nterventi on i n
exchange market has histor-
i cal l y been t o reduce
exchange rate volatility. And
thats not just the volatility
today but also the anticipat-
ed volatility if the exchange
rate becomes unduly strong
because of extreme inflows
or unduly weak because of
extreme outflows.
So, to the extent we
have to intervene to prevent
that kind of volatility, we
have plenty of reserves, he
said. FTI
Fh8 Q hEw 0ELh
S
istema Shyam TeleServices Limited (SSTL), popularly known
with the MTS brand name has announced the launch of one
of its kind MTS election tracker, a live dashboard that showcases
analysis of all conversations on the social media about political
parties and politicians.
The tracker giving internet users a sense of the current polit-
ical discourse in the country. The tracker provides real-time
analysis by collating data from across the web as well as social
media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter & YouTube and tracks
mentions of leading political parties & politicians. The Election
tracker has been conceptualised by Social Samosa, a social media
portal that tracks the Indian social media industry with a hawks
eye and shares analysis and content.
MTS Election tracker displays data in the form of bar graphs,
pie charts etc. Internet users can just visit http://www.social-
samosa.com/electiontracker/ to see what the youth of India has
to say about the General Elections 2014.
Fh8 QhEw 0ELh
A
fter again touching a new all
time high of 22,620.65 in
early trade, the benchmark
Sensex fell due to profit booking
from domestic institutions.
Despite touching a new record
high for the ninth consecutive
session, Sensex ended Thursdays
session at 22,509.07, declined by
42.42 points.
As per experts, Sensex fell
for the first time in last seven ses-
sions on profit-booking in bank-
ing, refinery and capital goods
shares. In choppy session, it
declined to days low of 22,369.28
but recovered sharply after for-
eign institutional investors (FII)
again started buying on lower
levels. The broader index Nifty
also fell by 16.45 points to finish
at 6,736.10 after registering all-
time peak of 6,776.75 in early
trade.
Rising on the back of steady
fund inflows, the Sensex on
March 24 closed above 22,000
for the first time ever. The total
gain for the Sensex in the previ-
ous six sessions is 496.28 points
or 2.25 per cent. Many had
attributed the surge in markets
to sustained FII inflows on
hopes of a stable government
coming to power at the Centre
after general elections.
Bank stocks fell after the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) clar-
ified that the option for spread-
ing the mark-to- market losses
over the three quarters ended on
March 31, 2014 and no further
extension is allowed, experts
said. Also selling in public sec-
tor stocks added more pressure
on the market, experts added.
Meanwhile on the currency
front, the rupee dropped by 26
paise to close at Rs 60.16 per dol-
lar on fresh dollar demand from
banks and importers in view of
the US currency gaining in over-
seas markets and weakness in
local equities. The dollar index
was also up by 0.11 per cent
against a basket of six major
global units.
As per forex experts, for-
eign capital inflows seemed
persisting and this capped the
rupees fall. Domestic curren-
cy started the day lower at Rs
59.95 per dollar and dropped
further to a low Rs 60.28 per
dollar. The global strength in
the dollar index ahead of the
key US service PMI numbers
weighed down the gains of
majority of the EM currencies,
said Abhishek Goenka
Founder and CEO, India Forex
Advisors.
F0rex reserves heI0W 0hIaese
IeveI a0t c0mf0rtahIe: 8ajaa
kIkkTk: Armed with an in-
principle banking licence
from RBI, city-based micro-
finance(MF) institution
Bandhan Financial Services
would transfer its existing
business to the proposed bank
to be formed.
The MF business activ-
ity of Bandhan will be trans-
ferred to the bank which will
service the existing cus-
tomers, Chairman and
Managing director of
Bandhan C S Ghosh told the
news agency.
Yesterday, RBI had grant-
ed `in-principle banking
licences to Bandhan and
IDFC.
Ghosh said RBI had given
18 months time to start the
banking operations. We are
preparing towards that. The
process has already started,
Ghosh said.
He said the regulatory
capital requirement to start a
bank was C500 crore. Our
networth is C1,100 crore.
There is no immediate need
for capital and the bank will
be promoted by Bandhan
Financial Services, he said.
Out of the present 2016
branches, 70 per cent were in
the rural belt, Ghosh said
adding some of them would
be restructured.
Presently, Bandhan is
serving 55 lakh borrowers
and has 13 lakh employees on
its rolls. Bandhan would be the
fourth bank with headquarters
in Kolkata after UBI, UCO
and Allahabad Bank. FTI
MI8 Ia0aches FIectI0a Iracker
Fh8 Q hEw 0ELh
N
igerian arm of Indian
telecom major Bharti
Airtel has become the sec-
ond largest mobile services
company in that country in
terms of subscriber numbers
on its network.
As per the fresh statistics
released by Nigerian telecom
regulator NCC, Airtel at the
end of February took leader
over Globacom with 21 per
cent market share wi t h
26, 194, 336 mobi l e sub-
scribers.
Nigeria mobile market is
dominated by MTN which
had 45 per cent share with
57, 183, 745 mobi l e sub-
scribers.
This is a remarkable
feat for Airtel, demonstrat-
ing that our investments,
aimed at ensuring a superi-
or experience for our cus-
tomers in Nigeria, are bear-
ing fruit, Airtel Africa CEO
Christian de Faria said in a
statement.
Since the launch in 2010,
Airtel has invested over USD
1.7 billion dollars in its
Nigerian telecom network.
8hartI IrteI a0W sec0a4 Iarest
teIec0m 0erat0r Ia 8IerIa
Fh8QhEw0ELh
V
ideoconTelecomhasachieved
toplinerevenueof C1,049crore
inthe2013-14financial yearonthe
backof strong growthinits opera-
tional four circles and aims to
achieveC2,500crorein2014-15fis-
cal.
We are pleased to share that
ourtoplinerevenueintheFY2013-
14hasbeenRs1,049crore. Thefirst
year of our comebackhas givenus
agoodhead-startandwenowintend
togrowourtop-linetoC2,500crore
in this financial year, Videocon
TelecomDirectorandCEOArvind
Bali has saidina statement.
I4e0c0a IeIe achIeves
0ver C1,000 cr revea0es
10h creatI0a, exe4ItIa staIIe4
r0jects t0 f0eI r0Wth, says 0II FresI4eat
This is an exciting time as a new
Government is to come in place at
the Centre and whichever
Government comes, will want
economic growth and we would like
to get a chance to share our
thoughts with them regarding our
thrust areas of job creation and
fuelling growth
C President Ajay Shriram
8easex saas sIx4ay
raIIy, ea4 4Z ts I0Wer
Banolan`s M!
oerations to
le transferreo
to lanl : Glosl
P|u|u AlWi| Si||
NEW DELH FRDAY APRL 4, 2014
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(P|u||) +|J u||| |iu| u||ii+l u| || u|p+|].
Fh8 Q hEw 0ELh
N
okia will launch four
Lumia smartphones in
India starting with its first
dual SIM handset Lumia 630
in May for around C 10,000
excluding taxes.
It will also start selling
a low cost 4G smartphone
Lumia 635 for about Rs
11,300 plus taxes in July.
The Nokia Lumia 630 is
expected to roll out in May,
begi nni ng wi t h Asi a,
India/Middle East, South
America and Europe, at $
159 for the single-SIM vari-
ant, and $169 for the dual-
SIM variant before taxes and
subsidies, Nokia said in a
statement.
Both the variants of Lumia
630 support 3G SIM, built on
latest Windows platform, and
have 4. 5 inch screen, 5
megapixel auto focus camera,
8 GB internal memory and
support for up to 128 GB
external storage.
The configuration of
Lumia 635 is almost similar to
that of Lumia 630 except being
a 4G phone. It will support
mobile internet speed of up to
100 megabit per second.
Nokia will also start sell-
ing its another 4G smartphone
Lumia 930 from June in India
for about C 36,000 plus taxes.
Most of the telecom oper-
ators -- Airtel, Reliance Jio,
Vodafone, Idea and Videocon
are gearing up to provide 4G
services in country.
Lumia 930 has 5 inch
screen, comes with 20
megapixel PureView camera. It
has a 1.2 megapixel front cam-
era.
The phone has 2.2 GHz
quad-core Qualcomm proces-
sor, 32GB of internal storage
and 2GB RAM.
80kIa t0 Ia0ach 1st 40aI8IM
l0mIa h0ae Ia Ia4Ia aext m0ath
The Nokia Lumia 6S0 is expected
to roll out in May, beginning with
Asia, ndiajMiddle East, South
America and Europe, at S 159 for
the single-SM variant, and S169 for
the dual-SM variant before taxes
and subsidies
FTI Q SAh FRAhCSC0
M
icrosoft has said the next
breakthrough software
application will come from India,
which develops more than 10 per
cent of the apps and is home to
one of the largest IT industries
in the world.
The fact that more than 10
per cent of the apps are being
developed by Indian citizens is
a great thing. People want to tap
in and acknowledge the power
Indian developers have. There is
no secret that India has a lot of
software developers, Joseph
Landes, General Manager, DPE
Microsoft told PTI in an inter-
view on the sidelines of the Build
2014 -- the annual developer's
conference.
I think, (what) we should
do in India not just to be known
in making apps. People know, we
can do that and that we have
great software developers. Now
the next step would be to have
that breakthrough app that
everyone in the world uses and
it came from India. That's a big
thing. And we (Microsoft) spend
a lot amount of time on it, he
said.It (next breakthrough app
in India) is not just possible, it is
going to happen, said Landes,
who is now based in Bangalore.
Microsoft, he said, has
focused majorly on the Indian
market. In fact, many of its new
products including that of Nokia,
which it has acquired, are being
launched in India ahead of their
US launch.Microsoft is encour-
aging Indian developers to be
innovative and come forward
with their new ideas.Describing
the Indian market of great sig-
nificance to Microsoft, Landes
said many of the announcements
made at its developer's confer-
ence are not only applicable to
India, but also many of them
would be available in there
ahead of other countries.
8ext hreakthr00h a WIII
c0me fr0m Ia4Ia: MIcr0s0ft
The next step
would be to
have that
breakthrough
app that
everyone in the
world uses and
it came from
ndia
Joseph Landes,
General
Manager, DPE
Microsoft
FTI Q SAh FRAhCSC0
M
icrosoft CEO Satya Nadella has said the software com-
pany will make innovation across the Windows plat-
form to help it catch up with its competitors.
We are going to innovate with a challenging mind-
set. We are going to come at this by innovating every
dimension of hardware, the software experiences across
the Windows family and go after this in such a way that
you see us making progress at rapid pace, Nadella said at
Microsoft's annual developer's conference in San Francisco.
Microsoft was a tools company before it was an Office
company, before it was a Windows company, he added.
the software giant announced a series of new features
and updates to its Window products, which he said is aimed
at making its services more affordable and widely avail-
able.
The idea is to make new applications available across
the Windows platform, not only on smart phones and
tablets, but also desktops and laptops, Nadella said.
He said Microsoft was expanding the opportunities it
offers to developers across the world.
Microsoft, through its various programs, is taking steps
to help developers and startups, he said adding that the
company could offer developers the tools they need to com-
pete in increasingly cross-platform world.
He said the company's goal was to make sure that devel-
opers have the best possible opportunity to flourish in that
emerging world.
One of the core principles that we have is to make it
possible for every developers to bring their code assets for-
ward and to be able to leverage their code assets they build
in a very broad way -- our own family, and across every
platform, he said.
nnovation across Winoows
family for raio rogress: Naoella
Fh8 Q hEw 0ELh
S
tate-owned Punjab National
Bank on Thursday said it has
raised C500 crore from bonds to
fund the business growth plans.
Bank has raised C500 crore
capital through Tier-2 (Basel III
compliant) bonds, PNB said in
a filing on the BSE.Last month
also the bank raised C500 crore
from bonds.The bank also got
capital infusion of C 500 crore
from the government during
2013-14.The fund support to
PNB was part of C14,000 crore
overall capital infusion plan for
public sector banks (PSBs).
Capital infusion by the govern-
ment has been done with the
twin objective of adequately
meeting the credit requirement
of the productive sectors as
well as to maintain regulatory
capital adequacy ratios in PSBs.
PNB raises
C500 crore
tlrougl lonos
FTI Q hEw 0ELh
U
nitech Corporate Parks, a Unitech group firm listed in
London, on Thursday said the company is in talks to sell
its majority stake in 6 IT SEZ/Park projects in India being devel-
oped jointly with the realty major.
UCP, which got listed on Alternative Investment Market
(AIM) of the London Stock Exchange in 2006, had invested in
Unitech's six IT SEZ/Park projects -- two in Gurgaon, three in
Noida and one in Kolkata.
According to sources, the total value of these six assets could
be in the C8,000-10,000 crore range at present.
UCP has 60 per cent stake in each of these projects while
Unitech has the remaining. Unitech holds 13.7 per cent stake
directly in UCP, which had raised 360 million pounds in 2006
via IPO to invest in Indian commercial real estate.
In a regulatory filing to the LSE, UCP said that it has
received an approach from a third party expressing interest in
a potential acquisition of the company's wholly owned subsidiary
Candor Investments Ltd and that it is currently in discussions
regarding a possible sale of this subsidiary.Candor Investments
is the holding company for UCP's interests in its six real estate
projects.
!nitecl grou firm !CP in
talls to sell stales in 6 rojects
kF Q hEw Y0RK
B
lackBerry is ending its US licensing deal with T-Mobile, saying
the companies no longer have complementary strategies.
The disconnect appears to be related to a T-Mobile promotion
that BlackBerry took issue with last month.
In a blog post in February, BlackBerry CEO and Executive Chair
John Chen said that T-Mobile had emailed an offer targeting
BlackBerry users on its network asking them to switch their
BlackBerry devices to a competitor's smartphone.
Chen said that BlackBerry had not been told of T-Mobile's plans
in advance and thanked its customers for expressing their displea-
sure. Chen told its customers that BlackBerry was upset about the
offer and that T-Mobile hadn't spoken with the Canadian compa-
ny before or after launching the promotion.
BlaclBerry enoing !S
licensing oeal witl J-Molile
Fh8 Q MuMBA
T
he Government on Thursday
appointed R Gandhi as a
Reserve Bank Deputy Governor
for a period of three years in place
of Anand Sinha.
Gandhi has been appointed
Deputy Governor for a period of
three years effective Thursday ,
RBI said in a statement.
He was Executive Director of
the Reserve Bank before being
elevated to the post of Deputy
Governor.
Gandhi will look after port-
folios such as Banking
Operations and Development,
Non-Banking Supervision,
Urban Banks Department,
Expenditure and Budgetary
Control, Information
Technology and Legal
Department.
Having joined the RBI in
1980, Gandhi has built over 33
years expertise and experience in
varied fields which include, pay-
ment systems and information
technology, financial markets,
operations and regulation.
He had a three-year sec-
ondment to the Securities and
Exchange Board of India.
Sinha, who was looking after
the new bank licence process had
retired in January.The Reserve
Bank has four Deputy Governors
-- two from within the organi-
sation, one economist and one
banker.Another vacancy for a
Deputy Governor will arise as K
C Chakrabarty has requested to
be relieved on April 25, slight-
ly earlier than his scheduled
term end on June 30.
R Ganoli aointeo
RB !euty Governor
ONE FAMILYONE BANK
Bank of Maharashtra
world 12
NEW DELH FRDAY APRL 4, 2014
GLOBE
TROTTNG TROTTNG
FkkI8Tkh EIEk8E8 19
TkII8kh FI8hE8
IsIamabad: Fakislan 0overnmenl
has released 1O Taliban non
combalanls icked u by securily
orces on grounds o susicion
and inlelligence inuls.
IkI I6E8 kIII
40 MIIITkhT8
8aghdad: raqi securily orces
killed 4O mililanls in ierce clashes
near lhe cailal Baghdad, lhe
counlry's nlerior Minislry said.
888Y 1IhkI 8IkM8
8kMk6kE IkW
WashingIon: Fresidenl Barack
0bama's signalure heallhcare law
should be "reealed", ndian
American Louisiana 0overnor
Bobby Jindal has said as he
unveiled his own roosal lhal he
claimed would rovide beller
coverage or uninsured Americans.
6T 6MFh8
ThkI FM'8 IEkI WE8
8angkok: A Thai courl has
acceled a elilion againsl
emballled Frime Minisler Yingluck
Shinawalra, accused o breaching
Conslilulion by lranserring
securily chie lhree years ago,
aggravaling her legal woes.
WkT6h IIVE TEIE6k8T
IM Mh Ih Z016
WashingIon:You may soon be able
lo walch live lelecasl rom lhe
moon, and closely see how il looks
like rom lhe surace lhal has
ascinaled young and old alike
since ages. "More lhan hal o lhe
world's oulalion has never had
lhe oorlunily lo view a live
lransmission rom lhe lunar
surace," lhe organisers were
quoled as saying.
FTI Q FERTh
M
ultinational teams search-
ing for the missing
Malaysian plane in the Indian
Ocean on Thursday injected
fresh momentum into their
efforts to locate the jet, as its
black boxs battery was left
with just three days of power.
Malaysian Prime Minister
Najib Razak, whose
Government has come under
fire for the handling of the
probe into the mysterious dis-
appearance of the flight
MH370, on Thursday visited an
Australian military base coor-
dinating the search operations.
Up to eight planes and
nine ships were involved in the
search for the plane, as a
nuclear-powered British sub-
marine today joined the near-
four week hunt that has so far
failed to find any sign of the
missing airliner.
Malaysian authorities
believe Flight MH370 crashed
in the ocean when it ran out of
fuel hours after vanishing
under mysterious circum-
stances on March 8 with 239
people on board.
Australian Prime Minister
Tony Abbott said the hunt for
the plane is the most difficult
in human history and there is
no guarantee that it would be
found. We cannot be certain
of ultimate success in the search
for MH370, Abbott said at a
news briefing, standing along-
side Najib.
This is most probably the
most difficult search ever
undertaken...But I can assure
people that the best brains in
the world are working on this,
he said. But we can be certain
that we will spare no effort
that we will not rest until we
have done everything we
humanly can.
FTI Q SLAMABA0
P
akistans former military
dictator Pervez Musharraf,
facing treason trial, on
Thursday narrowly escaped an
assassination attempt when a
powerful bomb went off near
his farmhouse here minutes
after his convoy had passed.
The blast took place
between Faizabad and Rawal
Dam Chowk 20-25 minutes
after Musharraf s convoy
passed through the route at
about 3 am when he was being
shifted to his heavily guarded
farmhouse from Armed Forces
Institute of Cardiology in
Rawalpindi where he was
admitted for the last three
months.
He was unhurt, but officials
said the blast caused about a
foot deep hole in the ground.
The police claimed that the
70-year-old former President
was the target.
The blast took place about
20 minutes after Musharraf
reached the farmhouse. By
Gods grace, he is safe, Aasia
Ishaque, spokesperson of
Musharraf s APML party, told
PTI. She said it was the respon-
sibility of the Government to
provide security to the former
Army Chief who remains on
the hit-list of various terror
groups.
Islamabad police con-
firmed to PTI that the blast
took place after Musharraf had
taken the route. The blast
took place 25 minutes after
Musharraf drove past, a source
said.
A bomb disposal squad
was called in at the blast site
three kilometers from
Musharraf s sprawling Chak
Shehzad farmhouse on the
outskirts of the city.
The bomb was planted in
a drainage pipe adjacent to the
footpath. TV footages showed
a small crater adjacent to the
footpath.
There was no immediate
claim of responsibility. While
initially the traffic was stopped,
it was resumed soon after.
A case regarding has been
registered against unknown
persons in the Secretariat Police
Station. Since Musharraf is
under threat from terror
groups, heavy security has been
given to him and all his routes
are thoroughly checked before
he gets out.
Musharraf s spokesperson
Raza Bokhari confirmed the
blast took place after the former
President had taken the route.
We are relieved to con-
firm Gen Musharraf escaped
an attempt on his life in the
wee hours of the morning. This
underscores the grave threat
that Pakistan, Gen Musharraf
and other moderate voices
face from violent extremist
who act with impunity,
Bokhari told PTI.
knkara: Turkey liled a much
crilicised block on Twittcr on
Thursday, 24 hours aler ils
highesl courl had overlurned lhe
ban as a breach o lhe righl lo ree
seech.
Fremier Rece Tayyi Erdogan on
March 2O shullered access lo lhe
social media sile aler il had been
used lo sread a lorrenl o
anonymous leaks imlicaling his
inner circle in corrulion.
Turkey's hAT0 allies and
inlernalional human righls grous
slrongly crilicised lhe ban - as
well as an ongoing block o video
sharing websile cuTu|c - as a
sle backward or Turkey's
democracy. 0n wednesday,
Turkey's Conslilulional Courl ruled
lhe Twiller ban violaled ree
seech and ordered lhe
communicalions minislry and
lelecoms aulhorily lo reverse il
'wilh immediale eecl'. 05?
United Nations: The UN has received
letters from the Palestinian Authority
seeking to become a party to 15 key UN
treaties and protocols, a move that has
endangered the US-brokered peace talks
between Israel and the Palestinians.
The documents have been present-
ed to UN Special Coordinator for the
Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry.
Once we receive the letters at
Headquarters, we will be reviewing
them to consider the appropriate next
steps, UN spokesperson Farhan
Haq said.
Palestinian Authority Ambassador
to the UN Riyad Mansour said at the
request of his Government, he had
delivered copies of the 15 letters to the
Secretary-Generals Chef de Cabinet,
Susana Malcorra. The Palestinian
Authority expected the documents
would be subsequently transmitted to the
UN Office for Legal Affairs.
Palestine is exercising its legal right
as a State to join those instruments and
live up to its international responsibili-
ty, said Mansour, recalling the November
2012 General Assembly vote according
Palestine the status of non-member
observer State at the UN. PTI
kIF Q M0SC0w
R
ussian troops deployed
close to the Ukrainian bor-
der will return to base after
completing their exercises,
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
said on Thursday.
After finishing training in
the Rostov region (bordering
Ukraine), one of the battalions
that took part has already
returned to base in the Samara
region.
As they finish the tasks
given to the participants in
exercises, the other units will
also return to their permanent
bases, Lavrov said at a news
conference with his Kazakh
counterpart.
Lavrov said President
Vladimir Putin had given the
same assurance to German
Chancellor Angela Merkel
when they last spoke on the
phone on Monday.
The Russian Defence
Ministry on March 31 said that
it was pulling back a battalion
from the Rostov region and
that the troops were returning
to the Samara region, which is
around 950 kilometres from
the Ukrainian border.
Lavrov stressed that Russia
was free to deploy its troops
within its own borders and said
that our Western partners
recognise that in a legal sense
there is no problem here.
The Russian Defence
Ministry has said that its troops
have been deployed to carry
out several rounds of training
exercises in regions close to
Ukraine.
Lavrov accused the new
authorities in Kiev and Western
powers of exaggerating Russias
military presence on Ukraines
borders.
NATO Secretary General
Anders Fogh Rasmussen said
on Wednesday the buildup
that the alliance estimates at
40,000 troops was a matter of
grave concern.
FTI Q h0uST0h
A
US soldier on Thursday
went on a shooting spree
killing three colleagues and
wounding 16 others at a major
army base in Texas that was the
scene of a deadly rampage in
2009.
The gunman, identified as
Ivan Lopez (34) opened fire at
two locations in Fort Hood
inside a building housing a
medical brigade and in a facil-
ity belonging to a transporta-
tion battalion prompting
authorities to order a lock-
down. The suspect, who had
served in Iraq, "had behav-
ioural health and mental
health" issues, the Army post's
commander Lt General Mark
Milley said.
He said there was no
known motive for the shooting.
"There is no indication
that this incident is related to
terrorism, although we are not
ruling anything out," he said.
Milley said the incident
began at the administration
building for the medical
brigade. The suspect then
moved by car to the transport
battalion. "He was confronted
by a military police officer
and died of a self-inflicted
gunshot wound to the head in
a parking lot," he said.
Milley said the suspect was
carrying a .45 calibre Smith and
Wesson semi-automatic pistol
bought recently in the local
area and not registered with the
base, as is required.
Another US official said
the shooter was wearing com-
bat fatigues. The lockdown
was lifted at the base about five
hours later.
Army Secretary John
McHugh testified that the sol-
dier appeared to have no con-
nections to extremist groups.
He said Lopez was
deployed in Iraq in the final
months of the war but did not
see combat. Lopez enlisted in
the Army in June 2008 as an
infantryman and later switched
to being a truck driver which
was the job he had in Iraq.
8 k1kFkIkh Q
wAShh0T0h
I
n a new embarrassment to the
Congress on the eve of gen-
eral elections, a US grand jury
has indicted a party MP from
Andhra Pradesh and five others
for an alleged international con-
spiracy to pay at least $18.5 mil-
lion in bribes to State and
Central Government officials to
allow the mining of titanium
minerals in Andhra Pradesh.
A federal indictment,
returned under seal in June
2013 and unsealed on
Wednesday in Chicago, charges
KVP Ramachandra Rao, a
Congress member of
Rajya Sabha and
close advisor to the
late Chief Minister
YS Rajasekhara
Reddy, and five oth-
ers with one count
each of racketeering
and money launder-
ing conspiracy, and two counts
of inter-state travel in aid of
racketeering.
Apart from the 65-year-old
Rao, others charged include
Ukrainian gas tycoon Dmitry
Firtash, aka DF, 48, US-based
Indian national Gajendra Lal,
50, Hungarian businessman
Andras Knopp, 75, Sri Lankan
national Periyasamy
Sunderalingam, 60, and
Ukrainian national Suren
Gevorgyan, 40. While Firtash,
dubbed the leader of the enter-
prise, was arrested in Vienna,
Austria last month and then
released on bail, the other five
defendants remain at large.
Firtash allegedly met with
Indian Government officials,
including Chief Minister (YS
Rajaeskara) Reddy, to discuss
the project and its progress, and
authorised payment of at least
$18.5 million in bribes to both
State and Central Government
officials in India to secure the
approval of licenses for the pro-
ject, charges the indictment.
Rao, it alleges, solicited
bribes for himself and others in
return for approving licences
for the project, and that he
warned other defendants con-
cerning the threat of a possible
law enforcement investigation
of the project. It further alleges
that Sunderalingam met with
Rao to determine the total
amount of bribes and advised
others on the results of the
meeting, and he identified var-
ious foreign bank accounts
held in the names of nominees
outside India that could be
used to funnel bribes to Rao.
Noting that the alleged
conspiracy by the six defen-
dants began in 2006, the indict-
ment goes on to list 57 trans-
fers of funds between
various entities in
various amounts
totalling more than
$10.59 million begin-
ning April 28, 2006
through July 13,
2010. Some of the
entities were con-
trolled by Group DF, belonging
to Ukrainian industrialist.
Overall, the indictment
estimates that the mining pro-
ject was expected to generate
more than $500 million annu-
ally from the sale of titanium
products, including sales to
an unnamed Company A,
headquartered in Chicago.
The defendants used US
financial institutions to engage
in the international transmis-
sion of millions of dollars for
the purpose of bribing Indian
public officials to obtain
approval of the necessary
licenses for the project, the
indictment alleges, adding:
They allegedly financed the
project and transferred and
concealed bribe payments
through Group DF, and used
threats and intimidation to
advance the interests of the
enterprises illegal activities.
It said Firtash also direct-
ed his subordinates to create
documents to make it falsely
appear that money transferred
for the purpose of paying the
bribes was transferred for legit-
imate commercial purposes,
and he appointed various sub-
ordinates to oversee efforts to
obtain the licenses through
bribery.
As for Lal, an Indian
national with permanent resi-
dence in the US, the indictment
alleges that he reported to
Firtash and Knopp on the sta-
tus of obtaining licenses, and
recommended whether, and in
what manner, to pay certain
bribes to Government officials.
Fighting global corruption
is part of the fabric of the
Department of Justice, said
Acting US Assistant Attorney
General ONeil, adding: The
charges against six foreign
nationals announced today
send the unmistakable message
that we will root out and attack
foreign bribery and bring to
justice those who improperly
influence foreign officials,
wherever we find them.
Firtashs Group DF is
described as an international
conglomerate of companies
owned by Group DF Limited,
a British Virgin Islands com-
pany. Its companies include
Ostchem Holding AG in
Austria engaged in mining and
processing minerals, including
titanium; Global Energy
Mining and Minerals Limited,
a Hungarian company, and
Bothli Trade AG, a Swiss com-
pany, for which Global Energy
Mining and Minerals was the
majority shareholder.
In April 2006, Bothli Trade
and the Andhra Pradesh
Government agreed to set up a
joint venture to mine various
minerals, including ilmenite, a
mineral which may be
processed into various titanium-
based products such as titanium
sponge, a porous form of the
mineral that occurs in the pro-
cessing of titanium ore.
08 Ia4Icts 00aress MF, fIve
0thers Ia maj0r hrIhery case
Muslarraf escaes assassination attemt
Puli |+||i+J || +|+ u| + |l+| i| ll+|+|+J, P+|i|+|, u| l|u|J+] AP
Kiev: Ukraines new Western-backed leaders on Thursday
blamed Russian agents and the ousted pro-Kremlin President
for organising two days of carnage in Kiev that killed nearly
90 supporters of closer EU ties.
The explosive allegation were levelled only moments after
Russia lashed out at NATO for building up the defences of ex-
Soviet nations and brandished the threat of further hikes in
the price Ukraine must pay for gas after ousting its Kremlin-
backed leaders.
The February unrest in Kiev has left deep scars on a nation
trying to overcome the most trying episode in its post-Soviet his-
tory. The furious battle for Ukraines future between Moscow and
the West has exposed the deep divide that splits the nation of
46 million between those who see themselves as either cultur-
ally tied to Russia and or a part of a broader Europe. AFP
4 dead, 1G hurl in uS mililary base shooling
|| | |+|| |ill], u||+|Ji| ||+l u| lll Cu|p +|J |u|| |uuJ, p+| Wi||
|| |Ji+ uu|iJ u| +| |||+| |u || |u|| |uuJ |ili|+|] |+ |ulluWi| +
|uu|i| ||+| uu||J i|iJ, u| wJ|J+] AP
Turkoy lits
oontrovorsial
Twittor ban
Islamabad: A petition was on
Thursday filed in Pakistans
Supreme Court seeking the
lifting of a travel ban on for-
mer military ruler Pervez
Musharraf to allow him to
visit his ailing mother in the
UAE.
An independent lawyer
filed the petition requesting
the court it to remove the
name of Musharraf from the
countrys Exit Control List
(ECL) to allow the former
president to visit his 95-year-
old mother in Sharjah.
PTI
FETITIh IIIE Ih Fkk
86 T IIIT TkVEI
8kh h M8hkkI
'Rui+| |u| |u (ui| u||+i| +||| /|i
Ukraine blames Russian
agents for Kiev carnage
Mullinalional leams injecl resh
momenlum inlo lane search Lahore: In a bizarre incident,
a nine-month-old Pakistani
boy has been booked for
attempted murder by attacking
a police team here.
Musa was produced in
court where Additional District
and Sessions Judge Rafaqat Ali
granted bail to the minor till
April 12 and directed the police
to record his statement.
Police arrested Musa and
his father Ahmed in an
attempted murder case by
attacking police team during
raids in Muslim Town, Lahore
and produced them in court.
Counsel for the accused,
Irfan Tarar, said the minor
would again be produced in the
court during the next hearing.
The bail of the minor will
be confirmed once the police
declare him innocent, he said.
SSP Rana Jabbar said there
had been misunderstanding on
the part of police to book the
minor in the case. He said he
had suspended Sub-Inspector
Kashif Ahmed for registering
the case against the child.
The childs father said
police had registered a fake case
against him, his son and 25
others. Our crime is that we
had protested against non-
availability of electricity in our
locality, he said and urged
authorities concerned to quash
the FIR. PTI
9-month-old booked
for murder in Pak
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NEW DELH FRDAY APRL 4, 2014
8hkM kkF inds nolhing
wrong in signing a ilm conlracl
wilh a noregnancy clause. "l
makes sense...il's roessional,"
Sonam said when asked o her
views on a noregnancy clause
or aclresses in hindi ilmdom. "
don'l lhink lhere's anylhing wrong
in lhal. lhink il's normal," she
added. 0aughler o
veleran aclor Anil
Kaoor, Sonam is
28yearold and an
eligible bachelorelle
o lhe hindi ilm
induslry. The
discussion on
whelher a
noregnancy
clause be included in
an aclress' conlracl
slarled when rumours
o vidya Balan's
regnancy suraced.
vidya had denied lhe
reorls aboul her
regnancy. Even Shila
Shelly had recenlly
shared her oinion on lhe
clause, saying lhal as long
as a rojecl is nol delayed,
il is okay lo have a
noregnancy clause.
Aclor 1hhhY EFF inds lhe
modern world's obsession wilh
malerial goods "righlening" and
eels lhe cra/e will cause downall
o sociely in a ew years' lime. he
also lashed oul al realily Tv
slars. "l's really righlening.
And when you see all lhis
slu lhal goes on in lhe
commercials - lhe
endless commercials -
eole yelling down
your gob, 'Buy lhis, do
lhis, lhis will save you,
lhis will ix you.'
Everylhing can be a
realily show now.
magine whal's il going
lo be in 2O ```ing years,
man," ccntactmusic.ccm
quoled him as saying.
0e also wenl on lo
aarenlly slam slars
like lhe Kardashians
and Faris hillon.
Depp slams
reality shows
'No-pregnancy
clause is fine'
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didn't care
about my
health before
but now
take a lot of
care. But
there is always a fear
whether the cancer will
come back. now know
how to deal with it.
Many people lose hope
when they are
diagnosed with cancer
~ MANSHA KORALA
vivacity 1S
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I
n the years 12 months as the
saying goes there are 13 fes-
tivals in the almanac. Happening
all the year round, festivals mark
mythological events (when gods
come down to earth) or celebrate
changing seasons (when crops
ripen or rains pour). Always set
in the lunar calendar and often
associated with specific deities,
each festival gives a new meaning
to an individuals rites of passage
through life. Social tenor of fes-
tivals is an extraordinary
degree of bonhomie: where all
reservations crumble and
spirits of camaraderie prevail.
Celebrating Life: Festivals of
India, presented by Indian Revival
Group (IRG), was a choreo-
graphic extravaganza, celebrat-
ing myriad sounds and colours
of this land. IRG was founded
way back in 1948 by Yog Sunder
(nonagenarian now) and operat-
ing currently under Papiha Desai
as a premiere dance-ensemble of
the country. Explains Papiha,
IRG has to its credit some 5,000
shows and over 250 tours
throughout the subcontinent, hav-
ing performed for Indias first
President and Prime Minister
for entertaining virtually all
prominent international leaders.
With their forte in ethnic music
and terpsichorean numbers, IRG
has an almost unparalleled repu-
tation in the national folk dance
and music scenario.
Festivals of India re-created
with nearly a score of highly-
trained male and female dancers,
involving change of costumes
between dances in a breathtaking
manner a large number of
major festivities: with all their
nuances and cadences, enhanced
by superb audio-visuals running
on the cyclorama. The pro-
gramme began with Holi and,
although celebrated as far east as
Assam and Manipur, it is in the
Brajbhumi of north India the
land of Krishnas birth that the
celebration was highlighted with
colour and some frenzied dancing
for Krishna, also known as Natvar.
Aaj Braj Mein Holi Re Rasiya
gave female dancers the feeling
that each was playing Holi with
Krishna, thereby blurring bound-
aries between the festive and the
sacred.
Next came Janmashtami com-
memorating the earthly appear-
ance of Krishna. He is now the
most adorable, mischievous son,
the most compassionate friend,
and the most romantic lover. All
three aspects were celebrated in
the dance Rasleela: in a circular
choreographic design, suggesting
the timelessness of Krishna and
reflecting how Radha and the
milkmaids sought an eternal cycle
of union with the godhead.
Ganesha Chaturthi came next:
with idols of Ganesha set up at
home altars and on community
podiums. Some images, made of
clay, are 20 feet high, and wor-
shipped with songs: Ganapati
Bappa Moria, Mangalamurti
Moria and sonorous lezim
dances lasting for 10 days, when
they are carried with great pomp
and ceremony for immersion into
the waters. In Kerala, it is believed
that the ancient king Mahabali
loved his people so much that he
returns every year during the
harvest to his people.
Onam followed: celebrated
over 10 days, coming soon after
the start of the New Year. The fes-
tival was poetically referred to as
the season of the reign of blos-
soms, with the metaphor rein-
forced by gorgeously-designed
flower-carpets that girls created in
every home, as they sang and
danced.
Next was Durga Puja: the
feminine divine has strong pres-
ence among all festivals of India
but probably none as well known
as Durgotsava: celebrated in many
Indian states, and in many coun-
tries in South Asia. Celebrations
over nine days are replete with
symbolism, of the goddess attired
red and white, representing the
masculine and feminine creative
forces, offering nine different
plants to represent Mother Nature.
Frenzied drum beats and dances
constituted the major part of the
accompanying performances.
The penultimate item was
Gujarats Navratri Festival: a cir-
cle of ecstasy throbbing non-stop
for nine nights with millions of
fantastically-costumed devotees
swaying in a fusion of dance and
devotion. Although the festival is
celebrated throughout India,
nowhere is it performed with
more panache and fervour than in
Gujarat: as an obeisance to
Goddess Amba. Female garba
and male-female dandia raas
were brilliantly executed. The
finale was Dussehra when many
myths came together. It was after
nine nights that on the 10th day
the Goddess achieves victory over
evil. It was also the day when
Rama, the embodiment of propri-
ety, killed Ravana, the famed
demon scholar, who had allowed
pride to fill his head. Both for the
large knowledge and the immense
pride that he bore, he is depicted
with 10 heads. Because of the con-
nection with knowledge, in many
places on this day the children are
initiated formally into reading and
writing. This period also marks
the start of the new agricultural
season in many parts of India.
Diwali, the grand festival of lights,
is celebrated after 20 days. And,
appropriately, the dancers brought
in a procession of lights to mark
the variegated end.
A
fter the success of Karan Johars
Student Of The Year, filmy pun-
dits were quite keen to learn
about the next move of three new kids
on the block Varun Dhawan,
Siddharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt.
While Alia and Siddharth proved
their mettle in their next outings
Highway and Hasee Toh Phasee respec-
tively, Varun is all set to brave the audi-
ence today with Main Tera Hero.
Tense, nervous and excited, the young
lad met us while he was on a promo-
tional tour here. Though he looked
dapper in white shirt and black
trousers, the anxiety took over his
excitement. I am feeling the pres-
sure. Its nail biting time. I dont want
to get into the economics or the box
office expectations but I hope that I
dont disappoint the audience and my
fans. I would like to receive positive
feedback. People should walk out
from theatre with a smile on their faces.
I dont want to let anyone down, said
the actor while figuring out the hec-
tic schedule with his media consultants
for the day. He seemed to be quite spe-
cific about his regular deals. Does he
keep tab over career graph of his con-
temporaries? Not really! I didnt have
time to know what other people are
doing. I have been only busy with my
movie, he said. His SOTYco-star Alia
received accolades not only for the
award-winning performance in
Highway but also for choosing the
movie at an early stage of her career.
Siddharth, too, got thumbs up for an
unconventional love story Hasee Toh
Phasee. Surprisingly, Varun opted for
out-and-out entertainer like Main
Tera Hero (MTH). I think theres too
much of emphasis on the classification
of cinema. A film should be able to
wow the audience and touch the
heart. I know Alia and Sid have done
brilliant films but I chose to do MTH
because none of my contemporary is
touching this genre. My father (David
Dhawan), whos also the master of
humorous entertainers, offered me the
role because he could see it in me. I
didnt want to let him down. I had
couple of films before MTH but I
chose to begin it first. Be patient, I will
be different in future and dont wish
to be predictable when it comes to
selecting films, he elucidated.
Varun is in complete awe of his
dads cinema. I grew up watching his
films. That sense of humour is in-built.
But MTH combines the humour of
father and son, he said. MTHwas no
cakewalk for junior Dhawan since his
father never fathered him on the sets.
It was difficult to adjust initially on
sets. I come from KJO school of
Bollywood and was not used to shoot
in hectic schedules. So my fathers style
was quite alien to me. He is a tough
taskmaster. He never pampered me on
sets. We would also have arguments
at times over specific style of dialogues.
For instance, he says pappi, and I
would say kiss. But ultimately, I had
to give up since he was the director.
I had full faith in him, he said.
The character of Sreenath Seenu
Prasad is quite notorious. The actor
said its difficult to draw parallels
between his real personality and
Seenu but there was a phase when he
was really naughty. Having done two
films, Varun has noted down a few
lessons in the notebook. I have
calmed down. One thing that I have
understood is that you really have to
match your pace with the people
around. I now know when I should
invest my energy and when not. You
really need to understand the demand
and requirement of script and the
filmmaker, he said.
Water marl
Ja| unolds a comlex slory o love,
relalionshis, enmily, deceil and
circumslances lhal bring oul lhe dark
side o human characler. Aclor
FuRAB K0hL and direclor
0RSh MALK challed wilh K BhAR0wAJ
V
isualising Purab Kohli as the protagonist of a
film with a rural backdrop doesnt come easy.
The happy-go-lucky guy, who so far has played var-
ied characters on screen has come a long way.
Perhaps, his forthcoming film Jal is an attempt to
break the preconceived notions. I know people per-
ceive me as a cool urban lad, which is true since I
am born and brought up in Mumbai, but I wonder
what stops filmmakers to offer me challenging char-
acters. At the end of the day, I am an actor. Jal was
an exciting project and I am glad that somebody
looked at me differently. How can people assume I
might not fit into certain characters without even
taking the auditions? A directors vision is to allow
actors to prepare for roles and challenge themselves,
he said.
The energy and freshness that he exudes is like
that of an 18-year-old boy brimming with excite-
ment. According to Purab, his big day has finally
arrived with Jal, which could be a bigger hit than
Rock On. Rock On took me to new heights but I
couldnt translate the success into films. Four big
productions houses signed me as lead but withdrew
films back to back due to recession. May be, they
didnt want to take risks with me during the low
phase. It discouraged me a lot. I started question-
ing my own choices because I declined offers from
top filmmakers. But thankfully, television always
loved me and I survived. I did a few shows before
Girish approached me for a film. We worked on
it for a year but as luck would have it, it too got
shelved. But we knew we would take our associa-
tion further. I immediately lapped up Jal when he
offered the script. I had never done anything like
that. Jal has the potential to penetrate into the small-
er pockets, he said.
Jal is the story of a young water diviner, Bakka
(Purab), who is gifted with a special ability to find
water in the desert. With the backdrop of water
paucity, the film tells a complex and fascinating story
of love, relationships, enmity, deceit and circum-
stances that bring about the dark side of human char-
acters. Shooting was no cakewalk for actors. The
crew had to shoot in scorching sun with simmer-
ing temperature of over 50 degrees and was depen-
dent on natures mercy. Birds, camels and natural
light were part of everyday shoot. We didnt have a
luxurious set and it was quite tough, especially for
the director and female actors. We would begin the
day at five in morning and finish by sunset, he told
us. Did he face problems? I started my career with
travel shows and by the age of 27, I had travelled
across the length and breadth of the country. Going
back to Kutch was exciting. The moment you hit the
land, you find it overwhelming. People have strong
faces, you see history of generations in them. I inter-
acted with locals because I wanted to be part of the
project. In the film, the character of Bukka has spir-
itual side to it. And that has stayed with me. I think
theres more to life beyond everyday issues, he said.
The film is already doing the rounds at inter-
national film fests. Director Girish Malik said, There
is a perception that offbeat films are not for the mass-
es but Jal is entertaining and has comic and roman-
tic elements.
S
trains of music pulled many a
guests at the Taj Palace to the Tea
Lounge many of them special invi-
tees to a High Tea organised by the
hotel. Violins, cellos, clarinets and flutes
worked their magic together to create
music that was a treat to the Indian
audience. The BBC Scottish Symphony
Orchestra performed here to a full
house for over an hour.
This was the second leg of the first
ever India three city tour that the
Orchestra is conducting Chennai
being the first, followed by Mumbai.
The Orchestra later performed to a
much larger audience at the Siri Fort
Auditorium. The BBC is filming the
tour later to be shown to the Indian
audiences as special series. It would be
putting it up on the radio as well,
shared John Logan, Head of Brass,
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, who
conducted the symphony and intro-
duced the guests to the music line up.
We have just been to Chennai.
Besides the main concert where we
played with Nicola Benedetti, a very
fine violinist, we also conducted chil-
drens concerts both in Chennai and
Delhi, where we played to the hundreds
of students. We had interactive sessions
with them with someone explaining
the western music to them and the con-
certs ended with Star Wars, he shared.
Nicola Benedetti, was named Best
Female Artist at the 2012 Classical
BRIT Awards and BBC Young
Musician of the Year in 2004. She was
recently appointed Member of the
Order of the British Empire for her
charitable work.
Seventy three musicians form the
part of this Orchestra which includes
students from the Royal Conservatoire
of Scotland. It takes three buses to
transport us from one place to anoth-
er, he laughed. The programme, he
shared, is the most ambitious of cul-
tural exchange ever undertaken by a
British orchestra in India and forms a
run up to the activities ahead of the
2014 Commonwealth Games to be
held in Glasgow. Organised in partner-
ship with the British Council and the
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, it is
also an exchange between students
from the Royal Conservatoire and the
KM Music Conservatory of AR
Rahman. He is an honorary doctor
with the Glasgow University and the
idea is to have good relationship going.
It is a lovely thing to be able to share
music and help each other, he added.
00h'T wAhT T0
0ET hT0 ThE
EC0h0MCS 0R
ThE B0X 0FFCE
EXFECTAT0hS
BuT h0FE ThAT
00h'T
0SAFF0hT ThE
Au0EhCE.
w0uL0 LKE T0
RECEvE
F0STvE
FEE0BACK.
FE0FLE Sh0uL0
wALK 0uT FR0M
ThEATRE wTh
A SMLE
Like father,
like son
vARuh 0hAwAh grew u walching his dad's cinema and is deely
inluenced by il. he lalks lo KARAh BhAR0wAJ aboul choosing an
oulandoul enlerlainer when his conlemoraries Siddharlh Malholra
and Alia Bhall are oling or unconvenlional rojecls
Jales of tle Goos ano oemons
Slrings o desire
The BBC Scollish Symhony 0rcheslra held lhe audience sellbound wilh ils
reeal erormances lo a ull house al lhe Taj Falace and Siri Forl audilorium.
By hAvhEET MEh0RATTA
The ndian Revival 0rou's recenl eslival highlighled lhe siril o celebralions in dierenl arls o lhe counlry. uTFAL K BAhERJEE reorls
Pu|+| |u|li
vivacity {food} 14 NEW DELH FRDAY APRL 4, 2014
0
akshin al welcomholel
Sheralon has come u wilh
vishu - Kerala hew Year secial t|a|i.
vishu marks lhe slarling o lhe irsl day
in lhe Malayalam calendar and alls in
lhe monlh o Aril. The same day is also
celebraled in olher arls o ndia as
Baisakhi in Funja|, as 5i|u in Assam.
A
s lhe greal ndian summer begins lo
shine, che veena Arora has inlroduced
her lighl sou crealions al The Sice
Roule, The merial, lo comlimenl Soulh
Easl Asian delicacies, lhis Aril. The
secial menu is illed wilh lhe goodness o
herbs and sices such as cilanlro, ennel,
lurmeric, celery, basil, cardamom, dill and
cumin in rereshing lavours.
C
elebrale lhe siril o eslivily
wilh Faalra al Jayee vasanl
Conlinenlal.Take your ick rom an
array o ala carle olions like panccr
mak|ni, pa|ak panccr, pa|ak aa|cc,
mixed vegelables and ||inJi masa|a
puri. Timing: 12.8O m (lunch) and
11.8O m (dinner). Friring: COOO lus
laxes.
E
al oul al havemore during lhe
havralras. The ood is reared only
wilh sainJ|a/Lahori namak and wilhoul
any onion or garlic. The menu includes
havralra scck|, ar|i masa|a, sitafa|
sa|zi, s|a|i aa|cc, panccr buller gravy,
aa|cc jccra, tanJccri aa|cc, panccr
scck| and a lol more. Team lhis u wilh
sawank rice, sawank atta pccri and
sa|uJana chis. Timing: hoon lo
midnighl.
T
real
yoursel
wilh all lhal
you crave
or while
slaying lrue
lo your asls as Mix by lhe
Brew Maslers has come u
wilh havralra vrat ki t|a|i,
where one can order rom
an array o inger licking
delicacies like jccra a|cc,
s|a|i panccr and kcsari
kcfta. Timing: 12.8O lo
11.8O m. Friring: C8OO.
v
eda Cae's oening
menu al 0LF
Fromenade ealures
oular delicacies rom
across lhe counlry
ranging rom Kashmir lo
Kerala. You can choose
rom vaJa pac, crisy
ickle iJ|i, Kashmiri
naJru, kcftcy and Bengali
rawn curry. Friring:
C1,OOO (lus laxes).
kIEW TIEW hkkM
(ThkI 8TYIE hIE WITh
6hI6kEh 8F)
IhEIEhT8
Thai Rice hoodles 5O gms
Sleamed chicken (shredded or minced)
2O gms
Slock cube 1/2
Celery, leaves and slems 2O gms
Bean srouls 2O gms
0arlic 2 gms
Sring onion 5 gms
Sugar 2 gms
Fish sauce To lasle
Chilli lakes To lasle
0il To saule
Crushed eanuls 8 gms
METh
OKee 2OO ml waler in a ol or boiling. Add
slock cube.
OBlanch lhe noodles. Cul celery inlo hal inch.
Cho sring onions.
On a bowl, ul blanched noodles and chicken.
Then our boiling sou over il.
O0arnish wilh sauleed garlic, crushed eanuls,
chilli lakes, bean sroul, celery, sring onion
and sugar. Add vinegar i needed.
uu||] C|| Cuii| V|+ A|u|+, l| Spi
Ruu|, l| l|p|i+l
QRaspberries can be either
red, purple, gold or black in
colour. Golden raspberries
are sweeter than the other
varieties.
Q The difference between
raspberries and blackberries is
that raspberries have a hollow
core in the middle while
blackberries do not.
QIn the United States, about
90 per cent of all raspberries
sold come from Washington,
California and Oregon. In
Canada, the province of
British Colombia produces
about 80 per cent of all rasp-
berries sold in Canada.
QThere are over 200 species
of raspberries.
QWhen picking raspberries,
look for berries that are firm
and dark in colour. They
should not be soft or mushy.
Gently pull on the berry, if it
does not come off easily then
leave it on the bush, as the
berry is not ripe enough yet.
QThey do not have any fat,
saturated fat, sodium or cho-
lesterol.
QThey are high in fiber, vit-
amin C, potassium and folate.
QThey are low in calories.
QThey can help lower high
blood pressure.
QRaspberries have an anti-
inflammatory property that
may help to reduce inflamma-
ti on of t he
joints.
QRaspberries are sold and
produced throughout the
world, which has given rise to
myths about why raspberries
are red and even one myth
about the magical qualities of
the fruit. One popular myth
comes from France,
which tells the story
about how raspber-
ries use to be only
white in colour.
The myth states
that one day, a
nymph named
Ida was taking care of an
infant Zeus (also referred to as
Jupiter). Zeus was crying and
to help soothe him, Ida picked
some white raspberries. But
when she went to pick the
raspberries, she scratched her-
self on a thorn and started to
bleed. Her blood dripped on
the white raspberries, instant-
ly turning them red and they
have been red ever since.
QAnother myth, which orig-
inates from Germany, talks
about the magical qualities of
raspberries. It states that to
tame a bewitched horse,
one would have to tie
a wild raspberry twig
around the horses
body.
Q A modern myth tells
the story of how raspber-
ries turned a foxs fur red.
In t he Tal e of the
Raspberry Fox, by
Henning Buchhagen, there is
a fox named Ferdinand. At
that time, all foxes were grey
in colour. The tale tells how
Ferdinand didnt like to eat
meat, so one day he decided
to eat some raspberries and
discovered that he loved eat-
ing them. He kept eating rasp-
berries and the more he ate,
the redder his fur became.
Ever since then, all foxes have
had red fur and like to eat
fruit.
QMost likely native to Asia,
wild raspberries have been
eaten since prehistoric times.
Cultivation began in England
and France, probably in the
1600s.
QTraditional folklore rec-
ommends the use of
raspberry leaf tea for
pregnant women, it
as it is suggested it
may shorten the
second stage of
labour.
A
n Italian croquette on a
panino, this is perhaps the
most unusual definition of vada
pao you can come across. But
thats probably the most natur-
al way to describe it for an
Italian, who has been on a mis-
sion to find similarities between
Indian and Italian cuisines and
cooking. Chef David Rocco said
that he cant get enough of vada
pao. I was in heaven when I first
tried it, he added. If you
watched the episode of Dolce
India on Fox Traveller, where
David scanned the streets of
Mumbai to try out the local cui-
sine, you would know that he
was in love with the city and its
food. Surprisingly, it is not the
restaurants that serve the great
food in Mumbai, I had kebabs
on the streets and tried other
street food, which was such an
incredible experience, visited
local markets and I also visited
a small garage where people
cooked gobhi masala with mint,
coriander, ginger and garlic and
it was just out of the world. The
discovery of different flavours
was just amazing, said David,
while he was here for the official
celebration of the launch of his
show, Dolce India.
The chef was beaming with
the response that he has been
receiving for his show. He says
that his formula was to just con-
nect with real people, to have
first-hand experience of Indian
cooking and spread awareness
about Italian culture in India. I
was not interested in competi-
tion or in just to add to the list
of the cookery shows on televi-
sion. I wanted to connect with
people. Thanks to this show, I
know what real India is, how
warm are people here. I have had
a fabulous experience wherever
I have gone. The most poignant
moments have been the most
dramatic ones, he said with a
smile.
While in the first season,
David visited metros like Delhi,
Mumbai and Banglauru, in the
second season the chef will
explore villages and smaller
regions. Rajasthan is a great
place. I cooked laal maas and a
special dal with the chef at ITC
Rajputana Sheraton in Jaipur. I
also visited villages, interacted
with families and at the country-
side I met a family that cooked
a meat dish. They told me that
the animal was sacrificed as a
tradition, which is passed from
one generation to the other. The
tradition of cooking in most of
the families has continued for
generations and it was so won-
derful to known those tradi-
tions, he shared.
Among things that he owe
to his Indian experience, is the
discovery of mustard oil and
garam masala. The latter is my
secret spice now that I use in my
Italian cooking to add a differ-
ent flavour. Mustard oil is now
second on my list, after olive oil,
he smiled.
If you thought his Indian
experience was only about
knowing our cuisine and people
who cook it, you are wrong. He
had a gala time riding an ele-
phant, playing with colours on
Holi and interacting with peo-
ple on streets. In the episodes,
you can watch people following
me and hovering around wher-
ever I go, I wanted it to be like
that. All this added to he fun and
great time I had here, he said.
His list of friends he made in
India includes chefs, restaurant
owners and families with whom
he cooked. Actress Neha Dhupia
is also on the list now.
T
he happiest thing about eating out
is the rare discovery of food that
is made with sheer love. By love,
I mean the absolute dedication and
obsession with which a chef goes after
the ingredients and stirs them togeth-
er, making it his/her own while loading
it with taste that explodes with the first
bite. At EN, a newly-opened Japanese
restaurant, the food served is just that
painstakingly created, with absolute-
ly no shortcuts.
The fine dining restaurant has a
regular menu and a set menu
and my friend (a Japanese
girl) and I decide on
the latter after the
chef and manager
Nobuhisa Iimura rec-
ommends it. We choose
Japanese beer Saporo as
accompaniment that lends a
smooth start to the evening.
Or first item for starter is an
assortment fried prawn, chicken and
asparagus with tofu cheese. The chick-
en is a delight. It has been boiled in
strips and marinated in a specially made
sauce to lend it sweetness. The best
thing is that the dishes retain the taste
of the main item (prawn, chicken and
asparagus) as none of the spices used
o v e r p o w e r s
them.
The starter
is followed by
the tempura,
which is the Japanese
deep-fried meat and
vegetables. There is
salmon, prawn, zucchini and
sweet potato. They have been cut
in round shapes and fired after
being dipped in a batter of refined
flour. The texture is that of a crispy pota-
to chip but the taste is what gets at you,
especially when dipped in the sauce
served with it. After I have the prawn,
our host asks me to mix radish paste
(served on the side) to the sauce and try
again. I do as told and the difference is
incredible. What if a simple dish
becomes tangy and fiery. We quickly
gobble the remaining pieces.
Next is an assortment of three
items the miso soup, the braised pork
and vegetable, and chicken and spinach
with ponzu sauce. It is important to
mention here that the portions of each
course is small but at En, the number
of courses in the set menu is so high that
the small portions come as big mercies.
A few bites and a few slurps and we
clean the entire course. The braised pork
has been slow-cooked for so long that
the pieces of meat melt in the mouth.
My friend goes on to say that she has
never eaten such authentic Japanese
food outside of the country ever. Just
then the sushi platter arrives. It has
salmon, tuna and salmon eggs. Here, the
sushi made with tuna and spring onion,
requires special mention as our chop-
sticks keep going back to the bite-sized
delight.
We are then served the chawan-
munshi (egg custard), the only item that
I dont embrace. My friend who has
grown up on it however goes all nostal-
gic and finishes mine too.
By now it is time for the dessert and
we are served an assortment of green tea
cake with cream, chocolate cake, and a
mocha and cream pudding. The choco-
late cake is quite run-of-the-mill but the
green tea cake is a dollop of happiness
multiplied by infinity. After digging in
the last spoonful, we sip tea and look out
of the window.
Located at Mehrauli, just a hop away
from Qutub Minar, we have chosen a
table from where we can see the mon-
ument brilliantly lit up. The restaurant
has been constructed by revamping an
age-old haveli so the old-world charm
lingers. For those looking for a meal
with family, En can set you back by a
few thousand but if you are willing to
allow authentic Japenese food to tingle
your taste buds, this place is it. As we
finish our meal, I am almost tempted
to give the restaurant a standing ovation,
but I realise I am just too full.
From lhe irsl bile
onwards, you realise
lhal lhere are no
shorlculs here. Each
dish has been
ainslakingly crealed,
lending il delicale
lavours and lasle. Eh in
Mehrauli is lhe oneslo
lace or aulhenlic
Jaanese, like no olher
in lhe cily, says
hAMAR JAMATA
luu| u| ||+Ji|iu|
Clef !AV! ROCCO tells !VYA KA!SHK alout oiscovering lis
secret sice, JDUDP PDVDOD, in noia ano exloring cooling metloos in
tle villages of Rajastlan
E6IFE
Berrylicious
There are several mylhs and legends around rasberries. Tradilional olklore
recommends lhe use o lhe ruil's lea as lea or regnanl women, as il is
suggesled il may shorlen lhe second slage o labour
of facts
ThE BRASE0 F0RK
hAS BEEh SL0w
C00KE0 F0R S0 L0h0
ThAT ThE FECES 0F
MEAT MELT h ThE
M0uTh. ThE SuSh
MA0E wTh TuhA Ah0
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RE0uRES SFECAL
MEhT0h AS 0uR
Ch0FSTCKS KEEF
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BTESZE0 0EL0hT
' was not
interested in
competition or
in just adding
a cookery
show on
television.
wanted to
connect with
people.
Thanks to this
show, know
what real ndia
is and how
warm the
people are.
The most
poignant
moments have
been the most
dramatic ones'
Small
0a 0rtI0as,
hI 0a taste
NEW DELHI l FRIDAY l APRIL 4, 2014
sport 15

T kY ' 8 MkT 6 h
"^T cU]YVY^Q\* 9^TYQ fc C_edX 1VbYSQ
<YfU _^ CdQb C`_bdc ! &*# `]
F1kk WkhT8 T FEh Ih I8
Mumbai: Looking lo cemenl his lace in ndia's
0neday crickel leam, balsman Cheleshwar Fujara
on Thursday said lhal he would like lo oen lhe
innings in lhe limiled overs ormal. " would like lo
bal lo o lhe order. can'l jusl say lhal jusl would
reer lo oen lhe innings. l deends on lhe leam's
requiremenl. 0iven an oorlunily, obviously would
reer lo oen lhe innings bul even balling al
number lhree or our, il is nol dee down lhe order,"
said Fujara. ' am balling one lo our, am hay
doing lhal,' he added. Asked aboul lhe adjuslmenls
he would have lo bring lo his game i he wanled lo
lay in lhe 00s, Fujara exlained, 'n 00s, lhere is
nol a major change, esecially wilh lhe lwo new
balls, you slill wanl lo lay roer crickeling shols
inilially. And lhen once lhe ball gels old, you can
slarl acceleraling. 'Being a lo order balsman,
don'l need lo make loo many adjuslmenls in 00
ormal because lhere is a lol o movemenl. we all
know lhere are lwo new balls and mosl o lhe
malches are in overseas condilion. 'nilially you wanl
lo bal like whal you do in Tesl ormal and even when
am sel in a Tesl malch, my slrike rale has
imroved a lol. 0nce cross 5O runs, aler lhal
slarl laying lhe shols. n 00s maybe, you can'l
have so much o lime bul whal need lo do is lhal
lhe way bal in lhe Tesl malch aler scoring a 5O,
can jusl do lhe same lhing when go inlo bal,' he
exlained.
hkIEEZ IT8 TZ0 6kFTkIh6Y
Karachi: Fakislan's inluenlial allrounder,
Mohammad haee/ loday announced he was
sleing down as calain o lhe nalional T2O leam
aler ils shock grouslage exil rom lhe CC world
T2O lournamenl in Bangladesh. his announcemenl
came aler he came oul o a meeling wilh lhe
chairman o lhe Fakislan Crickel Board (FCB), hajam
Selhi, giving rise lo seculalions lhal he was lold lo
resign or ace lhe axe. " lake resonsibilily or lhe
leam's oor erormance aler lhe high execlalions
everyone had rom us in lhe world T2O," haee/
said. "ho one has orced me lo resign... lhink lhis
is lhe righl lhing lo do because as calain am
resonsible or lhe good and bad erormances o
lhe leam," he slaled.
8EhWk 8IZZIE8 Ih EIhI VI6TY
Mohali: virender Sehwag smashed G7 o 85 balls
lo roel 0elhi lo a sixwickel win over Funjab in lhe
Syed Mushlaq Ali T2O Trohy (horlh Zone) malch
here on Thursday. Ful in lo bal, Funjab scored a
comelilive 174 or seven in lheir allolled 2O overs,
bul lhanks lo Sehwag, 0aulam 0ambhir (4O o 25)
and Sumil harwal (42 o 28), 0elhi overcame lhe
largel wilh 1O balls lo sare. Sehwag and 0ambhir
sel lhe lone or a successul chase beore harwal's
onslaughl gol lheir leam over lhe line.
FIETE8Eh kEEh T MEhT FIkYE8
London: Kevin Fielersen said he was looking
orward lo sharing lhe beneils o his exerience
wilh inlernalional slars o lhe ulure now lhal his
own England career had been lerminaled. "l is good
lo come lo lhe end o an inlernalional career and
hel olhers who are lhe slarl o an inlernalional
career," Fielersen lold kiacva|.0cm on Thursday. "
won'l be orceul in my knowledge. Bul 've gol
exerience in lraining, lhe menlal rearalion lhal
goes in lo making you successul - which 've
nailed well. "So il's a case o handing over lhal
knowledge, i someone wanls il."Fielersen also
lans lo lake arl in bolh English domeslic T2O wilh
Surrey and lhe Caribbean Fremier League equivalenl
or an as yel lo be decided ranchise, even lhough
lhe lwo lournamenls overla. Fh8lkgenries
FTI Q MRFuR
T
hey are on a high after four
victories on the trot but
team combination
and injury to Yuvraj Singh
will be a worry for India
as they go into the sec-
ond semifinal of the
ICC World Twenty20
against a determined South
Africa, here on Friday.
While the Indian team manage-
ment will be hoping that Yuvraj recov-
ers fully from his ankle injury which he
sustained during a football session,
selecting the final XI could be a tricky
proposition for them. The dilemma fac-
ing the Indians is whether to retain
Ajinkya Rahane in place of out of form
Shikhar Dhawan and Mohit Sharma,
who had replaced Mohammed Shami in
the last match against Australia.
While Dhawan is known to be destruc-
tive batsman, his form has been a big con-
cern which may prompt the team manage-
ment to retain Rahane.
However, if Yuvraj does not recover
fully, both Rahane and Dhawan are likely
to be in the playing eleven in such a scenario.
While skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni
will wish that senior pro Yuvraj remains
fighting fit for the crucial match, the South
Africans will be wary of the quality spin
attack that they will have to encounter in
order to book a berth for the final.
It will be a keenly-fought contest when
Virat Kohlis swagger will meet Imran
Tahirs guile and Rohit Sharma will try to
douse the fire set by Dale Steyn. If one goes
by form in the tournament, India can be
termed favourites on paper but a game of
Twenty20 can change in a matter of three
overs as Pakistan captain Mohammed
Hafeez realised it the hard way.
While India have had an all-win record
coming into the last-four clash, the South
African team won three out of their four
games, albeit in a contrasting manner. India
have so far convincingly crushed some of
the teams such as Australia, Pakistan and
Bangladesh while registering a comfortable
win against defending champions West
Indies.
South Africa, on the other hand, have
recorded some close victories against New
Zealand, The Netherlands and England in
their last three games.
India would like to move on from their
forgettable first two-and-a-half months of
2014 and their opponents would like to
shed off their chokers tag in this current
ICC event. It will be a match where Indian
spinners will like to re-affirm their dom-
inance on the slow turner at the Sher-e-
Bangla Stadium while the AB de Villiers
and the Quinton de Kocks would hope to
turn the tables on the Indians.
Yuvraj Singhs left ankle injury due to
Indian teams adventurous barefoot foot-
ball will certainly keep Dhoni and coach
Duncan Fletcher, a tad worried. After a few
indifferent matches, Yuvraj showed how
destructive he can be in the shortest for-
mat with his 43-ball-60 against Australia
in the last group league encounter. His
experience and ability to perform in big-
match situation is invaluable to teams
cause and even an 80-percent fit Yuvraj will
be an asset for Team India in a vital game.
In case Yuvraj is unable to get fit in
time, Rahane will get a chance to cement
his place in the T20 side. He scored only
19 during his brief stay at the crease in the
last match against Australia but he had
looked much more compact than Dhawan.
The left-hander has totalled 31 runs in
three games so far.
During the training session though,
Dhawan was the first one to pad up and
enter the nets but this Indian teams
training session at times has not been an
indicator as to what is coming next.
Rahane is a technically much more com-
pact player while Dhawan has a destruc-
tive ability on his day. It will be only and
only Dhonis call as to who would open the
innings alongside Rohit Sharma on Friday.
The other area of concern will be the
pace bowling partner of Bhuvneshwar
Kumar. With an economy rate of 4.33 in 12
overs across four matches, the UP lad has
shown a lot of control with the new ball.
His regular partner Mohammed Shamis
bowling has been a weak link as he has
an unimpressive economy rate of 8.70
in the three matches he played so far.
Africas chances will depend a
lot on world No 1 fast bowler
Steyns performance. With nine
wickets from four matches, Steyn
will be certainly extracting more
pace and bounce than
what is actually on offer
on the 22-yards strip of
the Mirpur stadium. But
it will certainly be a test
for Tahir, who has so far
got 11 wickets from his
four games at an economy
rate of less than seven
runs per over.
FTI Q MRFuR
S
outh African skipper Faf du Plessis on
Friday said though he has learnt a lot
from M S Dhoni during his stint with
Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, he would
be relying on his own style of captaincy on
Friday.
Ive really enjoyed my time in Chennai
and my time with MS. I have been there
now for three years. I have learnt quite a
bit from him as a captain. He is a very good
and an inspirational leader and he has had
huge success for India. His record speaks
for itself.
My style of captaincy is completely dif-
ferent to his, Du Plessis said when asked
if he has learnt some tricks of the trade from
Dhoni.
Du Plessis termed India the favourites
while calling his team underdogs. We felt
a couple of times before that this was our
time. India are still regarded as one of the
favourites and we have played pretty much
through the whole tournament as under-
dogs.
We have been playing very well as a
team and we have had different guys per-
forming in every single game, so we are not
relying on someone. Its important to play
the key moments well. It is a high pressure
game and if you make the right decisions
on the day you will be on top, he said.
Du Plessis admitted that India would
have an advantage going into the match
having played all their matches at the Sher-
e-Bangla Stadium here. Its a huge thing.
The wicket at Dhaka is completely differ-
ent to Chittagong. We have played all our
games there (Chittagong) and India have
played all their games here.
From a conditions point of view, they
are much more used to them than we are
and we have put in some really hard prac-
tice to speak on really abrasive surfaces
making sure that we almost over-practised
against the ball that is turning too much,
he observed.
Du Plessis said that one should not try
and read too much into Shane Warne drop-
ping in at the South African nets on
Wednesday. It wasnt our decision. I think
it was Warnes decision. He thought he
wanted to come and bowl a bit and bowl
a few balls to us. Obviously, it was nice to
have him around as he has been such a fan-
tastic bowler. We certainly didnt request
him to come and bowl.I wasnt there when
he was speaking with Imran (Tahir), Du
Plessis replied to a query.
WE h'T 6kY 8kkE I
IkIIE8: k8hWIh
Claiming to be at the top of his game
right now, Ravichandran Ashwin on
Thursday said he is not bothered by com-
petition breathing down his neck as his
endeavour is to improve himself.
To be really honest, Ive never both-
ered about whos behind my shoulder.
Thats not how I play my cricket. I
believe in improving every day, and I dont
say it just for the sake of it, Ashwin replied
on being asked about competition from
leg-spinner Amit Mishra.
Unless you dont keep improving,
youre not going to last the distance. You
lose out. Its pretty much like a business
model, thats how I view it. Somebodys
behind my shoulder? They can stay
there. Ill just keep doing what I do best,
he added.
Having got two man-of-the-match
awards in last two matches, the Tamil
Nadu tweaker said that he is at the top
of his game currently.
In the last two or three months, I feel
that Im probably at the top of my bowl-
ing game. When I reach that phase, I pret-
ty much dont practise at all. Thats a phase
Im in right now. The ball is landing exact-
ly where I want it to land, he said.
Talk about going into a knock-out
match against South Africa on Friday,
Ashwin said pressure will be on the
Proteas. Most of these guys (Indian team)
are involved in the Champions Trophy, so
thats one experience everybody can draw
from. Apart from that, the one thing that
the young side will have an advantage over
the other teams, is that we dont carry any
baggage (of failures). Weve not lost big
competitions, there will be no scars with
us. We have nothing to lose, he said.
We never walked into this tourna-
ment as favourites, and we wouldnt
want to be tagged as favourites. We just
go in and enjoy ourselves, he added.
FTI Q MRFuR
A
dominant Sri Lanka on
Thursday made it to the
ICC World T20 final for the
third time knocking out
defending champions West
Indies by 27 runs via the
Duckworth Lewis method
after thundershowers stopped
proceedings in the 14th over
of the second innings.
Batting first in the first
semi-final, Sri Lanka scored
an impressive 160 for six rid-
ing on important contribu-
tions from Angelo Mathews
(40) and Lahiru Thirimanne
(45). In reply, West Indies
were 80 for four in 13.5 overs
when a storm followed by
heavy downpour ruled out
any chances of a game.
The D/L par score at that
point of time was 107 and the
Caribbeans were well short of
the target, struggling at 80 for
four in 13.5 overs. There was
certainly no 'Gayle-storm' but
the 15-minute 'Kalboisakhi'
(NorWesters), as they call in
this part of the world, turned
the ground i nto a l ake.
Umpi res Ri chard
Kett l eborough and Rod
Tucker had to wait as per rules
before Sri Lanka were
adjudged winners.
But the Lankans were the
deserving winners consider-
ing that West Indies were
never in the hunt during their
chase except for the first over.
Dwayne Smith (17) made
his intentions clear in the
first two balls bowled by
Nuwan Kulasekara, lofting
him for a boundary and a six
respectively as 17 came from
the first over.
Chris Gayle (3) looked out
of touch and looked shaky
having been hit on the shin-
bone while fielding. After
scratching around for a dozen
deliveries, he played a Lasith
Malinga slower delivery onto
his stumps. The skipper then
bowled another slow off-break
t hat breached t hrough
Dwayne Smith's defence.
After their stand-in cap-
tain provided twin break-
throughs, the rejuvenated
Lankans stemmed the flow of
runs with some tight bowling.
Lendl Simons (4) was done in
by a flipper from leg-spinner
Seekkuge Prasanna as he was
caught plumb on the back-
foot.
West Indies were strug-
gling at 34 for three at the start
of the eighth over.
Brief scores
Sri Lanka: 160 for six in 20
overs (Thi ri manne 44,
Mathews 40, Dilshan 39;
Santokie 2/46) beat West
Indies: 80 for four in 13.5
overs (Dwayne Bravo 30,
Marlon Samuels 18 not out;
Lasith Malinga 2/5) by 27
runs via D/L method.
ll 8FI F08 F8I0I 8l00k808IF8
ndia lake on Soulh Arica in second semiinal; Yuvi raclices ahead o lie
Jley`re favourites, we`re unoeroogs: !u Plessis
have learnt quite a bit from
him {Dhoni] as a captain. He is
a very good and an
inspirational leader and he has
had huge success for ndia. My
style of captaincy is completely
different to his
FAF DU PLESSS
To be really honest, 've
never bothered about who's
behind my shoulder.
Somebody's behind my
shoulder? They can stay
there. 'll just keep doing
what do best
R ASHWN
shortstories
YuvRAJ
Sh0h BATTE0
F0R ThE L0h0EST
TME 0uRh0 ThE
TEAM'S hET SESS0h
h FATuLLAh 0h
ThuRS0AY
l|Ji+| pi||| A|i|
|i||+ (+|u1) +|J R
A|Wi| (/||| |i||)
+| i| /|pl+|] |u||
|u| u i Suu|| A||i+|
AB J Villi| (|||).
All || |+|i| u| +
|uu||W+||i| u|||
AP
Rain cheals windies, rewards Lanka
S|i |+||+| pl+]| l||+| || Wi|| u| w| l|Ji W+]| S|i|| |uWlJ |] |+i|| |+li|+ u| l|u|J+] AP
Sl in inal aler bealing w by 27 runs via 0/L melhod; laller were 8O or 4 chasing 1G1
sport 16
NEW DELH FRDAY APRL 4, 2014
kIII WkITIh I IIIk IEE8k6k h
Jamshedpur: All ndia Foolball Federalion (AFF) will
slarl lhe renovalion work o lhe venues lhal will hosl lhe
2O17 under17 world Cu aler il gels lhe eedback
rom FFA leam. "we are wailing or lhe eedback rom
FFA aboul lhe venues lhey have insecled recenlly and
iniliale aclion lo ugrade or renovale accordingly," said
Subhankar Mukherjee, 0ireclor, halional Teams, AFF.
Mukherjee, who was in lhe sleel cily lo lake arl in lhe
1Olh Convocalion o Tala Foolball Academy (TFA) here
on wednesday nighl, lold FTI lhal AFF was execling
lhal lhe eedback rom FFA would be received by lhis
weekend.
I8hk, 8kI Ek6h 8EMIIIhkI
Chennai: 0disha and Sorls Aulhorily o ndia (SA)
comleled lhe semiinal line u o lhe ourlh hockey
ndia Junior Men halional Chamionshi 2O14 (0ivision
A) aler regislering emhalic viclories over Mumbai and
Bhoal in lheir reseclive ool malches, here on
Thursday. while 0disha deealed Mumbai 4O in a Fool
B malch, SA lhrashed Bhoal 5O in Fool 0. Meanwhile
in inconsequenlial malches o lhe day, himachal
Fradesh gol lhe beller o Karnalaka 48 in a keenly
oughl conlesl, while Maharashlra ekede oul a close G5
win over Challisgarh in Fool 0.
hI khhh6E8 WMEh'8 TEkM I 66
New Delhi: Forwards havneel Kaur and heha 0oyal
have been included or lhe irsl lime in lhe 18member
ndian women's hockey squad, led by midielder Rilu
Rani, or lhe Fh Chamions Challenge 1 lo be held
rom Aril 27 - May 4. Midielder Chanchan 0evi will
be lhe vicecalain or lhe eighlnalion lournamenl lo be
layed al 0lasgow, Scolland. ndia are laced in Fool A
wilh Korea, Belgium and lhe hosl Scolland while uSA,
Soulh Arica, Sain and reland are laced in Fool B.
ndia will lake on Korea in lheir oening malch on Aril
27. The leam will dearl or reland on Aril 1O lo lay a
lhreemalch lesl series againsl lheir nalional side lo
acclimalise ahead o lhe Chamions Challenge 1.
8EII 8EIIEI kEY T 866E88: WkI8h
New Delhi: Sel belie will be key lo ndia's success in
lhe hockey world Cu lo be held al The hague,
helherlands rom May 81 lo June 15, chie coach Terry
walsh said here on Thursday. ndia's chie coach walsh
exressed salisaclion aboul his wards rearalions.
"we are going good wilh lhe raclice sessions and lhe
boys have been showing good sel o skills. The boys
are really exciled as laying lhe world Cu will be a
huge oorlunily," walsh said aler a raclice al lhe
Major 0hyan Chand halional Sladium here loday.
IFIkk'8 hEW 8kh Eh8EMEhT
New Delhi: Sorls brand Adidas added more girl
ower lo lhe leam; when lhe comany joined joining
orces wilh one o lhe mosl lalenled emale alhleles' in
ndia 0iika Fallikal. The world ho.11 kicked o her
associalion wilh lhe lhree slries in lhe lalesl women's
camaign "all in or #mygirls". while lalking aboul her
joining lhe leam 0iika Fallikal said, " am exciled lo
join leam Adidas and be suorled by lhe leading
sorlswear brand in lhe world. "All in or #mygirls" was
a greal way lo slarl lhis arlnershi and il was suer
un shooling wilh an allgirls leam," she said.
Fh8lkgenries
8I86lF8
k8hI8hEk FhIT
Q hEw 0ELh
S
aina Nehwal and Parupalli
Kashyap moved into the
quarter-finals while other
Indians in the fray made second
round exits in the Yonex Sunrise
India Open here on Thursday.
While Saina had an easy
game (21-15, 21-12) against
Thailands Natcha Saengchote in
womens singles second round,
Kashyap toiled hard to beat com-
patriot RMV Guru Sai Dutt 21-15,
16-21, 21-11.
During the match between
Saina and Saengchote, the Indian
ace got into the groove after the
initial period as the Thai took 5-
2 lead. Saina equalized soon after
but the the battle continued till 15
points. The London Olympics
bronze medallist then got into her
own and played with a lot of
aggression to take the remaining
six points quickly to take the first
game.
In the second game, Saina
moved well inside the court and
never allowed Saengchote to set-
tle down. The Hyderabadi girl
raced to 15-4 and that ensured
that she won it easy.
However, a litmus test awaits
Saina as she takes on world num-
ber two Yihan Wang next. Saina
had lost to Yihan during the
Olympics 2012 semi-final.
Initially I took some time to
understand her style of play
because I was not only playing
against her for the first time, I had
also never seen her play. My
movement was good today and I
think these kinds of matches help
before you get to play more
tougher opponents as the tourna-
ment progresses, she told
reporters.
Talking about her next match
against Yihan, who defeated
Shizuka Uchida 21-8, 13-21, 21-
12, Saina said, Its not easy to play
the Chinese. I need to be more
confident and fast.
Also moving into the third
round were world number one Li
Xuerui and world number three
Shixian Wang. The Chinese
Olympics champion recovered a
first game loss to win 19-21, 21-
17, 21-16 against Thailands
Nichaon Jindapon while Shixian
defeated Sayaka Takahashi 21-17,
20-22, 21-12.
In the match between both
Gopichand Academy products,
Kashyap and Dutt, the senior pro
Kashyap who had on Wednesday
defeated sixth seed Zhengming
Wang, took a 7-4
lead and later
held onto it to
win the first
game. In the
second Dutt
got the bet-
ter of
Ka s hyap
by playing well during rallies and
slowed down the pace of his
opponents game to ensure that
rubber went into a tie-breaker
game.
In the final game, Dutt had a
four-point lead, at 7-4, but allowed
Kashyap to stage a comeback by
making a lot of unforced errors.
After winning the first game
I lost my rhythm in the second. I
started attacking too much and
lost energy. Gurus net and
defence play is good. We spar with
each other while training, so we
know each others game well.
That is why it is always difficult
for me to beat him. He has beat-
en me twice so it was good to beat
him, Kashyap said.
The 23rd ranked Kashyap
next faces world number one
Lee Chong Wei, who packed off
Sourabh Verma 21-9, 21-6 in 23
minutes.
Meanwhile, Indonesian
Aprilla Yuswandari took only 29
minutes to beat former womens
singles national champion Trupti
Murgunde 21-13, 21-12 in the
second round.
Indias challenge in doubles
competition came to an end when
Chinese fifth seeds and Olympics
gold medallist pair Qing Tian and
Yunlei Zhao got past Indias Jwala
Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa
21-13, 21-19 in 37 minutes.
We were slow to start with
and I made a lot of errors to con-
cede the first game. In the second
game we played really well, it
was 19-20 but they sealed the
match. They are the Olympics
champion and to play against
them this way makes us feel that
we are not that far, Jwala told
The Pioneer.
8Ihh 8IIF8 T 10Th
Following her first round
loss to Shixian Wang in the
ongoing $250000 India Open,
PV Sindhu has lost her ninth
place rank to Thai girl Porntip
Buranaprasertsuk in the latest
world ranking released on
Thursday.
kF Q MA0R0
C
ristiano Ronaldo scored a record
equaling goal before exiting to
injury as Real Madrid beat Borussia
Dortmund 3-0 on Wednesday to take
a big step toward the Champions
League semifinals.
Ronaldo netted his 14th goal of the
season in Europes top competition to
giveMadrid a clear advantage ahead of
next weeks quarterfinal return leg in
Germany. But it came at a price as the
Portugal forward, who came into the
first-leg nursing a sore left knee,
came off in the 80th minute.
Gareth Bale scored early and Isco
added another before the half hour
mark at the Santiago Bernabeu
Stadium.
Ronaldo has a problem with his
knee but at this moment Im not wor-
ried about it,Madrid coach Carlo
Ancelotti said.
The Spaniards opened against
Dortmund as the Germans had against
them in the semifinals last season -
when they thrashed Madrid 4-1 en
route to reaching the final with a 4-3
victory on aggregate.
Madrid certainly didnt need inspi-
ration after last seasons loss to
Dortmund, which was without sus-
pended striker Robert Lewandowski
and five more regulars to injury as it
fielded just four of the players present
in last seasons 4-1 win.
The goals we gave up tonight
were not because of this, Dortmund
coach Juergen Klopp said. It was too
easy (for them), and thats not what we
wanted. We made some mistakes and
we were punished.
The energetic start saw Bale near-
ly miss Dani Carvajals short pass
inside the area before stretching to toe
poke his fifth goal of the
competition under goal-
keeper Roman
Weidenfeller after just
three minutes.
Wei denfel l er was
sharp despite Madrids
early onslaught as he
punched free kicks from
Ronaldo and Bale over
the bar. He also stayed in
the game despite wincing
in pain after Marco Reus made a clear-
ance that also connected with the
keepers hands.
With forward Angel Di Maria
out to a gastro virus, Isco showed good
poise to gather a loose ball in front of
the area and slide home a low shot for
2-0 in the 27th minute.
The Spain midfielders goal was
just the boost Madrid needed as
Dortmund began to find its rhythm,
with Kevin Grosskreutz forcing
Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas into
a low stop in the 33rd.
Ronaldo, playing in his 100th
Champions League game, was clearly
eager to match the record 14 goals
scored by Lionel Messi in
one Champions League
campaign.
Luka Modric made it
happen as the Croat
pounced on a poor
Dortmund pass deep in
its own area in the 57th
minute and picked out
Ronaldo, who dribbled
around Weidenfeller for
his 45th goal of the sea-
son. Jose Altafini also scored 14 goals
in the 1962/63 European Cup cam-
paign for AC Milan.
EIEhIh Wk8 k 1kE:
MIhh kITE I88 T F8
Paris: Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho
called his teams defending a joke
after Paris Saint-Germain scored deep
into injury time Wednesday to take a
commanding 3-1 lead into their
Champions League quarterfinal return
leg next week.
A second straight defeat has
turned t he pressure back on
Mourinhos Chelsea side, with big-
spending PSG now favored to reach
the last four in the European Cup for
the first time since 1995 and Liverpool
grabbing the impetus in the Premier
League.
When the games are tight and
when you make the defensive mis-
takes, you are in trouble, Mourinho
said. We couldnt transform these half
chances into goals and on top of that
we made defensive mistakes, the kind
of individual defensive mistakes, and
we paid the price.
PSG substitute Javier Pastore
capped the win with a brilliant goal in
stoppage time. The Argentina play-
maker gathered the ball on the right
wing, cut inside and then jinked his
way through the penalty area before
planting a low shot inside goalkeeper
Petr Cechs near post.
It was a horrible time to concede,
center half Gary Cahill told British
broadcaster Sky Sports. Its a sloppy
goal and unlike us. It was difficult to
come here; 2-1 would have been okay
to take to Stamford Bridge. Its devas-
tating.
Mourinho was more scathing.
He (Cahill) says sloppy. I say ridicu-
lous, later adding. Its not a goal, its
a joke.
He also criticized his forwards,
with neither Andre Schuerrle or his
replacement, Fernando Torres, mak-
ing any impression in the absence of
the injured Samuel Etoo.
Fh8 Q hEw 0ELh
T
o ensure that boxers and coaches remain
unaffected by the Federations internation-
al termination and derecognition at home, the
IOA on Friday formed an ad-hoc Committee
to handle issues related to coaching and selec-
tion in the beleaguered sport.
The first Executive Council meeting of the
IOA was held on Thursday, after the lifting of
suspension by the IOC, under the chairman-
ship of N Ramachandran.
The IOA has formed an Ad-hoc
Committee, consisting of six members under
the chairmanship of Tarlochan Singh, who has
years of experience in Olympic movement. The
national coach G S Sandhu and Indias rep-
resentative at the International Boxing
Association (AIBA), Kishan Narsi are also in
the committee, said Ramachandran.
0A orms adhoc anel or boxing
Saina, Kashya reach quarlers bul all olher ndians lose al ndia 0en
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I
ndian Premier League will
return to India on May 2nd
after the first part which will be
held in the United Arab
Emirates. Upon return, tyhe
first game will be between past
winners Chennai Super Kings
and Kolkata Knight Riders in
Ranchi.
20 matches starting from
April 16 will be held in the UAE
due to clash of dates with the
general elections.
The organisers on
Thursday released the fixture
for the remainder of the 40
games, including the final with
all the matches being held in
India. Bangladesh was kept as
a stand by to host the second leg
in case the government
declined permission to hold the
matches.
A total of 10 cities
Ranchi, Mumbai, New Delhi,
Bangalore, Ahmedabad,
Cuttack, Hyderabad, Kolkata,
Chennai and Mohali will
host the remaining 40 match-
es of IPL 7.
While the Qualifier 1 and
Eliminator will be held at
Chennai's M A Chidambaram
Stadium on May 27 and May
28, the Qualifier 2 and the sum-
mit clash will be staged at the
Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai
on May 30 and June 1.
Each franchise will play
nine matches in India, with five
of the eight teams playing at
least four matches in their
home stadium. Chennai Super
Kings will play two matches at
Ranchi, while Kings XI Punjab
will play two games at Cuttack.
Rajasthan Royals will play four
matches at Ahmedabad. There
will be no matches on May 1,
May 16 and May 17.
"After discussions with the
authorities in India, the BCCI
is pleased to announce that a
total of 36 regular season
matches, plus the four playoffs
of the Pepsi IPL 2014, will be
played in India, starting Friday,
2 May 2014," BCCI secretary
Sanjay Patel said in a statement.
The organisers also made
two changes to the UAE leg of
the schedule. The evening
match on April 26 in Abu
Dhabi, between Kings XI
Punjab and Kolkata Knight
Riders, will now be designated
as a home match for Kolkata
Knight Riders while the match
April 28 in Dubai, between
Royal Challengers Bangalore
and Kings XI Punjab, will be
designated as a home game for
Kings XI Punjab.
"Following on from the
launch of ticket sales for the
UAE leg today, I am pleased
that we are now able to confirm
the dates for the rest of the sea-
son. It is great news that the fans
back home in India will be able
to watch a large part of the
Pepsi IPL 2014. Given the var-
ious challenges and the logisti-
cal complexities, we have spent
a considerable amount of time
in crafting a balanced schedule,"
said interim president of BCCI-
IPL, Sunil Gavaskar.
Ranjib Biswal, chairman
of IPL Governing Council,
said We are delighted to have
the season back in India at the
start of May. Organising an
event of this scale at multiple
venues in two countries is an
enormous organisational
undertaking and we are very
grateful to the Government of
India, the Ministry of Home
Affairs and the police author-
ities in the various states for
their support.
The first leg of IPL 7 was
forced to shift out of the coun-
try after the government
refused to provide security as its
schedule was clashing with the
general elections, scheduled to
be held in nine phases from
April 7 to May 12.
This is the second time the
event has had to be forced out
of the country due to elections.
In 2009, the entire tournament
had to be shifted to South
Africa, a country which was in
contention to host the event
even this time.
Due to the lesser number of
teams, the duration of the league
has also been shortened this
time to 47 days and 60 match-
es much less than the 76
games played last season which
was spread over 54 days.
lP| ||u|| |u l|Ji+ u| |+] 2
Each franchise will
play nine matches
in ndia, with five of
the eight teams
playing at least
four matches in
their home
stadium. Chennai
Super Kings will
play two matches
at Ranchi, while
Kings X Punjab
will play two
games at Cuttack.
Rajasthan Royals
will play four
matches at
Ahmedabad. There
will be no matches
on May 1, May 16
and May 17
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