Bhujbal withdraws defamation case against Bal Thackeray

MUMBAI: NCP leader and Maharashtra Public Works Department minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Friday withdrew the defamation case he filed against his fo
rmer mentor Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray.

After withdrawing the case at the suburban Bandra metropolitan magistrate court, Bhujbal, along with Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray, left for Bal Thackeray's residence 'Matoshree'.

Bhujbal had filed the case in 1997, prompted by a news report in Sena mouthpiece Saamna.

A former Shiv Sena man, Bhujbal fell out with the Shiv Sena chief and quit the party in 1991 to join Congress. He later joined Sharad Pawar-led NCP.

"Sanjay Raut and Subhash Desai wrote me a letter requesting that I should withdraw the case considering Balasaheb's old age. So I decided to withdraw the case," Bhujbal said after coming out of the court.

Raut and Desai are senior Sena leaders. When asked whether today's development indicated his plan to return to Shiv Sena, Bhujbal said, "This seems to be your suggestion for action."

The news report in Saamna was about allegations made by one Rajendra Agarwal that Bhujbal had instigated him to desecrate the bust of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar at Ramabai Nagar in suburban Ghatkopar.

The incident had led to a riot in the year 1997.


Source : Times Of India

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BJP threatens to move court over GU polls

PANAJI: BJP students' cell has asked the Goa University to reinstate the panel that were earlier declared winners of the elections of the students
council. The students' cell warned that failing which it would keep all options open in order to get their demands met.

Addressing a press conference , BJP students' cell convenor Atmaram Bharve said they would not hesitate to seek legal recourse and approach the courts. "The director of social welfare has been given all powers to conduct the elections, so why did the registrar intervene? If there are discrepancies in this election, then the elections of the last three years should also be declared as null and void," he said.

Bharve further referred to protests conducted by the student's wing of the Congress on earlier occasions and said that authorities were resorting to double standards. "When they had a protest at the Fine Arts college, they even broke the glass on the principal's table. Nothing was done about that. When we protested in a peaceful manner, the authorities have termed it as unruly behaviour," he added.

"We demand that the earlier status be restored to our panel, where our members have been elected as general secretary and lady representative. We will also meet and decide on our further course of action," Bharve said.

Meanwhile, chairman of Congress' students cell Sunil Kawthankar, , said that their members debated whether they should demand for conduct of early re-elections by the university . "After reaching a consensus , it was decided on letting the university take a call on it due to upcoming examinations on October 7," Kawthankar said.

Source : Times Of India

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JD-U booklet on Lalu's flood 'jokes' soon

PATNA: "Don't be scared of floods! When it comes, it brings a lot of fish. Poor people will get fish free of cost and relish it."

This and other off-the-cuff remarks by railway minister Lalu Prasad during the current devastating Kosi floods as also in the past are being documented by the state unit of the Janata Dal (U). It will be published in a booklet form.

The floods this year have been politicised as never before as all major political players are trying to provide relief to the victims but with an eye on the coming general elections. "We will reproduce non-serious statements of Lalu on floods he made recently and during the 15 years when he and his party were in power here," state JD(U) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh "Lallan" said on Saturday.

The state party office has been activated to collect all available clippings of Lalu's flood jokes. Besides, the (in)famous fish remark, said a party functionary, there are many more like the one when Lalu commented while sympathising with farmers whose land was submerged, "Don't worry! The flood waters will turn your land more fertile."

Source : Times Of India

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Court should fix definition of 'terrorist': Raj Thackeray

NASHIK: Reacting to the Bombay High Court's "terrorist" remark on him on the Marathi signboards issue, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday said the court should fix definition of "terrorist".

Addressing a college students gathering on career guidance organised by Nashik unit of MNS this afternoon, Raj said, "We are forcing to make signboards in Marathi as per law, but court raps the state over failure to curb my drive and described me as a terrorist."

"Does noted social worker Anna Hazare become a terrorist if he observes fast or silence (maun vrata) for his demands?" he asked.

Commenting on the government's remarks that he is running a parallel government, the MNS chief said, "I am not interested in running such government, but will run government in future."

Source : Times Of India

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Shivraj Patil should resign: BJP

NEW DELHI: With yet another blast rocking the national capital, BJP on Saturday demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil saying he has no right to be in office in the wake of continuing terror attacks in the country.

V K Malhotra, BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate for Delhi who visited the blast site in south Delhi's Mehrauli, also demanded convening of an early session of Parliament to discuss the security scenario in the country.

Attacking Patil, the BJP leader said, "instead of changing his clothes thrice, he should have taken actions like discussing the matter with public. Instead of doing all that, money is being collected for terrorists, demonstrations are being held for them."

He said the security scenario has worsened and now terrorists do not have any fear in carrying out strikes in the country.

"The only ones who are scared are the public. The terrorists know that. Even if they get caught, they will be getting money and legal support from the government," he said.


Source : Times Of India

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V K Malhotra to be BJP's Delhi CM candidate

NEW DELHI: BJP's Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, will lead the party in the coming Assembly elections in the national capital.

Malhotra was chosen as the party's Chief Ministerial candidate at a meeting of the Parliamentary Board which met at the BJP headquarters here.

"He is an acceptable and senior leader. He has the potential to lead the party in the coming elections and emerge victorious," BJP General Secretary Arun Jaitley told a press conference here announcing Malhotra's name.

The 77-year-old leader, who is the lone BJP MP from the national capital in the current Lok Sabha, represents South Delhi constituency.

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Left, BSP dharna against nuke deal

PATNA: Workers of five Left parties namely CPI, CPM, Forward Bloc, Janvadi Forward Bloc, RSP and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Thursday staged a daylong dharna and burnt effigies of PM Manmohan Singh and US president George W Bush here at the income-tax roundabout in protest against the Indo-US nuclear deal and Manmohan’s US visit.

It was part of Left parties’ nationwide protest programme. According to CPI state secretary B N Lal, dharnas were staged at the district headquarters of Begusarai, West Champaran, Madhepura, Khagaria, Rohtas, Buxar and Bhagalpur. Prominent among those present included Lal, veteran CPM leader and former state secretary Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi.


Source : Times Of India

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TRS men attack Lanco office

HYDERABAD: A group of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) activists attacked an office of Lanco on Road No. 92, Jubilee Hills in the city on Thursday evening.

Police said the attack was in retaliation to an accident involving external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee’s convoy in Nizamabad on Thursday, in which the car of Lagadapati Rajagopal, promoter and former managing director of Lanco and Congress MP from Vijayawada, ran over a TRS worker’s foot when they were trying to obstruct the convoy. But Lanco officials said that it was some other car that was involved in the accident. “There were 20 cars in Pranab’s convoy. How can my car be singled out?” Rajagopal said later.

B Chinna Reddy, 25, a local TRS activist reportedly suffered minor injuries in the accident.

According to eyewitnesses, 30 TRS activists came to the Lanco office that serves as the headquarters for their Lanco Hills project at 4.30 pm and suddenly started pelting stones on the office. “It was totally unprovoked and absolutely an act of vandalism,” said an eyewitness. In the stone pelting that continued for five minutes, the glass panes of the three storied building were completely broken and four cars parked in front of the building were damaged. The TRS men who identified themselves with their party scarves also shouted slogans like ‘Jai Telangana’ during the attack.

A local cop said the activists came directly from the TRS Bhavan, where a training camp was on. However, the city police commissioner said he has to verify the report. “We are trying to find out whether the attackers came from the TRS office and where they went after the attack,” city police commissioner Prasada Rao said. “There were nearly 200 employees at the office. However, no one was hurt, ” DCP Ravi Verma said.

Source : Times Of India

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Cops identify cyber cafe from where email threat to Advani was sent

SHILLONG: Police have claimed to have identified the cyber cafe from which the email, purportedly sent by Indian Mujahideen terrorists, to eliminate BJP leader L K Advani during his Shillong visit on September 29, was sent.

Refusing to disclose the name of the cafe, DGP B K Dey Sawian said the mail was sent from a cafe in Shillong.

"Definitely the email was not sent by a prankster. It's a two page mail written with specific inputs and details. We are taking it seriously and working on it to trace the sender," Sawian said.

He said the police was taking the matter very seriously. "Advani is given the highest category security, yet we cannot afford to take any chances," the DGP said.

When asked whether the police had any specific input about the presence of Indian Mujahideen militants in the state, Sawian said, “As of now we do not have specific inputs on that, but it cannot be ruled out."

"Soon after the blasts in Ahmedabad and Delhi, we have put certain places across the state under scanner acting on intelligence inputs. We are looking at those (places)," he added.

BJP not to cancel Advani's visit despite threat

The BJP will go ahead with the scheduled visit of L K Advani to the northeast despite the email threat given by suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorists to eliminate him.

"We are going ahead with the programme," BJP president H S Syiemlieh said before going into a huddle with senior state leaders to discuss the matter.

Terming the threat as 'nothing unusual', he said the party was in touch with the police.

"We are not sure about the credential of the threat. The responsibility of his (Advani) security lies on the government," the BJP president said.

Govt to ensure Advani's security: CM

Meghalaya Chief Minister Donkupar Roy has assured that the state government would ensure BJP leader L K Advani's visit to Shillong is incident free.

In the wake of an email threat, purportedly by Indian Mujahideen terrorists to eliminate Advani during his visit here on September 29, Roy said, "We are verifying the matter. The government will ensure that Advani has a safe visit to the state."

"He (Advani) is an important leader. Police is taking all measures to trace the sender of the email and verify the authenticity of it," he told reporters here.


Source : Times Of India

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'BSP worker' held for blackmailing Amar Singh

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police claim to have picked up a person for demanding Rs 5 crore from SP leader Amar Singh in lieu of making a statement in his favour before a Parliamentary panel probing the cash-for-vote scam. Hashmat Ali was arrested from Amar Singh’s residence on Thursday.
Ali, described by Singh as a BSP worker, had gone to Singh's residence this morning and demanded the hefty amount for changing his statement he had given to the panel, the SP leader claimed at a press conference.

Singh said Ali, who was to depose before the Inquiry Committee on FRiday, came to his residence around 8.30 am and said he could save the reputation of the SP leader by giving a favourable statement to the panel.

A person, whom Singh described as Hashmat Ali, was seen being taken away in a car from the SP leader's residence. "I am being kidnapped," the person shouted to reporters. However, Crime Branch of Delhi Police said that Ali was under detention and being questioned.

The issue of "kidnapping" of Ali is understood to have figured at the meeting of the Parliamentary panel with CPM member Mohammad Salim understood to have raised the issue.

Salim is learnt to have said that someone was trying hard to see that crucial evidence in the cash-for-vote scam was not brought before the panel to enable it reach the truth.

Opposition BJP termed Ali's detention as a "stage-managed" show by Singh and attacked him for trying to "influence and intimidate" the witness and the Committee.

"This is a stage-managed show and an attempt to intimidate and influence the witness and the committee," BJP spokesman Prakash Javdekar said demanding a new probe into the matter.

Source : Times Of India

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