Yeddyurappa openly supporting Congress, Jagadish Shettar says

GULBARGA:Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar today charged KJP president B S Yeddyurappa with openly supporting Congress in the March 7 urban local body polls to free himself from CBI cases over his alleged involvement in illegal mining.

"Yeddyurappa is under the tight grip of Congress due to CBI cases and wants to come out of it. Hence he is openly supporting Congress in the March 7 urban body polls," he told reporters here.

Shettar alleged that Yeddyurappa does not mind Karnataka Janata Party candidates losing the polls, but is coaxing people to vote for Congress to trounce the ruling BJP.

"This clearly shows he is under the tight grip of the Congress," he alleged.

Yeddyurappa had said yesterday that his KJP would support Congress in all wards where it did not contest and urged his supporters to work for Congress candidates in such segments to defeat BJP and Janata Dal(S).

Shettar was speaking after a BJP road show in the run up to the polls.

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Congress is synonymous with price rise, Nitish Kumar says

PATNA: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar today attacked the UPA government by saying that the Congress was synonymous with price rise.

"Congress party ka dusra naam mahangai party hai....jab tak ye log satta mein rahenge mahangai badhti rahegi (Congress is synonymous with price rise .... as the Congress is in power prices will rise)," Kumar told reporters here.

On the phone tapping of BJP leader Arun Jaitley, he accused that this was an act of a "weak" government.

"A weak government always resorts to such tactics," Kumar charged, adding that it was a violation of privacy.

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Hyderabad blasts: NIA interrogates Indian Mujahideen operatives

HYDERABAD: Two suspected Indian Mujahideen operatives are being questioned by the NIA today in connection with the February 21 twin blasts here that left 16 people dead.

A court in Delhi had yesterday granted the NIA five-day custody of Syed Maqbool and Imran Khan for their interrogation following which the two were brought here by the agency.

The agency had told the court that it would take both of them to Hyderabad and question them for more clues about the blasts, as the ongoing probe points that Indian Mujahideen (IM) module was behind it.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had alleged that Maqbool and Khan had in July last year recced Hyderabad's Dilsukhnagar area where the blasts occurred claiming 16 lives and leaving 119 injured.

Maqbool and Khan are presently lodged in Tihar Jail following their arrest by Delhi Police in connection with the August 2012 Pune blast case.

"The duo are in NIA custody and are being questioned here," sources said without elaborating much.

According to the NIA, the blasts took place on the alleged instructions of IM's Pakistan-based founder Riyaz Bhatkal and the duo's interrogation will help in unearthing the exact plan envisaged by him.

The blasts in Hyderabad were triggered by powerful IEDs planted near Konark and Venkatadiri theatres in Dilsukhnagar.

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Union Budget 2013: No IT exemption for cash donations to political parties by cos

NEW DELHI: The government on Thursday proposed to take away the income tax benefit on donations made in cash by corporates to political parties from April 2014 onwards.

Under the existing provisions of section 80GGB of the Income Tax, contribution by an Indian company to any political party or an electoral trust in the previous year, is allowed as deduction in computing the total income of the firm.

Currently, a similar deduction is also available to individuals under section 80GGC. There is no specific mode provided for making such contributions in the Act.

"With a view to discourage cash payments by the contributors, it is proposed to amend the provisions... so as to provide that no deduction shall be allowed under section 80GGB and 80GGC in respect of any sum contributed by way of cash," the Budget document presented in Parliament said.

The amendment, government said, will come into effect from April 1, 2014 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the assessment year 2014-15 and subsequent assessment years.

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Accountability must for rights violations in Sri Lanka: Govt

NEW DELHI: In the wake of fresh allegations of rights violations against ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka, India on Wednesday said there should be accountability for such issues but remained evasive on the position it will take at the UN on a resolution against that country.

External affairs minister Salman Khurshid made it clear that India would not intervene directly in Sri Lanka's sovereign affairs even as members in the Rajya Sabha expressed serious concern over the situation there and demanded an independent credible probe into the killing of LTTE chief Prabhakaran's 12-year-old son Balachandran.

DMK, a key UPA constituent, said it has lost faith in the government on this and its members staged a walkout along with those from AIADMK and Left, dissatisfied with Khurshid's reply to the debate on the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka.

"We are totally and utterly committed to the outcome that must ensure equality, dignity, justice for the Tamil people of Sri Lanka," Khurshid said, sharing concerns expressed by members cutting across party lines.

On the recent allegation about Balachandran being killed in cold blood by the Sri Lankan forces, he said India cannot "adjudicate" about the truth behind the incident and apportion the responsibility on anybody for the "very moving, very tragic, very sad" incident.

"That is why we are engaging with Sri Lanka... Accountability should be there...Whether it should be imposed from outside or come from within... Honestly speaking, accountability is necessary, accountability is inevitable but accountability must come from within," the minister said.

"There is no future unless there is reconciliation, there is no future unless there is accountability," he said but added that India cannot impose a timeline on Sri Lanka for it.

hResponding to demands by members that India should vote with the US resolution in the UN against Sri Lanka on it, he said, "What point we make in the UN can't foreclose today. We will make position keeping this debate in mind. After taking position we will disclose here..."

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Railway to introduce modern coach 'Anubhuti' in Rajdhani, Shatabdi trains

NEW DELHI: Railways on Tuesday proposed to introduce a modern coach "Anubhuti" with good ambience in the premier Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains providing higher travel comfort to passengers.

The travelling fare in such a coach will be priced separately, railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal announced in his Budget speech.

"With increased popularity of Shatabdi and Rajdhani trains, there is also a demand for higher travel comfort. Responding to this need, railways will introduce one such coach in select trains which will provide an excellent ambience and latest modern facilities and services," he said.

Such coaches will be named 'Anubhuti' with commensurate fare structure, he said.

Besides, he said a pilot project will be launched in select trains to facilitate passengers to contact on-board staff through SMS/phone calls for prompt response for coach cleanliness and provide real time feedback.

Provision of announcement facility and electronic display board in trains for disseminating information to on-board passengers about approaching stations, train running, and arrival platform will also be there, he said.

He also announced provisions of free wi-fi facility on several trains to cater to the increasing aspirations and requirement of the youth and other customers.

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Akbaruddin Owaisi asked to appear before court on March 1

BANGALORE: A city court today directed Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi to appear before it on March 1 in connection with a criminal case filed against him for alleged hate speech.

Chief metropolitan magistrate Rajashekhar V Patil directed Owaisi to appear before the court on March 1 after he kept aside the application filed by him seeking exemption from appearing before the court on health grounds.

Owaisi's counsel Mohammad Jaffer Shah sought two weeks time for appearing before the court as his client has been advised bed rest. "He is carrying bullet injuries which he suffered a long time back. One bullet is still in his body and doctors have advised him bed rest due to mental stress," he argued.

On January 23, Patil had issued summons to Owaisi on two complaints lodged by advocates K Dilip Kumar and Dharmapal praying for prosecuting Owaisi for his hate speech in Andhra Pradesh last year.

The court had directed Andhra Pradesh DGP to produce the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader before it on February 23.

Owaisi, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen's (MIM) floor leader in the Andhra Pradesh assembly, was arrested by the police in Hyderabad on January 8 and was lodged jail in Adilabad district.

On February 15 the First additional sessions court in Adilabad granted conditional bail to Owaisi.

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Promised to return home before blast, Hyderabad cloth merchant meets death

HYDERABAD: 45-year-old cloth merchant Mohd Amanulla Khan had called up his family before the twin blasts here promising to return home soon.

But he fell victim to the deadly blasts that left a total of 16 dead.

Khan had called his family members around 5.30pm on Thursday to say that he is going to Dilsukhnagar for some work and that he would return home after that.

As fate would have it, he never answered calls after the blasts and his body was found among the dead in the mortuary of the Osmania General Hospital, his son Kamran said.

"We were searching all hospitals. We came to Osmania Hospital this morning and found him dead," he said.

Fighting back tears, the young son recalled that his father had plans to go for Haj as he had performed the marriage of his only daughter.

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Afzal, Sri Lanka protests mar President's address

NEW DELHI: Protests over the hanging of Afzal Guru and alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka marred President Pranab Mukherjee's speech in parliament Thursday.

As Mukherjee was speaking at the start of the budget session, G.N. Ratanpuri of the National Conference got up and raised the issue of Afzal Guru's hanging here Feb 9.

Meanwhile, members of the DMK, AIADMK and MDMK shouted that India should vote against Sri Lanka when a US-sponsored resolution is taken up at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva next month.

The interruptions were brief and drowned quickly as minister of state for parliamentary affairs Rajeev Shukla and minister of state V. Narayanasamy urged the members to take their seats.

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BJP leader fails to get US nod for Modi

WASHINGTON: Bureaucrat-turned-politician K J Alphons, who tried to convince US lawmakers to revoke visa restrictions on Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, has failed to receive any firm commitment on the issue.

However, he exuded confidence that the US may change its stand soon.

A national executive member of the BJP, Alphons primarily came to the US to attend the Annual Prayer Breakfast with US President Barack Obama on February 7.

In addition to that he has been meeting Senators, Congressmen, officials and academicians, besides addressing speaking at the prestigious Harvard University.

"I have been telling that if they do not invite Modi now and revoke its policy of denying him a visa, it might be too late for the United States as he is headed for a much larger role in national politics," Alphons told .

He said Modi is the most business like politician he has even seen and that he saw a greater role for him in Indian politics.

Alphons said that he has not received any firm commitment from US lawmakers on the change in US policy but exuded confidence that this will happen soon.

Yesterday, US assistant secretary of state for south and central Asia Robert Blake had said in New Delhi that the United States' policy on Modi remains unchanged.

"There is no question of changing or revising or softening. We may revise (visa to Modi) depending on the Indian justice system completing cases against him," he said.

US has earlier refused to give visa to Modi over the 2002 Gujarat riots.

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India, UK to start negotiations on civil nuclear pact

NEW DELHI: Adding a new dimension to their strategic ties, India and the UK today decided to start negotiations on a civil nuclear pact to facilitate entry of British companies into emerging atomic power sector here.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made the announcement after delegation-level talks with visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron during which both sides reviewed entire gamut of bilateral relations.

"We have also decided to commence negotiations on a bilateral Civil Nuclear Agreement," Singh said.

India has already signed civil nuclear pacts with a number of countries including United States, France, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Mongolia and Canada.

The Prime Minister said he thanked Cameron for Britain's support for India's full membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and other multilateral export control regimes.

Cameron said Britain was in favour of transferring high-technology to India.

India has planned to reach a nuclear power capacity of 63,000MW in 2032 against its current installed capacity of 4,780MW and a number of countries have been vying to get a share of India's lucrative atomic energy market.

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British PM David Cameron seeks 'special' relationship with India

MUMBAI: British Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday began his India visit seeking a "special relationship" between the two countries, saying it is "about the future and not the past" for which sky is the limit.

"I want Britain and India to have a special relationship...this is a relationship about the future, not the past," Cameron said in his first public engagement here-- an interaction with the staff of Hindustan Unilever, the Indian unit of British consumer products' giant, Unilever.

Describing India as one of the "great phenomena" of the century, Cameron, who is on a three-day visit to India, his second since assuming office in May 2010, said the enormous growth of the country is going to make it the third largest economy by 2030.

"I am heading the biggest-ever business delegation to leave British shores. India's rise is going to be one of the great phenomena of the century and it is incredibly impressive to see the vibrancy of your democracy, the great strength of your diversity and the enormous power of your economy that is going to be one of the top three economies by 2030," he said.

"As far as I am concerned, sky is the limit.. it's about business, economy and trade. But it is also about culture, politics, diplomacy. India is going to be one of the leading nations in this century and we will be partners and that's why I am here today," he said.

Britain wants to be India's partner of choice, the visiting premier said, adding the two countries have a lot in common such as history, language, culture.

"You are the largest democracy in the world, and we are the oldest," he said.

He also said both India and Britain face the extraordinary challenge of fighting terrorism.

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Markandey Katju must quit press council, BJP leader Arun Jaitley says

NEW DELHI: BJP leader Arun Jaitley Sunday asked Press Council chairman Markandey Katju to quit, saying a person holding the post much be impartial.

The Bharatiya Janata Party leader made the demand after accusing Katju of attacking non-Congress governments in Bihar, Gujarat and West Bengal on the basis of "his political preferences".

In an article on the BJP web site, Jaitley said Katju's attacks "seem more in the nature of thanks-giving to those who provided him with a post retirement job".

The leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha said Katju had over the past week released a draft report on behalf of the Press Council of India ( PCI) alleging that the media in Bihar was not independent.

He followed it up with an article in an English daily attacking the Gujarat government and Chief Minister Narender Modi.

"Though initially known for his scholarship, Justice Katju was never a conventional judge. His utterances, both during his tenure as a judge and thereafter, are clearly outlandish," Jaitley said, "Dignified comment is alien to him."

Jaitley said judges of the Supreme Court and high courts must not be eligible for jobs in the government after retirement.

"In some cases the pre-retirement judicial conduct of a judge is influenced by the desire to get a post retirement assignment," he said.

"The chairman of the Press Council discharges a statutory job. His job requires fairness, impartiality and political neutrality.

"Additionally, a judge, whether sitting or retired, is expected to conduct himself with sobriety, dignity and grace. He cannot be loud, crude, outlandish or behave like a megalomaniac," Jaitley said.

He said a judge should refrain from involvement in political controversies. If he desires to get into political activity or a political debate, he should cease to hold his judicial or quasi-judicial office.

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Sushilkumar Shinde should clarify on Arun Jaitley surveillance issue: BJP

NEW DELHI: Condemning the "unauthorised surveillance" on its leader Arun Jaitley, BJP on Saturday said it will not take things "lying down" and asked home minister Sushilkumar Shinde to clarify on who ordered the collection of his call details.

BJP president Rajnath Singh also termed the issue as "serious" and demanded that all those involved in the incident should be brought to book.

"Further investigations are on. Whoever is involved in such an act should be brought to book. Someone who has dared to get the call details in such an unauthorised way is a serious matter," Singh said.

Party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said, "BJP condemns this unauthorised surveillance on its leader Arun Jaitley. It is a serious issue. The Home Minister owes an explanation and must come clean as to who ordered the collection of information on call details of Jaitley."

Javadekar alleged that this was not the first time that attempts were made at more than one police stations in Delhi to seek the call details of Jaitley and questioned the government as to who ordered collection of such information.

"Who ordered such collection of call details and on whose orders. We are very serious about raising this issue," he said.

The BJP spokesman also "reminded" the Congress party that these were not the times of emergency that they were indulging in such acts.

"We want to remind the Congress that these are not the days of emergency that you can indulge in such activity. We will not take it lying down," he said.

A Delhi Police constable was arrested on February 14 for allegedly trying to access the call details of the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.

The 32-year-old Arvind Dabas was arrested and a probe had been initiated to find out other two people who tried to access the details, police sources said.

Dabas allegedly tried to use the official email ID of an ACP to send a request to a mobile service provider for the call detail records of Jaitley.

Jaitley had not complained in the matter, but the police registered a case a few days ago.

Police launched a probe to ascertain whether any official had sought details about his call records or if it was a case of impersonation.

Reports had it that the nodal officer of a telecom service provider had called the police to inform that they had received a request from the police seeking call detail records of Jaitley.

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Suryanelli rape case: Absconding lone convict arrested in Karnataka

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Dharmarajan, the absconding lone convict in the Suryanelli gang rape case over which Rajya Sabha deputy chairman P J Kurien is facing heat, was on Friday arrested by Kerala police from Sagar in Karnataka.

The third accused in the 17-year old case, Dharmarajan was arrested by a five-member special team of Kerala police, Kottayam Superintendent of Police C Rajagopal said.

Speaking to a Malayalam TV channel from undisclosed location a few days ago, Dharmarajan, who has gone into hiding after jumping bail, had alleged that Kurien was involved in the case as charged by the victim.

After that, the special team of police personnel from Kottyam was set up to trace and arrest Dharmarajan, who had claimed in the TV interview that he was speaking from somewhere near Mysore.

The case pertains to the alleged abduction and rape of a 16 year-old from Suryanelli in Idukki district in 1996. She was forcibly taken to different places and allegedly raped by several men.

A special court which tried the case had in 2002 sentenced Dharmarajan to life imprisonment and 35 others to varying terms. The high court, however, acquitted the 35 people while remitting the life sentence of Dharmarajan to five years in 2005. He secured bail to file an appeal the same year but has been absconding since then.

Kurien is not part of the 35 accused but the victim had filed a private complaint later accusing him also of involvement in the sexual assault. However, Supreme Court had allowed a discharge petition by Kurien.

His name figured again in connection with the case recently after the victim wrote to her advocate to explore the possibility of filing a review petition in the Supreme Court, seeking a fresh probe against him. Kurien has maintained he has been cleared of the charges by the apex court.

Dharmarajan had claimed that the principal investigator in the case had pressured him not to mention about Kurien's involvement in the case.

Kurien, however, rubbished Dharmarajan's charge, holding that the statement of a convict has no legal validity.

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TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu falls, suffers minor injuries

HYDERABAD: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader N Chandrababu Naidu suffered minor injuries when a makeshift dais collapsed while he was garlanding a statue in Guntur district on Thursday, a party leader has said.

The incident took place at Kolakaluru village in Guntur district during Naidu's 'padyatra' (march).

A TDP leader said Naidu escaped with minor injuries to his leg as his security guards tried to hold him as the platform caved in. Doctors were examining the former chief minister and a decision on whether he should continue 'padyatra' would be taken later.

A local TDP leader also sustained minor injuries in the mishap, which occurred when about a dozen people climbed on the small platform as Naidu was garlanding a statue of BR Ambedkar.

This is the second time that Naidu has been injured in a similar incident during his march. He received minor back injuries when a dais collapsed during a public meeting at Gadwal in Mahabubnagar district Oct 27, 2012.

Naidu, who launched his state-wide 'padyatra' in October 2012 to interact with people to know their problems, has so far covered 2,000 km.

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Is Railways’ 2,000cr train food business on track?

DELHI: Pawan Kumar Bansal, the Union minister for Railways, announced just a few days ago a slew of measures to improve the food on trains. But it's clearly an uphill task for the network to reclaim the faith its passengers earlier had on the dishes served to them.

With meals that are just about palatable, limited menu options and a take-it-orleave-it attitude, the Indian Railways has not been known for its catering services for many years now. In fact, stories from old-timers — of iconic dining cars in trains like the Calcutta Mail and Deccan Queen — that served baked beans on toast for breakfast and had an impressive English style full tea service almost sound like fairy tales.

The value of having good food onboard is not lost on the Railways though. The estimated market for catering on trains is worth about Rs 2000 crore annually. Since the past few years, the ministry of railways has been trying desperately to consolidate its share of this lucrative business. But most of its schemes have fallen flat.

"There have been too many ad-hoc experiments," says a former member of the Railway Board. "For instance, the railways catering policy of 2010 took away catering services from IRCTC, a unit that was specially formulated to provide such services. And now, there is the decision to do away with pantry cars and instead set up base kitchens to provide packaged meals. What purpose will it serve unless quality is strictly monitored and enforced? "

Food industry observers agree the move to outsource food services to private players may be, on the face of it, a sound one since catering is not the Railways' core business. But it has not worked because of poor quality control and limited accountability on the part of the contractors. "The expectations of the travelling public with regard to food are much more now," says Vinayak Chatterjee, chairman of Feedback Infrastructure Services who served as a member of the expert group for modernization of Indian Railways. "The Railways urgently needs to put in place rigorously enforced service standards to derive quality from its contractors."

For that, the Railways will first need to clean up its tendering process. "A review of the present tender system for catering is absolutely essential," says celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor. "In my opinion it is heavily tilted in favour of people who have been providing these services for years. As a result, very few new people are able to get into the system and there is no competitive environment that can help deliver a memorable food experience."

While the Railways is still struggling to get its act in place, a number of private players have latched onto the demand for good food on trains by setting up web and phone-based delivery services. These deliver hot and fresh meals to passengers right at their seats when their train stops at designated railway stations. "It's a huge opportunity," beams Piyush Kasliwal of Mera Food Choice, a webbased service that caters to around 500-800 passengers daily through its tie-up with restaurants located near stations." Considering there are 14,000 trains with around 1000 passengers daily, our business can only grow further." Remains to be seen who chugs ahead in this rail race.

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Electioneering picks up in Mizoram bypoll

AIZAWL: With only nine days left for campaigning, electioneering has picked up for the by-poll to Chalfilh assembly seat in Mizoram to be held on February 23.

The ruling Congress nominee Dr Ngurdingliana began the second phase of campaigning from yesterday with ruling legislators and senior party leaders reaching different villages in the constituency yesterday.

More Congress leaders and legislators today left Aizawl for the constituency even as almost all the villages have been covered already.

The main opposition, Mizo National Front (MNF) candidate Lalvenhima Hmar also continued his campaign which he began just after the scrutiny of the nomination papers were conducted.

Besides top MNF leaders canvassing in the seat, groups led by party chief Zoramthanga, Senior Vice President Tawnluia, Vice President R Tlanghmingthanga and the lone Rajya Sabha member Lalhming Liana would begin the campaign from this week, MNF sources said.

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BJP condemns Omar Abdullah for 'sympathetic chord' towards Afzal Guru

NEW DELHI: BJP on Monday charged Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah with "provoking" the situation in Kashmir Valley and condemned his interview for having a "sympathetic chord" for Afzal Guru who was hanged last week for his role in the Parliament attack case.

Talking to reporters, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said the Congress should clear its stand on the interview given by Abdullah as the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister was "part and parcel" of the UPA.

"We deeply condemn his interview because it has a sympathetic chord for the terrorist who attacked Indian Parliament, the idea of India and condemned to death eight years ago.

"So, to raise the issue of discrimination or some other references, actually is nothing but provoking the situation in the Valley. At least the chief Mminister of Jammu and Kashmir should not do this," he said.

The BJP spokesperson was addressing the media after senior party leaders including L K Advani, former party president Nitin Gadkari and others paid homage to its former chief Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay on his 45th death anniversary.

Javadekar said such statements from a chief minister were "totally unacceptable" when the country was feeling "national sense of relief" after Guru was executed.

"We condemn his statement and we want to ask Congress whether they agree with what Omar Abdullah has said because they are part of parcel of UPA and they are supporting it. So, Congress owes responsibility to respond to what Omar Abdullah is saying," he said.

Yesterday, Abdullah had voiced displeasure at the execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and said it would reinforce a sense of alienation and injustice among generation of youth in the Valley.

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Hurriyat leaders Farooq, Geelani placed under house arrest in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Chiefs of both factions of Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, were on Saturday placed under house arrest in the national capital as a preventive measure following the hanging of Afzal Guru in the Parliament attack case.

While Geelani was here for medical treatment, the Mirwaiz was camping in the national capital trying to secure a passport so that he can go to Egypt for attending the Organisation of Islamic Conference.

Official sources said that policemen restricted the exit of any family member of both the separatist leaders residing in South Delhi.

Both the factions have given strike call to protest against the execution.

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