NEWS IN BRIEF – MAR 30, 2012
1. Antony guns for leak culprits, says they will be punished: New Delhi:
With many politicians suspecting that the leak of Army chief Gen V K
Singh’s letter to the prime minister has come from the chief ’s camp — a
suggestion that Gen Singh has vehemently denied — defence minister A
K Antony warned on Thursday that the government would get “to the root
of this leak” and see to it that the “culprits who have done this anti-national
activity” get the maximum possible punishment. [TOI p1]
2. Chief went to CBI against Lt Gen but Army HQ said promote him :
Antony : New Delhi : A day after The Indian Express reported that Army
Chief Gen. V K Singh has asked the CBI to probe allegations of corruption
against Lt Gen. Dalbir Singh Suhag, who is in line to become the Army
Chief in the next few years, Defence Minister A K Antony revealed that
Army headquarters had recommended the officer for a promotion only last
week.[IE p1]
3. Both sides fume over ‘letter leak, Gen seeks meet with PM and
Antony today : New Delhi :The UPA government is learnt to be
disinclined to take any immediate action against Army Chief General V K
Singh even as the latter’s support base in political class appeared to be
running thin.[IE p1]
4. Delhi Court takes cognizance of defamation case against Army Chief
: New Delhi :A Delhi court on Thursday took cognizance of a criminal
defamation complaint filed by Lt General (retired) Tejinder Singh against
Army Chief V K Singh and four other top officers. The court of
metropolitan magistrate Sudesh Kumar now put up the matter for presummoning
evidence on April 10.[IE p4]
5. Tranamool MP : Delayed action on my complaint motivated : Howrah
:The Trinamool Congress MP whose May 2011 demand for a probe into a
complaint of “procurement scams” against Lt Gen. Dalbir Singh Suhag
was sent to the CBI by Gen. V K Singh this week, feels that the action on
his letter was “deliberately timed and motivated”.[IE p4]
6. Antony talks tough, says will cancel ‘murky’ deals: New Delhi: India
will not hesitate for a moment to cancel any defence deal, even if it’s in the
stages of finalization after technical and commercial evaluations, if any
malpractice or corruption is found in it. [TOI p12]
7. General Singh denies link to leaking of letter to PM : New Delhi:
Defence minister A K Antony’s tough talk came after the opposition
criticized the leak of General V K Singh’s letter to the PM, calling it as a
matter of grave national security matter that cannot be ignored. [TOI p17]
8. BRICS sign 2 currency pacts, to set up development bank: NEW
DELHI: BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) on
Thursday inked two pacts to push intracountry trade in their local
currencies and agreed on a joint working group to set up a development
bank.[TOI p11]
9. No mortar to hold BRICS together: New Delhi: Top emerging
economies coming under the banner of BRICS on Thursday criticized the
West for financial mismanagement, called for a “merit-based” selection of
the next World Bank chief, rued the slow pace of reforms in the
International Monetary Fund, declared that dialogue was the only way to a
peaceful resolution in Syria and Iran, but failed to go beyond motherhood
statements and give the bloc a meaningful push. [TOI p1]
10. Group soft on Syria, Iran; seeks larger play in global economy : NEW
DELHI: The five emerging BRICS economies added a strong political note
to their economic agenda at the Delhi summit on Thursday, joining hands
against the West’s policies on Iran and Syria. They also signalled
displeasure towards the West’s management of the global economy.[HT
p1]
11. China Applauds Curbing of Tibetan Protest, China accuses the Dalai
Lama of pushing views inconsistent with Buddhism: NEW DELHI :
China has lavished praise on India for checking protest demonstrations by
Tibetans during the BRICS summit, where Chinese president Hu Jintao
participated.[ET p3]
12. EC to probe Horse trading charges : New Delhi : The Election
Commission on Thursday assured Lok Sabha MP Babulal Marandi that it
has taken cognisance of the apprehensions he had expressed about
horse trading in the ensuing biennial Rajya Sabha polls in Jharkhand and
is taking appropriate steps to quell such possibilities.[AA p2]
13. Is UPA trying to better TMC ties? : New Delhi:Having been put on the
backfoot on key policy issues, the Congress-led UPA appears to be taking
steps to improve its ties with the Trinamul Congress. The TMC leaders
claimed that finance minister Pranab Mukherjee has assured them to
consider financial relief for debt-trapped West Bengal. [AA p2]
14. Cong, BJP face civic poll hurdle : Lucknow : Even before the gloom of
the recent Assembly elections has been lifted, the Congress and the BJP
now face another major challenge in Uttar Pradesh where local bodies’
elections are due to be held in May.[AA p2]
15. BSY wants Karandlaje as CM : Bengaluru :Karnataka’s tumultuous
politics could see a real turn up for the books if the strategy by former
chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to promote his confidante Shobha
Karandlaje as his proxy chief minister comes to fruition.[AA p2]
16. BJP dubs police action shame for democracy : New Delhi :The BJP
on Thursday highlighted the plight of Tibetan refugees, who are facing a
lot of harassment from Delhi Police in view of Chinese Premier Hu Jintao’s
visit for the ongoing BRICS summit. The party termed it as a shame for
democracy.[Pioneer Daily p1]
17. Livid, LJP’s lone MLA joins RLD, fields son : New Delhi :Unhappy
over ticket distribution for the Delhi municipal polls, LJP’s lone MLA in the
capital Soaib Iqbal has joined the RLD and fielded his 22-year-old son for
the April 15 polls.[Pioneer Daily p3]
18. LS nod for judicial accountability bill, Draft Law Seeks Mechanism To
Keep Judges In Check: New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Thursday cleared
the judicial accountability legislation that seeks to set up a credible
mechanism to probe complaints of misbehaviour by judges.[TOI p17]
19. Uproar in RS over T, Sethu: New Delhi: Rajya Sabha on Thursday
adjourned twice as members belonging to various parties created uproar
over issues like Telangana statehood and Setusamudram project. [TOI
p21]
20. Whistle-Blowers’ Bill Stalled by Oppn in RS, Parties raise ‘federal
concerns’ to force deferment of BSF (amendment) bill: NEW DELHI :
A united Opposition on Thursday stalled the BSF (Amendment) Bill and
the Whistle Blowers Protection Bill in the Rajya Sabha, protesting against
the government’s ‘hurry’ to push them through. [ET p3]
21. CMs meeting should focus only on NCTC : Kolkata :West Bengal
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that she wanted the
meeting of chief ministers on internal security convened on April 16 to
dwell solely on the issue of National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC).[IE
p3]
22. Team of MPs to Visit Lanka, All-party delegation to be in Colombo
from April 16 to 21: NEW DELHI : In less than a month after India voted
for a UNHRC resolution against Sri Lanka, an all-party parliamentary
delegation is likely to visit Colombo. The delegation, led by leader of
Opposition Sushma Swaraj, is expected to be in Sri Lanka from April 16 to
21. [ET p3]
23. Don’t punish a poor man for suicide bid: Court : New Delhi: A person
who tries to commit suicide due to “penury and destitution” should not be
further punished with a prison sentence, a trial court has said while
waiving the jail term in one such case. [TOI p1]
24. Govt forced to defer Bills in RS, left red-faced: New Delhi: In a
setback to the government, two important legislations — the Border
Security Force (Amendment) Bill and Whistle Blowers Protection Bill —
were deferred in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, with MPs demanding
more time as they said the proposed laws deal with complex issues. [TOI
p9]
25. Deve Gowda denies bribe talk, Issues Clarification To
Kumaraswamy’s Claim Within Hours: Bangalore: Former Karnataka
chief minister H D Kumaraswamy created a flutter on Thursday afternoon,
alleging that a middleman had offered his father, H D Deve Gowda, a
bribe when he was the Prime Minister to push a defence deal. Just as the
buzz peaked into intense speculation, Deve Gowda held a presser within
hours to deny the claim. [TOI p12]
26. NGO SAYS MINE OWNER PAID . 6CR TO BSY KIN , SC Panel Seeks
Probe into Yeddy Bribe Allegation: NEW DELHI : A Supreme Courtappointed
panel on illegal mining has recommended an investigation into
alleged kickbacks paid to companies linked to the family of former
Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa. [ET p1]
27. Voda tax law unbelievable: Goldman CEO : Mumbai: Lloyd Blankfein,
CEO of Goldman Sachs, the world’s largest investment bank, on Thursday
said it was “unbelievable” that India could introduce a tax law with
retrospective effect. [TOI p1]
28. 2% rollback in proposed LPG hike in Maha: Mumbai: State finance
minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday announced a partial rollback of the
proposed 5% levy on LPG for domestic consumption. The revised tax rate
stands at 3%, identical to that on kerosene for domestic use, which is an
increase of Rs 12 per cylinder. [TOI p17]
29. this round to Sibal, but Nitish not done yet : Patna :The debate began
at a function at IIT-Patna last April. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar wanted the
Central University of Bihar to be set up in Motihari; Union HRD Minister
Kapil Sibal preferred it in Gaya.[IE p9]
30. When nominated RS members accept party membership : New Delhi
: When the Congress leadership issued a whip to its members in the
Rajya Sabha last week to defeat Opposition-sponsored amendments to
the presidential address, the party diktat covered two nominated members
too, Mani Shankar Aiyar and Bhalchandra Mungekar.[IE p9]
31. They hit the hustings to bring change, No Also-Rans: Eunuch &
Scrap Dealer Bank On Public Support For Votes: New Delhi: Tired of
reminding her municipal councillor about the bad roads, drains and
sanitation in the neighbourhood, Suman Kumari thought she could make a
better leader of her area, New Seemapuri. [TOI p5]
32. BJP govt in MP pays for RSS function : Bhopal:Ideology and money
do go together if the former flows from the Sangh Parivar and the latter
from a BJP-ruled state. An international conference on cooperatives,
organised in Bhopal last month, was touted as a joint venture between
Sahakar Bharati, an RSS body, and the Madhya Pradesh government.[IE
p3]
33. Kejriwal, Azam in taxing tussle, Team Anna Campaign: Don’t Pay Tax
Without Amenities: Lucknow: With the municipal polls in Uttar Pradesh
just over a month away, the state’s new government and some of Anna
Hazare’s key aides are locked in a controversy over payment of civic
taxes that has its roots in Delhi’s eastern suburb of Kaushambi. [TOI p7]
34. Sasikala disowns family to patch up with Jayalalithaa : CHENNAI:
Exactly 100 days after being shown the door at the Poes Gardens
residence of Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, estranged aide
Sasikala Natarajan may have found a way back into the home and heart
of her “sister“.[HT p15]
35. Cong to Take on Jagan Loyalists on Growth Plank :HYDERABAD
:The ruling Congress in Andhra Pradesh would fight the ensuing bypolls to
17 assembly constituencies, which were represented by loyalists to
Kadapa MP YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, on the plank of development and
welfare schemes launched by the state government.[ET p2]
36. Maya’s pet projects lose home guards: Lucknow: The newly-installed
Samajwadi Party government in UP has withdrawn with immediate effect
some 450 home guards deployed in security of various dream projects of
former chief minister Mayawati spread over the state capital. [TOI p7]
37. Bahuguna Wins Trust Vote in Uttarakhand: NEW DELHI: The Vijay
Bahuguna government in Uttarakhand won the trust vote on the floor of
the House. As many as 39 MLAs voted in favour of the confidence motion,
even as the 31-member BJP staged a walk-out.[ET p2]
38. Jolly asked to justify his locus standi : New Delhi : Bharatiya Janata
Party leader Vijay Jolly was on Thursday asked to justify his locus standi
to intervene in a 2008 case of violation of the poll code against Chief
Minister Sheila Dikshit in which the police sought to withdraw the case on
the ground that she was charged under a wrong provision of the law.[The
Hindu p4]
39. Candidates lose to invalid forms : NEW DELHI: The dreams of 904
municipal poll candidates, including two from the Congress party, have
ended. The state election commission (SEC) has rejected their application
forms, mostly because either the candidates had not signed their
nomination forms properly or had submitted the papers at the wrong
offices.[HT p6]
40. BJP fields nominees charged with illegal construction : NEW DELHI:
While the BJP-led MCD has often claimed to be totally against
unauthorised constructions in the city, the party has fielded three
candidates who have had notices and court cases of illegal construction
slapped against them.[HT p6]
LEGAL/CRIME NEWS
41. Gujarat govt extends term of Nanavati Commission : AHMEDABAD:
The Gujarat government on Thursday extended the term of Justice
Nanavati commission, which is probing the 2002 communal riots in the
state. The term has been extended till December 31, 2012. This is the
17th extension the commission has been granted to submit it’s inquiry
report on the worst communal carnage in the history of the state in which
more than 1,200 people were killed.[HT p10]
42. Rajoana execution Terror convicts getting political support, says SC:
NEW DELHI: Even as political parties in Punjab demanded clemency for
Balwant Singh Rajoana, the assassin of former chief minister Beant Singh,
the Supreme Court on Thursday expressed concern over terror convicts
getting support from politicians.[HT p10]
43. SC Gives Centre Two Weeks to Respond on Ram Sethu : NEW DELHI
: The Supreme Court has granted two weeks to the Centre to state
whether Ram Sethu can be declared a national monument. A bench
comprising Justice HL Dattu and Justice AR Dave on Thursday posted the
matter for further hearing to April 19, after additional Solicitor-General
Harin P Raval told the bench that the consultation on the matter was
needed with the concerned authority. [ET p3]
44. Cases pending for over 5 yrs to end by Dec?: New Delhi: For those
who have been stuck in a legal battle for years, here is some good news.
Any case — civil or criminal — that has been pending in a trial court in the
capital for more than five years will be disposed of within six months. [TOI
p1]
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
45. ‘Pak addicted to anti-India terror use’, Washington Helpless In
Making Islamabad Junk Policy: Key Obama Aide: Washington:
Pakistan is addicted to using terrorist groups against India and the policy
is not going to change any time soon, a key Pentagon official told the US
congress in a blunt and bleak assessment of the situation in the region.
[TOI p24]
