NEWS

 

THE HEADLINES:

• BJP promises accountable and transparent governance with all round development of all sections of society, accuses Congress government for slow down in growth.
• BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi unveiling his vision for the country promises to develop hundred smart cities and project India as a brand worldwide.
• Congress says, power going into the hands of communal forces is not in interest of the country.
• Prohibitory orders imposed in New Delhi district ahead of Arvind Kejriwal's dharna outside Union Home Ministry tomorrow.
• Delhi police files criminal case  against unknown persons in connection with midnight raid against African women in the national capital.
• Assam Government to launch coordinated operations against various insurgent groups in view of recent violence.
• New Zealand defeat India by 24 runs in the first ODI cricket despite Kohli's ton.
• And in the Australian Open, Leander Paes and his Czech partner Radek Stepanek enter the quarter-finals of the Men's Doubles.

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    BJP has promised to address the country's problems through accountable and transparent governance. In a unanimous resolution passed at the ongoing National Council meeting in New Delhi today, the party said it will give a strong leadership promising all round development of all sections of society. Earlier moving the resolution on current political situation in the country, BJP leader Sushma Swaraj expressed confidence that the party will win more than 272 seats in the upcoming polls. Ms. Swaraj said that Congress is running away from announcing its Prime Ministerial candidate as it is afraid of defeat in Lok Sabha polls.

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    The BJP today alleged that the top Congress leadership and the Manmohan Singh Government were responsible for slow economic growth, failure to check terrorism, vote bank politics and decline of constitutional institutions. The political resolution, moved by Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, made a comparison between the growth figures of the erstwhile NDA regime and the present Manmohan Singh Government and alleged that the latter has literally destroyed India's growth story. It said a slew of scams running into lakhs of crores has dented India's image. The resolution said the BJP is committed to take all requisite steps to check this.

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    Speaking at the National Council Meeting BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi said that Congress President Sonia Gandhi did not name her son Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial candidate as she wanted him to be saved from imminent defeat in the Lok Sabha polls.  "When defeat is certain and destruction is clearly visible then no mother in this world will sacrifice her son in politics. Sonia Gandhi did not name Rahul Gandhi as Prime Ministerial candidate as she wanted to save him."   
   
    Mr. Modi said, Dr Manmohan Singh was not chosen the Prime Minister by Congress's Parliamentary Committee but was nominated to the post by party President Sonia Gandhi. He sought to know whether Rajiv Gandhi was chosen for the Prime Ministership by the same committee. The BJP leader was referring to Congress deciding not to name its Prime Ministerial nominee reasoning that it is against the party's traditions.  Mr. Narendra Modi unveiled his vision for the country, promising to develop 100 smart cities and set up IITs, IIMs and AIIMS in every state while projecting India as a brand worldwide.

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    Congress leader and I & B Minister Manish Tiwary  today said communal and fascist forces, which are raising their heads under the garb of nationalism, should not be allowed to come to the power as it is not in interest of the country. In a sharp reaction to BJP' PM candidate Narendra Modi's statement that Congress did not name Rahul Gandhi as a PM candidate, asserted that the Congress party has given strong Prime Ministers to the country while BJP has given only PM candidates during the last two elections. Dismissing Mr. Modi's statement that certain defeat is staring at the Congress in the Lok Sabha poll, Mr. Tiwary asserted that people will vote Congress to power in these elections also. Another Congress leader Rashid Alvi said that Modi's speech showed that neither the BJP nor its PM candidate had an understanding of democracy.

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    In Tamil Nadu, the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-MDMK will be allying with the BJP in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Stating this at a function in Tirunelveli today, party General Secretary Vaikohe said that the economic growth of the country has been affected because of wrong economic policies and high inflation.

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     The Aam Aadmi Party-AAP has set up a disciplinary  committee to recommend  action against its MLA Binod Kumar Binny who had criticized the  Delhi Chief Minister  Arvind Kejriwal for deviating from the promises made for the people. The party had issued a show cause notice to him in this regard.

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    The Delhi police today imposed Section 144 in New Delhi district preventing assembly of five or more persons ahead of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's planned dharna outside the Union Home Ministry tomorrow. Talking to AIR, Delhi Police PRO Rajan Bhagat , however, maintained that the precautionary step has been taken in view of Republic Day.
   
Delhi Minister Manish Sisodia had told reporters on Friday that the Chief Minister along with his cabinet colleagues and AAP MLAs will stage a dharna outside Home Ministry from Monday if punitive action is not taken against police personnel for refusing to take action ordered by the Delhi Law Minister against the alleged sex and drug ring.   Meanwhile, Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley reacting to Delhi government's decision to stage the dharna said Aam Admi Party (AAP) is obviously more comfortable doing a dharna than working in the secretariat.

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    The Delhi Police  has filed the FIR against unknown persons in connection with the case of alleged harassment of African women in South Delhi. According to Delhi Police, the FIR was lodged at the Malviya Nagar police station following  a Delhi court order.  The Court had  asked the police to file an FIR in the matter on the complaint of a Ugandan woman with the metropolitan magistrate. On Thursday night, Delhi Law Minister Somnath  Bharti with his party activists had allegedly entered the house of some African women accusing them of being involved in drug trafficking and prostitution.   In a related development, National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, has sought reports from the Home Ministry, Delhi Government and city police in connection with alleged incidents of racial prejudice and unlawful acts against some African nationals in South Delhi.

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    Union Minister Shashi Tharoor has in a letter to Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde offered his full cooperation in the probe into the death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar. He urged Mr. Shinde to direct the relevant authorities to expedite the investigations and come to a rapid conclusion to unearth the truth at the earliest in this regard.

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    Union Rural Development Ministry has directed that 150 days of wage employment be provided under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act,  MGNREGA, to Scheduled Tribe households living in forest areas. An official release said, the move will benefit about eight lakh people in Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh, who have got pattas under Forest Rights Act, FRA, 2006. The Ministry said that the additional days through MGNREGA will allow the tribal households to undertake additional work on their own land.

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    The Assam government has decided to launch a coordinated joint action against insurgent groups involved in violence. Commissioner-Secretary of Home Department G D Tripathi said that the decision was taken at a high level security meeting held in Guwahati today. He said that the army, police and other security agencies will launch operations against militant groups including National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Sangbijit faction) particularly in Lower Assam. Mr. Tripahti said that Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has already written to the Union Home Ministry seeking 15 additional security companies.

    IGP, L R Bishnoi said that two additional companies of security forces have been deployed in Chirang and Kokrajhar district to keep vigil on railway tracks. He said that railway security has also been strengthened. Vigil has also been intensified in vulnerable areas after National Democratic Front of Bodoland cadres killed eight civilians and injured another eight persons since Friday. Opposition Asom Gana Parishad alleged that the Assam government has failed to ensure safety of people. Meanwhile, the Assam government has announced an ex-gratia of three lakh rupees to the next to the kin of five deceased persons in Kokrajhar firing incident. Militants killed five persons and injured 3 persons on Friday night at Ramfalbil in Kokrajhar. Manas Pratim Sharma, AIR News, Guwahati.

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    Union Minister in Prime Minister's office V. Narayanasamy today said that the meeting between fishermen of Srilanka and India would provide a platform to address issues concerning them and also prevent alleged attacks and seizure of their boats.  Speaking to newsmen at Chennai airport, Narayanasamy hoped that the meeting scheduled for the 27th of this month at Chennai would pave the way for a permanent solution to the problem. The Minister said that the decision to convene the meeting between fishermen associations of Srilanka and Tamilnadu was taken after requests from leaders of various fishermen associations in the State.

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    In Uttar Pradesh second phase of Water Sector Restructuring Project has begun with an objective that villages carving for water would get adequate supply for drinking and irrigation purposes. We have a report:

    Under the 3,090 crore rupee project 16 districts of the state, would be covered and provided water in the next two years. Districts covered under the second phase include Etah, Firozabad, Kasganj, Mainpuri, Farrukhabad, Etawah, Auraiya, Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur, Fatehpur Kaushambi, Barabanki, Lalitpur, Amethi, Rae Bareli and Kannauj.It will improve irrigation facility in over 12 lakh hectares in the districts covered under the project. The project is financed by the World Bank schemes.
    The government has announced that under the scheme, Lower Ganga Canal System and Sharda Sahayak Command Irrigation system will be strengthened and three other irrigation projects working in Lalitpur district in Bundelkhand region will also be renovated. Sunil Shukla, AIR News, Allahabad.

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    New Zealand have taken a one-nil lead against India in the five-match ODI series.  In the first match at Napier today, the hosts beat India by 24 runs.  Set to score 293 for a win, India were all out for 268 in 48.4 overs.  Virat Kohli hit a superb 123 in the Indian innings which was his 18th ODI century.  The hosts had made 292 for seven in the stipulated overs. 
   
At the Australian Open,  India's Leander Paes and his Czech partner Radek Stepanek sailed into the men's doubles quarter-finals after a 6-3, 6-2 win over the unseeded pair of Yuki Bhambri and Michael Venus.  

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    The News Services Division of All India Radio in its weekly "PUBLIC SPEAK" programme tomorrow will bring you a discussion on "Direct Cash Subsidy for LPG".   This can be heard on FM Gold Channel and addtional frequencies at 9.30 p.m. Listerns can ask questions to the experts sitting in our studio on telephone number : 011-2331-4444.
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