• Supreme Court restrains Tamil Nadu government from releasing convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case; Directs State government to maintain status quo on three prisoners.

• Prime Minister says no government or party should be soft in fight against terrorism.
• Both Houses of Parliament face adjournments over various issues including Telangana.
• Union Cabinet approves creation of Equal Opportunity Commission and setting up of a coal regulator.
• CBI gives clean chit to former Chief Minister Shivaji Rao Patil in Adrash society scam.
• And, Sensex loses 104 points in afternoon trade.

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The Supreme Court today stayed the release of three convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case by the Tamil Nadu government, saying there have been procedural lapses on the part of the state.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam directed the state government to maintain status quo regarding three prisoners whose death sentence was commuted to life term by it. The court said the Centre can file a fresh petition regarding the other four prisoners whose sentence has also been remitted.

The court also said that all procedural checks laid down in the law have not been followed by the state government and it will examine the issue raised by the Centre.

The bench issued notice to the Tamil Nadu government and the the convicts and directed them to file its response within two weeks.

Yesterday, the Tamil Nadu government decided to set free within three days all the seven convicts after the Supreme Court commuted the death penalty of three assassins. Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said if there is no response from the Centre within three days, her government will invoke powers vested with it under Section 432 CrPC and release all the seven convicts.

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The Prime Minister today said no government or party should be soft in the fight against terrorism. In a statement issued in New Delhi, Dr Manmohan Singh asked the Tamil Nadu government not to proceed with its decision to free the convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case as it is not legally tenable. He said, the assassination was an attack on the soul of India and the release of the killers would be contrary to all principles of justice.

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Law minister Kapil Sibal appealed to political parties and State Governments not to have double standards in the fight against terrorism. Talking to media persons out side Parliament he regretted that some political parties are not raising their voice against terrorist, specially those who assassinated former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He questioned why the BJP`s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is silent on the issue.

"It is unfortunate that in India, Political parties and governments have double standards when it comes to terrorism. While, in some places, innocents are killed in the name of terrorism through fake encounter, on the other hand, certain political parties do not raise their voice against terrorists specially those who killed our ex-prime minister. This was an attack on the republic of India. This is not just an attack on an individual. I want to ask a specific question to Narendra Modi why are you quite on this?"

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Both houses of Parliament have been adjourned till 2 P.M on different issues. In the Lok Sabha, Congress member Sanjay Nirupam strongly protested over the Tamil Nadu government's decision to release the convicts in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He was countered by members from AIADMK and DMK. Following noisy scenes, the presiding officer adjourned the house till 2 PM. Earlier, Samajwadi party member Shailendra Kumar demanded implementation of the reports of the Sachar Committee and Rangannath Mishra Commission for the upliftment of minority communities. BJP member Shahanawaz Hussain demanded special status for Bihar and JD(U) member Sharad Yadav for the development of backward states.

In the Rajya Sabha, Deputy Chairman Prof. P J Kurien was forced to adjourn the House for the third time as pandemonium continued over Telangana and other issues. Samajwadi Party members were in the well to press their demand for inclusion of 17 backward castes into scheduled caste category. Andhra Pradesh members were also in the well showing placards for and against state bifurcation. Prof. Kurien called members to speak on a Calling Attention motion on the Tamil fishermen issue but they insisted on the presence of the Prime Minister or External Affairs minister to respond. His repeated appeals for normalcy went in vain forcing adjournment. In the melee, the Minister of State for External Affairs Praneet Kaur tabled her statement.

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The Union Cabinet today approved the creation of the Equal Opportunity Commission, EOC, to check discrimination of minority communities in jobs and education. The EOC will also deal with grievances like the denial of accommodation or buying rights to minorities in housing societies. It has to make binding recommendations that people from minority communities find adequate representation in government employment or educational institutions.

Our correspondent reports, the Justice Sachar Committee, which went into the socio-economic backwardness of Muslims, had recommended the setting up of the Commission.

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The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, CCEA, has given its nod to the proposal to set up a coal regulator. Highly placed sources said that the regulator would be set up through an executive order. The regulator will be empowered to specify the principles and methodology for the determination of the price of raw coal and washed coal and any other by-product generated during washing. It will also regulate methods for testing for declaration of grades or quality of coal, specify procedure for automatic coal sampling and adjudicate upon disputes between parties. The bill for setting up a regulator for the sector is pending before Parliament.

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The government today decided to convert 7,200 kilometers of state roads into national highways. With this the total length of the state highways converted into National Highways will reach about 17,000 kilometers. The decision was taken at a Cabinet Meeting held in New Delhi this morning.

The Cabinet also gave its nod for classifying Odia as a classical language to give impetus to scholarships in the language. So far, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam have been declared as classical languages.

In an another decision, the Cabinet approved continuation of the Mission on Nano Science and Technology phase-2 in the 12th plan.

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In a relief to former Maharashtra Chief Minister Shivajirao Patil-Nilangekar, the CBI today gave him a clean chit in the Adarsh Housing Society scam.

The CBI, in an affidavit filed before the Bombay High Court, has said that the agency has already looked into the role of Patil-Nilangekar but found no evidence to suggest any criminal misconduct on his part.

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The President Mr. Pranab Mukherjee has stressed on the need for modernisation of the Indian Army and the simultaneous economic growth of the civilian population. Speaking at the stone laying ceremony of the Garrison of Indian Army at Nabogram in the Murshiddabad district of West Bengal, Mr. Mukherjee said that the army has made so many supreme sacrifices for the nation and it is time for the nation to pay back the army through its gratitude.

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The Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje today presented the interim budget of the state for year 2014-15 in the state assembly. She said that the size of the annual plan for the next financial year will be 42,490 Crore rupees. Mrs Raje announced the spending of 2,540 Crore rupees on social pension schemes. The Chief Minister charged the previous Congress Government of financial mismanagement and said that her government will try to reduce the fiscal and revenue deficit of the state.

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External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid today met Pakistan Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz at the sidelines of the SAARC Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Maldives. Mr Khurshid is in Male to attend the 35th SAARC Foreign Ministers’ meeting. He will also carry forward the bilateral dialogue with Maldivian President, Abdulla Yameen.

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In Bangladesh, candidates affiliated with the BNP have won in 42 out of 97 Upazila Parishads that went to polls yesterday in the first phase of the 4th local government elections. Ruling Awami League won 35, while Jamaat-e-Islami backed candidates won in 13 Parishads. General Ershad's Jatiya Party got one seat. In the last Upazila Parishad elections held in 2009, the Awami league had won a massive victory, while the BNP had boycotted the elections.

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Sri Lanka’s Tamil-majority Northern Provincial Council passed a resolution calling for direct flights to India from Trincomalee and Palaly airports in the Eastern and Northern Provinces. The resolution says that the move will help the war torn region gain economically with closer ties with India. However, Sri Lanka's Minister of Civil Aviation Priyankara Jayaratne today rejected the proposal, saying that the resolution has no legal validity. He added that the country already has two international airports.

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Snapping four days of gains, the Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange lost 104 points, to trade at 20,619, in the afternoon session, a shortwhile ago. The Nifty at the National Stock Exchange fell 36 points, to 6,117.

Key benchmark indices in Japan, China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore had dropped between 0.1 percent and 2.2 percent, in intra-day trade.

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New Delhi is taking all possible steps for the expeditious release of Tamil fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy. Minster of state for External Affairs, Preneet Kaur told the Rajya Sabha today that the government attaches top priority to the safety and security of fishermen. She was responding to a Calling Attention notice on the situation arising out of repeated attacks on Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy. The notice was given by Dr V Maitreyan of the AIADMK and others. The Minister said the government is working with the concerned state governments on the need to sensitise Indian fishermen to respect the International Maritime Boundary.

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Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych says he has agreed a truce with opposition leaders, after at least 26 people died in protests this week. Presidential website said, the two sides agreed to start negotiations aimed at ending the bloodshed of the last two days. They also agreed to try to stabilise the situation in the state in the interests of social peace. The announcement of a truce comes after the most intense violence in Ukraine's three-month crisis turned Kiev into a battle zone between anti-government protesters and riot police.

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Iran has agreed on a framework for talks with six major world powers aimed at reaching a comprehensive nuclear deal. Iranian official news agency IRNA said after two days of intensive talks, Iran and world powers reached an agreement on the framework and plan of action for the comprehensive nuclear talks. The details are yet to come out.

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Arunachal Pradesh today celebrated its 28th Statehood Day with fanfare. On the occasion, Chief Minister Nabam Tuki announced devolution of financial powers to Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies to strengthen grassroot governance. Greeting the people on the occasion, Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Nirbhay Sharma, said Rajiv Gandhi, was instrumental in granting Statehood to Arunachal on this day in 1987. Our Correspondent has filed this report:

"Referring to the recent incidents of violence on Assam-Arunachal boundary and the national capital, Governor Nirbhay Sharma called for maintaining age-old relations with neighbours and to shun racial discrimination in any form. In his address, Chief Minister Nabam Tuki said the transition of the state over the years has been incredible. He said social sector, human resource development, tourism and infrastructure development witnessed a quantum leap in recent years. He said his government has decided to bring the Lukayukta Bill in the ensuing Budget session of the State assembly to ensure transparent governance. Sonikumar Konjengbam for AIR News, Itanagar."

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In Madhya Pradesh, the world famous Khajuraho Dance Festival begins this evening. Our correspondent reports that the Minister of State for Culture Surendra Patwa will inaugurate the 7-day event.

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