Supreme Court defers till March 26 the Centre’s plea against release of Rajiv Gandhi's assassins.
- Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy moves the Apex Court against bifurcation of the state.
- Aam Aadmi Party members arrested in connection with yesterday's clashes outside BJP office in the national capital.
- In Uttar Pradesh, Doctors call off their six-day strike.
- Sri Lankan Navy arrests 9 more Tamil fishermen for violating the maritime boundary.
- Five Afghan soldiers killed in Nato air strike in Afghanistan.
- And in All England Open Badminton tournament: Saina Nehwal to take on Beiwen Zhang of the United States in pre-quarterfinal match today.
<><><>
The Supreme Court today
deferred till March
26 the hearing on the Centre's plea against the Tamil Nadu
government's decision to release seven prisoners convicted in Rajiv Gandhi
assassination case. A bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam adjourned the
case and posted it for final hearing on 26th of this month after the Centre
sought time to file a rejoinder to state government's response.
Earlier, the apex court
had restrained the state government from releasing the prisoners who were
undergoing life sentence and directed it to maintain status quo. It had also
directed the Tamil Nadu government not to release three convicts whose death
sentences were commuted to life terms by the Supreme Court on 18th of last
month.
<><><>
Former Andhra Pradesh
Chief Minister Kiran Reddy today approached the Supreme Court against the Centre's
decision to create Telangana by bifurcating the State. A bench headed by Chief
Justice P Sathasivam, has agreed to list his plea along with other petitions
which will be taken up tomorrow
for hearing.
The apex court had
earlier on February 17 refused to entertain petitions challenging the division
of Andhra Pradesh on the ground that they were premature as the Bill was not
cleared by Parliament at that time. Parliament gave its approval on February 20
for the creation of Telangana by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh.
<><><>
The Centre today
justified before the Supreme Court its decision of not recommending the
dissolution of the Delhi Assembly. The government justified its stand by saying
that it is not expedient or in public interest to hold the next Assembly
elections in Delhi
in such a short time. The apex court had last month issued notice to the
central government on a plea by the Aam Aadmi Party challenging the decision of
the centre of not dissolving the Delhi
assembly as recommended by the outgoing AAP government. The plea challenged the
presidential proclamation placing the Delhi
assembly in suspended animation and not dissolving it. The apex court gave 10
days time to the centre to respond the AAP plea and fixed the listing of the
case on 7th of this month.
<><><>
The Delhi Police has
arrested fourteen Aam Aadmi Party members after an FIR was registered against
them in connection with clashes outside the BJP office in New Delhi yesterday. Police sources said, the
FIR was lodged at Parliament Street Police Station last night against the AAP
protesters including its leaders Ashutosh and Shazia Ilmi. They said charges of
rioting, obstructing a public servant from performing his duty and damaging
public property have been slapped against them.
Talking to AIR, Aam Aadmi
Party spokesperson Deepak Maheshwari said prominent educationist Prof Anand
Kumar is also one of the arrested members. He said the party will lodge a
formal complaint with the Election Commission on what he called unprovoked
atrocities against the party members by the police. Maheshwari expressed
surprise that no BJP member involved in the clashes has been arrested so far.
He said the party will file a counter FIR against the police.
<><><>
Aam Aadmi Party leader
Arvind Kejriwal today apologized for his party workers' behavior in Delhi and Lucknow
while protesting his detention and urged them to stick to non-violence. He was
reacting to media queries at Bhuj in Kutch
district during his four days tour to the home state of BJP’s Prime Ministerial
candidate. Meanwhile, the BJP has urged the Election Commission to take strict
action against Aam Aadmi Party for yesterday's clashes in Delhi
and Lucknow. A
Party delegation led by senior leader Harsh Vardhan today met the Chief
Election Commissioner V S Sampath in New
Delhi and complained that Aam Aadmi Party resorted to
violence to derail election process.
<><><>
In Uttar Pradesh, Doctors
in Kanpur today
called off their six-day strike. The Uttar Pradesh Indian Medical Association
President Dr. Ravi Mehra told AIR that the strike had been called off in the
larger interest of public and after the intervention of Allahabad High Court.
Meanwhile 24 junior doctors who had refused to come out of jail by furnishing
the personal bond have now been released from the jail. The government has
shifted SSP Kanpur Yashaswi Yadav and attached him to DGP office Lucknow.
Our Correspondent reports
that faculty and doctors in most of the medical colleges and other medical
Institutions across the state have joined their duty and OPD services have
begun in most of the institutions.
"The agony
and pain of the poor patients for six days came to an end today but only after
the High Court intervened in the matter. Over forty precious lives of hapless
patients were lost all over the state during these days as they had no other
alternative except government hospitals. The government is closely monitoring
the situation in the state run hospitals to ensure that all the services are
provided to the needy. The patients, who were wandering here and there for
medical care, have once again started rushing to the government hospitals.
Merajuddin, AIR NEWS, Lucknow."
Taking suo motu
cognizance, the Lucknow
bench of Allahabad High Court had directed a probe into the matter. However,
the state government informed the court that it has set up a one member
Commission headed by a retired justice of Allahabad High Court to inquiry into
the incident which will submit its report in three weeks. The Court has fixed March 10
as next date of hearing into the matter.
<><><>
Nationalist
Congress
Party Bihar chief Nagmani today resigned from his post and party.
Nagmani was
seeking NCP ticket for Lok Sabha polls but the party could not
accommodate him.
He indicated he may join BJP. Meanwhile, NCP chief Sharad Pawar has
dissolved Bihar unit of the party. NCP Spokesperson Anil Kumar Jha
told AIR that Mr Pawar has dissolved the Bihar
party unit with immediate affect. He also said that the party National
secretary Mohan Agrawal has been appointed as the in-charge of Bihar
unit.
<><><>
In Madhya Pradesh, the
ruling BJP sponsored a half day bandh has evoked mixed response across the
state today. The party has called bandh to lodge its protest against the
centre’s alleged insensitive attitude towards farmers of the state. Our
correspondent reports that chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is observing a
four hour fast with his ministerial colleagues at capital Bhopal’s T T Nagar Dushera ground.
" The main
markets and commercial establishments are closed in the major towns including Bhopal, Indore and Gwalior. Addressing the
gathering during his fast, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan demanded a
relief package of five thousand crore rupees from the centre for the hailstorm
affected farmers. According to the state government, crops have been damaged in
about 13 thousand villages during the recent spell of rains and hailstorms. The
main opposition Congress has alleged that in place of providing relief to hail
storm affected farmers, the ruling BJP is trying to get political mileage out
of the natural calamity. Shariq Noor, AIR News, Bhopal."
<><><>
Sri Lankan Navy has
arrested 9 more Tamil fishermen on charges of violating the maritime boundary
early hours today. The Navy said, these fishermen and their boats are being
taken to Talaimannar for handing over to the police authorities for further
legal action. Our correspondent has filed this report:
"With the
arrest of 9 more fishermen from Tamil Nadu by Sri Lankan Navy today, the number
of Indian fishermen in Lankan custody has shot up to 172. Sri Lanka’s
Fisheries officials say that the arrests are being made because intrusion by
Indian fishermen continues despite recent agreement that both sides would stop
violations and give ongoing talks a chance to succeed. In January, all
fishermen and their boats were released by the two countries after a high level
meeting in New Delhi.
Later the first round of talks between fishermen associations in Chennai saw an
agreement of one month moratorium on crossing of maritime boundary line. The
matter will once again be discussed at the second round of talks which is
scheduled to be held in Colombo
on the 13th of this month. Abhishek Dayal/Air News/Colombo."
<><><>
A Nato
air strike has killed five Afghan soldiers in eastern Afghanistan. A
defence ministry spokesman said the air strike took place in the early hours of
today in Charkh district of Logar province. Five members of the Afghan army
were killed and another eight injured, the spokesman said. Nato said it was
investigating reports of the incident but could not confirm details.
<><><>
European Union leaders
are due to meet in Brussels today for an
emergency summit on Ukraine.
The new Ukrainian Prime Minister is expected to attend the meeting. EU leaders
had hoped for greater progress by now, but Russia's
foreign minister refused to meet his Ukrainian counterpart in Paris yesterday. Besides, Moscow
is not complying with demands from the United
States and Europe that its troops return to their bases
in Crimea.
This emergency summit in Brussels will probably
impose some very symbolic sanctions, but substantive measures are unlikely.
<><><>
Remaining firm in
afternoon trade, the Sensex at the Bombay Stock Exchange had gained 109 points,
to 21,386 a short while ago. Earlier in the morning, the Sensex had advanced 89
points, on sustained buying by investors, after a sharp fall in the country's
current account deficit, and as regional markets gained ground. The Sensex had
added over 330 points in the previous two trading sessions.
Rupee jumped 32 paise to 61.43 a dollar in early trade today at the Interbank Foreign Exchange on sustained selling of the US currency after a sharp decline in country's current account deficit in the third quarter.
Rupee jumped 32 paise to 61.43 a dollar in early trade today at the Interbank Foreign Exchange on sustained selling of the US currency after a sharp decline in country's current account deficit in the third quarter.
<><><>
The Delhi High Court
today agreed to hear the appeal of 'Gulaab Gang' film producers who have
challenged its order staying release of the movie. A bench of Acting Chief
Justice B D Ahmed and Justice S Mridul agreed to hear the plea today. The court
said it will hear the plea after the producers will file a compact disc of the film
and other related documents before it. The Court yesterday stayed the release
of the movie which is reportedly based on the life of activist Sampat Pal, who
formed the Gulabi Gang, a group of pink sari clad women vigilantes in Uttar
Pradesh.
<><><>
In Assam, security
forces have gunned down one of the wanted militant of the banned outfit
National Democratic Front of Bodoland ( Sangbijit group ) in Kokrajhar district
this morning. IGP, L R Bishnoi said that the encounter took place at Odang area
under Karigaon police station.
<><><>
India's ace shuttler Saina Nehwal will take on Beiwen Zhang of
the United States in the
pre-quarterfinals of the All England Open Badminton tournament in Birmingham today. World
Number Seven Saina yesterday advanced to the pre-quarterfinals, beating Kirsty
Gilmour of Scotland,
21-15, 21-6.
Saina is the only Indian
left in the tournament, as all other Indian shuttlers, including world number
nine PV Sindhu and P. Kashyap, bowed out after losing in their respective
opening round matches yesterday.
<><><>
North Korea today rejected Seoul's
request for talks on reunions for families separated by the Korean War. The
North's negative response came as military tensions simmer, with South Korea conducting annual joint exercises
with the United States.
North Korea
said the proper atmosphere has not been created to discuss family reunions.
Seoul had sent its request yesterday, proposing a meeting on March 12 at the border truce village of Panmunjom.
The two Koreas recently wrapped up the first such family reunion for more than three years, held at a mountain resort in North Korea in the last week of February.
Seoul had sent its request yesterday, proposing a meeting on March 12 at the border truce village of Panmunjom.
The two Koreas recently wrapped up the first such family reunion for more than three years, held at a mountain resort in North Korea in the last week of February.
<><><>
