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BJP suspends two MLAs for praising Nitish Kumar

The BJP suspended two of its legislators in Bihar for choosing to back Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday, and not the party’s prime ministerial hopeful Narendra Modi, as the next prime minister.

Bharatiya Janata Party’s state president Mangal Pandey said the party has suspended two legislators – Rana Gangeshwar Singh and Avanish Kumar Singh – for anti-party activities.

“The party has suspended both for crossing the party line. It will send a strong message,” Pandey said.

Rana Gangeshwar Singh, BJP legislator from Mohiuddinnagar in Samastipur district, has been backing Nitish Kumar instead of Narendra Modi as the next prime minister for the last few months.

Last week, he had said that the people of Bihar should vote for the Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) in the 2014 general election.

He said that as Nitish Kumar turned around the conditions in Bihar, he would turn around the country for better.

Avanish Kumar Singh, who represents Chiraia in East Champaran district, praised Nitish Kumar for developing Bihar and dared senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi to take action against him.

He had said there was no respect for honest leaders in the BJP.

He also hinted that he would contest the next general election from the Motihari parliamentary constituency.

Violence erupts during idol immersion in Purnia, Madhepura; 2 killed, 36 injured

Two people were killed and about three dozen injured in violence during idol immersion in different parts of Bihar, police said on Thursday.

Violence took place during idol immersion after Saraswati Puja in Bihar on Wednesday. A woman was among two people who were killed in the violence related to idol immersion in Purnea and Madhepura districts.

Vijay Shah alias Munna, in his mid 30s, was stoned to death following an altercation that ensued after he requested the puja revelers to reduce the volume of the loudspeaker in Tikapur village in Purnea on Wednesday.

“Shah was killed after he objected to loud music being played on the public address system,” said Amarendra Kumar Amar, a police official. An FIR has been lodged against three people by victim’s wife Anita Devi.

Phuldai Devi, in her 40s, was killed in Dubiyahi village in Madhepura when a bullet hit her during firing between two groups over a dispute related to idol immersion.

“She was killed while she was going to sell bangles in a market,” a police official said.

Paying media to seek publicity

“My buffaloes are more famous than Queen Victoria

–         Azam Khan

After this statement, I feel it would be better if they nominate buffalo as their prime ministerial candidate. She is capable of becoming a Samajwadi party leader due to her popularity. Nowadays leaders are issuing various kinds of statement for the sake of achieving fame and remain in news. Azam Khan is not the only leader who is publicity hungry there are many others like Union Minister Beni Prasad Verma who has stirred up another controversy by stating that nothing was wrong in spending Rs two to four crores on media as he was only “investing money to get good returns” in terms of publicity. BJP had criticised Beni Prasad Verma for making Congress activists and journalist’s members of the Council and allegedly distributing cash and gifts to them at its meeting. Without any guilt and in an unapologetic manner Beni stated that BJP is making a hue and cry over this issue as it’s an economically poor party and doesn’t have money to pay the journalist. Verma also added that he would pay the media as it was playing a big role in giving him publicity which needs to be acknowledged.

The question is not about Beni Prasad paying journalist for gaining popularity but it is about the journalist’s ethics and integrity. Despite this controversy, none of the political parties raised any objections when this news had grabbed headlines. Are those journalists really watching?  I just want to quote, Hello journalist those who have accepted these kind of pay and perks to promote leader are you guys really listening to how these politicians give it back’

People are accusing media to paid media paid coolies, political workers. Isn’t it a blot on journalism altogether. Let’s forget about Beni Prasad Verma and talk about saffron saint Shankaracharya who slapped journalist when he asked his opinion about the prospects of Narendra Modi becoming prime minister. Later, Shankaracharya asked from where do this political questions originate in divine and spiritual places and why to drag shrines into controversy.

At the same time, journalists are slapped, threatened, paid and unfortunately some of them are raped too. Tehelka is one of the biggest examples of a reputed journalist’s fall into disgrace. On the other hand, Cobra post is considered to be the mouthpiece of Congress. Recently, Caravan magazine mentioned about Swami Aseemanand statement in which he claimed that the RSS leadership had sanctioned the “Hindu terror conspiracy” that included the blasts in Samjhauta Express, Mecca Masjid and Ajmer Sheriff.  There is no clue where this politico journalism tradition is heading?

Politicians are issuing statements only to remain in limelight. Beyond that the ethics of journalists is lost. Very few journalism genre like parallel media which is trying to maintain its integrity but they are are not getting their due on account of vested interests prevailing in the industry. Thus the banner, power and hypocrisy have to be questioned. Instead of merely debating on political statements one should really have courage to question the journalist’s credential too.

Slow paced justice delivery system

Abu Salem’s marriage news has given us something to cheer and a hilarious topic for discussion. It can be turned into the script for a Bollywood film. Salem nonetheless has denied that he has got married in the train. Police have ordered for a probe into this matter for ascertaining the truth. Our snail-paced Indian justice delivery system is so ineffective that you can enjoy life while going through the litigation procedures. There is no need to escape, you can have a fuller life in this manner. A situation which is prevalent in our country is that if you have the backing of a loyal gang of hundred people, you can twist, turn and violate the law. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal broke the law and no action has been taken against him. Same is the case with Bharti.

What can the poor policemen do? They are always busy providing security to our politicians. Why the former President Pratibha Patil should be provided top-notch security? The common man is fed up and angry with the Congress due to these reasons. Do you know why the Congress is supporting AAP? The party is aware that it will lose and hence is trying to take steps to prevent Modi from becoming prime minister. Even if Modi becomes PM they will have an alliance with AAP to make life difficult for him. After elections, most of the parties will desert Congress.

On the other hand, the CPI and CPM has failed to challenge the Congress. At last they found a “comrade” in Jayalalithaa. Why they have made an ideological compromise? The CPM is aware that they cannot win in the north and east hence they are trying to form alliance in south. Prakash Karat thinks that he will teach Madame a lesson in simple living, shunning wealth and property? What a day dreaming. It is a pity no strong leaders have emerged from Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK should have formed an alliance with the BJP. Indian communists are no communists, they are trouble makers. Remember how many hardships they created for Manmohan Singh by opposing the nuclear deal? We want electric power but we do not want to develop nuclear power plants, off shore wind farms, solar power and not even thermal and hydro power plants. Such acts will only prove to be a hindrance for electricity generation. Electricity boards have to incur huge losses due to electricity theft.

Adequate training is not provided to the engineers of state electricity boards. We were taught Buchol’s relay and cable joining by Bhupal Singh at Sarojininagar training centre in Lucknow. to State electricity board engineers should be provided exhaustive on the job training. They say in Western UP, “Bin padhya jat padhya sa, padhya jat khuda sa”. Let us see if Dr Satyapal Singh lives up to this saying as Ajit Singh did not. During those days the villagers will inform errant officers, “If you don’t listen, I will go to Chaudhary Charan Singh.

Dalit politics over Mumbai CP

In an attempt to lure Dalits the state government is planning to appoint Vijay Kamble as the city’s new Police Commissioner.

Even though more than a week has been passed after Satyapal Singh quit the post of Mumbai Police Commissioner but the state government is yet to appoint his successor due to lack of consensus between the Congress and NCP. With an eye on the Lok Sabha polls the Congress and NCP alliance is likely to appoint a Vijay Kamble, a Dalit candidate for the new police commissioner’s post. Additional Director General (state Traffic) Vijay Kamble, Additional DG (Home Guard) Ahmed Javed, ATS Chief Rakesh Maria and Thane Police Commissioner K.P. Raghuvanshi are the contenders for this coveted post
A source from the state ruled party revealed, “The party is planning to appoint Vijay Kamble as the New Police Commissioner as he belongs to the Dalit community. Even though party is planning to go ahead with this decision but there is difference of opinion within the party as some leaders are supporting other contenders.”

Dalit votes will play a crucial role in the upcoming election. Since the Republican party of India is having an alliance with Shiv Sena and hence the Democratic Front doesn’t want to lose Dalit votes which will make a major difference in election.

There is delay in the declaration of the candidate’s name for the new police commissioner’s post due to policy paralysis. While a section of senior Congress cabinet members was keen on the appointment of additional director general of police Ahmed Javed for the police commissioner’s post he was not promoted as state security corporation MD, while another group of Congress cabinet members was of the view that additional director general of police (traffic) Vijay Kamble should be appointed for the top job.

Though Ahmad Javed, a 1980-batch officer and Additional Director General (Law and order), is the next-in-line for the post, but he is not likely to be appointed as the new police commissioner as he is already due for promotion to the rank of Director General of Police.

Among the 1981 IPS batch officers, Maria is seen as the top competitor to Kamble, but the ruling party is only politicising the issue by planning to appoint a new Dalit Police officer due for wooing Dalits and give tough competition to the Mahayuti alliance.

Gujarat tiger ‘roars’ in Bengal

Modi’s first rally was grand success in Kolkata and the issues which was picked up by him was much matured than his earlier speeches. He said that time has come to bid farewell to the idea of Third Front from Indian politics forever. Ridiculing the idea of a Third Front, Modi said that states ruled by its constituents have remained backward and called upon the people to reject them. In the western states, any Third Front constituent has never been in power. They have existed in the East and deprived it from the development and took the states backward. They have never worked to ensure that fruits of development reached to the Muslims. They have considered them as vote banks. Modi slammed the Left parties at a rally in Kolkata but refrained himself from criticising Mamata Banerjee in a speech that is expected to fuel speculations about a possible alliance between the BJP and Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress. Modi said the people of West Bengal should usher in a parivartan (change) at the Centre in line with what they have done in the state by ousting the Left parties. The BJP is a fringe force in Bengal with only one MP in Darjeeling, where Jaswant Singh won in 2009 with the support of Gorkha Janamukti Morcha. Anyways, it was an awesome speech by Modi in Kolkata, he hit Left, TMC, Third Front, Congress and all pseudo secular thugs in one go. He has given great example of number of Haj applicants from Gujarat and Bengal to portray all round development in Gujarat.

One of the fiercely debated questions in Bengal in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls is whether Banerjee will enter into a tie-up — probably post poll — with the BJP. The Trinamool chief herself has struck a position of equal distance from the Congress and the BJP. She had described the BJP as a ‘party of rioters’ in her address at the same Brigade Parade Ground on January 30. Modi took a dig at the “secular parties” and congratulated the people of Bengal for ushering in a change by handing over the reins to Banerjee in the 2011 assembly elections. He also blamed them for the sufferings of labourers and using the Muslims for reaping political gains. Modi was very much aggressive on third front. It seems there are forces working against him, to prevent him from PM chair. His attack was genuine. Bengal has never been a stronghold of the BJP. Before the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government came to power, the Left parties were at the helm for a period of 34 years. Known to be bitter critics of Modi, Left leaders often turn the heat on the Gujarat chief minister by raking up the 2002 riots. However, there appeared to be a sharp difference between the BJP state national leaders in so far as determining their approach to Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress. This is a critical situation to the people to select a prime minister, who will set clear all the national problems. Unexpectedly, beyond the national parties, some other parties rush forward to form a new government in center without disclosing the name of prime ministerial candidate. The irony is that in that third alliance, some parties which have been formed to uplift their own states are rushing forward to Delhi. What is the motive? Really in general elections, people have to judge the candidates by keeping in mind the national interests.

Let’s assume for an instant that the third front somehow comes into picture and forms the government. There would be complete pandemonium and clash of egos would present an intriguing show. There is a way forward in a non-UPA and non-NDA way. This time to form a third front, there is no credible leader that he can bring various regional parties to fold and prepare common ground for contesting election in order to deliver non-Congress and non-BJP government against the choice of the majority of people. They suddenly emerged and talking about third front that too election is just 2-3 months away. When most of the surveys predicted in favour of NDA and BJP, they wake up and started renewing their old friends for forming third front. Mamata and Maya is not part of the present third front discussion, both of them are going to play a key role post-election. There is a possibility that both clubs together may win nearly 50 MPs enough for them to support NDA to fulfill their wishes. Pawar and Lalu are big names but they have not spoken anything about third front. The same leaders would have started this effort, a year before, would have got good result but now it’s impossible to form.

Instead of working on winning each states and forming a front based on electoral majority is not progressive to attain bipartisanship. If that is the objective of the third front to become a formidable opposition or ruling class then it is not possible as we have seen before. The idea of Third Front is mainly pursued by Mulayam Singh Yadav with the connivance of Left and some regional parties. What a strange mixture it is. Except for the Left, other parties do not have any ideology. Congress party is going to have its lowest tally this time. Aam Aadmi Party is becoming a hot potato. The strange thing is that the type of image AAP has put before the people of India could have done by other parties and individuals too. Left could have done the same but could not because they only indulge in theory and jugglery of words. Even Mulayam’s son Akhilesh Yadav could have done it in UP who came in power with overwhelming majority. The sad part is the personal ambitions of these trifling parties. Indian public are aware of this and they will show them their place. What disappoints me is the failure of the left parties. They could not rise to the occasion when a local Aam Aadmi could do it in one year. This is a pointer to the ethical erosion of values in their rank and file. It also indicates that the lack of trustworthiness in them.

It seems that only option left for the voters is BJP and its prime ministerial candidate Modi.

BMC spares NGO gets temporary HC relief over relocating paraplegic centre

Bombay-HCThe Bombay High Court granted interim stay on the eviction notice issued by civic-run Sion Hospital against an NGO asking it to relocate its rehabilitation centre for paraplegic patients within the premises of the hospital.

A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice M S Sanklecha was hearing a petition filed by the NGO, ‘Paraplegics Foundation’, established in 1968, challenging the eviction notice issued on January 6.

According to the petition, the organisation provides post-operative and post-hospital care and rehabilitation to paraplegics.

“When the foundation was set up, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Dean of LokmanyaTilak Municipal General Hospital (Sion hospital) allotted partial space in the hospital premises. Later on, an entire barrack in the rear side of the hospital was allotted to the foundation,” the petition said.

The Foundation said it repaired the 14,000 sq ft premises through funds received from donations and made it suitable for paraplegics.

“However, last year the hospital authority decided to open a metro blood bank in the same premises and asked the petitioner to shift to another premise in the hospital. The alternate premise admeasuring 4,500 square feet is not suitable for persons with disabilities,” the petition said.

The petition sought for the eviction notice to be quashed and set aside.

The High Court today issued notices to BMC and dean of Sion hospital and asked them to file their affidavits by February 17 while staying implementation of the eviction notice.

BMC spares residents from fresh taxes in annual budget

BMC-sparesMumbaikars will not have to pay any new taxes during 2014-15. The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) commissioner Sitaram Kunte on Wednesday presented a Rs. 31,178 crore annual budget to the standing committee for the 2014-15 against Rs. 27,578.62 crore for 2013-14.

The civic body, in a bid to improve city’s roads, has proposed an allocation of Rs. 2,500 crore whileRs 500 crore on water and sewage disposal.

Kunte has proposed an assistance of Rs. 100 crore to BrihanMumbai Electric Supply & Transport (BEST) which has to subsidize its loss making transport business. BEST is city’s life line and carries about 4.8 million passengers daily.

Further, the municipal commissioner has proposed an allocation of Rs. 541 crore on repairs and redevelopment of municipal buildings. This is in the wake of series of building collapse in the city.

The civic body has earned Rs. 3,400 crore during 2013-14 on account of premium paid by the realty sector towards fungible floor space index (FSI).

Kunte made it clear that the Octroi duty will not be replaced immediately by local body tax (LBT) as it needs the amendment to the civic act and its passage in the state legislature. He informed that the civic body has collected well over Rs. 6,500 crore of Octroi duty in 2013-14.

Navi Mumbai airport phase-I to be ready by 2018

phase-IThe first phase of Navi Mumbai international airport will be complete by 2018 with an annual capacity of 10 million passengers.

The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), which issued the request for qualification (RFQ) for the airport project on Wednesday, hopes to acquire the 247 hectare by June.

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said the bidders are expected to submit RFQ till June 18. The airport will be developed through public private partnership on design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis.

The Navi Mumbai airport project will be developed on 1160 hectare and it is expected to have an ultimate capacity of 60 million passengers per annum.

CIDCO’s vice chairman Sanjay Bhatia clarified that the compensation for the project affected persons is not cash for land but it land for land.

Of the 2,268 hectares required for the airport project, 1,572 hectares is already in CIDCO’s possession. Earlier, CIDCO had projected phase I completion by 2017.

While the GVK group’s Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) has the right of first refusal in the bidding process and will be deemed to have qualified for bidding process on submission of a certification from Airports Authority of India for execution of Mumbai airport project.

However, the Tata group may not be able to participate in the project bid process because of a clause which restricts an airline or its associate company from holding more than ten per cent stake in the special purpose vehicle executing the project.

Tata group has a 51 percent stake in Tata-Singapore Airlines and holds 30 per cent stake in AirAsia India. Tata Realty and Infrastructure Limited (TRIL) has been keen to participate in various airport projects and had tied up with Singapore’s Changi airport to develop and manage airports in India.

“We have not seen the RFQ document as yet. TRIL will consider bidding for the airport only after going through the bid documents in detail,” a company spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that the TRIL had not yet formed a consortium for Navi Mumbai project.

GMR group which manages Delhi and Hyderabad airport said it was evaluating the investment opportunity. GVK group and Reliance Infrastructure group did not comment. Essel Group too has shown interest in airport development projects in the country and has tied up with US based ADC & HAS Airports Worldwide as its partner.

Government clears a Shivaji statue in Mumbai

shivaji-statue-at-Arabian-seaThe government on Wednesday cleared a proposal to construct Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji’s statue in Mumbai. As a beginning the state cabinet at its meeting held on Wednesday approved an allocation of Rs 100 crore to complete initial formalities. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan however, declined to give further details with regard to the exact project cost.

He claimed that the proposed Shivaji statue will be the tallest one. The Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra proposes to project the Shivaji statue against the rival project of as one of the leading planks in the run up to the LokSabha polls. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s ‘Statue of Unity’, which is expected to come up on Sadhu Bet island on the banks of the Narmada River would cost around Rs 2,400 crore.

He said that the in principle approval was given last year by the former union minister for environment and forests Jayanti Natarajan. According to Chavan, further approvals will be sought especially with regard to coastal zone regulations.

The state government in the year 2009 had unveiled the digital design of this project. The proposal was for the construction of a 300-foot statue in Mumbai.

Chavan said the location in the Arabian Sea has also been cleared. The statue will be constructed on an artificial island a kilometre away in the Arabian Sea off the Marin Lines-Chowpatti shore of Mumbai. He informed that the government will invite global tenders for its construction.