Ten persons were killed and about 30 injured when a Mumbai-bound private luxury bus turned turtle and fell into a gorge in Khandala taluka of the Satara district, police said on Tuesday.
The mishap took place on Monday night bus when they went off the road and hurtled down the 20ft gorge. The driver lost control at a steep curve after a container vehicle moving ahead of it rammed a car.
The bus was believed to be carrying tourists from Gujarat and the injured were being treated in hospitals at Khandala and Shirval, officials said.
Nine persons were killed on the spot in a similar accident involving a private vehicle last month.
Poet Pradeep, who penned the famous “Ae mere watan ke logon” has become the centre of a political slugfest between the Congress and BJP.
When the golden anniversary of “Ae mere watan ke logon” was celebrated in Mumbai, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was present at the stage with legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar. Now, the Congress has named a road crossing after Pradeep. However, according to Pradeep’s family both the parties are indulging politics.
Former Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had tears in his eyes while listening to the song.
Meanwhile, after the announcement of a crossing after Pradeep, the BJP said the Congress has been copying it. But Congress MP Priya Dutt denied any politics over the name.
Pradeep had also written one of the patriotic song ‘de di hame azadi, bina khadag bina dhal’ on Mahatma Gandhi.
During a public meeting in December 2013 at Indore, Madhya Pradesh Minister and senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya said the nationally-revered poet “deserves to be slapped, boxed and kicked” for praising Mahatma Gandhi.
Stunned by the comments, late Pradeep’s daughter Mitul Pradeep demanded an unconditional, written apology from Kailash Vijayvargiya for insulting the iconic poet and indirectly even Mahatma Gandhi.
Pradeep died at the age of 83 in Mumbai on December 11, 1998.
A TADA court on Tuesday directed the Thane Police Commissioner to conduct an inquiry after a media report claimed gangster Abu Salem, an accused in 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, had married on a train while being escorted by police to Lucknow for a court hearing.
“The designated TADA court has directed the Thane Police Commissioner to conduct an inquiry as to how an accused, who is in judicial custody, can marry on a train without the permission of the court,” prosecutor Deepak Salvi said.
Special Judge G A Sanap’s directive came after he took suo-motu cognizance of the report that appeared in a tabloid today.
The Thane police chief has been asked to submit his report in 10 days.
According to the report, Salem married a resident of Mumbra in adjoining Thane district last month on a train and that the ‘Nikah’ was performed by a Qazi in Mumbai over phone. Salem’s nephew advocate Rashid Ansari and some policemen were witness to the marriage, it was claimed.
However, Salem, while speaking to reporters outside the courtroom, dubbed the report as “baseless” and a “rumour”.
An accused in 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, Salem was extradited from Portugal on November 11, 2005, after a prolonged legal battle.
The Bombay High Court suggested to Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC) not to recommend heritage precinct status for too many sites at a time so as to avoid delay in framing guidelines for redevelopment of buildings in those areas.
The suggestion was made by a division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice M S Sanklecha which was hearing a bunch of petitions challenging the August 14, 2013 circular issued by the civic body directing all its officers to refer proposals for redevelopment of any building that falls in the proposed list of heritage precincts to MHCC.
On July 31, 2012, the Corporation had come up with a proposed list of 41 sites to be declared as heritage precincts. The sites included Shivaji Park and Matunga in central Mumbai and suburban Chembur. The list was issued after a recommendation from MHCC in 2008.
The court had ruled that under Development Control Regulation (DCR) rules, it was not mandatory for redevelopment proposals of those buildings which have not been individually declared as Grade I and II heritage structures to be referred to the heritage committee and can be decided by BMC itself.
The bench was today hearing the matter on the issue of guidelines to be framed by the heritage committee for redevelopment of buildings in heritage precincts. The committee today told the court that it would now take the Shivaji Park area as a priority case and then frame guidelines for the other areas.
“If you (MHCC) recommend heritage precinct status for so many areas at a time, you would not be able to spare time to frame guidelines for each and every site. Then the whole purpose is defeated. Why don’t you concentrate on fewer sites at a time,” Chief Justice Shah said.
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the Union government and the Central Board for Film Certification (CBFC) on a petition by filmmaker Anurag Kashyap challenging the notification that made an anti-smoking disclaimer mandatory during smoking scenes in a movie.
A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice MS Sanklecha issued notice to the ministries of Health and Family Welfare and Information and Broadcasting besides the censor board and asked them to file their affidavits.
The matter has been posted for March 5. Kashyap had approached the high court in December 2013 after the censor board restrained him from releasing his movie “Ugly” after he refused to comply with the rule that requires for ‘Smoking is injurious to health’ warning to pop up every time a character smokes in a movie.
Kashyap said he did not wish to have the anti-smoking message displayed during the film as it is a gross violation of his creative expression and fundamental rights. The filmmaker, who has films like “Dev D”, “Gulal”, “Black Friday” to name a few to his credit, had informed this to the censor board last September when he submitted his movie “Ugly” for certification.
The censor board refused to certify the movie and in its reply said Kashyap cannot release his movie owing to non-compliance of the rule. Under Rule 4(7) and 8 of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, the Union government had written a letter to the censor board asking them to make it mandatory for filmmakers to show the disclaimer during smoking scenes.
Kashyap in his petition has sought for the rule to be set aside and quashed as illegal, arbitrary and unconstitutional. Senior counsel Virag Tulzapurkar, appearing for the filmmaker, argued the movie was not advertising smoking. “The rule is only for advertisements. Let the government ban smoking altogether,” he said.
Maharashtra state government has decided to implement the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY), the affordable housing scheme for slum-dwellers. Anyhow, Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) scheme has succeeded to certain extent but that gave birth to Land mafias and criminal type of builders. Metropolitans like Mumbai can be turned into better place with better implementation of SRA scheme. However, elections are nearby so government is pouring schemes by eyeing on larger section of societies and convert them to vote bank. Repeatedly, government has failed in launching different type of housing schemes. Mumbai is cursed with illegal encroachment but government is not bothered about it. On the other hand, people in Campa-cola society have purchased their flats, paying EMI’s and taxes, but they’re termed illegal, whereas trespassers are rewarded with free flats at the taxpayers expenses. I’m surprised with this vote bank politics.
This is Congress’s biggest strategies that they announce schemes ahead of elections. They are eyeing on the vote of poor people. I met many slum dwellers and talked to them. I was surprised to hear their assumption, one of the slum residents say, if we vote for Congress then we may get a house under this UPA’s Rajiv Awas Yojana. They don’t know where to apply, what is the procedure, how to avail this facility. They just hope that some miracle may happen and they may be blessed with shelter. Congress has never thought better future of poor people. The oldest party wants you to remain poor so that they can fool you. Elections are nearby so they are pleasing you for votes. After the elections they want you to remain in those slums only. Politicians always move towards slums for votes because they know that they cannot fool educated people.
With the Rajiv Awaas Yojana (RAY), the Union government’s flagship scheme for ‘slum-free India’ by 2022, proving to be a non-starter in Mumbai, the state government now plans to ask the Centre to concede to a separate set of norms for the city. This would include reducing the cut-off year for eligibility, demand for increasing the Centre’s contribution, addressing the issue of land paucity and slum density in Mumbai. Minister of state for housing Sachin Ahir said with a court-mandated freeze on extending the cut-off date for free housing to slum dwellers in the city, Mumbai cannot follow RAY’s guideline of granting ‘inheritable lease rights’ to all those who have been residing in slums for over five years. If the State Government is not giving respect for the direction of the High Court rulings what else can be expected from others and is this is called good governance? The Judiciary has to act swiftly in the best interest of the governance and put on hold the move of the State Government, which is doing it for the sake of votes and to divert the attention of the slum dwellers. Is the State Government sleeping all these years and why so much of love at the time of elections? I hope the people of the state will teach a fitting lesson to the ruling alliance of Congress-NCP by completely rejecting them.
Under the scheme, the State has to provide shelter and basic civic and social services for slum-dwellers. The ambitious Rajiv Gandhi Awas Yojna (RAY), a Centre-sponsored flagship scheme and aimed at making cities slum free, is moving at a snail’s pace in the Mira Bhayander region which is among the 24 cities in the State that have been selected as beneficiaries for the mass housing project. Aimed at providing housing units to slum dwellers in the twin-city, the scheme was sanctioned by the general body in September, 2010. Subsequently, 33 slum clusters were identified and tenders floated in June 2011 to carry out their socio-economic, biometric and technical survey. Gandhinagar (Gujarat) based Wapcos Limited was awarded a 1.80 crore contract with an initial payment of Rs. 16 lakh. However, even after two years, only 11,000 out of the 47,000 units, housed in the 33 slum clusters, were covered under the survey so far. For houses constructed under RAY, the Central government would provide 50 per cent of the cost, the State Government would bear 25 per cent.
With an allocation of Rs. 32,230 crore in the 12th Five Year Plan, RAY aims at rebuilding slum settlements, providing them with social and physical infrastructure and easy access to institutional credit. While public land is made available free of cost, RAY requires the beneficiary to bear 25 per cent of the construction cost, with the state and Centre chipping in 25 and 50 per cent. A similar pattern of funding is followed for infrastructure provision with the exception that the beneficiary’s 25-per cent share is borne by the urban local body.
As per estimates, the state government will have to shell out as much as Rs. 10,000 crore if it has to provide its share. Let the state government and central government spend crores of rupees on such aimless schemes but the question remains here is, “how can government give free land to people who illegally occupy public land?
Iconic cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday said that he will “continue to bat for India” in all spheres of life in his endeavour to bring smile on the faces of the common people.
“I will continue to bat for India even though my cricket has stopped, but I will continue to bat for India and try my best to give people of India a reason to smile,” Tendulkar told reporters after being conferred Bharat Ratna by the President.
“It’s the biggest honour for me and I am extremely delighted on receiving Bharat Ratna,” he said.
“I am extremely proud to be born in this beautiful nation and I would like to express my gratitude to all the love, affection and support I have received for number of years.”
Tendulkar, 40, and eminent scientist Prof C N R Rao were presented the honours at a brief function at Rashtrapati Bhavan’s Durbar Hall attended by Vice President Hamid Ansari, Union ministers, Sachin`s wife Anjali, daughter Sara and a host of dignitaries.
Master batsman Tendulkar, who retired from international cricket on November 16 last year, is the first sportsman to be bestowed with the honour.
“I would like to reiterate what I said a couple of months ago that this recognition, award I would like to dedicate this to my mother and along with her all the mothers in India who sacrifice their wishes, aspirations for their children so that their dreams come true,” Tendulkar said.
He also congratulated Prof Rao for motivating youngsters to become scientists.
“I would like to congratulate Prof C N R Rao for the Bharat Ratna. He has been instrumental in motivating and inspiring youth of India to become scientists. I wish him all the happiness and good health.”
The Supreme Court on Tuesday began the final hearing on the petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Aadhaar card with those opposing the mega project saying it was not backed by any statute and compromises with national security.
Further, a three-judge bench headed by Justice BS Chauhan was also told that the project not only violates the right to privacy but the “biometrics”, which is the foundation of the project, is an unreliable and untested technology and public funds are being channeled to private enterprises without sufficient validation.
“The project is arbitrary and illegal as it allows private dominion over biometrics without governmental control thereby compromising personal security and national security,” senior advocate Shyam Divan submitted before the bench, also comprising justices J Chelameswar and M Y Eqbal, which wanted to know the difference between the National Identity Number and Aadhaar.
The final hearing began in the backdrop of the apex court’s interim order which had said Aadhaar card be not made mandatory for people for availing any government services and nobody should be deprived of any such facilities for want of the card.
The Centre, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and three oil PSUs — IOCL, BPCL and HPCL — had later on moved the apex court seeking modification of its earlier order that Aadhaar card is not mandatory and no person should suffer for want of it in getting the benefits of government schemes.
The petitioners, including Justice K Puttaswamy; former high court judge and Major General SG Vombatkere, who retired as Additional Director General, Discipline & Vigilance in Army HQ; also sought to restrain the Centre, Planning Commission and the UIDAI from issuing Aadhaar cards by way of an executive order of January 28, 2009.
With the Telangana issue dragging its feet and uncertainty over the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday stressed on the need to have a “peaceful” bifurcation, in a meeting with leaders of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS).
“Nothing should be said or done that can inflame passions. I appeal to all that the bifurcation process should be peaceful,” the PM told the TRS delegation headed by party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao.
Briefing reporters later, Rao said, “He (PM) said the government is seriously committed and we are under any circumstances creating the Telangana state.”
Rao said the Prime Minister has given him assurance on the passage of the legislation for creation of the new state. TRS leaders also submitted with Singh a memorandum on Telangana state containing nine demands, said the PMO.
The meeting came as even MPs from the Seemandhra region held a protest outside North Block to denounce the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. The leaders had to be forcibly removed from there by the police.
The Congress has stressed that passage of the Telangana bill will be one of its main goals during the Parliament session beginning tomorrow.
Speaking separately, the Prime Minister expressed hope that Parliament will be able to pass the bill on Telangana.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet on Tuesday cleared the note on Telangana with some amendments.
Three Ugandan women who came to India last month are at a nari niketan or “home for women”, after alleging that they were lured to Delhi with the promise of jobs, but were held “hostage” by people they have reportedly described as the “drug mafia.” They have also alleged that they were forced into prostitution but added that they resisted. The Aam Aadmi Party says this proves that they were right about a thriving “drug and sex racket” in south Delhi.
The Delhi police have today registered a case against unknown people under sections of the immoral trafficking act, abduction, extortion and unlawful confinement.
The women had reportedly approached the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi, which has asked the Ministry of External Affairs to provide protection to them.
A Delhi government official said the women had complained that their passports and other important documents have been taken away by the African people who duped them. They have reportedly requested the government to help arrange their safe return to Uganda.
MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said the Delhi government had been talking to the Centre since yesterday. “The Delhi government has indicated that three Ugandan women were lured to India under false pretenses. We have asked Ugandan High Commission to provide consular services to them,” he said.
The three women reportedly recorded statements before a district magistrate late last night. They will now have to appear before a metropolitan magistrate at the Saket court in Delhi. An official from the Ugandan embassy will be present when they depose before the court.
The women have reportedly said they live in the Khirki Extension area of Malviya Nagar, where Delhi’s Law Minister Somnath Bharti had allegedly led a group of AAP supporters in conducting a controversial raid against some African people who they accused of involvement in a drug and prostitution racket.
Mr. Bharti, who has been accused of racism and harassing other African women during his “raid” last month, said today, “This is hell, girls are brought here with the promise of jobs and then pushed into sex trade. We will not let this torture continue, it is happening under the police’s nose.”
AAP spokesperson Ashutosh said, “These three women have said clearly that there was a drug and sex racket going on. What more proof do you need now? This clearly shows that we were right.” He alleged that there was a nexus between “the drug cartel, police and very strong political parties.”
A TADA court on Tuesday directed the Thane Police Commissioner to conduct an inquiry after a media report claimed gangster Abu Salem, an accused in 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, had married on a train while being escorted by police to Lucknow for a court hearing. 
The Bombay High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the Union government and the Central Board for Film Certification (CBFC) on a petition by filmmaker Anurag Kashyap challenging the notification that made an anti-smoking disclaimer mandatory during smoking scenes in a movie. 
Iconic cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday said that he will “continue to bat for India” in all spheres of life in his endeavour to bring smile on the faces of the common people.
Three Ugandan women who came to India last month are at a nari niketan or “home for women”, after alleging that they were lured to Delhi with the promise of jobs, but were held “hostage” by people they have reportedly described as the “drug mafia.” They have also alleged that they were forced into prostitution but added that they resisted. The Aam Aadmi Party says this proves that they were right about a thriving “drug and sex racket” in south Delhi.