New Delhi, BCCI president N Srinivasan denied any rift within Indian team saying there is no such issue as he is in constant touch with the team management. Srinivasan tried to downplay the issue of rift between Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and opener Virender Sehwag over fitness of senior cricketers and team selection. "We are in constant touch with the management. However, we have not asked for any report in the matter," said Srinivasan. Earlier in the day, reports suggested that Dhoni and Sehwag stood divided over the team selection ahead of the Sri Lanka match of the tri-series. Reports said that both the players provided their playing eleven before the start of the match on Tuesday. While Dhoni wanted Rohit Sharma to play against Sri Lanka, stand-in skipper Sehwag was keen to play with three senior players. Earlier on Tuesday after crushing defeat to Sri Lanka, stand-in skipper Virender Sehwag took a jibe at MS Dhoni for suggesting that senior batsmen were being rotated because they were slow movers on the field. Reacting to Dhoni's comments that the trio of Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar were "slow fielders" and that playing them ...
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New Dehli, Operations of cash-strapped Kingfisher Airlines continued to be disrupted for the third consecutive day on Monday even as the government reiterated that it will not bailout the Vijay Mallya-led carrier. "Government is not going to give any bailout or ask the banks to bailout any private airline or any private industry for that matter," Civil aviation minister Ajit Singh said. According to Singh, the the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is looking into the matter and is awaiting a reply from the airline. "DGCA is inquiring into the matter. Our first concern is about the ongoing flights and that passenger safety should not be compromised. Let us see what reply they (Kingfisher Airlines) give," Singh said. Singh blamed the crisis on the airline management for not paying its employees as a reason behind Saturday's strike in Kolkata. "They did not give salary to their employees for many months, people went on strike in Kolkata. Naturally, the flights got cancelled," Singh said. On Sunday the regulator ordered an inquiry into the large-scale cancellations. "We have called for the cancellation data from all over the country. They did ...
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Kanpur, A cautious Rahul Gandhi on Sunday sought to ensure that he stayed within the limits set by the EC even as he insisted that the original author of the quota-for-Muslims pledge was the Congress. Mulayam Singh Yadav was merely doing a me-too act promising a higher reservation for the community. Speaking in Kanpur, Rahul questioned the very legitimacy of Mulayam Singh Yadav as a genuine leader of the Muslim community. He said : "Mulayam claims to be the leader of Muslims. If that's true, he should actually specify what he did for the community during his three stints as CM." The crowd responded to him with cries of "nothing, nothing". The Congress general secretary continued : "Tell me what kind of leader is he? He claims to be your leader and does nothing for you." Insisting that Mulayam had latched on to the reservations for Muslims pledge as an afterthought, Rahul said : "When Mulayam was CM, the media would ask him his views on Muslim quotas. But he would remain tightlipped. You will be surprised to know that the state which has over 70 districts has only one Muslim DM. Now Congress has given you reservation, so Mulayam says that he would have done more." Accusing SP ...
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New Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was conferred with a doctorate degree by Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) here on Monday. IARI conferred the degree to Singh for his significant contributions in developing the farm sectors of India. The 'Degree of Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa)' was presented to Singh by Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar during the 50th Convocation of IARI. Speaking at the event, Singh said, "Agricultural growth is likely to be about 3.5 percent per annum during the 11th Five Year Plan. " Singh said: "This is a commendable achievement but we must improve upon it in the Twelfth Plan to reach 4 percent growth or even higher." He said that the flagship programme Bharat Nirman has focussed on increasing investment in rural roads, rural electrification, irrigation, rural housing and rural communications. "Over the past seven years we have engineered a shift in the terms of trade in favour of agriculture by raising significantly support and procurement prices," Singh said. "Food production at the end of the 11th Plan will exceed 250 million tonnes, an all time record. Our pulse production, at 18 million tonnes, is well ...
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Kanpur, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj has called election campaign of Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi ' theatrics', which would not translate into votes. "Tearing up a list while standing on stage might make a good front-page photograph, but it cannot translate into votes. In order to get votes, one has to connect with the people and raise their issues," Swaraj told a gathering here on Saturday. Gandhi, while addressing a public gathering in Lucknow on Wednesday, tore a piece of paper carrying a list of the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party's poll promises, drawing huge cheers from his listeners. Swaraj also criticised the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for not having done justice to a widespread mandate that had given it an absolute majority in the 2007 state poll. "The BSP had an absolute majority government, but when I hold them to account after five years, then the performance register shows a zero. Their campaign slogan did not translate into ideology or practice. In this term, they pushed aside even their main voters, and the slogan 'For the Good of All' got changed to 'For Individual Good'," Swaraj said. The Uttar Pradesh polls ...
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New Delhi, Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh on Thursday revealed that the malignant lung tumour, for which he is undergoing chemotherapy in the Unites States, is "almost out of his system" after the first cycle of treatment. "Got very good news from dr lawrence today! The tumor is almost way out of the system After reading my todays scan !Second cycle has started," Yuvraj, being treated at the Boston Institute of Cancer Research, wrote on his twitter account. The 30-year-old, who went to US last month, has gone bald during the treatment, which will go on till the last week of March before the process of rehabilitation starts in April. The dashing batsman had earlier got a message from US cycling legend Lance Armstrong, whose own inspirational triumph over cancer is well-documented, wishing him a speedy recovery. "Message from @lancearmstrong makes me feel better! Thank you lance means a lot hope we can meet," tweeted Yuvraj. A photo of the Armstrong's message, posted by Yuvraj, read: "Yuvi, I want you to know that the entire LIVESTRONG team is here for you. "We say it all the time, and truly believe in it: Knowledge is power, Unity is strength, and Attitude is ...
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New Delhi, President Pratibha Devisingh Patil will flag off the 'Saakshar Bharat Yatra' from the Rashtrapati Bhawan here on Saturday. President Patil will flag off the 'Saakshar Bharat Yatra' at 11.30 a.m. on Saturday in the presence of Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal and Minister of State for Human Resource Development Dr. D. Purandeswari. A nationwide mobilization campaign is being organized by National Literacy Mission during February-March 2012 in collaboration with a Non-Government Organisation: Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti for promoting Saakshar Bharat Programme. A country wide 'jatha' will be organized covering 22 States, 180 districts, 1000 blocks, over 16,000 panchayats. The objectives of the Saakshar Bharat Yatra are to draw the attention of the entire country towards Saakshar Bharat Programme, to carry out a nationwide campaign for mobilization of public opinion and enthusiasm towards the importance and need of literacy and life long education, to conduct widespread 'Jan Vachan programmes' for refocusing the public mind on issues connected with literacy and lifelong education, to create a demand for a major rural reading and ...
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New Delhi, In a bid to end the row with the Election Commission, Law Minister Salman Khurshid has said he bowed to the "wisdom" of the poll panel and regretted his statement regarding sub-quota to backward sections of minorities in Uttar Pradesh. "I treat this matter as unfortunate and regret the statement. I bow to the wisdom of the Election Commission," Khurshid said in a letter sent to the Election Commission Monday and released by the panel Tuesday. Informed sources said the Election Commission may treat the issue as closed following Khurshid's letter. The Election Commission censured Khurshid for his speech regarding nine percent job quotas for minorities. It wrote to President Pratibha Patil when Khurshid stood by the statement and said he was ready to be hanged for it. The president forwarded the letter to Prime Minister Manmohan ...
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New Delhi, In the first official Indian figure ever mentioned on black money parked abroad, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday said an estimated 500 billion USD, which is equivalent to about Rs 24.5 lakh crore, of illegal money is stashed away in foreign tax havens by the Indian depositors. CBI director Ambar Pratap Singh made the disclosure at the inaugural function of the First Interpol Global Programme on Anti-Corruption and Asset Recovery. "India in particular has suffered from the flow of illegal funds to tax havens such as Mauritius, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, British Virgin Islands, etc. It is estimated that around 500 billion dollars of illegal money belonging to Indians is deposited in tax havens abroad," Singh said. "Largest depositors in Swiss banks are also reported to be Indians," he said. "Development of new methods of financial flows and communication technology have made it easier for the corrupt to conceal and stash away stolen wealth. On the other hand, differences in legal systems, high costs in coordinating investigations, inadequate international cooperation and bank secrecy laws have made the task difficult for the ...
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New Delhi, Even though speculation is still rife that General V K Singh may soon resign after losing his battle on the age issue in the Supreme Court, defence minister A K Antony on Monday expressed hope the festering controversy was now over while reposing "full faith'' in the Army chief. "The government has confidence in the present chief and that was conveyed in the Supreme Court also. Everything is clear and we have confidence in him," said Antony, before leaving for a two-day trip to Saudi Arabia on Monday morning. "I am very happy this controversy is over after the judgment of the Supreme Court. In the interest of national security, please forget and bury this unfortunate controversy. Whatever has happened has happened and is over now,'' he said. "I request my colleagues to close this chapter and let us all work together to strengthen national security. For us, national interest is supreme," he added. Gen Singh, who has left everyone guessing over his next move after becoming the first serving military chief ever to drag the government to court, also left for a four-day visit to the UK later in the day. As earlier reported by TOI, the defence ministry has ...
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New Delhi, Defence minister A K Antony on Monday expressed happiness that the controversy over Indian Army chief General V K Singh's age had been resolved and hoped that everyone would "work together to strengthen national security". "I am very happy this controversy is over," Antony told reporters on the sidelines of the Asian security conference. "It is my request to all my colleagues and all of you (the media) to please close this chapter and let us work together to strengthen national security," Antony said. On Feb 10, a Supreme Court bench of Justice R M Lodha and Justice H L Gokhale made it clear that Gen Singh's date of birth would continue to be May 10, 1950, and not May 10, 1951, as he demanded based on his school leaving certificate. Gen Singh consequently withdrew his plea demanding that his year of birth be treated as 1951 and not 1950. The Army chief had gone to the Supreme Court Jan 16 insisting he was actually born May 10, 1951, not in 1950 as claimed by the ...
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Chennai, The deadlock between Sahara India and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to end as the board has agreed to former's demand for a replacement of Yuvraj Singh in the Pune Warriors for the fifth edition of the Indian Premier League. According to Times Now, the Indian board, during the working committee meeting on Monday, is said to have accepted Sahara's demand for a replacement of Yuvraj Singh, who is under treatment for lung cancer, for the cash rich tournament. However, the BCCI will not allow Sahara for backing out on bank guarantee. Sahara India had last week snapped its sponsorship to Team India and cancelled the ownership of Sahara Pune Warriors after the cricket board turned down its demand for a replacement of Yuvraj ...
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New Delhi, President Pratibha Devisingh Patil has forwarded the complaint registered by the Election Commission against Union Law and Justice Minister Salman Khurshid to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh for 'appropriate action'. "The President has taken note of the Election Commission's letter and forwarded it to the PMO for appropriate action," said the Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson. The Election Commission sought the 'immediate and decisive' intervention of President Patil last night after it charged Khurshid with "improper and unlawful" defiance of its orders under which he was censured for promising sub-quota for minorities. The Election Commission told President Patil that Khurshid's action could 'vitiate free and fair polls' in Uttar Pradesh and that it was 'perturbed because the undermining of its Constitutionally-mandated duties has come from the Law Minister who has direct responsibility to uphold and strengthen the ECI rather than to denigrate it'. The Election Commission had earlier censured Khurshid for his remarks on sub-quota for minorities, and said he violated the election code of ...
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Allahabad, If you want to see me alive and hale and hearty and save from going to jail, vote for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates in the assembly elections and inflict a crushing defeat on Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP) candidates, said former minister and expelled BSP leader, Babu Singh Kushwaha while addressing a meeting in support of BJP candidates at Colonelgunj Inter College here on Saturday. Stating that during his political career spanning 27 years he did everything to facilitate BSP to power in the state, Kushwaha said that if the BSP and SP are really interested in the upliftment of backwards and OBC they would have never promised providing 9 and 18 percent reservation to Muslims.This amounts to appeasement and erosion of existing OBC quota of 27 percent reservation in jobs. Accussing BSP ministers of plotting to frame him in false cases he said that had I not received the support of Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) at this crucial juncture, my fate would have been disastrous. Taking a swipe at BSP supremo, Mayawati for ignoring the interest of backwards, he said that she was only interested in taking care of her cadre votes.Moreover when I tried to raise the voice ...
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New Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday met union ministers Pranab Mukherjee, Kapil Sibal and Salman Khurshid to discuss the fallout of the apex court verdict cancelling 122 2G licences granted by former communications minister A Raja in 2007 and 2008. The meeting, held at the Prime Minister's official residence at 7, Race Course Road, was still underway, sources said. The meeting was expected to discuss new guidelines for the allocation of 2G licences in the wake of the Supreme Court observing that first-come-first-serve policy was flawed and instead favouring auctioning. The meeting assumes significance with Norway and Russia pushing for government's intervention to safeguard investments by their state-owned companies Telenor and Sistema, respectively. Norway has already activated diplomatic channels with India on the issue. Russian communications minister Igor Shchyogolev is expected to visit India shortly to take up the issue with Sibal over safeguarding Sistema's investment in the Indian telecom sector. Sistema has invested in a joint venture firm, Sistema Shyam Teleservices ...
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New Delhi, Will he or won't he? Resign, that is. The dominant sentiment in South Block, after General Vijay Kumar Singh lost the last battle of his career on Friday, was that the Army chief should put in his papers since continuing in office had become simply "untenable". Some in the Army chief's lobby, reeling under the shock of the defeat in court, also admitted that Gen Singh was "actively considering" resignation despite his lawyers claiming "his honour and integrity" had been "restored". Beyond lobbies and spin-doctoring, both military and civilian officers acknowledge the "grim reality" that "a huge trust deficit" has emerged between Gen Singh, who left for Jaipur on an official visit around 4.30 pm, and defence minister A K Antony. When he assumed office in April 2010, Gen Singh promised to improve the Army's "internal health" by getting rid of corruption and transforming the 1.13-million force into a lean, mean fighting machine. Instead, he has ended up sharpening the infamous civil-military divide. "Several Army projects and proposals, modernization and otherwise, are in a limbo. The Army itself is divided down the ranks. Gen Singh will virtually be ...
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New Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to to meet senior ministers on Saturday to discuss and review the rules that will apply in case of the auction of the 2G spectrum. Singh is likely to consider whether to cancel the 2G licences that were given to telecom majors before 2008, media reports said. The licences were granted to telecom majors like Tata and Bharti-Airtel for free during that period. In a historic judgement the Supreme Court on Feb 2 scrapped 2G spectrum licences of 122 mobile networks granted during the tenure of A Raja as the telecom minister since early 2008. The scandal over the alleged allocation of telecoms licences at below-market prices, which could have lost the treasury up to Rs 1.76 lakh crore, according to the government’s auditor, has already impaired the Congress-led coalition government in ...
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New Delhi, In a setback to Army chief General VK Singh, the Supreme Court today upheld the government decision on his age issue and said he cannot resile on his commitment accepting the date of birth as May 10, 1950, forcing him to withdraw his petition. The apex court said it was not in favour of entertaining Gen Singh's petition that his date of birth should be treated in official records as May 10,1951 and gave him option of withdrawing it. The court held that no prejudice was done to Gen Singh and the government decision on his date of birth will continue to be there. In view of this, Gen Singh will have to retire on May 31 this year. The apex court noted that the government has full faith in him and that the court wanted to ensure that he continues to work as the Army Chief as he has been doing. Gen Singh has to abide by his commitment and honour his letters of 2008 and 2009 accepting the date of birth as May 10, 1950, the court said during over two-hour long hearing in a packed court room. Finally, Gen Singh withdrew his petition when the court hearing resumed at 2 pm after the lunch recess. Earlier, at the start of the hearing, attorney general G E ...
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New Delhi, Amid growing worries about the repercussions of the Supreme Court order cancelling 2G licences for business sentiment, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has asked for an analysis of the judgment. Sources said Singh has asked attorney general G E Vahanvati to brief him on all possible implications of the judgment. The PM's curiosity about the ramifications of the judgment coincides with the view in a section of the government that the SC verdict is too drastic and can dampen business sentiment. There is also a concern that with the apex court holding that the "first-come first-served" policy was inherently flawed, government has to quicken the transition to a policy where allocation of natural assets is made solely on the basis of auctions. Meanwhile, according to PTI, CBI moved the Supreme Court for a clarification whether the special 2G court can conduct a trial of Essar and Loop when they, unlike other recipients of licences from jailed telecom minister A Raja, have not been charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The news agency reported that CBI approached the SC after being directed to do so by the Delhi High Court on the basis of a petition by ...
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Gorakhpur/Hardoi, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has said that his government would curb crime and lawlessness, if elected to power in Uttar Pradesh. "Certain parties are carrying out a malicious campaign by spreading lies that hooliganism and crime will prevail if Samajwadi Party comes to power. I promise you, that the Samajwadi Party government will not promote crime and criminals," Yadav told a gathering here on Monday. "No criminals or musclemen would be allowed to grow in the state, no matter how influential the person. Even if there is such a person in the Samajwadi Party, he will be punished. All those who spread fear and violence in the state will be sent to prison or out of Uttar Pradesh," he added. Meanwhile, former chief minister and president of Jan Kranti Party Kalyan Singh slammed all contesting parties, stressing that none of them was serious towards the welfare of the masses. "All parties and leaders are talking about development and making promises but nobody wants to do it. Nobody wants to work for the development of the villages and the farmers. They only make empty speeches," Singh said in Hardoi. The polls in Uttar Pradesh are ...
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