Darjeeling: Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) supporters blocked NH-55 near Ghoom station in Darjeeling in protest against the assault on them allegedly by cadre of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), the police said Thursday.
Acknowledging the receipt a complaint against GJM cadre, Superintendent of Police of Darjeeling Akhilesh Chaturvedi said, “There was a confrontation between GNLF and GJM supporters at Ghoom yesterday. We have assured the complainants of arresting those involved in the assault.”
The incident took place around 3:30 pm when GNLF supporters were returning home after attending the death ritual of their party founder Subash Ghisingh, he said.
The police said that the clash broke out when some GNLF supporters allegedly started to abuse GJM president Bimal Gurung who was returning home to Darjeeling from Maneybhanjyang.
Subash Ghisingh died on January 29 in a Delhi hospital and was cremated in his ancestral home in Mirik. As per Buddhist custom, his death ritual was held yesterday at his residence in Darjeeling after 21 days of his death.
PTI
New Delhi: Newly elected Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday held janata darbar at party’s Kaushambi office in Ghaziabad where he heard grievances of people.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief hed a similar kind of darbar on Wednesday.
Unlike last time, when the darbar was marred with problems of mismanagement and over-crowding, this time it was a well-organised affair.
While Kejriwal gave them a patient hearing, the residents participating in the Janata Durbar (public meet) complained of the chief minister giving an audience for just 10-12 people. Others were asked to wait for their turn.
Most complaints were related to police. About half of the visitors had come to greet Kejriwal with bouquets on being the chief minister of Delhi.
Most of them preferred clicking photographs with the new chief minister.
The visitors were attended from 10.00 am to 12.00 pm before Kejriwal left the office for the day.
During his earlier stint as the chief minister, Kejriwal, had held a similar darbar. However, it was marred by chaos as a large number of people had turned up. The security personnel had to take Kejriwal away from darbar venue.
New Delhi: Despite the ongoing political turmoil in Bihar, the JD(U) on Thursday said it was all set to corner the BJP-led NDA government on issues like the Land Acquisition Ordinance, in Parliament.
“We will certainly raise the issue of the Land Acquisition Ordinance and oppose it tooth and nail. Under the new provisions, land of poor farmers can be easily snatched and there would be no place for them to ventilate their grievance.
“This is worse than the law passed by the British Raj in 1852,” JDU president Sharad Yadav told reporters at a news conference here.
On December 29 last year, the government recommended promulgation of an Ordinance making significant changes in the Land Acquisition Act including removal of consent clause for acquiring land for five areas of industrial corridors, PPP projects, rural infrastructure, affordable housing and defence.
JD(U) said it will also attack the government on various other issues during the budget session of Parliament, which starts on February 23.
In the last Parliament session, with the government not having majority in Rajya Sabha, the opposition cornered the Centre on various issues, including the re-conversions and controversial speeches by BJP MPs.
PTI
Mumbai: Shiv Sena’s youth wing president Aditya Thackeray Aditya Thackeray sees the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is considering to contest 2017 Mumbai civic polls, as a healthy competition.
Shiv Sena, in coalition with BJP, has been in power in Asia’s richest civic body for the last two decades.
“Not in terms of the work we have done now and what we will achieve by then, but there must be healthy competition always,” Aditya told NDTV in an interview today when asked if he saw AAP as a competition.
The 24-year old son of Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said his party had already congratulated AAP for its astounding victory in the Delhi assembly polls.
“We have already congratulated them as it is the vote of the people. The 95 per cent victory margin is huge and as from any government, there are lots of hopes from them. Every state government should succeed well,” he said.
Replying to a question on whether he had learnt anything from the stunning electoral success of India’s youngest political party, Aditya said, “There is a lot to learn from every victory and defeat. Every party should learn from victories and defeats and that’s what we are doing.”
PTI
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, who returned from Delhi on Tuesday, cancelled his official programmes and was closeted with ministers and legislators to draw up the strategy for the February 20 trust vote.
Manjhi did not take any question from mediapersons at Patna airport and went straight to his official residence.
In addition to cancelling two functions here, he also called off his visit to Khagaria, Chief Minister Office sources said.
State Art and Culture minister Vinay Bihari, who received Manjhi at the airport told reporters “We are confident of proving majority on the floor of House on February 20.”
Though BJP is yet to spell out its strategy on confidence vote, he said “Our talks with senior BJP leaders in Delhi have been positive.”
Dissident JD(U) leader Gyanendra Singh Gyanoo, who met Manjhi at his residence also exuded confidence of sailing through the confidence vote.
“We will get it. Good response has been coming from legislators,” he told PTI refusing to disclose the names of MLAs who had promised support to Manjhi.
Expelled JD(U) former MP Shabir Ali also met Manjhi.
“The scenario will change in the state in the next 24 hours,” Ali said later.
Bihari said Manjhi has held consultation with legal experts for action against JD(U) MLA Anant Singh, a close confidante of Nitish Kumar, who had recently threatened to beat the Chief Minister.
PTI
New Delhi: Delivering on its poll promise, the AAP government today put a restriction on termination of services of any contractual employee till a thorough review of the issue was completed, a move which will benefit around one lakh employees.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting presided over by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Around one lakh employees, including doctors, nurses, teachers, sanitation staff are working under contractual scheme in various Delhi government departments and agencies.
“Services of any contractual employee should not be terminated or stopped till further orders,” said the brief government order issued to various departments.
Sources said contractual employees whose contractual term was nearing completion would also benefit as they will be allowed to continue in service.
Delhi government was in the process of carrying out a thorough review of the issue of contractual employees to finalise a policy framework, the sources said.
Various government departments including Education, PWD, Health and Family Welfare and Women and Child Development had recruited employees under contractual scheme in the last few years.
In the its election manifesto, AAP had promised to regularise services of contractual employees in various Delhi government departments and agencies.
New Delhi: Leaders of various political parties including Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP on Monday condemned the attack on senior CPI leader Govind Pansare and asked Maharashtra government to ensure that the culprits are arrested and an in-depth probe is held.
The CPI(M) has given a state-wide protest call against the attack.
Shiv Sena leader and Union Minister Anant Geete condemned the attack on Pansare and said it was a “challenge” for the state government.
Pansare, who led a campaign against road toll tax, and his wife today suffered serious injuries after they were shot at by some unknown assailants in front of their house in Kolhapur.
“We Condemn-senior CPI leader Govind Rao Pansare shot at in Kohlapur-Maharashtra, where he was leading a campaign against toll tax!,” Congress leader Ajay Maken tweeted.
NCP Chief Sharad Pawar termed as “shocking” the attack on Pansare and appealed to Maharashtra Government to “use their own forces” for an in-depth investigation.
“I condemn this attack…. Those who are responsible… they should be taught a lesson,” the former Maharashtra Chief Minister said.
“I know him for last 40-45 years. He is a committed person. He is the person who always fought for his cause. And he never compromised on his principles,” Pawar said.
The NCP leader said this is the second such incident in the state after anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar was shot dead in Pune in August, 2013.
Condemning the incident, CPI (M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury said such incidents are “becoming a sort of a routine matter” in Maharashtra.
“Yes, he was leading an agitation of Left parties against toll taxes…That has been a very popular and a very big agitation and surely there are vested interests who would lose because of this. They may be targeting.
“Also he has written a very popular book on projection of Shivaji and what actually the history was and how these are being used by all these Hindu communal outfits mainly Shiv Sena and the BJP. So that could also be one of the reasons,” Yechury said.
“So whatever be the actual reasons, proper investigation has to be done,” he said. He said the CPI (M) has given a state-wide protest call against the attack.
The assailants fired at Pansare and his wife this morning outside the Ideal Housing Society here when the couple was returning after their daily morning walk from Shivaji University.
While Pansare was hit by bullets on the nape, his wife Sau Uma Pansare suffered a single bullet injury, Kolhapur Superintendent of Police Omprakash Sharma said.
PTI
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing it of seeking to tarnish her party’s image.
Speaking shortly after Trinamool Congress won the bypolls in Krishnaganj Assembly seat and Bongaon Lok Sabha seat, the Trinamool Congress chief said, “BJP tried to tarnish the image of TMC, isolate the people, but it is the people who decide. Conspiracy won’t yield results,” Mamata was quoted as saying.
“TMC is a strong party, no one can divide us,” she added.
Mamata’s verbal attack on BJP can be viewed in connection with BJP’s improved showing in the state in Lok Sabha polls last year, and the national party’s push to dent TMC’s voter base.
The bypolls are considered to be important ahead of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation election this year and Assembly Elections in 2016.
New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Monday denied that he is in the capital to meet BJP leaders amid a simmering political crisis back home.
Manjhi, who has been expelled by his party JD(U) after he refused to step down as CM to make way for Nitish Kumar, today said he had no intention to dissolve the state Assembly or recommend President’s Rule.
The denial came ahead of his likely meeting with President Pranab Mukherjee later this evening.
Manjhi told reporters that he had come to Delhi “to meet government ministers, not BJP officials”.
“I am not meeting BJP leaders; it is upto them to support or not to support me,” he added.
Sources said the Bihar CM has sought an appointment with BJP president Amit Shah amid speculation that BJP was preparing to back Manjhi’s government during the trust vote in the Assembly on February 20.
On Sunday also, Manjhi met Bihar Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the national capital.
Sources close to Manjhi said that his meeting with the Governor was a courtesy call as both happened to be in the national capital, while his meeting with Singh at his residence was with regard to the Naxal problem in Bihar.
The incumbent Bihar chief minister had recently sought the expansion of his Cabinet before the trust vote and sources said that he took up the issue in his meeting with Tripathi but was offered no concrete assurance.
As per sources, the Manjhi faction of JD(U) and BJP are involved in back-channel talks for the saffron party’s support to his government in the trust vote. However, BJP has said that it will take a final stand only on the floor of the House.
BJP with 87 members in the Assembly, whose effective strength at present is 233, is the main hope for Manjhi for his survival if he musters the support of 30 other MLAs. The magic figure is 117.
Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) faction has alleged that the script behind the political crisis in Bihar was written at the highest level in Delhi, apparently hinting at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
New Delhi: A day after a group of people demonstrated in front of the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s Kaushambi house over demolition of some slums in Shahdara area, the Delhi government on Monday passed an order prohibiting demolition of houses in residential or slum areas.
On the first day working of the Aam Aadmi Party-led government in Delhi, the decision was taken to prohibit the demolition of jhuggis.
Taking to Twitter, the AAP wrote that nobody should be deprived of shelter until proper arrangements are done.
Meanwhile, as per the ANI, the Delhi Government has scheduled State Assembly session on February 23 and 24, 2015.
Eight jhuggis were on Saturday demolished at Chhota Nagar near Ghuggi Pahalwan area in Shahdara exactly at the time when Kejriwal was taking oath at Ramlila Maidan as the new chief minister of Delhi.
“Just see the brutality of the officers. They not only smashed up our household things and abused us, but also women constables manhandled us and did not even spare our small children,” alleged Vijaywati (30) who was protesting along with 40 others in front of the CM’s residence this morning.
Local police, however, said that these people were trying to build jhuggis on government land and the police personnel just stopped them from doing so when informed.
“In fact, police never demolishes any construction on its own. It is the job of land owning agency. Our role is limited to providing security during any such drive to maintain law and order,” said a senior police official.
Several dwellers were allegedly left injured during the incident.
The protesters also hit out at local AAP MLA Ram Nivas Goyal.
“A day before the drive, a few policemen came to meet Goyal. We were sure that he would pitch in our favour. But next day, our jhuggis were demolished,” said an anguished person.
According to sources, the chief minister was also informed about the incident by party volunteers who took up the matter with the local MLA and asked him to look into it. The protest was then called off.
Goel said, “These jhuggis came up just a day before the polls. The local people complained to me as well as the police about the issue on February 13. The police went there including the ACP and SHO and I intervened to stop the demolition.”
In his pre-poll rallies, Kejriwal promised not to erase even a single jhuggi across the city, and to provide them with in-situ rehabilitation in five years.
Recent Comments