Hazare aide Suresh Pathare quits - Rediff.com India News

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Sat, 22 September 2012

Hazare aide Suresh Pathare quits

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Suresh Pathare, a close aide of Anna Hazare, today resigned from anti-corruption crusader's office citing personal reasons.

"I have resigned from Annaji's office due to personal reasons," Pathare twitted tonight. "I won't be able to work with Anna due to some personal reasons... that is why I have submitted my resignation," he said.

Pathare used to be a permanent fixture during Hazare's anti-corruption movement.

22:36 I am not behind split in Team Anna: Ramdev

Yoga guru Ramdev today refuted allegations that he was behind the split between Gandhian Anna Hazare and his associates.

"Those saying that I caused a split between Hazare and his associates are spreading a canard and indulging in petty politics. I had no role to play in this," Ramdev told a press coneference at Patnajali Yogpeeth in Haridwar.

He said he will spell out the nature of his ties with Hazare ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Ramdev also announced postponement of his one-day sit-in at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on October two.

He said an intense Swadeshi Andolan will instead be staged across 650 districts in the country on that date.

22:22 5 soldiers killed in bomb explosion in Baghdad

An Iraqi official today claimed that a roadside bomb, targeting a two-vehicle military convoy killed five soldiers north of the capital Baghdad.

A police official in Salahuddin province said that the attack took place today early afternoon near the predominantly Sunni town of Duluiyah, 75 kilometers north of Baghdad. Four soldiers were wounded in the blast, the official said.

Doctors in the town's hospital confirmed the death toll. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they are not authorized to speak to the media.

21:52 Barfi is India's entry to Oscars!

According to several media reports, the Anurag Basu-directed film Barfi has been chosen as India's official entry in the 'foreign film category'to the Oscars.

The film, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra also marked the Bollywood debut of southern actress Ileana D'Cruz, who has been appreciated for her performance.

21:05 Four Maoists held in Andhra Pradesh

A Maoist leader and three others working as couriers for a Maoist organisation, were today arrested in Andhra Pradesh, police said.

According to the police, during a routine vehicle-check operation today between Devarpally and Kudunur, an autorickshaw, in which four persons were travelling, was intercepted.

All of them belonged to a Maoist party and were going to meet a party leader, police said. One of the arrested, K Ashok Reddy alias Murali was a member of the Maharashtra State Committee of the party, they added.

After committing support to UPA, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav today ruled out his involvement in formation of third front before the next Lok Sabha polls even though he had an intriguing meeting with Sukhbir Badal, President of NDA's key constituent Akali Dal.

Yadav went to the residence of Badal, son of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, and is understood to have discussed the possibility of the two parties joining forces in the event of formation of a non-Congress government, sources said.

During the 30-minute meeting, the SP chief is believed to have talked about the senior Badal getting a larger role at national level, the sources said.

Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy today said that country's economic growth had been badly hit by corruption.

"Corruption has badly affected the country's economy," Swamy, who came here to attend a programme here tonight, said. Praising the BJP government in Gujarat, Swamy said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the state had made good progress.

He expressed confidence that Modi would win the upcoming assembly polls in Gujarat with absolute majority, which would have a 'national impact'.

AP reports: Egypt's chief forensic doctor has told a state-run newspaper that Hosni Mubarak has never suffered a stroke and that he is not in critical condition, contradicting earlier medical reports that the former president's health was deteriorating.

There have been conflicting reports about the health of the 84-year old Mubarak, who was sentenced in June to life in prison for failing to stop the killing of hundreds of protesters during last year's uprising.

19:18 Pak minister announces bounty on filmmaker

A federal minister in Pakistan today announced a bounty of $100,000 on the head of the maker of an anti-Islam film that has sparked violent protests, shocking many people with his announcement.

Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, who heads the railway ministry, said the reward would be given to the person who kills the filmmaker. He contended there was no other way to protest and instil fear among blasphemers than to murder of the filmmaker.

He also called on members of the banned Taliban and Al Qaeda for their support, saying members of these organisations too will be rewarded if they eliminate the maker of the blasphemous film.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram today differed with Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia on aligning Indian laws and practices with the global standards, saying what was needed was 'fair and non-discriminatory' norms.

"Montek said that we should align our laws and align our practices to global standards. I am not sure that global standards are necessarily the best standards. Not all global standards are the best," he said.

18:19 Britain silent on Ecuador Assange proposal

AFP reports: Britain's Foreign Office was tightlipped today over a proposal from Ecuador that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange be transferred from London to Sweden but stay under Quito's protection. Ecuador's Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said he was weighing such a transfer as a possible alternative for Assange to "remain under our protection while also satisfying the demands of the Swedish justice system."

Assange took shelter in the Ecuadoran embassy in London in June after exhausting all appeals against extradition from Britain to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over sexual assault allegations.

17:57 Suspend work on Koodankulam plant: CPI

The Centre should immediately suspend all works relating to Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant and initiate discussions with the people who are up in arms against the project, CPI Kerala state secretary Pannian Raveendran said today.

Addressing reporters, Raveendran said the CPI state unit fully supported the agitation of the people against the plant. "They should be convinced and their concerns addressed before going ahead with the project," he said.

17:25 C P Joshi gets Railways till Cabinet reshuffle

Road Transport and Highways Minister C P Joshi gets additional charge of Railways till cabinet reshuffle. The rejig is likely to take place next week.

Till yesterday the Railways portfolio was held by Trinamool's Mukul Roy.

Roy was among the six ministers from Ms Banerjee's party who submitted their resignation letters to the PM last evening.

The Trinamool quit the UPA over the government's decisions to increase diesel prices, cap the supply of subsidised cooking gas to households, and allow foreign mega-stores like Wal-Mart to arrive in India.

17:16 Cong ministers resign from WB govt

Six West Bengal Congress ministers submitted their resignations to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Writers' Building today.

WBPCC president Pradip Bhattacharya along with some other party leaders will meet Governor M K Narayanan at 6:00 pm and inform him of the party's withdrawal of support to the Trinamool Congress-led government in the state.

Congress ministers resigned a day after Trinamool formally pulled out of the UPA over FDI in retail and hike in fuel prices.

17:13 Libya protesters oust Benghazi militias

Libyan protesters ousted a jihadist militia from its headquarters and seized a raft of other paramilitary bases in second city Benghazi early today in heavy clashes that left four people dead.

The seizure of the headquarters of Ansar al-Sharia -- which has been accused of, but denied, involvement in the murder of US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans last week -- came after tens of thousands took to the streets yesterday to protest against the power of the militias.

The group's members took flight as hundreds of protesters stormed and then torched its compound, and also evicted it from the city's Al-Jalaa hospital, where they were replaced by military police, an AFP correspondent reported.

17:06 I can hiss if I can't bite: Mamata

"I can always hiss if I can't bite," this was Trinamool Congress Mamata Banerjee's remark after her six ministers quit the UPA government on FDI and other 'people' related issues.

Banerjee was referring to a folklore on Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, the spiritual guru of Swami Vivekenanda. Ramakrishna is believed to have advised a cobra, whom he had told not to bite people, that it could frighten away people by hissing.

"I can always hiss if can't bite. If the people's rights are endangered we will hiss. We can bow our heads to Ma, Mati, Manush, but not to the arrogance of power," she said at a state government water project at Tallah Park in Kolkata.

16:47 PM to meet President to assure him of numbers

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet President Pranab Mukherjee this evening to discuss the current political situation.

The meeting comes in the wake of government's decisions on the economic front and the withdrawal of support by Trinamool Congress. During the one on one meeting, say sources, the Prime Minister is expected to assure the President that his government is safe on numbers.

The meeting is likely to take place at 5 pm, according to an NDTV report.

A day after pledging support to the UPA, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav today met Shiromani Akali Dal leader and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.

Refusing to divulge details about the meeting in New Delhi, Yadav said his association with the Badals was old as Prakash Singh Badal was a close associate of Chaudhury Charan Singh. Asked whether the meeting was part of his efforts to form a Third Front, Yadav said there were "no efforts" to form such an alliance.

RJD's Delhi unit was disbanded by party chief Lalu Prasad today after the man, who protested against the prime minister at a conference in New Delhi, was found to be the head of its state legal cell.

"I strongly condemn it. Santosh Kumar Suman was made a member of the party by the Delhi state unit without verifying his credentials. He was made the in-charge (of the legal cell) one-and-half-year back," party chief chief Lalu Prasad told PTI from Patna.

"When we verified about him after this incident today, it came to light that he had earlier also written against the Prime Minister. Hence I have disbanded the entire Delhi unit of RJD. I will reconstitute it once I am back to Delhi in the evening," he said.

14:29 Mulayam's FDI googly: Will back Mamata

The Samajwadi Party will move resolution against FDI in retail in the Parliament, said Mulayam Singh Yadav to CNN-IBN, a day after he said that we would provide outside support to the UPA as the Trinamool Congress withdrew its support to the government.

Backing Mamata Banerjee, the SP chief, said, "I will support Mamata if she brings resolution against FDI. I will talk to like-minded parties about the resolution."

He added, "Mamata Banerjee is a secular leader."

14:06 WB Congress ministers to resign at 5 pm

Six Congress ministers will submit their resignation to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at 5 pm today, said WB Pradesh Congress Committee president Pradip Bhattacharya.

We will meet Governor M K Narayanan at 6 pm and inform him about withdrawal of the Congress support to WB government, he added.

The resignation of the WB Congress ministers comes a day after Trinamool Congress formally withdrew their support to the UPA yesterday over FDI in retail and hike in diesel prices.

The Central Bureau of Investigation registered two new cases in coal block allocation scam today and carried out searches at seven locations.

More details are awaited.

13:33 HC puts stay order on Bhupathi-Bopanna ban

In a relief to tennis players Mahesh Bhupati and Rohan Bopanna, the Karnataka high court today stayed the suspension of the duo by All India Tennis Association.

Bhupati and Bopanna were banned for two years by AITA after they refused to partner Leander Paes at the London Olympics. They were banned from representing the country till June 30, 2014 on disciplinary grounds.

Justice Mohan Shanthan Goudar while hearing the petition filed by Bhupathi ordered a stay on the ban until further orders, reports rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa.

The court has sent a notice to AITA about the stay order, and said that they can reply to the order.

Bhupathi challenged order terming it as unconstitutional and said that an opportunity had not been given.

"Law must protect people not just foreign investors. The government must avoid Americanisation of Indian laws," said Chief Justice of India S H Kapadia during his speech delivered at the conference on 'Economic Growth in Asia and Changes of Corporate Environment' at Vidyan Bhawan in New Delhi today.

"The biggest challenge India faces is to get inclusive growth," he said. "Without economic democracy, political democracy will be in peril in the country."

12:26 Good governance is good economics, says PM

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke about India's economic growth and reforms at the Conference on Economic Growth in Asia and Changes of Corporate Environment at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The highlights of his speech:

We must build a climate that attracts investment.

Good governance is good ecnomics

We should allow the private sector to grow.

We need a clear vision to transform agricultural economy to manufacturing economy with impressive base.

Asia will play a crucial role in stabalising global economy.

Will soon bring Companies Bill in Parliament.

Separation of powers has stood the test of time.

12:14 Man takes off shirt, disrupts PM's speech

Slogans were raised against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi today.

The PM was speaking at the conference on 'Economic Growth in Asia and Changes of Corporate Environment'.

A man, who has been identified as a Supreme Court lawyer, took his shirt off and shouted, 'PM vapas jao, vapas jao," as Dr Singh stood up to deliver his speech.

The protestor was escorted away by security staff.

More details are awaited.

11:06 Fishermen lay siege to Tuticorin port

Protests against the Kudankulam nuclear plant continue unabated with hundreds of fishermen having laid siege to the port at Tuticorin today, demanding the closure of the controversial plant.

Nearly five hundred fishing boats have blocked entry to the Tuticorin harbour, which is situated around 60 miles away from the nuclear power plant.

The loading of nuclear fuel, which is on at one of the reactors at the Kudankulam plant, has not in the least dented the determination of the protesters, all fishermen hailing from the districts of Tuticorin, Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli, where the plant is located.

"Fishermen in Kudankulam and surrounding districts are protesting over the last 400 days, but the government is not listening and we will have to resort to these kind of protests," said a fisherman to NDTV.

Read full report here

10:32 Bengal Congress eyes cabinet berths

As the Congress is readying to pull out its ministers from the West Bengal government, the state unit reportedly is aiming higher, with its sights set on the Union cabinet, reports NDTV.

The West Bengal Congress has reportedly written a letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi, demanding more ministers from the state at the Centre.

Party members have, in the letter, reportedly said that the state deserves political and ministerial representation in a proportionate way. Sources say that the Bengal Congress has asked for at least three ministers from among its MPs, including a suitable cabinet berth, according to the report.

09:50 Pak panel on Osama to submit report in Oct

The report of the independent commission investigating Osama bin Laden's presence in Pakistan would be available next month, the visiting Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has said.

"We are awaiting the report of the independent commission.That report is going to be out in October," Khar said inresponse to a question during a speaking engagement yesterday at the Council on Foreign Relations, an eminent American think-tank.

The panel, popularly known as the Abbottabad Commission,was formed after the Al Qaeda chief was killed in a unilateral United States raid in the Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad on May 2 last year. It was tasked with ascertaining the full facts regarding bin Laden's presence in Pakistan.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi are likely to meet in New Delhi, reportedly to discuss a cabinet reshuffle that is expected to take place soon, sources tell NDTV.

The meeting comes a day after the Trinamool Congress pulled out of the UPA over the government's decisions on FDI in retail and diesel price hike.

Gandhi has reportedly cancelled a scheduled trip to Uttarakhand today in the wake of the political situation in the capital.

03:04 Facebook switches off facial recognition tool

Facebook said today it had switched off the facial-recognition tool that prompts users to "tag" photographs uploaded to its website following a privacy investigation.

The feature was identified by regulators as one of the main privacy threats posed by the social networking site.

Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner (DPC), Billy Hawkes, who launched the probe because Facebook's European operations are based in Ireland, said he was happy that the site had agreed to remove the tool in Europe by October 15.

New users are already unable to access it.

Hawkes said: "I am satisfied that the review has demonstrated a clear and ongoing commitment on the part of FB-I to comply with its data protection responsibilities."

He added: "By doing so it is sending a clear signal of its wish to demonstrate its commitment to best practice in data protection compliance."

Facebook said in a statement: "In light of discussions with our regulator in Ireland, we have agreed to suspend the Tag Suggest feature in Europe."

A total of 374 civilians were killed and 581 injured in August as a result of the war in Afghanistan, making it the second deadliest month for civilians since 2007, the United Nations said today.

The UN's special representative in Afghanistan, Jan Kubis, said that although fatalities were down in the first half of the year, the summer months had been particularly bloody.

"Civilian casualties have decreased overall through the first eight months of the year compared year on year. However, this trend began reversing during this summer with a greater number of civilian deaths and injuries occurring in July and August than in the same period last year," he said.

"In fact, August was the second deadliest month for civilians since UNAMA (UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) began recording civilian casualties, with 374 civilians killed and 581 injured."

03:01 Grenades sent to UAE ended up in Syria: Swiss

An investigation has concluded that Swiss hand grenades exported to the United Arab Emirates several years ago found their way to Syria after being given to Jordan, the Swiss government said today.

Switzerland set up a joint commission in July with the UAE to investigate whether grenades exported to the Gulf nation were sent on to Syria. The move came after a newspaper published a photograph indicating a Swiss-made grenade was found with Syrian rebels.

The commission found that the UAE gave part of a shipment of Swiss hand grenades to Jordan in 2004 to support that country in fighting terrorism.

"From there the hand grenades evidently made their way to Syria," a Swiss government statement said, without elaborating on how or when that might have happened. Jordan has a border with Syria.

The imam of Mecca today urged that laws be passed to prevent incitement of religious hatred as he reacted to a film and publication of cartoons deemed offensive to Islam.

"We call on the world to enact a code of honour and binding law to prohibit and criminalise any violation of monotheistic religions and prophets," Sheikh Saleh bin Mohammed al-Taleb said in his weekly sermon at the Grand Mosque.

"Let the politicians and policy makers know that the people express uncontrolled reactions when sacred symbols are humiliated," he said, urging "the wise" in the West to "prevent those who ignite fires."

"We advocate dialogue, understanding and tolerance, but it will be in vain if we continue to perpetuate hatred against Islam, the Prophet and the Muslims."

Sheikh Saleh also criticised violent protests by Muslims against the low-budget anti-Islam film produced in the United States, "Innocence of Muslims".

"Muslims must show their kindness in their reactions; it is not kindness to kill innocent people and destroy property," he said, advising them to "raise awareness of the Prophet using social networks" on the Internet.

"Muslims must realise that they do not need fresh incidents to hinder the progress of Islam."

BBC Reports: At least 19 people have died as violent protests erupted on the streets of Pakistan's main cities in anger at an anti-Islam film made in the US.

Fourteen people were killed in the port city of Karachi and a further five died in the north-western city of Peshawar, hospital officials said.

Protesters also breached the diplomatic enclave in the capital, Islamabad, near the US embassy.

There has been widespread unrest over the amateur film, Innocence of Muslims.

Dozens of people have been reported wounded and BBC correspondents said some were in a critical condition.

Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan today joined UN chief Ban Ki-moon and American actor Michael Douglas to commemorate the International Peace Day, describing it as an "absolute honour."

Bachchan was among a host of celebrities who were at the UN headquarters to take part in the ceremony which is held every year on September 21 and seeks cessation of hostilities around the world for a day. It was the first time for Bachchan at the UN headquarters.

The ceremony was held at the Rose Garden early morning today and was attended by Ban and UN Messengers of Peace Douglas, British anthropologist Jane Goodall, Jewish-American writer and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel and American actress and singer Monique Coleman.

"It is an absolute honour to be here. I am glad I have been able to participate because it truly is an honour and I am looking forward to the whole experience," Bachchan told PTI after the brief ceremony.

Bachchan, 38, said she was glad to be able to contribute in sending out a powerful message of peace.

00:49 Office tower hostage drama in Pittsburgh, US

A man claiming to have a bomb in a canvas bag took at least one person hostage today in an office building in the US city of Pittsburgh, authorities said.

"There's a hostage situation at Three Gateway Centre," said Kelly Kochamba, an FBI spokeswoman, naming the building in a downtown office complex. "There's at least one woman, I don't know if there's any more than one."

The assailant claimed to have a bomb, "but there is no evidence at this time," Kochamba said.

Pittsburgh Police Chief Nate Harper, meanwhile, told reporters at the scene that a man with a criminal record was holding two people on the sixteenth floor of the highrise. The man has a criminal record but is "not irrational," he said.

"I wish I could say I'm very confident but it's up to the individual and right now we don't know," he said, adding that no demands have been made and that "no one knows what he wants."

00:49 Top headlines at this hour

You have a right to know the truth about our decisions: PM

'Is power of PM's chair being used to kill aam aadmi?'

PM's address to the nation: Reading between the lines

TMC ministers resign, PM accepts; Cong to quit WB govt

Re at 4-mth high, gains 93 paise to end above 53

T-20 WC: Clinical England thrash Afghanistan by 116 runs

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