In yet another round of changes in the State Cabinet, two Ministers – Agri S.S. Krishnamoorthy and S.P. Velumani – were dropped on Thursday.

Their places will be taken by N. R. Sivapathy and Mukkur N. Subramanian.

Information Technology Minister K. A. Sengottaiyan, ranked third in the order of seniority of Ministers, has been made Revenue Minister. Mr Sengottaiyan, who held the portfolio of Agriculture till November, was later given IT.

The 48-year-old Sivapathy, Member of Legislative Assembly from the Musiri constituency of Tiruchi district, who was removed from the Cabinet in November, will be re-inducted to the Ministry. At the time of removal, he held the portfolio of Animal Husbandry.

The 52-year-old Subramanian, who represents Cheyyar of Tiruvannamalai District, will also join the Cabinet. While Mr. Sivapathy will be known as Minister for School Education, Sports and Youth Welfare, Mr. Subramanian has been given the portfolio of Information Technology.

They will be sworn in Ministers at a ceremony at the Raj Bhavan on Friday evening, according to an announcement made by the Raj Bhavan on Thursday late evening.

When the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government assumed office in the middle of May, Mr Krishnamoorthy, two-time member from the Kalasapakkam constituency of Tiruvannamalai, was given the portfolio of Food and Civil Supplies. In early July, he was made Minister for Commercial Taxes and Registration. About a week ago, he was shifted to School Education.

Mr. Velumani, who is serving his second term in the Assembly and now represents Thondamuthur of Coimbatore District, was originally Minister for Special Programme Implementation. Subsequently, he was made Industries Minister. Last week, he was transferred to Revenue. The release stated that Governor K. Rosaiah accepted the advice of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to drop the two Ministers.

Email Marketing Services | Email Marketing Software | Email Marketing Solutions 

Source : The Hindu

NEW DELHI/BANGALORE: The government's decision to bar top space scientistG Madhavan Nair and three other former ISRO scientists from any official assignment for lapses in the Antrix-Devas deal ignited a raging controversy, with Nair accusing the Centre of vindictive action and the Opposition demanding an explanation from the PM. 

In a January 13 order, the department of space said the former officers "shall be excluded from reemployment, committee roles or any other important role under the government." Besides Nair, the other three are A Bhaskaranarayana, K R Sridharamurthi and K N Shankara. 

Nair hit out at the government for acting without explaining the charges against him, saying the action was a "complete act of cowardice". He did not spare current ISRO chief K Radhakrishnan either, who he said had "cooked up a story and misled the government". He said there was a hidden agenda at work. 

BJP jumped into the fray, demanding why the scientists had been singled out as senior officials in the Prime Minister's Office and former MoS and present Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan were on the Space Commission when the deal to give private firm Devas access to S band spectrum on two Indian satellites was cleared. 

The space community seemed split down the middle, with Nair saying Radhakrishnan had not "uttered a word" as member of the Antrix board when the body tasked with overseeing commercial operations of the department of space gave its nod to the Devas deal. 

Nair latched onto the uncertainty over the nature of the wrongdoing he has been held guilty of and said even terrorists get a better deal. "Even in military rule, people are given a hearing before being condemned," he said. 

The close connection between members of the Devas board, who were connected with ISRO had seen the deal signed in 2005 come under a cloud. It was alleged that Nair and those at Devas were hand-in-glove in giving the firm access to 90% space band airwaves for a period of 12 years. An initial comptroller and auditor general report pegged the loss to government at a staggering Rs 2-lakh crore. 

With the Opposition slamming the government for holding just only scientists responsible for the deal, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said the harsh action was of an interim nature. He said "there is an interim stand and till the final report comes, this should operate. The aggrieved party is entitled to challenge the said interim order. This is entirely for the government and for Mr Madhavan to decide." 

With Nair and BJP claiming scientists had been singled out, the government defended its action with MoS in PMO V Narayanasamy saying the order was based on findings of two high-level committees. He said the inquiries had recommended action against Nair and his ISRO colleagues for concluding the agreement with Devas in a non-transparent manner. 

As Nair claimed that space commission was briefed and the only question was that Cabinet was not specifically informed of the agreement with Devas but said this was not required under the rules. "Some people are trying to save their skins...there were no less than 18 meetings between ISRO and Devas and all authorities were informed," he said. 

The government's action, probably the first of its kind against a scientist of Nair's ranking, might have been intended to send out a strong signal that high posts will offer no protection, but it saw BJP general secretary and spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad saying, "How does Prime MinisterManmohan Singh explain his own lapse in failing to prevent such a monumental irregularity and scam?" 

"He (Radhakrishnan) would have suffered at the hands of his ex-bosses (at ISRO) M G Chandrasekar (at present chairman, Devas Multimedia) and others. He wanted to fix them. He cooked up a story and somehow misled the government on a course of action and he is today behaving in a completely autocratic manner," Nair said. 

Nair has also run down his successor's tenure at ISRO. "He (Radhakrishnan) is a disaster; I have kept quiet all these days because of my respect for ISRO", he added. "You look at ISRO's programme for the last two years that will speak volumes about where we stand".

Email Marketing Services | Email Marketing Software | Email Marketing Solutions 

Source : The Times of India

In a rather unbecoming finale of an international event propounding freedom of expression and universal brotherhood, the five-day Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) abandoned the much-talked about videoconference hosting eminent author Salman Rushdie here on Tuesday.

It appeared that after much vacillation, the government, the organisers and the owner of the premises decided to call off the event, initially scheduled for 3.45 p.m.. on the lawns of the Diggi Palace.

“We have been bullied. We have to stop our fight for freedom of expression. This is a decision we cannot support. We have been informed by the police of large crowds gathering in several parts of the city, in parks… We have been asked to stop [it],” said Sanjoy Roy, organiser, his voice choked with emotion. “All of us feel hurt and disgraced…”

“For them, the very image of Salman on the screen was an issue. Yet, we were told by the authorities that if we wanted to go ahead with the programme they would continue to give protection,” Mr. Roy said. “We once again ask the media to continue this debate…” Mr. Roy could not complete his words as emotions got over him.

There was a hush of silence in the crowd — which also had a sprinkling of youth in skullcaps — which stood without dissipating. Some of them clapped not exactly knowing what they were clapping for while others looked nervous. With this, even the hope of glimpsing Mr. Rushdie on video screen was over. Perhaps, it all looked more like a video game. The efforts to bring Mr. Rushdie to the JLF 2012, which continued despite a Deoband seminary fatwa and the opposition of certain Muslim groups, ended with a whimper.

“I am sad that a great show like this ended in this manner. We cannot be held to ransom like this. It is time that we decided things in a more democratic manner,” noted author Kunal Basu said.

Rampratap Singh Diggi, owner of the palace, was pushed forward to make the announcement even as the organisers, Mr. Roy and Namita Gokhale, stood beside him. “I have taken a decision not to allow the video link to take place on the advice of the Rajasthan police. There are lots of people who are averse to this video link. They are threatening violence. This is unfortunate,” Mr. Diggi, patron of the festival since its inception, said as a huge audience listened listlessly. “This is to safeguard you, my family, my children …”

Since afternoon there were signs of protesters sneaking into the premises — though for an event in which passes are issued and there is strict vigil. It is not known how so many could be allowed on such a day. There were some dramatic moments in the afternoon as over two dozen men, in white skullcaps, said to be members of the Milli Council, went to the front portion of the Diggi mansion (the Durbar Hall) and offered “namaz” (prayers). This was followed by a group of persons led by Paikar Farooq positioning themselves on one side of the lawns where the Rushdie videoconferencing was scheduled.

Later, in a statement, the organisers said they felt disgraced. “After three weeks of struggle, we had to give in to those who wish to suppress free speech. We wish to reiterate our resolve to stand by the right to expression and freedom of speech as guaranteed by the Constitution of this country. We also stand by the right to dissent as long as this is within the law,” it said.

The organisers said police fully cooperated with them. “While the police stood firm in their resolve to protect each person at the venue, they did convey the strong possibility of escalating violence in the venue and that guests may be harmed and they would need to use some degree of force should the situation demand,” they said.

Email Marketing Services | Email Marketing Software | Email Marketing Solutions 

Source : The Hindu

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi was at the receiving end of a flying shoe at a rally in Dehradun, Uttarakhand on Monday afternoon.

The shoe flew past him and the offender, identified as one Kuldeep, was immediately taken into custody. Gandhi was heard requesting security officers not to beat up the man.

The shoe fell metres short of the Congress leader, Dehra Dun Special Superintendent of Police G N Goswami said.

Shoes seem to be flying thick and fast in Uttarakhand this poll season with one thrown last Saturday at Team Anna in Dehradun.

Arvind Kejriwal was addressing the gathering at Lord Venkateshwara Hall when a shoe whizzed past him. But it missed the social activist, as well as fellow anti-graft campaigners Kiran Bedi and Manish Sisodia who were on the dais. The Uttarakhand police arrested the attacker Kishan Lal, 35.

Rahul addressed a series of political rallies in the area on Monday. In Rishikesh, in a bid to puncture the ruling BJP's pro-Khanduri campaign, he asked why the current chief minister was removed in his earlier stint if he was so badly needed now.

"BJP may need Khanduriji but people of the state don't need him, they need development. I want to ask BJP if he (Khanduri) is so badly needed then why was he removed (in 2009)," asked Gandhi at an election rally.

As he began the second leg of the poll campaign in the hill state where Assembly elections are due on January 30, Gandhi also attacked BJP for adopting double standards on the issue.

Rahul said, "They say we are not serious in fighting corruption. But they do not see corruption scandals perpetrated by their own governments in Karnataka or Gujarat or Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

"Even tainted ministers of Uttar Pradesh including Baburam Kushwaha recently removed by Chief Minister Mayawati joined the BJP".

Mentioning various alleged scams like the Sturdia land scam, irregularities in the allotment of mini power projects and the Maha Kumbh scam that surfaced during the BJP government, the Congress leader said if the BJP was sincere in fighting corruption, why did these scams take place.

Instead, he said the Congress-led government at the Centre immediately took action and sent to jail several people including its ministers found indulging in corruption.

He alleged the central government brought a strong Lokpal Bill in the Parliament but the BJP did not allow it to be passed.

The Congress leader also criticised the BJP government of Uttarakhand for misusing central funds for their own interests.

At a rally in Srinagar, Rahul mocked the BJP slogan "Khanduri Hai Jaroori" (Khanduri is esential), and said the chief minister was indeed needed for the BJP to cover up acts of "thieves".

Rahul said, "Khanduri is needed because thieves need cover. (Khanduri isliye zaroori hai kyonki choron ko chhupana hai)".

The Congress general secretary also announced a plan for a railway line in Uttarakhand if Congress was brought to power. 

Email Marketing Services | Email Marketing Software | Email Marketing Solutions 

Source : NDTV

NEW DELHI: The CBI will take into consideration the CAG report on National Rural Health Mission fund implementation in Uttar Pradesh, which has pegged the irregularities to be around Rs 5,000 crore, and is likely to register some more preliminary enquiries (PEs). Agency sources said detailed analysis by the country's auditor will be helpful in ascertaining further losses to the exchequer. 

Based on the observations by Comptroller and Auditor General, the CBI will dig deep to probe whether any criminality was involved in the alleged irregularities, sources said. However, it is not necessary that all observations by the auditor will be converted into CBI cases, they said. The officials are awaiting the report which has been submitted to the UP governor. 

The CBI has registered eight cases in connection with the alleged irregularities and also arrested eight persons so far. The agency is likely to call on Monday some senior officials of UP for questioning. Sources said that next week some more high-profile arrests could be made. 

The CAG has found anomalies in spending of around Rs 5,000 crore under the scheme in about two dozen districts of UP. The state health department failed to give proper details of spending to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore of the Rs 8,657 crore given to UP, highly placed sources in the state government said. 

The probe was carried out on the request of the UP chief secretary in August, 2011 amid mounting pressure for a CBI inquiry into the scam. The issue came to light following the murder of two CMOs, Dr V K Arya in 2010 and Dr B P Singh in 2011 and deputy CMO Y S Sachan was found dead under mysterious circumstances in the district jail in Lucknow.

^{Bulk SMS Services |Bulk SMS Providers | Bulk SMS Gateway | International Bulk SMS Gateway}

^{Bulk SMS India | Cheap Bulk SMS Services}

^{Source : The Times of India}

NEW DELHI: In what sent shockwaves in both Bangladesh and the Indian security establishment, the army in India's neighbouring state claimed to have foiled an attempt by some of its officers, apparently driven by religious considerations, to overthrow Sheikh Hasina's government.

Government sources here confirmed that those held for the attempted coup were "anti-India'' and wanted to undo the changes effected by theHasina government last year in the Constitution to make it more secular.

Indian agencies have had inputs about a possible coup in Bangladesh for the past few days.

While two retired officers, Lt Col Ehsan Yusuf and Major Zakir, have been arrested, some of the main conspirators are believed to be based abroad, said agency reports from Bangladesh. They are said to have links with the 2009 mutiny, only two months after Hasina took over, by Bangladesh Rifles which first exposed the stray extremist elements in the army.

Brig Gen Muhammed Masud Razzaq told a press conference in Dhaka on Thursday that the military had specific evidence that up to 16 current and former Bangladeshi officers were involved in the conspiracy, said an AP report.

The foiled coup bid in Bangladesh which came to light on Thursday is worrying for India as it has again brought to light simmering discontent among the Islamists against the friendly Sheikh Hasina government. India not only managed to sign a landmark agreement for complete demarcation of the land boundary last year but, under Hasina, Dhaka has also tried to ensure that its territory is not used to carry out terror strikes against New Delhi.

"Stringent legal measures will be taken against persons involved in the conspiracy after proper investigations," Brig Gen Muhammed Masud Razzaq told a press conference in Dhaka on Thursday. "Banking on the army in the past, different evil forces availed political gains and made abortive attempts to do so but as an institution, military still has to bear the stigma," he added.

Razzak told reporters that "some unruly and derailed military officers have been actively engaged in the execution of the heinous conspiracy through maintaining contacts with fugitive Maj Zia (Syed Mohammad Ziaul Huq) by mobile phones and internet". He said the initial investigations found non-resident Bangladeshis' (NRB) link to the plot while at least one of the officers, the fugitive major, was linked to banned Islamist group Hizbut Tahrir. Brigadier Razzak said that 14 to 16 officers were under vigil as investigations were underway on the suspected involvement while the detained two former officers "bluntly admitted their role in the plot".

Hasina had banned Islamic militant groups after taking office in 2009 and has warned in recent speeches that such groups are "conspiring against her elected government. Bangladesh, a parliamentary democracy since 1990, has witnessed two presidents slain in military coups and 19 other failed coup attempts.

Hasina's father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated in the country's first military coup in 1975.

Growing bonhomie 

India and Bangladesh last year signed a landmark agreement, paving the way for complete demarcation of land boundary and also managed to resolve the vexed issue of enclaves 

There is greater trade and investment, with India too being more generous with tariffs 

The sore point remains the Teesta river agreement that has failed to materialize because of opposition from West Bengal CM Mamta Banerjee. 

BSF formally handed over a list of 46 Indian insurgent camps in Bangladesh to Dhaka and security agencies maintain that Bangladesh has been positive in addressing India's security concerns 

Hasina expressed her government's readiness to set up power plants in India's north-east and boost trade with India, Nepal and Bhutan 

Hasina announced Bangladesh would allow India to use Chittagong and Mongla sea ports as it wanted to improve all types of communication facilities

 ^{Bulk SMS Services |Bulk SMS Providers | Bulk SMS Gateway | International Bulk SMS Gateway}

^{Bulk SMS India | Cheap Bulk SMS Services}

^{Source : The Times of India}

 ^{Bulk SMS Services |Bulk SMS Providers | Bulk SMS Gateway | International Bulk SMS Gateway}

^{Bulk SMS India | Cheap Bulk SMS Services}

^{Source : The Times of India}

 A smoke bomb was thrown inside the White House compound today while an ''Occupy'' movement rally was going outside, forcing Secret Service to temporarily lock it down.

The incident took place during the rally outside the White House in which about 1,000 people participated, MSNBC news said, quoting Secret Service.

"The White House is currently locked down because of smoking objects found near the north portico, according to an agent at the scene," Politico reported.

Witnesses said streets around the area were cordoned off.
President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle were not in the White House compound at the time of the incident.

Obama had taken Michelle to a restaurant for a dinner on the occasion of her 48th birthday.
The First Couple have since returned to the White House without any difficulty.

The journalists who were travelling with the President on return were prevented from leaving the grounds.

US Secret Service was investigating the object that was thrown over the fence.
After holding in the briefing room for 45 minutes, a White House official escorted the press corps out of the White House grounds through the Executive building and out to an exit on 17th Street.

No arrest have been made so far and the US Secret Service was investigating the incident.

^{Bulk SMS Services | Bulk SMS Providers  | Bulk SMS Gateway | International Bulk SMS Gateway}

 ^{|Bulk SMS India | Cheap Bulk SMS Service}

^{Source : Deccan Herald}

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan army on Wednesday warned of "grievous consequences" over accusations by the country's prime minister that the top military brass had violated the constitution.

Yousaf Raza Gilani also sacked the defence secretary, considered close to the military, in an apparent tit-for-tat move that worsened ties between the wobbly civilian government of Asif Ali Zardari and the powerful military that has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its existence.

Tensions have risen since a memo seeking US help to prevent a military coup in May and rein in the country's powerful khaki establishment came to light in November. Pak-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz had claimed to have delivered the memo to the Americans that former envoy to US Husain Haqqani had allegedly authored at Zardari's behest. Zardari can face impeachment if his links to the memo are established.



Fired for Kayani statement

Shortly before news that defense secretary Naeem Khalid Lodhi had been sacked, the military released a statement saying allegations leveled against the army chief Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and director-general Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Ahmed Shuja Pasha were very serious and will have grave consequences.

"There can be no allegation more serious than what the PM has leveled against the chief of army staff and the DG ISI and has unfortunately charged the officers for violation of the constitution of the country. This has very serious ramifications with potentially grievous consequences for the country," a statement released by the military said.

The handout stated that PM Yousaf Raza Gilani gave an interview to the People's Daily Online when Kayani was on an official visit to China. Gilani had said that replies of Kayani and Pasha in the SC without the prior approval of the government in connection to the alleged memo controversy were unconstitutional and illegal.

The army has confronted the government over the memo in the SC that has constituted a three-member commission to probe the scandal that threatens to implicate Zardari. The government had asked the court to dismiss a plea seeking a judicial probe into the memo, while Kayani and Pasha in their statements took the opposite position, saying the memo was a conspiracy against the army.

The statement, issued after Kayani returned from China, maintained it had passed its response through the defence ministry to the court in accordance with the law.

Naeem Khalid Lodhi, a retired general seen as an army representative within the civilian setup, was dismissed for the "misunderstanding" between Gilani and the top brass. "PM has terminated the contract of defence secretary for gross misconduct," said an official. Lodhi was fired for his role in submitting the statements to the court.

Lodhi was regarded to be more powerful than the defence minister because of his direct ties to the army high command. Nargis Sethi, considered close to Gilani, would replace Lodhi. The PM needs the defence secretary on his side if he sacks the army or intelligence chiefs.

Analysts said the removal of Lodhi and Sethi's appointment shows the government is not in a defensive mode. "Firing Lodhi may be a first step by the government in removing the chief of army staff and the DG ISI," political analyst Ikram Sehgal said.

^{Bulk SMS Services | Bulk SMS Providers  | Bulk SMS Gateway | International Bulk SMS Gateway}

 ^{|Bulk SMS India | Cheap Bulk SMS Service}

^{Source :The Times of India}

Sahibganj, Jharkhand:  A collision between a passenger train and a goods train near Sahibganj in Jharkhand early this morning has resulted in the death of at least four passengers. Five other have suffered minor injuries.

According to reports, Brahmaputra Mail, travelling from Dibrugrah to Delhi, collided with a stationary goods train at Karanpura at around 5:50 am. As a result of the collision, one coach of the Brahmaputra Mail derailed.

"The Brahmaputra Mail rammed the stationary goods train. Rescue and relief team has rushed to the spot," station master KP Singh has said.

A relief train reached the accident site at 7:10 am to rescue stranded passengers.

^{Bulk SMS Services | Bulk SMS Providers  | Bulk SMS Gateway | International Bulk SMS Gateway}

 ^{|Bulk SMS India | Cheap Bulk SMS Service}

^{Source :NDTV}