Heat wave claims over 800 lives across India; Delhi sizzles at almost 46 degrees

NEW DELHI, May 26: A torrid heat wave that has gripped large parts of the country has killed nearly 800 people, mostly in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, even as Delhi sizzled on Tuesday with the mercury soaring to almost 46 °C.

In Andhra Pradesh, 55 people succumbed to sunstroke while 35 more deaths were reported in Telangana.

Andhra Pradesh's deputy chief minister N Chinna Rajappa said that 551 people had died in the state till Monday while disaster management officials in Telangana confirmed 215 deaths.

In Delhi, zebra crossings at some places melted as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the city had recorded a maximum temperature of 45.5°C.

Few people could be seen on the streets because of the oppressive heat. Even Night time temperatures hovered around the 30-degree mark.

According to the IMD, most parts of India will remain in the grip of high temperatures for the rest of the week. The department issued “red box” warnings for Odisha, Jharkhand and coastal Andhra Pradesh.

A “red box” warning usually means high chances of heatstroke, dehydration and fatality with temperatures inching upwards of 45°C and conditions worsened by a constant dry, sweltering wind.

The monsoon, expected to hit the southern coastline on May 31, is expected to bring relief from the high temperatures, officials said.

AAP fails on water, power fronts: Vijay Jolly

NEW DELHI, May 24: Senior BJP Leader and Ex Delhi MLA Vijay Jolly has rubbished tall claims of Delhi AAP government for providing free water and subsidized electricity in Delhi.

Today on completion of 101 days of rule in Delhi and Chief Minister Kejriwal claim of full filling poll time promises on water and power is 100 per cent false and unacceptable, claimed Delhi BJP leader Vijay Jolly.

Kejriwal and his party had promised 20,000 litre free water per month to Delhi citizens. But Jolly pointed out that the largest unauthorized colony Sangam Vihar in South Delhi, inhabited by poor citizens, is facing acute “Drinking Water Scarcity”. Poor get water once a week from contaminated water tankers. There is no piped line water supply in the area. And whatever water is supplied is through private tankers or paying to the water mafia.

Delhi government has utterly failed on its promise of drinking water supply. And Sangam Vihar residents are the worst effected. Delhi government has failed on water and power fronts in first 101 days of power in Delhi, said Vijay Jolly.

Holding a Delhi cabinet meeting in Central Park, Connaught Place is a political gimmickry and drama. BJP advise to AAP is to Govern Delhi and avoid making mockery of the Constitutional Provisions and Institutions, he said.

Low intensity blast on local train in Kolkata

KOLKATA, May 12: More than half a dozen people were injured in bomb blasts inside an early morning local train on the suburbs of Kolkata on Tuesday, railway police said.

The crude bombs exploded at 3:55am just before the Sealdah-Krishnanagar local entered Barrackpore station. The train which started from Sealdah was going to Krishnanagar in Nadia district.

Two critically injured passengers have been admitted to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Five others were taken to a district hospital in Barrackpore.

Others with minor injuries were let off after being administered first aid.

According to railway police sources, the bombs, which were being carried by criminals, went off after an altercation and a scuffle broke out between two groups of miscreants inside the fifth compartment of the train.

A few passengers even jumped from the moving train onto the tracks after the blasts.

Top police officials have reached the spot. Local train services have been hit because of the incident.

Jayalalithaa acquitted in graft case

BANGALORE/ CHENNAI, May 11: The Karnataka high court overturned on Monday a trial court judgment and acquitted AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa and her three associates in an 18-year-old disproportionate assets case.

The order paves the way for her return to power as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu after she was forced to step down in September 2014 when she was convicted by a Bengaluru trial court.

In a statement released after her acquittal, Jayalalithaa thanked the people of Tamil Nadu for "reposing faith" in her and also thanked god for "the gift of people's love".

"It is a victory for justice, defeat for those who had conspired to defame and malign my legacy and the legacy of my mentor MGR," said Jayalalithaa in her statement.

Jayalalithaa had appealed against her conviction in the Rs 66.64-crore disproportionate assets case by the special court judge Michael D'Cunha, who had sentenced her to 4 years in jail and slapped a fine of Rs 100 crore.

The AIADMK chief, along with aides N Sasikala, VN Sudhakaran and J Elasvarasi, was held guilty of holding unaccounted for income during her tenure as chief minister from 1991-96 by the trial court.

Her close aide Sasikala and Sasikala's relatives Sudhakaran and Elavarasi were fined Rs 10 crore each.

It was all over in less than three minutes after justice CR Kumaraswamy entered the high court's packed Hall number 14.

Pronouncing the operative portion of the judgement, which ran into 10 volumes and over 900 pages, he said, "Appeal allowed. All charges set aside. All are acquitted."

It took a few moments for Jayalalithaa's supporters and lawyers to regain their composure before they let out a collective cheer inside the court hall.

Police personnel rushed in and tried to contain the celebrations but to no avail. Once outside, they ignored police requests for order and launched into spontaneous celebrations and sloganeering.

Unlike the last time when they had arrived at the special court with sweets and flowers, AIADMK supporters seemed totally unprepared for a celebration. Party workers were seen zooming off in their cars to buy garlands and sweets from the nearby market.

Special public prosecutor BV Acharya said that the prosecution was denied adequate opportunity to present its case.

Reacting to the judgement, Acharya complained, "The prosecution was not allowed to make oral arguments."

Clarifying that the decision to move the Supreme Court was not his alone, he said, "I did not expect this verdict. But so many judgements are surprising."

Salman Khan gets bail, suspended sentence from HC

MUMBAI, May 8: The Bombay high court on Friday suspended the five-year jail term of actor Salman Khan in the 2002 hit-and-run case, triggering wild celebrations among his fans across the country.

The single bench of justice Abhay Thipsay, however, asked the 49-year-old actor to surrender his passport and seek fresh bail from the sessions court which had convicted and sentenced him on Wednesday.

“We can fix a date in June or July whether he is guilty or not,” the judge said while suspending the sentencing pending a fresh appeal. Khan was not present in court.

Later, Khan, accompanied by his team of lawyers, reached the sessions court, furnished a fresh bail bond for Rs 30,000 and having completed the formalities, left for home.

The star of some of Bollywood’s most commercially successful films is accused of running his SUV over five people sleeping on a Mumbai pavement, killing one of them.

Khan left for the sessions court at around 1.30pm to furnish fresh bail bond as his two-day interim bail period ends on Friday.

“We cannot take pleasure in the fact that someone is in custody. There is no law that says if there is alcohol (in blood) it is culpable homicide,” the justice said, adding, “This is not a case where the accused needs to be kept in detention.

“Even on the basis that there is sufficient evidence saying the accused was driving, several other conditions have to be taken into consideration.”

The hearing took a dramatic turn earlier when the Bollywood superstar’s lawyer asked why singer Kamaal Khan, who was in Salman’s car on the fateful night, had not been examined by the police.

Arguing for Khan, senior lawyer Amit Desai told the bench that the sessions judge who handed down the sentence to Khan had ignored crucial facts and there were no eye witnesses in the case. He said there was a dispute if there were three to four persons present in the car when the accident took place.

Thipsay sought the deposition of Ravindra Patil, a Mumbai Police constable who was the then bodyguard of Khan. Patil was the first to inform police about the accident, and it was on his statement that an FIR was registered at Bandra police station.

Desai told the court that one of the prosecution witnesses, a person who owned a shop next to the spot of the accident, had stated that he saw Salman coming out of the car.

"The witness also says that two (more) persons were also there (apart from Salman) and the police constable, but when he was cross-examined he says: 'I do not know where the two went'," Desai told the court.

Justice Thipsay said, "I want to know how many witnesses deposed before the sessions court and the magistrate court. I want to know whether the witnesses have had after thoughts."

Rahul Gandhi appears in Thane court in RSS defamation case

THANE, May 8: Rahul Gandhi appeared on Friday in a court at Bhiwandi in Thane in connection with a criminal defamation case for allegedly blaming RSS for assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, though the Supreme Court had stayed on Thursday proceedings against him in the matter.

The Congress vice-president presented himself before magistrate DP Kale in line with the commitment given by his counsel on March 30. The court posted the case for September 30.

Rahul, who spent less than 15 minutes in court, told reporters that he had come to honour the commitment given to the court.

"We respect the judiciary, that is why I am here. I had made a commitment to the court. I am here to fulfil that commitment," Rahul said in a post on his official Twitter handle.

"The fight which Gandhi ji fought is our fight. We will fight that and we will win," another tweet said.

He arrived in Mumbai this morning on way to Bengaluru and drove to Thane.

The Supreme Court had yesterday stayed the proceedings against him in the criminal defamation case filed by Rajesh Kunte, an RSS functionary, before Bhiwandi trial court for allegedly blaming RSS for the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.

"There shall be stay of further proceedings in a case pending before the trial court till the next date of hearing," a bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and PC Pant had said on Thursday.

The court had also tagged Rahul's petition in which he has also challenged the constitutional validity of the panel provisions dealing with criminal defamation along with that of politicians of rival parities, BJP's Subramanian Swamy and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Rajesh Kunte, the complainant, had alleged that the Congress leader said at an election rally at Sonale in Thane district on March 6 last year that an RSS worker killed Mahatma Gandhi. Kunte is secretary of the Bhiwandi unit of RSS.

After he lodged the complaint, the magistrate issued notice to Rahul for his appearance.

Rahul now attacks Modi on real estate bill

NEW DELHI, May 2: Rahul Gandhi fired another salvo at the Narendra Modi government on Saturday for allegedly tweaking the real estate bill in favour of builders, as the Congress vice-president aggressively wooed the middle class after taking up the cause of farmers.

Gandhi, who has been attacking the government over the land acquisition bill and the plight of farmers hit by untimely rains, met more than 100 homebuyers from the national capital region (NCR) at the Congress headquarters and heard their grievances about delays in possession of flats and fake promises allegedly made by builders.

The meeting came in the wake of the government introducing a revamped Real Estate (Development and Regulation) Bill in the Rajya Sabha, which the opposition said is heavily tilted in favour of builders and leaves buyers facing the possibility of fraudulent practices by real estate developers.

The original bill was introduced in 2013 by the Congress-led UPA government.

Since returning from a 53-day leave of absence, Gandhi has been aggressively fighting for several issues, including the watered down land acquisition bill and net neutrality, seen as an issue for the middle class.

“I learned something new today. I thought only farmers and tribal people are suffering due to land issues. But the same issue extends to the middle class as well, which is equally being exploited by removing a transparency (clause from the real estate bill),” Gandhi told the media.

“Homebuyers are promised a certain super area...a specific time of completion of the project...beautiful view. But what they get (from the builder) in the end is totally different,” he said.

Assuring homebuyers that he would stand by them, Gandhi said that they were left in a quandary due to lack of transparency.

He said someone was promised that a flat will have a good view, but a few months after the flat was delivered, another building came up and the view was blocked.

The government, he said, was trying to destroy the bill which the UPA had introduced to regulate the real estate sector.

“The main dilution is that there was clear transparency. The carpet area that you sign is what would be given. They have diluted and from pro-buyer, made it pro-builder,” he said.

Saloni Paroothi, one of the homebuyers who met Gandhi, said she had booked a flat in Noida but possession had been delayed by several years. Explaining her problem, Paroothi said she not only had to ensure payment of EMIs but also the rent of the house where she is living.

“The builder is neither paying any penalty, nor is he listening to us,” she said.

Other people who had booked flats said they were under tremendous pressure as they had invested their hard earned money in projects that were delayed for several years.

Former housing and urban poverty alleviation minister and Congress leader Ajay Maken too attacked the NDA government, saying it had made “118 amendments” to the bill.

Builders have got greater leeway as the cost of consumers in the revamped Real Estate (Development and Regulation) Bill. The opposition is demanding that the redrafted bill be sent to a select committee as major changes have been made from the original bill.

The government, however, has defended the bill, saying it protects the interests of buyers without throttling the real estate sector.

Rahul Gandhi takes train to Punjab to take stock of farmer's issues

NEW DELHI, April 28: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is visiting Khanna and Gobindgarh in Punjab on Tuesday and will take stock of the situation in the state's grain markets where farmers are finding it difficult to sell their produce after the recent unseasonal rains.

Speaking to reporters while boarding a train at New Delhi railway station, Gandhi said, "I have been told that the situation is very bad. So I want to see it with my own eyes."

"I am going to Punjab. I had also stated in my speech (in Parliament) that those who provide grains to the country, food to the country, from them their land is being snatched. This is wrong and we will counter it," the Congress leader said.

The visit comes at a time when farmers in the region have accused the government of tardy wheat procurement. The state has also been witnessed suicides by farmers.

Gandhi is travelling by train and is scheduled to reach the region by the late afternoon.

Congress leader Amarinder Singh had on Monday suggested that Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal stage a dharna along with his ministers outside the Prime Minister's Office to seek his attention on farmers' issue.

The Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, after visiting grain markets of Patiala and Khanna, had said, "If Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not giving time to Badal, he should better stage a dharna instead of loitering around and issuing hollow threats to seek his attention."

Khanna grain market is considered one of the largest grain markets in Asia.

Congress has been alleging that the government is not purchasing the produce of farmers adequately.

The Congress vice-president had recently attacked the government, alleging that it was "ignoring" the farming community and favouring the industrialists and rich people.

He has also accused the government of giving out contradictory figures about the damages suffered by farmers during the recent unseasonal rains.

Gandhi, who was absent in the first half of the Budget session, owing to his 56-day leave, has been raising issues related to farmers and youths since he resumed party work.

The Congress vice-president has also planned to undertake a padyatra from either Vidarbha in Maharashtra or the Telangana region, from the first week of May to connect with farmers.

Rahul Gandhi to embark on 'padyatra'

NEW DELHI, April 27: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is set to kick off his countrywide padyatra (foot march) against the BJP-led NDA government’s policies on farm, land and labour reforms from Vidarbha in Maharashtra by month-end.

Congress sources said April 30 has been fixed as the tentative date for the launch of the campaign that will take Rahul to different parts of the country, especially those where distressed farmers have committed suicide or have been severely hit by unseasonal rain and hailstorm.

“Despite extreme weather conditions, he will cover a distance of 15-18 km a day on an average during the padyatra,” a senior functionary said.

The move would replicate the strategy adopted by former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi after their poll defeats in 1977 and 1989, respectively.

Both the leaders had undertaken India tour to renew their ties with the masses and meet ordinary party workers who felt alienated by the central leadership.

The party did make a comeback on both the occasions as Indira Gandhi returned to rule in 1980 and Rajiv Gandhi’s direct contact with masses followed by his assassination helped the Congress regain power in 1991, with veteran PV Narasimha Rao taking over as the Prime Minister.

Perhaps, Rahul is keen to emulate his grandmother and father to boost the sagging political fortunes of the Congress, which secured its worst ever tally of 44 seats in this summer’s Lok Sabha elections and was also humiliated in successive assembly polls.

According to a well-crafted strategy, Vidarbha has been selected as the place for Rahul’s launch pad given that the region, once known as the country’s cotton belt, is infamous for suicides by debt-trapped farmers.

About 445 farmers are said to have ended their lives in the past four months.

Rahul is also expected to visit Marathwada and western Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and other parts of the country. The campaign will take place during the ongoing budget session, the first half of which he missed due to his leave of absence.

Rahul Gandhi returns from sabbatical

NEW DELHI, April 17: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi returned to to the national capital after his sabbatical. He has his task out for the next few weeks. He will be addressing a farmer's rally in the Capital on Sunday. A contingent of party workers from Amethi will meet him next week to brief him on issues his constituency has been facing.

The issues include rain-damaged crops and the subsequent plight of farmers.

Amethi’s district Congress president Yogendra Mishra said, “We will inform Rahul about the NDA government’s move to cancel the permission for the Shaktiman Mega Food Park. Rahul had laid the foundation stone of the park in 2013. On Wednesday, a protest was organised in Jagdishpur against cancellation of permission for the food park. More such agitations will be planned in the coming days.”

“Work on Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology has virtually stopped due to delay in allocation of funds. The state government is extending full cooperation but the Modi-led government is obstructing implementation of development schemes in Amethi. A sanctioned central hospital has also been delayed. We will meet Rahul and inform him about unfolding developments in the constituency,” said Mohammad Muslim, Congress MLA from Tiloi, Amethi.

The contingent will meet Rahul on April 20 but they will be in the Capital a day early to attend the ‘Kisan-mazdoor’ (farmer-worker) rally.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi had visited a few villages in Amethi (in Rahul’s absence) in March to pay condolence to families of those who had died in Rae Bareli after a train derailed there. Some villagers who met Sonia also told her about the damaged crops.

Sonia also wrote a letter to union minister for civil aviation P Ashok Gajapathi Raju to apprise him of the grave situation at the pilot training institute, Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA), situated in Rae Bareli. Rahul has been taking active interest in the expansion and functioning of the IRGUA. So, he may take feedback and meet the IGRUA officials soon to know about the situation.

Supreme Court stays trial court order summoning Manmohan Singh

NEW DELHI, April 1: In a relief to former prime minister Manmohan Singh, the Supreme Court on Wednesday put on hold the summons issued by a special court to him in connection a coal scam case.

Special judge Bharat Parashar had summoned the 83-year-old former PM, ex-coal secretary PC Parakh and four others saying "some acts of their omission and commission, though not all, show their complicity in the conspiracy."

Parashar, who was considering the Central Bureau of Investigation's final report in the case, directed Singh and the others to appear before his court on April 8 to answer charges of criminal conspiracy, breach of trust and corruption.

On Wednesday, the apex court bench of justice V Gopala Gowda and justice C Nagappan suspended the summons by the special court holding trial of coal scam cases as senior counsel Kapil Sibal, questioning the March 11 order summoning Singh, asked where was the act of illegallity.

Posing a number of questions, Sibal said: "Is it illegal to allocate mines? Is it illegal to choose private parties to allocate the mines?" Sibal asked where was the illegality.

Can the prime minister not review the decisions of the steering committee and balance the competitive public interest by allocating a part of Talabira II to Hindalco?

The case against Singh pertains to the 2005 allocation of the Talabira-II and III coal blocks in Odisha to aluminium giant Hindalco. It appeared, said the court, that the former PM and former coal secretary had played "different roles" with the "common purpose" of "accommodating" the company.

Sibal said that the guidelines for the allocation of the coal blocks were not statutory in nature and the prime minister can any time take decisions bypassing the guidelines.

While suspending the summons issued by the special court, the court issued notice to the CBI on a batch of petitions challenging the March 11 order.

The court also issued a notice to the central government on a writ petition by Kumar Mangalam Birla who challenged the constitutional validity of a section in the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Besides the summons to Manmohan Singh, the court also put on hold the summons against industrialist Kumar Manglam Birla, former coal secretary PC Parakh, D Bhattacharya and Hindalco.

Singh on March 25 moved the apex court to contest the special court's March 11, 2015, order directing him to appear before it for granting a share in the combined Talabira II and Talabira III coal block in Orissa to Kumar Mangalam Birla-owned Hindalco in 2005.

Won't let farners down: Modi

NEW DELHI, March 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to farmers as he defended the contentious land acquisition bill on Sunday, saying the proposed legislation was aimed at the welfare of agriculturalists.

Modi also attacked the opposition for opposing the bill, pointing out that those talking about the good of farmers had persisted with a 120-year-old law (Land Acquisition Act of 1894). He said even the 2013 bill was full of loopholes.

The Prime Minister touched on many provisions of the proposed legislation in the sixth episode of his monthly “Mann ki Baat” radio address, including the consent clause for PPP schemes, social impact assessment and acquisition of land for industrial corridors.

“If we hadn't approved this amendment then the farmer would have continued losing land to projects with low compensation," he said.

Talking about 13 central acts that were brought under the purview of the current bill, Modi said people whose land is acquired under these laws, including acquisitions for highways, railways and mines, would get four times the compensation.

“A lie is being spread that the compensation under the new bill would get reduced. Let me assure you I would never commit such a sin,” he said.

Referring to the much-criticised PPP clause, Modi said such projects served the public good.

Modi said social impact assessment had been done away with in the new bill for the benefit of farmers as the process was often prolonged for years and led to losses for farmers.

Acquisition of irrigated land, he said, will be the last priority as authorities would first go for government land, followed by barren land.

He sought to dispel the notion that farmers would not be able to take legal action over the acquisition of their land, saying the government had made provisions for establishing an authority in districts that could be approached first. If farmers were not satisfied by the order of this body, they could approach the courts.

Modi said a lie had been spread that the consent clause had been waived and noted there was no question of this happening.

If a project is not completed within a fixed period, the fate of the land acquired would be decided by framers, he said.

Defending his government’s plans to create industrial corridors, he questioned whether the farmers wanted their children to remain in the slums of Delhi and Mumbai. “These industrial corridors will be owned by the government and will provide employment," he said.

In his 30-minute speech, Modi sought to drive home the message that the new bill was not in favour of corporations. He said a couple of times that the proposed law was in favour of farmers.

Referring to losses borne by farmers due to recent unseasonal rains, Modi said he had directed officials to assess the situation. Adequate compensation will be announced soon, he added.

Winding up his speech, he promised farmers that he wouldn't let them down at any point. "I promise you that the government will always remain concerned about the plight of the farmers," he said.

Modi invited people to write to him and promised to take action to ensure that justice is always provided to them.

Militants attack army camp in J-K's Samba

JAMMU, March 21: Militants launched an attack on an army camp on Sunday in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

A pilgrim bound for the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine was critically injured in the militant attack on the Mesar camp of 82 armoured regiment. He was rushed to the Samba district hospital where doctors referred him to the Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu for specialised treatment, a senior police officer said.

"Militants early this morning attacked the Mesar camp of 82 armoured regiment in Samba district. They are using grenades and automatic gunfire to carry out the attack. Most likely, two militants are involved in the attack," the police officer said.

"Reinforcements are being rushed to the camp to ensure that the militants do not escape," he added.

Saturday's militant attack came on the morning of the nine-day Navratri festival, and on a day when Muslims are celebrating Nowruz, or the Persian new year, in the state.

The Mesar camp was also attacked on September 26, 2013 by militants after they had attacked the Hiranagar police station in Kathua district. Twelve people had been killed in that attack.

On Friday, six people including two militants were killed in a similar attack on the Rajbagh police station in Kathua district.

Intelligence reports had indicated that four militants were involved in Friday's attack, but only two had been killed.

Intelligence sources said they believe the Saturday's attack is being carried out by the two guerrillas who survived in Friday's attack after escaping from the spot.

The Mesar camp houses 82 armoured regiment which comes under the command of army's 9th Corps that is headquartered in Yule Camp (Dharmshala) in Himachal Pradesh.

Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh said a combing operation was underway. “The movement of militants is not confirmed, combing operation is underway. Firing is going on. Let’s wait for the reports. Our forces were on high alert since yesterday.”

7 killed in Kathua terror attack

JAMMU, March 20: The encounter between security personnel and militants in Kathua district of Jammu has ended, leaving three militants, two policemen and two civilians dead.

Militants, wearing army fatigues attacked a police station in Jammu's Kathua district early on Friday and killed two persons, police said.

The encounter happened at Rajbagh police station, some 15km from the international border. Eight security personnel -- seven from the CRPF and one policeman -- and one civilian were injured in the attack.

Kathua deputy commissioner Shahid Iqbal said about four militants launched the attack.

"Six policemen were inside the station... A CRPF unit is stationed on the first floor of the police station. A CRPF man posted as sentry of the station was shot dead by the terrorists," said Iqbal.

This is the first major assault in the militancy-hit state following the formation of a Peoples Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition government.

A senior police officer said, "Militants used automatic weapons and hurled grenades at the Rajbagh police station."

Reports said after killing the sentry at the police station's guard post, the guerrillas entered the police station, 65km from Jammu on the strategic Jammu-Pathankot national highway in Kathua district.

Traffic on the highway has been stopped after the attack around 6am.

Home minister Rajnath Singh spoke to the the DGP of J-K and the heads of other security agencies regrading the attack.

Former J-K chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted, "These Fidayeen will have walked across the border last night & launched their attack this morning which is the past pattern as well."

Twelve people were killed on September 26, 2013 when guerrillas had attacked Hiranagar police station in Kathua district and later entered an army camp on the Jammu-Pathankot national highway.

Manmohan Singh is a person of integrity, probity: Sonia

NEW DELHI, March 12: Congress president Sonia Gandhi and other senior party leaders on Thursday marched to Manmohan Singh's residence expressing solidarity with the former prime minister a day after he was summoned as an accused by a court in a coal scam case.

Gandhi had convened a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and party MPs at the Akbar Road All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters. Senior party leaders Anand Sharma, Digvijaya Singh, Ambika Soni and Mallikarjun Kharge, among others, were present during the meeting.

"Dr Manmohan Singh is known not only in this country but through out the world as a person of integrity and probity. We are here to offer our unstinted support and solidarity. The Congress is fully behind him. We will fight this legally and with all means at our command," Gandhi said.

"We are convinced that he will be vindicated," she added.

Senior party leader P Chidambaram backed Singh saying "The government must speak up and say we stand by the CBI's report. Why is it reluctant to say that? The CBI has twice said that there is no ground or charge to take criminal action."

Party MP Shashi Tharoor said they want to show the former PM "our support and respect. We are there to show him that we stand with him".

Singh was on Wednesday summoned to appear next month as an accused in a coal scam case by a Special Court, potentially becoming the second former head of government to face trial.

Special Judge Bharat Parashar summoned the 83-year-old former PM, former coal secretary PC Parakh and four others saying "some acts of their omission and commission, though not all, show their complicity in the conspiracy".

Parashar, who was considering the Central Bureau of Investigation's final report in the case, directed Singh and the others to appear before his court on April 8 to answer charges of criminal conspiracy, breach of trust and corruption.

The accused will have to seek bail; if it is denied, they will be sent to jail.

The case against Singh pertains to the 2005 allocation of the Talabira-II and III coal blocks in Odisha to aluminium giant Hindalco.

It appeared, said the court, that the former PM and former coal secretary had played "different roles" with the "common purpose" of "accommodating" the company.

The judge said that Singh could not take the plea that he, as the PM, could not be expected to "look into the minute details of each and every case placed before him."

He said that the former PM – who also held the coal portfolio between 2004 and 2009 – could not claim ignorance due to his office.

Reacting to the court order, Singh said he was upset, but expressed confidence that the truth would come through.

"I have always said I am open for legal scrutiny...I am sure the truth will prevail and I will get a chance to put forward my case with all the facts," said the former PM while adding "I hope, in a fair trial, I will prove my innocence."

Rahul busy in decision making, will be back soon, says Congress

NEW DELHI, March 11: Amid speculation that party vice-president Rahul Gandhi has extended his leave, the Congress on Tuesday said he would be back soon. The party also maintained that Rahul is deeply involved in decision making, including some recent changes, irrespective of wherever he is.

“Everything is going on under his lens, under his supervision... Rahul is discharging his responsibilities,” Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, rejecting contentions expressed in media reports that Rahul was not willing to come back to take up party assignments till senior leaders were shown the door.

“He will be back soon in very near future, may be next week,” Singhvi said, adding that some people may have “wishful thinking” about Rahul not coming back till this month end or year end.

When reminded that his party colleague Randeep Singh Surjewala had earlier stated that Rahul had gone on a two-week leave, which meant that he should have been back by now, Singhvi said, “Nobody has given any exact date”.

BJP-PDP alliance off to a rocky start

NEW DELHI, March 3: The hazards of forming a coalition government with the PDP in J&K have struck the BJP early than it would have thought. Soon after the freshly anointed chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed credited anti-India Hurriyat, militant outfits and people from across the borders for smooth conduct of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, eight PDP MLAs tossed up a tough demand at the Centre on Monday by demanding the return of mortal remains of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

Putting Guru on the death row was one of the main demands of the BJP and when he was finally hanged on February 9, 2013 at Delhi's Tihar Jail, BJP was at the front to applaud Congress led UPA's government much delayed action.

The demand for the return of Guru's mortal remains, however, is expected to acquire shriller pitch in Kashmir, and according to some senior government officials has the potential to put the central government at unease in near future as it will have fewer options at its disposal because of the coalition government.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh was prompt to disassociate both the government and the BJP from Mufti's controversial statement.

"The credit for conducive environment for polls in Jammu and Kashmir goes to the Election Commission, our armed forces and people of Jammu and Kashmir," Singh said in Lok Sabha even as an agitated opposition demanded a statement from PM Modi on the matter.

However, lack of a strong rebuttal by the government has left several in the security establishment twist in unease.

"It was the valour of the security forces alone that broke the back of Pakistan sponsored militant outfits and gave the people the confidence to vote without fear. The number of militants has dropped down to their lowest to 45 in the valley at present because of some excellent operations done by the Army, J&K's Special Operation Group and the central armed police forces," said an official on conditions of anonymity.

The Army virtually plugged all infiltration routes along the LoC thereby increasing pressure on the Pakistan to cough up more for maintaining launching pads and terrorist camps in PoK where about 220 fully trained are waiting for the right moment.

According to highly placed sources, Pakistan's ISI had spent about Rs100 crore to equip militants with logistics like snow boots, thermal wear, GPS and skiing equipment to help them infiltrate before elections but that went in the drain because of very tough marking by the Army along the border.

Adding to the BJP worries are noises made by the opposition that is looking for every opportunity to discredit the Modi government and want to make the coalition fail.

"We want PM Narendra Modi to speak on matter in Parliament and condemn the statement given by Jammu and Kashmir chief minister so that a clear message can be given," Congress Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said.

Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, whose grandson's wedding was attended by the PM, too backed the demand.

In Rajya Sabha too, there was a furore over Sayeed's statement. Congress MP Shantaram Naik called Sayeed's statement "anti-national" and alleged that among the 24 ministers sworn-in on Sunday, one was the brother of a Hurriyat leader and has a Pakistani wife.

BJP slams PDP's demand for return of Afzal Guru's remains, says terror has no religion

Day-old Jammu and Kashmir government was hit by another row Monday when a group of PDP MLAs demanded that the Centre hand over the remains of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru to his Kashmir-based family.

BJP has condemned the demand made by the group, asking its ally to shun "this type of politics".

The party asserted that it practises zero tolerance on terrorism. On a day the BJP government was forced in Parliament to disassociate itself with Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's comments crediting Pakistan and militants for peaceful polls in the state, the ruling party again had to defend itself over the Guru controversy later in the evening.

"Terror has no religion. We condemn this type of politics. Terrorism is an enemy of humanity and the whole country should unite to root this out. BJP believes in zero tolerance to terrorism," said BJP secretary Shrikant Sharma.

The BJP-led NDA was in power when the audacious attack on December 13, 2001 left 14 people dead.

“PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) has always maintained that late Afzal Guru’s hanging was travesty of justice and constitutional requirements/process was not followed in hanging him out of turn,” the MLAs said.

Absent Rahul’s stamp shows in Congress reshuffle

NEW DELHI, March 3: Former union minister Anand Sharma will be the new chairman of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) communications department, replacing Ajay Maken who has been appointed as the head of the party’s Delhi unit.

Congress sources said several names were discussed for the post and the leadership finally decided in favour of Sharma, who is the party’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha.

Since the drubbing in the Lok Sabha and assembly elections last year, the media department has consistently come under attack from leaders who argue that the Congress failed not only in political communication but also in effectively countering the BJP’s aggressive campaign of projecting the UPA government as a corrupt regime.

The party on Tuesday also carried out a reshuffle in its state units.

Nanded MP Ashok Chavan, 56, replaces Manikrao Thakre as the new Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief.

The appointment marks his complete rehabilitation in the party that had five years ago asked him to step down as Maharashtra CM in 2010 after his name figured in Mumbai’s Adarsh housing scam.

Ghulam Ahmed Mir, 55, will head the party in Jammu and Kashmir, replacing 77-year-old Saifuddin Soz.

Mir was among those arrested by the CBI in the sex racket that rocked Kashmir in 2006.

However, a special CBI court in September 2012 acquitted him after all prosecution witnesses turned hostile.

Bharatsinh Solanki, 61, replaced Arjun Modhwadia as Gujarat PCC chief.

A sex scandal CD involving Solanki had rocked the party just before the 2007 assembly elections in Gujarat. He then headed the state unit.

In addition, AICC secretary Sanjay Nirupam, 51, was named Mumbai Regional Congress Committee chief and Uttam Kumar Reddy, 52, as PCC chief in Telangana.

Sources said all names were cleared by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi before he took a leave of absence for few weeks to “reflect upon recent events and the future course” of the party.