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Vol-01. Issue-27. Bhopal. Monday Page-12. Price-`5/-

he State

APRIL 01 TO APRIL 07, 2013

Cheerleader's Blog about IPL Cricketer's parties gets her sacked

Mumbai Mirror should apologise to Deepti Naval

BHOPAL

On-line booking racket keeps tourists away from Madhya Pradesh

isiting prominent tiger reserves of Madhya Pradesh has become next to impossible with entry tickets to the reserves being completely "sold out" till June. It was found out that the non-availability of entry tickets is not due to the rush of genuine tourists, but because of prominent hotels and lodges blocking tickets. The forest department is aware of this, but is yet to take any step. The online entry ticket booking system through the web portal mponline is showing either zero or just a handful of entry tickets for prominent parks like Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Pench. Bandhavgarh, a small reserve with a carrying capacity of few vehicles, is the worst hit. The Tala zone at the reserve is showing no availability till June 10. The Mukki zone in Kanha and the Karmajhiri and Touria zone in Pench have the same issue. This is how the system is being manipulated: Large hotels and lodges book entry tickets in advance using fictitious names. The moment they get a booking from a guest, they return the entry ticket bearing the fictitious name. The online system shows availability of a ticket the moment the ticket is returned. This ticket is then purchased in the name of the guest. While this leaves genuine tourists with no option of visiting the tiger reserves, the hotel and lodge owners having advance booking leverage that to get more guests. In case the hotels don't get bookings for the day they hold tickets for, they return the tickets. No cost is imposed on returning the tickets, which is why the racket is flourishing. What has compounded the problem further is that the number of vehicles allowed in each reserve has been severely curtailed following the new guidelines on eco-tourism. Some touts have also entered the fray. "I have learnt that the online booking sys-

tem is being exploited. I was also told that touts had booked entry tickets for December 31 and sold it in black, at a huge premium," said the field director of a tiger reserve, on condition of anonymity. If the tickets are returned before 72 hours of the date for which it is booked, it is reflected in the system. If the tickets are returned within 72 hours of the day for which they were booked, they are transferred to the current booking or gate booking quota. "We have been planning a visit to Bandhavgarh once the schools close down. However, the online booking system does not show any availability of entry tickets for Tala zone upto June," said Anuvind Harkawat, a resident of Bhopal. Some local lodge-owners who cannot take on the big lodges have complained to the chief wildlife warden about the issue. "We will examine the problems and take corrective steps if required," said PK Shukla, chief wildlife warden, Madhya Pradesh. A way out of this could be non-refundable tickets -- on the lines of the Tatkal scheme in the railways. This would discourage non-serious visitors and also those aiming to exploit the system to their advantage," said a lodge-owner in Bandhavgarh.

How WE look it !

. . . C a r to on by K G O J H A

BHOPAL April 01 to April 07, 2013

Capital

WE THE STATE

Director health suspended

Another director of health department Dr Ashok Sharma suspended on Tuesday . There were allegations against him that he did irregularities in purchasing of medicines of tuberculosis. After the suspension Dr Ashok Sharma it is expected that decision on the case of irregularities done by suspended director Dr Yogiraj Sharma would be done soon. There were allegations that despite orders of government of India that medicines used under national programmes like TB Control Programme would be supplied by government of India itself. But despite knowing the fact Sharma procured medicines of TB worth Rs 32, 00,000. The complaint against Dr Sharma was registered six years ago. According to sources Dr Yogiraj Sharma also played a major role in irregularities in purchasing TB medicines. After Dr Yogiraj Sharma and Dr AN Mittal this was the third suspension of director health in the department.

Modi enters BJP parliamentary board, Chauhan ignored

N
arendra Modi was today inducted into BJPs parliamentary board signalling that the Gujarat chief minister is set to play a larger role at the centre. Modis trusted aide Amit Shah was also elevated to the position of general secretary of the party . Ironically , Shah was not made part of the Gujarat cabinet for his alleged role in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh murder case. The young Pilibhit MP Varun Gandhi was promoted as general secretary of the party as well. It was significant that Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan did not make the break despite being the chief executive of a state like Modi, equal number of times. Another popular face of the party Smriti Irani was made one of BJP vice presidents along with firebrand leaderUma Bharti. Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Pratap Rudy was made general secretary along with Murlidhar Rao and Ramlal. Rao is supposed to have a cordial relationship with the RSS.

Women constitute only 3 per cent of police forces in MP

MP one of the leading states of the country in respect of growth rate

BHOPAL

PG courses at Bhopal AIIMS delayed by Six Months

The postgraduate (PG) courses at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhopal which were planned to start in March this year have been delayed by six months. The courses have been delayed due to delay in construction work of the hospital and supply of equipment required to start the hospital. Director, AIIMS, Bhopal Dr Sandeep Kumar said if the basic construction work of the hospital would be completed till December then they would plan to start PG courses from January, 2014. He further said the equipment ordered for the hospital have not arrived yet due to which the hospital has not been established. He said the hospital building may complete by August, 2013, if the construction company handovers the building on time and executive and financial bodies give approvals to start PG courses then it would be started by early 2014. He further said the construction work of AIIMS, Bhopal was taking place properly but he would like it to be faster so that the building can be completed timely. Due to some obstacles like incorrect report of soil testing the construction work of the building got delayed, he added. Dr Kumar said AIIMS, Bhopal has been delayed for two years as compared to its realistic plan. We have sufficient staff and teachers to start postgraduate courses and run hospital. We are waiting for completion of hospital building as it would be tough to teach PG students without the hospital, Dr Kumar said. (Agencies)

NEW DELHI The country has just 5.33 per cent women in police forces despite growing demands for more representation in law enforcement agencies. According to Home Ministry statistics, out of 15,85,117 personnel working in state police forces, only 84,479 or just 5.33 per cent are women. Besides, there are just 499 all-women police stations in the country out of a total 15,000 stations. The demand for more women in police forces has been growing since the gangrape of a 23year-old girl in Delhi on December 16. There were also 2,28,650 incidents of crime against women reported in 2011, of which 24,206 were of rape. Madhya Pradesh, where the highest number of rapes took place in 2011, there are 3,010 policewomen (3.93 per cent) out of the 76,506 personnel.

Uttar Pradesh has 2,586 women police personnel which is just 1.49 per cent of the total 1,73,341 personnel while Andhra Pradesh has 2,031 policewomen, just 2.27 per cent of its total 89,325 police personnel. There are 1,485 policewomen (2.18 per cent) in Bihar out of the total 67,964 police personnel. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Union Territory of Chandigarh have relatively better representation of women in their police forces. Out of the 1,34,696 police personnel in Maharashtra, 20,062 or 14.89 per cent are women while in Tamil Nadu out of the 95,745 police personnel, 10,118 (10.57 per cent) are women and in Chandigarh, 13.48 per cent or 985 are policewomen out of the 7,308 police personnel. There are 5,356 policewomen (7.13 per cent) in Delhi out of 75,169 police personnel.

he statistics released for the year 2012-13 shows Madhya Pradesh as one of the leading states of the country in respect of growth rate. It was released by central Statistics Organisation (CSO). Madhya Pradesh's agriculture growth rate for year 2012-13 is 14.28 percent and GSDP 10.02 percent. According to the experts this is a creditable achievement. In a way Madhya Pradesh has witnessed one third increases in agricultural growth rate during last two years. An important feature of these statistics is that this year Madhya Pradesh has occupied the top position in respect of GSDP by dislodging Bihar. Last year Bihar was on the top with 13.26% GSDP followed by Madhya Pradesh with 11.81%. As per the estimates of year 201213 Bihar's GSDP has come down to 9.48%. During the period, Madhya Pradesh's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) has risen by 96% while a massive increase of 284% has been registered in per capita income. Agriculture growth rate was 7.98 percent in year 2004-05. It rose to 18.91 percent during year 2011-12, which is highest in the country. In the secondary sector Total mineral production was to the tune of Rs 4,783 crore in year 2004-05, which has increased to Rs 10,659 crore in year 2011. While in the tertiary sector has increased to Rs1.6 114 lakh crore 13 lakh in year 2012-13 (advance), which is more than twice.

BHOPAL April 01 to April 07, 2013

Capital

WE THE STATE

Central Information Commission (CIC) criticized the BMHRC for drug trials on Gas victims
he Central Information Commission (CIC) has ordered the Bhopal Memorial Hospital & Research Center (BMHRC), a government body, to disclose information related to drug trials on victims of the 1984 gas tragedy to safeguard larger public interest. The CIC criticised the BMHRC for not initiating the process of collecting testimonies from the poor, helpless victims, even after it issued an order. Rachna Dhingra of the Bhopal Group for Information and Action (BGIA) had moved the commission. A report published in The Hindu reports , Rachna Dhingra, who has been working with the gas victims, levelled a series of allegations against the hospital. BMHRC was built to provide free medical care to the gas victims but they started testing [victims] as guinea pigs at the behest of multinational pharmaceutical corporations. As many as 15 trials and 13 deaths in 3 trials have taken place and no action was initiated against the BMHRC doctors, management or pharma companies, Ms. Dhingra charged. According to the commissions initial

notice, information was sought on the identity of the persons on whom different drugs were tested from 2000 to 2011; how much funds were received for the trials and the names of the companies which commissioned them; the names of the drugs, the number of patients involved and the number who died; and the minutes of the meetings which approved the trials.

On the basis of Ms. Dhingras RTI application, the commission asked the hospital to furnish details within a month which it did not. The hospital said the drug trials were conducted on private individuals and disclosure of identity of these would compromise their privacy, which is not permitted under the RTI Act. This argument annoyed the commission as it had in-

structed the BMHRC to issue notice to any 25 patients at random on whom drugs were tried to obtain their consent for disclosure of their names as per law. Central Information Commissioner M.L. Sharma wrote that even if the patients did not agree to disclose information, it is still open to this Commission to order disclosure. Given the fact that a number of drugs manufactured by foreign/Indian companies were tried on these poor, helpless victims of the gas tragedy, I am of the opinion it would be in the larger public interest to disclose the requested information, said Mr. Sharma in his order. Chief Public Relations Officer of BMHRC Mazhar Ullah has been given six weeks time to comply with the order. Mr. Ullah said that he cannot comment till he received a copy . Meanwhile, Ms. Dhingra told agencies that, as on 13.08.2010 the hospital conducted at least 10 drug trials and received an amount of 1,008,5100. We have proof that 15 trials were conducted and the money for the other trials are not accounted for, she said.

Recognition beyond national boundaries: Indian artist 'nails' patent truth

Smuggling of ancient statues in Khajuraho

BHOPAL/MANDSAUR Mandsaur artist Wajid Khan had never thought that getting a patent for his art works would help him increase their market and subsequently the price. Today, his artifacts, created by hammering small iron nails on specially imported plywood, have earned global recognition and he is earning as much as Rs 35 lakh per piece. "Till three years ago, I had engaged in several innovations but ran out of resources when no one helped me. Then I switched to this unique nail art and Intellectual Property Facilitation Centre (IPFC) not only helped me file a patent for my art work but also helped me get recognition beyond national boundaries," said Khan, while talking to media persons in the city on Friday . Earlier, his artifacts used to fetch only Rs 1 lakh per piece but now overseas buyers pay as much as Rs 35 lakh per piece. IPFC in charge Rounak Dubey said that in India, Intellectual Property Right (IPR) laws don't allow patents for art work. "The laws allow only copyright but still the centre explored several technical aspects of

the artwork and then filed a patent for Khan," he added. On the occasion, three BTech students from Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT) also shared details of their innovation---- an SMS based pet feeding device--- for which they too have filed a patent. One of the students Aditya Dharwa told scribes that they had devised a pet feeding system and connected it to mobile phone. "If a person is out of home and wants to feed his pet, he simply requires to send an SMS and the system installed at his home would send a food packet towards his pet," said Aditya adding that the system would also send an SMS reply . "The IPR awareness among industries and educational institutions is on a constant rise and till now we have filed 30 applications including trademarks, patents, copyrights, geographical indicator certifications etc," Dubey said. Sandip Naolekar, chairman IPFC Indore told that total 45 IPR applications were filed from Madhya Pradesh in the year 2011 (agencies)

Bhopal: Police on Friday arrested four idol-lifters with ancient statues/sculptures of goddesses believed to be dated to 10 to 13 century AD in Khajuraho. The arrested have been identified as Pappu Bhagawat Sen, Paramlal Ahirwar, Bhawanideen Ahirwar, and Shyam Vishwakarma, all residents of Khajuraho. The police on tip off arrested the thieves when they were trying to sell off 10 big and small archaeologically important statues and a pillar they had stolen from temples around. According to Gulganj police station inspector KK Khaneja, a police team went to a forest area following information that the gang was about to sell the stolen statues. The inspector with a couple of other police personnel posing as businessmen approached the thieves in plain cloths and fixed a deal for Rs 1 crore. When the idol-lifters came with the articles, police party immediately arrested them. Among them, Pappu was earlier booked for stealing statues and had connection with similar gang in Rajasthan and other states in the country, said the official.

BHOPAL April 01 to April 07, 2013

Editorial

WE THE STATE

ASTROLOGY
03-4-2013- Wednesday- Chettr Mah Krishnapaksh-Ashathmi Positive direction - South and East Bad time - 12:46 pm to 2:15 pm Good time - 6:46 am to 9:45 am and 3:46 pm to 6:45 pm 04-4-2013-Thursday- Chettr Mah Krishnapaksh-Navami Positive direction- East and South Bad time - 2:15 pm to 3:45 pm Good time - 6:46 am to 8:16 am and 11:16 am to 2:14 pm and 5:16 pm to 6:46 pm 05-4-2013- Friday- Chettr Mah Krishnapaksh-Dashmi Positive direction - South and East Bad time - 11:16 am to 12:45 pm Good time - 6:46 am to 11:16 am and 12:46 pm to 2:15 pm and 5:16 pm to 6:46 pm 06-4-2013- Saturday- Chettr Mah Krishnapaksh-Ekadashi Positive direction - West and South Bad time - 9:46 am to 11:16 am Good time - 8:16 am to 9:46 am and 12:45 pm to 5:16 pm 07-4-2013- Sunday- Chettr Mah Krishnapaksh-Dwadashi (Pradosh) Positive direction- West and South Bad time - 5:16 pm to 6:46 pm Good time - 8:16 am to 12:46 pm and 2:14 pm to 3:46 pm 08-4-2013- Monday- Chettr Mah Krishnapaksh-Trayodashi Positive direction- West and North Bad time - 8:11 am to 9:42 am Good time - 6:40 am to 8:10 am and 9:42 am to 11:11 am and 2:11 pm to 6:48 pm 09-4-2013- Tuesday- Chettr Mah Krishnapaksh-Chaturdashi Positive direction- East and North Bad time - 3:45 pm to 5:15 pm Good time - 9:38 am to 2:10 pm By AACHARYA SARVESH E-Mail: acharya.sarvesh@yahoo.com Mobile: 9826609192

Public scrutiny of court verdicts threaten justice system

Vastu Tips for Shops

Counters can be placed in any direction. TVs and computers should ideally be placed in the South-East corner of the shop. They should not be placed in North-East or South-West corner. Do not put heavy items in North-East corner of the shop. All doors should open towards right hand side. All doors should open inside so that the energy remains inside.

he Mumbai bomb blast case was tried in the TADA court and the appeal was heard by the Supreme Court. Both the trial court and the apex court found Sanjay Dutt guilty and sentenced him. However, Sanjay got the benefit of the stature of his late father Sunil Dutt and he was awarded lesser punishment as the TADA court convicted him under Arms Act and acquitted him of more serious charges of TADA. While the TADA court sentenced him to 6 years of imprisonment, the Supreme Court reduced the jail term to five years. A day after the Supreme Court delivered the verdict, several political parties launched a campaign for Sanjay Dutts pardon. The government also indicated that it will consider the demand to pardon Sanjay Dutt. The campaign was launched after Press Council of India Chairman Markandey Katju made an appeal to the Maharashtra Governor in this regard and a number of political leaders, film stars and citizens joined the chorus for Dutts pardon. Meanwhile, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said this issue would be considered by the ministry concerned. Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh said Sanjays crime was not so serious and he deserved clemency. Samajwadi Party MP Jaya bachchan also came forward in Sanjays support and said the punishment was too harsh. More and more people are joining the chorus demanding mercy for Sanjay. The actors sympathisers have argued that his parents were social workers and the family has contributed a lot for the welfare of the society. Justice Markandey Katju has said he would continue to seek pardon for Sanjay Dutt despite the actor's decision to surrender. However, the fact that the nations highest court has found him guilty under the Arms Act cant be overlooked. In this scenario the point is whether the punishment given after lengthy judicial process should be reduced or pardoned on the basis of other considerations. Especially in a case in which many other people have also been convicted and sentenced. In the past few years, the judiciary, by taking suo-moto cognizance, has provided much relief to the aggrieved people by tightening the noose around corrupt officials and politicians. Unnerved by this, some politicians even said that the judiciary shouldnt cross its limits and should not interfere in the functioning of the

politicians. They clearly meant that the judiciary shouldnt tell how they should do the politics. The situation is bizarre. Corrupt and unprincipled politics is disintegrating even more because the agencies and the judiciary that control the corrupt actions of the politicians are either forced to work according to the diktats of the political leaders or are losing their authority due to criticism by politicians. Mulayam Singh says that the UPA government obtains the support of political parties by browbeating them and then betrays them. Despite this harsh statement Mulayam Singh saved UPA from collapse as his Samajwadi Party continued to extend support to UPA after the coalition government found itself in a precarious position as Karunanidhi withdrew support. Although Mulayam claims UPA is corrupt and treacherous, his party has consistently supported the UPA at the hour of need. The same is the case of other political parties, which are busy in directly or indirectly saving the UPA government. This means all of them are the birds of a feather. Corrupt politicians are making allegations and counter-allegations to save their skin instead of working in the interest of the nation and the people and are wasting the time of the people and the Parliament. Even people like Katju are giving statements in favour of the accused persons instead of supporting the judiciary. Look carefully at the statue of justice and what she symbolizes. The statue embodies the basic principles of justice. The goddess is blindfolded and is holding a balance in her hands. The blindfolded goddess signifies that justice is blind which means it is not subject to influence. The judge doesnt consider the political, intellectual, economic or the social stature of a person while delivering the verdict. The blindfold indicates that justice is meted out objectively, without fear or favour, regardless of the status of the person. The scales that the goddess holds represents the impartiality that justice is served and the sword represents the power that is held by those delivering the

judgement. In such a situation isnt it contempt of the judiciary to pass comments on the verdict of the nations highest court and try to change it in an attempt to shield the accused person out of political compulsions or self-interest. In the present scenario it is a topic for debate which should be taken up in right earnest otherwise justice will no more be justice but injustice. Judicial verdicts arent open to scrutiny by the public. If we are not satisfied with the verdict then we can challenge it only through a set legal procedure which is well-defined under law, which doesnt come under contempt of court. There is a provision in the Constitution for filing a mercy petition even after a person has been convicted and sentenced by the apex court. But everything should be done as per the provisions of the law and the Constitution. Attempts to influence the court judgements shouldnt be encouraged under pretext of freedom of expression and people should have due respect for court orders. - Editor E-mail: ojhadilip7@gmail.com

BHOPAL April 01 to April 07, 2013

Feature

WE THE STATE

Kejriwal : a fire-brand among Indias youth

s he lies in an physically enfeebled condition on the eighth day of his fast over inflated power bills in Delhi, Kejriwal is doing rather well in the polling, and is currently coming in fourth on the list. Its still early days, of course: voting goes on until 12 April, and the final 100 names, which the magazines editors will decide, will be made public on 18 April. But just the fact that hes holding his ground admirably hes polled five times as many votes thus far as Barack Obama, for instance says something. But its a somewhat disquieting message. Precisely what criteria Time magazine invokes while drawing up its long list of the worlds most influential people isnt abundantly clear. And, to offer the usual caveats, while a poll of magazine readers offers glimpse into the way they see the world and elevate the profile of those on the list it has little more than chatter value in the real world. But to the extent that the choice of Kejriwal as the only Indian on the long list suggests that when Time magazines editors poke their heads out of their ivory tower and peer at India, they see him as arguably the most influential person, it is deeply troubling. Thats because Kejriwals worldview, as it has evolved since the time he energised the anti-corruption movement in 2011, represents the revival of a regressive statist economic model, which has failed India in previous decades. It is precisely bad ideas like those that dont need amplification, which is the effect that a good ranking on Time magazines poll will have. As Ive argued earlier, Kejriwal appears to have misread the lessons from Indias economic history since Independence, and particularly since the economy was opened up in 1991, If there is one core learning that

ought to have emerged from Indias developmental experience, it is this: Big Government, which imposes itself in your face in every way and becomes the ultimate determinant of peoples destiny, is a disaster. Kejriwal looks around himself, sees mass poverty as a result of failed socialist policies over 65 years and conclude that what India needs is yet more of the same socialist policies. He sees crony capitalists feeding off national resources - from land to water to natural resources like coal to telecom spectrum -on the cheap, and concludes erroneously that profit-making in its entirety is a crime. He sees the maaibaap sarkar has failed to deliver on its populist promises and yet his only solution is an even bigger, more benevolent maai-baap sarkar, with bigger and more extravagant populist schemes. It is true, of course, that the government has been complicit in allowing crony capitalists to walk away with national resources on the cheap. But the cure that Kejriwal offers of yet more statism is worse than the disease. For all his philosophical explorations on the merits of swarajya, Kejriwals conduct and articulations in the few months since he turned a career politician have positioned him on the far Left of the political spectrum. And, worse, he infuses that regressive worldview with populism of an extreme variety . As Id noted on another occasion, Kejriwal is less of a leader and more of a follower. His preferred manner of contributing to the evolution of policy is to seek out views from those at the grassroots without any consideration of whether they are sufficiently informed of the facts of the

matter and the nuances of public policymaking. And since people typn Time magazines annual poll of the most influential ically dont vote against people in the world, only one Indian figures: anti-cortheir own self-interest, it ruption activist-turned politician Arvind Kejriwal. finds manifestation in the validation of the most egregious rent-seeking behaviour among To be fair, the problems that bedevil India his constituency . from the economy to the fractured polity If Kejriwals idea were to be accepted as are primarily the fault of other parties the template for democracy and for policyand political formations. Kejriwal is meremaking, there is in fact no need for an exly the Johnny-come-lately to a thoroughly ecutive or even a legislature. Governments messed up political landscape. But the sowould run on auto-pilot and policy measlutions that he proffers are even more reures would take effect merely by resorting gressive than the ones that landed us in this to referendums on every issue of public disfine mess. That such a leader, who brings a course. fire-brand appeal among a constituency of And if there is a telling illustration of KeIndias youth, should be considered arjriwals paucity of ideas, it is reflected in guably Indias most influential person his return to the gimmicky fast, which is and should find his worldview amplified to where he started off with Anna Hazare on yet more easily swayed constituencies the anti-corruption campaign. perhaps means that we are in big trouble.

Cheerleader's Blog about IPL Cricketer's parties gets her sacked

NEW DELHI n the summers of 2011 when cricketing fever was at its peak in the Indian subcontinent, BCCI's million dollar baby, Indian Premier League was at its climax with teams fighting to clinch berth in the grand finale, a revelation by a cheerleader exposed the 'ugly' side of the IPL. Gabriella Pasqualotto, a cheerleader with the Mumbai Indians team and the writer of the 'The Secret Diary of an IPL Cheerleader,' a blog for the Alternative Cricket Almanack revealed her experiences in India and named some of crickets party-loving and flirtatious characters. Following her revelations, Pasqualotto was sacked and asked to leave the country . But her 'saucy' blog created a storm in the cricket world and Indian political circles. "To the citizens, we are practically like walking porn! All eyes are on you all the time; it is complete voyeurism. The women double take, see you and then pretend you do not exist. The men see your face, then your boobs, your butt, and then your boobs again! As we walk, all you hear is IPL, IPL! with a little head jingle!"

In her blog for the website thealternativecricketalmanack.com, Pasqualotto wrote about her experiences in India and the post-match naughtiness of cricketers, "the most loose and mischievous sportsmen I have come across". "Usually only after day matches there is an exclusive after-party and at night is when it all happens. The music pumps, the drinks flow and the cricketers come and go," she wrote. "The real fun happens in the VIP rooms where the players and night owls can cause scandal! "Ol' Graeme Smith will flirt with anything while his girlfriend lurks behind him. The Aussies are fun but naughty , such as Aiden Blizzard and Dan Christian." Pasqualotto told the newspaper that an Australian cricketer who was upset over her blog complained to IPL chairman Chirayu Amin, who ordered her manager to send her home. "I was sent home as if I was a criminal. I was treated as if I had taken drugs or done something awful, and I was never offered an opportunity to give my side of the story ," she said.

BHOPAL April 01 to April 07, 2013

Region

WE THE STATE

Record wheat procurement may lead to shortage of storage space

Cong working on a gameplan to oust Chauhan

Taking a potshot at the BJP, he added: Our cadres are also full of enthusiasm unlike those of the BJP, who are unhappy over their neglect. We have won five out of six municipal elections that have taken place in the state in the recent past. What does that indicate? That only indicates a change of regime is on the cards. State Congress media in-charge Manak Agrawal is of the opinion that people in the state are fed up with corruption. He said: Birth certificate, death certificate or copy of khasra -- you get nothing without coughing up money . And thats a major reason for their disenchantment with this government. Most Congress leaders point towards the building up of a strong anti-incumbency wave, but does the party actually have a strategy to electorally exploit it? We have already started working on it. We are holding divisional conventions for mass mobilization in favor of the Congress party . After the Chambal convention, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) would be expanded to accommodate from all factions so that all the top leaders have their point-persons whom they could delegate their responsibilities. At the level of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), top leaders would be allotted particular areas where they will have a say in selection of candidates and will also be responsible for their performance. This will avoid clash of interests among the top leaders and candidate selection would also be far more reasonable, said a top state party functionary, wishing to remain unnamed. A campaign committee chairman could also be appointed soon to coordinate the entire campaigning, he added. Is the Congress election strategy any different from the last election, when the then state Congress chief Sursh Pachouris supporters oozed with the same confidence about an imminent victory? Last election we lost because of faulty ticket distribution and Pachouri sidelining all other top leaders by arbitrarily awarding tickets to his men. This time that is not going to happen. If there had not been that many rebel candidates in the fray in previous election, Congress would have won that election too. Besides, there would be early ticket distribution this time round so as to take care of the heat and dust thrown up by denial of ticket to other contenders and not allow them to turn hostile towards the partys candidate. Besides, it would give the candidate sufficient time to prepare for polls, said a key aide to state Congress president Kantilal Bhuria. At the grassroots, the partys confidence stems from the good response it has been getting at conventions and public meetings, as well as the recent wins in the nagar palika elections. Besides, party cadres, dejected at the party being out of power for a decade, seems to have developed the thrust to bring back the party to power. Heavy turnout of party workers in Vidisha and Sagar is being attributed to this. But, there are skeptics who believe that without finding a match to chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan an expert communicator and top vote-catcher for the BJP -- the Congress cant bounce back to power despite the anti-incumbency factor working against the present dispensation. Also, there is a sizeable section in the party, including several MLAs, who believe that this job couldnt be accomplished under Bhurias stewardship and reins of the party must be handed over to a younger leader who could adequately motivate workers to overthrow the government. Even veterans like Mahesh Joshi, Hajarilal Raghuvanshi, MLA Kalpana Parulekar and MP Sajjan Singh Verma have been vocal in their demand for a change of leadership in the state party prior to the 2013 assembly election. It was recently revealed in a section of press how Bhurias closest aide Praveen Kakkar and his family members had business dealings with those considered to be close to the BJP. Soon after, AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi had met top leaders of the state Congress and advised them to work together for the upcoming elections. To what extent that happens will determine the fate of the Congress in Madhya Pradesh, this year and beyond.

INDORE: With the Madhya Pradesh government hiking the bonus for wheat, a record procurement could lead to shortage of storage space in the state. With procurement in full swing at major centers such as Indore, hundreds of quintals of wheat are kept in the open, under polyethylene covers. The state is offering an attractive bonus of Rs 150 a quintal over and above the wheat MSP of Rs 1,350 a quintal for the 2013-14 season. The government agencies and private players have about 6 million tonne storage space in godowns and over 4 million under polythene cover. About 2.5 million tonne new storage space is under construction and another 1 million tonne in warehouse are getting ready . The lifting of food grain from the mandis often depends on the availability of rake if it has to be transported by train. The tendering process for the road transport for wheat purchased by the Government agencies also sometimes results in the delay . Last year in April, sudden showers had damaged a small quantity of wheat lying in the open at the Sanyogitaganj mandi. The sudden burst of rain had caught the employees unawares and it was only later that the bags were covered with polythene sheets. Many bags had overturned leading to spreading of wheat on the wet surface. The Sharbati and Malvi (durum) wheat of Madhya Pradesh are famous for high nutritional and fibre content and command premium prices. The Malvi wheat is also exported to various countries across the globe.

BHOPAL The State Congress leadership appears to be a more confident unit of late. Though it still lacks cohesion, the party which has been out of power for almost a decade seems to be smelling a possible victory in the Assembly election slated late November. Congress legislative party (CLP) leader Ajay Singh telling chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan in the state assembly that he would wipe the smile off his face or state unit president Kantilal Bhuria dubbing Chauhans Maha Jan Sampark Abhiyan as Maha Kshama Prarthna Abhiyan (penance drive) might have appeared to be mere rhetoric a couple of months ago, but has a ring of seriousness about it now. So, is the political tide changing in the state, or is it a pipe dream being systematically peddled by the Congress so as to keep the rank-and-file united and motivated? When confronted with this question, State Congress spokesperson Abhay Dubey said, Ask anyone about the crowd that turned up for our convention in Vidisha or our public meeting at a small place like Shahnagar on February 24. We are neither paying money, nor providing vehicles, or even food to those attending our rallies yet people are coming on their own and in thousands.

Swiss national gang rape case: Charge sheet filed against six persons
Gwalior: Civil Line police have submitted charge sheet in connection with the Swiss national gang rape case before a special ADJ (additional district judge) court in Datia.The court announced March 30 as hearing date during which statement of the victim will be recorded. Subsequently, court trial of the case will commence. According to police, charges of gang rape, dacoity and assault have been framed against the six accused persons. The accused were identified as Nitin, Vishnu, Gaja, Rampro, Bhuta and Baba Kanjar of Jhadia village on the outskirts of Datia.The incident had occurred on March 15 alongside the rivulet in forest area on the outskirt of the city when the victim, along with her husband, was on a bicycle tour from Orchha to Agra.

Modi impact: CM may use 3D tech for electioneering

BHOPAL Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi's impact would be seen in BJP's electioneering for assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh too. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan may address a number of public meetings simultaneously using 3D technology as Modi did in Gujarat. According to party sources, several companies which are experts in the field are making presentations before the ruling party leader. The Gujarat-based company which was hired for Modi is also in touch with the party leaders here. Modi's high-tech electioneering during Gujarat assembly elections last year was national-level news. Party sources said several factors had to be considered before taking a final decision on the same which might include cost, efficacy of the technology, magni-

tude of its use etc. If the technology known as '3D Virtual Live Technology' was employed during the elections, Chauhan's reach to the masses would be manifold as compared to 2008 assembly elections. State BJP media in charge Dr

Hitesh Bajpai confirmed the party's move and said, "A lot of agencies and companies have come forward. We are very keen to use all updated technologies of mass communications which may include 3D technology too."

BHOPAL April 01 to April 07, 2013

Glamour

WE THE STATE

Mumbai Mirror should

apologise to Deepti Naval
Ive been pretty upset the last few days over something that the print media has been distorting hugely . . . each one of you on Facebook has been totally silent about it no comment whatsoever and I appreciate that and since I know you people care, Id like to, to explain what has really happened, Deepti Naval posted on Facebook. Here is what she says, in a nutshell. 1. Naval and Farooque Shaikh were doing an interview for Rajiv Masand in her Versova terrace flat. 2. Masand went to Navals house over with his three camera setup. 3. In the middle of this interview, three members from the Society barged into the flat and demanded that she stopped the activity, as they thought a movie was being shot. 4. Society members threatened to call the police. 5. Naval cancelled all other interviews after the incident. 6. Naval was embarrassed, she apologized to her colleagues and they left. Now comes the messy part. Naval writes. A week / eight days ago a journalist friend asked me what I was doing sitting in Madh and I gave vent to my frustration. I told him over the phone that The Society treated me so badly and kept threatening me with WELL CALL THE POLICE, WELL CALL THE POLICE, as if Im running a RACKET here! Next day it was out in print in Mumbai Mirror the sensational headline IM NOT RUNNING A PROSTITUTION RACKET and the story about the society fiasco, stating how badly me and Farooq Shaikh were insulted by the members of my building.Except for the scandalous headline, nothing wrong with the contents of the article. It was in my favour But this is what follows . . . Other papers have picked up the SENSATIONAL HEADLINE and implied that the Society has ACCUSED me of running a prostitution racket. Ive been appalled! I will post those articles so you all can see how the press distorts everything to make eye-catching news A dear friend, shell shocked at reading the contents in a Calcutta tabloid, called me frantically What is all this? Who has been accusing you of running a racket? I explained to her that no one is ACCUSING me of running anything like that it is the PRESS that is IMPLYING . . . There is little doubt that the headlines have little to do with the stories and have done Naval great injustice. And theres little doubt that concerned newspapers should apologise.

Britney Spears is a junk food addict!

Bollywood actor attacked for protesting against water wastage on Holi

Sorry girls, Atif Aslam is now a married man!

The Pakistani singer got married to his long time girlfriend Sara Bharwana in Lahore on 28 March 2013. The couple have been dating for seven years. Dressed in a maroongolden lehenga, Sara looked absolutely gorgeous while groom Atif wore a golden sherwani. We wish the couple a happy married life! Los Angeles: It seems that Britney Spears, whose fluctuating weight has been the focus of attention for some years, loves to gorge on junk food. On the other hand, her battle to stay trim hasn`t been helped by her insatiable appetite for fast food, reports thesun.co.uk. Such is the pop star`s penchant for junk that she was caught on camera heading home with a huge bucket of KFC in a carrier bag. She was also seen having lolipop and ice cream. Her calorific chicken and chips feast followed news of the singers cover shoot for Shape magazine. So hats off to Spears for proving that you dont need to spend your life eating salad leaves and pulses to appear in a diet and fitness publication. (Agencies )

ollywood actor Sadashiv Amrapurkar, who has been in the industry for a long time now, had to face the wrath of the residents of his housing society when he tried to prevent water wastage during Holi celebrations yesterday .

BHOPAL April 01 to April 07, 2013

Commerce

WE THE STATE

BRICS Summit: India, China agree on better ties during Manmohan Singh-Xi Jinping meeting

DURBAN

rime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday met Chinese President Xi Jinping during the summit of the BRICS nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - in Durban, South Africa. This was the first structured high-level contact between the two countries since the change of leadership in China. The meeting lasted for 45 minutes. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Dr Singh said India values its ties

with China. "The bilateral relationship with China is of great importance. As Prime Minister of India, it has been my great privilege to interact regularly with the Chinese relationship over the last decade. I hope to intensify such dialogue and communications with you and the new leadership of China to put our relations on an even higher growth trajectory," Dr Singh said. The two leaders discussed all contentious issues, including the boundary and Chinese dams along the Brahmaputra River, said sources.

Sources told agencies that the Chinese President was all praise for Dr Singh for his statesmanship and was hopeful that he would continue to improve ties between both the countries. Mr Jinping said relationship with India is important to China. "The Chinese President, in fact, himself told Dr Singh that he knew about the good bonding our prime minister shared with his predecessors," an Indian official said. Chinese Prime Minister invited Dr Singh to China and the Prime Minister invited the Chinese President to New

Delhi. Both the leaders have accepted each other's invitations; the dates are yet to be worked out. Mr Jinping had last week propounded five proposals for improving bilateral ties with India. These included keeping aside differences on various issues while improving mutual ties and accommodation of each other's concerns while dealing with "core interests". He had also suggested that peace and tranquility should be maintained on the boundary pending settlement of the issue.

India's current account deficit hits record high

I
ndia has pledged to do whatever necessary to tackle its current-account deficit, after heavy oil and gold imports combined with muted exports to drive the gap to a record high. In a worse-than-expected reading that will keep the rupee currency under pressure, the deficit hit $32.6bn (21.5bn) in the final three months of 2012, compared with $22.3bn in the September quarter. For April-December, the current-account deficit was $71.7bn, 5.4% of GDP. While robust inbound investments into equities and debt have enabled India to fund the gap, these flows can be fickle and a sharp reversal, possibly triggered by an external shock, would leave the country's balance of payments at risk. The finance ministry said the deficit would probably moderate in the March quarter if the trend of improved exports and steady imports persisted. The government and central bank would then take additional steps whenever warranted to tackle the gap, it added. Economists, who had forecast a figure of just over 6% of GDP, also expect the gap to narrow in the current quarter. That should give some relief to policymakers also struggling to inject momentum into an economy that appears to be growing at its slowest rate in a decade, while also trying to stifle inflationary pressures. Growth of 5% is expected for the fiscal year ending this month.

BHOPAL April 01 to April 07, 2013

Education

WE THE STATE

Education Ministers Civil services main exam to be held in Nov-Dec to discuss single body for conducting JEE, AIEEE

Applications will be called in August or September, according to a Union Public Service Commission notification
NEW DELHI The civil services (Main) examination will be held in November or December this year and applications for it will be called in August or September, according to a notification issued by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). UPSC, which conducts the prestigious examinations to select IAS, IPS and IFS officers among others, has in a recently issued public notice dropped the mandatory English language paper from the main test. It has also restored the earlier practice of two qualifying papers, the marks obtained of which will not be counted for ranking. The papers on Indian languages and English will be of matriculation or equivalent standard and will be of qualifying nature only . The marks obtained in these papers will not be counted for ranking, it said. UPSC had on 5 March issued a circular giving more weightage to English language. The move had led to an uproar inside and outside Parliament forcing the government to keep it in abeyance on 15 March. It may also be noted that there is no change in the pattern of civil services (preliminary) examination, which will be held on 26 May, it said. The last date for filing online application for civil services preliminary examination is 4 April.

New Delhi: Education Ministers next week are slated to deliberate on the feasibility of having a centralised testing body responsible for conducting JEE, AIEEE, NET, CAT, CMAT, GATE under it and providing candidates an opportunity to sit for a test more than once in a year. The 'national agency for testing' will deliver the national-level exams through a dedicated group of professionals, thereby sparing the teachers from the testing exercise. It will do research for preparing question papers, administer and conduct exams. Holding tests and assessment under the body is likely to become prerequisite for public and private sector engineering, medical and other colleges, universities and institutions for admission and recruitment if the proposal passes through. While CBSE has prepared a model with objective, structure and functions for the body, government intends to start in a small way by conducting the UGC-NET exam as early as next year. The proposal would be deliberated at the Central Advisory Board of Education meet attended by state education ministers, academicians among others here on April 2. HRD Minister MM Pallam Raju has, however, made it clear that joining the body would not be binding and only those who wish can join the body

Improved version of Aakash tablet on the anvil: Pallam Raju

mproved version of the Aakash tablet is on the anvil after the successful launch of three versions, a fantastic initiative of the human resource development (HRD) ministry, HRD minister M.M. Pallam Raju said on Sunday . It is a fantastic initiative by the ministry to develop Aakash tablet, a mobile device that can be utilized by students anywhere. It was successfully tried out. The second and third versions have come out and the fourth version is on the anvil, he said. Speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of a function at the Kozhikode district congress committee, he said the perform-

ance of the tablets had improved with every successful version and the ministry is continuing efforts in this regard. Where it has been a failure was we could not productionise the numbers that we wanted for whatever reason. Definitely we will look in to it, he said. Referring to the education sector, Raju said the centre is formulating several projects for its improvement, chief among which was to start new higher educational institutions by including it in the 12th plan and improve facilities in existing institutions. Pointing out that statistics showed about 23 crore children get preliminary education and 11 crore children high school education, he said the centres aim was to create a good atmosphere by raising educational standards in schools, colleges and in the higher education sector. Alongside, standards in polytechnics and employment oriented IT schools would also be improved, he said, adding the new generation has to be attracted to such institutions. The ministry also planned to start more schools, higher education institutions and research centres, he said. One Kendriya Vidyalaya will be sanctioned to Kerala by including it in the 12th plan, he said. If favourable circumstances and facilities are made available, priority would be given to start an IIT in Kerala, Raju added.

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BHOPAL April 01 to April 07, 2013

Sport

WE THE STATE

Would it not have been fairer for IPL to shift all matches out of the Tamil Nadu?
I
t was 5 am in the morning. The phone rang at IMG Executive Director Andrew Wildbloods house. Lalit Modi was on the line and there was a question he wanted an answer to: Is it possible to shift the IPL (Indian Premier League) to South Africa with three weeks notice? Union Minister of Home Affairs P Chidambaram had informed the BCCI (the Board for Control of Cricket in India) and Lalit Modi that India could not commit to the security of the IPL tournament unless it was deferred. Modi wasnt one to take things lying down; he believed that the $2 billion tournament was his baby and he would do everything in his power to make things move in the right direction. Modi set up an appointment with Chidambaram to try and work out a compromise formula. But once he got there, he couldnt wait and attempted to barge into the ministers office. Chidambaram didnt take very kindly to the act and asked him to leave. Modi was angry because he could see the commercial value of his tournament heading in the wrong direction. Thats when he picked up the phone and called Wildblood. Once he made the decision, he quickly picked the right men to do the job and got the approval from the BCCI. It was a decision that he didnt have to regret. Now, there is no love lost between Modi and current BCCI Chairman N Srinivasan, but its pretty clear that Srinivasan, who is also the India Cements boss, isnt going to shift gears in the aftermath of Tamil Nadu saying it will not host Indian Premier League games with Sri Lankan players. The similarities between the two situations are clear. Then, Chidambaram refused to provide security . Now, J Jayalalithaa is refusing to do the same and even saying Sri Lankan cricketers cant play in her state. There were no guarantees in either case. Now, the IPL is a commercial entity . It isnt in the business for charity. The tournament isnt around to make politicians happy it has the sole responsibility of making money by providing entertainment. But the response of the IPL governing council this time has been to tell other teams that when they play in Chennai, they cannot play their Sri Lankan players. Logically, this means that to keep Tamil politicians happy, one team (Chennai Super Kings, which Srinivasan himself owns) will play its best players, but eight other teams are being told not to use Sri Lankan players if they come to Chennai. This may make one team happy (CSK), but eight other teams may have to drop players who may be vital to their plans. At no level does this seem fair. If Tamil Nadu is going to play bully, would it not have been fairer for IPL to shift all matches out of the state? Politics can impact business, but businessmen have the freedom to decide what they will accept and what they will not. When the Tatas had trouble with the Singur project in West Bengal, after trying to solve the issue in vain they shifted the project to Gujarat. A legit business cannot allow itself to be held hostage by the government or any other party . You have to do what it takes. Another example comes from the IPL itself in 2010, not a single game was held in Hyderabad because of the Telangana agitation. However, this time round there hasnt been even a hint of shifting matches out of Chennai. Now, of course, shifting matches means that the Chennai Super Kings will be deprived of home support and a favourable pitch. But this was never about Chennai. The IPLs latest decision, which has reportedly being taken without the consent of the other team owners, will mean that CSK twice winners of the IPL and of the Champions League Twenty20 will host a weakened opposition. Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara are captains of Delhi Daredevils and the Sunrisers Hyderabad; Lasith Malinga is the strike bowler for Mumbai Indians and has been a vital part of their team; Angelo Matthews is an all-rounder with Pune Warriors, which is already without its star player Michael Clarke; Tillakaratne Dilshan can change the fortunes in any match with bat or even as a fielder for Royal Challengers; even though Muttiah Muralitharan is 40 and cant really run around in the field, on a turning track, he is still tough to play . The war in Sri Lanka ended in May 2009. But Tamil Nadu didnt raise the issue earlier. Is there any guarantee that the issue will be resolved by next year or even the year after that? Is there any guarantee that the IPL wont have to go through this again? N Srinivasan is a powerful man and he would have heard the rumblings in Tamil Nadu on the Sri Lanka issue. Surely, he could have informed the IPL Governing Council. Instead, he has chosen to stay silent, as have the BCCI and other IPL teams. Of course, it suits his interests too. But does it suit the BCCIs interests? The IPL is a success because it has some of the best players in the world. The Indian Cricket League of the Essel Group failed because it attracted only second-rung players and didnt cut it. But as things stand, the Pakistanis cant play in Mumbai, the Sri Lankans are not welcome in Chennai, and the English cant even send club teams to India without approval from the BCCI. The Aussies, the West Indians and the South Africans are still lining up but one can only wonder how long this will last before some state has a problem with them too? In 2009, in three weeks, the entire tournament was shifted out of the country . Are they now saying that shifting matches from Chennai, from one venue, is not possible? There is a time to stay quiet and there is a time to take tough decisions and this is a time to take a stand and make a point. The IPL moving out of Chennai will hurt Tamil Nadu too. And if the state doesnt care about it, then the IPL should do what all good businesses do: take their money somewhere else

Kohli, Raina among top 10 in ICC T20 rankings

Dubai: Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina are the two Indians to figure in the list of top 10 in ICC Player Rankings for T20I batsmen, while India continue to hold onto the number three slot in the teams category, issued here on Friday . Kohli with 731 points is at number eight position, followed by Raina (719) in the latest rankings table, which is headed by New Zealand's wicketkeeper captain Brendon McCullum (810). Yuvraj Singh (14) and Gautam Gambhir (18) are the other two Indians to have found a place in the top-20 batsmen's list. In the team rankings, India are placed third behind Sri Lanka and T20 champions the West Indies. Offie Ravichandran Ashwin is the only Indian to have featured in the list of top-20 bowlers in the shortest format, which is headed by Sunil Narine of the West Indies.

Yusuf Pathan ties the knot

I
ndian cricketer Yusuf Pathan tied the knot with Mumbaibased physiotherapist Afreen Khan at Ghodapdev Area near Byculla in Mumbai on March 27, 2013. Afreen was born and brought up in Mumbai but practises physiotherapy in Vadodara. Pathan, who has been out of the Indian team for some time now, has scored 1365 runs in 57 ODIs and 438 runs in 22 T20s. He has been in decent form in the domestic circuit, playing in typical attacking fashion. With the Indian Premier League (IPL 6) on the horizon now, Yusuf would definitely want some 'nuptial luck'.

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BHOPAL April 01 to April 07, 2013

World

WE THE STATE

Malala Yousafzai sells life story for a reported 2 million pounds

P
akistani teenage activist Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban for advocating girls education, has become a millionaire by signing a deal for around 2 million pounds to publish her memoir. The life story of a 15-year Pakistani girl who was shot by the Taliban will be published later this year, in a deal reported to be worth around 2 million pounds, the UK-based Guardian newspaper reported. The book, titled I am Malala, will be published by Weidenfeld & Nicholson in the UK and Commonwealth and by Little, Brown in the rest of the world, the paper said, adding that a spokeswoman for the publisher could not confirm reports about the value of the publishing deal. I want to tell my story, but it will also be the story of 61 million children who cant get education, Malala said. I want it to be part of the campaign to give every boy and girl the right to go to school. It is their basic right. She said: I hope this book will reach people around the world, so they realise how difficult it is for some children to get access to education. Malala escaped death by a matter of inches when she was shot on a school bus in north-western Pakistan on October 9, 2012 as the bullet entered just above her left eye and ran along her jaw, grazing past her brain. The Taliban had said they targeted Malala because she promoted girls education and Western thinking. Surgeons in Pakistan removed the bullet before she was air-lifted to the UK for life-saving treatment at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. In February, Malala was discharged from the hospital after she had an operation to rebuild her skull and restore hearing. She has now returned to school and joined the girls in Year 9. Malalas family is currently living in the West Midlands. Her father has been appointed education attache at the Consulate of Pakistan for the next three years. She began writing a blog on the BBC Urdu service under a pseudonym about life in the Swat Valley in 2009. She was shot after her real identity became known. Since the shooting, Malala has been awarded several peace prizes and is the youngest person to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. (Agencies)

Shoe thrown at Pervez Musharraf as he gets bail extension

'Neither Israel nor US in position to attack Iran'

court in Pakistan has extended bail for former President Pervez Musharraf, amid chaotic scenes in which a shoe was thrown

at him. It is the first time the ex-military ruler has sat before a court to defend himself against charges of conspiracy to murder and the sacking of judges. The shoe, which did not hit Mr Musharraf, was thrown as his supporters and opponents both chanted slogans. Last week he returned from self-imposed exile to contest forthcoming polls. Shortly before his return he was granted protective bail for 10 days in three cases. Correspondents say that angry scenes were witnessed outside the courtroom in Karachi after judges extended bail for another few weeks. Mr Musharraf faces a string of charges dating from his final months in office. He is accused of failing to provide adequate security for former PM Benazir Bhutto ahead of her assassination in 2007. He is also wanted in connection with the murder of a Baloch tribal leader, Nawab Akbar Bugti and for sacking the entire higher judiciary in November 2007. The former president has described the cases against him as "baseless" and politically motivated.

The New York Times reports that Iran and the U.S. have agreed to one-on-one nuclear talks, though it's unclear if Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had signed off on the negotiations.

ather of Iranian nuclear program Akhbar Etemad says he supports the Tehran regime's right to conduct nuclear research . "Neither Israel or the US are in a position to attack Iran," the father of the Iranian nuclear program Akhbar Etemad told TV in an interview this week. Etemad, now in his 80s, ran the Iranian nuclear program, that started during the Shah's regime after pressure from the US, between 1974 and 1978. He left the coun-

try when the nuclear program was stopped by Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini after the 1979 Iranian revolution, and refused to return when his successor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei decided to resume the program. "I had the impression that the Americans wanted to impose their views on Iran and I refused to deal with them. We were discussing for four years the terms of the bilateral agreement and we never came to a conclusion," he told Zubeida Malik on a TV program.

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BHOPALApril 01 to April 07, 2013

Nation

WE THE STATE

Modi, Varun, Uma Bharti:

BJP now has a poll strategy
N
arendra Modis importance to the BJP has finally got an official stamp. He has made a comeback in the partys highest decision making body, Parliamentary Board and another important body in an election year, Central Election Committee. His close confidante Amit Shah has been made general Secretary and is expected to be given important trouble shooting assignments to signify that he could be a key back room strategist for the party in preparing for the 2014 Parliamentary elections. Though Modi had earlier been part of these two bodies, inducted by LK Advani in 2004 and continued there when Rajnath Singh became party president last time in 2006. He was however, subsequently dropped using the excuse that since Parliamentary Board decided on chief ministers and no other chief minister was a Member in 12-member body, there was no pressing reason for Modi to be there. Then, it was also said that as member of these bodies he hardly had been absent from the meetings of the two committees. Ironically, it is Rajnath Singh again who has inducted him in the two top organizational committees and this time around it is indicative of Modis enhanced position a leader, campaigner and strategist for the next general elections. Though there are no moves yet to declare him as Prime Ministerial candidate of the BJP, this is certainly a step forward in that direction. The current arrangement will make Modi visible in Delhi, be a part and influence the decision making for organizational preparedness and at the same time continue to be at the helm in Gujarat, something which he recently described as his USP. Besides making Modis growing command official, other significant points in Rajnath Singh team is elevation of Pilibhit MP Varun Gandhi, Murlidhar Rao and Rajeev Pratap Rudi as general secretaries, reinduction of Syed Shahnawaz Hussain as the Muslim face in Central Election Committee and fiery sanyasin Uma Bharti making a comeback at the party headquarters as one of the Vice-Presidents. The composition of the team indicates that while Singh accommodated the wishes of all prominent players, LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, the RSS and former party president Nitin Gadkari, he has shown that he wishes to make his own imprint and that he does not care for the critics. The core fighting team of general secretaries has also a younger profile Varun Gandhi, Dharmendra Pradhan, Rajeev Pratap Rudi, Murlidhar Rao, Tapir Gaon, Amit Shah are in their 30s & 40s. An experienced Ananth Kumar has been retained as the senior most general secretary . The appointment of Amit Shah and Varun Gandhi is reflective of the grit of party leadership that it would not be guided by the political rivals negative campaign against those it considers important in its own organizational set up. Varun Gandhsi entry into the powerful league of general secretaries is a politically significant move. At the age of 32 (he turned 32 on March 13) he is youngest ever to be a general secretary of the BJP. The move is to send a message across the board, that the party is keen to project him as one of the leaders for the future. This is done with an eye on youth voters and political dynamics of Uttar Pradesh where he has a substantive support base among the party workers and sympathizers. The party expects to take on, his cousin, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. Varun has been taking on Mayawati since the time she booked him under National Security Act (NSA), only to be later quashed by the Supreme Court. In other two cases, the courts recently exonerated him of all charges. Though he had won the last parliamentary elections by a margin of close to three lakh votes, highest in the BJP but he had his share of legal trauma. Now since he has come out of it, the party expects him to sweat it out among the people. The party leadership realizes that it needs a fresh energetic face in UP to revive its old glory . Without increasing its tally in UP, the party cant make its dream of regaining power at the centre into a reality . The party social support base has shrunk and section of its traditional base has shifted to Congress or Samajwadi Party . The party has reinducted OBC leader and former chief minister Kalyan Singh and also given prominence to another OBC leader Uma Bharti in the state. Varun would have a challenging task of taking them and other players along in waging a war in an arena where three rivals Congress, SP and BSP have already taken their positions. The RSSs influence can be seen in the appointment of Murlidhar Rao, Prabhat Jha and others. Rao had been convener of Swadeshi Jagran Manch and had been made secretary in the party during Nitin Gadkaris tenure. He was also co-convener of Advani Yatra against corruption. Though some other leaders in the party including Advani favoured his elevation, he is considered an RSS appointee. Prabhat Jha is considered close to RSSs joint general secretary and point person for the BJP, Suresh Soni. Since the time he relinquished charge of state party chief in Madhya Pradesh it was believed that he would be accommodated in the party national team. SS Ahluwalia former Deputy leader of the Party in Rajya Sabha and close confidante of Sushma Swaraj has also been made vice president. Ahluwalia had lost the Rajya Sabha election from Jharkhand because the BJPs then ally JMM refused to extend its support to him. If five women leaders Uma Bharti, Kiran Maheshwari, Smriti Irani, Laxmikanta Chawla and Bijoya Chakraborty have been made vice presidents, two other women Nirmala Sitaraman and Meenakshi Lekhi stand out as spokespersons for the party, then the two Muslim leaders Shahnawaz Hussain and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi have been given important positions to send a message that the party is trying to expand its base among Muslims. The newly appointed office bearers have a challenging task cut out for them, ie take on the ruling Congress. Whether Modi will be declared as their leader when they go to the polls, no body among them have a clear idea but they are sure that he will be the principal campaigner for the party .

5 facts about Varun Gandhi, BJPs youngest general secretary

JP President Rajnath Singh announced the partys core team. The announcement is significant as this is the team which will play a key role in strategising for the 2014 elections. While Narendra Modis elevation has garnered a lot of attention, another elevation that is significant is that of Varun Gandhi who was promoted as general secretary of the BJP. Here are five quick facts about the Gandhi in BJP.  Young gun: Feroze Varun Gandhi is currently the member of Parliament (MP) from Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh. When Varun was elected in 2009, he was only 29 years old, making him one of the youngest MPs in Parliament. The fact that at 33 years he has been elected to BJPs core committee and made general secretary at such a young age is another

peal to young voters.

standout achievement. Its safe to assume that Varun Gandhi will be used by the party to ap-

from Pilibhit on a strong note. The young BJP leader defeated his rival by a margin of nearly 2 lakh votes in the 2009 election.  Hate speech case: Varun Gandhi was accused of hate speech during his 2009 election campaign. Two cases were lodged against Varun during the Lok Sabha polls in connection with alleged hate speeches. While one was lodged at Kotwali police station, the other was filed in Barkhera area, also in Pilibhit. According to reports, Gandhi allegedly said, If anyone raises a finger towards Hindus or if someone thinks that Hindus are weak and leaderless, if someone thinks that these leaders lick our boots for votes, if anyone raises a finger towards Hindus, then I swear on Gita that I will cut that hand.

 2009 victory: Varun Gandhi won his seat

 Education: Varun has a BSc in Economics from the London School of Economicsthrough the University of London External System, which is a distance-learning provision. There was a controversy over his LSE degree with LSE stating that Gandhi was not a regular student at the institute. More on that here.  Writing: Gandhi has also written a book called The Otherness of Self. The book is a collection of poems and according to this interview he gave to Outlook, Gandhi says he started writing poems at 17. On politics he says, Politics is something that governs our life. It is essential for us, especially my generation, to be aware and sensitive to the events around us. Please visit www.wethestate.blogspot.in to read the online edition

Earlier this year he was acquitted in both cases.

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