Corporates under Lokpal : CVC

Sunday, September 18, 2011

As the Lokpal debate rages, the CVC feels corporates should be brought under the purview of the proposed anti-corruption bill to check graft effectively.

It also favours that corruption in higher levels of bureaucracy and among political executives should be dealt with by the Lokpal provided there is a proper demarcation of work to avoid overlapping of powers with the CVC.

“Lokpal should cover corruption in higher bureaucracy and among political executives. There may also be a provision, as in UK bribery law, where a bribe giver is punished. We are also not against bringing corporates under the purview of Lokpal,” Central Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar told PTI in an interview.

At present CVC has no power to check corruption in private firms. However, the Commission refers cases of criminal conspiracy and corruption by government officials and private persons to the CBI.

“Lokpal may investigate cases of corruption involving political executives (ministers). In case they are found involved in wrong doings then action against them should be taken as per the law,” he said.

Mr. Kumar, who took over the reins of country’s top anti-graft body in July this year, cautioned that there should not be complexity in exercising powers by Lokpal to avoid delay in checking corruption.

“All civil servants are governed by departmental punishment rules. The CVC, in some cases, may impose penalty directly while it has to seek sanction for prosecution against senior officials. The Lokpal may look into these aspects (and simplify the process),” he said.

The CVC’s view may be conveyed to the Parliamentary Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice for Lokpal when the Commission appears before it.

The 31-member House panel, reconstituted a few days ago, is likely to call the CVC either on September 23 or 24 after the delay in its constitution resulted in cancelling the Commission’s presentation twice — on September 7 and 15.

Mr. Kumar wanted extension of the vigilance mechanism in graft cases through speedy enquiries and prosecution procedures.

“The standard of proof (evidence) is lower in the Prevention of Corruption Act, which is time consuming. There is preponderance of probability. That is why there are a bulk of cases going on in courts. Cases under the PC Act are pending for over 10-15 years,” the CVC said.

The Commission covers corruption involving central government officials working in banks, public sector units and other undertakings of the Government of India.

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Big B visits Amar Singh at AIIMS, New Delhi

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan on sunday visited his friend and Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.

Amar Singh, arrested in the cash-for-votes scam, is on interim bail till Sep 19. He was  under medical observation till Sep 13 after he complained of ill health.

Bachchan, who is in Delhi to attend the Bharatiya Gyanpith Award, was accompanied by his Delhi-based daughter, Shweta Nanda.

“Amitabh Bachchan came to see Amar Singh in the private ward around 11 a.m.,” - source said.

Amar Singh and two former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Singh Bhagora, were arrested Sep 6 for their alleged involvement in an attempt to bribe MPs ahead of the July 2008 parliament trust vote.

Bachchan’s visit follows Amar Singh confidante and MP Jayaprada’s jibe saying: “The celebrities he helped, the famous people… Where are they?”

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India looking to build new test team for future

MS Dhoni says : The nightmarish tour has ended and irrespective of whatever good we have done, we haven't been able to win a single game. I don't remember when was it last when India received this kind of drubbing in an entire series, maybe in the 50's we did, but then we weren’t the number one team and a good result then expected from us was a draw.

Overall we saw a mixed performance from the team. We did play poorly in the Tests but I am not really very much disappointed with the One-Day performances. Test cricket is my concern here, and honestly we didn't have a team to go 4-0 down. The youngsters coming in have struggled in this format and even after being in the twilight of their careers; the team’s reliance completely rests on the likes of Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman. I believe it’s time we should look ahead to build our Test team for future, even if it means us costing a few series.

Injury played huge part in England debacle

The bowling has been a weak area and with Zaheer Khan out, the bowling has lacked consistency and unless you possess an attack capable of consistently picking up 20 wickets in Tests, you can’t be a great side irrespective of the rankings. Even in the limited over versions, it was the bowling, which let us down often. We have our next few matches in India and the bowling will fall in place with spinners having the final say.

We saw Jadeja and Ashwin bowl well in Oval where there was some assistance for the spinners. Though spin bowling is our strength we can't always depend on them especially on a tour like this. That is why it was necessary for someone like Varun Aaron, who has bowled all his life in placid tracks to get at least one game in the tour and be exposed to these conditions. On the other hand, the English were quite happy to try their bench and the likes of Samit Patel, Steve Finn and Jonny Bairstow, didn’t disappoint.

 I have always felt that despite of being so successful Dhoni has been a very defensive captain, maintaining a safety first approach. When the team is doing well it doesn't matter but when the results are not on your side, things begin to look ugly. Injuries added to Dhoni's woes but at the same time we should learn to win without the stars. The Australians have begun to do well in foreign conditions without their stars.

All said and done, it was the English team who weren't the favorites to start with, but they believed in themselves and played better and won it deservingly. Coming to the positives, I am impressed with how the batting came up in the ODIs and with the likes of Tendulkar, Sehwag, Yuvraj, Gambhir, Zaheer and Harbhajan coming back, we have got the resources and there isn't much to worry in this format. Parthiv, though inconsistent looked very positive, so did Rahane give a couple of good starts, Jadeja did well in his comeback, Ashwin bowled well in patches, Raina was brutal, Kohli struck a brilliant hundred and Dhoni found his lethal batting form and deservingly won the player of the series.

But to me the players for the tour were Rahul Dravid and Praveen Kumar. Praveen in his first tour of England shouldered the entire bowling responsibility and took a lot of load. Indians owe him a lot in the bowling department. Praveen's maturity with the ball didn’t give one the impression that he had just made his Test debut a few days back in West Indies.

A Salute To Rahul Dravid 

While we bid Dravid, a goodbye from the limited overs format, we would all like to thank him for all that he has given to the game. In the Tests, he was brilliant and even in his last ODI innings, he proved that he is still amongst the best. Dravid hadn't been a regular ODI player since 2007 and the biggest positive to many of the young players in this Indian ODI outfit was the opportunity to share the dressing room with one of the greatest of the game and this sort of exposure will certainly benefit them immensely.

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Indians shell out the most in the world for Petrol & Diesel

                                                   Country          Petrol     Diesel

                                                    India              3.95        2.46

                                                   China              1.95        1.83

                                                      UK               1.85        1.91

                                                   Brazil              1.70        1.23

                                                   Japan              1.28        1.09

                                                   Russia              1.26        1.08

                                                      US                0.76        0.84

                                                  Saudi Arabia      0.23        0.10

                                                  Venezuela         0.03        0.01

For all those already reeling under a series of hikes in petrol prices on the back of zooming inflation, here is some news that will enrage you further. Data of retail prices in countries across the world shows that Indian prices are amongst the highest in the world at current exchange rates. And, if you even out the differences in purchasing power of different currencies then Indian petrol and diesel prices become the highest barring some tiny, remote countries.

Even a simple comparison of retail prices in different countries by converting them to Indian rupee reveals that petrol in India is more expensive than 98 other countries. Among 157 countries for which data is available, those belonging to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries have the lowest price.

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) are the ones that have huge oil reserves and are its main producers. So, petrol is cheapest in Venezuela at just Rs 1.14 per litre. In Iran it sells for Rs 4.8 per litre. The second group comprises of countries like the US,Iraq, Indonesia, etc, where minimal tax is levied on petroleum products. They also have lower prices than India. A litre of petrol costs Rs 42.82 in the US.

India tops the group of countries which have moderate to high tax regimes. Others in the group are the EU countries and others like Singapore, New Zealand, Thailand and Brazil. At Rs 69.90 -the average price of petrol in 24 Indian cities -Indian prices are now comparable to price of petrol in EU. Romania has EU's cheapest petrol at Rs 72.33 per litre.

However, price comparisons done like this - by converting into one currency using the exchange rate - are deceptive. Petrol prices equivalent to Rs 96.39 in the UK might not pinch the English in the same way as Rs 69.90 will clobber Indians.

So, how does one compare prices across countries? This is done by the widely used Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) method. Differences in purchasing powers are evened out and relatively real price comparisons emerge. Using PPP prices, petrol is by far much more costlier in India than most countries. PPP price of petrol in India is $3.95, lower than just three small countries - Timor-Leste, Malawi and Eritrea.

Petrol costs less than a dollar in the OPEC and USA while in most of Europe, Russia, Japan, China and the Americas it is priced between one to two international dollars by PPP calculations. Despite huge subsidies, diesel is more expensive in India than 136 other countries. Costing $2.46 at PPP, India is 23rd most expensive in diesel prices.


Source : TOI

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UP Police keep four Persons in custody for Agra Blast

The UP Police and ATS have detained four people for questioning in connection with Saturday's blast at a hospital in Agra.

Four people were injured in the low-intensity explosion on Saturday at a private hospital near the Taj Mahal, police said.

"Four people were injured in the blast at the hospital," Deputy Inspector General of Police, Agra Range, Assem Arun said.

The explosion took place around 5.30 pm at the reception of Jai Hospital, situated on a service lane of National Highway-2, barely 2.5 km away from Taj Mahal, a declared terror target and frequented by thousands of tourists, Indian and foreigners.

Security at the Taj Mahal and other places was increased in the city after the explosion.

Motive behind Agra blast inconclusive: Police

Uttar Pradesh Police are yet to confirm on Sunday morning whether a low-intensity blast at a private hospital here was a terror strike, a day after it left at least four people injured.

"It is still inconclusive. All angles are being probed by the Special Task Force (STF) and anti-terrorist squad in connection with the blast," Inspector General of Police (Agra Zone) P.K. Tiwari told reporters.

According to police sources, the state police in its report sent to the union home ministry late on Saturday said they were trying to ascertain whether the blast was a terror strike or an attack due to some business rivalry as there were a number of private hospitals near Jai Hospital where the explosion took place Saturday evening.

"We are working on the evidence gathered from the site. Everything will be shared with the media once we have confirmed reports about the nature of the explosives used," Special Director General of Police Brij Lal said here.

"Two of the four injured have been discharged from hospital," he added.

The explosion took place around 5.30 p.m. at the reception area of Jai Hospital, situated on a service lane of National Highway-2, barely 2.5 km away from the Taj Mahal, a declared terror target frequented by thousands of tourists -- domestic and foreign.

Security at the 17th century monument and other places has been beefed up in the city.

"It was a low-intensity explosion. It appears the explosive was kept under a seat at the hospital's reception area," Uttar Pradesh's Special Director General of Police Brij Lal had told IANS in Lucknow.

In New Delhi, union Home Secretary R.K. Singh said reports indicated wires and battery parts were found at the blast spot.

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Modi says fast is not for religion on his 2nd day of fast

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on sunday said that his three-day fast was not aimed at entreat "any particular community or religion". But he admitted people had suffered extreme pain in Gujarat, where the 2002 communal riots claimed at least 1,000 lives, mostly Muslim.

"Sadbhavna Mission is not about any particular community or religion. It is about the people of Gujarat. Gujarat's progress has shown the way forward," Modi said on the second day of his fast, flanked by top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders.

"Gujarat has suffered immense pain. I empathise with the families that have suffered. I can still feel the pain," Modi said in his address in what was seen as a reference to the Gujarat communal violence in 2002.

"The mission is to unite, not divide. Gujarat is my family, the six crore Gujaratis' happiness and grief, dreams and aspirations are mine," Modi asserted. The fast is taking place at the Gujarat University and is widely seen as a bid to woo the minorities.

Modi cited the achievements of his 10-year reign for the fast aiming for "peace, unity and harmony".

The chief minister also indicated working within the BJP.

"We will work on the differences. And work together to take the BJP forward among the people of India," Modi told a news channel.

Day 2 of the fast may see BJP member and former cricketer Navjot Singh Siddhu at the venue.

The first day saw a galaxy of party stalwarts, including L.K. Advani, Arun Jaitley, Ravi Shanker Prasad, former party president Rajnath Singh, Kalraj Mishra, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi as well as Rajya Sabha member and TV star Smriti Irani.

AIADMK leader in the Lok Sabha M. Thambidurai and his counterpart in the Rajya Sabha V. Maitreyan were also present.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal also came. However, there was no representative of the Janata Dal-United with which the BJP shares power in Bihar.

The fast is being countered by Modi's Congress rival and one-time Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh colleague Shankarsinh Vaghela at the Sabarmati Ashram.

Vaghela slammed Modi's event with his parallel fast to protest his regime's "corruption and wastefulness".

Police lathicharge supporters
Meanwhile, police had to lathicharge the unruly crowd when it tried to forcefully enter the venue of the fast.

According to the police, the incident happened when thousands of supporters wanted to enter the fast venue. One person was injured in the ruckus.

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Kiran Bedi says : Anna & Youth made Lokpal campaign a success

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Attributing the success of anti-corruption movement to people's participation, Team Anna members and former IPS officer Kiran Bedi on Saturday implored the young delegates at the Mind Rocks India Today Youth Summit 2011 that their support should continue so that the government is forced to legislate a strong Lokpal Bill during the winter session later this year.

"The movement was a success because of you and all credit goes to Anna Hazare," Bedi told the summit, which was held on Saturday in Delhi. She attributed her association with the movement to RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal, calling it an 'opportunity.'

She called for people to end their indifference towards how government is run, else it would give the people in power a free run to do corrupt dealings. They should be held accountable, she said, calling the government draft of the Lokpall bill ineffective.

Bedi said the government proposes to create two CBIs - saying the first CBI will be under the government control, while the other, the new one, would only investigate new cases of corruption. She asserted that a senior minister told her that the government is worried that an independent CBI under Lokpal may reopen old corruption cases like that of Bofors gun deal.

The fear of going to jail and usurping of property created by corrupt means will act as an effective deterrent for people like Suresh Kalmadi and A. Raja, she added.

On being asked what makes her sure the Jan Lokpal will not become corrupt, Bedi said, "It's very transparent. It has a search committee and it is very accountable. All its functioning will become website-oriented. It will be a harbinger of change."

Bedi summed up saying that she is still youthful at heart. Her passion, determination and drive to be just and fearless against pressure and adversaries remain intact. That is so because she trained hard as a sportswoman earlier in her life. She told the youth that what they do now in their formative years will have a lasting bearing on the rest of their life. She shared her experiences with the youth on how to deal with life. 

The former IPS officer, who calls herself a rebel by nature, told the gathering, her passion to stand against the unjust has remained undiminished since her childhood. She attributed this to her devotion to sports. Bedi was an ace tennis player and women tennis's Asian champion at the age of twenty.

Sports gave right focus to immense store of energy in her that helped her lifelong, she said. Bedi feels spiritual, mental and physical are all essential components of education and sports provide best training in the formative years. 

Saying she never lost her focus in life, Bedi said she joined the Indian Police Service at the age of 22 in 1972, a profession considered taboo for women. She added soon she became a role model for men during training years. She called it 'destiny' that she was transferred to Delhi. In 1975, she had a frank talk with the then IG Police (now called Commissioner) Delhi, P.R. Rajgopal, to persuade him to lead the January 26 parade in 1976. "This is one event that announced the arrival of women in the police force," she says raising fist in the air.

She never looked back. In 1982, Bedi issued a ticket to the driver of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi when her car was wrongly parked. "She was in power, so was I," Bedi said, asserting the point that policing has to be just and equitable. There cannot be two different standards for the rich and the poor.

She explained that she was perhaps not made the commissioner of Delhi Police, because she would have not bowed down to the will of politicians. Earlier, she was not given the charge of anti-terror wing of Delhi Police simply because she would have released people held illegally in the name of anti-terror investigations, she said.

Motivating the youth, she said, "Had I not been somebody, I would have been nobody. So, I never lost track of my priority. At 16, I knew when to say yes, when to say no... What you did in teenage returns to you at 20-23."

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Blast in Agra Hospital - Three injured - EXCLUSIVE Video

Three people were injured in a crude bomb blast in Jai Hospital in Agra on Saturday, police said.

The Inspector of Agra Zone, PK Tiwari said that the crude bomb was kept in a bag and exploded at the help desk of Jai hospital.

He also said that out of the three people injured, two sustained minor injuries and one person sustained burn injuries. All the three injured are being treated in the same hospital.

Three people were injured in a crude bomb blast in a private hospital in Agra on Saturday, police said.

The Inspector General of Agra Zone, PK Tiwari said that the crude bomb was kept in a bag and exploded at the reception of Jai hospital.

He also said that out of the three people injured, two sustained minor injuries and one person sustained burn injuries. All the three injured are being treated in the same hospital.

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No burden will be added on common man: Railway Minister

Amidst talk of possible passenger fare hike, Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi today said that nothing will be done to “increase the burden” on common man.

“The easiest way is to raise fares. But that is not the idea,” Trivedi said. He claimed that even railway unions are pressurising him for fare hike.”I have got pressure from the unions for the fare hike but I am not going to do anything which will be a burden on common man,” the minister said,

Asked what was the way out, he said, “I will knock at the doors of the Prime Minister, Finance Minister. I will approach Planning Commission. We will also come out with innovative ways to raise fund.”

Pointing out that bus fares cost more than train’s, he said, “There are people who can afford many-fold hike. But what about people who are in rural areas. Rail is used by poorest of poor and we will not do anything that will create any burden on him. We have to think about them.”He said fuel price and consumption of electricity has gone up. “So why can’t we have our own power plant?”, he asked.

“Before we do that (fare hike) we have to think of all other options.”Trivedi said there is a need for improving catering service and increasing cleanliness in trains and stations.”We have to improve our catering and cleanliness. So before increasing the fares we must give back some thing to the passengers.”

Admitting to a fund crunch, he, however, said safety related work will not suffer due to it. “There will be no compromise on safety.”

On the recent Arakonnam accident, he said the Commissioner Railway safety, Southern Zone, is conducting the inquiry and preliminary report will be submitted. Before that nothing can be said, the Minister added.

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Kanimozi steps towards court for bail

DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi’s daughter and party MP Kanimozhi, arrested for her alleged role in 2G spectrum allocation scam, today moved a Delhi court for bail, her second attempt to get the relief.

Lodged in Tihar jail since May 20 following rejection of her bail plea by Special judge O P Saini, Kanimozhi approached his court for bail a day after the court breached its self-imposed deadline to frame charges in the case. The court listed her bail plea for hearing on October 1.

While refusing bail to various 2G scam accused, the Supreme Court had earlier asked them to move the trial court for bail after framing of charges in the case.

While pleading innocence, 43-year-old Kanimozhi also prayed for bail on account of her being a woman MP and the mother of a school-going child. She moved the court for bail along with Kalaignar TV CEO Sharad Kumar.

Kanimozhi approached the court pleading that neither she nor DMK-run Kalaignar TV received spectrum licence and that she was not the beneficiary of the “loan transaction of Rs 200 crore” in the 2G scam either.

“The petitioner (Kanimozhi) has no role in the alleged conspiracy in allocation of UAS licence, valuable and scarce spectrum in various telecom circles and other undue favours to Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd (accused in the case) during 2007-2008 etc,” said the bail plea filed on behalf of Kanimozhi.

“Neither she nor Kalaignar TV Pvt Ltd is a beneficiary of spectrum licence either,” said he bail plea filed by her counsel V G Pragasam and S J Aristotle.

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Shehla murder - Five lakh reward for informer

The CBI today announced a cash reward of Rs five lakh for providing information about the murder of RTI activist Shehla Masood, who was shot dead outside her house in Bhopal last month.

On September 3, a case was registered against unnamed persons by the Bhopal unit of the agency, CBI sources said here.

Shehla was shot dead when she was going towards her car outside her residence in posh Koh-e-Fiza locality in Bhopal on August 16.

Madhya Pradesh Police could not figure out the motive but suspected she was eliminated by some powerful persons against whom she had filed RTI applications.

Shehla had earlier gone on a hunger strike in Bhopal in support of Anna Hazare’s cause. She was also involved in other causes, including wildlife conservation.

Her father Sultan Masood had said he expected no justice, being a “lower middle-class person”, and did not think that police were probing the case sincerely.

He had alleged that in January, Shehla had filed a complaint with the Lokayukta that she feared threat to her life from senior IPS officer Pawan Shrivastava.

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Obama-Singh will meet again this year

The White House expects meetings between US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at different fora later this year, but has ruled out any bilateral talks between them next week in New York where they would attend the annual session of the UN General Assembly.

“We don’t have any bilateral meetings planned at this point,” US Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters while briefing them on Obama’s agenda in New York.

“I think that it is our expectation that the President will be able to see — in his travels later this year,including to the East Asia Summit and other forums, he’ll have opportunities to engage with Prime Minister Singh,” Rhodes said last evening.

Obama would be travelling to New York for three days next week beginning Monday to attend the General Assembly session of the United Nations.Besides addressing the UN General Assembly, Obama would be meeting leaders of some countries.

Prominent among them are Libya’s Mustafa Abdul Jalil;Afghan President Hamid Karzai; Brazilian President Dilma Rouseff; Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda of Japan; Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France and President Salva Kiir of South Sudan.

While the focus of his meetings and his remarks at the UN will be pressing global issues like Libya, Palestine,economic matters and the Middle East, the US President is expected to reiterate his position on the reforms of the UN Security Council and support India’s bid for its permanent membership.

“There’s been no evolution in the US position. We obviously have expressed our support for permanent membership for India…,” Rhodes said.

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MODI'S 72-hour fast starts

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today began his three-day fast for “peace, unity and communal harmony” in the BJP-ruled state.

The BJP stalwart’s 72-hour fast under `Sadbhavna Mission’ coincides with his 62nd birthday. The venue, Gujarat University Convention Centre here – where a host of leaders from the BJP and its key ally Shiromani Akali Dal have arrived – has been put under strict vigil by the police.

On the eve of fast, Modi had issued a statement that was interpreted as his first sign of regret over the 2002 post-Godhra communal violence.

“Constitution of India is supreme for us. As a Chief Minister of the state, pain of anybody in the state is my pain. (Delivering) Justice to everyone is the duty of the state,” Modi had said yesterday.

Modi, in an attempt to reach out to the minority community, had said the state has realised that communal frenzy and casteism never helped anybody grow in the country and expressed “gratitude” to those who pointed out his mistakes in the last 10 years.

BJP leaders like L K Advani, Arun Jaitely, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Sahanawaz Hussain, Smriti Irani and Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Prem Kumar Dhumal, among others, were present when Modi began his fast.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, whose party Shiromani Akali Dal is a key member of the BJP-led NDA, was also present.

Leaders of Shiv Sena, BJP’s ally for over two decades, and emissaries of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha of AIADMK are also expected to come here to in support of Modi.

In response to Modi’s move, Gujarat Congress leaders Shankarsinh Vaghela and Arjun Modhvadia also started their fast on a footpath in front of Sabarmati Ashram.

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India Ends With Another Lose In The Final ODI and a disappointing last ODI for rahul Dravid

India signed off their nightmarish tour of England without a win as they were spanked by six wickets in the rain-marred fifth and final one-dayer bringing a disappointing end to veteran Rahul Dravid’s illustrious ODI cricket career here.

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India rebuffs China's objections to oil exploration

Friday, September 16, 2011

India on Thursday dismissed Chinese objections over its oil exploration projects in two Vietnamese blocks in the South China Sea, saying its cooperation with Vietnam was as per international laws and it would like the cooperation to grow. 

Noting that there was an active programme of trade and economic cooperation with Vietnam, External Affairs Ministry official Spokesperson Vishnu Prakash said cooperation in the area of energy, hydrocarbon as well as renewable energy was one of the important facets of it.

He was replying to a question on China asking India and other countries to refrain from oil exploration in maritime areas offered by Vietnam in the South China Sea, claiming it enjoys "indisputable sovereignty" there.

He said ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) has been in Vietnam for quite sometime in offshore oil and natural gas exploration field and that they were in the process of further expanding cooperation and operation and Essar, a subsidiary of Essar oil Ltd, has also been awarded a gas block in Vietnam.

"This is one important area of cooperation and we would like this area of cooperation to grow. Our cooperation with Vietnam or with any other country for that matter in the world is always as per as international laws, norms and conventions," Prakash said.

He also reiterated India's position that New Delhi "supports freedom of navigation in South China Sea and hopes that all parties to the dispute would abide by the 2002 declaration of conduct in South China Sea."

The issues are expected to find a place in the Joint Commission Meeting, to be co-chaired by External Affairs Minister S M Krishna along with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Binh Minh, in Hanoi tomorrow.

China warns India on maritime explorations

The ongoing tension between India and China has taken a new turn with the Dragon nation issuing a warning to its neighbouring country asking it to refrain from any oil exploration in the disputed South China Sea.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said that India should avoid any agreement with Vietnam in the area, saying that China enjoys an indisputable sovereignty in the region.

“Our consistent position is that we are opposed to any country engaging in oil and gas exploration and development activities in waters under China's jurisdiction,” she said in reply to a question that Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is planning to come up with exploration projects in two blocks that Vietnam claims.

The tension between China, Vietnam, Philippines and some other nations in the areas has flared up in recent times amidst allegations that Chinese navy is continuously encroaching their areas.

China’s warning came at a time when Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna is scheduled to visit Hanoi this week.

Just recently, Chinese troops had also entered Indian territory in the Leh region and demolished bunkers.

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Ahead of his fast, Narendra Modi condemns 'communal frenzy & casteism'

On the eve of his three-day fast, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi expressed "gratitude" to those who pointed out his mistakes in the last 10 years and said the state has realised that communal frenzy and casteism never helped anybody grow in the country.

"Constitution of India is supreme for us. As a chief minister of the state, pain of anybody in the state is my pain. (Delivering) Justice to everyone is the duty of the state," Modi said on the eve of his three-day fast.

Modi's remarks are being interpreted as his first ever expression of regret over the post-Godhra communal riots in which more than 1,200 people, mostly Muslims, were killed. He has been severely criticised for not expressing any remorse over the killings since 2002.

The chief minister is going on a three-day fast from tomorrow -- his 62nd birthday -- for "peace, unity and harmony" in the state. 






Full text of Narendra Modi's second letter : 

My dear Brothers and Sisters!

Sadar Pranam,

Today, I begin my three-day fast of Sadbhavna Mission with your blessings and good wishes. This Mission is totally dedicated to the society and the Nation. It aims at Unity, Harmony and Brotherhood among all.

Twenty first century did not begin well for Gujarat. In 2001, the devastating earthquake on our Republic day, took a very heavy toll. In the subsequent year, Gujarat became the victim of communal violence. We lost innocent lives, suffered devastation of property and endured lot of pain. One can visualise what all we have gone through.

Those were very difficult and trying days. However, Gujarat has come out of these difficulties and leapfrogged on the path of development. Today, Gujarat is progressing fast. The atmosphere of peace, unity, social harmony and brotherhood has given further impetus to the process of development.

The Indian history is a witness that casteism and communalism have never done any good to society. This is also my own firm conviction. Gujarat has understood this and having overcome these evils, it has adopted the path of Inclusive Development. We are committed to work for a developed Gujarat for a developed India.

My dear Brothers and Sisters, no State, society or individual can claim to be perfect. I am grateful to all those who pointed out my genuine mistakes during last 10 years. I seek your blessings to serve the people with devotion free from all human shortcomings. As Chief Minister of the State, the pain of each and every citizen is my own pain. Ensuring Justice to all is the duty of the State.

The six crore people of Gujarat are working together for their own development and that of the State. The poorest of the poor is a partner in this process and is confident that he will get the fruits of development. Everyone has inculcated the State's ethos of 'Development of all with Cooperation of all' (Sabka Saath - Sabka Vikaas).

During my fast, I will continue to pray to the Almighty to give me strength so that I do not develop or retain any ill-feeling or bitterness towards those who defamed Gujarat or me by making false allegations.

Our country is a shining example of Unity in Diversity. I am confident that with your blessings, this Sadbhavna Mission will further strengthen our social fabric.

I will also pray to God to give the requisite strength to all of us to take this Sadbhavna Mission forward.

Vande Mataram!

Always yours,
Narendra Modi

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