Hundreds of BJP workers today joined the strike by sanitation workers of municipal corporations even as the Delhi Government formed a Task Force to lift garbage across the national capital. PWD Minister Satyendar Jain, who has formed task force in every district, has directed his department to clear out garbage as the strike entered the fourth day.
A senior government official said Cabinet ministers and AAP MLAs will also join the cleanliness drive from tomorrow in their respective constituencies.
In the morning, scores of sanitation workers dumped garbage outside the residence of Delhi Assembly Speaker Ramniwas Goel.
Yesterday, a group of workers and municipal corporation employees had staged a protest outside Transport Minister Gopal Rai's office in Babarpur in east Delhi.
Sanjay Gehlot, president of Swatantra Mazdoor Vikas Sanyukt Morcha, demanded that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal pay salaries first and "later settle scores with the municipal corporations."
He threatened that the protests will be stepped up if their demand is not met immediately.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has accused BJP leaders of the three municipal corporations of "instigating" the workers to throw garbage outside the ministers' residences and offices.
Demanding regular salaries, payment of long pending arrears, regularisation of contract-based workers, health cards and unification of three municipal corporations, the workers launched the strike on January 27.
Padsalgikar to succeed Javed as Mumbai Police Commissioner
Mumbai, Jan 30, 2016 (PTI)
Senior IPS officer Datta Padsalgikar was today named as the new Police Commissioner of Mumbai. Padsalgikar will take over tomorrow and succeeds Ahmed Javed, who has been appointed as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
"Government is pleased to appoint D D Padsalgikar, IPS (1982) as the next Commissioner of Police, Mumbai with effect from January 31 on superannuation of Ahmad Javed, IPS (1980), the present Commissioner of Police, Mumbai.
"The post of Commissioner of Police, Mumbai stands downgraded to the rank of Additional Director General of Police till further orders," a senior official said.
Earlier in the day, Javed got an official send off from his fellow police officers at Naigaon Police parade ground in Central Mumbai.
During his short speech, Javed thanked the state police force for supporting him and congratulated the 13 President Medal's recipients from Mumbai police. Javed said he is proud to take over his next assignment.
3 Kamduni convicts get death, 3 others life term
Kolkata, Jan 30, 2016 (PTI)
Three convicts of the sensational Kamduni gangrape and murder of a 21-year-old college student over two years back were today sentenced to death by a city court while three others got life imprisonment.
Additional Sessions Judge Sanchita Sarkar handed out capital sentence to Aminul Ali, Saiful Ali and Ansar Ali, while Imanul Islam, Aminul Islam and Bhola Naskar were sentenced to life imprisonment for the gangrape and brutal murder of the woman on June 7, 2013.
Rejecting arguments for not giving death sentence to the three, who were found guilty of gangrape and murder, by their lawyers claiming it could not be termed as the rarest of rare crime, the judge pronounced the sentences at 3.40 pm.
The judge called out the names of each of the convicts, who were produced in the packed court room, before pronouncing the sentences.
Saiful Ali, Ansar Ali and Aminul Ali were found guilty under sections 376(d) (gangrape), 302 (murder), 376A (inflicting injury which causes death of a woman) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC.
The judge found the other three guilty under sections 376(d) (gangrape), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) of IPC.
Two accused -- Rafiqul Islam and Nur Ali were acquitted on Thursday owing to lack of evidence against them. Another accused Gopal Naskar died during trial in August last year.
The gangrape and murder of the girl took place when she was returning home at Kamduni, about 50 km from Kolkata, in North 24-Parganas district after appearing for an examination at her college on June 7, 2013.
The second year BA student was pulled into a farm when she was walking back home along a deserted road after alighting from a bus. She was subsequently gangraped and murdered.
Her mutilated body was found the next morning in a corner of the farm. The incident had sparked widespread outrage in the state amidst serious concerns over women's safety.
Judge Sarkar pronounced the verdict after hearing the arguments of defence counsel Firoze Edulji and T Ghosh against handing out of death sentence to the three convicts.
Claiming that there had been more heinous crimes in which convicts had been spared the death sentence by different courts, including the Supreme Court, Edulji submitted that they be given long jail terms.
Appearing for the prosecution, counsel Dipak Ghosh said the circumstances in which the victim died and the nature of injuries to her private parts that led to tearing up of her legs be considered while handing out the sentence.
He stated that the convicts had shown no repentance for the crime, while pleading for the death penalty.
"Annihilation is what they deserve," Ghosh submitted. The judge talked to all the six convicts, each of whom claimed that they were innocent and had been framed.
Trial in the case had been transferred to City Sessions Court here from Barasat Sessions Court after the counsel for one of the accused moved Calcutta High Court claiming that protesters were preventing him from representing his client. The hearing in the case was concluded on December 18.
Union minister Uma Bharti today described Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, as a "sarfira" (crazy person) and said the ideology of the father of the nation is immortal. On Gandhi's death anniversary, she urged heads of village panchayats located along the Ganga to participate in cleaning the river and said she would hold a 'padayatra' in reaching out to the villagers for this task.
"Today it is the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. A crazy person had ended his life on this day. Gandhi ji is not alive, but his ideology is immortal.
"Gandhiji would say India's soul was in its rural parts. Today is a good day to hold consultations with heads of the villages on cleaning Ganga," she said without naming Godse.
Addressing 'Swachh Ganga - Gramin Sahbhagita', a national-level consultation programme, Bharti claimed herself a "devotee" of Gandhi and said the Ganga Rejuvenation ministry under her is working on the path shown by the late leader.
Bharti noted the Rs 4,000 crore fund spent on cleaning the river over 29 years did not bear desired fruits, but exuded confidence that Ganga will be among top 10 cleanest rivers in the world when the Rs 20,000 crore alloted by NDA government for Namami Gange programme will be utilised.
"In the last 60-70 years, urbanisation along the river took place in an anti-Ganga way. Infrastructure was developed without keeping Ganga in mind," she rued and added the government will not hesitate from seeking money for the mission in case the already alloted funds prove insufficient.
Bharti said the water resources department was working with other ministries like HRD, Rural Development, Tourism, Sports, in rejuvenating the river and ensuring disposal of solid waste and sewage water.
She said the government was planning to initiate organic farming along Ganga's stretch. "We will sign a MoU with Agriculture Minister in this regard. We are also working out list of ponds situated along the river. Water from the ponds will be released in Ganga during lean period," she said.
Seeking to take out a 'padayatra' (foot march) in all hamlets situated along Ganga to reach out to the villagers, she said, "I want to hold the foot march to urge people for a Clean Ganga, which will be a gift to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi."
Bharti said and also lauded the Prime Minister for his commitment towards execution of the Ganga action plan. Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Smriti Irani, Birender Singh, Sarbananda Sonowal, Mahesh Sharma and Sanwar Lal Jat also attended the event, considered as a first attempt to rope in villagers in the mission.
Kerala Excise Minister withdraws resignation
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Jan 30, 2016, DHNS
Senior Congress leader and bar bribery scam accused K Babu on Saturday withdrew his resignation after a meeting of the Congress-led ruling coalition decided against accepting his offer to step down as excise minister in the wake of a “favourable” court ruling.
The United Democratic Front (UDF) also decided in favour of reinstating Kerala Congress (M) veteran K M Mani who had stepped down as the finance minister over bar bribery allegations. Mani said he would take a decision later.
Babu had handed over his resignation to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on January 23 after a vigilance court in Thrissur ordered the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to register a case against him. Chandy, however, did not resign.
The UDF’s backing for Babu comes in the wake of a high court order which stayed, for two months, the lower court’s order. “I did not want a comeback but I’m obliged to go with the decision of the party leadership and the UDF. Under the circumstances, I’ve been forced to withdraw my resignation,” Babu told reporters in Kochi.
Mani thanked the UDF leadership but said he was in no “hurry” to return to the Cabinet. “This is an important political decision to make. I’ll discuss the issue within the party and take a suitable decision,” he said.
Chandy himself, under fire after serious allegations of bribery made by solar fraud accused Saritha S Nair, is staying in office by citing a high court ruling which stayed the vigilance court’s order for a probe against him. With barely three months left for the government’s term to end, Mani will be caught between two choices – come back or keep off power citing “moral grounds”. His reported plan for a meeting with BJP national president Amit Shah has also triggered conspiracy theories on pressure tactics.
Mani stepped down as finance minister in November last year. The VACB has since given a clean chit to him amid suspicions on authenticity of the probe. Babu is facing the charge of accepting Rs 50 lakh as bribe from bar owner Biju Ramesh in return for favourable decisions in renewal of bar licences.
Nitish attacks Centre for 'ignoring' Bihar in Smart City list
Patna, Jan 30, 2016(PTI)
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today hit out at the Centre for not selecting any city from Bihar in the the list of 20 smart cities and said the BJP-led Union government has no consideration to maintain regional balance.
The Centre had sought proposal from the state for smart city, which was provided to them as per the requirement specified, but still no city of Bihar finds place in the list announced for converting them into smart city, Kumar said.
"There is no rule or law before them...something other is going in the country these days," he said.
"There is no 'maryada' (decency), 'niyam' (rules), neither they have any consideration to maintain regional balance," Kumar, who is senior leader of JD(U) said.
"This is example of 'andher nagri' (misrule)," the Bihar CM said. In reply to a question over the BJP mocking him for foundation-laying of six-lane bridge over Ganga tomorrow, Kumar clarified that it is an inauguration for starting the work and not a foundation laying ceremony which had already been done before poll.
Work would start on the bridge project intended to lower load over Gandhi Setu on Ganga at present after making arrangements for funding and other aspects.
Kumar said, "When they were with me, they used to insist that their name should be there on the foundation stone even in the condition of failing to turn up for the programme."
"Ramvilas Paswan had got foundation laying of the rail-cum road brige from Digha to Sonepur by the then Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda without arranging fund for it. When I was Railway minister, I got the work started on the said project by the then PM A B Vajpayee after allocation of fund for it," he said.
Rahul to PM, RSS: 'Don't impose one idea from top on students'
Hyderabad, Jan 30, 2016 (PTI)
Rahul Gandhi today went on a day- long fast at Hyderabad Central University backing protesting students on the Dalit scholar suicide issue and accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS of trying to crush the spirit of students by imposing "one idea from the top". "My main opposition to Mr.Narendra Modi and RSS is that they are trying to crush the spirit of Indian students and youngsters by imposing one idea from the top," the Congress Vice President said.
Drawing parallel between Rohith's suicide and Mahatma Gandhi's assasination, he said "what has happened here is exactly what was done to Gandhiji".
"Gandhiji was killed by the same forces which did not allow him to speak the truth he wanted to say. It is exactly the same thing that has happened to Rohith...they did not want him to speak the truth that he saw in this institution," he said.
Insisting that the incident is not related to one individual or any one particular community, Rahul told the students,"You will find one day that the same people who crushed Rohith will be blocking your path to freedom and progress".
"My message to every single student of this country is- when you let what happened to Rohith happen, it will happen to you one day," he said..
Rahul first joined agitating students in a candle light vigil past midnight to mark the birthday of Rohith, who would have turned 27 today, and later went on a nearly nine-hour fast with them.
"Do not force your idea on these students. Give them their dignity and respect. I want to say without any animosity & with respect- Modiji, if you want India to progress,you have to unleash the power of these students. If they are feeling discriminated in their universities and their colleges, you will not be able to unleash the power of these students," he said.
Rahul also advocated that a law be enacted to end massive discrimination in our universities.
"It is time for India to have a law that targets such discrimination in all universities and institutions," he said asking the PM to look into the possibility of passing such a law.
Rahul, who is visiting the campus for the second time in as many weeks, tweeted, "I am here today at the request of Rohith's friends and family, to stand with them in their fight for justice.
"A young life full of dreams and aspirations was cut short. We owe it to him, to the memory of (Mahatma) Gandhiji and to every single Indian student who dreams of an India free from prejudice and injustice," he said in another tweet.
Rohith's mother Radhika and brother Raju were also present at the protest site. In Delhi, three Union Ministers accused Congress of shedding "crocodile tears" over the suicide issue and attacked Rahul for using students as a "political tool".
Rahul, who arrived here at 12.10 AM, spoke to the agitating students and lit candles before Rohith's picture.
"We owe it to him (Rohith), to the memory of Gandhiji and to every single Indian student who dreams of an India free from prejudice and injustice," he said.
"If you are in India where discrimination is taking place, where people are being crushed because of where they come from, who they are, what religion they belong to, you will never be able to build a modern economy. It is a fantasy," he said.
He said that the idea of 'Make in India' has to be interlinked to issues like discrimination. "These are not separate ideas," he said.
Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said nine cases of Dalit student suicides had taken place in the campus during the UPA rule but Rahul never bothered to go there.
"Congress is shedding crocodile tears simply to gain political mileage... This is part of their anti-Modi campaign across the country," he told reporters.
Also attacking Rahul, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said,"Exams are nearing in Hyderabad (university). All the students are busy with studies. The government has (already) announced judicial probe into the matter. Peace has been restored there. (In such times), Rahul Gandhi ji is politicising the issue."
Rural Development Minister Birender Singh also took a pot-shot at Rahul, saying the "the party which has been reduced to 44 MPs from 206 MPs in Lok Sabha is politicising every issue".
As students raised slogans against Irani and Dattatreya, Rahul intervened and politely told them not to shout 'murdabad'. "Let us not say 'murdabad' to somebody," he said.
Hitting back at the BJP, Congress accused it of failing to initiate action against its leaders including Union ministers for the suicide of the Dalit scholar.
"Who has resorted to politics in the matter? It is the BJP. Union Minister Dattatreya wrote to HRD Minister Irani against the dalit students following complaint from the ABVP President. The HRD Minister wrote as many as five letters to the University," senior party spokesman Ajay Maken said.
Activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) protested against Rahul's visit even as it called for a "bandh" in Telangana colleges.
Velpula Sunkanna, one of the research scholars whose suspension was revoked recently, said Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao Podile should be removed from the VC post.
"On January 17, we have filed SC/ST Atrocities case against Appa Rao and (five) others. These six people should be arrested immediately. Thats the only demand," Sunkanna, who is on an indefinite fast along with Vijay Kumar (another scholar whose suspension was revoked), said.
Vemula was found hanging in the varsity's hostel room on January 17. The Congress Vice President had earlier visited the University on January 19 following the suicide by the Dalit scholar and met the agitating students and the family members of Vemula.
