Mehbooba Mufti still not decided on govt

Srinagar, Feb 1, 2016, PTI

Uncertainty grew over government formation on Sunday with a tough-talking PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti saying she will take a call after “reassessing” whether ally BJP’s government at the Centre would take substantive steps in a “set timeframe” to address the “core” political and economic issues of the state.

Mehbooba, who is seen as the successor to her late father as chief minister, told a four-hour long meeting with party leaders, including MPs, MLAs, zonal presidents and block presidents, that Mufti Sayeed had taken “a courageous, although unpopular, decision of aligning with the BJP with the hope that Narendra Modi at the Centre will take decisive measures to address the core political and economic issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir and its people.”

However, “instead of partnering with and implementing Sayeed’s vision of bringing peace, stability and prosperity to J-K, certain quarters, both within the state and in New Delhi, started overtly and covertly triggering frequent controversies over avoidable contentious issues resulting in wastage of the state government’s energies in firefighting and propitiation,” she said, slamming the ally.

“In such violative circumstances around, the party will have to reassess whether we can absorb the shocks which Sayeed had to do so frequently in his effort to forge reconciliation between the regions and the people of the state,” she said.

The PDP chief said during the 10-month coalition government headed by her late father, “there was little movement forward on implementation of political and economic initiatives.

Committed to reservation for Kapu community: Naidu

Vijayawada, Jan 31, 2016, (PTI):

After a stir by Kapu community members seeking reservation under Backward Class category turned violent in Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today said he is committed to reservation for the community.
"I am committed to reservation for Kapu community for which a Judicial Commission was also constituted," Naidu told reporters here.

The Chief Minister said on the basis on the report of the commission, reservation benefits would be extended to the community without exceeding the total reservation by 50 per cent as per the decision of the Supreme Court.

"I am condemning the incident and it is unfortunate that some leaders in the guise of politicians (are) acting like 'goondas'," he added.

He further informed that 15 police personnel have been injured in the incident.
"The people from East Godavari district in which Tuni falls never indulged in such actions and they are not aggressive in nature but they were instigated a politician who amasses property by adopting corrupt practices," he added.

Naidu said he is reviewing (the situation) with the officials.

According to the Chief Minister, criminals would be punished.

The stir turned violent today with agitators setting four coaches of Ratnachal Express on fire at Tuni railway station near Kakinada in East Godavari district, severely disrupting train traffic on the Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam section.

J-K BJP's core group meets to discuss Mehbooba's statement

Jammu, Feb 1, 2016, (PTI):

The core group of state BJP met here today to discuss the political situation in Jammu and Kashmir, a day after PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti asserted that her party will have to reassess whether it can continue its alliance with BJP to form government in the state.
The meeting held in Gandhi Nagar area here saw participation of core group members, including former Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, former Ministers, MPs and BJP state president, BJP sources said.

The meeting will discuss the situation of uncertainty emerging in J&K following suspense over government formation besides the statement of Mehbooba Mufti made yesterday, they said.

After a four-hour long meeting with party leaders yesterday, Mehbooba had said PDP will take a call on government formation as and when it is confident that Mufti Mohammed Sayeed's vision and mission will be carried forward and implemented in letter and spirit.

"The Government of India shall have to take substantive measures towards implementation of the PDP-BJP ‘Agenda of Alliance’ in the interest of peace and stability in J-K and for this PDP needs a set timeframe to be worked out," she had said.

Rape victim undergoing treatment at govt hospital raped again

Jamshedpur, Feb 1, 2016, (PTI):

A 15-year-old rape victim, undergoing treatment at the government-run M G M Hospital here, was allegedly raped by a security guard in the hospital premises.
The police had arrested and forwarded a boy to the remand home after the victim alleged he had raped her in Parsudih, on the outskirts of the steel city here, a couple of days ago.
Following which, the girl was admitted to the hospital by the police.

The minor was allegedly raped by a private security guard on duty in the hospital, police said.

"We have detained two persons for questioning in this regard, while the culprit is missing," said Senior Superintendent of Police, Anoop T Mathew.

The police have started investigation into the allegations made by the girl and have launched a hunt to apprehend the private security guard, Mathew said.

An FIR was registered on the basis of the statement given by the girl, the police said.
The incident occurred hours after Chief Minister Raghubar Das inspected the hospital and held a meeting with authorities assuring improvement in the condition of the hospital

Police reinforcements sent to violence-hit East Godavari in AP

Hyderabad, Feb 1, 2016, (PTI);

 Elaborate security arrangements have been made today and reinforcements sent to East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh, where a stir by Kapu community members seeking reservation under Backward Class category turned violent.
Senior police officials, who rushed to Tuni in the district where the agitators went on a rampage setting on fire a passenger train, a police station, police and private vehicles yesterday, took stock of the situation.

They inspected the Tuni police station and others which were at the receiving end of the agitators.

"Many policemen, 10-15 have been injured. We are taking details and registering individual cases. There are no deaths. Forces have come in large numbers. We are deploying force in all places. We restrained (policemen) yesterday," a senior police official told reporters in East Godavari district.

Violence on such a large scale was not expected, he said.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the situation with ministers and officials in Vijayawada.

State Municipal Administration Minister P Narayana found fault with former minister Mudragada Padmanabham, the leader of the agitation, for not conducting the stir in a "democratic and peaceful" way.

Meanwhile, the South Central Railway today cancelled some trains and rescheduled others in the wake of the agitators setting the Vijayawada-Visakhapatnam Ratnachal Express on fire yesterday.

YSR Congress President and Opposition leader Y S Jaganmmohan Reddy, actor-turned-politician and Janasena Party founder Pavan Kalyan and also Padmanabham are scheduled to address media conferences today.

At least 15 policemen, including a senior district police officer, were injured yesterday when a stir by Kapu community members seeking reservation under Backward Class category turned violent as the agitators went on rampage, set four coaches of Ratnachal Express on fire at Tuni station and blocked the National Highway-16 in East Godavari district.

The protesters withdrew the blockade on the national highway, connecting Kolkata and Chennai, late last night.

Earlier yesterday, the agitators gathered at Tuni to attend a public meeting addressed by Padmanabham, pelted the engine of the train with stones and also attacked police personnel, before ransacking the railway station. Some bogies were also set ablaze.

However, no passenger was injured in the incident as they had alighted from the train before it was set on fire.

Governor asks Mehbooba, BJP to clarify stand on govt formation

Jammu/Srinagar, Feb 1, 2016, (PTI):

Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra has called PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti and state BJP chief Sat Pal Sharma for meeting tomorrow asking them to clarify their stand on formation of government.
"Yes, Governor has called her (Mehbooba Mufti) for a meeting tomorrow," PDP spokesman Naeem Akhter told PTI today.

According to sources, the Governor sent a fax communication to the PDP Chief last evening for holding consultations.

Mehbooba is scheduled to meet the Governor tomorrow afternoon which will be followed by a meeting between Vohra and the BJP state president.

"Yes. We are going to meet the Governor tomorrow in the evening," Sharma said.
The core group of BJP met today at the residence of its General Secretary (Organisation) Ashok Kaul to decide the future course of action, a day after Mehbooba asserted that her party will have to reassess whether it can continue its alliance with BJP to form government in the state.

In the backdrop of Governor's letter, the PDP has also called its Legislature Party meeting today.

The Governor's consultations with the PDP and BJP are seen as last ditch efforts to avoid snap assembly polls in the state as the regional party has toughened its stand.

After a four-hour long meeting with party leaders yesterday, Mehbooba had said PDP will take a call on government formation as and when it is confident that Mufti Mohammed Sayeed's vision and mission will be carried forward and implemented in letter and spirit.

"The Government of India shall have to take substantive measures towards implementation of the PDP-BJP ‘Agenda of Alliance’ in the interest of peace and stability in J-K and for this PDP needs a set timeframe to be worked out," she had said.

Meanwhile, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah today said that if PDP is not ready to form the government, fresh  elections should be held.

"If PDP is not ready to form the government, then the only option is... call for fresh polls. No other party is ready to form government with them and if PDP also wants the same, then it is time they call for fresh polls. This is what should be done in a democracy," he said.

"We have only 15 MLAs and are in no capacity to form a government," Abdullah said.

Is Gujarat not a part of India? SC raps states ignoring key schemes

New Delhi, Feb 1, 2016, (PTI):

The Supreme Court today came down heavily on certain states for not implementing welfare legislation National Food Security Act, saying that why a state like Gujarat is not implementing the law passed by Parliament.
"What is Parliament doing? Is Gujarat not a part of India? The Act says it extends to whole of India and Gujarat is not implementing it. Tomorrow somebody can say that it is not going to implement the CrPC, IPC and the Evidence Act," a bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur said.

The bench also asked the Centre to collect and collate information from drought-hit states on the status of welfare schemes like MGNREGA, National Food Security and mid-day meal.

It asked the Centre to filed the affidavit by February 10 and posted the matter for further hearing two days thereafter.

The apex court had on January 18 asked the Centre to give information about implementation of schemes under MGNREGA, Food Security Act and the mid-day meal schemes as to whether those affected were being provided the minimum required employment and food or not.

The bench was hearing a PIL which alleged that parts of states like Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Haryana and Chattisgarh have been hit by drought and the authorities were not providing adequate relief.

The PIL, filed by NGO Swaraj Abhiyan run by persons like psephologist Yogendra Yadav, had sought implementation of the National Food Security Act which guarantees 5 kg of food grains per person per month. It also sought a direction to authorities that affected families be also given pulses and edible oils.

The plea had said that school-going children be also given milk and eggs under the mid-day meal scheme.

It had also sought adequate and timely compensation for crop loss and input subsidy for the next crop to the farmers affected by drought and subsidised cattle fodder for animals.

The PIL, filed through advocate Prashant Bhushan, had alleged that the Centre and states "have been highly negligent in performing their obligations, causing enormous damage to the lives of the people due to their inaction, which is in contravention of the rights guaranteed under Articles 21 and 14 of the Constitution of India".

The petition submitted that the drought has led to severe decline in farm employment available to the rural poor.