As Telangana stands suspended, Pranab Mukherjee ensured while meeting a delegation of Congress MPs from the state’s Andhra and Rayalaseema regions in the Parliament House that the statehood of Telangana will not be discussed in Lok Sabha unless and until Andhra Pradesh passes a resolution keeping into view the wishes and demands of the leaders for another separate state of Telangana.
Popularity: 9%
Union home secretary G K Pillai hinted that Hyderabad will be the capital of Telangana, the proposed state to be cut out of the state of Andhra Pradesh. “Hyderabad, I think, will always be the capital of Telangana, Pillai stated at a press meet today.
This statement comes a day after atleast 130 MPs have threatened to resign in a protest against culling out the state of Telengana. “I’m sure that in the coming days, as people understand the real implication of what is meant, I think the agitation would die down and the process for formation of the new state would continue,” Pillai said.
Pillai’s remark has been termed “Provocative” by many.
The crisis has deepened as more and more political patriots deciding on resignations. The MPs led by K.Sambasiva Rao said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has assured them that no hasty decisions will be taken to bring into effect the new state. Rao said that “The prime minister has assured us that no hasty decision will be taken on this issue. He said the matter will be discussed in the Congress core committee meeting expected later Friday.”
L. Rajagaopal, a Congress MP, warned the government that he will start a fast if Telangana is ever designed out of AP. Out of the 130 MPs who have already submitted their resignations, 76 legislators belong to the ruling Congress, 40 of the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and 14 of the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP). They have all accused the UPA-led government of not consulting them when making decisions on Telangana. The Congress has a total of 156 legislators in State Assembly. Chief Minister K. Rosaiah although denied that the possibility of a minority position in the assembly if supporting legislators resign, but said that he received neither written nor oral directions from the central government to move a resolution in the assembly and pointed out that such resolutions can be passed only after consensus.
Popularity: 12%
In a historic moment of India’s history of controversial amendments or suggestions for the previous laws, the Supreme Court today asked the government to legalize prostitution in order to monitor and thus avoid trafficking of women and providing alternative means for such women’s future.
Justices Dalveer Bhandari and AK Patnaik told Solicitor-General Gopal Subramaniam that “When you say it is the world’s oldest profession and when you are not able to curb it by laws, why don’t you legalize it? You can then monitor the trade, rehabilitate and provide medical aid to those involved.”
The judges emphasized the immediate implementation of the legalisation procedure for sex trade as no country has ever been able to totally curb this by legalisation.
Popularity: 11%
Replying to a media question on India’s stand in the global war against Taliban, Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor told the parliament that India needs to support the US military aggression in Afghanistan against the Talibanis and any other separatist group within the Afghan boundaries.
Supporting the military offensive played by North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) under United States’ leadership, Tharoor reminded us the credits Afghanistan has given to India in its nation rebuilding. “Our efforts are appreciated and acknowledged by the people of Afghanistan,” the minister was quoted as saying.
Popularity: 2%
India Government is soon going to launch the “bivalent oral polio vaccine (BoPV) to attack the type 1 and type 3 virus. It will help us to deal with the fresh outbreak of type 3 virus,” Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said after attending a special polio vaccine campaign held for street children. BoPV, according to the minister, is likely to challenge any further attacks by the deadly type 1 virus and may succeed in completely annihilating the type 1 virus.
Till 2006, Indian children were only afflicted with the type 1 virus, but type 3 has made an ominous presence in the current scenario. “Introduction of bivalent vaccine is likely to improve the situation a great deal,” Azad told the media that he was hopeful. “Government is committed to wipe out polio from the country and in this national and international organizations, state governments and general public will have to work in a concerted manner.”
While both Type 1 and Type 3 viruses can cause paralysis, type 1 affects one out of every 200 children and Type 3 may afflict one out of every 1000. India has, so far, used monovalent oral polio vaccine and the trivalent oral polio vaccine.
Popularity: 4%
Lashkar-e-Toiba accused militant David C Headley had made frequent visits to India before the Mumbai attacks on November 26 last year, Chidambaram confirmed. US based operatives Headley and his accomplice Tahawwur Hussain Rana were arrested last month by FBI and had been proved of having close ties with the Pakistani militants.
“He visited India many a times before 26/11. We are investigating probable link between 26/11 and Headley. ”
US investigatives had, for quite some time, suspected Al Qaeda and LeT to have been using unsuspecting western nationals as part of their terror schemes. And it took quite a while to share and exchange such investigative information “with our foreign partners as we worked together to mitigate these threats,” David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, further added, “this case is a reminder that the threat posed by international terrorist organizations is global in nature and requires constant vigilance at home and abroad.”
Popularity: 11%
29 fresh cases of Dengue were reported today in Delhi taking the toll of victims struck with this deathly vector-borne disease to 527. Chief Medical Officer, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, N.K. Yadav told the media that “about 203 challans were issued in last one week. At least 5,166 challans have been issued since January where breeding of mosquito (in stagnant water) responsible for spread of the disease was found.”
Debashish Bhattacharya, the state’s nodal officer for assessing the correct number of dengue cases stated that 1,354 legal notices have been issued to places where breeding of mosquitoes have not been checked. Bhattacharya succedded Charan Singh who was pulled out by Delhi Health’s Minister Kiran Walia on charges of miscalculations of infections. Bhattacharya, “as the state nodal officer, will collect and cross check the figures of dengue cases from the hospitals,” Walia informed.
Popularity: 4%
Once again Pakistan bears the brunt of accusal of terrorist sheltering from the Indian side as Defence Minister A.K. Anthony refutes that there are “various terrorists groups operating from Pakistan, but despite our repeated requests all terrorist camps are intact. Many of them are in the vicinity of their army bases. It is a matter of concern and worry to us.”
When asked what will be India’s stand in this critical state where Pakistan has not yet confirmed its diplomatic stand concerning terrorism in its basic military framework, Antony responded that “we are eternally vigilant and if something happens we will act accordingly.” The defense minister was confident that India will “defeat their attempts” and added that “Unless Pakistan takes sincere action against these terror groups and dismantles these terror outfits, it is very difficult to improve our relationship with Pakistan.”
“We know very well that there are forces who now and then are creating problems in India. We are making all out precautions not only in NDC but across the country,” Antony concluded.
Popularity: 2%
courtesy hinduuonnet
Offering $263 million credits for setting up three projects ,which are, the 60-MW Katende hydroelectric power project which is expected to cost $160 millions, $50-million Kinshasa City Urban Railway System Rehabilitation project and $45-million Kakobola Hydro-electric power project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and also for the enhancement of IT setor in the country, Indian Foreign Exchange Minister S.M. Krishna reportedly made the media aware of India’s hand of friendship towards the Central African country.The decisions were taken after Congo Foreign Minister, Alexis Thambwe Mwamba visited India for a four-day official visit.
Appreciating the meticulous work of the Indian contingent of 5,000 soldiers in the UN Mission to DR Congo (MONUC), Mwamba stated that India has ” not only engaged in peace-keeping but also carried out significant humanitarian work for the Congolese”.
Popularity: 4%
courtesy parinda.com
Stressing the importance of a holistic approach towards curbing Maoist violence across the affected states of India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today stated the need of the hour to “maintain and enforce law and order. Law and order is a precondition for any sustained social and economic development.”
In a tone slightly different from the very rigid one of Home Minister P. Chidambaram that had so far sparked counter action on the part of the separatists, the prime minister said he could “recognise that in certain areas, particularly in areas where the tribal population is in large (numbers), there is alienation.”
Popularity: 4%
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