2100 HRS.
27-10-2013

THE HEADLINES 

• Five killed and 83 injured in Patna serial blasts; Home Ministry seeks a report, NIA and NSG teams rushed to Patna.
• Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar rules out political conspiracy.
• Flood situation remains grim in Ganjam, Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts of Odisha; Major rivers in  spate in Andhra Pradesh.
• Arson and violence mark the first day of 60-hour opposition hartal in Bangladesh.
• In Maldives, Parliament approves proposal for Speaker to assume Presidency, in case a new President is not elected by the 10th of next month.
• Over 56 killed in a wave of car bombings in Iraq.
• Sebastian Vettel of RedBull completes hat-trick of wins in the Indian Grand Prix Formula One race in NOIDA.

  <><>

In Bihar, at least 5 people were killed and 83 injured in 7 low intensity serial blasts that rocked Patna ahead of Narendra Modi’s Hunkar rally in the city today. The Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that six low intensity blasts occurred in the outer periphery of the Gandhi Maidan, the venue of the rally, and one at the Patna railway station. Addressing a press conference in Patna Mr. Kumar said that the serial blasts were an attempt to disrupt law and order in the state.  Chief Minister ruled out any political conspiracy and said that Bihar has no history of political confrontation.  Nitish Kumar denied any security lapses and said there was no advance intelligence warning in this regard. 
 
The police is investigating the blasts.  They have defused bombs at several spots.  It appears the blasts were engineered to spoil the atmosphere in Bihar.  The police is probing the whole matter.  Four more live bombs have been recovered from various spots and have been deactivated. Our correspondent reports that National Investigation Agency, NIA, has started investigations.
 
National Investigation Agency reached the spot and began priliminary investigations. Chief Minister Nitish has order an inquiry into the bomb blasts and cancelled his scheduled Munger  visit. After the meeting with senior officials Mr Kumar said that appropriate security arrangements were made for the rally. CM has announced ex gratia of rupees 5 lakhs to the families of the deceased and free treatment for the injured person. State DGP Abhyanad said that Improvised Explosive Devices were planted in the blasts. He said that police found some documents related to the blasts, but cannot reveal their contents now for the sack of investigation. All political parties have condemned the blasts. Diwakar Kumar, Patna 

<><>

The President and the Prime Minister have condemned the serial blasts in Patna and have appealed for calm. President Pranab Mukherjee  said the nation must remain firm in its resolve to fight against all forms of terror as violence has no place in a civilised society.  The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh spoke to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and asked him to speedily probe the blasts and ensure that that perpetrators are punished, a PMO statement said.
    
Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde also spoke to the Chief Minister, report agencies. The Home Ministry has sought a report from the Bihar government on the explosions and has sent teams of National Investigation Agency (NIA) and National Security Guard (NSG) to the state. Union Minister of State for Home R P N Singh said that only after the investigation will it be clear whether it was a terror attack or a political conspiracy.          T

he Home Ministry is in constant touch with with the officials of Bihar.  We are getting regular updates from there.  We have assured the Bihar Government that whatever help is required to probe the matter, will be promptly provided by the Centre.  The Centre will also help in nabbing all those involved in the case as much as possible.

<><><>

Congress President Sonia Gandhi said, such subversive and cowardly acts aim at hitting at the democracy and whoever perpetrates such ghastly acts should be brought to justice at the earliest . The Congress while condemning the blast in Patna, expressed hope that the NIA and other investigating agencies of Bihar will unearth the conspiracy behind it. Talking to AIR, party General Secretary, Shakil Ahmed said that his party appeals to the people of Bihar to maintain peace and calm in the State. Mr Ahmed said the  Congress  stands by the families of those injured and killed in the blast. 
       
The BJP has demanded a through investigation. Talking to AIR, party General Secretary Rajiv Pratap Rudy said  that his party has appealed to the people to maintain peace in the state. Mr Rudy also demanded the State Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to take  immediate action in this regard.

<><>

The Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has criticzed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for snapping ties with the BJP. Addressing the  'Hunkar' rally at Gandhi Maidan in Patna today, Modi dubbed Kumar as an opportunist who, he alleged, had left leaders like Jayprakash Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia and betrayed the people of Bihar. JD(U) had quit the NDA opposing Modi's elevation as the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate.

<><>

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi has said his party is in favour of empowering women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. Addressing a election rally in New Delhi today, he alleged that the opposition was responsible for not getting the Women reservation bill passed in Parliament. Mr Gandhi said the Delhi Metro rail model is being adopted by several states and even by some foreign countries.  He said the UPA government has given a world-class airport to Delhiites. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said if Congress comes back to power in the Assembly elections in Delhi, the government will introduce some schemes beneficial to the girl child.

<><>

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy sustained minor injuries when miscreants pelted stone at his car in Kannur this evening. The Chief Minister was on his way to participate in a function. The CPI-M party workers were protesting against the Chief Minister near the venue when the incident occurred. The protest was part of its state-wide agitation demanding his resignation on the Solar Scam issue. Oommen Chandy was given first aid after  which he attended the function.

<><>

In Odisha, the flood situation continues to remain grim  mainly in Ganjam, Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts. The low pressure induced rains have led to fresh floods in Budhabalang river in Mayurbhanj district with water gushing into district headquarters town of Baripada and 50 villages. The rains have affected relief and rescue operations in several areas, particularly Ganjam, Gajapati and Nayagarh districts.  However, there is some respite for the people of Ganjam with major rivers including the Rusikulya, Godahada and Vansadhara now flowing below the danger mark.  
 
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister of Odisha, SN Patro, has hoped that the situation would improve soon as the intensity of the week-long rains had started declining in most areas of the state. He said the emergency food assistance was being provided for three days to the rain-affected people. Train services have also been badly affected due to submergence of tracks leading to cancellation of a number of trains and diversification of long-routed trains. Meanwhile, the Bhubaneswar Met office has predicted heavy  rainfall in the districts of Gajapati, Ganjam, Koraput, Rayagada, Nayagarh, Puri, Khordha, Jagatsinghpur and Cuttack of Odisha during next 24 hours. Prakash Dash, AIR News, Bhubaneswar

<><>

In Andhra Pradesh, the death toll has gone up to 42 and five more persons are missing due to rains and floods in the state.  Four thousand two hundred villages remained marooned. About 22 thousand houses have been damaged while crops in about 8 lakh hectares are affected. Assistance of Army and Air Force has been sought for rescue and relief operations as the flood situation continued to be grim in several rain-hit areas.  After Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy reviewed the situation at a high level meeting, additional NDRF teams have been sought from neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Odisha for relief operations.
      
Meanwhile, the government has announced immediate assistance of 10 kg rice and 5 thousand rupees towards clothing and utensils to each affected family. About 97 thousand people are taking shelter in 235 relief camps. The state authorities have  preliminarily estimated the losses due to heavy rains at 1,868 crore rupees.  Our Correspondent reports that road and rail transport is severely hit in the rain affected areas of the state. 
 
Flood water washed away soil from beneath railway tracks at several places due to incessant rains that lashed the state for the past six days. Dozens of express trains were cancelled and several others were diverted due to which commuters in large numbers stranded at several stations including Rajhamundry, Ankapalli, Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.  The rail services to Bubaneswar, Chennai, and Howrah were badly affected. The road transport was also hit as the highways looking like streams and washed away at a number of places disrupting road traffic. Vamsadhara River is in spate posing grave threat of flooding several villages due to which 10 teams of NDRF have been rushed to the district. The authorities have also sought assistance from Army, Air Force and also NDRF teams from neighbouring states.-Lakshmi, airnews, Hyderabad

<><>

In Bangladesh arson and violence marked the first day of the 60-hour hartal called by the Opposition to press its demand for non-partisan election-time government in the country. 
    
Despite heavy deployment of police and paramilitary personnel, capital Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh expereinced  violence and arson today. As police fought pitched battles with opposition activists, who torched buses and trucks,  and hurled crude bombs, they also recovered a bomb haul in a staff quarter of Dhaka University. Dhaka Metropolitan police have filed 16 cases in connection with a string of violent incidents including attacks on police stations and setting fire to public property. The son and daughter of the country's Attorney General have been sent death threats.  In other parts of Bangladesh,  two trains were set on fire at Jopypurhat injuring over 50 passengers.  A Hindu temple was reportedly attacked in Rajshahi along with shops and business establishments.  Meanwhile noted civil society members are urging the Opposition to withdraw the hartal and accept the PM's invitation for negotiaons over the issue of polls-time government.  Melinda dias for AIR News, Dhaka

<><>

Maldives Parliament, Peoples’ Majlis, today approved a proposal by the Maldivian Democratic Party for the Speaker of parliament to assume the Presidency in case the new President is not elected by midnight of November 10. The sitting of Majlis today was called by the Speaker in response to the request by President Waheed to find a solution to the constitutional impasse after November 11th in case the elections on 9th do not throw up a clear winner. The second round of elections are slated to be held on 16th of next month.  On a dissenting note, leaders of Progressive Party of Maldives said that the Speaker cannot assume the presidency without amending the constitution as there was no provision for such an arrangement. 

 <><>

A wave of car bombings in Iraq has killed more than 56 people and wounded many others.  Most of the victims died in a series of coordinated attacks in predominantly Shia districts in the capital Baghdad.  Police officials said the bombs, placed in parked cars and detonated over a half-hour, targeted commercial areas and parking lots. In the southeastern Nahrwan district two car bombs exploded simultaneously, killing seven and wounding 15 others. 

<><>

Retiring cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar was accorded a guard of honour at Lahli in Haryana during the Ranji Trophy match between Mumbai and hosts Haryana. To mark the occasion, players from both the teams lined up on two sides at the start of the match as the champion batsman walked out to a thunderous ovation at the Chaudhary Bansi Lal Stadium.Tendulkar, will walk into international sunset after playing in his landmark 200th Test from November 14-18 in Mumbai.

<><>

Sebastian Vettel of RedBull today completed hat-trick of wins in the Indian Grand Prix Formula One race at Budha International Circuit in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.  He becomes the youngest ever racer to win Formula One Championship four times in a row.  This is his sixth consecutive win in a total of ten.

<><>

The International Cricket Council, ICC today released the match schedules for the ICC World Twenty20 which will be held in Bangladesh from 16th March to 6th April next year. India figures in Group-B along with the defending champions West Indies, Pakistan, Australia and the qualifier from Group A. 

<><>

The News Services Division of All India Radio in its weekly 'PUBLIC SPEAK" programme tomorrow will bring you a discussion on 'FOOD INFLATION AND MEASURES TO CURB IT".  This can be heard on FM Gold Channel and additional frequencies at 9.30 p.m. Listeners can ask questions to the experts sitting in our studio on telephone number: 011-2331-4444. This programme is also available on Doordarshan DTH.