2100 HRS.
2nd February, 2014
THE HEADLINES
- BJP Prime-Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi accuses the Congress of spewing poison and indulging in divisive politics.
- NCP to resolve seat sharing issue with Congress for Lok Sabha polls in ten days, says Sharad Pawar.
- AIADMK and CPI to enter into an alliance ahead of the coming Lok Sabha polls.
- Supreme Court allows the Centre to go ahead with the auction of spectrum, slated for tomorrow.
- 12 Indian sailors from Gujarat earlier reported missing in a boat capsize off Yemen coast are safe
- Thailand votes today under heavy security in snap elections amid boycott calls from the opposition.
- IN CRICKET:Karnataka lifts Ranji Trophy beating Maharashtra.
<><><>
BJP prime-ministerial candidate Narendra Modi today criticised Congress President Sonia Gandhi over her 'Zeher ki Kheti' barb and alleged that it is the Congress which spews poison and indulges in divisive politics. Addressing a rally at Meerut in Uttar Pradesh today, Modi accused Congress of driving a wedge between states and communities and referred to the Telangana issue saying that the whole of Andhra Pradesh is engulfed in a fire because of the way Congress had handled the issue. He said that he had made Gujarat free of riots and would make Uttar Pradesh also riot-free if his party is voted to power.
BJP believe in peace , unity, brotherhood and sadbhavana. Does UP want to be riot free ? Believe in us and we promise you that we will give a riot free state.
Modi's counter-attack on the Congress came a day after Sonia Gandhi at a rally in Karnataka had accused Modi and BJP of indulging in divisive politics by sowing seeds of poison and instigating violence in their "hunger" for power. He also attacked the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh and the AAP government in Dehi and sought a mandate for his party in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
<><><>
NCP President Sharad Pawar today said the issue of seat sharing with Congress for the upcoming general elections will be resolved in next 10 days. In a tweet, Mr Pawar said talks are on in a cordial manner and his party colleague Praful Patel has not given any ultimatum to the Congress in this regard. He said the country needs a stable government and claimed that Aam Aadmi Party will have no impact on Lok Sabha poll outcomes.
Responding to a query during a press conference at Kolhapur in Maharashtra today, the NCP chief said there was no need for further debate once courts had ruled on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's role during the 2002 riots. He reiterated the stand taken recently by his party colleague Praful Patel that any judicial pronouncement on Modi's alleged involvement in the post-Godhra riots should be accepted. Patel said NCP will not question it further.
<><><>
The ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu and CPI have announced their decision to enter into an alliance ahead of the coming Lok Sabha polls. The announcement was made by AIADMK Supremo and Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha at a press conference in Chennai today.
Meanwhile, Janata Dal (United), which walked out of NDA last year, has said taht it will strive for formation of a Third Force though there are internal contradictions.
In an interview to a news agency, party President Sharad Yadav scotched speculation of JD (U) aligning with the BJP again after the Lok Sabha polls, saying the parting of ways happened on ideological issues and there is no question of their joining hands again. He also ruled out any truck with Congress in the next Lok Sabha polls.
<><><>
The Congress today said that party Vice President Rahul Gandhi's experiment of choosing Congress candidates for Lok Sabha polls in over 15 constituencies with direct feedback on the lines of US primaries will continue notwithstanding some initial hiccups. Stating this in New Delhi today party spokesman Ajay Maken insisted that the new process is in line with Rahul Gandhi's focus on opening the system by ending the high command culture and empowering the grass-root workers.
<><><>
Lone Janata Dal (United) MLA Shoaib Iqbal has given a 48-hour ultimatum to the Delhi government to meet his demands on issues such as slashing power and water bills, women's security and fair probe into the 2010 Commonwealth Games scam. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi today, Iqbal claimed that people were not with the AAP anymore.
Meanwhile, expelled AAP leader Vinod Kumar Binny said he had the support of four legislators, including Iqbal and Independent legislator Rambeer Shaukin.
<><><>
The Department of Telecom will conduct Spectrum auction tomorrow. Eight companies including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Reliance Infocom will battle it out at the auction.The Department of Telecom has put on the block around 385 MHz of radiowaves in the 1800 MHz band, and 46 MHz in the 900 MHz band. The third round of spectrum auction follows a Supreme Court order in 2G case directing that all the radiowaves freed from the cancellation of 122 licences in February 2012 should be auctioned.
This time , Telecom authority has fixed the base price for sale of spectrum in the 1800 Mhz band for pan-India at 1,765 crore rupees per MHz, about 26 percent lower than in the March sale. The government is hopeful that all the spectrum put on auction table would be sold out.
With Pratyush this is POOJA TRIPATHI AIR NEWS DELHI
In a special hearing today the Supreme Court allowed the Centre to go ahead with the auction of spectrum while rejecting any interim relief to telecom companies who sought a stay on the auction.
The government expects a minimum of 11,300 crore rupees in upfront payments from the auction of airwaves, which are worth about 49,000 crore rupees at the base price.
<><><>
The much awaited country’s first monorail service was thrown open for the public in Mumbai today. Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan yesterday inaugurated the new project in Chembur. The first train ran today at 7 am and the journey will now continue giving a vibrant experience to the Mumbaikars.
<><><>
In Assam, security forces have arrested two cadres of banned outfit National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Sangbijit faction) along with a linkman in Sonitpur district in connection with the killing of Additional SP Guljar Hussein. Official sources said that militants killed 2 persons including the Additional SP on 28th of January at Dhekiajuli . Sources said that the arrested militants were involved in the ambush while the linkman provided shelter to militants to carry out the operation.
<><><>
The Arunachal Pradesh Government has announced ex-gratia payment of three lakh rupees each for those killed and 50 thousand rupees each to the seriously injured in the Tarasso incident on Wednesday.Chief Minister Nabam Tuki ordered Papum Pare Deputy Commissioner for disbursement of payment. He also appealed to the Union Home Minister to have an independent investigation.
Ten CPI(ML) supporters were killed and eight others injured when unidentified persons from Arunachal Pradesh attacked the CPI(ML) men at Chaulduha in Assam's Sonitpur district on January 29.
<><><>
Twelve Indian sailors from Gujarat who went missing after their dhow cargo boat sank off the coast of southeast Yemen’s Hadramout province are safe. They are being brought from the north eastern village of Shehr to Al Makalla port in Yemen. Indian Embassy officials in Sanaa told AIR a short while ago that all 12 sailors and the boat were from Gujarat and the boat was carrying truck chassis parts. It ran aground in the high tides only to be found after some time. Yemeni authorities said that the members would be interrogated for illegal cargo activity being undertaken by them. Earlier reports had suggested that the the cargo boat sank off the coastal City of Shehr, leaving 12 Indian sailors missing.
<><><>
Mauritanian Prime Minister Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdaf and his entire cabinet has resigned. State-run news agency, AMI said, the reason for mass resignations is not clearly known. Prime Minister Laghdaf had been in his post since 2009.
<><><>
Thailand voted today under heavy security in snap elections amid boycott calls from the opposition. There were no reports of major violence during the polls that ended this afternoon. Polling was relatively peaceful. Officials, however, said anti-government protesters disrupted the voting at 127 out of 375 constituencies nationwide. The polling was cancelled in most areas of the southern region and in many constituencies in Bangkok. The counting, which began immediately after the voting, is in progress.
The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has said that museums should play the role of institution of learning and important tourist destination. Inaugurating the bi-centenary celebrations of Indian Museum in Kolkata this morning, Dr. Singh said that it is not enough in today's world to house a collection.
"A museum needs to document, study and analyse its own collections, make comparisons with similar collections held elsewhere and build up collaborations with other great museums whose collections reflect and shed light on what it holds."
Dr. Singh unveiled the modernised Indian Museum and released a commemorative postage stamp and a monograph on the History of 200 years of Indian Museum.
<><><>
Union Minister of State for Urban Development Deepa Dasmunshi broke her indefinite fast today, following request from Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. PMO sources said that Dr. Singh spoke to her and assured support to her demand for setting up of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences, AIIMS like hospital at Raigunj in North Bengal.
<><><>
Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh arrived at Jammu this afternoon on a two day visit to Jammu and Kashmir. The Prime Minister will inaugurate 101st Indian Science Congress at Jammu University tomorrow.
<><><>
In Tamil Nadu, tension prevailed in villages of Ramanathapuram and Pudukottai districts as Sri Lankan Navy apprehended 19 Tamil fishermen and their five fishing boats today.
Even after the smooth talks between fishermen representatives of India and Sri Lanka at Chennai recently, the saga of Lankan Navy attacking Tamil fishermen when they cross the international maritime boundary line is continuing. Last Thursday, Lankan Navy detained 38 Tamil fishermen from Rameswaram and their six boats. The Tamil fishermen cannot afford to stay away from sea as they are solely dependent on fishing to sustain their livelihood. K. Devi Padmanabhan AIR NEWS, Tiruchirapalli.
<><><>
In Uttar Pradesh 12 additional judges have been appointed to the Allahabad High Court. Of them four are from the bar while remaining eight are from higher judicial service of the state. With these appointments the total number of judges at the Allahabad High Court and its Lucknow bench has increased to 90 against the sanctioned strength of 160.
<><><>
Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has been given additional charge of Water Resources Ministry. This follows resignation of the Water Resources Minister Harish Rawat who has been appointed Chief Minister of Uttarakhand.
<><><>
In Kerala, Defence Minister A K Antony inaugurated the first phase of the construction work of the Kannur International Airport at Mattannur village in Kannur district this evening.The airport, being constructed at a cost of 1792 crore rupees is the second greenfield airport in the state to be built on a public-private-partnership basis.
<><><>
The News Services Division of All India Radio in its weekly Live Phone-in programme “PUBLIC SPEAK” tomorrow, will bring you a discussion on “Polio Free India : Challenges to control other diseases." This can be heard on FM Gold Channel and additional frequencies from 9.30 to 10.05 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.
<><><>
Karnataka defeated Maharashtra by seven wickets to lift the Ranji Trophy for cricket today. On the fifth and last day of the final at Hyderabad , chasing a target of 157 runs, Karnataka sailed through, losing only three wickets in their second innings.
Earlier, Maharashtra resuming their innings at the overnight score of 272 for six were all out for 366 in their second innings.
Karnataka have won the trophy for seventh time.
BRIEF SCORES :Karnataka : 515 and 157 for three. Maharashtra : 305 and 366 all out.
