RS contest unlikely in TN
Chennai: The nomination papers of candidates of AIADMK, DMK and CPI-M for Rajya Sabha were accepted ton Wednesday, paving the way for all six of them to be nominated to the Upper House without polling process scheduled for February 7. Nominations of AIADMK’s L Sasikala Pushpa, Vijila Satyanand, S Muthukaruppan and AK Selvaraj, Tiruchi N Siva of DMK and CPI-M’s TK Rangarajan were today accepted after scrutiny, Returning Officer AMP Jamaludeen said. Two nominations were rejected, he said in a release. With the nominations of these six being accepted for an equal number of vacancies, the polling process scheduled on February 7, is most unlikely with no other parties, including main opposition DMDK fielding candidates. The last date for withdrawal is January 31. The Rajya Sabha terms of DMK’s AA Jinnah and Vasanthi Stanley, G K Vasan and Jayanthi Natarajan (both Congress), AIADMK’s N Balaganga and that of Rangarajan will end by April 2. Rangarajan was renominated for a successive term. (PTI)
Girl dies of pneumonia in Shamli relief camp
Muzaffarnagar: A four-year-old girl has succumbed to pneumonia at a private relief camp in neighbouring Shamli district, officials said on Wednesday. The victim, Suhana, living in Malakpur village camp, contracted pneumonia due to prevailing cold conditions sweeping the region and died on Tuesday, Superintendent of Government Health Centre Charan Singh said. Suhana and her family were displaced from Mohamdpur village to Malakpur. A five-month-old baby girl had succumbed to pneumonia in a relief camp at the same village last week. Meanwhile, a 48-year-old woman, Shakila, also died yesterday after falling ill due to cold yesterday in a shelter in Shahpur village in the district, officials said. She was displaced from her native village Kakda and was earlier living in a Shahpur relief camp with her family, the officials said. She had vacated the camp and shifted to a shelter in the same village last December, they said. Official said a team of National Commission for Minorities on Tuesday held a meeting here with the district authorities over rehabilitation of riot victims. (PTI)
Suspected explosive device found under Narayanasamy’s car
Puducherry: A suspected explosive device was on Wednesday found under Union Minister V Narayanasamy’s car which was parked outside his residence here. Bomb service personnel are examining the device, planted by some unidentified persons, DGP P Kamaraj told reporters. Two wires were found connected to the pipe-like device which was sealed at both the ends. “The report of the bomb detection and disposal squad is awaited for follow up action,” he said after visiting the residence of Narayanasamy, who is in Delhi. A case has been registered under the Explosives Substances Act. Narayanasamy told PTI that his driver noticed the object under the car in the wee hours. The Union Minister said it only showed that activities of anti-social elements are on the rise in the Union Territory. Congress activists staged a demonstration condemning the incident. (PTI)
Complaint against Kumar Vishwas for hurting religious beliefs
Bhopal: A complaint has been filed here against AAP leader Kumar Vishwas for allegedly hurting religious sentiments during his discourses. The complaint was lodged with the TT Nagar police station by local social activist Abhinav Chakradhar on Tuesday. Chakradhar, who runs an NGO in the city has charged the poet-turned politician for deriding deities and hurting the religious beliefs of Hindus and Muslims in Mushairas and Kavi Sammelans held in the state and across the country. The complainant said that his grievance has nothing to do with Vishwas being an AAP member. “Making fun of politicians and celebrities was acceptable but Vishwas has crossed the line and was hurting religious beliefs,” he alleged. Chakradhar has also submitted a video footage of various programmes in which Vishwas featured in many cities including Bhopal, in support of his charges. (PTI)
Decision on fate of Uttarakhand CM soon
New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi held a meeting with senior party leaders today amid reports that a final call on the fate of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna will be taken soon. Party General Secretary Ambika Soni was present during the meeting besides senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Janardan Dwivedi and Ahmed Patel, Political Secretary to the Congress chief. After the meeting, party sources said that a decision on continuance or otherwise of Bahuguna as Chief Minister will be taken soon. Bahuguna has been under pressure ever since he was appointed. The flash floods that hit Uttarakhand last year and the massive rescue and rehabilitation work they entailed also brought his leadership skills into question. Incidentally, delegations of MLAs and other Congress leaders from the State have been regularly meeting central party leaders in Delhi over the past six months to press for Bahuguna’s ouster. The Congress, with 33 members in the Assembly, enjoys the support of the seven-member Progressive Democratic Front that comprises three independents, three members of the BSP and one MLA of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal. The remaining 30 MLAs are of the BJP. (PTI)
Police charge sheets 9 accused in riots case
Muzaffarnagar: Police has filed a charge sheet against nine of the 15 accused in connection with the murder of three youths in a village in the district in October last year. The charge sheet was filed against Rajender Foji, Manga, Arvind, Sharan, Harmore, Azad, Mangeyram, Sahensarpal and Rajender Kumar last evening in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Narendra Kumar, police said today. According to the prosecution, Amroz, Maherban and Ajmal were beaten to death by the accused at Mohamadpur Raisingh village under Budhana police station on October 30. A case against 15 persons was registered by the police in connection with the incident and nine of them were arrested, while the remaining six are absconding, police said. According to SIT sources, 683 persons were found involved in different cases during the riots in September last year in the district, of whom 240 were arrested, 46 surrendered and 11 found dead so far. The SIT has completed investigation in 30 cases. (PTI)