14yr old rape survivor gets HC nod to end pregnancy

Ahmemdabad, Jun 16 (PTI) The Gujarat High Court has allowed termination of 22-week pregnancy of a 14-year-old rape survivor, holding abortion was in the "best interest" of the teenager.

"After careful inquiry of the medical opinion on feasibility of the pregnancy as well as social circumstances faced by the victim, this Court is of the opinion that termination of pregnancy requires to be permitted, which is in the best interest of the victim," Justice Sonia Gokani said in an order given last week.

"The victim's fragile health and poor haemoglobin level require that a team of doctors examines her once again and also ensure her safety," she maintained.

The girl, from Rajkot, had moved a special criminal application seeking Court permission, at the earliest, to terminate her pregnancy of 22 weeks citing her age and "in the larger interest of justice". Continuance of pregnancy would cause grave injury to her health and well being, it said.

The HC relied on an order of the Supreme Court in the case of Chandrakant Jayantilal Suthar vs State of Gujarat where the apex court had held the "best interest" of the victim as the benchmark for passing orders in such cases.

Gokani said, "In the present set of circumstances, the Court's decision has to be guided by the best interest of the victim alone and not of the stakeholders nor of the guardian." 

"It can be noticed that the patient has severe anaemia with 6.5 per cent haemoglobin and pregnancy of 22 weeks and 3 days as on June 7. The medical opinion suggests termination can be carried out with the order of the Court and after correction of anaemia with due risk of the procedure." 

As per the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, termination of pregnancy can be done up to 20-week of pregnancy.

A rape case was filed on May 22, 2016 in Rajkot mahila police station after the victim's parents came to know their daughter was pregnant.

The accused, a 21-year-old youth who was known to the girl, was later arrested and is currently behind bars.

The victim's parents first moved a Court in Rajkot for termination of pregnancy. However, the Rajkot Court denied nod for the medical procedure following which they approached the HC.

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PM to launch work on Smart City projects on June 25: Naidu

Hyderabad, Jun 17 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi would inaugurate work on Smart City projects from Pune on June 25, Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said today.

The works would start simultaneously in 20 cities across the country, Naidu said, adding that development of some cities as 'smart cities' would motivate others also to work for progress.

"It is like a light house. If there is a light house, everybody would look at that. If some smart cities are developed, there will be competition among others also, municipalities will increase their revenue and things will improve," he said here.

The Smart City mission, one of the flagship programmes of the NDA government, was announced on June 25 last year.

He said Modi is leading the country on the path of progress with innovative thinking and out of the box ideas and cited examples like supplying neem-coated urea and massive construction of highways.

The Union minister stressed that "reform, perform and transform" is the motto of the NDA government and Modi.

"We can proudly say that it is Narendra Modi who is the reformer, performer and transformer of the country," he said.

Referring to Congress' dig at him for praising the Prime Minister, Naidu, who has in the past described Modi as "God's gift to India" and "messiah of the poor", wondered why it could not be done for good work and asked if only "one family", after whom roads, airports and even canals are named in the country, should be praised all the time.

Naidu was speaking at a reception organised on his visit to the Telangana BJP headquarters in the city after his election to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan.

BJP has emerged as the true pan-India party with its footprint seen all over the country, he said, adding Modi would "bring more revolutionary changes in the country in the coming days".

"We do not have full majority (in Rajya Sabha). Otherwise, the vehicle would have moved with even greater speed. The Rajya Sabha obstacle is likely to lessen in the coming days.

Congress party is weakening," the Parliamentary Affairs minister said.

BJP is the only party to nominate two minority leaders (Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and MJ Akbar) in the election to fill 57 vacancies in Rajya Sabha, he said.

"No political party has given even single seat to minorities out of the 57 Rajya Sabha vacancies," he said.

Stating that Modi is the biggest communicator for BJP, he asked partymen to strengthen the party in Telangana.

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Fodder scam: Lalu appears before special CBI court in Ranchi

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) patriarch and former Biharchief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav appeared before aCentral Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court in Ranchi Jharkhand in connection with the fodder scam case.

Lalu's counsel Prabhat Kumar told ANI, "The case is pertaining to RC38A/1996, in which there are a total of 48 accused and most of them were evading personal appearance. That is why all the accused had been ordered by the court to appear before it."

"So far 15-17 accused have marked their presence in the court, and more are expected to visit. The court will take legal action against those who failed to comply with its order," Kumar added.

The fodder scam relates to fraudulent withdrawal of around 1,000 crore rupees by the Animal Husbandry department from various districts when Lalu was the Bihar chief minister from 1990 to 1997.

On October 3, 2013, Lalu was sentenced to five years' imprisonment in another case of fodder scam by a special CBI court, which had disqualified him from membership of Parliament and also rendered him ineligible for contesting elections for 11 years.

Besides Lalu, six other politicians and four retired IAS officers were also sentenced to prison terms for fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 37.7 crore from Chaibasa treasury (now in Jharkhand) when Lalu was heading the Janta Dal government in the early 1990s in erstwhile Bihar.

Meanwhile, with important files related to the fodder scam reportedly missing from the animal and fisheries resources department office in Patna, Union Minister and BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy alleged that this was all being done to get a clean-chit for RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav by his partner in crime Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Rudy said this is all being done by the incumbent grand alliance government in Bihar to facilitate Lalu's acquittal.

"The missing files signify there are people in the system trying to get a clean-chit for Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav. Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar are friends and they are partners in crime," he told ANI.

Rudy recalled that the RJD boss had to quit as the Bihar chief minister in 1997 because he was charged and sentenced in the fodder scam.

"Thereafter, the CBI chargesheeted him. He was put behind the bars. He had to quit his position as the chief minister," he said.

"There are reports that the file pertaining to the Fodder scam has been stolen. And it clearly emphasises that there are people in the system who possibly would be working to give a clean-chit or to assist or facilitate the acquittal of Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav," he added.

Continuing his tirade against the Nitish-Lalu duo, Rudy said crime has increased in Bihar, adding the state government has begun to protect the criminals.

"It seems it's a part of that very same chain. We are all very concerned that the process of law and the process of justice will stand vitiated if such incidents happen where the files pertaining to fodder scam are stolen," he added.

Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered at the Old Secretariat police station in this regard.

The fodder scam involved the embezzlement of about Rs. 9.4 billion from the government treasury of Bihar.

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BJP MLA Rajendra Dadu killed in road accident

Sehore (MP), Jun 9 (PTI) BJP MLA from Nepanagar, Rajendra Dadu, was today killed in an accident on Indore-Bhopal road between Ashta and Sehore towns. Three others were injured.

The BJP legislator was coming to Bhopal to attend a party meeting at the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's residence ahead of the June 11 Rajya Sabha election.

His car overturned and he died on the spot, a police officer said.

Sehore collector and the superintendent of police reached the spot after getting information about the incident.

Madhya Pradesh Minister and cabinet spokesman Narottam Mishra confirmed Dadu's death.

Dadu was 54 and survived by his wife, four daughters and a son, family sources said.

Dadu had won from Nepanagar (ST) seat for a second time.

State BJP president Nandkumar Singh Chouhan reached Sehore hospital soon after getting information about the mishap.

BJP legislature party's meeting was cancelled after learning about the incident, party sources said.

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PM Modi returns home after 5-nation tour

New Delhi, Jun 10 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned home on Friday after a five-nation tour whose highlight was his meeting with US President Barack Obama and address to US Congress in Washington

During his six-day tour, Modi also visited Afghanistan, Qatar, Switzerland and Mexico with an aim to bolster ties

He returned home early this morning from Mexico which was the last stoppage of his trip

Before leaving for home, Modi had tweeted, "Thank you Mexico. A new era in India-Mexico ties has begun and this relationship is going to benefit our people and the entire world." 

"Five days, five countries! After a productive visit to Mexico, the last leg of his journey, PM departs for Delhi," External Affairs Minister Vikas Swarup had tweeted

Besides addressing a joint sitting of the US Congress, Modi received the backing of two key Nuclear Suppliers Group members - Switzerland and Mexico - for its bid to secure the membership of the 48-nation bloc

He also held wide-ranging talks with President Obama at the White House following which the US recognised India as a "major defence partner".

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Brazil president rejects calls to resign in scandal

Brasilia, Mar 12 (AFP) Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has dug in against a swirling political crisis, rejecting calls to resign and closing ranks with her embattled predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

With money-laundering charges against Lula adding to the pressure on her administration, Rousseff vehemently defended her mentor yesterday.

She said she would even be proud to have him in her cabinet -- a move that could be used to protect the ex-president.

Rousseff is facing an impeachment drive, a bruising recession, a scandal at state oil company Petrobras, and a probe into alleged electoral violations.

But the leftist president said her opponents' calls for her to resign showed they lacked the evidence to remove her through impeachment.

"Resigning is a voluntary act. Those who want my resignation are recognising that there's no real basis to request my exit from this position," Rousseff told a press conference.

"There's not the slightest possibility" that she will step down, she added.

She defended Lula, her once wildly popular predecessor.

"I would take great pride in having president Lula in my government because he is a person with experience and great political capability," she said.

Rousseff did not say whether she was really considering such a move, as media have been speculating.

Some of Rousseff's allies said that would leverage the ex-president's charisma for the embattled administration.

It would also protect him from criminal charges in ordinary court. Under Brazilian law, cabinet ministers can only be tried before the Supreme Court.

Some media reported, however, that Lula had refused a cabinet post.

The powerful former president was charged with money laundering on Wednesday over his alleged ownership of a luxury condo linked to dirty cash from the Petrobras scandal.

Prosecutors requested his arrest Thursday, calling for him to be remanded in custody pending trial.

Rousseff called that demand "an unjust act that defies common sense." 

Lula denies the charges.

A former steelworker and labour leader, Lula led Brazil through an economic boom from 2003 to 2011.

An icon of the Latin American left, he rolled out programs credited with helping lift millions from poverty.

But his administration was also haunted by scandals.

Now he is charged with hiding ownership of a luxury apartment at a seaside resort in Sao Paulo state.

State prosecutors said they had documents and two dozen witnesses indicating Lula and his family are the apartment's real owners.

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Donald Trump calls off rally due to security concerns

Chicago, Mar 12 (AP) Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has cancelled one of his signature rallies, calling off the event in Chicago due to safety concerns after protesters packed into the arena where it was to take place.

The announcement yesterday that the billionaire businessman would postpone the rally until another day led a large portion of the crowd inside the University of Illinois at Chicago Pavilion to break out into raucous cheers.

Meanwhile, supporters of the candidate started chanting "We want Trump! We want Trump!" 

There were isolated physical confrontations between some members of the crowd after the event was cancelled.

There was no sign of Trump inside the arena on the college campus, where dozens of UIC faculty and staff had petitioned university administrators to cancel the rally. They cited concerns it would create a "hostile and physically dangerous environment" for students.

Before the announcement the event wouldn't take place, a handful of intense verbal clashes took place between Trump supporters and protesters as the crowd waited for his arrival.

For the first time during his White House bid, the crowd appeared to be an equal mix of those eager to cheer on the real estate mogul and those overtly opposed to his candidacy.

When one African-American protester was escorted out before the event started, the crowd erupted into chants of "Let them stay!" 

Veronica Kowalkowsky, an 18-year-old Trump supporter, said before the event started that she had no ill will toward the protesters but didn't think they felt the same way.

"I feel a lot of hate," she said. "I haven't said anything bad to anyone." 

Hours before the event was scheduled to start, hundreds of people lined up outside the arena at the University of Illinois at Chicago a civil and immigrant rights organising hub with large minority student populations. Trump backers were separated from an equally large crowd of anti-Trump protesters by a heavy police presence and barricades.

Some Trump supporters walking into the area chanted, "USA! USA!" and "Illegal is illegal." One demonstrator shouted back, "Racist!" 

Chicago community activist Quo Vadis said hundreds of protesters had positioned themselves in groups around the arena, and that they intend to demonstrate right after Trump takes the stage. Their goal, he said, is "for Donald to take the stage and to completely interrupt him. The plan is to shut Donald Trump all the way down.

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Now, Union Minister Sadanand Gowda's son accused of rape; model wants Gowda to accept her their daughter-in-law

Fresh embarassment is in store for Prime Minister Narendra Modi government as a model turned actor from Karnataka claimed she was cheated by the son of Union Railway Minister Sadanand Gowda.

The charge comes close on the heels of reports that Union Home Minister Rajanth Singh was upset over reports that his son was admonished by Modi for what reports said 'seeking money for police transfers'.

A model, who was a small-time model and has acted in a Kannada film as a heroine, claimed she is married to the minister's son, who got engaged to another woman at a ceremony at Kushalnagar in Kodagu District today.

A case of rape was registered against the son of Railway Minister D V Sadananda Gowda on a complaint by a woman who claimed that she is married to him, even as his engagement ceremony took place today.

"She has filed a complaint in RT Nagar police station against Karthik Gowda, Sadananda Gowda's son, for allegedly raping and cheating her," Bangalore Police Commissioner M N Reddi said.

The case has been booked against Karthik under sections 376 (punishment for rape) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code, Reddi said.

The actress spoke to the media from Coorg in Karnataka and is yet to arrive in Bangalore, while the Gowda family has so far remained tightlipped. Gowda himself however has claimed this was a conspiracy to tarnish his name and blackmail his family.

The model claims that she and Karthik know each other from May 8, 2014 and became very close friends. Now, the model wants Gowda to accept her their daughter-in-law.

Speaking to media she said, “my family was looking for a groom and on June 5, 2014 Karthik married me. I request them to accept me as their daughter-in-law.

Karthik, she claimed, had also told her that he would convince her parents, she said. "How can he (Karthik) get engaged to another girl when he is already married to me," she said.

Gowda expressed shock at the allegation and suspected a conspiracy and attempt to blackmail, while his son Karthik rejected the woman's claim.

Sadananda Gowda told reporters in Kushalnagar that he was 'shocked' and 'hurt' at the allegations levelled by her. "My life is an open book. I will not lie or cheat public. I am shocked by this kind of blackmail."

"I will speak to my son. I have to think if a girl has to blackmail, if Sadananda Gowda becomes a scapegoat", he said.

Reacting to the woman's claims, Karthik said, "There is nothing like that. My father is a respectable man. why should I spoil it."

Police are yet to verify her claims as the medical tests have not been carried on either the model who claimed they had physical relations too or Gowda's son (Karthik).

dna

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Rajnath rumours reveal costs of PM Modi's Big Brother reputation

A rumour that Rajnath Singh's son Pankaj Singh was called for a personal audience by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then ticked off for "improper conduct" was rife in the BJP circles for the last few days, forcing the Union home minister today to come out in public and deny it. More than the rumour itself it was the undercurrent that sent out ripples within the BJP inner circles. Many came to believe that the prime minister’s vigilant eyes and ears spared none, not even his senior most colleague, the supposed number two in the government. It was also being said that the home minister was in office but not in command, at least not as much as his aura and stature would have required.

While no veracity of these rumours have been established yet, it spread thick and fast. From the BJP to the media to Sangh Parivar this had been the most lucidly discussed topic of late. It was also the latest in the series of other rumours that have been in vogue in the power corridors of the national capital as to how Modi was keeping a close watch on his own colleagues in the party and the government. The grapevine was that a trap was laid for Pankaj by someone at the top who suspected him of such wrongdoings and he walked straight into that. Thus it was said that PM’s one-to-one chat with him, not just left him rattled but diminished his father’s moral and actual authority within the government and Sangh Parivar.

The rumour that his son Pankaj worked as conduit for transfer of a middle level police officer has hit Rajnath where it could hurt him most – questioning his integrity, tarnishing his image and putting his son's budding political career in jeopardy. Coupled with that was the story how the home minister's role had effectively been curtailed in the ACC (Appointment Committee of the Cabinet).

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. PTI

Rajnath has been one of the RSS favourites. Singh, who had been BJP president twice, longest serving after Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani, also served as the Uttar Pradesh chief minister. He was also an Union minister in the Vajapyee government and has succeeded in keeping his reputation untainted till date. At the recent National Council meeting, Modi called him captain of the team that won the 2014 parliamentary elections for the BJP and Amit Shah as the man of the match. Amit Shah had earlier hailed his leadership and team spirit.

Rajnath was said to be both hurt and angry with these rumours. But, as he himself said, the rumours failed to die a natural death with the passage of time and kept on spreading forcing him to take up the matter with Modi and Shah. "In the last 15-20 days, there have been continuous rumours in the air about me and my family. I thought rumours have no basis and these will end in some days. But I am seeing that these rumours are gaining momentum day-by-day. I want to assure the nation that the day allegations, even prima facie or even small, are proven against me or my family, I will quit politics and public life and sit at home….I have told this to the prime minister and party president Amit Shah when we were sitting together. They have expressed surprise over this and termed it as completely baseless," Rajnath said in a hurriedly called interaction with journalists outside North Block.

He has also taken up the matter with the RSS brass and urged them to take corrective steps to stem in-house rivalry. This, however, was a fact he couldn’t have spoken publicly. On being asked whether he had taken up the matter with the RSS leadership, he denied of talking to them on the issue.

Just as Rajnath spoke, an official statement from the PMO was released, strongly denying the rumours. Calling it motivated and malicious the statement said: "This has reference to reports appearing in a section of the media over the past several weeks, mentioning the Prime Minister, and referring to the conduct of some Union Ministers, and alleged misconduct of the Home Minister's son.

"The reports are plain lies, motivated and constitute a malicious attempt at character assassination and tarnishing the image of the Government. Those indulging in such rumour-mongering are damaging the interest of the nation. These reports are strongly denied."

While this made Rajnath to stand his ground, there are many who believe damage has been done for all concerned -- the party, government and Rajnath. The PMO’s denial has also referred to other rumours relating to PM cautioning some other ministers. The so-called rumours have allowed the Congress with a hands on opportunity to target the Modi government. Modi allegedly snooping on his own minister and his number two in suspicion of petty corruption could just be the kind of ammunition Congress may have been looking for ahead of the next round of assembly elections.

There are certain suggestions from a section of BJP leaders that the rumours, its origin and spread was result of in-house rivalry. Again there is very little to support these charges and counter charges of infighting at the top, but if that is the case it is surely a bad sign for the Modi government.

The controversy is symptomatic of larger problem that the BJP faces, the infighting among senior leaders once again rearing its head. Earlier it affected only intra-party politics, now it can affect matters of governance and inter-ministerial coordination. It was only natural that the PMO was swift to sharply deny the rumours, within hours of its coming into the public domain.

firstpost

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Give up vote-bank politics, Modi tells Opposition

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BJP National Council meeting in New Delhi on Saturday. Photo: R.V. Moorthy

In a veiled attack on Congress and Samajwadi Party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused them of continuing to practice vote-bank politics to divide society and asserted that disturbance of peace and harmony will not be tolerated.

“BJP never accepts incidents (of violence) which are taking place in the country. Peace, unity and harmony are the pre-requisites for progress and there will be no compromise on this.

“Those who have suffered a massive defeat in the elections are still not able to desist from engaging in old vote-bank politics. They are engaged in disturbing the social fabric,” Mr. Modi said addressing the BJP’s National Council meeting in New Delhi.

His attack on rivals without naming them comes against the backdrop of BJP being accused of fanning communal violence in Uttar Pradesh.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, who stormed the Well of the Lok Sabha to demand debate on rising communal violence, has said the violence in Uttar Pradesh was “artificially and deliberately engineered”.

In this hour, Mr. Modi said, BJP workers will have to play a crucial role to ensure communal and national unity so that the nation moves forward.

“When the country makes progress, its 125 crore people make progress,” he said.

Talking about his government which was formed after BJP’s landslide victory, the Prime Minister said “different and tough yardsticks” are being applied to gauge its performance.

“Those who have not done anything for 60 years are asking for our account of 60 days,” he said attacking Congress yet again.

“We are judged by different and tough yardsticks. I don’t know why it is happening. Only time will tell. But we should accept this challenge. It is good for us that we are judged by stringent yardstick. We will pass the test,” Mr. Modi said.

“I have myself come out of 14 years of trial,” said the former Gujarat Chief Minister who was constantly under attack over the 2002 riots.

Noting that people have given their verdict through the ballot, he said, “it is our turn now” and “we will adequately fulfil the aspirations of people.”

Contending that things have started changing after 60 days of BJP coming to power, Mr. Modi said, “we will be successful in bringing about the change. We have to have faith in ourselves. We will never bow before adversities.”

He said after being at the helm of government for 60 days, he has got the grasp of things and is confident that major tasks can be executed.

Mr. Modi said that outlook of the world towards India has changed because BJP has come to power with full majority. “It reposes confidence in them (foreign countries),” he said.

He underlined the need for taking advantage globally of the fact that BJP has got such a big majority.

Taking a dig at his rivals, he said questions were asked as to “who knows Modi outside Gujarat” but “people were in a mood to give and they gave”.

The Prime Minister admitted that he knew very little about Delhi or Parliament before winning the elections but after 60 days, he was confident of fulfilling the expectations of the people.

He recalled that at the start of the election campaign he had started saying that BJP should get 300 seats on its own.

“Some of my colleagues said why I am talking about numbers. But I felt that people had made up their mind to vote for BJP and just wanted someone to ask for it,” said Mr. Modi who led the party’s campaign as its Prime Ministerial candidate.

Mr. Modi suggests that BJP should dedicate each year to promoting social causes like energy conservation, toilets, girl child education.

TH

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Kamla Beniwal caused Rs. 1,200 crore loss to Gujarat as governor: Govt

Accused by the Opposition of sacking Mizoram governor Kamla Beniwal out of political vendetta, the government on Thursday gave two reasons for its action — the first being that she had cost the Gujarat government Rs. 1,216 crore in central funds by sitting on a crucial bill during her time in the state’s Raj Bhavan.

The second reason, it stated, was her “unethical involvement” in the affairs of a cooperative society in Jaipur — cited in a June 27 report from the Rajasthan government.

Two months shy of completing her term, the 87-year-old Beniwal was sacked on Wednesday, just a month after she was transferred to Mizoram from Gujarat.

The Opposition, including the Congress and NCP, termed her removal an act of “political vendetta” stemming from her running feud with Modi when he was chief minister of the western state.

But the government claimed there were serious allegations against Beniwal and the act of removing her was in accordance with the Constitution.

It said it had cited these two reasons before President Pranab Mukherjee while making a case for her removal. In addition, the home ministry recalled strictures passed by the Supreme Court against Beniwal for alleged misuse of office in 1997, when she was urban development minister in Rajasthan.

It argued that it was expected that a person reprimanded by the SC would be more circumspect and not dabble in issues related to allotment of land.

Government sources told HT Beniwal’s removal was sought on the basis of a July 31 letter from Gujarat chief secretary Varesh Sinha to the home ministry, accusing her of causing financial losses to the state due to her delayed assent to an amendment in the Lokayukta Act.

They added that the President had taken a final decision after seeking the attorney general’s opinion.

According to the state’s complaint, the Gujarat Lokayukta Act of 1986 was first amended in 2011 but Beniwal returned it without her assent.

The state legislature again passed an amendment to this act in 2013. This time, she sent it to the Centre for consideration “after much delay”.

The state told the Centre that to get central grants for panchayati raj institutions and urban local bodies, the state must notify a legislation to bring elected representatives of such institutions under the lokayukta. But because of Beniwal’s delayed actions, the state had lost grants to the tune of Rs. 1,216 crore.

The home ministry also said Beniwal’s “unethical involvement” in the affairs of the Kisan Samuhik Krishi Cooperative Society Limited in Jaipur had invited criticism and lowered the dignity of the high office she held. It said Beniwal had been a member of the society, even participating in its meeting, while she was Gujarat governor.

Senior BJP leaders Nitin Gadkari and Kirit Somaiya had complained to the President against Beniwal on this issue as far back as 2012. After the NDA came to power this May, Somaiya had reiterated his complaint to Mukherjee, who had then forwarded it to the home ministry on July 4.

HT

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Mizoram Governor Beniwal shunted out two months ahead of schedule

Kamla Beniwal, who had a running battle with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was the Gujarat CM, was sacked as Governor of Mizoram on Wednesday just two months before her tenure comes to an end. 

She took over as Governor of Mizoram on July 9, and within a month she has been removed. 

"The President has directed that Dr. (Smt.) Kamla shall cease to hold the office of the Governor of Mizoram," a Rashtrapati Bhavan communiqué said. 

"Governor of Manipur V.K. Duggal has been asked to discharge the functions of the Governor of Mizoram until regular arrangements are made," the communique added. 

Beniwal had a strained relationship with Modi when he was the chief minister of Gujarat over the appointment of Lokayukta and some legislations. 

There were at least nine bills that she either sent back with remarks or sat on for long periods, in some cases even two-three years. 

The sacking comes just days after a Mail Today exposé on her misuse of the state aircraft for frequent private visits to her hometown Jaipur.

In the last three years Beniwal flew out of Gujarat 63 times, mostly to Jaipur her home town. She travelled to Jaipur 53 times and the remaining 10 times she flew to Delhi.

Interestingly most of these have been termed as "official trips" even as the Governor clocked 277 flying hours between 2011 and 2014.

During her confrontation with Modi, Beniwal appointed retired Justice R.A. Mehta as Lokayukta. However, Justice Mehta did not take up the post and Modi's government named a new nominee.

Due to her relationship with Modi, Beniwal was expected to be pushed out in the first batch of Governors, but that did not happen and she was sent to Mizoram. 

After shunting her to Mizoram the Centre found a BJP loyalist as her replacement in Gujarat. 

While O.P. Kohli was appointed as the new Governor, there were reports that Beniwal was resisting going to Mizoram - but left with no choice, she took charge in the state. 

Beniwal was first appointed as Governor of Tripura in October, 2009 the first woman to be appointed as Governor in Northeast. However, a month later she was appointed as Gujarat Governor. 

Beniwal is the second Governor to be sacked after the removal of Puducherry Lt Governor Virendra Kataria. 

Soon after the Modi Government assumed office, some Governors were forced to resign while a few resisted and are still in office

Dailymail

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Congress defends Rahul Gandhi, Aiyar flays Jaitley for allegations of internal rebellion

New Delhi: The Congress has defended party Vice President Rahul Gandhi's protest in Parliament on Wednesday. Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has also rejected the Bharatiya Janata Party's claims that it is aimed to quell clamour for Priyanka Gandhi's entry into the party.

Aiyar lashed out at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and said that what Rahul said in Parliament was not a gimmick but what he seriously felt.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi too had on Wednesday brushed aside Finance Jaitley's allegations of rebellion within her party. Sonia said, "Let them say what they want to." The remarks came after Jaitley said that the Congress was facing an internal coup. "The Congress is facing a coup within the party. For that you need not drag the House or the presiding officer into the mess. Day after day established leaders are speaking out. If you want to show that you are doing something, it's better you lead your party. It's time for the Congress to introspect," Jaitley said while responding to Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's charge of partiality against Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

"The Congress has disturbed the House, not allowed me to go on. Why has the party made an issue out of a non-issue," Jaitley questioned.

Taking a jibe at Rahul, Jaitley said that the people who do not speak in the House have been complaining that they are not being allowed to speak.

Jaitley's statement came after Rahul Gandhi led a protest by his party MPs and demanded discussion on the Communal Violence Bill. Rahul entered the well of the House in the Lok Sabha shouting slogans and demanding that the Bill be brought for discussion and passage.

"Only one person's voice is heard, our views aren't heard. We want discussion. The Speaker is partial, we won't tolerate this partiality, only one voice cannot be heard," Rahul said soon after the Lok Sabha was adjourned.

IBN

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AAP's Delhi rally: Autowallahs in no mood to support 'visionless' Kejriwal

New Delhi: Ramveer Singh, a 50-year old auto-rickshaw driver preferred to ignoreArvind Kejriwal's rally at Jantar Mantar on Sunday, despite dropping a passenger near the venue. Unlike in the past, he refused to be a part of the rally this time.

"What's the point? We supported Arvind Kejriwal and ensured Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) victory. But, instead of continuing as CM, he quit to be a part of the race for prime ministership, leaving us in the lurch," complained Singh.

The Aam Aadmi Party's Sunday rally at Jantar Mantar. Pallavi Polanki/Firstpost

Ramveer Singh's decision to ignore the rally as just another gimmick is the epitome of the autowallah's disappointment with Kejriwal. This is the same class of people who had whole-heartedly supported Kejriwal and his party not too long ago.

Kejriwal had climbed the popularity chart riding on the shoulders of the same class as 70 percent of the capital's autorickshaws had willingly sported AAP's posters, before the Delhi elections in November 2013. Those days 90 percent of the total 80,000 autowallahs in Delhi supported Kejriwal, out of which 70 percent of them carried posters on their back. But, today the situation is different. Hardly, 5 percent of the autowallahs are ready to carry posters. "Did Kejriwalji ensure a permanent solution for us as he had promised before the election, to free us from police harassment?" questioned Vijay Kumar, another autorickshaw driver.

On 28 July, Kejriwal organized a meeting of the autowallahs at Ramlila Maidan, which witnessed a crowd of 3000-3500, and 1800 autos, against an expectation of a big turnaround. According to those present at the venue, many of those in the gathering were AAP volunteers.

Is the autowallahs' disinterest in AAP's politics, a reflection of the city's disappointment with the former Delhi CM, who had an eventful 49-day stint with the top post beginning December last year?

"Along with auto-drivers, the common man too is disappointed with the same old negative tone of Kejriwal's politics. There is no specific agenda for development, no vision towards implementation," said Rakesh Agrawal, secretary of Nyaybhoomi, an NGO working with autowallahs and social issues.

The Sunday rally didn't have any rallying point unlike last year when Kejriwal's tirade against corruption had fired the imagination of Delhi's population.

Leading the charge against the then Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit, Kejriwal's movement had gravitas, but on Sunday he ended up suggesting that the capital's Lt Governor was following the BJP's commands. Has Kejriwal forgotten that the LG was forced to take charge of Delhi's administration when AAP had quit after 49 days of forming the government?

Even the selection of Sunday's venue - Jantar Mantar has raised queries among the citizens. One wonders why this was the venue instead of Kejriwal's popular Ramlila Maidan? "Probably because Kejriwal no longer commands numbers to fill up Ramlila ground that has a capacity of 50,000 plus, unlike Jantar Mantar, which has a small size," said Shravan Kumar Srivastava, a Mayur Vihar resident, who supported AAP during Assembly elections.

It seems that the flash point of Anna Hazare - Arvind Kejriwal's national campaign against corruption has come and gone. He had a great chance to bring change, but is now losing people's confidence, though the Sunday gathering was impressive.

"No doubt there's a decline in people's confidence for AAP, and only time will tell where the party stands, if election takes place," added Agrawal.

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'Rahul Not A Good Politician, But Is A Good Person': Natwar Singh to NDTV

New Delhi:  Former Congress leader Natwar Singh, who has made controversial claims on the Gandhis in his autobiography, says he believes Rahul Gandhi lacks the fire to be a full-time politician.

"Politics is not a part time job, it is a full time job. I don't think Rahul has the fire," Mr Singh said in an interview to NDTV, adding, "He may not be a great politician but he is a very good person."

Mr Singh also said he hoped Sonia Gandhi would write a book "sooner than later." The Congress president had said yesterday, in an angry response to Mr Singh's autobiography, that she would "write my own book and then everyone will know the truth."

Mr Singh said, "I am glad that Sonia Gandhi has said she will write a book. She should."

Mr Singh had earlier alleged that Mrs Gandhi's decision to not take up the post of Prime Minister in 2004 was not because of an "inner voice" as she had famously said, but because of opposition from her son Rahul Gandhi, who was reportedly worried that she would be assassinated like his father Rajiv Gandhi and grandmother, Indira Gandhi, both former Prime Ministers.

He also describes Mrs Gandhi as "authoritarian" and "Machiavellian."
The 83-year-old, seen as close to the Gandhi family for many years, was a senior Cabinet minister when he had to resign from the Congress-led coalition government in 2005 after allegations of corruption. He quit the party in 2008.

In his interview to NDTV, he also raised Sonia Gandhi's Italian origin, saying that an Indian would never have treated him the way she did.

"Rajiv Gandhi wouldn't have done what Sonia Gandhi did to me," he said. 

He dismissed Congress allegations that he the book was his revenge.

"Bitterness and revenge are not a part of my character," he said.

NDTV

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Aziz Qureshi says even God can't prevent rapes in Uttar Pradesh

UP Governor Aziz Qureshi's comments came close on the heels of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav saying that rapes in the state was much less compared to its total population.

COMING to the rescue of the Akhilesh Yadav government, Uttar Pradesh Governor Aziz Qureshi on Monday controversially remarked that even God cannot prevent recurrence of rape in the state. Qureshi, while responding to a media query on the murder of a 30-year-old laboratory technician, said: ''Even God cannot stop such crime from taking place in UP."

The Governor also advised the media to stop criticizing Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for the poor law and order situation in the state. "Media must not keep questioning and condemning the UP government for crimes like rape. Akhilesh is trying to do his best. But it cannot be checked even after deploying police and military personnel across the state," he added.
Sensing trouble, Qureshi later called the media to elaborate his statement which he made some two hours before. "All I had said was that crime like rapes cannot be stopped. Even if the God descends on the earth in the guise of an officer, even then it will be impossible to control the crime completely," Qureshi said. He added his statementwas not new as Mahatma Gandhi himself had remarked this before. "Even Mahatma Gandhi had said that evil cannot be wiped out completely from the world," he said.
When asked about discrepancies in the police statement that a security guard alone had killed the lab technician, Qureshi noted: "The inquiry should be done properly." On Friday, Qureshi had brushed aside media queries on the rising crime in Uttar Pradesh. Qureshi instead went on to appreciate kebabs and biryani served to the guests at the iftaar hosted by Advocate General V. C. Mishra. Reacting to the statement, BJP state president Laxmi Kant Bajpai, said: "The Governor has diminished the dignity of his office. He has to soon vacate Raj Bhavan as the new governor will take over after a day. He must apologise to the 21 crore people of Uttar Pradesh.

India Today

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From Rane to Gogoi: Congress implodes due to anti-Rahul rebellion

New Delhi: Sonia Gandhi’s efforts to cap any simmering anger brewing in the Congress against the uninspiring leadership of her son Rahul Gandhi has blown up in the party’s face. Starting from Assam to Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Haryana, senior leaders have raised the banner of revolt and are even deserting the party. In most cases, their’s is a double barreled attack: the incumbent state leadership, especially Tarun Gogoi in Assam and Prithviraj Chavan in Maharashtra are in the immediate line of fire, but the real target is Rahul, who has been backing the two chief ministers despite loud demands for a change of guard in these states.

On Monday, Himanta Biswa Sarma stepped down as education and health minister of Assam, and to intensify the pressure on the party, he took 31 of the Congress’s 77 legislators when he went to submit his resignation to Governor JB Patnaik.

Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. PTI image

In Maharashtra, sulking senior leader Narayan Rane quit as industries minister because he did not want to be a "partner" in the party’s defeat in the upcoming assembly elections in the state. His long and unsuccessful bid to be chief minister and his son’s loss in the Lok Sabha elections has left the man -- who has a base in the Konkan region of the state -- with virtually no options.

Both he and Sarma are in the Congress for now but it is only a matter of time before they quit the party and set up their own outfits or join up with other parties unless Sonia is able to resolve the crisis. Even if she succeeds in reining them in this time, there are chances of another eruption any time.

In Jammu and Kashmir, where the National Conference has called off its six year alliance with the Congress, former MP Lal Singh has walked out of the party which, he believes, has treated him shabbily by denying him a parliamentary ticket.

In Haryana, veteran leader Chaudhary Birendra Singh has been having a running battle with chief minister BS Hooda and is likely to cross over to the BJP. In West Bengal, three Congress legislators have switched their loyalty to the Trinamool Congress, taking the total of such defections since 2011 to seven and reducing the party’s legislative strength from 42 to 35. Earlier this month, former minister Radhakrishna Kishore in the Jharkhand government left the party alleging there was no democracy in the Congress.

The exit of some of these leaders may be timed with the assembly elections expected in October-November in Maharashtra, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, and Jharkhand. Delhi too may be added to the list. Since state polls in West Bengal and Assam are due in 2016, the Congress may think it has time in hand to deal with the situation. But that hope may turn out to be misplaced because of all that happened in Guwahati on Monday could lead to the collapse of the Gogoi government, unless Sonia is able to salvage the situation rapidly spinning out of control. Indeed, Sonia had reportedly agreed to the dissidents’ demand for a change of guard in Assam but had to give in to Rahul who wanted Gogoi to stay on.

Officially, the party claims that the current spate of resignations is not directed against Rahul. But ask any Congress leader and he/she will privately admit that the recent developments are a sign of increasing no-confidence against the Congress vice president and that the implosion taking place in the party is "very, very serious."

But a more severe crisis awaits the party after the state polls if the Congress is wiped out in Maharashtra, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, and Delhi where there were reports of some Congress legislators wanting to support the BJP in forming a government.

"That is the time when the real desertions will start and people will raise their voice against Rahul by making loud demands for Priyanka. They desperately want her to lead the party," said a senior leader.

In fact, it has been so difficult to contain such a revolt that Sonia had stepped forward to take the blame for the party’s disastrous performance in the Lok Sabha polls which left it with only 44 seats in the 545-member Lok Sabha. Her offer of resignation -- like that of Rahul’s -- was rejected by the Working Committee, lest BJP leader and now Narendra Modi’s slogan of "Congress mukt Bharat" come true.  Sonia then went about meeting leaders to get a sense of the reasons for the debacle and passed on the task of preparing the report to loyalist AK Antony who is reportedly identifying every other factor for the defeat barring one---namely, Rahul’s insipid and uninspiring leadership. The entire fact-finding exercise was to ensure that any brewing resentment against Rahul was diluted.

"Antony was given the task to ensure that any incipient rebellion was contained," admitted a party functionary. But clearly the attempt to cap it has failed, with senior party leaders either deserting or resigning.

Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi may have tried to explain away Sarma and Rane’s rebellion as a sign of their "personal ambitions", which the party cannot accommodate. But the fact remains that a crisis has been simmering for long in these states -- as well as in other states -- which the party did not address.

Take the case of Maharashtra where a demand of chief ministership was repeatedly being made even before the Lok Sabha polls. And after the elections, in which the Congress won only two seats, even the NCP, the party’s ally, had warned that going into the assembly elections under Chavan’s leadership would damage their electoral prospects. After wavering on the issue for several days, the Congress leadership finally decided not to effect any change either in Maharashtra or in Haryana since it made no sense to do so barely few weeks before the polls. That decision may now prove costly. The Congress is already on the backfoot, fighting incumbency and allegations of lack of decision making in government, and if some of its senior leaders quit ahead of the polls, the party could find itself in deep trouble, notwithstanding arguments that Rane’s influence even in the Konkan region has been declining.

The brave front it has put on aside, the Congress has real reason to worry that the state leaders have begun to defy and question the decision of the high command. There are apprehensions that the example set by them could be followed by the disgruntled sections in other state units. Should that happen, it would spell the endgame for the Congress and Rahul.

But then Sonia and Rahul are to be blamed for this. In the normal course after the kind of defeat the Congress suffered, any other outfit would have plunged headlong into a frenetic exercise of trying to reinvent the party and remove its shortcomings and weaknesses to prevent the kind of eruptions of anger and defiance that are now taking place. However, there was no sign of such activity in the Congress; there has been no brainstorming session and no fixing of accountability even as despondent workers despaired about their future. Instead, the 129-year old party chose to slip into a semi-comatose state, hoping that time and the Antony committee report would ease the agony of the defeat.

The party needs to heed the advice given by former West Bengal state unit chief and senior legislator Manas Bhuniya in the context of the desertions in his state: "We need introspection and discussion on why they are going. It is possibly stemming from a feeling among these leaders as there is no future in the Congress---both political and personal."

He has possibly hit the nail on the head.

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