NEW DELHI: The voting on the women's reservation bill in Rajya Sabha will not take place today. The Prime Minister has postponed for today the all-party meet on the issue.
The meeting has probably been put off to buy time for the government to finalise the floor strategy.
The Prime Minister, meanwhile, discussed the floor strategy with key UPA allies, including Sharad Pawar and T R Baalu.
The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have been adjourned till tomorrow.
Earlier, the landmark Women's Reservation Bill was moved for consideration in the Rajya Sabha on Monday amidst unprecedented scenes of pandemonium with members of the SP, BSP and the RJD trying to attack Chairman Hamid Ansari.
While some members, including RJD's Rajniti Prasad, tore the copy of the Bill, Kamal Akhtar and Nand Kishore Yadav of the SP and some others tried to reach the Chair raising slogans against the bill.
The SP and RJD members tried to uproot the mike on the table of the Chairman and threw the stationery placed on it. The security attendants immediately swung into action and shielded the Chairman to prevent the agitated members from climbing on the table.
The unprecedented pandemonium was witnessed as soon as law minister M Veerappa Moily moved for consideration of the Bill which provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
Meanwhile, when the Lok Sabha, which was earlier adjourned twice on the same issue, reassembled at 2pm, members of these parties led by RJD chief Lalu Prasad, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and JD(U) president Sharad Yadav, stormed the well shouting slogans.
As the slogan-shouting continued, Trinamool Congress members including its chief and railway minister Mamata Banerjee, were seen singing the famous song -- "We shall overcome some day".
Other Trinamool members, including minister of state for health Dinesh Trivedi, chief whip Sudip Bandopadhyay and cine-star turned MP Shatabdi Roy, were heard singing the song in the House.
As the din continued, Deputy Speaker Karia Munda adjourned the House till 1500 hours.
Earlier in the day, SP, BSP and RJD members on Monday strongly opposed the Women's Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, with one of them even trying to climb the Speaker's podium, leading to adjournment of the House for the second time till 2pm. The Rajya Sabha was also adjourned after huge protests.
The bill, created storm in the Lok Sabha soon after Speaker Meira Kumar welcomed a Croatian delegation and read out a reference on International Women's Day.
The moment Kumar called for Question Hour, SP, BSP and RJD members trooped into the Well demanding quotas for OBC, Dalit and Muslim women within the proposed law to reserve 33 per cent seats in Parliament and State assemblies for the fair sex.
The Speaker refused to adjourn the House and carried on with the Question Hour. SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav gestured his party members to move forward and himself marched to the Well from the side of the treasury benches. Dara Singh Chauhan (BSP) and Lalu Prasad and Umashanker Singh (both RJD) followed Yadav.
Mithilesh Kumar (SP) tried to climb the table placed in front of the Speaker prompting Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee to request Yadav to control his members.
On the SP chief's directive, the members retreated a bit but stayed put in the Well and continued to raise slogans.
The Rajya Sabha was also adjourned after Samajwadi Party members demanded that question hour be suspended to discuss the Women's Reservation Bill. When the house assembled at 11am, Chairman Hamid Ansari read out a message on the international Women's Day saying that among others "women have to be included in the decision making process".
As soon as he finished, Kamal Akhtar and other SP members were on their feet demanding that the report of the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities headed by Justice (retd) Ranganath Misra be discussed.
Ansari ruled it out on the ground that no notice had been served for this. As a handful of SP members advanced to towards the chairman's podium, Ansari adjourned the House.
PM meets leaders of parties favouring Women's bill
NEW DELHI: With Rajya Sabha witnessing pandemonium over opposition to Women's Reservation Bill, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met leaders of parties backing the Bill amid indications that he would call an all party meeting tomorrow to discuss how it can be passed smoothly.
Singh met leaders of BJP, CPI-M, CPI and TDP after SP and RJD stalled the functioning of both houses of Parliament protesting against the Bill that provides for 33 reservation to women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
The meeting was called to discuss the strategy for ensuring the passage of the land-mark legislation. While the government was keen on passing the bill today itself without discussion, leaders attending the meeting insisted on a discussion before passing the Bill.
"We want the bill to be passed and also want the Parliamentary procedure to be respected," CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta said.
Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley also favoured a discussion on the bill before it is passed by the House.
Some of the leaders who attended the meeting wanted an all party meeting to be convened to discuss the matter.
The issue is expected to be discussed at the meeting of the Congress Core Committee being held in the evening. A meeting of leaders of the parties supporting the Bill is likely to be held late evening, while an all party meeting is expected tomorrow.
Home ministry issues terror alert for Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore
NEW DELHI: The home ministry on Monday issued an alert for Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore, saying the three major cities could be targeted by terrorists.
Based on the interrogation of suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorist Salman Ahmed, the Home Ministry asked governments of Maharashtra, West Bengal and Karnataka to take all possible steps to foil any bid by terrorists to strike the cities.
"We are not taking any chances on whatever information we have received. So, we have alerted the concerned state governments to take all necessary security measures immediately," a Home Ministry official said.
During his interrogation, Salman, who was suspected to be involved in serial blasts in Ahmedabad, Varanasi and Gorakhpur, confessed that the Indian Mujahideen has set up bases in Karachi, Kathmandu, Dubai and a few places in Middle East under its so-called "Karachi Project".
"He also confessed before the interrogators that IM cadres go to Pakistan either taking the route of Nepal or Bangladesh for training and he had returned from Pakistan only in January last," the official said.
Under the "Karachi Project", IM sends Indian youths to Pakistan for terror training and again push back them to the country to carry out subversive activities.
Nityananda ashram rejects charge of rape
BANGALORE: Rejecting rape charge and doubts raised over death of a foreign devotee of self-styled godman Paramahamsa Nityananda, his ashram on Monday said he would make a public appearance soon and answer all allegations.
The charges were part of a "conspiracy to malign the image of the swami and impede ashram's social activities," the ashram spokesperson Nitya Sachidananda told reporters at the Nityananda Ashram near Bidadi, about 40 km from here.
A 23-year-old woman, an inmate of the Bidadi ashram, had alleged that Nithyananda had raped and sexually harassed dozens of women in the ashram.
Chennai police have registered a rape and cheating case against Nityananda, days after video footage of his alleged sleazy acts were telecast by TV channels.
Sachidananda also denied a charge that mystery shrouded the death of foreign national Melvyan Boyd Diamond, a Yoga teacher in the ashram.
"Diamond had family history of cardiac problems and he died following an accidental fall from the second floor of the building he lived in," he said, adding that the ashram had arranged for his cremation.
The operation to malign Nityananda had been done in "a surgical precision" and "Swamiji himself will come and comment on all the issues. As his "personal security" was at risk "we have advised him to come after some days," the spokesperson said.
The ashram, which faced violent protests after telecast of the video, has so far not lodged any police complaint.
SC asks Raj Thackeray to desist from making hate speeches
New Delhi:The Supreme Court today asked MNS chief Raj Thackeray to desist from making provocative speeches targeting north Indians which has led to several criminal cases being lodged against him in different parts of the country.
The observations by the Bench was made during the petition filed by Thackeray seeking shifting of the three cases filed in Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand recently against him to the national capital.
"What is the guarantee that in future you will not make such statements," the Bench said while issuing notices to those who have filed private complaints against the MNS chief for his alleged action and speeches promoting animosity among citizens.
The case filed in Mandasor in Madhya Pradesh was in connection with the incident in which Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azami was slapped by MNS legislators in the Maharashtra Assembly allegedly at the instance of Thackeray. The other two cases have been filed against him in Aurangabad in Bihar and Jamshedpur in Jharkhand for his alleged inflammatory speeches against north Indians
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the MNS chief, pointed to the earlier order of the apex court by which cases lodged against him in different parts of the country were shifted to Delhi.
The apex court on January 8 had shifted to Delhi's Tis Hazari Court seven cases registered against Thackeray in Jharkhand and Bihar for promoting animosity among citizens by his alleged hate speeches against north Indians. Rohatgi had submitted that the cases against Thackeray were ‘politically motivated’ and there was apprehension that he will not get a fair trial in the two states.
'The Hurt Locker' sweeps Oscars, Bigelow creates history
Iraq war saga 'The Hurt Locker' swept the Oscars today winning six golden statuettes with Kathryn Bigelow creating history by becoming the first woman to win the Best Director award.
Bigelow's film about a US bomb disposal squad posted in Iraq and the emotional toll the seven-year-old war has taken, overcame stiff competition from ex-husband James Cameron's blockbuster sci-fi epic 'Avatar'.
'The Hurt Locker', made on a small budget of USD 16 million, bagged the honours for Best Film, Best Original Screenplay for writer Mark Boal, Editing, Sound Editing and Mixing.
58-year-old Bigelow become the first woman to win the Golden Knight in the 82-year-old history of the Academy Awards. The category is dominated by male filmmakers. Only three women have been nominated in the Best Director category --Sofia Coppola, Jane Campion and Lina Wertmuller.
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"This really is, there's no other way to describe it, it's the moment of a lifetime," Bigelow said after accepting the Golden Knight amid a standing ovation by the Oscar crowd.
Cameron, who was seated right behind Bigelow, also joined in the applause.
The Academy had no surprises in the four acting categories with first timers Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side), Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart), Mo'Nique (Precious) and Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) winning in the Best Acting and Supporting categories respectively.
'Avatar', which was pitted against 'The Hurt Locker' with nine nominations, clinched three trophies in technical categories -- visual effects, cinematography and art direction.
Unlike last year, when Mumbai-based potboiler 'Slumdog Millionaire' walked away with eight Oscars, including trophies for A R Rahman and Resul Pukutty, it was a blank for India this time.
'Kavi', a short Hindi film about modern day slavery inIndia, lost out to Danish film 'The New Tenants' in the Short Film (Live Action) category.
Bullock, 45, edged past veteran actresses Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia), Dame Helen Mirren (The Last Station) and newcomers Carey Mulligan (An Education) and Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) to bag her first Oscar.
The actress was honoured for her real-life inspired role of a Southern homemaker Leigh Anne Tuohy in 'The Blind Side', who becomes the foster mother of a troubled African-American teenager and changes his life.
"Did I really earn this, or did I just wear you all down?" joked the actress, popularly known as 'American Sweetheart' for her romantic comedies like 'Miss Congeniality', 'Speed' and 'The Proposal'.
Bridges, 60, won the Best Actor award for his portrayal of alcoholic country singer Bad Blake in 'Crazy Heart'. The actor, who has been nominated four times in the past, thanked his "mom and dad" for the trophy.
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"I would like to thank my mom and dad for this. I remember my mom taking me to the showbiz parties and dad giving me acting lessons. I am an extension of them and this award is an honour to them," said Bridges.
African-American actress Mo'Nique won the Supporting Actress award for her role of an abusive mother in 'Precious' while Austria's Christoph Waltz won the supporting actor for his role as Jew-slayer Nazi officer Hans Landa in 'Inglourious Basterds.'
Mo'Nique, an African-American stand-up comedian, gave an emotionally charged speech after accepting the trophy.
Business News
Sensex adds 108 pts, regains 17K-mark
Helped by overseas investors' buying interest in auto, bank and IT stocks, the markets moved higher and the benchmark Sensex rose 108 points to close above the 17,000-mark, scaling a fresh six-week high.
However, profit-booking was seen in counters like Bharti Airtel, Reliance Industries and Hindustan Unilever after the recent rally on these counters.
Significantly, the NSEs 50-share Nifty breached the key resistance level of 5,100-mark by adding 35.30 points at 5,124 after touching a high of 5,147.10 in early morning trade.
The Sensex regained the psychologically important 17,000 level after a gap of three days, although it pared some of its intra-day gains of 193 points.
"With the weakening of the dollar, foreign funds are buying Indian stocks. As international markets are currently in a rally mode, the FIIs are also focusing on emerging market stocks," SMC Global vice-president Rajesh Jain said.
The rupee today touched a two-month high of 45.46 against the greenback as the foreign funds upped their India focus, pouring in over USD 1 billion in equities.
"The market failed to sustain gains as investors booked profit in midsession. The market is cautious before NMDC issue, in which FIIs are waiting to put in money," CNI Research chairman and managing director Kishore P Ostwal said.
As many as 20 bluechips advanced on the bourses on Monday. Analysts said the banking counter saw action after the tabling of the State Bank of India (Amendment Bill), 2010, which will allow the PSU lender to raise more capital from the market through share sale.
The government is planning to bring down its stake in SBI to 51 per cent from the present 55 per cent. SBI gained 1.16 per cent to close at Rs 2,070.25 on the BSE. Besides, private sector lender ICICI Bank gained 2.32 per cent and HDFC Bank was up 0.80 per cent.
The gainers pack was led by Mahindra&Mahindra which jumped 4.33 per cent, Hero Honda which moved up 3.09 per cent.
"The markets opened strong backed by positive Asian cues as better-than-expected US job data released on Friday signalled that the labour market is slowly stabilising and demand is improving the world's largest economy," Ostwal said.
Last month the US economy saw jo loss of 36,000 and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.7 per cent at the end of the month, data released on Friday showed.
However, there was pressure on the realty, metal and telecom counters today. Shares of Bharti Airtel dropped 2.13 per cent, Reliance Communications was down 0.55 per cent and Hindalco fell 1.10 per cent.
Meanwhile, Essar Group's plans to raise USD 3 billion (about Rs 14,000 crore) through initial share sale on the London Stock Exchange sent the shares of its subsidiaries rolling on the bourses. Shares of Essar Oil surged over 6 per cent to Rs 149 on the BSE.
LyondellBasell rejects RIL takeover bid
New York: Global petrochemicals major LyondellBasell is understood to have rejected a multi-billion dollar takeover bid by Indian giant Reliance Industries.
Luxembourg-based LyondellBasell is believed to have today submitted to the US Bankruptcy Court a detailed plan of settlement with the creditors to move out of bankruptcy protection, terming this plan as superior to the sale of controlling stake to Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries.
While an RIL spokesperson declined to comment on the development, the officials at LyondellBasell could not be contacted immediately.
RIL had reportedly made a USD 12-billion bid to acquire controlling stake in the global major and later raised the bid to over USD 14 billion. The two companies had disclosed in November last year that they were negotiating for a possible deal, but never officially disclosed the financial details.
Sports News
Spain beat England 2-0
New Delhi: Olympic silver medallist Spain continued their domination over England in the hockey World Cup, defeating the European Champions 2-0 in their last pool match at the 12th edition of the mega-event here on Monday.
Pau Quemada (35th minute) and Eduard Tubau (64th) scored the goals for Spain at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium and almost sealed their third position in the Pool B with nine points.
The victory, however, came too late for Spain as it did very little to brighten their semifinal hopes.
England were already through to the last-four stage of the tournament prior to the match with four wins out of their five matches and most likely title favourites Australia will join them as they have a better goal average than the Spaniards and also a game at hand.
In order to progress to the semis, Spain first needed to beat England by a huge margin today and hope that Pakistan prevail over Australia by a big score. But that was not to be.
The victory, however, assured Spain a place in the fifth-sixth play-off match on Friday unless Pakistan beat Australia by a margin of 13 goals, which is highly unlikely.
India look for face-saver
New Delhi: India played for a semi-final spot against Spain a few days ago, and lost it despite getting enough chances. They played for pride against England on Saturday, but managed only to come close. Now, left with only their last league match against South Africa, there is little at stake for the hosts of the 12th hockey World Cup except a face-saver and one last chance to finish in single digits in the event.
What should be a concern for the hosts is the fact that the last encounter between the two sides was an example of numerous chances going waste before India finally tapped in the winner. That story seems to be continuing in 2010, with the Indian strikers missing several sitters inside the circle. Against a resolute South African defence, it is an area that India need to address quickly. Ranked 13th in the world, they made a strong return after a 12-0 mauling by Australia, upsetting Pakistan 4-3. Their morale will be high and a win against India will put them fourth in the table.
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