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PM, Rajnath, BJP in damage control mode
New Delhi: As they prepare to mark 100 days in office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP and the Home Minister were today involved in damage control amidst apparent differences at the top after embarrassing media reports that Rajnath Singh's son was ticked off by Modi for an alleged "misconduct".
As opposition parties revelled in the discomfort of the ruling party, BJP President Amit Shah also joined the PM and Singh in condemning the reports saying "propaganda" against ministers is baseless and misleading.
Shortly after newspapers carried reports of Prime Minister's unhappiness over some alleged misdemeanour of Singh's son Pankaj and that he was warned about it, Home Minister Rajnath Singh sought to scotch the "rumours", saying he would quit politics if even "prima facie" it is proved that any of his family member had been involved in any misconduct.
An emotional Singh made a brief statement to the media saying rumours about alleged wrong doings by his family members have been floating around for the last fortnight.
The Home Minister said he has talked to Modi and BJP President Amit Shah about it and both of them expressed surprise and termed the rumours as completely baseless. - PTI
BSF DG briefs HM on situation along border in J-K
New Delhi: Home Minister Rajnath Singh was today briefed by the BSF on the ground situation along the border in Jammu and Kashmir where Pakistan is continuously firing on frontier posts and civilian areas.
During the hour-long briefing, Director General of Border Security Force D K Pathak informed the Home Minister about the damage caused to the assets of BSF as well as to civilians living close to the International Border following firing and shelling by soldiers of Pakistan Rangers.
Singh was also apprised of the deaths and injuries caused to the BSF and the civilians in the area, a Home Ministry official said.
Two civilians were killed 17 others including four BSF jawans were injured in firing and shelling by Pakistani troops during last 45 days
The Home Minister appreciated the efforts of the BSF in tackling the situation and assured full assistance of resources to the DG, BSF for taking appropriate action on the border.
The BSF chief had visited the forward areas yesterday following a directive of the Home Minister. PTI
Talks to resolve Pak crisis stalled over PM resignation demand
Islamabad: Confrontation between Pakistan government and the opposition escalated today with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif rejecting demands for his resignation and Imran Khan calling off the dialogue with his regime until he quits.
Addressing the Parliament for the first time on the ongoing political crisis, Sharif brushed aside the demand for his resignation saying the country has survived "difficult times" and the current political crisis too shall pass.
On the other side, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Khan hardened his stand and called off the dialogue with the government saying that he will not be able to get justice as long as Sharif stays on as Prime Minister.
The hardening of stance came after the failed fifth round of talks even as the Supreme Court ordered the demonstrators to clear the Constitution Avenue by tomorrow.
Today's developments came a day after Sharif and powerful Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif agreed on the need to "expeditiously" resolve the political deadlock amid fears of instability in the coup-prone country.
Pak continues to be a safe heaven for terrorists: US
Washington: The Pentagon has said Pakistan continues to be a safe heaven for terrorists while lauding the efforts of the country's military to eliminate extremism, which it described as a "common threat" for both the countries.
"Extremists and the safe haven pose a challenge and the sanctuary that they continue to enjoy in Pakistan, but the Pakistani military has taken action against some of those extremist threats inside their own country. They've conducted operations not too long ago, just this summer," Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby said.
He said the US wanted to continue to work with Pakistan "to deal with what we believe is a common challenge and a common threat faced by both our countries and by Afghanistan, as well," he said.
"It is important to remind everybody that they, too, have taken casualties in that fight, so it's a common threat. We don't always see eye-to-eye on how to address it. That remains to be the case today.
"But what's different today is that we have better vehicles for dialogue and cooperation with the Pakistani military that we continue to enjoy and want to and continue to improve," he said. — PTI
People facing criminal, corruption charges should
not be made ministers: SC
NEW DELHI: Sending a strong message that people against whom criminal and corruption charges have been framed be not inducted as ministers, the Supreme Court today said Prime Minister and Chief Ministers should desist from making such appointments and act in "national interest".
A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice R.M. Lodha, however, stopped short of prescribing disqualification for such people from becoming ministers, leaving it to the wisdom of the PM and CMs not to recommend such names to the President and Governor.
Observing that it cannot add disqualification in Article 75 (1) (appointment of PM and Council of Ministers), the Bench, however, said the PM and CMs should not consider people with criminal antecedents and against whom charges have been framed in serious offences, including corruption, for appointment as ministers.
It further said the Constitution reposes immense trust in the PM and CMs and they are expected to act with constitutional responsibility and morality.
It said that the PM has been regarded repository of constitutional trust and he should act in national interest.
"We are saying nothing more, nothing less and it is left on the wisdom of the PM to decide," the Bench said, adding this is also applicable to CMs.
The PM and CMs will be well advised not to include such people in their ministry, it said.
The Bench passed the order on a PIL seeking its direction restraining the Centre and State governments from appointing people with criminal background as ministers.
The Bench also comprising justices Dipak Misra, Madan B. Lokur, Kurian Joseph and S A Bobde passed unanimous verdict in the matter with two judges giving separate opinions.
In the 123-page verdict, Justice Dipak Mishra said it is also expected that the Prime Minister should act in the interest of the national polity of the nation-state.
"He (PM) has to bear in mind that unwarranted elements or persons who are facing charge in certain category of offences may thwart or hinder the canons of constitutional morality or principles of good governance and eventually diminish the constitutional trust.
"We have already held that prohibition cannot be brought in within the province of 'advice' but indubitably, the concepts, especially the constitutional trust, can be allowed to be perceived in the act of such advice," the Bench said.
It also said while interpreting Article 75(1), definitely a disqualification cannot be added.
"However, it can always be legitimately expected, regard being had to the role of a Minister in the Council of Ministers and keeping in view the sanctity of oath he takes, the Prime Minister, while living up to the trust reposed in him, would consider not choosing a person with criminal antecedents against whom charges have been framed for heinous or serious criminal offences or charges of corruption to become a Minister of the Council of Ministers.
"This is what the Constitution suggests and that is the constitutional expectation from the Prime Minister. Rest has to be left to the wisdom of the Prime Minister. We say nothing more, nothing less," the Bench said.
Justice Kurian Joseph said, "Hence, I am of the firm view, that the PM and the CM of the State, who themselves have taken oath to bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India and to discharge their duties faithfully and conscientiously, will be well advised to consider avoiding any person in the Council of Ministers, against whom charges have been framed by a criminal court in respect of offences involving moral turpitude and also offences specifically referred to in Chapter III of The Representation of the People Act, 1951".
This provision deals with disqualification of membership to Parliament and state legislatures. — PTI
Kuldeep Bishnoi lashes out at BJP
Chandigarh: With cracks widening in the HJC-BJP alliance ahead of the Assembly polls in the state, Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) today lashed out at the saffron party for "betraying" it.
"Betrayal is in the nature of BJP," HJC chief Kuldeep Bishnoi said, addressing a gathering at Ananj Mandi at Loharu in Bhiwani district today, and claimed that he had been serving and cooperating with the BJP from the "core of his heart for the last three years".
"I seek justice from you (the people of Haryana) for the betrayal with me," he told the people.
BJP leaders in Haryana have said that the party is in a position to contest all the 90 seats on its own and accused Bishnoi of trying to "break the ties".
The alliance between two parties has seen rifts since the Lok Sabha polls, as HJC failed to win any of the two seats it contested while BJP bagged seven constituencies.
Currently the ties between the partners are under strain due to differences on seat-sharing for the Assembly polls, with Bishnoi seeking 45 of the 90 seats and that he be declared the Chief Ministerial candidate of the alliance, both of which the BJP is opposing. PTI
Bobby Jindal sues Obama Administration over Common Core policy
Washington: Indian American governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal today sued the Obama administration, accusing it of hijacking federal grants to coerce states to adopt Common Core educational standards and assessments, thus violating the federal law and the Constitution.
"The federal government has hijacked and destroyed the Common Core initiative. Common Core is the latest effort by big government disciples to strip away state rights and put Washington, DC in control of everything," Jindal said in a statement after filing the lawsuit against the Obama Administration.
The Common Core State Standards Initiative is an educational initiative in the United States that details what K-12 students should know in English language, arts and mathematics at the end of each grade.
The 43-year-old Republican party leader is a presidential aspirant for the elections in 2016. He has not announced his candidature yet.
"What started out as an innovative idea to create a set of base-line standards that could be 'voluntarily' used by the states has turned into a scheme by the federal government to nationalise curriculum," Jindal said.
In his lawsuit, Jindal argues that the Obama administration has used federal grants to compel states to enter binding agreements to adopt and fully implement a single set of federally-defined content standards and to utilise assessment products created by a federally-sponsored "consortia".
Furthermore, the US Department of Education has made changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) state test review and approval process that will coerce states to adopt the federal government's preferred tests or risk billions in federal funding, he argued.
The suit argues that these actions violate long-standing limitations by Congress on the role of the federal government in education policy. PTI
PM sets up committee to identify 'obsolete' laws
NEW DELHI: Moving ahead with his resolve to weed out archaic rules and procedures as part of reforms process, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today set up a committee to identify "obsolete" laws, which he believes hamper governance by creating "avoidable confusion".
The committee will submit its report in three months and on the basis of its recommendations a Bill will be introduced in Parliament in the Winter Session of Parliament.
The committee will examine "Acts and Rules which may have become obsolete within the last 10 to 15 years".
The decision to set up the committee is a follow-up to Modi's first major statement after becoming Prime Minister that archaic laws hamper governance and need to be identified and weeded out.
"The Prime Minister has approved the constitution of a Committee to carry out a review to identify obsolete laws," a PMO statement said here today.
"The newly-constituted committee will examine all Acts recommended to be repealed by the Committee on Review of Administrative Laws", which had been appointed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 1998," it added.
The PMO said Modi has expressed concern that out of the 1382 Acts recommended for repeal by that committee, only 415 have been repealed so far.
"He (Modi) has called for a focused and result-oriented exercise to systematically weed out archaic laws and rules," the statement said.
The committee will submit its report within three months, so that a comprehensive Bill can be introduced in the Winter Session of Parliament, based on its recommendations, it added.
The committee will be chaired by R. Ramanujam, Secretary in the PMO. V.K. Bhasin, former Secretary, Legislative Department, will be its other member.
Modi, while laying thrust on speedy delivery systems, had in his first meeting with all Secretaries of the union government said archaic rules and procedures should be done away with.
"There may be rules and processes which have become outdated and instead of serving the process of governance, they are leading to avoidable confusion", he had told the bureaucrats on June 4 and stressed the need to "identify and do away with such archaic rules and procedures". — PTI
Govt defers decision on ONGC, CIL, NHPC stake sale
New Delhi: The government today deferred a decision on its stake sale in three PSUs -- ONGC, Coal India and NHPC as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was not in town.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs did not take up the disinvestment proposals, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here after the CCEA meeting.
As per estimates, disinvestment in the three PSUs could yield the exchequer over Rs 40,000 crore, enough to meet the target for the current fiscal.
The proposals before the CCEA, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was to sell 5 per cent stake in ONGC, which could fetch about Rs 18,000 crore at current market price.
Besides another 10 per cent stake sale of Coal India which could fetch about Rs 22,000 crore to the exchequer. Also the 11.36 per cent stake sale in NHPC could fetch over Rs 2,600 crore.
In the current fiscal the government plans to mop up Rs 43,425 crore from selling stake in PSUs. PTI
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