Daily Archives: November 2, 2015

India

Protesters lathicharged at India-Nepal border

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Newsroom24x7 Desk

Nepal protestersKathmandu, Nepal : Nepal government took action finally against the protesters when Nepalese police on Monday forcibly removed the agitating protesters from their sit-in spot on crucial Miteri Bridge at Indo-Nepal border, opening the Birgunj-Raxaul border point after 40 days. The protesters had blocked the Indo-Nepal border and disrupted movement of goods and vehicles, as a mark of non-agreeance with the new constitution that took shape in the Nepal region. Madhesis – who claimed to represent the interests of the Indian-origin inhabitants of Nepal’s Terai region (plains) – had been protesting near the main Nepal-India trading point close to Raxaul, through which about 70 per cent of bilateral trade had been done. Their agitation had resulted in halting of supply of essential goods, causing acute shortage of fuel in Nepal.

The protesters initially pelted stones on police personnel and intensified their attacks and protests. However, police took charge of the situation and forcefully started to evacuate the protesting agitators from the area. Not being able to withstand the pressure of the personnel, the agitators finally caved in and got eventually chased away by police.

Opening of this border region resulted in paving way for entry of vehicles from one side of border to the other. Nepalese side began their frieght movement wherein some 170 freight trucks entered into India from Nepal after the border was opened.However, no trucks have entered into Nepal from the Indian side in the initially rush hour of goods movement.

Raxaul customs superintendent Arun Kumar Rajat said that the trucks stranded on Indian side would be sent to Nepal soon as the border had got cleared since morning. “There is no point in stopping the freight trucks and tankers as the border has cleared. The trucks, tankers and LPG bullets will be sent to Nepal,” he was quoted as saying to Kathmandu media.

 

World

Knights and dames scrapped from Order of Australia

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knights and dames australiaMelbourne, Australia : Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has scrapped knights and dames from the honors system, labelling the titles as anachronistic and out of date. These titles were reintroduced by the Former Prime Minister during his earlier tenure and found dumping ground from the existing PM after Turnbull took office and replaced Abbott. The old-style honors were brought in by Abbott in 2014 for honoring pre-eminent Australians and presenting them with such titles, but had become the subject of ongoing ridicule and controversy ever since. Abbott had shocked his own party when he had brought back knights and dames in 2014 and was ridiculed as ‘being out of touch’. The ridicule had escalated into a full-fledged controversy when Abbott took a decision to knight Prince Phillip on Australia Day this year which drew the greatest criticism. Following a public backlash, Abbott had announced then, that he would remove himself from the process of choosing knights and dames.

Turnbull and his Cabinet agreed unanimously that the titles were no longer appropriate in the modern awards system and went ahead with the scrapping as the Queen approved Turnbull’s request of scrapping them. Turnbull said, ‘It is a long way from being the most important issue in Australia today. This reflects modern Australia. Knights and dames are titles that are really anachronistic, they’re out of date, not appropriate in 2015 in Australia.’

Since 2014, the honor has been bestowed upon Governor-General Peter Cosgrove, former governor-general Quentin Bryce, Prince Phillip, former Defence Force chief Angus Houston and former NSW governor Marie Bashir. Turnbull clarified that those who had been given the honours earlier would not be forced to give it away as they would not be affected by this scrapping of titles, which would come into effect for future references.

Madhya Pradesh

Congress demands MP Minister Kusum Mehdele’s resignation for “Kicking teenager”

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mehdele_kicks_teenagerBhopal: Madhya Pradesh Cabinet minister Kusum Mehdele has come under attack and the demand for her dismissal is mounting after television news channels started telecasting a video showing her kicking a teenager on his head when he went down on his knees to seek financial help during her tour of Panna district yesterday.

Kusum Mehdele, who is a senior minister in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan Cabinet, has been in controversy recently over her statement on the issue of farmers’ suicide. Her demand not long ago to permit domestication of big cats like tigers also came under sharp criticism.

The main Opposition Congress and the state unit of Aam Aadmi Party have gone on the offensive and are making a case against Mehdele before the Human Rights Commission and also the State Child Rights Commission. Congress workers also came out on the road today and burnt the accused minister’s effigy.

Mehdele has denied the charge against her and said that she was not involved in any such incident. State BJP spokesperson Hitesh Bajpai came to the minister’s defence saying what the video is depicting is leading to a wrong perception due to the angle at which the shot was perhaps taken from a mobile phone. While stating that the state BJP leadership is seized of the matter, he said Mehdele can never do what she is being accused of..

India

Kejriwal distributes Rs 5 lakh cheques to families of anti-Sikh riots victims

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Newsroom24x7 Desk

Arvind-Kejriwal (copyright wikipedia)New Delhi : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal disbursed cheques of Rs 5 lakh each to the relatives of victims of anti-Sikh riots and fulfilled Delhi government’s earlier promise to do so. AAP government had earlier announced in the month of May that it had earmarked Rs 10 crore from its budget to pay enhanced compensation to the kin of riot victims. CM Kejriwal payed homage to Sikh riot victims at a function in Tilak Nagar in West Delhi and distributed the compensation during the same event.

Taking a dig at the then Congress-led Union government and also attacking the Modi-led government – erstwhile at Gujurat state and presently at the centre, Kejriwal said, had the guilty been punished in 1984 itself, the incidents such as Dadri lynching or Gujarat riots of 2002 would not have occurred. While paying his tributes to the worst hit Sikh victims at the time of riots, Kejriwal added he would get the validity of Special Investigation Team formed by the Centre examined by the legal experts.

Enhanced compensation cheques for Rs 5 lakh each were handed out to 1,320 next of kin of Sikhs killed in the riots. Delhi Chief Secretary K K Sharma said the government would issue such cheques to 2,300 families. Kejriwal said his government would strive to bring the perpetrators of the riots to book.