Ajay Kaul
Yekaterinburg (Russia), Jun 15 : On his first trip to Russia during his second tenure, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet Russian President Dmitry Medvedev here tomorrow during which the two leaders are expected to give a fresh momentum to bilateral relations which are already "flowering".
Singh and Medvedev, who will be meeting on the sidelines of the Summits of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and Brazil-Russia-India-China (BRIC) tomorrow, are expected to discuss a wide range of subjects covering bilateral ties, terrorism and regional issues like Afghanistan.
As he arrived here tonight, Singh underscored the importance India gives to Russia.
"This is my frist foreign visit abroad after my re-election as Prime Minister. That this visit should be to a friendly country like Russia is a measure of our regard and respect for Russia," the Prime Minister told reporters on his arrival.
Ahead of the meeting, sources said relations between India and Russia have always been at their best and "flowering" in all sectors including defence.
On the Gorshkov aircraft carrier deal, the sources underlined that there was no problem. Ze
9:53 PM
9:53 PM
Meira says she won't quit Congress
planetInfo
Sasaram (Bihar), June 15 : Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar today ruled out her resignation from Congress as suggested by her predecessor Somnath Chatterjee.
"There is no convention that the Speaker should resign from the primary membership of his or her party. I will function with the same impartiality towards Congress and the other parties in the Lok Sabha," she said during her maiden visit to her constituency Sasaram after assuming office.
"I will not be partisan...I am committed to maintaining the glory attached to the constitutional post," she said.
Chatterjee had made the suggestion during an interview to a private TV channel yesterday saying political affiliation should not lead to conflict of interest.
"It is better if a person occupying the Speaker's post resigns from his or her party post during the tenure so that there is no conflict of interest," he had said.
Kumar, the country's first woman Speaker, hoped that the Women's Reservation Bill would be unanimously passed in the 15th Lok Sabha as all political parties are serious about it.
"The bill could not be passed despite it being tabled thrice in the house during 11th, 12th and 13th Lok Sabha," she said. Ze
"There is no convention that the Speaker should resign from the primary membership of his or her party. I will function with the same impartiality towards Congress and the other parties in the Lok Sabha," she said during her maiden visit to her constituency Sasaram after assuming office.
"I will not be partisan...I am committed to maintaining the glory attached to the constitutional post," she said.
Chatterjee had made the suggestion during an interview to a private TV channel yesterday saying political affiliation should not lead to conflict of interest.
"It is better if a person occupying the Speaker's post resigns from his or her party post during the tenure so that there is no conflict of interest," he had said.
Kumar, the country's first woman Speaker, hoped that the Women's Reservation Bill would be unanimously passed in the 15th Lok Sabha as all political parties are serious about it.
"The bill could not be passed despite it being tabled thrice in the house during 11th, 12th and 13th Lok Sabha," she said. Ze
9:53 PM
Jammu, Jun 15 : The annual pilgrimage to the revered Amarnath cave shrine in South Kashmr, which commenced today, was suspended owing to inclement weather and heavy snowfall along the mountainous route.
Hostile weather and snowfall in upper reaches along the Baltal route led to suspension of the yatra, an official spokesman said.
Amidst tight security, the pilgrimage began early this morning with a first batch of 900 worshippers leaving the base camp at Bhagwati Nagar here.
The pilgrims, who left in a fleet of 30 vehicles escorted by security forces, crossed Banihal at around 1955 hours and were on their way to Baltal, nearly 400-km from here.
The pilgrimage to 3,880-ft high shrine was to commence on June seven but was put off due to heavy accumulation of snow on the Pahalgam route.
The yatra, to be completed in five days, traditionally begins from Pahalgam with night halts at Chandanwari, Sheshnag and Panjtarni. Ze
Hostile weather and snowfall in upper reaches along the Baltal route led to suspension of the yatra, an official spokesman said.
Amidst tight security, the pilgrimage began early this morning with a first batch of 900 worshippers leaving the base camp at Bhagwati Nagar here.
The pilgrims, who left in a fleet of 30 vehicles escorted by security forces, crossed Banihal at around 1955 hours and were on their way to Baltal, nearly 400-km from here.
The pilgrimage to 3,880-ft high shrine was to commence on June seven but was put off due to heavy accumulation of snow on the Pahalgam route.
The yatra, to be completed in five days, traditionally begins from Pahalgam with night halts at Chandanwari, Sheshnag and Panjtarni. Ze
9:53 PM
Mumbai, Jun 15 : Accused of dilly-dallying on the panel report into the alleged lapses in handling 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, Maharashtra government today said it will table the findings in the Maharashtra Legislature tomorrow, the last day of the current session.
"The report would be tabled tomorrow. There was discussion on the issue at the state cabinet meeting here today and it would continue tomorrow," the minister told reporters at Vidhan Bhawan, even as an angry opposition accused the Congress-NCP government of trying to avoid discussion on the panel's findings.
BJP leader Eknath Khadse said if the government was sincere it could have tabled both the reports today itself.
Chief Minister Ashok Chavan had on the first day assured the Legislature that the Ram Pradhan committee report along with the Action Taken Report (ATR) would be tabled before the end of the monsoon session and discussion would also take place.
Meanwhile, sources said that the cabinet meeting witnessed a heated discussion among the ministers on the report.
A senior cabinet minister, who did not wish to be named, said the panel felt that the administration and the police department responded well to the situation.
"If everything went well, then who was responsible for the mess," he asked. Ze
"The report would be tabled tomorrow. There was discussion on the issue at the state cabinet meeting here today and it would continue tomorrow," the minister told reporters at Vidhan Bhawan, even as an angry opposition accused the Congress-NCP government of trying to avoid discussion on the panel's findings.
BJP leader Eknath Khadse said if the government was sincere it could have tabled both the reports today itself.
Chief Minister Ashok Chavan had on the first day assured the Legislature that the Ram Pradhan committee report along with the Action Taken Report (ATR) would be tabled before the end of the monsoon session and discussion would also take place.
Meanwhile, sources said that the cabinet meeting witnessed a heated discussion among the ministers on the report.
A senior cabinet minister, who did not wish to be named, said the panel felt that the administration and the police department responded well to the situation.
"If everything went well, then who was responsible for the mess," he asked. Ze
9:53 PM
Midnapore(WB), Jun 15 : Two more CPI(M) cadres were found dead as pro-naxal tribals, agitating against alleged police atrocities, today torched three police camps and demolished house of a Marxist leader, virtually taking control of Lalgarh in West Midnapur district after forcing security forces to leave the area.
The police camps at Belatkri and Dharampur and the Ramgarh outpost in Lalgarh were wound up in the wake of apprehensions that tribals, who have launched an agitation under the banner of the People's Committee Against Police Atrocities, may loot the arms, the police said.
The tribals later torched the Ramgarh police outpost as also police camps at Beratikri and Dharmapur. They also demolished a camp at Kaima from where the CRPF withdrew, the sources said.
The camps, in pucca buildings, were ransacked before being torced, official sources said.
With this the entire Lalgarh area came under the control of the PCPA, as also most of that under Salboni police station, they said.
Three bodies of CPI(M) supporters who were killed at Dharmapur, were still lying there, bodies of two others reported missing were found at Salpatra, the sources said, adding that four marxist supporters were still missing.
Tribals also demolished the palatial house of a CPI(M) leader Anuj Pandey with crowbars and hammers at Lalgarh, the sources said, adding that Pandey had fled the site. Ze
The police camps at Belatkri and Dharampur and the Ramgarh outpost in Lalgarh were wound up in the wake of apprehensions that tribals, who have launched an agitation under the banner of the People's Committee Against Police Atrocities, may loot the arms, the police said.
The tribals later torched the Ramgarh police outpost as also police camps at Beratikri and Dharmapur. They also demolished a camp at Kaima from where the CRPF withdrew, the sources said.
The camps, in pucca buildings, were ransacked before being torced, official sources said.
With this the entire Lalgarh area came under the control of the PCPA, as also most of that under Salboni police station, they said.
Three bodies of CPI(M) supporters who were killed at Dharmapur, were still lying there, bodies of two others reported missing were found at Salpatra, the sources said, adding that four marxist supporters were still missing.
Tribals also demolished the palatial house of a CPI(M) leader Anuj Pandey with crowbars and hammers at Lalgarh, the sources said, adding that Pandey had fled the site. Ze