Agency report in the Times of India online
Srinagar, Aug 10: Curfew was in force in Srinagar Tuesday as a precautionary measure even as restrictions remained imposed in other major towns of the Kashmir Valley in the wake of a separatists’ protest plan.
"Curfew is in force in entire Srinagar as a precautionary measure", Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Mehraj Ahmad Kakroo said.
The hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani has given a call for a week-long programme of protests and asked people to offer prayers on roads in their respective areas.
Police and paramilitary forces are deployed to enforce curfew in the city. In old city, spools of concertina wires were laid on the roads in some areas and barricades erected.
However, people were seen moving on the roads in civil line areas.
Shops and business establishments, educational institutions and private offices remained closed and public transport was off the roads.
Police said restrictions were also in force on the movement of the people in major towns of the Valley, including Baramulla, Sopore, Anantnag and Pulwama. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6286911.cms?prtpage=1
2.Govt promises best Commonwealth Games ever
New Delhi: Despite all the allegations of corruption and delay in meeting deadlines on construction projects, Union Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy has assured India will host the best Commonwealth Games so far.
Speaking in Lok Sabha, he said: "I don’t say that corruption has not taken place. No one can say that. All irregularities will be inquired into exhaustively."
Making a spirited intervention during a debate on the games, he said some people took the position that a country like India, which has a lot of poverty, should not have hosted the Commonwealth Games. "Though I beg to differ from them, I respect their ideological position. But with only a month left, this should not be raised".
Reddy said a total of Rs 28,054 crore have been spent on the games out of which Rs 16,560 crore was given to the Delhi Government for upgrading the capital infrastructure and building of various stadia. http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cwg-mess-rocks-lok-sabha-bjp-demands-probe/128489-37-64.html?from=trhs
3.Mamata deplores killing of Maoist leader Azad
Lalgarh: Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday termed as "not correct" the killing of Maoist leader Cherukuri Rajkumar alias Azad who, she claimed, had agreed to hold talks with the government on behalf of the Naxals.
Azad, who was a member of the CPI (Maoists) politburo and a spokesperson for the insurgents, was killed by police in an encounter in Adilabad district of Andhra Pradesh on July 2. "I feel the way Azad was killed is not correct. Swami Agnivesh has made him agree to hold talks (with the government). What happened was not correct. I feel the process (for holding talks with the Maoists) should start," she told a rally here.
High drama followed the rally in the Naxal hotbed as the Trinamool chief got stuck in a traffic jam near Lalgarh on her return from the meeting venue. Her party accused the state government of deliberately blocking roads.
The CPM has been accusing her of being hand in glove with the Maoists. But Mamata claims the rally is not Trinamool’s and that it’s being held under the banner of an apolitical forum. The issue figured in Parliament also, with the Left demanding to know why the government was silent.
Four PCPA workers were arrested from the rally even as the PCPA workers were seen in large numbers at the rally. Maoist leader Kishenji had also called upon his comrades to attend the rally.
Social activist Agnivesh, who is an interlocutor between the government and the Left extremists, also attended the rally. http://ibnlive.in.com/news/mamata-deplores-killing-of-maoist-leader-azad/128495-37-64.html?from=trhs
4. BJP, Left slam Mamata for ‘pro-Naxal’ remarks
New Delhi: Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee’s statement terming the killing of Communist Party of India(Maoist) leader Cherukuri Rajkumar alias Azad as "not correct" led to pandemonium in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday with the Opposition demanding as explanation from the Government. The House saw rare unity between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left Front with both of them criticising the Trinamool Congress chief.
The BJP gave a notice for suspension of Question Hour in the Lok Sabha and demanded discussion on Mamata’s statement on Naxals. But Lok Sabha Meira Kumar rejected the BJP’s notice, saying the issue would be discussed during Zero Hour.
Trinamool Congress MPs vigorously protested when BJP leader Gopinath Munde raised the issue of Lalgarh rally of Mamata. However, Munde got an unexpected support from Left Front MPs who blamed the TMC of fanning violence.
Intervening in the debate, Pranab Mukherjee replied that the Government would ascertain the position from the Railway Minister. "At this stage I can’t say anything more," he said.
The issue was also raised by the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, which had to be adjourned till 12 noon following uproar by the MPs.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/bjp-slams-mamata-for-pronaxal-remarks/128537-37-64.html
