Senior BJP legislator and former Minister Devi Singh Bhati, who had expressed his dissatisfaction over the appointment of Arun Chaturvedi as party Rajasthan unit president, has resigned from its primary membership. ''I had sent my resignation through fax to party President Rajnath Singh yesterday,'' Mr Bhati told newspersons today. However, he clarified that he was at present not contemplating to quit Assembly membership. Soon after the appointment of Mr Chaturvedi as BJP state president in place of Om Prakash Mathur on Thursday, Mr Bhati expressed his dismay and had said appointment of such ''a weak leader who is not even familiar with entire Rajasthan will weaken the party further'' and that he does not want to be a mute spectator to the same. He has claimed that more resignations are likely to come in protest against Mr Chaturvedi's appointment.Former minister Devi singh Bhati quits BJP
Senior BJP legislator and former Minister Devi Singh Bhati, who had expressed his dissatisfaction over the appointment of Arun Chaturvedi as party Rajasthan unit president, has resigned from its primary membership. ''I had sent my resignation through fax to party President Rajnath Singh yesterday,'' Mr Bhati told newspersons today. However, he clarified that he was at present not contemplating to quit Assembly membership. Soon after the appointment of Mr Chaturvedi as BJP state president in place of Om Prakash Mathur on Thursday, Mr Bhati expressed his dismay and had said appointment of such ''a weak leader who is not even familiar with entire Rajasthan will weaken the party further'' and that he does not want to be a mute spectator to the same. He has claimed that more resignations are likely to come in protest against Mr Chaturvedi's appointment.Former West Bengal CM Jyoti Basu admitted in Hospital
Former West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu was on Sunday admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata following breathing problem and old age related complications. But the doctors attending to him said his condition is stable. Basu, 96, was driven in an ambulance to the AMRI hospital near his Salt Lake residence Indira Bhavan a little before noon after he spent a restless night. "Basu apparently lost consciousness twice in the morning. He has weakness and giddiness. But now he is more stable," the hospital's medical superintendent Debasish Sharma told IANS.
He has been admitted to the intensive cardiac care unit and a panel of doctors has been formed for his treatment, he said. The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader was given oxygen on the way to the hospital but "now his oxygenation level is satisfactory", Sharma said. "He is now better," the veteran leader's son Chandan Basu told reporters.
He has been admitted to the intensive cardiac care unit and a panel of doctors has been formed for his treatment, he said. The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader was given oxygen on the way to the hospital but "now his oxygenation level is satisfactory", Sharma said. "He is now better," the veteran leader's son Chandan Basu told reporters.
First ashes test drawn by tailenders
England tailenders James Anderson and Monty Panesar denied Australian victory in the first Ashes Test with an heroic unbeaten last-wicket stand before an ecstatic capacity 16,000-strong crowd in Cardiff on Sunday. Victory seemed assured for the Australians when Paul Collingwood was dismissed for 74 after five hours 43 minutes of dogged resistance with England still needing six to make Australia bat again and a minimum 11.3 overs remaining. Australia captain Ricky Ponting put his faith in off-spinners Nathan Hauritz and Marcus North for the final overs after taking pace bowler Peter Siddle out of the attack. Anderson (21 not out) and Panesar (seven not out), playing resolutely straight, defied the bowling with the former negotiating the final over from Hauritz to tumultuous applause.The day began brightly for Australia when Ben Hilfenhaus, bustling in from the River End, captured the wicket Australia prized most by knocking over Kevin Pietersen's off-stump in the fourth over of the day.
Delhi Metro bridge collapse: Sreedharan resigns as DMRC chief
Delhi Metro chief E Sreedharan has announced his resignation owning moral responsibility for an accident at a construction site in Jamrudpur of south Delhi's Lajpat Nagar, which claimed five lives early on Sunday morning. Sreedharan, who turned 77 on 12th July 2009, announced his decision at a crowded press conference in New Delhi soon after his visit to the site of the collapse. "As the head of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, I take moral responsibility for the incident...So I have decided to resign and I have put in papers and I have sent it to Lt Governor Tejinder Khanna and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit," he said. Asked whether his decision will delay the Metro projects which are scheduled to be completed before the Commonwealth Games, he said, "The views you are making may be correct but my personal conviction in this matter cannot be compromised."Delhi Government said it was not for taking any hasty decision on the resignation of Sreedharan. Sreedharan took "full moral responsibility" of the incident which caused death of five persons, including an engineer and injured 15 others, in the second such incident in eight months. The accident took place as one of the pillars of the bridge gave in when a launcher was being erected close to Lady Sriram College in Dhamrudpur in Lajpat Nagar at around 5 am. Among the dead were four labourers and an engineer of Gammon India, the contractor for the project. The engineer has been identified as Anshuman while the names of the other deceased are yet to be released. The Delhi Metro attributed the accident to a "problem in the design" of the pillar. "We were trying to rectify it. There was a defect in the peer cap which caused the displacement," Dayal said. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit termed the incident as "unfortunate" and said a compensation package will be worked out in consultation with the Delhi Metro.
Michael Jackson was murdered for his 1 Bn pound fortune - Sister
Michael Jackson was murdered for his 1-billion-pound fortune, according to his heartbroken sister La Toya. In an exclusive interview, the former Playboy model, 53, said that she and the family are convinced her brother's apparent drugs overdose was "foul play" by a shadowy group out to get their hands on his 1-billion-pound fortune. “We don't think just one person was involved in the murder. It was a conspiracy to get Michael's money," News of the World quoted her as saying.La Toya, the closest person to Michael from the whole tight-knit Jackson clan, said that she has vowed revenge on the people she claims murdered her brother Michael. "I know who did it and I won't rest until I nail them," she added. La Toya added: "Michael was murdered. And we don’t think just one person was involved. Rather, it was a conspiracy of people. I feel it was all about money. Michael was worth well over a billion in music publishing assets and somebody killed him for that. He was worth more dead than alive." La Toya's revelations come just two days after the chief of Los Angeles police admitted they were investigating the singer’s death as possible homicide.
Kerala CM Achutanandan removed from CPM Polit Bureau
CPI(M) central committee on Sunday removed Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan from the Politburo, in a decision aimed at resolving the crisis in party’s Kerala unit. Achuthanandan, however, will continue as the Kerala CM while Pinarayi Vijayan, with whom the former has been at loggerheads over the latter’s alleged involvement in the multi-crore SNC Lavalin scam, will continue as the party state secretary. The recommendations to remove Achuthanandan were placed before the central committee yesterday evening when it met to douse factional fire in its Kerala unit.Achuthanandan said that the Lavlin scam had hurt the party’s image. Vijayan on the other hand called for action against the CM, saying the leader’s statement were hurting party members. While the CM sought removal of Vijayan from the post of state secretary, Vijayan wanted the exit of Achuthanandan from the CM’s post for violating party discipline.
Maharashtra Govt terminates 3148 resident doctor on Strike issue
Maharashtra Government terminated 3,148 medicos on Saturday after they refused to return to work on the fifth day of their indefinite strike. "We have issued termination notices to 3,148 resident doctors," Dr W B Tayade, Director of Medical Education, told a news agency on Saturday evening. The notices were issued following the failure of talks between the medicos and the health authorities. "We have also written to respective universities to initiate the process of cancellation of the registration of these doctors," Tayade said. Some resident doctors in Akola, Dhule, Latur, Kolhapur and Nagpur did not participate in the strike, Tayade said. The stern action came on the fifth day of the doctors' indefinite strike to demand enhancement of stipend and better living conditions. After giving show-cause notices to more than 2,500 striking resident doctors yesterday, the state government set a deadline of 2 pm today for the doctors to return to work.
