The BJP and JD(U) in Bihar’s NDA government on Sunday began drifting towards the brink of separation as two senior BJP ministers defiantly stayed away from the Chief Minister, Mr Nitish Kumar’s public programmes in symbolic protest against his rebuff to the BJP icon, Mr Narendra Modi.
The Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Sushil Kumar Modi, and health minister Mr Nand Kishore Yadav, both of the BJP, refused to participate in Mr Kumar’s ongoing Vishwas Yatra statewide tour a day after the state government controversially returned Rs 5 crores in flood relief aid from the Gujarat government in a unilateral decision without the state BJP’s knowledge.
In Ranchi, meanwhile, the senior BJP leader, Mr Yashwant Sinha, accused Mr Kumar of doing a “childish act”, and went on to add that if the Chief Minister did not want to continue his alliance with the BJP, “let him clearly announce it”.
Saying he failed to understand the logic of returning the Gujarat government’s relief aid, Mr Sinha added: “There is no use of doing this drama.”
The BJP’s central leadership is scheduled to meet in New Delhi on Monday to discuss the party’s differences with the JD(U), where some of its senior Bihar leaders are also likely to be present.
Senior politicians Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mr Ram Vilas Paswan, meanwhile, in a swipe at their BJP-JD(U) rivals, described Mr Kumar’s move to return flood relief aid to Mr Modi as a “political drama” and dared the saffron party to cut off ties “if it has any self-esteem left.”
In Patna, a pre-scheduled public meeting on Sunday evening where both Mr Kumar and Mr Nand Kishore Yadav were to speak had to be cancelled.
Showing posts with label Bihar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bihar. Show all posts
Monday, June 21, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Goods train catches fire as Maoists blast rail line
At least 15 diesel tankers caught fire when suspected Maoists derailed a goods train by blasting the railway track and then set afire one of the tankers in Bihar's Motihari district, a railway official said on Thursday.
The Maoists targeted the diesel tankers on the goods train between Jeevdhara and Pipra railway stations in Motihari, about 200 km from here. "The goods train driver and guard informed us that suspected Maoists set afire an oil tanker. After that fire spread to other tankers," the east central railway chief public relation officer, Mr Dilip Kumar told IANS over telephone. A local police official said that the fire was still raging. "The fire is massive and we will have to wait for the fuel to burn out," he said. Meanwhile, train services have been disrupted in north Bihar as the main track has been blocked, sources in the railways said.
The Maoists targeted the diesel tankers on the goods train between Jeevdhara and Pipra railway stations in Motihari, about 200 km from here. "The goods train driver and guard informed us that suspected Maoists set afire an oil tanker. After that fire spread to other tankers," the east central railway chief public relation officer, Mr Dilip Kumar told IANS over telephone. A local police official said that the fire was still raging. "The fire is massive and we will have to wait for the fuel to burn out," he said. Meanwhile, train services have been disrupted in north Bihar as the main track has been blocked, sources in the railways said.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Bihar MP's aide, wife shot dead
An aide of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Umashankar Singh and his wife were shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bihar's Chapra town, police said on Monday.
Janarddhan Singh and his wife were killed on Sunday night while they were at home, an official said.
Police have lodged a case and investigations are on, he added.
Umashankar Singh is MP from Maharajganj.
Janarddhan Singh and his wife were killed on Sunday night while they were at home, an official said.
Police have lodged a case and investigations are on, he added.
Umashankar Singh is MP from Maharajganj.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Bandh affects normal life in UP, Orissa
Rail services were disrupted in many parts of Uttar Pradesh today and three buses torched in the state capital during a nation-wide bandh called by the Left and non-BJP parties to protest government’s “failure” to check price rise.
Scores of SP activists were detained in Allahabad while trying to disrupt rail traffic.More than 50 SP workers gathered at the Prayag railway station at around 5 AM in the morning and squatted on the tracks, obstructing the movement of Lucknow-bound GangaGomati Express, police said.
The agitating SP workers were detained by GRP personnel following which the train could leave the station at 6 AM, half-an-hour behind schedule.
In the state capital, three buses were set ablaze allegedly by Samajwadi Party workers.
While the SP workers torched two buses in Krishna Nagar and Ashiyana areas in the wee hours, another was set ablaze in front of Vidhan Bhawan building, they said.
The SP workers also stopped trains at several places in the state including Lucknow and Pratapgarh, the sources said, adding that some people were detained in this connection.
RLD and CPI workers took out a procession and staged dharna at Hazratganj crossing in Lucknow disrupting traffic movement.
In Ghaziabad, Samajwadi Party workers stopped the Lucknow—bound Shatabdi at the railway station for around 20 minutes. Some trains on way to Delhi were also blocked, railway sources said.
Daily commuters between Meerut and Delhi were stranded as private buses were not plying on the stretch.
In Modinagar, Lok Dal leader and Chairman Modinagar Nagar Palika Sudesh Sharma along with his supporters blocked traffic.
Authorities have made tight security arrangements in view of the bandh.
ADG (Law and Order) Brij Lal said around 2700 PAC personnel have been sent to different districts to ensure law and order.
Bandh disrupts normal life in Orissa
Normal life was thrown out of gear in Orissa during the 12-hour shutdown called by Left and other parties and supported by ruling BJD in the state against Centre’s alleged failure to check price rise.
Vehicular movement was paralysed across the state as bandh supporters blocked national highways, state highways and other roads, putting a halt to plying of passenger buses, trucks, taxis and autorickshaws, police sources said.
Rail services were also affected as trains were stopped at different stations for a brief period, they said.
Security was tightened throughout the state with deployment of about 2000 security personnel in various places to deal with any eventuality during the strike called by seven non—Congress and non—BJP political parties in the state.
In the state capital, shops, business establishments and commercial outfits remained closed during the bandh.
The strike affected work in Central government offices, public sector units including NALCO, post offices and banks as bandh supporters resorted to picketing and prevented staff from entering their offices, sources said.
Work was also affected in East Cost Railway (ECoR) headquarters due to picketing by bandh supporters, but emergency arrangements had been made by railway authorities to maintain basic functioning, an official said.
The shutdown also affected normal life in various places like Cuttack, Berhampur, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Balasore, Puri, Balangir, Baripada and Khurda.
Scores of SP activists were detained in Allahabad while trying to disrupt rail traffic.More than 50 SP workers gathered at the Prayag railway station at around 5 AM in the morning and squatted on the tracks, obstructing the movement of Lucknow-bound GangaGomati Express, police said.
The agitating SP workers were detained by GRP personnel following which the train could leave the station at 6 AM, half-an-hour behind schedule.
In the state capital, three buses were set ablaze allegedly by Samajwadi Party workers.
While the SP workers torched two buses in Krishna Nagar and Ashiyana areas in the wee hours, another was set ablaze in front of Vidhan Bhawan building, they said.
The SP workers also stopped trains at several places in the state including Lucknow and Pratapgarh, the sources said, adding that some people were detained in this connection.
RLD and CPI workers took out a procession and staged dharna at Hazratganj crossing in Lucknow disrupting traffic movement.
In Ghaziabad, Samajwadi Party workers stopped the Lucknow—bound Shatabdi at the railway station for around 20 minutes. Some trains on way to Delhi were also blocked, railway sources said.
Daily commuters between Meerut and Delhi were stranded as private buses were not plying on the stretch.
In Modinagar, Lok Dal leader and Chairman Modinagar Nagar Palika Sudesh Sharma along with his supporters blocked traffic.
Authorities have made tight security arrangements in view of the bandh.
ADG (Law and Order) Brij Lal said around 2700 PAC personnel have been sent to different districts to ensure law and order.
Bandh disrupts normal life in Orissa
Normal life was thrown out of gear in Orissa during the 12-hour shutdown called by Left and other parties and supported by ruling BJD in the state against Centre’s alleged failure to check price rise.
Vehicular movement was paralysed across the state as bandh supporters blocked national highways, state highways and other roads, putting a halt to plying of passenger buses, trucks, taxis and autorickshaws, police sources said.
Rail services were also affected as trains were stopped at different stations for a brief period, they said.
Security was tightened throughout the state with deployment of about 2000 security personnel in various places to deal with any eventuality during the strike called by seven non—Congress and non—BJP political parties in the state.
In the state capital, shops, business establishments and commercial outfits remained closed during the bandh.
The strike affected work in Central government offices, public sector units including NALCO, post offices and banks as bandh supporters resorted to picketing and prevented staff from entering their offices, sources said.
Work was also affected in East Cost Railway (ECoR) headquarters due to picketing by bandh supporters, but emergency arrangements had been made by railway authorities to maintain basic functioning, an official said.
The shutdown also affected normal life in various places like Cuttack, Berhampur, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Balasore, Puri, Balangir, Baripada and Khurda.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Maoists blast under-construction police building in Bihar
Heavily-armed Maoists blasted an under-construction police building at Bhelbi in Bihar’s Saran district, police said on Thursday.
Over 50 ultras surrounded the building at around 11.45 pm last night and fired indiscriminately besides triggering dynamite blast that razed the building to the ground, they said.
Bhelbi police station, which was to shift in the under-construction building, is around 2.5 kms away.
No casualty was reported in the incident, the police said.
The Naxals left behind a handbill demanding the state government to immediately halt ‘Operation Green Hunt’ and release its top leaders lodged in jails.
Raids were on in the area to apprehend the ultras.
Over 50 ultras surrounded the building at around 11.45 pm last night and fired indiscriminately besides triggering dynamite blast that razed the building to the ground, they said.
Bhelbi police station, which was to shift in the under-construction building, is around 2.5 kms away.
No casualty was reported in the incident, the police said.
The Naxals left behind a handbill demanding the state government to immediately halt ‘Operation Green Hunt’ and release its top leaders lodged in jails.
Raids were on in the area to apprehend the ultras.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Five burnt to death in Bihar
Five people, including a former village body head, were burnt to death when a group of men attacked them and set their vehicle on fire in Bihar’s Banka district, police said Sunday. One person has been arrested and 15 people have been booked for the crime.
Prayag Yadav, the former head of Tilkara panchayat, and four of his supporters were killed on aturday night near Bhaljore More in Banka, about 170 km from here.
The five were on their way to Jhalar village when a group of men attacked them with bombs and opened fire, said Superintendent of Police Shyam Kumar.
“First the criminals attacked Yadav’s vehicle, which then overturned as the driver lost control. The assailants opened fire, poured petrol on the vehicle and set it ablaze. Yadav and others were burnt alive inside the vehicle,” Mr. Kumar said.
Inspector General of Police (Bhagalpur range) Vinay Kumar said the killing could be because of an old enmity between Prayag Yadav and current village body head Babu Lal Yadav.
A person identified as Madhusudan Yadav has been arrested and a search is on for the other culprits, Mr. Kumar added.
Prayag Yadav, the former head of Tilkara panchayat, and four of his supporters were killed on aturday night near Bhaljore More in Banka, about 170 km from here.
The five were on their way to Jhalar village when a group of men attacked them with bombs and opened fire, said Superintendent of Police Shyam Kumar.
“First the criminals attacked Yadav’s vehicle, which then overturned as the driver lost control. The assailants opened fire, poured petrol on the vehicle and set it ablaze. Yadav and others were burnt alive inside the vehicle,” Mr. Kumar said.
Inspector General of Police (Bhagalpur range) Vinay Kumar said the killing could be because of an old enmity between Prayag Yadav and current village body head Babu Lal Yadav.
A person identified as Madhusudan Yadav has been arrested and a search is on for the other culprits, Mr. Kumar added.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Benefits of welfare plans not reaching end-users: Rahul Gandhi
Slamming the Bihar government for its alleged failure to implement central government-sponsored development schemes, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said benefits of welfare plans were not reaching end-users in the state.
"The Bihar government has failed in implementing these schemes. It is not a question of intention. I am talking of implementation. The benefits are not reaching the end- users, everybody knows it. (Bihar chief minister) Nitish Kumar knows it."
Mr Gandhi said that money was not the issue, but that the delivery system needed to be reviewed. He also said schools and hospitals in Bihar were not functioning properly.
"The Bihar government has failed in implementing these schemes. It is not a question of intention. I am talking of implementation. The benefits are not reaching the end- users, everybody knows it. (Bihar chief minister) Nitish Kumar knows it."
Mr Gandhi said that money was not the issue, but that the delivery system needed to be reviewed. He also said schools and hospitals in Bihar were not functioning properly.
