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Congress has betrayed people of the country and they will never forgive it, Swaraj said. The Leader of Opposition spoke on the similar lines at another bypoll rally in Sonkatch Assembly constituency in Dewas district, where Rajendra Verma is contesting for the BJP. Swaraj also criticised the Centre for not providing financial assistance to the frost-hit farmers of the state and alleged that it is not treating the state in a fair manner. She assured the farmers that they will get adequate compensation for the damaged crops.

Centre encouraging corruption at people''s cost

Centre encouraging corruption at people''s cost: Swaraj

Dhar(MP), Feb 9 (PTI) Blaming the Congress-led UPA government for rising inflation and corruption in the country, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj today alleged that the Centre is openly encouraging corruption at the cost of people's rights. "Inflation has reached at its peak in the last seven years which has made the life of common men miserable and the disclosure of corruption on a day-to-day basis has proved that the Centre is openly conserving it," she said addressing a rally at Kukshi in support of the BJP candidate, Mukam Singh Kirade for the Kukshi Assembly seat bypoll. Swaraj called upon people to vote for BJP if they wanted to free the nation from the rising inflation and corruption. The BJP leader alleged that the Congress had misled people during the 2004 General elections by claiming that its hand was with the common man. "Everybody knows what happened after that. Inflation has made the life of people totally miserable," she added. Swaraj said allegations of corruption against the UPA government are not politically motivated, but based on hard facts. "The country's highest body, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has termed the loss in 2G scam to the tune of Rs 1.76 lakh crore. Similarly, by selling S band spectrum without following due procedures, the government has suffered a loss of Rs two lakh crore," she said. .

Venugopal likely to represent ED in 2G spectrum

Venugopal likely to represent ED in 2G spectrum case in SC

New Delhi, Nov 20 (PTI) Eminent lawyer K K Venugopal is likely to represent the Enforcement Directorate along with Additional Solicitor General Haren Raval in the 2G spectrum case in the Supreme Court tomorrow.In November last year, the government had decided to induct Venugopal as a counsel to argue CBI's case in the apex court.Now, Venugopal will represent both CBI and ED in the high-profile 2G case along with Raval.Both the investigation agencies are probing the multi-crore rupee scam. The decision by the Law Ministry to requisition the services of Venugopal, a private lawyer, ahead of the Supreme Court hearing tomorrow, is an effort to strengthen its legal team in the Supreme Court for the sensitive case, sources said. While Attorney General G E Vahanvati is representing the Prime Minister, Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium is auguring for the DoT.

Five poachers nabbed

Chandrapur (Maha), Feb 9 (PTI) Maharashtra Forest Department has arrested five persons on the charges of poaching a cheetal (spotted deer) near here, officials said today. The animal's meat, its skin and tools used for poaching were seized from them, Range Forest Officer V W Morey said. The accused had laid a trap in Mul Forest Range for the cheetal, which died of electric shock last night, he said. Those arrested are residents of Pethgaon village, located adjoining the forest range here in Eastern Maharashtra, Morey said. The five, booked under relevant sections of Wildlife Protection Act, were produced in a local court which sent them in the custody of Forest Department till February 15.

Pakistan should concentrate on internal threats

Pakistan should concentrate on internal threats: Roemer

Bangalore, Feb 9 (PTI) Defending its arms sales to Pakistan, US Ambassador to India Timothy Roemer today said Islamabad needs to concentrate on internal threats posed by various militant outfits and use arms provided by US to combat them. Reacting over India's concerns regarding US defence sales to Pakistan, he said US President Barack Obama had taken a very clear stand by stating that he would not participate in any kind of military build up against India and the arms sales to Pakistan should not be used against New Delhi. "Those are for Pakistan to fight its own internal threats... we want Pakistan to concentrate on its own internal threats" be it the Al Qaida or the LeT, he said. "Pakistan needs to focus on the internal threats of terrorism and to use the arms we provide to counter terrorism," he said. Reiterating the US commitment to India, he said Obama had pledged his personal and the country's support to enable India to have a permanent seat in the UN security council. "He has not said that to Pakistan", he said. Roemer also pointed out that US had looked into a civil nuclear agreement with India, but the same had not been extended to Pakistan. "India is the corner stone of our global partnership," he said. To a question on whether there were any conditions for the US supporting India to have a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, Roemer said the President had elicited clear support for India. "There are no ifs, ands, buts or any conditions," he said. Measures like according greater access to more superior technology and removing nine entities from the list were indications of its commitment to strengthening this strategic partnership. These technologies are only exchanged with its closet allies, he said, adding, "India is an extraordinary close, indispensable partner of the US." He said the visit of US President to India was a historic one and was indication of the trend the relationship was moving towards. It was optimistic and positive where India was being treated as an emerging global power, he said. On India's intentions to finalise the MMRA deal in the next fiscal, he said, "US is very honoured to be in competition. We have two very good planes to compete. Both of superior technology." It would help modernise the IAF and add "little muscle to the airforce," he said.

12 injured in clash over dog''s death

New Delhi, Feb 9 (PTI) Around a dozen people were injured following a clash triggered by crushing of a dog to death by a car in east Delhi, police said today. The incident took place in Trilokpuri at around 11 pm yesterday when the dog was allegedly crushed to death by a car driven by a person identified as Ravi. Following the incident, a heated argument took place between the dog's owner Arjun and Ravi. Soon other people joined the row and a fight broke out, police said. Around 12 people, four of them seriously, were injured. The four have been identified as Ravi, Ashwani, Arjun and Sunil. Ravi and Arjun are neighbours and their families were not on good terms, police said.

HC notice to AP govt, Centre over Hyderabad Metro

HC notice to AP govt, Centre over Hyderabad Metro Rail project

Hyderabad, Feb 9 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh High Court has issued notices to Central and State governments on a public interest writ petition challenging the Hyderabad Metro Rail project. Following a petition filed by the Human Rights Forum, the High Court yesterday served notices to the respondents and gave them two weeks time to file their counters. The petitioner S Jeevan Kumar, president of the Human Rights Forum, complained that the Metro Rail project proposed by the Andhra Pradesh government for Hyderabad city was "unconstitutional" and will affect the ecology of Hyderabad in addition to spoiling its historic image. The petitioner contended that AP Transway Act 2008, under which the state government was executing the Metro project, does not empower it to take up a project like the Metro rail. "Basically the subject concerning the Railways is within the administrator's ambit of the Central government, and the state government cannot take up such a project as the Metro rail was being constructed under Tramway Act," Kumar contended and claimed that the proposed project was not economically viable. The Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court who presided over a division bench directed notice to the state government, Secretary of Railway Department (Central government), L&T (which has been awarded the Metro rail project in Hyderabad), Secretary of Revenue Department and also Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department on the matter.

AP Governor asks people to support census

Hyderabad, Feb 9 (PTI) Highlighting the importance of National Census, Andhra Pradesh Governor E S L Narasimhan today appealed to the people to whole-heartedly support and provide truthful information to the enumerators. The Governor has provided his personal information to the enumerators who have visited him at Raj Bhavan today on the occasion of beginning of Census-2011. Speaking on the occasion, the Governor said it takes only 10 minutes to fill up all the columns of 29 items in the census format and appealed to the citizens to spare that time. The information is most important for the next 10 years for our National Planning, for taking many policy decisions, he said and called on the citizens to make the Census 2011 a success in the State. The Director, A.P. Census Operations, Y V Anuradha, Commissioner, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Sameer Sharma and others were present on the occasion. Meanwhile, the Census officials also visited the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy at his residence and collected the details.

Haryana Assembly Speaker election on Mar 4

Chandigarh, Feb 9 (PTI) The election for the post of the Speaker of Haryana Assembly will be held on March 4. This was announced by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda at Karnal today. The election was necessitated after Harmohinder Singh Chatha resigned from his post as Speaker in January and was later inducted into the state cabinet.