Treat our fishermen humanely: Manmohan to Rajapaksa

March 4, 2014

Manmohan_to_RajapaksaNay Pyi Taw, Mar 4: Even as the Sri Lankan Navy arrested 32 more Indian fishermen, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh raised the issue with the neighbouring country's president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, here Tuesday, calling for a humane approach to the issue.

Meeting on the margins of the BIMSTEC Summit, the two leaders also spoke about the upcoming US-led resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council, the text of which was released to member countries late Monday.

"The prime minister said it (the fishermen issue) was a livehood issue and must be handled in a humane manner by Sri Lanja," Indian foreign office spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said at a post-meeting briefing.

The prime minister's concern followed the arrest of at least 32 Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy Monday for allegedly intruding into their waters and the seizure of their eight trawlers.

The arrests came just ahead of the second round of talks between the fishermen of two sides scheduled March 13 in Colombo, mainly to discuss the rights over the waters in the Palk Strait between the two countries.

Manmohan Singh and Rajapaksa were here in this capital city of Myanmar for the third summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation.

Besides India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, the seven-nation grouping comprises Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Thailand.

Rajapaksa, on his part, raised the proposed resolution against Sri Lanka in Geneva which has been co-sponsored by the US, Britain, Montenegro, the Maldives and Mauritius.

"Our prime minister said we have just seen the draft and given that it has implications on both countries, let us keep in touch," Akbaruddin said, referring to Manmohan Singh's comments on the matter.

It is learnt that the draft resolution, which deals with the alleged war crimes against Tamil separatists, does not call for any sanctions but pushes for an international probe into the matter, which Colombo has thus far rejected.

The probe was first requested at the UNHCR Feb 25 after a post-civil war expert report. The war between Sri Lankan forces and the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) ended in 2009.

During their 25-minute meeting, the two leaders also raised the issue of closer economic relations as also reconciliation of ethnic Tamils after the bloody civil war.

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News Network
July 22,2020

New Delhi, Jul 22: Congress leader Sachin Pilot has served a legal notice to party MLA Giriraj Malinga, for claiming that the former had offered him money to join the BJP.

"Former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot has served a legal notice to Congress MLA Giriraj Malinga for his Rs 35 crore bribery allegation," a source close to Pilot said.
P
Earlier, addressing a press conference, Malinga said, "Those MLAs who are stuck either in Haryana or Jaipur, are running after money. To say, they are not, are false claims. Even I was offered the same by Pilot, which I had refused. Came to this party knowing BJP and Congress do not accept money to give tickets."

When asked by the reporters whether he was offered Rs 35 crore, he claimed by saying, "Yes, 35." The MLA claimed he was himself the prove when the reporters asked for the same.

The political situation in Rajasthan is in turmoil after Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot sacked his then-deputy Sachin Pilot and the latter's confidants from his council of ministers. The Congress has also claimed that BJP was trying to buy its party MLAs.

On Monday, the Rajasthan High Court had said that it would hear the petition filed by Pilot and 18 of his loyalist MLAs on July 24, against the disqualification notices issued against them, a lawyer said.

"The arguments in the matter have been concluded. The court has heard the arguments from all the parties. The High Court has slated the matter for orders on July 24," Advocate Prateek Kasliwal told reporters after the hearing. 

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Agencies
March 15,2020

Ahmedabad, Mar 15: Four Congress MLAs in Gujarat have tendered their resignation to Assembly Speaker Rajendra Trivedi ahead of the election to the four Rajya Sabha seats in the state to be held on March 26.

The four Congress legislators tendered their resignation on Saturday, which Trivedi has accepted.

Trivedi told this to PTI on Sunday.

He said he will announce the names of the legislators in the Legislative Assembly on Monday.

"Four Congress MLAs tendered their resignation to me on Saturday, and I will announce their names in the Assembly tomorrow," he said.

With this, the strength of the Congress party in the 182-member Gujarat Assembly has come down to 69 from 73.

The Congress had on Saturday shifted its 14 MLAs to Jaipur fearing horse-trading by the ruling BJP ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls.

The BJP has fielded Abhay Bhardwaj, Ramila Bara and Narhari Amin for the election.

Given its number in the Assembly, the ruling party can only win two seats unless it manages cross-voting from the opposition camp or ensures defection of Congress MLAs to win the third seat.

The Congress has fielded senior leaders Shaktisinh Gohil and Bharatsinh Solanki.

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News Network
June 24,2020

Kolkata, Jun 24: Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Tamonash Ghosh, who had tested positive for Covid-19 in May, died at a hospital here on Wednesday, party sources said.

He was 60.

The three-time MLA from the Falta assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district was admitted to a hospital after he tested positive for the disease, they said.

He had several complications related to the heart and the kidney, the sources said.

"Very, very sad. Tamonash Ghosh, 3-time MLA from Falta & party treasurer since 1998 had to leave us today. Been with us for over 35 years, he was dedicated to the cause of the people & party. He contributed much through his social work," West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee tweeted.

"He has left a void that will be difficult to fill. On behalf of all of us, heartfelt condolences to his wife Jharna, his two daughters, friends and well-wishers," she added.

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