AP Congress' dilemma: To blame YSR or not

                                                                           

                                                                          
YSR's son and Kadapa MP, Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, is facing corruption cases.
He was replying to questions on the recent comments by some party leaders that Rajasekhara Reddy can not escape the blame in connection with allegations involving Jagan.
He evaded a direct reply when asked whether he saw the former Congress Chief Minister as corrupt. The truth would come out in the inquiry, and nothing could be attributed to anyone now, he said.
To another question, the state Congress president said that Rajasekhara Reddy was a product of Congress, and Jagan did not inherit the political legacy of his father.
The debate as to whether to blame Rajasekhara Reddy or not has started within Congress of late, with some leaders suggesting that allegations against Jagan cannot be seen in isolation.
Satyanarayana would be touring Kadapa for two days fromtomorrow to review preparation for the coming bypolls to 18 Assembly seats.

"I have already said that ministers (of the YSR cabinet) have to take collective responsibility for cabinet decisions. But no one needs to take the responsibility if any behind-the-scene activity had taken place. An inquiry (by CBI) is on, and the truth will come out," state Congress president Botsa Satyanarayana told reporters here today.

The bypolls at 16 constituencies became necessary as the sitting Congress MLAs were disqualified by the Assembly Speaker for switching loyalty to Jagan and voting against the Congress government during a floor test last December.

India, Qatar sign oil and gas pact

                                                            
A pact to enhance cooperation in the key sector of oil and gas exploration is among the six agreements inked today between India and Qatar, which has the world's third-largest natural gas reserves after Russia and Iran. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani held comprehensive talks on a whole gamut of bilateral ties, including boosting trade as well as energy cooperation and welfare of Indian workers.
There are around 500,000 Indians in the Gulf country. After the talks, Petroleum Minister S Jaipal Reddy and Qatar's Energy Minister Mohammed Bin Saleh al-Sada signed an MoU to establish a cooperative framework to facilitate and to enhance bilateral cooperation in the oil and gas sector for mutual benefit. It envisages cooperation in the areas of upstream and downstream oil and gas activities. It is expected to encourage and promote investment and cooperation between two ministries of oil and gas and through affiliated companies.
Qatar is the largest supplier of LNG to India, which buys 7.5 million tonnes/per year of LNG from it. India wants to have huge additional supply of oil and LNG from Qatar but pricing is an issue. Other pacts are in the areas of educational exchanges, cultural contacts, promoting tourism and cooperation in legal affairs. An MoU was also signed between the Reserve Bank of India and Qatar Central Bank for sharing of supervisory information and enhancing cooperation in the area of banking supervision.

Odisha police up in arms over release of Naxals

                                                                             
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha police association on Monday threatened to boycott duty in Maoist-infested areas if the government releases hardcore Maoists. This comes after the Odisha government bowed down before the Maoists and announced that it would release 27 Maoists to in exchange for Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Jhina Hikaka and Italian national Paolo Bosusco.

When the news of the government agreeing to release Maoists spread, the security men were in utter shock. At the base camp of India Reserve Battalion, the mood was absolutely that of frustration. Though no one agreed to officially speak in front of the camera, but off the record they admit that their morale was absolutely shattered.
Meanwhile, with the abductors of Hikaka demanding release of hardcore Naxal Chenda Bhusanam alias Ghasi, an accused in the killing of at least 55 security personnel, the Odisha government has sought opinion of the state police on the matter.
"We have sought opinion of the police on whether the fresh demands made by the abductors of the MLA could be met," Chief Secretary B K Patnaik told reporters in Bhubaneswar adding that the legal aspects need to be verified before taking any decision.

VIOLENCE IN TWIN CITIES OF SOUTHERN INDIA RESULTS IN IMPOSITION OF CURFEW

TORY: Situation in certain sensitive neighbourhoods of Twin Cities – Hyderabad and Secunderabad in southern India’s Andhra Pradesh state was tense after a violent clash took place between unidentified people near a place of worship on Sunday (April 08).
This prompted the local authorities to impose curfew and deployment of security personnel to restore and maintain peace.
Reportedly, presence of prohibited meat near a religious place ignited the violence.
Soon mischief-makers of two communities gathered to pelt stones at each other. Consequently, the shopkeepers rolled down their shutters.
According to top brass of the city police, while patrolling has been increased in Madanapet and Saidabad areas of the city, additional force has also been deployed in other sensitive areas to control the situation.
Briefing reporters, Police Commissioner of Hyderabad, A. K. Khan said that four to five persons have been injured in the violence.

Hyderabad clashes: A day after, situation peaceful in old city areas

                                                                         
HYDERABAD: The situation in trouble-hit parts of the old city here, remained peaceful on Monday even as indefinite curfew continued for the second day in the communally sensitive Madannapet and Saidabad areas.
Cases against 15 persons were registered in connection with the communal disturbance, he said.
Cases against 15 persons were registered in connection with the communal disturbances, he said.
Meanwhile, police has picked up 50-60 persons for questioning since Sunday from different localities after communal violence in the old city, police sources said.
Police continued to keep a strict vigil in the communally sensitive areas and patrolling has been intensified and security has been stepped up around places of worships.
The trouble began yesterday when two groups belonging to different communities clashed at Kurmaguda, after some 'meat pieces' were found near a place of worship in Madannapet resulting in heavy stone-pelting and brick-batting.
With violence spreading to other areas and the situation slipping out of control, the police had clamped curfew under the limits of Madannapet and Saidabad police station.
However, students attending Class X and other examinations have been exempted from the curfew.
The police announced that the hall tickets of the students would be treated as curfew passes and each student would be allowed to be escorted by one elder.
All exam centres in the curfew-bound areas are functioning amid tight security.

Six benami liquor shop owners arrested

                                                                        

Six white ration card holders involved in benami ownership of liquor shops in Vizianagaram district were produced before the magistrate of Anti-Corruption Bureau court here on Sunday.

They were remanded in ACB custody by the judge. Joint Director of ACB A.R. Srinivasa Rao, who flew to Visakhapatnam to arrest the accused at Vizianagaram said on Sunday that they had not received any evidence on involvement of elected representatives in the benami ownership scam.

                                                     

Stating that it was beginning of cracking the whip on benami ownership of liquor shops at various places in the State as part of investigation into irregularities being committed by liquor syndicates, he told reporters.

They picked up seven persons and let off one pink card holder for not finding any evidence against him over benami ownership.

Subsequently, the officials brought the accused before Mahila Court judge who sent them to one-day judicial remand. It's likely that they would be produced before ACB court on Monday.
Meanwhile, a team led by joint director of ACB are trying to find out the persons behind the arrested men who might have financially supported them to bid for the liquor excise auction held in 2010, as the suspects are BPL holders. AR Srinivasa Rao, ACB joint director, denied having found any clue which can allude to the involvement of any politician. He said, he would soon start off the operation in Visakhpatanam and Srikakulam districts.ACB officials had conducted a series of search operation at a number of places in Vizianagaram district in March, 2012 following a news report that some of wine shops were allotted to ghost bidders who were working as a casual labourers in the same shops.