Issue - 703 (31)
24 - 30 Jan., 2017
Arvind Kejriwal hits out at Election Commission, asks does poll panel take orders from Narendra Modi Panji A day after the Election Commission of India (ECI) has censured Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for violating the
Arvind Kejriwal accused PM Modi of deliberately interfering in activities of government institutes to suppress the opposition. “Actually, during Modi’s tenure,
provisions of the Model Code of Conduct, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor hit out at the poll panel, wondering if it was taking orders from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Arvind Kejriwal, who is campaigning for his AAP for Goa Assembly elections, alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is controlling several institution including the Election Commission of India (ECI).“The EC actually waits for Modi’s speech in Lucknow to announce the dates (for polls)… their independence is under question,” said Arvind Kejriwal while speaking to Times of India. ”Do you believe it’s a coincidence?.. They actually wanted to keep us engaged here (in Goa),” the AAP chief alleged.
he has compromised most institutions. RBI… CBI…CIC have become a joke. One of the information commissioners said show Modi’s degrees and he was transferred… (With the) new charge he got, he said show Smriti Irani’s degrees, again he was transferred. Is this the way you run a government?” asked Arvind Kejriwal.Referring to questioning of Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia by the CBI and interrogation AAP’s CM candidate in Goa Elvis Gomes by the anti-corruption branch, Arvind Kejriwal said, “It’s all political victimisation… When Modiji came to power… he used to abuse Vadra and Congressmen. He never said a word against AAP. But in the
Chandigarh With battle lines drawn for the February 4 polls to Punjab Assembly, a high-octane battle of ballot is on the cards especially in some of the constituencies where the heavyweights of the three main parties are contesting. The new entrant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is adding a third dimension to the contest which has been dominated by Congress and Akali Dal-BJP alliance so far. All eyes will be riveted on the high-profile constituencies of Lambi, Jalalabad, Amritsar east, Lehragagga, Patiala and Batala seats as elections will be held for the 117-member Assembly. Lambi, a pocket borough of chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, is set to witness a keen battle with Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh challenging the Akali patriarch and AAP’s Jarnail Singh making in roads into traditional votes of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Besides, deputy chief minister and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal is locked in a fierce battle in Jalalabad against AAP’s Bhagwant Mann and Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu. At Lehragagga, former chief minister
Rajinder Kaur Bhattal is seeking re-election and burning mid night oil to oppose SAD’s heavyweight leader and finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa, who has changed his seat from Sunam in this polls. Former soldiers Captain (retd) Amarinder
past two and a half years, he has not arrested them, but our 20 MLAs have been arrested.” Arvind Kejriwal’s accusation on the Election Commission of India came after the poll panel censured him for violating the Model Code of Conduct, warning him of stern action in case of similar violations in future. ”The Election Commission hereby, censures you (Kejriwal) for violating the provisions of the MCC and expects you shall be more circumspect in your public utterances during election time,” said an EC order to Kejriwal. Arvind Kejriwal is said to have violated the Model Code by “deliberately and intentionally” instigating the public to take bribes for voting in Goa assembly elections on February 4. Speaking at four rallies in Goa on January 8, Kejriwal said people should not just accept Rs 5,000, but demand Rs 10,000 from politicians keen on offering them money, but vote for the AAP.In his reply to the poll panel, Kejriwal had not denied making the remarks and had maintained that he had neither offered any bribe to any elector nor enticed the voters to accept any pecuniary benefit from any person. The AAP chief termed “illegal, unconstitutional and wrong” the EC order censuring him and said, “I would be challenging the Election Commission’s order.”
Kitten rescued, found frozen to blanket
UTAH A kitten was dropped off at a Humane Society in Utah after being found frozen to a blanket. The Humane Society of Utah shared photos of the kitten they named Elsa and used the opportunity to remind residents in the state to keep their pets inside during the cold weather. “With a Winter Storm Warning in effect throughout most of northern Utah, we wanted to remind everyone to bring their pets inside or provide them adequate shelter,” the Humane Society said. “This kitten was brought to the HSU last night by a good Samaritan who found her frozen to a blanket.” Director of Marketing and Communications for Humane Society of Utah told WQAD Elsa arrived at the
shelter in poor shape and staff was unsure whether she would survive. “It was very skinny, it had gone without food for a while, frozen to the blanket,” Shepherd said. “It’s ears had a little frostbite on it. So it took some time for us to be able to re-warm the animal.” The staff named the kitten after Princess Elsa from the Disney film Frozen because of her icy rescue and her vocal prowess. “Our foster staff named her Elsa because she loves to sing to get people over to her kennel,” the Humane Society said. To prevent other kittens from suffering Elsa’s fate, the Humane Society also recommended pet owners provide straw for their pets to rest on instead of blankets that can absorb water and then freeze.
Trump waxwork Battle lines drawn in Punjab joins world leaders with a three-way contest at Paris museum
Singh of Congress and Gen (retd) J J Singh of SAD are fighting it out from Patiala urban seat, a traditional bastion of Congress. Cricketer-turnedpolitician Navjot Singh Sidhu is a key man to watch from Amritsar east as he is in fray on Congress ticket, while AAP’s Gurpreet Singh Ghuggi is battling it out from Batala. A total of 1,146 candidates are in the fray for Punjab Assembly polls which is set to witness three-cornered contest between SAD-BJP, Congress and new entrant AAP. Other political outfits in the fray include BSP, former AAP leader Sucha Singh Chottepur-led Apna Punjab Party, the Left
comprising CPI and CPI(M), and SAD-Amritsar. The Assembly election in Punjab is also considered a test of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity post demonetisation. SAD has fielded candidates in 94 seats while its ally BJP has nominated candidates in remaining 23 seats. Congress is contesting alone on all seats. AAP, which is contesting Punjab polls for first time, has fielded its candidates in 112 seats, while its ally Lok Insaf Party, led by Ludhiana-based Bains brothers, have fielded its nominees in five seats. Punjab was the only state which gave AAP its four MPs in the 2014 parliamentary election. Just like AAP’s performance in 2014, its fortunes in the state remain unpredictable. Just a year ago, AAP seemed unbeatable, but now appears on a sticky wicket, political observers said. More than the opposition, the party suffered due to blows from within. Most of the prominent faces it fielded in 2014 or those who joined it then have either been kicked out or pushed to fringe. Allegations of corruption in ticket allocation, infighting and stings by party activists on each other are some of the hurdles AAP faces.
PARIS/LONDON On the eve of his inauguration as US president, Donald Trump was already standing among world leaders at the Grevin wax museum in Paris on Thursday though the sculptor admits the hair posed a challenge. Sculpted in record time - just over two months - after the museum was wrong-footed by Trump’s shock victory over Hillary Clinton, the wax likeness stands next to one of German leader Angela Merkel and at arm’s length from Vladimir Putin of Russia.The museum
was so certain that Clinton would win the November election that it decided to forgo the trouble of sculpting statues for both candidates. “We should have had both ready, to be safe,” said sculptor Eric Saint Chaffray. “So we were under time pressure,” he told AFP, adding that he worked from photos and videos. Meanwhile, A Donald Trump waxwork was unveiled on Wednesday at Madame Tussauds museum in London, complete with his signature suntan - and yak hair.