Narendra Modi attends his first BJP Parliamentary Board meet

New Delhi: Gujarat CM Narendra Modi, a social media enthusiast, attended his first BJP Parliamentary board meeting on Tuesday. In his typical tech-savvy manner, Modi spoke on the importance of social media and how to harness it for the elections.

Modi pitched for the forthcoming BJP national executive as the platform to delineate the failures of the UPA government and firm up the party's strategy for the 2014 elections.

SC slams Gujarat's vidya sahayak scheme

Gujarat: The Supreme Court on Monday severely criticised the Gujarat government of Chief Minister Narendra Modi over its Vidya Sahayak scheme. The court came down heavily on the Modi government on the recruitment process of vidya sahayaks in government primary schools.

In a stinging criticism a bench of justices BS Chauhan and Dipak Misra asked the Gujarat government to explain why full time teachers were not being recruited even after the Right to Education Act. Calling vidya sahayak as Shikha shatrus (enemies of education), the court asked the Modi government to reply by Wednesday. The court also asked the government to explain why vidya sahayaks were being paid just Rs 2,500.

There should be a law to make fixing a criminal offence: Kapil Sibal

New Delhi: Law Minister Kapil Sibal will meet law officers on Tuesday to discuss enacting a new law to check match-fixing in sports. Sibal has called for fixing to be made a criminal offence.

"We will work with the Sports Ministry to introduce a law that makes match-fixing a criminal offence. We decided to put up a case for opinion by the A-G and if he clears that, anti-match fixing legislature can be drafted," Sibal said.

CPM MLA murder: Pappu Yadav released after acquittal

Patna: Four days after the court acquitted former RJD MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav on charges of killing CPI-M leader Ajit Sarkar, he was formally released from jail here on Tuesday, police officials said.

Citing lack of evidence, the Patna High Court on last Friday acquitted Yadav in the case related to Sarkar's murder.

Modi meets Advani ahead of BJP Parliamentary board meeting

New Delhi: Ahead of BJP's Parliamentary board meeting on Tuesday, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi met senior party leader LK Advani in the national capital. Modi, who was inducted into the BJP's Parliamentary board in March this year, will attend his first board meeting on Tuesday.

The board is likely to clear the agenda for the two-party national executive slated to be held in Goa in the second week of June. The party will also review preparations for the 2014 elections.

Congress leaders pay homage to Rajiv Gandhi

New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on Tuesday was remembered on his 22nd death anniversary with leaders paying homage at his memorial here.

President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the late leader's wife and Congress President Sonia Gandhi offered flowers at his memorial 'Vir Bhumi' here.

Modi to attend BJP's Parliamentary board meeting today

New Delhi: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who was inducted into the BJP's Parliamentary board in March this year, will attend his first board meeting on Tuesday.

The board is likely to clear the agenda for the two-party national executive slated to be held in Goa in the second week of June. The party will also review preparations for the 2014 elections.

Plea to withdraw National Anthem complaint against Tharoor rejected

Kochi: A Court in Kerala on Tuesday dismissed a plea to withdraw the complaint in the National Anthem case against Union Minister Shashi Tharoor.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate M Manoj rejected the plea of petitioner Joy Kaitharath that he did not want to continue with the case and seeking the court's permission to withdraw the same. The court held that there was no provision to withdraw the complaint.

Rajnath Singh demands dissolution of Jharkhand Assembly

Ranchi: BJP President Rajnath Singh on Monday demanded immediate dissolution of Jharkhand Assembly to give the people an opportunity for a fresh mandate. Raising the party's demand again for dissolution of the House, Singh told reporters that the people should get a chance to elect their representatives instead of living under President's rule.

Jharkhand Assembly is under suspended animation from January 18, 2013 when President's Rule was imposed following the fall of the BJP-led government on January 8.

UP govt laud Lokayukta for exposing memorial scam

Lucknow: The ruling Samajwadi Party on Monday said that all those indicted by Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta, for syphoning off public money in construction of memorials during the BSP regime, would be punished according to the law. In a statement issued here, SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said that Lokayukta, vigilance and CBI were probing scams of the previous Mayawati regime and the results were appalling.

"All records of misuse of the government were broken. A dozen ministers of the BSP government are involved in serious crimes like disproportionate assets, extortion, murder and rape," he alleged. Chaudhary said that instead of working with a sense of vendetta, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has emphasised on establishing "Rule of Law". Reacting on the Lokayukta report, Bhartiya Janata Party said that the SP government should now act against corruption and scams of the BSP rule.