New Delhi: In more trouble for the Centre, a group of non-Congress, non-UPA chief ministers led by Tamil Nadu and Gujarat chief ministers, Jayalalithaa and Narendra Modi, respectively, severely criticised New Delhi at the Chief Ministers' Conference on Internal Security convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Narendra Modi and Jayalalithaa also met separately after the meeting, sparking off political speculation. It was a picture post...
08:56 PM, Apr 16, 2012
New Delhi: Opposition chief ministers Narendra Modi, Naveen Patnaik and Jayalalithaa on Monday, in a royal snub to the Centre, held a parallel meet in New Delhi after accusing the Centre of trying to destroy the federal structure. United by their opposition to the proposed National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), the RPF Act and the BSF Act, arguing that they meddled with the states' powers, Modi and Patnaik met Jayalalithaa...
06:20 PM, Apr 16, 2012
New Delhi: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday sought urgent consultations between the centre and the states over issues like NCTC saying any delay in this regard would affect handling of law and order problems. "As you know, we have had a crisis involving abduction of an MLA (Jhina Hikaka) and also two Italian nationals by left wing extremists and this delay will only further aggravate such problems," Patnaik...
02:33 PM, Apr 16, 2012
New Delhi: The tenuous Centre-states relations came under more strain at the Chief Ministers' meeting on internal security in New Delhi on Monday. The Union Government faced flak from some non-Congress chief ministers for trying to step in on the domain of the state governments. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and her Gujarat counterpart led the states' charge that the Centre was bent on usurping the powers of the...
12:42 PM, Apr 16, 2012
New Delhi: Three non-Congress Chief Ministers, who are opposed to setting up of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, are likely to meet their Tamil Nadu counterpart J Jayalalithaa separately in New Delhi on Monday to evolve a strategy against the proposed anti-terror body. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Punjab's Parkash Singh Badal and Orissa CM Naveen Patnaik are expected to meet Jayalalithaa separately at the Tamil Nadu Bhawan in New Delhi....
11:08 AM, Apr 16, 2012
New Delhi: Chief Ministers from across India will be meeting in the capital on Monday to discuss internal security, but causing a flutter is West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee yet again, who's decided to give it a miss. sources said that Mamata will raise the issue of NCTC during the meeting, saying NCTC upsets federal structure. Her speech will be read out by Amit Mitra, West Bengal Finance Minister....
09:03 AM, Apr 16, 2012
New Delhi: At a time when Left-wing extremism is reasserting itself, the Chief Ministers will meet the top two of the UPA government. After a series of letters on a host of issues it is now time for some straight talk across the table with states accusing the Centre of overlooking federal dharma. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had said, "This is another example of Centre's overreach." Setting the tone...
09:52 PM, Apr 15, 2012
Bhubaneswar: Thirty seven-year-old Naxal, Chhenda Bhusanam alias Ghasi had a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head when he was arrested by the Odisha police last year. Now his release could prove the key to secure the freedom of abducted BJD MLA Jhina Hikaka. Ghasi is a dangerous man, charged in 44 cases. He was involved in the killing of 38 securitymen in an ambush in Malkangiri in June...
08:15 AM, Apr 14, 2012
Naxals have released Paulo Bosusco after a month in custody. The Odisha government has agreed to free 27 jailed cadres in exchange. ...
05:13 PM, Apr 12, 2012
New Delhi: Italian hostage Paolo Bosusco was released by the Maoists on Thursday, 29 days after he was abducted along with his countryman Claudio Colangelo by the Naxals in Odisha's Kandhamal district. External Affairs Minister SM Krishna has congratulated Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the safe release of the Italian national, saying it enhances India's reputation as a safe destination. "I appreciate Naveen Patnaik's efforts," he said. Bosusco (54)...
11:18 AM, Apr 12, 2012
Bhubaneswar: A breakthrough seems to be in sight in the Odisha hostage crisis. Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda in his latest audio message has said that he will free abducted Italian Paolo Boscusco if the government honoured its agreement signed with the negotiators. In a new audio tape released by the Naxal leader, he claims that the Italian tourist himself wants the government to release one tribal woman before he is...
10:17 AM, Apr 11, 2012
Bhubaneswar: The Naveen Patnaik government in Odisha has come under attack with experts saying it must stop giving in to the demands of the Naxals. The hostage crisis continues, with Naxals pressing for the release of some hardcore rebels. Ajai Sahni of the Delhi-based Institute for Conflict Management said, "I think it is very obvious that they have been giving in to the escalating demands. At some stage, I think...
07:41 AM, Apr 11, 2012
The Odisha Govt has said that it is facilitating the release of the 27 prisoners, demanded by two Maoist groups, within the legal framework. ...
10:16 PM, Apr 10, 2012
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government is in a fix over how to diffuse the hostage crisis. The deadline set by Naxals for the state government to free 30 jailed cadres in exchange for BJD MLA Jhina Hikaka ends on Tuesday. The government had agreed to free over 27 jailed Naxals in return for the MLA and Italian tourist Paolo Boscusco who is being held captive by another Naxal faction in Kandhamal....
07:32 AM, Apr 10, 2012
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. CNN-IBN had earlier reported that the security forces were unhappy over the decision of Odisha...
06:02 PM, Apr 09, 2012
Bhubaneswar: There is yet another glimmer of hope for the abducted Italian national Paolo Bosusco. The Naveen Patnaik government and negotiators reached an agreement late on Saturday night. The government has assured of the release of five Maoists who the mediators had named, and in return, the negotiators are calling for the release of the Italian tourist. This is the first time both sides have agreed to a solution. Italian...
10:52 AM, Apr 08, 2012
Bhubaneswar: The Maoists in Odisha, who have abducted Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Jhina Hikaka, released a fresh audio tape on Saturday demanding the release of five more Naxals from jail, issuing a fresh deadline till April 10. The Maoists have now demanded the release of top cadre Chenda Bhushanam alias Ghasi, who carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head. Ghasi, a dreaded Maoist, was arrested by...
06:06 PM, Apr 07, 2012
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday strongly refuted the claims of Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda made by him in an audio tape, arguing that the Maoists had asked for the release of six Naxals, out of which the government was facilitating the release of five. Patnaik pressed for the immediate release of Italian hostage Paolo Basusco in return for the release of the Naxals. Panda had upped his...
01:56 PM, Apr 07, 2012
Bhubaneswar: From security forces to former policemen, nobody seems to agree that the decision by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to release Naxals to secure the return of the Italian hostage Paolo Bosusco is a good one. Swaranjit Sen, former DGP, Andhra Pradesh, said, "It's like history repeating itself without any lessons being learnt. Talks have only benefited the Maoists. This new deadline of 96 hours for releasing 7 Naxals...
07:14 AM, Apr 07, 2012
Release seven Maoists within 96 hours or the Italian hostage will be killed, says Sabyasachi Panda. ...
10:18 PM, Apr 06, 2012
