Oppn concerned over IPL, demands ticket window at Town Hall

New Delhi, Mar 25 (UNI) Raising serious questions over IPL matches in Delhi, Opposition leaders in MCD today expressed concern over the security of the cricket enthusiasts as ''MCD has no control over IPL operations.''

Indicating several discrepencies in organising IPL matches, Leader of Opposition in MCD Jai Kishan Sharma asserted that people were not properly intimated about the distribution counters of IPL tickets forcing cricket lovers to buy them on exhorbitant prices from black market.

Mr Sharma asked the chairman of the Standing Committee to intervene into the matter.

He also asked the IPL organisers to bring ''transparency'' in their operations and set up more windows for the tickets including one at the Town Hall.

''MCD is the authority which provides No Objection Certificates (NOC) before any major event including IPL and the land also belongs to MCD, so it is wrong to say that it has no control over IPL operations,'' he exhorted.

Saying that if any untoward incident happens, the MCD is held responsible for that, the Opposition leader noted that the corporation has no record about how many tickets are being published for every match.

''There is a block in the stadium with the capacity of 2500 people which is reserved for the DDCA members. Around 600 more free passess have been distributed for the block. So it is dangerous to accomodate 3100 people in the block with the capacity of 2500 people,'' Mr Sharma said.

'' Who will be responsible for any untoward incident?,'' he asked expressing concern over the security of the people.

One window clearance for tower operators on April 15, 16

New Delhi, Mar 25 (UNI) Providing relief to all the cellular tower operators, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) today decided to stop its sealing drive till April 16 and give one window service to regularise the towers.

''Tower operators were coming to us requesting to give some more time as they were finding it difficult to get their towers regularise. So, we have decided to stop the sealing drive till April

16,'' Chairman of the MCD Standing Committee Ram Kishan Singhal told UNI.

There are around 1543 towers in the Capital which do not have requisite certificates from the appropriate authorities. In its drive, the Civic Agency sealed around 266 such towers in different zones.

The Civic Agency has also decided to provide one window service to all the tower operators on April 15 and 16 to get clearance.

''We have also decided to open one window service for the operators on April 15 and 16 at MCD Commissioner's office. It is an opportunity for all the operators to get the requisite clearance

from the corporation,'' Mr Singhal said.

Except dispensaries and schools all other buildings are permissible for installing towers provided they fulfil all the norms, he added.

AIIMS doctor provoked student to commit suicide: Family alleged

New Delhi, Mar 22 (UNI) The family of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) MBBS student, who had allegedly committed suicide earlier this month, today alleged a senior

AIIMS Doctor of provoking him to take such a extreme step and demanded CBI enquiry into the matter.

Father of the deceased, Gulab Chand Ahirwar alleged, ''My son became the victim of caste discrimination. He was mentally tortured for five years and finally he broke down and committed sucide.''

Talking to mediapersons here, he said his son, Bal Mukund Bharti, had told his family about discriminating behaviour of one of his professors Dr Krishan Anand.

Bharti did not perform well in his final year examinations and failed in a paper on Community Medicine, an optional subject, along with four other students. He also could not get minimum passing marks in the compartment examination.

However, his family alleged that he was ''deliberately failed by Dr Anand'' because he belonged to ''schedule caste.''

''We have asked the AIIMS administration to provide us the answer sheets of all the five students, including Bharti, who appeared for the compartment examination,'' Mr Ahirwar said.

''Despite three formal requests, we have been denied access to the answer sheets,'' he added mournfully.

According to his family, Bharti had also attempted to change his name twice just to get rid of this caste discrimination.

All India Confederation of SC/ST Organisations Chairman Udit Raj said, ''Earlier, we did not want to make this an issue but after seeing laxity on the part of the police and this caste based discrimination against the deceased, we have to enter the scene and fight for the justice for this poor family.''

Calling AIIMS a ''centre of discrimination'', Mr Raj asserted that they would meet Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad and ask for his intervention not just for this case but for making AIIMS discrimination free.

Saying that there are several flaws in the police inquiry, Mr Raj and the family of the deceased demanded, ''An FIR should be registered and enquiry should be made by CBI in the case.''

The deceased had also attemepted suicide on February 18 by consuming excessive quantity of pills and been treated for depression for 15 days in AIIMS.

Bharti, hailing from Madhya Pradesh, got admission in AIIMS for MBBS in 2004 under Schedule Caste quota.

BJP protests milk price hike, leaders court arrest

New Delhi, Mar 20 (UNI) Police today used water cannon and mild force to stop hundreds of BJP activists from marching towards Parliament House against the hike in milk and CNG prices in Delhi and courted arrest in huge numbers.

While reiterating their demand to curb the price rise and give some respite to the poor and middle class people, Delhi BJP senior leaders asserted that the government was ''directly responsible'' for the skyrocketing inflation in the Capital.

''Despite getting Rs 28,000 crore package from the Central Government, there is no relief for the common man,'' leader of the Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijay Malhotra remarked.

Delhi BJP secretary Veerender Sachdeva stated the Chairman of Mother Dairy was appointed by the Delhi government and it also provided the land at throw away prices. So, the government should ensure that people get its products at lower than market prices.

''It is an attempt to revive the middlemen, who were eliminated with the introduction of such corporations,'' MLA Ramesh Bidhuri alleged.

Addressing the protestors, BJP All India General Secretary Vijay Goel asked the activists to take the issue to each and every street of the Capital and discuss it at every corner to spread awareness among people about their exploitation.

The agitators were led by Delhi BJP President O P Kohli. Former Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana was also present.

They asked the activists to be prepared for a huge rally on April 21.

Women Reservation Bill imminent, nobody can stop it: Javed Akhtar

New Delhi, Mar 20 (UNI) Asserting his support for the Women's Reservation Bill, noted lyricist Javed Akhtar today said it is imminent and nobody can stop it.

Addressing the agitators at Jantar Mantar here, Mr Akhtar noted, ''Whatever has to happen, has to happen and nobody can stop it, but it is mournful that this is happening so late.''

People from various social organisations gathered to support the 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and to condemn the ''disgraceful statements'' by some religious leaders.

Criticising the statement of Shia cleric Maulana Syed Kalbe Jawwad that women should become mothers of good leaders rather than try to be leaders themselves, the lyricist said this ''Talibani

mentality'' was unacceptable to the Muslims and 99 per cent of the community supported the Bill.

He said until it was not getting clearance in the Rajya Sabha, all such people were friends of women but as soon as the Bill was passed there, their enmity came to the fore.

''The demand of sub-quota for Muslim and backward class women is a conspiracy to stall the Bill and they are playing this game for the last 14 years,'' he opined.

Calling such people ''hypocrite'' and ''opportunist'' Mr Akhtar said if they cannot accept the progress of women, they better leave this country.

''I want to say to these people that whatever they feel about this Bill, the provision for representation of women will happen,'' he said firmly.

On being nominated in the Rajya Sabha, he expressed his gratitude towards the people who commissioned his name for the post.

Besides, he felt that it was a very responsible job. ''I will not sit idle and will try to contribute for the society I belong to,'' he promised.

Women Reservation Bill imminent, nobody can stop it: Javed Akhtar

New Delhi, Mar 20 (UNI) Asserting his support for the Women's

Reservation Bill, noted lyricist Javed Akhtar today said it is

imminent and nobody can stop it.

Addressing the agitators at Jantar Mantar here, Mr Akhtar noted,

''Whatever has to happen, has to happen and nobody can stop it, but

it is mournful that this is happening so late.''

People from various social organisations gathered to support the

33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and to condemn the

''disgraceful statements'' by some religious leaders.

Criticising the statement of Shia cleric Maulana Syed Kalbe

Jawwad that women should become mothers of good leaders rather than

try to be leaders themselves, the lyricist said this ''Talibani

mentality'' was unacceptable to the Muslims and 99 per cent of the

community supported the Bill.

He said until it was not getting clearance in the Rajya Sabha,

all such people were friends of women but as soon as the Bill was

passed there, their enmity came to the fore.

''The demand of sub-quota for Muslim and backward class women is

a conspiracy to stall the Bill and they are playing this game for

the last 14 years,'' he opined.

Calling such people ''hypocrite'' and ''opportunist'' Mr Akhtar

said if they cannot accept the progress of women, they better leave

this country.

''I want to say to these people that whatever they feel about

this Bill, the provision for representation of women will happen,''

he said firmly.

On being nominated in the Rajya Sabha, he expressed his gratitude

towards the people who commissioned his name for the post.

Besides, he felt that it was a very responsible job. ''I will not

sit idle and will try to contribute for the society I belong to,''

he promised.

Americans also divided over women reservation

New Delhi, Mar 10 (UNI) Only Indians are not divided in their opinion about

the Women Reservation Bill, a bunch of students from University of Texas

made it felt that such issues also stir the bases in America while some

finds it “demeaning” and “disservice” to woman, others contradict.

A delegation of 30 MBA students from University of Texas in Austin is in

India on a study tour during a interaction with mediapersons expressed their

varied views on the women reservation.

When the students were asked how they look at the Women Reservation Bill,

the question brought out a ‘warfare of ideas’ among the students itself..

“For me it would be a tremendous success to actually have more

representation of women in the government. The reason behind this is that

the woman brings lot of different perspective which man may not be able to

bring on the table,” a Texas University student from Columbia Monica said.

Ms Monica was immediately confronted by a second year student at Texas

University, Catherine, asserted that women of her generation in always

believe that they do not deserve any special treatment just because they are

women.

“For me to stipulate a certain number of parliament members have to be women

is actually, in some ways, a disservice to women,” she said.

“I find it demeaning because I don need help. I can do it on my own

regardless of what my genetic make up is,” she added.

“Hilary Clinton, who ran for the presidency, is a realy interesting

demonstration of that because she belongs to that part of generation which

realy did not have a fare share,” Ms Catherine explained.

However, another student, Danialle, contradicted her and said, “I have to

respectfully regret what you have just said because you are a woman but you

are a western women and the history behind the role the Indian women played

over the year is very different.’’

“Though I feel it will help India in next 20-25 years but certainly I think

it’s a step in right direction,” she added.

Danialle also joined the corus which demanding more than one-third

reservation and said, ‘’It will not be enough.”

“There are so many young girls in this country who needs representation and

role model at a very high political level and this is where it get to start

and it is a great idea,’’ she said.