No Indian player in Australian Twenty20 Big Bash League Down Under

MELBOURNE: Australian cricketers may be participating in the IPL but Indian players would not get the BCCI's permission to compete in the Twenty20 Big Bash League Down Under later this year because of domestic tournaments.

BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty said the Board would not free the players of their domestic season commitments which run from October to March. The Big Bash is scheduled from mid-December until late January.

"Last year some teams wanted Indian players and they were not available because of (the) domestic tournament," he told 'The Age'.

India have a one-day series in Australia lined up next year soon after the Big Bash but even newly-appointed coach Duncan Fletcher can't ask for a earlier-than-scheduled trip Down Under for his players to get acclimatised.

"It's a policy decision of the board, the new coach has nothing to do with that, and when there is a domestic tournament on I don't think we will release any players.

"Sri Lanka now has some league in the month of July and it doesn't clash with our domestic tournament so whoever wants to go with prior permission can participate," Shetty explained.

There are 35 Australians, including retired champions Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist , playing in the Indian Premier League right now.

US outreach to India business to prevent visa abuse

WASHINGTON: Keen to strengthen its economic relationship with India, the US says it has a lot of outreach with the business community there to prevent abuse of the visa system to spoil it for everyone else. "There's an awful lot of outreach with the business community in India. We have a very good relationship with NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies) and other business groups there," Janice Jacobs, assistant secretary of state for consular affairs told reporters Thursday. "So we are very interested in strengthening the economic partnership that we have with India, and I think these visas are part of that," he said. However, US consulates or the Embassy in India had become aware of certain abuses of those two categories of visas, and they are taking measures to make sure that those abuses do not continue, Jacobs said when asked about reports that US missions were denying visas to some people whose visas had been approved in the US. Noting that over 50 percent of the H&L visas for professionals issued by US worldwide are issued in India and these "two programmes, I think, have really benefited Indian nationals over the years," he said: "we don't want people who might try to abuse the system to spoil it for everyone else." "So we do a lot of presentations and outreach on trying to explain what the procedures are, what the requirements are, just to make sure that everyone is sort of playing by the book so that we're able to issue visas to qualified applicants," Jacobs said

Over 80% turnout in third phase of polls in West Bengal

Kolkata: The crucial third phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections — which saw the fates of high-profile candidates such as Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Partha Chatterjee being decided — passed off peacefully on Wednesday.

The voter turnout of 80.43 per cent (till 9 p.m.) was also a record in the three districts in the recent past. The average percentage in the 2006 Assembly elections and 2009 Lok Sabha elections were 77.94 per cent and 78.94 per cent respectively.

Though there was no report of any major incident, minor charges, however, kept pouring in during the day. They included the Trinamool Congress alleging rigging and booth capturing by activists of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) at the Jadavpur Assembly constituency from where the Chief Minister is seeking re-election.

Seventy-five Assembly constituencies in North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas districts and Kolkata went to the polls. In all 479 candidates were in the fray. The percentage of polling in the city-based constituencies was a shade lower than that in the other two districts.

A spell of late-afternoon showers in the city affected the pace of polling, resulting in long queues outside many booths well after 5 p.m.

“The polling was very peaceful with no report of any law and order violation or disruption. There were strong security arrangements at the polling booths and nearby areasso that security personnel could rush immediately to any spot on receiving a complaint,” State Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Gupta said.

One arrested

Mr. Gupta added that one person was arrested from the city for allegedly trying to canvass for a political party near a polling booth, apart from 106 preventive arrests across the three districts.

Chief Minister and DMK president M. Karunanidhi with Kanimozhi, MP, arriving for the party's high-level committee meeting in

Chief Minister and DMK president M. Karunanidhi with Kanimozhi, MP, arriving for the party's high-level committee meeting in Chennai on Wednesday.
Chief Minister and DMK president M. Karunanidhi with Kanimozhi, MP, arriving for the party's high-level committee meeting in Chennai on Wednesday.

CHENNAI: Expressing surprise over the inclusion of the party's Rajya Sabha Member Kanimozhi in the supplementary charge sheet in the 2G spectrum allocation case, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's high-level committee declared on Wednesday that it would face the situation legally.

A resolution passed at its 90-minute meeting at the DMK headquarters, chaired by its president and Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi, alleged that ever since the Comptroller and Auditor General of India had observed that the exchequer suffered a loss to the tune of several crores of rupees in the allocation of 2G spectrum, there had been attempts by a dominant section to use the issue as a “political chessboard.”

Based on this, an investigation was launched by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and former Telecom Minister A. Raja and directors of various companies were arrested and lodged in the Tihar jail. It was surprising to note that the names of Kanimozhi, a stakeholder in Kalaignar TV, and Sharad Kumar, director in the television company, figured in the charge sheet, even though the channel had explained that it had only taken a loan of Rs.200 crore from another company and that it had repaid the amount with interest and submitted the relevant details to the Income Tax Department.

The resolution also charged the media with blowing this issue out of proportion, seizing it as an opportunity to tarnish the DMK leadership's image. Attempts were being made to make it a political issue and cause loss of trust among constituents of the Democratic Progressive Alliance in a bid to break the alliance.

It alleged that “certain political leaders whose culture and way of life is corruption” and sections of the media bent upon toppling the DMK and Mr. Karunanidhi were trying to exploit this (2G spectrum issue) in order to rattle the party. The DMK would not wilt under this propaganda blitz. As it was confident that justice would be ultimately established, the party decided to handle this issue through legal means, the resolution added.

Later speaking to the press, Mr. Karunanidhi refused to say anything on the 2G spectrum issue and how the CBI was acting in this regard, except reiterating that everything would be handled legally.

On whether Ms. Kanimozhi and Mr. Sharad Kumar would seek anticipatory bail, Mr. Karunanidhi said it was for the lawyers to decide on this. Will she respond to the summons issued by a Delhi court to appear before it on May 6? “She is not like Jayalalithaa (former Chief Minister and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary) to avoid court appearances,” he retorted.

Chief Minister and DMK president M. Karunanidhi with Kanimozhi, MP, arriving for the party's high-level committee meeting in Chennai on Wednesday.

CHENNAI: Expressing surprise over the inclusion of the party's Rajya Sabha Member Kanimozhi in the supplementary charge sheet in the 2G spectrum allocation case, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's high-level committee declared on Wednesday that it would face the situation legally.

A resolution passed at its 90-minute meeting at the DMK headquarters, chaired by its president and Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi, alleged that ever since the Comptroller and Auditor General of India had observed that the exchequer suffered a loss to the tune of several crores of rupees in the allocation of 2G spectrum, there had been attempts by a dominant section to use the issue as a “political chessboard.”

Based on this, an investigation was launched by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and former Telecom Minister A. Raja and directors of various companies were arrested and lodged in the Tihar jail. It was surprising to note that the names of Kanimozhi, a stakeholder in Kalaignar TV, and Sharad Kumar, director in the television company, figured in the charge sheet, even though the channel had explained that it had only taken a loan of Rs.200 crore from another company and that it had repaid the amount with interest and submitted the relevant details to the Income Tax Department.

The resolution also charged the media with blowing this issue out of proportion, seizing it as an opportunity to tarnish the DMK leadership's image. Attempts were being made to make it a political issue and cause loss of trust among constituents of the Democratic Progressive Alliance in a bid to break the alliance.

It alleged that “certain political leaders whose culture and way of life is corruption” and sections of the media bent upon toppling the DMK and Mr. Karunanidhi were trying to exploit this (2G spectrum issue) in order to rattle the party. The DMK would not wilt under this propaganda blitz. As it was confident that justice would be ultimately established, the party decided to handle this issue through legal means, the resolution added.

Later speaking to the press, Mr. Karunanidhi refused to say anything on the 2G spectrum issue and how the CBI was acting in this regard, except reiterating that everything would be handled legally.

On whether Ms. Kanimozhi and Mr. Sharad Kumar would seek anticipatory bail, Mr. Karunanidhi said it was for the lawyers to decide on this. Will she respond to the summons issued by a Delhi court to appear before it on May 6? “She is not like Jayalalithaa (former Chief Minister and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary) to avoid court appearances,” he retorted.

Chief Minister and DMK president M. Karunanidhi with Kanimozhi, MP, arriving for the party's high-level committee meeting in Chennai on Wednesday.

CHENNAI: Expressing surprise over the inclusion of the party's Rajya Sabha Member Kanimozhi in the supplementary charge sheet in the 2G spectrum allocation case, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's high-level committee declared on Wednesday that it would face the situation legally.

A resolution passed at its 90-minute meeting at the DMK headquarters, chaired by its president and Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi, alleged that ever since the Comptroller and Auditor General of India had observed that the exchequer suffered a loss to the tune of several crores of rupees in the allocation of 2G spectrum, there had been attempts by a dominant section to use the issue as a “political chessboard.”

Based on this, an investigation was launched by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and former Telecom Minister A. Raja and directors of various companies were arrested and lodged in the Tihar jail. It was surprising to note that the names of Kanimozhi, a stakeholder in Kalaignar TV, and Sharad Kumar, director in the television company, figured in the charge sheet, even though the channel had explained that it had only taken a loan of Rs.200 crore from another company and that it had repaid the amount with interest and submitted the relevant details to the Income Tax Department.

The resolution also charged the media with blowing this issue out of proportion, seizing it as an opportunity to tarnish the DMK leadership's image. Attempts were being made to make it a political issue and cause loss of trust among constituents of the Democratic Progressive Alliance in a bid to break the alliance.

It alleged that “certain political leaders whose culture and way of life is corruption” and sections of the media bent upon toppling the DMK and Mr. Karunanidhi were trying to exploit this (2G spectrum issue) in order to rattle the party. The DMK would not wilt under this propaganda blitz. As it was confident that justice would be ultimately established, the party decided to handle this issue through legal means, the resolution added.

Later speaking to the press, Mr. Karunanidhi refused to say anything on the 2G spectrum issue and how the CBI was acting in this regard, except reiterating that everything would be handled legally.

On whether Ms. Kanimozhi and Mr. Sharad Kumar would seek anticipatory bail, Mr. Karunanidhi said it was for the lawyers to decide on this. Will she respond to the summons issued by a Delhi court to appear before it on May 6? “She is not like Jayalalithaa (former Chief Minister and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary) to avoid court appearances,” he retorted.

Not aware of 200-crore deal: Dayalu Ammal

NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal, in her statement to the CBI, said she was not aware of the source of Rs. 200 crore paid to Kalaignar TV Pvt. Ltd. from December 2008 onwards.

“I state that I am not aware about the same as I am neither managing nor involving myself in the day-to-day affairs of the company. I am also not aware about any such funds and as to who arranged that,” the 60 per cent stakeholder told the CBI.

Ms. Ammal said the source of her funds for Kalaignar TV from which the share capital of Rs.6 crore was raised was “arranged out of the proceeds of around Rs.100 crore which I got when I sold my share in Sun TV Pvt. Ltd. to Kalanidhi Maran in 2005-06.”

She also handed over to the CBI a certified copy of the Kalaignar TV Board resolution dated July 27, 2007, when she was appointed director. “I expressed my reservations about the said appointment as I did not understand any language except Tamil,” she said in her statement.

In the Board resolution, Ms. Ammal reportedly said that “in view of her old age and deteriorating health she cannot be expected to give any attention to the company's affairs.”

The statement, which was made under Section 161 of the Cr.PC to a Chennai-based CBI officer, will not be admissible in court as evidence

Dinakaran wants media kept out of hearing

New Delhi: Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court P.D. Dinakaran on Wednesday filed an application before the committee probing charges of corruption, land grab and abuse of judicial office against him, demanding that media be kept out of the hearing on the removal proceedings and that they be held ‘in-camera.'

The application was filed before the panel that comprises Justice Aftab Alam of the Supreme Court, Karnataka High Court Chief Justice J.S. Khehar and senior advocate P.P. Rao.

Justice Dinakaran also filed an application seeking a review of the order on his preliminary objection that Mr. Rao should recuse himself from the probe as he was biased.

The panel, which had issued the charge sheet to Justice Dinakaran, dismissed his application on April 24. (Mr. Rao did not participate in that meeting.)

‘Counsel not heard'

Justice Dinakaran said his counsel was not heard before the committee passed the order.

Rejecting the application, the committee said the hearing would begin on Thursday.

Senior counsel for the panel U.U. Lalit said that based on the written statements filed by Justice Dinakaran to the 16 charges, there was no ground to drop any of the charges.

Accordingly, the committee retained all the charges mentioned in the motion under Section 3 of the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968 for removal of Justice Dinakaran, admitted in Parliament on December 17, 2009.

On Tuesday, Justice Dinakaran moved the Supreme Court challenging the order refusing his plea seeking recusal of Mr. Rao and this petition is yet to come up for hearing.

He had sought a stay on the removal proceedings.

Bhawani Singh's grandson crowned Maharaja of Jaipur

Padmanabh Singh being greeted by the royal household staff after his coronation at City Palace in Jaipur on Wednesday.

JAIPUR: Teenager Padmanabh Singh — grandson of the erstwhile Jaipur ruler, the late Brigadier Sawai Bhawani Singh — ascended the titular throne of the Pink City at a magnificent coronation ceremony at the City Palace here on Wednesday.

Brig. Singh died on April 17 at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness and on completion of the mourning period Padmanabh was coronated.

Brig. Singh had adopted Padmanabh, son of his daughter Diya Kumari, as the heir to the Kachwaha Rajput dynasty at a grand ceremony in November 2002.

Padmanabh, 13, lit the funeral pyre of Brig. Singh at the royal family's crematorium at ‘Gaitore Ki Chhatriyan' here last week. The unassuming teenager was called from Mayo College in Ajmer, where he is studying, to join the mourning.

Wednesday afternoon's solemn ceremony was attended by a galaxy of scions of the erstwhile royal families — the former Rajasthan Chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje and present Arts and Culture Minister Bina Kak were among them.

Padmanabh's coronation in the royal grandeur was followed by the presentation of a guard of honour by an imperial contingent and salute by firing of cannon 12 times. The newly designated titular Maharaja took the salute with poise while holding a sword.

Padmanabh, who has inherited the vast wealth of the former Jaipur rulers, will also squarely face legal disputes pending in connection with a huge chunk of properties. Many of the royal buildings have been given on lease to the State government for a token amount.

Members of the royal family are involved in litigation over distribution of ancestral palaces and enormous wealth in the form of gold, silver, precious gem stones, artefacts and antiques. Brig. Singh's stepmother, the late Gayatri Devi, was one of the litigants.

Brig. Singh's decision to declare Padmanabh his successor met with opposition as the young crown prince's father, Narendra Singh, had been a member of the royal household staff. The late Maharaja's two stepbrothers had stoutly opposed the move, leading to a rift within the family.

Some Rajput groups called upon Brig. Singh's wife Padmini Devi after the Maharaja's death to select a successor from among the sons of his stepbrothers or from any royal family of the erstwhile Rajputana. According to them, Padmanabh's coronation would “break the royal lineage” and damage the princely State's dignity.

The adoption ceremony for Padmanabh was the second at the City Palace after a gap of 81 years. Brig. Singh's father, Sawai Man Singh II — originally from Isarda — was also adopted at the same venue by the then ruler Sawai Madho Singh II in 1921. Brig. Singh, born in 1931, was the natural successor of Man Singh II.

After the coronation ceremony and other rituals, the titular Maharaja Padmanabh went straight to the city deity Govind Deoji's famous temple in the Walled City here. He was accompanied by his parents and Padmini Devi.

Padmanabh Singh being greeted by the royal household staff after his coronation at City Palace in Jaipur on Wednesday.

JAIPUR: Teenager Padmanabh Singh — grandson of the erstwhile Jaipur ruler, the late Brigadier Sawai Bhawani Singh — ascended the titular throne of the Pink City at a magnificent coronation ceremony at the City Palace here on Wednesday.

Brig. Singh died on April 17 at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness and on completion of the mourning period Padmanabh was coronated.

Brig. Singh had adopted Padmanabh, son of his daughter Diya Kumari, as the heir to the Kachwaha Rajput dynasty at a grand ceremony in November 2002.

Padmanabh, 13, lit the funeral pyre of Brig. Singh at the royal family's crematorium at ‘Gaitore Ki Chhatriyan' here last week. The unassuming teenager was called from Mayo College in Ajmer, where he is studying, to join the mourning.

Wednesday afternoon's solemn ceremony was attended by a galaxy of scions of the erstwhile royal families — the former Rajasthan Chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje and present Arts and Culture Minister Bina Kak were among them.

Padmanabh's coronation in the royal grandeur was followed by the presentation of a guard of honour by an imperial contingent and salute by firing of cannon 12 times. The newly designated titular Maharaja took the salute with poise while holding a sword.

Padmanabh, who has inherited the vast wealth of the former Jaipur rulers, will also squarely face legal disputes pending in connection with a huge chunk of properties. Many of the royal buildings have been given on lease to the State government for a token amount.

Members of the royal family are involved in litigation over distribution of ancestral palaces and enormous wealth in the form of gold, silver, precious gem stones, artefacts and antiques. Brig. Singh's stepmother, the late Gayatri Devi, was one of the litigants.

Brig. Singh's decision to declare Padmanabh his successor met with opposition as the young crown prince's father, Narendra Singh, had been a member of the royal household staff. The late Maharaja's two stepbrothers had stoutly opposed the move, leading to a rift within the family.

Some Rajput groups called upon Brig. Singh's wife Padmini Devi after the Maharaja's death to select a successor from among the sons of his stepbrothers or from any royal family of the erstwhile Rajputana. According to them, Padmanabh's coronation would “break the royal lineage” and damage the princely State's dignity.

The adoption ceremony for Padmanabh was the second at the City Palace after a gap of 81 years. Brig. Singh's father, Sawai Man Singh II — originally from Isarda — was also adopted at the same venue by the then ruler Sawai Madho Singh II in 1921. Brig. Singh, born in 1931, was the natural successor of Man Singh II.

After the coronation ceremony and other rituals, the titular Maharaja Padmanabh went straight to the city deity Govind Deoji's famous temple in the Walled City here. He was accompanied by his parents and Padmini Devi.