PRESS INFORMATION BUREAU GOVERNMENT OF

MEDIA FEEDBACK (10TH NOVEMBER, 2009)

MAHARASHTRA – POLITICAL

MNS lawmakers turn law breakers . Opposition to taking oath in is condemnable. Oath taken in any of the 22 official languages of India is valid. However, Times View says that the suspension of four MLAs for four years is a punishment meted out to the voters. Instead the house should expel the errant MLAs and hold by-polls (Times of India, Mumbai + DNA, Mumbai + Free Press Journal, Mumbai + Hindustan Times + All other newspapers)

MNS MLAs show Raj Culture in Assembly : Raj Thackeray’s Navnirman Sena made a dubious and parochial debut in the assembly on Monday when four of its legislators were suspended for four years after they manhandled SP leader for taking oath in Hindi. (Economic Times)

Raj Thackerey pleased, gives his MLAs a pat on the back . But Ashok Chavan fumes, saying ‘dadagiri’ will not be tolerated (Lokmat, Marathi)

MNS blackens the first assembly session of Maharashtra in its Golden Jubilee Year. In the name of promoting Marathi asmita, Raj’s MLAs have in fact hurt the pride of Maharashtra. (Sakaal, Marathi)

Fight for Marathi supremacy in the house according to rules . But MNS wants to play ball according to its own set of rules, because all it wants is the instant publicity and they have succeeded in it (Maharashtra Times, Marathi)

Rivals team up to pin down the MNS The violence by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in the assembly on Monday united the arch-rivals --the Congress-NCP and the -BJP. The ruling and the opposition combines spoke in one voice, deploring the behaviour of Raj Thackeray's partymen, and banishing the MNS to isolation. (DNA)

MNS questions the status of Hindi as national language Justifying the attack on Samajwdi Party (SP) MLA Abu Azmi by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) MLAs for taking oath in Hindi language, MNS spokesman Shirish Parkar went to the extent of questioning the very status of Hindi as national language."Hindi is not the national language. Is it spoken in south India where local languages are the medium of communication? Azmi has always taken up the cause of the people from and hurt Maharashtrian pride. He has got a befitting treatment," the MNS spokesperson thundered. (The Free Press Journal )

Azmi gets slapped, but Baba is greeted with a handshake MNS chief Raj Thackeray had appealed to all legislators to take the oath of office in Marathi. The majority did, but not everyone obliged. The minority included Baba Siddique, Congress's Rameshsingh Thakur and Amin Patel, who took the oath in Hindi after the MNS created a ruckus over Azmi taking the oath in Hindi, but were spared their wrath even though nine legislators from Raj Thackeray's party were present in the Assembly . (Mumbai Mirror)

Chavan vows to act tough against Raj Immediately after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena legislators created a ruckus in the lower house subsequent to member Abu Asim Azmi taking his oath in Hidi, both chief minister Ashok Chavan and home minister R.R. Patil wung into action. "We are aware of the situation, and we will not allow anyone to take the law into his hands. We will deal with such people with an iron hand," Chavan told TOI. (The Times of India)

Such acts violate statute, will hurt Marathi cause' Eminent citizens, including those who champion the Marathi cause, scholars and secular activists are outraged at the MNS MLAs' "unconstitutional" behaviour. Calling the attack on Abu Asim Azmi an insult to Hindi, India's official language, and an assault on the constitution, they warned against the Balkanisation of India. (The Times of India )

On rampage: SP in Mumbai, MNS in PUne' Supporters of Abu Azmi's Samajwadi party MLA protested the assault on him by attacking buses across Mumbai and Thane city, damaging public property, and trying to blockade railway tracks and burn an effigy of Raj Thackeray. In Pune, MNS activists went on the rampage, damaging the torching several buses after four MLA were suspended. (Indian Express)

OTHER STORIES

Maritime security drill to thwart repeat of 26/11 A joint maritime security drill is being mounted later this week to put all agencies on high alert to thwart any repeat of the 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai, on its first anniversary as also to test various steps taken since past one year to secure the coastline of 7500 kilometres . (The Free Press Journal)

Now, a forum to safeguard Bihari interests Called Foundation, whose Mumbai chapter was inaugurated by Bihar's deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi last week, it is an umbrella organistion aimed at helping out Bihari migrants in distress. (The Times of India )

Vidarbha wants organic fertilizer subsidy Hundreds of farmers from Vidarbha today demanded that the benefits of central government's fertilizer subsidy be extended to organic fertilizers as well . (Indian Express)

Pune farmers shut out MNS, open doors to workers from Bihar As the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena flexes its muscles both inside the Assembly and outside on the issue of outsiders and "Marathi pride", farmers in the state are doing what they think is best for their business in these times of acute worker shortage. With the grape-pruning season beginning in September, workers from Bihar are being welcomed with open arms into Pune vineyards. ( Indian Express)

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

ISI has ingress in every terror group, says Musharraf Pakistan's ISI has influence over every terrorist group and it uses these contacts for its "own advantage", former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has said in a rare admission that corroborates India's suspicions of Pak -hand in terror acts. ( The Free Press Journal )

India on wrong track again: Chinese expert India on Monday denied that Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama was visiting Tawang under pressure from New Delhi, even as a Chinese scholar warned that India was on the "wrong track again" vis-à-vis China. An unnamed Chinese scholar quoted by Beijing- based Global Times on Monday said: "India may have forgotten the lesson of 1962, when its repeated provocation resulted in military clashes". ( The Free Press Journal )

Chinese workers cock a snook at MHA directive Chinese workers here are cocking a snook at the Ministry of Home Affairs directive telling all foreign workers to leave India by October 31, as more than 20,000 of them are staying put here. ( The Free Press Journal )

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