Hyderabad tuesday, january 3, 2017 www.thehindu.in ● Regd. H/SD/319/15-17 ● RNI No. TNENG/1976/49963 ● ISSN 0971 - 751X ● Vol. 42 ● No. 2 ● CITY EDITION ● 26 Pages ● Rs. 5.00 Printed at Chennai, Coimbatore, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Madurai, Noida, Visakhapatnam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Vijayawada, Mangaluru, Tiruchirapalli, Kolkata, Hubballi, Mohali, Allahabad, Malappuram and Mumbai BRIEFLY Seeking votes on India successfully SC bowls out top BCCI bosses test-fires Agni-IV religious basis a BALASORE (ODISHA): India on Thakur, Shirke I wish them the Monday successfully test-fired declared ‘unfit’ its nuclear-capable strategic best: Thakur ballistic missile Agni-IV from a to continue corrupt act: SC test range off the Odisha coast. at the helm VIJAY LOKAPALLY The surface-to-surface ‘Relationship between missile can carry a nuclear KRISHNADAS RAJAGOPAL NEW DELHI: Sacked BCCI man and God is an warhead of one tonne over president Anurag Thakur individual choice’ 4,000 km. NEW DELHI: Noting that its on Monday said: “Supreme ½ NATION | PAGE 7 diktats are not “written in Court judges feel the BCCI KRISHNADAS RAJAGOPAL sand” and are meant to be could do better under complied with, the Supreme retired judges. I wish them NEW DELHI: Terming religion a Court on Monday stripped all the best.” very private relationship BCCI president Anurag Reacting to the SC between man and his God, a Thakur and secretary Ajay verdict, Mr. Thakur seven-judge Bench of the Su- The Supreme Court said Shirke of their posts and tweeted:“India has the best preme Court on Monday, in a that election is a secular ordered them to “forthwith cricket infrastructure, majority judgment, held that exercise.— FILE PHOTO: V. SUDERSHAN cease and desist” from asso- built and maintained by an appeal for votes during ciating themselves with In- cuse that he had been president. The court held “fabricated” minutes of a the State associations with elections on the basis of reli- ‘corrupt practice’ if a candid- dian cricket’s most powerful “rendered totally incapable that Mr. Thakur’s attempts to BCCI Working Committee the help of BCCI. India has gion, caste, race, community ate or his agent or any other body. and without any authority” “solicit” ICC Chairman meeting held on August 22, more quality players than or language, even that of the person, with his consent, ap- Jewish group sees shift A three-judge Bench of to compel the members to Shashank Manohar in Dubai 2016 in order to lend support anywhere in the world. electorate, will amount to a peals for votes on religious in India-Israel ties Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and comply with the orders of for a letter to undermine the to his version that he had “I respect the Supreme ‘corrupt practice’ and call for or such grounds. Justices A.M. Khanwilkar the court. The BCCI bosses judgment of July 18, 2016 only sought a clarification Court like any citizen disqualification of the The question referred to WASHINGTON: The optics of the and D.Y. Chandrachud de- not only made “unfortunate which upheld the Lodha from Mr. Manohar and not a should. Supreme Court candidate. the Constitution Bench led U.S.-Israel relations will change clared Mr. Thakur and Mr. comments” about the Lodha panel recommendation to in- letter. This claim of Mr. judges feel the BCCI could “Election is a secular exer- by CJI T.S. Thakur on a batch for the better under the Trump Shirke “unfit” to continue at panel in public but also clude a CAG nominee on the Thakur was later found un- do better under retired cise and therefore a process of poll petitions was whether administration that will take the helm of the BCCI for ended up hurting the dignity Board’s apex council prima true when Mr. Manohar, in a judges. I wish them all the should be followed… The re- the word ‘his’ only meant a over later this month. their “obstructionist” atti- of the Supreme Court with facie amounted to sheer con- communication to the Su- best. I am sure Indian lationship between man and bar on appeals made in the This will have a positive tude and specious pleas in their attitude, it noted. tempt. The court concluded preme Court on November cricket will be best under God is an individual choice name of the candidate or his impact on India’s relations with court about their incapacity that Mr. Thakur apparently 2, clarified that the BCCI their guidance. and state should keep this in rival or his agent or others in both, said Jason Isaacson, a to make ailiated State asso- Guilty of contempt acted to garner evidence that president did ask him for the “My commitment [is] to mind,” the Supreme Court his immediate camp. Or, functionary of the American ciations fall in line with the Besides, the court found the Supreme Court-appoin- letter. The court found that the best of Indian cricket held in a majority judgment does the word also extend to Jewish Committee, an advocacy Justice Lodha reforms. Mr. Thakur prima facie ted Lodha Committee’s in- Mr. Thakur had also filed af- and autonomy of sports of 4:3. The court was inter- soliciting votes on the basis group. The court primarily re- guilty of both contempt of terventions in the working of fidavits making false will always remain.” preting the pronoun ‘his’ of the religion, caste, com- ferred to how Mr. Thakur Supreme Court proceedings the BCCI amounted to “gov- statements. used in Section 123 (3) of the munity, race, language of the ½ PAGE 12 ½ WORLD | PAGE 14 had “washed his hands of a and perjury (fabrication of ernmental interference.” CONTINUED ON Representation of the People electorate as a whole. ½ PAGE 12 duty and obligation to ensure false evidence), adding that The court further said Mr. CONTINUED ON ½ LODHA: NONE CAN ESCAPE Act. METROPLUS compliance” with the Lodha such a person does not de- Thakur was prima facie ½ THE PRICE OF DEFIANCE VERDICT OF SC; AJAY SHIRKE The provision mandates ½ A DISSERVICE TO THE 4 Pages panel reforms, citing the ex- serve to continue as BCCI guilty of placing on record | EDITORIAL STICKS TO STAND | PAGE 17 that it would amount to a ‘LITTLE MAN’ | PAGE 12 Hotel service charge A head above the rest Mulayam stakes claim ICICI Bank, four others cut optional, says govt. to SP’s ‘bicycle’ symbol lending rates SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT A customer not DEVESH K. PANDEY SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI: You — as a con- happy with the NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party sumer — have the discretion dining experience patriarch Mulayam Singh MUMBAI: ICICI Bank, the to not pay ‘service charge’ can have it waived, met the full Bench of the country’s largest private sec- added to your bill by any Election Commission on tor lender, has reduced its hotel/restaurant. says Hotel Assn. Monday to stake claim to the marginal cost of funds– In a statement on Monday, party symbol ‘bicycle,’ stat- based lending rate (MCLR) the Consumer Afairs De- the sale, use or supply of any ing he had the first right to it by 70 basis points (bps) partment asked the State to goods or for the provision of as the national president. across all loan tenures. advise hotels/restaurants to any service, adopts any de- The meeting lasted about 40 The bank had fixed its one- prominently display that ceptive method is to be minutes. Mulayam Singh year MCLR at 8.20 per cent. “the service charges are dis- treated as unfair. A day after the party’s na- It will add a spread of 50 bps cretionary/voluntary and a The department said a tional council declared Uttar the EC, and is expected to to the home loan rates, taking consumer dissatisfied with consumer can make a com- Pradesh Chief Minister present his faction’s case be- the efective rate to 8.70 per the services can have it plaint to the appropriate Akhilesh Yadav the party fore it on Tuesday morning. cent for loans up to ₨75 lakh. waived.” forum established under the chief, his father reached the If both factions stake claim Earlier, the bank was char- Act against such unfair trade national capital with his to the symbol, the EC will ging 9.15 per cent. On Sunday, Several complaints practices. It had called for a younger brother Shivpal Ya- first ask them to produce SBI, PNB and Union Bank This follows several com- clarification from the Hotel dav to meet top EC oicials. documentary evidence to had cut their benchmark plaints that hotels and res- Association of India, which His close friend Amar Singh prove their stands. It will lending rates. Kotak Mahin taurants are charging service said the service charge is dis- also came from London to also examine the party’s con- dra Bank cut its MCLR in the charge in the range of 5-20 cretionary and should a cus- lend support to him. stitution to determine range of 20 bps to 45 bps. per cent, in lieu of tips, which tomer be dissatisfied with In a series of tweets, Mr. whether procedures were Likewise, Oriental Bank of a consumer is forced to pay the dining experience, he/ Shivpal earlier asserted that followed. However, the ulti- Commerce cut its rate by 80 irrespective of the kind of she can have it waived. Mr. Mulayam was the party mate test will be the num- bps to 8.6 per cent, Andhra service provided, the depart- It has asked the States to chief. bers in the organisational Bank by 80 bps to 8.45 per ment said.