Vaghela turns riot fire on Modi

Ahmedabad: Textile minister Shankersinh Vaghela has taken no time to turn his attention on his home state, calling for a white paper on the post-Godhra riots situation.

A strong critic of chief minister Narendra Modi, Vaghela has said the way the state government had handled the torching of the Sabarmati coach at Godhra and the following riots calls for a white paper, which will be his first priority, reports our correspondent.

He would ensure that a white paper is brought out on the Gujarat situation, which he described as a “fit case” to invoke Article 356.

He clarified that he wants the Modi government to be dismissed on legal grounds, not for political reasons. The Supreme Court, he argued, has passed strictures against Modi and constitutional bodies like the National Human Rights Commission have expressed a lack of faith in his government, which is sufficient ground to sack “the modern day Nero”, as Modi was described by the apex court.

He ruled out any witch-hunting, saying he was not in favour of destabilising BJP-ruled states, but claimed that Gujarat is a peculiar case.

While the state BJP leadership reacted strongly to Vaghela’s “uncalled for” statement, the Gujarat Congress unit too did not endorse his views that Modi should be sacked.

State unit president B.K. Gadhvi, Vaghela’s successor, maintained that the Modi government will fall on its own because of the discontent brewing in the party.

Immolation after cop brush-off

Mumbai (PTI): Turned away from a police station because the inspector was busy meeting social activists, a Dalit woman allegedly immolated herself in Maharashtra.

Mandabai Hirwale had gone to MIDC police station in Aurangabad to lodge a complaint on Monday. Police station officer Dayaram Bhoite, who was meeting a group of social workers in his chamber, reportedly asked his subordinates to move her out.

Angered by this, Mandabai allegedly poured kerosene on her set herself on fire on the police station premises. She was taken to a hospital where she succumbed to 92 per cent burn injuries.

The incident rocked the Maharashtra Assembly, forcing the House to adjourn twice on Tuesday. The state government has ordered a probe and suspended the police officer. An offence under Section 302 of the IPC will be registered against the officer, home minister R.R. Patil said.

Waving the woman’s dying declaration, the members of the Opposition Sena-BJP claimed that Bhoite set Mandabai afire when she had gone to the police station. But the home minister denied the allegation.

Wedding curbs in Mufti state

Srinagar (PTI): Marriage ceremonies will not be the same again in Jammu and Kashmir with the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed government invoking the Essential Commodities Act of 1955 to prevent wastage of food at wedding feasts.

Monday’s order re-invoking the act empowers officials to regulate the number of guests and the menu at marriage functions.

The act has to be re-invoked in view of the huge wastage of food at marriage feasts, affecting the supply-demand ratio of food items, said minister for public distribution and consumer affairs Taj Mohiuddin. As a result, prices have shot up, he said.

The government has now approved cooking 45 kg each of rice and meat for the marriage of one daughter and 60 kg each of rice and meat if two are being married off at the same time. The menu should not exceed five dishes.

The bride’s side has been allowed to invite 75 guests, including 25 baratees, while a groom can invite 50 guests.

Daman killer in net

New Delhi (PTI): After evading arrest for over a year, the alleged killer of Daman Congress vice-president Kalidas Fakir Patel has been arrested by Delhi police. Subhash Bhaskar Nair, who changed his look by undergoing cosmetic surgery, had allegedly shot Fakir Patel at the behest of Ramesh Patel for Rs 50 lakh, deputy commissioner of police (special cell) Ashok Chand said.

Niece raped

Akola (PTI): A man has been arrested on the charge of raping his niece in Patur, nearly 30 km from here. The married niece, who came to Patur to meet her ailing grandfather, was raped on Monday. The woman told her husband and grandfather and later lodged an FIR with Patur police station.

Bail blow to doctor

Ahmedabad (PTI): The bail application of Dr J.S. Gambhir of a private hospital in Delhi has been rejected on Tuesday. The doctor was arrested by Gujarat police on Sunday in connection with the alleged gangrape-cum-suicide case of a city girl on New Year’s eve. Gambhir, who allegedly harboured the prime accused, Delhi-based businessman Sajal Jain, was produced before a metropolitan magistrate who sent him to judicial custody for 14 days.

The Academy of Digital Arts and Communication in Mumbai is organising a poster painting contest on old Bollywood films to keep the dying art alive. The deadline is June 15. The academy also plans to hold an exhibition of all the entries.