CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat evaded remark on the actions of the Karnataka governor H.R. Bhardwaj by awarding sanction to prosecute the chief minister and instead said Mr Yeddyurappa should have resigned long ago.
Reacting to a specific question on the governor’s action, he said, “I want to put the thing in other way and of the opinion that he should have resign long ago as he is facing serious corruption charges.”
Addressing a press conference here, Mr Karat made it clear that his party is keen to take up the issue of price rise of essential commodities in a big way and said the Left Front and other political parties have come together to launch a week-long agitation to protest against price rise from February 3, which will culminate in a “dharna” in Delhi on February 9, to be attended by leaders of nine political parties.
He took a dig on the Central government for not taking any positive step to arrest the price of essential commodities that has jeopardise the day-to-day life of the common people.
He also demanded to stop forward trading of commodities which is encouraging speculations and one of the main reason for price hike.
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Dara may challenge SC verdict
Akshaya Kumar Sahoo
Bhubaneswar
Jan. 23: Dara Singh, alias Rabindra Pal Singh, the convict in the Staines murder case, is likely to challenge the recent Supreme Court verdict awarding him life imprisonment for murdering Australian Christian missionary Graham Staines and his two minor sons 12 years ago.
The Supreme Court, while disposing of a CBI petition that sought death penalty for Dara, on Friday upheld the Orissa high court’s May 2005 judgment sentencing Dara and his accomplice Mahendra Hembram to life for burning to death Australian missionary Graham Stewart Staines and his two minor sons, Timothy (10) and Philip (6), at Manoharpur village in Keonjhar district on the intervening night of January 22-23, 1999.
As many as 13 people were arrested in connection with the murder cases. The high court had acquitting 11 persons due to want of evidence.
“We will surely file a review petition before the Supreme Court within 30 days. I have already spoken to my client on this,” Dara’s lawyer Siba Shankar Mishra said.