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French football legend Raymond Kopa passes away

Kopa died on February 24 morning after he was hospitalised on February 19 following a long illness.

SNS | Paris |

Legendary French football player Raymond Kopa, one of the historical stars of Real Madrid, where he won three European Cups, died on Friday at the age of 85.

The newspaper Le Courrier de l'Ouest announced the death of Kopa, who was also a striker for Stade de Reims, reports Efe.

Kopa died on February 24 morning after he was hospitalised on February 19 following a long illness.

Raymond Kopaszewski was born in Noeud-les-Mines, northern France, in October 1931, and in 1958 became the first French player to win the Ballon d'Or.

He is regarded in France as the true forerunner to former UEFA president Michel Platini and Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane.

Raised in a family of Poles who immigrated to France, Kopa shone with the France squad in the 1958 World Cup and was chosen as best player of the tournament.

He moved to Real Madrid in 1956 from Stade Reims, both being the two great soccer powers of Europe in the mid-50s.

With Real Madrid, he won three European Cups and two La Liga titles in the three seasons he played in Spain, before returning to Stade Reims in 1959.

Himachal’s youngest pradhan leads campaign to ban booze, tobacco products

Sanjeev Kumar | Shimla |

It was a poll pledge of a journalist-turned politician, Jabna Chauhan, the youngest Gram Panchayat pradhan of Tharjoon in remote Gauhar block of Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh to eradicate drug abuse and save younger generation from its ill effects.

After filing nomination for panchayat elections, I witnessed that most of the youth and even school-going children of Tharjoon and its surrounding areas have fallen prey to alcohol and tobacco products, Chauhan told The Statesman.

“Since then I decided to eradicate the menace if I was elected in the panchayat elections,” she said.

After winning the election, Chauhan started her mission to aware locals about the ill effects of alcohol and tobacco products abuse. She contacted all 5 Mahila Mandal groups in the Panchayat and even formed a group of local youth.

“It all started 5-6 months back when I convinced and led a delegation from Tharjoon panchayat to submit a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner for closing liquor vend in the area,” she said.

After this, Jabna started contacting the panchayat members of surrounding villages and convinced them to start such campaign in their areas too. The prolonged discussions between the members of Tharjoon Gram Panchayat and its resident, the Gram Sabha passed a resolution in February this year to ban sale and consumption of liquor and tobacco products from 1 March 2017.

Jabna Chauhan has also won the district level award of Best Pradhan and her apnchayat also stood first in district in terms of cleaniness.

And now, the battle has now spread to surrounding panchayats of Cheuni, Lambathatch, Baga Chinogi and Sharan and these panchayats have also banned sale and consumption of liquor and tobacco products.

In fact, in these panchayats, the Gram Sabhas has also banned serving of liquor during marriages and have decided to impose a fine of Rs.20,000 on those who would violate the rule.

Mandi-based lawyer and social activist, Hem Singh Thakur, said the problem of liquor consumption had become severe after the opening of liquor vends in these areas. “The locals used to consume alcohol and used to return home in inebriated condition, leading to tension within families,” he said.

The situation had become so serious that two-three persons of Cheuni panchayat lost their lives after they fell into a gorge in inebriated condition. “After witnessing the ill-effects of drug abuse, the women along with Jabna Chauhan started the campaign, which had now borne fruits,” he said.

Thakur said the Panchayat members would now submit the resolution with Excise Department for closure of liquor vends in the next financial year.

Biocon, Mylan can sell biosimilar cancer drug: Delhi HC

SNS | New Delhi |

The Delhi High court on Friday allowed pharmaceutical companies Biocon and Mylan to manufacture as well as sell its Biosimilar drug Trastuzumab in India. Trastuzumab is used to treat breast and stomach cancer.

Biocon and Mylan were earlier being challenged by Roche- a Swiss multinational health-care company, who in a statement released by the High Court order said that it was “disappointed with Indian court’s decision”.

The decision came after both Biocon and Mylan challenged an earlier order passed in April 2016 barring them from claiming biosimilarity to Herception, the Trastuzumab of Roche. Roche had objected that CANMAB by Biocon and Hertraz by Mylan were not biosimilars or the Trastuzumab drug. The company claimed that Biocon and Mylan had not conducted their own tests on the drug and were passing off Roche’s tests as their own.

However, the court has ruled that Roche did not have any legal right to take ownership of the drug. It further said that the case could have been taken in front of the licensing authority, which in this case was the centre.

Delhi labourers to get 37% hike in minimum wages

IANS | New Delhi |

Delhi's labourers would get a 37 per cent hike in minimum wages as Lt Governor Anil Baijal has approved the AAP government's proposal, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Friday.

The minimum wages would go up from Rs.9,724 to Rs.13,350 a month for unskilled labourers, from Rs.10,764 to Rs.14,698 for semi-skilled labourers and from Rs.11,830 to Rs.16,182 for skilled labourers, Kejriwal said.

One killed, 6 injured in Pulwama’s bomb attack

Statesman News Service | Jammu |

One person was killed and six, including four CRPF personnel, wounded as unidentified terrorists on Friday lobbed a grenade at a police patrol party in South Kashmir.

The killed civilian has been identified as Mohammad Ayub Wani.

The grenade was lobbed at a busy market place in Pulwama.

Deputy Commissioner Pulwama, Muneer A Raqib rushed to the spot and personally visited the district hospital to oversee treatment of the injured persons. He said that the injured persons were out of danger.

Meanwhile, separatist leader Shabir Shah was detained by the police in Pulwama's Tral town in South Kashmir while he was on his way to meet father of terrorist leader Burhan Wani, who was killed last year in an encounter with security forces.

The Kashmir valley remained on the boil for about six months after the killing of Burhan Wani.

Separatists tried to project Burhan as the face of youth of Kashmir and were reportedly making efforts to keep the issue alive and create unrest in the valley.

Coming soon in Haryana: Dialysis facility for Rs.959

Statesman News Service | Chandigarh |

Good news for kidney disease patients, who need dialysis to survive. Dialysis facility will now be available in 14 Haryana districts for as low as Rs.959, instead of Rs.2,000 to Rs.3,000 being charged for the same in the market.

Health Minister Anil Vij said the Haryana government has decided to expand the network of dialysis entres in the state so as to provide the facility of dialysis to the patients at an affordable price.

The minister, who was replying to a question  raised during ongoing 'budget session' of the Assembly on Friday, said that while dialysis centers have initially been opened in four districts of Panchkula, Gurugram, Jind and Sirsa on Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) mode.

Such centres would also be opened in ten more districts hospitals. These included Ambala, Bhiwani, Rewari, Panipat, Sonipat, Faridabad, Hisar, Yamunanagar, Jhajjar and Bahadurgarh. “We will try to open the dialysis centres in all (22) districts in the state, he added. Mr Vij said that the department has already signed agreements to open these centres. The patient  will have to pay only  Rs. 959 for each dialysis
as against Rs 2000 to Rs 3000 being charged for the same in market.

BJP, ABVP party of goons: Kejriwal

IANS | New Delhi |

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday accused the ruling BJP at the Centre of being a "party of goons" and said last week's violent students clashes in Delhi University has got parents worried about their wards.

"The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and the ABVP are the party of goons and rowdies. Whoever opposes RSS or the BJP, they call them anti-national," the Aam Aadmi Party leader said on the sidelines of an event here. 

He also expressed his unhappiness at the death and rape threats against Delhi University student Gurmehar Kaur, who had launched a social media campaign against the RSS' students wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in the wake of the February 22 clashes outside Ramjas College that left over a dozen people injured. 

"The way Gurmehar Kaur was attacked and given rape threats for opposing ABVP hooliganism, this is not good.

"Due to the current scenario in the universities and colleges, parents are worried about their children. The country will not tolerate this," the Chief Minister added. 

Benami Act violators to face double whammy of legal action

PTI | New Delhi |

The tax department on Friday warned that those who undertake Benami transactions would invite Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) of up to 7 years and such violators would also stand to be charged under the I-T Act.

In advertisements issued in leading national dailies today, the Income Tax department stated: "Do not enter into benami transactions" as the Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988, is "now in action" from November 1, 2016.

"Black money is a crime against humanity. We urge every conscientious citizen to help the government in eradicating it," the Income Tax department said.

The department also spelled out some salient features of the new Act: "Benamidar (in whose name benami property is standing), beneficiary (who actually paid consideration) and persons who abet and induce benami transactions are prosecutable and may get RI up to 7 years besides being liable to pay fine up to 25 per cent of fair market value of benami property." 

It added that "persons who furnish false information to authorities under the Benami Act are prosecutable and may be imprisoned up to 5 years besides being liable to pay fine up to 10 per cent of fair market value of benami property." 

The department made it clear that the benami property "may be attached and confiscated by the government" and that these actions are in "addition to actions under other laws such as Income Act, 1961." 

The department, since the enactment of the law last year, has registered over 230 cases and attached assets worth Rs.55 crore nationwide, which also coincided with the action against black money post demonetisation.

A total of 235 cases and instances have been registered under the said Act by the department till mid-February this year.

Show cause notices for attachment have been issued in 140 cases where benami assets worth Rs.200 crore are involved.

"In 124 cases, benami assets worth more than Rs.55 crore have been provisionally attached till now," an I-T report, accessed by PTI, had said.

The attached assets, officials had said, include deposits in bank accounts, agricultural and other land, flats and jewellery, among others.

Post demonetisation on November 8 last year, the I-T department had carried out public advertisements and had warned people against depositing their unaccounted old currency in someone else's bank account.

The I-T department is the nodal department to enforce the said Act in the country.

The taxman had initiated a nationwide operation to identify suspect bank accounts where huge cash deposits have been made post November 8 when the government demonetised the Rs.500/1000 currency notes.

Snow leopard forgotten on World Wildlife Day

SP Sharma | Jammu |

As the world observes World Wildlife Day on Friday, there is no talks about the ambitious project to protect the highly endangered species of snow leopard that was formulated 12 years ago and subsequently shelved, as funds were not allocated for implementing the scheme in the Himalayan states of the country.

Alarmed over the depletion of the species, the Centre constituted a nine-member committee to draft the project for conservation of snow leopard sometime in 2005.

The Centre came out with the project, but the Planning Commission was reluctant to provide funds for this purpose and suggested that money should be utilised from the grants that had been allocated for the wildlife sector.

The five Himalayan states, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, are the abode of snow leopard. However, these states expressed inability to initiate conservation projects for the species out of their meagre resources.

According to preliminary survey few years ago, the number of snow leopards in the country was only 500. However, world over, the population of snow leopard that had declined to about 1000 in 1960s is estimated to have now increased to 3500.

In the Indian states, the species is found generally in the cold deserts above the treeline. It has been spotted in Ladakh (J&K) and Lahaul-Spiti (Himachal Pradesh).

Besides India, snow leopard is found in China, Bhutan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Burma, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan.

The habitat of the species has been disturbed with the ongoing road projects, particularly the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the network of roads being laid by China in the mountain region.

Conservation of the species is generally confined to holding seminars and discussions. An international symposium on snow leopard was held at Srinagar 31 years ago in 1986 where concern of expressed on falling number of the species. Thereafter, a national workshop in which wildlife departments of the five Himalayan states participated was organized at Jammu and Leh in 2004 and 2005 respectively by the Ministry of environment and forests. Wildlife experts expressed concern on the issue of interference of human beings in the habitat of snow leopard.

Snow leopard forgotten on World Wildlife Day

SP Sharma | Jammu |

As the world observes World Wildlife Day on Friday, there is no talks about the ambitious project to protect the highly endangered species of snow leopard that was formulated 12 years ago and subsequently shelved, as funds were not allocated for implementing the scheme in the Himalayan states of the country.

Alarmed over the depletion of the species, the Centre constituted a nine-member committee to draft the project for conservation of snow leopard sometime in 2005.

The Centre came out with the project, but the Planning Commission was reluctant to provide funds for this purpose and suggested that money should be utilised from the grants that had been allocated for the wildlife sector.

The five Himalayan states, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, are the abode of snow leopard. However, these states expressed inability to initiate conservation projects for the species out of their meagre resources.

According to preliminary survey few years ago, the number of snow leopards in the country was only 500. However, world over, the population of snow leopard that had declined to about 1000 in 1960s is estimated to have now increased to 3500.

In the Indian states, the species is found generally in the cold deserts above the treeline. It has been spotted in Ladakh (J&K) and Lahaul-Spiti (Himachal Pradesh).

Besides India, snow leopard is found in China, Bhutan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Burma, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan.

The habitat of the species has been disturbed with the ongoing road projects, particularly the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the network of roads being laid by China in the mountain region.

Conservation of the species is generally confined to holding seminars and discussions. An international symposium on snow leopard was held at Srinagar 31 years ago in 1986 where concern of expressed on falling number of the species. Thereafter, a national workshop in which wildlife departments of the five Himalayan states participated was organized at Jammu and Leh in 2004 and 2005 respectively by the Ministry of environment and forests. Wildlife experts expressed concern on the issue of interference of human beings in the habitat of snow leopard.

BSE sets up new corporate announcement filing system

PTI | Mumbai |

Leading stock exchange BSE has set up a new corporate announcement filing system (CAFS) to provide speedy, timely and accurate information on listed companies to investors as well as news agencies.

The new system, which has been made operational since March 1, will disseminate information round the clock as well as provide a company's filing time and BSE dissemination time for users to verify the minimum delay between reporting and discourse.

"Current delay between reports by the company and availability of the information on website varies from two seconds to 10 seconds in most cases and the exchange is trying to improve and reduce the delay to less than two seconds," BSE said in a statement today.

"By implementation of CAFS, the exchange would be initiating seamless dissemination of corporate announcements without pre-verification by the exchange," it added.

According to BSE, the move not to pre-verify information would help in instantaneous dissemination of company announcements on the exchange website and eliminate any time gap for price sensitive information to reach the investors.

"Post dissemination on the website, the exchange would carry out the verification checks for adequacy and accuracy as mandated by capital markets regulator Sebi from time to time, as is being done at present," BSE said.

In the first phase, corporate announcements related to 16 categories including financial results, change in directorate, postal ballot, outcome of board meeting, change in credit rating, issue and allotment of securities, among others would be available under the CAFS system.

Certain filings like shareholding pattern, corporate governance report and voting results which are mandatorily filed through XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language) mode would not be accepted through CAFS in the first phase, BSE said.

Besides, filings related to prohibition of insider trading norms, mutual funds and debt, will be covered under CAFS at later stage, it added.

Designated company personnel, who file the corporate announcements with the exchanges, would be required to first register their identification details using one time password verification post, which they would be allowed to submit corporate action for their respective company.

BSE sets up new corporate announcement filing system

PTI | Mumbai |

Leading stock exchange BSE has set up a new corporate announcement filing system (CAFS) to provide speedy, timely and accurate information on listed companies to investors as well as news agencies.

The new system, which has been made operational since March 1, will disseminate information round the clock as well as provide a company's filing time and BSE dissemination time for users to verify the minimum delay between reporting and discourse.

"Current delay between reports by the company and availability of the information on website varies from two seconds to 10 seconds in most cases and the exchange is trying to improve and reduce the delay to less than two seconds," BSE said in a statement today.

"By implementation of CAFS, the exchange would be initiating seamless dissemination of corporate announcements without pre-verification by the exchange," it added.

According to BSE, the move not to pre-verify information would help in instantaneous dissemination of company announcements on the exchange website and eliminate any time gap for price sensitive information to reach the investors.

"Post dissemination on the website, the exchange would carry out the verification checks for adequacy and accuracy as mandated by capital markets regulator Sebi from time to time, as is being done at present," BSE said.

In the first phase, corporate announcements related to 16 categories including financial results, change in directorate, postal ballot, outcome of board meeting, change in credit rating, issue and allotment of securities, among others would be available under the CAFS system.

Certain filings like shareholding pattern, corporate governance report and voting results which are mandatorily filed through XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language) mode would not be accepted through CAFS in the first phase, BSE said.

Besides, filings related to prohibition of insider trading norms, mutual funds and debt, will be covered under CAFS at later stage, it added.

Designated company personnel, who file the corporate announcements with the exchanges, would be required to first register their identification details using one time password verification post, which they would be allowed to submit corporate action for their respective company.

Both Houses of Bihar Legislature stalled by protests

PTI | Patna |

The proceedings of both Houses of the Bihar Legislature were stalled on Friday as NDA legislators stuck to their demand of minister Abdul Jalil Mastan's ouster from the state cabinet for his "uncharitable" remarks against PM Narendra Modi and the ruling coalition members hitting back.

Members of the ruling Grand Alliance, comprising the JD(U), RJD and Congress, staged a counter-attack in the Legislative Assembly as well as Legislative Council seeking cancellation of membership of BJP MLA Lal Babu Prasad Gupta.

The ruling coalition members, facing protests from the NDA legislators for the last three days over the Mastan episode, seized upon the alleged use of foul language by Gupta at Chiranya in East Champaran district against RJD MLA from Darbhanga Faraz Fatmi and his father, former Union minister and MP M A A Fatmi.

Faraz Fatmi has given a written complaint against Gupta to Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary who has assured him to look into the matter and take appropriate action.

The Grand Alliance members used the issue in the Legislative Council too to deflect the BJP's protest against state Excise and Prohibition Minister Mastan.

Amid pandemonium, triggered by a heightened political slugfest, both the Houses were adjourned till 2 PM.

As the day's proceedings began in the Assembly, Leader of Opposition Prem Kumar reiterated the demand of Mastan's ouster from the cabinet and referred to the minister's "abusive" words against the prime minister during a protest against demonetisation in Amour Assembly segment on February 22, "asking the gathering to beat the PM's photo with shoes".

The NDA members trooped into the Well of the House and started raising anti-government slogans.

Soon, they were countered by RJD, JD(U) and Congress members who raised the issue of Fatmi. Some RJD members also tried to enter the Well but were prevented by senior leaders.

With the House proceedings stalled, the scene shifted to the main entrance of the Assembly and the lawn in front of it.

Members of the BJP and its allies, LJP and RLSP, sat on a dharna on the stairs leading to the main entrance and started shouting slogans demanding Mastan's ouster from the state cabinet.

RJD, JD(U) and Congress legislators sat on a dharna on the lawn, demanding cancellation of Gupta's membership for his alleged misconduct with Fatmi.

Both Houses of Bihar Legislature stalled by protests

PTI | Patna |

The proceedings of both Houses of the Bihar Legislature were stalled on Friday as NDA legislators stuck to their demand of minister Abdul Jalil Mastan's ouster from the state cabinet for his "uncharitable" remarks against PM Narendra Modi and the ruling coalition members hitting back.

Members of the ruling Grand Alliance, comprising the JD(U), RJD and Congress, staged a counter-attack in the Legislative Assembly as well as Legislative Council seeking cancellation of membership of BJP MLA Lal Babu Prasad Gupta.

The ruling coalition members, facing protests from the NDA legislators for the last three days over the Mastan episode, seized upon the alleged use of foul language by Gupta at Chiranya in East Champaran district against RJD MLA from Darbhanga Faraz Fatmi and his father, former Union minister and MP M A A Fatmi.

Faraz Fatmi has given a written complaint against Gupta to Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary who has assured him to look into the matter and take appropriate action.

The Grand Alliance members used the issue in the Legislative Council too to deflect the BJP's protest against state Excise and Prohibition Minister Mastan.

Amid pandemonium, triggered by a heightened political slugfest, both the Houses were adjourned till 2 PM.

As the day's proceedings began in the Assembly, Leader of Opposition Prem Kumar reiterated the demand of Mastan's ouster from the cabinet and referred to the minister's "abusive" words against the prime minister during a protest against demonetisation in Amour Assembly segment on February 22, "asking the gathering to beat the PM's photo with shoes".

The NDA members trooped into the Well of the House and started raising anti-government slogans.

Soon, they were countered by RJD, JD(U) and Congress members who raised the issue of Fatmi. Some RJD members also tried to enter the Well but were prevented by senior leaders.

With the House proceedings stalled, the scene shifted to the main entrance of the Assembly and the lawn in front of it.

Members of the BJP and its allies, LJP and RLSP, sat on a dharna on the stairs leading to the main entrance and started shouting slogans demanding Mastan's ouster from the state cabinet.

RJD, JD(U) and Congress legislators sat on a dharna on the lawn, demanding cancellation of Gupta's membership for his alleged misconduct with Fatmi.

Bill against outsourcing jobs reintroduced in US Congress

PTI | Washington |

A bipartisan Bill was on Friday reintroduced in the US Congress to make companies that move call centres overseas ineligible for grants or guaranteed loans from the government, a move aimed at curbing the transfer of jobs to nations like India.

Introduced by Congressmen Gene Green from the Democratic Party and Republican David McKinley, the US Call Center and Consumer Protection Act would deter companies from shipping American jobs overseas and incentivise them to locate in the US by creating a public list of "bad actors" consisting of those that shipped all or most of their service work overseas.

"Being on the list would make these actors ineligible for federal grants or guaranteed loans, would require overseas call centres to disclose their locations to customers, and would require them to comply with US consumers' request to be transferred to a service agent physically located in the US," the two lawmakers said.

The legislation is similar to a bill introduced in 2013 that would have required disclosure of a call centre location to consumers, along with the option to transfer to a domestic call centre.

Green said there are 54,000 call centre jobs in the Greater Houston area alone and 2.5 million nationwide.

"It is important that American workers continue to have access to good service sector jobs and receive a livable wage," he said.

"Unfortunately, we have seen call centre jobs moved overseas to India, the Philippines, and other countries.

This bipartisan legislation will protect call centre workers in Texas and throughout the country, and American consumers from unfair treatment," he added.

In the last decade, there has been an increase in companies relocating their call centres overseas where foreign workers are often exposed to dismal labour conditions and paid cheaper wages, the Congressmen said.

At the same time, communities across the country have committed millions in taxpayer dollars to fund incentives for companies to bring jobs to their neighborhoods, but have been left empty-handed, they observed.

"Our number one priority in Congress is protecting and creating American jobs," said McKinley.

"Plain and simple, we should not be rewarding companies for moving jobs offshore. This bill does not mandate that companies keep call centres here in America, but simply says if you move call centre jobs offshore, you don t receive funding from the government. This should be common sense," he said.

Bill against outsourcing jobs reintroduced in US Congress

PTI | Washington |

A bipartisan Bill was on Friday reintroduced in the US Congress to make companies that move call centres overseas ineligible for grants or guaranteed loans from the government, a move aimed at curbing the transfer of jobs to nations like India.

Introduced by Congressmen Gene Green from the Democratic Party and Republican David McKinley, the US Call Center and Consumer Protection Act would deter companies from shipping American jobs overseas and incentivise them to locate in the US by creating a public list of "bad actors" consisting of those that shipped all or most of their service work overseas.

"Being on the list would make these actors ineligible for federal grants or guaranteed loans, would require overseas call centres to disclose their locations to customers, and would require them to comply with US consumers' request to be transferred to a service agent physically located in the US," the two lawmakers said.

The legislation is similar to a bill introduced in 2013 that would have required disclosure of a call centre location to consumers, along with the option to transfer to a domestic call centre.

Green said there are 54,000 call centre jobs in the Greater Houston area alone and 2.5 million nationwide.

"It is important that American workers continue to have access to good service sector jobs and receive a livable wage," he said.

"Unfortunately, we have seen call centre jobs moved overseas to India, the Philippines, and other countries.

This bipartisan legislation will protect call centre workers in Texas and throughout the country, and American consumers from unfair treatment," he added.

In the last decade, there has been an increase in companies relocating their call centres overseas where foreign workers are often exposed to dismal labour conditions and paid cheaper wages, the Congressmen said.

At the same time, communities across the country have committed millions in taxpayer dollars to fund incentives for companies to bring jobs to their neighborhoods, but have been left empty-handed, they observed.

"Our number one priority in Congress is protecting and creating American jobs," said McKinley.

"Plain and simple, we should not be rewarding companies for moving jobs offshore. This bill does not mandate that companies keep call centres here in America, but simply says if you move call centre jobs offshore, you don t receive funding from the government. This should be common sense," he said.

Akhilesh junks PM’s claim of ISI role in Kanpur train mishap

PTI | Ghazipur |

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday rubbished Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim of ISI hand in Kanpur train accident and alleged that the BJP is used to seek votes by misguiding people.

"Our railway minister could not take care of Kanpur tracks and gave false report to the prime minister that ISI had damaged the tracks. I want to say that the incident took place in UP, at least I should have been informed about this… But no information… no truth in it," he said at an election rally here.

Ghazipur is the Lok Sabha constituency of Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha.

The first train accident had occurred in Kanpur on November 20, killing 150 people with another derailment taking place on December 28 and the two mishaps were later attributed to ISI operatives.

On deluge of BJP ministers' election tours in UP, Akhilesh said, "Had PM brought his work here (in UP), ministers need not have campaigned."

In an obvious reference to the campus row in Delhi, he said, "To the patriot people of BJP, who are showing their nationalism in Delhi, I want to ask what they have done for soldiers who laid down their lives for the country. What help did they give (to the soldiers' kin)?" 

"Only SP government helps families of soldiers who lay down their lives," he said.

He said in the five phases of elections held so far, the SP is leading due to works done by its government and it's all written on demoralised faces of BJP and BSP leaders.