Explain new stilt parking norms: HC

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday sought response from the city’s civic bodies over its proposal to do away with the rule that makes it mandatory for residential buildings built over more than 500 square metres to have stilt parking within the plot.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice BD Ahmed and Justice Sidharth Mridul came down heavily on the civic bodies and directed it to give a detailed outlay plan of how the corporation was going to give parking space in residential areas. HTC

An alarmed Prasad urged Paswan not to join “communal forces”. “He (Paswan) is a nice and a decent man. I don’t know who is misleading him,” he said. “I want to appeal to him through you that he should not join the communal forces, which will destroy the country,” Prasad told media after he failed to get in touch the LJP leader.

Paswan is said to be upset with the RJD playing “big brother” in deciding the seat distribution. The Congress is believed to have staked claims to the seats that the LJP wants to contest, upsetting Paswan further.

“An alliance with the BJP is preferable for the winnability prospects that it brings to the LJP candidates,” a senior LJP leader said.

Significantly, a section of the Bihar BJP is opposing Paswan’s possible entry into the National Democratic Alliance. Some of them had rushed to Delhi to block such a move, sources said.

After Monday’s developments, the Congress might be forced to re-consider its alliance plan, observers said.

It might prefer Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) as an alliance partner over Yadav, who has been convicted in a fodder scam case and can’t contest the Lok Sabha elections, observers said.

Earlier, Jasa Barad and Bavku Udhad had left the already demoralised Congress to join the BJP.

Rajendrasinh Chavda, who had defeated former minister of state for home Praful Patel in the 2012 elections, joined the BJP last week.

There was a revolt in the Gujarat Congress when Chavda, son of former minister Ranjitsinh Chavda, was given the party ticket from Himmatnagar. Ranjitsinh was one of the 62 people named by Zakia Jafri in a 2002 anti-Muslim riot case.

All of the “deserters” described Modi as the “only choice” for the prime minister’s post and said as BJP soldiers, they would work to ensure that the Gujarat CM “leads the country”.

The resignations have reduced the Congress tally to 51 from the 60 seats it won in the 2012 state elections. The numbers may fall further as more leaders were looking to exit the party in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls, sources in the Gujarat Congress said.

A worried Congress has rushed general secretary Gurudas Kamat to the western state to stop the exodus.

The Centre opposed the contention and the SC has directed Italy to file a fresh application on the issue. It gave a week’s time to the Centre to file a response.

Earlier, the MHA had strongly defended the NIA’s decision to charge the marines under SUA, including a section that mandates death.

The section was dropped after Italy moved the SC to direct the NIA to drop SUA. On February 10, Vahanvanti had informed the court the section would be dropped. However, the AG had strongly opposed dropping SUA completely.

Reacting to Centre’s statement before the SC on Monday, external affairs minister Salman Khurshid said: “Don’t ask me. Law issues can’t be decided on changing affiliations. Law is a fundamental thing. I am saying today if the court accepts what we are saying, my view and version has been vindicated.” Khurshid’s ministry had opposed MHA’s stand to invoke SAU against the marines.

Sibal’s opinion was asked for due to this inter-ministerial clash.

In its petition AAP said after Kejriwal resigned on February 14, the BJP had said in the absence of a majority, it would not stake claim to the government. The lieutenant governor recommended placing the assembly under suspended animation even though the government had asked for the House to be dissolved, it said.

The petitioners, including Saurabh Bhardwaj who was Kejriwal’s transport minister, alleged that the President’s rule was imposed with a view to protect Congress leaders and former CM Sheila Dikshit from corruption charges and to frustrate the ongoing investigation in cases lodged by the Kejriwal government.

A SECTION OF THE BIHAR BJP IS OPPOSING PASWAN’S POSSIBLE ENTRY INTO THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE