Pappu Yadav seeks Patna HC nod

NEW DELHI, March 1 (Agencies): Eyeing another term in Lok Sabha, RJD strongman and MP Pappu Yadav, convicted in a murder case, will file a plea for suspension of his conviction in Patna High Court.

Yadav, who is now out on bail, said he wanted to contest the election from Bihar on RJD ticket and if elected, would fight in Parliament for framing a national youth policy and setting up a youth commission for the welfare of youngsters.

The Madhepura MP was convicted to life imprisonment in February last year by a special CBI court in connection with the murder of CPI(M) activist Ajit Sarkar in June 1998.

If he wants to contest the elections, his conviction should get suspended.

"Legal process will continue and I will abide by it.

I am sure of getting justice," Yadav said in an interview.

Yadav, who is "disillusioned" with the way the youth are treated, also wants a comprehensive law to restrict "criminals and religious fanatics" from entering politics.

"There should be a law to restrict persons with criminal background from coming into public life.

The criminal activities should also be properly defined," Yadav said.

Heritage structures in Delhi to sport new look before Commonwealth Games NEW DELHI, March 1 (Agencies): Over 90 little known unprotected monuments in the national capital will sport a new look before the 2010 Commonwealth Games as INTACH has started conserving and documenting the heritage structures which would be major tourist attractions during the mega sporting event.

Heritage buildings and structures such as Delhi Gate, Mutiny Memorial, Dara Shikoh Library building, Maqbara Park, Bijri Khan's Tomb, Munda Gumbad, Mir Taqi's Tomb, Bara Khamba and The Begam's Bagh are among the 92 monuments which will be conserved and developed by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).

Delhi government and INTACH had signed a MoU for the purpose.

Most of the 92 identified structures are located on the route of the stadia of the Commonwealth Games.

The nodal agency for conservation of monuments has also started the process of preparing a site plan of monuments showing all topographic features and structures up to a radius of 150 km.

"We have started the process of documenting all the 92 monuments.

The documents will have every single detail, including measurements about the heritage structures.

The structures will also be photo documented," INTACH Delhi chapter convener AGK Menon said.

Samajwadi Party wins by-election from Bhadohi Assembly seat Bhadohi, March 01: Samajwadi Party candidate Madhubala Pasi on Sunday won the bye-election to Bhadohi Assembly seat in Uttar Pradesh.

Pasi got 60,351 votes against her nearest rival and BSP candidate Amar Singh Saroj, who secured 54,986 votes.

BJP candidate Deendayal Sonkar got 14,258 votes while Congress candidate Suresh Gautam got 2275 votes only and had to forfeit his deposits.

Even candidate of a newly formed outfit Pargitisheel Manav Saamaj Party secured 4200 votes, which was more than the congress candidate.

The by-election was held on the seat after death of sitting MLA Archana Saroj.

Political system vitiated by communalisation, criminalisation: Somnath Chatterjee New Delhi, March 01: Noting that communalisation and criminalisation have "greatly vitiated" the political system of the country, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Sunday warned that the future of democracy can face serious problems if urgent corrective steps are not taken.

He observed that "degeneration of the electoral system" has been corroding the true representative and democratic character of the country's polity and contributing to the growing political apathy among the people.

Regretting that the country today has a "fractured polity, which is almost totally governed by politics of confrontation, if not hatred of each other", he exhorted the "young educated sections" particularly not to remain mute spectators to these "aberrations" in the system but become catalysts of redemption.

Chatterjee said the image of Parliament and the political class as a whole reached its "nadir" on July 22 last year when "unprecedented shameful events" took place during the trust vote with three BJP MPs displaying wads of currency notes in the Lok Sabha and alleging the money was paid to them as bribe for votes.

"Communalisation and criminalisation of politics has greatly vitiated our political system," he said addressing the convocation at Delhi University.