CWG

Wales ready to fly to Games, Scotland heartened

Published on Thu, Sep 23, 2010 at 19:46   |  Updated at Thu, Sep 23, 2010 at 22:27  |  Source : Reuters

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Wales gave their athletes the all-clear to fly to New Delhi for the troubled Commonwealth Games on Thursday after saying they had received requested assurances from the Indian authorities.

Scotland, who had delayed the departure of their first group of participants, said they were also heartened by progress on the ground and hoped to be able to confirm their travel arrangements on Friday.

"The Commonwealth Games Federation has received assurances from the Delhi 2010 Organising Committee that all venues and village are fit for purpose," Team Wales, who had set a Wednesday evening deadline for the assurances, said in a statement.

"We are confident in the assurances that have been provided," added the statement. Wales have 200 athletes due to take part.

"The advance party will now be moving into our accommodation and we look forward to welcoming our athletes in the coming days."

Several other nations have delayed their departures for the Games, which start on Oct.3, due to concerns about security, health and the state of the athletes' village with reports of filthy apartments and stray dogs roaming around.

While a first group of 22 England athletes were due to fly out on Thursday, Scotland delayed on Wednesday the departure of a first batch of 41 competitors and officials.

Scotland have 191 athletes entered for the Games.

There was more optimism on Thursday however after Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit appeared to have taken charge of resolving the problems.

"We are heartened that Sheila Dikshit has personally taken control of the situation and ensuring that the necessary additional resources are brought in," Team Scotland's chef de mission Jon Doig said on the Scotland website (www.cgcs.org.uk).

"We have continued to make progress addressing the maintenance and operational issues within our own accommodation block and things are looking much better.

"Therefore subject to a number of assurances from the Organising Committee being realised over the next 24 hours, we feel we will be in a position to confirm tomorrow that our team will travel as scheduled on Saturday," he added.

PRABHAKAR MANI PGDM 1 SEM

AYODHA MOSQUE VERDICT POSTPONED

Supreme Court orders Ayodhya mosque verdict postponed

Published on Thu, Sep 23, 2010 at 17:15   |  Updated at Thu, Sep 23, 2010 at 17:28  |  Source : Reuters

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The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the Allahabad High Court to delay a potentially explosive verdict on whether Hindus or Muslims own land around the Babri mosque in Ayodhya.

The case over the 16th century mosque in Uttar Pradesh is one of the biggest security challenges in India this year, along with a Maoist insurgency and a Kashmiri separatist rebellion, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said.

The Supreme Court's decision on Thursday came after an appeal to the stay on the judgment, saying the matter could be settled out of court.

The Supreme Court will meet on September 28 to decide on the appeal and commentators said the date of the actual verdict by the high court -- originally due on Friday -- was now unclear.

"The petitioner obviously believes that if the Supreme Court lends a helping hand, a soothing touch, it is possible that the warring parties will see reason and try and bring a solution," Supreme Court lawyer Mukul Rohtagi told reporters.

The central government has been on alert for any fallout from the verdict, appealing for calm. It banned public meetings in the state and bulk mobile text messages that could be used to spread rumours and plan riots.

Hindu mobs demolished the mosque in the town of Ayodhya in 1992, claiming it was built on the birthplace of their god-king Rama. The demolition triggered the worst religious riots since partition in 1947, and some 2,000 people died.

The verdict could prove a major political quandary for the government led by the Congress Party, a left-of-centre party with secular roots.

A verdict in favour of the Hindus would force the government to uphold the verdict, making it unpopular with Muslims, a key vote bloc.

A ruling for the Muslims would mean the government would have to push Hindu groups out of the site, a political minefield.

PRABHAKAR MANI PGDM 1 SEM