(Current Affairs) Person in News | June: 2014

Person in News

A Milan court has ruled that Silvio Berlusconi will perform a year of community service for his tax fraud conviction at a centre for the elderly.
The assignment curtails Berlusconi’s ability to participate in the upcoming European election campaign a point of contention among his political allies. The 77-year-old, three-time former premier cannot run due to the conviction, the first against him ever confirmed by Italy’s high court, but remains a political force as head of Forza Italia.
Berlusconi was sentenced to four years for tax fraud, reduced to one year for a general amnesty.

In a major relief to Narendra Modi’s close aide Amit Shah, the Election Commission (EC) has lifted its ban on his participation in Lok Sabha poll campaign in Uttar Pradesh after he assured the poll body that he would not disturb the public tranquillity and law and order.
The Commission allowed Mr. Shah to hold public meetings, public rallies and roadshows and take out public processions in U.P.
The EC had “censured” Mr. Shah for his controversial “revenge” remarks. On April 11, it had ordered the U.P. government to ban Mr. Shah and U.P. minister Azam Khan from campaigning in the state following their controversial remarks.
Mr. Shah had landed in a major controversy for his remarks that the general election was an opportunity to seek “revenge for the insult” inflicted during the riots in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh last year.
The Commission also noted that Mr. Shah had pledged that he will in no manner give cause to be accused as having indulged in any act of commission or omission which has the effect of prejudicially affecting the public tranquillity and law & order.

An FIR has been lodged against Yoga guru Ramdev for alleged violation of the model code of conduct and prohibitory orders by holding a press meet without the permission of the administration.
Ramdev addressed a press conference at the residence of a yoga centre coordinator after participating in a ‘yoga diksha’ programme recently.
He said the administration’s permission was not taken to hold the press conference due to which a case has been lodged against Ramdev and the coordinator.
The information has been sent to the Election Commission.

Recently ,West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee threatened to defy an Election Commission of India (EC) order of transferring eight officials and dared the poll watchdog to take action against her for not complying, her administration had to eat humble pie as EC held its ground and asked her government to implement it’s order.
But Banerjee accused deputy election commissioner Vinod Zutshi of playing into the hands of Congress and BJP and sought his removal from the poll panel.
She accused him of being a tainted official with criminal cases pending against him. She also alleged that Zutshi was misleading the EC.
Of the eight officials that EC wanted transferred, it said seven were found to have favoured the ruling Trinamool Congress party in the run-up to the general election. EC barred these officials from taking any poll-related responsibility.

Amid much fanfare and grand show of support, Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi filed his nomination papers from the Vadodara Lok Sabha constituency and invoked the legacy of education and good governance of the Gaekwad dynasty.
Mr. Modi, who is representing Vadodara for the first time, sought to underscore his ties with the region known for its royal family.
Calling Vadodara his “karmabhoomi”, Mr Modi thanked his party for giving him the opportunity to represent the constituency.

BJP strongly condemned the statement made by Yadav on women, on rape-related mater and on his suggestion that if by chance he becomes part of the government in 2014, he would make sure that the rape law would be amended.
In a controversial statement, the SP leader had yesterday questioned the death penalty for rape, saying “mistakes” by boys happen sometime.

Fifty five per cent of the people surveyed in a poll by Gallup Pakistan have given the Nawaz Sharif government a favourable rating. The current government gets a Green Card and the favourable views exceed unfavourable views in the overall running of the government. The Net Performance Ratings for political leaders rated Nawaz Sharif (PML-N) at the top with a rating of a favourable 18 per cent while Imran Khan (PTI) was rated as minus 5 per cent unfavourable.
Gallup Pakistan in its Annual Public Pulse Report 2014 said that the survey has revealed that the present PML-N government’s Performance Ratings are a huge improvement over the PPP-Zardari-led government a year ago.
For the six key indicators including Economy, Pak-India Relations, Overall Foreign Policy, Terrorism control, Corruption control and Inflation control, the present PML-N government received positive comparative net performance ratings. The economy recorded a positive 48 per cent comparative net performance, Pak India Relations 22 per cent, Foreign Policy 33 per cent, Terrorism control 31 per cent, Corruption control 36 per cent and Inflation control recorded a positive 20 per cent net change.