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India minister Sharad Pawar: wipe off the ink and vote for us twice Sharad Pawar caught up in row after telling supporters to cast ballot for Nationalist Congress party in two constituencies Agence France-Press in New Delhi theguardian.com, Monday 24 March 2014 07.18 EDT Sharad Pawar said his comment had been meant as a joke. Photograph: Ajit Kumar/AP An Indian cabinet minister is at the centre of a vote-rigging row after he asked supporters to vote twice for his party in elections next month. Speaking at a rally on Sunday, the agriculture minister, Sharad Pawar, urged voters to wash off the ink that would be daubed on their fingers after casting their ballots then go to a different constituency and vote again for his Nationalist Congress party (NCP). After pointing out that voting in two neighbouring parts of Maharashtra state was taking place on different days, Pawar told supporters in the state: "Vote for the Clock [his party's symbol] there and come back to vote for the Clock here as well." . The comments were seized upon by rivals in the elections, which begin on 7 April, including the anti-corruption Aam Aadmi party. The party said it would complain to the election commission over the "blatant contravention" of its code of conduct. Pawar, an ally of the ruling Congress party who has been flirting with the main opposition Bharatiya Janata party, tried to laugh off his remarks, saying they had been meant as a joke. "Party workers get bored with the same cliched electoral speeches. The statement which I made earlier in the day was in a lighter vein," he said. The NCP spokesman, DP Tripathi, said he was confident the election commission would understand the comments had not been serious. "We are confident that they are very mature and will realise the context of the statement," Tripathi told AFP. Polls show corruption is one of the most pressing concerns for voters in the world's biggest democracy, which will hold elections for its 543-member parliament in nine phases until 12 May. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/24/india-minister-sharad-pawar-urges-supporters-vote-twice

New York: Three Indian-American men have pleaded guilty to owning and managing motels where they ran illegal businesses, including selling drugs and prostitution. Jaspal Singh, 37, Kulwinder Saroya, 42, and Lakhvir Pawar, 41, on Tuesday admitted they profited from drug-dealing they allowed in the premises of their motels Seattle, The Seattle Times reported. According to the report, Singh and Saroya admitted they would direct their staff to collect a $10 entry fee for people who came to their motels - Travelers Choice Motel and Great Bear Motor Inn - seeking drugs or sexual services. The US law enforcement authorities have seized more than $265,000 from their home and bank accounts and a 2007 Mercedes-Benz, the report stated citing a US attorney office statement. Under the plea agreement, Singh and Saroya reportedly agreed to forfeit the two motels and their home. Lakhvir Pawar, 41, manager of one of their motels, under the terms of his plea agreement, will forfeit his interest in the motel. The case was uncovered after an undercover informant purchased cocaine in deals set up with motel residents by the motel managers. Police said there have been incidents of rapes, assaults, drug dealing, prostitution and at least three overdose deaths in recent years in the motels. "Since we shut these motels, the number of police calls to the immediate area has dropped by one-third," attorney Jenny Durkan said. http://www.samachar.com/Indian-Americans-plead-guilty-to-drugdealing-nkxrK8cjcdi.html?source=recommended_news