News

BJP’s Deeksha on Telangana from Monday in New Delhi

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The leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party will sit on a three-day Deeksha (fast) from Monday demanding that the Centre introduce a Bill in Parliament for formation of Telangana State.

Talking to reporters here, BJP State president G Kishan Reddy said that the several senior leaders would participate in the Deeksha to be held at Jantar Mantar. Senior BJP leaders LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley among others are expected to address the gathering at the fast venue over the three-day period.

Telangana announcement in a month, says Palwai

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Rajya Sabha member Palwai Govardhan Reddy on Saturday stated that the Centre would announce formation of Telangana state within a month.

Talking to media persons , he said that the Congress party would stand by its stand on formation of Telangana state and honour its promise within a month. Once the coalgate scam issue is subsided, the Centre would focus its attention on Telangana statehood, he said.

Ashwin strikes, Test poised for close finish

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Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin picked up his third five-wicket haul in four innings here Sunday to push the second Test against New Zealand on a knife edge.

Ashwin (5-69), who had a 12-wicket haul in the Hyderabad Test that India won by an innings and 115 runs, bowled quite beautifully to fox the Kiwi batsmen into errors as the visitors ended the day at 232 for nine, just 244 runs in front with two more days left in the Test.

Former internal security czar Arun Nehru faces graft charge

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He was at one time the powerful boss of India’s internal security establishment, close to prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. Today Arun Nehru, who has been in political exile for nearly two decades, faces a 24-year-old Rs.25 lakh graft charge for wrongfully permitting the import of 9mm pistols for police forces.

The case dates to 1988. A special court here has rejected the closure report of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and initiated fresh proceedings against Nehru, who was minister of state for internal security in Gandhi’s government.

Raj Thackeray publicity-hungry: Nitish Kumar

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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Sunday said that Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray is publicity-hungry and has nothing to do with democracy.

Reacting to Thackeray’s remarks last week that Biharis in Maharashtra were “infiltrators”, Nitish Kumar told reporters here: “Raj Thackeray has been doing all this for publicity and has nothing to do with democracy.”

Innocent children employed in Gudamba trade

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Illicit liquor trade is thriving in Hyderabad. Gudamba mafia, to throw dust into the eyes of law, is employing innocent Muslim children in the Gudamba business. This has been revealed during a meeting with an official of department of excise and prohibition. It was also revealed that such gangs of gudamba sellers are active in the city which earns lakhs daily.

Minority Welfare minister conducts review meet, directs speedy completion of new Hajj House

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A review meet was conducted under the chairmanship of Minister for Minority Welfare and Urdu Academy, Mohammed Ahmedullah, in which the minister directed, chairman Waqf Board Mr. Ghulam Afzal Biabani, chairman state Hajj Committee, secretary Minority Welfare Department, chief Executive Officer Waqf Board and other officials to expedite construction of new Hajj house near Shamsabad airport and provide basic facilities to the Hajj aspirants.

Siasat news

Eid Milap need of the hour, for communal harmony

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At times when brothers are becoming each other’s enemies, it is being tried to disrupt country’s harmony in the name of religion and caste, communal forces are trying to get political mileage by polluting the peaceful atmosphere of the country, conducting this type of Eid Milap programmes is the need of the hour. These views were expressed by Mr. Ilyas Razvi managing director Andhra Pradesh Minority Finance Corporation while addressing a gathering at the Eid Milap programme hosted by Urdu Journalists Association at Dr. Khaja Moinuddin Hall Madina Education Centre, Nampally.

BJP agrees to debate if allocated coal blocks are cancelled

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The BJP on Sunday said it could agree for a debate on the CAG report in Parliament if 142 coal block allocations, allegedly done in violation of the norms, were cancelled and a high level probe was instituted into the issue.

Talking to reporters here, BJP general secretary Vijay Goel said that the party could consider participating in a Parliamentary debate only if the two demands are immediately acceded to.

Sonia’s message to Congress workers: Fight BJP’s propaganda

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Congress president Sonia Gandhi is unhappy over the way the lower rung party leadership has responded to the coal block allocation charges by the BJP and wants the party to brace for the larger political battle ahead and to fight BJP’s propaganda.

Kejriwal to protest outside Parliament Street police station

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Alleging harassment of volunteers of India Against Corruption, Arvind Kejriwal and others will on Monday stage a protest outside Parliament Street police station here and offer arrest.

Kejriwal and other leaders of the IAC will arrive at the police station in morning and demand that the volunteers detained during August 26 protest should not be harassed in the name of collecting evidence.

Five cases of rioting have been registered against Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan, Manish Sisodia, Kumar Vishas, Gopal Rai and several unknown people for their protest against the coal block allocation.

One dead, 34 wounded in Philippines blasts

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At least 32 people were injured when an unidentified assailant lobbed a grenade at a temporary army detachment late Saturday. The explosive bounced off the outpost’s barricade and hit a gymnasium in Fatima village in Davao city, police said.

The attack took place as villagers were watching a circus performance during a village festival.

Authorities suspect leftist rebels of the New People’s Army could be behind the attack.

Police said the second explosion occurred in Bongbong village in Davao del Norte province.

Coal blocks cancellation after IMG report: Jaiswal

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Against the backdrop of opposition pressure, the fate of 58 coal blocks will be reviewed on Monday at a meeting of an Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG), on whose recommendations wrongful allotments and cases in which mining has not started can be cancelled.

Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal said an IMG has been set up to examine the pros and cons and based on its report any number of allocations can be cancelled.

He said the IMG will give its report by September 15.

Iran: 19 people killed in bus crash

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Iran’s state news agency says at least 19 people have been killed in the country’s south after the bus they were travelling on struck a rock and flipped over.

IRNA says the accident took place on Sunday, some 50 kilometres west of the southern Iranian city of Shiraz.

It says around 25 passengers were injured and transferred to local hospitals. Five of them are in serious condition.

Iran has one of the worst road safety records in the world. Statistics say that more than 20,000 people lose their lives in road accidents every year in the country.

Moderate earthquake jolts eastern Iran

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Iran’s state news agency says a 5.2-magnitude earthquake has jolted a sparsely populated district in the country’s east.

IRNA says the quake hit a district near the town of Qaen before dawn on Sunday and that there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

Last month, twin earthquakes struck northwestern Iran and claimed the lives of more than 300 people, injured thousands and left several thousand homeless.

Iran is located on seismic faults and is frequently shaken by earthquakes.

CVC to review CBI probe on ‘Coalgate’

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The Central Vigilance Commission will take a stock of CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the utilisation of coal blocks allocated to private companies between 2006 and 2009.

A meeting of CBI Director A P Singh with Central Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar is likely to take place soon where the former will give a detailed presentation on the probe conducted so far by the agency.

“The meeting between top brass of CBI and CVC will take place soon where the investigating agency will give a detailed presentation on the probe and future course of action,” a source said.

BJP stalling Parliament on coal controversy is fascist method: CPI

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Describing the stalling of Parliament over the coal block controversy as “unacceptable”, the CPI has accused the BJP of acting in a “fascist” way and asked the party to show respect to the House while demanding a judicial enquiry into the issue.

CPI General Secretary S Sudhakar Reddy also targeted the ruling Congress saying that the courts and the Comptroller and Auditor General were “exposing the bankrupt policies” of the UPA government and demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should own up moral responsibility on the coal allocation issue.

Congress, BJP dub Third Front as mirage, myth

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The Congress and the BJP have dismissed emergence of Third Front ahead of the 2014 general elections as a ‘mirage’ despite Mulayam Singh Yadav leading a six-party dharna in Parliament on the coal allocation issue.

In fact, leaders of both the Congress and the BJP say the possibility of formation of a non-Congress, non-BJP front to takeover power at the Centre is not only dim but also non-existent.

After 19 years, Chandigarh to host Davis Cup tie

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Chandigarh will witness international tennis action this month with the Davis Cup tie between India and New Zealand being held at the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association (CLTA) grounds here Sep 14-16. The city is hosting a Davis Cup tie after a gap of 19 years.

The CLTA has started the sale of tickets for the tennis stadium and is even expecting fans of the New Zealand team to arrive at the Union Territory. The tie here, comprising five matches, will be the Asia-Oceania second round play-offs between both countries.

One dead, 34 wounded in Philippines blasts

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One person was killed and 34 were wounded in two grenade blasts in the Philippines, Xinhua reported Sunday.

At least 32 people were injured when an unidentified assailant lobbed a grenade at a temporary army detachment late Saturday. The explosive bounced off the outpost’s barricade and hit a gymnasium in Fatima village in Davao city, police said.

The attack took place as villagers were watching a circus performance during a village festival.

Authorities suspect leftist rebels of the New People’s Army could be behind the attack.

54 policemen killed in Karachi in 2012

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A total of 54 policemen have become victims of “target killings” here in the Pakistani port city this year, Dawn reported Sunday.

In the latest incident Saturday, Shafiq-ur-Rahman, a 27-year-old constable enrolled for commando training at the Benazir Bhutto Anti-Terrorism Training Centre, was shot dead by armed bikers.

The constable was sitting on a rickshaw with a friend near his home. Two masked men on a motorbike pulled up close to the rickshaw, and one got off the motorbike, walked up to the rickshaw and fired multiple shots at the constable, police said.

Wives of Indian sailors thank Pakistan

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The wives of two Indian sailors freed by Somali pirates have thanked Pakistan for its role in negotiating their husbands’ release, the Dawn reported Sunday.

Madhu Sharma and Sampa Arya met two senior Pakistanis in Karachi Saturday, the daily reported.

The wives of Indian sailors M.V. Sharma and Ravendra Gulia met Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad Khan and Citizen-Police Liaison Committee chief Ahmed Chinoy.