News

Rajkot, August 15: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Sunday charged the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the centre with patronizing NGOs that were working against the interests of Gujarat and harassing its police.

In his Independence Day address here, Modi said: “Such NGOs are being funded from the government treasury with the sole aim of thwarting the development march of the Gujarat in the name of the common man. Under the guise of ‘manav adhikar'(human rights) Delhi seems to be more worried about the ‘danav adhikar’ (devil’s rights).”

New Delhi, August 15: Under attack for rising prices, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the government was making every possible effort to control “high inflation” and insulate poor from its adverse impact.

“I know that in the last few months high inflation has caused you difficulties. It is the poor who are the worst affected by rising prices, especially when the prices of commodities of every day use like foodgrains, pulses, vegetables increase.

Srinagar, August 15: Asking separatists to refrain from violence during the holy month of Ramzan, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today asked them to take advantage of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement that he was ready to consider autonomy if there was a consensus.

At the same time, Omar said the “trust deficit” between the Centre and people of the state can be bridged by “restoring autonomy”.

Chhattisgarh, August 15: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh unfurled the tricolour at the Police Parade Ground in Raipur.

Raman Singh said that the government is working on multiple efforts to contain Maoist violence in his Independence Day speech on Sunday.

“Chhattisgarh, along with a few other states, is passing through a major disaster caused by Maoist terrorism and the state government is working on multiple efforts to contain violence and restore peace,” Raman Singh said.

New Delhi, August 15: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will visit Leh in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, which has been hit by flash floods caused by a cloudburst that claimed about 200 lives and left over 400 injured.

Singh will visit some of the hospitals where the injured in last Friday’s cloudburst are undergoing treatment, a PMO spokesman said.

He will review the relief and rehabilitation measures with senior officials.

New Delhi, August 15: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hoisted the national flag at the Red Fort on the Independence Day.

In his speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Sunday, the Prime Minister made a fresh bid to bring the Maoists to the negotiating table and appealed to them to abjure violence and come forward for talks.

Singh also made it clear that India wants to resolve differences with Pakistan through dialogue but much progress cannot be made unless terrorism emanating from its territory ends.

New Delhi, August 15: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressed the nation on Independence Day. He said the government is making every possible effort to control inflation.

He also admitted that poor people are the worst affected by rising food prices.

“It is the poor who are the worst affected by rising prices, especially when the prices of commodities of every day use like food grains, pulses, vegetables increase. We are making every possible effort to tackle the problem,” Singh said on the 63rd anniversary of Independence Day.

Aligarh, August 15: At least 7 persons were injured on Sunday when police opened fire on violent farmers protesting alleged detention of one of their leaders spearheading the agitating for higher compensation for land acquired for a township at a village 45km from here.

The violence broke out when the farmers went on the rampage ransacking a police outpost and setting afire a bus after a rumour spread that one of the farmer leaders was arrested by authorities at Jikarpur village near Uttar Pradesh-Haryana border.

Srinagar, August 15: A police officer hurled a shoe at Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah during the Independence Day function at a heavily-guarded stadium here Sunday.

Abdullah was just about to take the salute after unfurling the tricolour when the officer, whose name was not immediately known, flung a brown leather shoe at him, which missed hitting the chief minister.

The shoe thrower was rounded up by Abdullah’s security men and taken out of the Bakhshi Stadium, the venue for the Independence Day celebrations.

New Delhi, August 15: No toilets around Commonwealth Games venues? With severe delays plaguing streetscaping works around CWG venues, authorities are now facing this embarrassing prospect. The city Government had given contract to four firms to install street furnitures like toilets, kiosks, information boards, iron chairs and benches on a BOT (build, operate, transfer) basis in areas around the Games venues.

New Delhi, August 15: Peace talks with Pakistan can be taken forward only if it does not support terrorism directed against India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Sunday.

In his Independence Day speech, the prime minister said India expected Pakistan not to let its territory be used for acts of terrorism against India.

“We have been emphasizing this in all our discussions with the Pakistan government. If this is not done, we cannot progress far in our dialogue with Pakistan,” he said.

New Delhi, August 15: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday expressed anguish over the use of “harsh and unpleasant words” in political discourse.

“The use of harsh and unpleasant words in our political discourse has increased in recent days. This is against our traditions of generosity, humility and tolerance,” he said in his Independence Day address from the Red Fort.

New Delhi, August 15: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hoisted the national flag at the Red Fort on the Independence Day.

In his speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Sunday, the Prime Minister made a fresh bid to bring the Maoists to the negotiating table and appealed to them to abjure violence and come forward for talks.

Singh also made it clear that India wants to resolve differences with Pakistan through dialogue but much progress cannot be made unless terrorism emanating from its territory ends.

New Delhi, August 15: Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said Saturday that the government had no intention of interfering in the process of religious education imparted in madrassas.

But he said schools run by religious minorities will have to comply with quality provisions of the law on right to education.

Ahmedabad, August 15: Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), which has taken up the cause of the 2002 Gujarat communal riot victims, Saturday urged the Nanavati-Mehta judicial inquiry commission to re-call some top police officers for cross-examinations in the light of fresh evidences culled from the police control room records.