Nitish accuses Congress leaders of mudslinging

Patna, July 15: Accusing visiting Union Ministers and Congress leaders of a mudslinging campaign against his government, Bihar Chief Nitish Kumar today asked them to specify whether the Centre had provided any additional funds to the state.

“A battery of the Union Ministers from Congress and its leaders are touring Bihar at the time of elections and are mudslinging against the state government,” Kumar said.

NSCN leaders to hold talks with Centre’s representatives

Kohima, July 15: NSCN-IM leader Thuingaleng Muivah and other senior members of the group will hold talks with Centre’s representatives towards finding a negotiated settlement to the protracted Naga political conflict.

Accompanied by senior functionaries of the group, Muivah left for New Delhi this afternoon for the parleys responding to the invitation of Centre’s interlocutor R S Pandey during the last round of talks.

Congress charges against RSS diversionary tactics: BJP

New Delhi, July 15: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Thursday alleged that the Congress is resorting to “diversionary tactics” to get away from the price rise issue by launching a “baseless campaign” against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

The BJP also demanded the Congress party stop its attempts to defame the BJP and the Sangh parivar by linking RSS functionaries to the Mecca Masjid blast case.

Party to take decision on action, says ex-BJP MP

Bhopal, July 15: Former BJP MP Laxman Singh today appeared defiant over his criticism of party chief Nitin Gadkari and said it was up to the party leadership to decide on action against him. “I have said what I wanted to say and it is now for the party to decide what action it wants to take against me,” Singh told PTI here.

Singh, the brother of senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh, had hit out at Gadkari on Tuesday for “lacking political experience”. The former parliamentarian had also said that Gadkari, who took over the top party post in December last,”lacked political experience”

Fashion gets new face with Sonam Kapoor’s AISHA

Mumbai, July 15: Earlier the Hollywood movies used to set the benchmark for Bollywood fashion but now the things seem to get changed when an Indian movie ‘Aisha’ starring Sonam Kapoor and Abhay Deol claims to showcase high end fashion.

Kapoor would be seen in soft and flowery costumes including a nude tulle flowery one with a bow and small pearls. The beautiful outfits are designed by the famous Dubai-based designer Ayesha Depala.

Congress, BJP hand in glove: Lalu

Patna, July 15: RJD president Lalu Prasad today alleged that the Congress and BJP were hand in glove and trying to swallow small and regional parties.

“Both Congress and BJP are hand in glove which is evident from their stand on the Women’s Reservation Bill… their sinister design is to swallow small and regional parties gradually,” Prasad told reporters here.

In the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, he said voting for Congress would mean voting for the BJP.

Mulayam seeks pardon from Muslims

Lucknow, July 15: In an attempt to mend fences with Muslims after having aligned with Kalyan Singh during Lok Sabha polls, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Thursday regretted taking support of those “responsible” for the Babri mosque demolition and sought pardon of the community.

Mayawati for steps to pre-empt floods

Lucknow, July 14: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati today asked officials concerned to take pre-emptive steps to deal with any flood-like situation which may arise in the state with the onset of monsoon.

The Chief Minister, who reviewed the preparations for dealing with any problem arising out of heavy rains, asked the officials to identify all sensitive embankments and launch their repair works.

Asking them to ensure their proper moinitoring, she warned that laxity in these works would not be tolerated, an official release here said.

Muslims facing unemployment in Bihar under NDA rule: RJD

Patna, July 14: RJD today tried to project the woes of Muslims in poll-bound Bihar by saying that the minority community has a share of mere 8 per cent in government jobs in Bihar in spite of being one-sixth of the total population.

Muslims have high unemployment rate in Bihar and their socio-economic situation has been worse under the NDA rule, RJD General Secretary and former Union HRD Minister M A Fatmi told reporters here.

BJP leader stages his own kidnapping

Lucknow, July 14: A local BJP leader from Bulandshahr, Sudhir Garg, who went missing a week ago, had staged his own kidnapping to mislead his lenders since he owed them a lot of money, a senior police officer said today.

Garg, a resident of Brahmanandanpuri area in Bulandshahr and runs a shop in Mandi, had allegedly gone missing on July 5 and his son had filed a kidnapping case with Kotwali police, ADG (law and order) Brij Lal told reporters here.

“Goondaraj” in Karnataka: Cong

New Delhi, July 14: A day after the Karnataka Governor demanded action against illegal mining in the BJP-ruled state, the Congress today stepped up attack on the government dubbing its rule as “Goondaraj” and demanded action against the controversial Reddy brothers without naming them.

“What we are seeing in Karanataka is Goondaraj…What will you expect when you make Dracula the head of Blood Bank,” party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi told reporters at the AICC briefing here.

BJP to help Omar to bring normalcy in Kashmir

Jammu, July 14: The BJP in Jammu and Kashmir today said it has assured all help to Omar Abdullah government to bring peace in the Valley provided it does nothing to demoralise the security forces and gives them a free hand to tackle the situation.

“We have assured all possible help to Omar’s government in bringing normalcy in valley provided no step is taken to demoralise the security forces and they are given free hand to tackle the situation with iron hand”, Pradesh BJP President Shamsher singh Manhas told repoters here.

Maoists are part of our society: Nitish Kumar

New Delhi, July 14: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Wednesday struck a discordant note on the government’s anti-Maoist policy, saying the leftist rebels were “part of our society” and that the problem should be tackled with sustained development and not with an “enforced action alone”.

“Naxal elements are a part of our society even though they have been misled into following the path of violence,” Nitish Kumar said in his address at the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with chief ministers of Maoist-affected states.

Why should we be banned, asks Kerala Muslim leader

New Delhi, July 14: A radical Muslim leader in Kerala dismisses charges of terrorism flung at his outfit and insists there is not even one reason for the Popular Front of India (PFI) to be banned.

In contrast to the sinister image the group has acquired in the eyes of its critics, PFI chairman E.M. Abdul Rahiman says his organisation respects the law and has been crusading for the rights and social justice of Muslims, the country’s largest religious minority.

Ex-CMs live lavish life on public money

Ranchi, July 14: A sprawling eight-room bungalow with a field in front and a swimming pool under construction. No, that’s not the home of a superstar but of veteran politician Babulal Marandi, who like the other three former Jharkhand chief ministers lives life king-size — on public money.

A former chief minister in Jharkhand enjoys facilities like a free bungalow for life in state capital Ranchi, vehicles that run on fuel on the house, security guards, a personal secretary who is a government employee and other sundry perks like telephones.

Maha-Karnataka boundary row leaves BJP-Sena alliance in a fix

Pune, July 14: The flare-up in the vexed Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary dispute appears to have put leaders of the saffron alliance in a piquant situation with the Shiv Sena today asking the state BJP leaders to make their stand clear on the issue.

Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray demanded BJP central leadership rein in Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, whom he accused of using repressive measures to silence the protest of Marathi speaking population in the state under the BJP rule.

New Rajasthan BJP team announced

Jaipur, July 13: BJP Rajasthan President Arun Chaturvedi today announced his new team of office bearers here.

Senior leaders like Vasundhara Raje, Jaswant Singh, Harishankar Bhabra, Lalit Kishore Chaturvedi, Gulab Chand Kataria, Ghanshyam Chaturvedi, Ramjethmalani and Omprakash Mathur are among the 23 permanent invited members.

The President has appointed three each General Secretaries and spokespersons, 102 executive members and 105 special invited members in the state executive committee, part sources said.

MP:Cabinet amends Industrial Policy

Madhya Pradesh, July 13: The cabinet meeting headed by Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan was held on Tuesday in which many important decisions including amendments in industrial pilicy were taken. The Cabinet meet debated on supplementary budget also.

The government spokesman , Mr Narottam Mishra, told media that the government has strengthened Laadli Lakshmi Yojna through legislation.

The Cabinet has also decided to fill 16 seats under 4th grade employees in Chindwara district of Madhya Pradeshl.

—Agencies

Laxman Singh decides to quit BJP

Mumbai, July 13: In the wake of controversial remark by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nitin Gadkari, the party MP Laxman Singh on Tuesday said that he would like to quit the party.

”I and my family had been pained by the comments made by the BJP president and in such a situation there is no reson to continue in the party,” Mr Singh told reporters at Avangaon near Raghogarh in the district.

Laxman Singh further added that he joined the party because of senior leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee and is not comfortable to work under the leadership of Gadkari.

Ready to cooperate with probe agencies in blast cases: RSS

New Delhi, July 13: RSS today said its functionaries will “cooperate” with agencies probing alleged links of Hindu groups in certain bomb blast cases, but termed as “baseless” suggestions that some of its members were involved in the crimes. “As long as investigations go on in a professional manner and they want cooperation, (RSS) functionaries are ready to extend cooperation,” Sangh leader Ram Madhav told reporters here.

PM convenes CMs of Naxal-hit states

Mumbai, July 13: The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called a meeting of the chief ministers of the Naxal-affected states to be held in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Singh will discuss the current situation in these states with the chief ministers of Orissa, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, to chalk out a strategy to curb Left-wing extremism.

Jharkhand, which is under President’s Rule, will be represented by its governor.

Congress, JD-S MLAs to continue 24-hour assembly sit-in

Bangalore, July 13: Having spent the night in the Karnataka assembly, Congress and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) legislators in the state were Tuesday set to camp out some more with leaders saying their 24-hour protest would continue until the ruling BJP agreed to a CBI probe into illegal mining in the state.

Up to BJP leadership to decide Uma’s return: Chouhan

Indore, July 13: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today sidestepped questions about the possible return of former BJP leader Uma Bharti into party fold, saying his priority was the state’s development.

“It was up to the party leadership to decide (on Uma’s return to BJP). As chief minister, my duty is to work for the state’s development and welfare of the people..,” Chouhan said when asked about possibility of Uma returning to the party.

The BJP leader was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function at Machal, about 20km from here.

No plans to retire from politics: Advani

New Delhi, July 12: Senior BJP leader L K Advani today said he had no plans to retire from politics.

“I do not want to retire,” Advani told BBC news channel in an interview.

He told the questioner that he gives advice to the party whenever it is sought.

Expressing satisfaction at the line being pursued by his party under the new leadership, Advani said it had a bright future and a large number of young people were coming to the organisation.

“I do not think so. It (BJP) is pursuing the right line and its future is bright,” Advani said when asked if his party needed a makeover.

Gadkari comment unleashes another BJP-Congress verbal duel

New Delhi/Lucknow, July 12: Another controversial comment by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Nitin Gadkari has set off a new war of words with the Congress – this time for referring to senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh as “Aurangzeb ki aulad” or the offspring of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

Gadkari made the comment about the Congress general secretary July 4 in Lucknow, the same day he termed parliament attack convict Afzal Guru as the “son-in-law” of the ruling Congress.