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There was tension in the brain-storming session of the Congress party at the L B Stadium here on Sunday. The PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana and MP Ponnam Prabhakar were engaged in a verbal duel right on the dais.

While Ponnam said homage should be paid to the martyrs of Telangana, Botchsa smoothly brushed aside the demand by stating that in that case homage should be paid to the Nilam cyclone victims. Finally, at the intervention of the AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, the issue was settled and homage was paid to the ‘T’ martyrs.

Telangana Advocates’ Joint Action Committee (TAJAC) has decided to boycott all courts in the Telangana region and organize a rally from AP high Court to Madina, in protest against G.O. No. 2348 on December 17. It also threatened to continue agitation until the GO was withdrawn by the State government. The JAC appealed to all T-advocates to go to Delhi and demonstrate at the venue of all party meeting on December 28 to pressurize the Centre for separate Telangana.

Secunderabad Congress MP Anjan Kumar Yadav has angrily questioned if he was unfit for the post of a minister n the Central government.

Addressing the extended meeting of the Congress at the LB Stadium here on Sunday, he said while there were 22-crore Yadavs in the nation, he was the only Yadav MP from the entire south.
Anjan Kumar has complained that no BC got a minister post ever since the UPA came to power and also expressed anger, alleging that BCs were being rendered injustice under Congress rule. He said this was the reason why BCs were migrating into other parties.

PCC Chief Botcha Satyanarayana has said that Telangana was a very sensitive issue and assured that he would prevail upon the Central government to take steps to find an early solution to it.

Rajender Chaudhary, who allegedly planted a bomb in Samjhauta Express in 2007, may also be involved in the Mecca-Masjid blast in Hyderabad in which nine people died in May 2007 and could help NIA in solving the case, NIA sources said today.

Chaudhary, who is in his mid-30s, was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) last night from Nagda, 50 kilometres from Ujjain, where he was living under an assumed name, they said.

The United Andhra Political Joint Action Committee (UAPJAC) will hold a crucial meeting on Monday to discuss plans to oppose the formation of Telangana State.

The meeting, proposed to be held at Acharya Nagarjuna University, is likely to be attended by MP Kavuri Sambasiva Rao and minister S Sailajanath among others. According to JAC Chairman Narasimha Rao, the meeting would primarily discuss the all-party meeting being held on December 28 by the Centre on Telangana issue. He demanded that the Congress give a hearing to the leaders of parties who are in favour of united Andhra.

Following instructions from the leadership, senior Congress leaders avoided the Telangana issue in the Pradesh Congress Committee’s extension meeting here on Sunday. However, the LB Stadium, the meeting’s venue was echoed with “Jai Telangana” slogans at frequent intervals.

As soon as the meeting began, the Congress MPs from the region raised ‘Jai Telangana’ slogans. The Congress workers too joined the slogan shouting along with the MPs.

At least three rockets were fired at Peshawar airport in Pakistan by unidentified terrorists on Saturday.

Initial reports suggest that five people have been killed in the attack and at least 25 injured. Meanwhile, it is being learnt that gun fight is on between security officials and the terrorists.

The rockets, fired from an unknown location, landed on the perimeter of the Bacha Khan International Airport, University Town and another residential neighbourhood at around 9 pm, witnesses said.

In a major development in the 2007 Samjhauta Express blast case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday arrested the bomb planter from here.

According to reports, the suspect, Rajendra Choudhury alias Samandar Das, allegedly planted bombs in two coaches of the Samjhauta Express along with Kamal Chauhan, who is already under arrest.

Surprisingly, the arrest came in the midst of Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s ongoing visit to India.

Former glamorous heroine Jaya Prada, who entered UP politics and was elected to Parliament from the Rampur constituency, appears to be thinking of coming back to the State.
There are speculations about her future plans. Jaya Prada, who played an active role in the TDP and was also the party’s Rajya Sabha member has some how differed with Naidu and left the party. Now it is being said that she was planning to join the Congress.

Telugu Desam party president N. Chandrababu Naidu here on Saturday declared that his party would earmark 15 Assembly seats to the Muslim Minorities in the State.

The former chief minister, who arrived in the district as part of his “Vastunna Mee Kosam” padayatra, has proclaimed that the farmers would be granted interest-free loans if his party returns to power in the next elections.

Four girls have fallen sick in the running test conducted for selection of Excise constables in the district on Saturday.

While one girl suffered heart attack, three others fell sick during the running test of 2km. They were all rushed to the hospital. In east Godavari district also, several women candidates were reported to have fallen ill in the running test.

–Agencies

TRS leader K Taraka Rama Rao on Saturday criticized the State Government for its “dictatorial attitude” in conducting the all-party meeting and dealing with other issues.

Talking to reporters here, KTR said that unless the Congress party spells out its stand on Telangana, the meeting would carry no meaning and end as a farce. Referring to TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu and YSRCP leader Sharmila, he said those undertaking padayatra should speak out their stand on Telangana as well.

The leaders from Telangana region are all set to raise the statehood issue during the Congress convention being held at LB Stadium on Sunday.

It was a day of protest at the Greater Hyderabad Muncipal Corporation’s Headquarters at Tank Bund.

In protest against the postponement of GHMC’s General Body meeting scheduled on Saturday, the TDP and BJP corporators staged separate protests in the GHMC office premises.

Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu’s only son Nara Lokesh will soon follow in his father’s footsteps and may contest the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Lokesh, who is currently serving as the Executive Director of the family’s Heritage Foods business group, is expected to make a formal announcement about his political debut soon, sources close to him said.

The 30-year-old MBA from Stanford University is now grooming himself to become an MP and is searching for a constituency that is predominantly rural, they said.

Bollywood actress Vidya Balan tied the knot with UTV head Siddharth Roy Kapoor here today in a private ceremony which saw a mix of both Punjabi and Tamil traditions.

The wedding rituals went on for over an hour this morning at the well-decorated Green Mile Bungalow in Bandra in the presence of family members of the bride and groom.

“The wedding ceremony was a mix of both Punjabi and Tamil traditions.

–Agencies

The Governor E S L Narsimhan on Friday made it clear that he had no differences with the Chief Minister N KIran Kumar Reddy.

Speaking to the media here, Narsimhan condemned the reports in a section of the media that he has submitted a report to AICC President Sonia Gandhi on Kiran Kumar Reddy. He said he just discussed the matters of Andhra Pradesh with Sonia Gandhi. He felt that facing criticism was common when holding power.

The Congress senior leader K Keshava Rao onFriday stressed that the Congress party should come out with one
stand at the all party meeting to be held on December 28 on the Telangana issue.

Telangana Advocates and students today morning staged a demonstration in front of Keshava Rao’s residence.Speaking on the occasion, Keshava Rao described the Telangana issue as a most critical one to the Congress party.

YSR Congress party honorary president YS Vijayamma on Friday requested Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to reduce the prices of fertilizers to help the farmers.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Vijayamma said that the prices of fertilizers should be reduced keeping in view the country’s food security in mind. She said that the prices of rice have gone up by almost 25 per cent in the last years. However, the fertilizer prices have increased by almost 300 per cent.

Alleging that the Centre has no sincerity in holding the All Party meeting on Telangana, CPM has said that the meet should have a solid agenda to get results.

In a letter to the Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, CPM state Secretary BV Raghavulu said that the Centre should announce that the All Party Meeting is being convened with a specific agenda.

The general body meeting of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) scheduled to be held on Saturday has been postponed.

The decision to postpone the meeting was taken by GHMC Mayor Mohammad Majid Hussain. However, the corporation did not cite the reason for postponing the meeting. “Due to unavoidable circumstances, the Mayor has postponed the 10th ordinary meeting of the corporation,” the GHMC said in a communiqué. The next date of the meeting is yet to be decided.

It may be mentioned that the GHMC’s general body meeting was held last time about seven months ago on May 19.

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday alleged that GHMC Mayor Mohammad Majid Hussain has postponed the corporation’s general body meeting only to prevent the BJP corporator from Langar Houz from taking oath.

It may be mentioned that following High Court’s directions GHMC Commissioner MT Krishna Babu has disqualified the MIM’s Langar Houz corporator Ravi Yadav and declared BJP’s C Uday Kumar as elected from the division. Uday Kumar was scheduled to take oath as the corporator during Saturday’s general body meeting.

TDP floor leader Singireddy Srinivas Reddy on Friday alleged that the Congress and MIM were not able to face the people and that was the reason why the GHMC’s general body has been postponed.

Talking to reporters in his chambers at the GHMC Headquarters, Srinivas Reddy said that the entire city was under the grip of dengue, malaria and other viral diseases. However, instead of facilitating debate and seeking solutions to solve those problems, the MIM-Congress combine was escaping from its responsibilities, he alleged.

Former GHMC floor leader of Congress party Kaleru Venaktesh called on YSR Congress party president Jaganmohan Reddy in Chanchalguda Central Jail here on Friday.

Talking to reporters here, Kaleru said that Jagan has assured that the YSRCP would provide adequate funds for the development of Hyderabad when it comes to power after next elections. He said Jagan has condemned TDP and Congress parties for ignoring the development of twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderbad.