Month: October 2010

BJP to focus on panchayat and taluk polls: Yeddyurappa

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Bangalore, October 31: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today said as the political uncertainty on his government has cleared now, BJP would focus all its energy on panchayat and taluk elections, which are likely to be held later this year.

Speaking to reporters here he said, “Post-May 2008, the party had tasted victory in almost all the by-elections held to the Assembly and bagged majority of the seats in 2009 Lok Sabh polls.”

Yeddyurappa said that the party was confident of repeating its success in taluk and panchayat polls.

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Rahul Gandhi should do proper home work: BJP

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Patna, October 31: The BJP today slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his attack on the Nitish Kumar Government on migration of people from Bihar and asked him to do proper “home work” before making allegations.

“We disapprove of Gandhi’s diatribe against Nitish Kumar Government on migration of workforce from Bihar to states like Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab and Delhi… in fact, the migration has minimised during the past five years,” BJP General Secretary Ravishankar Prasad told reporters here.

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Rosaiah objects to protests against AP Formation Day

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Hyderabad, October 31: Taking exception to protests over the celebrations of Andhra Pradesh Formation Day, Chief Minister K Rosaiah today said those agitating for Telangana should have patience until the Centre takes a decision on the issue.

“It has been a tradition to celebrate the formation of the state since 1956. There are many who want separate state.

I am not finding fault with them. I don’t object to their efforts. But the efforts should be democratic. It should not lead to hostility among people,” he told reporters here.

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Land acquisition in some areas ‘inevitable’: Pranab

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Jangipur (WB), October 31: In an apparent message to cabinet colleague Mamata Banerjee who is opposed to land acquisition, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said there were some areas where land acquisition was “inevitable”.

“Roads can only be built on land and improvement can only take place on land. Completion of road development projects will depend on land acquisition,” Mukherjee said against the backdrop of the railway minister not turning up for a meeting in Delhi on the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill called by him, but sending her views.

‘Humiliated’ over fees, student commits suicide in AP

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Hyderabad, October 31: Depressed over alleged humiliation by a headmistress over payment of fees, a 15-year-old girl committed suicide by jumping into a reservoir in Nalgonda district of Andhra Pradesh, police said today.

The body of S Samatha, who was studying in class X at a private school in Devarkonda town, was found floating in Akampalli reservoir under Gudipally police station limits this morning, they said.

Following the incident, the girl’s relatives and local organisations carried her body in front of the school premises and staged a protest.

Charges ‘politically motivated’: Indresh Kumar

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Jalgaon (Maha), October 31: Describing the charges against him as “politically motivated”, senior RSS leader and an accused in the 2007 Ajmer Dargah blast case, Indresh Kumar today denied any involvement in the incident in which three persons were killed and 15 others injured.

“This is a political conspiracy and all these charges are baseless and an attempt to malign me and defame my organisation,” he told reporters at the ongoing RSS National Executive meeting here.

“We believe in the judicial process and Indian constitution. Everything will be clear,” he said.

Doon student creates robot having emotional intelligence

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Dehradun, October 31: This robot may not have a Rajnikanth-like image, but the model created by a 17-year-old Doon School student possesses emotional intelligence and can even dish out answers for unexpected questions with the help of the Internet.

The 3-dimension Robo ‘iTalk’, an award winning working model, talks in English, lisps like a human and understands human moods of happiness and anger with the help of unique programmed algorithms and a ‘software development kit’ offered by the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US.

Ash-Hrithik steamy scene brings trouble

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Mumbai, October 31: Aishwarya Rai has been quite apprehensive about retaining a steamy scene in her latest flick ‘Guzaarish’ directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

The intimate scene between Aishawrya Rai and Hrithik Roshan might be deleted from film if the ace director feels it is not required.

While talking to a news daily, an insider revealed that Aishwarya had a debate with her director over not having the scene in the film. Bhansali and her muse do not want their film to run into unnecessary controversy over the scene in question.

Sohrabuddin case: Amit Shah leaves for Mumbai following SC order

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New Delhi, October 31: Former Gujarat minister Amit Shah left for Mumbai this morning following a Supreme Court directive asking him to be out of the state till November 15, when the CBI’s plea seeking cancellation of his bail will be heard.

Sources close to Shah said he left for Mumbai by a morning flight.

The former minister of state for home, an accused in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, was granted bail by the Gujarat High Court on Friday.

Adarsh housing scam: Chavan to meet Pranab tonight

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New Delhi, October 31: A day after offering to step down, embattled Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan is expected to meet senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday night to present his side of the story on the Adarsh housing society scam.

Mukherjee, who was in Murshidabad in West Bengal, told television channels that he did not know much about the issue at the moment and would look into its details after his return to Delhi this evening.

Kashmir militants to submit peace plan to interlocutors

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New Delhi, October 31: Militants in Jammu and Kashmir have expressed their willingness to present a “peace plan” during their meeting with the group of interlocutors appointed by the Centre, a move seen as “something important” by Dilip Padgaonkar, who led the three-member team.

Giving details about their meetings with those from militant groups, Padgaonkar said, “The first time we met guys from terrorist organisations. They said would you mind coming again once. We need to talk to you. So we went a second time.”

Bihar govt misusing central funds: Rahul Gandhi

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Bihar, October 31:Campaigning for the ongoing state assembly elections in Bihar, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged that the money sent by the central government to the state is not utililized properly.

Addressing a rally in Munger district,Rahul said that the money sent for the upliftment of Bihar does not reach the villages.

He further appealed the youth to join politics and try to bring development in Bihar.

Mrs ‘O’, how does your garden grow?

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Washington, October 31: When the Obamas come to Rashtrapati Bhavan on their India visit, US First Lady Michelle may like to exchange notes with President Pratibha Patil on the gardens in the backyards of their presidential mansions.

Michelle’s kitchen garden is much smaller than the herbal garden planted by Patil’s predecessor A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in the famed Mughal Gardens, but she loves to talk about what she calls “1,100 square feet of pure joy” on the South Lawns of the White House.

Barack Obama will be in India for four days, Nov 6-9.

A peace plan from Kashmir terrorists: Padgaonkar

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New Delhi, October 31: The chief interlocutor for Jammu and Kashmir, Dilip Padgaonkar has revealed that when the three-member team went to meet terrorists in jail, the inmates reached out to them and in fact offered a peace plan for Kashmir. Padgaonkar and the other two interlocutors were speaking .

Mallika Sherawat’s revealing scenes leaked on Youtube

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Mumbai, October 31: Mallika Sherawat, the hot babe with the fangs quite out like the snake she plays on screen, is quite a gal, as she has managed to attract quite a lot of attention, with her very bold top revealing scenes leaked out in You tube, and thereby creating a sensation for the ogling public!

Adjusting to formats not a problem – Tendulkar

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New Delhi, October 31: Sachin Tendulkar has said his decision to skip India’s last three one-day assignments was not predetermined, and that he had no difficulty in switching across the three versions of the game.

It has been eight months since Tendulkar’s last ODI, in which he scored the format’s first double-century. Since then, he has missed the Asia Cup and the tri-series in Sri Lanka, as well as the home one-day series against Australia.

RSS cheated Hindus for money: Hindu Mahasabha

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Jalandhar, October 31: Accusing the RSS of “betraying” the Hindus, the All India Hindu Mahasabha today alleged that the Sangh’s intention was to “capture” the Ram temple site at Ayodhya in order to “accumulate wealth”.

“The right to construct the Ram temple in Ayodhya rests with only the Mahasabha and the Nirmohi Akhara. The RSS has interfered into the issue with the aim of accumulating wealth,” national spokesperson of Hindu Mahasabha J B Kshatriya said here.

He said the present “plight” of the Hindu community in the country has been a creation of the Sangh.

Urmila Matondkar walks ramp in bridal attire

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Mumbai, October 31: Bollywood actress Urmila Matondkar, who has not been seen in films for a long time, made an appearance — but not in front of the camera. She sashayed down the ramp for designer Nisha Sagar at the ongoing Amby Valley India Bridal Week (AVIBW) Saturday.

Wearing a colourful, heavily-studded lehenga and corset, the actress walked down the ramp, joined by actor Govinda’s daughter Narmada, who flaunted a blue and green, flowy chiffon dress with crystals.

Finally Mr. And Mrs. Oberoi

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Mumbai, October 31: Vivek Oberoi, the angry young man in Rakta Charitra, finally stepped into the ‘Just Married’ status, with his lavish wedding in Bangalore.

As there have been so many speculations about where the wedding was being held to the celebrity guests to be present there, the cuisine, the attire of the bride and groom, everything was quite hush hush, but then, these things do leak out!

King Abdullah to host Iraq talks

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Jeddah, October 31: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah on Saturday invited Iraq’s political parties for talks in Saudi Arabia after Haj in an attempt to break a political deadlock and help them form a unity government in the war-torn country.

“I invite his Excellency President Jalal Talabani … and all parties that took part in the elections and the political process to your second country Saudi Arabia, to Riyadh, after the blessed Haj season,” King Abdullah said in his appeal to Iraqi leaders.

Hamas downplays Israeli ‘psychological war’

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Gaza, October 31: Gaza-based Hamas leader Ismail Haniya Saturday rejected fears that Israel might attempt a new attack on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, similar to the three-week offensive waged in December 2008-January 2009.

Addressing a mass wedding ceremony for 70 grooms who were wounded and disabled in the war nearly two years ago, Haniya said: ‘The Israeli hints to wage another war on the Gaza Strip are just a psychological war that aims at breaking the determination of the Palestinian people and the men of resistance.’

PM declines to comment on Ashok Chavan

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New Delhi, October 31: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday declined to comment on Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who has offered to resign after his role in the Adarsh Housing Society scam was exposed .

“I am not familiar with the facts of the case,” the Prime Minister told journalists on his way home from Vietnam, at the end of a three-nation Asian tour.

He said he had seen newspaper reports about politicians, senior military officers and bureaucrats who had taken over flats in a housing society in Mumbai meant for war heroes.

Imams help to scale down protest in Kashmir Valley

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Srinagar, October 31: Imams in the Kashmir Valley played a vital role in scaling down protests during the recent unrest. When the fresh round of protests began in June, virtually every mosque in the Valley had turned into a rallying point where young boys would assemble and use public address systems installed for ”Azaan” (call to prayers) to play provocative speeches of militant leaders.

2 million to perform Haj this year: Al-Farsy

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Jeddah, October 31: Haj Minister Fouad Al-Farsy said Saturday that about 1.75 million foreign pilgrims would perform Haj this year, adding that they would be joined by some 250,000 faithful from within the Kingdom.

Speaking to reporters after opening a workshop on crowd management at Jamrat in Mina, the minister said the government would carry out more projects for the welfare of pilgrims.

He said the workshop was aimed at exchanging expertise and information to ensure smooth movement of pilgrims to the stoning area in Mina.

-Agencies

Fake naxal gang busted

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Hyderabad, October 31: City police exposed a gang of fake naxalites and arrested six persons seizing an air rifle, two fake pistols and six cell phones from their custody.

According to city police, of the six fake naxalites who were forcibly demanding money two were said to be former naxalites of Janashakti group. Commissioner task force north zone team performed the operation.

Police arrested B Parshuram 32, D Buchaya 33, G Devraj 23, S Ravinder 25, A Prasad 25 and I Suresh 23. Parshuram had surrendered before the police two years ago and had also received a prize of Rs. 9 lakh.