Renowned Islamic Scholar Dr. Tahir-ul-Qaudri plunged into a new controversy when he told Muslims to “Forget the past and think of future”. Dr. Qaudri who is on India tour was talking to newsmen in Vodadora, Gujarat which is ruled by BJP’s strong Chief Minister Narendra Modi under whose regime hundreds of Muslims were massacred in communal riots 10 years ago. Dr. Qaudri spent two days in Gujarat and addressed series of meetings.
Secunderabad MP Anjan Kumar Yadav on Wednesday warned Marketing Minister Mukesh Goud of serious consequences if he plans to contest from Secunderabad constituency without his prior approval.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Wednesday accepted the resignation of Congress MP from Nellore Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy.
It may be recalled that Rajamohan Reddy resigned from his post in protest over the inclusion of former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s name in Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) First Information Report (FIR) against his son Jaganmohan Reddy’s disproportionate assets case.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday rubbished the media reports that the Centre was going to establish regional councils with complete financial autonomy for the development of backward regions like Telangana.
Talking to media persons, Chidambaram said that there was no truth in media reports and termed them as `baseless’ and ‘far from the truth’. He said that a section of media has been creating such baseless stories to get mileage on the issue. He said that the Centre has never discussed the establishment of regional councils.
Communist Party of India state secretary K Narayana on Wednesday stated that his party would extend support to those who resigned for the cause of Telangana state in the by-elections.
Talking to media persons after emerging out of executive committee meeting, Narayana made it clear that the party was not in a position to support the Telugu Desam Party at this juncture. He said the party has decided to support Nagam Janardhan Reddy, an independent candidate in Nagarkurnool Assembly by-elections and CPI (M) candidate in Kovvur segment.
The Communist Party of India on Wednesday demanded that the State Government take immediate measures to deal with the scarcity of electricity during summer.
Moving an adjournment motion on the issue in the State Legislative Council on Wednesday, CPI floor leader Jali Wilson said that as the summer season was approaching, the government should take steps to meet the growing demand of electricity in the State. He said several experts have pointed out towards a huge gap between the demand and supply during summer.
Minister for Medical Education Kondru Murli Mohan Rao informed the House that during the year 2011-12 as many as 2,74,418 patients were treated under Arogyasree scheme at an cost of Rs 674.52 crore. Replying to question raised by Jali Wilson and P J Chandra Shekar Rao he denied that 190 diseases has been excluded from the list of diseases for treatment. He informed the house that government was spending huge amounts to provide basic amenities in government Hospitals.
Minister for Agriculture Kanna Laxmi Narayana informed the House that the government was taking certain steps to discourage farmers from depending on chemical fertilizers. Replying to question raised by Redddivari Redappa Reddy he said that steps were being taken to educate the farmers about green manure seed supply, Vermin compost units, NADEPPITS, Vermin hatcheries, etc.
Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarsimha said that 585 faculty posts were vacant in the Osmania University. Replying to question raised by CPM floor leader C Seeta Ramulu he said that University has issued notification for filling up 227 vacancies in the month of January 2012. After the completion of process of selection, further notifications will be issued for filling up of remaining 358 vacancies.
Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Rajanarsimha informed the house that 22 universities in the State lack full scale Executive Councils.
Replying to a question raised by MLCs KS Laxman Rao, K Nageshwar and Bala Subramanyam, he said that the Andhra Pradesh High Court has directed that all the Executive Councils be constituted within a stipulated time.
Health and Family Welfare Minister D L Ravindra Reddy informed the State Legislative Council that a 100-bedded hospital, which was sanctioned in 2006 at Patancheru in Medak district, was near completion. Replying to question raised by MLC V Bhopal Reddy during Question Hour on Wednesday, he said that the hospital’s construction works would be completed in the next six months. Later, full medical team would be provided for the hospital.
US Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz says the military is prepared for a possible military offensive against Iran over the country’s nuclear energy program.
“We have an operational capability and you wouldn’t want to be there when we used it,” he said when asked about a 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bomb.
The general, however, refused to comment if the MOP bomb could reach underground nuclear sites in Iran.
“Not to say that we can’t continue to make improvements and we are,” he said on Wednesday.
Akash Banerjee, a nephew of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, has been arrested on Wednesday by police for slapping a police officer on duty.
Apparently, the arrest was made on the chief minister’s instructions. Mamata Banerjee is on a tour of the hill regions of north Bengal.
The incident took place on Wednesday morning, when Akash Banerjee was stopped by traffic policemen on duty for violating traffic rules. An altercation followed and the offender allegedly slapped a policeman.
From going all out for film promos, to defending her turn as an item girl, Vidya Balan was at her eloquent best during her film’s promotional event in Kanpur
Virat Kohli’s elevation as vice-captain of the Indian team for the Asia Cup at Dhaka, from March 11 to 22, was a significant outcome of the senior national selection committee meeting at the Cricket Centre, here on Wednesday.
An earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale hit near the east coast of Japan’s Honshu island Wednesday, the Hong Kong Observatory said.
The epicentre of the temblor that struck at 2.33 GMT, about 150 km southeast of Tokyo city, was initially determined to be near 35.2 degrees north latitude and 141.4 degrees east longitude, Xinhua reported.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to property.
Last year, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan March 11 had left almost 20,000 dead or missing.
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Shekhar Suman, who is returning to the telly world with his cult show “Movers & Shakers” after over a decade, has approached social activist Anna Hazare to be the special guest on the first episode of the chat show. And he has a special reason for it.
“Anna Hazare has rocked the nation! We are trying to do the show’s first episode with him. So far he has said yes…so we hope to see him,” Shekhar said at the show launch here Wednesday.
North Korea has said it will suspend nuclear tests, long-range missile launches, and uranium enrichment activity as agreed with the US in last week’s bilateral talks.
“The DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea), upon request by the US and with a view to maintaining a positive atmosphere for the DPRK-US high-level talks, agreed to a moratorium on nuclear tests, long-range missile launches, and uranium enrichment activity at Nyongbyon,” Xinhua quoted North Korea’s foreign ministry spokesman as telling news agency KCNA.
International Air Transport Association (IATA) Wednesday said that passenger traffic in India grew by 8.8 percent year on year in January, with demand rising by nine percent over that of December 2011.
According to IATA, the aviation capacity was expanded by 12.8 percent and passenger load factor touched 74.9 percent.
Global passenger traffic grew by 5.7 percent in the month under review, whereas air freight circulation declined by eight percent as compared to the same month in 2011.
Since early Nineties, Lashkar has been pushing terrorists into India from jihad launch pads in Pakistan. Earlier, its focus was Kashmir. Later, it became the arm of Islamabad’s state-sponsored terrorism. From Red Fort attack in 2000 and Parliament strike in 2001 to Mumbai attacks in 2008, all bore the imprint of Lashkar-e-Taiba. But there’s been a strategic shift in Lashkar’s tactics after 26/11 – when it sent 10 terrorists to attack India’s financial capital. The outfit has successfully nurtured indigenous jihadis and is sending solitary bombers on terror missions after training in Pakistan.
The state government transferred 11 senior IPS officials of additional director-general and inspector-general rank on Wednesday. Mr Santosh Mehra, the additional commissioner of police (crime), has been moved to the welfare department as IG. The IG (home guards), Mr Mohd Ahsan Reza, has been posted as additional commissioner of police (crime & SIT) in the city. Sources said this move is made ahead of the possible transfer of the city police commissioner, Mr A.K. Khan.