Month: October 2012

BJP president Nitin Gadkari Saturday admitted writing a letter in favour of the Gosikhurd irrigation project in Maharashtra, adding that he had written not one but several, over many years, for the welfare of the local people.

Speaking a day after Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi accused him of links with a contractor in the Gosikhurd project, Gadkari said that he was only acting in the interests of people, as delays in the project were affecting them.

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s push for corporate investment in Kashmir to generate employment has been well-received by the youth here.

While the media hype surrounding the visit of top corporate bosses here might not be matched with the enthusiasm of the local youths, the over two-hour long interactive session at the Kashmir university’s auditorium Friday was a grand success.

The concerns of local students regarding their future dominated the session, as each question asked was focused on their desire for a better tomorrow.

Doctors of Gandhi hospital amputated ex-constable Abdul Qadeer’s right leg as the gangrene was setting in. As soon as he heard the news of Abdul Qadeer’s leg being amputated Mr. Zahed Ali Khan editor Siasat along with his son Mr. Amer Ali Khan news editor Siasat reached Gandhi hospital and enquired about the well being of Abdul Qadeer.

During Zahed Ali Khan’s visit Abdul Qadeer became overwhelmed with emotions and cried repeatedly feeling apprehensive about his children’s future.

India Against Corruption (IAC) leader Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that he is ready to face a defamation case if the corruption charges levied against Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, are proven false.

“I am ready to face defamation charges if the corruption charges against Robert Vadra are proven wrong. Why is the Congress silent on the merits of the case,” Kejriwal asked while speaking with reporters.

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar conceded that money and glamour can lead to youngsters going astray in international cricket but in some cases it is the system that turns players into “criminals”.

“How do you tell an 18-yr-old to not look at girls. There are heady temptations of fame and girls swooning over rising stars. At 20 you get fame, you’ve crores in your pocket, you have people who lead you down the wrong path,” Akhtar told TV Channel ‘Headlines Today’.

Freedom fighter and former governor of Uttar Pradesh B Satyanarayana Reddy died in a private hospital here on Saturday morning.

He was 86.

The veteran politician had been suffering from a lung disease for some time now and was admitted to a private hospital here a few days ago.

Hailing from Shadnagar in Mahbubnagar district of Andhra Pradesh, Reddy took part in the Quit India Movement in 1942 and faced arrest.

In 1978 he was elected to Rajya Sabha on behalf of Janata Party and for a second term in 1984 as Telugu Desam Party nominee.

Coming out in support of Arvind Kejriwal on his allegations against Robert Vadra, Anna Hazare on Saturday asked why Congress is fearing a judicial probe in the matter if they are sure that the charges are false.

“Many Congress leaders say that these allegations are only because of electoral compulsions and are baseless. We say that if the allegations are untrue, then why don’t they order a judicial probe into it. And now if it is false, file a defamation case against Arvind. Truth will be out,” he said.

A global conference that will deliberate on achieving targets for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity for the next ten years begins here from October 8.

The 11th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 11) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to agree on the next steps in support of implementation of Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 will go on till October 19.

Hundreds of supporters of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan today set off on a motorcade “peace march” to the terrorists-riddled South Waziristan to protest US drone strikes in the tribal belt.

Another case has been filed against Union Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal in local court on Saturday by a BJP woman worker, seeking action against him for his alleged sexiest remarks during a poetry meet.

BJP worker, Meena Choubey, yesterday moved the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Amarnath Kushwaha and sought action against Jaiswal for “insulting” women by his remarks during a poetry meet in a women’s college in Kanpur recently.

Accepting the plea, the CJM ordered recording for her statement on October 10.

Purani Haveli is a very precious monument of Asaf Jahi rulers. The palace was acquired by the II Nizam in about 1750 when he made Hyderabad the capital of the State. It was the first home the royal family had in the city. Purani Haveli also assumes importance as the silver jubilee celebrations of H.E.H. Mir Osman Ali Khan were held in the palace in 1927.

Contrary to the official claims of elimination of leprosy in Maharashtra, the state is witnessing a constant increase in the number of fresh cases detected 2007 onwards.

“It was officially declared in 2005 that leprosy has been eradicated in Maharashtra. However, fresh cases are still being detected in the state,” Sharadchandra Gokhale, founder president of the International Leprosy Union (ILU) claimed.

There is a further increase in the number of Multi-Bacilliary cases with child population accounting for 12 per cent of total detected cases, he said.

A 16-year-old boy’s desire to imitate Salman Khan’s train stunt in the movie ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ has cost him his life.

On Oct 3, Mohammed Faizan, a resident of New Bamboo Bazaar, bunked his first term examination and headed to the Cantonment railway station with two friends around 10.30am. Once there, the class X student climbed the Golden Chariot. He was thrown off the stationary train when he came close to a high-tension power line. He landed on the platform, head first, and sustained severe burns.

India Against Corruption (IAC) leader Arvind Kejriwal Saturday said that he is ready to face a defamation case if the corruption charges levied against Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, are proven false.

“I am ready to face defamation charges if the corruption charges against Robert Vadra are proven wrong. Why is the Congress silent on the merits of the case,” Kejriwal asked while speaking with reporters.

Three persons escaped narrowly when a truck caught fire inside Jawahar Tunnel on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway Saturday.

A truck, on its way from Jammu to Srinagar, caught fire immediately after it entered Jawahar Tunnel on national highway, 200-kms from Jammu, this afternoon, officials said.

The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

The truck, which was carrying ply boards, also suffered a blast when a gas cylinder inside the truck caught fire, they said, adding, three persons, including the truck driver, escaped narrowly with minor injuries.

A Manipur police official and two others were Saturday arrested for allegedly smuggling contraband worth Rs 20 lakh from the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport here.

The official, identified as one Chlalkhogin, is a constable in Manipur police and he was accompanied with his wife Chongboi and another person Satkholal when they were intercepted by a CISF check squad at the terminal 3 of the IGI.

A senior CISF officer said that the trio were intercepted in the wee hours around 5 am, just before they were scheduled to board an Indigo flight (6E-221) to Guwahati.

Cooking gas (LPG) price was today hiked by Rs 11.42 per cylinder following government decision to raise commission paid to the dealers. Petrol and diesel prices too may go up marginally as the Oil Ministry considers raising dealers commission by at least 23 paisa and 10 paisa a litre respectively.

The Ministry yesterday issued orders raising commission paid to LPG dealers from Rs 25.83 per 14.2-kg cylinder to Rs 37.25, government officials said. The 44 per cent or Rs 11.42 per cylinder increase in the commission on the subsidised cooking fuel is being passed on to consumers, they said.

Information Technology Minister P.Lakshmaiah has alleged that leader of opposition and TDP supremo Mr. N Chandrababu Naidu is giving false and misleading statements against state government during his walkathon. He claimed that no amount of false propaganda would help him achieve power.

Chris Gayle, whose powerful batting laid the foundation for a West Indies semi-final win against Australia Friday, is predicting his side will emerge victorious when they meet Sri Lanka in the World Twenty20 final Sunday.

Gayle batted throughout the innings to be unbeaten on 75 before the West Indian bowlers ripped the heart out of the Aussie batting as the Caribbean side prevailed by 74 runs.

“I am very happy with the team win and I think this World Cup is going to be ours. Sorry Sri Lanka but it’s definitely ours” Gayle was quoted as saying by CMC.

Pakistan is yet to implement a visa agreement it signed with India last month, though New Delhi has already begun enforcing the new policy, a senate penal heard.

The Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs was told Friday that the delay was caused by the interior ministry, which was yet to present it before the cabinet for ratification, the Dawn reported.

Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said the delay was “procedural in nature”.

Unsatisfied with the explanation, committee chairman Haji Adeel censured the ministry for moving slowly on the matter.

Renowned Telugu film director S S Rajamouli, whose one of the superhit films ‘Magadheera’ is set to be remade in Hindi, says actor Hrithik Roshan would be the “best choice” to play the lead role in the Hindi version.

‘Magadheera’ is a 2009 Telugu historical drama directed by Rajamouli. The film starring Ram Charan Teja and Kajal Aggarwal in the lead roles, was a huge hit down south.

Tanzeem Insaaf has hailed the issuance of pensions to the deserving widows and divorcees of districts of Telangana by Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board chairman Mr. Syed Afzal Biabani better known as Khusro Pasha and said that the Andhra Pradesh Waqf board by issuing a huge fund in connection with Koh-e-Imam Zamin celebration has tried to take all sections into confidence.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa Saturday termed the UPA government’s decision to increase FDI limit in the insurance sector to 49 percent from the current 26 percent as diversionary and more to anaesthetise the corruption charges against it.

“The UPA government is unfazed by the sufferings of the common people, small traders and small farmers. The latest FDI flag is diversionary – more to anaesthetise the mammoth corruption charges against it, especially when elections seem imminent,” she said in a statement.

Former Pakistani prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who has been living in the presidency since his ouster in July, has gone back to his hometown Multan, a media report said.

Gilani has informed President Asif Ali Zardari about his decision to return home and also expressed his displeasure over removal of some top bureaucrats he had appointed, Dawn reported.

Tamil Nadu Police Saturday arrested former DMK minister K. Ponmudi in a red sand quarrying case.

Ponmudi was the minister for mines and minerals and higher education in the previous DMK government that was voted out last May.

Ponmudi’s arrest in Villupuram, around 150 km from here, comes a day after the Madras High Court dismissed his anticipatory bail plea.

The police have registered a case against Ponmudi on a complaint that his son, Gowtham Sigamani, and other close relatives were involved in quarrying of red sand and not paying any fee to the state.