Month: October 2012

Calling Darul Uloom Deoband a shadow of its once great self, Jamia Milia Islamia Vice- Chancellor Najeeb Jung today rued that the seminary had failed to adopt modern education for its students. Speaking about Muslims and their evolution in India over centuries, Jung said the historic institution at Deoband was once a centre of progressive thought that produced students who joined India’s freedom movement. However, he said, over the years the seminary had failed to adapt to modern times and stands pale in comparison to what it once stood for.

“This marks a new beginning and let’s not look back in the rear view mirror,” was the message conveyed by chief of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Khaleda Zia in her meetings with the top leadership here, signalling a change in BNP’s anti-India stance. Zia, who arrived on Sunday for a week-long visit at the invitation of the External Affairs Ministry, was the first foreign dignitary to meet newly-appointed Salman Khurshid as External Affairs Minister and hold talks on a range of key bilateral issues, including activities of insurgent groups, Teesta water sharing and border mangement.

A small scale industrialist here was today arrested on the charge of posting “offensive” messages on social media targeting Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s son Karti Chidambaram but released on bail by a court. Ravi, owning a plastic packaging material factory, was arrested by local Crime Branch wing of CID Police on a recent complaint by Karti Chidambaram that he had posted ‘offensive’ message against him on three occasions since 2011 on the micro blogging site Twitter, police said.

The uncle of a woman was among four persons arrested today from a village in Odisha for allegedly forcing her into prostitution in Uttar Pradesh, police said. The 25-year-old woman of Kharamangi village in Jajpur district of Odisha was married to Prakash Kabir Das of Chausath village in Uttar Pradesh on October 03, 2012. Her uncle Gopal Khuntia and one Bhagabat Sahu negotiated the marriage. Soon after the marriage, Prakash took the bride to his native village in UP along with the two negotiators.

In yet another ceasefire violation this month, Pakistani Rangers today fired at Indian posts along Indo-Pak border in Jammu district. “Pakistan Rangers have fired with small arms on Indian post of Pindi along International Border (IB) in Arnia sub-sector from 1145 hours today,” a senior BSF officer told PTI. “Pak Rangers have also violated the ceasefire,” he said. BSF troops, guarding the borderline took positions and effectively retaliated resulting in brief exchanges, he said. There was no loss of life or damage to property in the firing, he said.

India is trying get deported four of its citizens, suspected to be members of terrorist outfit Indian Mujahideen, from Saudi Arabia. Union Home Ministry officials said the four Indians, have been under the radar of security agencies for a long time for their alleged involvement in terror activities in the country. They did not disclose the names of the four. “We have requested the Saudi authorities to deport the four who are wanted in India. We are waiting for a positive response from the Saudis,” an official said.

A 34-year-old man was beaten to death by one of his relatives at Jakara village under Ganjam district’s Kabisurya Nagar police limit, about 60 km from here today. The victim was identified as Tuna Nahak, while Prafulla Nayak (34), one of the relations of the deceased in the same village allegedly killed him. The accused person was arrested, said inspector in charge, Kabisurya Nagar police station SLK Prasad. The incident was suspected to be over gambling in the village on the Kumar Purnima night on Monday. Difference between the two arose when the victim lost in the gambling.

After skipping poll campaign in Himachal Pradesh, BJP president Nitin Gadkari today cancelled his meeting here with Karnataka leaders and asked the party leadership to handle the political situation in the state where B S Yeddyurappa is adamant on forming his own party. A statement issued by the BJP today said Gadkari has authorised Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley and General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Dharmendra Pradhan to meet the state leaders from the southern state to discuss the challenge posed by dissident leader B S Yeddyurappa.

An auto driver from Vasai in Thane district who was found guilty of burning a police head constable alive has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Vasai Sessions Court. Sessions Judge R M Joshi awarded life sentence to auto driver Mahendra Kevat after the prosecution built a strong case. Kevat (21) allegedly doused a head constable Anil Aitiwadekar (42) with petrol on October 27, 2010 and set him ablaze near Navghar bus stop at Vasai, after the cop fined him for not possessing legal documents.

New Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar today said he is fully committed towards preserving and strengthening the independence of the judiciary and also ensuring that all organs of the state do not work at “cross purposes”. Kumar also spoke on the need for speedy judicial reforms and said efforts will be made to ensure that judicial vacancies are filled up as early as possible.

Senior BJP leader L K Advani today blamed Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP) for developing cold feet on separate statehood issue. “Had our partner TDP cooperated with us during NDA tenure, there would have been separate Telangana,” Advani said in his valedictory address at the Global Investors Meet here. NDA government carved Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand out of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, respectively, during its rule, he said. “But, TDP did not extend support for formation of Telangana,” the BJP veteran said.

Senior BJP leader L K Advani today alleged that recent reshuffle of Union Council of Ministers was effected to suit Congress’ election compulsions. “Honest ministers were demoted and punished (in Cabinet reshuffle) while those who matter in elections are allotted berths in the Manmohan Singh Cabinet,” he said in the valedictory address at Global Investors Summit here. Advani said he was disappointed with “spate of scams tumbling out of the Centre’s closet”.

A 50-year-old woman was allegedly burnt alive by her distant relatives, who claimed she was practising witchcraft in Mae village here, police said today. According to complaint lodged by the woman’s son, some relatives branded her a witch and burnt her alive after pouring kerosene on her on October 27, they said. The woman succumbed the next day at a hospital in Gaya, they said. On the basis of statement of the victim’s son, an FIR was registered against four persons, they said. PTI

Two people including a shopping centre watchman in Bhayander who were found guilty of murdering a man in 2010 were convicted today and sentenced to life imprisonment by Thane Principal Sessions and District Judge K K Sonawane. The judge held Munnalal Shankarlal Sharma (35) and Harish Adaji Chowdhary (38) guilty of charges under Section 302 read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and jailed the duo. Additional Public Prosecutor Hemlata Deshmukh told the court in her submission that the victim Zinak Tilakram Yadav (38) was a resident of the township.

The US, which refused visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi after the 2002 post- Godhra riots, today said he was free to apply for it now and the system will take its course, a statement that comes days within the UK ended its boycott of the state. US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake also maintained that his country has “very good” relations with Gujarat while noting that it was obviously a “very very important” market for American companies. “… And in terms of Mr Modi, I do not want to speculate.

The government today rejected demands for dissolution of the Lok Sabha and asserted that the UPA will complete its full term. “We will not quit just because one person or NGO is making the demand. There are still 18 months left for the completion of the term, which we will complete,” Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) V Narayanasamy said here. His remarks on the sidelines of a function here come against the backdrop of social activist Anna Hazare and former Army chief General V K Singh’s demand for immediate dissolution of the Lok Sabha.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Tuesday hit out at the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) government in Uttar Pradesh, accusing it of “complete failure on all fronts”, including curbing the rising incidence of communal violence.

Back from a hectic campaign in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh, the BSP leader in a statement said the state was faced with communal strife and goons were ruling the roost.

Breaking his silence, Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao Tuesday warned of a “war” for a separate state of Telangana.

“If the centre delivers Telangana state, there will be celebrations, otherwise there will be war,” he told reporters here.

The TRS would be holding its two-day conclave at Karimnagar Nov 5-6 to chalk out the future course of action over the demand to carve a Telangana state out of Andhra Pradesh.

Oracle India and Startup Village here have joined hands to train more than 30,000 students and 200 teachers in over 100 engineering colleges in Kerala in Java programming language, according to the state IT department.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect will be signed on Nov 2 here.

Oracle will provide the curriculum, training of faculty and access to a secure online learning environment for students to develop programming and database design.

India wants Saudi Arabia to hand over four more suspects linked to the Indian Mujahideen to its probe agencies, continuing the cooperation shown by the latter in the cases of terror suspects – Abu Jundal, Fasih Mohammed and A. Rayees.

“We have requested the Saudi Arabian authorities to deport four persons wanted in India for involvement in terror-related activities. We are waiting for a response,” an official in the home ministry said Tuesday.

However, the official refused to reveal the names of the four suspects.

A Delhi court Tuesday awarded life term to a man convicted for enacting a hijack drama aboard an Indigo Airlines plane in February 2009 and threatening the crew and passengers.

District-cum-Additional Sessions Judge I.S. Mehta awarded life term to convict Jitender Kumar Mohla, 45, for charges under the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation Act, 1982 and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Mohla entered the cockpit and sparked panic by claiming that he had hijacked the plane, the chargesheet said.

The dangers of smoking on users and their children are known but new research demonstrates that it also can causes asthma in their grandchildren.

Asthma is a major public health problem. It is the most common chronic disease of childhood. While there are many factors which contribute to asthma – maternal smoking during pregnancy is a well known, and avoidable, risk.

During pregnancy nicotine can affect a developing foetus’ lungs, predisposing the infant to childhood asthma.

Researchers are working on a drug-free approach to normalising high blood pressure linked to stroke, heart and kidney diseases.

The Symplicity trial tests a minimally invasive procedure known as renal denervation. The experimental procedure uses heat that is generated by radio frequency to disrupt nerve communication to and from the kidneys.

This can reduce hyperactivity in the sympathetic nervous system, a frequent cause of chronic high BP.

A Syrian army general was assassinated Tuesday by a terrorist group in the capital Damascus, the state-run SANA news agency reported.

Gen. Abdullah al-Khalidi was shot dead in Rukin Addien district while getting out of his car in Assad-Addien Street, Xinhua reported qioting SANA.

Two British soldiers were Tuesday shot dead by a man wearing an Afghan police uniform in outhern Afghanistan, the British ministry of defence said.

The two soldiers, from the 1st Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles, were shot and killed at a checkpoint in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province, the ministry said in a statement, Xinhua reported.