Month: August 2013

Anti-Telangana protests simmer Seemandhra region

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Massive protests continued across the Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions today against the division of Andhra Pradesh with police rushing student leaders, observing hunger strike on Andhra University campus in Vizag, to hospital in view of their deteriorating health.

In Guntur, a 20-year-old youth, identified as Imran Khan, attempted to commit suicide for united Andhra Pradesh by setting himself on fire during a TDP-backed agitation, police said.

Molested minor girl dies in Kolkata hospital

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An 11-year-old girl, who was allegedly set ablaze by a man three days ago here after she resisted his attempt to molest her, today died in a hospital.

According to police, the girl was brought in a serious condition from Howrah hospital to SSKM hospital in Kolkata where she breathed her last during the day.

The police has arrested the accused Kundan Mullick who first attempted to molest the girl and when she resisted, poured kerosene on her and set her on fire at the Tinkourinath Bose lane on Wednesday last.

Telangana: Case filed against KCR for promoting enmity

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A case for promoting enmity was registered against Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) president K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday for his alleged remarks that state government employees from Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra working in Telangana should go back to their respective regions.

“A case under sections 153A and 506 of Indian Penal Code has been filed against K Chandrasekhar Rao in Three Town police station here this evening,” Sub-Inspector U Laxminarayana said.

Congress leadership urged to reconsider Telangana decision

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With the protests continuing in Rayalaseema and Andhra regions for the fifth day, Andhra Pradesh state Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana Sunday said he would urge the party’s central leadership to reconsider its decision to divide the state.

Talking to reporters here, he said there was a need to look into issues like irrigation and employment opportunities.

‘Chennai Express’ family entertainer, it’s for masses: SRK

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His health doesn’t permit him to take too much stress, but despite that Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is aggressively promoting his forthcoming film “Chennai Express” and says that the theme of the movie is such that the whole family can sit together and enjoy it.

Releasing Aug 9, director Rohit Shetty’s “Chennai Express” brings together SRK and Deepika Padukone together on the big screen once again after the hit movie “Om Shanti Om“.

New Kuwaiti cabinet sworn in

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The newly-appointed Kuwaiti cabinet under Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah took oath before Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Sunday, state news agency KUNA said.

The new cabinet line-up includes Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah who will head the foreign ministry, and Sheikh Mohamed Khalid Al-Ahamad Al-Sabah who will serve as interior minister, Xinhua reported.

–IANS

Jamia centre’s 53 student clear IAS preliminary exam

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A total of 53 students from the coaching centre run by Jamia Millia Islamia here have cleared the civil services preliminary examination, said an official statement Sunday.

“The 53 students will now be trained for the main examination scheduled for December,” said the statement.

The Centre for Coaching and Career Planning provides free housing and coaching for students from the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, women and students from the minorities.

Needle of suspicion points to LeT in Jalalabad bombing

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Trained operatives of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba could be behind Saturday’s suicide bombing outside the Indian consulate in Jalalabad in which nine Afghan people, mostly children, were killed, intelligence inputs indicate.

The security apparatus at the Indian consulate in Jalalabad, which is near the Pakistan border, had been beefed up and placed on high alert following intelligence inputs of a possible terror attack — a major factor that led Afghan security personnel to stop the explosives-laden car when it attempted to enter the lane leading to the consulate Saturday.

Suspended IAS officer served charge sheet

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The Uttar Pradesh government late Sunday served a charge sheet on IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal, who it had suspended for razing the wall of an under-construction mosque in a village in Noida, an official said.

Nagpal, a former sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of Noida, has been asked to submit an explanation of her conduct in 15 days.

In the charge sheet, the government has accused Nagpal of “jeopardizing” the communal harmony in the area, specially since the period is auspicious for both Hindus and Muslims owing to their ongoing holy months of Saawan and Ramadan.

–IANS

Congress legislator in Haryana quits

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Alleging discrimination with his legislative constituency Panipat, a senior Congress legislator in Haryana, Balbir Pal Shah, announced his resignation from the state assembly Sunday.

The sudden move by Shah took the ruling Congress in the state by surprise. Shah, 67, sent his resignation to the assembly speaker, said sources.

“Yes, I have resigned from my assembly seat,” Shah said.

Shah told media that he was frustrated by the discrimination with his assembly seat in matters of development.

Three girls missing from shelter home

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Three teenaged girls were reportedc missing from a private shelter home in Rajasthan, police said Sunday.

A police officer told IANS that the incident took place Saturday night at the Mother Teresa Home situated in Kedalganj area of the Alwar town, some 150 km from Jaipur.

“We were informed early morning today (Sunday) that three girls – aged about 14 years – were missing from the shelter home,” a police officer said.

JD-U invites Shatrughan Sinha to join party

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Bihar’s ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) Sunday invited BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha to join the party, a day after his BJP asked him to show restraint while praising Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as it was “harming the party’s interest”.

JD-U spokesperson Sanjay Singh said that JD-U’s door is always open for Sinha.

“He can join the JD-U any time, we will welcome him in our fold,” he told media persons here.

Sinha, who is MP from Patna Saheb in Bihar, last Tuesday said that Nitish Kumar is a real prime minister material and praised him.

India in touch with Bangladesh over tribal exodus

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The Indian government was in touch with Bangladesh over the exodus of more than 1,500 tribals to the Indian border along Tripura seeking refuge after ethnic strife broke out with non-tribal Muslims, official sources said Sunday.

The Bangladesh government has informed India that according to their reports, the situation is under control and there has been no fresh exodus, said an official source.

The Border Security Force and the Border Guards Bangladesh are coordinating on the matter, the source added.

Dubai charity gives Eid clothes to 7,000 people

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Around 7,000 underprivileged people, including orphans, in Dubai have received new clothes ahead of Eid al-Fitr from the Dubai Charity Association.

The association also plans to distribute Zakat al-Fitr, charity given to the poor at the end of fasting in the holy month of Ramadan, to around 40,000 families in Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Ajman.

Officials said the value of Zakat al-Fitr for each individual was set at 20 dirhams.

The association has also given out ration packages to 15,000 families in the UAE during the holy month.

Top US official meets Egyptian PM, military chief

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Visiting US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns has met Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi and military chief General Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to discuss the recent developments in the country, state news agency MENA reported.

During the meeting held Sunday, Beblawi stressed that the government was going to implement the roadmap set by the people’s power. He told the US official that peaceful political work was open to all powers and no one will be excluded.

Muslim Brotherhood’s top leaders to face trial Aug 25

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A court in Egypt has set Aug 25 as the trial date for the top leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and two of his deputies over various charges, state-run news agency MENA reported.

The Brotherhood’s Supreme Guide Mohamed Badei is still under hiding, but two of his aides, Khairat al-Shater and Rashad Bayoumi, are currently under arrest.

The charges include killing, inciting violence against protesters and illegally possessing explosives and weapons, Xinhua cited the report as saying.

Girl from red-light area flies to the US for studies

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For 18-year-old Shweta Katti, who grew up as the daughter of a devdasi in the infamous red-light area of Kamathipura in the city, getting scholarship to study in the US is a dream coming true.

Shweta, who once studied in a civic school, flew to New York on Thursday to pursue a course in psychology at Bard University.

“Shweta has got the opportunity to study in the US. I don’t know what she would be studying there. But I feel proud of her,” her mother Vandana, a devdasi, told PTI here today.
Devdasis are girls who are ‘dedicated’ to a life of sex work in the name of religion.

India may have 50 states if all demands of new states conceded

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India may have at least 50 states in future if demands for new states are to be conceded as the Home Ministry has received representations for creation of more than 20 states.

The demands for separate states have come from across the country — for Kukiland in Manipur to Kongu Nadu in Tamil Nadu, for Kamatapur in North Bengal to Tulu Nadu in Karnataka.

However, except Uttar Pradesh, which during the Mayawati- led BSP government proposed to create four states dividing the country’s most populous state, no state government had given any recommendation for carving out a new state.

Needle of suspicion points to LeT for Jalalabad bombing

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Trained operatives of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba could be behind Saturday’s suicide bombing outside the Indian consulate in Jalalabad in which nine Afghan people, mostly children, were killed, intelligence inputs indicate.

The security apparatus at the Indian consulate in Jalalabad, which is near the Pakistan border, had been beefed up and placed on high alert following intelligence inputs of a possible terror attack — a major factor that led Afghan security personnel to stop the explosives-laden car when it attempted to enter the lane leading to the consulate Saturday.

KCR denies remarks that non-T’gana employees should go back

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TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao today sought to douse the controversy over his remarks that state government employees from Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra working in Telangana should go back to their respective regions, saying no one need go anywhere.

KCR’s apparent damage control came even as the East and West Godavari Bar Association Lawyers Joint Action Committee (JAC) lodged a police complaint today against him for his remarks about non-Telangana region employees working in state capital Hyderabad.

Chinese PLA stops Army from patrolling in Indian territory

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Amid a spate of incursions by China in Ladakh, its troops are also resorting to tactics like preventing Indian Army from patrolling posts in this sector along the border which was well within India’s territory.

In what is being described as an aggressive approach by China, the tactics have come to the fore in the wake of yet another incident last week when Indian troops launched its patrol “Tiranga” from Trade Junction area in North of Ladakh for two posts located 14 km up in the higher reaches along the Line of Actual Control(LAC).

Jadeja first Indian after Kumble to top ODI bowlers’ list

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Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja today became the first Indian bowler to top the bowlers’ chart in the latest ICC ODI Player Rankings after former captain Anil Kumble claimed the pole position way back in 1996.

Jadeja, who took five wickets in five matches during India’s recently-concluded ODI tour of Zimbabwe, has leapt four places to join West Indies’ off-spinner Sunil Narine on top of the list.
This is the first time Jadeja is heading the bowlers’ chart.

Jamiat Ulama appeals to maintain peace in Assam till Eid

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Assam State Jamiat Ulama (ASJU) on Sunday appealed to all groups demanding separate states not to declare any bandh or block roads till the end of Eid festival later this week.

In a statement, ASJU President Badruddin Ajmal said the frequent bandhs and violence in the state in the last couple of days have hit the Muslim people in their daily routine during the holy month of Ramzan.

“We appeal all to maintain peace and harmony for the next few days till Eid is celebrated…We respect the sentiments of all the communities and their demand,” Ajmal said.

–PTI

Police foil bid of anti-Telangana activists to hold rally in Hyderabad

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Police on Sunday foiled an attempt by Visalandhra Mahasabha to hold a public meeting here against the decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh and briefly detained about 30 activists of the organisation.

Police also prevented pro-Telangana supporters from organising a counter protest at the same time.

Visalandhra Mahasabha leader Parakala Prabhakar was among 30 activists who were detained by police near Tank Bund from where they were planning to proceed to hold a public meeting at Indira Park defying the police order against it, and shouted slogans for united state.