Month: December 2013

I take my opponents very seriously: PM

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Friday the party cannot underestimate the power of the opposition and that there was no room for complacency.

“As an organised political party, we cannot underestimate the power of the opposition to unsettle the ship of the state,” he said during an interactive session at the HT Leadership Summit while replying to a question on the challenge posed by the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

“Therefore, I am one of those who take our opponents very seriously. There is no room for complacency,” he said.

Mandela’s struggle will inspire generations: Mamata

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday condoled the death of South African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela, said his lifelong struggle and sacrifice will be the source of inspiration for generations.

“His passing away is a huge loss to humanity, to whom he was more than a fatherly figure. His lifelong struggle and sacrifice will be the source of inspiration for generations, now and forever. India had always co-operated with him in the Non Aligned Movement,” said Banerjee.

Shutdown paralyses normal life in Seemandhra

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Normal life came to a grinding halt in all 13 districts of Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions Friday to protest the union cabinet’s approval to a draft bill for formation of separate Telangana state.

Transport services were paralysed as over 12,000 buses of state-owned Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) went off the roads in Seemandhra, as the two regions are together known.

Men scared of talking to women: Farooq Abdullah

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Men are scared of talking to women, as they fear ending up in jail, union New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah said Friday, as a reporter on the steps of Parliament House asked a question about Justice A.K. Ganguly.

Retired Supreme Court judge A.K. Ganguly was Thursday indicted by an apex court panel, which found evidence that he had sexually harassed a woman who was working as an intern. The report by the panel said the judge was guilty of “unwelcome behaviour”.

Let there be war with Pakistan: Uddhav Thackeray

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“Let there be a fourth war between India and Pakistan to teach them a lesson,” Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said Friday.

Pakistan has thrice been taught a lesson in past wars, but that has not had a deterrent effect on that country so it needs to be taught a lesson again, Thackeray said in an editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ Friday.

Why is rape in Goa different from rape in Muzaffarnagar?

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State election results have taken Tarun Tejpal off prime time shows and the front pages. This is something of a relief.

On Nov 7-8, past midnight, after extensive partying at what was billed to be a THINK fest at a five star hotel in Goa, the feisty proprietor editor of Tehelka magazine followed one of his junior reporters, a friend of his daughter’s, and allegedly did things to her which under a revised law is tantamount to rape. Strangely, something similar happened the subsequent day too.

Rs 5 cr ransom demand for release of abducted Telecom official

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NLFT cadre, who abducted two Mizos and an executive of the Delhi-based Telecom Network Solution Deep Mondal of West Bengal, demanded a ransom of Rs five crore for the release, Mizoram police officials on Friday said.

The abductors contacted the Telecom Network Solution officials and demanded Rs five crore for the release of Mondal while there has been no ransom demand for the two Mizos – Sanglianthanga, a taxi driver from Mizoram-Bangladesh-Tripura border Mamit and Lalzamliana of Aizawl, abducted along with Mondal, police said.

Communal Violence Bill not a vote-catching gimmick: PM

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Faced with stiff opposition from BJP and some non-Congress parties over the Communal Violence Bill, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday rejected the charge that it was a “vote-catching gimmick” and said it was time to control “aberrations” like the Muzaffarnagar riots.

“It is not a vote-catching gimmick…..What happened in Muzaffarnagar and some other parts of our country is a reminder that although as a country, we can take pride in our ability to protect all the people of our country, yet there are times when aberrations take place.

Minor tension in Old City

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Minor tension erupted in Old City here on Friday as namajis coming out of Makkah masjid after completion of prayers started shouting slogans in protest of Babri Masjid Demolition, clashed with police in lanes and bylanes.

Huge contingents of policemen, including that of Rapid Action Force, deployed there to meet any eventuality in the backdrop of 21st Anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition.

Two persons injured in the clash including a police constable.

Details awaited.

TPF protests biased attitude of police

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Pro-Telangana leaders and activists including those of Telangana Praja Front took part in the protest procession staged against the Rayal Telangana proposal at Gun Park Clock Tower and also in the Telangana bandh called by TRS. A rally was also taken out by TPF leaders which was foiled by the police. The police arrested Telangana supporters and shifted them to Mahankali police station.

6 injured as auto topples

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Jamgaon: A speedy auto toppled after it lost its balance near Jamgaon village on Wednesday night injuring 6 people. According to details 6 people were injured when an auto going towards Utnur toppled. The persons who reached the spot shifted the injured to the Utnur hospital.

Siasat news

South Korea to host 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup

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South Korea was picked to host the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in 2017, the country’s sports ministry said Friday.

The Asian country won the right to host the world’s premier youth soccer tournament after a tight competition with Azerbaijan at a vote in Brazil overnight, Xinhua cited the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as saying.

Nelson Mandela took history in his hands: Obama

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America’s first black President, Barack Obama, in a moving and eloquent tribute, remembered South Africa’s first black president and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela as “a man who took history in his hands, and bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice.”

“We will not likely see the likes of Nelson Mandela again,” said Obama on the death Thursday of the South African leader, who inspired by his other idol Indian freedom leader Mahatma Gandhi, led a peaceful struggle against racial oppression.

GoM never dwell on Rayal Telangana: Chidambaram

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Union minister of Finance Chidambaram rebuffed Rayal Telangana issue and said it is media which is giving importance to it while it was never mulled upon in the meeting of Group of Ministers. It must be noted that meeting of Congress Core Committee was held yesterday morning at the residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in which the matter of sanctioning the recommendation made by Group of Minister on Telangana in the cabinet meeting to be held in the evening was reviewed.

Men scared to talk to women nowadays: Farooq Abdullah

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National Conference chief and Union minister Farooq Abdullah on Friday triggered a fresh row by commenting that situation in the society is so bad that he is afraid of speaking to women these days.

“I’m scared to talk to a woman these days. I don’t even want to keep a female secretary, who knows, I might end up in jail because of a complaint. No, I’m not blaming the girls, I’m blaming society itself,” Abdullah told media here while reacting to the sexual harassment allegations against retired Supreme Court Justice AK Ganguly.

PM says he is taking Modi very seriously

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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said he took BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi “very seriously” and there was no room for complacency.

“As a political party we can’t underestimate the power of the opposition to unsettle the ship of the state,” he said replying to a question at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here.
He was asked about different views among his cabinet colleagues, one of whom has stated that the challenge posed by Modi should be taken seriously while another has dismissed the opposition.

Parliament pays tribute to Nelson Mandela, both houses adjourned

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Parliament paid tribute to anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela Friday, with both houses being adjourned for the day after obituary references.

In the Lok Sabha, members across the spectrum remembered the South African leader as an inspiring figure and paid emotional tributes.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi said it was “as though we have lost a beloved father”.
“He redefined the meaning of courage and sacrifice,” Gandhi said, adding that his courage was “superhuman”.

“Like the Mahatma (Gandhi) who inspired him, he belonged to all humanity,” she said.

Delhi Police asks law intern to register complaint

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The Delhi Police has asked the law intern, who had alleged sexual assault by retired Supreme Court judge Justice A K Ganguly, to come forward and file a complaint in the case.

“We have sent an email to the woman to file an FIR in the case and record her statement. Further course of action will be decided after the victim comes forward,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) SBS Tyagi.

Tyagi denied that the Delhi Police has sought any legal opinion in the case.

Clear Friday in Delhi

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Delhi will experience a clear and warm weather Friday, forecasts the Met Office. The minimum temperature was recorded at 10 degrees Celsius, a notch above season’s average.

“The day will remain clear with shallow fog in the morning. The maximum temperature is likely to hover around 25.5 degrees Celsius, a notch above season’s average,” said an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official.

Humidity at 8.30 a.m. was recorded at 79 percent.

Thursday’s maximum temperature was a notch above season’s average at 25.5 degrees Celsius, while the minimum was 10.1 degrees Celsius. (IANS)

Waqf Board releases maintenance allowance for divorced women

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According to the press note of Andhra Pradesh State Waqf Board the honourable chairman of the Andhra Pradesh State Waqf Board Mr. Syed Shah Ghulam Afzal Biabani (Khusro Pasha) has released maintenance allowance of 319 divorced women to their banks. Divorced women are requested to collect the said maintenance amount from their banks.

Hamid Ansari condoles passing away of Nelson Mandela

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Vice President M. Hamid Ansari on Friday condoled the passing away of South Africa’s first elected black President and a global anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela.

In his condolence message, Ansari said: “I am profoundly saddened at the passing away of Nelson Mandela, former President of the South Africa, and one of the greatest personalities of our times, who represented the best of human spirit and values.

Astronomers discover exoplanet that shouldn’t be there

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A team of astronomers were left mystified after they discovered a giant planet orbiting its star at 650 times the average Earth-Sun distance.

The international team of astronomers, led by a University of Arizona graduate student, discovered the most distantly orbiting planet found to date around a single, sun-like star.

Planet HD 106906 b weighs 11 times Jupiter’s mass and orbits its star at 650 times the average Earth-Sun distance, and is unlike anything in found our own Solar System and throws a wrench in planet formation theories.

Mrs. Shameem Aleem’s books to be released at Siasat office

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Various books compiled by Mrs. Shameem Aleem on different topics will be released on Saturday, December 7, at 6:30 pm, at Mahboob Husain Jigar Hall, Siasat Abids.

Siasat editor Mr. Zahed Ali Khan will preside over. Padmashri Mrs. Jeelani Banu, Padmashri Mr. Mujtaba Husain, Prof. S A Shukoor will be the chief guests. Mrs. Paruchuru Jamuna member Andhra Pradesh Women’s Commission will deliver keynote address. Prof. Ashraf Rafi former Head of the department Urdu, Osmania University will present book reviews. Mr. Syed Imtiyazuddin will conduct the function.

Siasat news

Pak’s new army chief Gen Raheel has no presence on Facebook, Twitter

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Pakistan’s new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif does not maintain any account on Facebook and Twitter.

Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj-Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa clarified that General Sharif does not have any Twitter or Facebook account, Daily Times reports

On Twitter, Bajwa added that all accounts in his name were fake that is being reported.(ANI)

Pope Francis sets up Vatican committee to fight child sex abuse

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Pope Francis is setting up a Vatican committee to fight sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church.

The announcement was made by the archbishop of Boston, and comes after a meeting between the Pope and his eight cardinal advisers.

According to the BBC, The Vatican said that the Commission will keep the Pope informed about programmes in place for the protection of children and will formulate suggestions for new initiatives.

Pope Francis has said dealing with sex abuse is vital for the Church’s credibility.