Month: March 2014

Modi hits back at Rahul over balloon jibe on Gujarat

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Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi for his “balloon jibe”, Narendra Modi today said that the Congress vice president should focus on the nation rather than criticising Gujarat which was declared “number one” by his mother Sonia Gandhi.

“If you think Gujarat model is a balloon, I want to ask if you trust your mother? The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation whose chairperson is your mother, that foundation had declared Gujarat number one. Do you see a balloon in your mother’s talk? Does your mother also release balloons?,” Modi said addressing a rally here.

Modi needs to be treated in mental hospital: Pawar

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In a scathing attack, NCP chief Sharad Pawar today said Narendra Modi needs to be “treated in a mental hospital for talking rubbish”.

“Modi must have deranged as he talks rubbish things and he is needed to be treated in a mental hospital,” the Union Agriculture Minister said at a rally at Ghanswangi, while campaigning for NCP candidate Vijay Bhamble.

He said Modi does not know about the sacrifices of Congress leaders in the freedom struggle.

Congress demands BJP apology over ‘false’ Masood complaint

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The Congress Sunday wrote to the Election Commission demanding a public apology from the BJP for criticizing it and its Saharanpur nominee Imran Masood over a purported anti-Narendra Modi speech which, it said, was made last September when he was a Samajwadi Party member.

It said the “manner in which BJP rushed” to complain to the poll panel over Masood’s speech “would reflect that it is only to malign Congress by making distorted and unverified statement” in violation of the model code of conduct.

World T20 scoreboard: India vs Australia, Group 2

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The following is the scoreboard of the ICC World Twenty20 Group 2 clash between India and Australia at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium here Sunday.

India

Rohit Sharma c Muirhead b Hodge 5
Ajinkya Rahane c Haddin b Bollinger 19
Virat Kohli c White b Muirhead 23
Yuvraj Singh c Maxwell b Watson 60
Suresh Raina c Finch b Maxwell 6
Mahendra Singh Dhoni b Starc 24
Ravindra Jadeja run out 3
Ravichandran Ashwin not out 2
Bhuvneshwar Kumar not out 0

Extras (lb 6, w 10, nb 1) 17

Total (seven wickets in 20 overs) 159

Sonia attacks opposition for stalling parliament, calls BJP divisive

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Congress president Sonia Gandhi Sunday slammed the opposition, saying that the stalling of parliament prevented many important welfare measures of the UPA government from getting passed.

Addressing a well-attended rally at the Ajmal Khan Park here, the Congress chief also took pot shots at the Aam Aadmi Party’s 49-day government in the city and the “divisive” ideology of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

She enumerated the welfare schemes brought out by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, especially laws to abolish manual scavenging and giving rights to street vendors.

I am biggest fan of superstar Rajinikanth: Kajol

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Actress Kajol who attended the Hindi trailer launch of “Kochadaiiyaan” here Sunday said she is Rajinikanth’s biggest fan.

“I am super excited for this …. I am Rajinikanth’s biggest fan. He is the original superstar I look up to him. If I get an opportunity to work with him there are no two thoughts about it,” Kajol told reporters during the curtain raiser red carpet of Kochadaiiyaan.

Directed by Soundarya, Kochadaiiyaan features Rajnikanth and Deepika Padukone in the lead.

The trailer was launched by megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

5.5 magnitude quake hits Tibet

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An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale hit Tibet early Monday, the China Earthquake Networks Centre said.

The temblor hit Nyima County at 1.10 a.m., Xinhua quoted the centre as saying, adding that the quake’s epicentre was monitored at 31.4 degrees north latitude and 86.5 degrees east longitude with a depth of 10 km.

–IANS

Iran to tighten security along border with Pakistan

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In a bid to tighten security along Pakistan border, Iran has begun constructing 120 watch posts along its eastern border areas, a security official said Sunday.

The police are building the watch posts and a 120-km road in cooperation with the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) to step up the security along the country’s eastern borders, Xinhua quoted Brigadier General Esmail Ahmadi-Moqaddam as saying.

The move comes after recent attacks against Iranian border guards by the Sunni rebels.

Eight killed, seven injured as jeep collides with truck

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Eight people were killed and seven others injured when their jeep collided with a speeding truck on Raipur-Jagdalpur national highway in Kanker district in Chhattisgarh Sunday night, police said.

The incident took place at around 8:30 pm under Charama police station limits, Kanker Superintendent of Police Rajendra Dash told PTI over phone.

The Commander jeep, carrying 15 people, was going towards Kanker from Dhamtari while the speeding truck was coming from Jagdalpur towards Raipur when the incident took place near Charama.

Minor girl gang-raped by four in Ahmedabad

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A 16-year-old city girl had been allegedly gang-raped on several occasions by four persons, including a juvenile, police said here on Sunday.

“The class X student was gangraped by four persons between June 2012 and December 2012 at different locations in the city,” police said following a complaint lodged by the victim’s parents here today.

The main accused has been identified as Rahul Solanki, while other two are identified as Darshit Patel, Rahul Patel. The fourth accused is a juvenile, the investigating officer said.

BJP sets 24-hour deadline to TDP on sealing AP alliance deal

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With talks between BJP and TDP being stuck over sharing of seats in Andhra Pradesh, senior party leader Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday indicated that BJP will contest upcoming polls on its own if the Chandrababu Naidu-led party fails to spell out its stand within 24 hours.

Admitting that a stalemate in talks continues with TDP on seat sharing in both Telangana and Seemandhra, Venkaiah said the party’s central elections committee will meet tomorrow in New Delhi to decide the future course of action.

Venkaiah said the BJP cannot wait inordinately on its future course of action.

Ukraine tells Russia to stop ‘preaching’

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Ukraine’s new Western-backed government escalated its standoff with Russia today by telling Moscow to stop “preaching” to its western neighbour and start focusing on its own problems.

The comments from Kiev came shortly after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested that the only way to resolve the current East-West standoff over the ex-Soviet nation was by turning Ukraine into a federation in which its Russified regions would have broader rights.

33 arrested in Rajasthan for assaulting policemen

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Police Sunday arrested 33 people who seriously injured eight policemen including an inspector during a drive against illegal mining in Rajasthan, officials said.

Those who were arrested are supporters of the local mining mafia, they added.

According to the police, the incident occurred Saturday night when a team of policemen went to stop illegal mining on Arawali Hills in Alwar, some 150 km from Jaipur.

Indian man jailed for molesting 7-year-old in Dubai

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A 25-year-old Indian was today jailed for three months for molesting a minor girl in a lift here, according to a media report.

The accused, a cafeteria cleaner identified as AA, was sentenced by The Dubai Court of First Instance.

“The accused will be deported following the completion of his jail term,” said presiding judge Maher Salama Al Mahdi.

The accused has denied the charge, Gulfnews reported.

TDP urges poll panel to probe voters’ names missing from list

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The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has appealed to the Andhra Pradesh Chief Election Officer (CEO) to probe missing voters’ names in Vijayawada city.

TDP Krishna district president D Umamaheswara Rao told reporters here today after polling that in many divisions, hundreds of voters complained that their names were removed from lists though they resided in the same house since the last assembly election.

EC cannot ban opinion polls: Sampath

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The Election Commission cannot ban broadcast and publication of opinion polls, Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath said today, days after the Law Ministry suggested the poll panel that it can restrict such polls using its powers under Article 324.

“As in law where there is a field not covered by any legislation, the Commission can use its power under Article 324. But under Article 77 we cannot do that,” Sampath said at a press conference in Ranchi.

Under Article 77 of the Constitution, all executive actions of the Centre are taken in the name of the President.

Advani to address rally in Ahmednagar tomorrow

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BJP leader L K Advani will address a rally in Ahmednagar tomorrow as the star campaigner begins canvassing for Lok Sabha elections, days after the row over his choice of seat.

Advani will campaign for sitting Ahmednagar MP Dinesh Gandhi, who said, “During the last two general elections, it was Advaniji who started my campaign. I am glad that he acceded to my request this time as well.

“He will be delivering his first election address for my campaign, and I am sure this will benefit me a lot.”

BJP insulted Jaswant: Wife

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Reacting sharply to the expulsion of her husband by BJP, Sheetal Kanwar today said Jaswant Singh was insulted by the party for which he worked for over 32 years.

Recalling Singh’s first expulsion by the party in 2009 on the Jinnah episode, Kanwar wondered as to why he was taken back in the party and on what ground he was expelled now.

Claiming that Singh was a foundation stone of the party, she told reporters that BJP was not giving importance to its principles and dedicated persons like her husband.

Cong hopes to repeat 1979 magic with Sonia rally at Ajmal park

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Indira Gandhi had made a comeback to power with a rally in Ajmal Khan park in 1979 which drew a huge response and Delhi Congress hopes to repeat the magic as it today organised the party’s first rally at the same venue after 34 years.

Standing on the historic hotspot, leaving behind its defeat in the 2013 state Assembly polls, UPA chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi today sought public support for re-election in an attempt to gain the lost ground.

One more IM suspect held in Rajasthan

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Rajasthan Police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) Sunday arrested one more suspected member of the Indian Mujahideen, officials said.

An ATS officer said the 22-year-old man was detained from Sikar and arrested on charges of being a member of the terror outfit’s Rajasthan module.

“The accused is pursuing a diploma in civil engineering from Sikar town. He was brought to Jaipur where he is being interrogated,” he said.

The ATS has arrested six youths from Sikar, most of them students, for being involved in terrorist activities.

People have lost faith in AAP: BJP

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BJP today said people have lost faith in Aam Aadmi Party and their credibility had gone down after its “betrayal” in Delhi and demanded answers before it solicited people’s votes in the national capital.

Raking up the resignation of Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi after being power for 49 days, BJP’s state election committee chief V K Malhotra said despite having an opportunity to form the government with BJP, which had 32 seats in the Assembly, AAP chose to ignore it, and later left the government midway.

Kejriwal to begin campaigning in Delhi from Monday

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After touring various states to drum up support for the AAP in Lok Sabha election, party chief Arvind Kejriwal is set to campaign in Delhi from Monday.

Kejriwal, who will take on BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in Varanasi, will address public rallies in all the seven parliamentary constituencies of Delhi.

He will begin from Dwarka area of West Delhi constituency where the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has fielded journalist-turned-politician Jarnail Singh.

Delhi will go to polls April 10.

One more Engineering Student arrested, suspect terrorist

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One more youth was arrested by ATS sleuths from Sikar in connection with the ongoing probe into the Indian Mujahideen’s Rajasthan module, official sources said today.

The accused, Addas (22), was apprehended by Sikar district police and handed over the ATS team camping there, they said.

Addas was one of the six suspected terrorists from Sikar who were trained through Maroof, who was arrested earlier, they said, adding the five were arrested last week, and the sixth was caught today.

Sushma Swaraj a ‘hawa hawai’ candidate: Jaiwardhan Singh

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Congress MLA Jaiwardhan Singh today said sitting BJP MP Sushma Swaraj has “neglected” people of her constituency for long, which has affected development of the area.

“Sushma Swaraj has neglected people of Vidisha. She is a leader who has not spent much of her time in her constituency because of which the condition of the district is not improved since last 10 years,” Jaiwardhan said addressing a rally in support of his uncle and Congress candidate Laxman Singh.

AAP thought running government a child’s play: Sonia

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Launching a sharp attack on Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today accused it of shying away from Delhi as it thought that running a government was a “child’s play”.

Targeting Kejriwal, whose party was mainly responsible for the rout of Congress in Delhi polls last December, she said, “Some people believed that running government was a child’s play. You have seen how they have run away from Delhi.”