Month: May 2014

Sonia Gandhi chose June 2 for Telangana formation as Italy was formed on same day: Modi

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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi mocked Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Thursday saying she chose June 02 for creation of new state of Telangana as it coincided with formation date of Italy.

“When will Telangana and Seemandhra come into existence? June 2nd onwards. From where did they get this date June 2nd from? Why did mother and son (Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi) choose June 02 date?” asked Modi.

My father is Rajiv Gandhi: Priyanka to Modi’s daughter comment

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In a scathing retort to Narendra Modi’s reported “daughter” comment, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Thursday said she was the daughter of late former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, while controversy-hit Doordarshan clarified there was no “deliberate editing” of the BJP prime ministerial candidate’s interview.

“My father is Rajiv Gandhi. He laid down his life for the country. He cannot be compared to any other person,” Priyanka Gandhi, the daughter of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, said angrily in Amethi.

Congress, BJP condemn Pakistan army chief’s Kashmir remark

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The Congress and the BJP Thursday strongly objected to Pakistan army chief Raheel Sharif’s claim that Kashmir was Islamabad’s “jugular vein”, with the Congress reasserting that the territory was an integral part of India while the BJP dismissed the comments as “hawkish” and “uncalled for”.

“We reject this statement. I don’t think any democracy in the world doubts that Kashmir is and will be India’s integral part,” Finance Minister P. Chidambaram told media persons here.

Cabinet nod for Polavaram Authority in Andhra Pradesh

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A proposal to set up an authority to speed up environmental and investment clearances for the Polavaram multi-purpose project in Andhra Pradesh today received the nod of the Union Cabinet.

The proposed Polavaram Project Authority will be an autonomous body under the Union Water Resources Ministry.

The dedicated ‘special purpose vehicle’ will be tasked to to obtain all requisite clearances including environmental and forest and work to create investment and rehabilitation norms, according to the proposal.

Cong seeks Modi’s ‘immediate arrest’ after FIR against him

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Congress today demanded “immediate arrest” of Narendra Modi against whom an FIR has been filed for violating electoral laws soon after casting his vote in a booth in Gujarat.

In separate communications to the EC, it also sought action against Modi’s key aide Amit Shah and some other BJP leaders, including sitting MP Kirit Solanki from Gujarat.

BJP takes a jibe at Chidambaram over his remark on Modi

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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday slammed Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram saying he does not identify with gestures in Indian culture.

Reportedly, BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, during a television interview, had said that daughter of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, was like his daughter.

Reacting on the same, Chidambaram doubted if Priyanka would be happy to consider Modi as a father figure.

Poll code violation: Congress for FIR against Amit Shah

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The Congress Thursday accused BJP leader Amit Shah of violating the poll code by appealing to people to vote for Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad April 30, and demanded action against him.

“Campaigning was not allowed on April 30, since polling was going on but he (Shah) addressed a gathering and media persons and made an appeal to vote for the BJP … The tone and tenor of what Shah said is in violation of section 126/130 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951,” K.C. Mittal, Congress secretary, legal and human rights department, said in a letter to the Election Commission.

No deliberate editing of Modi interview: Doordarshan

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Doordarshan Thursday clarified that there was “no deliberate editing or omission” of any part of Narendra Modi’s interview, amid a raging controversy that the state-run broadcaster had edited and downplayed the BJP prime ministerial candidate’s interview.

“There was no deliberate editing or omission of any portion of the interview. Wherever editing was done was for technical reasons and during post-production,” it said in a statement.

Lalitanjali Group to set up steel park in Vizag

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Lalitanjali Group, a leading infrastructure engineering and supply chain management firm, has announced it will set up a steel industrial park in Vishakapatnam with an investment of Rs.650 crore.

The group is in the process of purchasing over 100 acres of land in the coastal city. The proposed park will comprise of 15-20 ancillary units guided by a pilot company.

The overall capacity of the industrial park would be approximately 7-8 lakh tonnes, with captivate power of 25 Megawatt, said a company statement here.

Manavjit is World No.3 trap shooter

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India’s ace trap shooter Manajit Singh Sandhu jumped to the third spot in the latest International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) world rankings, thanks to his gold at the World Cup in Tucson, Arizona.

The former World Champion jumped 13 places in the ISSF rankings released Thursday.

Manavjit, 37, won the World Cup gold medal last month beating legendary Australian shooter Michael Diamond, a two-time Olympic champion, and Alexei Alipov, also an Olympic gold medallist from Russia.

IGNOU rape victim alleges police apathy

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An IGNOU second year undergraduate, allegedly raped by her tenant, has complained of police apathy in a letter to the local senior superintendent of police.

In her complaint to SSP Sachi Ghildiyal, the woman, a resident of Shalimar Garden in Ghaziabad, said one Intezar of Durgapuri, in Delhi, raped her.

She said when she approached the police, officer Imtiaz Qureshi cold-shouldered her. And though the SSP’s staff assured her of help, nothing has materialised though she visited the Sahibabad police station twice.

Have not found any ego in KP, says Quinton de Kock

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South African wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock is enjoying his stint with the Delhi Daredevils under Kevin Pietersen and would vouch that he is finding the England stalwart to be completely different from what his image is made out to be.

“Frankly speaking, I didn’t meet or interact with KP before this IPL. But people had said a lot of stuff about his ego and so on. But I have not seen that part of him. So I don’t know what people mean when they speak about that part of him,” De Kock said during a media interaction on the sidelines of Daredevils’ practice session.

Mukhtar Ansari gets custody parole for LS polls campaigning

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Uttar Pradesh legislator Mukhtar Ansari, facing trial in a case under stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act for allegedly being a member of an organised crime syndicate, has been granted custody parole for 10 days by a Delhi court for campaigning in Lok Sabha polls.

Additional Sessions Judge Savita Rao granted custody parole to Ansari, who is contesting the Lok Sabha election from Uttar Pradesh’s Ghoshi constituency on Quami Ekta Dal ticket.

The voting for Ghoshi seat is scheduled on May 12.

Not in the game now, Congress eyes 2019 polls in Seemandhra

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Certainly not in contention for power in Seemandhra, Congress sees the May 07 elections in this successor State of Andhra Pradesh as preparations for the 2019 polls even as it hinted that it may not be averse to taking former chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy back into its fold.

BJP takes on Chidambaram

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The BJP on Thursday took on Finance Minister P Chidamabaram for saying he was not sure if Priyanka Gandhi would accept Narendra Modi as “father figure”, saying he belongs to a party whose DNA does not allow appreciation of a gesture coming out of Indian culture.

“It is part of the Indian culture to speak to somebody who is in daughter’s age to say she is like my daughter. It requires a good grounding and belief in Indian culture to say that and to receive and appreciate it.

Election Commission is not God of politics: Azam Khan

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Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan challenged the Election Commission (EC) on Thursday to take action against him and dared them to cancel his membership to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.

In what can be termed as brazen the SP leader said, “”EC is not the God of politics.”

Azam Khan’s reaction came after the EC issued a fresh notice to him for continuously violating the model code of conduct. This was done following complaints and reports by poll authorities in Uttar Pradesh.

Azam Khan dares Election Commission again

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Samajwadi Party leader and Uttar Pradesh minister Mohd Azam Khan Thursday again targeted the Election Commission, daring it to cancel his membership of the state assembly.

Talking to reporters in Rampur, Khan said he was not afraid of the poll panel and he would never seek mercy from it.

“What else can they do? They are free to do whatsoever they deem fit,” he said sounding angry.

“I have done no wrong but find it most objectionable that my freedom of speech and movement has been curtailed by the diktat of the Election Commission.”

Selected Haj pilgrims asked to pay first installment by May 15

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Andhra Pradesh State Haj Committee Special Officer Prof SA Shukoor on Thursday informed all the selected Haj pilgrims that the last date for payment of the first installment of Rs 81,000 towards Haj Amount is 15th May 2014.

Prof Shukoor said that all the selected Haj pilgrims have been informed about this through post. The pilgrims have been requested to make payment in the account of SBI by giving their Bank Reference Number. (INN)

Congress will encourage labourers: Ponnala

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Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president Ponnala Lakshmaiah on Thursday announced that the Telangana Government would take all measures to encourage and help the labourers, farmers and working class.

BJP will emerge victorious in Telangana: Kishan Reddy

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Telangana BJP President G Kishan Reddy on Thursday claimed that the BJP-TDP combine would emerge victorious in Telangana where polls concluded on Wednesday.

Speaking to media persons here, Kishan Reddy said that the BJP-TDP combine received tremendous response from the voters in the just concluded elections. He said after the counting of votes it would be proved that people living in villages and other rural areas voted in large numbers to make Narendra Modi the next Prime Minister of India.

50 injured in May Day clashes in Istanbul

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Fifty protesters were injured and 138 detained in clashes with police as trade union members tried to stage an anti-government rally in Istanbul’s central Taksim Square on the occasion of May Day Thursday, the authorities said.

Riot police fired teargas, rubber bullets and water cannon on protesters who defied an official ban to march toward the iconic Taksim Square, Xinhua reported.

My father is Rajiv Gandhi, retorts Priyanka

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Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Thursday said angrily that she was the daughter of late former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and he cannot be compared to anyone.

“My father is Rajiv Gandhi. He laid down his life for the country. He cannot be compared to anyone else,” Priyanka Gandhi said in a retort.

She was reacting to a reported statement by Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi that she was like his daughter.

Modi hungry for power, already assumes himself as PM: Sonia

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“Hungry for power” Narendra Modi has already assumed himself as the Prime Minister even before the results of Lok Sabha elections are out, Congress President Sonia Gandhi said today.

In a scathing attack on the BJP prime ministerial nominee at rallies in Balrampur and Faizabad, she said Modi is so intoxicated in his lust for power that he already believes the results of the elections are out and he has been made the PM.

Now UP CM Akhilesh calls Mayawati “buaji”

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Amid controversy over his father’s remark against Mayawati, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today called the BSP chief “buaji” (Paternal Aunt) even as her party moved the Election Commission demanding a ban on Mualayam Singh Yadav over his comments.

“All those in BSP call her (Mayawati) ‘behenji’ irrespective of their age. But I call her ‘Buaji'”, Yadav said while addressing an election rally here.