Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa Sunday said voting for national parties like the BJP in local body elections will not benefit the people.
She said the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Tamil Nadu unit and its central unit have been maintaining a dual stance on the issue of attacks on fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy, while the union government was silent.
In controversial remarks, BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj on Sunday alleged that madrassas were giving “education of terrorism”.
“Education of terrorism is being given in madrassas. They (madrassas)… Are making them terrorists and jihadis….It is not in national interest,” the MP from Unnao constituency told reporters in Nademau in Kannauj district, 120 km from here.
He alleged that students were not being taught about nationalism in the religious schools.
“Tell me about one madrassa where tricolour is hoisted even on August 15 and January 26,” he said.
A 38-year-old man was on Sunday arrested here for allegedly forcing women into prostitution after promising them jobs in his massage parlour.
Police said Anand, owner of a massage parlour here, was arrested and four women, hailing from Manipur and Sikkim, were rescued.
He promised them jobs in massage spas but forced them into the flesh trade, a city police release here said, adding, he has been remanded to judicial custody.
—-PTI
In a major boost to the morale of anti-government protesters, a Pakistani court today ordered the release of all arrested supporters of Imran Khan and cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri, a day after the two leaders suspended talks and mounted pressure on the embattled government.
Pakistani police arrested several protesters and a court yesterday ordered that 100 opposition activists be sent to jail on a 14-day remand for holding illegal protests and for other violations.
Lauding the relief work carried out by the personnel of Indian Army and Indian Air Force in flood-ravaged Jammu and Kashmir, the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Sunday said that they have made a place in the hearts of the people of the valley.
“The army and the air force have done an exemplary job in Jammu and Kashmir and they have been able to show the humanistic side of the armed forces of India. They have made a place in the hearts of the people,” Samajwadi Party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia told ANI here.
US Secretary of State John Kerry has announced that Egypt has a key role to play in countering Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq and Syria.
Kerry, who is on trip to the Middle East to enlist broader support for a coalition to fight the Islamist threat from the IS, has received backing of atleast 10 Arab states so far including Egypt. However, the US Secretary of State has ruled out Iran joining the international coalition, the BBC reported.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah on Sunday praised Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev for his contribution in popularizing Yoga and Ayurveda, after inaugurating the ‘Patanjali Seva Sadan’ earlier today.
“What Baba Ramdev has done is great, people now look forward to Yoga and Ayurveda to solve health related issues. I would like to congratulate him on behalf of the BJP for this achievement,” said Shah.
The BJP president also visited the world’s largest Food and Herbal park and Yog Gram in Haridwar.
A court here has convicted a compounder of a private clinic for outraging the modesty of a woman patient on the pretext of checking her blood pressure.
Metropolitan Magistrate Richa Parihar in her order delivered Wednesday convicted Jeevan, who was working as a compounder in a private clinic in Patparganj of east Delhi, on the charges of outraging the modesty of a woman.
According to the prosecution, the woman visited the clinic Oct 20, 2009, around 11.30 a.m.
The Islamabad High Court Sunday ordered the release of all arrested Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) protesters.
Chief Justice Mohammad Anwar Khan Kasi earlier issued a notice to the government seeking its reply by Sep 17 on the decision to arrest protesters, Dawn online reported.
On Saturday, a court in Islamabad sent around 100 PTI activists to Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail on a 14-day judicial remand for allegedly attacking state institutions, including the Pakistan Television (PTV) building.
Defying party line, senior BJP leader CP Thakur on Sunday defended former chief minister Nitish Kumar in the medicine scam saying that it was unfair to cast aspersions on the integrity and honesty of the JD(U) leader.
“I have known Nitish Kumar for decades….He is an upright person known for honesty and integrity in public life,” Thakur told reporters here.
A 35-year-old man allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself at a village here.
The body of Deepak Bhavane was found hanging to a cable of motor pump in a well at a field in Mahan village of the district yesterday, police said.
A bottle of poison and a blade were also found nearby. The body bore injuries on the hands suspected to have been inflicted by the blade. A blood-stained shirt was also found near the well.
A suicide note purportedly written by Bhavane was also found, police said adding that further investigation in the case was on.
—PTI
Muhammad Ali’s secret daughter, Kiiursti Mensah Ali , has revealed that she wants to see the 72-year-old boxing star “one last time before he died”.
The 33-year-old daughter, who claims to be the result of a 20-year love affair between her mother Barbara Mensah and Ali, said that the former boxer used to regularly visit her and her mum before he got married to Lonnie in 1986, the Mirror reported.
Mukul Kesavan is a writer based in Delhi. His most recent book is Homeless on Google Earth (Permanent Black, 2013).
With the arrest of another Sri Lankan national for alleged spying for Pakistan’s ISI, central security agencies have stepped up surveillance of vital installations including defence and foreign consulates in southern parts of the country.
After initial leads from central security agencies, National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Arun Selvarajan in Chennai last week and allegedly recovered some incriminating documents including layout plans of country’s defence
establishment like the Coast Guards complex.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver his speech at the UN General Assembly in New York in Hindi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said today.
Addressing a function organised on the occasion of Hindi Divas, the Home Minister said Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the first Prime Minister to deliver his speech in the United Nations RPT United Nations in Hindi.
“I, as a Minister, once had delivered my speech in the United Nations in Hindi…. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver his speech in United Nations in Hindi.
Asserting that restoration of essential services and public utilities on war footing is the priority of the government, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah directed concerned departments to redouble the ration supply to the valley.
The Chief Minister has directed the CAPD (Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution) to double the ration supply by roping in vehicles from SRTC.
The CAPD has distributed 50 trucks of ration in Srinagar till now.
France on Sunday condemned the Islamic State`s “heinous murder” of British hostage David Haines, urging international action against the jihadist group.
“The heinous killing of David Haines is yet another demonstration of why the international community must mobilise against (the Islamic State), a cowardly and abject organisation,” the French presidency said in a statement.
President Francois Hollande`s office also expressed France`s solidarity with Haines` family and Britain.
Pakistan’s former leg-spinner Abdul Qadir’s house was raided by police here in connection with an ongoing crackdown on workers of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party.
“Presumably the raid was carried out by the police since Fatima, 24, the daughter of Qadir, is a senior member of the PTI’s women’s wing while his son is also a member of the party,” said a source close to the former test cricketer.
Qadir declined to comment on the matter but TV channels reported that the raid took place on Friday night.
Some half million Gaza children returned to their schools today after facing a devastating 50-day war with Israel that killed more than 2,100 Palestinians and damaged hundreds of school buildings.
Gaza Education Ministry official Ziad Thabet said that 230,000 students from 1st to 12th grades attended public schools and 200,000 went to United Nations-run schools and tens of thousands enrolled in private institutions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver his speech in the United National General Assembly in New York in Hindi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday.
Addressing a function organised on the occasion of Hindi Divas, the Home Minister said Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the first Prime Minister to deliver his speech in the United States in Hindi.
“I, as a Minister, once had delivered my speech in the United Nations in Hindi…. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver his speech in United Nations in Hindi.
Goa-based model Gail Nicole Da Silva was placed second in the Miss United Continent 2014. The first spot went to Dominican Republic’s Geisha Montes De Oca and Venezuela’s Wi May Nava stood third.
Gail, dressed in a champagne coloured gown designed by Nivedita Saboo, was declared the first runner-up at the pageant held in Guayaquil in Ecuador Saturday night.
She also bagged the Best National Costume and Miss Photogenic titles.
After a successful campaign in Europe, the UAE emirate Sharjah will launch an India Road Show Sep 15-22 to woo tourists.
The 2014 road show in India is being hosted by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority in cooperation with Air Arabia airline and Sharjah’s hotel and tourism industry.
The promotional campaign will see Sharjah promote itself in Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore.
Life would have been a smooth journey for 52-year-old Zia-us-Salaam (name changed), had frustration not seeped into his life. Victim of erectile dysfunction (impotence), Haq was forced to take a divorce twice – leading to frustration and no hope of a happy life.
Railway Minister D V Sadananda Gowda’s son Karthik Gowda underwent a gruelling questioning for the second consecutive day today in connection with alleged rape, kidnap and cheating of a Kannada actress.
After another round of marathon questioning, DCP North T R Suresh said, “We are gathering information. We have asked him questions relating to the investigation. He has answered them. If we need any more information we will call him and seek information.”
As relief work progresses in flood-ravaged Jammu and Kashmir, food packets made in Mysore are being flown all the way to Srinagar for the flood victimsA
Food packets, prepared using the same technique which goes in making food packets for soldiers at Siachen glacier, is being prepared by premier defence research agency Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)’s laboratory at Mysore for the victims.
So far, nine tonnes of food packets have been sent to the state, officials said.