India News

New Delhi: On 25th death anniversary of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the Delhi Government is organizing a two-day exhibition at the Ram Lila ground in the national capital.

The exhibition showcases Indira Gandhi''s pictures from the time she was three years old to her college days, her marriage, her sons, besides an array of pictures portraying her personal life.

There are also snapshots of Indira Gandhi taking oath as Prime Minister, her public appearances and meeting people.

Addressing the media at the exhibition, Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit said: “It has been 25 years since Indira Gandhi went to her heavenly abode. This exhibition has been put to re-live her fond memories by way of photographs.”

“This exhibition aims at reliving and reminiscing Indiraji''s memories. She has left an everlasting impression on the people, which will stay forever. Her name is recorded in golden letters in the history of India,” she added.

Dikshit further said the exhibition is an effort to showcase major highlights of Indira Gandhi''s life so that people can take inspiration from it.

Source ANI

Udhampur (Jammu and Kashmir): The Indian Army on Saturday said its troops were ready with their winter strategy to foil infiltration along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing a press conference at the Northern Command headquarters in Udhampur, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Northern Command, Lieutenant General B.S. Jaswal, said: “We have winter strategy ready. When there is snowfall, we adopt a winter strategy as per which we re-deploy and cover certain areas, which infiltrators would have to cross if they try to infiltrate.”

“So, in those areas, heavy deployment is there as fences are covered with snow during the winters. Apart from this, there are two-three other things that are part of our winter strategy. Like there is aerial reconnaissance and our surveillance devices are deployed. So, if there is any endeavour we would definitely be able to destroy or foil the attempt,” Lt.Gen. Jaswal said.

He also said that the morale of the Pakistani army was very low at present due to the turmoil in that country. 

“I want to say in very clear terms, as far as infiltration is concerned, morale of the Pakistan Army is very low at this point of time. And all of you know that why do they attempt for ceasefire violation. Obviously to help the infiltrators. But, I can assure that morale of our troops is much higher,” Lt.Gen. Jaswal added.

He further said that about 600 to 700 rebels are still active in Jammu and Kashmir and many were waiting to infiltrate.

“As per the measurement we use, they are approximately between 600 to 700, because this has to be an approximation. And as far as the number beyond the border is concerned, I cannot give you extrapolated figure. But, I can say that there are many who are waiting to infiltrate,” Lt.Gen. Jaswal said.

Source ANI

Hyderabad: An small artificial village in Hyderabad city has become a major tourist attraction, as many people wanting to experience the spirit of rural environment are visiting it.

The credit of creating the Shilparamam village goes to artists belonging to Visakhapatnam district, who have spent nearly a year on its preparation.

“The main aim of building this rural museum is to give people the feel of rural environment and the village especially to those living in urban areas. Here you can see statues depicting day-to-day rural tasks. Artists those who have built this rural museum and the statues have come from Visakhapatnam district," said Parijatha, Coordinator of Shilparamam.

Many visitors describe the village experience in the IT hub as awesome.

"These statues look very real. Here, it looks like they are selling real vegetables. The artificial tomatoes look real," said Sheela, a local.

"The idea of building an artificial village is very nice. The rural setup and the statues reminded us of our past. Children must visit this place so that they can understand the rural culture and tradition. I think further such initiatives should be taken," said Padmavathi, another visitor.

The popularity of the Shilparamam can be measured from the fact that locals and tourists from far off places make a beeline to see and appreciate the artwork.

Source ANI

Kolkata: Union Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor on Saturday called upon Maoists to use ballots instead of bullets to voice their grievances.

“In a democracy, violence has no place. We settle our differences by the ballot and not the bullet so as far as the government is concerned we will talk to those who peacefully wish to discuss with us all their demands, because development and political freedom are fundamentals to our objective," Tharoor told reporters in Kolkata.

On Pakistan’s anti terror efforts, Tharoor said the Islamic country would have to do more to contain the militant activities operating from its soil.

"Our determination to see the threats to our country from the Pakistani side of the border should also cease and that is unaffected by our good wishes for the Pakistani authorities in their attempt to reassert control over their own country," Tharoor said, who was in Kolkata to address a Congress rally marking 25th death anniversary of Indira Gandhi.

Reacting to Beijing''s criticism over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh, Tharoor said China had no business to comment on the travel plans of the Prime Minister.

"The territorial integrity of India is not negotiable. Arunachal Pradesh is a state of the Indian Union and our Prime Minister will travel there, as do others. It is as far as we are concerned not any other country''s business what happens in our country," said Tharoor.

Source ANI

Kolkata: Scanty rainfall in Aurangabad, Maharashtra is affecting birds who have migrated to the area.

The Salim Ali Lake in Aurangabad has remained an alternative habitat for migratory birds during the winter season.

However, most water bodies in the region are reportedly dry due to poor rainfall.

“The birds migrate to this region mainly to eat during the winter season. But, due to scanty rainfall, migratory birds are not able to get proper food from the lake. The water in the ponds has dried up, and birds are affected to a large extent. The lake is the main source of food like algae and other seaweeds for these birds," claimed Dilip Yardi, a researcher.

Every year, around 64,000 birds migrate to the area during the winter.

Some of the birds visiting the region are the golden duck, pintail, pochard and the common pochard.

Yardi said a well-structured plan has been introduced to enlarge the surface area of the lake and increase the water level to attract the birds.

"The effects of the global warming and the climate change will affect the population of the birds. The bird is a kind of species, which reflects the change in climate the most. Under this effect one can see different changes in them; at first they will leave the place if they feel a change in climate in the region," he said.

Source ANI

Srinagar: Residents of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday objected to the Union Government''s decision to ban pre-paid mobile connections in the State, saying they would difficulties as a result.

On Friday, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said pre-paid cell-phone connections would be banned in the State for security reasons. He also said that existing pre-paid SIM cards would not be renewed in the state after November 1.

“This will cause a huge telecommunication gap in the rural areas. Most of the people in these areas have pre-paid mobile connections, as they are comparatively cheaper. I don''t think it is a good decision,” said Ejaz Ahmed, a local.

Others said the procedure of shifting from pre-paid to post-paid mobile connections would be a cumbersome process.

“We will have to wait for months and stand in long queues before we can change our pre-paid mobile connections to post-paid. I think it is a wrong decision as the cell phone companies have record of their pre-paid as well as post-paid customers,” said Gulam Hassan, another local.

Bashir Ahmad, a trader dealing in mobile sim-cards, said traders could not understand the point behind banning the service in the State.

“I see no point in banning pre-paid connections and not post-paid connections. When we are following the regulations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), as followed in other parts of the country like doing proper verification, taking contact and address of the person before selling sim-cards, there is no point in banning pre-paid connections,” Ahmad said.

The decision also indicates that citizens owning prepaid connections from other states will not be provided roaming facilities while visiting the state.

Source ANI

Gangtok: Woven with bamboo, Sumuk Thyaptuk or the Lepcha hat, creates a fabulous piece of art that is laced with history and a deep cultural heritage associated with the indigenous Lepcha tribe.
 
An artisan Tengay Lepcha is using his expertise to keep this traditional art form alive.
 
Only a few like Tengay have been able to master the art of weaving the Lepcha hat, which requires both hard work and patience.
 
The hat is adorned with a peacock feather and a replica of the Nambong Ong, a Sikkimese male bird known for its leadership qualities. It is held by a stick with a symbol of the sun and the moon, which bestows a sense of authority to the one wearing the hat.
 
It is worn by all Lepcha males and the Boomthing or the Lepcha high priest during religious gatherings and festivals.
 
“I am trying my best to preserve this art which I learnt from my guru. This is an effort to save the old tradition of making a Lepcha hat. I want to keep the art of making the hat alive so that it does not die out,” said Tengay Lepcha.
 
To add beauty to the hat, a granite stone is also placed that shines on a sunny day. It is held up by a local Totala flower, a medicinal plant and used with Kawai leaves to protect it from rain.
 
It is mainly woven out of ‘Payoung’ or ‘Gopey’ bamboo sliced into fine strings to weave the design.
 
The hat comes in single and double size, and usually takes a month and half to make.
 
Working with the Directorate of Handloom and Handicraft in North Sikkim, Tengay Lepcha teaches Lepcha youth.

”I sell a single design cap for Rs.3000 to 3500 and the double cap for Rs. 5000, as it takes lot of hard work and takes many days to complete. I tell my village people that we should learn our art and as long as I am alive I will try and teach the art form so that Lepcha art survives with the passage of time,” said Tengay Lepcha.
 
The modern day Lepcha hat is made of pre-dyed bamboo with added colours like maroon and green.
 
Tengay''s effort is indeed praiseworthy.

Source ANI

Pune: Scores of devotees jumped onto heaps of thorns to appease Lord Shiva to celebrate the annual ''thorns festival'' at a Pune temple.

According to devotees, the ritual would please the god of destruction and he will fulfil their wishes.

“I am an ardent believer of Lord Shiva, all the devotees come here to offer prayers and jump onto the heap of thorns, in order to appease the lord. We don''t feel the pain of the thorns stuck to our bodies because the belief is so strong that is supersedes the pain," said Sashikant Nigade, a devotee.

He added that none has ever got any burn or needed any medical treatment till now.

"I feel no pain while jumping onto the heap of thorns; it is our belief in Lord Shiva that compels us to jump onto the bed of thorns. The thorn gets removed on its own. I perform this ritual every year and I consider myself lucky to have a chance to roll on the bed of thorns," said Dilip Shankar, another devotee.

He added that he had been performing this unique ritual for twenty-five years.

This festival holds significance for the locals who say that over 20,000 devotees from across the country visit this temple on this day.

Source ANI

Uttarkashi: Due to an increase in the water level of the Tehri dam, cracks have erupted in many houses, while dozens have already submerged in water in Chinauli district of Uttarakhand.

People living in the damaged houses are facing constant threat to their lives.

“12-15 people keep going to the Tehri Dam continuously to raise our voices. PTT made a Committee to address the issue but they have not given a penny as yet. The villagers are homeless; they are living on the road. They do not have rooms to stay. The winters are approaching which will worsen the situation, but the government is in a deep slumber and pays no heed,” said Ratan Singh.

Forty villages along the dam are already in the danger zone.

"The Bridge has submerged in water because of high water levels, causing a village with a habitation of 52,000 people to drown. Their livelihood is affected with the transportation and business too. There is paucity of food. Around 1,500 students are affected because of submersion of bridge as the alternative way amounts to a distance of 22 kilometres as compared to 500 metres before, " said Purushottam, Head of the affected villagers.

Authorities, however, have another tale to tell.

"Two houses in Chinauli which fall in the low-lying areas had developed cracks when the water level went high, but, now the water levels have fallen. We have their compensation files with us, which are being sent to the Rehabilitation office,” said Dr. Rajesh Kumar, Additional Collector, Uttarakashi.

Experts say the situation calls for immediate steps to prevent a bigger tragedy.

Source ANI

Lucknow: On the 25th death anniversary of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, her close aide Dinesh Chandra Tiwari fondly remembered her and paid rich tribute.

Accompanying her to Rae Bareilly in 1977 elections, Tiwari had earned himself a nickname of ''Pilot'', he also escorted Indira Gandhi''s car during her visits in Uttar Pradesh from 1972 to 1984.

Since Indira Gandhi''s assassination on October 31, 1984, Dinesh has started an organisation after her name, Indira Gandhi Manav Seva Sansthan to carry forward her ideals and ideologies.

“Whatever I asked from her (Indira), she gave it to me, but I never got an opportunity to repay her and she left us. Now, I have decided to serve her till my last breath. Let''s see how long I live and do more for her,” Tiwari said.

The 92-year-old also claimed to have received a formal thanksgiving letter from Indira herself.

“Being a close associate of Indira Gandhi, I followed her everywhere during the election campaigns. She won the elections and returned to power. After escorting her to the Parliament, I asked for her permission to leave. My association came to an end when she gave me the permission. I even got a thanksgiving letter from her as I had worked hard during the campaigns,” Tiwari added.

Source ANI

Margao (Goa): Police in Margao, Goa, on Saturday arrested two men in connection with the recent blasts in the area in which two persons were killed.

The two, who are yet to be identified, were picked up by sleuths of the Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Goa Police.

The October 16 blast near Grace Church in Margao had killed two people. They were identified as Yogesh Naik and Malgonda Patil, members of Sanatan Sanstha, a right wing group.

Two other bombs were also defused in Margao and at Sancoale.

The Sanatan Sanstha has denied its role in the incident.

Source ANI

Bangalore: Dr K Radhakrishnan, one of the key persons behind India’s Chandrayaan-1 mission, on Saturday took over as the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation.

Dr Radhakrishnan, also director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, succeeds Dr G Madhavan Nair.

Dr K Radhakrishnan is an accomplished technocrat with a distinguished career of more than 38 years in the fields of space technology, applications and space programme management.

He graduated in electrical engineering from Kerala University in 1970 and obtained his MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, in 1976.

He was awarded a PhD by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, in the year 2000.

After assuming charge, he said: “It is a huge task that has been entrusted on him.”

Source ANI

Rae Bareilly (UP): Rae Bareilly, the former constituency of former assassinated Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, remembered her on her 25th death anniversary today.

The area is the political bastion of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

After independence, the Rae Bareilly  constituency was won by Jawaharlal Nehru''s son-in-law Feroze Gandhi and later by Indira Gandhi.

“I still remember, when she came here around 12 to 12.30 in the night and she gave an address here. She promised that when her government will come to power she will provide employment to around 35,000 people and when her government came to power, she fulfilled her promise. She visited Rae Bareilly on April 1st 1984 and on 31st October she had a tragic death. It was her last visit on April 1st 1984," said Gaya Prasad Shukla, Congress Leader, Rae Bareilly.

Born on November 19, 1917 in Allahabad, the only child of India’s first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, joined politics in 1955.

Uma Shanker Mishra, Rae Bareilly Disrict president, appreciated Gandhi for her development efforts in the region.

"She has done a lot for Rae Bareilly. She opened an ITI (Industrial training institute) and post offices here. She worked for the development of Rae Bareilly and the whole world knows about her," Mishra said.

Her policy of nationalising banks was mentioned as a reason why the Indian banking sector has successfully weathered the current global financial crisis.

She also won the 1971 war against Pakistan and ordered the Pokhran I nuclear tests three years later.

Indira Gandhi''s tough image earned her the acronym of India''s "Iron Lady," a title bestowed on her contemporary, Britain''s Margaret Thatcher. Incidentally, Indira''s memorial came to be known as "Shakti Sthal" or place of power.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Australia has won the toss and elected to bat in the third one-day international against India.

Shane Watson and skipper Ricky Ponting are opening the innings for the visitors in this crucial encounter against Team India at the Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi.

While the Indian side remained unchanged from the Nagpur ODI, Australia made couple of changes in their squad, after the team was hit by a string of injuries.

Wicketkeeper Graham Manou and NSW all-rounder Moises Henriques make their one-day debuts, replacing the injured Tim Paine and Shaun Marsh, while Doug Bollinger has come in for Ben Hilfenhaus,
 
The Indian cricket team will hope to grab a lead in the seven one-day match series against a depleted Australian side when both face off in the third match at Delhi''s Ferozeshah Kotla grounds this afternoon.

India appears on the surface to be the more dominant team going into the match, while Ricky Ponting''s Australians are struggling to put a fit eleven on the ground because of a spate of injuries to their players.

Pace spearhead Brett Lee, all-rounder James Hopes and first choice wicketkeeper Tim Paine are already out of the squad with elbow, hamstring and broken finger injuries respectively.

Ponting, however, is refusing to accept that the momentum in the series has shifted to India and said "I am not a great believer in momentum. Things change too quickly."

M S Dhoni, is equally confident going into the match, saying that all his team is doing is taking positives from each game.

"We have to start from scratch in every game. Two matches gone, now it has become a five-match series for us and though win brings in confidence, we have to start afresh," Dhoni said.

The resounding victory in Nagpur will no doubt serve as a huge confidence booster for Dhoni and his men, who came out with a brilliant all-round display to claw their way back into the series after Australia took the lead.

Barring Sachin Tendulkar, the awesome Indian batting line up has looked solid with most of the top order batsmen being among the runs in the first two matches. Dhoni himself led from the front with a blistering 124 off 107 balls while Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir have laid the foundation with their lusty strokeplay.

"It will be like starting from the scratch in Delhi. Hopefully, we will improve in the areas where we did not do well and we will bounce back," Ponting said.

The team for the match is as follows:

India: 1 MS Dhoni (capt), 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Sachin Tendulkar, 4 Virender Sehwag, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harbhajan Singh 9 Praveen Kumar 10 Ishant Sharma 11 Ashish Nehra.

Australia 1 Ricky Ponting (capt), 2 Shane Watson, 3 Michael Hussey, 4 Cameron White, 5 Adam Vogues, 6 Moises Henriques, 7 Graham Manou (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Peter Siddle, 10 Nathan Hauritz, 11 Doug Bollinger.

Source ANI

Jaipur: The continuing blaze at the Indian Oil Corporation fuel depot near Jaipur has not only destroyed property worth crores of rupees, but also rendered many daily wage earners jobless.

Since the fire erupted on Thursday, all business activity near the oil depot has stopped.

Some daily wagers have started migrating in search of jobs as they fear it will take a few more days before fire is brought under control and business activities return to normal.

"I stitch clothes. There is no work for the past two three days. Our shops have been closed ever since oil containers exploded. There is no electricity. We are jobless. I have small children. I''m running around in search of some work but of no avail. I''m leaving this place as I''m scared that there may be a similar incident in the future. I m scared," said Teekaram, a daily wager.

Hanuman, another labourer, is also leaving the place along with his family. He says he has not earned anything since the fire broke out.

"It has affected me in every way. There''s nothing to eat for two three days. There is no work. We used to earn about Rs 250 a day. My wife used to earn Rs100 and I used to earn Rs150. There is nothing left now. So we are leaving the village," said Hanuman.

Like Teekaram and Hanuman, thousands of daily wagers make their living by working at Sitapura industrial area. Now they are looking elsewhere for a job as they see no signs of the blaze dying down soon.

All four containers in the depot exploded in Sitapura industrial area and quickly spread to some adjoining industrial units.

The fire damaged many industrial units and business establishments. Small shops which had a narrow escape are closed on the second day as the oil containers continue to spew flames and thick smoke.

Two villages near the depot were evacuated and power was cut off across the region as a precautionary measure.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Australian speedster Brett Lee has said that he is far from finished, and warned that he will return fast and furious despite calls from legendary West Indies batsman Brian Lara to embrace the guile and tricks the late Malcolm Marshall used in the twilight of his glorious pace career.

"I haven''t finished yet. I know that my body has still got a lot left in it. I will know the time when it is time to move on,'''' The Australian quoted Lee, as saying.

Lee, who has been ruled out of the seven-match one day series, and has returned to Australia because of an elbow strain, said: "Whilst I can still bowl over 155km/h, and do it consistently and actually feel pretty good, well I''m going to try and do it because I still have the passion for it, still love it.''''

National chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch has indicated that veteran Lee is no longer a first-choice component of Australia''s Test attack.

Lee''s eyes become steely and shoulders pin back at any suggestion his days in the baggy green or spearhead role are numbered.

"I want to get my Test spot back definitely, I want to keep playing one-day cricket for Australia ... and I love playing Twenty20 cricket, it''s exciting,'''' said Lee, while promoting Deakin University as a safe destination for Indian students in Delhi.

Lee disagreed with Australian coach Tim Nielsen that a two-week Champions League odyssey after 11 one-day games in England and the Champions Trophy was what caused his elbow strain.

"I don''t think it''s got anything to do with the Champions League,'''' affirmed Lee, who made his Boxing Day Test debut against India in Melbourne a decade ago.

"NSW is where I was born. I had the opportunity to play and I thought it would be the perfect lead-in

Lee believes form should be the only basis for Test selection.

Source ANI

Guwahati: Special prayer meetings were organised across Assam to pay homage to those killed in the October 2008 serial bomb blasts.

Eastern Beats, an organization that promotes upcoming musicians of the state, organized a Rock Contest in Karbi Anglong district to create awareness about peace, brotherhood and non-violence.

Hundreds of music lovers gathered at the concert holding candles aiming to cut across human-made barriers and take a strong stance against mindless bloodshed.

"As you know music has no limits and doesn''t have any boundary so music can heal all wounds and all sins. So this is the main theme of the concert," said Cheratin Teron, organiser of music concert.

Hundreds of people joined the family members of the victims, lit candles and held banners condemning the terror act in different parts of Guwahati.

The relatives of the blast victims paid homage to the departed souls at the blast site.

"The government of Assam has failed miserably to provide security to the innocent people of Assam. There were some promises and commitments but government did nothing to fulfil its commitment. As the same the government must take effective steps to crush violence and to evict fundamental groups from the soil of Assam," said Sammujal Bhattacharya, Advisor, All Assam Students'' Union (AASU)

On October 30, 2008, 11 coordinated bomb blasts killed at least 100 people and wounded more than 500 across Assam.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Former intelligence Bureau (IB) director P.C. Haldar has been appointed interlocutor for talks with three Northeast militant outfits — Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel), United People’s Democratic Solidarity and the pro-talks faction of National Democratic Front of Boroland.

Home minister P. Chidambaram made the announcement at his monthly assessment press conference here on Friday.

Haldar is a 1970-batch Bihar cadre IPS officer. The announcement comes close on heels of the appointment last week of Lt Gen. (retd) Vijay Madan as interlocutor for holding talks with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM).

Apparently, the government is sending a message to the militant outfits of the Northeast that if they lay down arms, Delhi will take the extra step to initiate a dialogue.

Source ANI

Sopore (Jammu and Kashmir): One of the two militants engaging security forces in a gun battle in Jammu and Kashmir''''s Sopore District has been killed, a television report said.

According to sources, the encounter began at 10.15 a.m. the Arampora area of the district on Saturday. The security forces have cordoned off the area and operations are on to flush out the terrorists.

This is fifth encounter between security forces and militants in the Kashmir Valley in the last five days. Saturday''''s gun battle comes just a day after the Army foiled an infiltration bid along LoC killing two intruders.

Pakistani troops too have violated the November 2003 cease fire to push the militants into the Kupwara district of North Kashmir.

The Army has decided to lodge a strong protest with their Pakistani counterparts and has sought a flag meeting.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Maoists have killed three persons of the same family for money in the Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, police have said.

A group of almost 60 Maoists barged in to the house of three brothers, Jai, Tileshwar and Lachinder at Kidrepal village in the early hours on Thursday and brutally killed them with sharp weapons, according to the police.

The deceased included a teacher and a village secretary, a delayed report said.

According to sources, the three brothers had failed to pay hundred thousand rupees of extortion money demanded by Maoists, which resulted in their brutal murder.

"They had come on October 20 and they left a letter demanding 1 lakh rupees (100 thousand rupees). They said that will come back on October 25 to collect money, but they did not come. We had no clue about their address or any other detail. And everyone was scared that how the money would be collected thus everyone was sitting quietly out of fear," said Uma Manjhi, wife of a slain Lachinder.

The incident took place about 450 kilometres away from Raipur.

Eastern West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and western Maharashtra are the worst Maoist-hit states in India.

There are about 22,000 Maoist combatants across India, claiming that they are fighting for the rights of the poor and landless.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Countering allegations levelled by Telecom Minister A Raja that the BJP-led NDA government was involved in the "biggest ever spectrum allocation scam", BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi has asked why Raja has remained silent so far.

"I say where was Mr. Raja up till now? There have been now five years of their own rule. He was the minister; he could have said it earlier. Because now he is under dock therefore they are coming with all these things," Joshi said.

Raja said on Friday that that the NDA had distributed free spectrum to operators depriving the exchequer of over 1,60,000 rupees crore revenue.

He added that the NDA Government not only distributed free spectrum, it also violated all norms by giving the frequency far in excess of 4.4 MHz to many leading operators.

The BJP has been demanding for Raja''s resignation ever since CBI searched offices of the Telecom Ministry and some private mobile operators last week over a spectrum allocation scam case.

Raja had said he wouldn’t step down from his position in the wake of charges that his spectrum allocation policies have caused a revenue loss of 60,000 crore rupees.

“I will not step down. Ours is a government that has followed all rules to the letter and spirit by following the recommendations of TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India),” he said.

Source ANI

Shimla: Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, has said that the primary responsibility for reducing global warming lies with the developed countries.

"We are engaging all countries; developing as well as developed countries…Our stand is clear that the primary responsibility for reducing global warming is that of developed nations," he said during an environment protection conclave in Shimla on Friday.

Ramesh also addressed a gathering of environmentalists during ''Himalayan People''s Conclave on Climate Justice'', a two-day conclave on Indian Himalayas: Glaciers, Climate Change and Livelihoods.''

The conclave was attended by hundreds of environmentalists and chief ministers of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.

Ramesh also announced a green-bonus scheme for five Himalayan states.

The bonus will be provided to states on the basis of their performance on sustainable development and protection forests.

"The states like Uttrakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, which are having lot of forest cover, which are providing ecological function should be compensated for preserving their forests. There must be an incentive for the state to retain their forest cover," Ramesh said.

He also informed that the green bonus would be reflected in the report of the finance commission recommendation, which is scheduled to be released next month.

China and India say the rich countries need to make cuts averaging at least 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 to avoid the worst of climate change.

Source ANI

Bangalore/New Delhi: Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu on Saturday claimed that the rebel Reddy brothers have the support of 60 MLAs and will head to New Delhi on Sunday to meet the party''s central leadership.

Representatives of warring factions in the Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be meeting in Delhi over the weekend to patch up their differences, even as the party general secretary in charge of Karnataka, Arun Jaitley, has ruled out a leadership change in the state.

Jaitely, who returned to the national capital on Friday, said Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa would remain in office. But the dissidents continue to demand his removal.

Party sources said State Tourism Minister Janardhana Reddy and his brother and State Revenue Minister G Karunakara Reddy and their associate Health Minister B Sriramulu, along with Assembly Speaker Jagadish Shettar, state unit president D V Sadanand Gowda and other rebel MLAs, have been summoned.

Expressing confidence that a solution would be found soon, a beleaguered Yeddyurappa said "the central leadership is aware of the differences of opinion that has surfaced among leaders in the state."

Jaitley had assured him that the issue would be resolved smoothly, said Yeddyurappa, who is facing a fresh bout of dissidence led by Reddy brothers and their loyalist Sreeramulu.

Karunakara Reddy said "problems faced by MLAs have been brought to the attention of central leadership."

The state needs "an able and good leadership" to ensure that the BJP government completes its five year term, Janardhana Reddy said.

Jaitley held discussions last night with Jagadish Shettar, who has emerged as a rallying point for rebels who are trying to project him to replace Yeddyurappa.

The first BJP government in the south was rocked by infighting after the influential Reddy brothers renewed their dissident activities, breaking the truce brought about a few months ago when they first raised the banner of revolt.

Striking back at the dissidents, Yeddyurappa had ordered mass transfer of officials of Bellary district from where the dissident ministers hail, and hinted at action against the rebel leaders, further angering them.

Yeddyurappa said the issues will be resolved.

Source ANI

Jaipur: The massive fire at the Indian Oil Corporation''s fuel depot at Sitapur near Jaipur continues, death toll has reached between eight and 11, while over 150 people have been injured.

There''s also the fear of confronting more lives lost when the flames die down.

“There may be people inside. So we may even have to do some rescue and relief operations, salvage whatever we can,” said Sartak Behuria, IOC chairman.

So far, nearly five lakh residents in the radius of five-kilometre area around the fire spot have been moved to safer locations after it was declared “danger zone”.

Among those who were evacuated were all the patients, doctors and staff of a government hospital and engineering and medical students of 10 hostels.

According to IOC sources, a total loss of 300 crore has been estimated.

The IOC said it would take al least 15-18 months to rebuild the facility in Jaipur.

Meanwhile, Petroleum Minister Murli Deors has ordered a probe to ascertain the cause of fire.

“I won''t say anything even if I know something. Our enquiry committee will go into the reasons why this fire happened. We''ll also try to find out corrective measures to prevent such tragedies in future," Deora said.

Although the flames have been contained within the depot''s premises, all 12 containers have exploded, so the fire is expected to last for another day.

Source ANI

Sopore (Jammu and Kashmir): Security forces are engaged in a gun battle with two militants who are housed in a residential complex in Jammu and Kashmir''s Sopore District.

According to sources, the encounter began at 10.15 a.m. om Saturday. The security forces have cordoned off the area and operations are on to flush out the terrorists.

This is fifth encounter between security forces and militants in the Kashmir Valley in the last five days. Saturday''s gun battle comes just a day after the Army foiled an infiltration bid along LoC killing two intruders.

Pakistani troops too have violated the November 2003 cease fire to push the militants into the Kupwara district of North Kashmir.

The Army has decided to lodge a strong protest with their Pakistani counterparts and has sought a flag meeting.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Income tax officials conducted nationwide raids on Saturday at various addresses linked with former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda and his associates.

According to sources, the IT officials raided 65 addresses associated with Koda as the Enforcement Directorate was working to strengthen the money laundering case against him.

On October 9, the Enforcement Directorate had charged Koda and his former Cabinet colleagues under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for allegedly amassing assets worth several hundred crores.

His former associates who have also been booked under PMLA include --Bhanu Pratap Shahi, Bandhu Tirkey and Kamlesh Singh.

Their assets were said to be running between 700-800 crore rupees.

Koda, an independent member of Lok Sabha and a UPA supporter, has been charged with having business interests of diverse kinds - cement, steel, auto, power, agro and tourism.

Estimated at 300-400 crore rupees, his investments are alleged to be spread from Singapore to Thailand to Dubai to Liberia.

Source ANI

New Delhi: NSW Champions League star Moises Henriques is set to make his one-day international debut today after Brett Lee and James Hopes were ruled out of the match against India in Delhi with minor injuries.

The 22-year-old all-rounder, who has played one international Twenty20 match, will join replacement wicketkeeper Graham Manou in the side, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

Meanwhile, team sources have revealed that Australian batsmen will be told to aim for the ''''V'''' between mid-wicket and cover when attempting strokes.

''''For a batting group, it''s about playing as straight as you can and not playing too many cross-bat shots, and for a bowling group it''s all about trying to hit the stumps more often than not,'''' Ponting was quoted, as saying yesterday.

Source ANI

New Delhi: The Indian cricket team will hope to grab a lead in the seven one-day match series against a depleted Australian side when both face off in the third match at Delhi''s Ferozeshah Kotla grounds this afternoon.

India appears on the surface to be the more dominant team going into the match, while Ricky Ponting''s Australians are struggling to put a fit eleven on the ground because of a spate of injuries to their players.

Pace spearhead Brett Lee, all-rounder James Hopes and first choice wicketkeeper Tim Paine are already out of the squad with elbow, hamstring and broken finger injuries respectively.

Ponting, however, is refusing to accept that the momentum in the series has shifted to India and said "I am not a great believer in momentum. Things change too quickly."

M S Dhoni, is equally confident going into the match, saying that all his team is doing is taking positives from each game.

"We have to start from scratch in every game. Two matches gone, now it has become a five-match series for us and though win brings in confidence, we have to start afresh," Dhoni said.

The resounding victory in Nagpur will no doubt serve as a huge confidence booster for Dhoni and his men, who came out with a brilliant all-round display to claw their way back into the series after Australia took the lead.

Barring Sachin Tendulkar, the awesome Indian batting line up has looked solid with most of the top order batsmen being among the runs in the first two matches. Dhoni himself led from the front with a blistering 124 off 107 balls while Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir have laid the foundation with their lusty strokeplay.

"It will be like starting from the scratch in Delhi. Hopefully, we will improve in the areas where we did not do well and we will bounce back," Ponting said.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Representatives of warring factions in the Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be meeting in Delhi over the weekend to patch up their differences, even as the party general secretary in charge of Karnataka, Arun Jaitley, has ruled out a leadership change in the state.

Jaitely, who returned to the national capital on Friday, said Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa would remain in office. But the dissidents continue to demand his removal.

Party sources said State Tourism Minister Janardhana Reddy and his brother and State Revenue Minister G Karunakara Reddy and their associate Health Minister B Sriramulu, along with Assembly Speaker Jagadish Shettar, state unit president D V Sadanand Gowda and other rebel MLAs, have been summoned.

Expressing confidence that a solution would be found soon, a beleaguered Yeddyurappa said "the central leadership is aware of the differences of opinion that has surfaced among leaders in the state."

Jaitley had assured him that the issue would be resolved smoothly, said Yeddyurappa, who is facing a fresh bout of dissidence led by Reddy brothers and their loyalist Sreeramulu.

Karunakara Reddy said "problems faced by MLAs have been brought to the attention of central leadership."

The state needs "an able and good leadership" to ensure that the BJP government completes its five year term, Janardhana Reddy said.

Jaitley held discussions last night with Jagadish Shettar, who has emerged as a rallying point for rebels who are trying to project him to replace Yeddyurappa.

The first BJP government in the south was rocked by infighting after the influential Reddy brothers renewed their dissident activities, breaking the truce brought about a few months ago when they first raised the banner of revolt.

Striking back at the dissidents, Yeddyurappa had ordered mass transfer of officials of Bellary district from where the dissident ministers hail, and hinted at action against the rebel leaders, further angering them.

Yeddyurappa said the issues will be resolved.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh led the nation in paying homage to former Premiere Indira Gandhi on the 25th anniversary of her martyrdom at Shakti Sthal here on Saturday.

Tributes were also paid on behalf of President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil, who is on a foreign visit. 

Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari also visited Shakti Sthal and paid his tributes.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party General Secretary Rahul Gandhi also paid floral tributes to Indira Gandhi

A prayer meeting was organised at the official residence of Indira Gandhi. This was attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, family members of Gandhi and other dignitaries.

A series of programmes are being organised across India to commemorate Indira Gandhi''s martyrdom.

Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to give the prestigious 24th Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for the year 2008 to noted journalist, writer and human rights activist Balraj Puri at a function in New Delhi.  

In 1984, Indira Gandhi launched Operation Blue Star to crush secessionist movement in Punjab and sent troops into the Golden Temple of Amritsar.

She was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31st of the same year.

Gandhi is remembered for leading the nation to new heights on national and international fronts.

Source ANI

New Delhi: The Patiala House court on Saturday allowed the Special Cell of Delhi Police to conduct a narco analysis test on Kobad Ghandy, a Polit Bureau Member of the banned CPI (Maoist).

The court’s decision comes after a medical board of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) submitted its report and gave the go-ahead for narco analysis test on Ghandy, saying that he can withstand the test.

The medical board has also said that the test should be conducted under strict medical supervision as Ghandy is suffering from hypertension and other ailments. 

Earlier on October 20, the Special Cell had filed an application before Chief Judicial Magistrate Kaveri Baweja seeking the narco analysis test on Ghandy, arguing that he was not cooperating with the police due to which it was getting difficult for them to carry out their investigation.

Taking action on the application, the court had directed AIIMS to constitute a medical board to examine Ghandy’s fitness aspect.

Ghandy, who heads the CPI (Maoist) publication wing, was nabbed from South Delhi last month following inputs from intelligence agencies. He would be in judicial custody till November 13.

He has been a part of the People’s War Group (PWG) since its initial stages.

Source ANI

New Delhi: Activists of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), a regional political party in Punjab, staged a protest in the national capital against the lack of justice to the families of those who were killed after the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, 25 years ago.

Gurinder Pal Singh Dhanaula, General Secretary of the SAD (Amritsar), said that through the protest they were demanding justice for the families, which had lost its members.

“Today 25 years have completed after the assassination of Indira Gandhi in New Delhi, scores of innocent Sikhs were burnt alive by the administration and leaders of Congress. Till now, no proper legal trial has taken place against the culprits. We demand justice,” said Gurinder Pal Singh Dhanaula, General Secretary, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) (Amritsar).

Official figures confirm that 2,733 people were killed during the riots-- many of them burnt alive. Rights groups put the toll at over 4000.

A majority of the Sikhs killed in the 1984 riots died in New Delhi where about 600 cases of arson, killing and rioting were registered, but police closed half of them, ostensibly for lack of evidence. Only around 10 people have been convicted of murder.

Source ANI

Ranchi: The Income Tax department on Saturday conducted nationwide raids at 70 addresses linked to former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda and others allegedly involved in unaccounted money transaction during his term.

Addressing a press conference in Ranchi, Income Tax Director of Investigation, Ujjwal Choudhary, said: “Search operations are being held at the places related to Madhu Koda, Vinod Kumar Sinha and Sanjay Chowdhary. In total the search operations are going on at 70 places in the cities like Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Chaibasa, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Nasik.”

Choudhary also said that during Koda’s tenure as the Chief Minister, he was involved in the transaction of unaccounted money.

“According to the information, during the period when Koda was the Mining Minister and Arjun Munda was the Chief Minister and also under the Chief Ministership of Madhu Koda, it seems like deals took place where unaccounted money was transacted. The search operations are being held for that purpose,” Choudhary added.

The raids comes after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered a case against Koda and eight others for alleged money laundering, diversion of State funds and making huge illegal investments abroad.

The ED filed an Enforcement Case Information Report before the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Ranchi on October 10.

Koda has been booked under the PMLA along with three of his State Cabinet colleagues Kamlesh Singh, Bhanu Pratap Shahi and Bhandu Tirkey, besides five others.

Koda is also alleged to have purchased mines worth 1.7 million dollars in Liberia, after he became chief minister of the mineral rich state in 2006 as an independent legislator, third politician in the country to achieve this feat.

Source ANI

Jaipur: The massive fire at the Indian Oil Corporation''s fuel depot at Sitapur near Jaipur is still continuing, but it has reportedly died down in five of the 11 storage tanks.

According to officials at the sites, the fires in the remaining six tanks are expected to die down in the next 12-hours.

The death toll has reached between eight and 11, while over 150 people have been injured and there is also the fear of confronting more lives lost when the flames die down.

“There may be people inside. So, we may even have to do some rescue and relief operations, salvage whatever we can,” said Sartak Behuria, IOC chairman.

So far, nearly five lakh residents in the radius of five-kilometre area around the fire spot have been moved to safer locations after it was declared “danger zone”.

Among those who were evacuated were all the patients, doctors and staff of a government hospital and engineering and medical students of 10 hostels.

According to IOC sources, a total loss of 300 crore has been estimated.

The IOC also said that it would take al least 15-18 months to rebuild the facility in Jaipur.

Meanwhile, Petroleum Minister Murli Deors has ordered a probe to ascertain the cause of fire.

“I won''t say anything even if I know something. Our enquiry committee will go into the reasons why this fire happened. We''ll also try to find out corrective measures to prevent such tragedies in future," Deora said.

Although the flames have been contained within the depot''s premises, all 12 containers have exploded, so the fire is expected to last for another day.

Source ANI

Bhopal: In a first of its kind incident in India, a team of veterinary doctors performed an ultrasound on an ailing tigress in Bhopal’s Van Vihar National Park.

The test detected Priya, the ailing tigress, had developed an infection in her kidneys and uterus due to which she was not taking any meal for one month.

Dr. Atul Gupta, a veterinary doctor from the Van Vihar National Park, termed the ultrasound as ''challenging'', as it was very difficult to anaesthetize the tigress.

“We checked each and every organ of her body thoroughly and spotted an infection in her kidneys and uterus. We performed this medical examination to confirm the disorder that our medical team had diagnosed earlier,” Dr. Gupta added.

According to the Director of the Van Vihar National Park, S S Rajput, the tigress was having health problems for one month due to which she had refused to take any food. It was later decided to conduct an ultrasound on Priya to confirm the reason behind her illness.

Rajput now said that after the ultrasound Priya had been responding well to the medical treatments, and she was back to her normal diet.

“Priya was suffering from certain health problems for one month. Earlier, we treated her with preliminary antibiotics, but she did not respond well to it. So, we had to call in the doctors from the veterinary department, who diagnosed an infection in kidney and uterus and since then, she has been responding well to the treatment and is back to her normal diet,” Rajput said.

He also informed that the tigress was rescued from a circus and is eleven years old.

Source ANI

New Delhi/ Amritsar: Hundreds and thousands of Sikhs on Saturday participated in the annual religious procession “Nagar Kirtan”, taken out as part of the festivities related to the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev, the first guru of Sikhs, in Delhi and Amrtisar cities of north India. 

Guru Nanak’s 541st birth anniversary will be celebrated on Monday (November 2).

Innumerous devotees carried the Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred book of the Sikhs; also revered as the last living Guru, in the procession, to Nanak Pyao Gurudwara about eight kilometers away.

Devotees carrying brooms swept the roads along the route of the procession. They believe that it amounts to offering themselves at the service of the God and it will help them rid of their sins.

In Amritsar city, colourful procession was led by five priests or the "Panj Piaras".

"We are celebrating and have come to pray at the Golden Temple. Religious body, devotees and educational institutes are participating in the procession," said Harjeet Singh, a devotee.

Guru Nanak was born in 1469 in the then Punjab region of undivided Indian subcontinent. Troubled by the frequent conflicts between Hindu and Muslim communities, he tried to work out a synthesis of the two religions. His mission gained popularity among the masses and eventually evolved into Sikh religion.

Source ANI

Margao (Goa): Police in Margao, Goa, on Saturday arrested two men in connection with the recent blasts in the area in which two persons were killed.

The arrested persons identified as Vinay Talekar and Vinayak, both residents of Ponda region, were picked up by sleuths of the Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Goa Police.

The October 16 blast near Grace Church in Margao had killed two people. They were identified as Yogesh Naik and Malgonda Patil, members of Sanatan Sanstha, a right wing group.

Two other bombs were also defused in Margao and at Sancoale.

The Sanatan Sanstha has denied its role in the incident.

Source ANI

Mumbai: Life of thousands of Railway commuters in Maharashtra has been badly hit due to an indefinite strike of the catering associations at railway stations across the State, which entered its second day on Saturday.

Earlier on Friday, the All India Catering Contractors Association (AICCA) had called for the strike to protest against the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), who have asked the catering contractors to vacate their stalls by October 31 and invited tenders for new contracts.

Commuters who are dependent on the food stalls at the railway stations had to face the brunt of the scuffle between the two, as stalls providing food at subsidised rates were shut down for the second consecutive day.

“I am suffering because I am totally dependent on these food stalls. Now, from where will I get to drink tea and every time I have to travel by train? Here the tea is was available at cheap rates whereas from outside we usually get it for Rs. 8 to 10,” said Ravindra Chavan, a commuter.

Some commuters even complained that they had to go outside the station to buy drinking water at high prices, which was proving difficult for them.

“Here even poor people could afford to buy food and cold drink at low rates before travelling. I just went out and brought a bottle of water for myself, whereas I could have brought water from these stalls at subsidised rates,” said Vilas Sarmalkar, another commuter.

The AICCA fears that the Government will prefer multinational companies over them for the contracts and they will lose their business.

Source ANI

Shillong: Reverend David Jamir of Shillong, who lives by the motto: “One will always be successful in the things that obsess him or her”, is a contemporary musician in Meghalaya.
 
“You will always be successful; in the things that obsessed you. So, when music is in you, then there is no age limit or when you get married, you stop it away. For me, the whole day I’m in the restaurant, but when I’m alone, something would come to me, I would sing some tunes and try to write them down.
 
Jamir takes pride in his ability to have kept his life balance between passion, profession and family.
 
“At night, I would be with my family and I divide and balance my time. Balancing is number one. So, I have time for practice, have time for my family and have time for the restaurant,” said Reverend David Jamir, the musician.”
 
Jamir is looked upon as a youth icon. He has also involved himself in a variety of works related to the social development of Meghalaya.
 
Born in a family of music lovers, Jamir developed an interest in music in his childhood.  He started giving stage performances with different rock groups when he was barely 14.
 
Over the years, he has been the moving spirit behind some musical bands, which broke up later.
 
Today, at 41, he is the vocalist of a band called ‘JAM’. He also runs a restaurant in the heart of the city and counsels youth who are keen to pursue a music career.
 
Rev. Jamir also counsels drug addicts and families suffering from domestic problems. He engages in evangelism - the practice of disseminating the Gospel.
 
Other than his dream of starting a rehabilitation center to help alcoholics and drug  addicts, he wants to see his children follow in his footsteps. 
 
“Regarding family, I’d like to see my children follow in my footsteps and, I’ve been training my son too and he is playing the keyboards (piano) and my daughter in singing. In terms of others like I’ve said my dream center for the alcoholics and drug addicts that would be one of my biggest dream that I ever aim for,” said  Jamir.
 
Jamir has authored a book entitled ‘My Boat is Sinking, Help!’ and says that two other books are in the offing.
 
Till date, Jamir has produced three Gospel music albums entitled ‘I Am Going Home, ‘Forgiven’, and a remix of songs from the album ‘Forgiven’.

Source ANI