Ethnic Indians charged with murder in Malaysia

The raging controversy over the treatment of ethnic Indians in Malaysia refuses to subside. On Tuesday, 26 members of the community were charged with attempted murder of a policemen in a banned anti-discrimination rally on November 25, where more than 10,000 people staged the biggest anti-government protest.
The 26 defendants pleaded not guilty to four charges, including an attempt to kill a policeman during a clash at a temple compound in Batu Caves, just outside capital Kuala Lumpur.
"Other charges include causing mischief, rioting and illegal assembly," their lawyer M Manoharan told news agency Reuters.
If found guilty, the accused face a jail term of 20 years or life imprisonment for attempted murder.
Ravi Niko, another lawyer for the ethnic Indians, told CNN-IBN over the phone that the defence will raise "constitutional issues" against the ruling. "They have all been chanrged under Section 307 of the Penal Code. The defence will raise doubts against the charges. However, we do not know when the trial would start," he said.

Niko also told CNN-IBN how these men were arrested. "They were arrested yesterday and were taken to a remand home. Then, they were produced in court at 4:30 pm but were released when it was time for court to shut for the day. They were again produced again and were charged with murder," he said.
''It's very shocking,'' Manoharan told The Associated Press. ''This is a clear victimisation of the Indians by bringing forth a malicious prosecution that is race-based.''
All accused are aged between 19 and 46 and were remanded pending another court appearance on Wednesday. They were released on bail but police rearrested them at their homes before dawn on Tuesday in a surprise raid, Manoharan was quoted as saying.
The 10,000-strong rally was the largest protest involving Indians on the streets of Malaysia in at least a decade.
They were protesting the affirmative action policy of the Malaysian government and were also supporting a $4-trillion lawsuit filed in London in August by Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), a rights group demanding that Britain compensate Malaysian Indians for bringing their ancestors to the country as indentured laborers and exploiting them.
They say discrimination persists in Malaysia because of the policy favouring Malays, who form about 60 per cent of Malaysia's 27 million people. They also complain of religious discrimination, citing state authorities' demolition of several Hindu temples in recent years.
More than two-thirds of ethnic Indians - the country's second-largest minority population after ethnic Chinese - who are mostly Hindus and constitute about eight percent of the population, live in poverty.
They also complain the government is becoming increasingly Islamic and is denying them their religious rights, citing the demolition of dozens of Hindu temples.

An emotional Musharraf says his goodbyes

New Delhi: It was the General's last hurrah as army chief. Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf said his goodbyes to the men who form his most faithful constituency, after 46 years in the forces out of which nine long and eventful years at their helm.
"This army is my life, my passion. I love this army. The relationship will always be there but I will not be in uniform. I'm sad over this," he said, while bidding goodbye.
And as he handed over the baton to his vice-chief and close confidante, the New Chief of Army staff General Ashfaq Kiyani, Musharraf's sadness is tinged with a sense of loss.
Without the uniform, Musharraf's authority in his next term as President can only be less than the one he has completed and politicians have already started making it clear that stepping down isn't enough.
Former Pakistan prime minister, Benazir Bhutto said, "As mentioned, the political prisoners should be freed and there should be an independent election commission. If this giant step is going to be taken, then why not take other steps that can have other good effects?"

Reports indicate that the President may revoke the Emergency order in the next couple of days, in an effort to avoid an Opposition boycott of elections in January.
However, his battles with militancy, and civil society remain, battles that could bring the now retired general to pine.

Retired hurt: tough cop gives up on system

Kiran Bedi, the country’s first woman IPS officer, has sought voluntary retirement from service after 35 years in the force.
Magsaysay award-winner Bedi, who was recently overlooked for the post of Delhi’s Police Commissioner, has told the Government she wants to retire to pursue her “academic and social interests”.
Bedi, who retires as Director General, Bureau of Police Research and Development, has the reputation of being honest and no-nonsense officer. She earned the nickname ‘Crane Bedi’ in the 1980s when she once towed away Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s car for illegal parking.
Bedi has been civilian police adviser to the UN, Deputy Inspector General of Police in Mizoram, Director General in the Narcotics Control Bureau, head of Delhi traffic police and the chief of Delhi’s Tihar prison, where introduced reforms to improve the life of inmates.
Why is such a talented and honest officer seeking voluntary retirement? Does the Indian police have no place for an officer like her? CNN-IBN’s Senior Editor Sagarika Ghose asked this to Bedi herself and Meeran Chaddha Borwankar, the first woman Joint Commissioner of Mumbai Police and currently Special Inspector General of Police at the State Crime Record Bureau and CID in Pune. Ajay Mehra, Director of Centre for Public Affairs, joined the show to explain how the police system works in our country.

‘The system must change’
When Bedi was overlooked for the post of Delhi's police chief, she had told CNN-IBN: “the system has defeated me”. Is she retiring because of the system?
"That is true. I am today rejecting the system and moving out of it. I don't want to waste any more time with this stagnant system. I live and practise dynamism, so I am rejecting status quo. I want to move on and seek new challenges—I want to start all over again," she said.
“I am not disillusioned but fulfilled. Had I dragged on I would have felt disillusioned. If the system which brought out changes becomes status quo-ist, then it is time to move on and seek new pastures.”

Costliest Indian land deal: 3,000 cr for 3 plots

New Delhi: A record property deal has been made at Mumbai's Bandra-Kurla complex. It's the highest in the country.
The price tag for the first plot was Rs 5,04,000 a square metre or Rs 831 crore and the 16,500 square metre plot was bought by Mumbai's Wadhwa Builders.
Wadhwa Builders have paid 229 per cent higher than the reserve price.
Reliance Industries bought the second plot — a car park-cum-commercial complex — for Rs 918 crore, valued at Rs 27,917 per square foot. The bid by Reliance was the highest and winning bid.
Reliance paid Rs 3,00,500 a square metre, for the 30,550 square metre plot. They bid 96 per cent higher than the reserve price set for the particular plot.

Meanwhile, the TCG and Hiranandani joint venture have bagged the third plot, for a commercial complex at Rs 1,041 crore.
Mumbai Metropolitan Development Authority (MMRDA) has raked in Rs 2,790 crore with the sale of these three commercial plots.
Prices were expected to touch such dizzying heights, because of the lack of supply existing at the Bandra-Kurla complex on Monday. The MMRDA has positioned it as an international financial business hub and demand kept increasing so far.
Consultants said there will be no respite for the next one year. Commercial property prices are expected to touch as high as Rs 60,000 a square foot.
But the MMRDA has reacted and said that Rs 2,790 crore is precious little compared to the Rs 260,000 crore that they require in terms of funding to develop and improve the Mumbai Metropolitan region.
It is 230 per cent higher than the reserve price. The reserve price was set at Rs 163,000 a square metre, which was the highest the last time MMRDA sold plots at the BKC. Prices have more than doubled between last year’s auction and this year’s auction.
(With inputs from moneycontrol.com)

Confident Clinton Takes On Attacks

CBS) With the Iowa caucus just over a month away, CBS News anchor Katie Couric sat down for an exclusive interview with Democratic frontrunner Sen. Hillary Clinton. She’s the woman on everyone’s mind right now. But polls in Iowa are showing the race could shape up to be very close. Couric asked Clinton if she’s lowering her expectations as the primary approaches. “I never raised them, you know when I got into race at the beginning of the year. I wasn't even in double-digits. I was so far behind in Iowa it was embarrassing,” Clinton said. Her campaign instead is “encouraged” she said, because “we're making progress - but I take nothing for granted, this is going to be a tight race.” "I think everybody should just take a deep breath and say 'let's just go to the finish line,' which will be probably be midnight West Coast time on Feb. 5," she said. Couric asked Clinton: “Many of Barack Obama’s supporters were urging him to be more aggressive and to fight back a little more when it came to your candidacy. It seems as if in recent days you've returned the favor; you've taken off the gloves a bit. And some people are interpreting that as your campaign being pretty nervous...” “That's not the case at all. Campaigns have rhythm. And we're now down to end. We're going to have a mad dash to Iowa caucuses, turn around and have a mad dash to New Hampshire and then keep going,” she said. Has the Clinton campaign gotten more aggressive? “It's time. I have absorbed a lot of attacks for several months now - my opponents have basically had a free reign,” she said. "After you've been attacked as often as I have from several of my opponents, you can't just absorb it, you have to respond. "But a lot of the attacks have been quite persistent, shall we say," she said. "Hardly a day goes by when I'm not attacked." Clinton said she wants voters to know how her plans - particularly health care - stack up against those of other candidates. “I figure it’s about time now for me to draw contrasts, which I think are pretty important to voters,” she said. “And that’s what I’m going to do.” She distinguished Obama’s plan from those of her Democratic opponents. "All of us except Sen. Obama have universal health care ..." Clinton said. "I want people to know that." It was announced Monday that Oprah Winfrey would be campaigning with Obama in three key states. "How do you feel about that?" Couric asked. “I think it's great ... I'm proud to have a lot of very distinguished Americans [supporting me],” Clinton said.

Is she concerned Obama will get a major boost from Winfrey’s enthusiastic fan base? “No,” Clinton said. “At the end of the day it's among us as candidates. People will make their judgments. I’m proud to have my husband support me. It's wonderful to have someone with his knowledge and experience and incredible ability vouch for me campaign for me.” "If it's not you, how disappointed will you be?" Couric asked. “Well, it will be me,” she said. But she said she would stand behind any other Democratic nominee, if it came to that. “We're going to have unified party, behind whoever we nominate.” Clearly, she has considered the possibility she won't be the nominee? "No, I haven't," Clinton said.

Spurned by lover, Bihar girl scripts 3 murders

Patna: If you try to reason about love you will lose your reason.
And for that matter, 16-year-old Sonu's story is testimony to this old adage.
Love has allegedly made her commit no less than three murders, including that of her sweetheart.
Sonu, a resident of Jamshedpur, was in love with her neighbour Monu, but his parents opposed to their relation.
She then allegedly poisoned his father to death. Later, Monu, who had by then spurned her, was mysteriously killed in a road accident.
Witnesses had last seen him with her. Sonu then eloped with Monu's brother Bunty.
But the day after, his body was found near the hotel in Rohtas where they were staying together.
“She first killed my son then after having conspired with a doctor she started to live with my younger son,” says Monu’s mother, Kunti.
“A sadar hospital informed us that two-three men and a girl had just thrown a dead body and left. When we went there we got a call from a boy that the girl who had left the dead body was in a bus stop. We arrested her from there,” says police officer, SN Ojha.
Sonu however, has denied all these charges.
“I loved Monu but his family didn’t want us to get married because I belong to a different community. They have lost their younger son and they want me jailed,” says Sonu.
The police have filed an FIR against Sonu but till the investigations are over, we can only guess what drove her to commit the alleged murders.

Bombay HC judge's 'drunk' son mows down man

New Delhi: The son of a Bombay High Court ran his car over a man in Mumbai's D N Nagar area on Thursday night.
The police have registered an FIR against the accused who was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol.
The victim has been admitted to the hospital with injuries.
This is not the first time that children of high profile people have been caught on the wrong side of the law.
Last year, 21-year-old Alistair Pereira, the son of a Mumbai-based industrialist had rammed his Toyota Corolla in the pavement at Bandra killing sleeping labourers.
Seven labourers had died and several others were injured. The Bombay High Court had re-opened the case after a public outcry over a sessions court judgement which let off Pereira leniently with just a six-month jail term and a fine of Rs five rupees.
Pereira has now been sentenced to three years’ Rigourous Imprisonment under Section 304, one year under Section 338 and six months for causing grevious injuries.
In January 1999, Sanjeev Nanda, the son of a Navy officer, was driving his BMW in an "inebriated" state and ran over six people in New Delhi.
It is alleged that Nanda and his friends, who were travelling in the car, fled the scene of the accident though the police found some bloodstains on the vehicle later.
More recently, actor Salman Khan was charged with running over pavement dwellers in Mumbai, allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol.

Raped for 14 months, Dalit woman commits suicide

Bhopal: A 30-year-old Dalit woman has committed suicide after being raped repeatedly in Betul in Madhya Pradesh.
"What was the point of living if I won't get justice? Today I went to the Collectors office and wanted to give him a memorandum and consumed poison," Urmila said when asked why she consumed poison on Tuesday.
Urmila died on Wednesday at the hospital. For 14 months, the 30-year-old Dalit woman ran from pillar to post seeking justice but no one heard. Police went into an overdrive within hours of the suicide and the accused was arrested.
They have denied any negligence on their part but the District Collector believes the matter needs to be investigated.
"We will investigate the reasons behind this and based on that, we will take further action,” said Collector Betul, Arun Bhatt.
The accused Kallu Yaduvanshi is the son of the village Sarpanch against whom Urmila had complained for irregularities when she was the village panch between 2002 and 2004. A complaint has been lodged and the victim's husband has threatened of dire consequences.
"If all the accused are not arrested within 10 days, I will also do what my wife did. I can not live like this,” says Urmila’s husband, Shyam Rao.
With the police trying to wash their hands off, saying it was a long-standing dispute between the two families, justice for Urmila seems to be a far cry..

After Vengsarkar episode, it's now SRK vs BCCI

New Delhi: Shah Rukh Khan's presence at cricket matches involving the Indian Cricket team has triggered some controversy.
Some newspapers quoted an unnamed BCCI official saying that cricket was a bigger platform than a private television station and that the Bollywood superstar was using the sport to build brand value.
King Khan was was last seen at the Jaipur One-Dayer on Sunday and had also come to see the Twenty20 World Cup final as well as India's Twenty20 game versus Australia in Mumbai.
"What I read in the article today is using the platform of cricket in terms of the reach of this game for promoting one's movies or one's activities. I think that is probably a slightly debatable topic," said BCCI's Chief administrative Officer, Ratnakar Shetty.
To this, Shah Rukh Khan responded, "I am disappointed by the comment of my promoting film at cricket match. I watched the match for my son. I will only talk about my films. Next time I probably will not go for any match."

Cabinet recommends Prez rule in Karnataka

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet, which met early on Tuesday morning, decided to accept the recommendation of Governor of Karnataka for proclamation of President's rule in the state. This will be followed by dissolution of the Assembly.
On Monday night the Cabinet met at the Prime Minister's residence to discuss the Karnataka crisis, but it proved to be inconclusive.
The meeting could not arrive at a decision because the Cabinet did not have all requisite papers, Law Minister H R Bharadwaj said outside the Prime Minister's residence.
Earlier, it was believed that the meeting was that of Political Affairs Committee and not a full-fledged meet and the meeting has to take place before Manmohan Singh leaves for his week-long tour outside the country.
Exactly seven days after he took oath as Chief Minister of Karnataka, B S Yeddyurappa handed over his resignation letter to the Governor on Monday.
Yeddyurappa was in the Governor's office even before the vote of confidence he had called was conducted. He knew he couldn't have won that vote. His alliance partner, the JD(S), led by H D Deve Gowda pulled out from supporting him on the floor of the House.
The JD(S) has blamed the BJP for the collapse of the government. The 12-point memorandum of understanding given by the JD(S) that the BJP didn't agree to, was put forward as the immediate provocation.
But the real rift was over the control of the Bellary mines and some crucial portfolios like ports and urban development that both parties wanted to keep for themselves.
By Monday evening, the sun finally set on the BJP's political ambition south of the Vindhyas. The first BJP chief minister in the south had bowed out of office.
But with the Congress waiting on the sidelines, this will not be the end of the political nataka in Karnataka.
It's a new low for Karnataka politics and the stable government the people want is a long way away.

Woman forced to 'drink acid', hospitalised

New Delhi: In a bizarre case of domestic violence, a 28-year-old woman was allegedly forced to drink acid by her in-laws.Radhika, a Delhi-based housewife, was admitted to Apollo Hospital on Tuesday evening in a serious condition. While her parents allege her in-laws made her drink acid, Radhika has denied the charge.

She has told the police that she consumed acid by accident. Her parents say Radhika's in-laws had been making demands for dowry since her marriage seven years ago.
They also complained that the guards at the Apollo Hospital did not allow them to meet her. Radhika's condition is reported to be stable.

“My sister called the day before. She was being tortured by her in-laws. We had given them a Santro in dowry," says Radhika's brother Deepak Mehta.

PTI quotes a senior police official as saying a call was received at Sarita Vihar Police Station around 1915 hrs (IST) from a hospital official informing them of the incident.

However, no criminal case was registered in the matter as Radhika gave a statement that she drank the acid inadvertently, the official said.

SMS alert: Beware of fake messages!!!!!!!!!!

New Delhi: Texting, or sending SMSs is one of the favourite past-times of most mobile-savvy people, particularly youngsters.
However, the simple SMS message in now increasingly becoming a weapon of fraud.
The practice of fraudulent SMS texts has intensified so much that two unresolved high-profile lawsuits are more or less hinging on the mystery of SMS texts.
An hour before his death, Rizwanur Rehman had texted his father-in-law, telling him that he would leave a letter. This and few of the preceding texts have formed the crux of the case that is still shrouded in mystery.
Even Pravin Mahajan's death threat SMS message to his brother Pramod was considered concrete proof of a motive for murder. But an expert, Rajesh Kumar's testimony proved that just about anyone could have sent that text to Pramod Mahajan.
But sending fraudulent SMS messages is so simple that it is downright scary.
Googling "Bulk SMS" will bring forth a slew of results, several of them pointing to websites that will permit any user to send text messages to anyone's cellphone. What is a cause for serious concern is that these websites do not verify their users - users are free to pose as just about anyone.
One such website is pimpmysms.com. You only needs to register to access the service. Each user gets 1 free SMS to send as part of the introductory offer before the paid service kicks in. When sending the SMS message, you just key in the number you want to impersonate and the number you want the text to go to, enter the message and that's all that needs to be done. And all this is done without any form of verification.
What is more shocking is that for the recipient, the actual source of these messages cannot be traced, except in select phones.
SMS messages can also be meddled with if the cellphone has a USB port. They can even be sent via the Bluetooth technology that is there in most cellphones.
For some phones, impersonating becomes even easier.
A Nokia S-60 3rd edition phone can simply download a program called Active File to create and even place a fake text in any of the messaging folders, without actually having sent such a text message.
With cellphone technology growing unchecked in this manner, one has to take all possible precautions to not be implicated in any malicious prank.
With inputs from Hindol Sengupta

Butt's ton in vain as India win by 46 runs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kanpur: India vice-captain Yuvraj Singh played a dominating knock of 77 runs and took one wicket to guide India to a 46-run victory against Pakistan in the third One-Day International here at the Green Park Stadium on Sunday.

Put into bat by the visitors, Yuvraj, who was adjudicated the man of the match, hit the ball hard for the big shots along with aggressive running between the wickets to guide India to a competitive total of 294 for 6.
In reply Pakistan folded up for 248 in 47.2 overs.
The left-handed batsman, who was in devastating form, sent the visitors on a leather hunt and then bowled well to help India take a 2-1 lead in the five-match ODI series.
He also shared a solid 100-run partnership with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni who hit a cavalier 49 off 52 balls.

For Pakistan, the highlight of the day was Salman Butt’s sparkling innings of 129 runs from 142 balls studded with 17 fours. But it couldn’t translate into a win as Pakistan kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
Butt fought a lone battle on his way to his 4th ODI century against India playing some fine strokes in the process but he didn’t get enough support at the other end.
In company of Misbah-ul-Haq, he tried to keep his team in the hunt by sharing a solid 80-run partnership but the required run-rate kept on mounting.

The loss of three top-order batsmen – Afridi, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf – pushed Pakistan on the back foot.
The tourists were always fighting a lost battle with no specialist batsmen to take charge in the slog overs.
India opened the bowling with R P Singh, and Irfan Pathan who got the breakthrough claiming the wicket of the hero of the last match played here in 2005.
Shahid Afridi, who opened the innings with Butt, tried to hit one shot too many and perished for 12.
The wickets of Younis and Yousuf gave India the much-needed impetus.
India's pacers bowled with control; Zaheer Khan, who had a rather forgettable game at Mohali, returned with commendable figures (25 for 1 in seven overs).
Runs dried up in the middle-overs when Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh were introduced into the attack.
The target got stiffer as Pakistan were up against an asking rate of 10 in the last twelve overs. Eventually they fell short by 46 runs.

BJP makes south debut, set to form govt in K'taka

New Delhi: After days of uncertainty, hectic lobbying and political flip-flops, President’s rule was finally revoked in Karnataka on Thursday. The end of stalemate means BJP-JD(S) coalition will form government in the state yet again.
The reunited coalition paves the way for the formation of the first BJP government in South India.
“It’s a happy Diwali not only for BJP but for all people who didn’t like Congress in Karnataka. We are hopeful this government will last for remaining 20 months. Both parties have understood the necessity of continuing for a longer period,” said BJP state spokesperson Suresh Kumar.

While BJP spokesperson Prakash Jawadekar said that this news is the best birthday gift for L K Advani.“It is good news, though a little late. The Centre should have considered the political situation and done it earlier. But it’s okay. All parties should now understand the ground reality. This is the message of the one-month drama and the coalition will complete its term. It’s a birthday gift for L K Advani,” Jawadekar said.

The decision to withdraw President's rule was taken by the Union Cabinet two days after Karnataka Governor Rameshwar Thakur submitted his "final" report on the BJP-JD(S) demand for invitation to form the government.
The Karnataka Governor had told the Centre that the JD(S) and BJP command a majority in the Karnataka Assembly, but doubted whether the two-party coalition could provide a stable government.
Thakur's report, which was sent to President Pratibha Patil on October 31, said constitutionally there is no bar on the JD(S)-BJP coalition coming back to power but recommends an investigation into the charges the two parties leveled against each other after their first government fell on October 9.
Thakur, in his report, had also referred to the petitions received by him from political leaders since October 7, the day BJP withdrew support to the JD(S)-led government.
The Governor had annexed copies of advertisements by BJP and JD(S), after they ended their partnership and accused each other of betrayal.
Thakur on Tuesday had met Home Minister Shivraj Patil and briefed him about the situation in the state.
The two parties claim they have 129 MLAs to form a government led by BJP leader B S Yediyurappa.

Karat defends China, vows to end US game

Kolkata/New Delhi: The UPA government just won’t get a break from its Left allies. CPI-M General Secretary Prakash Karat praised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday but on Thursday he was back to slamming his ‘pro-American tilt’.''India is a prize for the US and not Pakistan because of its market. Developed India can be useful for counterbalancing China. This is a game the US is trying to play which has to be foiled'', Karat said at a CPI-M programme in Kolkata.
“We shall not rest in our fight till the strategic ties with the US is snapped out,” PTI quoted Karat as saying. “USA has also changed its tactics of making Pakistan its strategic ally as it has now realised that if it can get India as a strategic ally, the balance will be tilted in favour of imperialism and neo-colonialism.”

Karat said several countries were looking to India for the fight against imperialism but the government had disappointed them. ''When the Bush administration is threatening that the Third World war will be waged against Iran for its challenge against the US might, the Indian government remained silent and that is surprising'', he said.

India “is preferred as an ideal ally of the US. If it can get India as its ally, it can be a big game for the imperialists”. Karat said Indians would fight against imperialism “and cannot accept the design to convert us as a subordinate ally of the US”.

America is trying to make India its strategic ally in countering China, but "the most powerful socialist country is capable of challenging the might of the USA".
Karat didn’t speak about the Indo-US nuclear deal, but his colleague and CPI General Secretary said a consensus on the issues was possible. "I don't rule out the possibility of finding a consensus. It depends upon what steps the government takes. After all, it is not a one-issue or a one-party government but a coalition," Bardhan said in New Delhi.

"The party (CPI) is of the firm opinion that the deal is not in the national interest. The National Council held that India is being dragged into US global strategy. The US intention is to make India a strategic partner and its military ally," said Bardhan

Jaswant holds 'rave' party for Vasundhara haters

Jaipur: Senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh had been keeping a low profile of late but when he returned to headlines it was in controversy.

Singh allegedly served opium to guests at a function in his home in Barmer district’s Jasol village on Wednesday. He insists it was not opium but a traditional saffron mix.

"No opium was served at my function—it was a mix of gangajal, kesar, jaggery and tea,” says Singh, who was the External Affairs Minister in the NDA Government.

But Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's supporters smell a rat. Not at the suggestion that Singh held a traditional Rajasthani rave party, but that he is trying to brew rebellion among BJP ministers and MLAs who were his guests.
Singh didn’t invite Raje to the function, but MLAs who had skipped the Chief Minister’s state executive meeting in Chittorgarh last week were present at his function.

The Congress demanded action against BJP leaders who attended Singh’s function and “consumed” opium. “BJP ministers are fighting on the roads and want to glamourise their dissent by consuming opium in public—they must be prosecuted,” said Congress Spokesperson Raghu Sharma.

Jaswant Singh denies working against Raje but added fuel to the fire with this explanation. “Women are traditionally not invited to such functions,” he said.

Some months Singh’s wife had filed a case against Raje's supporters for depicting the Chief Minister as goddess Durga. Now, as elections loom in the state, the fight within the two BJP leaders has become bitter.

Nitish calls in CBI, douses ire against party MLA

Patna: JD(U) MLA Ananth Singh has been sent to 14-day judicial custody for assaulting journalists on Thursday but he needn’t fear of being banished from politics.
Ananth’s henchmen and security guards beat up NDTV reporter Prakash Singh, cameraperson Habib Ali and ANI cameraperson Ajay Kumar at his home in Patna when they asked him about a missing girl.

The journalists were held captive for more than two hours and their cellphones, watches and cameras were smashed. "I was kept captive for two hours. I was saved and it was like a second birth for me," said Prakash.

Four days ago TV channels in Patna received an anonymous letter which alleged that Ananth had threatened a rape victim. Journalists in the city got curious when a girl called Reshma was found dead in Patna’s Shastrinagar on Wednesday.
Anant Singh became furious when some TV channels linked him to the girl’s death. Ananth’s conduct has given the RJD, the main opposition party, an opportunity to embarrass the government.

RJD leader and former chief minister Rabri Devi has called for bandh on Friday and alleges the rule of law has collapsed in the state.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has called for a CBI probe into the girl’s death, a move which may reduce some of the embarrassment his MLA has caused.

Oops! Koda confuses Sonia for Indira, sacrifices her

New Delhi: Madhu Koda finds himself in an extremely embarrassing position.
The Jharkhand CM, in the course of a speech, had mixed up the names of Sonia and Indira Gandhi, not once or twice, but throughout the speech.

Unaware of the monumental faux pas, Koda had continued to profusely praise Sonia Gandhi and reverentially spoke of how she sacrificed her life for the country.

"This incident just cannot be criticised enough," said a visibly embarrassed Koda. Although the Congress is supporting the Koda government in Jharkhand, party workers now want the government to be dismissed because of Koda's blunder.

"What can I say about such a Chief MInister?" exclaimed Congress MP Chandrashekhar Dubey. "You judge for yourself, one who makes such statements, who forgets such details - you can see for yourselves where Jharkhand is going."

MK cites 'drunkard' Ram, Advani spits venom

New Delhi: The war of words over the Ram Setu degenerated into a bitter slander match on Thursday with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi calling Lord Ram a ‘drunkard’ and a ‘big lie’.
Karunanidhi reacted with these bitter words after senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani on Thursday asked him to withdraw his statement about Ram, saying “people at the helm of affairs do not force contempt on others as far as religious affairs are concerned.”
“I want the Tamil Nadu CM to withdraw his statement about Ram. I respect Karunanidhi for being an atheist. But people at the helm of affairs do not force contempt on others as far as religious affairs are concerned,” Advani, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, said.
He pointed out that even the PM was upset about the Ram Setu controversy.
Karunanidhi shot back in no time, saying he remains firm on his stand. “I will not withdraw my statement."

"Ram is as big a lie as big as the truth of the existence of the Ganges and the Himalayas," he said. The TN Chief Minister even went on to call Lord Ram a 'drunkard'.
"Even Valmiki has said that Ram was a drunkard. I urge Advani to get into a debate with me after reading Valmiki's Ramayana," Karunanidhi said.

In the wake of the Ram Setu controversy, Karunanidhi had described Lord Ram as a ‘mythical hero’ and vowed to not go back on the Sethusamudram project.
“Is there any proof of Ram having built the bridge, or that he had the engineering expertise… There was no person in the name of Ram. The story of Ram is authored by Valmiki in Ramayana. There are so many things that Valmiki has said about Ram," Karunanidhi said.
On Tuesday evening, Karunanidhi daughter Selvi's house in Bangalore was attacked by unidentified miscreants in a development that was seen as a fallout of his comments. Karunanidhi slammed the attackers, saying "they showed the culture of Ram Bhaktas (worshippers). I treat these things like a speck of dust. I welcome such opposition.”

''The Ram Sevaks have proved their culture. I reiterate what I had said. There is no historical proof that Rama existed or of the bridge been built,'' he said.

Advani, who was at Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu on Thursday, described DMK as the second 'destabilising force' in the UPA Government after the Left, and alleged that the party was making its own interpretations and issuing statements on the 'Ram Setu.'

“After the Left, the DMK had become the second destabilizing force in the government,” he said and demanded Karunanidhi to withdraw his remarks on Lord Ram and the Ramayana.
He also urged the Centre to fix ministerial responsibility on those who filed the affidavit on Ram Sethu and appropriately penalise them.

Predicting mid-term elections in early 2008, Advani told a press conference that he foresaw a ‘radical political change’ in the country after the next General Elections.

1984: Book recalls the carngage India forgot

New Delhi: Thursday is the twenty-third anniversary of the anti-Sikh riots of 1984. Now a new book levels serious charges against top Congress leaders implicated in the riots. The book, When A Tree Shook Delhi, authored by journalist Manoj Mitta and lawyer HS Phoolka will be released later this week.
November 1, 1984, a massacre began. Over 3,000 Sikhs were hacked to death. But the police and the Government looked the other way. Commission after Commission whitewashes the guilt of the accused. Now 23 years later a new book nails the guilty in chilling detail.
Among the accused - Kamal Nath, now Union Minister for Commerce, he led the mob outside Gurudwara Rakab Ganj, where two Sikhs were roasted alive, in the immediate vicinity of the Lok sabha.
Amod Kanth (now Chief Vigilance officer, Delhi Jal Board) abetted mass crime against a single Sikh by making a victim out to be an aggressor.
Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish Tytler and Dharma Dass Shastri, Congress leaders led mobs and forced the police to release rioters.

Govt can't fund new IITs, IIMs; calls private money

New Delhi: On August 15, 2007, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh promised India eight new IITs, seven new IIMs, 20 IIITs and 30 central universities in an announcement that had the academic fraternity cheering.
The 11th Plan draft paper also envisages Manmohan Singh’s vision.
But just where will the money to run and fund these top-notch institutes come from? In an important move, the government is thinking of allowing private players to help fund prestigious centers of learning like IITs and IIMs.
It was in 1910 that the first educational institute under public-private partnership was set up. Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore was a joint venture between the industrialist Jamsetji Tata and the government.
But in independent India, most of the investment in higher education has been done by the state.

Shah Rukh, Indian cinema's Roger Federer

As Shah Rukh Khan completes 42 years it is time to celebrate the success of a remarkable man with few peers. A man respected by his foes and fans alike. There are no traces of envy even among those who grudge his greatness, as there are very few like Shah Rukh. Probably, it is in the very name - Shah, after all, stands for royalty.

It will be cruel to compare any contemporary young Indian star with Shah Rukh. Even the most exceptional of them seem to be lacking one dimension or the other when it comes to the sheer mass appeal of this man. It is not just luck, or talent, but it is the harnessing of that very talent which separates him from the other equally talented. Shah Rukh is not the best of dancer, fighter, or lover boy - but he teases the audiences the way no body else does.

Perhaps the closest a person comes to resembling Shah Rukh’s persona is someone from altogether the other side of the fence. Who else but tennis champion Roger Federer! Both are incomparable geniuses, the quintessential champions of their art, always striving to improve. They have tremendous sense of history too, a must to become part of it. There are at least four similarities between the two, as they continuously strive to redefine greatness.

Loyalty: Both superstars are famed for their family values. They have never allowed any scandal to tarnish their good husband/companion image. Shah Rukh’s loyalty to his wife Gauri compares well with how Federer vibes with his girlfriend Mirka. Even when they have the world at their mercy, they do not change their girlfriends by the night, upholding the value of loyalty.