Modi's photos with woman released

NEW DELHI, Nov 28: Gulail, the investigative website which released tapes of purported conversations between Narendra Modi's aide Amit Shah and suspended Gujarat police officer G L Singhal to allege that the state government had subjected a young woman to illegal surveillance, on Thursday released photographs to seek to establish that the woman had known the Gujarat CM at least since 2005.

Gulail uploaded a dozen pictures of Modi's presence at the first edition of 'Kutch Sharad Utsav' in October 2005. In one of the pictures, Modi is engaged in animated conversation with IAS officer Pradeep Sharma and the woman with her face partially masked.

As per the recordings of the purported conversations between Shah and Singhal, the state police mounted an aggressive surveillance on the woman, introduced by the website as Madhuri (not her real name), in 2009 at the instance of "sahib". She was tracked in gyms, at the airport, in aircraft and even in hospital where her mother was admitted.

"These pictures raise a serious question mark about the credibility of the explanation put forth both by Madhuri's father Premlal Soni and the BJP that only Premlal was known to Modi and it was he who had requested the CM to 'take care' of his daughter in 2009 when the illegal snooping operation was mounted. The pictures show that Modi knew Madhuri for at least five years before his state machinery mounted an illegal round the clock vigil on the young woman in August 2009. It also confirms that part of the affidavit filed by Sharma in the Supreme Court in which he had alleged that Madhuri had visited Modi when he came to inaugurate the 'Sharad Utsav' in October 2005. Sharma served as the collector of Kutch district between 2003 and 2005," the website said in a statement.

The website has refrained from attesting to the veracity of the conversations.

Sharma had in May 2011 told the Supreme Court in an affidavit he had introduced Madhuri to Modi when he visited Kutch to inaugurate the hill garden project. Later, Modi and Madhuri started exchanging emails and text messages, Sharma said in his filing.

Sharma has alleged that one of the key reasons why he fell out of favour with Modi, and was later subjected to harassment, was because he was aware of Modi's proximity to the woman. Sharma moved the Supreme Court last week demanding a CBI inquiry into the illegal surveillance.

Sharma has in his application claimed that he was victimised because of his "knowledge of the intimacy shared by Shri Narendra Modi with a young lady architect, aged 27 years, from Bangalore, but originally from Bhuj in Gujarat, who was introduced to Shri Modi by the applicant himself in the year 2004".

"The said tapes/transcripts reveal a strong bias and prejudice of the state of Gujarat against the applicant herein and the state's intent to somehow implicate the applicant herein in criminal offences," the application has said.

Rahul Gandhi: Congress wants to break the thick wall of poverty

PUSHKAR, Nov 25: To ensure that the underprivileged reaped harvest of growth, there is need to demolish the "thick wall" of poverty, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi said today in a speech.

"Of course India wants infrastructure like better roads, rail links and airports, but poor people also need our help and they should get the benefits and move forward," Rahul Gandhi said at a poll rally here, 10 km from Ajmer.

Taking a jibe at BJP, he said while Congress wants to help the poor by extending a supportive "hand" (Congress election symbol), the saffron party wants to break the "wall (of poverty)" by banging the head of the poor against it.

"This is the major difference between us and them," he said.

Seeking to strike an emotional chord with the downtrodden, Rahul Gandhi said Congress understands the poor from the core of the heart.
He said there is the difference between Congress and BJP's style of working and their outlook towards efforts needed to bring development and prosperity in the country.

Like Narendra Modi's style of establishing a direct connect with the audience, Rahul asked the women whether what he was saying was right or wrong.

Amid applause, pat came the reply from the crowd, "aap sahi hain" (You are correct).

Referring to various welfare schemes launched by the UPA for the uplift of the poor, Rahul cited the example of MNREGA, which provides 100 days of employment to the poor regardless of caste, creed and religion.

Attacking the opposition, Gandhi said, "When Congress spends money on the job guarantee scheme, BJP makes allegation that the money was bungled."

The Congress leader said his party has brought the Food Security Act, giving legal right to foodgrains to the poor at a very low cost.
He said Congress has promised to give 35 kg of foodgrains (wheat) to every BPL and APL family which does not pay income tax, if voted back to power in the Rajasthan Assembly polls.

"Poor in the country sleep hungry. Neither roads, nor the airports will fill their belly," he said.

Hailing Gehlot government's flagship schemes including pension, free medicines and diagnostic care to patients, Rahul Gandhi lamented that the "Leader of the Opposition (Vasundhara Raje) is terming the supply of free medicine as spreading poison."

Rejecting her charge, Rahul said, "Free medicines are giving benefit to lakhs of people in Rajasthan every day."

"We are learning from Rajasthan's model of free treatment and medicine distribution and will get it implemented soon in the country," the Congress leader said.

"I talk very straight, wherever there will be a Congress government, it will be 'aam admi ki sarkar', 'garib ki sarkar', 'mahila aur yuvaon ki sarkar'," he said.

Comparing the previous NDA government's work with the UPA I and II rule, he said, Congress-led government made three times more work than what was done by the previous regime.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Union Minister Sachin Pilot, and AICC member C P Joshi malso addressed the rally.

PM: Sachin true ambassador of India in the world of sports

NEW DELHI, Nov 17: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday wrote to cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and acclaimed scientist C N R Rao, congratulating them on being chosen for Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of the country.

In a letter to Tendulkar, Singh described him as a "true ambassador" of India in the world of sports.

"In conferring this award on you, the nation has honoured a living legend whose numerous achievements and exemplary conduct on the cricketing field have inspired millions across the globe.

You have been a true ambassador of India in the world of sports. We salute you as a sporting genius and a global sporting icon," Singh said.

He said Tendulkar will continue to inspire the countrymen not only in sports but also in other areas of human endeavour.

In his congratulatory letter to Rao, Singh lauded his efforts of "passionately nurturing" young scientists.

"In conferring this award on you, the nation has honoured an eminent scientist and a well recognised international authority on solid state and materials chemistry.

We salute your work not only as a scientist but also in passionately nurturing young scientists and strengthening the science infrastructure in our country," the PM wrote.

He said India looks forward to his continued guidance of Indian science and scientists.

Tendulkar (40) and Rao (79), both of whom are recipients of Padma Vibhushan - country's second highest civilian honour, join a list of 41 eminent personalities to get the award given in recognition of exceptional service of the highest order since it was instituted in 1954.

Sachin Tendulkar, Prof CNR Rao chosen for Bharat Ratna

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar just can’t keep off records. On the last day of his cricketing career he made two more— by becoming the first sportsperson and also the youngest dignitary to be chosen for Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian award.

Along with the 40-year-old batting legend, eminent scientist Prof CNR Rao (80) will also be bestowed with the award.

Tendulkar and Rao, recipients of the country’s second highest civilian honour, Padma Vibhushan, will join the league of 41 personalities honoured with the award given since 1954 in recognition of exceptional services of highest order.

Among the past awardees are Jawaharlal Nehru, Sir CV Raman, Satyajit Ray, Mother Teresa and Indira Gandhi.

The Bharat Ratna was announced after a gap of four years with Hindustani music doyen Bhimsen Joshi being the last recipient in 2009.

The decision to award Bharat Ratna to Sachin was taken after several noted personalities rooted for it. Fellow Maharashtrian and Bharat Ratna awardee Lata Mangeshkar on Friday said, “Very few people can do what he has done for the country. He deserves the honour, he has made us proud.”

"Sachin Tendulkar is undoubtedly an outstanding cricketer - a living legend who has inspired millions across the globe. During the last 24 years, since the young age of 16 years, Tendulkar has played cricket across the world and won laurels for our country," the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

"He has been a true ambassador of India in the world of sports. His achievements in cricket are unparalleled, the records set by him unmatched, and the spirit of sportsmanship displayed by him exemplary,” the statement said.

“That he has been honoured with several awards is testimony to his extraordinary brilliance as a sportsman."

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke to Tendulkar on phone and congratulated him for the award, saying he wished Tendulkar many more years of contribution to sports.

BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, West Bengal chief minister Mamta Banerjee, Maharashtra leaders and various personalities congratulated Tendulkar on being chosen for the honour.

Cong demands probe by SC judge in alleged illegal spying issue

NEW DELHI, Nov 17: Narendra Modi "does not deserve" to be BJP's PM candidate if the Cobrapost claim on illegal spying on a woman architect in Gujarat in 2009 are found to be correct, Congress women leaders said on Sunday demanding an inquiry into the issue by a Supreme Court judge.

Union Ministers Girija Vyas and Jayanti Natrajan, former UPCC chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi and Mahila Congress chief Shobha Oza said the honour and dignity of every woman in India was at stake in the backdrop of "serious issue in which a young woman was stalked, followed, spied upon on during her every waking act by no less than an entire anti-terror squad of Gujarat Police".

"If government machinery is misused...., then obvious, Modi has no moral and political right to govern Gujarat...He does not deserve to be the PM candidate of BJP", Joshi said addressing a joint press conference along with Vyas, Natrajan and Oza at the AICC headquarters.

Bahuguna, a former UPCC chief, said BJP chief Rajnath Singh has himself "unravelled the mystery" behind who is the "Saheb" of former Gujarat Home Minister Amit Shah, by making it clear that it was Narendra Modi.

Meanwhile, BJP hit back at Congress for its demand of a probe into the alleged illegal surveillance of a woman by Gujarat government, saying it was the ruling party and its "surrogates" which had committed a crime by bringing the details in public.

Party spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi said Congress has no locus standi to demand a probe when neither the woman at the centre of the controversy, nor her family members, have said anything to this effect.

She asserted that the surveillance of the woman was legal and done at the behest of Shah.

"We cannot disclose the nature of the case for obvious reasons. There was nothing illegal about it," she said.

Lekhi accused Congress of bringing a private affair into the public domain for political gains.

Two investigative portals, Cobrapost and Gulail, had claimed on November 15 that Amit Shah, the former home minister of Gujarat and Modi's close aide, had ordered illegal surveillance of a woman at the behest of one "saheb".

They had released taped conversation between Shah and an IPS officer to back up their claim, adding that its authenticity could not be confirmed.

The women leaders wondered "Does this illegal snooping not raise moral and ethical issues as to capability, mannerism and style of governance of Modi?

"Can a person with such a flagrant disregard for law, Constitution and liberty of people be trusted to run any public responsibility and protect the rights of citizens", they asked.

Rajnath Singh has already ruled out a rethink on BJP's PM candidate.

The women leaders expressed surprise over the silence of the Gujarat Chief Minister on the matter till date.

"Let the Chief Minister answer first" to the revelations, Natrajan said.

They recalled that leakage of call details of Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley had led to vociferous protests by BJP and stalling of Parliament for three days.

It also led to registration of criminal cases and arrest of those found prima facie guilty.

"Should similar action be not initiated against Modi, Amit Shah and others involved in this illegal snooping racket?", they asked.

They also asked whether it is not a fact that illegal interception of the nature allegedly conducted by Modi, Shah along with police officers makes it out a clear case under different sections of the Indian Telegraph Act and IPC.

"Would it not tantamount to stalking? Does it not violate the very oath of office to Constitution and people by Modi?", they wondered.

In a set of questionnaire to the Gujarat Chief Minister, his close associate as also the BJP, they wondered whether Modi and Shah have the right to allegedly conduct surveillance of a young girl as also tapping her phones, phones of her friends and acquaintances with "complete impunity in a totally illegal fashion?".

"Will Modi and Shah state as to from where the money, resources, vehicles and plane tickets generated for the purposes of surveillance? Did the money belong to public exchequer?", they asked.

Noting that the young woman was allegedly followed by the police across the boundaries of states to malls, restaurants, gyms and wherever she went, they said this raised "pertinent questions about credibility, credit worthiness and faith that one can repose in a person like Modi holding the high office of CM of Gujarat".

Top Narendra Modi aide put woman under police watch for 'sahib': Websites

NEW DELHI: Two investigating websites on Friday introduced a stunning twist in the battle for 2014 elections by releasing tapes purportedly showing Amit Shah, BJP general secretary and a close associate of Narendra Modi, put a young woman under pervasive surveillance at the behest of his "sahib".

The tapes released by Cobrapost and Gulail suggest that in 2009 Gujarat Police, following oral instructions of Shah who was state home minister at the time, listened in on the calls of Madhuri (name changed), an architect by profession, and tailed her wherever she went because of Sahib's "obsession" with her.

The tapes are based on conversations during August-September 2009 between Shah and a senior Gujarat police officer, G L Singhal, — who is one of the main accused in the Ishrat Jehan 'fake encounter' case but who got bail after CBI failed to file the chargesheet against him in the stipulated 90 days. He has since testified against others accused in the case.

The tapes, titled 'The Stalkers' were screened in the presence of Prashant Bhushan of Aam Aadmi Party and RTI activist Aruna Roy and have Shah purportedly asking Gujarat's anti-terrorist squad (ATS) to put a constable on the plane that the architect took for Mumbai. On another occasion, Shah asked Singhal to track numbers of people that Madhuri had called from an airport PCO. Not just her phone, but also those of her family and friends were tapped by the ATS, the tapes reveal.

If the tapes are to be believed, Gujarat cops shadowed her everywhere: from shopping malls, restaurants, ice-cream parlours, gyms, cinema halls, hotels and airports to even the hospital where her mother was admitted.

Congress reacted to the allegation by demanding a CBI inquiry, suggesting that BJP should change its PM candidate if the charges are found to be true. "If these charges are true, it is a very serious allegation and BJP will be forced to rethink their PM candidate," law minister Kapil Sibal said.

Congress spokesperson Meem Afzal said that Shah should come clean on who the "sahib" was and why was he so interested in the woman.

BJP did not react, but party sources pointed to the statement issued by Madhuri's father to say that Gujarat police merely responded his plea to ensure protection of his daughter.

Tapes show, policemen would be deployed both at the front and rear of buildings Madhuri would visit or stay in. At one point, Shah purportedly admonished policemen for not being adequately diligent, telling them that "sahib" knew more than they did about Madhuri's movement from his sources.

Shah, his purported conversation with Singhal shows, was particularly interested in knowing about the men Madhuri would "meet or dated or was planning to get engaged to". One of these men included Pradeep Sharma, an IAS officer who was then posted at Bhavnagar as Municipal Commissioner.

Sharma who, like his brother, former IPS officer Kuldeep Sharma, has been at odds with the Modi regime, had alleged in SC in 2011 that he was being targeted by the Gujarat government because he knew about the female architect's links with a powerful figure in Gandhinagar.

The IAS officer, whose elder brother has been appointed by the UPA as adviser to ministry of home affairs, had been arrested in connection with the Kutch debris scam.

Cobrapost and Gulail sought to link his arrest to Madhuri's meetings with him. They said that in one of his conversations Shah had told Singhal to imprison a man who was meeting Madhuri and see to it that he rotted there longer than the suspended ATS DIG DG Vanzara who had by then been arrested in the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case.

The websites suggested that Pradeep Sharma's arrest three months could have been a fallout of the conversation.

They also released Singhal's statement to the CBI that Shah had instructed him to put Sharma and the woman under surveillance. "In the latter half of 2009, when I was posted as SP (operations) in the anti-terrorist squad at Ahmedabad, Shri Amit Shah had directed me several times to watch the movements of Shri Pradeep Sharma, who was then posted as Municipal Commissioner, Bhavnagar. He had also asked me to put a watch on a young woman named Madhuri. I had deputed some men of the crime branch (as ATS was short of subordinate staff) to follow her, as directed by Shri Amit Shah," the investigative websites quoted Singhal as having told the CBI on April 17, 2013.

Civil society members came down heavily on the Gujarat government and demanded that Shah must reveal who his "Saheb" was. Prashant Bhushan said, "The breach of privacy is a minor part of this saga of shocking crime that exposes the gross misuse of police machinery by the state. When (BJP leader) Arun Jaitley's CDR were accessed by some policemen, the Parliament was stalled for three days."

RTI activist Aruna Roy said the expose was a reflection of how a government gets after people who do not agree with it. "It uses terror as a smokescreen to mount surveillance on people," she said.

Mars Mission completes last orbit raising manoeuvre: Isro

BANGALORE, Nov 16: The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) or Mangalyaan completed a fifth and last repositioning to take it almost two lakh km from Earth successfully on Saturday morning, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) said.

Now, the spacecraft will brace itself for the next critical event on December 1 when it has to move out of the Earth's sphere of influence and move towards Mars.

"The fifth orbit raising manoeuvre of Mangalyaan starting at 01.27 hrs on November 16 with a burn time of 243.5 seconds has been successfully completed. The observed change in apogee is from 1,18,642km to 1,92,874km," Isro said in a statement.

Saturday's operation was the culmination of the various baby steps the spacecraft has been taking since November 7, by gradually soaring to higher apogees around Earth.

After about 300 days, it will finally enter the Mars orbit on September 24, 2014. The five payloads on the spacecraft will then perform various experiments to know about more about the Red Planet.

During the orbit raising operations, Isro has been testing and exercising autonomy functions that are essential for Trans-Mars Injection (TMI) and Mars Orbit Insertion.

Mangalyaan is being launched on its way via an unusual "slingshot" method for interplanetary journeys.

Lacking a large enough rocket to blast directly out of Earth's atmosphere and gravitational pull, the spacecraft is orbiting Earth until the end of the month while building up enough velocity to break free.

The Mars Orbiter Spacecraft, India's first interplanetary spacecraft, blasted off on Nov 5 into an elliptical earth orbit by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle on its 25th flight (PSLV-C25) for a 11-month trip to the Red Planet from Sriharikota.

Nuclear projects needed to tackle energy challenges: Kakodkar

NEW DELHI, Nov 11: Former Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission Dr Anil Kakodkar on Monday said though Japan's March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster has dampened the sentiments for nuclear energy in India, the country needs more of these projects.

"Post-Fukushima accident in Japan, the sentiment for nuclear energy has dampened here. But it will grow now," Kakodkar said.

The country needs more nuclear projects, he said, adding, "Many new nuclear reactors must come up in view of India's energy challenges."

Kakodkar was honoured with 'Dr Vikram Sarabhai Senior Scientist Award - 2012' constituted by Shri Hari Om Ashram on Monday. The award was presented to him by Dr U R Rao, Chairman of Council of Management of Physical Research Laboratory.

India is doing well in the solar energy sector, but required new technologies, the eminent nuclear scientist said.

Stating that India's energy imports would rise by 60 per cent by 2031-32 and energy import bill by 18 per cent at Compounded Annual Growth Rate during the same period, Kakodkar emphasised the need for greater thrust towards renewable as well as nuclear energy to minimise imports as well as carbon emissions.

Expressing reservations over the Nuclear Liability Act, the Padma Vibhushan awardee scientist said it would push India's nuclear energy ambitions backwards as it fixes the responsibility of nuclear reactors on the manufacturers.

Section 17(B) of the Act specifically fixes responsibility of the manufacturers of nuclear reactors and provides for their liability in the event of an accident involving design or a manufacturing fault.

"There should be regulation...a strict regulatory regime should be in place. But, if you want to fix the responsibility on manufacturers, nobody would supply nuclear reactors to India," he said.

India's Mars Mission orbit raising a success

BAGALORE, Nov 12: A day after suffering a glitch during the fourth orbit raising operation on its Mars Orbiter Mission, ISRO today successfully completed the supplementary manoeuvre this morning, raising the spacecraft's apogee (farthest distance from Earth) to over 1,18,000 km.

The fourth supplementary orbit raising manoeuvre of Mars Orbiter spacecraft started at 5.03 AM (IST) with a Burn Time of 303.8 seconds and it has been successfully completed. The observed change in apogee is from 78,276 km to 1,18,642 km," ISRO said.

The supplementary manoeuvre, which was completed by 5.10 AM, added a velocity of 124.9 m/s to the spacecraft, it said. After suffering a glitch during the fourth orbit raising operation yesterday, ISRO planned for a supplementary manoeuvre at 5 AM to achieve the targeted apogee of one lakh km.

The fifth of the five orbit raising operation to raise the spacecraft's apogee of over 1,92,000 km is scheduled for November 16.

During the fourth orbit raising operations yesterday, the 440 Newton liquid engine stopped, while both primary and redundant coils were energised together, however the thrust level augmentation logic, as expected, came in and the operation continued using the attitude control thrusters and the spacecraft was "normal" and "100 per cent safe," according to ISRO.

Following the glitch, the apogee was raised only to 78,276 km against the target of about one lakh km. During the first three orbit-raising operations, the prime and redundant chains of gyros, accelerometers, 22 Newton attitude control thrusters, attitude and orbit control electronics as well as the associated logics for their fault detection isolation and reconfiguration were exercised successfully.

After successfully completing these operations, the mission is expected to take on the "crucial event" of the trans-Mars injection around 12:42 AM on December 1.

ISRO's PSLV C 25 successfully injected the 1,350-kg Mangalyaan Orbiter (Mars craft) into orbit around Earth some 44 minutes after a textbook launch at 2:38 PM from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on Tuesday last, marking the successful completion of the first stage of the Rs 450-crore mission.

Congress will fight for rights of sarpanches: Rahul

JAMMU, Nov 6: Pitching strongly for empowerment of Panchayati Raj institutions in Jammu and Kashmir, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday promised sarpanches that his party will fight for their rights and build pressure on the state government for it.

Gandhi's meeting with elected members of local self- government (Panchayati Raj) members also witnessed some drama with one of sarpanches complaining to him in the middle of his speech that they received "nothing from the state government".

"We have got nothing from the state government. Whatever we got, we got from the central government," shouted one of the sapanches, prompting Gandhi to assure him that they will be empowered eventually.

Gandhi's two-day visit to the state beginning today is seen as a move by Congress to build pressure on coalition partner National Conference to incorporate certain provisions of the 73rd and 74th amendments of the Constitution on Panchayati Raj.

Gandhi assured the sarpanches, "We will implement the 73rd amendment."

"You will get your right. I will fight this battle for you. I will keep coming and keep mounting pressure...You have to fight this battle. We are with you. We, all of us together, will put pressure on the state government. We are with you. This thing will happen cent per cent," he said.

Reminding them that it had taken almost one-and-a-half years to ensure passage of the new Land Acquisition Bill, he said this will also eventually happen "not easily" but only after people fight for it. Highlighting right-based schemes like MNREGA, RTI and food security brought by UPA, the Congress Vice President said these programmes cannot be implemented without Panchayati Raj and without sarpanches as "in order to implement these programmes, the leadership should be in villages."

"This is the politics of the future and this is what will happen in Jammu and Kashmir as well. I want to assure you that in the time to come, you will get these rights...In 21st century, the Panchayats, the local bodies will have to be empowered.

"Decisions will be taken in villages in the 21st century. If we have to change Jammu and Kashmir, then first of all we will have to empower the leaders of Panchayats and local bodies...There is no other way to empower you if you have to run this state because MLAS, MPs cannot do what you can do. They don't have the kind of knowledge about villages that you have," Gandhi said.

The issue of incorporating 73rd and 74th amendments of the Constitution in the state's Panchayati Raj Act has been a bone of contention between the two parties for some time.

Amid complaints from the gathering of sarpanches that no body listens to their problems, the Congress Vice President said, "Had I not wanted to listen to you, there was no need for me to come here. I have come here because I want to listen to you."

He said that he will keep building pressure till the issue is not resolved.

"...We want to give the same powers, strength to panches and sarpanhces in Jammu and Kashmir what we are providing to them in other states. If you go to Kerala, Tamil Nadu, you will find politics interesting there because the sarpanches have power there. The district plans are made, local participation happens, meetings are held and people's views come out.

"And this is the future of politics. This will also happen in Jammu and Kashmir. I want to assure you that in coming time, you will get the rights. As long as you don't get, I will keep coming here. I will keep building the pressure, till this is not resolved," Gandhi said.

Gandhi also briefly touched on the issue of refugees in the state.

"There is an issue of refugees. I know they feel pain. I also want to tell them that the Congress party will fight their battle. We will do whatever we can do for you," he said.

Maintaining that Congress is with the people of the state, Gandhi said, "Whatever we can do for Jammu and Kashmir, we are ready to do that. I want that people of the state are empowered. They get rights."

The Congress Vice President said that he has talked to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah about the Right to Food.

"He (Omar) had concerns that very little foodgrain will be available. I told him that the same problem was in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the government of Delhi (central government) helped them and we are going to help you in the same manner as we did them.

"Right to food should be implemented here and if there is any deficiency, we will fulfil it. Because we want that Jammu and Kashmir should also get whatever benefits the UPA government gives to other states--- be it right to food, land acquisition and Panchayati Raj," Gandhi said.

The Congress Vice President also talked at length about the work being done by UPA for employment related training to youth and women in Jammu and Kashmir and noted "we are trying to take these things forward".

India's Mars Mission on track

NEW DELHI, Nov 7: A day after its successful launch, India's Mars Orbiter spacecraft was functioning smoothly in the Earth's orbit and ready for orbit raising operations on Thursday.

"Since its injection into Earth's orbit yesterday, it has been functioning smoothly on the orbit. We are planning to perform orbit raising manoeuvres in the early hours on Thursday," an ISRO spokesman said.

Right now, the Mars Orbiter Mission is on its first round around the Earth, ISRO sources said.

The spacecraft would go around the Earth five times before going out of the earth bound orbit into sun-centric orbit on December one.

It will then go around the sun embarking on its nine-month voyage to the red planet.

ISRO's PSLV C 25 had successfully injected the 1,350-kg 'Mangalyaan' Orbiter ('Mars craft') into the orbit around Earth some 44 minutes after a text book launch at 2.38 PM from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, marking the successful completion of the first stage of the Rs 450 crore mission.

Since the launch, the control of the mission has been taken over by scientists at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) at Bangalore.

According to a satellite tracking system website www.n2yo.com, the MOM spacecraft had just crossed Nigeria and was flying over Chad in African continent, as at 1.09 PM.

India's MOM was at a perigee of (closest point from Earth) of 264.1 km and an apogee (farthest point from Earth) of 23,903.6 km with a degree of inclination of 19.3 degree.

However, according to the website, MOM would not fly over India, as its trajectory would cross the Indian Ocean, after leaving African continent from Somalia in the afternoon.

The International Designator or the NSSDC ID of India's Mars mission is 2013-060A.

The International Designator is the international naming convention for satellites, comprising the launch year, a three digit incrementing launch number of that year and up to a three letter code representing the sequential identifier of a piece in a launch.

Third front joins hands against communalism

NEW DELHI, Oct 30: A group of non-BJP and non-Congress parties, including UPA constituent NCP, on Wednesday came together on a common platform to fight communal forces in what is seen as a first step towards possible formation of a Third Front for the next Lok Sabha elections.

Significant among those present at the "Convention for People's Unity Against Communalism" sponsored by the Left parties here were Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and representatives of ruling AIADMK and BJD in Tamil Nadu and Odisha respectively.

Notwithstanding denials of leaders participating in the 14-party convention, there was a clear sense of expectation among them that this could become a platform against BJP and Congress in the Lok Sabha elections.

Nitish Kumar, who snapped his 17-year-old ties with BJP on the issue of Narendra Modi, made it as much clear when he raised the question himself.

"We are being asked whether a new front is being formed. As of today, there is nothing. But, we will have to think and unite against communalism, terrorism and fascism," he said. Conscious of the pitfalls in forming a front, he said pointing to the leaders, "You know while getting together one or the other leader gets lost. I am talking of whatever unity is possible, maximum possible...While complete unity is not possible, we should work together with unity and coordinate. Complete unity is neither possible nor proper. A new morcha at this moment is neither possible nor valid."

For the record, NCP leader D P Tripathi, who attended the convention, and CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury denied the convention was aimed at forming a Third Front.

But another NCP leader and Heavy Industry Minister in the UPA government Praful Patel said, "This is an era of coalition politics and in such a situation, you need to keep options open to work with other parties."

Yechury himself used a cricketing term to say, "There is nothing like a Third Front but this is a 'doosra' of Indian politics."

"If you know cricket, there is a delivery called 'doosra'," he said hinting at the possibility of parties getting together later.

SP leader Ramgopal Yadav said, "This is the beginning... you will see a lot in the coming days."

Nothing wrong in what Rahul said, Shiv Sena tells BJP

MUMBAI, Oct 28: The Shiv Sena has come to Rahul Gandhi's rescue, even as BJP, the Sena's staunchest poll ally, has been slamming the Congress vice-president for his remark that Pakistan's ISI is in touch with the riot-affected Muslim youths of Muzaffarnagar.

In an editorial on Monday, Saamna, the Sena mouthpiece, said there was no need to criticise Gandhi as he has stated the truth.

"Rahul Gandhi is not a philosopher. Nor is he a fiery leader. Most of his public pronouncements are ridiculous. However, he has stated the truth, albeit unwittingly, about ISI establishing contacts with the Muslim youths in riot-torn Muzaffarnagar," the paper said.

Saamna reminded its poll ally that Gandhi's statement about ISI confirms the BJP's contention that the Gujarat riots were sponsored by Pakistan.

The Sena mouthpiece further stated that Pakistan's role in fomenting communal tension in India was often underscored in his speeches by late Balasaheb Thackeray. Saamna thus suggested that Gandhi was, in fact, toeing the late Sena patriarch's line.

Saamna flayed the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) for playing vote bank politics which, the Sena morninger pointed out, only helps the ISI in its anti-India machinations. "Instead of defeating the ISI's diabolical gameplan, political parties play their own devious games," Saamna added, a veiled warning to the BJP that it had hopelessly bungled on Rahul Gandhi's ISI- Muslim youth statement.

This is probably for the first time that the Sena has chided the BJP on a national issue after Narendra Modi's elevation as NDA's prime ministerial candidate, say political observers.

Patna serial blasts point to IM link

NEW DELHI, Oct 28: Investigations in the Patna serial blasts showed an Indian Mujahideen (IM) link with Jharkand police claiming on Monday that one of the two arrested terrorists who was believed to be the mastermind belonged to the nascent 'Ranchi Module' of the banned terror outfit.

As the probe showed that the explosions at Narendra Modi's rally in Patna yesterday had a resemblance to the Bodh Gaya terror attack, BJP leader Arun Jaitley claimed the Bihar DGP had received an intelligence alert on October 23 about a possible attack in Patna and wanted the state government as well as the Centre to clarify on the issue.

Jaitley's contention was countered by Ravindra Kumar, ADG, Patna, who said there was no specific intelligence input and that only general alerts were given.

The death toll in the serial blasts, meanwhile, rose to six after an injured person died at the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) late last night. Currently, 37 injured persons, many of them in critical condition, are being treated in the hospital.

Jharkhand ADG (law & order) S N Pradhan said the probe so far showed that Imtiaz Ansari, one of the two arrested terrorists, allegedly had contacts with Tahseen Akhtar, an alleged close aide of arrested top IM operative Yaseen Bhhatkal. The other terrorist was identified as Tausim.

Pradhan said after interrogations during raids at Dhruva in Ranchi last night it had emerged that Imtiaz, his nephew Tophek, Tariq Ansari and Noman Ansari had gone to Patna on Saturday and two others had joined them on the way.

The four had, however, told people of their locality that they were going to Kolkata but left for Patna on Saturday.

Tariq died while allegedly handling explosives yesterday and Noman and Tophek were absconding, while Imtiaz was arrested after the blasts in Patna, Police said. The homegrown IM has links with Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT).

"The Ranchi module(of IM) has been set up recently," Pradhan said, adding the police also suspect that the same IM module might have been behind the Bodh Gaya terror attack on July 7 as explosive materials and digital timer device found in Patna blasts were identical.

"A fail-safe connection has been established between the two blasts," he added. Five people including two monks were injured in theBodh Gaya strike.

The ADG said a National Investigation Agency team had arrived here today to investigate links of the newly set up Ranchi module of IM and further investigations are on.

Earlier in the day, three persons detained in Ranchi yesterday in connection with the Patna blasts were released after interrogation last night.

Raids were carried out in Jharkand soon after Bihar Police tipped off their counterparts in Ranchi that some suspects in Patna blasts hailed from the state, police said adding black powder, materials used to make IEDs, pressure cooker and extremist literature were seized.

Patna SSP Manu Maharaj earlier said that "One of the accused, who is being considered as the mastermind, has been arrested. He has confessed how the planning took place".

"The accused has confessed about the crime, how it happened.

He told us that six-seven teams came to Gandhi Maidan and surroundings of Patna and how they planted the bombs," he said in Patna. Three-four suspects have been detained, he said, adding, "We are in the process of interrogation so things will be clear very soon". Maharaj said six to seven persons had accompanied the alleged mastermind.

"The Patna serial blasts that have happened in Patna do have a Bodh Gaya connection. The footprint, the signature of the blasts have a resemblance with the Bodh Gaya blasts," Pradhan said in Ranchi.

Pradhan said the unfailing link seemed to be the digital timer device that has been used in yesterday's explosions.

"It is the same brand as the brand that was discovered at Bodh Gaya. I think almost a fail-safe connection has been established between the two blasts," he added.

A search operation by NIA and Patna Police is also underway in Gandhi Maidan, the area which witnessed six of the seven serial bomb blasts yesterday that also left 83 people injured, to locate explosives, if any, a senior police officer said.

Patna serial blasts: Three suspects detained

PATNA, Oct 28: Three suspects were on Sunday night detained by Jharkhand Police during a raid here in connection with the serial blasts in Patna that killed five people and left 83 injured.

"Based on the tip-off by Bihar police, we raided a place at Dhurva (area of the city) and detained three suspects. They are being interrogated," a senior police officer said.

"The raids led to the seizure of a pressure cooker, extremist literature, explosives and other materials used to make IEDs (Improvised Explosive Device)," he said, adding that raids are being carried out at other places also. He, however, refused to divulge further details.

Earlier, Jharkhand Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) S N Pradhan said an alert has been issued in the state after reports emerged that some of the accused involved in Sunday's blasts are from Jharkhand.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has expressed concern over the incident and condemned the attack. He also asked officials to ensure that steps are taken to nab those involved in the attack soon.

Six people were killed and 83 injured in seven low intensity serial blasts in Patna of which six bombs went off in and around the venue of Narendra Modi's mega rally at Gandhi Maidan shortly before his address to a huge gathering.

Ceasefire violations a matter of great concern: Khurshid

NEW DELHI, Oct 21: Terming the ceasefire violations on the LoC as a matter of serious concern, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Saturday said it is not just an issue of diplomacy but also of military relations and maintained that the government is giving it high priority.

"This is the very thing we want to address. This is not just an issue of diplomacy. This is an issue of military relations. The actual on the ground situation is known to the military on both sides," said Khurshid.

Expressing full confidence in the defence forces, the minister said, "We owe a tremendous gratitude to them, both for showing restraint, firmness, determination and for total preparedness to face any onslaught."

Two BSF jawans were yesterday injured as Pakistani troops opened fire at ten border out posts and civilian areas along the International Border in Jammu and Samba districts.

"I think this is a serious matter- a matter of great concern to India. We will handle it with the greatest sagacity and firmness to protect the safety and sovereignty of the citizens," Khurshid said.

Maintaining that this issue is one of high-priority for the government, Khurshid said a meeting of the DGMOs of both the countries should be held soon.

Pakistan High Commissioner to India Salman Bashir said both sides should take steps to stabilise the situation on the LoC. "I think this is the understanding, this is the decision of the two Prime Ministers. Pakistan is prepared to do whatever it can to exercise utmost restraint and responsibility. I hope this happens sooner than later," he said.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had requested the Government to take up this issue firmly with Pakistan.

"It is not clear who is behind this and with what motive this is being done. Some days back our Prime Minister met the Pakistani PM in New York. They talked about ceasefire violations and it was decided that the army DGMOs of both countries should talk and find a way out," he had said.

Nobody will go hungry in India now: Rahul Gandhi

NEW DELHI, Oct 17: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi addressed an election rally in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday and said that no development is possible when people go to bed without food, while recalling how UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi was in tears for not being able to cast her vote when the Bill regarding it was passed in Lok Sabha.

"Now the bill has been passed. For the first time in India nobody will go hungry. Your children will not go to sleep hungry. Dalits, adivasis, people of any caste or religion will not go hungry," he said.

"I will not leave until the bill is passed. I have fought for years for the bill and will not leave until I press that button," Rahul said,while giving an account of Sonia Gandhi's illness the day the epoch-making legislation was passed.

The bill seeking to provide cheap foodgrains to 82 crore people in the country, arguably the biggest programme in the world to fight hunger, was passed on August 26 after much delay.

Aadhaar example of using technology to leapfrog: Nilekani

NEW DELHI, Oct 17: Aadhaar is an example of using modern technology to leapfrog for future development and transformation of a country, UIDAI chairman Nandan Nilekani said while speaking on 'India's transformation: The role of Information Technology' in Australia.

"Aadhaar project is to solve the problem of people who do not have an acknowledgement of their existence by people and the state or lack of acknowledgement of their identity," he said.

Nilekani, an IIT-ian who left Infosys to join the government as the head of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), stressed that by giving every Indian person a unique 12-digit number under the Aadhaar project could change their lives, and the nation.

Nelikani said that in India which has the total population of over one billion, only 50 million people had passports which was mere five percent of total population, around 30 million people paid taxes and over 150 million people had driver licence.

"All these traditional IDs are only available to a very narrow segment of India's population," he said, adding that the need to create an ID system which can then provide an access to other host of public services and utilities was imperative in modern times.

"Not having an identity today can be a huge impediment."

"Government has set up this Aadhaar programme principally for two main reasons. One is to give everybody an ID so that they can participate in so called modern economy and second, is to see that its numerous welfare schemes which goes to individuals are being passed to the genuine beneficiaries."

The project can be used to demonstrate that modern technology can be used for future development and transformation of a country. With Aadhaar in place, the government could deliver entitlement and subsidies in much more efficient and equitable way, he said.

'Aadhaar', or identification number, is merely a platform that can be utilised for other applications that many people are unable to access without formal identification, he said.

Since the commencement of the project 30 million bank accounts have been opened as a direct benefit of the Aadhaar card, and 10 million transactions have been made using the unique ID number.

While India minimises loss of life as Super cyclone Phailin hits Odisha, Andhra; In man-made disaster 115 killed in Madhya Pradesh temple stampede

NEW DELHI, Oct 13: While India States of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh faced bravely and with much better preparedness the super cyclone 'Phailin' on Sunday minimising loss of life, in another State of Madhya Pradesh over 115 people were killed in a man-made temple stampede.

However, the cyclone left a trail of destruction, hitting nearly 90 lakh people, damaging lakhs of houses and laying waste paddy crop worth about Rs 2,400 crore, mainly in coastal Ganjam district.

Communication links have been vastly disrupted by the strong winds that went upto a speed of 220 kmph when the very severe cyclonic storm, feared to be the worst in 14 years, crossed the coast near Gopalpur last night and weakened towards becoming a depression.

Authorities in the state evacuated nearly nine lakh people, the largest in recent history, ahead of the storm to cyclone shelters and public buildings like schools to avoid a repeat of the disastrous 1999 super cyclone that had left 9,885 people dead.

"We are on the whole quite satisfied with the type of evacuation that was done," Vice Chairman of National Disaster Management Authority M Shashidhar Reddy said.

In Gopalpur, where the storm struck first, "almost 90-95 per cent people had been evacuated".

Defence and paramilitary personnel were deployed to carry out relief and rehabilitation measures and restoring infrastructure badly affected by the storm.

Seven people were killed in Odisha before the cyclone made the landfall last night due to fall of trees while one person was killed in Andhra Pradesh in a house collapse in Srikakulam district.

The IMD said in New Delhi that Phailin has weakened into a cyclonic storm with wind speed between 60 and 70 kmph.

Under its impact, heavy rains lashed coastal districts of Puri, Balasore, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack and Sambalpur in inland Odisha, parts of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the primary aim was to minimise loss of human lives and they have successfully managed to do so.

"Property to the tune of several crores has been damaged. Rehabilitation will now be done," he said. Giving details of the devastation caused by the cyclone, Odisha Revenue Minister S N Patro said 14,514 villages in 12 districts have been affected, hitting a population of 80,53,620.

Over 2.34 lakh houses have been damaged and more than 8.73 lakh people have been evacuated.

Over five lakh hectares of standing crops have been destroyed by the gushing waters causing an estimated loss of Rs 2,400 crore, he said.

In Datia district of Madhya Pradesh over 115 people were killed and over 100 injured in a stampeded near a Durga temple at Ratangarh during Navratri festivities on Sunday morning. Under fierce attack from the Opposition, the Madhya Pradesh government has ordered a judicial probe into the stampede in Datia district and recommended suspension of top district officials including the Collector and police chief over the tragedy that claimed 115 lives.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, facing attack from the Congress party, which is seeking his resignation for the "man-made" tragedy, announced a judicial commission of inquiry to go into the incident and recommended suspension of Datia district Collector, Superintendent of Police, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Subdivisional Officer of Police and the entire staff of Sevdha police station.

The decision to recommend the suspension to the Election Commission was taken at review meeting chaired by Chouhan at Datia which found the officials guilty of major lapses that led to the disaster in the election-bound state.

Lakhs of devotees had converged at Ratangarh, 60 km from the district headquarters and around 320 km from state capital Bhopal, to offer prayers at a Durga temple.

"The incident is shocking and most unfortunate," the Chief Minister, who was denied permission by the Election Commission to visit the mishap site, said after visiting the injured at a hospital in Datia.

He said an inquiry commission would be set up in a couple of days and would be asked to submit its report within two months.

The recommendations of the panel would be implemented within 15 days of submission of the report and action will be taken against those found responsible for the tragedy, Chouhan said.

Rahul: Next Government will be of the youth

ALIGARH, Oct 9: In a clear indication of the Congress’ focus on young voters for the general elections, its vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday asserted that a “government of the youth” would come to power in 2014.

“Elections are approaching… In 2014, a government of the youth will be formed that will change the country. It will bring change by empowering the last man in the queue,” he said.

Addressing rallies in Muslim-dominated Aligarh and Rampur districts of western UP, the 43-year-old showcased the food security and land acquisition laws while accusing the Opposition of trying to block these welfare schemes. “Efforts were made to create hurdles... We were stopped by the Opposition. Even Parliament was not allowed to function,” he said.

Also attacking the UP regime, Gandhi said, “They say it (food law) should be implemented in UP after the 2014 polls. I think they are scared the scheme brought by Congress would hurt them electorally.”

He also cornered the ruling Samajwadi Party — which provides outside supports to the UPA government — over last month’s communal riots. “I went to Muzaffarnagar. The sight was horrible. I met Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and people of other communities. They denied having any disputes.”

“People are made to fight for political gains... Hindus and Muslims are made to fight each other. The common people don’t want to fight. There are such political forces who feel if there is no fight, they will not win.”

He went on: “What is the UP government doing? Is there any development taking place here? Are the laptops being distributed free really working?”

Stressing that UP can progress only under Congress rule, he added: “SP aur BSP se ye kaam nahi hone wala (SP and BSP cannot bring development to UP).”

The Congress vice-president also spoke of the timing of his recent outburst against the now-shelved ordinance protecting convicted MPs/MLAs from disqualification.

“Does one have to wait for a suitable time to speak the truth?” he asked.

Opposition thinks that just one man can run the nation: Rahul Gandhi

JAGDALPUR, BASTAR, Sept 26: Mounting a caustic attack on the BJP, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said his party's aim is to empower tribals and the poor by vesting powers in their hands but the opposition party thinks that "one man can run the nation".

For the first time after the May 25 Maoist attack that eliminated frontline Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh, Rahul Gandhi flew to Jagdalpur to attend a tribal convention which was attended by all the senior Congress leaders in the state.

" We believe that nation is run by the people", he said without naming anyone while addressing an impressive tribal convention in Bastar where frontline Congress leaders of Chhattisgarh were killed in a Maoist bloodbath three months ago.

"My firm belief is that in politics there are two types of people. One who fight for the people for their larger interests while others are who fight for themselves", he said again, without naming anyone.

Exhorting the tribal youth of Bastar to come forward in mainstream politics and fight for the issues of poor and their tribal brethren, stressing that he would remain firmly with them in any such efforts. He said it would help the people of the area to come forward and participate in the process of development.

The Congress scion began his speech in Bastar, making a direct reference to the May 25 Maoist attack in Bastar and recalling how the then PCC chief Nandkumar Patel, who was among those killed, had apprised him that the people in Chhattisgarh were eagerly waiting for change in the government.

All leaders of the faction ridden Congress were present at the public meeting, almost for the first time after infighting broke out just three months after the killing of senior party leaders in the Bastar Maoist attack.

Addressing a massive tribal rights convention in Bastar in Chhattisgarh, he said Congress had brought a number of landmark legislations aimed at empowering the people at various levels. He said the Food Security Act, RTI, Land Acquisition Act and Right To Education (RTE) Act were all aimed at empowerment.

Rahul Gandhi said his party always believed that any government is run by the people hence it wants to transfer the power into the hands of the poor and the downtrodden.

Twin-terror attacks in J&K; 12 killed, 2 militants gunned down

JAMMU, Sept 26: In twin terror attacks on Thursday, three heavily-armed militants dressed in army fatigues stormed into a police station and an army camp in Jammu region, killing twelve people including a Lieutenent Colonel, thereby casting a shadow on the upcoming meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif.

Four policemen were among the five killed in the audacious 'fidayeen' (suicide) attack on the Hiranagar police station in Kathua while three army personnel including Lt Col Bikramjeet Singh died in a similar strike shortly afterwards on the army camp at nearby Samba, officials said.

A Colonel-level Commanding Officer (CO) of the unit was among the three injured in the attack at the camp where a 16 Cavalry formation is stationed.

The three militants first barged into the police station near Jammu-Pathankot National Highway around 6.45 am and indiscriminately fired after hurling a grenade, police said.

Four policemen, including an Assistant Sub-Inspector, were killed and another ASI was injured in the attack that also left a civilian dead, DIG Shakeel Baig said.

The militants later hijacked a tempo truck on the highway, boarded it and forced its driver to move towards Jammu, police said.

The truck was stopped outside the Army camp at Samba and the militants then opened indiscriminate firing on jawans deployed at its security gate before they stormed the premises.

They barged into the Army Mess where they resorted to heavy indiscriminate firing as troops geared up and retaliated resulting in fierce gunbattle which was still on.

In New Delhi, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said, "We are in the process of inquiring into the attacks."

Senior Army officials said three Army personnel, including a Lieutenant Colonel, were killed and three others including the Commanding Officer (CO) of the unit were injured.

Army have moved in crack commandos and quick action teams inside the camp.

The attack came a day after the Prime Minister left for the US where he is scheduled to meet Sharif on Sunday for talks which have been opposed by BJP. This morning's attack is seen as a bid to derail the meeting from across the border.

Chidambaram attacks Modi over growth claims during NDA regime

NEW DELHI, Sept 23: Finance Minister P Chidambaram hit out at Narendra Modi accusing him of "staging a fake encounter with facts", drawing a sharp response from the opposition party.

In a no-holds bar attack, Chidambaram rebuffed the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate's claim of pegging economic growth rate during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government at 8.4 per cent.

"Nothing can be further from the truth... I wonder why Shri Narendra Modi should stage a fake encounter with facts.

Ultimately, facts will prevail," the Finance Minister said.

Rolling out figures in a one-page statement, Chidambaram said, "The average for the six year period (under Vajpayee government from 1998-99 to 2003-04) was 6.0 per cent and the average for the last five years (1999-2000 to 2003-04) was 5.9 per cent."

In contrast, the average growth rate during Congress-led UPA's first term was 8.4 per cent and 7.3 per cent during the first four years of UPA-II, Chidambaram said.

"The two worst years since the turn of the century were 2000-01 (4.3 per cent) and 2002-03 (4 per cent)," he said giving out yearly GDP growth rate during the six years of NDA rule under Vajpayee.

BJP quickly came out all guns blazing against Chidambaram with senior leader Yashwant Sinha accusing the Finance Minister of indulging in "statistical jugglery" about growth figures by making unfair comparisons of the UPA's nine years of rule with the NDA government's achievements in five years.

On this Congress spokesperson P C Chacko said BJP was up to its "favourite pastime of mixing facts with fiction" and wondered why Sinha, a former Finance Minister, instead of admonishing Modi for "parading half truths and untruths" was authenticating them.

Earlier Modi in a televised address to Indian Diaspora in the US asked Indian voters to hold UPA accountable for nine years of "mis-governance" and to throw out the Congress in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls as they did after the Emergency in 1977.

Ravi Shankar Prasad of BJP said that that the Finance Minister is not only factually incorrect but is also being economical with the truth.

"They are comparing nine years average with five years average of NDA," Sinha said, adding that when NDA came to power the growth rate was 4.8 per cent and when the BJP-led coalition relinquished office it was 8.6 per cent.

Rebutting Sinha's claim, Chidambaram said, "If there was a golden period of growth, it was the five year period under UPA-1."

Backing Chidambaram's line, Chacko said,"mixing facts with fiction, which is the favourite pastime of BJP is being continued and the latest in the series is the televised address of Modi to the Indian diaspora in the US."

Terming Modi's statement as patently wrong, he said the economic growth during UPA's period was much better.

"NDA government cannot claim any achievement as far as economic growth is concerned," he said.

Chacko added, "They are parading half truths and untruths to establish their false arguments and weak points. The PM candidate of BJP is engaging in false propaganda and we can imagine a more atrocious campaign in the coming months."

Congress believes in letting poor dream big: Rahul

JAIPUR, Sept 17: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday took a veiled dig at Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and the Opposition, saying they were only helping the rich and not letting the poor dream big.

"When it comes to schemes for the poor, they ask where the money will come from. But, when mines are to be allotted and land is acquired then nobody raises questions," Gandhi told a gathering in Baran town of poll-bound Rajasthan.

Apparently referring to Modi's rally in the state on September 10, Gandhi said, "People come and make tall claims. Our politics is the politics of your dreams."

"They want only 500-odd people should dream, travel in airplanes, move in cars. This is their thought. This is not our politics."

He said the 21st century for the Congress meant that the dreams of the poorest of people in the country must come true.

The Congress vice-president said by implementing Food Security Bill (FSB), Land Acquisition Bill and MNREGA and other such schemes for the economically weaker sections, the UPA government has proved it did not "believe in making tall claims, but delivery".

"We want your children should see big dreams. If we do not allow you to dream, then this nation cannot move forward," he said.

After the passage of the FSB, he said, the old Congress slogan "will eat half chappati but ensure victory for Congress" has now become "we will have a full meal and make Congress victorious".

He said that like Rajasthan, free medicines will be provided at all government health institutions across India to alleviate poverty, as one of the biggest causes of poverty was the poor spending a sizable part of their incomes paying for medicines and treatment.

Free medicine scheme was first implemented in the desert state, where the election is being seen as a litmus test for both Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Chandigarh becomes first slum-free city in India

CHANDIGARH, Sept 14: Noting that rapid urbanisation has led to the problem of growing slums in cities, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said the Centre plans to construct over 15 lakh houses for the urban poor.

Inaugurating a Rs 2,400-crore housing project for slum dwellers on the outskirts of the city, Singh said he expects Chandigarh to become the first slum-free city in the country.

"I believe such important projects will give a new dimension to the country in its journey for becoming a a developed nation," he said.

Rapid increase in urban population would put immense pressure on urban infrastructure in next couple of years, the Prime Minister said, adding the the urban population in the country was going to increase by 22 crore in next 20 years.

"The pace of urbanisation in India is going very fast. In 1971, the urban population was 11 crore. In last 40 years till the year 2011, the strength in urban population went up by 27 crore. It is estimated that its strength will go up by 22 crore in next 20 years," Singh said.

Increase in urban population will put immense pressure on country's urban infrastructure.

"Our growing slums in cities present a picture of the kind of problems arise because of urbanisation," he noted.

He said that the strength of people living in slums was estimated to grow from 10 crore to 10.4 crore by 2017.

The Prime Minister said a sum of Rs 41,000 crore is expected to be invested for setting up 15.6 lakh houses under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission scheme (JNNURM) scheme.

"Till now since the inception of JNNURM, 15.6 lakh houses have been approved to be developed and for which Rs 41,000 crore of investment is expected to be invested," he said.

The Centre has floated Rajiv Awaas Yojna scheme for making the country slum free, Singh said.

Under this scheme, the Centre will try to construct up 10 lakh houses for urban poor people in next four years.

The government is providing a loan of Rs 5 lakh to urban poor people with interest subsidy of 5 per cent on bank loan.

"A Credit Risk Guarantee Fund of Rs 1000 crore has also been set up for this purpose whereby urban poor people will get collateral free bank loan for the houses," he said.

He said that a scheme to involve the private sector in creating housing facilities for the urban poor has been started.

"Under the scheme private sector companies will be given financial support for the construction of houses for the weaker sections and those in the LIG categories," the Prime Minister said.

After Independence, he said, Chandigarh was the first planned city in the country.

"Internationally, the city is known for its architecture and urban design. Amongst all the states and Union Territories the per capita income in this city is the highest. In 2010, it was declared cleanest city and now I expect it should become the first slum-free city in the country," the PM said inaugurating the housing complex in Dhanas village which would benefit nearly 8,500 families living in slums here, Singh handed over the keys to the first batch of 10 people.

A total of 8,448 flats each of 267 square feet have been built under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission scheme.

Singh congratulated the Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Ministry and Chandigarh Administration for the project.

As per an official survey, there are around 25,000 families that have been identified as living in slums in various places in the city, a spokesman said adding, "The idea of the project is to make Chandigarh slum-free."

These flats will be handed over to the beneficiaries on lease for a period of 20 years, after the completion of the time period, the house will be allotted to them, he said.

The complex would have sewage treatment plant (STP), electricity, drinking water supply, school, police station, dispensary among other things.

The flats have a living room, a bathroom and kitchen and are expected to be inhabited by about 50,000 people.

UT Administrator Shivraj Patil has directed officials to plan and set up solar photovoltaic panels on the roofs of all the flats. Union Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Girija Vyas, Governors of Punjab and Haryana Shivraj Patil and Jagan Nath Pahadia, Chief Ministers of the two states Parkash Singh Badal and Bhupinder Singh Hooda and local Congress MP Pawan Bansal were among those present.

President Pranab confident about revival of economy

KOLKATTA, Sept 14: The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee feels that the fall in Indian economy is a consequence of major international crisis. But at the same time he said that he was confident about revival of Indian economy.

"The fall of Indian economy began precisely in 2008-2009 when as a consequence of major international financial crisis India GDP came down from 9 plus percent to 6.7%," the President while speaking at 160th annual general meeting of Bengal Chamber of Commerce on Saturday said.

"Then there was an improvement in 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 with the GDP registering a growth of 8.7% and 9.3%. Again there was slump because in fact the world economy did not fully recover from the downtrend in 2008-2009," he said.

He also said that the developed economy in Europe, North America and Japan were moving slowly then, though economy of emerging markets such as China, India Brazil, South Africa and many others they made substantial contribution to world output and trade, but 2011-2012 and substantially in 2013 the economy of these countries slowed down also.

"India in a globalised economy is no exception. There are areas of concern but there is no room for gloom or despondency," he said.

Saying that certain fundamentals of India are strong he said, "Corrective measures are necessary, but there is no room of despondency."

"To run a complex economy and in more complex international situation. If we expect not to be touched by global development perhaps it may not be possible. We should draw our lesson from the past," he said.

Saying that stabilising the rupee is foremost in the minds of the policy makers, and that strong measures have been initiated to strengthen the external sector Mukherjee said, "I am confident that the Indian economy will soon return to the high growth trajectory."

He also said that the process of economic reforms have to be continued with vigour and firmness.

The President also said that there are crucial legislations pending in parliament, which clearly demonstrates the determination of policy makers. Referring to the good monsoon this year, which, he said that would impact positively on agricultural growth and food prices.

"I do hope it will have its impact on inflation and also on agricultural growth."

He said that certain facts cannot be ignored and it is true that when 2003-2004 the support price of wheat and rice have become more than twice in 2012.

While the price of wheat was Rs. 650 per quintal in 2003-2004 it was Rs. 1285 per quintal in 2012. Similarly the price of rice, which was Rs. 650 per quintal in 2003-2004 rose to Rs. 1260 per quintal in 2012 said the President Of India.

The President also said that our experience in the recent past has shown that we have to live with adversities whether it comes from the external or the domestic sector.

Indira Gandhi peace prize conferred on Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

NEW DELHI, Sept 13: Liberian leader Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was conferred the coveted Indira Gandhi peace prize by President Pranab Mukherjee who said India will continue to support the African nation in its pursuit of stability and economic growth.

74-year-old Sirleaf, the first democratically elected women Head of State of any African country, was honoured for serving as an example and an inspiration for ensuring the return of peace, democracy, development, security and order in Liberia and for her strong interest in the consolidation and improvement of ties between both the nations.

The award ceremony for the 2012 prize for President Sirleaf, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, was held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday and was attended among others by Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi also made her first public appearance after returning yesterday from the United States where she had gone for health check-up.

Sirleaf is the 27th recipient of the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development which is in recognition of the values she stood and fought for in the service of India and its people. "India and Liberia have a longstanding relationship of friendship and cooperation. We stand with President Sirleaf in her efforts to pursue stability, economic growth and democratic governance for the Liberian people," Mukherjee said.

"It is, therefore, befitting that the Indira Gandhi peace prize honours those who have made significant contribution to peace, disarmament and development, causes that were so dear to Indiraji. She was truly one of the twentieth century's most remarkable personalities," the President said.

"As the first woman elected to lead an African nation, President Sirleaf is an inspiration to women everywhere, indeed to all of us who seek and work for building peaceful and prosperous communities that enable the development of an informed empowered and productive citizenry," he said.

Mukherjee said peace and development are the two concepts closely intertwined and necessary to break the vicious cycle of poverty, hunger, inequality, violence and war.

"Emerging from a dark night that saw so much violence and bloodshed in a country, which is Africa's oldest republic, Liberia is now moving towards its tenth year of sustained peace. India has been privileged to have played a key role in peace keeping efforts in Liberia," the President said.

Citing long history of civilisational contacts, friendship and cooperation between India and Africa, Mukherjee said India will continue to assist Africa in charting its own course through institution building, infrastructure development and technical and vocational skill development.

Sirleaf dedicated her award to people of Liberia. "I dedicate this award to Liberian people who have trusted me as their leader and to the women of Africa and elsewhere," she said. "Women are peacemaker and angels of development," she said and asked all women in the world to have courage and daring to do what is more meaningful to their life.

The award ceremony in grand Darbar hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan was also attended by Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and cricketer-turned-politician Mohd Azharuddin among other dignitaries.

Former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi, Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai and Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina had also received the awards for 1991, 2005 and 2009 respectively.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appreciated the courage of Liberian President in overcoming difficulties and winning hearts of people of Liberia.

"It is often easy to end a conflict, but hard to win enduring peace. It is msometimes easier to end violence and injustice, but more difficult to heal and to reconcile. "Getting political freedom does not always lead to sustained democracy. You and your nation have shown great wisdom in addressing these challenges and we wish you continued success on that global path," Singh said.

India and Liberia are committed to forge a partnership that will demonstrate that neither asymmetry of size nor the challenge of distance matters when nations with shared values and mutual respect work together for mutual benefit and the larger good of humanity, the Prime Minister said.

"You serve as an inspiration not just for women but for all those who seek a better life for their fellow human beings," Singh added.

Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi called Sirleaf a "trailblazer" who battled disadvantages faced by women in developing countries and worked for their cause.

"She truly is trailblazer, and it is only fitting that I draw a parallel to Indira Gandhi, the first woman Prime Minister of India, who helped revolutionise the global political arena as one of the world's pioneering women leaders in the 20th century," she said.

Sirleaf's passionate commitment towards women's rights is very much in keeping with Indira Gandhi's own values, the UPA chairperson said. President Sirleaf's story has been one of indomitable courage, string determination and the yearning to achieve greater heights in all that she has undertaken. "Sirleaf has also restored financial health into a Liberian economy, which was once in crisis and reeling in debt," Gandhi said. "We hope that she continues to inspire her countless admirers from all corners of the world. We too are proud to acknowledge her achievements and embrace her as a friend," she said.

4 guilty of Delhi gang-rape sentenced to death

NEW DELHI, Sept 13: Nine months after the horrific gang-rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman in Delhi triggered nationwide outrage, a special court on Friday sentenced to death four convicts in the case.

Additional sessions judge Yogesh Khanna announced the punishment in a packed courtroom at around 2.30 pm. "Death to all," he said.

"Besides discussing others offences, I straightaway come to section 302 (murder) of IPC. This falls under inhuman nature of the convicts and the gravity of offence they committed cannot be tolerated. Death sentence is given to all the four convicts," he said.

"In these times when crime against women is on the rise courts cannot turn a blind eye towards such barbaric and gruesome crime. There cannot be any tolerance. This crime in every way falls within the rarest of rare category warranting a death sentence."

The sentence has to be confirmed by Delhi high court.

The convicts, except Akshay Thakur, started crying after the judge announced the punishment. Defence lawyer AP Singh snapped at the judge and alleged his verdict was politically biased.

"Judge saab aap satyameva jayathey ke jagah jhootameva jayatey ko uphold kiya, ye political pressure-eva jayathey hai, vote bank politics eva jayathey hain," said Singh who was defending Vinay Sharma and Thakur in court. (You have not upheld truth but lies. This decision has been taken under political pressure and for vote bank politics.)

Earlier on Tuesday, saying that the crime committed on a moving bus was in the "rarest of rare category", the court noted that the girl and her male friend were brutally assaulted, her abdomen ripped apart with an iron rod and internal organs pulled out.

They were thrown out of the bus moving at a high speed and the accused tried to run the vehicle over them. She was left on the road half-naked, seriously injured, severely bleeding and shivering in the winter chill.

The judge had convicted Mukesh Singh, 26, Vinay Sharma, 20, Pawan Gupta, 19, and Akshay Thakur, 28, on September 10, holding that there was strong evidence they had committed the brutal gang-rape and a "cold-blooded murder".

Their underage accomplice, who has since turned 18, has been sent to a reform home for three years after a juvenile board handed down a guilty verdict on August 31.

The main accused in the case Ram Singh was found hanging in his Tihar jail cell on March 11.

Special public prosecutor Dayan Krishnan had demanded noose for all convicts for the "grotesque and diabolic" crime.

"There is no chance such criminals can be reformed. If death is not given to such criminals, the common man will lose faith in the courts. Society feels no woman is safe. It is for the courts to change that perception by handing down harsh punishment."

Lawyers for the four convicts had pleaded for mercy saying they were young, did not have previous criminal records and should be given a chance to reform. The court rejected the plea.

The brutal gang-rape on the night of December 16, 2012, sparked spontaneous public outrage across India, bringing thousands of people onto streets in protest against authorities' failure to ensure women's safety. READ: It’s not end of road, jail officials counsel convicts

It also triggered uproar in Parliament and prompted the government to enact a tough law to deal with crimes against women, increased policing and fast-tracking of rape cases across the country.

After the savage attack, the young woman, a paramedical student, fought bravely for life and was airlifted to Singapore for treatment. But her injuries left her with no real chance and she died on December 29.

Narendra Modi is BJP's PM candidate for 2014 Lok Sabha polls; Advani 'disappointed'

NEW DELHI, Sept 13: The Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) on Friday named Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

"Sri Narendra Modi will be our prime ministerial candidate," party chief Rajnath Singh told a press conference called after a meeting of leaders of BJP's parliamentary board.

The decision caps the rise of 62-year-old Modi in the party, which has spent nearly a decade in the political wilderness. He smiled while posing for photos in a yellow tunic and wearing a garland of flowers.

"I seek the blessings of millions of Indians to join our effort to steer the country out of these perilous days," he said in his first comments, declining to take questions from waiting journalists.

What Modi said at BJP's press conference

# Modi assures the party of victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. He says, "I assure everyone I will work hard for BJP's victory in 2014 elections."

# Modi says he has always got blessings from Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani. "I express my gratitude to even the smallest party worker," said Modi.

# Modi says, "BJP has always given me opportunity to serve the nation. The party has given a chance to an ordinary person like me a very important responsibility. I am a very small worker who comes from from a very ordinary family." 6:36 pm: Modi addresses meet says, "I had worked as an ordinary worker in the BJP at various levels."

Advani's 'hurt' letter

Advani on Friday wrote a letter to Rajnath Singh in which he expressed his "pain" at the way the party was functioning but didn't name Modi.

"This afternoon when you came to meet me, I spoke to you about my dilemma over attending the BJP parliamentary board meeting. I expressed my displeasure to you over how the party is functioning. In the end I have decided that it's better that I stay away from the meeting," said Advani in his letter, which was released to the media later.

Earlier in the day, former party president Nitin Gadkari made one final attempt at cobbling together a consensus, or a semblance of it, after meeting Rajnath Singh, Advani and Leader of Opposition in Parliament Sushma Swaraj. But Advani reportedly stuck to his stand after the meeting with Gadkari.

Another senior leader, Murli Manohar Joshi, who shared Advani and Swaraj's views on Modi, reconciled with the inevitable in the afternoon, when he told reporters in Madhya Pradesh he would go with the parliamentary board’s decision. But the fact that he chose to visit MP than attend the important meeting shows he was not entirely happy with the decision.

Gujarat communal laboratory extended to Uttar Pradesh

By Shaktisinh Gohil

GANDHINAGAR, Sept 13: After gaining political success by using Gujarat as a laboratory, it appears that BJP and RSS are now using their success formula in the country. BJP and RSS used CDs showing burning coaches of train and dead bodies which were distributed to flare up communal riots in Gujarat in 2002, similar modus operandi is in riots in Muzzafarnagar and UP.

Gujarat had a devastating earthquake on January 26, 2001. Gujarat had BJP government and BJP had many more seats in Assembly than what is has today. But after the earthquake people had developed anti-BJP mindset. In the elections of local self governments after the earthquake, Congress had a spectacular success. It got majority in over 90 percent of district and taluka panchayats.

Congress gained power in municipalities and Municipal Corporations. Even in Ahmedabad, Congress had its Mayor. Congress came to power even in Rajkot which has maximum number of shakhas of RSS. Modi used this situation as a plot and convinced the BJP leadership that then Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel was responsible for the flop show of BJP in Gujarat and he should be removed. Keshubhai was removed from the post of Chief Minister.

Narendra Modi managed to capture office of the Chief Minister of Gujarat even though he was not a MLA. But after becoming Chief Minister Narendra Modi could not improve ground realities. After Modi becoming CM, three Assembly by-elections were held in Gujarat. One seat fell vacant as BJP MLA from Vadodara had resigned, another seat fell vacant because BJP MLA representing Mahuva died. In Rajkot, Vajubhai Vala resigned to make way for Modi to go to Assembly. Interestingly, all the three seats were of BJP. In these by-elections, Congress won two! Modi, the Chief Minsiter, managed to win by a thin margin. All these three elections were fought in the leadership of Narendra Modi. After this BJP and RSS drew up a sinister plan to capture power. Ultimately, this became an experiment and Gujarat a laboratory.

In the past karsevakas used to go to Ayodhaya but never any untoward incident took place. In February 2002, this movement of karsevakas started again. People who played politics in the name of Rama were in power in Gujarat. It was the duty of the government to protect karsevakas turned Ramsevakas, but, there was an incident of fire in a coach of Sabarmati express at Godhara, by accident or by design. State and centre both had BJP government. What IB was doing? Why Railway police was missing? Forensic laboratory of Gujarat raised doubt that the coach was set afire from outside.

Godhara collector decided to send bodies to the hometowns of dead persons after post mortem. But, Gujarat CM decided that all dead bodies be brought to Ahmedabad. Thus, he created tension by the show of dead bodies. The resolution and speech of the Chief Minister in the Assembly was communally divisive. Despite this, it was the rational thinking of people of Gujarat that they maintained cool and there were no riots for three days.

However, during these three days RSS and BJP distributed innumerable video CDs showing burning coaches, dead bodies and all kind of provocative statements. In a well planned manner, there were SMSs and bulk phone call inciting communal violence. And ultimately, it worked. There were large scale riots. Police was asked not to take any action. Two cabinet ministers were stationed in police control room. There job was to further aggravate situation. If any police officer tried to control riots, he was punished instantaneously with sidelined posting. Whether a Hindu died or Muslim, it did not matter because it was an experiment to strengthen vote bank of BJP. This was followed by Gaurav yatra by the Chief Minister. It clearly divided Gujarat in two, Hindu and Muslim. He was successful in his vote bank politics.

Since then whenever elections approached in Gujarat, Chief Minister has sought votes on communal plank. Gujarat Chief Minister has just marketed himself in the name of development of Gujarat. Gujarat had no debt when he came to power. Today, Gujarat has debt of Rs 1.56lakh crore! Even CAG has censored Gujarat government for this alarming situation.

Modi has never sought votes in the name of development or works done by him. Fake encounters of Gujarat are just part of larger vote bank politics.

We are proud of unity of our country which has many languages, castes, communities and regions and religions. We are neither Hindu, nor Muslim, we are just Hindustani. Is it not our duty to think that loss of anyone is loss of the country?

There should be narco test of the BJP MLA who has put highly distorted video on facebook which led to large scale violence in UP. I am sure this will bring out the Truth.

@ Shaktisinh Gohil is Former leader of opposition, Gujarat and former State minister of finance, education and health

Congress wants Akhilesh to quit as Muzaffarnagar death toll crosses 40

LUCKNOW, Sept 11: The Akhilesh Yadav government, which is struggling to douse the communal fire burning in Uttar Pradesh, came under attack from an unexpected quarter on Tuesday.

Congress leader from the state and Union Minister Jitin Prasada said Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav should quit in the wake of communal violence in western Uttar Pradesh districts, where the death toll crossed 40 on Tuesday.

" If I were in Akhilesh Yadav's place, I would have stepped down taking moral responsibility," Prasada said on Tuesday. "Twenty- one years have passed since such kind of violence has erupted in the state. The army is on the streets. This was unheard of," he added.

Asked if the Congress is being soft on the SP government, which is providing outside support to the UPA government at the Centre, he said: "There is no question of being soft on any government, especially when incidents like this happen where over 40 people have died and communal passions have flared up." State Congress in- charge Madhusudan Mistry accused the Samajwadi Party government in the state of " conspiring" with the BJP to incite the riots. In an indirect demand for Akhilesh's resignation, Mistry said: " The chief minister or minister who cannot protect the people does not have the right to remain on the post."

"Muzaffarnagar kept burning and the SP government allowed it to simmer. The state government failed on its own. This is the politics of dead bodies and it is just a trailer. I condemn it forcefully," Mistry added.

In Muzaffarnagar, the situation remained tense but under control on Tuesday. With no reports of fresh violence, curfew was eased for two hours from 3.30 pm in certain areas. Residents rushed to medical shops, petrol pumps, grocery shops and ATMs to collect supplies and cash for emergency purposes. "I came here to buy medicines for my daughter who is unwell. Such violence does not benefit any caste or community," Rakesh Jain, a resident, said.

Army personnel carried out flag marches at the trouble spots in Muzaffarnagar. "The situation is tense but under control.

We appeal to the citizens not to pay any heed to rumours," ADG ( law and order) Arun Kumar said.

Home Secretary Kamal Saxena said in Lucknow that 38 people have died in various districts of western Uttar Pradesh, with as many as 32 deaths being reported from Muzaffarnagar alone. News agency reports, however, suggested that the toll has crossed 40.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday announced Rs.2 lakh each for the next of kin of those killed and Rs.50,000 each for those seriously injured in the communal clashes continuing since August 27 in the district.

Providing food to poor is not wastage of money: Rahul

NEW DELHI, Sept 10: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday attacked critics of the food security bill which was passed by Parliament last week, saying money spent on providing meals to the poor cannot be called "wastage" of financial resources.

He said the legislation is aimed at removing hunger from the country by giving people right to food which is part of a series of landmark initiatives of the UPA government such as Right to Information Act and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

"Is providing food to people called wastage of money.... The opposition says it is a wastage of money. We want the poor people of the country to stand on their feet," Gandhi said.

The Congress vice-president was speaking at a function after handing over documents offering ownership rights to the first batch of residents of the resettlement colonies in Delhi.

The ambitious bill, expected to benefit 82 crore people in the country, is seen as a "game changer" by the Congress as it prepares to face general elections due in May next year.

The BJP had termed the Bill as a "gimmick" with an eye on elections though the party supported it. Some parties, including UPA's outside supporter Samajwadi Party, had criticised the bill saying it will put additional financial burden on states.

A section of the corporate world has also slammed the Bill saying it will increase the financial burden on the government when the economy was going through a difficult phase.

"We are giving rights to people. Rights means guarantee of development. After the food security legislation, no body in the country will remain hungry," Gandhi said, defending the food security scheme.

The bill was cleared by both houses of Parliament and it will become law once President Pranab Mukherjee gives assent to it.

In his address, Gandhi said UPA government has ensured inclusive growth by changing the development paradigm through a number of historic legislation like Food Security Bill, Right to Information Act and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

"We have brought a number of legislation in the last 10 years which have changed the development paradigm. The aim of the legislations was to ensure rights to people," he said.

Ajit Singh, BSP, BJP seek dismissal of SP Government in Uttar Pradesh as 31 killed in communal clashes

By Deepak Arora

NEW DELLHI, Sept 8: Even as 31 people have been killed in communal violance in Muzaffarnagar, Rashtriya Lok Dal President Ajit Singh and other political parties such as the BSP and BJP have demanded that the Centre immediately impose President’s rule in Uttar Pradesh due to the complete failure of the administration in maintaining law and order in the state and the inability to control the riots that have engulfed the Western region

Mr Ajit Singh said there have been more than 100 cases of communal riots in Uttar Pradesh since the Samajwadi Party came to power in the state.

He said the latest riots in Muzaffarnagar have exposed the weak, ineffective and careless government which is instigating the riots from the backdoor. The situation has become so bad that a senior police officer deserted the region for fear of his life. The Indian Army had to be called in for restoring peace.

It is ironical that the Akhilesh Yadav government has awarded two sets of compensation awarded to the victims. Mr Ajit Singh said the state government should immediately correct this folly.

The State government deploys 8,000 security personnel to stop the non-existent VHP yatra but failed to recognise the need provide adequate forces to the region that has been witnessing continued tension and violence. The government failed to act against those prominent political leaders who have been instigating the people with hateful speeches leading to the flare up of communal riots.

The Samajwadi Party has been dividing the society on communal lines and is trying to divide the people who have been living in harmony and peace. It is because the Samajwadi Party is fearful of the voters’ ire against the government’s non-performance they have resorted to communalising the region.

Mr Ajit Singh called on the people to maintain calm and not to get instigated by the rumours that are being spread by nefarious elements, and continue the age-old tradition living in peace and harmony.

Rahul Gandhi is ideal choice for PM after 2014 polls: Manmohan Singh

NEW DELHI, Sept 7: Manmohan Singh said Saturday he would like to see Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi succeed him as prime minister, and that he would be happy to work under the much younger leader.

“I have always maintained that Rahul Gandhiji would be an ideal choice for prime minister after the 2014 elections,” Singh told reporters on the way back from the G20 summit at St Petersburg, Russia. “I would be happy to work for the Congress under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi.”

Singh’s comments are set to revive the debate within the Congress over projecting Gandhi as the party’s prime ministerial candidate for 2014 to take on Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, who is likely to be named the BJP’s nominee as early as next week.

In a wide-ranging interaction, the PM, who turns 81 on September 26, also said he was reluctant to meet Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York later this month as Islamabad had not done enough to bring to justice the 26/11 perpetrators.

He said he respected Sharif and would be happy to meet him under normal conditions, but “if there is no significant progress in bringing the culprits of the Mumbai massacre to book — that I have to factor in before arriving at a final decision”.

His strong stand reflects the dominant view in the Congress that India should have a “calibrated” approach towards Pakistan in an election year.

Asked if the Congress was open to an alliance with Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress for the general elections, he said, “In politics, there are no permanent enemies and permanent friends… “I don’t rule out alliances.” He said Banerjee’s past in the Congress (she left the party in 1997 to form the Trinamool Congress) and her commitment to secularism made her a strong potential ally.

Sporting a light-blue bandhgala, Singh — looking tired after hectic meetings but sounding sharp — snubbed the charge that he had not answered all of the Opposition’s questions relating to corruption scandals. “I try to answer all questions that have been raised. I have been as forthright as I can,” he said.

Calling the G20 summit “an essay in persuasion,” Singh said it had been successful because developed economies had endorsed New Delhi’s concern that their monetary policies were causing problems for emerging economies such as India.

On the growth slump and the sliding rupee, he said India must look beyond short-term relief and work on fundamentals to aid the economy in the long term. He said he expected his forthcoming visits to the US, Russia and China to boost trade relations and create a climate of confidence and cooperation.

Threats of stimulus withdrawal hurting emerging economies: PM

NEW DELHI, Sept 5: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said the threats of withdrawal of unconventional monetary policy by rich nations, such as fiscal stimulus, are hurting emerging economies hard, and the focus should on coordinated and orderly withdrawal.

Addressing the G-20 Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, attended by the world's top leaders including US President Barack Obama and host Vladimir Putin, the prime minister also urged the developed world to desist from pursuing policies that restrict inflows of labour in rich countries.

“The policy of unconventional monetary expansion in advanced countries had some success but it also had spillover effects. When policy was being loosened, there was a surge in capital flows to emerging markets, which helped some countries finance their current account deficits while generating upward pressure on the currencies of other countries,” Manmohan Singh said.

“With markets now anticipating a reversal, we are seeing a large outward flow from emerging markets. Since most emerging markets now operate with flexible exchange rates, they have experienced varying degrees of currency depreciation, posing problems in many cases,” he said.

Referring to the recent volatility in the Indian currency markets, the prime minister said it happened because the inflows of foreign funds “suddenly dried up”.

The Indian rupee has depreciated by almost 20 percent against the US dollar since the beginning of the current financial year. The currency recently hit a record low of near 69 against a dollar.

“India has been affected by currency volatility in the past few weeks. One reason for this is that we had a high current account deficit of 4.8 percent of our GDP in 2012-13. This was easily financed when flows were ample. It became a problem when flows suddenly dried up,” he said.

Manmohan Singh said the Indian government target to contain the current account deficit to 3.7 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in the current financial year and intend to reduce it further to nearly 2.5 percent.

India’s current account deficit hit a record high of $88.2 billion, or 4.8 percent of GDP, in the financial year ended March 31. This fiscal year the government target to contain the current account deficit at $70 billion.

“We are taking steps to finance this deficit by establishing a macroeconomic environment that is seen to be friendly to stable foreign flows,” he said.

Manmohan Singh urged the rich nations not to restrict the movement of labour.

“International labour mobility in high end skills has become an important lubricant of global integration across countries. Pending the evolution of an international agreement on these issues, we must do whatever we can to avoid new restrictive measures in this area,” he said.

“A strategy for job creation in developing countries must include stronger efforts to impart employable skills to the labour force. We can learn from international experience in this area, including the experience of industrialised countries,” he said.

“We also need better functioning labour markets in both industrialised and developing countries,” the prime minister added.

Deepak Sandhu becomes first woman Chief Information Commissioner

NEW DELHI, Sept 5: Deepak Sandhu, who has been an information commissioner for the last four years at the Centre, on Thursday became the first woman Chief Information Commissioner of the country.

A former Indian Information Service officer of 1971 batch, she was administered the oath of office by President Pranab Mukherjee at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan, attended among others by Vice President Hamid Ansari.

Sandhu had served in many key positions like Principal Director General (Media and Communications) in the Press Information Bureau, Director General of DD (News), Director General (News) All India Radio before taking over as Information Commissioner in 2009.

She had represented the country at international Film Festivals in Cannes, Berlin, Venice and Tokyo, International Conference on Terrorism and Electronic Mass Media at Glendzhik (Russia) and Cyprus besides Heads of News Meetings at Atlanta, USA and Beijing.

Speaking to a news agency she said the RTI journey which began in 2005 is just a beginning and she propose to take it forward by engaging with various stakeholders.

The new CIC said her priority would be to reduce the pendency of cases at the Commission.

The 64-year old officer is joining office for a relatively smaller tenure of nearly three months in which her biggest challenge would over 30,000 pending cases with the Commission.

"We are waiting for new Commissioners which are likely to be appointed soon. It will ease our burden of disposal of cases and also reduce the pendency at the Commission," she said.

Sandhu will succeed Satyananda Mishra who demitted office after five-years of tenure at the Commission on Wednesday during which he headed the Bench which declared political parties to be under the ambit of the RTI Act.

Congress demands resignation of Modi over Vanzara's letter

NEW DELHI, Sept 3: In the wake of IPS officer of D G Vanzara's resignation from police service, Congress On Tuesday demanded the resignation of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi alleging fake encounters were a policy of his government and pressed for a CBI inquiry into the whole affair.

"Vanzara has stated in his resignation letter that Gujarat government led by Narendra Modi used the policemen and latter disowned them to gain political advantage," said Congress chief spokesperson Ajay Maken.

"Vanzara has clearly stated in his resignation letter that whenever there was a crisis in the government they were always with the government.

Whenever government faced any kind of crisis for survival, they were always with the government," Maken said

Describing the nine-page letter of Vanjara as "shocking materials", he said "today 32 police officers are in jail, out of whom six are IPS officers."

Demanding resignation of Gujrat government, Maken said "Narendra Modi does not have any right to continue in the office.

CBI should conduct a full inquiry on the basis of the letter. This is a serious issue and Gujarat government does not have right to stay even for a minute."

Quoting Vanzara's letter, Maken said "he (Vanzara) has raised question why policemen are in the jail.

The policy makers should also be in jail, which means Modi and Amit Shah should also be in jail."

Maken said it has become clear now that Gujarat government had misused the police force all the time.

He said "it is the state of affairs in Mahtama Gandhi's state where 32 police officers are in jail for human rights violations and encounter cases, out of whom six are IPS officers.

Six more IPS are also facing cases." Congress spokesperson Sandeep Dikshit said the statements of Vanzara show "everybody, including the highest post in that state, was in conscious knowledge of what was happening."

He said the senior officer's remarks show that he has been let down by the government because "he and 32 other officers were actually doing something that was a considered, conscious, known and sanctioned policy of Gujarat government."

AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh alleged most of the encounters which took place in Gujarat were false "done probably for the image build-up of Narendra Modi, the sole fighter against terror activities and sole activist for the Hindus."

Meanwhile, at the AICC briefing, party spokesperson Sandip Dikshit said that the CD episode requires a high-level probe as the name of Modi has been taken during the sting by none other than a very senior leader of BJP like Prakash Javadekar.

He said that conversation recorded in the sting operation clearly shows that the BJP leaders had the nod of Modi for getting a blank 'Vakalatanma' signed by Prajapati's mother so that the case can be manouevered.

"There could be no more subversion of justice," he said. Dikshit also hit out at Modi over the issue of the appointment of a Lokayukta in the state.

"This is nothing but mockery of the whole judicial process," Gujarat Governor Kamla Beniwal earlier said Ahmedabad in stinging remarks against Modi government as she returned the new Lokayukta Bill for reconsideration by the legislative assembly.

Congress spokesperson Dikshit said that it's a very peculiar situation in the state, where the "Chief Minister has been assiduously preventing the appointment of Lokayukta".

He alleged that the state government is doing its best to ensure that even a simple form of having accountability by appointing Lokayukta does not exist in Gujarat.

Yasin Bhatkal, founder of Indian Mujahideen, arrested

NEW DELHI: Indian Mujahideen founder Yasin Bhatkal has been held by Indian agencies in Nepal, according to Times Now.

According to reports, the NSA has met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and briefed him about the arrest of Bhatkal.

However, the home ministry is yet to make an official confirmation of the arrest.

Bhatkal is one of the most wanted terrorists and is responsible for several terror attacks in the country.

He is accused of masterminding several terror strikes including Delhi, Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad blasts.

Bhatkal's arrest comes close on the heels of arrest of another top terrorist Abdul Karim Tunda.

Congress would be backbone of Dalits in time to come: Rahul

NEW DELHI, Aug 28: Wooing Dalits, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi said his party would be their backbone in the time to come and attacked BSP supremo Mayawati for not grooming leaders among the community.

He said he would stand by them to ensure their progress irrespective of the amount of time it takes.

"You ask in UP for five Dalit leaders and the answer you will hear is Mayawati, Mayawati, Mayawati, Mayawati and Mayawati... I want that there should be a queue of leaders at all levels, in UP, Delhi, at block levels, in villages...," he said in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Rahul was addressing a meet -- National Dialogue on Social Disparity -- organised by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes in New Delhi.

He said his party would be backbone of Dalits in the time to come. Rahul has been making concerted attempts to win back Dalit support base from BSP in Uttar Pradesh, which would be an important factor in its electoral fortune in the polls scheduled for early next year, but without much success.

He mentioned Food Security Bill, passed by Lok Sabha on Monday and is being seen by the ruling party as a game-changer before elections, and Right to Information Act to stress his party's commitment to people's welfare.

"You will have to keep faith in Congress," he said.

He said it is necessary to empower people so that they could throw up grass-roots leadership instead of a few people in all parties deciding who would be there leaders.

Rahul also spoke on his travel through Uttar Pradesh and said Dalits were discriminated.

"In schools, when I asked teachers who were the most intelligent students in their classes, they pointed to some sitting in the front bench while those in the back-benches were least bright."

"They would be Dalits," he said, terming it discrimination.

Sonia Gandhi 'fine'; discharged from hospital

NEW DELHI, Aug 27: Congress president Sonia Gandhi was Monday night admitted to AIIMS hospital after she was taken ill in the Lok Sabha where her pet welfare legislation and UPA's ambitious food security bill was in the final stages of adoption.

She spent about five hours, and was discharged from the hospital after her check-up was completed.

"The Congress president has come back, she is all right and her medical check-up has been completed," party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said.

A senior doctor at AIIMS said, "She had cough...she had headache. She took medicines after which she felt uneasiness in Parliament, that is why she was here. We put all the test required for such diseases and we found her normal, and she has left in her own car talking to all the doctors, and thanking all of us."

Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "Madam, it looks, had medicines for common cold and headache, as a result of which she had some uneasiness and she had to be brought to AIIMS and now all test have been conducted and she is perfectly fine and has gone home."

67-year-old Sonia left the Lok Sabha while the voting was underway Monday night on various amendments moved by the Opposition and was rushed to AIIMS.

Ironically, Sonia could not be present in the Lower House when the landmark bill was passed.

"There is nothing to worry. She is completely fine", Dwivedi had earlier said.

Several leaders of the Congress made a beeline to AIIMS to inquire about Sonia's condition.

Dwivedi said that based on the available information from doctors some medicines did not suit her and problems erupted because of their reactions.

AIIMS hospital sources said Sonia complained of exhaustion and mild chest pain and was taken to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as a precautionary measure before she was shifted to the Cardio-Neuro Centre.

The sources said Sonia underwent some tests including an ECG and is under observation at AIIMS where top doctors of the institute including its director R C Deka are attending on her. Balram Airon, Head of Cardio-Thoracic surgery department, is monitoring Sonia's health condition.

Sonia was stated to be suffering from viral fever since yesterday and was suddenly taken ill after spearheading UPA's ambitious Food Security Bill in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

She was seen leaving Parliament at 8.15 PM and holding the hand of Union minister Selja before boarding a vehicle.

Her son and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi also accompanied her.

Security was tightened in and around AIIMS.

In a tweet, Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj wished Sonia a speedy recovery.

Doctors earlier examined Sonia at her home yesterday and today, sources said.

National Media Centre unveiled, PM stresses on media credibility

NEW DELHI, Aug 24:

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi jointly inaugurated the Information and Broadcasting Ministry's new National Media Centre on Raisina Road in New Delhi on Saturday.

The National Media Centre with its modern infrastructure will serve as the communication hub of the government.

The media centre is equipped with state-of-the-art technology to facilitate enhanced media access to the government and is likely to house the Press Information Bureau (PIB).

"This media centre symbolises the vibrant mood of the existing media landscape in the country. I am sure it will fulfill the needs and requirements of our media fraternity, many of whom are present here today," Dr. Manmohan Singh said during the inauguration.

"A witch hunt is no substitute for investigative journalism. At the end of day, credibility is media's currency," the Prime Minister said, adding that the spirit of inquiry should not lead to calumny.

He said that the media was among the principal beneficiaries of the wave of economic reforms introduced in the country, and advancements like the internet, telecom revolution, low-cost broadcasting and social media were inconceivable just two decades ago.

The Prime Minister further asserted that media and civil society are an essential part of democracy and nation building and added that the UPA Government has always fostered a free, pluralistic and independent media.

"Media is a reflection of the entire society at large and the media has enormous reach. Media and civil society are an essential part of democracy and nation building.

"Advancements like internet, telecom revolution, low cost broadcasting and social media were inconceivable two decades ago. I reiterate commitment of UPA Government in fostering a free, pluralistic and independent media," he said.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi said that constructive criticism of the policies of the government by the media was welcome as it played an important function of a watchdog.

"We welcome the watchdog role of the media," Sonia Gandhi said, adding that it had strengthened democracy.

The centre costing around Rs. 60 crore is sprawled over a 1.95 acre plot and can hold around 300 mediapersons in the main press conference auditorium.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry had said that the location, Raisina road, will cut distance and travel time between events for dignitaries and the media personnel.

The Ministry added that this initiative aims at improving dissemination of information about government policies and programmes.

Sonia rules out early Lok Sabha poll

Scotching speculation, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday ruled out the possibility of early Lok Sabha polls.

"Our aim is to go till the very end," she told reporters after the inauguration of the National Media Centre in New Delhi.

Gandhi initially tried to steer clear of the question when asked by reporters whether Congress would go for polls after passage of landmark legislations like Food Security bill and the Land Acquisition bill.

"I cannot say anything," she remarked when another questioner put the same query. But when journalists persisted, she gave the reply of going "till the very end".

There has been talk of Lok Sabha polls, due next year in April-May, being combined with the Assembly polls in some states later this year in November.

Food security programme launched in India

NEW DELHI, Aug 20: The UPA's ambitious Food Security programme scheme that would ensure that no poor person will hungry in India was launched on the occasion of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's 69th birth Anniversary in the Capital city Delhi, Haryana and Uttarakhand.

In Delhi, the UPA Chairperson and Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, launched the scheme in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit at a function in Talkotara Stadium.

Sonia Gandhi, while flagging-off the scheme at a function in Talkatora Stadium, said that after the launch of the scheme "no poor person will go hungry," adding that "We have to be responsible for the poor now."

The scheme will be beneficial to 6.27 lakh living Below Poverty Line (BPL), Above Poverty Line (APL) card holders and Jhughi Ration Card (JRC) holders and beneficiaries under Antodaya Anna Yojna (AAY).

Calling the scheme as Rajiv Gandhi's dream, she said, "It was his dream that is taking shape today."

The Food Security Bill, expected to be a game-changer for the ruling Congress, aims to provide subsidised foodgrain at prices much below the market rate to around 67 percent of India's 1.2 billion people; the bill would thus benefit about 800 million people.

The bill, part of the Congress manifesto for the 2009 polls, is expected to bring electoral benefits, just as the rural job plan, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, is credited with the second term that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) won in the 2009 polls.

The bill will cost the government around Rs.1,24,723 crore and will entail an additional burden of only Rs 23,800 crore, the Congress has said.

The Food Security Bill was first introduced in Parliament in December 2011.

It remained with a standing committee for a year, before it was taken to the Lok Sabha for consideration and passing in the budget session that ended May 8.

Haryana and Uttarakhand have also rolled out the Food Security programme on the occasion of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's 69th birth Anniversary.

The identified beneficiaries will start getting highly subsidised food grains from the 1st of next month.

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupender Singh Hooda launched the Food Security programme at Panipat, whereas other Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries launched the scheme in their respective constituencies.

In Uttarakhand, the Centre-Sponsored Food Security Scheme has been launched by the State Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna in Dehradun.

Nation celebrate Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Divas

NEW DELHI, Aug 20: Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Divas is being observed on the 69th birth anniversary of the former prime minister. Prayer meetings were organised at Veer Bhumi, Rajiv Gandhi Samadhi Sthal, in New Delhi and Sripermbadur Memorial in Tamil Nadu, where he was assisinated in 1991.

Members of parliament paid rich tributes to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in the central hall of parliament.

Lok Sabha Speaker Meera Kumar, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Senior BJP leader Lal krishna Advani and other leader of different parties paid floral tributes to the departed Prime minister.

On the occasion, Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavna Award will be presented to Sarod Player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan.

Wanted terrorist Tunda arrested

NEW DELHI, Aug 17: One of India's most wanted terrorist, Syed Abdul Karim alias Tunda, accused of masterminding over 40 bombings in the country, has been arrested by Delhi Police from the Indo-Nepal border after he was apparently deported from one of the Gulf countries.

70-year-old Tunda, an expert bomb maker of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba, would be produced before a court by Delhi Police later on Saturday, official sources said.

Describing Tunda as a major catch, the security agencies say he would be able to throw some light on Lashkar-e-Taiba's operations in India.

The details about his arrest were sketchy but Tunda, against whom an Interpol Red Corner notice was issued in 1996, was apparently deported from one of the Gulf countries and his arrest was effected at the Indo-Nepal border.

A resident of Pikhuwa in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad district, Tunda was one of the 20 terrorists whose extradition India had demanded from Pakistan after the 2001 attack on Parliament House.

This list included Lashkar chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed and his Jaish-e-Mohammad counterpart Maulana Azhar Masood Alvi.

The CBI had charged Karim with organising LeT's major terror attacks outside of Jammu and Kashmir - a series of 43 bombings in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Rohtak and Jalandhar in which over 20 persons were killed and over 400 injured.

He had also triggered explosions on inter-city trains on 6th December, 1993 that claimed two lives.

Besides being an expert in bomb making, Tunda had a major hand in spreading Laskhar-e-Taiba's network outside Jammu and Kashmir.

Before joining the ranks of the terror outfit, he ran a homoeopathic shop in the early 1980's.

The sources say that though he was not directly involved in perpetrating bombings after 1998, he acted as mentor for a younger generation of Lashkar operatives, financing and organising operations across India.

He was known as Tunda (handicapped) after he lost his left hand in a bomb-making accident.

Many stories had been floated earlier about his whereabouts and the hunt for him virtually ended at one point when it was believed that he had been killed in a blast in Bangladesh.

India celebrates 67th Independence Day

NEW DELHI, Aug 15: On the occasion of 67th Independence Day of the Country, Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, unfurled the tricolour at the rampart of the Red Fort in Delhi.

Addressing the nation from the ramparts of historic Red Fort on the 67th Independence Day, he spoke on a variety of issues including giving a strong message to Pakistan to stop anti-India activities emanating from there for improving bilateral relations.

Singh asserted that all steps will be taken to prevent "dastardly" acts like the recent killing of jawans on the LoC.

In his 10th consecutive Independence Day address and the last before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he also expressed the hope that the food security law will be passed by Parliament soon.

He exuded confidence that the slowdown in Indian economy will not last long as government is working hard to remedy the situation.

Manmohan Singh said, "There can be no place for narrow and sectarian ideologies in a modern, progressive and secular country”.

"Such ideologies divide our society and weaken our democracy. We should prevent them from growing."

The Prime Minister said, "We need to strengthen those traditions of our country which teach us to promote tolerance and respect for thought processes different from ours. I would appeal to all political parties, all sections of our society and the public at large to work in this direction."

He appealed to all political parties, all sections of society and the public at large to work in this direction.

Singh said there was need to build an environment of political stability, social cohesion and security to ensure that the country continues to progress and gets rid of poverty, disease and ignorance.

"Our India will be prosperous and all its citizens will be equal partners in this prosperity, irrespective of their religion, caste, region or language," he said.

In his 30-minute speech, Singh's strong message to Pakistan came against the backdrop of recent killing of five Indian soldiers on the Line of Control in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

He said anti-India activities emanating from there will have to stop for relations to improve and asserted that all steps will be taken to prevent "dastardly" acts like the recent killing of jawans on the LoC.

Maintaining that India has strived for friendship with its neighbours, Singh said, "However, for relations with Pakistan to improve it is essential they prevent the use of their territory and territory under their control for any anti-India activity."

Referring to the August 6 killing of the Indian soldiers by Pakistan Army in a cross-LoC attack, he termed it as a "dastardly" act and said "we will take all possible steps to prevent such incidents in the future."

On the issue of internal security, he said terrorist and naxal violence in the country has reduced but the area of national security calls for constant vigil.

"We have not been successful in preventing Naxal attacks that happen from time to time," he said, adding maoist attack in Chhattisgarh on May 25 "frontal attack on our democracy."

Congress lost some top leaders, including state unit chief, in that attack.

Singh said despite some worrisome communal incidents in 2012 and this year, the last nine years have been good for communal harmony.

Singh expressed anguish over the loss of Navy's frontline submarine INS Sindhurakshak in an accident in Mumbai in which 18 soldiers are feared to have lost their lives.

"We are deeply pained that we lost the submarine, INS Sindurakshak in an accident yesterday. Eighteen brave sailors are feared to have lost their lives," he said.

Talking about his government's achievements, Singh said, "we have journeyed a large distance in the last decade. But much remains to be done. The process of change that we have witnessed will be continued in the coming time."

He noted that economic growth had been slow this year but said the government is working hard to remedy the situation.

"I believe that this phase of slow growth in India will not last long... The average rate of economic growth that we have attained in the last nine years shows what we are capable of," he said.

Pakistan should prevent use of their territory for anti-India activities: PM

PM Dr. Manmohan Singh in his speech at Red Fort said that countries today are more integrated with each other than ever before.

He said that India’s foreign policy exploits this fully to India’s benefit.

He added that in the last 9 years, there has been a continuous improvement in our relations with the major powers of the world.

The Look East policy in respect of 10 ASEAN countries in East and South-East Asia has borne good results, especially in economic matters.

He added that India has also strived for friendship with neighbouring countries.

However, he added, for relations with Pakistan to improve, it is essential that they prevent the use of their territory and territory under their control for any anti-India activity.

There has been improvement in the area of national security also.

Despite some worrisome communal incidents in 2012 and this year, the last 9 years have been good for communal harmony.

He said that there has been a reduction in terrorist and Naxal violence also. However, the area of national security calls for constant vigil.

5 soldiers killed; India summons Pak Dy High Commissioner, lodges strong protest

NEW DELHI, Aug 5: India on Tuesday summoned Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner and lodged a strong protest over killing of five Indian soldiers along the Line of Control in the Poonch sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner Mansoor Ahmed Khan was summoned by Joint Secretary in Ministry of External Affairs Rudrendra Tandon in South Block and delivered a strong diplomatic message, sources said.

In an audacious and provocative attack, Pakistani troops entered Indian territory along the Line of Control in the Poonch sector in Jammu and Kashmir late last night and ambushed a patrol killing five Indian soldiers.

The attack was carried out by 20 heavily-armed terrorists along with persons in Pakistan army uniform, Defence Minister A K Antony told Lok Sabha.

A Subedar and four jawans of the 21 Bihar Unit were killed in the attack which took place at around 2 AM, the defence ministry sources said, adding the attack took place 450 metres from the LoC on the Indian side.

The killing came just as India and Pakistan were preparing to resume peace talks stalled since January when tensions rose following the beheading of two Indian soldiers along the LoC.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif are slated to meet in New York next month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.

Army Chief to visit Poonch to review security situation

In the wake of the killing of five soldiers along the Line of Control, Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh will on Wednesday visit Poonch to review the security situation there.

Director General of Military Operations Lt Gen Vinod Bhatia will speak to his counterpart in Pakistan Maj Gen Asfaque Nadeem to raise the issue of killing of the five Indian soldiers in the cross-LoC attack in Jammu and Kashmir, army officials said in New Delhi.

After the incident, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh talked to Defence Minister A K Antony.

The Army Chief had briefed the Defence Minister early in the morning about the incident, they said. Sources said the Prime Minister was kept informed about the developments since the morning.

He spoke to Antony and asked him to ensure that the families of the victims are taken care of. The Army Chief is scheduled to visit the Division headquarters in Rajouri and the 93 Brigade headquarters to take stock of the security situation there.

He is also expected to meet the Commanding Officer and troops of the units whose troops were killed in Pakistan's Border Area Team action, army officials said.

Of the five troops killed on Tuesday, four belonged to the 21 Bihar regiment while one of them is from the 14 Maratha Light Infantry battalion.

The 21 Bihar unit is on its way out of the area after a tenure of over two years and the 14 Maratha Light Infantry battalion will take over the position from it, officials said.

Army officials said the DGMO will raise with his Pakistani counterpart the issue of killing of Indian soldiers. The DGMOs of the two sides regularly talk to each other on every Wednesday.

The attack has taken place around 30-35 km from the site of last attack in January where one Indian soldier was beheaded and another's body was mutilated.

After the incident in January, the Army Chief had said that India reserved the right to retaliate "at a place and time of our choosing".

Gen Singh has also asked the commanders deployed on the LoC to respond immediately in case of provocations by Pakistan Army and had said that "I expect my commanders to be aggressive in the face of firing".

Sonia says killing of Indian soldiers a blatant act of deceit

NEW DELHI, Aug 5: Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday said India would not be cowed down by the "deceitful" killing of five of its soldiers by Pakistan along the LoC and asked the Government to take "appropriate" measures.

Expressing deep grief and shock over the incident in Jammu & Kashmir, she said that the entire Congress party as indeed the entire country stands by the families of the martyred soldiers.

Gandhi said the Indian nation could "not be cowed down" by such "blatant acts of deceit" and urged the Government to take appropriate steps.

Defence Minster A K Antony had told Parliament today that the attack was carried out by 20 heavily-armed terrorists along with persons in Pakistan army uniform along the Line of Control in Poonch district.