India Politics

By IANS Lucknow : A public interest litigation (PIL) was moved Friday before the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High court seeking restraint on the Uttar Pradesh government's plan to pull down a sprawling bungalow here, which was allotted to Mayawati during her earlier stint as chief minister. Bungalow number 13-A at the Mall Avenue was allotted to Mayawati way back in the mid-nineties during her first tenure as chief minister when the state government spent a whopping Rs.8 million on its renovation. Every time Mayawati rode to power, the house was further spruced up.

By IANS New Delhi : An eighteen feet tall statue of Bhagat Singh, revolutionary hero of the Indian freedom struggle, will be installed in the premises of Parliament. This was disclosed by Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee at a book release function here Friday evening. The book "Without Fear: The Life and Trial of Bhagat Singh" is written by eminent journalist Kuldip Nayar. The Speaker said the dilemma before him was that more than one donor have come forward for the installation of the statue. "But that will be sorted out soon," he said.

By IANS Bangalore : Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha will meet his party's Karnataka unit leaders here Saturday to evolve a strategy to mollify ruling coalition partner Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and ensure power transfer to the BJP on Oct 3. BJP spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy said Friday in New Delhi that Sinha was visiting Bangalore "to deliberate with party leaders on the developing political situation in the state."

On the occasion of 100th birth anniversary today we publish Bhagat Singh’s own words. Bhagat Singh wrote this petition on 20th March 1931, just three days before he was hanged to death that his struggle is against exploitation done by British or Indian and he rather be shot to death. He was just 23 when hanged to death. --- Editor Bhagat Singh's last petition To The Punjab Governor Sir,

By News Agency of Kashmir Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Friday called on the governor Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha triggering a new round of speculations in the political circles about the much awaited cabinet expansion. If the informed sources in the power corridors have to be believed the chief minister has finally made up his mind to go ahead with the proposed expansion soon after the return of AICC president Sonia Gandhi from New York, where she will represent the Indian delegation at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on October 2.

By Faraz Ahmad New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS) Members of the legislative assembly from the ruling Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) may force Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy to keep his promise and hand over power to coalition partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) because the alternative is early election which they do not want. Kumaraswamy's father, former prime minister and JD-S president H.D. Deve Gowda has been making statements in recent days showing his reluctance to hand over the chief minister's chair to the BJP, as he had agreed to do 20 months ago.

Bangalore, Sep 28 (IANS) Karnataka Tourism Minister B. Sriramulu Friday gave a new twist to the power transfer row in the state clarifying that he has not charged Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy with attempt to murder him. "I am only saying that atrocities were being committed on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and workers in the name of the chief minister," Sriramulu told reporters in Bellary after casting his vote in the local body polls.

New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS) The government Friday said that its flagship pro-poor programme to guarantee 100 days of work to each rural family in 330 selected districts now stands extended to the entire country. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and attended among others by Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, an aide in the Prime Minister's Office said.

Bangalore, Sep 28 (IANS) Voting is underway in Karnataka for elections to 209 civic bodies and the election result is expected to have a decisive impact on the current power-sharing row between ruling coalition partners. The coalition partners, Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP) are pitted against each other and against main opposition Congress in a three-cornered contest in majority of 4,920 seats, just five days ahead of power transfer from the JD-S to the BJP, due on Oct 3.

Jaipur, Sep 28 (IANS) The Vasundhara Raje government in Rajasthan has started to put in place contingency plans to maintain law and order on Oct 2 when Gujjars start their "jail bharo aandolan" in support of their demand to classify them as a scheduled tribe. The chief minister is holding meetings with the home secretary, director general of police and other senior state government officials to identify temporary prisons where the Gujjars can be housed after they are arrested, official sources have told IANS. The government estimates around 200,000 people will court arrest on Oct 2.

New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS) Call it the Rahul Gandhi effect - the National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme will cover the entire country and not just the 330 districts where it is currently operational, it was announced Friday. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and attended, among others, by Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, an aide in the Prime Minister's Office said. "The government has approved the extension of the scheme to cover the entire country," the aide added.

Kolkata, Sep 28 (IANS) The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) began a politburo meeting here Friday, to be followed by a three-day central committee meet, with the Indo-US nuclear deal figuring high on the agenda. The meeting comes in the wake of reported differences between the West Bengal faction of CPI-M led by reformists like Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and hardliners like party general secretary Prakash Karat.

Ranchi, Sep 28 (IANS) A lawyer has filed a petition in the Jharkhand High Court seeking a directive to register a criminal case against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi for his remarks against Hindu god Ram. Ram Subhag Singh, the petitioner, said: "According to Indian constitution no one can hurt sentiments of any religion. Karunanidhi has hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community by passing derogatory remarks against Lord Ram. He has committed a crime and action should be taken against him as per the law."

By IANS Lucknow : Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav Thursday came out in support of those officials of his regime who have been indicted by the Uttar Pradesh government for out-of-turn allotments of prime residential plots here to his close lieutenants including party general secretary Amar Singh. "The inquiry is politically motivated and (Chief Minister) Mayawati's objective is to only harass those who were close to me," Yadav told mediapersons here. The allotments of 28 plots had come under scrutiny by a high-level probe ordered by the new government.

By IANS Ahmedabad : A motivated task force is the key to a free and fair election as exemplified by this year's assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswamy said here Thursday. Holding elections in a country like India was a complex challenge but they can be managed successfully with the existing available resources, he is understood to have emphasised at his meeting with the faculty and students of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A).

By IANS Ahmedabad : Gujarat's opposition Congress party Thursday announced a committee to prepare a list of candidates for the forthcoming assembly polls. Union Textile Minister and former chief minister Shankarsinh Vaghela is a member of the committee, which will be headed by state Congress president Bharat Solanki. The committee includes leader of opposition in the assembly Arjun Modhwadia, union ministers Dinsha Patel, Naran Rathwa, former deputy chief minister Narhari Amin, senior leaders Shaktisinh Gohil, Vitthal Radadia and Navin Rawani.

By IANS New Delhi : A Swedish official who investigated the Bofors payoff scandal of the 1980s has alleged that India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) did not pursue the case seriously, though the Congress party Thursday refused to react to the allegation. Sten Lindstrom, who as principal Swedish investigator probed the matter, also told TV news channel CNN-IBN in an interview that there was no direct evidence of pay-offs against then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and his family.

By IANS Bangalore/New Delhi : Six days ahead of the proposed power transfer in Karnataka, the ruling Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) Thursday mounted two-pronged pressure on its partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to accept its terms. JD-S president H.D. Deve Gowda and his son, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, took seemingly contradictory stands on the issue, leaving BJP little space to manoeuvre.

By IANS New Delhi : Rahul Gandhi, the newly inducted general secretary of the Congress, held a brainstorming session with 12 party leaders Thursday morning in the first meeting of a committee on the future challenges before the party. Party spokesperson M. Veerappa Moily said that preliminary discussions were held during the two-hour meeting of the committee that was constituted Monday as part of the All India Congress Committee reshuffle. A participant at the meeting disclosed that the economic, social and political issues were taken up for informal discussions.

By IANS New Delhi : Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni Thursday said her ministry will soon ascertain who was liable for the controversial contents of a court affidavit on the Sethusamudram Canal Project and Lord Ram. "The task of inquiry has been assigned to Secretary, Culture, and he is diligently looking into at what level the mistake occurred," Soni told reporters on the margins of a tourism event here.

By IANS Chennai : Tamil Nadu's Leader of Opposition and AIADMK chief J. Jayalalitha Thursday said she was "not in a hurry" to join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "It is true that we see eye to eye with the BJP in some matters. However, I have to make it clear that I do not belong to the Sangh Parivar. Our party has a long history of struggle and success. We are certainly not in a hurry to work out an alliance with any political party at this point in time," Jayalalitha told Times Now in an interview.

By IANS Bangalore/New Delhi : The crisis in the Karnataka government deepened Thursday with the ruling Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) stating that the situation was not conducive to transferring power to its partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Oct 3. "The (political) atmosphere is not healthy for it now," JD-S president and former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda said at a hurriedly called press meet, soon after he returned from New Delhi without meeting the BJP leadership with whom he wanted to discuss the issue of power transfer.

New Delhi, Sep 27 (IANS) A day after Congress MP Krishna Tirath reported that two motorcycle-borne men opened fire at her car near the Jhandewalan Metro Station here, the police Thursday said she was not attacked at all. "There are no signs of an attack on her car. We have not found any bullet marks on the car after inspecting it minutely. Reports from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) have also suggested the same," Joint Commissioner of Police (New Delhi range) Ajay Kashyap said.

New Delhi, Sep 27 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Thursday urged President Pratibha Patil to seek the sacking of the DMK government in Tamil Nadu and of DMK ministers from the central cabinet over attacks on BJP leaders and offices in the state. A BJP delegation that called on the president was led by party president Rajnath Singh and included senior leaders L.K. Advani, M. Venkiah Naidu, Sushma Swaraj, Vijay Kumar Malhotra and Jaswant Singh.

Ahmedabad, Sep 27 (IANS) Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswamy arrived here Thursday to investigate the state's fraudulent electoral list. Two teams of the Election Commission have already visited Gujarat. The upshot of these visits was that an extensive survey done in July found that 285,000 voters in the electoral list were dead. The Election Commission is also looking into the inclusion of voters who do not reside in Gujarat any more. There were also a large number of duplicate names that are being scrutinised.

By M.R. Narayan Swamy New Delhi, Sep 27 (IANS) Mahatma Gandhi considered the story of Lord Krishna and Lord Ram a "metaphor", reveals a 1930 diary of a Congress activist that a lifelong communist happened to pick up from a street vendor here. The Mahatma had asked those who marched with him during the historic Dandi march to maintain a diary, and C.K. Nair, a diehard Congressman, did just that.

By RIA Novosti Moscow : Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will visit Russia in November, the Kremlin press service has announced. In a telephone conversation Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin discussed preparations for the visit with Singh, which is to include a number of bilateral contacts and various-level talks. He also wished the Indian leader a happy 75th birthday. In 2000, Russia and India signed a 10-year program on military-technical cooperation, which currently comprises of about 13 research and development and production projects.

By IANS New Delhi : Two unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants allegedly made an attempt to attack Congress MP Krishna Tirath while she was travelling in her car here late Wednesday night, police said. She escaped unhurt. Police initially said Tirath had been shot at.

By IANS New Delhi : Two unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants allegedly fired at Congress MP Krishna Tirath here late Wednesday night, police said. She escaped unhurt. Tirath, who represents the capital's Karol Bagh constituency, was in a car along with her husband near Jhandewalan Metro station in central Delhi when the two men opened fire at her car and then fled. "We are taking details from the MP about the possible assailants and have dispatched various teams to arrest them," a senior police official said.

By IANS New Delhi : Rahul Gandhi, appointed general secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) two days ago, Wednesday led a delegation of the other AICC general secretaries to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to demand extending coverage of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) scheme to all districts of India. The prime minister on his part seemed prepared to receive the delegation and immediately promised to favourably consider their demand and decide on it "shortly".

By IANS Ahmedabad : Gujarat's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sounded the election bugle Wednesday with senior leader L.K. Advani and party president Rajnath Singh asking cadres to ensure the party's victory in the forthcoming assembly polls with 150 of the 182 seats. Addressing a state-level meet of party workers here, they said it was the cadres' responsibility that the party got the type of "massive mandate" they were seeking and succeeded in forming the government in the state for the third time running.

By IANS New Delhi : Young MP Rahul Gandhi, elevated to the post of general secretary in the Congress, will provide the party a facelift, signalling that the face of youth will be the driving engine of the party, a senior party leader said Wednesday. M. Veerappa Moily, the new chairman of the party's media committee, in his first briefing said that Rahul Gandhi will rejuvenate the Youth Congress and the party's student wing, the National Students Union of India (NSUI).

By IANS Chennai : Accusing the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government of "encouraging blasphemy", Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh Wednesday urged it to disassociate itself from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi's remarks against Hindu god Ram. The government was adopting double standards on blasphemy, he said, pointing out that a Congress government had banned Salman Rushdie's book 'Satanic Verses' in the 1980s but now it was not restraining Karunanidhi from commenting on Ram and hurt Hindu sentiments.

By IANS Chennai : Tamil Nadu's opposition AIADMK Wednesday filed a petition in the Madras High Court seeking to declare as unconstitutional a strike called by the ruling DMK on Oct 1 to press for the continuation of the controversial Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project. AIADMK leader J. Jayalalitha also called for the dismissal the DMK government and removal of the DMK ministers from the union cabinet.

By IANS New Delhi : President Pratibha Patil, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee were among those who wished Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his 75th birthday Wednesday. Sonia Gandhi, chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), was one of the first to greet the prime minister, an aide in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said. "She called on the prime minister at his residence early this morning."

By Amulya Ganguli Manmohan Singh must be aware on the occasion of his 75th birthday Wednesday that he is involved in the process of making history. Few would have thought that such a mild-mannered man with no political base, who has to depend on a restrictive electorate to get into parliament, would play such a pivotal role in Indian politics. But it is probably because he doesn't have to play a populist game that he has been able to initiate a fundamental change in the Congress policies - bidding goodbye to the party's adherence to socialism and non-alignment.

New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS) Congress MP Rahul Gandhi paid his first visit to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters here Tuesday, a day after being appointed party general secretary, and informally interacted with party functionaries. Accompanied by his mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Rahul "had an informal chat with other general secretaries and party functionaries present here", said Janardhan Dwivedi, a party general secretary.

Chennai, Sep 25 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Tuesday asked his party men to ignore "provocative remarks" by Sangh Parivar leaders and exercise "caution" in an effort to normalise the face-off between the ruling DMK and the pro-Hindutva outfits even as Bharatiya Janata Party cadres in several cities continued with their demonstrations against the attacks on their party offices.

Kochi, Sep 25 (IANS) Indian space agency ISRO Tuesday sought to be impleaded in a public interest litigation (PIL) - relating to its alleged purchase of forestland - that is to be taken up by the high court here Wednesday. The PIL has been filed by D.B. Binu requesting the court to intervene and initiate a full-fledged inquiry into purchase of land by ISRO for a space education institute in Ponmudi near Thiruvananthapuram from high profile businessman Savy Mano Mathew.

Jaipur, Sep 25 (IANS) More trouble seems to be brewing for the Vasundhara Raje government in Rajasthan as now the Meena community has threatened to launch an agitation against any move to tamper with the existing list of the Scheduled Tribes in the state. The Meenas, who are opposing any move to classify the Gujjars as tribals, said the Gujjars, by planning to court mass arrests on Oct 2, were trying to pressurize the state government to accept their demand.

Chennai/New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS) Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president K. Jana Krishnamurthy died after a prolonged illness at a private hospital in Chennai Tuesday. He was 79. Krishnamurthy, who is survived by his wife, two sons and three daughters, was also India's law minister briefly. He had been suffering from renal failure for sometime and was admitted to a private hospital where he slipped into coma a month ago. He never regained consciousness and died this forenoon, said BJP leaders in New Delhi.

By Sanu George Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 25 (IANS) Veteran Left leader and Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan's popularity seems to have nosedived following repeated internal party squabbles, differences with coalition allies and the recent controversy about ISRO's land deal. Reports indicate that the meeting will be a fight to the finish between his faction and the group headed by his archrival and state party secretary Pinarayi Vijayan.

By IANS New Delhi : In her bid to give wide representation to various sections and infuse new blood without disturbing the old order, Congress President Sonia Gandhi Monday expanded the number of All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretaries from the traditional eight to 11. The focus of the day was on young MP Rahul Gandhi, the party chief's son, who was inducted as a party general secretary and full-fledged member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC). But the Congress president made many other notable additions too, without really taking out anybody.

By IANS Chennai : Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK party Monday gave a call for a statewide strike Oct 1 to press its demand for the speedy implementation of the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project. The Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) consisting of all allies of the DMK adopted a resolution to this effect after a two-hour meeting at the DMK headquarters here. "We have decided to take on the communal forces and their wily objective of halting the project," Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi told reporters after the meeting.

By IANS Thiruvananthapuram : The Kerala government, facing persistent pressure from the opposition for a probe into a controversial land purchase by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Monday relented and announced a vigilance inquiry. The land purchase by the Indian space agency for a space education institute was mired in a controversy after the opposition alleged that the land bought from a businessman in fact belonged to the state forest department.

By IANS Bhubaneswar : Six-year-old Orissa Gana Parishad (OGP), a regional party in Orissa headed by former state minister Bijoy Mahapatra, Monday formally merged with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Sharad Pawar. Along with OGP, the Orissa unit of Janata Dal (S) headed by Ashok Das and a number of rebel leaders of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition as well as those of Samajwadi Party also joined the NCP, the general secretary and former speaker of Lok Sabha P.A. Sangma told media persons here.

By IANS New Delhi : Amid boisterous celebrations, India's ruling Congress party Monday named first time MP Rahul Gandhi a general secretary and also a member of the powerful Congress Working Committee (CWC) in a clear sign that its president Sonia Gandhi's son was being groomed for bigger responsibilities.

By IANS Kozhikode (Kerala) : The Kerala government, facing the opposition's persistent demand for a probe into a controversial land purchase by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Monday said it was not against an inquiry. Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan Monday told reporters that the government was not averse to a vigilance probe into the deal by the ISRO to set up an educational institute. The opposition has alleged that the land bought from a businessman in fact belonged to the state forest department.

By IANS New Delhi : Amid talk of early elections, India's ruling Congress party Monday named Rahul Gandhi, son of its president Sonia Gandhi, a general secretary and also a member of its decision making Congress Working Committee (CWC). Gandhi, 37, a first time MP, was put in charge of the Youth Congress and the National Students Union of India (NSUI), two organisations that have provided a solid support base for the country's oldest political party.

By IANS Raipur : Chief Minister Raman Singh has shot off a letter to the Congress-led union government saying delay in implementation of a forest rights act indicates that the "Congress government lacks seriousness over the law that is directly linked to interests of millions of tribal families".

By IANS New Delhi : Amid talk of early elections, India's ruling Congress party Monday named Rahul Gandhi, son of party president Sonia Gandhi, a general secretary and entrusted him with the task of revitalising the party's youth cadre. The long-awaited promotion to Gandhi came as the communists and the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) remained locked in a row over the Indo-US nuclear deal casting a shadow on the government.

New Delhi, Sep 24 (IANS) Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is likely to be appointed as a general secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Monday during a reshuffle in the party organisation, party sources indicated. The AICC is holding a "special and urgent media" briefing at its 24, Akbar Road, headquarters here Monday afternoon. According to sources in the AICC, party president Sonia Gandhi has finalised her new team and the media will be briefed about it.

By IANS Bhopal : Speculation of their rift over the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership notwithstanding, senior party leader L.K. Advani Sunday expressed his desire for the comeback of former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. "Before I conclude I would like to note that this is perhaps the first meeting of the party's National Executive that Atalji has had to miss because of his health," Advani said in his concluding speech at the party's three-day meet here.

By IANS Chennai : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Sunday refused compromise on the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project but said the issue will not affect his DMK's ties with the Congress even as his party workers attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office here following a 'death threat' to him. "Give us the Sethusamudram Ship Canal and the matter ends," Karunanidhi told the media here.

By IANS Chandigarh : Haryana's legislative assembly will be the first in the country to telecast its proceedings live from the winter session this year. This was disclosed Sunday by assembly speaker Raghubir Singh Kadian. The telecast will be available on a regional channel of state-owned Doordarshan. Kadian said that it will enable people to know the performance of their elected representatives.

By IANS New Delhi : The Delhi High Court has rejected Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi's plea to quash a criminal defamation case filed in 2004 by economist Mohan Guruswami for terming him "corrupt". Justice A.K. Sikri Friday dismissed the plea and said, "The learned Metropolitan Magistrate shall now proceed with the case against Modi."

By Sanjay Sharma, IANS Bhopal : India has emerged the "terror capital of the world" in the last three years due to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's soft approach on terrorism, the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged Sunday.

By Rajeev Khanna, IANS Bhopal : Sensing an early general election, the three-day national executive meet of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ended here Sunday after highlighting issues like Ram temple, national security and national sovereignty. Reiterating its stand on the Ram temple, party president Rajnath Singh said that if the BJP was returned to power with absolute majority, it would legislate, if necessary, for constructing a temple at Ayodhya.

By Sanjay Sharma, IANS Bhopal : Accusing the Congress of having "succumbed to the US pressure to make India accept the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)", senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani said here Sunday that his party favoured nuclear energy without compromising on the nuclear weapons option.

By Rajeev Khanna, IANS Bhopal : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will approach the electorate on the issues of national, social, food and economic securities, party president Rajnath Singh said Sunday. He alleged India's security was under attack during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) rule. "In one sentence, I would say that the message for the BJP workers across India from Bhopal is that the party is ready to take on the challenges before the nation with a renewed vigour," he said on the final day of the three-day national executive meet of the party here.

By Rajeev Khanna, IANS Bhopal : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sunday condemned attacks on its offices in Tamil Nadu and criticised the DMK for "political fascism" even as its former MP Ram Vilas Vedanti said his remarks - announcing bounty on DMK chief M. Karunanidhi's head - were misquoted.

By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net Bhopal : Leader of the Opposition in the Indian Parliament (Lok Sabha - Lower House) and Senior Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP), leader L.K. Advani has called upon his partymen to expose falsehood of Congress, which is leading the coalition Federal Government, on the 123 Indo-US nuclear deal.

By IANS Agartala : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Sunday said it would take a firm decision and chalk out strategies on the Indo-US nuclear deal during its four-day meet to be held in Kolkata over the next weekend. The crucial CPI-M politburo meeting is due Friday, and will be followed by a three-day central committee meeting. "The meetings would finalise the party's final stand before the Left-United Progressive Alliance (UPA) mechanism committee meeting on Oct 5," CPI-M Central committee member Bijon Dhar told journalists here.

Ram of Dashrath, as a pious Hindu god, May be wandering in history's dark maze; But Ram of my make- as my party's icon, Is a fact,and born in full public gaze. I,with my estranged Uma,on Decem.6,1992, Gave him birth with thunderous bang; To display him, we razed the maternity home, All heard 'Ram Lala''Ram Lala'that we sang. To celebrate the event,we massacred Muslims, And nourished the newborn with their blood; We hoped him to defend us through the ages, And stand as a wall agaist opponents' flood. As an infant, my Ram was full of vigour,

By IANS Chennai : Hundreds of Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK cadres, led by a minister and Chennai mayor, Sunday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office here after a former MP of the party declared he would weigh in gold anyone who beheaded Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. The protestors threw stones, smashed windowpanes, and cycles and scooters parked before the BJP office in crowded T. Nagar in the heart of the city and demanded the immediate arrest of pro-Hindutva leader and former BJP MP Ram Vilas Vedanti, for his remarks in Ayodhya on Friday.

By Faraz Ahmad, IANS New Delhi : The central committee of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) meeting in Kolkata Sep 28-29 is likely to discuss the prospect of a mid-term poll - a possibility after its ultimatum to the Manmohan Singh government over the India-US nuclear deal. The meet is being held ostensibly to chalk out the programme for the 19th party congress, which is slated for the first week of April next year in Coimbatore.

By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net Bhopal: Drawing lessons from the unfinished task of the campaign to construct Ram Mandir at the very spot where the demolished Babri Masjid existed, the rightist Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP), in its ongoing national executive meeting here passed a resolution today to support the campaign to protect Ram Setu (Adam's Bridge) from being demolished. Throwing light on the resolution, senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi, who moved it, while

By IANS Chennai : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Saturday brushed aside the ransom announced on his head following his controversial remarks on Hindu god Ram, even as a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader sought to distance the organisation from the threat call. "I will continue to be among you even if I am not here," the octogenarian DMK president told his supporters without making any direct reference to the death threat.

By Sanjay Sharma, IANS Bhopal : Giving a call to its cadres to be prepared for early polls any time next year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here Saturday adopted a political resolution saying the nation was facing political instability and was now looking forward to an alternative government.

By Rajeev Khanna, IANS Bhopal : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) placed itself in poll mode Saturday by giving a call to its cadres to reach out to the masses with issues like the government policy of "minority appeasement" and the controversial Sethusamudram project. Party leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy stated in clear terms: "The Lok Sabha elections are imminent. The UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government is in power but is devoid of any governance. The government is rudderless, directionless and merely sticking to office to complete a few extra days.

By IANS Bhubaneswar : Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) international general secretary Pravin Togadia Saturday asked the organisation's activists to file first information reports (FIR) against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi for his controversial remarks on Lord Ram and the Ram Sethu. Talking to reporters Togadia said, Karunanidhi's comments on Lord Ram had "severely" hurt the sentiments of Hindus all over, and so the chief minister had violated the provisions of the Indian constitution.

By Sanjay Sharma, IANS Bhopal : Predicting parliamentary polls in the first half of 2008, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Saturday said the nuclear deal with the US would prove to be a "turning point" in the country's politics. "Two instances - when the Congress was defeated in the Gujarat assembly elections (in 2002) and when the Allahabad High Court declared (former prime minister) Indira Gandhi's election to the Lok Sabha as void disqualifying her for six years in the mid-1970s - changed post-independence politics of the country.

By IANS New Delhi : Accusing the government of hurting her religious beliefs with its affidavit on the Ram Sethu issue, Bharatiya Jan Shakti Party president Uma Bharati Saturday filed a police compliant against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and three ministers. Uma Bharati logged the complaint against Manmohan Singh, Gandhi, Union Shipping and Transport Minister T.R. Baalu, Union Culture Minister Ambika Soni and Law Minister Hansraj Bhardwaj at the Parliament Street police station.

By IANS Bangalore : It was a day of rallies and traffic jams in Bangalore's central business district Saturday. Hundreds of Christians led by former top cop and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP H.T. Sangliana marched to Raj Bhavan, the governor's residence, protesting what they called increasing attacks on their community in Karnataka. A large number of Hindus under the banner of Hindu Sena held a march nearby at the same time opposing conversion activities by Christian missionaries in the state.

By Rajeev Khanna, IANS Bhopal : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders chose to keep mum Saturday on the leadership controversy dogging the party for the last several days. After the flurry of comments by party leaders on the first day of the party's national executive meet, everyone clammed up on the issue on day two. Perhaps it was due to way the issue made headlines in the media or due to an instruction from the party leadership, but everyone went into silent on the matter.

By Rajeev Khanna, IANS Bhopal : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Saturday sought an apology from the government for its stand on the Ram Sethu issue and asked it to immediately stop dredging work at the site to built the Sethusamudram shipping canal. It also sought acceptance of Lord Ram as a historical character and demanded that Ram Sethu or Adam's Bridge be declared a monument of national heritage. The party passed a resolution to this effect on the second day of its ongoing national executive meet here.

By Rajeev Khanna, IANS Bhopal : Taking a swipe at the Left for not coming up with a woman chief minister in the states ruled by it so far, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Saturday announced it would be raising women's representation at its various organisational levels to 33 percent. Drawing comparisons with the Left parties, senior party leader Sushma Swaraj said: "Till the last one year, their Politburo did not have any woman member. They have had governments in three states but are yet to choose a woman chief minister."

By Faraz Ahmad, IANS New Delhi : Even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is gearing up to contest the next general elections, apparently under the leadership of L.K. Advani, several prominent BJP men have stayed away from the three-day national executive underway in Bhopal. Some like former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee have a genuine alibi. "His doctors have advised him against attending the meet," said BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday, two days before the meet began.

By V.S. Karnic, IANS Bangalore : The Twenty20 cricket world championship in South Africa has spurred Karnataka's political leaders, media and common man to liberally use cricket terminology to analyse, foretell and pronounce verdict on the power sharing arrangement between the state's ruling partners - the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

'Sachchar panel formed as part of Congress' blatant vote bank politics' By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net Bhopal : The rightist Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP), today accused the Central Congress-led UPA Government of embarking on a dangerous path of sowing the seeds of communal divisions that can seriously impact India's social fabric and even its unity and integrity.

By Rajeev Khanna and Sanjay Sharma, IANS Bhopal : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday marked the opening day of its national executive meet by trying to put its act together for a possible early parliamentary poll. It also took an aggressive stance on the Ram Sethu issue by demanding that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) drop all DMK ministers from the central government for the "ugly and blasphemous" remarks on Lord Ram by DMK chief K. Karunanidhi.

By IANS Chennai : DMK member of parliament M.K. Kanimozhi Friday defended her father and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi's controversial remarks on Lord Ram and said questioning religion had brought many changes in Tamil Nadu. "Questioning religion has brought about a lot of positive changes in the state," Kanimozhi told reporters here. "The whole controversy is taking away the focus from the Sethusamudram project. It is time to put an end to this discussion," she said.

By Rajeev Khanna, IANS Bhopal : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday gave indications of firming up its ties with the AIADMK with party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad praising AIADMK chief J. Jayalalitha for her stand on the Ram Sethu controversy. In an interaction with the media, Prasad said: "Very soon you will come to know about our new allies in the south." He did not specify Jayalalitha's name.

By Rajeev Khanna, IANS Bhopal : The first day of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s national executive meeting Friday was marked by the absence of dissidents from Gujarat, including former chief minister Keshubhai Patel who is spearheading the rebel campaign against present Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Besides Patel, another former BJP chief minister, Suresh Mehta, was not present. The BJP tried to downplay their absence, along with that of some other dissidents from Gujarat.

By IANS New Delhi : Former union minister in successive governments Vidya Charan Shukla, who had crossed over to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) just before the 2004 general elections, is shortly to rejoin the Congress party. Along with him, three other former Congressmen from Chhattisgarh - former minister Arvind Netam, former chairman of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission Dilip Singh Bhuria and Mohammad Baloch, will also rejoin the Congress party.

By IANS Kolkata : Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was remanded in judicial custody for 14 days by a West Bengal court Friday in connection with the murder of a panchayat chief in 2003. The Katwa sub-divisional court in Burdwan district rejected Chowdhury's bail plea and ordered his judicial remand till Oct 4 for the murder of Ketugram panchayat chief Gobordhan Ghosh.

By IANS New Delhi/Bhopal : The Congress party admitted Friday to differences between it and its partner in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), on Lord Ram and refused Friday to be drawn into a debate on his utterances and statements, while the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded that DMK ministers at the centre be dropped if their leader did not apologise for his remarks.

By IANS Kolkata : West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya's stand on nuclear energy got a boost Friday when Left Front patriarch Jyoti Basu endorsed the need for nuclear power, exposing a rift between the state and central communist leaders on the issue. Basu also hoped the standoff between the Left parties and the government over the issue would ease soon.

By IANS Bhopal : Describing Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Karunanidhi's utterances about Lord Ram as "ugly and blasphemous", the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday demanded that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) drop all DMK ministers from the central government.

By Rajeev Khanna, IANS Bhopal : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) began its three-day national executive meet here Friday with the leadership controversy -- on who would be the leader in case the party comes back to power, Atal Bihari Vajpayee or L.K. Advani -- overshadowing proceedings. Even before formal inauguration of the event in the morning, statements on the issue were being heard from various quarters of the party.

By Liz Mathew, IANS New Delhi : Just a week ago it was not averse to snap polls. Now the Congress is unsure of how it will fare in the wake of the unsavoury row over the Sethusamudram shipping canal project that has ignited religious passions among a section of Hindus. With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cashing in on the controversy, and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi's aggressive comments against Lord Ram adding fuel to the fire, the Congress finds itself on the back foot.

By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net Bhopal: Stage is all set for the three-day National Executive meeting of rightist Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP), being held here from Friday once again after 11 years. Addressing a Press conference here BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, said the important meeting besides focusing on the 'Rama Sethu' (Adam's bridge) issue along with prevailing current political situation in India, the assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh scheduled for November 2008 and the BJP's strategy to come to power at the Center will be discussed at the meet.

By IANS New Delhi : After suggesting the 'no work no pay' principle for errant MPs, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee wants Indian voters to have the right to recall their parliamentary representatives if they do not rise to their expectations. "I am in favour of introducing the principle of recall," Chatterjee told reporters ahead of the 53rd Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, to be held here.

By IANS New Delhi : In a desperate attempt to contain the intensifying row over the Ram Sethu issue, the Congress party Thursday asked its leaders to avoid uncalled for comments and treat the matter as closed. In a statement issued by Janardhan Dwivedi, chairman of the media department, the party said: "The Congress party believes the maintenance of discipline of its members in the party and the government is of utmost importance.

By IANS Thiruvananthapuram : The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala Thursday ruled out a probe into the controversial purchase of land by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at Ponmudi in the state's Thiruvananthapuram district. "Since there is nothing shady in the deal, we decided that there need not be any probe into the entire event," LDF convenor Vaikom Viswom told reporters here.

By IANS Bhopal : With the possibility of early elections in mind, the three-day national executive of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), meeting here from Friday, is expected to focus on "the irresponsible attitude and divisive politics" of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA). "UPA is behaving in a highly irresponsible manner in the matters directly affecting people's lives, like price rise and internal security, and these would be discussed at length during the meeting," BJP spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters here Thursday.

By IANS New Delhi/Chennai : India's ruling Congress party and the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Thursday for his remarks against Hindu god Ram, but the veteran politician continued his tirade shocking Hindus across the country. Former deputy prime minister L.K. Advani, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, demanded in Chennai that Karunanidhi should withdraw his critical comments against Lord Ram.

By IANS New Delhi : Culture Minister Ambika Soni sounded despondent after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday to brief him about a government affidavit that has sparked a huge row by questioning the existence of god Ram. "I have explained to the prime minister the course of events. I have submitted all the papers. He heard me patiently. I am content with the meeting," Soni told reporters after her nearly 30-minute talks at Singh's official residence here.

By IANS New Delhi : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of "diabolic opportunism", saying it was now protesting the Sethusamudram Canal on religious grounds even though it had earlier sanctioned the project. "It was the BJP-led NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government, which allocated nearly Rs.50 million for a feasibility study to implement this project in the 2000-01 budget," the CPI-M said in the latest issue of its mouthpiece People's Democracy.

By IANS Chennai : Refusing to apologise for his remarks on Lord Ram, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Thursday came up with more remarks of a similar nature even as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani demanded that he withdraw his statements. Challenging Advani to "an open debate" on Valmiki's Ramayana, Karunanidhi told a TV channel in the afternoon: "I have not said anything more than Valmiki, who wrote the Ramayana. Valmiki had even said Ram was a drunkard. Have I said so?

By IANS Bhopal : An exhibition showing the places in Madhya Pradesh that Hindu god Ram visited during his exile would be the main attraction at the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) office here during the three day national executive meet of the party, which started here Thursday. "Photographs related to the exile of Ram are being collected for the Ram Path exhibition and the help of Ram Avtar Sharma of Delhi has also been sought for the purpose. He has already organised one Ram Van Path exhibition at Delhi in the past," a BJP leader told IANS.

By IANS Chennai : With his remarks on Lord Ram drawing the ire of Hindu groups, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Thursday struck a placatory note by saying he did not wish to hurt anyone's sentiments. His comments came on a day when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani said in Chennai that he should "withdraw" his "statements on Ram". "My intention was not to hurt anyone's feeling but only to ensure that the Sethusamudram Canal project is implemented," DMK chief Karunanidhi said.

By Faraz Ahmad, IANS New Delhi : Will former deputy prime minister L.K. Advani lead the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) into the next elections? This question will dominate the three-day national executive meet of the party that begins in Bhopal Friday with the hope that early polls are very much round the corner. The ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and its main constituent Congress party may be vehemently denying the possibility of a snap election, but the BJP and in particular Advani, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, have blown the election bugle.

By IANS Chennai : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Thursday asked DMK leader M. Karunanidhi to "withdraw" his "statements on Ram". "I would like the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Karunanidhi, to withdraw his statements (on Ram), which I regard as an affront, pouring contempt on the religious feelings of the majority in the country," Advani told the media here.

By IANS Patna : The Patna High Court Thursday admitted a petition filed by the Bihar government challenging the acquittal of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and his wife, former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi, in a 1998 corruption case of amassing wealth disproportionate to their income. On Sep 24, the court will hear the petition challenging the acquittal of Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi in connection with the disproportionate assets case, a court official said.

By IANS Thiruvananthapuram : The Kerala assembly adjourned sine die Thursday, the last day of the current session, after the Congress-led opposition stalled the proceedings by squatting in the well of the house from the start of question hour. The opposition has been up in arms since the start of the session, early this month, demanding a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the controversial purchase of land by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

By IANS Shimla : The Ridge is the one place in this Himachal Pradesh capital large enough for public rallies, and it has held many famous ones in the past. But with ten days to go for a rally by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh scheduled here, there is still construction work going on at the Ridge, and there is uncertainty on whether the rally can be held at the traditional venue.

By Mahendra Ved, IANS New Delhi : The debate over "anti-liberation forces and war criminals" being allowed to contest elections is intensifying in Bangladesh but with no resolution in sight. Reviving a ghost from the recent past, many political parties are asking the Election Commission (EC) to disqualify "war criminals" from the election process. The chief target is the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), which has not reacted so far.

By IANS New Delhi : As early as January 1964, then US ambassador to India Chester Bowles was confident that Lal Bahadur Shastri would succeed Jawaharlal Nehru as prime minister, says a new book based on declassified American documents. After Nehru suffered his first stroke in January 1964 (he died after a second stroke in May), Bowles cabled the State Department that Shastri was in a "commanding position" to take Nehru's place and that he could even defeat Indira Gandhi in a direct election.

By IANS Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu) : Holding the government responsible for filing an affidavit in the Supreme Court questioning the existence of Hindu god Ram, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Wednesday said his party will not rest till the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) apologised.

By IANS New Delhi : Differences between the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the Left parties over the India-US nuclear deal appeared to have widened Wednesday with the communists rejecting the government's arguments for the agreement. The UPA-Left panel on the nuclear deal, which held its second meeting, discussed the differences but the talks were "inconclusive". The two sides decided to meet again Oct 5.

By IANS New Delhi/Chennai/Bangalore : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Wednesday demanded speeding up of work on the Sethusamudram shipping canal project even as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) urged the government to scrap it, saying it was hurting Hindu religious sentiments. With the issue generating more heat and leaving two people dead in Karnataka, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asked Karunanidhi to stop his tirade against Hindu god Ram and asked if he would dare to make similar derogatory remarks against other religions.

By IANS New Delhi : The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Wednesday urged the government to abandon the Sethusamudram canal project saying it will only damage a bridge on the sea said to have been built during the Ramayana era. After a two-day meeting, VHP president Ashok Singhal told newsmen that United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi inaugurated the project in Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu in July at the instance of the US, "which is eyeing our thorium reserves there (in the area where the canal is being dug)."

By IANS Jaipur : The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress members scuffled in the Rajasthan assembly Wednesday, forcing the speaker to adjourn the house for the day. The trouble began when the Congress members demanded resignation of the minister of state for irrigation Surendra Singh Rathor, who was sentenced to six-month imprisonment by a court in Rajsamand district for violating mine-safety guidelines. The Congress has been demanding that the tainted minister be removed from the government.

By IANS Lucknow : The Allahabad High Court Wednesday restrained the Mayawati government from making fresh police recruitments against vacancies caused after the recent sacking of nearly 10,000 policemen in Uttar Pradesh, until the court has disposes of the case. The single judge bench of Justice Anjani Kumar, hearing a writ petition filed by a group of policemen who have been affected by the government's order, however, declined to stay the dismissal order.

By IANS New Delhi : Exasperated at politicians and bureaucrats overstaying in government accommodations despites its orders, the Supreme Court Wednesday wondered if the use of "third degree" methods against defaulters would solve the problem. A bench headed by Justice B.N. Agrawal used the term "third degree" as a possible solution to the problem, while suggesting the government a host of stringent measures. The bench, which also included Justices S.H. Kapadia and B.N. Gupta, however, did not elaborate what it actually meant by the "third degree".

By IANS New Delhi : The United Progressive Alliance (UPA)-Left panel on the Indo-US nuclear deal met Wednesday for a second time and held "constructive" discussions on the concerns expressed by the communists. "The discussions were constructive and will continue at the next meeting of the committee scheduled for Oct 5," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who heads the 15-member committee, told reporters.

By IANS New Delhi : As the buzz about early elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday said it was yet to decide who should be projected as the future prime ministerial candidate of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Admitting that the BJP would actively discuss the prospects of elections at its three-day national executive meeting in Bhopal from Friday, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar sidestepped the crucial issue. "We will keep you informed of all the discussions that will take place there," is all he told reporters here.

By IANS Ahmedabad : Dissidents in Gujarat's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are in a dilemma over their future course of action as the assembly elections draw closer. Five suspended BJP legislators, including former minister of state for home Gordhan Zadaphia, yet again met for over four hours late Tuesday, but could not arrive at any decision about what to do in future. The five legislators, in particular, divided over whether or not to cross over to the opposition Congress party.

By IANS Chandigarh : The ruling Congress in Haryana set up an all-party committee Wednesday to review the Yamuna water agreement signed in 1994 under Bhajan Lal's chief ministership over sharing of river waters with neighbouring states. The move is seen as an attempt to corner Bhajan Lal, now a sitting legislator, as the agreement had led to a reduction in the share of Haryana's water from the Yamuna from 66.66 percent to 47.8 percent.

By IANS Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan Wednesday said it was up to the central government to conduct an inquiry into the controversial purchase of land by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). "ISRO comes directly under the prime minister and it is they who have to launch an inquiry and not us. If they are ready for it, then the state government will provide all necessary help," Achuthanandan said.

By Rajeev Khanna Ahmedabad : Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams' uncle Vithal Pandya, father of slain minister Haren Pandya, has expressed fears that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will try to politicise his niece's visit beginning Thursday. Modi is expected to confer an honour on Sunita at a function organised by the Gujarat University during her four-day visit to her ancestral land.

By Sujeet Kumar, IANS Raipur : The opposition Congress in Chhattisgarh has asked for a white paper on all memorandums of understanding (MoUs) signed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after the government scrapped deals worth Rs.100 billion.

By Faraz Ahmad New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS) Shipping and Road Transport Minister T.R. Baalu has revealed that "no less than six Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ministers" in the previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government were involved in the final selection of the present route of the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project. "We have not gone beyond what was decided during the six years of the NDA regime. This is sheer politicking and it is going to show up the BJP in a bad light," Baalu told IANS in an interview at his home here.

By M.R. Narayan Swamy New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS) A strange cocktail of science and religion may be edging India towards an early general election that no one wants and which pundits say can only lead to another hung parliament - and more political uncertainty. Political sources and analysts are convinced that elections are inevitable following an unending dispute between the government and its communist allies over the India-US nuclear deal and the latest but separate row over a shipping canal that has outraged Hindu nationalist groups.

By Faraz Ahmad, IANS New Delhi : Shipping and Road Transport Minister T.R. Baalu has revealed that "no less than six Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ministers" in the previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government were involved in the final selection of the present route of the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project. "We have not gone beyond what was decided during the six years of the NDA regime. This is sheer politicking and it is going to show up the BJP in a bad light," Baalu told IANS in an interview at his home here.

By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS New Delhi : A strange cocktail of science and religion may be edging India towards an early general election that no one wants and which pundits say can only lead to another hung parliament - and more political uncertainty. Political sources and analysts are convinced that elections are inevitable following an unending dispute between the government and its communist allies over the India-US nuclear deal and the latest but separate row over a shipping canal that has outraged Hindu nationalist groups.

By IANS Lucknow : Close on the heels of sacking 6,500 policemen, the Uttar Pradesh government Tuesday ordered the dismissal of another 3,964 policemen recruited during the earlier Mulayam Singh Yadav regime, alleging "major irregularities" in the selection process. The Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) government also ordered punitive action against about 50 officers, including six from the elite Indian Police Service (IPS), who were responsible for carrying out the recruitment exercise.

By IANS New Delhi : The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Tuesday called upon politicians and political parties not to make political capital out of the Ram Sethu issue and threatened a nationwide agitation unless the Sethusamudram canal project was abandoned. At its two-day meeting, which began here Tuesday, the VHP passed a resolution calling for a nationwide stir unless the canal project off the Tamil Nadu coast was abandoned. The project was hurting Hindu sentiments the resolution said, according to VHP's publicity secretary Vinod Bansal.

By IANS Chandigarh : The controversy over the sharing of water of river Yamuna with other states has brought the infighting within the ruling Congress to the fore with the government accusing its own former chief minister of "misleading the state and making a mockery of the interests of Haryana". Raking up the issue with media persons here Tuesday, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the then chief minister had misled the state and his own cabinet while signing the Yamuna water agreement in 1994.

By IANS New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was Tuesday discharged from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) where he was admitted for prostate surgery four days ago. "He was discharged from the hospital. He is currently at his home and keeping well," an official of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) told IANS. On Saturday morning, a team of doctors led by N.P. Gupta, head of the department of urology at AIIMS, conducted endoscopy operation to treat a benign enlargement of the prostate gland.

By IANS Ahmedabad : The Narendra Modi government's move to form a new district comprising tribal areas in south Gujarat was a gimmick ahead of the assembly polls, the opposition Congress said Tuesday. "We have no plans to protest the move. We will just ignore it," said Arjun Modhwadia, leader of the opposition in the assembly. The chief minister Monday announced the formation of the new district while laying the foundation stone for a Rs.23 billion power project at Ukai. Modi indicated that the new district, the state's 27th, would come into being Oct 2.

By IANS Thiruvananthapuram : Five opposition legislators in Kerala continued their indefinite fast for the second day here Tuesday, demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the controversial land purchase by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at Ponmudi in Thiruvananthapuram district. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) reiterated its demand that Forest Minister Binoy Viswom should step down as the deal was "one of the biggest ever land scams to have hit the state".

By IANS Bangalore : Indian Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal Tuesday attacked the Left parties for their opposition to the Indo-US nuclear deal but said the government was confident of convincing them on the benefits of the pact. "They (the Left) are reasonable men," Sibal told reporters here after releasing a three-page statement detailing the benefits of the deal. But he accused the Left parties of opposing the deal for opposition sake. Sibal disagreed with the Left contention that the Hyde Act overrides the 123 agreement.

By IANS New Delhi : A day after West Bengal's communist Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya openly spoke in favour of nuclear power, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Prakash Karat Tuesday asked the government not to operationalise the India-US nuclear deal for at least six months. "Do not operationalise the deal for at least six months. The government should wait for the outcome of a discussion in parliament before taking any decision in this matter," Karat said while addressing a party rally against the nuclear here.

By IANS Kolkata : All constituents of West Bengal's ruling Left Front Tuesday agreed to the choice of Nayachar in East Midnapore to set up a chemical hub. "All the Left Front partners have welcomed the choice of Nayachar as a chemical hub site. We also discussed the industrial development in the state based on a report placed by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya," Left Front chairman Biman Bose told reporters after a meeting of the ruling coalition.

By IANS New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday "dared" the Congress to clarify its stand on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi's statement asking whether Lord Ram was a civil engineer and if so when he built the "so-called bridge". "Raising questions about the college from where Lord Ram had acquired an engineering degree is not only insulting but a direct affront on the faith of Hindus. The BJP dares the Congress to clarify whether it approves or disapproves of the stand taken by Karunanidhi," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters here.

By IANS Hyderabad : Ram Sethu is to Hindus what Mecca is to Muslims and Jerusalem is to Christians, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh said Tuesday, warning the government not to play with the religious sentiments of Hindus over the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project. The BJP would oppose the project tooth and nail as Ram Sethu was a matter of Hindus' faith and belief, Rajnath Singh told a press conference here. "Ram Sethu is to Hindus what Mecca is to Muslims and Jerusalem is to Christians," he said while ruling out a compromise on the issue.

By IANS Bhopal : Hundreds of workers of Uma Bharati's Bharatiya Janshakti Tuesday ransacked a Reliance Fresh store in the Indore town of Madhya Pradesh and warned of dire consequences if it was reopened. "Several Bharatiya Janshakti activists barged into the Reliance Fresh store in the Tukoganj locality, pelted stones, broke the window panes and threw the store furniture and vegetables out on the road," said a police official in Indore. "None of the customers present in the store was hurt as they could go out from the back of the store."

By IANS New Delhi : Close on the heels of two senior Congress leaders criticising Culture Minister Ambika Soni for submitting a controversial affidavit in the Supreme Court, Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said Tuesday it was "foolish" to question Lord Ram's existence. "Millions of people in the country believe in Lord Ram. Doubting and questioning his existence is foolish. How can some one do this?" Singh said on the sidelines of an event on drinking water and sanitation here.

By V.S. Karnic, IANS Bangalore : Two weeks remain for the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) to hand over power to coalition partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka. But whether the transfer will take place Oct 3 is still uncertain. The conflicting signals from the JD-S on the power transfer for over a month now and the number of theories on the differences within BJP on the issue have been aptly described as "tax-free entertainment".

By V.S. Karnic Bangalore, Sep 18 (IANS) Two weeks remain for Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) to hand over power to coalition partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka but there is complete uncertainty as to whether the transfer will actually take place Oct 3. The conflicting signals from the JD-S on the power transfer for more than a month now and the number of theories on the differences within the BJP on the issue has been aptly described by a harried leader of that party as "tax-free entertainment".

By IANS Chennai : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Monday expressed anger over DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi repeatedly making impolite references to Hindu deity Lord Ram, saying "a corrupt lobby within the DMK was putting pressure on the government to continue with the Sethusamudram canal project". In yet another curious turn in Tamil Nadu politics, MDMK leader Vaiko Monday defended the controversial Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project (SSCP) even as its ally the AIADMK opposed it.

By IANS New Delhi : The government Monday clarified that the Hyde Act was a US domestic law and the 123 agreement would be superior to it in terms of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal once it is in place. In response to Left parties' concerns over the Indo-US nuclear deal and the Hyde Act, the government said its negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on India-specific safeguards would be finalised only after the 123 agreement is in place, Left sources said.

By IANS New Delhi : The Congress Monday asked its leaders to gag themselves over a shipping canal project after another leader asked Culture Minister Ambika Soni to quit over a court affidavit questioning the existence of Hindu god Ram. In an unusual intervention as a row over the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) affidavit in the Supreme Court appeared to be spinning out of control, the Congress said it was time everyone kept quiet.

By IANS New Delhi : The Supreme Court Monday reserved its order on a plea challenging refusal of the Uttar Pradesh governor to sanction prosecution of Chief Minister Mayawati for alleged corruption in the Rs.1.75 billion Taj Heritage corridor project.

By IANS New Delhi : Taking a stern view of frivolous petitions being increasingly filed, the Delhi High Court Monday dismissed a plea against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi for hosting a dinner for MPs to allegedly solicit votes before the presidential and vice presidential elections this July. Justice V.B. Gupta said the petition was "politically-motivated" and imposed a cost of Rs.25,000 on the petitioner, Ravinder Kumar, a practising lawyer and member of a voluntary agency.

By IANS New Delhi : Former Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK chief J. Jayalalitha has called off her meeting with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani, scheduled to be held at Chennai on Sep 20. The meeting between the two leaders had been fixed two weeks ago when BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is in charge of Tamil Nadu, met Jayalalitha. He had described the meeting as "very fruitful" and had suggested that Advani meet her. Jayalalitha had apparently responded enthusiastically. But she seems to have had a rethink.

By IANS Bangalore : Two top 'rank-holders' of a novel eligibility test held to select candidates for the Sep 28 civic polls in Mysore have 'failed' to secure tickets from the Congress party, and one of them may enter the fray as an independent. "I am still trying to get the B-form (official letter from the party) from the Congress as that can be submitted before the expiry of withdrawal time on Sep 20," said J.N. Lakshmana, who topped the `eligibility test' held Sep 9 by a social organisation.