India Politics

By IANS New Delhi : The majority in parliament may be criticising Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, but Congress president Sonia Gandhi has stood behind him like a rock. In a letter to Congress workers, Gandhi has pointed out that the 123 agreement between New Delhi and Washington would be advantageous to the country.

By IANS New Delhi : Railway Minister Lalu Prasad escaped unhurt after a special train in which he was travelling to Bihar caught fire Saturday. Railway officials here said the 'MR (Minister for Railways) Special' carrying Lalu Prasad was proceeding from Dehri on Sone to Patna when some smoke and sparking was noticed in an air-conditioned compartment carrying his staff members. The train was then approaching the Rafiganj railway station in Bihar. The fire was immediately put out and that coach as well as the rest of the train was inspected for safety.

By Liz Mathew, IANS Table tennis champion, lawyer, veteran politician, wife, mother and now India's first woman president and supreme commander of its armed forces, Pratibha Devisingh Patil is the quintessential woman of substance reconciling her many facets with ease as she prepares to guide the Indian polity for the next five years.

By IANS Guntur (Andhra Pradesh) : Congratulating the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh for the state's development, party president Sonia Gandhi Saturday called for continuing on the path of progress and making the state a model for the entire country. Addressing a massive public meeting here during her whirlwind tour of coastal Andhra Pradesh to launch a series of development and welfare schemes, she asked Congress workers to take these schemes to people. "The true humanity and true politics is to help those whose voice often goes unheard," she said.

By IANS Guntur (Andhra Pradesh) : Congress president Sonia Gandhi Saturday asked political parties not to play politics in the fight against terrorism as she visited Andhra Pradesh where a terror attack last week claimed 43 lives. Condemning last week's twin bomb blasts in Hyderabad, she said it was the handiwork of forces which "do not want to see India making progress".

By IANS Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala's Public Works Minister T.U. Kuruvilla, facing a judicial probe into a controversial land deal in which he is accused of cheating a businessman, said Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan did not listen to him. "I am sad that Achuthanandan did not lend me his ears when I was facing a problem. I am sad that he did not give me time to hear what I had to say and he was not fair to me. I will never become a minister again," Kuruvilla told reporters on his last day in office.

By IANS Thiruvananthapuram : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Saturday began branch committee meetings across Kerala. The month-long exercise is expected to show which of the two factions in the state has the upper hand. The Kerala unit of CPI-M, which leads the state's ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), is deeply divided between the camps led by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and state party secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, with the latter enjoying a huge majority in the party's 81-member state committee.

By IANS New Delhi : Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former foreign minister Yashwant Sinha has said there was no confusion in his party's stance over the India-US nuclear deal and if it comes to power the deal would be re-negotiated after amending domestic laws. Sinha also insisted that senior party leader L.K. Advani was misinterpreted in the media over his remarks that domestic laws can be changed to protect India's interest. He said it was a suggestion that the party could examine.

By IANS Kolkata : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee Saturday exuded confidence that a joint mechanism being worked out by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and Left parties would find a way out of the present imbroglio over the Indo-US nuclear deal.

By IANS Chennai : Tamil Nadu has got yet another political outfit headed by an actor, Sarath Kumar, and he hopes to take power in the sprawling southern state by 2011. Announcing its name late Friday, the two-term former MP said his party would be known as AISMK or All India Equality People's Party. This is the second party in the last two years set up by an actor. In March 2006, actor Vijaykanth formed the DMDK.

By Amulya Ganguli, IANS The immediate threat to the Manmohan Singh government over the civil nuclear deal with the United States seems to have disappeared. For a start, it has been able to work out a formula for pacifying the belligerent Left parties by setting up a committee to examine the deal. But it is clearly no more than a typical delaying tactic to defuse the situation and doesn't mean the pact is about to be scrapped. It is really a step that will enable the Left to claim that it has not been roundly rebuffed.

By IANS New Delhi : A woman was arrested here Friday for allegedly hurling stones at the official car of Railway Minster Lalu Prasad while he was driving down to the parliament. The incident took place in the morning outside the minister's Tughlak Road office, when the woman, aged about 40, suddenly emerged from among the pwople assembled there and started pelting Lalu Prasad's car with stones. The minister didn't receive any injuries. His security officials caught the woman, identified as Rita, and took her to a nearby police station for questioning.

By IANS New Delhi : Confusion continued over the India-US civilian nuclear deal Friday with the government insisting it can go ahead and negotiate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its Left allies asserting the deal is on hold until a political panel comes out with its findings.

By IANS New Delhi : A day after its temporary truce with the government over the contentious Indo-US civil nuclear deal, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Friday issued another warning asking it to stop military ties with the US. In an article in party mouthpiece 'People's Democracy' CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat cautioned the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government of a mass movement against New Delhi's deepening military ties with Washington.

By IANS Kolkata : Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Prakash Karat said Friday the Left parties will take a decision on the Indo-US nuclear deal based on the findings of the 14-member committee formed to examine the 123 Agreement. ` "A committee is being set up. Let the committee submit its report. Then we will decide on our future course of action," Karat told reporters after attending the party's meeting at CPI-M headquarters here.

By IANS Guwahati : Assam's faction-ridden opposition party Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) Friday chose Brindaban Goswami as president for the second straight term amid violent protests by some members. A party spokesman said Goswami was elected "unopposed" at the end of the AGP's three-day triennial conference here. But the conference was marred by vociferous protests and violence with opponents of Goswami vandalizing the premises of the Indian Tea Association's cultural complex in the city, the venue of the meet.

By IANS Thiruvananthapuram : The opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) Friday said it would look into the alleged illegal land deals surfacing in Kerala, including the deal by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to buy land near the Ponmudi hill station for a proposed space institute.

By IANS New Delhi : Confusion over the Indo-US civil nuclear deal continued Friday with the government announcing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) talks are not part of "operationalisation" of the deal while Left claimed that New Delhi cannot proceed till a political panel comes out with its findings on the pact. External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said operationalisation of the deal means "putting into effective implementation".

By IANS Patna : Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Mohammed Shahabuddin was Friday sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment after being found guilty of a murderous attack on a top Siwan police official 11 years ago. This is the third conviction for Shahabuddin this year.

By IANS Lucknow : Intervention by the judiciary could come in the way of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's plans to turn an already sprawling second official bungalow into a giant-sized estate. The NGO 'Jan-hit' petitioned the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court Thursday against Mayawati's move to take over and merge at least four neighbouring bungalows with an existing house that was allotted to her as "ex-chief minister".

By IANS New Delhi : Opposition parties stalled the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha Friday, protesting the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)-Left committee to study the Indo-US nuclear deal, leading to successive adjournments of the house. Members of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) disrupted the upper house during question hour and again during zero hour.

By IANS New Delhi : A seasoned minister is so excited over the success of Shah Rukh Khan-starrer "Chak de India" that he hopes to persuade Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to watch the surprise hit of the year. Prithviraj Chavan, the minister of state for Prime Minister's Office (PMO), does not hide his excitement when he says that he had a "brush" with the film. He was handling the sports ministry when the Indian Women Hockey Federation mooted the idea of making a film on the game.

By IANS New Delhi : The government Friday turned down a demand for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to study the Indo-US nuclear deal, saying no bilateral agreement has come under the scrutiny of parliament. An angry opposition, demanding a JPC on the agreement, disrupted the proceedings of the Lok Sabha. The house was adjourned till 12 noon.

By IANS Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's plans for expanding her second bungalow here into a sprawling estate were challenged in a court here Thursday. NGO Jan Hit moved an application before the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court seeking contempt proceedings against Mayawati for violating the government's own undertaking before the court. The Uttar Pradesh government had in 2001 given an undertaking to the court that it would not allot any bungalow bigger than Type-V to any former chief minister.

By IANS Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala's Public Works Minister T.U. Kuruvilla Thursday offered to resign, an hour after the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) recommended a judicial probe into a controversial land deal in which he was accused of cheating a businessman. P.J. Joseph, the chairman of the Kerala Congress (Joseph) - to which the minister belongs, told reporters that Kuruvilla had expressed his desire not to continue as minister in the wake of the judicial probe. Joseph was speaking at Kuruvilla's residence after a meeting of top leaders of his party.

By IANS New Delhi : Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani, who surprised many this week by expressing guarded support to the India-US nuclear deal, Thursday reversed his stance and said the agreement would "impair India's nuclear weapons programme". "I would like to emphasise that the provisions of the Hyde Act militate against India's sovereignty - in particular, in regard to the conduct of our foreign policy," he said.

By IANS New Delhi : The dragging standoff between the government and its Left allies ended Thursday with ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) agreeing to put on hold the operationalisation of the India-US nuclear deal till a political panel comes out with its findings on the pact. The dramatic breakthrough came after a series of meetings through the day between UPA and Left leaders, among UPA leaders and among Left leaders, and also within the Congress hierarchy including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

By IANS Chennai : Amid signs of strains in its ties with Tamil Nadu's main ruling party DMK, the PMK held a meeting at Tindivanam, its leader S. Ramadoss's bastion, Thursday evening. The meeting comes after senior DMK leader Arcot N. Veerasamy said Wednesday night that "DMK did not need allies like the PMK and the Left" and had the ability to go into the next elections "only with the Congress" for company.

By IANS New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Thursday dismissed a pubic suit urging that the government be asked to approach the president for referring the India-US civilian nuclear deal to the Supreme Court for its opinion. "As of today there is no legislation with regard to the deal, so it is purely a policy decision of the government of India and the court could not interfere in the matter," a division bench headed by Chief Justice M.K. Sharma said, while dismissing the suit.

By IANS Ahmedabad : Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will leave for Beijing next Wednesday on a four-day visit to attend the 'summer Davos' summit at Dalian in China organised by the World Economic Forum (WEF). At the three-day summit beginning Sep 6, Modi will be accompanied by D. Rajagopalan, principal secretary for industries and mines, Gauri Kumar, state industries commissioner, Atanu Chakraborty, secretary for tourism and small scale industries, and K. Kailashnathan, chief minister's principal secretary.

By IANS Patna : A Bihar court Thursday convicted Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Mohammed Shahabuddin for a murderous attack on then Siwan superintendent of police (SP) in 1996. This is the third time Shahabuddin has been convicted this year. He will be sentenced in the case Friday. Additional District and Sessions Judge Gyaneshwar Prasad Srivastava of a special court inside Siwan jail, 150 km from here, found him guilty. Two of his bodyguards were also convicted.

By IANS New Delhi : The India-US civilian nuclear deal will not be made operational till a committee comprising representatives from the government and the Left parties gives its views on the pact, it was announced Thursday. "The government will take into account the committee's findings while operationalising the nuclear deal," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters here. The committee would also examine the implications of the Hyde Act and the implications of the nuclear deal on India's foreign policy, he added.

By IANS New Delhi : The Lok Sabha was adjourned briefly for 20 minutes Thursday morning following a disruption by MPs from various parties over different issues. The speaker adjourned the house till 12.30 p.m. after members raised issues pertaining to violence in Agra and police brutality in Bihar's Bhagalpur district. Soon after zero hour began, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MPs were out of their seats highlighting the Bhagalpur incident while Samajwadi Party members wanted to raise the Agra violence issue.

By IANS New Delhi : The weekend blasts that killed 43 people in Hyderabad rocked the Lok Sabha Wednesday with the opposition accusing the government of playing "vote bank politics", while police in Hyerabad released the sketch of a man it said may have planted the bomb at Lumbini Park. And with mounting criticism over its failure to check terror despite intelligence tip-offs, the Andhra Pradesh government announced the creation of an elite anti-terror force along the lines of the Greyhounds, the special anti-Maoist police force.

By IANS Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) will meet Thursday to decide the fate of Public Works Minister T.U. Kuruvilla, who is facing corruption charges in a land deal even as the opposition has stepped up its demand for his resignation. Trouble for Kuruvilla started last month when treasury bench legislator P.C. George alleged that his three sons had accepted Rs.67.5 million from Kuwait-based businessman K.G. Abraham for the transfer of a plot of land.

By IANS New Delhi : The Indian government said Wednesday it was open to creating a federal investigating and policing agency to combat and prevent terrorism if there was political consensus on the issue. "I don't have any problem (with creating such an agency) if the entire House supports me and the states also accept this. Then we have no difficulty in doing this," Home Minister Shivraj Patil told the Lok Sabha, even as he added a rider.

By IANS New Delhi : The political stand-off over the India-US civilian nuclear deal is likely to ease with the government preparing to set up a committee to address Left concerns, but the communists made it clear Wednesday that this should be accompanied by a freeze on nuclear negotiations. The ruling Congress leaders, who have held discussions with the four Left parties in the last two days, discussed modalities of the mechanism with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi Wednesday.

By IANS Kolkata : Reliance Retail officials as well as the Forward Bloc (FB), one of the ruling Left Front partners in West Bengal that is opposed to Reliance Fresh outlets, chose to keep mum Wednesday, a day after the state government assured security to the firm's retail stores. "I don't want to add anything to the controversy now. We are holding a meeting with state government officials," Reliance Retail Ltd (RRL) regional head Kalyan Sarangi told IANS after apprehensions that the firm might walk out of the state or put its plans on hold.

By IANS Ranchi : A meagre 45 percent turnout was witnessed in the by and large peaceful by-election to the Jamshedpur Lok Sabha seat Wednesday. Official sources said some 1,000 voters could not exercise their franchise after they found their names missing from the voters' list. Air Force helicopters were pressed into service to ensure a free and fair election, which became necessary following the killing of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MP Sunil Mahto in March by Maoist rebels. Suman Mahto, widow of the slain MP, contested the seat on the JMM ticket.

By IANS Shimla : A senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and about a dozen workers of the party were injured Wednesday in a clash with the workers of the Congress here. Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Shanta Kumar and some of his party men had to be rushed to the hospital. They were released after treatment. The BJP, however claimed, many more cadres of their party had sustained injuries. Congress leaders said that some of their workers were also injured.

By IANS Chandigarh : Former Haryana chief minister Banarsi Dass Gupta died in New Delhi Wednesday. He was 89. He was under treatment for the last few months for age related ailments. Gupta, a Congress leader, was the chief minister of Haryana twice, first from Dec 1, 1975 to April 29, 1977 and later from May 23, 1990 to July 12, 1990. He was also a member of Rajya Sabha in 1996. Gupta, a prominent Aggarwal community leader, had earlier served as the deputy chief minister and speaker of the Haryana state assembly.

By IANS New Delhi : The Andhra Pradesh government must review its decision to engage private firms for public security, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) said Wednesday in the aftermath of the twin blasts in Hyderabad at the weekend. Condemning the blasts that killed 43 people Saturday, CPI-M politburo member Sitaram Yechury said that the security at the Lumbini Park, where the first of the two blasts occurred, was managed by a private firm.

By IANS New Delhi : The blasts that killed 43 people in Hyderabad divided the Lok Sabha Wednesday with the opposition accusing the government of "vote bank politics", even as agitated members in the Rajya Sabha forced an adjournment. As the parliament session resumed after a four-day break to celebrate the Onam and Raksha Bandhan festivals, the MPs debated the weekend blasts, the worst terror attack in south India.

By News Agency of Kashmir Srinagar : Claiming that government of India was planning to install Kuka Parray as chief minister of the state to further its agenda, National Conference president Omar Abdullah today alleged that there were about 22 sitting MLAs on the payroll of Indian intelligence agencies. Delhi has since long eager to create a mess of leadership in Jammu and Kashmir so that its authority works, Omar said in a public meeting at Cheki Ghanstan in Sumbal area today.

By IANS New Delhi : The terror attacks in Hyderabad that claimed over 40 lives weighed heavily on the minds of Rajya Sabha members as they returned Wednesday after a four-day break to celebrate the Onam and Raksha Bandhan festivals. The agitated members forced a brief adjournment of the house as they demanded an immediate statement from Home Minister Shivraj Patil but it was then agreed that the issue could be raised during zero hour immediately after question hour ended.

By Syed Zarir Hussain, IANS Guwahati : Assam's beleaguered opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) is desperately trying to make a comeback with its workers seeking a change in leadership and a re-merger in the party that split two years ago. The AGP, currently in shambles, is holding its triennial conference in Guwahati with a three-day programme from Wednesday. The primary agenda is to boost the party's sagging morale and get a new president.

By IANS New Delhi : The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 12.30 p.m. Wednesday following a furore over violence in Agra and police brutality in Bihar's Bhagalpur town. Rashtraya Janata Dal MPs disrupted the proceedings over the Bhagalpur incident, where a youth was thrashed by a mob for allegedly snatching a woman's gold chain Monday. Then two policemen dragged the alleged snatcher by a motorcycle through a rough road. The situation in the Bihar town worsened Tuesday as an angry crowd threw stones at a police station.

By Syed Zarir Hussain, IANS Guwahati : Assam's beleaguered opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) is making a desperate attempt for revival with a majority of the grassroots leaders seeking a change in leadership and are for reuniting the party that witnessed a vertical split two years ago. The AGP, currently in shambles, is holding its triennial conference in Guwahati with a three-day programme from Wednesday with the primary agenda being to boost the party's sagging morale and get a new president.

By Faraz Ahmad, IANS New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appears to be divided in its approach to the India-US nuclear deal, with its senior leaders speaking in different voices. BJP leader L.K. Advani, who leads the opposition in the Lok Sabha, surprised many when he was quoted as saying that his party would have no objection to the nuclear agreement "if the government amends the Indian Atomic Energy Act to ensure strategic independence and non-hindrance in reactor fuel supplies".

By IANS Ranchi : The Jharkhand government Tuesday issued a show cause notice to Bokaro deputy commissioner Praveen Kumar Toppo for touching the feet of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha chief Shibu Soren. "I have asked the chief secretary to issue a show cause to the Bokaro deputy commissioner for his act," Chief Minister Madhu Koda told reporters here. He, however, defended Toppo saying that he was new to the job and would gradually learn the gravity of the post.

By IANS New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called on President Pratibha Devisingh Patil at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here Tuesday. According to a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement, the meeting lasted for about 40 minutes. "They reviewed the recent developments," it said.

By IANS Mumbai : Coming to the defence of Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies Baba Siddique for his links with convicted Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh Tuesday said that the minister was a close family friend of the Dutts and had not done "anything wrong". Siddique has been in the firing line of the opposition Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for repeatedly being seen in the company of Dutt, who has been sentenced to six years in jail for illegal possession of arms in the 1993 Mumbai serial bombings.

By IANS New Delhi : The government is likely to announce in two days a panel to look into the Indo-US nuclear agreement, amid indications that further negotiations on the deal will be put on the backburner for now. Left leaders who have had discussions with Congress leaders and ministers to break a stalemate over the row said the ruling party was keen to retain power rather than insist on going ahead with the nuclear deal and risk communist support so crucial for the government's survival.

By IANS Kolkata : Information and Broadcasting Minister and Congress leader Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi Tuesday walked out of a function organised to celebrate the foundation day of his party's students' wing after a group of workers booed him and cheered former state Congress chief Somen Mitra. The incident exposed the rift in West Bengal Congress between two camps - one led by Dasmunsi and another by Mitra, who is supposedly backed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

By IANS Mumbai : The opposition Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have targeted Maharashtra Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies Baba Siddique for being in company of convicted Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt and demanded that he be dropped from the ministry. Siddique is a personal friend of the Dutt family. The Sena and BJP, in separate statements, raised the issue of Siddique's proximity to the 48-year-old actor, who had been sentenced to six years' rigorous imprisonment for illegal possession of arms in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.

By IANS Chennai : AIADMK strongman T.T.V. Dinakaran was Tuesday divested of the post of the party treasurer in a major reshuffle of posts by party chief J. Jayalalitha who told her cadres that parliamentary elections could be round the corner. Dinakaran, a nephew of Jayalalitha's confidante Sasikala, has been replaced by trusted Jayalalitha aide O. Panneerselvam, a party press statement Tuesday said. Jayalalitha made the reshuffle after consulting district leaders of her party.

By IANS New Delhi : As the nation was aghast at the Bihar police's brutality on a youngster alleged to be a thief, Railway Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad asked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to step down. Mohammad Aurangzeb alias Saleem of Nathnagar town in Bhagalpur, about 150 km from Bihar capital Patna, was severely beaten by a mob Monday after he was caught on suspicion of snatching a woman's chain.

By IANS New Delhi : Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss Tuesday blamed the Orissa government for not doing enough to contain the outbreak of cholera and diarrhoea that has clamed at least 80 lives in the state in recent weeks. "Everything is happening in the KBK (Kalahandi, Bolangir and Koraput) districts. The state government needs to do more on this front," Ramadoss said.

By IANS Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Tuesday ordered the special task force (STF) of the state's police to investigate the creation of a fake profile of hers on the social networking website Orkut. "We have asked the STF to put its cyber crime sleuths to work to get to the root of the mischievous creation of the chief minister's profile on Orkut," state home secretary Javeed Ahmad told scribes here Tuesday.

By IANS Ranchi : The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) is banking on sympathy votes to retain the Jamshedpur Lok Sabha seat in the by-election scheduled Wednesday. Suman Mahato, wife of slain JMM MP Sunil Mahto, is contesting from the seat on the JMM ticket. Sunil was killed by Maoist rebels in March this year. The acquittal of former central minister and JMM chief Shibu Soren in a murder case last week has been a shot in the arm for his party.

By IANS Lucknow : The Congress party has taken strong exception to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's personal remarks against the party's state president Salman Khurshid at an election rally. "Salman Khurshid claims to be a Muslim but he married a Christian woman. Couldn't he find one Muslim girl to marry?" Mayawati told a rally Sunday during her campaign ahead of a by-election for the Farrukhabad assembly seat.

By NNN-PTI New Delhi : Leaders of Congress and Left parties are meeting here Monday in a bid to resolve the current stand-off over the nuclear deal following the Left threat of serious consequences if the agreement with the US is operationalised. External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Ahmed Patel, Political Secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, will meet Left leaders Monday afternoon to sort out the differencs over the deal.

By News Agency of Kashmir Baramulla : Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President, Mehbooba Mufti has said the October 2002 elections laid a strong foundation for the positive transformation of the State's political scenario when PDP took the initiative of representing and voicing the just concerns and aspirations of the people, both in and outside the Government.

By IANS New Delhi : The ruling Congress will make major gains if mid-term elections are called but its Left allies that have been targeting the government over the India-US nuclear deal stand to lose badly, according to an opinion poll conducted by the NDTV news channel. The Congress will gain 40 seats countrywide, while the Left will lose 25 seats, the poll says. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would lose 22 seats, while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will be a major gainer, more than doubling its tally from 19 to 42.

By Xinhua New Delhi : The ruling Congress will make major gains if mid-term elections are called but its Left allies that have been targeting the government over the India-US nuclear deal stand to lose badly, according to an opinion poll conducted by the NDTV news channel. The Congress will gain 40 seats countrywide, while the Left will lose 25 seats, the poll says. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would lose 22 seats, while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) will be a major gainer, more than doubling its tally from 19 to 42.

By IANS Chennai : AIADMK leader J. Jayalalitha Monday called for the ouster of Tamil Nadu's Agricultural Minister Veerapandi S. Arumugam for participating in a "violent agitation" to demand the creation of a railway division in the state.

By IANS New Delhi : Senior Congress and Left party leaders met here Monday to work out a via media to end the stalemate over the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal that the communists do not want to be implemented.

By IANS Malda (West Bengal) : A former Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) MLA was arrested for allegedly molesting an army officer's wife in his presence on a train Sunday night. Former MLA Prakash Minj was arrested by the Railway Protection Force personnel.

By IANS Bhopal : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has distributed portfolios to the new ministers, reshuffled those of some of the other cabinet colleagues and also cleared several political appointments. Chouhan had Saturday expanded his cabinet inducting six ministers and promoting two to the cabinet rank. Portfolios were allocated late Sunday, an official statement said Monday.

By IANS Raipur : Chhattisgarh's main opposition Congress Monday set up a panel to probe alleged irregularities in a 500 MW thermal power plant in the state that stopped production hours after its much-hyped inauguration this month. Congress legislator and former minister Bhupesh Baghel has been appointed convenor of the probe panel, which also includes Congress legislators and leaders. It will look into the "corruption" in the power plant at Korba, 220 km from here, and submit report to the party in 15 days.

By IANS Lucknow : Is the honeymoon between United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati coming to an end? The question was doing rounds here after Mayawati chose to train her guns for the first time on both the Congress as well as the UPA. "The Congress party and UPA should not take our support for granted," the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief thundered at two election rallies in the state over the weekend. By-elections to three state assembly seats are going to be held Aug 31.

By IANS Agartala : The Election Commission has asked the four election-bound states of Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Himachal Pradesh for a special summary revision of electoral rolls and to include all voters under the Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) scheme. Elections in the four states are scheduled for February 2008. "The two-month long summary revision would start in October and end Jan 1, 2008 as the qualifying date," G.S.G. Ayyangar, chief electoral officer of Tripura, told reporters here Monday.

By IANS Nandigram : Reiterating her opposition to the setting up of a chemical hub in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee Sunday said the communist rulers were not planning a chemical hub but a "killing hub". Addressing a public rally at Sonachura in trouble-torn Nandigram in East Midnapore district, where fresh violence two days back claimed another life, Banerjee said: "We will not allow any chemical hub or land grab in the name of that. They are for killing hub, not chemical hub."

By INS Despite initial hiccups and lack of support from New Delhi and coalition partners, Ghulam Nabi Azad’s performance as Chief minister has been rated as 50 per cent of what he could have delivered during a Survey by INS team.

By News Agency of Kashmir Jammu : Jammu and Kashmir Rural Development Minister and 'Man Friday' of chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has been becoming a major source of embarrassment for the government rather than an asset. The working of Rural Development Department has come under sharp criticism from none other than Union Minister for Rural development Raghuvansh Pratap Singh, who in a written reply to the Lok Sabha castigated J&K RDD Ministry for poor implementation of Prime Minister Grameen Sadak Yojana in the state.

By PTI New Delhi : As the government continues to face opposition to the Indo-US nuclear deal on the domestic front, France has hailed the agreement as being a result of "very careful, cautious and intelligent" negotiations and vowed to support it at IAEA and Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Refusing to be drawn into the controversy here over the issue, France believes Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has "very good set of arguments" to push the agreement.

By Sharat Pradhan, IANS Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's diktat to shut Reliance Fresh operations in the state has irked both farmers and industry in the state and some are holding protests to demand their reopening. Contrary to her claim that she was constrained to shut Reliance retail stores because of opposition from a large chunk of the farming community, representatives of farmers as well as industry have expressed their chagrin over the move.

By IANS Thiruvananthapuram : There is more trouble in store for Kerala's Public Works Minister T.U. Kuruvilla, accused by a Kuwait-based Keralite businessman of cheating in a land deal, as two youths Saturday alleged that he had also cheated their late father. "Kuruvilla had taken over 273 acres of land in Tamil Nadu and he has paid my father only a pittance and he still owes Rs.3.7 million. My father felt he was cheated. He died a few years back and despite several appeals to Kuruvilla, he is yet to pay up," Sathar Mohammed told reporters here.

By IANS Bhopal : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan expanded his cabinet here Saturday, inducting six new ministers and promoting two others to cabinet rank. Governor Balram Jakhar administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers in the presence of the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues at a function in Raj Bhawan. While two ministers of state, Nagendra Singh and Laxmikant Sharma, were elevated to cabinet rank, the six new faces include three cabinet ministers and three ministers of state.

By IANS Hyderabad : Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state secretary B.V. Raghavulu Saturday escaped unhurt in an attack, allegedly by ruling Congress workers, adding a new twist to the Left parties' land agitation in Andhra Pradesh. The CPI-M leader along with his party activists was in Tallempadu in Khammam district, about 250 km from here, to 'occupy' government plots and erect makeshift huts as part of their protest when a group of Congress workers armed with sticks reportedly tried to attack him.

By IANS Chennai : External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee Saturday refused to spell out the government's plans to resolve the political crisis over the India-US nuclear deal. "Just wait and watch to see what are the options left (with us)," Mukherjee told reporters when asked what "options" the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had. There will be a debate in parliament on the India-US nuclear deal, he said here on the sidelines of a ministry of external affairs function.

By IANS Ahmedabad : One of the two Congress legislators in Gujarat who had switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) barely a week ago has returned to the Congress fold, dashing hopes of the ruling party of large-scale defections from the opposition ahead of the elections. Shankar Varli, who represents the Umbergaon constituency in south Gujarat, declared Friday that he was staying back in the Congress.

By IANS New Delhi : A meeting between Left leaders and the government is expected to take place next week to find ways to bring their strained ties over the Indo-US civil nuclear deal back on track. Left sources Saturday, however, declined to reveal who in the government would be involved in the talks with them.

By IANS Ranchi : Former union coal minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren walked free from Dumka jail Saturday after acquittal in a murder case to an effusive welcome by thousands of his supporters. The Delhi High Court had on Wednesday acquitted Soren in the murder of his personal secretary Shashinath Jha 13 years ago. Soren, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court in Jharkhand, had appealed against his conviction.

By IANS Bangalore : A twice-postponed meeting of the coordination committee of Karnataka's ruling Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition was cancelled soon before it was to be held Saturday, widening further the rift between the two parties. The meeting was to start at 8 a.m. But at 7.45 a.m., when BJP leaders were about to leave for the venue, the chief minister's secretariat sent a fax informing them about the cancellation of the meet, Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa of BJP told reporters.

By IANS Raipur : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh and senior leader L.K. Advani have advised Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and dissidents in the party to resolve their differences and get ready for next year's assembly polls and possible early parliamentary elections. The advice by the senior leaders to bury the hatchet came Friday night when the BJP president hosted a dinner at his residence in New Delhi for the party MPs from Chhattisgarh. Raman Singh also attended the dinner.

By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net Bhopal: The long awaited cabinet expansion in Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP), ruled Madhya Pradesh came about today at last when Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inducted six new ministers and promoted two others to the cabinet rank. Governor Balram Jakhar administered the oath of office and secrecy to the new ministers in the presence of the Chief Minister and his other cabinet colleagues and Opposition party members.

By IANS Thiruvananthapuram : A Kerala-Tamil Nadu row over the bifurcation of the Palakkad Railway Division took an ugly turn Saturday with protesters in Tamil Nadu stopping trains from going to Kerala. Demonstrators in Coimabatore and Salem stopped around a dozen trains to express their anger over Kerala MP's protests against the splitting of the Palakkad rail division and the creation of a new one in Salem in Tamil Nadu.

By IANS New Delhi : Calling the India-US civil nuclear deal "the best possible thing that has happened to India", noted industrialist Ratan Tata has warned that political uncertainty caused by opposition to the pact could adversely impact the country's growth. "I fear the uncertainty in the political environment will certainly cause India to stumble, will cause the momentum of growth, which we have enjoyed, to pause if not reverse," the chairman of India's largest private sector group said.

By IANS New Delhi : Indian communists, now holding the government to ransom over the India-US civil nuclear deal, will lose heavily if a Lok Sabha poll were held now, their tally falling from the present 60 to as low as 38, a new survey says. According to the The Week magazine-CVoter survey, the tally of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) will, however, go up from the 145 seats it gained in 2004 to between 172 and 192.

By Amulya Ganguli, IANS Notwithstanding the possibility of a lowering of tension between the Congress and the communists over the India-US civil nuclear deal, two things can be predicted with a reasonable degree of certainty. One is that the Manmohan Singh government will not be able to hold out for its full five-year term ending in 2009. The Left's ideologically driven opposition to closer ties with the US means that a point of no return is being reached between it and the Congress although, for the present, the comrades have decided not to destabilise the government.

By News Agecy of Kashmir Srinagar, Aug 24 (NAK): Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party MLAs have decided to boycott the ongoing Assembly session from tomorrow in protest against the Congress led government decision not to revoke the suspension of party MLA Harsh Dev Singh. A decision to this affect was taken at a meeting of the party MLAs under the chairmanship of Balwant Singh Mankotia, president and attended by Faqir Nath and Yashpal Kundal at Assembly lawns here today.

By News Agency of Kashmir Srinagar : With assembly in session and the restriction imposed by chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad regarding entry of MLAs and commoners inside the civil secretariat, the Babus of coalition government have almost become inaccessible for the masses. The decision to restrict the entry of MLAs inside the secretariat has cast its shadow on the common masses who are now getting access to office of a bureaucrats only after 5 PM, that too: `Once in a Blue Moon'.

By IANS Lucknow : The Uttar Pradesh government's order to shut down outlets opened by giant retail players seems to have singled out only Reliance Retail and will not affect other retail players like Spencer's of the R.P. Goenka group. However, the government allowed Reliance's operations in Noida and Ghaziabad to open in the evening. The Uttar Pradesh order has nipped in the bud the operations of the Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance group within 24 hours of its opening 10 stores in the state capital here.

By IANS Chennai : In a clear bid to keep the Congress high command happy, the Tamil Nadu government Friday issued an official notification to rename the Old Mahabalipuram Road after former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. A press statement said Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had accepted a request from state Congress president M. Krishnasamy to rename the road Rajiv Gandhi Road.

By IANS Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala's ruling Left is to decide on Aug 30 the fate of "tainted" Public Works Minister T.U. Kuruvilla, putting at rest media speculation that the minister would be asked to step down Friday following allegations that he had cheated a Kuwait-based businessman in a land deal. From the morning the residence of Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and the party headquarters of the Communist Party of India-Marxist was abuzz with activity.

By IANS Chennai : Politics in New Delhi had its fallout here Friday as Congress party workers clashed with AIADMK cadre and demanded the arrest of the party chief J. Jayalalitha for her "derogatory" remarks against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the Indo-US nuclear deal. Police took 148 Congress activists, including three MLAs, into preventive custody for laying siege at Jayalalitha's Poes Garden house and shouting slogans against her. The Congress agitators reportedly attacked an AIADMK activist with a cricket bat and injured him.

By IANS New Delhi : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Friday stated there was "no crisis" for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government but insisted that the Left only wanted the government to "pause" the contentious Indo-US civil nuclear deal and not to press on the "eject or stop buttons". The CPI-M, which has reiterated that the Indo-US nuclear deal would do no good for the nation, also took strong exception to a "scurrilous campaign" that it was opposing the deal at "China's behest".

By IANS New Delhi : Former external affairs minister K. Natwar Singh's Britain-based relative Vipin Khanna, who faces a probe over his alleged role in the Barrak Missile deal and the Iraq oil-for-food scam, was asked to approach the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) trial court for his passport which the agency had seized in March. The Supreme Court asked Khanna to approach the designated CBI court, while directing the probe agency to deposit his passport to the lower court at Patiala House here within a fortnight.

By IANS Lucknow : The shutting of Reliance Fresh stores across Uttar Pradesh by Chief Minister Mayawati and her roll-back on a new contract farm policy is being seen as a big victory by key opponent and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who had launched a vigorous campaign against it across the state. Yadav, who lost power to Mayawati three months ago, was so crestfallen by his defeat that he lay low for a while. He made his first move out of political hibernation only after the Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance group launched its retail operations in Lucknow.

By IANS Lucknow : The Uttar Pradesh government's order to shut down outlets opened by giant retail players seems to have singled out only Reliance Retail and will not effect other retail players like Spencer's of the R.P. Goenka group. The order nipped in the bud the operations of the Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance group within 24 hours of its opening 10 stores in the state capital here. The order has prompted Reliance to suspend its plans to launch as many as 100 retail stores across India's most populous state.

By IANS Kolkata : Veteran Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPI-M) leader Jyoti Basu said Friday that his party was waiting for a response from the Congress to its demand not to "operationalise" the Indo-US nuclear deal. "The ball is in the court of the Congress. Let us see what they do. We have made our stand clear to them and are now waiting for their response," Basu told reporters here.

By IANS Patna : The wife of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Rajesh Kumar Manjhi said Friday that his suspension from parliament because he pased off another woman as his wife won't solve her domestic woes. "His suspension is not the solution. It is not going to solve my domestic problems. I am not happy," Pramila Kumari Manjhi told IANS, a day after her husband was suspended from the Lok Sabha for 30 sittings after being found guilty of helping another woman avail of medical facilities meant for his wife. A parliamentary committee had recommended the MP's suspension.

By IANS Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala's Congress-led opposition Thursday stepped up its demand for the resignation of Public Works Minister T.U. Kuruvilla after a Kuwait-based businessman originally from Kerala accused him of cheating in a land deal. G. Karthikeyan, deputy leader of the Congress in the assembly, asked Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan to dismiss Kuruvilla from the cabinet.

By IANS Bhopal : Violence marred students' union polls across Madhya Pradesh Thursday with members of the two main rival student groups - Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and National Students Union of India (NSUI) - clashing at several places. College managements cancelled the polls at some places. Three students were received gunshot injuries at a college in Sivni. There were reports of violence at the Mhow degree college in Indore district also.

By IANS Chandigarh : The Haryana government Thursday announced a Rs.3.3 million waiver for former VIPs who made private journeys in the state government's aircraft several years ago. The waiver was given by the state cabinet at its meeting here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. The trips made by these VIPs - former chief ministers and state ministers - in the official aircraft of the state were for private purposes. The journeys were made several years ago.

By IANS New Delhi : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Thursday reiterated its strong objection to the Indo-US nuclear deal while making it clear that it was not keen to precipitate a crisis for the government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh or looking for early elections.

By IANS Hyderabad : The Left parties in Andhra Pradesh Thursday intensified their agitation seeking land for the poor with hundreds of party workers and supporters occupying government land at several places across the state. Tension prevailed in some areas as activists of the Communist Party of India (CPI) and The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) pitched red flags on the plots and even erected temporary structures.

By IANS New Delhi : Rajesh Kumar Manjhi, Member of Parliament from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has been suspended from the Lok Sabha for 30 sittings after helping a woman avail medical facilities meant for his wife. In its report tabled in the Lok Sabha Thursday, a 11-member parliamentary committee headed by veteran Congress leader V. Kishore Chandra S. Deo, set up to inquire into the misconduct of members of the house, suggested that the MP be reprimanded as well.

By IANS Ranchi : The acquittal of former union minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren in a murder case has given rise to speculation that he may replace Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda. Just after the Delhi High Court acquitted Soren on Wednesday, Koda said: "If the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) leaders want, I will offer the post of chief minister to Soren." Koda's statement has stirred state politics. Even the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) feels there could be a change in leadership in the state.

By IANS New Delhi : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) said Thursday that it was not interested in creating a crisis for the government over the India-US nuclear deal while reiterating its strong objection to the agreement. "We do not want this crisis to affect the government but that is contingent upon the government not proceeding further with the agreement," CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat told reporters, reading out a prepared statement after a two-day meeting of the party central committee.

By IANS New Delhi : Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was recuperating well at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here and authorities said he was likely to be discharged Friday. Vajpayee, 83, was admitted to AIIMS Tuesday after he complained of giddiness and drowsiness. "His condition is stable and satisfactory. All his vital signs are normal," said Shakti Gupta, chief medical officer of the R.P Centre for Ophthalmology, AIIMS. Doctors said the Bharatiya Janata Party leader was likely to be discharged Friday.

By IANS Lucknow : In a surprise move, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati decided to roll back her new agriculture policy Thursday, 20 days after she had announced it, and ordered closure of Reliance Fresh stores that opened just a day ago. "A decision to that effect was taken at the state cabinet today (Thursday)," Mayawati said at a hurriedly convened press conference here.

By News Agency of Kashmir Jammu : Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party has decided to socially boycott Congress minister Pandit Mangat Ram Sharma for his remarks against the father of party MLA Harsh Dev Singh. As per the party spokesman, a meeting was convened, here today, to condemn Congress led government for having suspended the leader of the Panthers legislature party, Harsh Dev Singh without any reason, cause or logic.

NPP seeks revocation of Harsh's suspension; NC protests `Marshal Law' in assembly By News Agency of Kashmir Srinagar : The third day of assembly session witnessed walkout and boycotts by the opposition National Conference and Panthers Party, while three MLAs, including one of ruling Peoples Democratic Party, were evicted out of the House for disrupting the proceedings.

By Fakir Hassen, IANS Johannesburg : India's Congress party president Sonia Gandhi got a little emotional during a courtesy call on former South African president Nelson Mandela at the office of the African National Congress (ANC) here. Gandhi heard how the ANC would be eternally indebted to her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi, her husband Rajiv Gandhi and to India for support to the anti-apartheid movement.

By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS New Delhi : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), which is at the heart of a political crisis that threatens the government, is one of the world's largest communist parties which swears by parliamentary democracy while still idolising Stalin.

By DPA Johannesburg : Congress president Sonia Gandhi met South African President Thabo Mbeki in Cape Town Wednesday, the second day of her trip to South Africa. Gandhi was accompanied by India's Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma in a visit to "strengthen and consolidate political, economic, trade and cultural relations between the peoples of South Africa and India". South Africa and India regard themselves as strategic partners for development but also with reference to their historical ties.

By IANS Johannesburg : Congress president Sonia Gandhi Wednesday met former South African president Nelson Mandela during the second day of her trip to South Africa. After meeting South Africa's first democratically elected president at the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Gandhi said she was honoured to be meeting the man who had led the campaign against white apartheid rule. "It is a privilege, a visit to South Africa wouldn't be complete without calling on Madiba (Mandela)," SAPA reported Gandhi as saying.

By IANS New Delhi : Japan, a key member of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), will extend its full support when negotiations begin at the forum on the resumption of nuclear supplies to India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said here Wednesday. "When the matter comes up at NSG, we will have the support of Japan," said a confident Singh, at a joint press briefing along with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe after delegation level talks at Hyderabad House here.

By IANS Chennai : Irked by delay in the creation of a new railway division based in Salem, Tamil Nadu Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S. Arumugam Wednesday said all trains coming from or going towards Kerala at the Salem junction would be blocked from Saturday. Passengers from Kerala travelling to north India will be in trouble if the threat of railway blockade, supported by all sides of the political divide in western Tamil Nadu, is carried out.

By IANS Kolkata : West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has called an all-party meeting on Sep 3 to evolve a consensus over alternative location for a proposed chemical hub which was to be set up in Nandigram. "We have called an all-party meeting on Sep 3 at the state secretariat to finalise the proposed chemical hub project. We have already sent letters to all political parties in West Bengal and they have responded to our call except the Trinamool Congress," Bhattacharya told reporters here Wednesday.

By IANS Chennai : Despite the political impasse over the India-US nuclear deal, neither the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in New Delhi nor the DMK government in Tamil Nadu will fall, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said Wednesday. The DMK stalwart's comments came at a function here to commemorate the birth centenary of Communist leader P. Jeevanandam. The function was organised by the DMK government and attended by state communist leaders as well as those from the Congress party and the PMK.

By Liz Mathew, IANS New Delhi : The standoff between India's ruling coalition and the communists over the Indo-US nuclear deal continued Wednesday amid the first firm indications that the government may be preparing to put it in cold storage for now. Realising that it was near impossible to win over a belligerent Left, what with the Central Committee of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) endorsing the view that the government should not take any further steps over the deal, a senior minister admitted that the nuclear agreement had a "bleak future".

By DPA Johannesburg : India's Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi Wednesday met former South African president Nelson Mandela during the second day of her trip to South Africa. After meeting South Africa's first democratically elected president at the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Gandhi said she was honoured to meet the man who had led the campaign against apartheid rule. "It is a privilege, a visit to South Africa wouldn't be complete without calling on Madiba (Mandela)," SAPA reported Gandhi as saying.

By IANS New Delhi : Angry MPs paralysed parliament Wednesday morning for the second day, vociferously demanding the recall of ambassador Ronen Sen from Washington for his attack on critics of the India-US civilian nuclear deal. While both houses resumed their normal functioning in the post-lunch session, considerable time was lost early on as Left MPs joined those from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other parties to demand action against Sen, who is considered one of the architects of the path-breaking nuclear agreement.

By IANS Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Wednesday celebrated the completion of her 100 days in office, even as critics saw a virtual return of the feudal cult at a grand celebration event. Amid unprecedented security at the Ganna Sansthan auditorium, officials joined leaders of her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in singing her praise during the two and a half hour event.

By IANS Ranchi : The Jharkhand assembly Wednesday witnessed chaotic scenes over a no-confidence motion moved by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) against speaker Aalamgir Aalam. Eleven legislators of NDA had moved a no-confidence motion against the speaker Tuesday after Aalam refused a debate in the house about Chief Minister Madhu Koda's alleged links with trader Vinod Sinha.

By IANS New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday called on his immediate predecessor Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here to inquire about his health. According to AIIMS sources, Manmohan Singh went to the hospital at around 12.30 p.m. and spent some 10 minutes with Vajpayee, who was admitted to there Tuesday after he complained of giddiness and drowsiness. "The prime minister inquired about Vajpayeeji's health from our doctors and also interacted with him," said a senior doctor of the institute.

By IANS New Delhi : Railway Minister Lalu Prasad is set to be elected president of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) for the sixth consecutive time Thursday. A formal announcement will, however, be made at the party's national council meeting in Sarnath Saturday. Lalu Prasad filed his nomination papers for the post at the RJD office here Wednesday amid much fanfare by party workers. He had floated the party in 1997 after breaking away from the Janata Dal and was elected president of the new outfit.

By IANS Ranchi : Former central minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Shibu Soren's acquittal Wednesday in a murder case brought cheer not only to party workers but also to leaders of Jharkhand's ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA). JMM workers gathered near the Albert Ekka chawk in this capital, shouted slogans in favour of their leader and distributed sweets among the commuters. Jubilants workers played with colour and danced to drumbeats amid lighting of firecrackers.

By IANS New Delhi : Indian MPs Wednesday vociferously demanded recall of the country's ambassador to the US Ronen Sen for his critical remarks against opponents of the India-US civilian nuclear agreement, with both houses of parliament being adjourned over the issue. The Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice, while the Lok Sabha was adjourned once. Although the government gave an assurance that there would be no compromise on "protecting the dignity of parliament", it was silent on the demand for Sen's recall.

By IANS New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Wednesday acquitted former central coal minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren of the charge of murder of his private secretary Shashinath Jha. A division bench of Justice R.S. Sodhi and H.R. Malhotra stayed the judgements of the trial court of Nov 28 and Dec 5, 2006 saying the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had failed to prove the charges against Soren and the other accused. "The prosecution failed miserably. Trial court analyses on the evidence are not convincing," said the high court.

By IANS Hyderabad : Stepping up pressure on the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh, the Left parties Wednesday launched the second phase of their agitation seeking distribution of land among landless poor. Workers of the Communist Party of India (CPI) and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) as well as large groups of people encroached upon open land in different parts of the state to press their demand.

By IANS New Delhi : Former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will stay at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for another day. The condition of the 83-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, who was admitted to hospital Tuesday after he complained of giddiness, was stable and satisfactory, authorities said. "He will be kept in hospital for one more day to complete all investigations," said Shakti Gupta, chief medical officer of the R.P. Centre of Ophthalmology.

By IANS Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati completed 100 days in office Wednesday with a massive publicity blitz - trumpeting her government's achievements - that dominated not just the newspapers but seemingly the skyline with larger-than-life hoardings. Many national dailies - some with a distinctly different Mayawati clad in a silk sari, bejewelled and carefully coiffeured - and virtually all state newspapers carried huge advertisements listing the government's "unparalleled achievements".

By IANS New Delhi : Critical remarks by Indian envoy Ronen Sen against the opponents of the India-US civilian nuclear deal continued to rankle MPs Wednesday, forcing two adjournments of the Rajya Sabha, while the Lok Sabha was adjourned once. As soon as the two houses assembled at 11 a.m., agitated Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members were on their feet demanding action against Sen, who has already apologised for the remarks and said he was quoted out of context.

Coalition members warn to adjourn House sine die; NC says will bring no-confidence motion against Speaker By News Agency of Kashmir Srinagar : It was threats galore in the Legislative Assembly lawns with the ruling coalition threatening to adjourn the House sine die. While the National Conference threatened to move a vote of 'No Confidence' against Speaker Tara Chand, Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party demanded dissolution of the Assembly and holding of fresh elections in the state.

By News Agency of Kashmir Srinagar : At least four MLAs from National Conference and Panthers Party were today evicted out of the House by marshals – on the direction of Deputy Speaker - after they staged a strong protest demonstration in the Well of the House. As soon as the House reassembled, after being adjourned by the speaker for ten minutes, National Conference MLAs staged protest on the issue of alleged discrimination with Kupwara district.