Will appear for CBI questioning Jan 30: Mukul Roy
Kolkata : Trinamool Congress general secretary and former railway minister Mukul Roy, who has been summoned by the CBI in the Saradha scam, Wednesday...
‘Democracy under threat from pseudo-nationalism, right-wing fanaticism’
Panaji, (IANS): Indian democracy is under threat from "pseudo-nationalism" and "right-wing fanaticism masquerading as nationalism", a column published in Renovacao, a Goa Church periodical, has...
Willing for debate on coal allocation after PM resigns: BJP
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday said it was willing to debate in parliament on coal blocks allocation only after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's resignation.
PM’s Assam visit begins Monday amid high hopes
By IANS,
Guwahati : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrives in Assam on a two-day visit Monday amid expectations that he will announce a financial package besides making concrete offers to solve the state's burning issues - insurgency and influx of Bangladeshi migrants.
"We are positive and hopeful that the prime minister will address the various problems facing the state," Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi Sunday said here.
Why are Yadavas vilified?
By IndScribe
Why Yadavas are made villains so easily and why it is so common to talk about Yadav-raj or use words like Yadav-gardi?
Aren't there...
‘Carabeef’ to return on Kerala House menu
New Delhi: The popular 'carabeef' (buffalo meat) dish will be back on the menu of Kerala House here from Wednesday.
Kerala House officials took it...
Badal expresses grief over girl’s death
New Delhi : Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal on Thursday expressed grief over the death of a teenager who was allegedly eve teased...
Congress finalises 35 names for Chhattisgarh poll
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Congress Thursday released its first list of 35 candidates for the assembly polls in Chhattisgarh.
Former chief minister Ajit Jogi's name did not figure in the first list, finalised by the central election committee of the party.
On Oct 21, the state's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had released its list of 78 candidates for elections in the state.
Polling for the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly will be held over two days on Nov 14 and Nov 20.
Society should introspect on state of education: Mukherjee
New Delhi : President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday asked society to introspect on the state of education in the country, questioning its quality.
"A nation...
Tripura chief minister blasts UPA government
By IANS,
Agartala : The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government is committed to US President George W. Bush, not the people of India, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said Tuesday.
“The UPA government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has no responsibility and accountability towards the problems of the common people in the country, as it is more loyal and dependable to the US,” Sarkar told reporters here.
PM to hold rallies in Uttar Pradesh
By IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will hold two public rallies in election-bound Uttar Pradesh, official sources said Monday.
Uneasy calm in Dadri as BJP leaders issue statements “explaining” lynching of Ikhlaq
By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Greater Noida : Three days after the lynching of 50 year old Mohammad Ikhlaq in Bisahara Village...
Grenade hurled at Congress MP’s house in Manipur, fails to explode
By IANS,
Imphal : A powerful grenade was hurled at the house of Congress MP Thokchom Meinya here Friday but failed to explode, police said. It was later defused.
Government has vitiated political atmosphere, Modi an autocrat: Jairam Ramesh
By Prashant Sood,
New Delhi: The country's political atmosphere has been vitiated by the "confrontationist attitude" of the government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is...
Delhi legislators’ pay nearly tripled
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Delhi assembly Monday hiked the salary of legislators from Rs.32,500 to Rs.90,000.
Mamata urges governor to ensure sanctity of Nano accord
By IANS,
Kolkata : Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee Friday urged West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi to ensure that the Sep 7 agreement signed between the state government and the opposition to break the deadlock over Tata Motors' Nano plant site was implemented.
Briefing reporters after an 80-minute meeting with Gandhi at the Raj Bhawan, Banerjee said: "The governor told me, now that he has heard our side of the happenings related to Singur, he will also ask the state government to brief him."
Natwar, Shahid Siddiqui join BSP
By IANS,
Lucknow : Expelled Congress leader and former external affairs minister K. Natwar Singh, former Samajwadi Party (SP) general secretary Shahid Siddiqui and SP parliamentarian S.P. Singh Baghel Saturday crossed over to the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) during a daylong BSP national workers convention here.
Siddiqui and Baghel were not only appointed BSP national general secretaries but were also declared the party's nominees for two Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha constituencies.
West Pakistan refugee enters fray in Jammu and Kashmir
By IANS,
Jammu : A Pakistani refugee will be contesting Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate in Jammu and Kashmir, a first in the post-Independence history of the state.
Labba Ram, chairman of West Pakistan Refugees Action Committee, filed his nominations for Jammu-Poonch parliamentary seat Saturday.
Hindu refugees from West Pakistan, settled in Jammu, have a right to vote in the parliamentary polls. But they have no franchise for the assembly, municipal or Panchayat polls because they are not considered the state subjects of Jammu and Kashmir.
BJP repeats demand for Telangana roadmap
By IANS,
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday repeated its demand for a government roadmap on creating a separate Telangana state and said what was happening in Andhra Pradesh was a matter of "anguish".
"What is happening in Andhra Pradesh is a matter of anguish. The government of India has complicated the issue. The state is in turmoil, students are on strike. More than 130 MLAs seem to have resigned. The assembly was not able to function and was adjourned sine die," BJP MP M. Venkaiah Naidu said while raising the issue during zero hour in the Rajya Sabha.
Mayawati scraps fee subsidy for OBC students
By IANS,
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has been demanding reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the private sector, but her own government has scrapped the 'zero fee scheme' for OBC students in the Lucknow University.
Following the government directive, the university administration Wednesday asked over 4,000 OBC students to deposit their fees for the term they had studied.
Bhardwaj praises Yeddyurappa for ‘hard work’
By IANS,
Bangalore : Karnataka Governor H.R. Bhardwaj Tuesday complimented Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa for his 'hard work', indicating a thaw in the fraught relationship between the two.
Azamgarh remains tense after communal violence
Lucknow : Situation remained tense in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh district after it was hit by communal violence on Sunday night, an official said on...
With farm loan waiver on cards, parties out to grab credit
By Shyam Pandharipande, IANS
Nagpur : Even as the proverbial monsters monsoon and market turned benign for the otherwise harried farmers this season, the sons of the soil are getting to watch with amusement a ludicrous spectacle of competitive politics demanding a farm loan waiver that is clearly on the cards.
Asaram’s bail application rejected
Jodhpur : A court here on Friday rejected the bail application of spiritual guru Asaram in a case relating to sexual assault of a...
Now CPI-M demands Sugato Bose’s removal from Presidency group
Kolkata: The CPI-M Saturday said educationist Sugata Bose, who is contesting the Lok Sabha polls as a Trinamool Congress candidate, should step down from...
TDP to abstain in presidential election
By IANS,
Hyderabad : The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Tuesday night decided to abstain from voting in the presidential election scheduled to be held on Thursday.
In Samajwadi war, Jaya Prada is with Amar Singh
By IANS,
New Delhi : Samajwadi Party Lok Sabha MP Jaya Prada Sunday lashed out at detractors of former party strongman Amar Singh, saying they will be responsible if "anything happened to him".
"If anything happens to him (Amar Singh), those who have targeted him in the party will be responsible," Jaya Prada told mediapersons here, coming out publicly in support of a friend who the Samajwadi Party has now come to view as a liability.
Jaya Prada, Lok Sabha MP from Rampur and a close associate of Amar Singh, however hastened to say she was not quitting the Samajwadi Party.
RJD, JD-U, CPI-M slam government over railway fare hike
New Delhi : The NDA government's decision to hike railway passenger and freight charges drew widespread criticism Friday as many opposition parties said it...
PositiveShift launches cashless campaign in Telangana village
Hyderabad : PositiveShift, a learning consulting organisation that specialises in online learning, skill and talent development, has launched 'Let's go cashless village' campaign in...
Dikshit takes oath as Delhi chief minister
By IANS,
New Delhi : Sheila Dikshit, who defeated anti-incumbency predictions to steer the Congress to a win in the Nov 29 assembly elections, took oath as Delhi chief minister for a third consecutive term Wednesday.
Amidst loud slogans of "Congress Zindabad" and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai", Dikshit beamed with confidence as Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna administered the oath of office and secrecy at his official residence Raj Niwas.
Hundreds of Congress supporters were present at the oath-taking ceremony.
Politics drives Jayalalithaa to free Gandhi case convicts
By M.R. Narayan Swamy, IANS,
An intense desire to sweep the Lok Sabha election in Tamil Nadu has led Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa to free...
Protests during budget session in Jammu and Kashmir
By IANS,
Jammu : The budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir legislature began on a stormy note Monday with the opposition members raising slogans against the government for its failure to deliver.
As soon as Governor N.N. Vohra began to address the joint session of the state legislature, the main opposition members were on their feet, charging the 14-month-old Omar Abdullah government with failure on all fronts.
BJP demands action against Azam’s bus ride
Lucknow : The BJP Wednesday demanded legal action against Uttar Pradesh Urban Development Minister Mohd Azam Khan for driving a bus without having a...
Modi government distorting history by selective leaks: Congress
New Delhi : In the wake of de-classified intelligence documents indicating that then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru ordered intensive surveillance on the family of...
Jung working against AAP goverment, President told
New Delhi : The AAP government on Tuesday complained to President Pranab Mukherjee that Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung was interfering in the working of...
Somnath Chatterjee hospitalised
By IANS
New Delhi : Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee was admitted to a hospital after he ran high fever.
The speaker's office said he went for a routine check up. But sources confirmed that he was not feeling well and was running high temperature.
Chatterjee was admitted Monday afternoon to the Army Research and Referral Hospital here. He was touring in his constituency in West Bengal last weekend and returned to Delhi for the Lok Sabh's seating Monday morning.
42 cases of paid news in Karnataka polls
By IANS,
New Delhi : Forty-two cases of paid news have been confirmed in the 14th Karnataka assembly polls, an official of the Election Commission (EC) said Sunday.
RSS chief raps MNS for fuelling language row
By IANS,
Bangalore: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat Sunday criticised the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for fuelling a language row by insisting on speaking only in Marathi even in the legislature.
"At a time when the country is facing so many problems, it is unfortunate that political parties like the MNS and Shiv Sena are raking up the language issue and insisting on jobs for locals only in a cosmopolitan city like Mumbai," Bhagwat said while addressing about 15,000 swayamsevaks (RSS volunteers) at the sprawling Bangalore Palace grounds here.
Fourth phase of polls begins in Jharkhand
By IANS,
Ranchi: Voting began amid heavy security arrangements in the fourth phase of polls in Jharkhand on Saturday with 14 assembly seats situated in Maoist stronghold areas.
Polling began at 7 a.m. The 14 seats where poll will take place are: Bahragora, Ghatsila, Potka, Ichagarh, Majhgaon, Manoharpur, Torpa, Sisai, Chakradharpur, Gumla, Bishunpur, Simdega, Kolebira and Lohardaga.
Of the 14 assembly seats 12 are reserved for schedule tribe candidates.
The fate of 233 candidates will be decided by 2,462,850 voters.
From Tihar to Bihar – MP Pappu Yadav gives Rs.4 crores for floods
By T.G. Biju, IANS,
New Delhi : Guess which MP delved deepest into his pockets to help Bihar recover from the devastating floods? The unlikely answer is the jailed Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Pappu Yadav who shelled out Rs.40 million (Rs.4 crores) from his parliamentarian fund when others like BJP's L.K. Advani and Congress' Rahul Gandhi gave nothing.
Ghemarbhai Chaudhary: From businessman to union minister (Profile)
New Delhi : A prominent businessman from Gujarat and parliamentarian from Banaskantha, Parthibhai Ghemarbhai Chaudhary is among the 21 new ministers inducted into the...
Thackerays strike again – and tolerant India bends a little more
By Minu Jain, IANS,
It went from being Bombay to Mumbai, from being a vaunted melting pot of cultures to a place where non-Maharashtrians, even its biggest icons, are being forced to reassess their lives and loyalties after decades in a much loved city. With Amitabh Bachchan apologising profusely for wife Jaya's "anti-Marathi" comments, and Delhi born Shah Rukh Khan being targeted because he says he is a "Dilliwala", alarm bells toll again.
Disability rights groups welcome CPI-M manifesto
By IANS,
New Delhi : Disability groups Wednesday hailed the Communist Party of India-Marxist election manifesto, saying the party was the first to recognise and address administrative issues on disability.
"We are pleased to see that there is a separate and distinct mention of differently abled people, under the chapter on 'Peoples, Rights' in the the CPI-M manifesto. We hope other parties especially the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party also focus on the cause of disabled people in their manifesto," said Javed Abidi, convenor of Disability Rights Group.
CPI-M wants speaker to quit, Chatterjee unwilling
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), determined to oust Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government over the India-US nuclear deal, is in a spot, thanks to Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee's refusal to quit his post, party sources say.
Although the CPI-M has hinted amply that Chatterjee should quit the speaker's post after the Left withdrew its legislative support to the Congress-led government, Chatterjee is no mood to give up the post, the sources said.
However, the CPI-M has been maintaining that the decision was left to Chatterjee himself.
Beleaguered Tharoor meets PM
By IANS,
New Delhi : Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor, under pressure to quit over the Kochi IPL row, met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his residence here Sunday.
Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi confirmed the meeting but gave no details.
The meeting, a day after the prime minister returned from Brazil, comes ahead of a Congress leadership meeting scheduled Sunday evening to decide the minister's fate.
The evening meeting will be attended by the prime minister, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and senior ministers.
70 percent Indians are Pakistanis, says sarcastic Kapil Mishra
New Delhi: Seventy percent Indians who had not voted for the BJP are Pakistanis, Delhi Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra on Thursday said in a...
An open letter to the PM: a Muslim prayer cap would have been more...
By John Dayal,,
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, does not take kindly to advice, especially of the unsolicited variety. But let me risk it!
Mr. Prime Minister, you would have done better, achieved a thousand times more; and helped India’s cultural integrity, unity and amity – and therefore its prosperity – by the simple visual action of putting on a Muslim Prayer cap, delicately crocheted in white cotton thread, in front of the global TV news cameras. You need not have gone to a Jama Masjid, or even to a meeting of your favourite Muslim leaders in Gujarat, or a private function at the homes of the three Muslim ministers in the Union government and the Bharatiya Janata party top leadership.
Tamil Nadu governor visits Deshmukh
By IANS,
Chennai : Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah Thursday called on ailing union Science and Technology Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh at Global Hospital here Thursday, said a hospital official.
DK wants Mayawati to see film on Periyar
By IANS
Chennai : The Dravida Kazhagam wants Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati to watch the Tamil film "Periyar".
The film, funded by the DMK government here, depicts the life and times of E.V. Ramasamy Naicker, popularly known as Periyar. He is credited to be the father of the Dravidian movement in Tamil Nadu.
The film has been selected to be among 21 films to be screened at the Goa International Film Festival. They were chosen from 119 entries.
‘Fortunate’ Delhi government doesn’t control police: Bassi
New Delhi : Delhites are "khushnaseeb" (fortunate) that Delhi Police doesn't come under the Delhi government, Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi said on Monday.
"People of...
Kashmir assembly: Dice loaded in favour of Valley
By Vijay Kranti,
Probably the Jammu and Kashmir assembly in India is the only elected house in the world which keeps 24 of its seats vacant in the name of one of its erstwhile regions that is now disputed territory -- what is known as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir or PoK. That is why voters in the state elect only 87 representatives in a house of 111 legislators.
Online ads only after certification: Poll panel
Kolkata : The Election Commission has banned the display of political advertisements on cyberspace without pre-certification, an official said Wednesday.
This has been done to...
Union minister, Hyderabad VC booked over student’s suicide
Hyderabad: Police in Hyderabad on Monday booked union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and three others for abetment of suicide and also for violations of the...
199 candidates for first phase of polls in Madhya Pradesh
By IANS,
Bhopal : A total of 199 candidates will slug it out in the first round of elections to 13 Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh April 23, poll officials said Thursday.
Thirty politicians withdrew their candidature Wednesday, the last date of withdrawal of nominations for the first phase, leaving 199 in the poll fray.
BJP a major factor as Kashmir readies to vote
By Sheikh Qayoom,
Srinagar/Jammu : Jammu and Kashmir will vote starting Tuesday in assembly elections that have for the first time made the BJP a...
PDP’s self-rule agenda is ‘de-facto freedom’: Mufti
By IANS,
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir's main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Tuesday said its demand for self-rule in the state was equivalent to freedom that does not undermine the sovereignty of India and Pakistan in their respective ruled regions of the territory.
"Self-rule is equivalent to de-facto azadi (freedom)... the freedom from siege - from mental, physical, political siege - but without undermining the sovereignty of India and Pakistan," PDP president Mehbooba Mufti told reporters here.
Stage set for Arunachal Pradesh poll
By IANS,
Itanagar : The stage is set for Tuesday's vote to elect a 60-member legislature in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh with the ruling Congress party emerging as the frontrunner.
"Everything is in place for a free and fair poll," an election official said.
Polling personnel have already reached their respective destinations to conduct the elections, he added.
Voting would be for just 57 seats with three candidates already declared elected unopposed.
‘They Wanted to Throw Them in Pond’: Families Speak Out on Violent Attack Against...
Satish Bharatiya, TwoCircles.net
Ratlam: A disturbing video showing three young children being assaulted and made to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ went viral late Thursday night. The...
Karnataka governor walks away even as national anthem plays
Bengaluru : Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala on Tuesday suffered a momentary lapse as he walked away halfway during a function at Raj Bhavan...
Ahmed Patel, Amar Singh tried to bribe us: BJP MP
By IANS,
New Delhi : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Fagan Singh Kulaste Tuesday alleged that Ahmed Patel of the Congress party and Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh were involved in trying to bribe him and two other BJP MPs to abstain from the trust vote in parliament.
"We (Kulaste, Ashok Argal and Mahavir Bhagora) were told that a meeting was to be held at Le Meridien Hotel with Ahmed Patel last night (Monday night).
Bundelkhand ruckus forces Rajya Sabha adjournment
By IANS,
New Delhi : The use of the word "satyanas (ruined)" prompted an adjournment of the Rajya Sabha Thursday morning when a question on what the government was doing for the development of the four "BIMARU" states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh escalated into a full fledged row over the Bundelkhand region.
The opposition seemed to get riled when Satyavrata Chaturvedi of the Congress got up to say that the Bundelkhand region, which straddles Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, was being ignored by both states.
I didn’t recommend beef consumption: BJP MP
New Delhi : BJP MP Udit Raj on Monday clarified that he did not advocate beef consumption when he quoted Usain Bolt's coach as...
Mukherjee promises steps to lift economy
By IANS,
New Delhi : Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee Saturday promised every effort to lift the Indian economy out of the current slowdown and said the regular budget will be presented in due course.
"The Indian economy remains resilient," the veteran Congress leader told reporters at his residence, soon after a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique named him finance minister.
"All economic issues will be addressed. My priority is to put the economy back on track. Various efforts will be made to insulate the Indian economy from the adverse impact of the financial meltdown," he said.
FIR filed against 11 students of Lucknow university for protesting against Yogi Adityanath
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
In a move which shows that the UP government will not tolerate any voice of dissent against the administration, the UP...
मुस्लिम वोटों की हड़बड़ी में उर्दू से खेलते मांझी
अफ़रोज़ आलम साहिल, TwoCircles.net
पटना: दलितों की सियासत करने का दारोमदार लिए जीतनराम मांझी अब मुस्लिम वोटों के भी ठेकेदार बन गए हैं. क्योंकि मांझी...
Soren violated model code while filing nomination, says BJP
By IANS,
Ranchi : Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren Friday violated the model code of conduct while filing the nomination papers for the by-election from the Tamar assembly constituency, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arjun Munda alleged here, adding "We will raise the issue with the Election Commission".
Soren filed the papers at sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) office at Bundu. He was accompanied, among others, by central minister Subodh Kant Sahay and state ministers.
He reached Bundu in a vehicle without number plates.
Islamist terror groups in Bangladesh a threat to India: BJP
By IANS,
Agartala : Bangladesh has become the breeding ground for young recruits of various Islamist terror groups, including the Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami (HuJI), which is considered Al Qaeda's operating arm in South Asia, said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Rajnath Singh here Saturday.
"HuJI has floated a political party, Islamic Democratic Party (IDP) with permission from the caretaker government in Dhaka and consolidating its position in Bangladesh and boasts a membership of over 15,000 activists," Singh told journalists.
Polling brisk in Jammu region, yet to pick up in valley
By IANS,
Srinagar : Voting was brisk in Jammu region, registering between 11 to 15 percent, in the first two hours while in the valley, including Ganderbal, it was yet to pick up, election officials said Sunday.
According to figures released by state election officials, in the first two hours in the valley - Ganderbal saw 5 percent polling, and Kangan 4 percent, while in Jammu region - Rajouri witnessed 11 percent, Naushera 15, Darhal 10 and Kalakot 13 percent.
UP elections: Barelwi group vows to “crush” candidates with Deobandi background
By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
BJP moves EC over Kumar Vishwas’ remark
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Saturday filed a complaint with the Election Commission against Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas for allegedly...
Prepare Lokpal legislation, CPI-M says
By IANS,
New Delhi: The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Monday urged the government to ready a draft of the Lokpal legislation to enable the party to give its views.
More protests in Kerala assembly over solar scam
Thiruvananthapuram : There was more ruckus in the Kerala assembly on Monday over the 'solar scam' with the Left opposition forcing an early adjournment...
Shiv Sena says Left decision belated, vows to back NDA
By IANS,
New Delhi/Mumbai : Terming as "belated" the Left parties' decision to withdraw support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, the Shiv Sena Tuesday reiterated it would remain with the opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the event of a trust vote.
Shiv Sena legislator Sanjay Raut told IANS his party "was, is and will always continue to be with the NDA" - and will act accordingly.
He added that the Left parties could have withdrawn support to the UPA much earlier over such issues as terrorism, farmers' suicides or inflation.
Percept H set to unveil campaign on Bharat Nirman
By IANS
New Delhi : The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's multi-media advertising blitz for its flagship Bharat Nirman programme is expected to be complete next week.
"We will present the campaign to the secretaries in the government on Oct 29 and after that will make a formal announcement and talk to the media," Shailendra Singh, managing director of Percept Pictures, told IANS Wednesday.
Percept H, an arm of Percept Holdings, has been appointed the creative agency, for the information and broadcasting ministry's almost Rs.800 million campaign.
Yoga guru Ramdev accuses Muslims of terrorism, abducting Hindu women
Ramdev claimed that Islam and Christianity were obsessed with conversion while Hinduism taught its followers to do good.
Sana Ejaz | TwoCircles.net
NEW DELHI — In...
Tytler acquittal triggers uproar in parliament
By IANS,
New Delhi : The acquittal of Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case caused an uproar in parliament Thursday, forcing an adjournment of the Rajya Sabha while the Lok Sabha witnessed heated exchanges on the issue.
Akali Dal member Raj Mohinder Singh Majitha raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha midway through the question hour, complaining that the government was lax in prosecuting those responsible for the riots that followed the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards.
He demanded an immediate discussion on the issue.
Bring back iftar party tradition: Bengal Congress chief to PM
Kolkata : Claiming that there was resentment among the minority Muslim community over the central government breaking the age-old tradition of holding iftar parties...
Chandrababu Naidu elected TDLP leader
Hyderabad: Nara Chandrababu Naidu was Wednesday unanimously elected as the leader of Telugu Desam Legislature Party (TDLP) in Andhra Pradesh.
The TDLP, which met Wednesday...
The race for Delhi has begun, but winner is anyone’s guess
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS,
Although marred by Maoist violence, the first phase of the Indian elections can be said to have got off to a reasonably satisfactory start.
In the context of the vastness of the exercise - an electorate of 714 million voting in 180,000 polling stations for 1,715 candidates in five phases for a month - the stray attacks carried out by the Maoist desperadoes are not expected to have much of a demoralising impact outside the affected areas despite the tragic loss of lives.
Timeline of Lalit Narayan Mishra murder case
New Delhi : Timeline of the 1975 murder case of then railway minister Lalit Narayan Mishra:
June 2, 1975: Mishra goes to Samastipur to declare...
BJP hopes Bihar unit chief’s peeve will be sorted out
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said Friday that the issue of the resignation of its Bihar state unit chief C.P. Thakur will be sorted out soon.
5,250 people killed in Haryana accidents
Chandigarh : Over 400 people have been killed on an average every month in road accidents in Haryana over the past 13 months, the...
Congress sweeps Lok Sabha polls in Andhra
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Performing beyond expectations, the Congress party swept the Lok Sabha polls in Andhra Pradesh Saturday, winning 33 out of 42 seats in the state.
The ruling party bagged the majority of seats despite facing a four-party alliance led by main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the newly formed Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) of superstar Chiranjeevi.
Mother Teresa has been like god for me: Cured cancer patient
By Anurag Dey
Kolkata : As the world celebrates the Vatican approving sainthood for Mother Teresa, a 50-year-old woman, whose "miracle" cure from cancer was...
JMM, RJD members back independents in Rajya Sabha battle
By IANS
Ranchi : Legislators from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) have backed the nominations of independents in the March 26 Rajya Sabha elections.
Although the JMM has fielded Kishore Lal, a former Lok Sabha MP, independent Parimal Nathwani filed his nomination with the backing of 11 JMM legislators and one of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
Three-judge bench to hear Karnataka Independents’ case
By IANS,
Bangalore: A three-judge bench of the Karnataka High Court will Tuesday hear the joint writ petition of the five Independent legislators disqualified from the state assembly Oct 11.
Advocate Ashok Aggarwal quits AAP
New Delhi : Advocate Ashok Aggarwal, a member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national executive, Tuesday resigned from the post and the party.
Aggarwal...
Nadda front-runner for BJP president’s post
Shimla/New Delhi : BJP general secretary J.P. Nadda is among the front-runners to become the party president if Rajnath Singh joins the Narendra Modi...
Modi invites Kazakhstan to ‘Make in India’
Astana : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged Kazakhstan to participate in India's "Make in India" initiative, Smart Cities and urban infrastructure programme...
Assam’s Bodoland all set for polls on April 8
Guwahati : The stage is set for Wednesday's elections to Assam's Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), an autonomous administrative unit that looks into development issues...
Is campus violence making a comeback in Bengal?
By Pradipta Tapadar, IANS,
Kolkata : Is West Bengal rewinding to the anarchic days of student politics of the 1970s?
Akali Dal seeks release of Sikh prisoners
Chandigarh : Punjab's ruling Shiromani Akali Dal Wednesday sought the release of Sikh prisoners who the party claimed were languishing in various jails across...
Koda asked to prove majority by Aug 25
By IANS,
Ranchi : Jharkhand Governor Syed Sibte Razi Monday night asked Chief Minister Madhu Koda to prove his majority in the assembly on or before Aug 25.
Earlier, Koda met the governor and said he would prove his majority on the floor of the house.
"I will prove majority on the floor of the house. The assembly session has already been convened," Koda had told reporters.
The monsoon session of the assembly has been convened between Sep 19 and 25.
Koda went alone to meet the governor after holding a marathon cabinet meeting.
Modi stands tall as Gujarat goes to polls
By Rajeev Khanna, IANS
Ahmedabad : Chief Minister Narendra Modi is overshadowing everyone and everything as Gujarat goes to the polls Tuesday in an explosive battle that is bound to impact India's national politics and possibly its secular ethos.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi have plunged into the electoral arena with a single-minded aim: to oust Modi, who has emerged as the country's most vocal champion of Hindutva.
Moily rebuts Jagan claim he’s got nod for rally
By IANS,
New Delhi : Congress MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy Tuesday claimed that the Congress leadership had given the "go ahead" for his controversial rally in Andhra Pradesh in memory of his father, the late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. But hours later, Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily denied any such permission was given.
The Kadapa MP, known as Jagan, defied the party diktat and went ahead with his rally in the volatile Telangana region last week, triggering violence that necessitated his being taken into protective custody May 28.
PM briefs president on budget session
By IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday called on President Pratibha Patil to brief her on the just concluded budget session of parliament.
"They discussed the budget session and various issues of national and international importance. The president also briefed the prime minister about her recent visit to Brazil, Mexico and Chile," said a communique from the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
A source said the meeting lasted about 45 minutes.
Stop abusing, Mahasweta Devi tells Bengal politicians
By IANS,
Kolkata: Magsaysay award-winning writer Mahasweta Devi Sunday urged political leaders in West Bengal to desist from using expletives about rivals.
SC stays cancellation of Maran’s anticipatory bail
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the Madras High Court order cancelling former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran's anticipatory bail in an alleged...
Left yet to take a call on presidential polls: Biman Bose
By IANS,
Kolkata : The Left parties would take a decision on the presidential candidate after the "national picture" became clearer, West Bengal Left Front chief Biman Bose said here Thursday.
Legislators take off their shirts in UP assembly
By IANS,
Lucknow : The Uttar Pradesh assembly Wednesday witnessed uproarious scenes as legislators raised slogans and two of them took off their shirts, forcing...
मुस्लिम परिवार के खिलाफ ग़लत ख़बर लिखने वाला पत्रकार ग़िरफ्तार
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
नई दिल्ली: राजस्थान की दौसा पुलिस के मुताबिक़ पाकिस्तानी झंडे को लेकर ग़लत ख़बर प्रकाशित करने के आरोप में दैनिक भास्कर...
Janardhana Poojary defeated in Dakshina Kannada
By IANS,
Bangalore : Congress veteran B. Janardhana Poojary, a former central minister, Saturday lost to the Bharatiya Janata Party's Nalin Kumar Kateel by 40,420 votes in the Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency of Karnataka.
TDP’s no-confidence motion defeated by voice vote
By IANS
Hyderabad : A no-confidence motion against Andhra Pradesh's Congress government by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was defeated by voice vote in the assembly Thursday after an acrimonious debate that lasted several hours.
Since the TDP has only 45 members in 294-member house and the Congress enjoys overwhelming majority with 183 legislators, the fate of the motion was a foregone conclusion.
Activists demand parliamentary approval for disabled rights bill
By IANS,
New Delhi : The members of the disabled community staged a protest outside the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party offices here Thursday,...
Former Bengal finance minister slams Jaitley
Kolkata : Former West Bengal finance minister and Asim Dasgupta Tuesday slammed union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for singling the state's loan repayment performance.
Quoting...
Stakes high for Lalu-Paswan alliance in round two
By IANS,
Patna : It's a high stakes battle for power in round two of Bihar's parliamentary polls Thursday with not just several heavyweights in the fray but also the powerful Lalu Prasad-Ram Vilas Paswan combine testing its alliance against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who is backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Congress has been left to fight it alone in the state, where elections will be spread over four phases.
In round two, 13 of the 40 constituencies are going to the polls, with an electorate of 16.9 million deciding the fate of 189 candidates, including nine women.
Congress trumps BJP in Maharashtra civic polls
Mumbai : Maharashtra's opposition Congress bagged the presidentship of eight municipal councils of the total 18 civic bodies as results were announced here on...
Indian Marxists at a dead end
By Amulya Ganguli,
Half a century after the formation of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), the curtains are descending on what the comrades once saw as the beginning of a Leftist transformation of India.
Advani flags off Chhattisgarh CM’s 6,100 km long `Vikas Yatra’
By IANS,
Dantewada (Chhattisgarh) : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Monday flagged off the 6,100-km long "Vikas Yatra" of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh.
From ‘Outsiders’ to ‘Infiltrators’: BJP Stokes Divisive Fires in Jharkhand Ahead of Elections
Shahnaz M, TwoCircles.net
Ranchi (Jharkhand): Ahead of the Jharkhand Assembly elections, which are scheduled to be held on November 13 and 20, the Bharatiya Janata...
Left Front lawmakers walk out of Bengal assembly
By IANS,
Kolkata : Left Front legislators staged a walk out from the West Bengal assembly here Wednesday protesting against the speaker's refusal to allow...
Brisk voting in Delhi
New Delhi : Brisk voting took place Thursday across Delhi's seven Lok Sabha constituencies, all of which were won by the Congress in 2009.
Queues...
Manmohan Singh is the cleanest, nicest politician: Chandy
Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy Wednesday called beleaguered Prime Minister Manmohan Singh one of the "cleanest and nicest politicians" in India.
He also...
Sohrabuddin case: Amit Shah gets relief from SC
New Delhi : In a breather for Amit Shah, the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea by social activist and former bureaucrat...
AAP leader extends support to JNU students
New Delhi : Aam Aadmi Party leader and tribal activist Soni Sori on Monday visited Jawaharlal Nehru University here to express solidarity with the...
Forward Bloc unhappy with West Bengal coalition partners
By IANS
Agartala : The All India Forward Bloc, a partner of the ruling Left Front in West Bengal, Monday accused the other Left parties of establishing a bureaucratic regime in the state.
"Left parties' deviation from the real issues led to the Nandigram and Singur episodes," said Debabrata Biswas, all-India general secretary of the Forward Bloc.
‘We Built This City; We Were Treated Like Strangers’: How Delhi’s Working Poor Were...
Mohsina Malik, TwoCircles.net
New Delhi: On the early morning of June 1, 2025, the peaceful rhythm of South Delhi’s Jangpura was shattered by the thunderous...
CPI-M for all-party meeting on Bhopal
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Tuesday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to call an all-party meeting to review a ministerial panel's recommendations on the Bhopal gas leak before finalising the compensation to the victims of the 1984 tragedy.
CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat appreciated Manmohan Singh's "intention to take a speedy decision on the payment of enhanced compensation, medical treatment and the clean up measures to be taken at the site of the (abandoned Union Carbide) plant in Bhopal".
Israel to help ‘reduce’ farmer suicides: Maharashtra CM
Mumbai : Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said senior Israeli leader Shimon Peres has agreed to mobilise the country's technology to help...
Chamling set for record fourth term in Sikkim
By IANS,
Gangtok : Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling was set to return to power for a fourth time with his Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) leading as the counting of votes cast for the assembly and Lok Sabha polls was underway Saturday.
Counting began at 8 a.m. for 12 assembly constituencies in the Sikkim East district, three constituencies in North Sikkim, nine constituencies in Sikkim West and nine constituencies in Sikkim South.
Mamata Banerjee – West Bengal’s stormy petrel returns to cabinet
By IANS,
Kolkata : For years the face of the opposition in communist-ruled West Bengal and now the architect of the Left debacle in the state, the feisty Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee makes a comeback to the union cabinet after five years.
A gutsy agitationist and leader with mass appeal known for her humble lifestyle, the 54-year-old 'didi' of Kalighat in south Kolkata, becomes union minister for the fourth time.
BJP caught in the hands of one man: Sonia
Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu) : Congress president Sonia Gandhi Wednesday said the BJP was caught up in the hands of a single individual and the...
Festivals come handy to Jharkhand politicians
By IANS,
Ranchi : The festivals of Eid and Dussehra have provided politicians in Jharkhand handy platforms to promote themselves at a time when elections to the state assembly are expected soon.
Hundreds of banners and cutouts of politicians wishing people on the two festivals that followed each other this year were seen all across state capital Ranchi and other places, while politicians cutting across party lines reached out to people at Durga Puja pandals (Marquees) and Iftar parties.
Madhya Pradesh poll official canvassing for son: Congress
By IANS,
Bhopal : The Congress party in Madhya Pradesh Saturday charged the state's Chief Electoral Officer P.P. Tiwari with misusing government resources for his son contesting the assembly elections and demanded his removal from the post.
"Tiwari was using the government phones to canvass support for his son Sarvendu Tiwari, who is contesting the assembly election from Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP) in Sidhi district's Churhat constituency," Congress spokesperson J.P. Dhanopia told IANS.
CBI charge sheet in Mallya case will name ex-Minister: BJP lawmaker
By IANS:
New Delhi, July 19:BJP's Nishikant Dubey on Thursday said in the Lok Sabha that the CBI will file a charge sheet against Vijay...
J&K BJP calls Governor Malik ‘hamara banda’
Jammu, Aug 30 (IANS) Ravinder Raina, RSS pracharak and President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jammu and Kashmir, has described the state's...