Home   Contact Us                                                                         Dateline New Delhi, Friday, July 22, 2005

 

 


Main Page                                                       Archive

 

Lalu Yadav narrowly escapes bomb attack

    Patna: Three powerful bombs exploded just a few metres away from the civil court campus in Patna on Friday, just minutes before Railways Minister and president of the opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Lalu Prasad was to appear in connection with disproportionate assets case. Unidentified men hurled the bombs near the Kukujharia Commercial Complex, shattering window panes and glasses of shops nearby. Police said that the perpetrators of the attack had managed to escape from the area. They also confirmed that two persons had been injured, one of them critically. The injured are being treated at the Patna Medical College and Hospital. Soon after the blasts, the area was cordoned off and a massive search has been launched for the bombers. According to the police and intelligence officials, the blasts took place just 30-minutes before Yadav was to pass through the road for appearance in the court of designated CBI judge in the Disproportionate Assets (DA) case against Prasad and his wife Rabri Devi.

Is Narendra Modi about to bar love marriages? (Go To Top)
by Viren Vyas

     Ahmedabad: Is Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, largely seen as a conservative right-wing leader of the hardline sort, about to bar love marriages in his state? It certainly seems so, as the state administration has reportedly instructed the courts not to register any marriages that don't have parental consent in writing. Though no one is willing to come officially on record on this strange order, the reason being touted around for its introduction is that it seeks to discourage fake marriages from taking place in the state. Official sources in the know said that H.B.Varia, the Inspector General of Registration of Marriages, Gujarat, issued the government order on June 27 to all state-run marriage bureaus in the state, in which it was declared that court marriages would have to have the mandatory written permission of parents for consent. Talking to ANI, Varia said: "This order has been issued to improve social mores. It is also being done to stop fake marriages in the state." His deputy, A.A.Gameti, however, was more direct on the issue. He was quoted by a major daily as saying that in Gujarat, 15 to 20 percent of the registered marriages were cases of elopement, and "we wanted to stop this." "Since this GR (Government Resolution) was issued (on June 27) many parents have written to us and thanked us," Gameti was quoted by the paper, as saying. Gujarat's law and health ministers Ashok Bhatt and I.K.Jadeja have washed their hands of the issue by saying that the state revenue department could have something to do with it. Varia, however, told ANI on Friday that in view of the mixed response to the order, his office may consider amending the JUne 27 order, making it voluntary rather than mandatory.

Expelled Sena leader Narayan Rane to join Congress (Go To Top)

   New Delhi: Expelled Shiv Sena leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Narayn Rane has reportedly agreed to join the Congress party. Rane who met top Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders in New Delhi today, has announced a preference for joining hands with Sonia Gandhi. Informed party sources said that a formal announcement about Rane's joining would be made in a day or two. Talking to reporters in Mumbai on Thursday, Rane said that his visit to the Indian capital was aimed at exploring all possibilities for a political link up with either the Congress or the NCP, depending which of the two suited his interests. He made it clear that he had no intention to launch a separate political outfit. Both the Congress and the NCP had earlier said that they would welcome Rane to their ranks. NCP chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar told the media that Rane was in touch with him for the last few months. Asked whether Rane would join NCP Pawar said, "I do not know. You must ask this question to him". But he clarified that his party welcomed Rane's decision to stay away from communal forces and strengthen secular forces. Describing Rane as a seasoned politician, Pawar hoped that he would take a political decision on his future course of action soon. On the other hand , Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has suggested Narayan Rane would be a gainer if he joins the Congress as Congress is a national party that takes every one along. "I, as also MPCC Chief Prabha Rau, has appealed to Rane to join the Congress which is a national party which takes everyone along", Deshmukh told reporters a week ago. He dismissed the a view that the former Chief Minister has been "isolated" because of parting of ways with the Shiv Sena. Rane was expelled from Shiv Sena following his standoff with Supremo Bal Thakre and stepped down from the leader of opposition in the assembly on July 12. In an emotional speech in the lower house, Rane hoped that no politician would experience the misfortune that had befallen on him. Rane, who joined Shiv Sena 39 years ago when he was just14, said he had been expelled from the party without any reason.

Dance bar ban comes into effect in Maharashtra (Go To Top)

    Mumbai: A controversial bill banning dance bars across Maharashtra was passed by the State Assembly on Thursday evening, subject to government assurances that displaced dance girls would be given employment or loans to set up fresh businesses. Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil, who was instrumental in introducing the bill four months ago, created a flutter in the House on Thursday when he said that some of the dance bars had politicians as their owners, and therefore, there was an urgent need to curb the influence these bars were having on the socio- political spectrum of the state. The passage of the bill on Thursday now means that any one running such bars could face a maximum of three years' imprisonment and a penalty of Rs. 200,000 for violating the ban. Patil, who is also Maharashtra's Home Minister, told the House that bar owners will be made party to the offence instead of just holding bar managers responsible. According to Patil, the number of bar girls in the 307 official dance bars in Mumbai could not be more than 7500 and not 75,000 as claimed by some organisations. Patil's announcement of the ban on dance bars had triggered a fierce debate about the desirability of the ban and the state government's ordinance on the ban was returned last month by Governor S.M.Krishna who said there was no urgency in the legal measure as the government can get a bill passed in the assembly session which was round the corner.

Britain to keep India in 'red-flag' nuke list (Go To Top)

    London: Britain today has said that its restrictions ontransfer of nuke technology to India would continue till it signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Britain will consider India to be in the 'red-flag' list, though US has recently inked an agreement with India under which US has agreed to supply technology and fuel to Indian civil nuclear facilities. "The UK policy on the issue remains till India signs the NPT. We want all nuclear countries to adhere to the Treaty," said UK official spokesman. Britain and its universities will consider India in the eleven-year-old 'red-flag' list of countries which British government regards as proliferates or potential proliferates of WMD. In the 'red-flag' list other countries are Pakistan, Syria, Egypt, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Libya and Israel. Britain under this list scrutinise all the scientists applying to British universities to do post-graduate or post-doctoral work in Chemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology. During last four years, 2,000 such application were scrutinised, out of which 238 applications were rejected, the Foreign and Commonwealth office said. This list is maintained by UK's counter-proliferation department to prevent foreign scientists of suspect countries from taking courses which would help them acquire the knowledge necessary to assist with the production or manufacture (proliferation) of WMD within their home country and which might one day threaten the UK's security. Under the joint statement issued by India and the US on Monday, New Delhi has agreed to fully separate its civil and military nuclear facilities and to place all the civil nuclear facilities under full IAEA safeguards.

Portugal clears Abu Salem's extradition to India (Go To Top)

    Lisbon: A Portuguese court has cleared the decks for the extradition of Abu Salem, one of India's most wanted criminals. The decision was taken earlier this week by the concerned court after Salem had challenged the deportation order passed by the Supreme Court of Portugal. Salem is suspected of being involved in a wave of serial bomb attacks in Mumbai that claimed the lives of 260 people and maimed thousands. Salem has been under detention in Lisbon after his arrest in 2002 along with his starlet wife Monica Bedi. In 2003, a Portuguese court sentenced him to four-and-a-half years in prison, Portugal's Lusa news agency reported. Court officials could not be immediately reached for comment. Police in India believe Salem played an instrumental role along with Dawood Ibrahim in planning and financing the 1993 bombings in Mumbai, which were linked to the demolition of the Babri Mosque in 1992.

     Salem, who from the Sarai Mir village in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh district, was a driver in Delhi before taking up criminal activity in Mumbai. Apart from being wanted for the 1993 Mumbai blast case, he is also wanted in connection with the killings of T-Series owner Gulshan Kumar, actress Manish Koirala's secretary Ajit Dewan, builder Omprakash Kukreja and over 50 other criminal cases. His gangsters have also tried to attack leading film personalities Rajeev Rai, Rakesh Roshan and Manmohan Shetty. In the past, he has been arrested in India once in the early 1990s from his travel agency in Santa Cruz in northwest Mumbai. He was, however, released after spending two-days in jail. Though he has repeatedly changed his looks, the Indian authorities have had his fingerprints to identify him. In the early nineties Salem used to extort money from shopkeepers by using Akthar and Topi's names. Later he started settling land disputes on his cousin's behalf. He is said to be an extremely conservative Muslim. Salem cam in touch with Dawood Ibrahim after opening his travel agency in Santa Cruz. Salem was extremely flashy and had an impressive personality. He could scare a lot of people with the way he spoke. The gang needed someone just like him. Dawood thought Salem was fit to make threatening calls to people. Salem started organising stage shows in Dubai, where he invited all big actors to impress his boss, and he was given a free hand to extort money from Bollywood. He allegedly conspired to kill Gulshan Kumar on August 12, 1997. Dawood was said to be unaware of the operation, and became angry with Salem. Salem fled Dubai, suspecting that Dawood wanted to kill him.

'India now part of non-proliferation establishment' (Go To Top)

    Washington: Pakistan High Commissioner in Washington Jehangir Karamat has said that after Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmhan's US visit, India has effectively become a part of the "non-proliferation establishment". "Manmohan Singh's just-completed visit to Washington marks a new departure in the relations between the US and India - a relationship that has undergone major transformation in a decade. Two items deserve particular comment. First: the nuclear bargain. President Bush undertook to work with the Congress to make full civilian nuclear cooperation with India possible. This included making the necessary changes in US domestic law, and to work with other countries to make corresponding adjustments in international regimes," the Daily Times quoted Karamat as saying while commenting on Singh's Washington visit. He added: "This is a significant change in 25 years of US non- proliferation policy. In return India has undertaken to conform its nuclear facilities to a variety of international norms, most importantly separating its civilian from its military facilities and putting the civilian ones under international safeguards. This is likewise a significant change in India's long-standing policy, and one that puts India inside the "non-proliferation establishment."

References: Lalu Yadav bomb attack, Narendra Modi bar love marriage, Shiv Sena Narayan Rane Congress, dance bar Maharashtra, Britain India nuke list, Abu Salem extradition Portugal, India non-proliferation, Garner Affleck, Colin Farrell, Ursula andress beach beauty, Chris Martin vegetarian, Jemima Khan Hugh Grant, Rowling kids writer, Daryl Hannah quit movies, free sex vouchers magazine, David Beckham hairstyle, India, India News, Newspaper, Indian, News, Travel News, India Travel Times, Travel,Tourism, Tour, Tourist, India, Times, News, Hotels, Airlines, Ayurveda, Yoga, Hindu, Taj Mahal, Cuisine, Festival, Temple, Trekking, Hindu, Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Odissi, Dance, Shimla,Varanasi, Kullu, Manali, Dehra Dun, Mussourie, Mussoorie, Haridwar, Hardwar, Rishikesh, Nainital, Delhi, Goa, Kovalam, Darjeeling, Bodh Gaya, Kancheepuram, Kanchipuram, Thekkady, Badrinath, Amar Nath,Vaishno Devi, Tirupati, Sabarimala, Guruvayoor, Kanyakumari, Kodaikanal, Ooty, Chennai,

     Previous File                 Go To Top
Home    Contact Us
NOTE:  Free contributions of articles and reports may be sent to editor@indiatraveltimes.com
DISCLAIMER
All Rights Reserved ©indiatraveltimes.com