Cong for food security and young corps
New Delhi, March 24
Releasing its manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress today promised, among other things, a law ensuring 25 kg of rice or wheat per month to the poor at Rs 3 per kg.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh release party manifesto at AICC headquarters in New Delhi on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Mukesh Aggarwal

Claimants no match to Manmohan
New Delhi, March 24
There may be several claimants to the post but no one can match Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, declared Congress president Sonia Gandhi in what is seen as a clear signal to both political opponents and those in the Congress who could be nursing Prime Ministerial ambitions.

PM’s upper cut to ‘weak’ jab
New Delhi, March 24
An aggressive Manmohan Singh today made it known to his rivals that his recent heart bypass surgery had not diminished his energy or appetite for a good joust with his political opponents.

Jail for ex-Guv, 4 others for fraud
Chandigarh, March 24
Two nonagenarian directors of a private firm, Vivani Denim & Apparels — 90-year-old former Lieutenant Governor of Mizoram SK Chibber and 96-year-old retired IAS officer SC Chabbra — and three others were today sentenced for one and half years’ imprisonment in a decade-old cheque bounce case.

IPL-II goes to South Africa
Johannesburg, March 24
Ending three weeks of suspense and uncertainty, the IPL today chose South Africa for hosting the second edition of the highly popular Twenty20 cricket tournament that will start from April 18.

DCs to vet all election-related cable programmes
Chandigarh, March 24
The office of the Punjab Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) today directed Deputy Commissioners in the state to vet all election-related programmes proposed to be aired by cable television operators. The CEO has directed the DCs, who are also functioning as district electoral officers (DEOs), to vet all pre-recorded election-related matter.

Sreedharan, Punjab & Haryana CJ on 
Shrine Board
Jammu: Governor NN Vohra has reconstituted the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board for three years with immediate effect. In his capacity as Chairman of the board, the Governor has nominated E. Sreedharan, MD, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation; Pt. Shivkumar Sharma, a renowned santoor maestro; Sudha Murty, chairperson, Infosys Foundation, Bangalore; Dr Sudhir S Bloeria, a former Chief Secretary of J&K and Adviser to the Governor; and Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur of the Punjab and Haryana High Court as its members. — TNS

4 held for Soumya, Jigisha’s murders
New Delhi, March 24
In a major breakthrough, the Delhi Police today claimed to have solved the murder mystery behind the death of TV journalist Soumya Vishwanathan (25) who was shot dead on September 30 last year in South Delhi. According to the police, the investigation into IT executive Jigisha Ghosh (28) murder, who was found dead on Friday night in Surajkund, had led to Soumya’s murder trail as the same gang was involved in both the murders.

Family satisfied with probe

Varun in Web war Chandigarh, March 24 Varun Gandhi is either the saviour of the Hindus or a venom-spewing hate monger, depending upon the blogs you read on the Internet. Active writers on the Internet, or the literati of the blogosphere as they like to be called, are pulling no punches in defending or attacking this outspoken member of the BJP.