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Uneasy calm in Ayodhya
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Residents pray for peace Despite restrictions, SMS traffic on
Lotus will bloom in Delhi in 2014, says Gadkari
Nuclear Liability Act
AFT says battle casualties handled heartlessly
Mistaken Identity
SC: NSA can’t be misused citing special situations
HC admits Kasab’s appeal, says no to meeting lawyers
Fresh trouble for Ramu
AN Tiwari to be new Chief Information Commissioner
Maoists gun down CPM worker
Sarika - the only woman officer at Nathu La
Sanjoy Ghose awards announced
Video shows M’rashtra minister with Dawood aide
Navy to get its second floating dock
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Uneasy calm in Ayodhya
In the predominantly Hindu market of Hanuman Garhi, the lone shop of a Muslim tailor beckons you. “This is where Babu Khan, the tailor of Ram Lalla, sits,” shouts a policeman standing guard about 20 yards from the spot as one makes enquiries about the shop’s owner. The shop is marked “hyper-sensitive” ahead of tomorrow’s verdict in the over 60-year-old Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute.
Inside, Babu Khan is reliving the horror of 1992, when 16 Muslims — two of his relatives — were burnt alive in the riots that followed the Babri Masjid demolition. “Some 275 Muslim households were razed. I too escaped after my shop was gutted. But I could not stay away from Ayodhya for too long. The Lord wanted me back, so did my Hindu friends,” says Khan, the tailor of Lord Rama. For 13 years, he has been stitching the clothes of Ram Lalla installed at the makeshift temple at the disputed site. The temple places bulk orders with him during Ram Navami and Sawan Jhula, when the Lord’s clothes are to be changed every day. Besides, Khan is the family tailor of all eminent ‘sadhus’ of Ayodhya, including the radical Suresh Das, the mahant of Digambar Akhara, one of the pro-temple petitioners in tomorrow’s case. Khan says he fears nothing, not even the outcome of the verdict. “Lord Rama belongs to all. I am proud to serve Him. I fear no one. I know my Hindu friends will stand by me as always. Whoever the verdict favours, I will welcome it.” Favouring reconciliation in the matter, Khan recently braved threats from VHP hardliner Ram Vilas Vedanti, who urged the Ayodhya administration to ban the Muslim from sewing Lord Rama’s clothes. But revered Hindu saints from the town — Satyendra Das, head priest at the makeshift Ram temple and Mahant Gyas Das, a major force in Hanuman Garhi temple — backed Khan at the cost of antagonising their own people. “We are all serving one God,” they said. At one point, local sadhus even dragged the Mahant to court for “corrupting the temple by inviting Khan for Roja Raftar and offering namaz there”. All that’s passé now and the radicals have resigned to the power of bonding, which played out again today as Khan spent a quiet evening with moderate sadhus at the Hanuman Garhi temple. On the other hand, VHP men caused flutters around by holding informal gatherings across Ayodhya. Vedanti was here and even prayed at the makeshift Ram temple. Local BJP MLA Lallu Singh, facing the charges of demolition of Babri Masjid, was spotted by The Tribune at Digambar Akhara. Asked what the gathering was about, Mahant Suresh Das of the Akhara said, “We are gearing up for tomorrow. We will restart the temple movement if the verdict doesn’t favour us. Ram temple will come up.” VHP murmurings apart, the majority of Ayodhya residents remained uncertain but calm on Wednesday, saying nothing untoward could happen. All entry points to the town have been sealed, with RAF positioned at sensitive locations. Ten CRPF companies and 50,000 security personnel are guarding the town.
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Residents pray for peace
We were lucky to have found refuge in the house of our Hindu neighbours. But the old man… he died a horrible death,” recalls Ali, one of the victims of communal riots that hit Ayodhya post-Babri Masjid demolition in 1992. And yet, he is unflustered by the things to come. Composed on the eve of the verdict in the decades-old Ram Janmabhoomi-Babrri Masjid dispute, Ali says he was urged by his family members in Lucknow to leave Ayodhya for some days. “But, I didn’t want to go. I feel safe here,” he says, hoping Thursday’s verdict would lay the foundation of a settlement between the two communities. Ali’s brother Sultan Azhari was, however, not as brave. He left Ayodhya on September 16. “Sultan had seen our grandfather being torched. He just can’t get over the haunting memory. He left with his family but we stayed on,” says the father of two, whose house is located just 100 yards from where his grandfather was burnt alive. But the situation, Ali insists, has changed. “We now have a genuine presence of security personnel. No outsider has entered the city so far,” he adds, a contingent of home guards positioned outside his house, one of the only two Muslim houses in the locality. As you survey the city, you find a heavy security blanket all around. Forces have been deployed near the house, especially in places that saw killings in 1992. Ali’s house is one among the heavily guarded minority residences across Ayodhya. Not that the majority is feeling any less safe on the eve of what people describe as a “potentially explosive day”. In the Nyay Ghat market, where Hindu shopkeepers abound, 55-year-old Shakuntala Gupta repeats the Ali story. She lost her husband in police firing meant to prevent karsewaks from building a temple at the mosque site. Her tragedy is older than 1992. “My husband was killed on October 30, 1990, when then CM Mulayam Singh Yadav ordered the police to fire at karsewaks who defied curfew. But his death is no reason for my fear. I am safe at home though restive at what might happen,” she tells The Tribune. Ask her if she would sacrifice her only son for the Ram Temple movement and she retorts, “I won’t sacrifice him, but I would like to see a temple there. The court’s order is final.” With tears in her eyes, Shakuntala admits the Ram movement has lost its zing. Politicians have deserted the Lord, she says looking at the picture of her slain husband hanging in a dilapidated shop she now runs for her living.
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Despite restrictions, SMS traffic on New Delhi, September 29 There is one that calls upon Hindu believers, saying, “Bhavya Ram Mandir ke nirman ke liye apne nikat ke mandir pahunchiye (Reach your nearest temple to press for a magnificent Ram Temple). Sources point out that while this SMS looks pretty innocuous, some others are quite provocative. But while the government has been unable to entirely block such SMSes, there are peaceniks also doing their bit to promote communal harmony. For instance one of their SMS reads, “Who v are? Hindu or Muslim? Wen there’s Ali in Diwali and Ram in Ramzan. Help India being United” and says further “Spread dis SmS as far as u can.” Another one says, “Chehre nahin, insaan padhe jaate hain, mazhab nahin, imaan padhe jaate hain, bharat hi aisa desh hai jahan ek saath geeta aur quran padhe jate hain.” A third one says, “Pyar karne ke liye to yeh zindagi itni choti pad jati hai, pata nahin log nafrat ke liye kaise waqt nikalte lete hain.” The last one appeals to the religiously inclined: “Bhakti ka arth hai, sathya ko budhi se nahin, hirday se paya ja sakta hai, vichar se nahin, bhav se paya ja sakta hai, chintan se nahin, prem se paya ja sakta hai.” Curiously, while most journalists seem to be receiving SMSes from both sides, the BJP today feigned complete ignorance about it. BJP spokesman Syed Shahnawaz Husain said, “I don’t know anything. I have not received a single SMS.” Meanwhile, sources said RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has asked all swayamsevaks to maintain peace and not react to the judgment till the Sangh line is officially announced, which Bhagwat proposes to do here tomorrow soon after the Allahabad High Court judgment.
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Lotus will bloom in Delhi in 2014, says Gadkari
The poor would get free supply of foodgrains and Bangladeshi infiltrators would be sent once the BJP was elected to power, Gadkari said with an eye on 2011 Assembly elections in Assam that the saffron party is all set to fight alone after its ties with the regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) have been snapped. “The BJP does not practice vote-bank politics. Instead ours is politics of development. The BJP-led NDA is coming back to power at the Centre in 2014, and the top priorities then will be free ration to the poor and keeping prices under control,” Gadkari said. “India has become a rich nation with poor population. Lakhs of farmers are committing suicide, prices have sky-rocketed, unemployment is all-time high, influx of Bangladeshis is still on and the law and order is going from bad to worse. And the Congress’ wrong policy is responsible for all these,” he said. Hitting out at the UPA government Gadkari said the Congress-led government had refused to even abide by the Supreme Court that had asked it to distribute the foodgrains stock among the needy instead of letting them rot. Gadkari also hoped that Assam would elect a BJP-led government in the state next year even as he lambasted the Congress-led government in Assam calling it corrupt and pledged to root out corruption and punish the corrupt once the BJP came to power.
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Nuclear Liability Act New Delhi, September 29 Hinting at such a possibility, highly placed UPA sources disclosed that the rules that are being framed would address issues like defining the role of a supplier and the process of apportioning blame in case of an accident and quantification of the liability of a supplier. It was stated that the Centre would be sending the rules for a thorough vetting by leading law firms before they are notified after which the Nuclear Liability Act will become operational. While the liability issue figured in External Affairs Minister SM Krishna’s meeting with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in New York, the CEO of GE, one of the main US suppliers of nuclear technology, met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the Capital two days ago to convey the industry’s concerns over the provision putting liability on the supplier in case of an accident. Nuclear industry representatives feel such a clause would hamper them from conducting business in India. US-based firms GE and Westinghouse, which are keen to sell nuclear reactors and other equipment to India, are also nervous that they could lose out to its competitors in France and Russia. The UPA sources said the government had also been told that by “pushing the envelope”, India has created problems for the 28 countries that have laws on nuclear liability but do not contain such stringent provisions for the suppliers. “These governments are being pressurised by civil society groups to emulate the Indian example,” remarked a senior UPA minister, adding that this had set alarm bells ringing across the globe. The US has made it clear that it is unhappy with the nuclear liability legislation approved recently by Parliament.
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AFT says battle casualties handled heartlessly
Chandigarh, September 29 The tribunal’s bench comprising Justice A.K. Mathur and Lt Gen M.L. Naidu has also directed the authorities concerned to release immediately liberalised family pension to the wife Geeta Devi along with the interest at the rate of 12 per cent from the date her husband went missing. Geeta’s husband Yatender Singh had joined the Army in January 1999 and was deployed in Operation Rakshak / Operation Prakaram in J&K during 2003-04. In February 2004, he lost both his eyes, both hands and suffered gross injury to the right knee due to a mine detonation. On July 24, 2006, he was being taken in a bus to Army Hospital, Delhi, by his friend. Due to some urgent work, his friend left him with the bus crew to be dropped in front of the hospital. As per the Army authorities, Yatender did not reach the hospital. An FIR was also lodged with the police. Thereafter, he was declared missing and ordinary family pension was released to Geeta, but no benefits pertaining to battle casualty were given. The bench observed that the respondents had admitted Yatender was placed in low medical category but claimed that he was not on bonafide military duty at the time he went missing. “This is very unfortunate the way this widow has been dealt with by the respondents. It speaks volume for heartlessness and insensitivity. A person who has virtually become a living dead body, when he lost both the eyes, both the hands and received right knee injury and he was just surviving,” the bench said. “As per rules, he should have been given a facility of an attendant to take him to the hospital but whole entreaties fell on deaf ears of an insensitive establishment. It was a very hard case in which the authorities should have provided an attendant who could have taken him from his house to the hospital but instead of this they left him dying and missing and dealt with the wife of the deceased by doling out an ordinary family pension,” the bench further observed. Meanwhile, taking a serious view over non-compliance of its orders by the Territorial Army (TA), the AFT has summoned the force’s chief before it for an explanation. The tribunal’s bench comprising Justice Ghanshyam Prashad and Lt Gen N.S. Brar has directed that Maj Gen A D S Grewal, Additional Director General, TA, appear before it on October 8, two days before he retires from service. In February, the Tribunal had ordered reinstatement of a TA jawan, Pawan Kumar, who had been dismissed from service in 2007 on account of being placed in low medical category.
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Mistaken Identity Chicago Trouble
New Delhi, September 29 The Civil Aviation Minister, who was on an official trip to attend the International Air Transport Association (IATA) annual general meeting at Montreal in Canada, was quizzed as his name and profile matched with the person the US authorities were looking for. Patel, who was travelling on a regular passport instead of the diplomatic one used by ministers, did tell the US authorities that he was a minister in the Indian Government. The matter was only resolved after Indian Embassy officials intervened. Downplaying the matter, Patel yesterday said nothing serious happened. In a statement he said: “I'm in Montreal and nothing serious happened so please don't sensationalise. There is a person with a similar name and birth date, that's why they just double checked” However, this is not the first time that a prominent Indian has been subjected to such a treatment by an overcautious US security.In a clear violation of protocol, former President APJ Abdul Kalam, who is exempt from security checks, was treated like an ordinary passenger and frisked by the ground staff of American airliner Continental Airlines at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) last year. This is also not the first time that an Indian Minister has landed in an embarrassing situation in the US. George Fernandes was in fact strip-searched at a US airport when he was Defence Minister. Patel just joins a growing list of Indians, which includes Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan and Malayalam superstar Mammootty, to have landed in peculiar situations at US airports due to escalated security post 9/11 attacks. Shah Rukh Khan was detained and questioned for two hours at
the Newark Airport because of similar mix up over his name. His name was also part of a common checklist that had been prepared ever since the 9/11 attacks.
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Rain Fury
Nainital, September 29 The woes of residents can be gauged from the fact they are even finding difficult to cremate their near and dear ones as route to the cremation grounds is sinking in many places and there’s no dry wood to light the pyre. The path to the cremation ground in the Pines area of Nainital has caved in due to massive rains. Even as the repair works are on, carrying a body down to the place where the pyre is lit has become an ardous task. Add to the miseries of the hapless residents is the non-availability of dry wood. The wood available at the cremation ground is damp and soggy. Left with no other option, people are procuring kerosene and old rubber tyres to cremate their dead. “Such a thing in normal circumstances is unimaginable. But we have to do it,” said Dewan Bisht, a local resident. This correspondent also witnessed a cremation where over 20 litre of kerosene, rubber tyres were used to light a pyre. Gobind, a resident of Suryajala village near Bhujiaghat, told The Tribune: “The body of a person of my village who had died at a hospital had to be carried five kilometres to his home from Ranibagh where the bathing rituals had to be carried out and then the funeral procession marched back five kilometres to Ranibagh again for the cremation at Chitrashila Ghats.” The village falls on the Haldwani-Nainital highway that has been closed for the last 10 days beyond Bhujiaghat. For every medical need, the people have to go to Haldwani. The residents have to walk till Ranibagh from where they hire an autorickshaw at exorbitant rates to reach a hospital. “There are occasions that the ill are carried on cots for the entire five-km stretch,” says Gobind. With hardly any transportation available, the residents are forced to carry everything on their backs. One can people carrying sacks of flour, rice and other essentials for long stretches.
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SC: NSA can’t be misused citing special situations
New Delhi, September 29 A Bench comprising Justices DK Jain and HL Dattu of the apex court made the clarification while quashing the detention order passed against Ranjit Oinamcha, Editor of “Paojel,” an evening newspaper, under the NSA about a year ago on the suspicion that he was colluding with the outlawed United National Liberation Front (UNLF) for extorting money from government contractors and engineers. Manipur counsel had argued in the apex court that the law enforcing agencies in the state were facing difficulty in collecting evidence “due to the special conditions” prevailing there. The Bench, however, did not accept this theory. “We cannot agree with the submission made by the learned counsel for the State of Manipur,” it ruled. The state police had arrested the editor in September last year after recovering Rs 10.04 lakh from him following the confession made by an UNLF functionary. The state had cited the statements of the Editor and the ULFA leader under Section 161 CrPC and of the investigating officer (IO) as grounds for his arrest. Observing that “primary reliance” had been placed on the statement of the accused to the IO, the SC held that “this cannot be said to be sufficient to form the subjective satisfaction of the detaining authority” in the absence supportive or corroborating grounds. Further, none of the other documents substantiated the involvement of the detenu in unlawful activities as alleged in the detention order, the SC said. Also, the delay of one week by the state in forwarding his representation against the order to the Centre was not explained. “In matters of preventive detention such as this, as there is deprivation of liberty without trial, safeguards are provided in Article 22 of the Constitution” under which those detained should be informed of the grounds and given an opportunity early to make a representation against the detention order, the apex court explained. Ruling that individual liberty “is one of the most valuable fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution to the citizens of this country,” the apex court said “here is an unfortunate case involving a person who ought not to have been detained under preventive detention and have his liberty curtailed by virtue of his incarceration under Section 3(2) of the NSA.”
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HC admits Kasab’s appeal, says no to meeting lawyers
Mumbai, September 29 The 25-page appeal will be heard by justices Ranjana Desai and RV More, along with confirmation of death sentence awarded to Kasab, on a daily basis from October 18. The state’s appeal against acquittal of Faheem Ansari and Sabauddin Ahmed will also be clubbed with these matters. The court has restrained Kasab from appearing in person but said he would be present through video conference. On October 6, the bench would give its ruling on who should open arguments first -- State or Defence. Government counsel Ujjwal Nikam said Kasab’s appeal should be heard first and if that fails only then confirmation of death sentence should be taken up, while Kasab’s lawyer Amin Solkar insisted he would argue after Nikam concludes. In a separate development, the court rejected Kasab’s plea for a private conference with lawyers looking into his past record of aggressiveness towards jail staff. The judges also took into account CCTV footage presented to the court by Nikam showing Kasab assaulting jail personnel on September 1. “The presence of jail staff is a must in this case. Having seen relevant rules and CCTV footage we are of the view that the judgments cited by Kasab’s lawyer are not applicable here. The applicant can have interviews within the sight and hearing of jail staff,” the judges noted. Outside the court, Kasab's lawyer said, “We are thinking to challenge this order in Supreme Court.” In the appeal, Kasab sought acquittal on 57 grounds saying he was wrongly convicted as the trial judge had erred by not properly appreciating evidence. Eyewitnesses had identified him in the court as his photographs had appeared in the media soon after the 26/11 incident. Kasab said the trial court had only partially accepted his confession. This was incorrect in law as the confession should either be accepted or rejected in entirety. Also, he said, the trial court had erred in holding that his confession was true and voluntary. On May 6, the trial court had sentenced Kasab to death in connection with the Mumbai terror attacks that left 166 people dead and many more wounded.
— PTI
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Fresh trouble for Ramu
Flick
Flak
Hyderabad, September 29 The director of popular gangster movies like “Satya” and “Company” said his next venture would focus on street violence and caste conflicts that shook Vijayawada, the coastal Andhra city where he had his education. The film will be titled as “Bezawada Rowdeelu” (Rowdies of Vijayawada). However, it evoked strong protests from across the political spectrum. Incidentally, the announcement came a day after the brutal killing of local Telugu Desam Party leader Chalasani Venkateswara Rao, alias Pandu, who was allegedly involved in real estate settlements. “He is a native of Vijayawada having studied here. But, he seems to be bent upon depicting the city in poor light. We strongly condemn his perverse attitude,” said the president of Vijayawada unit of the TDP, V Vamsi Mohan. Several prominent personalities from Vijayawada, considered the commercial capital of AP, have accused RGV of trying to tarnish the image of the city, its culture and the people. The city mayor, MV Ratnabindu, said rowdyism might be limited to a few groups of people and to attribute it to the whole city would be unacceptable. “Vijayawada is an education hub. People from all over the state and even neighbouring states come here to pursue studies. It is unfortunate that Varma is planning to make a film on the dark side of the city,” the mayor said.
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AN Tiwari to be new Chief Information Commissioner
New Delhi, September 29 Reports emerging from official circles said the name of Tiwari, a 1969 batch IAS officer and former Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training, had been cleared and forwarded to the President for appointment as successor to Habibullah, who demits office today. It is a just a formality which would be cleared once President Pratibha Patil gives her consent to the proposal forwarded to her, an official said. Tiwari may be sworn in as the next Chief Information Commissioner over the next few days. One of the senior most Information Commissioners, Tiwari joined the transparency panel on December 26, 2005. In one of the path-breaking decisions, Tiwari brought the Income Tax returns of political parties under public scrutiny.
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Maoists gun down CPM worker
Kolkata, September 29 The pick-up van was requisitioned for bringing in paramilitary forces from Kharagpur for deployment in the Lalgarh-Janglamahal area. Some leaflets found near Naik’s body carried Maoist threats saying that “in future the same treatment would be given to those who act as
police agents”. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee who was reviewing the precautionary arrangements for tomorrow at Writers’ Building, turned down Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee’s demand for withdrawal of the joint action force from the Jangalmahal-Lalgarh-Jhargram areas. On the contrary, he asked the police to step up its operations against the Maoists and Trinamool-supported PCPA (People’s Committee against Police Action) which, he said, had been creating a serious law and order problem. The PCPA has been demanding withdrawal of the joint action force. On Friday, the CPM plans to organise a mass rally at Midnapore town which will be addressed by the Chief Minister and party secretary Biman Bose among others. “At the meeting we will decide our programme about freeing Lalgarh and Jangalmahal from Maoists’ control,” CPM minister for backward area development Sushanta Ghosh told
mediapersons.
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Sarika - the only woman officer at Nathu La
At Nathu La, situated at a height of 14, 200 ft on the Indo-China border, extreme cold conditions and rugged terrain, she is the only woman officer posted in that area. Nathu La is the highest brigade headquarters falling under the Eastern Command. The officer has been posted as an interpreter at the brigade headquarters since 2008 to decipher talks held during the annual flag meetings between India and China. The flag meetings are held twice a year. While on May 15, it is held on the Chinese side of the border, on September 15, it is held on the Indian side. “I am not doing anything special. It is a part of the duty and during the meetings, I translate talks for Indian as well as Chinese officers. It thrills me to serve in this part of the country,” she said. She added that it was indeed a lifetime opportunity to serve in that area. “Usually not many women officers get a chance to serve in the field areas. Especially, serving at Nathu La on the Indo-China border is an experience in itself,” she quipped. “Initially, even I faced problems due to bad weather, but things became easy when I became completely acclimatised with the terrain. Jawans as well as officers undergo a three-stage acclimatisation to bear the extreme conditions,” she maintained. The officer hailing from Nasik in Maharashtra, completed her MSc from Pune University and joined IIM, Ahmedabad, as joint professor. She passed out from Officers Training Academy, Chennai, and joined the Army Education Corps in 2003.
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Sanjoy Ghose awards announced
Chandigarh, September 29 The Sanjoy Ghose Special Writer’s Award is open to both men and women above the age of 18 with a disability and carries a reward of Rs 2,000. Both awards are exclusively for Ladakhi individuals and aim to encourage writings reflecting community perspectives on issues of education, environment and disability from the Ladakh region, which remains isolated from the rest of the country. Applicants must have a demonstrated interest in writing on development issues in Ladakh and a connect with the media. The writings should be in the context of the recent floods and must outline how efforts by communities, government agencies and civil society organisations can better conditions for the people of Ladakh. Application formalities are outlined on Charkha’s website www.charkha.org.
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Video shows M’rashtra minister with Dawood aide
Mumbai, September 29 Television channels went to town with the footage of Patil enjoying the hospitality of Salim Patel, an associate of Dawood Ibrahim who is the driver of the mobster’s sister Haseena Parkar. Patel is also said to be involved in investing funds belonging to Ibrahim in several legal ventures in India. In the footage, Patel is seen offering dry fruits to the minister. Another notorious character featuring in the footage was Mobin Qureshi, an alleged extortionist associated with the Dawood gang. In addition, Irfan Qureshi, a builder accused of putting up illegal constructions in different parts of Mumbai, is also seen in the footage. Mobin Qureshi, an accused in the murder of BJP MLA Prem Kumar Sharma, also featured in the clip. A severely embarrassed Patil said he did not know the antecedents of the people present at the Iftar dinner organised during the recently concluded month of Ramzan. “I would have stayed away if I knew about the background of these people,” Patil said.
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Navy to get its second floating dock
Port Blair, September 29 The Floating Dock Navy-1 (FDN1) is currently put into optimum use and with the number of warships stationed on the coast set to increase significantly in the next decade, the need was felt for the second one. The Japanese-built FDN1, which is designed by the Indian Institute of Technology, is the only floating dock of Navy and has a lifting capacity of 11,500 tonnes. “The Navy has already floated expression of interest for the FDN-2 and plans for procurement are in an advanced stage,” a Navy official said.
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Major plan to upgrade NHs
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In the predominantly Hindu market of Hanuman Garhi, the lone shop of a Muslim tailor beckons you. “This is where Babu Khan, the tailor of Ram Lalla, sits,” shouts a policeman standing guard about 20 yards from the spot as one makes enquiries about the shop’s owner. The shop is marked “hyper-sensitive” ahead of tomorrow’s verdict in the over 60-year-old Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute.
When a state government helicopter did aerial rounds of Ayodhya Wednesday morning, 45-year-old Ehsan Ali’s heart twitched with pain.
“It was the same on December 7, 1992, when a mob of radical Hindus burnt my grandfather alive.
Guwahati, September 29
The Aviation Minister, who was on an official trip to attend the International Air Transport Association
(IATA) annual general meeting at Montreal in Canada, was quizzed at Chicago airport as his name and profile matched with the person the US authorities were looking for.
The maverick director’s new flick — titled as “Bezawada Rowdeelu” (Rowdies of
Vijayawada) — on gang wars draws flak from across the political spectrum.
Jalandhar, September 29
