|
|
|
|
|
Hindu terror remarks: BJP to boycott meetings called by Shinde
Thackeray FB post: Court drops case against two girls; Sena moves court
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Anna rejects govt’s Lokpal Bill
Sharad Pawar pitches for modern technology
Apex court stays Nandy’s arrest
South Korean tourist alleges rape
Principals from Japan, UAE available on CBSE helpline
Season’s ‘worst’ fog disrupts 180 flights at IGI airport
‘Vishwaroop’ releases to average response
|
|
Mamata blocked my Kolkata visit: Rushdie
Kolkata, February 1 Rushdie claimed he was invited to a literary conference on January 30 where he was slated to promote the movie adaptation of his novel “Midnight’s Children” along with director Deepa Mehta and actor Rahul Bose. He said the Kolkata Literary Meet organisers had given an air ticket to fly from Mumbai. He also planned to go around stalls at the Kolkata Book Fair but had to cancel his visit after the police barred him from doing so, the writer said in a statement on Twitter. The Chief Minister said it was an administrative decision on part of the police, but added that the government would not allow communal harmony in the city to be disturbed. Writers, poets and intellectuals have criticised the decision to disallow Rushdie from entering the city. Organisers of the Kolkata Literary Meet and Kolkata Book Fair have denied Rushdie’s claim that he was invited to the literary carnival, saying he was “lying”. “Rushdie is lying. He was never invited to the festival,” Tridib Chatterjee, general secretary, Publishers and Book Sellers Guild, which organises the Kolkata Book Fair, said. “Ask him (Rushdie) to show his invitation. He may be a renowned writer but he is lying,” Chatterjee said.
|
|
Hindu terror remarks: BJP to boycott meetings called by Shinde
New Delhi, February 1 At the party’s core group meeting, members felt it was time to execute the promise of new party chief Rajnath Singh to carry protest to Parliament. As part of the exercise, members of the principal party in the Opposition will not be attending meetings that Shinde, who is also the leader of the Lok Sabha, will call. The BJP standoff is bound to complicate issues for the Congress-led UPA during the crucial Budget session of Parliament scheduled to begin on February 21. The BJP is upset that last month, at the Congress Chintan Shivir, the Home Minister chose to name the party and its ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as being behind Mecca Masjid and Samjhauta Express bomb blasts. The party is yet to determine its approach inside Parliament including whether it would like to replay the Congress strategy of boycotting the then Defence Minister George Fernandes for his alleged role in the coffin scam in the Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance government.
court seeks
atr from police
|
||
|
Thackeray FB post: Court drops case against two girls; Sena moves court
Mumbai, February 1 The local police, which filed an FIR against the two girls after coming under pressure from local Shiv Sena leaders, formally filed a closure report before Judicial Magistrate VS Yadav on Thursday. As
per the report, the police sought to drop charges against Shaheen Dhada and Rinu Srinivasan, both 21. While Dhada had written the post criticising the bandh call given by the Shiv Sena following Thackeray's death on November 17, Srinivasan 'liked' the post. Local residents who saw the post brought it to the notice of Shiv Sena leaders in the town, who ransacked a clinic owned by Dhada's uncle and forced the police to arrest the girls. However following a countrywide uproar, the Maharashtra Government sought to drop the case. The state government also suspended superintendent of police Ravindra Sengaonkar and senior inspector Shrikant Pingle for acting at the behest of local Shiv Sena leaders. The government's decision to drop charges against the girls has, however, irked the Sena, which has decided to continue fighting the matter in court. Party leader Bhushan Sankhe, who filed the original complaint against the girls, said he has already challenged the decision of the police to close the case against the two girls. He told reporters in Palghar that the party's lawyers will file a revision petition against the closure. "We will continue to fight against the insult to our leader," Sankhe told reporters. Even the top leadership of the Shiv Sena has come out in support of Sankhe. Party spokesman Sanjay Raut, who protested the government's decision, said the girls’ arrest was justified.
|
||
|
Anna rejects govt’s Lokpal Bill
New Delhi, February 1 Alluding to newly-elected Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s remarks linking “power” to “poison”, Hazare said: “If power is poison, then why do people run after it? Power is also an addiction.” Hazare said he would travel across the country to make people aware about “government’s betrayal” and urge them to elect those with clean image in the 2014 general election. Hazare sought to make the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Central Vigilance Commission independent bodies on a par with the Election Commission. He said he may return to the Ramlila Maidan to press for an effective Lokpal. Hazare also criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for failing to keep his promise on specific demands based on which he had ended his 12-day-long fast in August 2011.
|
||
|
Sharad Pawar pitches for modern technology
New Delhi, February 1 Pawar emphasised that farm output could only be increased through raising crop yields of the existing cultivable area, saying that sustainable agricultural growth should be ensured against the backdrop of limited availability of natural resources especially cultivable land. Addressing a conference on ‘Doubling Food Production in the next Five Years’, he said the increase in agricultural production would have to come mainly from enhancement in farm productivity in the existing cultivated area. “I am of the firm opinion that we must adopt the modern scientific solutions which are based on sound and proven practices. We also cannot afford to curtail the vigour of our scientific community if they are conducting research with all the precautions.” — TNS
|
||
|
Apex court stays Nandy’s arrest
New Delhi, February 1 "He can't continue making statements like this. Tell your client he has no licence to make such comments," a Bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas told senior advocate Aman Lekhi who was appearing for 76-year-old Nandy. The apex court issued notices and sought response of the Centre and the Rajasthan Government on a petition filed by Nandy seeking quashing of the FIR lodged against him for making the alleged statements at the literary festival. "In the meantime, the petitioner (Nandy) will not be arrested in FIRs filed in connection with the statement made by him at the JLF, on January 26,” the Bench said. The Bench also issued notices to the Governments of Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Bihar and sought their response within four weeks as FIRs, in connection with his statement, have been lodged against him in Raipur, Nasik and Patna, respectively. The order was passed after brief opposition from an advocate claiming to be member of Dalit community, who said the scholar's petition seeking protection from arrest should not be entertained. — PTI
|
||
|
South Korean tourist alleges rape
Bandhavgarh Umaria (MP), February 1 "Resort manager Deepak Vishwakarma has been taken into custody and the room where the alleged rape took place has been sealed," police said here. Police took Vishwakarma into custody from Mandla village near Khajuraho. The resort belongs to BJP MLA Nagendra Singh's son Dushyant Singh. — PTI
|
||
|
Principals from Japan, UAE available on CBSE helpline
New Delhi, February 1 The CBSE is providing psychological counselling services for the 16th consecutive year to students to overcome exam-related stress. Students can dial toll-free number 1800 11 8004 from any part of the country to get centralised access to the helpline. While the general queries will be answered by operators, exam-related queries will be addressed by principals and counsellors. This year, 66 principals, trained counsellors from CBSE-affiliated government and private schools and some psychologists are providing telecounselling services. Of these, 56 principals are located in India and 10 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Nepal, Kuwait, Sultanate of Oman and Tokyo, where the CBSE now has affiliated schools. The CBSE counselling is
an outreach programme using multiple modes of communication.
|
||
|
Season’s ‘worst’ fog disrupts 180 flights at IGI airport
New Delhi, February 1 The fog, which descended on the airport last night, grew denser this morning with airport Met department terming it the “worst” of the season. Around 19 flights had to diverted to Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Mumbai after visibility dropped to less than 50m while 19 were cancelled and around 130 flights were delayed by up to seven hours, an official said. The fog started to envelope the airport from 8.30 pm last night and visibility become almost zero between 8 am and 8.30 am.— PTI
|
||
|
Western disturbance may bring rain, snow back this week
New Delhi, February 1 IMD officials predict that the WD would affect the WHR and adjoining plains of northwest India during February 3 and 6, showing “maximum activity” on February 4 and 5. And then, February 7 onward, with the eastwards moving of the system, cold northwesterly winds will set in, leading to fall in the minimum temperatures by 4-6 degree C in the plains. Under the influence of this system, light to moderate rain or snow would commence over the WHR from Sunday onwards, becoming heavy to very heavy on February 4 and 5. Although clouds may appear over plains northwest of India by tomorrow, rain/thundershowers would begin at a few places from February 3 onward over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, West Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan and amount of rainfall and extent and severity of thunderstorm would increase on February 4 and 5, says the IMD. Meteorological conditions suggest possibility of thunder squall accompanied by hailstorm at one or two places over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, Rajasthan and west UP in these two days. Rain or thundershowers would also occur at a few places over Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and east UP from February 4 onward. During the period between February 3 and 6, minimum temperature would rise by 3-5 degree C over northwest and adjoining central India, but with eastwards moving of the system, cold northwesterly winds will set in over the plains, leading to fall in the minimum temperatures by 4-6 degree C from February 7 onward. With the approach of the WD, the prevailing fog conditions over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and west UP would progressively reduce and there would be no fog between February 4 and 6.
180 flights hit at
IGI
|
||
|
‘Vishwaroop’ releases to average response
New Delhi, February 1 The movie, the original Tamil and Telugu version of which is currently banned in Tamil Nadu, released without any hassles in Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan, while in Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai, security was beefed up at cinema halls for the release over fear of protests. "Vishwaroopam" is under the scanner of 24 Muslim organisations, which objected to certain scenes of the film as derogatory to their community. However, the situation seems to have sparked increased interest in the movie in north India. In Delhi, the response was okay, but the collections are expected to increase during the weekend, says Anant Verma, director and business head, DT Cinemas. "Whoever has seen the movie has liked it - be it people from south India or north India. The publicity that the movie has got is working in favour of the movie. We are expecting a hike (in collections) over the weekend," Verma told IANS. He says no security issues have been reported at any of his halls here so far, and "everything is under control". "The occupancy for the first show was around 55 to 60 per cent, but that is how it is every (early) Friday. The films start picking up from Friday evening," he added. Delhi-based distributor Joginder Mahajan admits the start for "Vishwaroop" is "poor", but "it is expected to grow over the weekend". He pointed out how "since there has been so much controversy, people avoid going on the first day". In east Punjab, the film's opening was below average, informed distributor Jaspal Dhingra of Nanaksar Enterprises. "The response to the first show was below average. The film may be good, but collections are very average. Generally, dubbed films from south India don't do well in Punjab. There are very few people here who want to watch the movie," Dhingra told IANS. "As far as security is concerned, there were no issues here and I don't think there will be any problems in the future too," he said. In Jaipur, the film got a peaceful opening and there were are no protests, said police officials. Meanwhile, Kamal Haasan and his brother Chandra Haasan are trying to reach a solution to end the ban on "Vishwaroopam" in Tamil Nadu, which has led to their incurring losses of Rs.30-60 crore. — IANS
Sporadic protests in
lucknow
|
||
|
Good business at India Art Fair on Day 1
New Delhi, February 1 At the fair for the first time, Scream directors brought an eclectic mix of international art and their works by artists from Thailand and China found ready buyers. At Volte Gallery, once again the toast of the fair was Chandigarh’s very own product of the Government College of Art, Ranbir Kaleka whose digital print as well as video projections were picked up. Yet the star performer of the Volte booth was Sheba Chhachhi whose moving image Light Box on Yamuna sold for nearly Rs 15 lakh. That the buyers’ taste has transformed and veered towards the unconventional was evident from the success of the Gallery Experimenter, Kolkata, and Shrine, New Delhi. At the Shrine Gallery, Anoli Perera, an artist of Sri Lankan origin, made a mark. Her work Memory Bank that interweaves technology with organic materials impressed a collector enough to purchase her unusual creation. By and large, the buyers at the fair happen to be Indians… but that is not to say that international collectors don’t evince keen interest. Museums from Brazil and the UK seemed keen on Sheba Chhachhi’s photographs. Bhavan Kakar of Gallery Latitude 28, who has sold works of artists like Kartik Sood and Dalip Chobsia at the fair to Indian collectors, expressed skepticism over international buyers, but did agree that the interest was certainly there. “But with curators from museums around the world at the fair that’s only expected,” says Jannis Markpoulous artist-cum-owner of Frida Fine Arts Gallery, Berlin. He may not have sold anything by now, but he believes things will move fast on the last day as was the case last year. Not only did the gallery sell a lot many works after the fair, it also has also been in touch with its client base in India, mostly industrialists, many of whom kept in touch and wanted to know what the gallery was bringing this time over. No wonder, he says, “India is going to develop as an important art market in next five years.” While the VIP purview on Thursday saw nearly 4,000 visitors, the numbers swelled to nearly 20,000 on the first day of the fair that also hosted thought-provoking discourses on art and art practices.
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
New Delhi, February 1
