Politics

PK row: Movie running legally, no intention to stop screenings, says Fadnavis

Mumbai, Dec 31 (ANI): Amid protests by right wing groups demanding ban on the Aamir Khan- starrer movie 'PK', Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said there is no intentions of stopping the screening of a movie. Talking to mediapersons in Mumbai, he also clarified that there will be no probe against the film in the state.

Dec 31, 2014

Cold wave persists in northern states of India

New Delhi/Kanpur, Dec 31 (ANI): North India continued to reel under cold wave on Wednesday (December 31) with dense fog throwing normal life out of gear. Night temperatures went up marginally in several places and people sat around bonfire to stay warm in the inclement weather conditions. The poor visibility also disrupted road, rail and air traffic. As trains ran behind scheduled time due to fog, passengers slept at railway stations in New Delhi. Passengers have also been complaining on trains running late. The cold wave has added to the troubles of daily wage labourers like autorickshaw drivers, rickshaw pullers and homeless people as they have no alternative but to bear the chill to earn their living. Mercury dipped further because of snowfall in the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Dec 31, 2014

Haryana govt to introduce Bhagvad Gita in schools, politicos react

New Delhi/Chandigarh, Dec 31 (ANI): Political reactions flowed in on Wednesday over the Haryana government's decision to introduce religious book Bhagvad Gita in schools curriculum from the next academic session from class five to XII.

Dec 31, 2014

Beach bike racing draws crowd in Kochi

Kochi, Dec 31 (ANI): Huge crowd gathered at Fort Kochi Beach in Kerala to watch bikers race on sand. Bikers from Kerala and neighbouring states participated in the race which was part of the ongoing Cochin Carnival 2014. Professional and amateur bikers chased down each other to win the 30th edition of the race. The crowd enjoyed the race and cheered whenever a biker passed by. Each participant is required to have a valid license to take part. Special tyres with huge blocks of rubber are installed in a bike for better grip and to avoid skidding during the race. The bikers practice for months on the beach to participate in this event. Trainers are also available but in less numbers.

Dec 31, 2014

Kejriwal likens his 49-day govt to Ram Rajya, Congress condemns

New Delhi, Dec 31 (ANI): AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal has likened his 49 days of government to ‘Ram Rajya’, opening doors for condemnation from the Congress party. Congress leaders Shiela Dikshit, PC Chacko, JP Aggarwal and Barkha Shukla Singh condemned Kejriwal’s statement saying that he ran away from his responsibilities leaving the capital in a poor condition.

Dec 31, 2014

Security forces destroy illegal marijuana cultivation in Tripura

Tripura, Dec 31 (ANI): In a joint operation carried out by security forces and the administration, thousands of marijuana plants grown illegally in hundreds of acres in remote areas of Tripura were destroyed. Acting on a tip-off, paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF), state police, excise department and state administration found illegal marijuana cultivation across the hillocks in Jarulbachi village. The total amount of Bangladesh bound destroyed marijuana is worth more than rupees 10 million and the operation is still continuing. According to officials, there are rackets involved in illegal cultivation of cannabis particularly in the bordering area where habitation is less and presence of administration very scanty. Usually the poor border population is involved in the illegal cultivation and the final harvest is smuggled to neighbouring Bangladesh from where it goes to Middle East market as it provides hefty returns.

Dec 31, 2014

Politicos react on Mamata's remarks over opposing land ordinance

New Delhi, Dec 31 (ANI): West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that she won't allow the implementation of the land ordinance that the union cabinet has approved on Monday. Politicos reacted on her remarks on the recently passed land ordinance act. The BJP termed the TMC chief's stand as 'against the interest' of her state.

Dec 31, 2014

JandK's mandate decisive and divisive, no hurry in forming govt: Mehbooba Mufti

Jammu, Dec 31 (ANI): PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday met the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, NN Vohra to discuss government formation in the state. Mufti said that the mandate given by the people of JandK was both decisive and divisive and it could be a great opportunity for both Congress and NDA. She added that there was no hurry in forming government in JandK.

Dec 31, 2014

Now, Sikh 'ghar wapsi' reports from Punjab raises eyebrows

New Delhi, Dec 31 (ANI): Reactions poured in as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) affiliate, Dharma Jagran Manch (DJM), on Tuesday reconverted 40 people, including woman and children, from Christianity to Sikhism. Politicos demanded a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the matter.

Dec 31, 2014

Politicos react over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir

New Delhi, Dec 31 (ANI): Political leaders on Wednesday reacted over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, where any alliance has not yet been decided. JD (U) leader Ali Anwar aid that BJP is bent upon destroying the politics of the country by presuming various alliances only to come to power. He added that there is a huge difference between the ideologies of BJP and PDP. AAP leader Yogendra Yadav said that any decision on government formation in Jammu and Kashmir should be taken considering the well-being of the citizens.

Dec 31, 2014

Indonesia says six bodies recovered so far, search hampered by bad weather

Jakarta, Dec 31 (ANI): Indonesian search and rescue officials said on Wednesday six bodies have been recovered so far but adverse weather was hampering their operation off Borneo. Bodies as well as debris were found on Tuesday (December 30) for the first time since the AirAsia flight went missing on Sunday (December 28). Search crews have yet to retrieve the black boxes of the plane.

Dec 31, 2014

J and K govt formation: Mehbooba Mufti to meet Governor, NPP calls for fresh polls

New Delhi, Dec 31 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir's National Panthers Party Chief Bhim Singh said on Wednesday that various political parties are meeting the Governor over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir but as no single party has got majority so a proper alliance needs to be decided upon. He also called for fresh polls by dismissing the recent ones in order to receive clear majority to a single party. PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti is scheduled to meet the Governor over government formation today.

Dec 31, 2014

Congress Leader Jairam Ramesh Hits out at PM, Says Modi Means 'Murder of Democratic India'

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh says that the country has been "trapped" in a culture of 'NAMO', meaning 'No Action, Message Only'.

Dec 31, 2014

Bangladesh Islamist politician ATM Azharul Islam sentenced to death for war crimes

Dhaka, Dec 31 (ANI): A Bangladesh war crimes tribunal sentenced an Islamist party leader A.T.M. Azharul Islam to death after convicting him of atrocities committed during a 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. Azharul Islam, 62, assistant secretary general of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, was found guilty of five out of six charges including the murder of hundreds of minority Hindus, rape, abduction and torture, prosecutors said. Prosecutor, International Crime Tribunal, Zead-al-Malim, said that of the six charges, the convict has been awarded death sentence based on three charges. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2010 opened an inquiry into war crimes committed during the nine-month war. The tribunals have angered Islamists who call them a politically motivated attempt by Hasina to persecute the leadership of Jamaat-e-Islami, a key part of the opposition coalition. Meanwhile, the court also observed that the war heroines should be respected and their feat should be covered in educational curriculum of the nation.

Dec 31, 2014

PM Modi condoles families of AirAsia Flight QZ8501

New Delhi, Dec 31 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday condoled the families of those who lost their lives in AirAsia Flight QZ8501 after it presumably crashed of the Indonesian coast. The Prime Minister took to twitter to express his grief over the tragedy. "Our thoughts are with the families of those on Flight QZ8501 . We offer our condolences and stand firmly with them in this hour of grief," he posted. The Indonesia AirAsia plane, with 162 people on board, disappeared after its pilot failed to get permission to fly higher to avoid bad weather during a flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore on Sunday. According to reports, Indonesian officials have confirmed that they have found debris from the plane in Java Sea. Recovery teams are launching a massive search for victims of the crash and the plane's crucial data recorders. The reason for the crash still remains unclear.

Dec 31, 2014