Politics

It happens: Eid Celebrations

Agartala, Oct 18 (ANI): Devout Muslims across India's northeastern states congregated at mosques to offer prayers on the occasion of the feast of Eid-al-Adha on Wednesday. Believers offer domestic animals as a ritual sacrifice to the Almighty to mark this festival. According to Islamic tradition, the Prophet Abraham was blessed with a son, Ishmael, at a very advanced age and nurtured a deep love for the boy. The event commemorates Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son. The ritual of sacrifice symbolises obedience and loyalty to God. Muslims worldwide traditionally slaughter a four-legged animal in commemoration. The meat is then distributed among the family and neighbours as well as the poor and the needy. But before the sacrifice, men, women and children flock to mosques around the country to take part in the prayers. Eid also marks the end of the annual Haj pilgrimage to Mecca and is considered to be a day of joy, since martyrdom itself is a blessing.

Oct 18, 2013

It happens: Boat Race

Imphal, Oct 18 (ANI): Tribes living in the hills and plains of northeastern India come together to participate and compete in Hiyang Hiren Tanana, the traditional boat race competition, held annually two days ahead of the Mera Houchongba celebrations, a festival which encourages brotherhood among tribal communities. On Wednesday hundreds of locals dressed in their traditional northeast Indian attire, came to participate in the festivities of an annual boat race competition which is organised annually two days ahead of the religious festival, Mera Houchongba. All 36 rowers or volunteers which include two team leaders (Tengmai Lappa) who took part in the boat race were blessed by the titular king ofIndia's northeastern Manipur state, Leishemba Sanajaoba, during a ceremony held at Sana Konung (Manipur Royal Palace) on Tuesday. Hiyang HirenTanana (Traditional Boat Race) and Mera Houchongba are the two most important festivals of Manipur which bind the people of the valley with the hills. The two festivals are being celebrated in Manipur since 33 A. D. whenManipur was ruled by King Nongda Lairen Pakhangba.

Oct 18, 2013

It happens: Goat feeds a Tiger Cub

Indore, Oct 18 (ANI): A goat has been tending and feeding a tiger cub disowned by its own mother, a tigress at a zoo in Indore district of India's central Madhya Pradesh state. Born a couple of weeks ago, the tiger cub, along with its two siblings, was attacked by its mother at birth. The attack killed the other two siblings and the third one was left paralysed in its lower limbs and spinal cord. Worried for the cub's growth, the zoo authorities arranged for a goat that is feeding the cub and treats the cub like one of its own kind. A bigger challenge that the authorities face now is the treatment of the cub. Yadav said that they were inspecting the spinal cord injuries of the cub and would treat the cub. The zoo authorities observed a change in the behavior of the tigress since the time the cubs were born. It became more violent and refused to feed her cubs.

Oct 18, 2013

Delhi Polls: AAP will win 33 out of 70 seats; Congress says what a joke

New Delhi, Oct 18 (ANI): Even as the Aam Aadmi Party claimed that it will grab 33 out of 70 seats in the upcoming Assembly Elections in the national capital, the Congress on Friday ridiculed the party calling it a joke.

Oct 18, 2013

Attempts to spread communalism wont be successful: Mulayam

Lucknow. Oct 18 (ANI): Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday said that the state government is very careful as some entities are trying to spread communalism in the state. Yadav further added that such conspiracy won’t be successful. The SP government has denied permission to carry out ‘Sankalp Diwas yatra’ by VHP in the state.

Oct 18, 2013

AAP will win 33 out of 70 seats: Yogendra Yadav on Delhi Polls

New Delhi, Oct 18 (ANI): While releasing numbers of its internal survey ahead of Delhi polls, the Aam Aadmi Party on Friday claimed that it will grab 33 out of 70 seats in the upcoming Assembly Elections in the national capital. The survey was conducted in all the 70 constituencies in Delhi.

Oct 18, 2013

Digvijay Singh acting like polling agent of Narendra Modi: BJP

New Delhi, Oct 18 (ANI): Even as Congress leader Digvijay Singh has lashed out at Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, and said that Gujarat has one of the highest per capita debt liabilities, the BJP on Friday ridiculed him by saying that Digvijay was acting like a polling agent of Modi.

Oct 18, 2013

AgustaWestland deal: Italian middleman Haschke arrested on charges of bribery

New Delhi, Oct 18 (ANI): Swiss authorities have arrested alleged middleman Guido Ralph Haschke, on charges of bribery, in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal. 63-year-old Haschke, who claims to provide 'project advisory services' could be brought to Italy by next week in case he prefers not to appeal against extradition proceedings. As per an Italian news agency, a court in Switzerland has ruled that Haschke can be extradited to Italy. Haschke was briefly arrested by Swiss authorities in October, 2012 in connection with the probe but he denied any wrongdoing. The Italian and Indian agencies have been probing the Rs 3600 crore helicopter contract for alleged kickbacks to Indian officials.

Oct 18, 2013

RSS on VHP's Sankalp Diwas Yatra

Nagpur, Oct 18 (ANI): RSS Leader MG Vaidya on Friday stated that the UP government is trying to woo the Muslim voters by denying permission to carry out 'Sankalp Diwas yatra' by VHP in the state. He further said that the Samajwadi Party is doing all this to gain political mileage but it will eventually lose the votes of Hindus in the process.

Oct 18, 2013

'Grapes are sour' for BJP, congress will remain in power: Manish Tewari

New Delhi, Oct 18 (ANI): Reacting on BJP leader Arun Jaitley's statement in Rajya Sabha that there was huge anti-incumbency mood in the country against the UPA government, I and B Minister Manish Tewari said that 'grapes are sour' for BJP and that Congress will continue to remain in power. Further, he said that BJP should not forget how it was rejected by the electorate both in 2004 and 2009. He said that BJP's anti people ideology will never bring them up in power and that people will give another chance to the Congress to return to power and work for the development of the nation.

Oct 18, 2013

BJP slams SP govt for banning VHP's 'Sankalp Diwas' yatra

New Delhi, Oct 18 (ANI): BJP leader Prakash Javadekar on Friday accused the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) Government in Uttar Pradesh of engaging in what it called the worst kind of votebank politics by banning the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's proposed 'Sankalp Diwas' yatra. Talking to mediapersons in New Delhi, he said that the ban imposed by the UP government was incorrect and BJP condemns it. Meanwhile, Police has so far arrested around 340 people.

Oct 18, 2013

Grand celebrations for the success of 'Grand Masti'

Mumbai, Oct 18 (ANI): The makers of the super hit adult comedy Grand Masti along with its entire cast and crew celebrated its 100 crore success in a grand way at a suburban hotel in Mumbai. Speaking on the occasion super exited Vivek and Aftab expressed their joy and thanked the audience. Directed by Indra Kumar Grand Masti is the first adult comedy to cross the 100 crore mark in its third week.

Oct 18, 2013

Gujarat has more debt liability than any other state: Digvijay Singh

Bhopal, Oct 18 (ANI): Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Friday lashed out at BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and his Gujarat Development model and said that Gujarat has more debt liability than any other state in the nation. Furtehr, he said that Modi, who is dreaming to be nation's prime minister, will sink the nation as he did with Gujarat.

Oct 18, 2013

Govt should take swift action in AgustaWestland deal: JD (U)

New Delhi, Oct 18 (ANI): After Swiss authorities arrested alleged middleman Guido Ralph Haschke, on charges of bribery, in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal, the JD (U) on Friday stated that the central government must now act swiftly as the people of the country are fed up with the reports of scam after scam. He also added that through investigation should take place in the case. The Italian and Indian agencies have been probing the Rs 3600 crore helicopter contract for alleged kickbacks to Indian officials.

Oct 18, 2013

US ship detention: Probe if there is procedural violation or something more substantive, says Defenc

New Delhi, Oct 18 (ANI): Responding to the arrest of all the 35 members on board the US ship Seaman Guard Ohio from Tuticorin, Defence Analyst Uday Bhaskar said that probe should be carried on to find whether there is procedural violation or something more substantive in the aforesaid case. Further, Bhaskar said that India has to see whether the ship is involved in any illegal activities or not. He also said that it should not be taken off the mind that there are also Indian nationals in the crew and that slow probe will decide on the case.

Oct 18, 2013