Andhranews

Indira would be proud of AP


Kadapa, Sept. 27: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday heaped praise on Andhra Pradesh for encouraging women’s self-help groups and said that “Indiramma would have been proud and happy to see this great moment of women’s empowerment.”

Cheering crowds welcomed Mrs Gandhi on her first visit to Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy’s hometown where she inaugurated a medical college and nursing college at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences. Sensing the pulse of the crowd, Mrs Gandhi lavished praise on the Chief Minister. Speaking at a massive public meeting, Mrs Gandhi assured a financial package for the 16 drought-prone districts.

Mrs Gandhi interacted with the students of the RIMS after the inaugural ceremony. She also set the foundation stone for a dental college. Later she took a helicopter to the Sri Pothuluri Veera Brahmendra Swamy reservoir to release water for 50,000 acres in Kadapa, Chittoor and Anantapur districts.



Nuke bill caught in Democrat, Republican infighting


New Delhi, Sept. 27: The Indo-US civilian nuclear energy deal is now stuck in the pre-election war between Republicans and Democrats, who are blaming each other for the delay in taking up the nuclear bill for a vote in the US Senate but have still not fixed a date and time for consideration of the legislation.

Democratic Senator Harry Reid joined issue with majority leader Bill Frist, who had accused the Democrats of objecting to his proposal on how the bill should be handled on the floor of the House. Senator Reid insisted that the Democrats were strong supporters of the US-India civil nuclear cooperation bill but that the “Republican leader chose to bring 16 different legislative matters to the Senate floor rather than this important legislation.”

Senator Frist had offered a “unanimous consent agreement” that had been rejected by the Democrats. Senator Reid has now claimed that it was not his party but the differences among the Republicans over the substance of the bill that had delayed its consideration. In a press statement issued in Washington, he said some of these differences were yet to be resolved.

He went on to add: “I do believe it is important for the Senate to act on this matter without further delay. Its passage would mean so much to the vitally important US-India relationship. I pledge to do what I can to ensure that we do just that. I hope the majority leader will not pass up yet another opportunity to get this bill done.” Despite the exchange of words there was no firm indication whether the bill would be pushed through in the remaining two days before the Senate closed business for the forthcoming November elections to both Houses of the US Congress.

The Senate did not find time to work in a vote on the nuclear bill although now both Democrats and Republicans are emphasising its importance, and like Senator Reid are wondering where they “would find the few hours to do this very important piece of legislation.” There are ongoing differences as to how many amendments will be allowed for the nuclear legislation, and consequently the time that should be allotted for debate.

Senator Frist was scheduling seven hours for the debate with limited amendments, but the Democrats made it clear that the debate should take more than a day and allow for many more amendments, according to reports. This alone will probably ensure that the Senate, which has more pressing internal security issues to deal with before the elections, will postpone the consideration of this legislation to its lame duck session in November.

India, which has done its bit to push through the legislation, is now waiting silently for a decision, although hope is fading as the days go by. Daryl Kimball, head of the Arms Control Association, which has been opposing the nuclear deal from the beginning, has said that while he expected the Senate to eventually debate and vote on this issue in November, there were still many hurdles for the deal to go through.




CM praised for fewer suicides by farmers


Kadapa/Kurnool, Sept. 27: AICC president Sonia Gandhi said that number of suicides by farmers has come down, and credited the Rajasekhar Reddy government for that. Speaking at a public meeting after inaugurating the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences she said, “The farmers’ suicides in the State have come down, but the Centre is sensitive to the problem and will extend special packages,” she said.

“The lot of the farmers has improved because of steps taken by the State government and the Centre. She criticised the opposition Telugu Desam for neglecting the needs of the farmers for nine years and recollected the spate of suicides by farmers during TD rule.Mrs Gandhi assured that the Centre would soon come out with a financial package for the 16 drought-prone districts of the State.

There was thunderous applause from the crowd when Mrs Gandhi praised the Chief Minister for his sincere attempts to implement development programmes. “I have been reviewing the working of the State government…and I have to express my satisfaction,” she said. “In the short spell of two and half years Dr Reddy has achieved a great deal.”

Mrs Gandhi added that the Chief Minister’s good work was noted in other parts of the country too. “Prime Minister Manmohan Singh praised him at the Chief Ministers’ conference in Nainital,” she said.
Referring to the Dr Reddy’s pet Jalayagnam, Mrs Gandhi said that the State government was aiming to bring 72 lakh acres of additional area under cultivation by constructing a series of irrigation projects.

“The State has also set an example to others in implementing the historical National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme,” she said. “This is the most important initiative of the Centre.” The enthusiasm of the crowd at the public meeting was infectious. After the inauguration ceremony, Mrs Gandhi came down from the dais and walked along the barricades shaking hands with women. People climbed trees, rooftops and even a train to have a glimpse of the Congress president.

Interestingly, Mrs Gandhi did not bring up Telangana though she was visiting the State for the first time after the Telangana Rashtra Samiti quit the UPA government. APCC president K. Keshava Rao made an indirect reference to the TRS and the separate State issue by saying that Mrs Gandhi would never go back on her word. “Some people are indulging in false propaganda against her and they will be dumped by the people,” he said.

Dr Reddy also vouched that his government was committed to bring about quick development in Rayalaseema and other backward areas in Telangana and North Coastal districts. After wrapping up in Kad-apa, Mrs Gandhi left for Kurnool. In just 10 minutes AICC president Sonia Gandhi unveiled a statue of former chief minister Kotla Vij-ayabhaskara Reddy, inaugurated Vijayabhaskara Reddy Memorial Park and addre-ssed the public there.

Mrs Gandhi, who arrived one hour behind schedule accompanied by Rajasekhar Reddy, had to leave even as the all-religion prayer, organised for the occasion, was in progress. Though during the brief visit Mrs Gandhi managed to address the public, in which she again praised the Chief Minister and various programmes undertaken by his government, she was unable to meet the family members of Vijayabhaskara Reddy. She just greeted Ms Syamalamma, the former CM’s wife.




Indians to get visa on arrival in Pak


Islamabad, Sept. 27: In a major policy shift, Pakistan on Wednesday said visas will be given to Indians on arrival and citizens of 23 other countries. The visa-on-arrival (VOA) scheme was announced by Pakistan’s minister for tourism, Ms Nilofar Bakhtiar, after receiving Pakistani passengers from New Delhi at the Wagah border on Wednesday.

Ms Bakhtiar was quoted by the State-run APP news agency as saying from Lahore that the VOA scheme, which was recently approved, would be implemented in two months. The scheme was aimed at making Pakistan a tourist-friendly destination, she said. She said the VOA period has also been extended from five to 15 days while visit visas would now be of one month duration instead of 15 days.

A group of at least five persons sent by an approved tour operator in their country would have the right to get VOAs, she said, responding to another query. Pakistan expanded the list of countries that were entitled for easy visa facilities from 48 to 175 and visas for Indians were liberalised on many fronts on a reciprocal basis.




Hyderabadi rich shell out Rs 12 cr for luxury villa


Hyderabad, Sept. 27: Luxury housing just got more exclusive in the city of bankrupt Nizams and nawabs of IT, with Omega Shelters planning homes which will be priced at Rs 12 crores. Yes, you got that right: a 12 followed by seven zeros. That will be the higher end of the price band, and you can own one, if your change doesn’t add up, for Rs four crores. The project is coming up in Kompally, home to the some of the city’s nouveau riche.

What would the potential buyer of the villa get for Rs 12 crores? According to Mahabir Prasad Agarwall, promoter of Omega Shelters, the villas would be spread over 4,000 feet, the least inexpensive ones in the project, to 16,000 sq. feet. Now, here’s where it gets interesting: The 16,000 sq. feet house will have a nice spread of 1.3-acres of lawn.

The Urban Land Ceiling Act, the bane of real estate development in Andhra Pradesh, will not be applicable in Kompally, because it is a gram panchayat, Mr Agarwall, one of the biggest builders in the twin cities, says.With the Rs 12 crore price tag per villa, Hyderabad appears to have shot past the price of Rs 10 crores for a villa in Mumbai and the Rs three crores for an apartment in Bangalore, developed by the Mantri group.

The list price of such villas may sound absurd, but according to a survey of 20,000 homes conducted in Hyderabad by Asipac Project Consultants, 200 people bought the idea of owning a house that costs above Rs three crore. “A crore can no longer buy anyone a premium product. In Bangalore anything above Rs 1.5 crores and in Hyderabad Rs 1.25 crores plus is premium,” explains Amit Bagaria, CEO of the Bangalore-based Asipac, which is advising Omega Shelters.

Will there be a demand for such houses? Mr Bagaria believes there will be. “In Bangalore, 45,000 new homes are added every year. For Chennai it is 20,000 and 18,000 new homes are built annually in Hyderabad. A good six per cent of this market is in the premium segment,” he says.

Agreeing with Mr Bagaria, Vikram Agnihotri, regional director of real estate consultants TrammellCrow Meghraj says, “It is just a matter of time before the premium segment of housing takes off. This segment is not affected by the vagaries of the real estate market conditions because the supply is always limited.” Mr Agnihotri is advising three developers for projects with villas valued at Rs 4 crore in Hyderabad.

The big-ticket villa project is not the only one being handled by Asipac in Hyderabad. Mr Bagaria says Asipac is assisting projects here with apartments and villas priced between Rs 1.75 crores to Rs 15 crores. Out of this, three are in the premium segment and landscaping and water works have begun with work slated to kick-off in December and end 14-15 months later. Interestingly, Mr Bagaria claimed seven bookings have been already been made for the villas.





Mozart opera off over threat, fears


Berlin, Sept. 27: A leading German opera house has cancelled performances of a Mozart opera because of security fears stirred by a scene that depicts the severed head of the Prophet Mohammed, prompting a storm of protest here about the renunciation of artistic freedom.

The Deutsche Oper in Berlin said it had pulled Idomeneo from its autumn schedule after the police warned that the staging of the opera could pose an “incalculable risk” to the performers and the audience. The Deutsche Oper’s director, Kirsten Harms, said she regretted the decision but felt she had no choice because she was “responsible for all the people on the stage, behind the stage and in front of the stage.”

Political and cultural figures throughout Germany condemned the cancellation, which is without precedent here. Some said it recalled the decision of European newspapers not to print satirical cartoons about the Prophet Mohammed, after their publication in Denmark generated a furore among Muslims.

The decision seemed likely to fan a debate in Germany, and perhaps elsewhere in Europe, about whether the West was compromising its values, including free expression, to avoid stoking anger in the Muslim world. Already in Germany, there is growing sentiment that Pope Benedict XVI may have overdone his contrition for a recent speech in his native Bavaria, in which he cited a historical reference to Islam as “evil and inhuman.” The speech set off waves of protests in Muslim countries.

The German interior minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, who has defended the Pope and called for more dialogue with Muslims in Europe, said that cancelling the opera was unacceptable and “crazy.” Michael Naumann, a former German culture minister, said, “It’s a slap in the face of artistic freedom, by the artists themselves.” Mr Naumann, now the publisher of the weekly paper Die Zeit, added, ‘ “The Pope showed the way by being so extraordinarily apologetic.”





HC stays order on Manolya maintenance


Hyderabad: A division bench of the High Court comprising justice T. Meena Kumari and Justice P. Lakshmana Reddy on Wednesday granted conditional stay to the order passed by a family court of Hyderabad which granted maintenance to Princess Manolya and to her daughter Niloufer.

The bench directed Prince Mukarram Jah to deposit rs two crores and to pay $10,000 to the princess and to her daughter. The bench was dealing with a petition filed by Prince Mukarram Jah challenging the order of the family court which granted maintenance of $15,000 per month to the daughter and a permanent alimony to Manolya.




Pervez takes an U-turn on CIA cash


Washington, Sept. 27: Backtracking on the claims made in his just-released memoirs, Pakistan President Gen. Pervez Musharraf has said that the Central Intelligence Agency did not pay money to the Pakistan government for handing over Al Qaeda suspects.

In an interview with CNN, Gen. Musharraf was read out a passage from his book In The Line of Fire that said, “Those who habitually accuse us of not doing enough in the war on terror should simply ask the CIA how much prize money it has paid to the government of Pakistan.”

CNN pointed out to General Musharraf that it had asked the CIA how much prize money it had paid to the government of Pakistan. On this the Pakistan President said: “You know, I don’t know whether this is to the government of Pakistan. I don’t think I wrote ‘the government of Pakistan’.”

But it was then pointed out that on Page 237 of his book he had in fact written this. Then, when asked if he wanted to revise this, the Pakistan President said: “Yes. I think that if it is written ‘government of Pakistan,’ yes,” he said. “Certainly not the government, not the government... no, government of Pakistan hasn’t received anything,” he said.

On Iran, Gen. Musharraf argued that Pakistan’s development of the bomb was based on a security perspective, that Iran did not face this situation and hence should not go forward in getting one.




UP BJP back to Ram temple issue


Lucknow, Sept. 27: To revive its sagging fortunes in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has decided to revert to the Ram temple issue and ‘aggressive Hindutva’. The BJP now wants to target ‘growing Islamisation of Indian politics’ and hopes that this will dissolve caste lines and bring Hindus under one umbrella. The party will target the Samajwadi Party, the Congress and the BSP — not necessarily in this order — on the issue of minority appeasement.

However, Ayodhya — from where the BJP launched its poll campaign on Tuesday — remains completely indifferent to the BJP’s renewed attempts to play the Hindutva card. VHP leaders and local saints also gave a cold shoulder to the BJP brigade in Ayodhya. Except party workers, there were no crowds to welcome former chief minister Kalyan Singh, who visited the makeshift Ram temple and the Hanuman Garhi temple before announcing the launch of the BJP’s poll campaign on Tuesday.

There were no chants of “mandir wahin banayenge” and even the convoy of cars bearing BJP flags failed to enthuse the people. Indicating a return to the hardliner ideology, Mr Kalyan Singh said at a press conference late on Tuesday evening that “Hindutva is our response to the growing ‘Islamisation of politics’ and appeasement of minorities. Though the Ram temple is not a political issue but if other parties continue to oppose the construction of the temple, we will make it into a political issue.” That the BJP and its leaders have, to some extent, lost their credibility on the temple issue was more than evident from the sentiments echoed by Ayodhya residents on Wednesday.

Mr R.K. Singh, a retired bank employee who lives in the Kasai Bara locality, told this correspondent, “This is the same Kalyan Singh who had announced that the Babri masjid demolition was a great mistake and that he had been duped into the December 1992 situation by seniors in the party. This was when he had joined Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav in 1999. Now he is back to singing the Ram tune and does he actually expect us to believe him now?”Sheila Tiwari, a teacher in a local school, brushed off the BJP’s claim with a chuckle.




RSS, BJP demand action against Muslim League


New Delhi, Sept. 27: The BJP and the RSS on Wednesday sought action against Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), after Joseph P. Thomas Commission report revealed that its activists were involved in the massacre at Marad in Kerala in 2003, in which nine people were killed.

The Joseph P. Thomas Commission report on the Marad riots, placed in the Kerala Assembly on Wednesday, finds role of fundamental forces in the 2003 carnage in the fishing hamlet near Kozhikode. The BJP demanded the resignation of Union minister of State for external affairs E. Ahamed. BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said, “I don’t see any moral right for E. Ahamed to be in the post when his organisation has been named in the findings of the Joseph P. Thomas Commission.”

RSS leader Ram Madhav said, “The Joseph P. Thomas Commission report reveals the nexus between Islamist terrorist groups that have been active in Kerala for some time now and a section of the State’s political establishment, including the Muslim league.” His comments followed Kerala home minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan’s announcement that the State government has sought a CBI probe into the Marad incident.

“Based on the findings, action should be initiated against political parties named in it,” he said. Mr Madhav cited references to the IUML and the National Development Front in the report that was tabled in the Kerala Assembly which mentioned that activists from the two organisations were “actively involved” in the planning and execution of the massacre at Marad beach.

YSR forced into CMs’ meet


Hyderabad, Sept. 27: Despite objections from Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, the Uni-on water resources ministry has convened a meeting on October 4 between the Chief Ministers of AP, Orissa and Chhattisgarh to discuss the Polavaram project. Orissa and Chhattisgarh have objected to the increase in the probable maximum flood (PMF) discharge at Polavaram. The governments say that more areas in their States will be submerged because of the increased PMF.

The State has secured permission from the Central Water Commission (CWC) to increase the PMF. The Polavaram dam was designed for a PMF of 36 lakh cusecs: This figure was recorded in 1986 and is the highest in the river Godavari in 500 years. Environmental activists immediately questioned whether the 36 lakh cusecs PMF would be valid in case of heavy rains simultaneously in the catchment are-as of the Godavari, Sabari and the Pranahita rivers.

The government ordered a fresh survey and subsequently increased the PMF to 50 lakh cusecs, It also changed the spillway design of the dam to accommodate for this. The Orissa and Chhattisgarh governments objected and complained to the CWC that backwaters of the Polavaram reservoir would submerge more of their villages. Their objections led to Union water resources minister Saifuddin Soz convening a meeting with the three Chief Ministers.

Dr Rajasekhar Reddy had objected to it and wrote to Mr Soz explaining why: AP, Orisssa and Madhya Pradesh [the predecessor State of Chhattisgarh] had signed an agreement on Polavaram in 1980 specifying the full reservoir level (FRL) at 150 feet above mean sea level. The increased PMF had not changed the FRL. Hence there would not be an increase in the area of submergence. Despite this the Centre is going ahead with the October 4 meeting. Secretaries of the three States will meet on September 28 in New Delhi to set the agenda for the meet.




CBI sends letters rogatory on VW


Hyderabad, Sept. 27: The CBI probing into Volkswagen scam has sent Letters Rogatory through the CBI special court to Switzerland, Germany and the Uni-ted Arab Emirates seeking details on financial, banking transactions and official correspondence of the acc-used, who are still at large.

CBI sources said that he information would help them in further probe into the case. Prime accused Helmuth Wolfgang Schuster and Jagadish Alaga Raja were charged with cheating, criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and interpol had issued notices against them.Police had already arrested Ashok Jain and Gayatri, a relative of Alaga Raja, in connection with the scam.

In January 2005, Schuster misled the State government to purchase a part of the equity in Vashishta Wahan (P) Ltd, which he claimed was formed for setting up of a car unit of Volkswagen in India. The government bought an equity of 2.5 per cent worth two million euros, after he told the officials that the car unit would be set up in Visakhapatnam.




Cops rapped for ‘violation’


Hyderabad, Sept. 27: Bollywood actress Pooja Bhatt and human rights activists have waded into the arrest by the Hyderabad police of Mumbai-based lecturer Surekha Sumitran and her 70-year-old mother Shyamala Sumitran. The two women were arrested in Mumbai by Hyderabad’s Panjagutta police on September 13 on charges of adultery and cheating of Rs 15 lakh. The complaint was filed by Dr Issac Bhaskara Rao, the former husband of Ms Surekha. Dr Rao works in a corporate hospital here.

Ms Bhatt, who is also a rights activist, on Tuesday filed a complaint against the arrest with the AP State Human Rights Commission in Hyderabad. She demanded the immediate suspension of Panjagutta sub-inspector T.R. Ramesh for violating human rights and dignity of women and also the arrest of Dr Rao for making a false complaint.

Maharashtra State Minorities Commission vice-chairman Dr Abraham Mathai, AP Progressive Organisation of Women leader V. Sandhya who also spoke to the media along with Ms Bhatt, urged Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy to order an inquiry into the incident.

According to the victims and Ms Bhatt, Ms Surekha Sumitran and Dr Bhaskara Rao married in January 1995 and settled down in Hyderabad. The couple had two children. Ms Surekha Sumitran later applied for divorce and obtained a decree from the court on June 29 this year.“After the divorce settlement, how could I cheat my ex-husband,” she asked.

She said that the Panjagutta police had arrested and humiliated her and my mother on non-cognisable charges. “My old mother was not allowed even to go to the bathroom.” ACP, Panjagutta, R. Gopal Raju denied the charges and said they had followed the procedure.




City ‘tag’ on J&K bombs


Hyderabad, Sept. 27: Suspecting the involvement of a Jaish-e-Mohammed module based at Hyderabad in planting bombs, a special team of the J&K police visited the city on Wednesday.The bag in which the improvised explosive device was found at the Government Medical College Hospital, Jammu, has a tag of a shopkeeper of Hyderabad.

The team met Intelligence Bureau and Counter Intelligence officials in the city. J&K DSP Salaria and ASI Parvez visited the city and exchanged information with the police. A senior police official of intelligence said, “The bag has the tag of the shopkeeper in the city. But the shop was closed a year-and-a-half ago. We are verifying whether the bomb found is similar to that found a few months ago in Hyderabad. They were seized from JeM operator Shahed’s associates.”




5 held in raid on job offices

DC Impact
Hyderabad, Sept. 27: Sleuths of the commissioner’s task force raided the offices of five bogus overseas recruiting agencies and arrested five operators. They were handed over to police stations concerned.[This newspaper had published a series of reports on the illegal overseas recruitment agents operating in the city.]

Cases were booked against five travel agents — Sam Tours and Travels, Dyana International Man Power Consultant, Al-Saba Travel Services, Global International Man Power Consultancy and Travel Point Services.The raids were carried out by teams of the North, Central and East Zone task force teams simultaneously in various parts of the city on Wednesday.

Police arrested Arif Khan, 41, son of K.M. Khan of Langar House (Sam Tours and Travels situated at Abids), Mohammed Arif, 34, son of Mohammed Yousuf of Patigadda Colony, Rasoolpura (Dyana International Manpower Consultants, S.D. Road), Abdullah Bin Hamed, 39, son of Ahmed Bin Salam of Banjara Hills (Al Saba Travel Services, Ameerpet), Mohammed Nizamuddin, 32, son of Mahmood Miyan of Ramanthapur (Globax International Manpower Consultants, Ramgopalpet) and Kazi Nizamuddin, 31, son of Kazi Sabuddin of Lakadikapul (Travel Point Services, Basheerbagh.)

Task force DCP G. Sudheer Babu said, “These travel agents were running their businesses of recruitment of manpower for overseas employment without valid licence and cheating the public.” The accused were handed over to Abids, Mahankali, Panjagutta, Ramgopalpet and Saifabad police stations.The raids were led by inspectors K. Ramachandran, A.E. Benjamin and M. Srinivasa Rao.




Monica order on Friday


Hyderabad, Sept. 27: The Special Court for CBI cases on Wednesday posted Mafia don Abu Salem’s girlfriend Monica Bedi’s forgery case to Friday for judgment. The arguments from both defence and prosecution ended on Wednesday.

CBI prosecutor Venkata Ramana said, “We have prayed to the court to convict Monica Bedi on cheating and criminal conspiracy. As per this act, the guilty are punishable for seven years.”

Monica Bedi’s lawyer S. Pradeep Kumar who argued in the court said, “The passport application was not filled and submitted by Monica Bedi. She was not in the country when the alleged offence took place. The extradition agreement of Portugal says that she has to be tried only under cheating and criminal conspiracy.” Monica Bedi took the passport in the name of Sana Mallik.




Mother gets Nikita


Hyderabad, Sept. 27: After 16 months, Baby Nikita was reunited with her mother Nazia Banu on Wednesday. While Nazia’s eyes went moist with joy at getting back her baby, there were tears in the eyes of Bikshapati and Swaroopa, foster parents of the child. It was on the orders of the State Women’s Commission chairperson Mary Ravindranath that the 22-month-old baby was handed over to the biological mother by the foster parents.

Nikita was abandoned at S.R. Nagar about 16 months ago by Nazia, who was mentally ill. S.R. Nagar police rescued the baby and handed her over to Bhikshapati and Swaroopa, who looked after her as their own. The police took much flak for not handing over the abandoned baby to Sisu Vihar.

Two months ago, Nazia approached S.R. Nagar police and demanded her baby back. This led to a legal tangle and the issue soon came up before the women’s commission. On the orders of the commission, Nazia underwent a mental health check-up and was certified as normal by doctors.

“I am immensely happy to get back my child,” said Nazia. “I will never abandon her.” Meanwhile, Bhikshapati and Swaroopa fought back in tears and said that they loved the infant deeply. “But now she is being taken away,” they said.




Crowd goes wild, hurls stones


Kadapa, Sept. 27: Enthusiasm of the crowd and eagerness of the officials to fill up the venue with people before the arrival of AICC chief Sonia Gandhi caused anxious moments at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences here on Wednesday. At one stage, a section of the mob turned unruly and hurled stones at police when they prevented the former from surging to the sterile D Zone area. When police repeatedly pushed the crowd backwards and put a rope to stop them from entering the VIP gallery some people resisted the moves. They even tried to push the policemen, leaving the latter with no option but to resort to a mild lathicharge.

The angry crowd then went back to the open space and started hurling stones at the police. The crowd standing near the barricades too retaliated and hurled stones at the section of mob causing tension. Police, however, immediately brought the situation under control. Zilla parishad chief executive officer Durga Prasad and Information minister Md Ali Shabber were partly responsible for throwing the crowd out of gear. Police had made elaborate arrangements and did not allow the crowd even near the D Zone.

As Sonia was to reach the venue 20 minutes early, the worried minister and the official repeatedly announced that people should be allowed to enter the enclosures. Surprisingly, it was Deputy Inspector General of Police Jayarami Reddy who announced in the public address system to remove the metal detectors and allow the crowd without frisking as there was crowding at the gangway. Ippatikinka naa vayasu, the number from Pokiri telugu movie added to the chaos.

The mob went wild when a singer in the orchestra started singing the hit number.
A police official rushed to the dais and told his senior officials that the “16 years” song is creating problem and the orchestra should be stopped from playing that number. The conversation was heard clearly through the public address system. The organisers then played cassette of kadapa utsavam and Congress songs.




Venkaiah wants total security plan review


Hyderabad, Sept 27: The BJP on Wednesday emphasised the need for “revisiting and reviewing” the national security policy.Senior BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu told reporters that there was no clarity, no unity, no ability or political will to address the concerns of the nation’s security.

“The proposed India and Pakistan joint mechanism for supervision and monitoring of terror in Jammu and Kashmir is a trap laid down by the Pakistan to get foot-hold in Kashmir. The proposed talks between India and Pakistan are totally against national interests and compromises our position on Jammu and Kashmir,” Mr Venkaiah observed.

He said the BJP would disagree with the approach of the Centre because the Prime Minister and General Musharraf had brought the Jammu and Kashmir on focus, while relegating cross-border terrorism to the background. “The mood in the country is against resuming talks with Pakistan till it stops terrorism. By practically giving a clean chit to Pakistan saying that it is also a victim of terrorism, India has allowed Pakistan to get off the hook. This is the common feeling of people,” he pointed out.




Minority welfare schemes in limbo


Hyderabad, Sept. 27: Despite its avowed pro-minority stance, the State government has stalled the implementation of many welfare schemes for minorities, especially Muslims.
The prestigious Indira Mahila Abhivruddhi Yojana and Rajiv Sanathkar Yojana have been stopped by the State government. These schemes were being implemented by the Andhra Pradesh State Minorities Finance Corporation Limited.

Similarly, allocation of funds to the Urdu Academy for preservation and promotion of Urdu has also been suspended. Officials now say that funds would be given soon. The Indira Mahila Abhivriddhi Yojana is the rechristened version of the Telugu Desam government’s Tatkal scheme. Under the scheme, loans of up to Rs 10,000 would be given to poor Muslim women for taking up self-employment schemes.

Farooq Hussain, chairman of the Minorities Finance Corporation, said that he had opposed the issuance of the government order (GO) suspending the schemes and had taken up the issue with Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy.




State to produce inquiry order today: ORR writ


Hyderabad, Sept. 27: A division bench of the AP High Court adjourned the writ petition of the Telugu Desam to Thursday for the purpose of production of the proceedings of the State government referring the alleged Outer Ring Road scam to CBI inquiry. State advocate-general C.V. Mohan Reddy informed the court that the allegation of land scam by State ministers and officials were already decided to be referred to the CBI for investigation.

TD leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy, Kadiam Srihari and three others filed a public interest litigation before the High Court seeking investigation by the CBI and Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) into allegations of largescale land scam in Andhra Pradesh.

Former advocate-general and senior counsel S. Ramchander Rao, appearing for the petitioners, contended that the Chief Minister and some ministers, MLAs and other executives had purchased lands by issuing land acquisition notification for the purpose of construction of ORR in Kokapet and two other villages in the names of their family members and relatives. The notification was withdrawn by issuing a resolution and diverting the ORR for their own benefit and financial gain.

He demonstrated the transactions. The bench adjourned the matter at the request of the advocate-general for production of the copy of the order for the court’s perusal and passing appropriate orders. There was a heated exchange of words between Mr Mohan Reddy and Mr Ramachander Rao at one point. The bench asked counsels and the media to main restraint.




Dismiss YSR, says TRS


Hyderabad, Sept. 27: The Telangana Rashtra Samiti on Wednesday urged Governor Rameshwar Thakur to dismiss the Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy government for its alleged involvement in the “biggest ever scam” in the land acquisition for the Outer Ring Road project.

A TRS delegation led by senior leader A. Narendra submitted a memorandum in this regard. The TRS leaders alleged that the alignment of the ORR was changed several times to benefit some bigwigs in the government and those close to them. The poor people were deprived of their livelihood as they lost their lands to the designs of the government officials, ministers and ruling party leaders.

The TRS leaders claimed that they have got the material substantiating the misuse of power.Later, speaking to mediapersons, Mr Narendra sought a thorough probe by the sitting judge of the Supreme Court. Calling the CBI as Congress Bureau of Investigation, Mr Narendra said the CBI inquiry is not acceptable for them as the agency has no credibility.
Mr Narendra reiterated his demand for the resignation of the Chief Minister.

At a separate press conference, TRS legislators Harish Rao, Nagesh, Ramalinga Reddy and Padma Devender Reddy charged Dr Reddy with showing step-motherly attitude towards Telangana. They said Telangana was being neglected while the Chief Minister’s native district Kadapa got maximum funds.




Highlight AP’s culture: Speaker


Hyderabad, Sept. 27: State Assembly Speaker K.R. Suresh Reddy on Wedenesday said the tourism department should showcase the rich tradition and culture of the State to attract more tourists. He said that the industry had been flourishing with budget tourism in the recent past.

He suggested that the official should encourage environmental, medical and adventure tourism for generating more employment. The Speaker, who was the chief guest at the World Tourism Celebrations 2006, gave away awards for excellence to representatives of travel and tour operators, hotels and restaurants. Chairman of AP Tourism Development Corporation T.K. Dewan said the Corporation was planning to develop beaches across the 1000 kms coastal line in the State.

Woman, 80, is fighting fit on daily sand diet


Lucknow, Sept. 27: A kilo and a half of sand a day keep her doctors away. Eighty-year-old Ramrati Misra eats a kilo and a half of sand every day and she is fighting fit at her age. “She can cook, knit and sew and even threads a needle without spectacles. She does not suffer from any old-age symptoms and is more active than any of us,” says her 42-year-old daughter-in-law Sarita.

Ramrati, who lives in Chinhat in the suburbs of Lucknow, claims to have developed a taste for sand about 40 years ago. “First I started eating mud and chalk and then went on to eating sand. After some time, I stopped eating mud and chalk but could not give up on sand. My family took me to several doctors and pressured me to give up the habit but their efforts proved futile,” she says.

Her daughter-in-law adds, “Yes, we tried to make her give up the habit but after the doctors put her through several tests and found her to be perfectly healthy, we let her eat sand. The doctors even gave her calcium supplements so that she would kick the habit but she persisted.”

Ramrati eats about 300 gm of sand before breakfast and an equivalent amount before lunch. “She has sand instead of snacks with her evening tea and then before dinner. We procure sand for her from the nearby construction sites and decant it. Sometimes she also roasts sand on fire in order to give it a different taste,” says her granddaughter Shikha.

Ramrati, a mother of four sons and four daughters, has never suffered from indigestion or irritable bowel syndrome. “Except from the usual flu that comes with the change of season, she has never suffered from any ailment. In fact, her good health is often seen as a result of her sand-eating habit,” says her son.




‘Freedom fighters, terrorists different’


New Delhi, Sept. 27: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has spoken out against the “broad-brush treatment” of “equating the freedom struggle in Indian-held Kashmir with terrorism” in his memoirs, even as the two countries go about establishing a joint mechanism to fight terrorism.

“The West rejects militant struggles for freedom too badly. The US and Europe too often equate all militancy with terrorism; in particular they equate the struggle for freedom in Indian-held Kashmir with terrorism,” writes Gen. Musharraf in his recently published memoirs, In the Line of Fire.

If India was optimistic about a change in Pakistan’s approach towards terrorism directed against India, Gen. Musharraf makes his sympathies clear for “freedom fighters struggling for liberation” in Kashmir. “Pakistan has always rejected this broad-brush treatment. We demand that terrorism be seen ‘in all its form and manifestations’,” he says, underlining that “a man can be a legitimate freedom fighter in one context and a terrorist when he does something else”.

“This is a serious statement, because when states kill innocent civilians in an effort to crush struggles for freedom, we call it ‘state terrorism’,” says Gen. Musharraf, accusing New Delhi, by implication, of sponsoring state terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. “Pakistan’s position becomes more difficult to sustain, however, when the mujahideen fighting for freedom in Indian-held Kashmir are guilty of involvement in terrorist activities in other parts of India and around the world,” says Gen. Musharraf, who ousted Mr Nawaz Sharif in a military coup seven years ago. He also says: “My efforts towards rapprochement with India... have saved Pakistan to a large extent from the blame of abetting what the world calls terrorism.”




Musa convicted for Mumbai blasts


Mumbai, Sept. 27: A Tada court in Mumbai on Wednesday convicted Mohammed Mushtaq Musa Tarani, a close associate of Tiger Memon, the brain behind the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts conspiracy, on all charges, including triggering a blast in a five-star hotel at Juhu in which three persons were injured on March 12, 1993.

Tarani has also been found guilty of attending a conspiracy meeting at Hotel Taj Mahal along with Tiger Memon, Javed Chikna, Mohammed Usman and others and surveying terror targets (Bombay Stock Excha-nge and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation building).

Dressed in a black shirt and pants, Tarani came to the witness stand with his head bowed. The court convicted him under Section 3 (3) of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act for parking an RDX-laden scooter at Shaikh Memon Street in south Mumbai, which did not explode; and section 120-b of the Indian Penal Code for conspiracy. Tarani faces jail time that may range from five years to life imprisonment. He will give a statement on the quantum of sentence in court on Thursday. The court accepted the confession of Tarani.

Tarani was convicted under Section 3 (2) (II) of Tada for placing an RDX-laden bag in a suitcase in room 3078 of Hotel Centaur in Juhu, injuring three persons and damaging property worth Rs 2.10 crores. While conspirators in the 1993 blasts were successful in causing an explosion at the BSE, their plan to open fire at Shiv Sena corporators at the BMC did not succeed as the attackers fled mid-way, leaving behind their weapons in a car.

Tarani is the 19th person found guilty by Judge Pramod Kode in the longest trial in India’s judicial history. More than 123 people have been charged, including actor Sanjay Dutt, and are awaiting the judge’s verdict after an 11-year trial.




Remark on LTTE irks Swamy


New Delhi, Sept. 27: Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy on Wed-nesday hit out at Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf for asking why the LTTE is not called a Hindu terrorist organisation. Sharply reacting to the statement, Dr Swamy said Gen. Musharraf ought to know that the LTTE does not raise religious slogans before carrying out terror strikes. The LTTE also does not justify its terror strikes as dharam yudh or holy war, nor does it seek blessings from a temple. “There is nothing Hindu-centric about the LTTE’s activities,” he said.






Pranab: Pakistan is nursery of terror


New Delhi, Sept. 27: Defence minister Pranab Mukherjee has labelled Pakistan as “a nursery of global terrorism”. The minister, who is currently leading the Indian delegation to the UN General Assembly, also said that Pakistan “has done precious little to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism on its eastern border with India” and that “many terrorists roam freely in Pakistan”.

Speaking at Harvard University, Mr Mukherjee said that “India continues to face a proxy war from across its western border”. He called upon Pakistan to “implement the solemn assurances it has given (to India) to stop all cross-border terrorism”. Mr Mukherjee also “welcomed” the “positive results” of the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and mentioned “in particular the decision to set up an institutional mechanism to tackle cross-border terrorism”.

“If Pakistan claims to be a front-line state in the global war against terrorism, then it must do much more to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism still intact on its soil,” the defence minister said. Expressing concern about the situation in Bangladesh, Mr Mukherjee said that “mounting religious extremism in Bangladesh, coupled with illegal migrations, are a source of considerable concern for India”.

Meanwhile, agency reports quoted the defence minister as telling TV channels in New York that Gen. Musharraf’s claim that India’s uranium enrichment technology could be a copy of a Pakistani design is bogus. “Absolutely bogus, we developed our own... first reactor... We were the first among the Asian countries, the developing countries, to develop (the technology) through our indigenous efforts and our track record in this matter is impeccable,” agencies quoted Mr Mukherjee as telling the TV channels.

“We did not export it to anybody, nor did we have it clandestinely from anyone. This is absolutely clear. So his (Gen. Musharraf’s) allegation is absolutely baseless,” the minister was quoted as saying.




India: Address terror in all forms


New Delhi, Sept. 27: India reminded Pakistan that the anti-terrorism institutional mechanism agreed upon by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf is mandated to address “all forms of terrorism” and no distinction should be made between preventing terror attacks and giving up criminals wanted in India.

In response to questions, an MEA spokesman said, “The anti-terrorism institutional mechanism agreed to between India and Pakistan in Havana is clearly mandated by the September 16 joint statement to identify and implement counter-terrorism initiatives and investigations. There is no doubt in our minds as to what constitutes terrorism and it is clear that the group is mandated to address all forms of terrorism.”

New Delhi’s statement came in response to statements emanating from Islamabad, especially from the foreign office spokes-person, that the anti-terrorism mechanism does not make it incumbent upon Pakistan to hand over India’s most wanted.