White House hopeful Barack Obama is close to picking a running mate, with Timothy Kaine, the one-term governor of the swing state of Virginia, a prime contender, reports said on Wednesday.
Kaine, 50, has told close associates that he has had “very serious” conversations with the democratic senator about running as his vice presidential nominee, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday.
The Obama campaign has been combing through Kaine’s background as part of an in-depth vetting, but is also taking a serious look at senators Evan Bayh of Indiana and Joseph Biden of Delaware, the newspaper said.
Both Kaine and Obama were in Washington on Tuesday but the Virginia governor denied they had any “secret meetings” planned.
Asked if he was being vetted, Kaine told a radio station, “I have been on board with the campaign since February 2007 but don’t talk about my conversations about the campaign”.
“It’s flattering to be mentioned. My mom loves it. But that’s for the campaign to decide...And whatever they decide, they’re going to make a very good decision,” he said.
One politician not considered as a leading runner for the V-P slot is senator Hillary Clinton, Obama’s defeated rival for the democratic nomination, both the Post and the New York Times reported.
Betting on the running mate stakes is intensifying in the runup to the democratic convention in late August.
The relatively inexperienced Obama, 46, must take several factors into account including a potential VP’s pedigree as an officeholder and his or her experience in national security.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Honours even despite Sehwag century
ndia started promisingly in their quest to exorcise the ghosts of the SSC Test before being thwarted by double-strikes from Ajantha Mendis and Chaminda Vaas. Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir played India into a position of domination but, after a rain break that accounted for the middle session and 75 minutes, Sri Lanka struck gold, taking four wickets for 11, bringing the memories of the collapses in the first Test back to roost.
Like the pitch at the Galle International Stadium, which comprised two polar halves - one cracked and unreliable, the other flat and damp - the first day's play featured startling contrasts. In the first half of the day Sehwag and Gambhir put behind them not only the debacle at the SSC but also thoughts of how, early in the piece here, they played and missed, and how the ball misbehaved when it hit the cracks. They got India off to a flier; Sehwag fell just short - for the second time in his career - of a hundred in the first session of a Test, a session in which India scored 151 runs, registering the second biggest opening stand in Galle.
What made Sehwag and Gambhir's partnership - which came at more than five an over - remarkable was that both batsmen were troubled amply by the bowling. Nuwan Kulasekara was the most testing, and the most unfortunate, of the bowlers in the first session, getting the ball to move both off the seam and off the cracks. In his first three overs he beat Gambhir and Sehwag more than once each, even getting a leading edge from Gambhir, and used the variable bounce well, bowling shooters and bouncers.
Gambhir was the first to counter the cracks: he stood outside the crease, and then walked down the pitch, almost like Matthew Hayden, as the bowler ran in. The lbw was ruled out, and a game of tip-and-run got underway, with the batsmen taking singles almost intuitively.
Soon Sehwag shook off the early jitters and shifted gears. No bowler was spared: only a soggy outfield saved Ajantha Mendis from being hit for a four in his first over. Muttiah Muralitharan was hit for a four off the first ball he bowled. Mendis was hit for a six for the first time in Tests.
Kulasekara employed a similar field for Sehwag as at the SSC - two fielders in the deep on the leg side. Here he bowled a head-high bouncer again, and Sehwag went for the pull again, but this time he got on top and hit it to cow corner. This was a batsman who reached a triple-century with a six, after he had tried - and failed - to get to a double the same way. Sehwag was true to character in his approach to moving from 90 to 100. The first ball he faced after the break, he edged Vaas to gully, who collected it first bounce. The second ball, he moved his front leg out of the way and almost hit it into the Galle Fort. Two balls later he bludgeoned a straight boundary to get to his 15th century.
PNB, Axis Bank hike interest rates, others to follow suit
Taking cue from the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) policy pronouncement to make money costly on Tuesday, banks across the public and private sectors started increasing the lending rates on Wednesday.
Punjab National Bank (PNB), second largest government-owned bank, and Jammu &Kashmir Bank on Wednesday increased their prime-lending rates by one percentage point. The new PLR for PNB will be 14%. Private sector bank, Axis Bank, however, increased it by only half a percentage point to 15.75%.
This will make the home, consumer and personal loan costlier by the same amount. In the case of home loans, the EMI of the existing borrowers, who have borrowed at floating rates, would go up to the extent the rates have been increased. One percentage point rise in the interest rate will lead an increase of Rs 70 per Rs one lakh loan for 20 years.
PNB CMD KC Chakrabarty said that the new policy measures announced by RBI on Tuesday gave a clear indication to banks to increase the interest rates so that credit growth could be slowed down. Prior to this, PNB had increased its PLR just one month back effective from July 1.
But, there is a good news for the depositor also as PNB also increased the lending rates across the board on all maturities.
RBI on Tuesday increased the lending rate on short-term fund to banks by half a percentage point to 9%. This has set the benchmark for the interest rates in the market. Besides this, RBI also increased the cash reserve ratio (CRR) —- the requirement that a bank suppose to keep with the central bank —— from 8.75% of total deposits to 9%. This has evacuated around Rs 9,000 crore from the banking system.
As the banks are already facing liquidity tightness, the measure of increasing the CRR has put further pressure on the availability of funds. Therefore, a senior banker said banks are forced to increase the deposits rate to mobilize more resources to meet the demand.
Other banks are likely to follow the suit soon. CMD of another PSU bank said that the increase in the interest rates have become inevitable with the RBI’s new measures. He said that most of the banks will announce the rate hike within a week.
The increase in the interest rate will affect the growth in retail credit. ICICI Bank, which is the largest bank in the retail credit segment, has already said that with the increase in the interest rate, the bank’s retail credit will grow between 5% and 10%. As against this, the credit growth in the market is around 20%.
However, with rate increasing to around 14%, a senior banker said even the corporate houses will postpone their expansion plan. The bankers apprehend that such a steep rate hike will moderate the economic growth considerably.
At the same time, interest rate hike will lead to increase in the default case from the existing borrowers, who had borrowed at floating interest rate. PNB on Wednesday announced a net profit of Rs 512.40 crore for the quarter ended June 30, a 20.6% increase from that in the same period a year ago on the back of improved asset liability management and NPA recovery.
Punjab National Bank (PNB), second largest government-owned bank, and Jammu &Kashmir Bank on Wednesday increased their prime-lending rates by one percentage point. The new PLR for PNB will be 14%. Private sector bank, Axis Bank, however, increased it by only half a percentage point to 15.75%.
This will make the home, consumer and personal loan costlier by the same amount. In the case of home loans, the EMI of the existing borrowers, who have borrowed at floating rates, would go up to the extent the rates have been increased. One percentage point rise in the interest rate will lead an increase of Rs 70 per Rs one lakh loan for 20 years.
PNB CMD KC Chakrabarty said that the new policy measures announced by RBI on Tuesday gave a clear indication to banks to increase the interest rates so that credit growth could be slowed down. Prior to this, PNB had increased its PLR just one month back effective from July 1.
But, there is a good news for the depositor also as PNB also increased the lending rates across the board on all maturities.
RBI on Tuesday increased the lending rate on short-term fund to banks by half a percentage point to 9%. This has set the benchmark for the interest rates in the market. Besides this, RBI also increased the cash reserve ratio (CRR) —- the requirement that a bank suppose to keep with the central bank —— from 8.75% of total deposits to 9%. This has evacuated around Rs 9,000 crore from the banking system.
As the banks are already facing liquidity tightness, the measure of increasing the CRR has put further pressure on the availability of funds. Therefore, a senior banker said banks are forced to increase the deposits rate to mobilize more resources to meet the demand.
Other banks are likely to follow the suit soon. CMD of another PSU bank said that the increase in the interest rates have become inevitable with the RBI’s new measures. He said that most of the banks will announce the rate hike within a week.
The increase in the interest rate will affect the growth in retail credit. ICICI Bank, which is the largest bank in the retail credit segment, has already said that with the increase in the interest rate, the bank’s retail credit will grow between 5% and 10%. As against this, the credit growth in the market is around 20%.
However, with rate increasing to around 14%, a senior banker said even the corporate houses will postpone their expansion plan. The bankers apprehend that such a steep rate hike will moderate the economic growth considerably.
At the same time, interest rate hike will lead to increase in the default case from the existing borrowers, who had borrowed at floating interest rate. PNB on Wednesday announced a net profit of Rs 512.40 crore for the quarter ended June 30, a 20.6% increase from that in the same period a year ago on the back of improved asset liability management and NPA recovery.
Centre lax in tackling terrorism, flays BJP
BJP senior leaders Ch Vidyasagar Rao and N Indrasena Reddy have lambasted the Centre for failing to tackle the illegal immigrants’ intrusion from Bangladesh into the Indian cities even as they called for revival of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota) to rein in the growing terror menace in the country.
After taking part in a rally in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, Vidyasagar alleged that the Old City in Hyderabad had become a major hub for intruders from Pakistan and Bangladesh. “There is enough evidence to show that the roots of terror elements are deeply entrenched in the Old City,” he said and flayed the Majlis party for turning the Old City into a ‘prohibited zone.’
He demanded that the YSR government institute a commission of enquiry to look into the antecedents of those living illegally in Hyderabad in general and the Old City in particular. “It is found an estimated 1.2 crore people have so far illegally entered Assam alone,” he said.
Meanwhile, BJP national secretary Indrasena Reddy demanded that the union government revive Pota in the light of grave threat to the nation’s internal security from terrorist outfits. He flayed the UPA government for abolishing the Act only to woo the minority community. “If we demand revival of Pota, the government says we are anti-Muslim. We are not against Muslims but against the Afzal Gurus and Muzibs who are trying to disturb the very fabric of the country through violent means,” he added.
After taking part in a rally in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday, Vidyasagar alleged that the Old City in Hyderabad had become a major hub for intruders from Pakistan and Bangladesh. “There is enough evidence to show that the roots of terror elements are deeply entrenched in the Old City,” he said and flayed the Majlis party for turning the Old City into a ‘prohibited zone.’
He demanded that the YSR government institute a commission of enquiry to look into the antecedents of those living illegally in Hyderabad in general and the Old City in particular. “It is found an estimated 1.2 crore people have so far illegally entered Assam alone,” he said.
Meanwhile, BJP national secretary Indrasena Reddy demanded that the union government revive Pota in the light of grave threat to the nation’s internal security from terrorist outfits. He flayed the UPA government for abolishing the Act only to woo the minority community. “If we demand revival of Pota, the government says we are anti-Muslim. We are not against Muslims but against the Afzal Gurus and Muzibs who are trying to disturb the very fabric of the country through violent means,” he added.
Currency notes were withdrawn from many places: Panel
As the committee of Lok Sabha on Wednesday began its investigation into the cash-for-vote scam, its first tentative finding seemed to undercut Congress's assertion that the entire amount allegedly offered to three BJP MPs as advance of Rs 9 crore bribe to switch their loyalties had been taken out from the State Bank of Indore's New Market, Bhopal, branch.
Sources said that members of the panel who examined the slips on the wads of currency notes displayed by the three BJP MPs -- Ashok Argal, Mahavir Bhagora and Faggan Singh Kulaste -- found them to have been withdrawn from branches of banks in Noida, Faridabad, Gurgaon and other places. Congress leaders, speaking on the condition of anonymity, had emphasised the link of bundles of currency notes to BJP-controlled Madhya Pradesh to suggest that the whole scam had been stage-managed by the BJP to defame the UPA government.
Senior party leaders had even suggested that the money was ferried to the Capital on the eve of the trust vote at the instance of a BJP chief minister.
Significantly, while the panel favoured a comprehensive probe into the allegation which tainted Manmohan Singh government's victory in the July 22 trust vote, its members recognised that it might not be possible for them to quiz either Amar Singh, SP general secretary and the alleged bribe-giver, or Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, since both were members of Rajya Sabha, without the consent of the Chairman of the Upper House.
The members, who decided to take the help of technical experts to scrutinise the phone records of persons named by the three BJP MPs, noted the view of Kaul and Shakdhar -- experts on parliamentary procedure -- that Lok Sabha can exercise no jurisdiction over the members of the other House without the consent of its Chairman Hamid Ansari.
The first hearing by the panel coincided with V K Malhotra, deputy leader of BJP in Lok Sabha and party's representative on it, saying that he would approach Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to expand the committee to make room for two more representatives from NDA -- BJD's Brajkishore Tripathi and Shiv Sena's Anant Geethe --along with CPI's Gurudas Dasgupta and NCP's Shriniwas Patil.
In another development, while the panel decided to summon CNN-IBN, which collaborated with the three BJP MPs in the sting on the UPA's alleged attempt to bribe them but later decided not to air the contents of the CD, the news channel cited legal opinion to justify its decision.
The committee will meet next on August 4 and the three BJP MPs are likely to be summoned on August 7. The committee's term is coming to an end on August 11 and it may try to give a report by then to coincide with the monsoon session.
As per the complaint, Sanjiv Saxena, identified by the three BJP MPs as Amar Singh's aide, arrived at 4, Ferozeshah Road in a white Gypsy car (DL-2CS-8562), which was noted down by the staff at the residence. He had walked in with the bag which contained Rs 1 crore in 10 bundles of Rs 10 lakh each.
Sources said that members of the panel who examined the slips on the wads of currency notes displayed by the three BJP MPs -- Ashok Argal, Mahavir Bhagora and Faggan Singh Kulaste -- found them to have been withdrawn from branches of banks in Noida, Faridabad, Gurgaon and other places. Congress leaders, speaking on the condition of anonymity, had emphasised the link of bundles of currency notes to BJP-controlled Madhya Pradesh to suggest that the whole scam had been stage-managed by the BJP to defame the UPA government.
Senior party leaders had even suggested that the money was ferried to the Capital on the eve of the trust vote at the instance of a BJP chief minister.
Significantly, while the panel favoured a comprehensive probe into the allegation which tainted Manmohan Singh government's victory in the July 22 trust vote, its members recognised that it might not be possible for them to quiz either Amar Singh, SP general secretary and the alleged bribe-giver, or Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, since both were members of Rajya Sabha, without the consent of the Chairman of the Upper House.
The members, who decided to take the help of technical experts to scrutinise the phone records of persons named by the three BJP MPs, noted the view of Kaul and Shakdhar -- experts on parliamentary procedure -- that Lok Sabha can exercise no jurisdiction over the members of the other House without the consent of its Chairman Hamid Ansari.
The first hearing by the panel coincided with V K Malhotra, deputy leader of BJP in Lok Sabha and party's representative on it, saying that he would approach Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to expand the committee to make room for two more representatives from NDA -- BJD's Brajkishore Tripathi and Shiv Sena's Anant Geethe --along with CPI's Gurudas Dasgupta and NCP's Shriniwas Patil.
In another development, while the panel decided to summon CNN-IBN, which collaborated with the three BJP MPs in the sting on the UPA's alleged attempt to bribe them but later decided not to air the contents of the CD, the news channel cited legal opinion to justify its decision.
The committee will meet next on August 4 and the three BJP MPs are likely to be summoned on August 7. The committee's term is coming to an end on August 11 and it may try to give a report by then to coincide with the monsoon session.
As per the complaint, Sanjiv Saxena, identified by the three BJP MPs as Amar Singh's aide, arrived at 4, Ferozeshah Road in a white Gypsy car (DL-2CS-8562), which was noted down by the staff at the residence. He had walked in with the bag which contained Rs 1 crore in 10 bundles of Rs 10 lakh each.
Is world cricket heading for an inevitable split?
World cricket is facing a crisis because of issues ranging from terror attacks in Pakistan to the rebel ICL tournament, causing major concern among top players of a split along racial lines __ though nobody's mentioning the R-word __ and the end of the game as we know it.
Voices in the West muttering darkly about BCCI's "muscle flexing" during the ugly row in the India-Australia series Down Under which saw umpires being changed and a ban on Harbhajan Singh being revoked had provided early signals of fault lines developing, but a split was something nobody was willing to speculate about in public.
That's now changed with Australia's vice-captain Michael Clarke and former skipper Steve Waugh publicly acknowledging that the possibility exists while hoping that matters wouldn't reach that pass. Two more or less simultaneous, though unrelated, developments have brought things to a head. The first of these is that BCCI, the richest and most powerful board, and the traditionalist England and Wales Cricket Board have declared a virtual war against each other.
Both are stubbornly going ahead with their own versions of the T20 Champions League after differing over issues like player participation in IPL and recognition of banned ICL players __ some of whom play county cricket in England __ and squabbling over revenuesharing patterns.
The other has a terror angle to it. Australia and New Zealand, along with England and South Africa, have voiced serious reservations about playing the Champions Trophy one-day tournament in Pakistan in September because of the threat of attack from Islamic fundamentalists and the perceived lack of foolproof security arrangements.
Their stance has antagonized the subcontinental countries, with the recent serial blasts in Ahmedabad and Bangalore only reinforcing the point that all of them are susceptible to such incidents of violence and hence cannot afford to isolate Pakistan on the issue.
BCCI reacted strongly to Clarke's comment that any split between Asian and Western countries would herald "the end of cricket," with secretary Niranjan Shah telling TOI: "Let Clarke say what he wants. Terror is a global phenomenon and it can strike anywhere, why only in Pakistan? Can anyone say with certainty that there will not be a terror attack in Australia? The cricket fraternity must get together on this. There are rules and regulations in cricket and everybody must follow those. As for our differences with ECB, if everyone has agreed not to support unauthorised activities (read ICL) and share revenue in a particular manner in the Champions League, why can't ECB? Why say only BCCI is rigid?"
Voices in the West muttering darkly about BCCI's "muscle flexing" during the ugly row in the India-Australia series Down Under which saw umpires being changed and a ban on Harbhajan Singh being revoked had provided early signals of fault lines developing, but a split was something nobody was willing to speculate about in public.
That's now changed with Australia's vice-captain Michael Clarke and former skipper Steve Waugh publicly acknowledging that the possibility exists while hoping that matters wouldn't reach that pass. Two more or less simultaneous, though unrelated, developments have brought things to a head. The first of these is that BCCI, the richest and most powerful board, and the traditionalist England and Wales Cricket Board have declared a virtual war against each other.
Both are stubbornly going ahead with their own versions of the T20 Champions League after differing over issues like player participation in IPL and recognition of banned ICL players __ some of whom play county cricket in England __ and squabbling over revenuesharing patterns.
The other has a terror angle to it. Australia and New Zealand, along with England and South Africa, have voiced serious reservations about playing the Champions Trophy one-day tournament in Pakistan in September because of the threat of attack from Islamic fundamentalists and the perceived lack of foolproof security arrangements.
Their stance has antagonized the subcontinental countries, with the recent serial blasts in Ahmedabad and Bangalore only reinforcing the point that all of them are susceptible to such incidents of violence and hence cannot afford to isolate Pakistan on the issue.
BCCI reacted strongly to Clarke's comment that any split between Asian and Western countries would herald "the end of cricket," with secretary Niranjan Shah telling TOI: "Let Clarke say what he wants. Terror is a global phenomenon and it can strike anywhere, why only in Pakistan? Can anyone say with certainty that there will not be a terror attack in Australia? The cricket fraternity must get together on this. There are rules and regulations in cricket and everybody must follow those. As for our differences with ECB, if everyone has agreed not to support unauthorised activities (read ICL) and share revenue in a particular manner in the Champions League, why can't ECB? Why say only BCCI is rigid?"
Amar backs Mamata to take on Left in Bengal
With CPM general secretary Prakash Karat joining hands with BSP supremo Mayawati soon after Mulayam Singh Yadav extended support to the UPA, Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh on Wednesday didn’t miss the opportunity to call on CPM’s arch rival and Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee at her Kolkata residence to checkmate the Left.
“Mamata shouldn’t feel alone. I will come down to Kolkata whenever she calls me and our 56 MPs will stand by her when she will raise the demands of Singur farmers,’’ Singh said, while promising to join the Trinamul’s rally on September 1 against the entry of big business in retail.
At a joint press meet with Mamata, Singh stepped up the ante against the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government. “The Left in West Bengal are taking a right turn. In fact, Mamata has taken a profarmer stance and has also stood by the hapless traders threatened by the entry of big business in retail trade. Now, I’ve decided to join hands with her. If Leftists like Aparna Sen can do so, what’s the harm in my supporting her struggle for the poor,’’ said he.
In return, Trinamul wanted Singh to take up the issue of the forcible land acquisition in Singur with Prime Minister . “We talked politics. I requested Amarda to take up the matter with the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi. We aren’t opposed to industries, but the state government should return the land of the farmers unwilling to part with their land,’’ Mamata said.
“Mamata shouldn’t feel alone. I will come down to Kolkata whenever she calls me and our 56 MPs will stand by her when she will raise the demands of Singur farmers,’’ Singh said, while promising to join the Trinamul’s rally on September 1 against the entry of big business in retail.
At a joint press meet with Mamata, Singh stepped up the ante against the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government. “The Left in West Bengal are taking a right turn. In fact, Mamata has taken a profarmer stance and has also stood by the hapless traders threatened by the entry of big business in retail trade. Now, I’ve decided to join hands with her. If Leftists like Aparna Sen can do so, what’s the harm in my supporting her struggle for the poor,’’ said he.
In return, Trinamul wanted Singh to take up the issue of the forcible land acquisition in Singur with Prime Minister . “We talked politics. I requested Amarda to take up the matter with the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi. We aren’t opposed to industries, but the state government should return the land of the farmers unwilling to part with their land,’’ Mamata said.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Despite arrests, Simi networks are intact
For an organisation that has emerged as the cat's paw of Pakistan's efforts to "indegenise'' its covert operations in India, including deadly terror strikes against civilian targets, not much is known about Students Islamic Movement of India's networks and organisational bases throughout the country.
With a strength estimated at around 20,000 foot soldiers or adherents, a section of Simi's top leadership, including its general secretary and top ideologue Safdar Nagori, was immobilised in a raid in Indore in March this year. The arrests of Nagori and 10 associates was seen as a significant blow to the organisation and their interrogation was expected to yield some detail on the 7/11 bombings.
But, as the incidents in Bangalore and Ahmedabad establish, Simi networks do not seem to have been significantly disrupted and their links with groups like Harkat ul Jihad-IIslami (HuJI) are sufficiently intact to stage big strikes. As the arrest and interrogation of various Simi members since 2001 has shown, several activists have travelled to Pakistan to receive training under the eye of ISI.
Simi's collaboration with the arm of HuJI based in Bangladesh has been significant. Identified by CIA as HuJI-B, the Bangladesh-based group has become a major agent for planning and staging attacks in India. And from being mere foot soldiers providing local statistics, Simi men are moving up the terror chain, increasingly involved in planning and execution.
Indian agencies have recently noted that Pakistan's dependence on Simi is growing. The organisation is part of ISI's plans to make the jihad in India more local so that the use of Pakistani nationals is kept at a minimum. This allows Pakistan to point to home-grown militants being India's "responsibility'' and counter the charge that it is the fount of terrorism in South Asia. These arguments are not likely to impress the international community as long as Pakistan's role in destablising Afghanistan is apparent, but it helps Islamabad deny links to terror groups.
Simi has been long influenced by a vision of an Islamic state where there is a unity of political and religious states. Nagori has repeatedly held Osama bin Laden as the ideal "mujahid'' and the organisation, as do Taliban and al Qaida adherents, finds democracy and elections to be anathema. Inspired by Maulana Maududi's vision of an Islamic state, Simi remained wedded to "reinstatement'' of the Caliphate. It is ironic that Maududi himself died in Pakistan, frustrated at being unable to realize his vision of an Islamic state. It is no surprise that Simi sees 9/11 as a Mossad plot.
From a theological affiliation to the Deobandi school --many of its activists like members of Jamaat-i-Islami al-Hind are alumni of the famous seminary -- the shift to violent jihad has been quite seamless. A widening circle of influence, funded by Saudi money, has seen Simi develop wide-ranging foreign contacts. The HuJI launch pads are useful as retreats while targets are chosen and assessed by handlers based in Pakistan. Sometimes there is a specific urgency as was evident before the October 29, 2005 Delhi blasts to stage a "big show''.
Simi's founder Mohammad Ahmadullah Siddiqi reportedly once opposed the visit of PLO leader Yasser Arafat for being a "western puppet". Siddiqi was upset at Arafat's straying from his Islamic roots and sought to organize street protests. The radical elements of Simi make-up were never too far from the surface. Siddiqi has claimed that Simi "has been hijacked by elements in other countries'' and is completely different than the group he established.
But there is no denying that Simi has been inspired what it sees as Maududi's goal to make Islam the supreme organising principle for social, religious and political life.
Missing bombs worry cops: Are some unexploded bombs tucked away in some corners of the city? The suspicion has only strengthened in Ahmedabad after 18 bombs found in Surat on Tuesday failed to fire. Ahmedabad saw 19 explosions on Saturday. Subsequently, two unexploded bombs were found in the city with numbers '23' and '24' written on them. Significantly, none of Surat bombs had numbers, even though they were similar in nature, except for the absence of timer devices. It is believed that all the bombs that exploded in Ahmedabad must have also been numbered. Some spots like Hatkeshwar circle and Civil Hospital saw twin explosions in quick succession. TNN PROTECTIVE SHIELD
You have seen them in action for the last four days. TOI gets beneath the special suit that personnel of bomb disposal squad wear
Ahmedabad police have two pairs of ‘Explosive Ordnance Disposal’ suits. This is used by the bomb disposal team for situations like presence of tiffin bombs, high explosives, hand grenade
Made in China, the suits were purchased by the city police 10 years ago. The team has acquired newer equipment over the years as per field research
The suit weighs around 12.8 to 15 kg, along with equipment
It takes about 15 minutes to wear or remove the entire suit
There is a team of seven persons but, most of the time, just one or two persons do the most dangerous job -- removing the bomb and putting it into a carbon sheet to dispose it in a barren area
The basic material used is carbon fibre. The breast plate is the toughest part where hard carbon plates are studded in the cover
The vulnerable areas are joints where plating is not possible. However, officials believe that most of the time, they can sense the danger while disposing a bomb
With a strength estimated at around 20,000 foot soldiers or adherents, a section of Simi's top leadership, including its general secretary and top ideologue Safdar Nagori, was immobilised in a raid in Indore in March this year. The arrests of Nagori and 10 associates was seen as a significant blow to the organisation and their interrogation was expected to yield some detail on the 7/11 bombings.
But, as the incidents in Bangalore and Ahmedabad establish, Simi networks do not seem to have been significantly disrupted and their links with groups like Harkat ul Jihad-IIslami (HuJI) are sufficiently intact to stage big strikes. As the arrest and interrogation of various Simi members since 2001 has shown, several activists have travelled to Pakistan to receive training under the eye of ISI.
Simi's collaboration with the arm of HuJI based in Bangladesh has been significant. Identified by CIA as HuJI-B, the Bangladesh-based group has become a major agent for planning and staging attacks in India. And from being mere foot soldiers providing local statistics, Simi men are moving up the terror chain, increasingly involved in planning and execution.
Indian agencies have recently noted that Pakistan's dependence on Simi is growing. The organisation is part of ISI's plans to make the jihad in India more local so that the use of Pakistani nationals is kept at a minimum. This allows Pakistan to point to home-grown militants being India's "responsibility'' and counter the charge that it is the fount of terrorism in South Asia. These arguments are not likely to impress the international community as long as Pakistan's role in destablising Afghanistan is apparent, but it helps Islamabad deny links to terror groups.
Simi has been long influenced by a vision of an Islamic state where there is a unity of political and religious states. Nagori has repeatedly held Osama bin Laden as the ideal "mujahid'' and the organisation, as do Taliban and al Qaida adherents, finds democracy and elections to be anathema. Inspired by Maulana Maududi's vision of an Islamic state, Simi remained wedded to "reinstatement'' of the Caliphate. It is ironic that Maududi himself died in Pakistan, frustrated at being unable to realize his vision of an Islamic state. It is no surprise that Simi sees 9/11 as a Mossad plot.
From a theological affiliation to the Deobandi school --many of its activists like members of Jamaat-i-Islami al-Hind are alumni of the famous seminary -- the shift to violent jihad has been quite seamless. A widening circle of influence, funded by Saudi money, has seen Simi develop wide-ranging foreign contacts. The HuJI launch pads are useful as retreats while targets are chosen and assessed by handlers based in Pakistan. Sometimes there is a specific urgency as was evident before the October 29, 2005 Delhi blasts to stage a "big show''.
Simi's founder Mohammad Ahmadullah Siddiqi reportedly once opposed the visit of PLO leader Yasser Arafat for being a "western puppet". Siddiqi was upset at Arafat's straying from his Islamic roots and sought to organize street protests. The radical elements of Simi make-up were never too far from the surface. Siddiqi has claimed that Simi "has been hijacked by elements in other countries'' and is completely different than the group he established.
But there is no denying that Simi has been inspired what it sees as Maududi's goal to make Islam the supreme organising principle for social, religious and political life.
Missing bombs worry cops: Are some unexploded bombs tucked away in some corners of the city? The suspicion has only strengthened in Ahmedabad after 18 bombs found in Surat on Tuesday failed to fire. Ahmedabad saw 19 explosions on Saturday. Subsequently, two unexploded bombs were found in the city with numbers '23' and '24' written on them. Significantly, none of Surat bombs had numbers, even though they were similar in nature, except for the absence of timer devices. It is believed that all the bombs that exploded in Ahmedabad must have also been numbered. Some spots like Hatkeshwar circle and Civil Hospital saw twin explosions in quick succession. TNN PROTECTIVE SHIELD
You have seen them in action for the last four days. TOI gets beneath the special suit that personnel of bomb disposal squad wear
Ahmedabad police have two pairs of ‘Explosive Ordnance Disposal’ suits. This is used by the bomb disposal team for situations like presence of tiffin bombs, high explosives, hand grenade
Made in China, the suits were purchased by the city police 10 years ago. The team has acquired newer equipment over the years as per field research
The suit weighs around 12.8 to 15 kg, along with equipment
It takes about 15 minutes to wear or remove the entire suit
There is a team of seven persons but, most of the time, just one or two persons do the most dangerous job -- removing the bomb and putting it into a carbon sheet to dispose it in a barren area
The basic material used is carbon fibre. The breast plate is the toughest part where hard carbon plates are studded in the cover
The vulnerable areas are joints where plating is not possible. However, officials believe that most of the time, they can sense the danger while disposing a bomb
Some of the Simi leaders who were in Indore In March
Cong, Chiru camps vie to woo DK
Even as D K Adikesavulu Naidu is keeping the cards close to his chest, both the Congress and Chiranjeevi’s yetto-be-launched party camps are eager to take the Chittoor MP into their fold.
A team of Congress leaders from Chittoor district led by deputy speaker G Kuthuhalamma met Adikesavulu Naidu on Tuesday evening to convince him to join the Congress.
Talking to ‘TOI,’ Tirupati MLA M Venkatramana said: “As per the party high command wish, we met the Chittoor MP to invite him to join our party. He said he would take a decision only after discussing the issue with his family members, followers and well-wishers.”
However, rumours were rife that the Congress leaders went to meet DK to dissuade him from joining Chiru’s party. On the other hand, though the Congress is welcoming DK into its fold, the followers of former MLA of Chittoor, C K Jayachandra Reddy, are opposing the move since there has been a rivalry between DK and CK. Recently, a case was booked against DK’s son for an alleged attempt on CK’s life. Chiranjeevi’s followers are also sparing no efforts to woo DK.
Meanwhile, DK received the fax copies of his voting during no-confidence motion which clearly stated that he had not voted for the UPA, as alleged by some TDP leaders. DK is likely to exhibit the papers before media on Wednesday to prove his ‘innocence.’
A team of Congress leaders from Chittoor district led by deputy speaker G Kuthuhalamma met Adikesavulu Naidu on Tuesday evening to convince him to join the Congress.
Talking to ‘TOI,’ Tirupati MLA M Venkatramana said: “As per the party high command wish, we met the Chittoor MP to invite him to join our party. He said he would take a decision only after discussing the issue with his family members, followers and well-wishers.”
However, rumours were rife that the Congress leaders went to meet DK to dissuade him from joining Chiru’s party. On the other hand, though the Congress is welcoming DK into its fold, the followers of former MLA of Chittoor, C K Jayachandra Reddy, are opposing the move since there has been a rivalry between DK and CK. Recently, a case was booked against DK’s son for an alleged attempt on CK’s life. Chiranjeevi’s followers are also sparing no efforts to woo DK.
Meanwhile, DK received the fax copies of his voting during no-confidence motion which clearly stated that he had not voted for the UPA, as alleged by some TDP leaders. DK is likely to exhibit the papers before media on Wednesday to prove his ‘innocence.’
Cyber cafes turning terror hubs
As terrorists are going hitec and giving advance information about their strike plan using the Internet, the Hyderabad police are seriously planning to formulate rules and regulations for cyber cafes.
Indian Mujahideen, which claimed responsibility for blasts at court complexes in Uttar Pradesh, Jaipur serial blasts and the recent Ahmedabad blasts, had given information about the blasts in explosive e-mails.
To prove the authenticity, the outfit (police suspect that Indian Mujahideen is a new face of SIMI) had sent video footage of an explosive-laden cycle placed in Jaipur. In Uttar Pradesh and Jaipur cases, police were unable to trace the person who had sent the e-mails as the tracking them had led them to unknown servers in France and other countries in Europe.
The e-mail received before the Ahmedabad blasts was traced to an IP address of an American national residing at an apartment in Sanpada, Mumbai. But police officials said that the IP address was hacked for sending the email.
With the terror threat looming large, the Hyderabad police are finally working out plans for putting regulations in place at cyber cafes. Removable drives would not be allowed to use in a cyber cafe and before providing a system, photo identification card will be must. All cyber cafes have to maintain log book with details of customers, sources said.
“In the next few days, the matter will be discussed and regulations will be formulated. The Cyber Crime section of CCS will probably be supervising the implementation part of the regulations,” commissioner of police B Prasada Rao said.
The Andhra Pradesh police have been assisting the Ahmedabad police in the investigation of Saturday’s serial blasts. A city police officer went to Ahmedabad with photographs of the unexploded bomb found at Dilsukhnagar on the day twin blasts rocked the city in August 2007. “The bombs used in Ahmedabad are similar to the one found at Dilsukhnagar and the detonators are also from APEL in Nalgonda,” a police official, who is part of the blasts investigation, said.
Recently, the Uttar Pradesh police had arrested some people at Moghulsarai and seized nearly 7,500 detonators manufactured at AP Explosives Private Limited.
“The detonators sold by APEL are falling into wrong hands after they are sold. Police have to keep a vigil on buyers,” Rao added. A police team has also been despatched to Chennai to gather information about Abdul Gafoor and his terror associates.
Indian Mujahideen, which claimed responsibility for blasts at court complexes in Uttar Pradesh, Jaipur serial blasts and the recent Ahmedabad blasts, had given information about the blasts in explosive e-mails.
To prove the authenticity, the outfit (police suspect that Indian Mujahideen is a new face of SIMI) had sent video footage of an explosive-laden cycle placed in Jaipur. In Uttar Pradesh and Jaipur cases, police were unable to trace the person who had sent the e-mails as the tracking them had led them to unknown servers in France and other countries in Europe.
The e-mail received before the Ahmedabad blasts was traced to an IP address of an American national residing at an apartment in Sanpada, Mumbai. But police officials said that the IP address was hacked for sending the email.
With the terror threat looming large, the Hyderabad police are finally working out plans for putting regulations in place at cyber cafes. Removable drives would not be allowed to use in a cyber cafe and before providing a system, photo identification card will be must. All cyber cafes have to maintain log book with details of customers, sources said.
“In the next few days, the matter will be discussed and regulations will be formulated. The Cyber Crime section of CCS will probably be supervising the implementation part of the regulations,” commissioner of police B Prasada Rao said.
The Andhra Pradesh police have been assisting the Ahmedabad police in the investigation of Saturday’s serial blasts. A city police officer went to Ahmedabad with photographs of the unexploded bomb found at Dilsukhnagar on the day twin blasts rocked the city in August 2007. “The bombs used in Ahmedabad are similar to the one found at Dilsukhnagar and the detonators are also from APEL in Nalgonda,” a police official, who is part of the blasts investigation, said.
Recently, the Uttar Pradesh police had arrested some people at Moghulsarai and seized nearly 7,500 detonators manufactured at AP Explosives Private Limited.
“The detonators sold by APEL are falling into wrong hands after they are sold. Police have to keep a vigil on buyers,” Rao added. A police team has also been despatched to Chennai to gather information about Abdul Gafoor and his terror associates.
Power crisis: ‘Worried’ YSR turns to Man
Worried over the serious power crisis crippling the state, chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy on Tuesday sent an SOS to the Centre seeking the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in getting allotment of Thadicherla coal block II, spread over Karimnagar and Warangal, to the Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation.
Reddy, who reviewed the power situation here on Tuesday, wrote the letter to the prime minister explaining the critical situation the state is passing through with regard to the power sector.
He said while the present generation of thermal power was a little over 2200 MW, the power consumption in the state was around 7000 MW. Despite buying power and drawing from the central quota and overdrawing from the southern grid, the shortage reported on Tuesday was to the tune of 1200 MW.
Apart from meeting the present demand, what is causing worry to the government is the increasing demand for industrial power in view of the various mineral based industries such as alumina and aluminium plants, titanium, sponge metal and steel plants. Besides new cement plants are being built while the existing ones are expanding their capacity. Added to this, the state government is also embarking on several joint ventures with some new major industries, which require thermal power for captive consumption. To meet the future demand, the state government is in the process of promoting new thermal units which require coal.
Meeting the demand for coal to the existing thermal units itself is becoming difficult and most of the power stations are running on a very low coal reserves. Some units have stocks for just one day.
The Kothagudem and Rayalaseema thermal units have shut down one unit each for lack of coal resulting in further loss of power generation. It is in this backdrop that the state government has urged the Centre to speed up the process of allocating Thadicherla coal block II to APMDC.
The recent rains have not helped the power utilities as the shortage continues to rise and no inflows have been reported into Srisailam reservoir.
Reddy, who reviewed the power situation here on Tuesday, wrote the letter to the prime minister explaining the critical situation the state is passing through with regard to the power sector.
He said while the present generation of thermal power was a little over 2200 MW, the power consumption in the state was around 7000 MW. Despite buying power and drawing from the central quota and overdrawing from the southern grid, the shortage reported on Tuesday was to the tune of 1200 MW.
Apart from meeting the present demand, what is causing worry to the government is the increasing demand for industrial power in view of the various mineral based industries such as alumina and aluminium plants, titanium, sponge metal and steel plants. Besides new cement plants are being built while the existing ones are expanding their capacity. Added to this, the state government is also embarking on several joint ventures with some new major industries, which require thermal power for captive consumption. To meet the future demand, the state government is in the process of promoting new thermal units which require coal.
Meeting the demand for coal to the existing thermal units itself is becoming difficult and most of the power stations are running on a very low coal reserves. Some units have stocks for just one day.
The Kothagudem and Rayalaseema thermal units have shut down one unit each for lack of coal resulting in further loss of power generation. It is in this backdrop that the state government has urged the Centre to speed up the process of allocating Thadicherla coal block II to APMDC.
The recent rains have not helped the power utilities as the shortage continues to rise and no inflows have been reported into Srisailam reservoir.
Surat, a bomb mine
On the morning after the Ahmedabad serial blasts, The Times of India ran the headline-- 'Bangalore, Ahmedabad. Who's Next?' The answer is here. Surat was the next target. With two explosives amd ammunition-packed cars discovered and a cache of 18 bombs discovered in the bustling city, there's little doubt about that.
Gujarat's second largest city would have sucked into horrific terror had the terrorists succeeded in blowing up what appears to be at least three dozen bombs-- between the incendiary material found in WagonRs on Sunday and the assembled bombs discovered in the densely-populated diamond hub-- a Rs 70,000-crore industry-- on Tuesday.The discovery brought relief but raised deadlier questions. How come a huge operation involving three of the country's largest cities escape the intelligence radar? Did a police crackdown in Surat following the Ahmedabad blasts trigger enough panic among the merchants of death to abandon their deadly cargo? And abandon them carelessly enough to be discovered one after the other-- one of them on a tree top!
The discovery was also often quite by chance. Lace-cloth supplier from Varachha, Sanjay Kaporia (35), for instance, saw something odd in the dustbin outside his shop. Unmindful of the risk, he walked with the live bomb for 22 metres to Labeshwar police chowki. "I thought it is best to bring it here,'' he said.
BJP councillor from Varachha, Bhimji Budhna, also detected one. "I was passing by Mini Market when I saw a green plastic bag stuck between signboards of two shops. It looked like a bomb, like the ones I've seen on TV. So I called the police.''
Surat police commissioner R M S Brar claimed that police informers have said that the bombs were abandoned on Monday night. He has asked for more bomb disposal personnel. Surat's escape from terror was providential. It was clearly on the jehadi crosshairs, even though Surat remained an island of peace while rest of Gujarat burned during 2002 riots.
There were no answers from security agencies, completely confounded by the rapid unfolding of what now has emerged as the biggest serial terror plot in independent India.The first inkling of the impending attacks came on Sunday when the two cars were found with ammonium nitrate, shrapnel, detonators and binding agents for bombs. By Tuesday morning, the evidence was overwhelming. Citizens found 18 more bombs strewn around the buzzing diamond-studded Varachha area, densely-populated marketplaces, road-dividers, a tree and a hoarding on a flyover. Triggers failed in Surat bombs
Ahmedabad/Surat: The 18 bombs, which were discovered by the citizens, were similar to the boat-shaped devices which caused devastation in Ahmedabad on Saturday, killing 52 people. However, unlike the timers used in Ahmedabad, the Surat bombs used integrated circuits as a trigger which, miraculously, malfunctioned.
It was a day of frantic activity as bombs seemed to crop up every hour. An overworked bomb disposal squad rushed from one site to another. The bombs in Varachha were recovered from Matawadi, Mini Bazaar, Bhavna Ford, J D Restaurant and Hira Baug Circle. Other bombs were recovered from Mahidharpura diamond market, Gajera School Circle in Katargam and Bhavani Gems Circle on A K Road. TNN
Gujarat's second largest city would have sucked into horrific terror had the terrorists succeeded in blowing up what appears to be at least three dozen bombs-- between the incendiary material found in WagonRs on Sunday and the assembled bombs discovered in the densely-populated diamond hub-- a Rs 70,000-crore industry-- on Tuesday.The discovery brought relief but raised deadlier questions. How come a huge operation involving three of the country's largest cities escape the intelligence radar? Did a police crackdown in Surat following the Ahmedabad blasts trigger enough panic among the merchants of death to abandon their deadly cargo? And abandon them carelessly enough to be discovered one after the other-- one of them on a tree top!
The discovery was also often quite by chance. Lace-cloth supplier from Varachha, Sanjay Kaporia (35), for instance, saw something odd in the dustbin outside his shop. Unmindful of the risk, he walked with the live bomb for 22 metres to Labeshwar police chowki. "I thought it is best to bring it here,'' he said.
BJP councillor from Varachha, Bhimji Budhna, also detected one. "I was passing by Mini Market when I saw a green plastic bag stuck between signboards of two shops. It looked like a bomb, like the ones I've seen on TV. So I called the police.''
Surat police commissioner R M S Brar claimed that police informers have said that the bombs were abandoned on Monday night. He has asked for more bomb disposal personnel. Surat's escape from terror was providential. It was clearly on the jehadi crosshairs, even though Surat remained an island of peace while rest of Gujarat burned during 2002 riots.
There were no answers from security agencies, completely confounded by the rapid unfolding of what now has emerged as the biggest serial terror plot in independent India.The first inkling of the impending attacks came on Sunday when the two cars were found with ammonium nitrate, shrapnel, detonators and binding agents for bombs. By Tuesday morning, the evidence was overwhelming. Citizens found 18 more bombs strewn around the buzzing diamond-studded Varachha area, densely-populated marketplaces, road-dividers, a tree and a hoarding on a flyover. Triggers failed in Surat bombs
Ahmedabad/Surat: The 18 bombs, which were discovered by the citizens, were similar to the boat-shaped devices which caused devastation in Ahmedabad on Saturday, killing 52 people. However, unlike the timers used in Ahmedabad, the Surat bombs used integrated circuits as a trigger which, miraculously, malfunctioned.
It was a day of frantic activity as bombs seemed to crop up every hour. An overworked bomb disposal squad rushed from one site to another. The bombs in Varachha were recovered from Matawadi, Mini Bazaar, Bhavna Ford, J D Restaurant and Hira Baug Circle. Other bombs were recovered from Mahidharpura diamond market, Gajera School Circle in Katargam and Bhavani Gems Circle on A K Road. TNN
Monday, July 28, 2008
Rahul tells seniors, how to win polls
The AICC gener al secretary, Mr Rahul Gandhi, is a novice in politics when compared to senior Congress leaders from the state. That did not prevent him from giving tips to senior leaders on how to win elections.
The leaders who listened to him include the former Karnataka chief minister and AICC in-charge of AP affairs, Mr Veerappa Moily, the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, the PCC president, Mr D.
Srinivas and a group of Cabinet ministers.
Mr Gandhi explained his “strategy” to return to power while speaking at the PCC executive meeting. When some leaders revealed their anxiety over actor Chiranjeevi’s proposed political party and its impact on the Congress, Mr Gandhi said he was confident that Congress will continue in its position of strength as it has faced several such challenges in the past. Mr Gandhi was forced to speak about Chiranjeevi’s party as some leaders were afraid that the new outfit might win the support of the backward communities.
Mr Gandhi then asked the senior leaders to be cautious about last minute changes in poll alliances.
During his first ever visit to the Gandhi Bhavan, Mr Gandhi spent about oneand-a-half hours interacting with local leaders and office bearers.
The AICC general secretary, who arrived here on Saturday on a two-day visit, reached Gandhi Bhavan amidst tight security with even the media being barred from covering the event.
Later, Mr Gandhi met leaders of the Congress affiliated wings like the Youth Congress, Mahila Congress, Sevadal, legal and doctor cells.
Mr Gandhi even talked to district Congress presidents through tele-conference and enquired about the party’s chances of winning there. “He complimented the state government for its development plan,” revealed PCC president, Mr D. Srinivas.
However, Mr Gandhi was irked when Mahila Congress activists, including its president, started shouting slogans. He asked the Mahila Congress president, Mrs Ganga Bhavani, to stop shouting.
“Mr Gandhi told us bluntly that he did not come here to hear praises,” said a Mahila Congress activist who was present at the meeting.
The activists urged Mr Gandhi to take steps to increase the monetary support to a girl child to Rs 1.5 lakh.
Naidu, CPM twist for TRS
After bashing the Congress for its “unethical alliance” with the Left and the TRS, the Telugu Desam is set to stitch up a grand alliance with the Left, BSP and “like-minded” parties.
This would be on the lines of the “grand alliance” which comprises the UNPA, the Left and the BSP at the national level.
Disclosing this, the TD supremo, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, did not deny reports of an understanding with the TRS.
“We are not against Telangana (statehood). Our five-member committee is discussing the issue. Very soon we will come out with a clear action,” he told this correspondent.
The TD is preparing a carefully-phrased document to serve the interests of both parties.
A TD leader who is medi ating between Mr Naidu and the TRS said that a tieup was “just a matter of time.” The CPI(M) has just in time dropped its objection to working with pro-statehood parties.
The CPI(M) state secretary, Mr B.V. Raghavulu’s statement that he had no objection in working with the TRS has come as a big relief.
Mr Naidu said that the UNPA would project the BSP chief, Ms Mayawati, as its Prime Ministerial candidate. “It is time that a woman leader from the downtrodden sections assumes the office,” he said.
Mr Naidu camped on Sunday at Thukkuguda, the village of his ex-deputy, Mr T. Devender Goud. Mr Naidu is expected to conclude his 150-day Mee Kosam yatra on its 116th day on August 15 in Anantapur district with a public meeting.
BJP states on terror hit list
Intelligence agen cies are investigating if terrorists are making a conscious effort to target states ruled by BJP governments.
Intelligence Bureau sleuths have gone to Mumbai, Jaipur, Hyderabad and Bengaluru to track down hideouts of the Harkat-ulJihad-al-Islami (HuJI) and the Students’ Islamic Movement of India (Simi).
Intelligence sources say there could be different reasons for such targeting. In Gujarat it could be due to communal riots, in Madhya Pradesh due to the crackdown on Simi, particularly after the Jaipur blasts. The MP police had arrested top Simi leader Safdar Nagori and 10 of his men after the Jaipur attack.
In MP, steps are being taken to strengthen security in Bhopal, Indore and Ujjain, while a close watch is being kept on BJP-ruled Himachal Pradesh. Simi is learnt to have shifted its base to Karnataka following the MP crackdown, and later it again relocated to Karaikal (Puducherry) and Goa, official sources said.
The matter was discussed at a high-level meeting chaired by Union minister of state for home Sriprakash Jaiswal in Puducherry earlier this month, which was attended by the lieutenant-governor, the chief minister, chief secretary and DGP.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Semiya Dadhojanam
INGREDIENTS
Semiya - 150 gm Curds - 250 gms Ginger - half a piece Green chillies - 2 small And turmeric and salt to taste
FOR SEASONSING:
Chana daal- ¼ tsp Urad daal-- ¼ tsp Cumin seeds-- ½ tsp Mustard seeds-- ½ tsp Dry red chilly- one no
curry leaves- I sprig
Asafoetida- one pinch
FOR GARNISHING: Chopped coriander and grated carrot
METHOD:
Boil semiya in half liter water till it gets tender. Drain water and add a teaspoon of oil to it . Beat curd and add a pinch of turmeric powder, salt, ginger paste and green chilly paste. Take three spoons of oil, heat and add items for seasoning add to curd and mix. Now add semiya to curd mixture and garnish it. Refrigerate and serve it chilled
Semiya - 150 gm Curds - 250 gms Ginger - half a piece Green chillies - 2 small And turmeric and salt to taste
FOR SEASONSING:
Chana daal- ¼ tsp Urad daal-- ¼ tsp Cumin seeds-- ½ tsp Mustard seeds-- ½ tsp Dry red chilly- one no
curry leaves- I sprig
Asafoetida- one pinch
FOR GARNISHING: Chopped coriander and grated carrot
METHOD:
Boil semiya in half liter water till it gets tender. Drain water and add a teaspoon of oil to it . Beat curd and add a pinch of turmeric powder, salt, ginger paste and green chilly paste. Take three spoons of oil, heat and add items for seasoning add to curd and mix. Now add semiya to curd mixture and garnish it. Refrigerate and serve it chilled
Will Chiru launch his party
The speculation surrounding Chiranjeevi's party launch continues to be a subject of hot discussion at both political and social parties. While a few believe that it will be launched on his birthday, August 22nd, industry sources claim that Chiranjeevi will announce his decision on 8th August and not Independence Day. The launch promises to be a gala affair with him revealing the flag and agenda of his party at a public rally. kin to do his job. To fit into his new political avatar.It is learnt that Chiru is seeking advise from personality councilors to make him aggressive and diplomatic. "He can take a moral high ground by meeting the demands of Nandini and invite Srija couple before setting out to campaign" reasons a political analyst who believes these nagging issues will put him on defensive until resolved.
The unfortunate clashes between fans over their respective castes added to the drama.Besides pacifying them Chiru needs to define the role of his huge following. Similarly, if the roles of his brothers and brother-inlaw remain undefined then it would create even more confusion (it is alleged that leaders like Mayawati and KCR insisted on a one-to-one meet instead of mediators). With Pavan Kalyan resolving to play an active role in inspire youth it becomes more of a necessity than choice. According to sources, Rajnikanth cautioned his friend to be more careful with strangers while touring prompting Chiru to form a security ring around him.
The unfortunate clashes between fans over their respective castes added to the drama.Besides pacifying them Chiru needs to define the role of his huge following. Similarly, if the roles of his brothers and brother-inlaw remain undefined then it would create even more confusion (it is alleged that leaders like Mayawati and KCR insisted on a one-to-one meet instead of mediators). With Pavan Kalyan resolving to play an active role in inspire youth it becomes more of a necessity than choice. According to sources, Rajnikanth cautioned his friend to be more careful with strangers while touring prompting Chiru to form a security ring around him.
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