The Indian Panorama

Year: 2015

  • Adding Fuel to Fire – Congress claims ‘Secret pact’ between PDP, BJP over Masarat Alam

    Adding Fuel to Fire – Congress claims ‘Secret pact’ between PDP, BJP over Masarat Alam

    Senior Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi took to Twitter to take a dig at the Prime Minister and BJP over Alam’s release. “A party constantly speaking on nationalism & against separatism & terrorism in opposition now supine & impotent against coalition compulsions!,” he tweets.

    Uddhav Thackeray seeks criminal case against Mufti Sayeed, asks whether a CM has right to release people like Masarat Alam, say media reports.

    Madhya Pradesh Youth Congress stages a silent protest against Masarat Alam’s release.

    Members of various organizations including Shiv Sena, Kranti Dal hold protest in Jammu as they demand immediate re-arrest of Alam while asking the BJP to come clean on the issue.

    Life remains normal in the state despite a two-day shutdown call given by the Panthers Party in Jammu against the release of Masrat Alam at state Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed`s orders.

    On Alam’s release, Communist Party India (CPI) leader D Raja says, “We have heard what our Prime Minister has said but the government in Jammu and Kashmir is a coalition government….The BJP cannot absolve its responsibility. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) should own responsibility and explain its position.”

    Senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz says, “Hurriyat shouldn`t go to the Pakistan High Commission to discuss politics because it is not going to benefit them. Hurriyat should instead talk to Government of India and the Government of India should also open a dialogue with them. That is the only option; there is no point in initiating dialogue with Government of Pakistan.”

    “I assure the House that after the clarification from the state government, if needed, we will issue a strong advisory,” Rajnath says in Lok Sabha.

    In an another tweet the HMO writes: “The Central govt is not satisfied with the J&K Home Dept. report. We have sought clarifications from the State.”

    The official twitter handle of Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s office (HMO) tweets: “Centre has got a report from J&K Home Dept on the release of Masrat Alam.It says he has been granted bail in all cases against him.”​

    BJP lawmakers in Jammu and Kashmir demand immediate arrest of hardliner Masarat Alam. “BJP strongly opposes and rejects the decision to release Masarat Alam and believes that the conduct of Alam, after his release and the statements made by him and situation existing now, are fresh inputs to consider his fresh detention under PSA immediately in the interest of the security of the state,” says state BJP General Secretary Rajiv Jasrotia.

    Criticising BJP for its “suicidal surrender and U-turn on its jingoistic rhetoric” on the release of hardline separatist leader Masarat Alam, Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) says the party had compromised on all its policies for the sake of power. “We accuse BJP for its suicidal surrender and U-turn on its jingoistic rhetoric. The state unit of BJP owes an explanation to the people of state for its criminal silence over the spate of announcements and measures announced by PDP in furtherance of its highly controversial agenda,” JKNPP Chairman, Harsh Dev Singh tells reporters.

     

    In Srinagar, Masarat Alam tells reporters: “Mufti Sayeed should not try to take political mileage out of it. I was released through a normal legal procedure since my Public safety Act (PSA) detention was about to end in the next two to three days.” “What difference does it make if one person is released when there are thousands languishing in jails,” he adds while denying that he had been responsible for the killings of youths during the 2010 unrest in the Valley. “It was Omar Abdullah and not me who is responsible for those killings,” says Alam.  

    BJP legislators meet Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed at his residence over Masarat Alam’s release. 

    Saying that Masarat Alam’s release is not a big deal, separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani says the accusations against the Hurriyat hardliner are untrue.

    Talking to a news agency, Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani says India should accept the fact that Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory and not a part of India. Calling Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s praise of Hurriyat as a mere political stunt, Geelani opined that there will be no change in Kashmir.

    Taking a jibe at the BJP, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah says a CM has to be trusted to decide what is in the interest of his/her state. On microblogging website Twitter, Abdullah says:

  • Gunfire at Sikh temple parking lot in Renton, Washington

    Gunfire at Sikh temple parking lot in Renton, Washington

    RENTON, Wash. – Reports of gunfire at a Sikh temple sent officers from several agencies to Talbot Road South on Sunday, Captain Ohashi from Kent Fire Department said.

    An argument between two members of the Gurudwara Singh Sabha of Washington congregation broke out in the temple’s parking lot, and quickly escalated.

    Witnesses told police the two men were yelling at each other, which attracted a small crowd. One man suddenly pulled out a handgun, and it fired into the ground when several bystanders tried to restrain him.

    “Nobody should take any weapon inside the temple. That’s very bad,” temple member Harjinder Singh said. “Everybody should come peaceful because kids come there, women come there, elders come there, so peacefully pray and go home.”

    Police say no one was hurt, and no weapon was recovered. Officers detained one man, but they don’t believe he will face any charges.

  • Former Outlook Editor Vinod Mehta passes away after prolonged illness at 73

    Former Outlook Editor Vinod Mehta passes away after prolonged illness at 73

    NEW DELHI (AP) — Vinod Mehta, founding editor of India’s Outlook magazine and a fearless and irreverent commentator on Indian politics, died Sunday. He was 73.

    Mehta died of multiple organ failure at New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences, said hospital spokesman Amit Gupta.

    In a career spanning four decades, Mehta launched several newspapers and magazines. But he was best known for his trenchant editorial columns on politics and the shenanigans of Indian politicians.

    Mehta was born in the city of Rawalpindi, in present-day Pakistan, in 1942. He spent his childhood in Lucknow, India.

    In 2011, he published his best-selling memoirs, “Lucknow Boy,” followed a couple of years later by “Editor Unplugged.”

    Mehta was the founding editor of newspapers such as the Sunday Observer, the Indian Post, The Independent and the Delhi edition of The Pioneer. In 1995, he founded Outlook, a weekly news and views magazine. He was a popular commentator on television chat shows, well known for his fiercely independent views.

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “Frank & direct in his opinions, Vinod Mehta will be remembered as a fine journalist & writer. Condolences to his family on his demise.”

  • Nirbhaya Fund – Women ‘crisis centres’ in every state, UT by August – Maneka Gandhi

    Nirbhaya Fund – Women ‘crisis centres’ in every state, UT by August – Maneka Gandhi

    New Delhi – TIP: Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi announced yesterday that Nirbhaya Fund will be used to set one ‘crisis’ centre in every state and Union Territory  where women in distress can approach and seek help. 

    [quote_box_left]Gandhi Said ““These crisis centres are not only for rape victims. These will also be anti-violence centres, so even if one is stalked, or beaten by husband, or even if she is just a victim of oral violence, she can approach these centres and seek help”[/quote_box_left]

    Gandhi said these centres would be equipped with beds and would have facilities for overnight stay, if the victims needed. She said she had been asking the states to identify land for constructing the building for these centres.

    Interacting with women journalists at the Indian Women’s Press Club on the International Women’s Day, Gandhi said her ministry, besides prodding state governments to build such centres, was planning to use the money in the Nirbhaya fund for the purpose. The Nirbhaya fund was set up in the wake of the December 16, 2012 rape incident to finance programmes for women’s safety.

    She said her ministry was also preparing a film meant for young girls that would help them in identifying the difference between ‘good touch and bad touch’ and stress on the need to speak out when they feel uncomfortable.

     

     

  • Sunny Leone to be seen in Aahat

    Sunny Leone to be seen in Aahat

    The history of horror genre can be traced way back to 1993, when Zee TV launched Ramsay Brothers’ Zee Horror Show and then Sony brought to its audiences Aahat for the very first time in 1996, which thus far is considered as the longest-running horror show on Indian television today.

    Though initially there was buzz regarding actress Bipasha Basu starring in the first episode of the horror show which turned out to be false, Sunny Leone will now be soon on the show.

    Having received great feedback since its launch in Feb 2015, Sony’s horror show will soon bring Bollywood actress Sunny Leone to the small screen.

    While film promotions have created a need for Bollywood actors to star in episodes of popular television shows, Sunny will be the first Bollywood star who’ll be seen in Aahat.

     

     

  • Indian-American Anjali Morris & Asha Bhosle opens autism centre

    Indian-American Anjali Morris & Asha Bhosle opens autism centre

    Pune (TIP): Autistic children are intelligent and early medical intervention can help them be a part of mainstream society, veteran playback singer Asha Bhosle said on Sunday. She was speaking at the inauguration of Morris Autism and Child Development Centre at Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital. “Every child has the right to live a normal life.

    I would like more and more children with autism to benefit from this centre,” Bhosle said. The autism centre headed by development paediatrician Suneel Godbole has been set up with the financial help of Indian-American paediatrician and philanthropist Anjali Morris.”This is a collaborative effort between the hospital and the school to help these children become part of mainstream society,” Morris said.

    The centre caters to the needs of various challenges in child development like attention deficit, hyperactive disorder, learning deficiency, spasticity, communication disorder and autism. “This centre has been established to provide early diagnosis of autism and related developmental disorder in children. It will develop a personalised education plan for the specific needs of each autistic child, providing multi-disciplinary service of developmental paeditrician, psychologist, physiotherapist, speech therapist and special educator to educate the autistic children to such an extent that they can be included in a regular school,” said surgeon Dhananjay Kelkar, medical director of Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital.

  • PM Modi furious with absent MPs after humiliation in Rajya Sabha

     

    NEW DELHI (TIP): A day after the government faced embarrassment due to division of votes in Rajya Sabha over an amendment to the President’s address, an ‘unhappy’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Feb 4  sought explanation from members of his party (BJP) and NDA allies for being absent from the Upper House at the crucial moment of voting.

    As many as 10 out of 46 BJP members and 12 from allies were absent in the House when the CPM members Sitaram Yechury and P Rajeeve moved the amendment and pressed for division of votes. The amendment was passed with 118 votes in favour and 57 against it.

    “All these members including couple of ministers who were absent in the House during voting have been asked to explain the reasons of their absence”, said a source.

    Though their presence wouldn’t have made much difference as the NDA is in a minority in Rajya Sabha, the explanation should ensure that these members are present in full strength next time when such a situation arises.

    Since a number of bills are lined up for the Rajya Sabha in the ongoing budget session, such a situation cannot be ruled out.

    Besides 46 of BJP, the NDA has six members from TDP, three each from Shiv Sena and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), two from PDP and one each from other smaller parties.

    The NDA could, however, get 57 votes during the division despite the absentees as members from the friendly AIADMK and couple of Independents voted against the amendment.

    Though the Opposition was also not present in the House in full strength, it could easily manage to sail through as members of almost all opposition parties including Congress, SP, BSP, Trinamool Congress, DMK, BJD, JD(U) and CPI voted for the CPM’s amendment.

    [quote_box_center]‘LAND BILL NOT AGAINST FARMERS’[/quote_box_center]

    Even as the government is getting ready to push the contentious Land Acquisition Bill in the Lok Sabha on Monday after the Holi break, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday accused the Opposition of using its majority in the Upper House to stall the country’s progress.

    Virtually taking the impasse over the land bill to public, Modi said: “I appeal you to raise your voice against them.”

    He was speaking at inauguration of two units of 600 MW of Shri Singhaji Thermal Plant and laying foundation stone for two units of 660 MW each in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh.

    While accusing the previous government of passing a law that he termed as “anti-farmer and anti-development”, Modi said: “We are accused of being anti-farmers, but when I told them in the Rajya Sabha that I am ready to amend the legislation, they did not come up with one point.”

    In his old Gujarat election campaign style, he asked a series of questions to the gathering to drive home the point that land was essential for schools, roads, hospitals and factories because “they can’t be built in the sky.”

    “Do you want your sons to end up in slums in Delhi or Mumbai? Would you rather have your sons employed in nearby places,” he said, while accusing the UPA Government of not allocating land for schools, hospitals and factories.

    “I have no personal business or interests,” he said and called himself a chowkidar (watchman), a term he used frequently during campaigning for the general elections. Alleging corruption in the coal block allocation during the UPA rule and the subsequent cancellation by the Supreme Court, he said, “they sinned and created problems for us.”

    Referring to the recent auction of 19 coal blocks and the 1.10 lakh crore it generated, Modi said his government has proved the then CAG right. “We are transparent and don’t work behind curtains. Not one paisa will be swindled,” he said and added, “no one can estimate the amount that will be generated when the auction of the remaining coal mines is over.”

    “It’s your money,” he told the audience while referring to the 40,000 crore Madhya Pradesh will get from auction of four coal mines.

     

  • Boehner: House to sue Obama

    Boehner: House to sue Obama

    John Boehner is back with his statements and this time he wants to sue Obama as an individual. 

    The speaker of the House Boehner is planning to hold a House vote authorizing a suit against the president over his executive orders on immigration, which could grant work visas to millions of undocumented immigrants and their spouses.

    Boehner told his conference at a closed-door meeting that he has a team exploring the best options to challenge last year’s executive action, under which the Homeland Security Department will begin granting legal working status to millions of immigrants, according to unnamed sources in the room.

    “Our team has been working on litigation. We are finalizing a plan to authorize litigation on this issue—one we believe gives us the best chance of success,” he said, according to a source in the room.

     

    Last week the House voted to fund the Homeland Security Department through the end of the budget year. John Boehner’s House passed a funding bill for the Homeland Security Department on Tuesday, with Democrats carrying the ball and Republicans supplying just 75 votes. This, of course, was a complete capitulation from earlier threats to shut down the department rather than acquiesce in President Obama’s unilateral order on immigration.

    And it came after that embarrassing Friday night cliffhanger when a revolt by the hard-line wing defeated Boehner’s bill for a three-week funding extension, and all the House speaker could muster was a one-week stopgap to avoid having the party blamed for a partial shutdown. The Senate, with Mitch McConnell’s help, had already passed a so-called “clean” bill.

    The end result is no one is happy. 
     
    Republicans are worried that the ongoing congressional dysfunction will hurt the party’s chances in 2016. Based on what they’re telling reporters, many Republicans sound downright depressed.

    Politico says GOP lawmakers are “shaken” by the debacle and that “the pessimism is palpable,” with many questioning  “whether their newfound majority can deliver anything significant over the next two years. The fear among House Republicans is that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will be too quick to heed Democratic demands and push through watered-down bills on education, trade, health care and the budget. And the worry among Senate Republicans is that their House counterparts will scuttle hard-fought compromises that offer the only way to overcome filibusters and get bills to President Barack Obama’s desk.”

  • Indian IT consultant stabbed to death in Australia

    Indian IT consultant stabbed to death in Australia

    Prabha Arun Kumar, 41-year-old Indian IT consultant was brutally stabbed to death in Australia, just 300 metres from her home, police said on Sunday as they launched a probe into the horrific attack.

    She was on the phone to a member of her family when the “horrific” attack happened on Saturday in Westmead, a suburb in Sydney. 

    ‘He stabbed me, darling’: Prabha Arun Kumar’s last words to her husband

    Kumar’s nephew, Thrijesh Jayachandra, said, “Last word’s my uncle heard from my aunt was that she was stabbed; they both were on phone as usual after her office hours, this was somewhere around 3pm IST.” Jayachandra said “around 6:30 or so in the evening we received a call by someone from her office side stating that she was out of danger, but later in the evening we were informed by her brother Shankar, who lives in Perth, that she was no more”.

    The mother of one was found stabbed in Parramatta Park on Saturday night. The police described it as a “horrific attack”.

    She was found by a man lying in a large pool of blood.

    A friend of Kumar, who was walking home from work when she was brutally stabbed, said she always felt guilty about getting a lift home late at night.

    The woman, who asked not to be named, told The Daily Telegraph she has warned Prabha about the dangers of the park. “I told her that it is not a safe way to come through because there are people that stop and ask you for money, like 2 dollars,” she said.

    Superintendent Wayne Cox from Parramatta police said earlier that the woman left the station, walked along Argyle Street and onto Park Parade before being attacked in Parramatta Park.

    “At this point she has taken a lane way connected up to Amos St. in Westmead, and during this journey she has been attacked by a person or unknown persons,” he said.

    She suffered a life threatening injury. She was transported to Westmead Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

    “There was a large amount of blood so she obviously suffered a significant wound,” Mr. Cox said.

    A crime scene has been established and is being examined by specialist forensic officers.

    State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad is assisting Parramatta detectives in the case. Police have appealed to the public to come forward with any information related to the case.

     

  • American show ‘Quantico’ – Priyanka Chopra plays lead role

    American show ‘Quantico’ – Priyanka Chopra plays lead role

    Bollywood diva Priyanka Chopra has bagged a lead role in American TV show Quantico. Produced by ABC television, Priyanka will play an FBI agent whose past comes back to haunt her in the midst of her training at a camp. She will be starring alongside Jake McLaughlin, who is also reportedly playing an agent in the show.

    Indian actress-singer Priyanka Chopra’s debut American show Quantico will feature an international starcast including Jake McLaughlin, Dougray Scott and Aunjanue Ellis.

    “As an actor I’m constantly challenging my creative capacity. I took a leap of faith when (ABC head of casting) Keli Lee asked me to join the ABC family, and I’m so excited to be a part of the pilot for Quantico’alongside an incredibly talented cast and production team.” Said Priyanka Chopra

    The 32-year-old former Miss World took to Instagram to reveal the cast of the upcoming ABC show, which also features Tate Ellington, Graham Rogers, Johanna Braddy and Yasmine Al Massri.

    “Cast list… #Quantico #PrepDay #Pilot,” Priyanka wrote alongside a horizontal collage of photographs of the actors in the show.

    It has been reported that McLaughlin, also 32, will play Priyanka’s love interest on the series. The actor has previously starred on the J J Abrams and Alfonso Cuaron’s NBCdrama Believe.

    Josh Safran of Gossip Girl fame will pen the script and executive produce the ABC Studios and Mark Gordon Company drama alongside Mark Gordon and Nick Pepper. Marc Munden will direct the pilot.

    The drama centres on a group of young FBI recruits, who battle their way through training at the Quantico base in Virginia. Priyanka will play Alex Weaver, a brilliant but haunted FBI trainee whose past boils to the surface soon after her arrival at Quantico. 

  • Bhushan threatened to destroy the party says Ashutosh – All is not well with AAP

    Bhushan threatened to destroy the party says Ashutosh – All is not well with AAP

    NEW DELHI (TIP): In another big revelation exposing fissures in Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), party leader Ashutosh on Sunday said that Prashant Bhushan once threatened to destroy the party, demanding Arvind Kejriwal’s resignations as party’s convener.

    Speaking to ANI, Ashutosh said that many questions were raised on Arvind during a party meeting earlier, he got up to respond, but broke into tears instead.

    “Kejriwal said – I fought against Robert Vadra, Ambani and Narendra Modi, but I can’t fight with my own people,” Ashutosh was quoted as saying by ANI.

    AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal stamped his dominance over the party on March 4 when two of his critics, Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, were removed from the Political Affairs Committee, while his own offer of resignation as national convener of AAP was unanimously turned down.

    While one chapter of the bitter feud in AAP might have ended now, it may not be the end of the story. The decision to remove Bhushan and Yadav wasn’t unanimous – in fact, as many as eight voted against it while 11 voted for – indicating that there are a number of people in the PAC who share some of the concerns raised by the Bhushan-Yadav duo.

    Kejriwal himself stayed away from the meeting, possibly because of his poor health (he went to Bangalore for naturopathy treatment of his very high sugar levels), but more likely to make the point that he was above the squabbling lot – in other words, truly the first among the so-called equals.

    Kejriwal also avoided engaging with the Bhushan-Yadav duo on any of the issues raised by them. Even last night the duo, or one of them, is learnt to have sought a one-on-one meeting with Kejriwal but there was no response to the overture. At the end, he apparently insisted on their removal from the PAC as a precondition for his staying as the National Convener. A fresh letter of resignation as national convener on Wednesday morning only reiterated his firm stand.

    Before Wednesday’s PAC Meeting, there were serious efforts to sort to bring about a reconciliation between Kejriwal and the duo. Many options were considered, including one where the duo would offer some kind of apology. Most senior leaders found this reasonable as they also didn’t want the party’s unity to be affected in any way.

    However, when the leaders reached Kejriwal, he insisted on the duo’s removal from PAC, indicating a rather quick graduation of AAP to hard-nosed power politics. Sources said that while many recognized that the issues raised by the duo were important and needed to be addressed, their presence in the PAC was untenable after the recent war of words.

    At the meeting, Bhushan and Yadav suggested that the PAC be reconstituted, allowing new members to come in. This was, however, opposed by the Kejriwal loyalists, who insisted on a resolution seeking the removal of the duo. The resolution was moved by deputy CM Manish Sisodia and put to vote and the duo lost 11-8. Interestingly, some senior AAP leaders like Anand Kumar, Ajit Jha, Rakesh Sinha voted against their removal while Mumbai’s Mayank Gandhi and treasurer Krishnakant Sevada abstained.

    Sources said that considering that the resolution was backed by Kejriwal it was a democratic process of open voting that was followed without fear of recrimination. Yadav was also removed as the party’s chief spokesman.

    Kejriwal loyalists criticised Bhushan and Yadav at the six-hour meeting for not showing confidence in the Delhi election team. They pointed out that this lack of confidence was despite the team crafting a stunning win for AAP in the election. The duo’s continuing criticism of the team only showed that they were out of synch with the popular mood, the loyalists said. Bhushan and Yadav also raised the need for an internal ethics committee that had also been mentioned in their note.

    “There is a huge trust deficit between the two groups and it will take a while for it to be bridged, if it is bridged at all. In the last few days a lot of things have been said which have left everyone with a bad taste in the mouth. There was criticism from both sides with very little middle ground,” a senior leader said.

    The removal of the Bhushan-Yadav duo was announced by Kumar Vishwas who said that the duo have been “freed” of their responsibilities in the PAC and would be given new responsibilities. The new responsibilities were, however, not spelt out. He said “personal opinions and personal differences” will not come in the way of the unity of the party, which will deliver on its promises and will not betray the trust of the people.

    While there is an unmistakable sense of triumphalism in the Kejriwal camp, having removed the “two thorns”, leaders and members close to the duo felt that Bhushan and Yadav’s ouster from PAC only lent credence to their charge about the party being made into a “one-person” show.

    Still, Yadav and Bhushan are unlikely to leave AAP. They are likely to raise the same issues at the meeting of the AAP National Council – an all-India body of leaders, members and volunteers – that is scheduled for the month-end. The duo believe, said sources close to them, that the broader body would be the right forum to test whether their misgivings was shared by AAP members or not, or was it just a Delhi-centric opposition to their criticism.

    Speaking after the meeting Bhushan said, “The NE by majority decision decided that we should not remain the PAC. I hope that the party which was created and inspired millions of people as a party wedded to the principles of transparency, accountability, inner party democracy and Swaraj will not disappoint the people on whose efforts the party was founded.”

  • Fighting fire: BCCI asks Virat Kohli to behave

    Fighting fire: BCCI asks Virat Kohli to behave

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Stung by the Indian media’s severe criticism of Virat Kohli’s abusive rant at a journalist and the bizarre statement on the issue by team’s media manager RN Baba, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) rushed in to douse the fire with a statement of apology on March 5.

    In a carefully-worded statement released to pacify the angry media, BCCI’s secretary Anurag Thakur emphasized on the key role media plays in covering and popularizing the game of the cricket.

    “The BCCI has taken note of the incident that occurred in Perth a couple of days ago. The BCCI has been in touch with the Indian team management on this issue, and has advised that this kind of incident should not be repeated,” Thakur said in the statement.

    Thakur’s choice of words suggests a change in BCCI’s attitude towards the journalists. “The BCCI respects the role played by the media in covering and popularizing the game of cricket and acknowledges the support of the media in its mission to administer and promote the game of cricket in India,” Thakur said.

    “The player in question has been told to maintain the dignity of the Indian team at all times, and avoid any such behaviour in the future. The BCCI would like to request the concerned parties to move on, and focus on the Indian cricket team’s campaign in the ongoing ICC CWC 2015,” Thakur added.

    Baba, in his statement on Wednesday, had strangely dismissed the incident by saying Kohli had not abused the journalist.

  • De Blasio announces 2 Muslim Holidays for NYC Public Schools

    De Blasio announces 2 Muslim Holidays for NYC Public Schools

    NEW YORK (TIP): New York City Public Schools will soon begin recognizing Muslim holidays, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña announced Wednesday, March 4. Beginning in the 2015-2016 school year all public schools will close on September 25 in observance of Eid al-Adha. They will also be closed for the end of Ramadan, or Eid al-Fitr.

    De Blasio stressed in a statement that the calendar will reflect the “strength and diversity” of New York City.

    “Hundreds of thousands of Muslim families will no longer have to choose between honoring the most sacred days on their calendar and attending school. This is a common sense change, and one that recognizes our growing Muslim community and honors its contributions to our City,” he said.

    De Blasio and Fariña made their official calendar announcement at PS/IS 30 where the New York City DOE says 36 percent of the student body was absent the last time Eid al-Adha fell on a school day.

    “This new addition will also enable a teachable moment in the classroom for our students to learn about religious tolerance and the societal contributions of various cultures,” Fariña added.

    The New York City DOE notes that school districts in Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Jersey also already recognize Muslim holiday with school closures.

    [quote_box_center]According to the New York City Department of Education, the change in school calendar will make New York City the largest school district in the country to recognize the two Muslim holidays.[/quote_box_center]
  • PDP starts Pro-Separatist actions – Masarat Alam released – BJP clueless

    PDP starts Pro-Separatist actions – Masarat Alam released – BJP clueless

    Starting with Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s statement on Pakistan and militants as his first speech as the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir; Now the PDP led J&K Government has released hardline separatist leader Masarat Alam.

    Muslim League leader Masarat Alam, who was seen as being responsible for fanning trouble in 2010 in which over 100 people died in Kashmir.

    Relationship between PDP & BJP  has become tenuous, with the BJP claiming that they hadn’t even been consulted before the step was taken.

    The BJP  on Sunday reacted to the release saying that its ministers and MLAs would consult on the matter but said that the party was not consulted before the decision was taken.

    “This step does have consent of BJP. Nor was BJP consulted before taking such a decision,” state BJP chief and MP Jugal Kishore Sharma told reporters. “We were not asked before releasing Masarat Alam. If they had asked us, we would not have given approval from our side on this and even today our consent is not with this decision,” he added.

    On the issue of Mehbooba Mufti’s statement that she is not bothered about the coalition, Sharma said, “BJP have formed alliance on development agenda. The coalition has been formed on the agenda of betterment of people of J&K. We will continue to move forward on that. That is why we will hold meeting on this and will come back to you with our reaction.”

    The PDP today retaliated by downplaying the criticism and said engaging all stakeholders for establishing peace in Jammu and Kashmir was part of the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the two parties.

    “This (the release of Alam) has to be seen in proper perspective. It is an important part of our Common Minimum Programme to involve all stakeholders in the state, and across the Line of Control, for reconciliation and peace in the state,” PDP chief spokesman and Education Minister Naeem Akhtar told PTI.

    “If you want to have a dialogue with all stakeholders, which includes these leaders, you cannot engage them by keeping them in jail without anything substantial against them,” he added.

    Akhtar said the courts had intervened on the detention of some of the leaders and set them free. Asked about the opposition by BJP to Alam’s release, Akhtar said he does not want to get into a public debate on it.

  • Movie Review – Kingsman: The Secret Service

    Movie Review – Kingsman: The Secret Service

    STORY: The Kingsmen aren’t answerable to governments nor are they externally influenced. When one of them is killed thanks to agent Harry’s (Firth) judgement error, he backs his fallen comrade’s son Eggsy (Egerton) to become a Kingsman. Later, they will have to thwart tech tycoon Valentine’s (Jackson) evil designs, involving mind control and mass murder.

    REVIEW: Colin Firth’s performance as an action man is nothing short of a revelation. When the impeccably-suited Harry first meets Eggsy while the latter is a young boy, he gives him a medal bearing an engraved telephone number, for whenever Eggsy is in dire circumstances.

    Many years later, Eggsy, now directionless , dials it after a squabble with the law, gives the secret code ( ” Oxfords, not Brogues ” ) and is freed from police custody, no questions asked. Harry then rescues Eggsy from a brutal beating (Harry’s motto being an emphatic “Manners. Maketh. The Man”), busts some smooth moves and Eggsy is impressed enough to want to become a Kingsman. Headed by Arthur (Caine) and trained by Merlin (Strong), Eggsy and the other recruits including a woman, Sophie (Cooks on), face a series of gruelling tests before becoming agents.

    Part Bond parody, part serious and a whole lot of camp, you can’t help but laugh (there are plenty of ‘LOL’ moments) at the obvious 007 dig when Eggsy tells a bartender that he’d like his martini with gin, not vodka (“obviously”), stirred a certain number of times whilst staring fixedly at a fresh bottle of vermouth!

    Egerton delivers and Jackson is perfect as the villain Valentine whose environmentally-conscious concerns conceal a devious plan for global genocide. His sidekick Gazelle (Boutella) is a vamp plucked straight out a Quentin Tarantino wet dream as does a scene involving hyper-stylized mayhem in a small-town church. Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker, anyone?) also shows up as a genius scientist. Bulletproof brollies that fire bullets, dart spewing wristwatches and cigarette lighter grenades aside, there’s a smooth balance of good humo u r, butt-kicking action and originality too. Kingsman: The Secret Service is a breath of fresh air in the spy movie genre.

  • CAMERON DIAZ SAYS EVERYONE NEEDS SEX FOR HEALTHY LIFE

    CAMERON DIAZ SAYS EVERYONE NEEDS SEX FOR HEALTHY LIFE

    Cameron Diaz has posed bra-free for April 2015 issue of Cosmopolitan and said that everyone needs to have sex to lead a healthy life. The ‘Sex Tape’ actress told UK Cosmopolitan in a cover interview that every individual should do exercise to keep themselves healthy, and people who look out for some reasons to walk away from it and states that their body doesn’t allow it but actually their mind restrains them of doing so, the Mirror reported. The 42-year-old actress added that she even treats herself sometimes with a handful of berries and some cake, but instructed the readers not have the whole cake, and have some pieces of it.

  • UMA THURMAN REVEALS WHY SHE ‘RARELY’ SMILES ON RED CARPET

    UMA THURMAN REVEALS WHY SHE ‘RARELY’ SMILES ON RED CARPET

    Uma Thurman has explained the reason why she rarely smiles on the red carpet saying that she was traumatized about her physical appearance after a childhood incident involving her pearly whites.

    The American actress revealed in a recent interview that when she was 10-years-old, someone told her that she had an ugly smile and she spent the whole of her younger years feeling embarrassed and never smiling with her mouth open, Us Magazine reported.

    The ‘Kill Bill’ star added that they all lose their looks as they get older and there’ was a beauty to older people that was just different to the beauty of younger people 

  • MOVIE REVIEW – Dum Laga Ke Haisha

    MOVIE REVIEW – Dum Laga Ke Haisha

    STORY: When more-than-pleasantly-plump Sandhya (Bhumi Pednekar) gets hitched to Prem (Ayushmann Khurrana), the latter cannot bring himself to look beyond his wife’s size. Her relentless attempts to win over his attention are in vain and the two end up on the brink of divorce when she overhears him passing objectionable remarks about her to friends. Can blubber hinder love?

    REVIEW: Dum Laga Ke Haisha is an unlikely quasi-original offering from the stable that in recent past has made sincere efforts to defy the conventional notions of love.

    This film might further the cause of breaking away from the bastion but it reeks of predictability. Sharat Kataria pulls off a quaint-yet-flawed film. Set in circa 1995 in Haridwar, he carefully refrains from creating a staple, syrupy affair. The film’s first hour sails smoothly sans hiccups, but the second half can be faulted for unspooling tediously.

    The movie erects a plot whose on-the-face nostalgia factor is almost jarring. Its rustic setting, bustling by-lanes and old-world charm does an overt job of selling the VCR era. There’s even a desperately-included fight sequence where the couple aggressively play 90s songs.

    Such scenes might crack you up, but the crackling effect is wiped out as the film moves towards a predictable climax featuring Kumar Sanu, a steady fixture since the first scene. It’s the only thing that makes its ‘loser’ hero look good and is a contrived culmination of the romance we never find blooming.

    The film’s subplots are unnecessary and abrupt, like the sudden demise of a never-mentioned-before uncle which triggers the final act.

    The actors, however, deliver redeeming performances. For a debutante, Pednekar is surprisingly confident. Khurrana, is the best he has been since his launch venture. Sanjay Mishra and Seema Pahwa are at the top of their game.

    But in the end, it isn’t extraordinary, failing to rise above the idea that a fat girl needs some schmuck to complete her life. Undeniably, the smarts are visible in its original thinking but it doesn’t translate into a satiating viewing experience.

  • JACQUELINE FERNANDEZ TO POST SNIPPETS ON INSTAGRAM

    JACQUELINE FERNANDEZ TO POST SNIPPETS ON INSTAGRAM

    Jacqueline Fernandez is fast becoming one of the most loved actresses of B-town. With her pretty looks and her charming ways, she has entranced everyone by performances that just keep getting better with each film. And now, we hear that the talented actress has reached 1 million followers on Instagram.

    Overwhelmed by the love showered on her by her fans, the gorgeous lady made her Instagram profile private last night, giving access only to her million followers to view, comment and like her Instagram posts as she feels that her first million fans on Instagram deserve this exclusive opportunity.

    And we hear that she’s all set to post interesting, exclusive snippets all day, only for her 1 million followers to see.

  • KATRINA KAIF’S WAX STATUE TO BE UNVEILED AT MADAME TUSSAUDS

    KATRINA KAIF’S WAX STATUE TO BE UNVEILED AT MADAME TUSSAUDS

    Bang Bang hottie Katrina Kaif is all set to join Bollywood biggies at Madame Tussauds, London. The actress will unveil the carefully sculpted wax statue later this month. Katrina is reportedly trying to zero in on what she would wear for the unveiling ceremony. The official Madame Tussauds Twitter handle had earlier tweeted, “Katrina has collaborated closely with our sculptors and artists to decide a dancing pose and outfit for the figure, having given a sitting in Mumbai where all the measurements required to create an accurate likeness were gathered. A team of 20 artists will work on the figure, which will cost £150,000 to produce.” 

    There is perhaps only one place in the world where stars like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan can come together under one roof. The prestigious Madame Tussauds wax museum in London brings the best of Bollywood together and freezes the stars in all their glory.

  • 33 MINERS FEARED DEAD AFTER PIT BLAST IN EAST UKRAINE

    33 MINERS FEARED DEAD AFTER PIT BLAST IN EAST UKRAINE

    DONETSK (TIP): Seventeen miners were confirmed dead and rescuers held out little hope for another 16 still missing after a blast at a coal mine in the rebel-held city of Donetsk near the battle front in eastern Ukraine on March 04.

    Mine officials said the explosion was most likely caused by gas and not linked to fighting in the war between Moscow-backed rebels and Ukraine government forces. Nevertheless, Kiev suggested the war had made the disaster worse, accusing the separatists of holding up a rescue effort by restricting access.

    Outside the gates of the Zasyadko mine, about 30 relatives clamoured for information about any survivors. Sergei Baldayev, a miner injured in the blast, mingled with the crowd, his face covered in scratches and one arm hanging motionless by his side, the result of a broken collarbone.

    The sister of one miner who was in the pit at the time of the explosion, Alexei Novoselsky, stood in tears.

    “Tell me, are there survivors? Why are you concealing the truth,” she said as a rescue worker tried to calm her.

    The Donetsk regional administration said 16 injured people were in hospital.

    Emergency services said that of the 32 people who were in the mine, the bodies 16 had been found, the RIA news agency reported. Earlier in the day, the body of one miner was recovered.

    Eduard Dmitrenko, a miner who went down the affected shaft after the blast, said it was unlikely any of the missing miners would be found alive. “But they will of course find bodies,” said Dmitrenko, his face covered with coal dust.

    Trucks and buses were driven to the mine in preparation for transporting the bodies to local morgues.

    Asked what were the chances of trapped miners surviving, a medical worker said: “It’s getting smaller and smaller all the time, because of the methane, the hot air, burns to the airways.”

    Heavy fighting

    Donetsk has been the scene of heavy fighting between Moscow-backed separatist rebels, who control the area, and forces loyal to the government in Kiev. A ceasefire has sharply reduced the violence in the past week.

    The neighbourhood around the mine has come under artillery fire, with fragments from Grad rockets visible on surrounding roads, but mine officials said the explosion was unrelated to the fighting and most likely caused by gas.

    In Kiev, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said rescue workers had been dispatched by the central authorities, “but the Russian terrorists did not let them reach the scene of the accident,” he said, using a term commonly used by Kiev to describe the separatists.

    The mine, now owned by a private firm, has a history of fatal accidents in the 57 years it has been operating. An explosion at Zasyadko in 2007 killed 106 people. A cemetery next to the pit holds the graves of many miners killed in the past.

    “When there’s an accident, we bury them all here,” said the head of security at the shaft where Tuesday’s blast happened, who did not give his name. “Coal is a costly business.”

    A welder at the mine, who gave his name as Oleg, said outside the entrance: “I’ve been down the pit for 23 years, and this is the fourth explosion that I can recall. If they didn’t get them out straight away, then later they will only retrieve bodies. An explosion is a terrible thing.”

    The Zasyadko coal mine produced 1.4 million tonnes of coal in 2013. The mine is in the centre of a Donbass region which is Ukraine’s industrial and coal-producing heartland.

    Ukrainian coal production fell 22 percent in 2014 to 65 million tonnes as the conflict disrupted mining operations, leading to some shortages of coal at power plants.

  • HENDERSON SHOWS WORTH AS LIVERPOOL DOWN BURNLEY

    HENDERSON SHOWS WORTH AS LIVERPOOL DOWN BURNLEY

    LIVERPOOL (TIP): Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson underlined his credentials to succeed Steven Gerrard as captain with an impressive goal-scoring performance in a 2-0 Premier League victory over Burnley on March 04.

    Gerrard is set to leave Anfield when his contract expires at the end of the season and join Major League Soccer outfit Los Angeles Galaxy.

    And Henderson, who has skippered the side in the absence of the injured Gerrard, has emerged as the strongest candidate to replace him since the turn of the year, with his leadership qualities coming to the fore.

    However, it was his ability on the ball that made the difference against Burnley at Anfield as he scored one goal and created another for Daniel Sturridge.

    The victory ensured Liverpool kept the pressure up on their rivals for a Champions League place and moved back into fifth place, two points behind fourth-place Manchester United.

    Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers made one change to his starting line-up, recalling Sturridge after leaving the striker on the bench for the 2-1 win over Manchester City last weekend, with Lazar Markovic making way.

    His Burnley counterpart Sean Dyche named an unchanged team for the fourth successive match, which meant that striker Danny Ings, who has been linked with a move to Anfield, led the attack.

    Liverpool almost scored in the first minute when a slick move involving Raheem Sterling and Adam Lallana carved out an opening for Sturridge, who saw his bobbly effort pushed around the post by visiting goalkeeper Tom Heaton.

    Burnley have picked up a point away to both City and Chelsea this season and their defensive organisation was evident as they packed the midfield with bodies and set out to frustrate the hosts.

    It took 20 minutes for Liverpool to create another meaningful opportunity, this time when Henderson’s low shot from the edge of the penalty area was deflected behind by Heaton.

    But shortly before the half-hour mark, the home side had their opening goal.

    Philippe Coutinho’s initial shot was blocked and fell to Henderson 25 yards from goal, and the stand-in skipper struck a powerful half-volley into the bottom-right corner of the net.

    Moments later, Coutinho, scorer of two magnificent goals in Liverpool’s past two league games against Southampton and City, curled over from a similar position to those stunning strikes.

    Two minutes before half-time Sturridge was sent clear of the Burnley defence by Coutinho, only for Heaton to narrow the angle and block his effort.

    The miss did not matter as Liverpool doubled their lead early in the second half, and Henderson was once again instrumental.

    The 24-year-old showed patience as Liverpool built up the play before producing a magnificent right-wing cross that enabled Sturridge to head in from close range.

    Liverpool, on the back of a recent hectic schedule, took their foot of the gas and allowed Burnley to creep back into the contest, with goalkeeper Simon Mignolet nervously clearing a couple of errant back-passes. However, despite Burnley’s spirit and endeavour to find a way back into the game, the home side closed out the contest to collect the three points and notch their seventh win in their last eight matches.

  • JAPAN’S NISHIKORI SOARS TO WORLD NUMBER FOUR

    TOKYO (TIP): Record-breaking Japan superstar Kei Nishikori rose to fourth in Monday’s new world rankings, equalling Kimiko Date-Krumm as his country’s highest-ranked tennis player. 

    The 24-year-old, who is the top-ranked Asian-born man ever, tweeted: “Just saw the new rankings. Very proud of another step…#4 this week.”

    Nishikori, last year’s US Open runner-up, now trails only Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal after leapfrogging Britain’s Andy Murray, meaning he will avoid the top three until the semi-finals at the major tournaments.

    “He has the touch of a genius,” former Japan number one Shuzo Matsuoka told AFP. “He has the imagination and shots you just can’t teach.”

    Nishikori recently won his third successive Memphis Open, his eighth ATP Tour title. He is fast closing in on Nadal and trails the 14-times grand slam champion by just 260 ranking points.

    “It’s an achievement that’s almost impossible to explain,” Matsuoka told Japan’s Sankei Sports, comparing the skinny Nishikori to a sumo grand champion. “He’s really playing ‘yokozuna’-grade tennis.”

    Nishikori burst onto the scene as an 18-year-old by winning in Delray Beach as a 244th-ranked qualifier in 2008, and is a huge celebrity in Japan.

    Millions woke up at the crack of dawn to watch his bid to become the first Asian man to win a grand slam at last year’s US Open, where he lost in the final to Croatian Marin Cilic.

    China’s Li Na blazed a trail for Asian tennis players by reaching number two in the women’s WTA rankings last year after winning the Australian Open, capping a remarkable career in which she also captured the 2011 French Open.

    She retired seven months later with knee trouble. Nishikori’s coach Michael Chang, whose parents came from Taiwan and who was raised in the United States, is a former world number two who won the French Open in 1989.

  • Iqbal leads Bangladesh to important win over Scotland

    NELSON (TIP): Tamim Iqbal came agonisingly close to scoring Bangladesh’s first World Cup century as his side completed a six-wicket win over Scotland in their Pool A clash at Saxton Oval in Nelson on Thursday.

    Iqbal scored 95, while Mohammad Mahmudullah (62) and wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim (60) also contributed as Bangladesh achieved 322-4, their highest successful run chase in one-day internationals.

    Shakib Al Hasan (52 not out) and Sabbir Rahman (42 not out) guided Mashrafe Mortaza’s side home with 11 balls to spare to cap off the perfectly timed run chase.

    The victory put all the pressure on England for their showdown with Eoin Morgan’s side on March 9 in Adelaide, with Bangladesh now on five points and level with third-placed Australia, while England have two.

    Both have just two games remaining to play.

    Scotland had been well placed to achieve their first World Cup victory, days after throwing away the opportunity against Afghanistan, after Kyle Coetzer had scored a career-best 156 in his side’s 318 for eight.

    The 30-year-old’s innings was the first World Cup century by a Scotland batsman and also the highest score by someone from an associate nation at the global showpiece.

    It also ensured his team posted their highest score against a Test nation.

    Coetzer, who was named man-of-the-match, shared in a 141-run partnership with captain Preston Mommsen (39) and 78 runs with Matt Machan (35) to anchor the innings.

    Scotland enjoyed their third 300-plus score in one-day internationals, having also achieved the mark against Ireland in 2011 and Canada in 2014.

  • AUSTRALIA CRUSH AFGHANISTAN BY RECORD 275-RUN MARGIN

    PERTH (TIP): Australia hit the highest World Cup score in tournament history on march 4 as they thrashed Afghanistan by a record 275 runs, a result which was also the greatest winning margin in tournament history.The home team made 417/6 at the WACA led by opener David Warner’s 178-run blitz, his fourth one-day international century and his country’s highest individual World Cup score as the four-time champions went past the previous best of 413/5 made by India against Bermuda in 2007.

    It was the third 400-plus total at this World Cup after South Africa twice went through the barrier — 408/5 against the West Indies and 411/4 in the game with Ireland.

    In reply, Afghanistan could manage just 142 from 37.3 overs, although Nawroz Mangal, who top-scored with 33, gave their smattering of fans at the ground something to cheer about when he hit Mitchell Marsh for successive sixes. Johnson did much of the damage to claim 4-22 from 7.3 overs. Fellow left-armer Mitchell Starc continued his amazing vein of World Cup form with 2-18 and has 10 wickets in the World Cup at just 9.3 runs apiece.

    Australia were sent in to bat by Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi, a decision greeted by a chorus of cheers from the crowd, and then tormented the minnows.