Mumbai police on high alert after Delhi shooting

Mumbai police Sunday went on high alert in the wake of the shooting near New Delhi’s Jama Masjid as well as the ongoing 11-day Ganeshotsava festival in the city, officials said.Besides increasing vigilance and security checks at all the Ganesh mandals across the city, police have also turned their attention to the 200-plus mosques and mausoleums, including Haji Ali dargah and Mahim dargah, and others dotting the metropolis.While the Ganesh ‘visarjan’ is scheduled to take place all over the city and elsewhere in the state Sep 22, the Ayodhya judgement is expected Sep 24 – both of which have necessitated the heightened security measures in Mumbai.The curtains will come down Wednesday on the state’s biggest public festival Ganeshotsav when around 150,000 big and small idols of the elephant-headed god will be taken for immersion at all the beaches, creeks, rivers, lakes, ponds and other artificial water bodies created for the purpose around the city. Around six million people are expected to participate.
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Jama Masjid shooting: Red alert in Delhi

A red alert has been sounded in the capital following a shooting incident at the capital’s Jama Masjid in which two Taiwanese were wounded.“A red alert has been sounded and we are conducting checks at various points,” Delhi Police Joint Commissioner Karnail Singh told reporters. He said the police were confident of nabbing the culprits soon.
According to Delhi Police, security has been increased in sensitive areas and suspicious vehicles are being checked.“There is a high alert, we are checking all suspicious vehicles, especially motorcycles matching the description of the one used in the shooting,” a Delhi Police official said.Checking has also been increased at all entry points to the capital from neighbouring areas.Two gunmen on a motorcycle opened random fire at one of the entrances to the Jama Masjid here Sunday, leaving two Taiwanese tourists wounded and sparking panic.The attackers fired at least 10 rounds at a group of tourists alighting from a bus outside the 16th-century red sandstone mosque in the old quarters of the city.According to police, the attackers were were fair complexioned and tall youth and were not wearing any masks on their face.
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Rosaiah launches Ayurvedic hospital in AP

Hyderabad, Sep 20 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah has inaugurated Earth Hospital, a chain of multi-speciality Ayurvedic hospitals in the Hyderabad city.

Speaking on the occasion yesterday, Dr Rosaiah said Ayurveda is a treatment which has been invented and practised by the ancestors for ages and is as relevant today.
Especially it can provide complete treatment and can erase the disease from its roots, unlike allopathy, which provides relief but can't stop recurrence of the disease, he added. The Chief Minister said traditional Ayurveda patients rely just on it for all their ailments and wouldn't look at other options. ''Even today, there are several families who only avail ayurvedic treatment, that is the confidence they have in the treatment and its all due to the cure they have seen that ayurveda provides.'' He said ayurvedic practitioners are available even in the remotest villages, however due to lack of awareness people don't seek their advice. This hospital and doctors need to be appreciated for being courageous to launch Ayurvedic hospital as they have come forward to provide treatment to people and not to mint money, which they could have easily done by starting an allopathic hospital, he added. Dr Rosaiah said Ayurveda is extremely popular in the 100 per cent literate state of Kerala, who realise its importance.The hospital is the first foray of the Earth Hospital group in the state.
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26,000 policemen deployed for Ganesh immersion

Hyderabad, Sep 19 : About 26,000 policemen will oversee the final Ganesh idols immersion ritual in Hussain Sagar lake here on September 22 amid tight security.

Prohibitory orders have been clamped in the city for that day, Hyderabad City Police Commissioner A K Khan told mediapersons here today.The Ganesh festival which began on Septemer 11 will conclude with a final immersion procession on September 22.About 13,000 idols were expected to be immersed and about 10 to 12 lakh people are expected to participate in the final procession. Along with four companies of RAF, about 625 officers and men had been deployed in Hyderabad city since September 6 as a part of arragements for Ramzan and Ganesh festivals. 272 hyper sensitive and 543 sensitive places were identified and pickets were posted there. 475 mobile parties will be moving in the area for smooth conduct of both the immersion.The City Security Wing of Hyderabad City Police will also deploy 30 Bomb Disposal Teams and 02 Access Control Teams each at Khairatabad Ganesh Pandal and Ganesh Temple, Secunderabad. The would be equipped with DFMDs, HFMDs, Prodder, Deep Search mine detector, under carriage mirror and explosive detectors. The Anti-Sabotage Teams will also use the services of 30 sniffer dogs. The City Security Wing of Hyderabad City Police will also utilize the services of 80 Special Police Officers (Ex. Army Men) in their anti-sabotage checks. Other anti-sabotage measures will include vehicle checking and frisking at entry points to the city, at important junctions and crowded places like railway station, bus Stations, shopping malls, cinema Halls, hotels and restaurants.
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Final year B Tech student killed by classmate

Hyderabad, Sep 19 : A final year B Tech student of a private Engineering college in Nalgonda district on the outskirte of the city was fatally bludgeoned by her classmate at his house in Vanasthalipuram in the city tonigth.The girl identified as Divya was from Kolkata.The Boy Sekhar Reddy reportedly from Nelgonda district was staying along with his relatives. His parents stayed in Mumbai.Police said the girl was killed after being hit on her head with a Base ball-Hockey stick.The body has been sent for postmortem.Initial report suggested that the girl was raped before being killed. The boy was absconding after reportedly sending an SMS to his parents that he would ''end his life'' because of the incident.
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Rain in Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Rayalaseema for next 48 hours

Hyderabad, Sept 19 : Light to moderate rain or thundershowers would occur at a few places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Rayalaseema over the next 48 hours.For subsequent two days no change was expected.The sky would be generally cloudy for Hyderabad and neighbourhood. Rain or thundershowers may occur in parts of city during the next two days. Tje Maximum and Minimum temperatures would bearound 33 and 22 degree celsius.Observations recorded till 0830 hours this morning: occurred at a few places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.Isolated rain occurred over Rayalaseema.The chief amounts of rainfall recorded in cm are Ramagundam, Chinnoor (Adilabad dist) 6 each, Manthani (Karimnagar dist) 5, Bhimadole (West Godavari dist), Kalwakurthy (Mahabubnagar dist), Nuzvid (Krishna dist) 4 each, Mahabubnagar, Dowlaiswaram (East Godavari dist), Eturnagaram and Narsampet (both Warangal dist), Mancherial (Adilabad dist), Palakonda (Srikakulam dist), Parvathipuram (Vizianagaram dist), Suryapet (Nalgonda dist), Yemmiganur (Kurnool dist) 3 each, Nandigama, Nagarjunasagar Dam and Ramannapet (both Nalgonda dist), Patapatnam (Srikakulam dist), Sultanabad (Karimnagar dist) 2 each and Bhadrachalam, Guntur, Kakinada, Khammam, Machilipatnam, Narsapur, Asifabad and Luxettipet (both Adilabad dist), Dummagudem (Khammam dist), Eluru and Tadepalligudem (both West Godavari dist), Gudivada, Paleru Bridge and Tiruvuru (all Krishna dist), Huzurabad, Jagitiyal and Kaleswaram (all Karimnagar dist), Kodangal and Nagarkurnool (both Mahabubnagar dist), Koilkuntla (Kurnool dist), Mahabubabad (Warangal dist), Palasa (Srikakulam dist), Tandur and Vikarabad (both Rangareddy dist) one each, the bulletin said.
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Student group calls for anti-Telangana protests

Hyderabad, Sep 19 : Andhra Pradesh is again witnessing protests and counter-protests over the demand for separate statehood to Telangana with a students' body calling for demonstrations in universities in Andhra and Rayalaseema regions from Sep 21.

The Samaikhya Andhra students' Joint Action Committee (JAC), which is opposed to the demand for bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, has called for protests to counter "increasing attacks by Telangana activists". The call comes on the heels of attacks on lecturers from the two regions at Osmania University here, the stone pelting on convoys of ministers and a massive protest by Telangana lawyers paralysing work at the high court. JAC convenor Krishna Yadav told reporters at Nellore Sunday that Samaikhya Andhra or united Andhra flags would be hoisted in the universities Sep 22. His announcement came a day after Congress legislators from Andhra and Rayalaseema called on Director General of Police Aravinda Rao seeking protection for people from the two regions settled in Hyderabad. The legislators led by government whip Shailajanath voiced concern over the increasing violent acts by supporters of a separate Telangana against people from other regions. The legislators have also urged Chief Minister K. Rosaiah to take steps to protect people of Andhra and Rayalaseema. They referred to the incidents at the high court where Telangana lawyers, demanding 42 percent share in the posts of judicial officers, attacked court hall Justice C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy. The JAC leader said it was a matter of concern that Telangana students too were carrying out attacks. They chased and manhandled teachers from the two regions at Osmania University here Aug 28, demanding that their examination papers be valuated by teachers from Telangana. The Telangana activists were also accused of resorting to violence while protesting against the conduct of Group I examination of the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission Sep 5. They disrupted the exam at a few centres, demanding the commission to reserve 42 percent posts for Telangana. The pro-Telangana groups are also disrupting the visits of ministers and other political leaders from Andhra and Rayalaseema. The convoys of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and at least two ministers were stoned by the activists in Telangana during the last few days. Political analysts say the Telangana groups want to keep the pot boiling till the Srikrishna Committee submits its report to the central government by Dec 31. The committee was constituted by the central government in February to study the issue after violent protests for and against a separate Telangana rocked the state for nearly three months.
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Rashtriya Swamyamsewak sangh chief slams Chidambaram’s ’saffron terror’ remark

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Rao Bhagwat Tuesday slammed Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s “saffron terror” comment, saying it sends out “wrong message” to the world about India.

“The word saffron terror doesn’t exist for me. The Home Minister’s comment on saffron terror is sending out a wrong message to the world like Pakistan being called a rogue state. Do you want India also to be called so,” Bhagwat told reporters at the Indian Women’s Press Corps here.On Aug 25, Chidamabram, while addressing a conference in Delhi of police chiefs from different states, said: “There is this recently uncovered phenomena of saffron terrorism that has been implicated in many bomb blasts of the past.”
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Rahul Gandhi says he gets 5,000 letters a day

Officially just a Lok Sabha member and Congress general secretary, Rahul Gandhi gets 5,000 letters a day from people on varied issues.The young leader, who admits it is not possible to go through all the letters, said at an interaction here Tuesday that he was open to guiding those who write to him, suggesting solutions, projects and programmes for various problems.
Gandhi’s comments came during a lively 75-minute question-answer session with the students of Visva-Bharati University here. The media was barred from the session.Responding to posers from some research scholars of the university about how they should seek redressal for their problems like delays or stopping of grants when their petitions to the higher authorities do not yield any fruits, Gandhi said he got 5,000 letters a day and it was not possible for him to go through all of them.According to a source present at the interaction, Gandhi said he could not say anything about people writing to the “prime minister, chief minister or others”. That, he told the gathering, was “up to you”.“But if you feel that you have programmes, projects and solutions, then inform me. I will be with you. I will help you,” Gandhi was quoted as saying.The Congress leader Monday began a three-day visit to West Bengal to mobilise workers ahead of the assembly elections next year. This is his second visit to the state in less than a fortnight.
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16 killed in Kashmir violence

Sixteen people were killed across the Kashmir Valley Monday during protests initially triggered by reports of the Quran being desecrated in the US on a day India’s top cabinet committee on security deferred a critical decision on the demand for withdrawing the special powers given to the armed forces.The three-hour-long meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and attended by his core team, decided to convene a meeting here of all political parties on Wednesday to “elicit their views on the way forward” in Kashmir, an official statement Monday evening said.The meeting was expected to have taken a decision on withdrawing the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from parts of Jammu and Kashmir. Political parties and separatist groups in the state have demanded the repeal of the AFSPA and the freeing of political prisoners as a precursor to initiating a peace process in the state.The CCS meeting came in the backdrop of escalated violence Monday that left 16 people dead and some 70 injured two days after Eid. This has taken the death toll in the violence in the state since June 11 to 86.Monday’s violence flared up after Iranian TV channel Press TV reported late Sunday that copies of the Quran had been burnt in the US. A pastor in Florida, US, had threatened to burn copies of the Quran on the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks but later called off the plan.The state government swung into action as protesters violated curfew — it was the second consecutive day of 24X7 curfew in towns in the Valley — in many parts of Srinagar.North Kashmir’s Tangmarg town witnessed the worst violence as mobs torched a Christian missionary school, the office of the social welfare department and a police vehicle.Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who rushed to Srinagar Monday from New Delhi, chaired a meeting of the cabinet and appealed for peace and harmony.State police chief Kuldeep Khoda told reporters in Srinagar that the police had evidence that Hurriyat leaders had incited Monday’s violence.The official statement issued in New Delhi Monday evening said:“The CCS has decided to convene a meeting of all political parties at New delhi on Wednesday and elicit their views on the way forward” in Kashmir.“The government hopes that following the all-party meeting, it will be able to engage the people of Jammu and Kashmir and take certain initiatives and measures that will build confidence among the people of the state,” the statement added.The statement was handed over to reporters by Home Secretary G.K. Pillai after the CCS meeting at the prime minister’s official residence.“The CCS is deeply distressed by the turn of events since Eid and specially the event that took place today following certain rumours. The CCS expresses its profound grief at the loss of life and offeres its sincere condolences to the brevered families.” the statement said.It said that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government believed in dialogue.“The government has always held the belief that the diaogue and discussion is the only way forward to find and honourable and lasting solution.“In the past too, the UPA government had taken several initiaves to hold the dialogue with different political parties and groups, including the Hurriyat,” the statement said.“Those efforts did yield some results,” it added.“It has and remained the intention of the UPA government to restart the process of dialogue,” the statment said, adding: “The dialogue can embrace all issues that agitate the minds of people of J and K especially the youth.”“The dialogue can address issues such as the trust deficit and governance deficit,” the statement added.“Meanwhile, the ccs appeals to the people of J and K, especially the youth, to refrain from violent protests and maintain peace and order. Every life that is lost and every person that is injured, beside casuing immense grief, add to the complexity of the situation,” the statement said,Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna also attended the CCS meeting.Meanwhile, US Ambassador Timothy J. Roemer appealed for calm, saying he was “dismayed” to see reports of a church and school in Kashmir and Punjab being attacked and destroyed by rioters.“One misguided individual” had desecrated the Quran by tearing pages from it Saturday, Roemer said here, condemning such acts as “disrespectful, intolerant, divisive and un-representative of American values.”
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Government appeals for peace, to hold all-party meet Wednesday

The government Monday appealed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially the youth, to “refrain from violent protests and maintain peace and order” and said they are “re-starting the process of dialogue”.

The Cabinet Committee on Security, which is chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, hoped that dialogue would be able to “address issues such as the trust deficit and governance deficit”.“The CCS reiterates government intention to restart the process of dialogue with different sections of people of Jammu and Kashmir. Towards this end, the CCS has decided to convene an all-political party meet at New Delhi on Wednesday, September 15, and elicit their views on the way forward,” said a note issued after the three-hour meeting that met to review the situation in the state.“Government hopes following the all-party meeting, it will be able to engage the people of Jammu and Kashmir and also take certain initiatives and measures that will build confidence among the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” it said.The one-page note was handed out by Home Secretary G.K. Pillai after the three-hour- long meeting at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s 7 Race Course Road official residence.The meeting was held as the Kashmir Valley is on the boil again with 16 people killed in clashes with security forces Monday. With the latest deaths, 86 civilians, mostly teenagers and youth, have been killed in the cycle of violence of street protests and retaliatory firing by security forces since June 11.Noting that it was “deeply distressed by the turn of events since Eid and especially by the event that took place today following certain rumours”, the CCS “expressed its profound grief at the loss of life and offers its sincere condolences to the bereaved families.”“The government has always held the belief that the dialogue and discussion is the only way forward to find an honourable and lasting solution.“On the past too, the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government had taken several initiatives to hold the dialogue with different political parties and political groups including the Hurriyat those efforts did yield some results,” it added.“It was and remains the intention of the UPA government to restart the process of dialogue. The dialogue can embrace all issues that agitate the minds of people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially the youth. The dialogue can address issues such as the trust deficit and governance deficit,” it added.“Meanwhile, the CCS appeals to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially the youth to refrain from violent protests and maintain peace and order. Every life that is lost and every person that is injured, beside causing immense grief, add to the complexity of the situation.“Government sincerely hopes that the people of Jammu and Kashmir will heed this appeal and cooperate with the government in its efforts to ensure justice, dignity, honour and peace in Jammu and Kashmir,” it added.The meeting was attended by Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna.
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India too large a country for any alliance: PM

Backing the modernisation of defence forces, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday underlined his commitment to preserving India’s “strategic autonomy” and stressed that it is too large a country to be boxed into any alliance.“We have always prided ourselves on preserving our strategic autonomy, and this is an article of faith for us,” Manmohan Singh told the combined commanders’ conference in the capital.“India is too large a country to be boxed into any alliance or regional or sub-regional arrangements, whether trade, economic or political,” he said.Putting India’s economic transformation at the heart of the country’s foreign policy and strategic orientation, Manmohan Singh said in order to sustain 9 to 10 percent growth rate and to modernise its infrastructure, India needs to “maintain healthy relations with all major powers”.Commending the armed forces for their contribution to the country’s security, Manmohan Singh said: “Our Armed Forces deserve the best and I wish to assure you that the government will make every effort to ensure this. No country can make progress without ensuring its security and territorial integrity”.The prime minister also strongly endorsed the growing demand for much-needed modernisation of defence forces. “As our economy grows and our technological capabilities expand, we must set higher standards for the modernisation of our defence forces,” he said.“It is not enough for us to keep pace with change. When it comes to defence capability, we must be ahead of the technology curve,” he stressed.Defence modernisation, the prime minister said, must involve the full chain starting with updating war fighting doctrines to meet new threats to security, preparation of appropriate staff quality requirements and creating a broad-based production and delivery infrastructure on the ground.
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US condemns violence in Kashmir, Punjab

The United States Monday said it was “dismayed” by reports that a school and a church in Kashmir and Punjab had been attacked by rioters. It also condemned reports that a “misguided individual” in the US had desecrated the Quran, terming it “disrespectful, intolerant, divisive, and un-representative of American values”.

“The deliberate destruction of any holy book is an abhorrent act,” US Ambassador Timothy Roemer said in a statement here.An Iranian TV channel reported that the Quran had been desecrated in the US, triggering violent protests in the Kashmir Valley. Rumours that copies of the Quran had been desecrated in Michigan, US, had led to curfew in Punjab’s Malerkotla town.
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Heavy rains in Coastal Andhra Pradesh for next 48 hours

Hyderabad, Sept 14: Isolated heavy rain would occur over Rayalaseema and in the districts of East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and Nellore of Coastal Andhra Pradesh during next 48 hours, the Met officials said here today.

For subsequent two days no large change was expected. Moderate to rather heavy rain or thundershowers would occur at many places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema. Light to moderate rain or thundershowers would occur at a few places over Telangana over the next two days.The sky condition for Hyderabad and neighbourhood over the next two days would be generally cloudy with onne or two spell of rain or thundershowers would occur in parts of city. Maximum and Minimum temperatures would be around 32 and 23 degrees Celsius respectively.Observations recorded at 0830 hours today rain occurred at a few places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Rayalaseema.The following stations recorded heavy rainfall in cm Sullurpet (Nellore dist) 12 , Puttur (Chittoor dist) 11 , Ongole 10 , Miryalguda and Nagarjunasagar Dam (both Nalgonda dist) 9 each, Machilipatnam 8, Ramannapet (Nalgonda dist) 7. The other chief amounts of rainfall recorded in cm are Macherla (Guntur dist), Palamaner (Chittoor dist), Tada (Nellore dist) 6 each, Tirupathi AP, Addanki and Darsi (both Prakasam dist), Alampur and Shadnagar (both Mahabubnagar dist), Pakala (Chittoor dist) 5 each, Bapatla, Devarakonda (Nalgonda dist), Kandukur and Podili (both Prakasam dist), Kunavaram (Khammam dist) 4 each, Nandyal, Rentachintala, Bhimavaram (West Godavari dist), Srungavarapukota and Terlam (both Vizianagaram dist), Yerragondapalem (Prakasam dist) 3 each.
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Rly Recruitment Board scam: CBI files charge sheet

Hyderabad, Sep 14 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has, in a record 89 days, filed a charge sheet against 14 people, including the then Mumbai Board Chairman N Sharma in the Railway Recruitmet Scam (RRS) a CBI statement said here today.

The CBI, Hyderabad filed the charge sheet on September 13 in the Court of Special Judge for CBI cases.The case was filed against AK Jagannadham (A-1), the then Chief Executive Officer, Hassan-Mangalore Rail Development Corporation, Bangalore, J Sahreen Kumar (A-2), private person P Srinivasa Rao (A-3), Fitter, Rayanapadu Wagon Work Shop, Vijayawada, P Ashok Kumar (A-4), private person, Kumaraswamy Jagannadham (A-5), Dy Statistical Officer, Municipal Corporation, Kurnool, Jagannadham Ramesh (A-6), private person, Jagannadham Tirupathaiah (A-7), private person, MRSN Murthy (A-8), private person, Vivek Bharadwaj (A-9), son of S M Sharma, Srujan Jagannadham (A-10), son of A K Jagannadham (A-1), Advocate, SM Sharma (A-11), the then Chairman, RRB, Mumbai, G Sethy (A-12), Sr Divisional Personnel Officer, O/o DRM, Raipur, Manish Patesaria (A-13), Railway Contractor, Mumbai, Ashim Roy (A-14), Railway Contractor and S Vijay Shankar (A-15), private person u/s 120-B, 409, 418, 420 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 7, 8 and 13 (2) r/w 13 (1) (c) and (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The accused were charge sheeted for offences of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating, cheating with knowledge that wrongful loss may ensue to person whose interest offender is bound to protect and causing disappearance of the evidence, receiving of illegal gratification and criminal misconduct. The CBI has filed a 182-page charge sheet and cited 310 witnesses and 384 documents. The entire documentation runs into 5,000 pages.
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Hyd safe for investment, full protection to Industry: Andhra Pradesh CM

Hyderabad, Sep 14 : Notwithstanding the Telangana issue spurring the political temperature, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah today reassured the captains of industry of total protection saying Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh remained the ''safest place for investment'', Chief Minister K Rosaiah said.The government had taken steps to ensure that the current phase of agitation for separate Telangana would not impact industry, he said. The Telangana agitation was ''only a phase'' the Chief Minister Rosaiah told the meeting of the National Excutive Committee of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) not to any doubts as it the agitation, should not come in the way of the developmet of the state.Mr Rosaiah recalled that his government had, early this year, provided protection to the IT-ITES sector in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam when some of the companies wanted to re-locate their operations outside Andhra Pradesh because of the agitation.Responding to the apprehension expressed by a senior office bearer of FICCI, the Chief Minister said '' this type of agitation should not come in the way of development, let us think of development. Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh is safe place for investment.He remained the industrialists that the demand for separate Telangana is not new. This demand had came earlier also.
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Rosaiah assures protection to industry as Telengana hots up

Hyderabad, Sep 14 : With the Telangana issue hotting up again, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah Tuesday assured full protection to the industry.Addressing the captains of Indian industry, Rosaiah said Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh were safe places for investment. He said steps would be taken to ensure that the agitation for a separate Telengana state does not come in the way of development. "You need not entertain any sort of doubts. Government always prepared to extend all support to the industry. We stand by industry," he told the national executive committee meeting of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Rosaiah was responding to the apprehension voiced by Harsh Mariwala, chairman and managing director of Marico Limited, in the background of statements by pro-Telangana groups that a massive movement would be launched after Dec 31. "This type of agitation should not come in the way of development. Let us think of development. Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh is safe place for investment," the chief minister said. He pointed out that his government provided protection to IT/ITES sector in Hyderabad and Visakhaptanam when some of the firms were planning to shift their operations out of the state due to the agitation early this year. Rosaiah said the government of India would take a decision in the larger interest of the country after receipt of the report of the Srikrishna Committee, which it constituted to study the problem and look into different angles. "The government of India after listing to various sections and after conducting a through study through Srikrishna Committee will take a decision. Everyone must respect the final decision of the government of India," he said. The five-member panel constituted by the government in February this year is expected to submit its report by Dec 31. Rosaiah told the industrialists that demand for separate Telangana state was not new. "Earlier also this demand came. There were agitations but ultimately the government of India announced a package and kept the state united," he said.
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Rahul’s Bengal visits to galvanise Congress for 2011 polls

Sep,13, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi will Tuesday begin his second visit to West Bengal in less than a fortnight, giving a clear signal that the party is going all-out in its preparations for next year’s assembly polls in the state.Gandhi, who set the pace for the party’s campaign by a no-holds barred attack on the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led state government at a rally in Kolkata Sep 6, has a packed schedule during his three-day visit to the state.He is slated to address meetings and conventions of youth workers, tribals, Dalits and women across several districts of West Bengal.Congress president Sonia Gandhi is also expected to visit Kolkata later this month to address east zonal meeting of the All India Congress Committee.Congress sources said that visits of top leaders will help rejuvenate the party and allow it to hold seat-sharing talks with the Trinamool Congress from a position of strength. The party also wants to be prepared for the eventuality of having to go it alone in the polls, which are due by May next year.They said that Congress efforts to emerge stronger in the state are part of plans to gain strength in four states where it has been weak for years — Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.The four states together have over 200 Lok Saha seats and the Congress is keen to regain its strength in these states to come to power on its own in the next Lok Sabha polls.Congress leaders said the party will seek its due share of seats from the Trinamool Congress in the West Bengal elections where the odds are heavily loaded against the ruling Left Front. The seat sharing talks, for which the two parties have not yet worked out a time frame, are expected to take place in Delhi.Congress MP and West Bengal in-charge K.Keshava Rao said that the party is keen on an alliance with the Trinamool Congress but not at the cost of its interests.“We are for an alliance with Trinamool Congress but not at the cost of our interests and self-respect,” Rao told,Though Rao did not specify the number of seats the Congress aims at contesting as part of alliance, he said the party will “ask for what it deserves”.He said Rahul Gandhi’s rally had infused new energy in the party and galvanised the youth.“The rally has given the party a new hope,” Rao said.The Congress and the Trinamool Congress fought the 2009 Lok Sabha polls together but could not reach an understanding for the municipal elections in the state held in May.In the last assembly polls, which the two parties contested separately, the Congress won 21 seats with 14.71 percent vote share while the Trinamool Congress won 30 seats with 26.47 percent votes. In the Lok Sabha polls, the Trinamool Congress won 19 of the 27 seats it contested while the Congress won six of the 14 it fought.The Trinamool Congress also emerged as the single largest party in the municipal elections held in May.With Trinamool chief and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee keeping up momentum of her attack on the ruling Left Front through rallies, the Congress is also keen to get its electoral act together. The party is reaching out to the youth and weaker sections in an effort to expand its base.Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress leaders said that Rahul Gandhi had raised broadly the same issues in his Kolkata rally which Banerjee has been raising over the years.Party leader Sudip Bandopadhyay said the issues of improper implementation of rural employment guarantee act and irregularities in lists of families below poverty line (BPL) had been raised by the party.“We have raised all these issues much ahead,” Bandopadhyay said.During his speech in Kolkata, Rahul Gandhi spoke of two West Bengals – “one of the CPI-M which has money” and the other “of the poor and backward”.A political observer said that attempts by the Congress to gain strength are likely to lead to some competition with the Trinamool Congress“Both the parties are competing to take a more strident anti-CPI-M line,” he said.
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Grievances of Kashmiri youth to be addressed: PM

Sep,13,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday said his government was ready to talk to every person or group in Jammu and Kashmir if they abjured violence and assured that the grievances of the youth would be addressed.“We are willing to talk to every person or group which abjures violence, within the framework of our constitution,” Manmohan Singh said at the Combined Commanders’ Conference here.“The unrest in the state of Jammu and Kashmir over the last few weeks is a matter of concern. The youth of Kashmir are our citizens and their grievances have to be addressed,” the prime minister assured.“We have to ensure better delivery of services and generate avenues for economic advancement for the people of that state.”The prime minister’s remarks came a few hours before the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting here to review the situation in Kashmir and discuss a peace package for the Valley.The CCS will review whether the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which gives the army substantial immunity during operations, can be lifted in some parts of the state.Earlier in the day, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Home Minister P. Chidambaram and discussed the situation in the state that suffered a fresh spell of violence over the weekend.
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Omar meets Chidambaram, Sonia

Sep,13,Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Monday met Home Minister P. Chidambaram and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi to apprise them of developments in the violence-hit valley.The meetings came hours before the crucial Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting on Kashmir situation Monday evening.“The chief minister is understood to have repeated the need for a political package and withdrawal of the AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act) at least from a few districts in the two meetings,” a senior National Conference leader said on condition of anonymity.The chief minister’s meeting with Chidambaram lasted for 40 minutes. He later met Sonia Gandhi, sources added.
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