Kejriwal to expose 'connivance' between Dikshit, power companies today

Aam Aadmi Party has Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit in its crosshairs again, promising to expose on Friday how the Delhi government consistently "favoured" private power distribution companies at the expense of the public. Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan announced on Thursday that they would expose "connivance" between Dikshit and the electricity companies. The offensive against Delhi government is not new and, in fact, marks the end of a two-month hiatus even as the political group prepares for its electoral debut in the 2014 assembly elections. In October last year, AAP had led a series of protests including mass burning of power bills and urging consumers not to pay their dues. Kejriwal had alleged that Delhi government had deliberately stopped power regulator DERC's draft tariff order in April-May 2010. The controversial order had recommended 20% reduction in domestic tariff because Delhi's power distribution companies had made a profit of Rs 3,000 crore. Instead, the tariff was hiked to allegedly benefit the discoms. The Delhi protests also marked the only tangible success AAP has had so far. DERC was forced to roll back tariff in November for low-end consumers by around 15%. Kejriwal and Bhushan will be hoping to build on this success and prove that the Dikshit government has been acting against public interest in a series of decisions whether related to tariff or other financial matters. The group has spent the last few months in building district teams and the coming days could see street protests to press home their advantage.

cops still protect ex-President Pratibha Patil's family

Former president Pratibha Patil might have exited the high office in July, but in violation of norms her family continues to enjoy high security cover, with 18 constables and one sub-inspector. Taking note of this divergence, the Maharashtra government has thrice requested the Union home ministry for permission to withdraw the former first family's protection. On all three occasions, the Centre's response has reportedly been silence. For some time now, Maharashtra has been facing a shortage of police manpower, causing what many believe a slippage in the law and order situation. This is why clamour has been growing in the state for curtailment of the security cover bestowed on politicians. After Patil entered Rashtrapati Bhavan in June 2007, the Centre released specific directions on the security cover for her spouse Devisingh Sehkhawat, son Rajendra, daughter Jyoti, daughter-in-law Manjiri, son-in-law Jayesh, grandsons Prithvi and Druvesh, and granddaughters Saurabhi and Vedika. Devisingh was accorded Z category security cover, the son and daughter Y category protection and the other six family members X class security. "As per the directives, we presented adequate security cover to the president's family," said a high-ranking bureaucrat. Under Z category security, the beneficiary is provided three constables in each shift besides a special escort vehicle with a sub-inspector or inspector and three constables. In Y class protection, three constables are deployed in each shift, and in X category, one constable is posted in each shift. Thus, by rough calculations, the Maharashtra government allocated 18 constables and one sub-inspector for Patil's family. On Patil's retirement, as per guidelines, she was to get Z-plus security detail and, as per convention, her family's protection was to be withdrawn. The former happened. The latter did not. So, between August and December, the state government wrote thrice to the home ministry, seeking authorization to pull out the security detail provided to Patil's family. But the state got no reply. "Since the cover was provided at the instance of the Centre, we cannot withdraw it unilaterally," said the senior civil servant.

old shame: 17-year-old raped by two in Delhi on December 31 night

Just hours before Nirbhaya's ashes were immersed in the Ganga, a 17-year-old girl studying in class XI of a prominent south Delhi school was allegedly sedated and raped by two men at a New Year's party in the upscale Safdarjung Enclave area of south Delhi, police sources told TOI on Tuesday. The two accused, who work in leading IT companies, were arrested late at night after the girl approached the police. They live in Sarojini Nagar with their families. Both are in their late 20s. While one is a computer engineer with an IT company, the other works in the HR department of a blue-chip tech and consulting multinational, an officer said. The accused were produced in Saket court on Tuesday afternoon and later sent to Tihar jail. The whole operation was kept under wraps by the police. TOI attempted to call senior police officers to confirm the report and also sent text messages but got no response. Sources in Delhi Police revealed that the girl had said in her statement that one of the accused had befriended her on a social networking site a few months ago. The accused had expressed his wish to meet the victim several times and use to chat with her online.

Reliance favourite group of BJP and Congress, Kejriwal says

Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan of India Against Corruption launched a blistering attack on the Congress and BJP on Wednesday for allegedly promoting the business interests of Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Ltd. They claimed that the UPA and NDA regimes had conspired to organize benefits worth thousands of crores for the company at the public exchequer's expense. Speaking against the backdrop of the uproar over Jaipal Reddy's removal from the petroleum ministry, allegedly at Reliance's instance, Bhushan and Kejriwal alleged that the same company had earlier got Mani Shankar Aiyar also turfed out from the ministry. They said it was Ambani who was running the government, not Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. They also claimed that Reddy had opposed Reliance's demand for revision of price of gas from the Krishna-Godavari basin field, and was trying to hold them to account for hoarding gas. While the Congress and BJP were savaged and their alleged favours to Reliance were cited as examples of their collusion over corruption, the industry heavyweight was also scorched in what was clearly the first instance of its kind in recent times. Apart from being mentioned as a glaring example of crony capitalism, the activists accused Reliance of hoarding gas from the KG basin field in order to profit at people's expense and of seeking to blackmail the government. The Congress was quick to rebuff the allegations as "baseless" and also questioned India Against Corruption's source of funding. AICC general secretary B K Hariprasad said, "Nowadays, it is fashionable of IAC to make accusations. But where are you getting your funds from? If Mukesh Ambani is running the government, then IAC is run by people from abroad." He also accused Kejriwal of being in league with BJP. "Woh tuchhe jamakhoron ki tarah kaam kar rahen hain (they are behaving like petty hoarders)," declared Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday while accusing Reliance of hoarding gas. Bhushan and Kejriwal said Reliance had deliberately scaled down production of gas to pressure the government into raising price prematurely, adding that while Reliance sought and got a four-fold raise in capital expenditure on the KG gas field, only 13 of the 31 gas wells were in production. The activists also played an audio clip from the infamous Niira Radia tapes, with former PM A B Vajpayee's foster son-in-law Ranjan Bhattacharya telling the ex-corporate lobbyist, "Mukeshbhai told me, Congress to apni dukaan hai". Reliance forcefully denied the charges and accused India Against Corruption of being a proxy of vested interests. "Irresponsible allegations made by the IAC at the behest of vested interests without basic understanding of complexities of a project of this nature do not merit a response," an RIL statement said. "The deep water exploration project in the KG-D6 basin has deployed the best technical resources and has been recognized by the oil and gas industry as one of the very best in its class. The project has added great economic value to the country and by all accounts is a project of which India can be justly proud," the company claimed. The PM also came in for rough treatment with the activist duo saying he was liable to be prosecuted under the Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly abusing his position to help corporate interests — from Reliance to companies engaged in Coalgate and 2G scam — profit at the cost of the public exchequer. "He signs on to every file, be it of Coalgate or spectrum scam. He has been ensnared by Congress," Kejriwal said. The press conference - the third of a series of exposes promised by the activists -- reinforced their status as a stakeholder in public policy debates, expanding the field beyond the government and business. The activists broke down esoteric concepts of mmbtus (million metric British thermal units) and mmscmd (million metric standard cubic meters per day) into the mundane tangible concern of price of power, fertilizer and inflation. Expanding the arena in which the gas pricing is to be settled, the activists called upon people to rise in revolt against the loot of public money, and exhorted them to maintain a hawk-eyed vigil on the moves of Reddy's successor in petroleum ministry, Veerappa Moily. "File thousands of RTIs to see what this man does regarding the demands of Reliance," Kejriwal said. The activists also backed up their serious charges by releasing government documents which showed that Reddy had opposed Reliance's demand for a hike in gas price from $4.2 per unit to $14.2 per unit. Another document concerned a penalty that Reddy imposed on the energy major for allegedly failing to meet gas production target, and it was cited by the activists to substantiate the charge that Reliance had deliberately scaled down production to conserve gas and sell it at a higher rate later. They also said that Aiyar had opposed Reliance's demand for an increase in the capital expenditure and paid the price for that. They said the contract with Reliance, signed under the NDA, was essentially a sweetheart deal, and was inherently loaded in favour of the company. "It allowed the company to go on increasing its profit by showing its investment: something that the CAG identified as goldplating." They claimed UPA allowed Reliance to build on its initial success by seeking a revision of the gas price after it had signed a contract for supplying gas for $2.34 for 17 years beginning 2004. They said it was Pranab Mukherjee who, as the head of an empowered group of ministers, acquiesced to Reliance's pitch for rate revision to $4.2 a unit, immediately handing the company undue benefit of Rs 8,000 crore. Accusing the PM of favouring the company, Bhushan and Kejriwal said Singh decided to take legal opinion from the attorney general after Reddy had blocked Reliance's demand for revision of price before 2014 when it is due. "Why this sympathy for Reliance? Why did not the same prime minister approach the attorney general for an opinion when Reliance reneged on its contract on production or cost escalation? Why don't they take the opinion of the attorney general when Reliance starts litigation against the public sector NTPC?" They also took objection to Reliance selling 30% stake in 21 of the 29 exploration blocks, including KG-D6 blocks to British Petroleum in 2011 at $7.2 billion when the natural wealth belonged to people of India and not a private company. Bhushan said the encroaching crony capitalism posed a threat to democracy as it had suborned the government and the political class.

US reels under record blitz of angry poll advertisements

"America in Decline" - this title appears on the screen followed by a searing, fast moving montage of images showing churches turned to mosques, Iran with nuclear weapons, petrol prices going through the roof, unemployment, lights going off across the Eastern coast and so on for three minutes. Then appears the message - elect Obama and this is what will happen. That is one of the apocalyptic TV ads aired in the brutal Obama-Romney war for the President of US. Americans are reeling under a never-seen-before onslaught of TV advertising in the ongoing election campaign for president and Congress seats. And it is predominantly fuelled by anger, fear and sadness. Over 9.15 lakh ads have been aired for just the presidential contest between Obama and Romney till 21 October according to the Wesleyan Media Project. This is 44.5% more than ads telecast in the 2008 election. "We've already surpassed the total number of presidential ads aired during the entire 2008 campaign — and we still have two weeks to go before Election Day," said Erika Franklin Fowler, co-director of the Project. Two other aspects of this air-war are striking, apart from these staggering numbers. One is that the ads are concentrated on fewer markets than 2008. This means that "a smaller number of Americans have witnessed the onslaught of messages in the race for the White House" according to Fowler. The ads appear to be concentrated in battleground states like Ohio, Florida, Nevada, The other is negativity. Analysis of the high-voltage ad-war in the first three weeks of October shows that anger, fear and sadness were the top three emotions being depicted by both sides of the campaign. Among Romney's ads 86% showed anger, 36% showed fear and 32% showed sadness according to Wesleyan's analysis. Obama's ads were not far behind with 70% showing anger, 30% showing fear and 47% sadness. While the Romney campaign has shifted tracks, with 52% TV ads contrasting him with Obama and 36% only attacking the president, Obama has relied mainly on attacking Romney (73%) with contrasts being shown in just 20% of ads. Pro-Romney attacks have almost universally focused on policy (96%) whereas 44% of the pro-Obama ads were a combination of policy and personally focused critiques. TV ad financing also shows a new development in American electoral politics - the rise of shadowy 'outside' spending. Between October 1 and 21, the Obama camp spent $77.5 million on ads while the Romney camp spent $87.1 million. Obama's spending came mostly from money he had raised himself (94%) but in Romney's case only 44% was raised by him while another massive 44 percent flowed in from supporting groups like super-PACs and other 'welfare' organizations. This has affected the TV ad rates - Obama is getting ads cheaper than Romney. A ranking of the top 15 sponsors of TV ads during the first three weeks of October (with Obama and Romney being counted separate from their parties) has just five Democratic sponsors - the remaining 10 are Republicans. American Crossroads, a super-PAC set up by Bush adviser and Republican ideologue Karl Rove tops the list (after the two candidates) with spending crossing $28.5 million. It is followed by the Democratic group Priorities USA Action with an ad spend of $9.5 million. Taxes, economic disparity and the budget deficit were the top three issues in Obama's ads. Romney appears to be putting all his eggs in the jobs basket - 82% of his ads talked of jobs. Other major issues highlighted by the GOP candidate were the deficit and government spending.

Twitter Films Present Robert Vadra Special!!

The entire nation is currently focusing on one man. He is no celebrity but he sure has enough power and background to influence decisions that can change the future of this nation. He is Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Sonia Gandhi. Thanks to the tirade by Arvind Kejriwal the sudden attention has shifted on Vadra and the Twitter folks are making the most of it. They are coming up with many titles which can be used for films based on Vadra's activities. Notable among them are The Family Guy, Ghar Jamaai and Jamaai Raja to Chori Chori Chupke Chupke. Few others have suggested titles like The Loan Shark, Unsecured Loan Na Milegi Dobara, Roti, Kapda Aur DLF, Main Daamaad Hoon. Robert Vadra also became the hero for other titles like Scam Ke Side Effects, My name is Robber, I am not a Robot, The Last (square) mile, Delhi (in my) Belly! and KLPD —Kismat Love Paisa DLF. The way Twitter folks are using their creativity on Vadra, it is making easy the life of the film industry folks who keep searching for good titles. Robert Vadra,Robert Vadra Hot News,Robert Vadra news

Husbands Don't Rape Other Ladies?

India is one country wherein crimes like murders, robbery and rapes are very common. They happen almost on daily basis and the most significant among them is the rapes. Lately, a lot of rise has been noticed in the rape incidents and even minor girls are not being spared by few barbaric men. In this process, it is heard that few village heads in Haryana are suggesting that child marriage is the best solution for putting a check to rapes. Their logic is, at an age of 16 if the boys are married they would not be having that attraction for others and rapes will not happen. How does that really work? Just because a man got married in childhood it doesn’t mean he won’t rape other women. There is no connection between age and rape because rape is more of an instinct. During olden days child marriages used to happen but even rapes also used to happen. So, the very idea of this child marriage to check rapes doesn’t really work.

19 people killed as private aircraft crashes in Nepal

All 19 people, mostly foreigners, aboard a Dornier aircraft of a private airlines were killed today as the plane crashed minutes after taking off from the Tribhuvan International Airport here. Sixteen passengers and three crew members who were heading towards Lukla, gateway to Mt Everest, were killed when the small aircraft belonging to Sita Airways crashed two minutes after it took off at 6:15 am (local time), airport officials said. The plane had caught fire as soon as it took off and it crashed at the bank of the Manahara river in Koteshwor region, near a slum area, just 2-3 km south of the airport, the officials said. All the passengers are said to be foreigners and most of them are Italian tourists, according to preliminary reports. The crew members are identified as Captain Bijaya Tandukar, co-Pilot Takeshi Thapa and airhostess Ruja Shakya.

Pornography On TV Channels

There was a time when television was a great source of entertainment and relaxation. But thanks to the overflowing news channels and the obsession with reality shows in other channels, it has become a medium of causing stress and pressure removing all possible human values.

Now, in the name of reality shows, the TV channels are getting into further boldness. The focus is on the shows like ‘Bigg Boss 5’. Apparently, there are episodes where the lady participants flaunt their curves and come up with wet shower scenes. Now, this show has been inspired from the ‘Big Brother’ reality show quite popular in western countries.

Reports say that the episodes there are getting steamier as live coverage of participants involving in sexual acts and intimacy are being shown. Now, the observers here are saying that looking at the trend, it will not be a surprise if the same level of pornography will be seen in our reality shows in the next five years or so. Sad but true…

Four bomb blasts rock Mumbai

Four blasts rocked Mumbai within minutes of each other, police said on Wednesday. According to TV reports, eight persons have died in the blasts and 70 have been injured.

Police sources said the nature and intensity of the blasts was not known. The ministry has confirmed it is a terror strike.

The first explosion took place in south Mumbai's Zaveri Bazaar, near the famous Mumbadevi temple, in which some people were injured, said Mumbai Police spokesperson Nisar Tamboli. The bustling market also has a number of jewellery shops.

The second explosion was reported in a taxi in Dadar area in central Mumbai, he said.

The third blast was reported from south Mumbai's Opera House in Charni Road after 7pm.

All three are busy commercial and residential areas, and were bustling with people and traffic during the evening peak hours when the explosions took place.

The communication network has been jammed. People are unable to get through phone lines in the city.
An NIA team has been sent for Mumbai. All states have been put on high alert. A parked car bore the brunt of the blast in Dadar.
Police teams quickly moved into the three places. In New Delhi, the home ministry put the National Security Guard (NSG) on alert.
166 people were killed in a terror strike in 2008 by Pakistan-based terrorists.

Meerut love story: First bride, then sister, now woman scorned

It broke upon the news scene as a story of rare sacrifice and chivalry. But two weeks and two twists later, the 'Meerut love story' has reduced to a sordid drama. In the latest twist in the story on Thursday, the bride-turned-sister Aarti turned upon her husband-turned-brother Nitesh Tyagi and his family, accusing them of dowry related harassment, and filed a complaint with the police against them.

For those who have not been following the story, Nitesh Tyagi, 21, a supervisor in an IT firm and only son of Meerut-based transporter Anil Tyagi, married Aarti of Rudrapur on May 6. Some time later, he symbolically dissolved their matrimonial relationship by making her tie a raakhi to him, as she 'confessed' she was secretly married to an engineering student in Rudrapur.

Nitesh reportedly told Aarti he would do everything in his power to unite her with her 'husband' Vivek. Aarti, meanwhile, continued living with the Tyagis as a daughter, reflective of her new sisterly relationship with Nitesh. Late last week, she returned to her parents. Then, on Tuesday, came the news that Vivek had dumped her. "And, today (Thursday), she returned to Meerut to file a report of dowry related harassment against, Nitesh, his father and his mother. The trio have left their home and are engaged in getting legal aid to try and keep out of prison," said a source.

The story is even more complicated. Reports say Aarti's elder sister was first betrothed to Nitesh but she eloped days later with a trainee police sub-inspector. Then, it was agreed that Nitesh would marry Aarti to avoid a scandal for both families. But, "On the morning after the wedding," said Nitesh's father Anil Tyagi, "she told my son about Vivek. We thought that, since she was already married to Vivek, she could comfortably live in our house only after tying a raakhi to Nitesh. And, the marriage with my son would in any case not be legal, as she was already married. We looked upon her as our second daughter, not a daughter-in-law. The whole matter became a major media event. But, all of Nitesh's generosity came to naught after she returned to her home in Rudrapur. She came back armed with a fictitious report of harassment by our family. We were stunned."

Asked about the case, a Meerut police officer said, "It is too early to comment on the veracity of the report. Investigations into the case are on. And, we can only comment on the merits of the case after there is some headway." Asked for his views on the matter, Aarti's father, a Provincial Armed Constabulary subedar, said, "We have handed a report to the Meerut police. But, I would not like to comment on the details at this stage. Maybe later."

Tsunami alert after 7.4 quake in Indonesia

A local tsunami alert was issued after an earthquake of magnitude 7.4 struck 140 miles (225 kms) south of Banda Aceh in Sumatra, Indonesia, the country's quake agency and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported on Sunday.

"A destructive widespread tsunami threat does not exist based on historical earthquake and tsunami data," the USGS said. "However there is the possibility of a local tsunami that could affect coasts located usually no more than a hundred kilometers from the earthquake epicenter."

Indonesian authorities said they were still trying to get details of the quake, which happened at 0559 GMT. "It could be felt quite strongly but we don't know if there were casualties or buildings damaged," said Subagyo, from the Indonesian bureau of meteorology's quake monitoring centre.

The Indonesian archipelago stretches across a seismically active area known as the Pacific Ring of Fire and is prone to earthquakes and volcanoes.

A 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami on Sumatra island killed 170,000 people in Aceh province alone, while more than 1,000 people died after a powerful quake hit the city of Padang last September.

After 19 yrs in jail for Rajiv murder, Nalini may be freed

Providing a glimmer of hope to Nalini Sriharan, who has been in prison for about 19 years now in connection with the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, an advisory board constituted by the Tamil Nadu government is understood to have agreed to recommend her “premature release” from jail.

On Wednesday, Nalini appeared before the board headed by the Vellore district collector, and deposed for about 10 minutes. Reliable sources said a favourable report by the probation officer and the fact that she had already spent nearly 19 years in prison weighed heavily on the minds of the board members. That she has a girl child and her husband too is in jail awaiting execution, was also considered by the board comprising the collector, district judge, probation officer, and the superintendent of the Vellore prison for women.

The board is expected to forward its recommendation to the state government on Thursday. As the report is recommendatory in nature, the government can either accept or reject the suggestions. However, this is the first time the advisory board has resolved to recommend her premature release. The state is now expected to take a decision on the case after consultations with the Centre since it involved an investigation by a central agency, the CBI. During the hearing of Nalini’s first plea seeking an early release, the Centre had told the Madras High Court that it had no role in the matter as the state was yet to seek its opinion on the case.

During the hearing of Rajiv assassination conspirator Nalini’s first plea seeking an early release, the Centre had told the Madras HC that it had no role in the matter as the state was yet to seek its opinion on the case.

Arrested on June 14, 1991, she was sentenced to death, along with 25 others, by a special court here on January 28, 1998. However, the SC confirmed death only on four of the convicts, including Nalini, on May 11, 1999. Her death sentence was commuted to life by the TN governor based on Nalini’s clemency plea, Sonia Gandhi’s public statements and advice from the state cabinet, in April 2000.

Nalini’s request for a premature release after nearly 17 years in jail was rejected the first time by an advisory board on October 31, 2007. Subsequently, she was back in the spotlight after Priyanka Gandhi met her on March 19, 2008 at the Special Prison for Women at Vellore. The secret meeting was first reported by The Times of India on April 15, 2008.
Nalini challenged the board’s decision before the Madras HC, questioning the composition of the board and pointing out certain procedural flaws. The HC then asked the government to constitute a new advisory board and consider her release plea afresh, strictly in accordance with law. The court had not specified any time-frame.

More than a year later, on Wednesday, four members of the board including the district collector, who is the chairman, met at Vellore and considered all available material for about an hour. Significantly, the probation officer’s report too is said to have favoured her premature release.

The probation officer’s report is vital, as he is the official who makes spot visits and compiles a report after considering relevant factors such as the societal impact of the release of the prisoner, his/her conduct inside the prison, antecedents, and his/her acceptability in society, besides rehabilitatory measures.

The absence of the chief judicial magistrate and a non-official member nominated by the government at the meeting did not have any bearings on the deliberations as it had the required quorum.

TN ministers watch as cop dies

Two DMK ministers in Tamil Nadu, M.R.K. Paneerselvam and T.P.M. Maideen Khan, have come under fire from rights activists after TV footage showed them watching as police sub-inspector Vetrivel lay dying in a pool of blood on the road.

The sub-inspector, grievously injured by a gang at Abasamudram, in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, later bled to death. He was not even the intended target of the gang.

Britney beats Obama as most searched online celebrity

Pop diva Britney Spears has beaten US Ppresident Barack Obama as the most searched for celebrity on the Internet in the last decade.

The singer shot to fame in 1998 with her debut track 'Baby One More Time', and during her time in the limelight she has been married twice, given birth to two children and suffered a public meltdown, which saw her hospitalised on an involuntary psychiatric hold in 2008 and her drama-filled life has resulted in her being named the most popular celeb on the web, according to search engine Ask Jeeves, reports contactmusic.com.

US leader Barack Obama, who was elected president last year, came in second, while soccer ace David Beckham was the third most searched for star.

Late British royal Diana, Princess of Wales and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair rounded out the top five.

Internet News

Thackeray bahu Smita set to join Congress

It's unthinkable that a member of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray's deep-saffron family will switch to the enemy camp. But that's what Smita Thackeray, his 48-year-old daughter-in-law, appears to be doing in suddenly announcing her decision to join Sonia Gandhi's Congress party.

``I have become a big admirer of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and want to be part of the good work being done by them for the country,'' she told TOI on Friday.

The reasons for Smita's decision are two. One, she feels the Shiv Sena is being unfair to Maharashtrians with its parochial and divisive politics and two, she was being systematically marginalised by powerful elements in the Thackeray household.

``I cannot stand the suffocation any more and have decided to join the Congress, which has a national and global vision. I now feel most comfortable with the Congress ideology.''And there was more gushing praise for the first family of Indian politics.

``I personally admire the way Soniaji has been leading the party and the country. Even though Rahul is maintaining a low profile, he too is doing enormous work for the nation,'' she said.

Smita said she was in touch with senior leaders of the Congress in New Delhi, and it was only a question of time before she formally stepped into the party. She is likely to call on Sonia Gandhi and Rahul in the capital soon. For the Congress it will be a prize catch, and indications are that Smita will be given an important post in the organisation.

A politically ambitious person, Smita was a power centre in Maharashtra when the Sena-BJP alliance came to power in 1995. Several IAS, IPS officials and businessmen waited on her, seeking some favour or the other. The perception was that she was the person closest to Balasaheb.

``The fact that I am Saheb's daughter-in-law certainly helped. In fact, I owe everything to him and continue to hold him in high regard. But over the years, I found that certain elements in the household, who shall remain unnamed for the present, were seeking to marginalise me.''

She accused other Thackeray loyalists of trying to hurt her in several ways. ``They tried to dent my identity as a social activist and film producer. People in Bollywood used to get calls from these people, warning them against any association with me,'' she said.

Smita said that her father-in-law, who was earlier very supportive, himself failed to keep his promises to her. ``I was promised a berth in the Rajya Sabha, but I was shocked when I learnt that my seat had been given to journalist Bharat Kumar Raut. In the assembly election too, I was promised a ticket, but it was denied to me for no apparent reason. One of my articles was published in the Sena mouthpiece, Saamna. But when I took the second article to Balasaheb, who is the editor, he refused to publish it. I got the message that I was not wanted any more, and tore up the article on the spot. It is painful to politically dissociate myself from the Sena, but I have no choice,'' she said.

Smita, who is the estranged wife of Bal Thackeray's son Jaidev, said she never considered the MNS an alternative since she did not agree with Raj Thackeray's politics. ``I am extremely proud to be a Maharashtrian,'' she said. ``I speak only in Marathi with my two sons at home. In fact the first film being produced by my son Rahul, who has trained in film-making in Toronto, is in Marathi. But I want Maharashtrians to change with the changing times. English is today a powerful tool of communication. Even the Chinese are realising this. I want Maharashtrians to be exposed to the literature of not only P L Deshpande, but also of Premchand and other great writers in other languages. I am against attacks on fellow Indians and the damaging of public property.''

Smita wrote an article in a Marathi daily recently advocating her views on language, and said she received ``over 200 emails'' from Maharashtrians endorsing her views. Asked for her views on Uddhav, she replied: ``I think Balasaheb gave him a big post too early. He should have been trained in politics before being given such a huge responsibility.''

Even though she lives in a spacious bungalow in Juhu, Smita retains her room in Matoshree, the Thackeray home in Bandra East. Since she is the first Thackeray to join the Congress, does she fear the consequences? ``I have an identity of my own and am old enough to take decisions for myself. I do not fear anyone,'' she answered firmly.

Hemant Karkare's 26/11 bulletproof jacket lost

Where is 26/11 Mumbai hero Hemant Karkare's bulletproof jacket?

It has been nearly a year since Karkare died with bullet injuries in his chest. The efficiency of that jacket was under question because Karkare received three fatal bullet injuries despite having worn the jacket.

His wife, Kavita Karkare, had filed an RTI asking for details of Hemant Karkare's bulletproof jacket, but the Maharashtra government has now told her that the jacket was misplaced in the chaos.

When Hemant Karkare was taken to the hospital after being shot, the doctors had removed the jacket from his body. It was misplaced in the chaos at J J Hospital according to government's reply.

A few months ago, the Maharashtra government was in the midst of a controversy over the quality of bulletproof jackets provided to the Mumbai Police.

While the Mumbai Police had then claimed that the file on the purchase of bulletproof jackets had gone missing, CNN-IBN had learnt that the file did exist and that it contained doubts on the quality of the jackets.

Sources within the Mumbai Police had told CNN-IBN that the file was not lost, but was being protected from public scrutiny to possibly avoid controversial details from coming out in the open.

Sources also said that in 2004, samples of the jackets were sent for a trial at the firing range of the State Reserve Police Force. They were fitted on dummies and sprayed with and bullets from self-loading rifles and AK-47s. Every single bullet went through the jackets even though the rounds were fired from a distance.

Opposition parties had created a chaos and even flashed a bulletproof jacket in the Maharashtra Assembly in a bid to target the state government. Allegations of large-scale corruption in the procurement of the bulletproof jackets were also hurled on all sides.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan had then denied the allegations saying, "I strongly deny of any corrupt practices being involved in the entire process of purchase, as alleged by the Opposition."

Meanwhile, there another twist to the tale after the reply which the Mumbai Police gave to an RTI applicant seeking information on bulletproof jackets used by Mumbai Police. The reply read: "Since the file relating to bulletproof jackets cannot be found, the queries cannot be answered."

source:ibnlive

'Transsexual Jesus' drama triggers row

At least 300 protesters participated in a candlelit protest outside a theater in Glasgow, Scotland, where a play is to portray Jesus as a transsexual.

The Tron Theatre will present a new play, Jesus Queen of Heaven, in which Christ is a man who wants to become a woman. The play is part of the Glasgay! arts festival which celebrates Scotland’s homosexual, lesbian, bi-sexual and transsexual culture. Festival organizers, however, said there was no intention to incite or offend anyone.

The Christian protesters gathered outside the theatre ahead of the opening night on Tuesday, singing hymns and waving placards saying, “Jesus, King of Kings, Not Queen of Heaven”, and “God: My Son Is Not A Pervert.”

The play is written and performed by Jo Clifford, a transsexual playwright.


source:TOI

7 lose sight at Nellore eye camp, 15 infected

Days after undergoing free cataract surgery at a private hospital in Nellore district, 15 people were rushed on Sunday to Sankara Nethralaya hospital in Chennai with complaints of vision loss.

The free cataract operations were conducted on 30 people from Nellore town and surrounding villages last Monday at the Global Eye Foundation.

The eyeballs of four patients had to be removed by doctors at the Chennai hospital to prevent infection spreading to other parts. Three patients returned to Nellore after doctors in Chennai told them that their eyeballs would have to be removed. One of them, Shankar, 65, said that they were taken to different hospitals in Chennai and they panicked when they came to know about the proposal to remove their operated eye. “It is our bad fate and we are terribly worried over our future,” Mr Shankar said.

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The condition of seven others is said to be critical. Ms Kranthi of Sramikanagar in Nellore town said that her mother and aunt were among the victims. One of her aunt’s eyes was removed in Chennai. “She is totally blind now since her only functioning eye has been extracted. We would have avoided the operation if we had any idea about the danger,” Kranthi said between sobs.

Locals said that the Global Eye Foundation medical team conducted the free medical camp in memory of Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy where they identified the persons for cataract surgery.

Mr Rafi of Gangapatnam village, whose father-in-law, Mr Shaik Khader Basha is one of the victims, said that the hospital staff told him there was no need for attendants when he and his wife, Jameela accompanied his father-in-law to the hospital in Nellore on Monday. “He returned home on his own on Tuesday morning and started complaining about severe pain in the eye by afternoon. The operated eye swelled like an egg within no time and we rushed him again to the Global Eye Foundation,” Mr Rafi said.

He said his father-in-law was taken along with other patients to Chennai. “Doctors at the Agarwal Eye Hospital in Chennai refused treatment after examining them and we were taken to Egmore Eye Hospital where the patients from Nellore were forced to sleep under trees. Global Eye Foundation staff shifted them to Sankara Nethralaya after we raised a hue and cry the next day,“ Mr afi said, narrating his harrowing tale.

He said that he noticed nine patients and he is not aware of the whereabouts of the others. Dr Sai Murali, chief of the Global Eye Foundation, said that they noticed serious infection in one of the patients who had undergone surgery on October 19 when he came to the hospital the next day complaining about irritation in the eye. “We took pains to locate other patients and rushed them to Chennai,” he said.

He claimed that they have conducted 40,000 free cataract surgeries under the national programme for control of blindness in the past six years and have never had any problem. He said that they are taking total care of all the patients at hospital cost and closely monitoring the condition of the remaining 15 patients.

A senior ophthalmologist said on condition of anonymity that infected medicines or instruments could be the cause of the infections. A spokesperson for Sankara Nethralaya, Mr Sivakumar, told this newspaper, “We performed emergency surgeries on four patients as the infected eye had to be removed to prevent spread of infection. Seven others are under observation, and receiving treatment. Their condition is being evaluated and surgery will be performed if needed.” The cause of the infection is yet to be ascertained; the hospital was concentrating on saving patients’ vision, he added.

Meanwhile, the Nellore district Collector, Mr K.Ramgopal, has formed a committee to probe into the infections on Friday and sent the team to Chennai to examine the victims, according the the blind control programme manager, Dr M. Manjulamma.

Oprah under fire over bizarre deaths at new-age retreat

A bizarre tragedy at a spiritual retreat in the Arizona desert has caused new embarrassment for Oprah Winfrey, the American television titan whose enthusiasm for alternative health and lifestyle choices has drawn mounting criticism this year.

The deaths of two participants at a Native American-style “cleansing” ceremony in a sauna-like “sweat lodge” earlier this month are being treated by police as possible homicides. The victims were attending a “spiritual warrior” retreat organised by James Arthur Ray, a motivational speaker who has appeared twice on Winfrey’s chat show.

The billionaire entertainer has been fighting off persistent allegations this year that her media empire provides a platform to questionable self-help gurus who promote dangerous ideas.

Participants paid almost $10,000 each to join what Ray had promised would be a “heroic quest for higher consciousness”. Police are probing reports that they may have been stretched beyond reasonable endurance.