Andhra police chief asks Northeast community not to panic

Hyderabad, Aug 17: Denying that there was a mass exodus of people of Assam and other Northeast States from Hyderabad, the Andhra Pradesh police chief on Friday appealed to them not to panic.

Director General of Police Dinesh Reddy urged people from the Northeast not to heed rumours and asserted that they faced no threat in the city.  The police chief said there was no mass exodus of people from Hyderabad or any other part of the State. “Some people might have gone yesterday or day before to spend time with their families back home, but there is no mass exodus,” he said. The DGP said for the last two days they were reviewing the situation at the highest level.

Dinesh Reddy said the rumours originating from other States spread fear among people. He said the SMSes did not originate in Andhra Pradesh. He added that the trains carrying northeast people from Bangalore and Chennai and passing through Andhra Pradesh would be given full security. The railway police were deploying armed guards on these trains.

Police in Hyderabad have set up helplines to assist the people from Northeast living in the city and to allay fears of any threat to them amid reports that a large number of them have returned home in the last couple of days.

Hyderabad and Cyberabad police commissionerates have set up the helpline numbers and were trying to instil confidence in the community.

The police helpline numbers in Hyderabad police commissionerate are 040-27852333 and 040-23261166, and in Cyberabad police commissionerate 9490617100 and 9490617370.

Senior police officers have appealed to people to approach police if they felt threatened. They also said that not a single incident of violence was reported so far.

Cyberabad police have deployed policemen at Nanakramguda and Gowlidoddi in addition to the pickets already set up in Siddiqnagar and Anjaiahnagar. Police have also intensified patrolling in the areas where most of the Assamese and Notheastern people live.

Cyberabad Police Commissioner D Thirumala Rao said the police were taking all steps to allay apprehensions among the people.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma said no incident of any attack on Assamese or Northeast people was reported in Hyderabad.

Thousands of people from Northeast are settled in Hyderabad for education and employment. About 40 per cent of security guards in Information Technology and hospitality sectors are from Northeastern States.

Cyberabad police on Thursday held a meeting with security guards working in IT companies to reassure them that they need not panic because of rumours.

Assam Youth Welfare Association Chairman Sri Subhash Datta, who participated in the meeting, also tried to allay fears.

The Cyberabad police commissioner appealed to the Assamese people who left for Assam to come back and return to their jobs.

Earlier, on Thursday, police clarified that there was no foul play in the death of a man from Assam at Sompeta railway station in Srikakulam district on August 14. The railway police said Sanjay Kumar Roy (40) accidentally fell down from the Bangalore-Guwahati Express.

The mishap took place when he, along with two others, was escorting back to Assam his neighbour Ksainil Roy, who too had earlier sustained injuries after accidentally falling off the Trivandram-Guwahati Express near Nowpada railway station on August 7. (IANS)

BJP seeks PM's resignation over CAG report on coal blocks

New Delhi, Aug 17: The BJP on Friday demanded Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s resignation over the alleged irregularities pointed out in the CAG report in the allocation of coal blocks between 2006 and 2009 when he held the coal portfolio.

Calling it one of the biggest scams of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, the Bharatiya Janata Party, however, ruled out the need for a joint parliamentary committee probe on the Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s (CAG) report.

“We want the Prime Minister to resign but there is no need of a JPC,” Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj told reporters.

Her party colleague and Leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley said the Prime Minister was “directly, politically and morally” responsible for the windfall gain to private parties as the UPA government could not decide to allow competitive bidding for the coal blocks from 2004 to 2012.

“The eight-year delay from July 2004 to February 2012 in implementing a decision to go for competitive bidding instead of discretionary method of allocating coal blocks resulted in a loss to the exchequer and windfall gain to the private players,” said Jaitley citing the CAG report. “As the Prime Minister headed the coal ministry between July 2004 and May 2009, he is vicariously responsible...he should introspect over the CAG’s report and resign,” he added.

But the BJP said no JPC probe was required into the allocation of coal blocks as it had done in the case of the 2G spectrum scam on the basis of the CAG report, in which a presumed Rs 1.76 lakh crore worth revenue was lost.

Making a comparison, Jaitley said while there was a loss to exchequer in the 2G spectrum case, in the issue of coal blocks the private parties gained at the expense of the government.

The BJP said the CAG report on coal blocks was another episode in the series of corruption scandals in the UPA government. The BJP also condemned the Congress for criticising the CAG.

BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy said the Prime Minister, who was holding the coal portfolio in this period, should answer to the charges.

Another BJP leader, Ravi Shankar Prasad said: “The Prime Minister was coal minister for three years. In UPA’s maladministration, these are three more skeletons out of cupboard.” (IANS)

Court denies anticipatory bail to Kanda

New Delhi, Aug 17: The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of Haryana’s former minister Gopal Goyal Kanda, accused of abetting the suicide of former flight attendant Geetika Sharma, on technical grounds without going into the merits of the case.

The court dismissed the plea, observing that the affidavit filed with the bail application was not signed by Kanda, but was signed by his brother.

The court observed that Kanda “appears to be sitting comfortably somewhere without any apprehension of his arrest by the police and that circumstance also appears to be the reason for his not claiming anticipatory bail himself”.

"The present anticipatory bail application has been filed on the instruction of one Govind Kumar, who claims himself to be the brother and 'pairokaar of Gopal Goyal Kanda,” Justice Bhasin said. “In the entire application, not even a word has been said as to why Gopal Goyal Kanda himself had not sworn an affidavit in support of this application if at all he had filed the same,” Justice Bhasin said, dismissing the plea.

“I also find one vakalatnama (power of attorney) on record which purports to have been signed by Gopal Goyal Kanda in favour of some advocates. This vakalatnama is shown to have been executed by Gopal Goyal Kanda on August 13, 2012. However, one of the advocates, whose name appears to be Ravinder Singh, has put his signatures for identifying the executant of the vakalatnama but that advocate had put his signatures on August 8, 2012. That creates a suspicion in the mind of the Court regarding the genuineness of this vakalatnama also,”Justice Bhasin added.

“In any event, if this anticipatory bail application had actually been moved by Gopal Goyal Kanda himself and he had engaged advocates for that purpose by signing vakalatnama in their favour then there was no occasion for his brother/'pairokaar to have given instructions to any counsel for filing this anticipatory bail application and that too without any authorization in his favour from Gopal Goyal Kanda and also without any reason for Gopal Goyal Kanda himself not giving any instructions to his own advocates for filing anticipatory bail application on his behalf. Considering the fact that Gopal Goyal Kanda is a free man, at least at the present point of time, he alone could have moved the anticipatory bail application supported by his own affidavit and in the absence of his having done that, this application cannot be considered by this court to have actually been filed by him,” the court added. (IANS)

Raj Thackeray demands Patil's resignation

Mumbai, Aug 17: After the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena on Friday joined the clamour for the resignations of Home Minister RR Patil and city police commissioner for their alleged failure to control the August 11 Mumbai violence. “We shall take out a procession to Girgaum Chowpatty demanding the resignations of both Patil and Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik, as they have completely failed to foresee and control the violence,” Thackeray told the mediapersons here. He also dismissed speculation pointing at ‘intelligence failure’ over the August 11 violence following a 25,000 strong procession by Muslim groups to protest killings in Assam and Myanmar. “In fact, the police had specific information about the presence of notorious anti-social elements who had pre-planned the violence and had reached the venue with arms. A majority of them were outsiders. Why have the police not yet taken proper action against them,” Thackeray asked. Questioning Patil’s credentials for running the home department, Thackeray urged Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to take over the crucial portfolio. “He had once said he was a ruffian in politics, now (take over the home ministry) prove it,” Thackeray challenged Pawar. (IANS)

Seeds of Mahogany safe in treating diabetes

Kolkata, Aug 17: Scientists in West Bengal claim that the seeds of the big leaf mahogany tree, that are used to treat diabetes in folk medicines, are non-toxic and safe natural product.

Scientists at the department of Food Technology and Biochemical Engineering at the Jadavpur University say they have clinching evidence that the seeds of the mahogany may be a potent non-toxic addition to the arsenal of safe natural products for the treatment of diabetes -- a major metabolic disorder of recent time.

Local people of East Midnapore, West Bengal, use a crude concentrated extract of its seeds for diabetes treatment.

“In the animal model-based toxicity study, aqueous (water-based) extracts of the seeds were repeatedly given orally to groups of Wister albino rats for a period of 28 days, at levels of 0, 500, 1500 and 2000 mg per kg of body weight,” says Utpal Raychaudhuri of the Jadavpur University.

According to the study published in 2012 in the Science and Culture Journal - a journal published by the Indian Science News Association - the extract did not produce any mortality in the animals even up to the dose level of 2,000 mg a kg. Also, the results of various blood and biochemical tests were normal. Further no changes were noticed in the liver, intestine, heart, kidney and stomach of the animals.

According to the World Health Organisation, diabetes mellitus or simply diabetes is a major metabolic disorder of recent time.

It may trigger major complications such as hypoglycemia (where blood sugar - glucose - is too low) or cardiovascular (heart-related) problems. Plant constituents with the ability to prevent diabetes-related complications provide an encouraging prospect, but it is of paramount importance to test them for any toxic effects.

One of such plants is the big leaf Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) - a beautiful, lofty, evergreen tree native to central America, Mexico, south America and India.

The seeds of the big leaf mahogany may, therefore, be a potent non-toxic addition to the arsenal of safe natural products in the battle against diabetes. (IANS)

No requests for long term visas from Pakistani Hindus

New Delhi, Aug 17: There have been no requests for long-term visas so far from any of the Hindu families who have crossed over from Pakistan and in case any of them apply for such a visa India would follow the due process, an official said on Friday.

Syed Akbaruddin, ministry of external affairs spokesperson, answering a question at a media briefing here said: “At this stage, my information is that there have not been any requests from those who have recently been granted visas in Pakistan and who have crossed here.” He said that the around 250-odd Hindus from Pakistan who had crossed over had come recently and “there is still time for their present visa status which is usually for about a month or so”.

The official explained that when Pakistani nationals apply for visas in Islamabad, they apply in categories that are covered by the India-Pakistan Bilateral Visa Agreement. “That agreement provides for categories which are of a short-term nature. Therefore, when they apply and they are considered and we do due diligence and due processes are followed,”Syed said.

The spokesperson said that in case somebody wants a visa which is beyond the period for which he or she has applied, the due process would be followed. (IANS)

Speaker pulls up Sharad Yadav

New Delhi, Aug 17: Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, who is usually polite while managing the house, on Friday got up from her seat and pulled up Janata Dal-United chief Sharad Yadav for responding angrily to her directive. “It’s about the authority of the chair... members should go by the rules and not get angry with the speaker,” Meira Kumar told him. Speaking during a debate on the issue of violence in Assam and the exodus of people from the Northeast from various places, Sharad Yadav was asked by the speaker to end his speech. Instead, he angrily retorted that if she so wanted, he would sit down. This irked the speaker, who pulled him up. Later, when some MPs tried to disrupt Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who wanted to intervene in the debate, Meira Kumar firmly told them it was her decision. When Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad remarked that she was very angry, Meira Kumar replied with a smile: “I am not angry, Laluji.” (IANS)

Three held in Bangalore for attacking three from Northeast

Bangalore, Aug 17: Three people were arrested on Friday for allegedly assaulting three workers from the Northeast at a shopping mall in the city centre, a senior police official said. “The three accused - Abrar Ahmed, Salman and Vinay - aged around 22-24, were arrested under section 153 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for assaulting three people from Manipur,” Bangalore Deputy Commissioner of Police (central) Ravikante Gowda said. The victims had gone to Big Bazaar located in the Shantinagar bus terminal of the State-run Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) for shopping when they were attacked. Police withheld names of the victims for their safety and security reasons. “The victims filed a complaint at the Wilson Garden police station that they were chased by the accused from the shopping mall and beaten up suddenly when they were walking on the Double Road leading to the Lalbagh garden,” Gowda said. Police began interrogating the accused to ascertain why they had attacked the three Manipuris and if more people were involved in the incident. “We are investigating the incident from all angles. The accused will be produced in a local court on Saturday after interrogation and for further remand,” Gowda added. (IANS)

Who made Big B nervous?

Mumbai, Aug 17: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who has recorded a song for Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) 6 with composer duo Salim-Sulaiman, says he had butterflies in his stomach while recording it. KBC will go on air on September 7 on Sony and the mock rehearsals for the game show continues, wrote Big B who will host the show. “ The crowning glory is the session at Salim-Sulaiman’s recording studio later at night to record a song for KBC, and my extreme hesitation in doing so for it is a moment filled with immense self consciousness,” the 69-year old posted on his blog. “I think it becomes relevant and important to be in a state of complete comfort before performing any creative act. It is for me. And when the environ is not conducive, the soul is absent. I have not done much with Salim-Sulaiman, and that always comes in the way when they are in charge,” he wrote. Big B confessed that he often opts for composer Aadesh Shrivastava because they have had several jamming sessions and that he also enjoys a rapport with Vishal-Shekhar. “… but Salim-Sulaiman, made me nervous and anxious and yes, the butterflies which have now found permanent residence within my intestines. However, this must be said, the experience tonight has been most rewarding and fruitful. Not in the rendering of my song, but just in the required adjustment of being at ease there within their equipments and computers and instruments and with those that operate them! My singing as always is awful, their sound is awesome, and there shall be several sittings before they shall decide whether I have passed muster...,” he wrote. (IANS)

Salman's fans have given him the best Eidi: Sohail Khan

Mumbai, Aug 17: Filmmaker-actor Sohail Khan is happy at the stupendous opening of Ek Tha Tiger and says it’s the best “Eidi” Salman Khan’s fans could give him. “This film caters to youngest to the oldest. This is one film the whole family can go and watch together,” he said.  According to reports, Ek Tha Tiger did a whopping business of Rs 32.95 crore in India alone on the opening day, breaking the record set by Agneepath that collected Rs 25 crore on the first day. Sohail said the film’s success is a proof that Salman is a true tiger. “Yes, he has got a heart of a tiger. If you see, he has been working for the past 22 years. He has taken his time and the foundation is much stronger today. He is not like the paper tiger actors who feel if they come in front of media and create some kind of attention, they can create stardom. It is the love of the fans you have to gather for years to come to the position that Salman has come to,” Sohail said. “But you know, he is what his fans have made him. Really happy that he has got this loyal fan following,” he added. (IANS)

Secret marriage rumours upset Katrina Kaif

MUMBAI, Aug 17: Poor Katrina Kaif probably had no idea about the media storm that she would provoke after being spotted with a red sindoor on her forehead and Bollywood brat Salman Khan had to step in to pat her back when the lissome lass broke down recently after rumours of her secret marriage started doing the rounds. It seems that on the day Ek Tha Tiger released, Katrina Kaif had attended a pooja at her business manager’s home and on coming out with Salman, when the media saw a red mark on her forehead (which was a result of the tikka applied during the pooja), the media went in an overdrive, suggesting that someone has finally managed to ‘bell the Kat’, so to say. Needless to say, this made Katrina break down and former flame Salman Khan had to step in and console her after the Ek Tha Tiger screening at Yash Raj Films Studios. (Agencies)