New Delhi, Sep 17 (PTI) Under attack for the way internal security has been handled, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said his government was not soft on fighting terrorism and indicated that it was open to the idea of bringing a tougher law to deal with it. “There is no question of the Government being soft on terrorism,” Prime Minister said at the concluding day of the two-day Governor’s Conference being held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The Prime Minister regretted that the public debate on terrorism has tended to be driven by politics and centre on certain laws enacted or repealed by different governments. “Our Government has no fixed, inflexible or ideological view in this regard,” he said, adding, Government was “actively considering” legislation to further strengthen the anti-terrorism law in line with the global consensus on the fight against terrorism.
Singh did not make any reference to anti-terror law POTA repealed by the UPA government. BJP has been strongly pitching for enactment of POTA-type tough law to act as a deterrent.
Within the Government and ruling Congress, there have been mixed voices with one section favouring a tougher law, while some others felt the existing laws were strong enough to combat the menace. Singh admitted that the recent bomb blasts in Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Delhi indicated that “there are still vast gaps in intelligence.
These need to be overcome.” Ruling out establishment of a central agency to coordinate counter-terrorism strategy, he said instead there was need for better coordination among the existing agencies.
Tirupati, Aug 26 Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi Tuesday launched his long-awaited political party “Praja Rajyam” (People’s Rule) and vowed to bring a change in Andhra Pradesh’s politics as he took the temple town of Tirupati by storm with a mega rally attended by some one million frenzied supporters.
‘It will be a democratic and secular party. It will be a people’s party, born from the hearts of the people. It will be a party for backward classes, farmers, workers, women and youth,’ he said amid wild cheering from a mainly male gathering drawn from all over Andhra Pradesh.
‘The party will work for development, modernisation and industrial revolution. Its goal will be ’santosham’ and ‘anandam’ (contentment and happiness) Andhra Pradesh,’ he said, speaking in Telugu.
‘I know your problems, pains and sufferings and will always stand by you,’ he said, while taking the oath in the name of Lord Venkateshwara to dedicate his life to serve the people.
Broadly outlining the policies of his eagerly awaited party, he said that eliminating poverty, ensuring social equality, rooting out corruption, development of villages on par with urban areas, and providing health and education to all would top the agenda.
During the two-hour mega show, the 53-year-old actor said he favoured prohibition but added that his party would take a final decision only after detailed deliberations.
He termed as ’social’ the problem of Maoist violence and promised to respect the sentiments for a separate statehood for the Telangana region.
‘After spending 30 years in the glamorous field, I could have lived a life for myself. I have all the comforts in life but I decided to be in your midst by responding to your appeal,’ said Chiranjeevi, who announced his decision to join politics Aug 17.
‘I am overwhelmed by your support all these years. Now it is time for me to pay back and be in your midst to share your sufferings,’ said Churu, as he is fondly called, amid thunderous applause.
Chiru, who declared that he had no rivals in politics, took a swipe at the ruling Congress for selling government land to industries and for acquiring cultivable land for Special Economic Zones (SEZs).
‘We have no rivals. Problems are our rivals. We have no rivals because we have no fear and greed. We have entered the battlefield but our battle is against problems. Courage and honesty are our two weapons. We have no leader. All are soldiers. I am also one among you,’ he said.
Beijing: Thundering volley of fireworks exploded over the ‘Bird’s Nest’ stadium in the shape of a blossoming red flower on Friday as China put its rich history on full display in a breathtaking opening ceremony.
Olympics 2008 Ceremony
Nearly 91,000 people, many waving Chinese flags, packed into the National Stadium on a hot and humid night for a spectacular show masterminded by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Zhang Yimou.
A total of 2,008 martial arts fighters dressed in white, opera singers and dancers wowed the cheering crowd, which included dozens of heads of state.
Fireworks forming giant footprints also exploded at 29 points — representing the 29th Olympics – along the axis of the city, passing through historic Tiananmen Square and leading to the stadium.
Another 2,008 musicians beat ancient Chinese drums called Fous in perfect timing to welcome athletes and spectators to the Games, which China hopes will showcase its development, especially over the past three decades.
Source from IBNLive.com
PATNA: Classes at the Indian Institute of Technology, Patna commenced today even as the formal inauguration will take place on a later date.
Union Minister for Human Resource Development Arjun Singh, who was earlier scheduled to inaugurate the institute being run from a three-storeyed make-shift building on the Patliputra Government Polytechnic campus, could not turn up, official sources said.
Classes for the first batch of 108 students, including six girls, however, began today, official sources said, adding the institute is not registered as a society.
The Patna institute will function as an extension centre of IIT, Guwahati, they said. No formal invitation had been sent to the state government for the occasion, Science and Technology Minister Sahid Ali Khan claimed.
State science and technology department sources yesterday said the formal launch of the institute was put off due to ’some unavoidable reasons’.
“The Centre will fix a fresh date for the formal launch of the institute,” sources said. Meanwhile, admission seekers accompanied by guardians queued up to fill registration forms soon after an orientation programme.
Initially the Patna IIT would be fully dependent on its ‘mentor’ institute IIT, Guwahati.
The Centre has approved the proposed permanent site for IIT at Bihta on the outskirts of Patna, state Principal Secretary (science and technology), A V Chaturvedi said.
Source from Indiatimes.
