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LS panel recommends code of conduct for MPs
New Delhi, Apr 30 (PTI) Amid growing instances of misconduct by Parliamentarians, a Lok Sabha committee has recommended a broad framework of code of conduct for members but has ruled against codification of Parliamentary privileges.
With the issue of conflict of interest gaining prominence in the post-liberalisation era, the Committee has held that provisions relating to Register of Members Interest and Guideline to members for resolution of conflict of interest should find a place in the code.
The Lok Sabha Committee of Privileges and the Committee to inquire misconduct of members of the House, headed by senior Congress member V Kishore Chandra Deo, went into these issues and presented their reports to the House today.
As regards codification of privileges, the committee recommended against such codification.
"As a matter of fact and awareness needs to be created with regard to the true import of the term Parliamentary privileges and the ground realities that exist".
Independent member Sebastian Paul, however, gave a dissenting note to the report on the isssue of codification and has favoured codification of Parliamentary privileges.
The reports have come at a time when the current Lok Sabha has witnessed expulsion of as many as 10 members in the wake of the Cash-for-Query scam and has also been rocked by the MPLADS scam. Besides one of its members has been accused of human trafficking.
The expulsions and the sting operations were unprecedented in Parliamentary history of the country. PTI
Russia wants price escalation of $ 1.2 bn for Gorshkov
New Delhi, Apr 30 (PTI) Russia has proposed a price escalation of a staggering USD 1.2 billion for re-equipping aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov and technical evaluation and negotiations in this regard are underway, Government said today.
Replying to questions in Rajya Sabha, Defence Minister A K Antony said the Russian side has indicated revision in time and cost for repairing the aircraft carrier due to "growth of work".
"The price escalation proposed by the Russian side is USD 1202 million. The process of examination of the scope and necessity for additional work projected by the Russian side has been initiated," he said.
Under a contract worth USD 1.5 billion signed between Russia and India in 2003, Moscow was to deliver the carrier along with its compliment of MiG-29K fighters in August last year.
But just months short of the scheduled delivery, Moscow stunned New Delhi by asking for an increase in cost to almost double, saying the warship needed a lot of additional work and would have to undergo almost a year-long sea trial in Russian waters.
Replying to supplementaries, Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju said a technical evaluation committee is examining the Russian proposal and the Government will take a decision after getting its report.
Gorshkov, according to new schedule submitted by Moscow, will now be ready for delivery earliest by 2011. PTI
Anti-inflation steps will stifle growth rate: CPI(M)
New Delhi, Apr 30 (PTI) The CPI(M) today charged the UPA Government with making a "wrong diagnosis" of the causes behind price rise and said the steps announced to control inflation would in fact stifle the high growth rate.
"The diagnosis is wrong. Inflation has not occurred because people are demanding more food. Speculation trade is the cause of the increase in the rate of food articles," CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said participating in the CII's annual session.
Yechury, who was speaking at a session on "Inclusive and Sustainable Growth and Coalition Politics", said the Government, instead of protecting the country from speculation, was reducing interest rates and reducing money supply, which he claimed would not help.
"You already have a dip in manufacturing, you already have a decline in the sale of consumer durables. You are in fact setting in motion a process of a slowdown of the Indian industry by this wrong diagnosis," he said.
He further said the "wrong diagnosis" could actually stifle the high trajectory growth rate that the country has had in the last five years.
Yechury said on one hand there is a "Shining India" which is growing at a rate not seen in decades, and on the other hand a "Suffering India".
He said inclusive growth required state intervention in terms of public investment.
"Unfortunately, we missed the bus in the last three to four years, which is manifesting in the present inflationary crisis," Yechury said. PTI
Nalini moves Madras High Court for early release
Chennai, Apr 30 (PTI) Nalini Murugan, serving a life term after being convicted for her role in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, today moved the Madras High Court for early release, six weeks after her meeting with Priyanka Gandhi.
Justice P Jyothimani admitted the "pre-mature release" petition in which Nalini sought freedom on the grounds of having completed nearly 17 years in jail and with good conduct.
The Judge ordered that notices be issued to the Union Home Ministry, State Home Secretary and Additional DGP (prisons) returnable and posted further hearing on the petition to June 10.
Nalini(37) knocked at the doors of the High Court after her plea for release on the grounds of good conduct during her prison term was rejected by an Advisory board in 2007. The Board's decision was also accepted by the Tamil Nadu Government.
Nalini's lawyer S Doraiswamy said the probation officer at the Vellore central prison had recommended that Nalini be released for her good conduct and for having spent nearly 17 years in jail.
Doraiswamy said Nalini is entitiled to seek "pre-mature release. "Life term in Tamil Nadu as per the state jail manaual is 20 years, he said. PTI
Royals have their tails up against Knight Riders
Dinesh Sharma
Jaipur, Apr 30 (PTI) On a roll after a hat-trick of wins, Shane Warne's Rajasthan royals will have their tails up when they take on a depleted Kolkata Night Riders, which is struggling after back-to-back defeats, in Indian Premier League tomorrow.
Warne has transformed his team from underdogs to frontrunners and hopes to continue the winning streak against the Knight Riders who have performed well below expectations in their losses to Bangalore Royal Challengers and Mumbai indians.
With little time in hand to get used to scorching heat and ground conditions, the visitors may find the going tough in a day match.
They are also hit by the loss of overseas players like New Zealand's Brendon McCullum and Australian skipper Ricky Ponting, who are leaving for their national assignments.
The form of Knight Riders' skipper Saurav Ganguly has also been a worrying factor and he has failed to make any impression so far.
West Indian Chris Gayle apparently has not recovered from his injury.
However, the visitors can take heart from the fact that local players like Lakshmi Ratan Shukla, Ajit Agarkar and DB Das have done reasonably well.
On the other hand Rajasthan Royals are on a roll.
Playing like a well-gelled unit, they have executed their strategies to perfection. PTI
BCCI announces venues for India-England winter series
New Delhi, Apr 30 (PTI) Ahmedabad will host the first Test between India and England when Michael Vaughan's team come to India for a two-Test and seven-ODI series in November-December, the final itinerary of which will be announced soon by the BCCI.
The second Test of the series will be played in Mumbai before the two teams lock horns in a one-day series.
The first of the seven one-dayers will be played in the capital.
Indore, Rajkot, Jamshedpur, Cuttack, Guwahati and Kanpur will host the remaining matches of the series.
"The final itinerary will be decided on the basis of logistics," BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah said in a statement. PTI
Ban Bhajji for life, says former Aussie umpire
Melbourne, Apr 30 (PTI) Former Australian Test umpire Lou Rowan today labelled Harbhajan Singh a menace on the field and called for a life ban on the temperamental off-spinner for slapping India teammate S Sreesanth.
"This fellow (Harbhajan) doesn't belong to the game of cricket. He has shown he is no good. They should just get rid of him from the sport," Rowan told 'The Courier Mail'.
"I don't know what other sport would want him, though," he added sarcastically.
Rowan, who stood in 25 Tests between 1963 and 1971, said Harbhajan comes across as a rogue player in whatever he has seen of the Indian tweaker's on-field behaviour.
The Australian felt the 11-match ban imposed on him by the Indian Premier League (IPL) was a light punishment and his actions deserved a stricter sentence.
"I certainly don't think he would have been allowed to get away with what he has been allowed to get away with in any other sport. They should just get rid of him and move on," he said.
After being banned from the IPL, Harbhajan is now awaiting the verdict from a separate disciplinary inquiry to be conducted by the BCCI.
The temperamental bowler has already given his reply to the Board's show cause notice and has apologised for his conduct.
However, his penchant for landing in disciplinary trouble with alarming frequency has not gone down too well with the Board, which backed him to the hilt during the racism row with Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds a couple of months ago. PTI
India aims fourth straight Asia Cup; players eye milestones
Dubai, Apr 30 (PTI) the Indian women's cricket team will attempt to win the Asia Cup for an unprecedented fourth time with skipper Mithali Raj and pace spearhead Jhulan Goswami also aiming for individual milestones in the tournament starting May 2 in Sri Lanka.
The tournament -- also featuring Sri Lanka, Pakistan and debutants Bangladesh -- will be played till May 11 and India will take on Bangladesh in their lung-opener.
Skipper Mithali Raj is hoping to put up some good batting displays which will help her rise in the all-time leading ODI run-scorers' list.
Mithali currently lies seventh with 2,776 runs with England's Claire Taylor (2,995) and New Zealand's Emily Drumm (2,844) above her in fifth and sixth places respectively.
Australia 's Belinda Clark with 4,844 runs is the all-time leading run-scorer.
Meanwhile, Jhulan, who won the Women's Player of the Year at the ICC Awards last year, is set to become the second Indian after Neetu David and fourth overall in the history of the game to take 100 ODI wickets.
The 24-year-old sits on 96 wickets from 79 ODIs.
The tournament will be played on a double-league format with the top two teams qualifying for the final.
Mithali said the Asia Cup will be the start of a tough season for her team in the run-up to the World Cup.
"It's definitely part of our preparations for the World Cup and is the start of the season for us," she said.
India won the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka in April 2004, in Pakistan in 2005-06 and in India in 2006/07. It has shown incredible consistency while winning all its 15 matches whereas Sri Lanka has won four of the 15 matches and Pakistan is winless from eight games. PTI
ECB praises IPL as comparable to Rugby World Cup
Mumbai, Apr 30 (PTI) England and Wales Cricket Board has been left astonished by the BCCI-promoted Indian Premier League's success and is comparing the billion-dollar Twenty20 extravaganza in scope and scale to the Rugby World Cup.
Chairman Giles Clarke, who witnessed the initial rounds of the IPL spectacle with his CEO David Collier, told the ECB's AGM at Lord's, in London, yesterday that his admiration for what has been achieved by the Sharad Pawar-headed BCCI is huge.
"You will be aware that in recent weeks David Collier, our outstanding Chief Executive, and I have been to India to witness, at first hand, the Indian Premier League. Our admiration for what has been achieved is immense," he said.
"It was, as the Indians say, a great tamasha. There was light, glitz, glamour and music. We must congratulate them on establishing a tournament which has the same scope and scale which can be compared to the Rugby World Cup", he told the members of the ECB, according to a media release.
"Those who were in Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai will talk of a great spectacle and a great show," he added.
Clarke also said that his trip to India has helped in "forging great personal relationships with our great friends from the BCCI".
These relationships, according to Clarke, had allowed him to return home with a clear mandate for the Champions League "I am personally delighted that the excellent relations we have with the BCCI and Cricket Australia have made this possible," he explained.
Significantly ECB's response has come at a time when no top English player is playing in the IPL due to a clash with its own county cricket programme. PTI
Sensex down 91 points, all eyes on Fed meet
Mumbai, Apr 30 (PTI) The markets closed weak today with the benchmark Sensex on the Bombay Stock Exchange losing 91 points even as all eyes are on US Federal Reserve meeting.
The Bombay Stock Exchange 30-share bellwether settled the day 17,287.31, a loss of 91.15 points, or 0.52 per cent, from its previous close.
The Sensex had surged to the day's high of 17,480.70 (a rise of 102 points) in early trade.
The broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty of the National Stock Exchange also fell by 29.60 points, or 0.57 per cent, to close at 5,165.90 from its last close.
Marketmen said investors today were so much cautious that even better-than-expected Q4 earnings announced by blue-chip companies Reliance Communications, the largest telecom services provider, and HDFC, market leader in mortgage lending, failed to trigger any major buying support.
Sluggish trend in Asian and European markets during the day also cast shadow on market sentiments.
They said investors' unwillingness to enlarge positions also was due to continued concerns over high inflation rate, which forced the government and the Reserve Bank to take many fiscal and monetary measures.
Heavyweight stock Reliance Industries was down 1.44 per cent, HDFC 2.66 per cent, DLF 2.84 per cent, HDFCBank 2.11 per cent, Grasim 2.81 per cent, ICICI Bank by 2.43 per cent and ONGC 1.84 per cent. PTI
FM left off-budget fiscal overhang of Rs 300,000 cr: BJP
New Delhi, Apr 30 (PTI) Charging the Finance Minister with leaving an off-budget fiscal overhang of Rs 300,000 crore which could wreck the country's economy, BJP today demanded resignation of P Chidambaram to escape "dismissal".
"Chidambaram should leave (the government) on his own to avoid being dismissed," Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh said initiating a discussion on the Finance Bill.
Singh warned that the country was heading for the worst kind of food inflation and the off-budget subsidy on fertiliser and petroleum would leave a serious dent on the government finances.
Besides, the burden on account of Sixth Pay Commission for government employees would lead to a situation where inflation would be difficult to manage, the senior BJP leader said.
Giving a break-up of the expenses which Chidambaram has not provided for in the budget, Singh said the fiscal overhang includes bank loan waiver for farmers to the tune of Rs 60,000 crore, extra food and fertiliser subsidy amounting to Rs 60,000 crore, oil bonds in excess of Rs 10,000 crore and the Pay Commission burden of Rs 30,000 crore. PTI
Gold plunges on fresh selling, weak global cues
New Delhi, Apr 30 (PTI) Gold prices today fell by Rs 150 to Rs 11,630 per ten grams on the bullion market here due to selling pressure triggered by lower global cues.
Silver also suffered a loss of Rs 430 at Rs 22,370 per kg in line with gold.
Selling pressure sparked on reports of a weakening trend in global bullion markets as dollar turned firm, crude oil declined and squaring of positions ahead of the Fed announcement late this evening.
Gold plunged to 867.45 dollars an ounce in London. The metal earlier dropped to 864.60 dollars an ounce, the lowest compared with intra-day prices since January 22. Silver also fell 5 cents to 16.505 dollars an ounce.
Marketmen said increased selling by stockists, reduced offtake by retailers and reports of steep fall in its prices at global market, where it touched three-month low mainly led to decline in prices.
In local market, standard gold and ornaments dipped by Rs 150 each at Rs 11,630 and Rs 11,480 per ten grams respectively. Sovereign followed suit and traded lower by Rs 25 at Rs 9,825 per piece of eight gram.
Silver ready fell by Rs 430 to Rs 22,370 per kg and weekly-based delivery by Rs 22,120 per kg respectively.
Silver coins lost Rs 100 at Rs 26,400 for buying and Rs 26,500 for selling of 100 coins in line with weak general trend. PTI
Govt gives taxpayers more time to comply with TDS provisions
New Delhi, Apr 30 (PTI) Government has relaxed the provisions concerning Tax Deduction at Source (TDS) allowing companies and taxpayers more time to comply with the norms, even while expressing its intention to collect nearly 100 per cent taxes through TDS and advance taxes.
The tax payers, pursuant to amendments proposed by Finance Minister P Chidambaram in the Finance Bill 2008, would get additional six months for depositing TDS for March, the last month of a financial year.
The amendments, he explained in the Lok Sabha yesterday, "has to be given retrospective effect from assessment year 2005-06. This will also take care of most hardship cases where some genuine mistake was committed." "We must move towards a situation when nearly 100 per cent of taxes are collected voluntarily through TDS and through advance taxes," Chidambaram said, adding, there would be no disallowance of expenditure incurred in March, if the tax deducted at source has been paid before the due date of filing of the return.
As per the TDS provisions, expenditure is not allowed and penalty is imposed if a taxpayer fails to deduct TDS at source and pay the tax within the stipulated time.
The government has relaxed the TDS provisions in view of the representations received from the members of Parliament and industry. "With a view to mitigating the hardship, I propose to insert a new Clause 8 in the Finance Bill 2008," he added. PTI
Pakistan wants result-oriented talks on Kashmir
Rezaul H Laskar
Islamabad, Apr 30 (PTI) Pakistan wants "fruitful and result-oriented" talks on Kashmir with India which it hoped will soon lead to a "positive" outcome, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani said today while backing the "right to self-determination" for Kashmiris.
"Pakistan wants fruitful and result-oriented talks on Kashmir with India. We hope that the political and composite dialogue process between the two countries will soon lead to some positive result," Gillani, on his first visit to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, told a joint session of its Assembly and Council in Muzaffarabad.
He said measures initiated for people-to-people contacts in the region should be complemented by trade and tourism between the two parts of Kashmir.
"In my policy statement in the National Assembly, I had referred to Pakistan's Kashmir policy and said we will take forward the peace process with India and use dialogue to resolve the basic issue of Kashmir," said Gillani who was sworn in last month as the head of the ruling PPP-led coalition.
"We want friendly relations with all our neighbours, including India. Peace is necessary for the 1.3 billion people living in South Asia," he said "The people of Jammu and Kashmir have made many supreme sacrifices to achieve their birthright to self-determination and are still doing so. I assure you that the sacrifices of the Kashmiri people will not go waste," he said.
"Their struggle is not directed against anyone but is aimed at achieving the right to self-determination that was promised by the UN," Gillani said. "This is a question of their rights and Kashmiris should get these rights." PTI
Indian doctors win historic legal battle against UK govt
H S Rao
London, April 30 (PTI) Indian doctors fighting for job parity with EU medicos today won a landmark verdict against the British government when the country's highest court ruled as illegal a state guideline discriminating against overseas medical graduates for employment in state health services.
In a four-to-one majority verdict, the Lords Committee dismissed the government's appeal against a court order in October last year in favour of the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) which had challenged an April 2006 "guideline" to hospital trusts to employ non-EU medicos only if no candidate from EU is available.
The Lords Committee also awarded costs to BAPIO, that spearheaded the legal battle against government's attempt to retrospectively introduce regulations to restrict non-EU doctors already in the UK from applying for training posts in the state-aided National Health Service.
Lord Bingham of Cornhill, Lord Rodger of Earlsferry, Lord Carswell, Lord Mance dismissed the appeal while Lord Scott of Foscote upheld the government decision.
Soon after the judgement was delivered in the Lords Chamber of the House of Lords, an elated Dr Ramesh Mehta, President of the BAPIO told PTI: "This is a landmark victory.
"We expected the Health Department would now treat Non-EU overseas doctors fairly and equally on the basis of merit in the case of recruitment to the NHS." An estimated 7,000 to 8,000 international medical graduates, a majority of them from India, would benefit from the judgement, he said.
Thousands of international doctors have already left the UK after suffering a traumatic experience.
"The House of Lords has vindicated our position that the Government had acted in haste and prematurely without thinking about the damaging consequences for thousands of international medical graduates," Mehta said. PTI
Haneef inquiry begins, demand for more powers rejected
Natasha Chaku
Melbourne, Apr 30 (PTI) An Australian inquiry into the handling of the case of Mohd Haneef, who was wrongly accused of terror charges, today began with a request by the India doctor's lawyers for coercive powers like right to compel a witness to give evidence or provide documents being rejected.
While former Supreme Court Judge John Clarke, who chaired the inquiry rejected Haneef's lawyers request to seek more powers for the inquiry, federal Attorney-General Robert McClelland said the powers will be strengthened if necessary and assured that relevant agencies have promised to cooperate.
"You can be assured it's a full inquiry.... If at any stage an uncooperative witness impedes the inquiry, McClelland said Clarke is welcome to ask the Government for an extension of his powers," McClellard was quoted as saying by ABC here.
"I sincerely don't believe that will occur," he said adding that he believed that the inquiry will proceed in a full, proper and comprehensive manner.
Haneef's lawyer Stephen Keim had requested Clarke to ask federal Attorney-General for royal commission powers, that also sought the right to force witnesses to give evidence or provide documents.
Justice Clarke said he had received assurances from government agencies involved - including the Australian Federal Police which had received severe flak for its role, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions - that they would fully co-operate with the inquiry.
"I am confident that the inquiry can be effectively conducted in the present form," he said, adding he would request an interview with Haneef.
Haneef, 27, was charged after his SIM card was allegedly found with an accused in the failed UK car bombings last year. He spent three weeks in detention before charges were dropped but he returned to India as his work visa was cancelled. PTI
Bollywood divas light up billboards again in NWFP
Islamabad, Apr 30 (PTI) Bollywood divas Kareena Kapoor and Katrina Kaif are back on billboards in Pakistan's troubled North West Frontier Province after the ouster of the previous hardline regime in the recent elections.
Such billboards were removed during the tenure of the hardline Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal government, which termed the display of women's images as "un-Islamic".
With the new provincial government headed by the secular Awami National Party in place, billboards have been reinstalled at prominent junctions in Peshawar with the Bollywood actresses smiling down at Pushtuns who love music and dance.
Along with the Indian divas, cut-outs of prominent Pakistani models too are up on the billboards.
Besides banning such billboards, the MMA government had shut down cinema houses and the famous cultural hall - Nishtar hall -- bringing all such activities to a grinding halt. CD shops and cyber cafes were bombed by pro-Taliban militants and their owners took up other trades.
While most residents have welcomed the change, conservative forces are still opposing the installation of the billboards.
"Most of these boards have been put up outside girls' schools and women's colleges, which would certainly promote vulgarity in our society. We should discourage it.
The government should also take measures to stop the practice," Ameenullah, a resident of Peshawar, told The Nation newspaper.
But university student Baryal Khan was happy to see the billboards back. "This will help portray a soft image of the NWFP to the world," he said. PTI
Proceedings against Jackie Shroff stayed
Kochi, Apr 29 (PTI) In a reprieve for Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff, the Kerala High Court today stayed proceedings against him in three cheque bouncing cases.
The stay order was issued by Justice R Basant on a petition by Shroff to quash the cases pending against him before the Judicial First Class Magistrate court at Kodungaloor in Thrissur.
Shroff's counsel Hariraj said there were eight cases against the actor of which six had been stayed earlier. Three cases came up before the court today.
The petitioner said the lower court had no jurisdiction to consider the complaints filed against him in the cases.
He said due to some business transactions, his wife had given to the first complainant Bijay Chukani of Mumbai seven cheques issued by the petitioner. No amount was due to Chukani either from him or his wife, it was stated.
Shroff said it was only to harass him that Chukani issued a power of attorney to the second complainant, V K Mathew of Thrissur and presented the cheques.
The cheques were returned for lack of funds and the petitioner got notices demanding the amount mentioned in the cheques. Since this was not paid, Mathews filed the complaint.
Shroff said the complainant's motive was to create unnecessary media hype by compelling him to come to Kerala as an accused and tarnish his image. PTI
Spurt in Reality shows after fatigue factor grips daily shows
Mumbai, Apr 29 (PTI) With fatigue factor creeping into daily soaps at a quicker pace, television is witnessing a sudden surge of reality shows.
Although the genre existed since the early years of television, the popularity has gained momentum only recently.
The never ending soaps and similar story lines on almost all channels have ensured that audiences take a liking to the reality television.
Observers say that the trend to take to reality shows came in a big way after 'Nach Baliye', 'Jhalak Dikhla Ja' and 'Indian Idol'. These shows along with 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa' revolutionalised the television programming with more and more channels trying to cash in on their success.
'Ustaado Ke Ustad', 'Mr and Miss TV' (Sony), 'Comedy Ka King Kaun' (SAB), 'Jo Jita Wohi Superstar' (Star Plus) are some of the recent new shows.
Anooj Kapoor, business head of SAB TV told PTI that trends are common in television and films. "We give people what they like as their tastes and liking is important for our survival. Fatigue factor is creeping into daily soaps.
Reality shows give a break from the fatigue factor. This scenario gives channels tremendous opportunities to try innovative content and give variety." 'Antakshri' and 'Sa Re Ga Ma' were the most popular formats of reality shows on Zee TV when satellite television first made an advent in the early 90s. PTI
Nothing can stop me from staying in Mumbai: Bachchan
New Delhi, Apr 29 (PTI) Accused of not doing enough for Maharashtra, Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan today said nothing could stop him from staying in Mumbai even if those opposed to him "throw bottles at my house or paint my posters black or burn effigies".
"For somebody to tell me to leave this city because I have done or even questioning is unacceptable," a combative Bachchan told NDTV when asked about the recent outbursts of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray against the actor.
"I am living here, staying here and let them do whatever they want to do. Let them throw bottles at my house or do dharnas or stop my films from being released, paint my posters black or burn my effigies or throw stones at me, I am not budging," he said.
Questioning his critics' right to challenge him from staying in Mumbai, he said he was "not answerable" to anybody and that he will do what he feels to do whenever he likes to do.
"I do not hold any public office, I am not a minister, not a government servant. You cannot question me...I am not answerable to anybody," the actor said.
Bachchan said he was hurt at the "insensitivity towards the Constitution.
"This whole land is ours and this land belongs to me as much as it belongs to you or anybody else. I do not need any particular pass or visa to visit any particular part of this country," he added. PTI
Exotic Kuttanad lures tinsel world
Alappuzha (Ker), Apr 29 (PTI) The sylvan settings of water-logged Kuttanad in Kerala has become a favoured location for film shooting, especially for song-and-dance sequences of big-budget movies.
Over the years, at least 12 films, including a couple of Bollywood movies, have been partly shot in Kuttanad with its vast stretches of paddy fields, coconut gardens and house boats giving a panoramic touch to picturisation.
Besides the visual appeal of the exotic locale, lake cruises and rice-and-fish Kuttanad cuisine offer some relief to the overworked artists after their hectic indoor shooting, according to local production organisers.
'Style prince' Rajnikanth is scheduled to have a shooting session in Kuttanad for his new film 'Kuselan' next month, the local production manager for the movie A Kabeer told PTI.
"The film is mostly shot in a studio in Hyderabad but an important song-and-dance sequence featuring about 90 dancers is to be picturised here," Kabeer said.
Bollywood films to which Kuttanad served as location included 'Tashan' and a couple of Telugu, Bengali and Punjabi production units have also shown interest in Kuttanad, he said.
The film shootings bring some supplementary income to the common people in the area at a time when its agriculture and fishery activities were facing a grim crisis. PTI
I am not joining TV to gain votes: Shatrughan Sinha
Amit Das
New Delhi, Apr 30 (PTI) Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, who is all set to take part as a judge in a popular reality show with fellow politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, says his decision is not a move to woo voters or make monetary gains.
"I am not only a politician but an actor too. And now that my Rajya Sabha term ended, I have some time before the Lok Sabha elections kicks off. So I thought to extend my professional career a bit and be a judge in a TV show. This is neither for note (money) nor for vote," says Sinha.
Sinha will be seen judging contestants participating in the fourth edition of 'Great Indian Laughter Challenge', which starts from next month.
However, the actor, who had taken a break from his acting career to focus on his political aspirations doesn't believe in creating fuss over joining TV.
"I have been a performer, a celebrity all my life so I don't think my joining the show is either a bad news or a big news," he says.
"I have got such offers earlier but nothing materialised. So, may be yes I have joined the small screen rather late but I am hopeful it will be a good experience," he added.
Sinha, who is known for his impressive dialogue delivery has also acted in some films with comic theme, and hopes that his recent avatar will connect with audience.
"I have done films like 'Naram Garam' and a play called 'pati, patni aur main'. I wanted to get into the same role again so that I can spread laughter and connect with the audience," he says. PTI
I want to be known as a writer: Arundhati Roy
Zafri Mudasser Nofil
New Delhi, Apr 29 (PTI) Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy says she is not comfortable with the activist tag and wants to be identified as a writer only.
"I am a writer and want to be identified as a writer only," she says.
"One should not define me as an activist. I am not an activist," she told PTI at the release of her book "The Shape of the Beast", a collection of 14 interviews conducted by her between January 2001 and March 2008.
Roy been vocal on several issues like the Narmada Bachao Andolan, India's nuclear policy, US policies and the Gujarat riots.
In "The Shape of the Beast" through the conversations, Arundhati talks about the necessity of taking a stand, as also the dilemma of guarding the private space necessary for writing in a world that demands urgent and equivocal intervention.
"A writer hones his or her language, makes it clear and private and individual as possible. And then you look around and see whats happening to millions of people. You find yourself in the heart of the crowd, saying things that millions of people are saying and it's not private and individual any more," says Arundhati, who won the Booker in 1997 for her first novel 'The God of Small Things.' "How do you hold these two things down? These are very fundamental questions. This is why so many writers are frightened of political engagements. They feel it is a risk, and it is a risk, and yet I would rather do it than not." PTI
Punjab farmer has treasure trove of rare currency
Vijay Dabur
Chandigarh, Apr 23 (PTI) Come what may he is ready to collect rarest of rare Indian paper money and coins by applying all conceivable sources not for fame but for the passion which he inherited from his father.
Vijay Singh, a 43-year-old farmer from a nondescript village of Dharampur in Abohar tehsil in Ferozepur district of Punjab, is into the business of collection of rare Indian currency notes and coins.
"Starting from pre-independence Indian paper money to cash coupons of princely states and Indian paper money with misprints and errors...You name any currency and I have it with me," Singh, who inherited the hobby of collecting paper money and coins from his father Sahib Ram a retired revenue collection official, told PTI here.
"A few currency notes have been exchanged and others purchased with the help of family members and friends," Singh a kinnow grower by profession said.
His collection includes pre-independence Indian currency notes. The first one rupee note printed in England in 1917 with a portrait of King George V. "The money was introduced in October 1925 and withdrawn from circulation in June 1941," he says.
"Till date all versions of currency notes printed by Government of India are with me," he claims. Also in his collection are currency notes with fancy numbers with denominations from rupee one to one thousand. PTI
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