US donates 100,000 USD for flood victims and condemns Kabul blast on Indian Embassy

The US Thursday announced $100,000 aid for the victims of recent floods in parts of southern and western India. The heart-breaking personal loss, the destruction of homes and property, and the loss of cattle and crops have been devastating, US ambassador to India Timothy J. Roemer said while announcing the aid. Also he condemned the suicide attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul. The United States strongly condemned the suicide bomb attack outside the Indian embassy in Kabul today, describing it deeply troubling. Our heart goes out to India and the victims of terrorism, US Abmbassador to India, Timothy Roemer, told reporters here after a meeting with officials of the External Affairs Ministry at South Block.

Indian embassy in Kabul again target for suicide attack

A powerful blast (possibly due to suicide bomber crashing his car on the side wall of the Embassy) rocked the centre of Kabul early today near the Indian embassy and the Interior Ministry, leaving 12 Afghan civilians dead and 83 injured. The explosion occurred at the same place where dozens of civilians had been killed last year. The blast, which police believed was the work of a suicide bomber, took place around 0827 local time (0927 IST). On July 7 last year, a massive blast at the Indian embassy had killed 44 people, including high-ranking Indian Embassy officials, and left 147 injured. It was a suicide bombing, considered the deadliest since the fall of Taliban regime in 2001. Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said today's suicide attack in Kabul was aimed at the Indian embassy and it was similar to the one that occurred last year. She, however, said there were no Indians among the deceased, though the personnel guarding the Indian embassy had sustained minor injuries, she told a private TV channel.

Taliban entering Kashmir is baseless – P Chidambaram

Home Minister P. Chidambaram said reports of Taliban militants infiltrating into Jammu and Kashmir lack credence. Speaking at a press conference in Mumbai on the sidelines of his canvassing for the polls, Chidambaram said there was no possibility of Taliban militants entering India as the country's security forces are always vigilant. There is no credence to that story. It is baseless, Chidambaram said. Our security forces are vigilant and have been able to foil many attempts of infiltration from across the border, he added. Defence Minister A.K. Antony too echoed Chidambaram's assurances. He told newspersons in New Delhi that our armed forces are always on the guard and ensure no infiltration is taking place. I do not expect large-scale infiltration, he added.

Maran advocates West Bengal to set up Jute parks

Union Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran urged the West Bengal government to hasten the process of setting up jute parks in the state. I am told that the said jute parks have not taken off because of problem in transfer of land from promoters to SPVs (special purpose vehicles). I would like to take this opportunity to urge the state government to expedite the process so that the said jute parks can be developed fast, the minister said at a seminar with the industry players here. Maran said the market yards developed under Mini-Mission-III would help reduce the transaction cost in marketing of raw jute by the farmers to the mills. 'Two such market yards at Chapadanga in West Bengal and Kharupetia in Assam have already been commissioned under United Progressive Alliance's 100 days' programme. We propose to set up two more market yards at Bethua-Dohri and Karimpur in Nadia district of the state in the current financial year. Maran said the government is actively contemplating the revival of National Jute Manufacturers' Corporation Ltd through public-private partnership mode at an estimated cost of Rs.1,202 crore.

Media portrays my visits as Dalits’ visit – Rahul Gandhi

The media had thrust a Dalit frame on his visits to poor areas of the country, Rahul Gandhi said while stressing that he did not believe in the caste system and only saw people as human beings. I see myself going to a human being's house. I don't see it as a Dalit or an upper caste or lower caste house. As far as I am concerned, I am going to the poor man's house, whether a Dalit or minority, Gandhi said at a press conference here. Asked about the objectives of his tours across India, he shot back saying that he was an inexperienced politician and was learning about the problems faced by the people in the country. I will learn till I die. Learning is action and action is learning, he retorted, to a question on when the learning would end and actions begin. Referring to the recent spurt in Maoist attacks in states like Jharkhand and Orissa, he said, there is a connection between Naxalism and the lack of ability of local governments to reach the people. The more people involved in politics and the closer they are to the political system, the more involved they would be and less likelihood of Naxalism taking place, he noted.

Election Commission issues notice to Sharad Pawar

Election Commission has served a notice to Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct. Pawar, who is NCP president, has been slapped a notice for an advertisement in a Marathi daily which cajoled the farmers in Maharashtra. Election Commission said it is a violation of the Commission's instruction of the conditional clearance for issuing of the advertisement, the EC said. Publishing the advertisement in Marathi language in a newspaper published from Mumbai at the time of the general election in Maharashtra is prima facie motivated to influence the voters of the state, the EC said. Noting that it had received a complaint in this regard, the Commission said it had cleared publication of the advertisement in newspapers on September 18 subject to the condition that it should neither contain photograph nor slogan etc.

It was a cracker explosion at Sholavandan – Tamil Nadu Police

Ruling out the possibility of any terror link in the explosion, a senior police officer told UNI that what had happened at the railway station was only a cracker blast. He said the explosion occured when a parcel, containing crackers was being unloaded from one of the coaches of the Erode Nellai passenger train, which pulled into the station at 1805 hrs. Police recovered unexploded crackers and the remnants from the site, the police officer said, adding there was no trace of any bomb. Two people were charred to death and nine others, including Station Master Arumugam were injured in the explosion, police said.

Vajpayee issues statement to vote for change in State Assembly elections

The octogenarian BJP leader, who is confined to home for health reasons, appealed to the people to teach a lesson to the representatives who had failed to live up to their promises despite opportunities provided in the form of popular mandates. The appeal was issued by party vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi at Mr Vajpayee's residence here. The former Prime Minister said the law and order situation in all these states was a matter of great concern as there was no sense of security of life, property and corruption was rampant. The common man was the worst suferer because of high prices, and the farmers were resorting to suicides because of inability to repay debts due to wrong farm policies persuaded by the governments, he said.

AIADMK lost its cadre strength – PMK Chief

Talking to newspersons here, he said the AIADMK had been a formidable party with the strength of the cadres before 2001, but now it was ruined by confusion and factionalism at all levels. Party leader Jayalalithaa has lost the leadership quality, he said, adding she herself had admitted that partymen had pledged their integrity for money during the May Lok Sabha elections and this itself would show the present status of AIADMK. He also complained that it was very difficult for any one to reach Jayalalitha despite of one’s stature and position. When it takes only two minutes to reach the Chief Minister Karunanidhi and maximum ten minutes to reach the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, one does not know when they would be able to reach Jayalalitha, he averred.