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Fernandes declines to comment on links with Telgi

          New Delhi: Former Defence Minister and NDA Convener George Fernandes on Tuesday refused to comment on media reports regarding his alledged links with stamp paper scam accused Abdul Karim Telgi. Fernandes whose photograph showing him and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Narayan Rane sharing dais with Telgi and Anil Gote , another co-accused in the stamp paper scam created quite an uproar, refused to voice his opinion when accosted by a section of the media. Earlier RJD members in the Lok Sabha including Ram Kripal Yadav, Raghunath Jha and Devendra Prasad Yadav demanded a probe into the alleged links of Fernandes with Telgi and Gote, when the House assembled on Tuesday morning. Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said he would allow members to raise the issue later.

Three ministers dropped from Himachal Cabinet (Go To Top)

         Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Vir Bhadra Singh today removed three ministers from his cabinet, reducing the number from three to 12. Health Minister Chandresh Kumary, Tourism Minister V S Mankotia and Revenue Minister B. B. L. Butail have been removed as per the requirements of 91st constitutional amendment. Singh termed this removal 'a painful time-bound exercise' and hinted at inducting some chief parliamentary and parliamentary secretaries to accommodate senior party leaders.

SC ruling on PIL on Governors' sack (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: The three-judge bench of the Supreme Court today turned down the petition to fix a date for hearing PIL (Public Interest Litigation), challenging the removal of four governors by the Congress-led UPA government. However, the bench headed by Chief Justice R C Lahoti said that it would examine the petition when it comes up for hearing.

Imran Khan has no desire to remarry (Go To Top)

         Islamabad: Pakistan's former cricket captain turned politician Imran Khan has reacted angrily to a London-based daily's report about his future plans on the marital front. Taking strong exception to Telegraph's report that he had visited a palmist to find out about his future, and that he would definitely get married by next year, Imran said the report was distorted and insensitive. "The story in the Telegraph contains references and quotes from me which are distorted to the point of concoction, particularly regarding my future plans. I categorically deny the statements and take strong exception to highly insensitive remarks attributed to me, the Daily Times quoted him as saying. Rumours surrounding Imran's fresh marital plans surfaced just days after he divorced his English-born Jewish wife Jemima, the mother of his two sons. Imran and Jemima reached an amicable settlement to go their separate ways on June 23. The separation was blamed on a culture clash and also on Imran's reluctance to move out of Pakistan. Jemima, the daughter of the late Jewish billionaire, Sir James Goldsmith, had shifted to London seven months ago.

Mujras in see-through clothes light up Lahore nites (Go To Top)

          Lahore: Cultural depravity seems the order of the day in Lahore. A city that was once famous for its historicity, monuments and culture, is now pegged as one of the seediest cities in South Asia. The free hand given to the city's theatre owners by the Punjab Home Department through its new June 29 Standing Operation Procedure (SOP) has resulted in an aggressive and vulgar promotion of script dialogues and dances by female artistes. If a report of The Nation is to be believed, the vulgarity of the dances or "Mujras" has now crossed all acceptable limits of human decency and social propriety as the city's administration stands by impotently, powerless to rectify the situation. Those who have watched the dance shows said they were highly vulgar, filthy in language and excessively provocative in gestures. There have even been several instances of "see through" dance sequences that have left the audience shocked with revulsion. "The dances were more than Mujras and female artistes exposed their bodies", the paper quoted one witness as saying, adding that the dialogues were unethical, abusive and beyond the scope of the script. According to The Nation, the Punjab Home Department has directed the Lahore City administration not to interfere in the performances, and only to report discrepancies.