Muslims in Delhi protest against Prophet's cartoon

    New Delhi: Soon after the Friday's prayers in Jama Masjid today, thousands of Muslims gathered on the premises of Jama Masjid to protest against the publication of drawings of Prophet Mohammed. The demonstrators burned Danish flags during the protest outside the Mosque. "Denmark, come back to senses," read banners by the protesters who staged a protest march after the prayers. Syed Imam Bukheri, head priest of Jama Masjid, registering strong protest over the caricatures of Prophet Mohammad said the government should take up the issue strongly with the European countries. "It was the government's duty to have sought an explanation from the Denmark government seeing Muslims sentiments. But the Congress government did not launch a protest against it. We have asked Sonia Gandhi to protest against the Danish government's act," said Bukhari as he led thousands of Muslims to protest. Bukhari also criticised renowned painter M.F Hussain for his 'blasphemous acts'. "He (M.F Hussain) can be a famous painter. But he has committed a blasphemy, and we will never tolerate anyone who do something against the preachings of Quaran," said Bukhari. The caricatures, depicting Prophet Mohammed were first published in September in Denmark's Jyllands-Posten newspaper and later republished by a handful of other papers in Europe and elsewhere, have triggered fury across the Muslim world, with demonstrations and boycotts of Danish products.

UPA putting India's sovereignty at stake: Fernandes (Go To Top)

    New Delhi: National Democratic Alliance (NDA) convener and former Union Defence Minister George Fernandes today said that the country's sovereignty is now at stake as the Government has almost sold out to the US. Commenting on the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal, he said that India has conceded more than what it has got, and added, that the Opposition will raise the issue during the Budget Session of Parliament. Fernandes said this after releasing a book titled "Fulcrum of Evil: ISI-CIA-Al Qaeda nexus" written by M.K. Dhar, a former Joint Director of the Intelligence Bureau. Making an observation on the book, Fernandes said that India should be concerned not only about Pakistan's intelligence capabilities, but also about the intelligence activities of so- called 'friendly' countries, some of whom had been able to make their presence felt on Indian soil. Dhar, who issued a one page statement highlighting the genesis of the book, has already claimed that the ISI has penetrated into the Indian political ranks and alleged that a sitting Chief Minister was on their payroll. But he refused to identify the chief minister apparently because of its legal implications and threw the onus on the media and the government to find out the alleged person. The book also implicates the CIA, ISI and Royal Saudi Intelligence as the 'real progenitors of the Al-Qaeda' and states that Pakistan will play a decisive role in World War IV (the author terms the Cold War between US and former Soviet Union as the World War III) through the ISI. Dhar has earlier authored a book called Open Secrets: India's Intelligence.

Amitabh offers prayers at Porbander temple (Go To Top)

     Porbander (Gujarat): Bollywood film icon Amitabh Bachchan, who has been out of action after his surgery two months ago, has paid reverence at a temple in Porbander. Amitabh accompanied by his family and close friends, business tycoon Anil Ambani and Amar Singh, General Secretary of Samajwadi Party, visited the temple yesterday as a thanksgiving gesture and heard sermons by a self styled god man at the Sandipani Vidyaniketan ashram in its vicinity. The Bachchan family spent over an hour at the ashram. "Anil Ambani and Amitabh Bachhan's family come here very often. They came here and listened to the sermons," said a devotee who said the Bachchans were a regular at the ashram. As Amitabh Bachchan underwent surgery for a life-threatening stomach ailment two months ago, fans across the country prayed for his well being until the 63-year-old emerged smiling from the hospital almost three weeks later. Bachchan had a medical check-up this week. But country's most recognizable screen name hasn't returned to work as yet, keeping the Bollywood on tenterhooks. The actor has said that it could take up to six months for him to recover fully and that he did not know when he would resume work. It was Bachchan who helped reverse a steady decline in Bollywood's fortunes in 2005, and analysts say the industry is looking to him for another year of improvement. His illness has kept him from taking on new projects, but he has completed shooting for his parts in at least two films. Bachchan's 2005 hits -- "Black," "Waqt," "Sarkar" and "Bunty Aur Babli" -- together grossed nearly 1 billion rupees (23 million dollars) in an industry that operates on low profit margins.

Anil Ambani group to set up IT institute in Bengal (Go To Top)

    Kolkata: The West Bengal government and the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) on Friday signed an agreement to set up an institute of communication and technology at Kalyani, 45 kilometres from here. Announcing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the company and State government, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya said that the 50 acres of land has been allotted for the institute. "Today we have signed an agreement between West Bengal government and ADAG to set up an IT training institute at Kalyani. We are providing 50 acres of land for the institute in memory of Dhirubhai Ambani. I am very happy that Anil Ambani has taken all the trouble to come over to sign the agreement. I thank Anil Ambani particularly, his group as well as his colleagues on behalf of the government". Dedicating his venture to his late father Dhirubhai Ambani, Anil said that the institute would be helpful in creating more number of knowledge professionals in the country. "My late father, the visionary founder and creator of this group, Dhirubhai Ambani had special love and affection for Jyoti Basu. I am sure that he would be delighted and pleased in heaven that the first thing I have done after assuming charge of this company is to announce the creation of the Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Communication and Technology. India requires all the knowledge professionals, IT professionals and Technology professionals that it can produce to create substantial value," said Anil. The Institute having the status of a deemed university, will award graduate, post- graduate and doctorate degrees. Anil Ambani's meeting with other CPI (M) leaders is believed to have a bearing on the modernisation of Kolkata airport. The company had failed to bag the contract for modernising the Delhi airport.

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