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Arrested LeT operative Madani has links with Saeed: Chidambaram
New Delhi: Home
Minister P Chidambaram on Friday said that the arrested terrorist Mohammad Umer
Madani has links with Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz
Muhammad Saeed. "The man who is arrested in New Delhi does have links with Hafiz
Saeed. The arrest of this person is a measure of the good intelligence and good
investigative work done by our police and intelligence agencies. In fact, we should
compliment the Delhi police for this," Chidambaram said. Fifty-two-year-old Madani
was arrested near the Qutab Minar last evening. Madani is also learnt to be the
main financier of the LeT through hawala fundings. He is a Pak citizen who was
based in Nepal for a year. Speaking on the Mumbai terror attacks, he said that
there is no need for setting up a commission of inquiry into 26/11. "The government
has full facts on the attacks and Pradhan Committee has already looked into it,"
he said. "I am amused with the demand of commission of inquiry into 26/11. Why
didn''t the BJP order an inquiry after Kandahar or Parliament attack?" the Minister
added. Standoff
between producers and multiplexes resolved Top Mumbai:
It’s official. The two-month-long standoff between producers and multiplexes on
revenue-sharing was resolved on Friday after a breakthrough meeting between the
two parties reached consensus on the issue. Mukesh Bhatt, Convener of the United
Producers and Distributors Forum (UPDF) and filmmaker said the negotiations to
end the standoff ended on Friday morning and revenue share over ticket sales will
now be distributed between the producers and multiplexes equally. Producers and
distributors under the banner of UPDF had stalled new releases since 4th April
over the issue, where the producers had demanded a revenue share of 50:50 ratio
from the multiplex owners but the latter refused stating they will give 45:55
ratio, and will give 50:50 only if a film is a hit at the box office. Bhatt said
producers and distributors will retain the right to choose and release the film
as per its content and entertainment tax will not be charged where it is not applicable.
Bhatt confirmed that new films will be released from next Friday onwards. During
the two-month deadlock producers, distributors and multiplexes have lost over
200 crore rupees. Big budgeted films like Sajid Nadiadwala's ‘Kambhakth Ishq’,
Yash Chopra''s ‘New York’ were the films which have been long due as the conflict
was going on. The first film to release will be Vashu Bhagnani''s Kal Kisne Dekha,
which is slated to release on June 12. Ahluwalia
stays as Planning Commission’s deputy chief Top New
Delhi: Reconstituting the Planning Commission on Friday, the Government retained
Montek Singh Ahluwalia as its Deputy Chief for another term. The planning commission
panel will have three new members-- Narendra Jadhav, honorary vice-chancellor
of Pune University, Mihir Shah, Secretary of Samaj Pragati Sahayog and also former
member of the PM''s economic panel Saumitra Chaudhuri. Besides, the Government
has also retained Abhijit Sen, Syeda Hameed and B K Chaturvedi as members in the
reconstituted Commission. Sharad
Yadav threatens suicide over Women Reservation Bill Top New
Delhi: Senior Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav and member of Lok Sabha
on Friday threatened to consume poison in the House if the Women Reservation Bill
was passed in its present form. "We may not have the numbers but I will consume
poison and die here but not allow the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill,"
Sharad Yadav said in Parliament. Participating in the debate on the Motion of
Thanks to the President for her address to the joint sitting of Parliament, Yadav
accused the Congress of indulging in "tokenism" over the issue of reservation
for women. Contending that the actual need was to liberate women of the backward
and most backward classes in the country, Yadav said: "Congress party has been
resorting to tokenism by appointing a woman as President and as Speaker," Yadav
argued for bringing empowerment to majority of women, which exists in the most
backward quarters of Indian society and also those who have been suffering because
of prevalent caste system. And, he objected to ensuring ‘reservation’ in Parliament
for a few instead of doing something for those who actually need it. The Bill
has been pending since 1999, as pro-backward parties have been demanding ‘a quota
within quota’ for women belonging to backward, minority and scheduled castes.
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