India

New Delhi, Oct 3: The Centre today took the first significant step towards creation of a separate Telangana state from out of Andhra Pradesh and decided that Hyderabad will be the joint capital of the two states for 10 years. Over two months after the Congress Working Committee put its seal of approval, the Union Cabinet approved the proposal of the Home Ministry for creation of the 29th state and

Ahmedabad, Oct 3: Rahul Gandhi today spoke for the first time about his scathing public review of the ordinance that was introduced to protect convicted MPs. "My mother told me that the words that I used were strong. In hindsight, I feel maybe my words were wrong....but the sentiment i felt was not wrong," the young vice-president of the Congress told reporters in Gujarat. His mother, Sonia Gandhi

Ranchi, Oct 3: Former Bihar chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad was sentenced to 5 years in jail in a fodder scam case by a special CBI court here on Thursday. The court of Pravas Kumar Singh announced the quantum of punishment via video conference due to security reasons. Prasad has also been slapped with a fine of Rs 25 lakh. Another former Bihar chief minister

Ranchi, Oct 3: Arguments on the quantum of sentence to be awarded to Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Bihar chief minister Jagannth Mishra and others convicted in a fodder scam case began at 11 a.m. in a Special CBI court here Thursday. The sentence will be pronounced to the convicted men through video conferencing in the Birsa Minda Central Jail of Ranchi. The arguments began

Jaipur, Oct 3: The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), an influential Islamic organisation, on Wednesday demanded that the UPA government take immediate action to release innocent Muslim youths arrested in “false and concocted” terror cases in accordance with Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s recent letter to Chief Ministers. It also said criminal proceedings should be initiated against the police and

New Delhi, Oct 2: The union cabinet Wednesday decided to withdraw the controversial ordinance and the bill to protect convicted lawmakers, days after open criticism by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi. The cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, took the decision to withdraw the ordinance in a 20 minute sitting. "The union cabinet met today and it was unanimously decided that both

New Delhi, Oct 2: Inching towards withdrawal of the controversial Ordinance on convicted lawmakers, Congress top brass including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party chief Sonia Gandhi today grappled to work out a face saver in the wake of a huge political storm over Rahul Gandhi's public outburst against the measure. All pros and cons were discussed and a decision was left to the Union Cabinet

New Delhi, Oct 2: After his public outburst against ordinance, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi today met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and is understood to have explained his reasons for opposing the move that will protect convicted lawmakers from immediate disqualification. Sources said Rahul met Singh at his residence here and the meeting between the two lasted 30 minutes. Rahul is

New Delhi, Oct 2: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, along with the Congress president Sonia Gandhi, paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi on his 144th birth anniversary Wednesday. The leaders paid floral tributes at Rajghat -- the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi on the banks of the Yamuna river. They were accompanied by Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath. A minute's silence was observed at the black

On board Prime Minister’s special aircraft, Oct 2: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday ruled out his resignation in the wake of Rahul Gandhi’s attack on his government on the issue of the ordinance to protect convicted lawmakers. “There is no question of resigning,” Mr. Singh told reporters, asserting that he does not get “upset easily.” Several observers and Opposition leaders have said that