TwoCircles.net - Indian Muslim news

PM has spent above Rs 300 crore on his foreign trips since 2004
SP leaders prevented from going to violence hit Bareilly
State and liberal ideas
Assam interested in setting up AMU centre
Curfew relaxed in Bareilly
Antony's Rajya Sabha election in doubt as IUML eyes seat
BSF commanding officer arrested for Kashmiri teenager's killing
Kerala village launches dowry-free marriage websites
Left India for comforts, facilities to work: Husain
Gulbarg Society killings: High court urged to transfer case
Government awaiting Kashmir's response on autonomy report
Night curfew continues in riot-hit Karnataka town

PM has spent above Rs 300 crore on his foreign trips since 2004

Posted: 04 Mar 2010 09:21 AM PST

By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,

New Delhi: Since he assumed office in 2004, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has spent several hundred crores of rupees on his foreign trips. However, the austerity drive of the government and ruling Congress Party seems to have begun yielding result since late 2008. A quick example: during his 2005 UK trip, his chartered aircrafts and hotlines/communication cost the country Rs 6,87,08,798 while during his 2009 trip to same UK, the expenses under the two heads were Rs 14,66,060.

SP leaders prevented from going to violence hit Bareilly

Posted: 04 Mar 2010 08:06 AM PST

Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net

Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party (SP) has decried the arresting of its party leaders including leader of opposition Shivpal Yadav and Ahmed Hasan while they were enroute to violence hit Bareilly on Thursday. Castigating the state government the party alleged that administration had detained their leaders to hide their failure and atrocities in Bareilly.

State and liberal ideas

Posted: 04 Mar 2010 05:11 AM PST

By Irfan Engineer

Mobs on the streets of Shimoga and Hassan protesting against an article that appeared in Kannda Prabha allegedly written by Taslima Nasreen has once again kicked up a debate on freedom of expression and need to place some reasonable restrictions on that freedom. Taslima Nasreen has described the article Purdah hai Purdah to be distorted.

Assam interested in setting up AMU centre

Posted: 04 Mar 2010 04:27 AM PST

By IANS,

Lucknow : The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has received a proposal from the Assam government to open its centre in the state, officials said Thursday.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has requested the human resource development (HRD) ministry to take necessary steps in this regard, the sources said.

"We have been invited by the government of Assam for setting up an AMU centre there," AMU vice-chancellor P.K. Abdul Azis told IANS over telephone.

Curfew relaxed in Bareilly

Posted: 04 Mar 2010 04:26 AM PST

By IANS,

Lucknow : With the situation in trouble-torn areas of Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly district limping back to normal, the curfew imposed Tuesday was relaxed Thursday morning, officials said.

The curfew was clamped in the four police station areas of Kotwali, Kila, Premnagar and Baradari areas, following a communal clash over a procession Tuesday.

"As the situation is getting normal, we today (Thursday) decided to relax curfew for nearly four hours since 6 a.m.," District Magistrate Ashish Goel told reporters in Bareilly, some 250 km from Lucknow.

Antony's Rajya Sabha election in doubt as IUML eyes seat

Posted: 04 Mar 2010 04:24 AM PST

By IANS,

New Delhi : Defence Minister A.K. Antony's re-election to the Rajya Sabha from his home state Kerala is in doubt as the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a Congress ally, wants the seat for itself.

The IUML leadership has decided to send a delegation made up of Minister of Stater for Railways E. Ahamed and party leaders P.K. Kunhalikutty, E.T. Mohammed Basheer, MP, Abdussamad Samadani and M.K. Muneer to New Delhi to meet Congress leaders including its president Sonia Gandhi.

BSF commanding officer arrested for Kashmiri teenager's killing

Posted: 04 Mar 2010 03:56 AM PST

By IANS,

Srinagar : After days of suspense, the Border Security Force (BSF) commanding officer allegedly involved in the killing of a teenager here last month was Thursday arrested by Jammu and Kashmir police.

R.K. Birdi, commanding officer of the 68 battalion BSF, was formally arrested by the state police after he was handed over to the special investigation team by BSF authorities.

Kerala village launches dowry-free marriage websites

Posted: 03 Mar 2010 09:39 PM PST

By IANS,

Nilambur (Kerala): A year back, residents of a Kerala village in Malappuram district took a pledge that they would neither ask for dowry in marriage nor give any. The villagers are now launching two websites on dowry-free marriages.

These websites have been created by Nilambur village which has a population of 50,000, of which 40 percent are Muslims. The rest are Hindus and Christians.

Left India for comforts, facilities to work: Husain

Posted: 03 Mar 2010 09:19 PM PST

By IANS,

New Delhi: Eminent painter Maqbool Fida Husain, who has accepted Qatari citizenship, says he left India because he needed "all comforts, facilities" and did not want "any disturbance" while working which he found "impossible" in India.

"I think there is a main reason for that (surrendering Indian passport and accepting Qatar citizenship)...I want to focus only on my work...don't want any disturbance. Need all comforts, facilities to the maximum," Husain told a TV channel in an interview.

Gulbarg Society killings: High court urged to transfer case

Posted: 03 Mar 2010 09:13 PM PST

By IANS,

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court here was petitioned Wednesday to transfer the 2002 Gulbarg Society massacre case, which left 69 people dead during the Gujarat riots, the affected families alleging a bias on the part of the special judge.

The petition by witnesses and riot victims comes after their plea filed before the principal sessions judge G.B. Shah for the transfer was dismissed on the premise that the special court was appointed by the Gujarat High Court.

Government awaiting Kashmir's response on autonomy report

Posted: 03 Mar 2010 09:05 PM PST

By IANS,

New Delhi: The central government is awaiting a response from Jammu and Kashmir government on the issue of autonomy for the state as suggested by the Justice Saghir Ahmed Committee, a working group set up by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, parliament was told Wednesday.

"The state government has been requested to give its recommendations on the committee's report," Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Maken told the Lok Sabha.

Night curfew continues in riot-hit Karnataka town

Posted: 03 Mar 2010 08:54 PM PST

By IANS,

Bangalore: Curfew in violence-hit Shimoga town of Karnataka will continue for the third night in a row Wednesday though the situation is peaceful, police said.

Curfew was imposed Monday after riots broke out over an article on Islamic veil in a Kannada daily, written by Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen.

Two people were killed, one in police firing and another in mob attack and around 100 shops and 50 vehicles were damaged in the violence. More than 50 people have been detained by police so far.