New Delhi, Nov 26 (ANI): The Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha today witnessed uproarious scenes over the Friday's near simultaneous multiple blasts in three different cities of Uttar Pradesh and the opposition parties demanded Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil's resignation.

Rajya Sabha had to be adjourned twice during the day with the Opposition demanding copies of the Union Home Ministry's statement on the bomb blasts that killed 15 and injured over 230.

Parliamentarians belonging to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Samajwadi Party trooped into the Well of the House and alleged intelligence failure that led to the blasts.

Earlier, Rajya Sabha Chairman Mohammad Ansari said that the government was ready for a discussion on the issue.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Suresh Pachauri also said that the Government was willing to make a statement on the blasts.

The issue was also raised in the Lok Sabha by the Opposition.

However, on Sunday, Samajwadi party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had given a clean chit to Patil, and accused the State Government for their lax approach towards the security situation in Uttar Pradesh.

He refuted UP Chief Minister Mayawati's allegation that the central intelligence agencies failed to give them the required inputs to prevent the incident.

The Union Home Ministry has already stated that they had informed the State Government about the possibility of terror attack.

The opposition BJP that heads the NDA alliance has said that it is ready to support the UPA Government in bringing new POTA like anti-terror legislation. (ANI)
--MP

Varanasi, Nov 26 (ANI): Lawyers in Uttar Pradesh struck work on Monday in protest against last week's serial bomb blasts in Lucknow, Varanasi and Faizabad.

"People here are sad, angry, and shocked. Like everywhere else, it is more so here because the blasts happened and people were killed. We will organise a mourning ceremony for the dead," said Rajmohan Tripathi, the President of the  District Bar Association.

The strike affected people visiting the courts for the hearing of their cases.

"The lawyers are on strike and I have travelled 300 kilometres for the hearing. I don't know if my case will be heard today or not," said Kamal Nain.

At least 15 people were killed and 80 injured in the blasts.

The explosions took place in and around court premises.

The Special Task Force, which is carrying out the investigation in the Friday's blast, have reportedly found traces of RDX at the blast sites.

The Uttar Pradesh police has released the sketches of two suspects whoever believed to be behind the blasts on Saturday.

The blasts came a week after the Uttar Pradesh police along with central security agencies busted a Jaish-e-Mohammed module, which wanted to target Rahul Gandhi. (ANI)
--MP

Mumbai, Nov 25 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati today addressed a rally in Mumbai in an attempt to woo voters of Maharashtra.

"Our party believes that people in Maharashtra, rather in India, should come together and join hands. People of all sections of the society should support our party so that we can come to power. It is important for us," said Mayawati.

She further said that it was important for people to unite irrespective of their religion, caste and community.

Mumbai was painted blue with posters and banners to welcome the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader, who seems all set to capture a vote bank outside her state.

Mayawati commands almost total support of Dalits in Uttar Pradesh, who constitute about 21 percent of the state's population. (ANI)
--MP

Lucknow, Nov 24 (ANI): The Uttar Pradesh Government on Saturday announced an increase in the compensation for victims of Friday's multiple blasts in Varanasi, Faizabad and Lucknow that claimed the lives of at least 15 people, including four lawyers, and injured over 80.

Uttar Pradesh Principal Secretary (Home) J. N. Chamber said that Chief Minister Mayawati has increased the compensation keeping in view "the economic condition of the families of the victims"

The kin of each of the dead would get five lakh rupees, while one lakh rupees is to be paid to each of the severely injured and those who sustained minor injuries will get 50,000 rupees each, said Chamber.

Mayawati had on Friday announced a compensation of Rs. 2 lakh to the next of kin to each of those killed and Rs.50,000 for those injured in the incidents.

Condoling the loss of lives in the blasts and expressing concern for the injured, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on Friday, also announced an ex-gratia relief of one lakh rupees for the next of the kin of the dead and Rs.50,000 for the seriously injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh police released the sketches of two suspects believed to be behind the blasts.

The sketches were prepared based on the statements of eyewitnesses, including a cycle-store owner and a cycle-stand employee.

The Deputy Inspector General (DIG) P P Srivastav released the sketch of a 25-year-old youth wearing spectacles who had allegedly picked up a bicycle from the cycle stand at the railway station and after loading it with explosives allegedly kept it in the compound of the Faizabad civil court.

"The person purchased the cycle which was found at the site of the incident and was parked at the stand. There is also a possibility that there may be two different persons involved, one purchased the cycle and the other used it for the purpose," said A K Jain, Inspector General (IG) of Lucknow zone.

The state police last night released sketches of three suspects believed to behind the blasts in Lucknow and Faizabad courts.

The sketch of the suspect who purchased the bicycle from a shop on Thursday and kept it at the railway station stand was among the three sketches released last night.

Meanwhile, Special Task Force has been asked to probe the near-simultaneous blasts in court premises at Varanasi, Faizabad and Lucknow.

Six bombs - three in Varansi, two in Faizabad and one in Lucknow - some planted on cycles, went off within a span of 15 minutes.

The blasts came a week after the Uttar Pradesh police along with central security agencies busted a Jaish-e-Mohammed module, which wanted to target Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. (ANI)
--MP

Lucknow, Nov 24 (ANI): The Uttar Pradesh police has released sketches of four suspects in connection with the Friday's multiple blasts in Varanasi, Faizabad and Lucknow.

The Deputy Inspector General (DIG) P P Srivastav today released the sketch of a 25-year-old youth wearing spectacles who had allegedly picked up a bicycle from the cycle stand at the railway station and after loading it with explosives allegedly kept it in the compound of the Faizabad civil court.

The state police last night released sketches of three suspects believed to behind the blasts in Lucknow and Faizabad courts.

The sketch of the suspect who purchased the bicycle from a shop on Thursday and kept it at the railway station stand was among the three sketches released last night.

The sketches were prepared on the basis of the statements of eyewitnesses including lawyers.

The Uttar Pradesh government today said that lawyers were the target of Friday's serial blasts, possibly because of their refusal to represent terrorists arrested in connection with various blasts in the State.

State's Principal Secretary (Home) J N Chamber referred to the lawyers' assault on three JeM militants, who were arrested from Lucknow recently, while being produced in the court.

He also referred to the lawyers refusal to represent the accused in the Sankatmochan temple blast in Varanasi, and Faizabad lawyers' refusal to represent the accused in the Ram Janambhoomi complex blast in July 2005.

In the wake of Friday's blasts, security at court premises will be steeped, he said, adding that directives have been issued in this regard.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) sponsored shutdown called to protest against the Friday's serial blasts evoked a mixed response.

No violence has been reported during the state-wide shutdown.

Varanasi, Kanpur and Faizabad were the worst affected areas with most of the shops and business establishments remaining closed.

In Varanasi, where at least nine people were killed in Friday's blasts, Bajrang Dal activists took to the streets.

The activists forced the shopkeepers to close their shops in the city.

However, Samajwadi Party workers halted a train in Allahabad in protest against the state Government and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Mayawati.

In some parts of Lucknow, shops and business were closed, while public transport in the city was normal.

But the attacks couldn't deter the faith of thousands of devotees who turned out in large numbers on the banks of Ganges River in Varanasi to take a holy dip on the occasion of Kartik Purnima, the full moon day.

"Terrorism can never affect the faith of people. History reveals that devout Hindus are always ready to sacrifice their life for their faith," said Mridul Mishra, a devotee.

Similar scenes were visible in Ayodhya, where four people were killed in Friday's blast.

"Security arrangements are very good here. We are not scared at all," said Sachidanand Pandey, a devotee.

Meanwhile, Special Task Force has been asked to probe the near-simultaneous blasts in court premises at Varanasi, Faizabad and Lucknow, that killed 15 people, four of them lawyers, and injured over 80.

Six bombs - three in Varansi, two in Faizabad and one in Lucknow - some planted on cycles, went off within a span of 15 minutes.

The blasts came a week after the Uttar Pradesh police along with central security agencies busted a Jaish-e-Mohammed module, which wanted to target Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. (ANI)
--MP

Lucknow/Varanasi, Nov 25 (ANI): Samajwadi Party leader and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday visited the Friday's blasts' site in Lucknow and blamed the incumbent Government in the State for adopting lax approach towards security. 

"The responsibility of the blast lies completely on the State government. They said it's the failure of the Centre, but it is a lie. This is not political issue, but the issue of country's safety, and it is state government and its officials to be blamed for that," said Yadav, who was accompanied with his party's General Secretary Amar Singh and former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala at the blast site.  

Multiple blasts almost took place almost simultaneously in the three cities of Lucknow, Faizabad and Varanasi on Friday killing at least 15 people and injuring 80 others. 

All the blasts took place in and around court premises and most of the casualties were lawyers. 

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Home Sri Prakash Jaiswal today said in Kanpur that the State Government was alerted by the Central intelligence agencies about the possible terror attacks in the State. 

UP Chief Minister Mayawati had earlier blamed the Centre for not providing them with any information about the impending blast. 

The Special Task Force, which is carrying out the investigation in the Friday's blast, have reportedly found traces of RDX at the blast site. 

Forensic teams are analysing the samples, and they have reportedly found similarities with the Malegaon blast, Hyderabad blast and the Samjhauta Express blast. 

In Malegaon blasts also, cycles were bought from nearby shops and crude bombs were placed on it. 

The e-mails that were sent to various news organisation minutes before the Friday's blasts in UP claiming responsibility for the blasts, however state that the group responsible for the blast had no role to play in the Malegaon, Hyderabad and Samjhauta Express blasts where victims were mostly Muslims. (ANI) -AJ

Haridwar/Varanasi (UP), Nov 25 (ANI): Security has been beefed up around various religious and other sensitive areas in Uttar Pradesh, following the Friday's multiple blasts in Varanasi, Faizabad and Lucknow. 

Tight security arrangements have been made at religious places such as Haridwar and Varanasi in wake of the blasts that claimed the lives of at least 15 people, including four lawyers, and injured over 80. 

Police personnel and bomb squads are deployed at all major temples and along the banks of River Ganga, where pilgrims turn up in large numbers.  

"Since last two days we are checking all the people who are coming here or staying in the rest-houses or hotels. We have deployed bomb squads who are combing all the sensitive places like parking areas," said Ashok Kumar, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Garhwal Range. 

But the blasts have not moved the faith of the devotees, who thronged Varanasi to celebrate Dev Diwali, a festival celebrated after the festival of light, Diwali. 

Devotees lighted earthen lamps and performed religious rituals on the banks of River Ganga in Varanasi. 

"We want to send them (terrorists) a message that no matter how hard you try to spread darkness in our life, it will be full of light," said Ravishankar Tripathi, a devotee. 

"There is no question of fear where there is faith. The best thing is that security arrangements are really good," said Anil Kumar, another devotee. (ANI) -AJ

Faizabad, Nov 24 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Rajnath Singh today said that his party would support the Centre if it enacts a law on par with POTA that was promulgated during the NDA regime.

''The BJP will support the UPA Government in the Parliament if it enacts a law on the lines of POTA to curb terrorist activities in the country,'' Singh told reporters here.

Singh, who arrived here today, visited the blast site and met injured in the hospitals.

Coming down heavily on the UPA Government for having ''soft policies'' for tackling terrorism, he said that these policies are responsible for rise in terrorists' activities.

Meanwhile, police have traced an email, which warned of the attack, to a Rajdhani cybercafe in Laxmi Nagar areas of east Delhi. According to reports, three people, including two owners of the café have reportedly been detained.

Earlier in the day, a terror scare struck Mughalsarai railway station near Varanasi when a suspected blast was heard. Later, it was eventually turned out to be just a loud noise of crackers.

The death toll in the simultaneous bomb blasts in court premises in Lucknow, Varanasi and Faizabad on Friday has risen to 16.

The BJP and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) are observing a state-wide shutdown in protest against the blasts. 

Samajwadi Party workers have begun their protest early Saturday morning, stopping the Ganga-Gomti Express at the Allahabad railway station.

In Faizabad, a four-member forensic team is examining vital clues related to the blasts as to who could be behind the serial blasts.

According to sources, a terrorist group called Indian Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for the blast.

On Friday night, the Uttar Pradesh police released sketches of three suspects believed to be behind the blasts. All sketches were prepared on the basis of information received from eyewitness.

Vikram Singh, Director General of Uttar Pradesh Police has said that new cycles could be likely clues for probe into blasts.

"Special Task Force will probe the case. We cannot rule out anything and will soon give you the result," Singh said.

The Home Ministry has already issued advisory to all States and Union Territories to step up vigilance and surveillance.

Terror struck in Uttar Pradesh on Friday when militants triggered near-simultaneous blasts in court premises killing 15 people, four of them lawyers, and injuring over 80.

Six bombs - three in Varansi, two in Faizabad and one in Lucknow - some planted on cycles, went off within a span of 15 minutes.

The blasts came a week after the Uttar Pradesh police along with central security agencies busted a Jaish-e-Mohammed module, who wanted to target Rahul Gandhi. (ANI)

- AY

Lucknow, Nov 24 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) have called for a state-wide shutdown today in protest against the simultaneous bomb blasts in court premises in Lucknow, Varanasi and Faizabad on Friday.

BJP President Rajnath Singh is scheduled to visit Uttar Pradesh to meet injured in the hospitals and to take stock of the situation in the affected areas.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party workers have already begun their protest early Saturday morning, stopping the Ganga-Gomti Express at the Allahabad railway station.

In Faizabad, a four-member forensic team is examining vital clues related to the blasts as to who could be behind the serial blasts.

According to sources, a terrorist group called Indian Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for the blast.

On Friday night, the Uttar Pradesh police released sketches of three suspects believed to be behind the blasts. All sketches were prepared on the basis of information received from eyewitness.

Vikram Singh, Director General of Uttar Pradesh Police has said that new cycles could be likely clues for probe into blasts.

"Special Task Force will probe the case. We cannot rule out anything and will soon give you the result," Singh said.

According to unconfirmed reports, investigators have traced an email, which warned of the attack, to a cybercafe in East Delhi.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati blamed the Central intelligence agencies for failing to provide any inputs about the blasts, and said that state agencies were not even asked to stay 'alert'.

The Home Ministry has already issued advisory to all States and Union Territories to step up vigilance and surveillance.

Terror struck in Uttar Pradesh on Friday when militants triggered near-simultaneous blasts in court premises killing 15 people, four of them lawyers, and injuring over 80.

Six bombs - three in Varansi, two in Faizabad and one in Lucknow - some planted on cycles, went off within a span of 15 minutes.

The blasts came a week after the Uttar Pradesh police along with central security agencies busted a Jaish-e-Mohammed module, who wanted to target Rahul Gandhi. (ANI)
- AY

Ghazipur (Uttar Pradesh), Nov.23 (ANI): An undergraduate villager in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur District has become the cynosure of all eyes after setting up a private radio station here.

Twenty-year-old Arun Kumar, a resident of Ravtipur Village, realised his dream with personal savings and contacts. He wanted to keep his fellow villagers posted with the current news, views and trends.

"I wanted to set up my own radio station and I did it. It took me four years to make it operational," said Arun Kumar.

Villagers are all praise for Arun's unbelievable feat that has done proud to everyone here.

"With his limited resources, this boy is doing a great thing. We all are very happy with his efforts," said Bhanu Singh, a villager.

Since childhood Arun was fond of music and despite being an under graduate he set up a radio station.

He used his audio compact disc (CD) player, a few condensers, and an antenna to set a radio station that entertains and informs villages residing within an area of three kilometres every day for six hours between 10 a.m and 4 p.m.

Since Arun's radio station lacks modern gadgets, the services are yet to improve.

The availability of "Ravtipur Radio Station" has benefited about 3,400 residents of Ravtipur Village, as it has offered a channel which broadcasts local news, as against All India Radio, which has very little of local news.

Meanwhile, the District administration has assured Arun all help, if he wants to seek a license.

"We have heard about this private radio station. We have asked this person that he could seek a license from home control, the District administration will certainly help him," said Ritu Maheswari, District Magistrate, Ghazipur. (ANI)

- AY

Jaipur, Nov 23 (ANI): Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen is now heading for Delhi by road after an overnight stay in Jaipur.

According to reports, Nasreen is escorted by the Rajasthan police.

Nasreen, who reached the Pink City on Thursday by an Indian Airlines flight, reportedly stayed at 'Hotel Shikha' near the Civil Secretariat under heavy security.

The police had sealed the hotel entrance and thrown a security cordon around it and all vehicular traffic in the area had been diverted.

Nasreen was moved out of West Bengal after a violent protest on Wednesday by demonstrators under the banner of All India Minority Forum (AIMF). They are demanding the cancellation of her visa.

The Army was called in and curfew was imposed in various parts of Kolkata following violent protests.

CPI (M) leader Biman Bose had suggested that Nasreen should be sent either to Jaipur or Gujarat in the wake of protests against her stay in Kolkata.

Reacting on Bose statement, the BJP Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha, V K Malhotra, said it was totally wrong to ask her to leave, or even suggest that she should, just because a handful of 'fundamentalists" do not like what she says and writes.

She has been living in exile for more than ten years now.

Since the 1990s, Nasreen has faced numerous threats from Islamic groups for her writings. Recently, she was attacked by activists of Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) at a book release function in Hyderabad. (ANI)
- AY

New Delhi/Lucknow, Nov 23 (ANI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today condemned the serial blasts in Lucknow, Varanasi and Faizabad that claimed the lives of at least 13 persons, including two lawyers and injured over 50.

Condoling the loss of lives in the blasts and expressing concern for the injured, Singh announced an ex- gratia relief of one lakh rupees for the next of the kin of the dead and Rs.50,000 for the seriously injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil also "strongly condemned" the incident.

"I strongly condemn the blasts which have taken place in three different cities of Uttar Pradesh today. I convey my sympathies to the bereaved families and pray for speedy recovery of the injured," Patil said in a statement. 

He added: "This is yet another attempt by anti-national elements to spread panic. I am confident that peace-loving people of the country will give a fitting reply to such elements."

Patil went on to say that the Government would continue to fight terrorism in a "resolute manner," adding that the Centre was in touch with the State Government to see if any assistance was required by them.

The Home Ministry has issued advisory to all States and Union Territories to step up vigilance and surveillance in view of today's blasts. The ministry is sending forensic teams to the blast sites.

Congress party president Sonia Gandhi also expressed shock and grief over the serial blasts and the resultant deaths. She condemned that blasts, saying it was an act of cowardice intended to create panic. 

Conveying her heartfelt condolence to the bereaved families, she urged the State Government to take firm action against the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, L K Advani termed the incident as a clear case of intelligence failure.

"...But where it is serial blasts, prima facie (suggests) it is a case of intelligence failure because they (terrorists) have to prepare over a period of time," said Advani.

Earlier today, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Mayawati announced a compensation of Rs.two lakh to the next of kin to each of those killed and Rs.50,000 for those injured in the incidents.

She said that there were at least six blasts: three at Varanasi, two at Faizabad and one at Lucknow.

She also said that senior police and intelligence officials, bomb squads and forensic experts were being sent to the three sites to look for clues as to who could be behind the serial blasts, and added that her government would be coming out with a report on the same.

Mayawati blamed the Central intelligence agencies for failing to provide any inputs about the blasts, and said that state agencies were not even asked to stay 'alert'.

She described the three blasts as dastardly acts perpetrated by those wishing to spread communal disharmony in the state.

The serial blasts took place at a gap of five minutes from each other between 1 p.m. and 1.30 p.m. Five people lost their lives in Faizabad and four in Varanasi. The source of the blast in Lucknow was a cycle, which was later carried away by a police official.

Preliminary investigations reveal that the target of the terror attack was the legal system. The blasts were at Lucknow civil court, Varanasi Collectorate and Faizabad civil court.

The blasts came a week after the Uttar Pradesh police along with central security agencies busted a Jaish-e-Mohammed module, who wanted to target Rahul Gandhi. Lawyers had thrashed the three JeM militants when they were being produced before a court here. Police believe the lawyers were targeted because they refused to appear in cases where suspected militants arrested.

The entire country has been put on high alert following the blasts, particularly Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore. The police meanwhile have cordoned the affected area and people's entry has been banned. (ANI)
--MP

Agra, Nov.23 (ANI): Officials and rangers of the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department have released 40 alligators into River Chambal, their natural habitat, to increase the number of endangered species of alligators. These alligators were brought from their breeding centre at Lucknow. 

These alligators were brought from Kukrail in Lucknow where they had been kept in favourable conditions under the surveillance of the Forest Rangers and veterinarians for proper breeding.  

"These alligators have come from Kukrail in Lucknow. Till date, we have already released 80 alligators to their natural habitats. Presently, we have released 40 more. However, we will be releasing 120 alligators in the time to come. We have been saving these alligators since 1979 since these are endangered species," said Suresh Upadhyaya, Conservator of Forests, Agra Range.  

According to the forest officials, they had started a drive to save this endangered species that has been successful. The number of alligators has increased over the recent years.  

"We have attained success in controlling the declining graph of the crocodiles and alligators in recent years. The total number of alligators has reached 1,000 in all the three habitats in the State during the latest census conducted in February 2007 and we are happy about it," G. Sudhakar said.Special efforts were made for the breeding.  

"We have been successful in controlling various illegal things since they were damaging the population of the alligators. We have stooped illegal mining and have been able to provide them with good environment for proper breeding," said G. Sudhakar, Divisional Forest Officer.  

Meanwhile, the local residents have become familiar with the alligators. "No, we actually face no problem or feel any kind of danger from them. It only happens if a person enters their (alligators) habitat area. The last time it happened was when a man was pulled by an alligators while he was bathing near the river and that happened due to the huge number of crocodiles and alligators in the river but otherwise we do not face nay problem," said Mevaram, a resident from one of the villages in the vicinity of River Chambal.  

Various species of crocodiles and alligators are seriously endangered, from hunting and now largely from loss of habitat, particularly breeding sites.  

Presently, the main habitat for crocodiles and alligators are the Rivers Chambal, Girwa, Rapti and Narayani in the orbit of central and northern India.  

Although alligators have heavy bodies and slow metabolisms, they are capable of short bursts of speed, especially in very short lunges. Alligators' main prey are smaller animals that they can kill and eat with a single bite. 

Alligators can kill larger prey by grabbing it and dragging it in the water to drown. Alligators consume food that cannot be eaten in one bite by allowing it to rot or by biting and then spinning or convulsing wildly until bite-size pieces are torn off.  

An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. 

An alligator's lifespan is usually estimated in the range of 50 years or more. A specimen named Muja has resided in the Belgrade Zoo in Serbia since 1937, making it at least 70 years old. Another specimen, Cabulitis, in Riga Zoo, Latvia died in 2007 being more than 72 years old. Alligators are native to only two countries: the United States and China. 

In Florida alone there are estimated to be more than one million alligators. The United States is the only place where both alligators and crocodiles live side by side. (ANI) -AJ 

 

Lucknow, Nov.23 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Mayawati, today condemned the three bomb blasts in Lucknow, Varanasi and Faizabad that claimed the lives of  at least 13 persons, including two lawyers and injured over 50.  

Addressing a press conference here, Mayawati announced a compensation of Rs.two lakh to the next of kin to each of those killed and Rs.50,000 for those injured in the incidents. She said that there were at least six  blasts: three at Varanasi, two at Faizabad and one at Lucknow. 

She also said that senior police and intelligence officials , bomb squads and forensic experts are being sent to the three sites to look for clues as to who could be behind the serial blasts, and added that her government would be coming out with a report on the same.  

Mayawati blamed the Central intelligence agencies for failing to provide any inputs about the blasts and said that state agencies were not even asked to stay 'alert'. She revealed that the blasts were 'pre-planned' acts by terrorists to disturb peace and harmony in the state and urged the Central Government to take cognisance of the incidents, and take suitable security measures at the earliest in consultation with the State Government. She described the three blasts as dastardly acts perpetrated by those wishing to spread communal disharmony in the state. 

The serial blasts took place at a gap of five minutes from each other between 1 p.m. and 1.30 p.m. Five people lost their lives in Faizabad and four in Varanasi. The source of the blast in Lucknow was a cycle, which was later carried away by a police official. 

Preliminary investigations reveal that the target of the terror attack was the legal system. The blasts were at Lucknow civil court, Varanasi Collectorate and Faizabad civil court.  

The blasts came a week after the Uttar Pradesh police along with central security agencies busted a Jaish-e-Mohammed module who wanted to target Rahul Gandhi. Lawyers had thrashed the three JeM militants when they were being produced before a court here.  

Police believe the lawyers were tageted because they refused to appear in cases where suspected militants arrested.  

Meanwhile intelligence agencies are actively working towards finding out details. The Union Home Ministry has issued advisories to all states and union territories to step up vigil and surveillance in the wake of the blasts.  

HUJI terrorist Vali Ullah, who is currently lodged in the Ghaziabad Jail, is alleged to be the mastermind behind the Varanasi attack.The hand of notorious Jaish militant Masood Asghar is also being suspected.  

The entire country has been put on high alert following the blasts, particularly Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore. The police meanwhile have cordoned the affected area and people's entry has been banned. Security has been tightened near court premises.(ANI) -AJ

New Delhi, Nov.23 (ANI): The Chairman of the All India Minorities Front (AIMF), S M Asif, today strongly condemned the serial blasts in Varanasi, Lucknow and Faizabad. 

Asif said blasts in court premises were intentionally done to create a fear among believers of law.  

He blamed the Uttar Pradesh Police for not acting in time to preempt such acts of terror. 

Claiming that Pakistan was behind these incidents, Asif warned of dire consequences.  

He urged the Government of Uttar Pradesh to ensure that innocent Muslims are not targeted by the police for this unholy act. 

He said that an AIMF team would visit the blast sites for an on the spot study into the factors causing the explosions. (ANI) - AJ

Lucknow, Nov 23 (ANI): Three serial blasts rocked Lucknow, Varanasi and Faizabad courts in Uttar Pradesh this afternoon, in which reportedly seven people were killed and several others injured.

According to the police, the low intensity blasts took place within minutes of each other.

The blast occurred at Civil Court in Lucknow and Varanasi, and Criminal Court in Faizabad.

According to initial reports, five people were killed and many others were seriously injured in the Faizabad blast.

The police suspect that a cycle was used to trigger off the Faizabad blast.

In Varasani, the explosion occurred at a local court premises during the busy court hour. Over 2,000 people were there in the court premises when the blast occurred.

A high level government meeting has been convened at Lucknow to discuss the issue.

High alert has been declared in Delhi and Mumbai following the blasts in UP courts. (ANI)
--MP

Kanpur (UP), Nov 22 (ANI): Three computers have been stolen from the premises of Defence Material Store Research Development and
Establishment (DMSRDE), a unit of Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), in Kanpur, but the Ministry says that stolen computers did not contain any classified information.

"The computers stolen from DMSRDE were used for routine work and did not contain any classified or secret data," stated a release issued by the Defence Ministry, after news about the theft poured.

On November 20, a case was registered at the Chakeri police station on the complaint lodged by DMSRDE security officer.

DMSRDE Director K U Bhaskar Rao described the incident as very serious since it took place inside a secured zone, but at the same time dismissed any threat to the national security.

"One stolen computer, "Drona," was connected to DRDO Intranet and contains information about DRDO scientists including their phone numbers, addresses, designations and also defence-related research projects they are associated with. The other computers contained software used for sample identification and quality measurement of defence-related products," said Rao.

Police says that the theft was impossible without connivance of an insider.

DMSRDE is involved in several defence-related projects and is basically Science and Technology related laboratory working in the areas on non-metallic materials and textiles.

Its scientists are currently working on development of polymer being used in BrahMos missile. (ANI)
--MP

Lalitpur (Uttar Pradesh), Nov. 21 (ANI): Believe it or not, a priest in Uttar Pradesh' Lalitpur District has developed a bizarre liking for electric shocks. He cannot do without his daily dose for a sound sleep.

Baba Mangal Das, the priest of Ram Janaki temple at Bamhorisar village in Lalitpur District of Uttar Pradesh is addicted to this weird habit for three years. And, he strangely claims to have never faced any adverse effect.

"At night, I plug this wire in and place a live wire either inside my mouth, ears or under my armpit to sleep well. Without having electric shocks, I turn restless. I have been doing it for the past three to four years," a priest Ram Janaki temple, Bamhorisar.

The 52-year-old priest is said to have been fond of opium, smack and marijuana. His craving for intoxication remained unquenched until he experienced electric shock on touching one end of an electrified iron rod in 2004.

Mangal Das loves getting his dose of thrills from a kitchen-heater's coils while it is switched on. Over it, he places one end of a rod and takes the other end to his tongue.

"I used to dope a lot. I used to have marijuana but slowly it stopped intoxicating me. I started getting electric shocks to satisfy my craving," said Mangal Das.

Although initially dazed to learn Mangal's unique way of doping, the villagers are now accustomed to see him fiddling with live wires.

"I am seeing him since the past three years using electricity for doping. He says that he cannot live without it, so we too don't push him to get rid of it," said Ajay Upadhyaya, a villager.

Seeing Mangal getting electric shocks and surviving , a few villagers seek his blessings as they consider him divine!

According to medical practitioners, it is all about developing immunity. 

"Human physiology is such that if one keeps on using something for doping, his or her body develops immunity to that thing. This man is having electric shocks for a long time and his body has developed insulation power. There is no miracle at all to it," said Dr. Amit Chaturvedi, a Physician at the Government Hospital in Lalitpur. (ANI)
--MP

Jaipur, Nov 21 (ANI): Key officials of the Rajasthan Fish Farmers Association (RFFA) have appealed to the state Government to cooperate and change rules for better business returns.

"If the government gives some attention and change certain rules and provides some cooperation, we can beat many states in per hectare production of fish," said Devendra Singh, President of Rajasthan Fish Farmer's Association.

The main varieties of fishes cultivated in Rajasthan are 'Katala', 'Mrigal' and 'Rohu' and they are commonly found in  fish farming areas like Banswara, Bhilwara, Dungarpur, Jhalawar and Jaipur.

The Fish Industry in Rajasthan has picked up during the last decade, and around 20,000 people are directly or indirectly employed in the trade.

The people engaged in the rearing and trading of fish say that with government help the fish production could increase considerably.

The Gath Gate Fish Market in Rajasthan capital Jaipur is a popular place with fish buyers. Every customer here is fond of Rajasthani fish in spite of the availability of other varieties imported from coastal states like Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.

"I have purchased Katala. It is tastier than the sea fish. These fish have a different taste. These are bred in Rajasthan. It is more popular in the market," said Mohammad Abid, a buyer.

The Kanota Dam, which is located on the outskirts of Jaipur, broke the record of the highest per hectare fish yield of around five tons that was achieved by Andhra Pradesh.

The Rajasthan Fish Farmers Association estimates that fish worth over 80 crore rupees was harvested in 2006-07 from small and medium sized dams and water bodies.

According to Association, this figure would swell to 100 crore rupees in fiscal 2007-08.

Rajasthan has the largest number of dams and other artificial water bodies in the country. Approximately 1400 of them were built during the rule of the British. (ANI)
- AY

Ayodhya, Nov 21 (ANI): Close to 100,000 devotees are thronging Ayodhya during the auspicious month of Kartik.

Devotees congregate on the banks of the River Saryu for worship. The month of Kartik lasts from October 26 to November 24.

"I come here every year. I have been coming here for the last eleven years. We come to keep a fast here for a month," said Krishna Swaroop Dixit, a devotee.

Hindus believe their wishes would be fulfilled by observing 'Kartik-Kalpawas' the one month long fast, during which they take different types of diets that include a fruit-only diet and another one is a specific meal along with fruits.

"We have come from Gwalior for Kalpawas. We will stay here for one month and worship. Our wishes will be fulfilled if we do this," said Kalawati, another devotee.

Kartik-Kalpwas is believed to ensure salvation for the fasting devotees .

Devotees are also visiting Haridwar, Varanasi and Mathura to perform rituals associated with the auspicious month. But visiting Ayodhya has its own significance.

Kartik is the eighth lunar month of the Hindu year when the sun is in the Krittika or Pleiades phase.

Kartik is perhaps the holiest of all months in the Hindu calendar and is characterised by many religious festivals. (ANI)
- AY

New Delhi, Nov 19 (ANI): A group of morning walkers in NOIDA has initiated a project to take children of poor migrants from Bihar, living in their neighbourhood, away from beggary and on to the path of literacy.

The initiative called "Gyan Shakti Vidyalaya" was launched by the Morning Walkers Group of Sector 15-A, Noida, and it intends to help non-school going and school drop-outs in the age group of 3 to 13 years, to get admission in government-run schools, besides helping to improve the performance of poor kids attending government-run schools.

According to Rear Admiral (retd) H C Malhotra, the Initiator and Mentor of "Gyan Shakti Vidyalaya", the objective is not to start any recognised school, but to encourage poor kids to seek a formal education in government-run schools in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, and to monitor the kids' performances.

All this began a year ago, when morning walkers were stirred by seeing scores of hygienically uncared for and poorly clad children, from the cluster of huts at Dalupura Yamuna Khader Pushta across the Noida-Delhi Toll Road. The kids were found begging near the Mazhaar (shrine) at the Main Park, opposite Sector 15A, Noida on Thursdays.

In July 2006, the group decided to collectively start a social welfare project based on practical needs of these children and wean them away from begging, idling away precious time, and motivate them to undertake formal schooling.

The "Gyan Shakti Vidyalaya" (School for slum children) was inaugurated in a shed at the Dalupura Yamuna Khader Pushta on May 26 this year.

Today, over a hundred children are enrolled with the initiative, including more than 40 children attending government-run schools in Noida and East Delhi's Chilla Village.

Children now regularly gather at the Main Park near the Mazhaar (shrine) for two hours on Thursday and Sunday mornings, not for begging, but for educative and character building pursuits, and other activities.

On all other days, the children are given lessons for three hours at the school shed in Dalupura Yamuna Khader Pushta.

Besides, special tutorials are also held for school going children for nearly two hours on all weekdays.

Alongside, visits to places of interest, such as National Science Centre and the Gandhi Smriti, are organised for the children to build their sense of curiosity and inquiry.

Malhotra says the initiative has received "good support" from the parents of these kids, though it still remains a challenge.

The Core Management Group of the "Gyan Shakti Vidyalaya", which comprises of two educators and five voluntary workers, monitors the progress of the children.

In immediate future, the "Gyan Shakti Vidyalaya" plans to set up a computer and a skill development centre, a library, and make arrangement for indoor games at the school shed.

"Support with the goodies to the kids continues, along with all the initiative for education," says Malhotra.

The financial support for the project comes from the contribution of Morning Walkers Group, he adds. (ANI)
- AY

Meerut (Uttar Pradesh), Nov 19 (ANI): Farmers have gathered under the banner of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) here to demand payment of arrears for their sugarcane crop.

They also demanded an increase in the Minimum Support Price from the present rupees 110 per quintal to rupees 135 per quintal.

"The way the farmers are being persecuted and their voices muzzled are wrong. The sugar mills are not paying arrears due to the farmers. If farmers ask for their rights, their voice is stopped. I will also raise this issue in Parliament," said Avtar Singh Bhadana, a lawmaker representing Faridabad constituency in Haryana.

They also called for the release of Mahendra Singh Tikait, the chief of BKU, who was arrested last week for delivering an inflammatory speech.

Uttar Pradesh is the second largest sugar producing state in the country. The country is the world's second biggest producer and largest consumer of the sweetener.

India's population of more than one billion people annually consumes about 19 million tonnes of sugar.

Sitting on huge sugarcane extracted stockpile, the government made mandatory five per cent ethanol blending with mineral oil in October and allowed exports to insulate farmers from crashing domestic sugar prices.

The country emerged as a major net sugar exporter in 2007-08. (ANI)
- AY

Lucknow, Nov 17 (ANI): The three Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists, who were arrested in Lucknow on Friday, have confessed about their plans to abduct Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, police said.

Television channels beamed video-footage of their confessions.

"Our plan was to abduct Rahul Gandhi," one of the terrorists was shown as saying in the 'confessional tapes' telecast by television channels on Saturday.

The suspects said that they were planning the kidnapping to secure the release of 42 prisoners lodged in various Indian jails, at the behest of 'people in Pakistan'

"We were given a list (of 42 prisoners) and asked to memorise (it)," a terrorist said.

The terrorists also confessed that their plan was to throw grenades and spray bullets and abduct the Congress parliamentarian.

The terrorists had plans to exert international pressure for the release of their 42 associates, including Afzal Guru, Nasrulla Mansoor and Abu Jinder, the officials said.

The officials said that terrorists had received training in carrying out kidnapping in Bahawalpur in Pakistan, for six months.

All the three terrorists- Mohammand Yousuf Jamir Kashmiri, Mohammand Rashid and Mohammand Abid, - who the police claims hailed from Multan in Pakistan, were arrested from the Gudumba police station area in Lucknow early Friday.

A large cache of arms and ammunition, including AK 47 guns, 120 rounds of AK 47, four magazines, three pistols, 16 hand grenades, five detonators and four kilograms of RDX, was also recovered from them. (ANI)
--MP

Lucknow, Nov 16 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Police on Friday arrested three Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists, who were planning to abduct a well-known personality in the country.

A large cache of arms and ammunition, including AK 47 guns, 120 rounds of AK 47, four magazines, three pistols, 16 hand grenades, five detonators and four kilograms of RDX, were also recovered from them.

All the three terrorists- Mohammand Yousuf Jamir Kashmiri, Mohammand Rashid and Mohammand Abid, who the police claims hailed from Multan in Pakistan, were produced before the media by Director General of Police (DGP) Vikram Singh.

Addressing reporters here, Singh said the arrested terrorists were planning to abduct a well-known personality who falls in the VVIP category. They planned to use the VVIP as ransom for securing the release of 42 militants lodged in Indian jails.

Though Singh refused to divulge the name of the VVIP whom the terrorist was planning to target, it is widely speculated that the personality could be Congress MP from Amethi and son of Congress President, Rahul Gandhi.

"His (VVIP's) kidnapping was aimed at putting pressure on the national and international communities to give in to their demands by creating a situation of chaos and panic in the country," Singh told reporters.

"They (terrorists) wanted some negotiations to get them free. These arrested people wanted Yusuf Jameel (former correspondent with BBC) and Altaf Hussain to get involved in the negotiation process,'' he added.

Earlier in the day, the Special Task Force of the UP police intercepted a Santro car at around 5 o'clock in the morning on the Delhi-Lucknow road, carrying three terrorists after acting on intelligence input. On being intercepted, the militants started firing at police.

The ensuing crossfire led to the arrest of the JeM militants.

"We have found some identity cards, which indicate that these terrorists are Kashmiris but we feel the ID cards are forged," said SSP Amitabh Yash of Special Task Force.

Interrogations are on to find more details of such sleeper-terror cells active in the country. (ANI)
--MP

Lucknow, Nov 16 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Police arrested three suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad militants, and seized a large cache of arms and ammunition here today.

Acting on intelligence reports, a police team intercepted the vehicle in which the suspected militants were travelling and arrested them following an encounter.

Special Task Force SSP Amitabh Yash said that the interrogations would be carried out to establish their identities.

"We have found some identity cards, which indicate that these terrorists are Kashmiris but we feel the ID cards are forged," said Yash.

The police also recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition that included AK 47 guns, 120 rounds of AK 47, four magazines, three pistols, 16 hand grenades, five detonators and four kilograms of explosives. (ANI)
- AY

Varanasi, Nov.15 (ANI): People in Varanasi were made aware about water pollution affecting the holy River Ganges on Wednesday, as the holy city marked "Nag Nathaiya", the over 400 years old festival here. 

Apart from the religious aspects, the prime purpose of performing "Nag Nathaiya" was to highlight the rising pollution in River Ganges. 

It is said that that many decades ago, the organisers of "Krishna Leela" and "Nag Nathaiya" festival had a sort of premonition about the deterioration which the River Ganga may have to endure.

According to Prof. Kaushal Kishore Mishra of Benaras Hindu University (BHU) said that the Nag Nathaiya festival has been spreading awareness about the problem which they might face due to contamination, if not checked on time. 

"The condition of Ganges is deteriorating day by day. This "Nag Nathaiya" based on Krishna Leela is basically meant for this purpose in contemporary scenario, said Prof. Kaushal Kishore Mishra.

Enactment of "Nag Nathaiya"--depicting the taming of the dark and venomous cobra with several hoods by Lord Krishna--was the event's hallmark.

Legend has it that Lord Krishna accidentally threw a ball in the River Ganges while playing with his friends. To retrieve the ball, he dived into the river and fought with "Kala", the dark cobra that had created havoc in the neighbourhood.

Krishna ultimately defeated the ferocious cobra and danced on its hoods denoting his superiority over the serpent. The entire episode has since then been named as "Nag Nathaiya" and marked as a festival by devotees. 

Thousands of devotees led by the priests performed rituals and witnessed the enactment of "Nag Nathaiya". The common belief is that devotees' wishes are fulfilled on this particular day and hence the mass participation of public.

"Since childhood, I am visiting this festival. I have seen wishes of people coming true here. And since then my faith has further deepened," said Ashok Pandey, a devotee. (ANI)
--MP

Lucknow, Nov 15 (ANI): The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court will continue its hearing of a petition filed by Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan in connection with a land dispute case today.

A single bench of the court, headed by Justice A N Verma, on Wednesday heard arguments of UP Government lawyer D K Upadhyay. As the arguments remained inconclusive, the court fixed November 15 for a further hearing of the case.

Bachchan's writ petition has challenged the Faizabad Commissioner's order quashing the allotment of agricultural land at Daulatpur village in Uttar Pradesh's Barabanki District to him.

Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh Government had stated that Bachchan had allegedly committed another fraud by claiming that he was a resident of 17, Clive Road, Allahabad, while filing his application for allotment of farmland in Barabanki District.

Upadhya alleged that Bachchan's father, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, lived at the said residence till 1958 after which the house was sold.

The previous Mulayam Singh Yadav Government had allotted about 70,000 sq ft of prime land at Daulatpur village to Bachchan.

The actor had managed to have documents issued in his name, which identified him as a farmer and on the basis of these, he got a 24-acre plot of agricultural land at Lonavla, Pune in the mid-1990s.

However, the Faizabad Additional Commissioner, who had judicial powers in land disputes, ruled that the 1993 Barabanki land transfer in his name was illegal. (ANI)
 - AY

Lucknow, Nov 12 (ANI):  Rahul Gandhi has been to Lucknow several times earlier, but he never attracted such attention as he received today, since it was for the first time that the Congress MP from Amethi attended the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee meeting after becoming the general secretary of his party in September.

With his role being to initiate corrective steps for the revival of the Congress party in the State, Rahul today said that the big issue for the party in the State is that it has not been able to attract youth.

Rahul, who is seen as the youth icon for the party, today focussed on basic administration and management of the party affairs, and also admitted that there are basic flaws in the State unit of the party .
              
"If you ask me, what kind (of flaws), then first of all, the very basic problem of record keeping, giving entry and ticket to the members. Another thing that I can see is that the party is not able to attract the youth - that is a big issue," Rahul said in a press conference after attending his first meeting at the Congress office here.

According to senior party members, the main aim behind Rahul''s visit is to prepare the party for the next general elections.

"I am sure his presence will infuse new life in the party and the masses will realise that the Congress is all set to strengthen its base in the State," said Akhilesh Singh, spokesperson, Uttar Pradesh Congress Coordination Committee.

Senior leaders including Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi and All India Congress Committee general secretary and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Digvijay Singh, who is also in-charge of party affairs in the State, attended the meeting today.

Rahul, who is a member of the 32-member Coordination Committee (10 members were inducted later), is expected to meet 16 political delegations during his daylong stay in the state capital. (ANI) --MP

Mathura/Allahabad (UP), Nov 11 (ANI): Hindus in North India on Sunday celebrated "Bhai Dooj", a festival in which sisters pray for long life of their brothers.
 
Devotees took a dip in Yamuna on the banks of the holy river in Mathura.
 
After taking bath in the holy river, sisters applied vermilion on their brothers' foreheads, wishing them long life.
 
In return, brothers gave gifts to their sisters as a token of their love.
 
"It is said that a woman can even save her dying brother's life today by taking bath in the Yamuna River and then applying vermilion on his forehead," said Dhanwanti Devi, who came to the city along with her brother from Bihar.
 
Bhole Shankar Chaturvedi, a priest, said, "Today brothers and sisters take holy dip in the River Yamuna. Women apply vermilion on the forehead of their brothers and the brothers give some gift to their sister."
 
In other parts of the country too women prayed for their brothers' long life.
 
"Bhai Dooj" symbolises strong family ties that scriptures advocate for Hindu families, and also celebrates the bond and affection between sisters and brothers.
 
The festival falls on the second day after Diwali, the festival of lights, which was celebrated on Friday.
 
It is believed that when Lord Ram returned to his kingdom after defeating the demon king Ravana, women folk greeted him and his soldiers by applying vermilion on their foreheads. (ANI) --MP

Lucknow, Nov 11 (ANI): The first batch of Haj pilgrims left by special
flights for Jeddah in Saudi Arabia here today.

Chairman of Uttar Pradesh Haj Committee, Naseemuddin Siddiqui and
several other ministers reached Amausi airport in Lucknow to see-off
the pilgrims this morning, officials said.

All the pilgrims, who had arrived at the Haj house here on Saturday,
boarded the special Air India flight, officials added.

Special arrangements have been made for the stay of pilgrims,
including a control room has been set up for information about
flights, at the Haj House.

Simultaneously, pilgrims from Srinagar and Patna also left for the
Muslim's holy place.

Haj is one of the five tenants of Islam and the Holy Quran directs the
faithful to undertake it at least once in a lifetime.

"I pray to the Almighty that all Kashmiris get to go to Haj at least
once in their lifetime. May God fulfil all their wishes and peace be
restored in the Valley," said Sayed Farhat, a pilgrim in Kashmir.

Every year more than 70,000 pilgrims from India visit the Muslim's
holy place. Over two million pilgrims undertake the journey each year
from all over the world.

The Haj involves weeklong celebrations and takes place nearly 70 days
after the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

About 110,000 pilgrims will be covered under the government subsidy
scheme during the Haj operations this year.

The total cost of operation for Haj 2007 is estimated to be around Rs.
519 crores (Rs. 5.19 billion). (ANI) --MP

Lucknow, Nov.9 (ANI): A sweetmeat shop in Lucknow has come up with a novel idea to boost the sale of sweets on Diwali.

Radhey Lal Sweets in Aliganj area of Lucknow has announced that it will offer free gifts ranging from motorbikes to DVD players, refrigerators to microwave ovenss on purchase of a particular quantity of sweets. 

"After observing that most of the gift schemes were available with high-priced goods in the market, I thought how about replacing them  with comparatively low priced sweets. So, we devised this idea. It is working really well, as the sales of my shop have definitely risen," said Mukesh Gupta, the owner of Radhey Lal Sweets.

The special gift scheme is linked to most of the sweet varieties available at the shop. The offered gifts depend on the quantity and variety of sweets taken.

You can get a motorcycle after purchasing 551 kilograms of sweets, a microwave oven with 151 kilograms of sweets and a DVD player on purchase of 51 kilograms of sweets. For others, on a purchase of 25 kilograms of sweets, one can enjoy three kilograms of expensive and delicious Kaaju-Burfi made of cashewnuts!

"The scheme is fantastic and innovative in true sense. We saw the advertisement in the newspapers, which just brought us here. We, anyway, would be buying sweets since it's a festive season. But when great deals are offered here along with a quality and variety, we would certainly look forward to come again." said Vijay Gujrati, one of the customers.    

Diwali, the festival of lights, is an occasion when people distribute sweets or other gifts to their loved ones and friends. (ANI)
- AY

Lucknow, Nov 9 (ANI): Authorities at a zoo in Uttar Pradesh have given a new meaning to Diwali by celebrating the occasion with a grand feast for the birds and animals of the zoo. A special menu has been prepared as per the tastes and preference of all animals at the zoo. Elephants will be served with sugarcane and jaggery, the bears will feast on honey with rice pudding, the monkeys will enjoy peanuts and eggs whereas the chimpanzees will savour the fruit salad. To create a festive ambience, the zoo walls and enclosures have been spruced up and re-painted. "We have painted all the enclosures in the zoo for Diwali. And just like on Diwali we like to eat something special, we decided to give something special to the animals as well. So, we have changed the menu for some animals on Diwali," said Renu Singh, Director, Lucknow Zoo. (ANI) -AJ

Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), Nov 9 (ANI): Thousands of foreign devotees of Lord Krishna are in Mathura for the month-long ritual of the circumambulation of Govardhan Parvat, the revered hill.
According to Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan hill in Mathura for seven days, and saved people from the devastating rains started by a furious Lord Indra, the Rain God.
Pilgrims chant hymns and sing devotional songs in praise of Lord Krishna, as they begin the ritual of circumambulation of the hill.
"Lord Krishna is very special because many stories are told about him like lifting "Govardhan Parvat". This shows the affection of Lord Krishna's disciples for Him. It's easy to love god if you know who he is," said Krishna Priyadasi, a devotee from Canada.
Organisers of the pilgrimage are happy at the arrival of foreigners in such a large number. "The number of foreign tourists is over two thousand. This is good for the upliftment and glorification of the culture of Braj (culturally, the region around Mathura considered to be the land of Krishna)," said Bhakti Vedant Tirth Maharaj, a seer. Govardhan hill is worshiped by pilgrims, as Krishna's natural form. Devotees take up a 168-mile pilgrimage popularly known as "Chaurasi Kos Ki Parikarma" that circles the region.

These devotees from different parts of the world will visit different shrines and places believed to have been linked to different incidents in Lord Krishna's life along the route.The pilgrimage will last for one-and-a-half-month. Mathura town, believed to be the birth place of Lord Krishna has many temples devoted to the deity, who is considered a Ishta Dev (the chosen deity for the qualities one most wants to emulate) by many. (ANI) -AJ

Chambal (Uttar Pradesh), Nov.8 (ANI): Many Hindu residents of the Muraina area of Madhya Pradesh are influenced by the endeavours of a Muslim official employed with Archaeological Survery of India. His personal initiative has protected many temples.

K.K. Mohammad, a senior official of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in Madhya Pradesh, had recently approached the chief of the Hindu organisation, Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), seeking help to protect ancient Hindu temples from the local mining mafia.
 
In a letter to the RSS chief K.S.Sudarshan, attention was drawn to the dilapidated state of several ancient Hindu temples and Buddhist monuments, including world famous 3rd century Sanchi Stupa.
 
He also sought help from RSS for restoration work. 
 
Built by great emperor Ashoka, the Stupa is a large hemispherical dome having a central chamber in which relics of Lord Buddha are placed.
 
Mohammad pointed out in his letter how the temples and monuments had developed cracks and some had already broken because of the dynamite blasts used in the past for pilfering stones and later using them to decorate houses.
 
"Many decades ago, at these temples there were some people who dealt in stones and used dynamites to take out big stones. Due to usage of the dynamite, the temples have developed cracks and some are already in shambles. Noticing all this, I contacted higher officials and also political leaders which has now stopped the problem," said K. K. Mohammad. 
 
"This vandalism would not have ceased but for the help extended by RSS Chief K. C. Sudarshan," Mohammad added. 
 
Local Hindu families are touched with the deep concern shown by a Muslim official to save the temples and cultural heritage of India.
 
"It is really great to learn that a Muslim is working for the temples and it does show the love of the people of other religions," said Gautam, a local.
 
Abdul Gani Khan, another local resident and a Muslim opined that it is a good sign that people are concerned about relics of other faiths.
 
"Whatever be the religion, one must always show respect to other religions, be it a scripture, a monument or an event. Mohammad's initiative really is a good sign," said Abdul Gani Khan, a local resident.  
 
K.K. Mohammad is deputed in Bhopal for three years and has so far worked for 286 old and ancient temples.
 
The other important monuments in and around Sanchi are one of the seven existing Ashoka Pillars with four lions (back to back), in fact the nation's pride being the national emblem of India.
 
Emperor Ashoka married Devi, the daughter of a nobleman from the area of Sanchi, and later built the Stupa and also placed one of his pillars and the lion symbol there. (ANI) --MP

AA: Agra, Nov 8 (ANI): The unrestricted dumping of chemical and industrial waste in the River Yamuna in Agra has caused the death of thousands of fish.

Deepak Khare, the area councillor blamed the Delhi Government for its inability to preview the dumping of chemical waste in the river.

The lack of oxygen and the presence of an oily slick in the water is believed to be have caused the death of the fish.

Local officials, however, said the water is safe for human consumption, as proper purification measures have been taken.

"We are supplying the water which is purified by the chemicals and purifiers. There is no problem in that water and it can be used," said the mayor of Agra.

In recent years, the river has turned grossly polluted due to various factors responsible for affecting human health and bio-diversity of the eco-system. It is considered as one of the most polluted rivers in the world, especially around New Delhi which is believed to dump about 57 per cent of its waste into the river.

One such cause of pollution in the River Yamuna has been the regular discharge of unchecked domestic wastewater and other forms of wastes coming from the towns, located along the Yamuna riverbanks. 

Certain measures of cleaning the river have been undertaken by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) under the Centre in 12 towns of Haryana, eight towns of Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi under an action plan (Yamuna Action Plan-YAP) to arrest river pollution.

Since 1993, the action plan is being implemented by the National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

Although the Government of India has spent nearly 500 million dollars to clean up the river, it continues to be polluted with garbage while most sewage treatment facilities are underfunded or malfunctioning. (ANI)

Lucknow, Nov 8 (ANI): Animals too will celebrate 'Diwali' in a zoo in Lucknow as they will be entertained to a special feast by the zoo authorities on the occasion of the festival of lights.

The zoo workers are busy preparing special food for the various animals. Even, the menu has been prepared keeping in mind the likings of the animals.

Elephants will be served with sugarcane and jaggery, bears will feast on honey with rice pudding, monkeys will enjoy peanuts and eggs while chimpanzees will have the tasty fruit salad.

Other animals will also be served with their favourite dishes.

And to have a festive ambience, the zoo walls and enclosures have been spruced up and re-painted.

"We are painting all the enclosures in the zoo. And as in Diwali, we like to eat something special. So, we also want to give something special to the animals as well. So we have changed the menu for some animals," said Renu Singh, Director, Lucknow Zoo.

Animals may not be aware of the special treat, but zookeepers are keen to meet the November 9 deadline.

The day commemorates the homecoming of Lord Ram after a 14-year exile in forest. The people of Ayodhya welcomed him back by lighting up rows of lamps.

The festival, which signifies victory of good over evil, comes exactly twenty days after Dussehra.

There are several beliefs regarding the origin of festival. Hindus celebrate Diwali to mark the time when Lord Ram achieved victory over Ravana. Some also view it as the day when Krishna defeated the demon Narakasura or in honour of the day Bali went to rule the nether-world,
obeying the order of Vishnu.

In Jainism, it marks the nirvana of Lord Mahavira, which occurred on October 15, 527 B.C. (ANI)

Labels: Tourism

Hardoi (Uttar Pradesh), Nov.8 (ANI): A man in Hardoi District of Uttar Pradesh has turned a big headache for local farmers due to his peculiar habit of chomping away raw vegetables from their fields.

Thirty two-year-old Nazim Beig eats 10 to 20 kilograms of raw vegetables a day. Be it brinjal, spinach Tinda (Indian round gourd), lady finger, cauliflower, tomatoes, or even sugarcane. So much so he doesn't remember when he had his staple diet the last time.

Once hungry, he enters the nearby fields at night and steals plenty of vegetables or crops escaping the keepers' eyes. 

"I eat a lot of vegetables and enter the fields to eat them even if it is uncooked. At times when I fail to find any of them around, I steal them and eat," says Nazim.

Eating raw vegetables has become a sort of addiction for him. He claims to have an irresistible temptation for raw vegetables since his childhood.

Nazim's habit proves costly for the local farmers. They complain of having a tough time while chasing him out of their fields. They have to stay on vigil to prevent him sneaking into their fields.

"He enters my field to eat sugarcane. Therefore, I have been looking after my fields. He is really irritating with his peculiar habits. But we do not say much to him since he is a poor man," said Anwar Ali, a local farmer.

"We do not complain even to the police considering that he fills his stomach only through such means. We do want to help him but there are other fields as well and he could even go there," Ali added. (ANI)
- AY

Agra, Nov.8 (ANI): A huge demand for popular Agra's Petha or, the sweet ashgourd made of white pumpkin, has brought a big cheer on local traders' face here. Enjoying a brisk sale, the Petha shopkeepers are a delighted lot this Diwali. 

During Diwali the demand of Petha shoots up considerably but this year, according many shopkeepers, the fascination for Petha has surged manifold.

"Earlier, Petha was considered a humble sweet that was lapped by the middle-class people. Today, everyone including affluent people like to buy Petha in bulk, as it is a natural sweet. It is easily digested. Indeed, every year the demand for Petha is increasing as it is pure and tasty," said Rajesh Aggarwal, a Petha sweet shop owner.

Known world over for the Taj Mahal, Agra is also popular for its mouth-watering Petha that has over 50 varieties that include, Angoori Petha (sweet ashgourd), Cube Petha (sweet ashgourd), Mango Petha and others.

In Agra, costs of Petha range between rupees 44 to 250 per kilogram whereas, in any metropolitan cities, other sweets like Badam Lauje Burfi may cost as much as Rs.1,440 per kg and the ordinary Khoya Mix Burfi may cost Rs.180 per kg.

Petha also attracts customers because of its medicinal qualities. It is often used as a food supplement during convalescence. 

Though Petha is prepared in almost all cities or towns of India, Agra Petha has its own place in sweets lovers' heart across the country.

"Agra's Petha is very famous. It is made of natural and fresh white pumpkins. It is available in various tastes like Angoori Petha, Kesri Petha and others. It has a longer shelf life and hence it makes an ideal gift to be presented to friends and relatives at festivals. In fact, Petha is liked equally in foreign countries too," said Sudhakar Tiwari, a customer.

"Agra's Petha is the best Petha I have ever eaten. It is so tender, juicy and spongy. Its quality is unique. I also get Petha in Delhi but the Petha one gets to eat here is unmatchable in taste and freshness," said Gurpal Kalara, a customer.

In Agra, Petha is manually prepared in a traditional way.

To prepare Petha, the pieces of a peeled seedless pumpkin are pricked well with a fork, all over and are soaked in a mixture of lemon juice and water for two hours. Once the pieces absorb the limejuice water, they are washed and soaked once again in a lot of lime again for at least two hours.

Next, the pieces are washed thoroughly, squeezed and boiled until they look almost transparent. Finally, the boiled pumpkin pieces are soaked in sugar syrup, water, lemon juice and cardamoms until the concoction gains a single thread consistency.

Besides, thousands of men and women are eking a livelihood by preparing Petha.
In Agra, the Petha business is estimated to be worth crores of rupees. (ANI)
- AY

Hardoi (Uttar Pradesh), Nov.7 (ANI): A man in Hardoi District of Uttar Pradesh has turned a big headache for local farmers due to his peculiar habit of chomping away raw vegetables from their fields.

Thirty two-year-old Nazim Beig eats 10 to 20 kilograms of raw vegetables a day. Be it brinjal, spinach Tinda (Indian round gourd), lady finger, cauliflower, tomatoes, or even sugarcane. So much so he doesn't remember when he had his staple diet the last time.

Once hungry, he enters the nearby fields at night and steals plenty of vegetables or crops escaping the keepers' eyes. 

"I eat a lot of vegetables and enter the fields to eat them even if it is uncooked. At times when I fail to find any of them around, I steal them and eat," says Nazim.

Eating raw vegetables has become a sort of addiction for him. He claims to have an irresistible temptation for raw vegetables since his childhood.

Nazim's habit proves costly for the local farmers. They complain of having a tough time while chasing him out of their fields. They have to stay on vigil to prevent him sneaking into their fields.

"He enters my field to eat sugarcane. Therefore, I have been looking after my fields. He is really irritating with his peculiar habits. But we do not say much to him since he is a poor man," said Anwar Ali, a local farmer.

"We do not complain even to the police considering that he fills his stomach only through such means. We do want to help him but there are other fields as well and he could even go there," Ali added. (ANI) --MP

Agra, Nov.7 (ANI): A huge demand for popular Agra's Petha or, the sweet ashgourd made of white pumpkin, has brought a big cheer on local traders' face here. Enjoying a brisk sale, the Petha shopkeepers are a delighted lot this Diwali. 

During Diwali the demand of Petha shoots up considerably but this year, according many shopkeepers, the fascination for Petha has surged manifold.

"Earlier, Petha was considered a humble sweet that was lapped by the middle-class people.

Today, everyone including affluent people like to buy Petha in bulk, as it is a natural sweet.

It is easily digested. Indeed, every year the demand for Petha is increasing as it is pure and tasty," said Rajesh Aggarwal, a Petha sweet shop owner.

Known world over for the Taj Mahal, Agra is also popular for its mouth-watering Petha that has over 50 varieties that include, Angoori Petha (sweet ashgourd), Cube Petha (sweet ashgourd), Mango Petha and others.

In Agra, costs of Petha range between rupees 44 to 250 per kilogram whereas, in any metropolitan cities, other sweets like Badam Lauje Burfi may cost as much as Rs.1,440 per kg and the ordinary Khoya Mix Burfi may cost Rs.180 per kg.

Petha also attracts customers because of its medicinal qualities. It is often used as a food supplement during convalescence. 

Though Petha is prepared in almost all cities or towns of India, Agra Petha has its own place in sweets lovers' heart across the country.

"Agra's Petha is very famous. It is made of natural and fresh white pumpkins. It is available in various tastes like Angoori Petha, Kesri Petha and others. It has a longer shelf life and hence it makes an ideal gift to be presented to friends and relatives at festivals. In fact, Petha is liked equally in foreign countries too," said Sudhakar Tiwari, a customer.

"Agra's Petha is the best Petha I have ever eaten. It is so tender, juicy and spongy. Its quality is unique. I also get Petha in Delhi but the Petha one gets to eat here is unmatchable in taste and freshness," said Gurpal Kalara, a customer.

 In Agra, Petha is manually prepared in a traditional way.

To prepare Petha, the pieces of a peeled seedless pumpkin are pricked well with a fork, all over and are soaked in a mixture of lemon juice and water for two hours. Once the pieces absorb the limejuice water, they are washed and soaked once again in a lot of lime again for at least two hours.

Next, the pieces are washed thoroughly, squeezed and boiled until they look almost transparent. Finally, the boiled pumpkin pieces are soaked in sugar syrup, water, lemon juice and cardamoms until the concoction gains a single thread consistency.

Besides, thousands of men and women are eking a livelihood by preparing Petha.

In Agra, the Petha business is estimated to be worth crores of rupees. (ANI) --MP

Lucknow, Nov 6 (ANI): Anand Sen Yadav, the Uttar Pradesh Minister of
State with independent charge, on Tuesday resigned after his name was
linked with kidnapping of a girl.

Chief Minister Mayawati asked Sen to put in his papers following the
levelling of allegations against him by the girl's family members.

Sen has several criminal cases against him.

The issue had rocked the State Assembly. The Leader of the Opposition
and former Chief Minister, Mulayam Singh Yadav, alleged the girl was
pregnant and demanded a high-level inquiry.

The girl is missing since October 22.

The girl's family members feel that she might have been killed by now
after she was kidnapped from Faizabad.

The State Government has reportedly ordered a CBI probe into the matter. (ANI)

AA: Meerut (UP), Nov 6 (ANI): A policeman was killed and at least six others were injured while trying to save two bridegrooms from the village mob angered by dowry demand in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut district in the wee hours of Monday.

 

The grooms - brothers Latafat and Gafoor - and their wedding party were beaten up and humiliated after they reportedly demanded dowry from the brides' families.

 

The members of the grooms' marriage party were taken hostage. The angry villagers beat up Latafat and Gafoor and smeared their faces with black ink.

 

Members of the wedding party called the police to rescue them.

 

A police spokesperson said when their team went to the village to try to pacify the villagers, they were attacked with stones and bricks.

 

"Late night at about 2.30 a.m. some miscreants pelted stones and because of which six policemen are seriously injured," said Jyoti Narayan, Senior Superintendent of Police, Meerut.

 

Brothers Latafat and Gafoor had gone to the brides' place with a wedding party of about 80 members to marry the two sisters.

 

The families of grooms and brides began quarrelling after the ceremony, with the brides' family alleging that the grooms had demanded dowry payments.

 

"My two sisters were getting married. They (grooms) asked for a motorcycle for each of them. And, we did provide them with that. In total, we had decided on one lakh rupees, which included a motorcycle. The motorcycle we gave, it cost us 80,000 rupees and there was 26,000 rupees in cash. After which they expected us to give a car to each of the grooms and this was the cause of our disagreement and the issue later became more serious," said Mohammad Bilal, brother of the brides.

 

The grooms were slapped on their faces till their cheeks bled. They were humiliated and made to hold their ears and squat on the ground, a traditional punishment for children in schools.

 

Dowry payments have been illegal in India for more than 40 years. However, the practice of demanding and giving dowry during weddings continues. (ANI)

MP: Many of the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) officials are under scanner as criminal cases has been filed against them for alleged irregularities in allotment of plots and making payments using fake documents. As many as over 20 officials have been send notice for wrongly allotting residential plots and have been booked for "embezzlement of government funds, making false entries in government records, fraud and criminal conspiracy besides certain provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act". Earlier Supreme Court has issued notice to many including former UP chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, and Amar Singh for illegal allotment of plots to politicians and the bureaucrats.

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MP: The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Akhand Pratap Singh who
was allegedly involved with corruption case was granted bail on Monday
by the Delhi High Court. Earlier he was remanded to 14 days judicial
custody on Oct 25th. Singh was arrested on September 25 and was
alleged to have acquired disproportionate assets. Dismissing CBI's
plea to reject his bail the court said: "Nothing is on record which
shows that he tried to tamper with evidence after the lower court`s
order." The judge also added that "If evidence is tampered with after
his release on bail, the petitioner (CBI) will be at liberty to
approach the trial court for cancellation of bail."

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MP: The Uttar Pradesh Government under Maayawati has introduced the Uttar Pradesh Control of Organised Crime Act (UPCOCA) to keep check on organised crimes in the State. The bill was passed in the State Assembly and includes provision for punishments on offences including terrorist activities, kidnapping for ransom, trying to obtain government tenders by force, contract killings, occupying vacant government and private land through forged documents, spurious drugs, indulging in money laundering and human trafficking. The bill also allows the state government to form special courts in consultation with the high court for trying offence.

Labels: Politics

MP: Bollywood's star couple Abhishek Bachchan and wife Aishwarya Rai were at Agra on Tuesday as a part of a shooting programme for a TV comercial at the world renowned monument, Taj Mahal. Actor Abhishek was accompanied by his wife and mother Jaya Bachchan along with Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh. The actor was at the city for shooting for a cell phone advertisement while the rest of the group are said to have visited the Saleem Chisti Dargah in the Fathepur Sikri.

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