Narendra Modi slams PM, calls Cong a sinking ship

Chief minister Narendra Modi came to Rajkot on Sunday, what is essentially his bête noire Keshubhai Patel’s home turf, but chose to make no mention of the dissidents.

RAJKOT: Chief minister Narendra Modi came to Rajkot on Sunday, what is essentially his bete noire Keshubhai Patel's home turf, but chose to make no mention of the dissidents. Even as Sanjay Joshi's supporters were shouting slogans against him outside the venue of the Gujarat BJP's two-day executive meeting, he took aim at the UPA in Delhi.

"Congress has little chance of survival," he told the party in Hindi on the concluding day of the two-day meet. "This government has disappointed the people of the country with a series of scams and failure to check corruption and price rise." Modi described the Congress as a sinking ship and exuded confidence that it would be completely wiped out in the state assembly elections.

"We have a bright chance of winning with a thumping majority as compared to earlier polls," he added. Hitting out at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Modi said, "Every time he (PM) assures the country that inflation would come down, it only increases. If you cannot bring prices down, at least bring them to the level where our Atal Behari Vajpayee left them."

He even hit out at the UPA for its failing to arrest the fall of rupee and blamed rampant corruption for its depreciation.

MODI 'UNMASKED'

People wearing Sanjay Joshi's masks appeared outside the venue of the state BJP executive meeting in Rajkot on Sunday as supporters of the ousted leader took a leaf out of chief minister Narendra Modi's book of poll strategy. They distributed pamphlets scoffing at Modi's prime ministerial ambitions. "I am an RSS member. I do not sell gauchar land. I do not do genocide for power. I do not compromise with my ideology to become prime minister. I do not change my colour for power," read the pamphlets. Joshi's supporters shouted slogans like "Sanjay Joshi tum aage badho, hum tumhare sath hain" and "kaho dilse, Sanjay Joshi phirse." The masks read, 'I am Sanjay Joshi' while protesting barely 200 metres from the venue of the BJP meet.

Collegian falls from tower on Pedder Road. Suicide, say cops

MUMBAI: A 20-year-old college student attending a party at his friend's 19th floor apartment in Woodlands building at Pedder Road 'fell' to his death early Sunday morning. Police suspect it was a case of suicide.

Shocked residents woke up to see a group of boys bundling a blood-splattered body into an ambulance. Police identified the youth as Dhwaneel Shroff, son of a wellknown share broker,Kamlesh Shroff. The Shroffs, including Dhwanweel's younger sister, reside at Shivtirth apartment on Warden Road, just half a kilometre away from where he fell to his death.
Doctors at Breach Candy hospital declared Dhwaneel dead on arrival. The preliminary post-mortem report said death was due to multiple fractures and injuries. The family refused to talk to the media.
The Gamdevi police has registered an accidental death report (ADR) but their initial investigations suggest that Dhwaneel jumped to death. Police are questioning Dhwaneel's ex-girlfriend to find out what could have gone wrong.
Dhwaneel was a first year student of Jai Hind College pursuing a masters in business finance. "On Saturday, some of his school friends decided to meet up at his friend Janvi Goel's flat. The senior Goels were away on a pilgrimage to Mathura. The friends were watching a football match on TV,'' said inspector Sudhir Bekanalkar of Gamdevi police station.
Police said the party started around 11.30pm. There were 11 persons-7 boys and four girls including Dhwaneel's former girlfriend, with whom he had split a year ago. Around 2am, Dhwaneel and the girl (name withheld) spoke about their relationship. "Dhwaneel asked her whether she was seeing somebody else and the girl replied in the negative. Dhwaneel than asked her whether their friendship was still on. "Nobody knows what happened after that. Dhwaneel opened the kitchen door and went inside. While some of the friends had left, a few were playing a card game in the hall. It was around 4.15am when Dhwaneel's friend Dhanraj Krishnainquired about him,'' said a police officer.
They entered the kitchen and found the window open. When they did not find Dhwaneel, they looked down from the window, but could not find anything. They then rushed down only to see him lying in a pool of blood. "The utensils kept on the parapet of the window were not touched. We are surprised how he jumped without moving the utensils,'' said an officer.
The Gamdevi police questioned all the 10 friends who were with the deceased. They said that Dhwaneel's behaviour had changed in the past year since he broke up with his girl friend.
His parents requested the police to carry out the panchnama and post mortem in camera and in the presence of a private doctor. Late on Sunday evening, the police handed over Dhwaneel's body to his family. He was cremated at the Marine Lines crematorium soon after.

Girl confronts robber, loses a leg

Fortitude in tragedy: Bhavika

MUMBAI: For nearly half an hour, Bhavika Mehta sat with her severed leg on the railway tracks near Ambala station waiting for her family to find her, after a thief dragged her out of a running train. A Bhiwandi resident, Bhavika (24) had been on a holiday with her parents and extended family when the horrific incident took place last week. On Saturday, she was admitted to the ICCU of the Raj Hospital at Mulund and is awaiting a surgery.

"She hasn't shed a tear since the incident," her sister, Khyati, told TOI. Bhavika hails from a middle-class family and takes tuitions at home; her father is a businessman. The sisters had gone on a vacation to Kashmir with a group of 20 relatives last month. For their return journey, they had booked tickets on the Golden Mail from Amritsar station for June 5. "We were all booked into different coaches. Bhavika and five other relatives got into a non-AC sleeper coach and soon went off to sleep. Around 1.30 am, Bhavika woke up with a start on realizing that a stranger had snatched her purse. The thief had entered through the door to the coach which the passengers had fastened before going to sleep," said a relative, Bhavesh Sanghani.

Bhavika's seat was close to the door. She got down from the middle berth and followed the thief. But when she confronted him, he pushed her away. "While getting off the train, the thief grabbed Bhavika's hand for support, dragging her out in the process. The train was slowing down as Ambala station was approaching and Bhavika's left leg was crushed under a series of coaches. Hearing her scream for help, her father, Kiran, rushed outside. He jumped off the train to her rescue, fracturing his leg," Bhavesh said. Later, Bhavika's brother too stepped off the running train and suffered bruises.

By then, most of Bhavika's relatives were awake. They pulled the alarm chain and some of them set out to look for the girl. At Ambala station, the cops were alerted about the incident by other passengers. "After walking backwards on the tracks for nearly 3 kms, we found Bhavika sitting near her severed leg. She was dazed," another relative said. She was referred to the PGI at Chandigarh in a critical condition and was treated for three to four days.

"The railways haven't offered us any aid yet and their staff wasn't very co-operative with us either. We spent Rs 1 lakh from our own pocket on arranging for an ambulance to bring Bhavika and my father to Mumbai. Bhavika will undergo a surgery for shaping her left leg which was amputated. My father will undergo an operation on Monday for his injuries," Khyati said. The family registered a complaint with the railway police at Ambala. No arrests have been made.

Bhavika told mediapersons that she expects the railways to compensate her for her loss. "My handbag did not contain many valuables, just a handycam, some cash and some important papers," she said.

TV actress Rucha Gujrati faces domestic violence

Rucha Gujarathi

In April this year, TOI had reported trouble inTV actress Rucha Gujarathi's marriage. It can now be confirmed that her marriage to businessman Mitul Sanghavi has hit choppy waters. A source close to the actress claims she's been a victim of physical and mental abuse at the hands of her husband and in-laws.

Says the source, "Problems cropped up soon after Rucha tied the knot on October 24, 2010 with Mitul, who is from a very affluent family. Mitul is completely under his parents' hold and shares everything with them, including the couple's bedroom conversations. The torture began on their honeymoon. Mitul woke Rucha up at 6 am and asked her why she didn't share the honeymoon expenses with him. He grabbed her by the hands and flung her onto the bed. She was shocked! No sooner had they returned that his parents started meddling in their affairs too. She was asked by her husband to follow whatever her father-in-law asked her to do."

The source adds that they also started imposing a lot of restrictions on her and looked down on her profession. However, she was given a completely different picture before marriage, where her in-laws seemed happy with her career choice. "At one point, they took away her set of house keys and warned that they'd never allow her in if she stepped out. They even deprived her of meals and asked her to foot the bills for her expenses and fend for herself. Rucha has been bearing her own expenses for the past two years. She isn't working currently, which has already made a dent in her savings. Her financial condition isn't very good."

Two days ago, matters came to a head when Rucha decided to meet Mitul to sort out the matter and start afresh, and her husband misbehaved with her and her father. "He refused to open the door for her, and that's when her father landed up at his house. An infuriated Mitul opened the door, grabbed her father by the collar and started hitting him. He then directed his anger at Rucha, pulled her by her hair and slapped her, leaving a deep cut on her lips."

Both Rucha and her mother-in-law called the police separately, but the cops called by her mother-in-law came first. "When Rucha pleaded with them to book her in-laws for mental and physical abuse, the cops instead apologised to her inlaws and left! She had kept quiet all this while hoping things would change. Now, she has called her sister to stay with her as she fears her in-laws will harm her. She doesn't mind giving the marriage a second chance, but her husband and in-laws need to treat her with respect," adds the friend.

When contacted, Rucha confirms that there's trouble in her marriage, "I would not like to divulge the details. All I can say is that I want justice."

'Bhagvad Gita' banyan tree dying in Haryana

JYOTISAR (Kurukshetra): The legendary banyan tree under which Lord Krishna is believed to have delivered his message of "Bhagvad Gita" to Arjuna is dying a slow death.
Considered to be more than 5,000 years old, this tree at Jyotisar near Kurukshetra in Haryana is reportedly the only remaining relic from the time of the Mahabharata. Now, a tussle between the two claimants over the holy place on a puerile issue has left the tree completely neglected putting it on the verge of extinction.
TOI found that the area surrounding the tree has been covered with marble pavement and it can't draw nutrients for its growth. Fancy lights and lamps are fitted with nails on the tree for lighting during night and big bells are tied all over it. The 'holy thread' tied by the visitors has covered most of the lower branches. Tying threads is considered to be wish-fulfilling. Sadly, chunks of branches were also chopped off recently by the caretakers without any expert advice.
The two stakeholders - Hindu Mission, a local religious body that has been taking care of the tree for years and the Kurukshetra Development Board (KDB) - are sparring over the ownership of the space where the tree is located.
Pandit Sukhpal, who is currently taking care of the disputed portion on behalf of Hindu Mission, said, "We have been looking after the holy tree and even constructed a marble pavement for its upkeep. Our gardener prunes it from time to time." Sukhpal added that there is no need of any scientific preservation of the tree because that would invite some 'problem' for this holy area, as the KDB would then levy fee on visit to this place.
When contacted, KDB curator Rajender Rana told TOI that for scientific assistance for maintenance of the tree, they had contacted officials at the Sunderbans in West Bengal, which has the largest forest cover of old trees in the world. He added that on receiving feedback from the Sunderbans, they had chalked out a plan for its preservation but the claim by some individuals over the area has prevented them from taking any concrete step.
A case between Hindu Mission and KDB is pending in the apex court, which has ordered to maintain status quo.
Agriculture scientist and plant pathologist of Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) Ludhiana, Dr Jagtar Dhiman said that any construction near such trees would restrain flow of nutrition required for its growth. He also added that as the roots of such trees expand in acres, it requires periodical treatment from pests and diseases. "Old branches of such trees are replaced by new if they are cut down scientifically," Dhiman pointed out.

India to add muscle to its cyber arsenal

NEW DELHI: India is set to take steps to protect its cyber infrastructure and designate agencies for carrying out offensive cyber attacks on other countries. The move comes at a time when proof shows countries launching cyber attacks — not only for intelligence gathering — and many nations describing the attacks as an act of war.

According to sources, the National Security Council (NSC) headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would soon approve the comprehensive plan and designate the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and National Technical Research Organization (NTRO) as agencies for carrying out offensive cyber operations, if necessary. All other intelligence agencies would be authorized to carry out intelligence gathering abroad, but not offensive operations, sources said.

The detailed policy for national cyber infrastructure protection is presently before the NSC awaiting its approval. The policy would identify all government agencies that would have a role in the protection of Indian cyber infrastructure and define their roles.

The move to not just define defensive mechanism but also designate agencies for offensive operations comes as New Delhi tackles repeated waves of cyber intrusions, though all of them are aimed at gathering information from critical networks. But the next stage, of an adversary carrying out offensive cyber attack, of bringing down a power grid, stalling air traffic control systems, or manipulating controls of a dam are now believed to be a real possibility.

Stuxnet, the cyber worm created by US's National Security Agency and Israeli military and specifically targeted at Iran's nuclear enrichment center at Natanz, was found to have infected Indian systems. "It was probably unintentional, but an intentional attack on India's critical infrastructure cannot be ruled out," says a senior official. "We haven't yet seen a cyber attack, but only intelligence gathering. An attack that can debilitate our infrastructure is what we must be prepared for," he said.

CERT-IN (Computer Emergency Response Team India) would be responsible for protection of most of the cyber space, while NTRO would be tasked to protect the critical infrastructure such as important government networks. NTRO would be tasked to create the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIPC), which would be a command-and-control centre for monitoring the critical infrastructure. It would be a round-the-clock centre, providing real time response to cyber security breaches.

The proposal before NSC also envisages creation of sectoral CERTs in order to respond quickly to protect power distribution networks, Air Traffic Controls, traffic networks and other areas that heavily dependent on networked systems, and thus are susceptible to attacks.

The policy suggests that the defence forces would be responsible for their own networks' protection.

NTRO and Intelligence Bureau (IB) would primarily be responsible for security of various government networks. While NTRO would operate through NCIPC, IB would be mainly looking at the physical security of networks. State polices, CBI, NIA etc would be tasked to do follow up action, if any intrusions are detected. 

Deepika’s link-ups don’t bother us, says sister

Anisha Padukone

If there were rumours that actress Deepika Padukone will launch her younger sister Anisha in films, then they were only rumours. Anisha says she is very focussed on what she loves best — golf.

Anisha ranks ninth in the country in the sport and is looking forward to a golf tournament in Bangalore next week. She says, "Right now I am preparing for the Bangalore tournament after which I will travel to Hyderabad for another one." She has her hands full with all things golf and isn't even looking in the direction of Bollywood. "You will not see me in films at all. I want to be a professional golfer. It will only be golf for me," she says firmly.

So, what prompted her to take up golf and not follow in her father's 'badminton' footsteps? "When I was a kid, I used to play many sports. But only golf caught my interest and from then on there was no looking back. I just like it more than any other sport," she says. And she is inspired by none other than Tiger Woods (controversies aside!). "He is such a great player. I hope to meet him soon sometime," she quips.

Anisha is close to her actor-sister and they make sure that Deepika's celebrity status doesn't interfere with their relationship. "We share a very simple bond. Even if she is not there with me, I know that when I will need her, she would always be there. I don't look at her as a film star. She is just a sister to me," she says. Has Deepika attended any of her tournaments recently? "She is very busy and I don't like to disturb her during her work. But, I know whenever she gets a chance, she will be present," she says.

In the film industry, every actor is linked with his or her co-star. What is Anisha's reaction to all the news about her sister's link-ups? She says in a matter-of-fact manner, "I think it comes automatically in the film industry. Linking one with the other is a part of this industry. It is unavoidable. We have got used to it. So, it doesn't bother us."

IIT-Delhi to go to Haryana, new campus in Sonipat

Responding to a letter from the IIT-D director, Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has announced that his government will provide 50 acres to the institute.

SONIPAT/NEW DELHI: IIT-Delhi will soon set up its extension campus in Sonipat, just a few kilometres from the capital's border. Responding to a letter from the IIT-D director,Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hoodahas announced that his government will provide 50 acres to the institute in Rajiv Gandhi Education City in Sonipat.

The 2,000-acre Education City, which was launched on Sunday, is the first-of-its-kind in the country, housing dozens of campuses of higher education institutes.

IIT-D director R K Shevgaonkar's letter was handed over to Hooda by his son and Rohtak MPDeepender Singh Hooda, the lone parliamentarian on the IIT advisory council. Shevgaonkar has said the extension campus would not only facilitate the institute's much needed expansion but also provide an additional impetus to the economic and technical growth of the state.

"The land at Sonipat will be used for activities like faculty development, incubation and setting up science and technology park, which would contribute in the growth of Haryana. We have also asked for land in Jhajjar, which would be used to set up a campus for research activities," he said.

IIT-D, which has the second highest number of students but the smallest campus, has been searching for land in NCR as it doesn't have enough space in Delhi.

Earlier in the day, Hooda laid foundation stones of 10 educational institutions that would come up in over 168 acres in the coming Education City. The Haryana government estimates that once fully functional, Education City would have over 1 lakh students. "You can imagine the impact it would have on Sonipat's development and the state and Sonipat would compete with Gurgaon," the chief minister said.

Education City is being developed on the pattern of Oxford University, the government claimed. Besides regular courses like management, information technology and computer sciences, it would also house institutes offering courses in bio-medical engineering, bio-technology, nano-technology, defence research and film and media studies.

The state government has reserved 25% of all seats for students from Haryana. Outstanding students from the state will also get a special rebate in fees. 

I’d like to fight against corruption: Gen V K Singh

A Delhi court today issued summons to former Army chief Gen V K Singh and four others in a defamation case filed by Lt. Gen (retd) Tejinder Singh.

GURGAON: Former Army chief, General V K Singh, participated at a felicitation ceremony at Jatoli-Haily Mandi in Gurgaon said that he appreciates the efforts of Baba Ramdev and Anna Hazare, who are campaigning against corruption.

Interacting with media persons in Pataudi, General Singh said that Ramdev and Hazare are fighting for the common man and people should support them.

However, the former Army chief did not drop a hint whether he would join either of the two camps.

Anna Hazare has already expressed that he would welcome like-minded people like Singh after his retirement to be a part of his team to fight corruption.

The Army chief said that during his 42 years of service in the Indian Army, he has hidden nothing from people. The former Army chief said that now he would live like a common man and would start a campaign to make people aware against corruption.

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