Jammu and Kashmir election results 2008

Counting begins at 8 AM on December 28

Parties Leads Results PDP 21 0 Cong 13 0 NC 28 0 BJP 15 0 Others 10 0 Total 87 0

6 state Election results

Chhattisgarh Results Results 90 BJP 49 Cong 38 Oth 3 Delhi Results Results 69 Cong 42 BJP 23 Oth 4 Mizoram Results Results 40 Cong 32 MNF 4 Others 4 Madhya Pradesh Results Results 230 BJP+ 142 Cong+ 71 Ind & Oth 17 Rajasthan Results Results 200 Cong 96 BJP 78 Oth 26

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Parties Leads Results PDP 18 3 Cong 12 1 NC 21 6 BJP 13 3 Others 9 1 Total 73 14

Why J&K will remember the 2008 polls ?

The 2008 assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir [Images] will be remembered for a host of reasons. Post 1996, it is the first election which has passed off peacefully, without any major untoward incident marring the process. In the wake of the election boycott call given by the separatists, the voter turnout, particularly in the conflict-ridden valley of Kashmir, has been much higher than expected.

There are certain aspects about this election that cannot be brushed aside. Even those who braved the bitter cold and waited for hours outside polling stations, reiterated that they were casting their vote for the development of the valley and that ‘Azaadi’ runs through their veins.

Over 1,354 candidates, including 468 independent candidates and 67 women contestants, are in the fray for the 87-member Assembly. As many as 1,354 candidates, including 78 from the Congress, 85 from the National Conference, 64 from the Bharatiya Janata Party and 78 from the People’s Democratic Party are contesting this time.

Total assets declared by the candidates, in their affidavits filed before the respective returning officers, sum up to a whopping Rs 7,769,012,944. The NC has the maximum number of crorepati candidates (33), followed by the PDP (18), the Congress (17) and the BJP (8).

The PDP is fielding a number of young candidates, with as many as 22 candidates below the age of 35. The NC, with 18 candidates below the age of 35, is at number two, followed by the BJP and Congress with 15 each.

The 2008 assembly election has also witnessed unprecedented participation by women — as voters and as candidates.

There were only 29 women candidates in the fray for the 2002 assembly elections. The number has more than doubled this time.

In 1972, four women candidates were elected to the state legislature, and that remains the highest number of women legislators in the state. The record is likely to change this time.

The PDP has fielded nine women contestants, followed by the BJP (5), the Congress (4), and the NC (2).

Like all other poll-bound states, J&K also has its share of candidates with criminal cases registered against them. The NC has fielded five such candidates, followed by the PDP (2), the BJP (2), and the Congress (1).

Source: rediff.com

Sabsey Favourite Kaun 2009 Winners

SABSEY FAVOURITE KAUN 2009 WINNERS            

Sabsey Favaurite Hero                 Akshay Kumar

Sabsey Favaurite Heroine             Katrina Kaif

Path Breaking Film of the Year      Rock On

Sabsey Favaurite Film                Singh Is Kinng

Sabsey Favourite Comic Hero      Paresh Rawal

Sabsey Favourite Gaana            Kabhi Kabhi Aditi

Sabsey Tez Sitara                    Deepika Padukone

Sabsey Favourite Fashion Icon   Bipasha Basu

Sabsey Favourite Naya Hero      Imran Khan

Sabsey Favourite Nayi Heroin     Prachi Desai

Where is SRK in the winners list?

This is.Akki is the sabse fav hero???He do not deserve it.

From Last Five Years SRK wins the Favourite Hero Awards.This awards was compete between Dec 2007 to Nov 2008.So RNBDJ n Ghajini is not in list.Then why Taare Zameen Par hasn't got any awards.Its a great movie.And its Singh is king,which won Sabse fav film.In fact,Akshay Kumar do not deserve it and his film too.

IIFT results for 2009 admissions declared;List of Shortlisted Candidates for MBA(IB) 2009-11 Programme

Results for Indian Institute of Foreign Trade IIFT Written Test 2008 has been ammounced now.

Click Here to get The LIST OF CANDIDATES SHORTLISTED FOR ESSAY WRITING, GROUP

DISCUSSION AND INTERVIEW FOR MBA (INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS) 2009-11

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You can download the IIFT 2008 answer key solutions from Here

The MBA (IB) at IIFT is a six trimester general management programme with a focus on international business. The Programme aims at providing a comprehensive coverage incorporating all the important areas and disciplines relevant to international business activities

Best of Luck

Mumbai Gunman Azam Amir Kasab's Father says "Those who took away my son are my enemies"

The Lashkar-e-Taiyba and the Jamaat-ud-Dawa might have disowned him, but the father of the lone Pakistani gunman arrested for the Mumbai terror attacks has admitted that the young man whose photograph was beamed by media across the world, is his son.

Amir Kasab, the father of Ajmal Amir Iman alias Ajmal Kasab, broke down as he made the admission to the influential Dawn newspaper in the courtyard of his house in Faridkot, a village of about 2,500 people in Okara district of Punjab province.

"I was in denial for the first couple of days, saying to myself it could not have been my son... Now I have accepted it. This is the truth. I have seen the picture in the newspaper. This is my son," Amir said in his first interview to the media since his son's arrest.

Britain's Observer newspaper and the BBC had earlier reported that Kasab belonged to Faridkot and had joined the Lashker-e-Tayiba some time ago.

The Observer's correspondent had located Kasab's home and gotten hold of the voters' roll which had the names of his parents Amir Kasab and Noor as well as the numbers on their national identity cards.

Reports had said that Kasab left home as a frustrated teenager about four years ago and went to Lahore in search of a job. After a brush with crime in that city, he reportedly joined the LeT.

Amir Kasab, a father of three sons and two daughters, said his son disappeared from home four years ago. "He had asked me for new clothes on Eid that I couldn't provide him. He got angry and left," he said.

As Amir talked to the Dawn's correspondents, Kasab's two sisters and a younger brother stood nearby. Their mother, wrapped in achador, lay on a nearby charpoy.

"Her trance was broken as the small picture of Kasab lying in a Mumbai hospital was shown around. They appeared to have identified their son. The mother shrunk back in her chador but the father said he had no problem in talking about the subject," the newspaper reported.

Amir said he had settled in Faridkot after arriving from the nearby Haveli Lakha many years ago. He owned the house the family lived in and made a living by selling pakoras in the streets of the village.

He pointed to a hand-cart in one corner of the courtyard and said, "This is all I have. I shifted back to the village after doing the same job in Lahore. My eldest son, Afzal, is also back after a stint in Lahore. He is out working in the fields."

Faridkot is located off a busy road and bears all the characteristics of a lower-middle class locality in a big city, the newspaper reported.

Amir said he has had little say in Kasab's life since the day his son walked out on him. He calls the people who snatched his son from him his enemies, but has no clue who these enemies are, the paper reported.

Asked why he did not look for his son all this while, he said, "What could I do with the few resources that I had?"

Media reports had said that Kasab's handlers had promised him that his family would be compensated with Rs 1,50,000 after the completion of the Mumbai mission.

Though mild-mannered, Amir became agitated at the mention of the link between his son's actions and money.  "I don't sell my sons," Amir said.

Source:Rediff News

Sri Venkateswara University(SVU) MBA IVth Semister April-2008 Results

Results of Sri Venkateswara University(SVU) MBA IVth Semister April-2008 Results are out now.  

Click Here to get your Result.

http://www.svuniversity.in/

Drop your Hall-ticket no.s in commenting section to get your result.

Shah Rukh's Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi Got Heavy Bookings

The film industry and movie buffs are pinning their hopes on Shah Rukh Khan to deliver the next big hit of the year with the upcoming Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, the advance bookings of which have been "terrific".

"The response for bookings is terrific," said Sanjeev Kohli, director and CEO of Yash Raj Films, the production company behind the film.

According to a source from multiplex chain PVR, the bookings for "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, which has a running time of three hours and 46 minutes, are much better than the past few releases.

“The situation has been quite gloomy in the past weeks except for bookings for Dil Kabaddi'. So, we are looking forward to this film Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. It might be a saviour in these times and be the next hit of this year,” the source said.

Most multiplexes like PVR and Satyam have reserved multiple auditoriums and time slots for the screening of the film and are receiving a positive response for advance bookings.

This, despite the fact that advance bookings opened for all theatres just Wednesday.

“We delayed the advance booking date to synchronize with the multiplex advance booking day, which is Wednesday,” Kohli explained.

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is a story of a mismatched couple played by Shah Rukh Khan and newcomer Anushka Sharma who find true love in the backdrop of a dance competition.

It is being released worldwide at over 1,200 screens, including approximately 300 prints for the overseas market.

Apart from being Shah Rukh Khan's first release this year, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is the first Shah Rukh Khan-Aditya Chopra combination film in over eight years. They had last collaborated for Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge in 1994 and for Mohabbatein in 2000.

Film critic Anupama Chopra says everyone has “great expectations” from this film.

“I am a fan of Aditya Chopra's style of candyfloss and romantic movies. I hope Aditya and Shah Rukh Khan create the same magic that they did with Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. It will be interesting to see them create another iconic figure with this film after they popularised Raj (Shah Rukh's character in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge),” Anupama Chopra said over phone from Mumbai.

Though the production house has tried to keep the storyline of the film under wraps, it has constantly emphasised that the film is about an ordinary man.

Anupama Chopra says she is curious to see how Shah Rukh Khan, who has mostly essayed larger-than-life roles with a stylised persona, would be able to carry off the image of an everyday man.

“He has played that look in Chak De! India and Swades but Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi is a romantic film. I am very curious to know how he does in the film,” she said.

Two of the film's songs “Haule haule” and “Chance pe dance” are already ruling the charts.

Mumbai Gunman Azam Amir Kasav wanted to marry a Kashmiri Girl

Azam Amir Kasav,21 year old,The Terrorist who was the only survived Terrorist caught by POlice has said Interrogators that he has done firing just to get to money and wanted to marry a Kashmiri Girl.

The LeT Bosses offered him(Probably 1.5 lakh) and a Kashmiri Girl if he will get in this Terror attck on mumbai on 26th November,2008.

They promised him that they will let him to marry a Butiful Kashmiri Girl to get married."I've done all this to get marry a Kashmiri Girl and to get huge money from them as they promised me.I dont have any respects to the word 'Jihad' and i dont want to become Jihadi"Azam said to Interrogators.

the group had planned to sail out on Thursday. Their recruiters had even charted out the return route for them and stored it on the GPS device which they had used to navigate their way to the Mumbai shoreline. This suggests that the terrorists were willing to undertake a mission which they knew would be very risky, but not necessarily suicidal. Sources said that the bait of safe return must have been used by the recruiters to convince the wavering among the group to join the audacious plot against Mumbai. He says The bang hoped get away after attck from mumbai.Azam made another important disclosure: that all terrorists were trained in marine warfare along with the special course Daura-e-Shifa conducted by the Lashkar-e-Taiba in what at once transforms the nature of the planning from a routine terror strike and into a specialized raid by commandos.

The sole Mumbai gunman to be captured alive has claimed that his father introduced him to the Pakistan-based militant group suspected to be behind last week's bloody attacks in exchange for cash.

Family belongs to Qasai caste. Father, Mohd Amir Iman, runs dahi-puri snack cart, mother, Noori Tai, looks after a ramshackle home Ajmal is one of 5 children. Eldest brother , Afzal, 25, works as a labourer in Lahore, lives near Yadgar Minar. Sister, Rukaiyya Husain, 22, is married in the village.

Then comes Ajmal. Sister, Suraiyya, 14, and brother Munir, 11, still at home Ajmal’s poor father can’t keep him in the local government primary school. In 2000, 13-yr-old Ajmal , who has done just class 4, is sent off to his brother Afzal in Lahore .

We need to find those Terrorists. How are they paying from Pakistan? That is some Mystery.

Truth behind the terrorism is coming out now!..

Shah Rukh Khan speaks for the first time about the Mumbai tragedy

Shah Rukh Khan has spoken for the first time about his thoughts on the Mumbai atrocities. Speaking exclusively to Raj and Pablo for this Saturday’s (6 December) ‘Love Bollywood’ Show on BBC Asian Network, Shah Rukh speaks openly about why he hasn’t talked about the attacks till now as well as his views on what the younger generation of Muslims should be concentrating on.

Shah Rukh said “I’ve tried to keep away from commenting on this as there are no words to express a situation like this because our feelings are mixed with anger, disbelief and sadness.”

In light of the horrific attacks, Shah Rukh went on to give his thoughts on religion and the younger Muslim generation. “Being Muslim myself, I believe youngsters need to understand Islam and respect the religion in the right way. It’s such a huge waste and my appeal to all in these times and in recent years is that please can we run what we want in terms of politics, government, jobs and teaching our children with the prime motive of taking communalism out of it. I think no agenda should be attached to any kind of religion.”

Shah Rukh spoke passionately about his views on what he feels should be the only religion the nations’ children should follow - ‘work’; he goes on to say, “The religion our children are born with should be something they practice as a discipline and work should be developed as the new religion.”

By BollywoodHungama.com 

Slapped by teacher, student dies of head injury

An eight-year-old has died after she fell unconscious on being allegedly slapped by the school teacher.

The alleged death of Iftesham, a school student in Kolkata has caused widespread outrage.

The school says that it has taken action against the teacher who has been accused of slapping the child and causing her death.

Angry parents outside the Vidya Bharati School in Kolkata demand answers. The death of the girl has brought them out on to the streets. They demand that the teacher, Anita Das, be punished.

"We also want punishment for the errant teacher. She has brought disgrace not only to our school but also to the entire teaching community," said Anjana Mallick, the Principal of Bidya Bharati School.

Doctors say Iftesham sustained a serious head injury from the slap. Although a blood clot in her brain was removed it, it was too late to save the little girl.

One of the child's classmate said, "Our Yoga teacher slapped Iftesham and then she fainted. Two of our teachers immediately removed her from class. They later told us that Iftesham had to be admitted in hospital."

The school has now terminated the accused teacher's contract. But the victim's mother is inconsolable.

Nazreen Chowdhury, Iftesham's mother said, "I want to meet the teacher and ask her what wrong could my child have done that she had to be killed."

Police have registered a case of death due to negligence against the yoga teacher. She is absconding and is yet to be arrested.

England to return to India this week for Test Series

The English cricket team is set to come back to India later this week for the two-Test series starting Dec 11, the media reported here Monday.

According to a report in The Guardian, the team is expected to be back in India either Thursday or Friday to fulfil their engagement. England had cut short their visit and cancelled the two one-dayers after the Mumbai attacks.

The matches are likely to take place in Ahmedabad and Chennai, which was selected in place of Mumbai after the terror attacks in the city.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will present the players with a safety report Monday and the resumption of the tour is likely to be officially confirmed Tuesday.

The daily also reported that ECB is in touch with the Indian and British governments, consulates in Indian cities, security advisers and other risk assessment experts in order to give the cricketers a thorough dossier on safety issues.

The ECB has also spoken to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA).

But England team could be without some of their biggest names -- Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison and Jimmy Anderson.

Lalit Modi, vice-president of the Indian cricket board, suggested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) would not press for compensation if England remained at home.

'I really do believe that it (the tour) will happen. It's just that we need to take it to another city, which we've agreed to do. We can't allow events around the world to deter us, to be afraid to play,' Modi was quoted as saying by the media

Aamir Khan: Reply with 1000 roses

'If terrorists are showering their bombs of violence, let's reciprocate with roses of love in thousands and more', says Aamir Khan.

It's been a black week all throughout the globe with various locations of Mumbai stuck in terror. Mumbai ? The commercial capital of India turning into a War Zone has broken down the hearts of ours and Aamir Khan seems to be more desperate. Remember this! The actor has been more keen on his words 'If terrorists are showering their bombs of violence, let's reciprocate with roses of love in thousands and more'.

Bollywood Star seems to have been undergoing insomniac ever since last night as he has got his eyes fixed on news channels. In his blog, Aamir has penned the following statements

"My heartfelt condolences to the families of persons killed and taken hostage. I was feeling sick in the stomach when the fire broke out at the Taj. What would the people caught inside be going through. The fire fighters were doing their best but my imagination was running wild and I was feeling helpless watching other people trapped in the rooms adjoining the fire.

My heartfelt condolences to the family of the brave officers of the Mumbai Police who lost their lives leading from the front to take on these terrorists. Especially Hemant Karkare of the ATS who in the recent past was being targeted by various political parties for the work that he was doing. When will these politicians realize and admit that terrorists HAVE NO RELIGION. Terrorists are not Hindu or Muslim or Christian. They are not people of religion or God. They are people who have gone totally sick in their head and have to be dealt with in that manner. Hemant Karkare is an example of a brave officer who gave his life in the line of duty.

At this moment I pray that the brave officers of the Mumbai Police, the Indian Army, Navy, the NSG and the various other security forces dealing with the situation are able to end this crisis as soon as possible.

If it had just been a matter of simply fighting the terrorists the security forces would have dealt with it sooner, but here of course the situation is extremely complicated with many innocent lives at stake. The fact that the locations are huge hotels with multiple floors, hundreds of rooms, many corridors, staff quarters, work spaces, entries, exits etc, and have innocent guests still in there, have made the task very difficult and delicate.

I dread to think of how various political parties are now going to try and use this tragedy to further their political careers. At least now they should learn to not divide people and instead become responsible leaders. An incident such as this really exposes how ill-equipped we are as a society as far as proper leaders go. We desperately need young, dynamic, honest, intelligent and upright leaders, who actually care for the country".

Maharashtra Deputy CM RR Patil resigns

Maharastra Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil, who was in the cross hairs in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, resigned on 1 December.

"We have taken our own decision. It is for them to take their decision," the NCP supremo said when asked whether the chief minister, who belongs to Congress, had also quit.

A Congress leader, who declined to be named, said if either the CM or the deputy CM goes, "the other will have to go because the issue is the same".

A beleaguered Deshmukh landed himself in a fresh controversy yesterday as he visited the terror-hit Taj Mahal hotel along with film producer Ram Gopal Varma and Deshmukh's actor son Reitesh.

The issue was raised at the all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last night which was also attended by Sonia Gandhi with some parties criticising the CM for his "casual" attitude.

Deshmukh recently completed four years in office. The names of union ministers Prithviraj Chavan and Sushil Kumar Shinde are doing the rounds to replace the chief minister and sources say a decision on the successor's name was delaying Deshmukh's resignation.

“I have submitted my resignation letter to Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh. I have gone by my conscience and decided to take this step,” Patil told PTI.

“I pondered over the issue the whole night yesterday. Finally, I have decided to quit as per my conscience,“ Patil said.

Patil’s resignation follows the exit of the Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who put in his papers to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday, after the Congress Working Committee spoke disapprovingly of the Home Minister, in light of the Mumbai carnage and other terror strikes in the country.

The Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, who was also in charge of the state Home Ministry, was under severe criticism following the terror attacks with opposition Shiv Sena and BJP demanding his resignation alleging that he failed to handle the situation.

Patil belongs to the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party and hails from Sangli district in western Maharashtra.

Who are these people? Patils, Modis, Thackereys, Deshmukhs etc etc. We need a tough person to lead the state and country at this time, someone who stands tall and proud under extreme pressure and give it back as good as it gets. Someone like Kiran Bedi or KPS Gill should be the home minister and not these next to nothing politicians who are just crooks and know only how to divide India on the basis of region or religion..

The problem will not be solved tendering resignation by RR Patil. Mere resignations/change of guards will not solve the problem. They should be made held accountable for the present chaos. In my opinion, the best solution at present is, that President should dismiss the present Government and put the state under President's rule and hand over the Mumbai City administration to security forces with clear mandate to hunt down the terrorists and their local sympathizers, if any. I am tired of seeing people shouting and screeming in front of the TV cameras and bashing the politicians. Who is responsible for these chaotic conditions? We the people are responsible for having elected such leaders. Now the time has come that people should think and collectively force the Government to bring changes in the People's Representation Act according to the present requirement and make the politicians accountable for their misdeeds.

Politicians like these selfish people should be Shutdown

Al-Qaeda wants Pak to divert army to Indian border: Journo

In the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks, the question that everyone is asking is 'Why'. India already claims it has evidence of Pakistani hand. On Friday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had made a stern call to Pakistan and had asked them to send the head of its intelligence agency, the ISI, to India. However, Pakistan has refused to do the same.

But is it a bit too soon to jump to conclusions? In an attempt to get some answers, we speak to Lahore-based journalist Ahmed Rashid, an expert on South and Central Asia who authored bestsellers such as Jihad, Taliban and Descent into Chaos. He tells Forbes Network 18's Dinesh Narayanan on phone from Rome that the attacks are a conspiracy to drive a wedge between the two neighbours. Excerpts from the interview:

QUES: Do you think the attack on Mumbai was planned to de-stabilise the conciliatory efforts of the Indian and Pakistani governments?

Ahmed Rashid: I think the attacks were strategically planned by al-Qaeda through the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants they train. It is trying to work out a space for itself in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). They have been hurting very badly in there because of pressure from the Pakistani army and US missile attacks.

QUES: What is the objective?

Ahmed Rashid: It is a military strategic objective to get the army out of Bajour and stop the US from stepping in. If tensions between India and Pakistan escalate, the army will be moved to the Indian border, as happened in 2002. After the attacks on the Parliament House in Delhi, India built up troops on the border. Pakistan responded by moving its army from the Afghanistan border to the Indian one. And al-Qaeda had a free run of FATA. They are looking to repeat the exercise.

QUES: Do you think they are likely to succeed?

Ahmed Rashid: The danger is the escalation of India-Pakistan accusations. They should not fall into the al-Qaeda trap. The Indian Government has already jumped the gun a bit. It is a weak government and is under pressure to do something.

QUES: What would happen if the Indian and Pakistani governments see through the trap?

Ahmed Rashid: Then there will be more attacks in Pakistan. This is a very critical period for al-Qaeda. It has only a few months. The US is preparing to send 20,000 troops into Afghanistan by April. The al-Qaeda is under tremendous pressure. They need to do something.

QUES: Will the new government in Pakistan be able to genuinely change the relationship with India?

Ahmed Rashid: It is a weak civilian government, just like the Indian Government. It is a Government that is besieged by a collapsing economy and tensions with the army. But it has its heart in the right place. The army needs to come under a democratic government for the outlook on national security to change.

Dinesh Narayanan is Associate Editor at the new business magazine to be launched by Network 18 in alliance with Forbes, USA.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil resigns

Home Minister Shivraj Patil Steps Down

Home Minister Shivraj Patil, under tremendous criticism over a spate of terrorist attacks in the country since last year, resigned on Sunday in the wake of the Mumbai Terror strikes.

Patil, who had offered to step down at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting last night, sent his resignation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh this morning, sources said.

The 74-year-old Patil was inducted into the Union Cabinet despite his defeat from Latur in Maharashtra in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls and has been a target of the opposition as also the detractors within the party over his handling of the internal security situation in the country.

Patil had told the CWC meeting that as the Home minister he "takes the responsibility and whatever the CWC decides, I am ready to do", the sources said.

Patil's remarks came in the wake of criticism by several leaders, including Union Ministers P Chidambaram, Kamal Nath, Kapil Sibal and H R Bhardwaj, they said. 

The refrain of these leaders at the meeting was that a strong action is needed in the wake of the Mumbai terror strikes and accountability has to be ensured at the higher as well as lower levels.

Patil, who has been in public life for over four decades, was brought into the Manmohan Singh Cabinet as he was considered a complete Gandhi loyalist and Sonia Gandhi had turned down repeated demands for his ouster from the government.

Patil was also one of the serious candidates of the Congress for the post of the President last year after the tenure of A P J Abdul Kalam got over. But, the Left parties, which were supporting the Government from outside, had put their foot down on such a proposal. 

Besides Patil, Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who was also present at the meeting, came under attack on the terror strikes issue, CWC sources said.

The leaders who voiced criticism on the issue included union ministers P Chidambaram, Kamal Nath, Kapil Sibal and H R Bhardwaj, they said.

The refrain of these leaders at the meeting was that strong action is needed in the wake of the Mumbai terror strikes and accountability has to be ensured at the higher as well as lower levels.

This prompted Pranab Mukherjee to remark that since it was collective responsibility of the Cabinet, he would also like to take responsibility as the External Affairs Minister.

Maharashtra Chief Minister, however, chose to ignore the criticism and instead apprised the meeting of the steps taken by his government in the wake of terror strikes, they said.

The Home Minister as also National Security Adviser M K Narayanan came under attack at the CWC meeting called hours after the security operations against the terrorists was indication enough that the leadership was planning some strong steps.

"Mumbai Locals Helped Us"-Azam Amir Kasab(Terrorist Tells Cops)

Did some Mumbai locals provide support to the Pakistani terrorists? Azam Amir Kasab, the only Pakistani terrorist nabbed alive, has revealed names and addresses of at least five people from the city who helped the terror operation.

AZAM AMIR KASAV...THE ONLY TERRORIST THAT SURVIVED

Sources said that help like, providing shelter, taking them around and showing places, passing information on police stations and nakabandhis were given by these locals. Joint commissioner of police (crime) Rakesh Maria said,"We suspect there could be local assistants but it is subject to verification. It will be very premature to comment on this at this stage as our investigations is going on.''

Kasab has told police that they were sent with a specific mission of targeting Israelis to avenge atrocities on Palestinians. This was why they targetted Nariman House, a complex meant for Israelis. Sources said Kasab's colleagues killed in the operation had stayed in Nariman House earlier.

"They have stayed in Nariman house on rental basis identifying themselves as Malaysian students.'' said a source. Police are trying to find out how Nariman House rooms were given to non-Jews. Police has taken all the records books of for verification. The second target was the CST railway station because casualties would be high.

Crime branch has also recovered several fake identity and credit cards from the belongings of dead terrorists. "All the cards are in different names and of different banks. Now we are at least trying to figure out how they procured credit cards from various banks.'' said Maria. The recovery of so many cards with different names have led Mumbai police to suspect the involvement of ISI.

Though Maria maintained only 10 terrorists had sneaked in, the two blasts in taxis in Wadi Bunder and Vile Parle have led the police to believe there could be possibility of the presence of another two or more terrorists in the city. 

Azam Amir Kasav
aka: Mohammad Ajmal Mohammed Amin Kasab

Azam Amir Kasav is the only terrorist from the Mumbai terror attacks that survived. He was captured and has been interrogated, providing a great deal of information about the attacks.

Azam Amir Kasav, also known as Mohammad Ajmal Mohammed Amin Kasab, looked confident in the photo above. It was taken as he walked into the Mumbai train station (CST) with the intent of killing as many people as he could. He and his partner finished their business at the station and moved on to their next target, Girgaum Chowpatty. They were stopped and engaged in a gun fight by police. Azam killed assistant police inspector Tukaram Umbale before he was shot. His partner was shot and killed during the gun battle. Azam played dead and the bodies of both men were picked up to be transported to the hospital. At some point, the police realized that Azam was breathing.

When the 21-year-old Azam arrived at the hospital he begged the medical staff there to help him. He told them that he didn’t want to die. It turned out that he was fluent in English and from from tehsil Gipalpura in Faridkot in Pakistan. He begged for his own life after indiscriminately taking the lives of whoever happened to be in the train station that morning.

After Azam’s bullet wound was treated, he was taken away by interrogators. Its reported that at first he was tight lipped, but it didn’t take long for intense questioning to loosen him up. Apparently, he has given investigators some vital information about the planning of the Mumbai attacks. He has told investigators that their plan was to blow up the Taj Hotel and they had enough explosives to do it. They wanted to create an Indian 9/11.

Masand’s Verdict: Sorry Bhai, a magnificent drama Movie Review

Cast: Shabana Azmi, Boman Irani, Sanjay Suri, Chitrangada Singh, Sharman Joshi

Direction: Onir

Taking the decidedly uncomfortable premise of a man hooking up with his brother’s girl, Sorry Bhai is a brave little film that puts a fresh spin on the tale. Bumbling younger brother Sharman Joshi arrives in Mauritius with his parents Shabana Azmi and Boman Irani to attend elder brother Sanjay Suri’s wedding, and ends up falling in love with his brother’s fiancée Chitrangada Singh.

The triangle that ensues involves Sharman, Chitrangada and – no, not Sanjay who seems to wisely move on – but the boys’ overbearing mother Shabana who gets herself irreparably entangled in this awkward mess.

At the very core of Sorry Bhai’s drama is the magnificent Shabana Azmi who takes her role and immediately sinks her teeth into it, constructing a character that is all flesh-and-blood. From the little moments – like the one in which she follows Sharman and Chitrangada into the woods, only to hurt her foot before she can confirm her suspicions – to the significant ones (which include her clashes with her daughter-in-law to be), Shabana is always on the ball, and makes her character omnipresent in the movie, even when she’s not physically around in every frame.

A word of praise also for the immensely gifted Boman Irani who has a tougher job at hand – making a solid believable person out of what was probably a three-line character sketch on paper. Boman adds the right comic touch and just the perfect hint of melancholy to create an affectionate lug of a father who speaks less but delivers gems every time he does.

The plot of Sorry Bhai may be simplistic, but the film is not so much about the plot as it is about the characters, and director Onir does a fine job of writing complex, flawed characters who don’t come with any easy answers. Chitrangada’s character, for one, is a tough nut to crack – why does she appear almost unaffected when Sanjay puts off their wedding to attend to a pressing business commitment; why does she suddenly decide to pursue Sharman with such dogged determination; does she really feel no responsibility to Sanjay for what’s just happened? These are important questions all, but the answers are hard to find. Much like life, if you think about it.

Of the three leads, Sharman Joshi plays his part with such sincerity, you’re willing to look at his flawed character with renewed sympathy. The radiant Chitrangada Singh is awkward in places, but puts up a good show nevertheless, especially in her scenes with Shabana. Sanjay Suri, despite the weak characterisation, does the best he can with his role, in particular nailing the film’s one defining scene in which Sharman makes the big confession, to which he responds with shock, anger, and even a little affection.

Sorry Bhai is not devoid of faults – the film occasionally gets too talkie, and in some places a little silly too – but the film’s real charm lies in those memorable moments the director creates between his two favorite players – Shabana and Chitrangada. That’s the reason to watch this film.

I’m going with three out of five for director Onir’s Sorry Bhai. It’s a strong character-driven drama about imperfect people trying to find their own happiness in the world. Don’t miss it.

Rating: 3 / 5 (Good)

"I slept with a loaded revolver under my pillow"-Big B Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan has pulled out his revolver many a times on screen. This time he has pulled out the revolver again, but not to shoot anyone on screen but to defend himself and have a safe sleep. He says, ‘Last night, as the events of the terror attack unfolded in front of me I did something for the first time and one that I had hoped never ever to be in a situation to do. Before retiring for the night, I pulled out my licensed .32 revolver, loaded it and put it under my pillow. For a very disturbed sleep,’ the megastar wrote on his blog.

‘My pain has been the sight and plight of my innocent and vulnerable and completely insecure countrymen, facing the wrath of this terror attack. And my anger has been at the ineptitude of the authorities that have been ordained to look after us,’ Big B expressed in his blog.

He further says, He salutes people who have laid down their lives for us. ‘I can only but salute them and respect their sincerity in the call of duty.’

Bachchan was disgruntled over the cliche ’spirit of Mumbai’ which he said people were using to cover the traumatic experiences that the merry city underwent in recent years. Bachchan says he bows over this and wishes the spirit never ends. We too agree with you Mr. Bachchan.

Sleeping with a loaded gun under the pillow is a very dangerous thing to do. Even with utmost precaution accidents do happen. I pray to God that the gun does not go off accidentally. Otherwise a national embarrassment will turn into a national martyr. Years ago one accidental hit in the stomach (and Indira Gandhi) erased his poor track record and turned him into a star, and now it seems Big B is trying is erase his shoddy legacy and flop status, and turn into a national martyr. Poor Big B is always looking for short cuts, genuine hard work is an alien concept to him.

Oye Lucky Lucky Oye Movie Review– More like a docudrama on the life-story of a thief.

Dibakar Bannerjee, won millions of hearts and received worldwide appreciation for his first movie, ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla’. So his next venture was eagerly awaited by comedy lovers as well as lovers of quality cinema. His present offering showed good vibes with its promos and catchy theme of life of a famous thief. But surprisingly, Dibakar chooses to go with a Documentary film-making style in “OLLO”. The movie is like a biography of a thief, an account of his childhood and youth, about his various relationships and how he manages to escape each time he is caught by the police. 

Dibakar, though not Punjabi by birth, does has a soft corner about Sikhs and Punjabi culture. His first movie had a Punjabi culture feel allover and the same is more evident in this one two. In fact in OLLO he even casts a teenage Sikh boy to play the role of young Lucky. The movie opens with the childhood of lucky. The boy (young Lucky) is well chosen and shows great confidence. It never seems to be his first movie as he is so convincing in his act. The opening scenes between him and Paresh Rawal (his father) are a treat to watch. In simple words this part of the movie showing his start as a thief, his teenage love and fights is the best portion of the movie. 

After this section, enters Abhay Deol with his cute smile and cool attitude. Here I have to say that Abhay is one of the most under-rated actors Bollywood has. His choice of films clearly shows his class cinematic thought process and he deserves praises for that. As Lucky he just floats calmly and impressively in the skin of a famous thief. He again gives a superlative performance as the famous conman of Delhi. Paresh Rawal in a triple role is competent but sadly has very less comic scenes. His best shows in his role of a Vet doctor who becomes partner with lucky for opening a new restaurant. Neetu Chandra is also impressive with her subtle persona.  Archana Puran Singh shows excellent timing for which she is known for. Another worth mentioning act comes from the actor who plays Lucky’s close friend. He is top rate and also gets excellent one liners which entertain the most.  

But despite having talented actors, brilliant performances and bright direction, the film lacks on the part of entertainment.  The movie only tells you the story of a thief, but doesn’t entertain the viewer. It doesn’t have fast unexpected turns in the story. The narration gets repetitive post interval and you know what is going to happen next. Though portrayed as a comedy, the movie doesn’t have enough comic scenes. The funny chemistry is missing which was strongly there in “Khosla Ka Ghosla”. While watching it, you can smile at certain scenes but a hearty laughter would be difficult.  

Dibakar sticks to his choice of realistic topics, having real life inspirations and also again selects Delhi for his backdrop of the story. Its nice to see that atleast he is deriving inspiration from the real life happenings around him and not copying ideas from the English flicks. His present idea of a movie on a famous conman was also interesting and had potential of becoming an interesting movie. Sadly it only remains interesting to a certain section and lacks the expected entertainment factor, which goes against the movie. 

Instead of coming out as an entertaining movie on robberies and chases, OLLO is more like a docu-drama on the life of a famous thief. There is a very limited section of viewers who will find it good enough. People in Delhi Punjab and North territory can relate to it in a better way. Dibaker is surely a director to watch out for and I am waiting for what he plans next. He also knows one thing for sure and that is not to put any song in the script if not needed. So this is another song-less movie from him, which is intelligent on his part. But one thing I would surely like to request to our film-makers here – Do give a worth watching role to Abhay Deol, the boy has got a hidden talent to explore.  

So to end, “Oye Lucky Lucky Oye” is an interesting movie with a touch of difference but don’t expect a great comedy out of it. 

Rating : 2.5 / 5

Cricket:England's Tour of India Cancelled after Mumbai Blasts

The England team are currently in India, where on Thursday they went 5-0 down in a seven-match one-day series after losing by six wickets in Cuttack.

They were due to return to Mumbai, where their tour began three weeks ago, on December 16 ahead of the second and final Test starting three days later.

England had been scheduled to stay at the Taj Mahal Palace, one of two luxury hotels attacked by bands of gunmen, reportedly looking for foreign targets.

The second of the two Tests was scheduled to be played in Mumbai from December 16 and the visiting team was to stay at the Hotel Taj which was also targeted by terrorists.

Team spokesman Andrew Walpole said the squad would take advice from Britain’’s Foreign Office before deciding whether to proceed with the remainder of the tour. We will be guided by the Foreign Office and will await developments, foxsports.com quoted Walpole as saying.

Meanwhile, Cricket Australia has cancelled plans for Western Australia and Victoria to travel to India for next week’’s Champions Twenty20 League because of the deadly terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

"It is an evolving situation and we are taking security advice from a number of different sources, as we always do," he said. "We are hoping to take it forward in the very near future and have a further statement later this evening.

"We asked BCCI to consider cancelling the sixth and seventh one-day internationals. We are grateful for their co-operation to that effect.

"I read a report this morning that we had asked to cancel the Test series. I would refute those claims. We did not request the cancellation of the Test series. Whenever England go to play cricket we have security advice and we act on that advice.

"At the moment we are awaiting a further security report. If we are then told that it's safe to continue with the Test series then that's what we will do."

This afternoon, Lalit Modi, the vice-president of the BCCI, said he thought the Test series, which begins in Ahmedabad on December 11, would go ahead despite the attacks although he admitted the second Test in Bombay would be have to be moved.

"The two Test matches are going on, the only issue is that the Mumbai test will be moved," he said. "In the next hour or so I will try to schedule that in another location. Chances are it will be somewhere in the south of India but we need to see which venues are available."

Although confusion surrounds any new schedule, Modi does not think the tour will be extended. "That will not be necessary as the Champions League Twenty20 has been postponed so we have an additional 10 days in between," he added

Earlier, Morris met N Srinivasan, the BCCI secretary, before briefing the players with Reg Dickason, the security officer who travels with the squad. The India team are staying at the same hotel, which is being heavily guarded by armed police outside the main gate. Inside, James Anderson was strumming a guitar, Paul Collingwood was playing table tennis and Owais Shah and Ravi Bopara were competing at pool.

Indian television was still reporting that the tour has been cancelled even after the ECB said that they will remain here for a further day. With the second Test in Mumbai - and the team due to stay at the Taj Palace Hotel targeted by the terrorists - there will have to be, at the very least, a change to the itinerary.

The Professional Cricketers' Association today insisted the wellbeing of the players was paramount.

"The safety of the players is absolutely paramount in this whole thing," Dougie Brown, cricket chairman of the PCA, said. "The game of cricket is insignificant when people's lives are at threat.

"We can only judge if someone's life is at threat from what we are seeing and it is not a safe place for visiting cricketing teams to be at the moment. "Is this just going to be in Mumbai? Who knows? The main thing is we have to look after the security of our players.

"Can the safety of our players be guaranteed? On the basis of what we have seen in the last few hours, no."

England have their own security experts as part of their entourage but Brown hinted concern among the squad for their own safety would be inevitable.

"We are just cricketers and simply get told what to do," Brown added. "But the England players will be meeting and talking amongst themselves. I can guess as to what they are thinking about now.

"You can't be locked in a room in India for six weeks and, as we have seen, being locked in a hotel room might not necessarily be safe anyway."

At least 100 people have been killed in coordinated attacks by Islamist militants in India's commercial capital of Bombay.

Eyewitness Accounts: 'We Were Ready to Die'

Again, there are Terrorists, who have misinterpreted the Koran.
We kill babies, but are against it when those that made it, are killed. No difference. You abortionists have reduced the dignity of life down to the point now where your own life is now meaningless.
The Democrats nary mentioned once, inherent Muslim terrorism, during the campaign. Well here it is again. Live and well and no further than the corner Mosque.
Maybe life will begin to take on renewed meaning for the Democrats that just voted in effect a Terrorist.

Amrita Jhaveri, a jewelry consultant from Mumbai who lives in London, was having dinner last night at the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower's Wasabi Restaurant with her British husband when they heard gunfire. Hotel staff led the guests from the restaurant down a corridor, through the kitchen into the private club called "Chambers." Guests from other restaurants at the hotel were also brought to the Chambers.

The staff turned the lights off urged everyone to stay calm and quiet and turn off their mobile phones because terrorists were in a gun battle in the room next door, the dining room of the Chambers club. About 200 people were gathered.

"We were expecting the worst," Ms. Jhaveri said. "We knew the hotel was on fire, we knew there were terrorists next door. We knew they might storm the room any second, the fire might engulf us, an explosive might go off. It seemed too many things were stacked against us. We were ready to die."

One man died in the room, apparently of an aneurism. There were many westerners in the room and groups of Indians at the hotel for weddings in the family. The hotel pianist was there.

At about 4 a.m., the hotel staff tried to lead the group outside the hotel. But no sooner did the group begin to head down a corridor than gunshots rang out and the guests fell over one another in fright, dashing back into the room. "We had no idea if we'd be there for one day or five days," she said. "The uncertainty was terrifying."

Ms. Jhaveri worried the terrorists would storm in and pick her British husband out of the crowd. "We decided we wouldn't be separated. It didn't matter if we had to die, we wanted to be with one another," she said.

With the bathrooms overflowing, she and others tried to find places to relieve themselves -- peeing in glasses behind the bar.

When she was finally led outside the hotel at 9 a.m. into awaiting buses, she heard guns fired from overhead.

"It was a very long, very hairy night," she said.

—Geeta Anand

Hospital In Chaos

Peter Keep, a Mumbai –based entrepreneur, went to a local Mumbai hospital to help a friend who had been shot in the attacks. He counted more than 40 dead bodies and an equal number of Injured, including foreigners.

"It was just chaos with doctors and nurses running around and lots of blood everywhere," he said. "There was a British national who had just arrived here with plans to wander around India and he had two or three gunshot wounds in his chest."

After returning to his home a block from the Taj Mahal Hotel and Café Leopold's, both of which were attacked, he heard explosions and gunshots throughout the night. From the roof of his home, he watched the Taj burn as a fire threatened to engulf the towering red dome that is one of the most recognizable landmarks of Mumbai.

"It's familiar, it's iconic and even if it represents nothing more than a beautiful old building to see it ablaze like that is just shocking," Mr. Keep said.

Thursday morning he watched as they started bringing bodies out of the hotel. "The authorities have been bringing out a load of bodies. About one dozen ambulances have come and they have been reversing them into the entrance," he said.

—Eric Bellman

Blood at Café Leopold

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KagarxBlcc]

Farhang Jehani is the owner of Café Leopold's a favourite hang out for backpackers and other travelers behind the Taj Mahal hotel. It is always packed with mostly foreign nationals enjoying its inexpensive food and beer as well as its open view to the bustling street life of Colaba Causeway.

Between 9:30 and 9:45 p.m. Wednesday night, two gunmen who appeared to be in their mid 20s pull out machine guns and opened fire on the restaurant full of evening dinners. The crowd scattered but more than 10 people were shot, he said. "It is still just like it was left," Mr. Jehani said later. "There is blood all over and not one table is standing. They are all upside down."

The gunmen moved on after shooting and the injured were stuffed into private cars and Mumbai's trademark tiny yellow and black taxis. The police didn't show up for 20 minutes. "We used whatever vehicle was available," Mr. Jehani said.

The street however had become a big quiet traffic jam as everyone, after hearing the gunshots on the busy street, had just left their cars and ran.

"The street was deserted, it was totally empty as people just stopped, got out of their cars and ran away from the commotion," Mr. Jehani said.

—Eric Bellman

Sushi Chef at Taj Mahal Hotel

As many as 40 people remained hostage in the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel & Resort in Mumbai on Thursday after Wednesday night's terrorist attacks. Noriyuki Kanda, sushi chef at the Wasabi restaurant in the Taj Mahal, who managed to escape after more than 12 hours holed up in the hotel, spoke on the telephone on his experience during and after the assault.

Mr. Kanda was making sushi at the fine nouveau Japanese restaurant on the second floor of the Taj. The small restaurant with stunning views of the Arabian Sea is a favorite of company executives and Bollywood stars when there were some explosions.

"I was working and we heard a lot of noise, I had only heard gunfire on television before so we weren't sure what it was. Then we heard rapid fire like a machine gun and people rushed in from the bar downstairs and said that four men were shooting people in the lobby."

Mr. Kanda and the rest of the staff led the customers through the kitchen and the back hallways for employees, some of which were filled with smoke. Some went back to their rooms and some tried to find the exit.

Mr. Kanda was holed up in his room for hours, keeping tabs on the situation through his cell phone because the telephones and television were cut off. In the morning the power was cut off and he heard explosions again.

Through his network of other employees around the building he heard that a group of hostages were taken to the Taj club (a members only area where the rich eat and drink) and then there was an explosion there. He heard that the lobby is covered in blood. He also heard that there was an explosion at the employees rear exit.

Mr. Kanda managed to escape shortly before 2 pm local time. He said he saw a few bodies and so much blood in the lobby that disinfectant had been put down.