Hindu and Muslim community join hands to promote communal harmony

May 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Ahmedabad (Gujarat), May 16 (ANI): Religious leaders from both Hindu and Muslim community came together in Gujarat”s Ahmedabad city to promote communal harmony and peace.

The event to promote communal solidarity was organized by the All India Organization of Imams of Mosques.

The event witnessed the participation of religious leaders belonging to different faiths including influential Hindu preachers- Jagat Guru Shankracharya representing Kashi Kochi peeth (seat) and Chidanand Maharaj from the holy town of Rishikesh.

“This meet is organised just to promote communal harmony and unity among people, all Indians should be united, which is the reason behind this meet,” said Shankracharya.

“Right now, we are talking about improving the whole society. Our aim is to reduce the gap between two major communities of Hindus and Muslims and to bring a solution to each and every problem with the help of talks,” added Imam Mohammed Ilyasi, Muslim preacher and the organizer of the meet.

Ahmedabad was the worst affected in the 2002 Gujarat riots, in which a reciprocal violence took place between the Hindus and Muslims. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

BCCI grants Lalit Modi five days reprieve to file answers

May 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, May 10 (ANI): The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday granted suspended IPL Chairman Lalit Modi five more days to respond to a showcause notice served to him on April 26.

Modi was given a showcause notice by the BCCI on charges of financial irregularity.
There are five main charges against Modi, ranging from receiving kickbacks for allotting TV broadcast rights to indiscipline and leveling baseless charges against the BCCI.

He is also facing charges of rigging the bidding of two new IPL teams, which were eventually won by Sahara and the Kochi IPL consortium and also for being a ghost owner in three IPL teams. .

Modi has claimed that he has submitted most of the relevant IPL documents.

They include all franchisee agreements, global media rights agreements, the global media rights packages, bid documents, media rights licensee agreements, eligibility letters of all bidders with details and all sponsorship agreements entered into by IPL.

The board, however, has denied receiving all documents. The BCCI”s chief administration officer Ratnakar Shetty said there are still a few documents that have not been handed over by Modi. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Summer camp for kids in Kochi to encourage adventure sports

May 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Kochi (Kerala), May 8 (ANI): The makeshift summer camp came as a blessing to kids at ease filled with fun, frolic and a touch of adventure at time when they are feed up with their routine playing and having no school home works.

Large number of enthusiastic kids and their parents are making a bizarre of the ongoing summer camp set up at Kochi Marine Drive with an aim to increase the level of confidence among youngsters and to spread awareness towards adventure sports.

Kids Planet, a summer exhibition and fun-filled festival for the youngsters will be a daily event.

The organizers of the ten day event have worked hard to come up with such an event in the city taking good amount of planning so to make the kids really adventurous and at the same time keeping safety concerns in mind, said Sunil Joseph, CEO of Pax Events.

Variety games, entertainments, hands on climbing, rope walking and many other displays and demonstrations, competitions, special guest appearances have formed an attractions to all ages.

For some kids it was a first time experience on adventure activities to test their strength.

The adventure games are specially tailor made to give the kids a feel of the real sport and also at the same time will help in boost their level of confidence, which is visible when the kids walks filled with courage after each rounds, said Senthil Kumar, an adventure sports specialist of Kestrel Adventure, who specialized in these sports.

Nature awareness programs will also be conducted as part of the camp. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tharoor asks PM to clear his name

April 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Apr 20 (ANI): Former Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said that he has asked the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, to have the IPL cash row charges against him thoroughly investigated to ensure that his name is cleared.

In an address to Parliament, Tharoor said: “I have asked the Prime Minister to conduct a thorough investigation into the charges and want to clear my name that has been ”besmirched”.

He said he had committed nothing improper or illegal, but had resigned from the cabinet in the strongest moral traditions” of the party as he did not want to be an embarrassment to it.

He further said that he was deeply wounded by the fanciful and malicious charges levelled against him

“I am new to Indian politics…but I have a long record of public service untainted by allegations of financial irregularity,” Tharoor said.

Speaking for a short while in his native tongue Malyalam, Tharoor drew on the emotional appeal of his Thiruvananthapuram constituency and received some support from Kerala MPs.

Tharoor resigned on Sunday night after the Congress Core Committee asked him to do so.

The Income Tax (I-T) department has given a clean chit to Tharoor, saying he did not benefit from the Kochi -IPL deal.

The ministry said the I-T department is probing IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi”s offshore money and trying to find out if stakeholders are fronts for Modi.

Tharoor is reportedly in trouble after Modi tweeted to reveal that Sunanda Pushkar, a close friend of Tharoor, had been gifted sweat equity worth Rs.70 crores in the new Kochi team, which was sold for Rs.1530 crores last month.

Modi in his email to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief Shashank Manohar had stated it was Tharoor who called him and instructed him not to reveal the identities of the stakeholders of the Kochi IPL franchisee.

Tharoor, however, has denied this.

Tharoor said he had ””enough”” of the controversy and denied securing any monetary interest in the Kochi IPL team. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tharoor to clarify in Parliament today

April 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Apr 20 (ANI): Former Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor is likely to make a statement in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday over the IPL controversy.

The decision was taken on Monday after Tharoor briefly visited Parliament house and met party leaders including senior ministers Pranab Mukherjee, AK Antony and P Chidambaram.

Tharoor resigned on Sunday night after the Congress Core Committee asked him to do so.

The Income Tax (I-T) department has given a clean chit to Tharoor, and said he did not benefit from the Kochi -IPL deal.

The ministry said the I-T department is probing IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi”s offshore money and trying to find out if stakeholders are fronts for Modi.

Tharoor is reportedly in trouble after Modi tweeted to reveal that Sunanda Pushkar, a close friend of Tharoor, had been gifted sweat equity worth Rs.70 crores in the new Kochi team, which was sold for Rs.1530 crores last month.

Modi in his email to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief Shashank Manohar had stated it was Tharoor who called him and instructed him not to reveal the identities of the stakeholders of the Kochi IPL franchisee.

Tharoor, however, has denied this.

Tharoor said he had ””enough”” of the controversy and denied securing any monetary interest in the Kochi IPL team. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

BCCI meets over Lalit Modi issue

April 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Mumbai, April 19 (ANI): The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is holding a meeting here to discuss the controversy surrounding Lalit Modi, the Chairman of governing council of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

BCCI President Shashank Manohar is presiding over the meeting, as it is believed a strategy is being worked out to investigate the ongoing IPL imbroglio.

A three-member BCCI committee, headed by Manohar, is to submit a report on the IPL issue to the board.

The BCCI will hold the IPL Governing Council’s meeting on April 26, where it is likely that the BCCI may ask Modi to step down, a private news channel has reported.

As of now, Modi’s tenure as IPL Commissioner is to last till 2012.

The April 26 meet will discuss allegations against Modi and all other issues related to the Kochi IPL franchise bid. The BCCI working committee meeting would be preceded by a meeting of the IPL’s governing council on April 25.

“All the allegations (against Modi) and other issues would be discussed in the governing council. The date would be announced soon,” Rajeev Shukla, BCCI’s Vice President stated in New Delhi. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

No need to ban IPL: Rajeev Shukla

April 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Apr 19 (ANI): The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice-President, Rajeev Shukla on Monday said there is no need to ban the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Addressing reporters outside Parliament, Shukla said the BCCI would discuss the issue after the finals on April 25.

“On all the demands and allegations, the IPL Governing Council is ready to discuss all the issues. The BCCI President has convened a meeting immediately after the final match of the IPL. It is believed that the meeting would take place on the next day of the final match,” said Shukla.

Earlier on Monday, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee assured Parliament that all financial aspects of the IPL will be probed, and none who are found guilty, will be spared by the law.

“Some honourable members in the morning raised issues of the IPL and wanted to have a thorough probe in all its aspects. In fact, the concerned department has already started the investigation process,” Mukherjee informed.

“I can assure the honourable members that all aspects of IPL, including its source of funding, from where the funds were routed how it has been invested, all these aspects are being looked into, and the appropriate action as per law will be taken,” he added.

Mukherjee assured the House that none of the guilty would be spared.

“No guilty or wrong doers will be spared,” Mukherjee said.

Mukherjee”s assurance came as Opposition members, demanding a probe into the alleged black money trail in the IPL, rocked proceedings of the Lok Sabha over the issue.

Monday”s development came a day after Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and tendered his resignation over the Kochi IPL fiasco.

Dr Singh accepted the resignation and formally sent it to President Pratibha Devisingh Patil. A late night release from the President”s House confirmed the acceptance of the resignation.

Tharoor was reportedly in trouble after IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi tweeted to reveal that Sunanda Pushkar, a close associate of Tharoor, had been gifted sweat equity worth Rs 70 crores in the new Kochi team, which was sold for Rs 1530 crores last month.

Modi in his email to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief Shashank Manohar had stated it was Tharoor who called him and instructed him not to reveal the identities of the stakeholders of the Kochi IPL franchisee.

Tharoor, however, had denied this.

Tharoor said he had ”enough” of the controversy and denied securing any monetary interest in the Kochi IPL team. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Centre should probe role of big money in IPL: Vayalar Ravi

April 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Apr 19 (ANI): Minister of Indian Overseas Affairs Vayalar Ravi on Monday said the Central Government should look into the role of big cash coming into the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket championship.

Addressing reporters outside Parliament here, Ravi alleged the IPL was ”glorified gambling” run with black money.

“It is for the government to look into the whole system, what is this IPL, who are these people, where the money comes? It is a matter of concern,” he said.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav said the government should take over after scrapping cricket bodies, including the IPL and the national cricket board.

“IPL should be scrapped, government should take it over and nationalise it. The game of IPL should continue. All the cricket bodies like the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) should be scrapped,” said Yadav.

Communist Party of India -Marxist (CPI-M) demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe on the issue.

“There is no full stop after the resignation of Tharoor, question is whether he is guilty or not, whether the post has been misused or not? Everyday new revelations regarding IPL are coming into light,” said CPI-M politburo member Brinda Karat.

“It is said that the Income Tax Department knew for the last six months, even then the government did not intervene. Who are the patrons of the IPL in the government, this also should be investigated and that is why a Joint Parliamentary Committee is required,” she added.

Monday”s development came a day after Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and tendered his resignation over the Kochi IPL fiasco.

Dr Singh accepted the resignation and formally sent it to President Pratibha Devisingh Patil. A late night release from the President”s House confirmed the acceptance of the resignation.

Tharoor was reportedly in trouble after IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi tweeted to reveal that Sunanda Pushkar, a close associate of Tharoor, had been gifted sweat equity worth Rs 70 crores in the new Kochi team, which was sold for Rs 1530 crores last month.

Modi in his email to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief Shashank Manohar had stated it was Tharoor who called him and instructed him not to reveal the identities of the stakeholders of the Kochi IPL franchisee.

Tharoor, however, had denied this.

Tharoor said he had ”enough” of the controversy and denied securing any monetary interest in the Kochi IPL team. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lalu Prasad demands scrapping of IPL

April 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Apr 19 (ANI): A day after Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor resigned from the Union Cabinet, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad on Monday demanded scrapping of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Lalu Prasad alleged that there is huge amount of black money involved in the IPL and the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) should stop this entire event.

“The IPL should be scrapped. A huge amount of betting and black money is involved in the IPL. The BCCI and IPL governing councils should be stopped from spoiling the country with this tournament,” Lalu Prasad said.

On Sunday, in an attempt save its face, the Congress accepted the resignation of Shashi Tharoor from the Union Council of Ministers, putting an end to a week-long drama over the Kochi IPL franchise. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Left demands JPC probe on Tharoor-IPL issue

April 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Apr 19 (ANI): Left parties on Monday called for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the controversy surrounding the involvement of former Minister of State for External Affairs, Shashi Tharoor, with the Kochi IPL franchise.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) politburo member Brinda Karat said her party was not satisfied with Tharoor’s resignation from the cabinet

She said a Joint Parliamentary Committee needs to look into the issue.

“We want a Join Parliamentary Committee to go into the entire matter, and Tharoor”s resignation does not put a full stop to the entire matter. What was the wrongdoing, was there a misuse of position, the entire accounting, where”s the money (for IPL) coming from – every day there are further revelations that we read in the newspapers,” Karat said.

“Unless the Government wants to take the postion that they have nothing to do with this, which I think would be very wrong indeed,” she added.

Her comments came just hours after the Union Finance Ministry said it is carrying out a detailed investigation into the teams” auction records and accounts.

This is a parallel exercise to the Income Tax Department”s raids and findings to get to the bottom of the Tharoor-Kochi IPL mystery. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Finance Ministry gives clean chit to Tharoor, guns for Modi

April 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Apr 19 (ANI): In a major development, a day after Shashi Tharoor was shown the door from the Union Cabinet, the Finance Ministry’s report has given a clean chit to him in connection with the Kochi –IPL deal.

Tharoor resigned on Sunday night as the Minister of State for External Affairs.

The Income Tax (I-T) department has said Tharoor did not benefit from the Kochi –IPL deal.

The ministry said the I-T department is probing IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi””””s offshore money and trying to find out if stakeholders are fronts for Modi.

Meanwhile, a section of the media, has said that IT officials are probing Modi’s involvement in black money and betting.

The alleged opaqueness with which Modi has conducted the multi-billion dollar cricket tournament, and the manner in which he took on Home Minister P Chidambaram in 2009, seems to have resulted in a detailed inquiry into his activities by the I-T department. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Centre should probe role of big money in IPL: Vayalar Ravi

April 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Apr 19 (ANI): Minister of Indian Overseas Affairs Vayalar Ravi on Monday said the Central Government should look into the role of big cash coming into the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket championship.

Addressing reporters outside Parliament here, Ravi alleged the IPL was ”glorified gambling” run with black money.

“It is for the government to look into the whole system, what is this IPL, who are these people, where the money comes? It is a matter of concern,” he said.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav said the government should take over after scrapping cricket bodies, including the IPL and the national cricket board.

“IPL should be scrapped, government should take it over and nationalise it. The game of IPL should continue. All the cricket bodies like the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) should be scrapped,” said Yadav.

Communist Party of India -Marxist (CPI-M) demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe on the issue.

“There is no full stop after the resignation of Tharoor, question is whether he is guilty or not, whether the post has been misused or not? Everyday new revelations regarding IPL are coming into light,” said CPI-M politburo member Brinda Karat.

“It is said that the Income Tax Department knew for the last six months, even then the government did not intervene. Who are the patrons of the IPL in the government, this also should be investigated and that is why a Joint Parliamentary Committee is required,” she added.

Monday”s development came a day after Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and tendered his resignation over the Kochi IPL fiasco.

Dr Singh accepted the resignation and formally sent it to President Pratibha Devisingh Patil. A late night release from the President”s House confirmed the acceptance of the resignation.

Tharoor was reportedly in trouble after IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi tweeted to reveal that Sunanda Pushkar, a close associate of Tharoor, had been gifted sweat equity worth Rs 70 crores in the new Kochi team, which was sold for Rs 1530 crores last month.

Modi in his email to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief Shashank Manohar had stated it was Tharoor who called him and instructed him not to reveal the identities of the stakeholders of the Kochi IPL franchisee.

Tharoor, however, had denied this.

Tharoor said he had ”enough” of the controversy and denied securing any monetary interest in the Kochi IPL team. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lalu Prasad demands scrapping of IPL

April 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Apr 19 (ANI): A day after Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor resigned from the Union Cabinet, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad on Monday demanded scrapping of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Lalu Prasad alleged that there is huge amount of black money involved in the IPL and the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) should stop this entire event.

“The IPL should be scrapped. A huge amount of betting and black money is involved in the IPL. The BCCI and IPL governing councils should be stopped from spoiling the country with this tournament,” Lalu Prasad said.

On Sunday, in an attempt save its face, the Congress accepted the resignation of Shashi Tharoor from the Union Council of Ministers, putting an end to a week-long drama over the Kochi IPL franchise. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Left demands JPC probe on Tharoor-IPL issue

April 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Apr 19 (ANI): Left parties on Monday called for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the controversy surrounding the involvement of former Minister of State for External Affairs, Shashi Tharoor, with the Kochi IPL franchise.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) politburo member Brinda Karat said her party was not satisfied with Tharoor’s resignation from the cabinet

She said a Joint Parliamentary Committee needs to look into the issue.

“We want a Join Parliamentary Committee to go into the entire matter, and Tharoor”s resignation does not put a full stop to the entire matter. What was the wrongdoing, was there a misuse of position, the entire accounting, where”s the money (for IPL) coming from – every day there are further revelations that we read in the newspapers,” Karat said.

“Unless the Government wants to take the postion that they have nothing to do with this, which I think would be very wrong indeed,” she added.

Her comments came just hours after the Union Finance Ministry said it is carrying out a detailed investigation into the teams” auction records and accounts.

This is a parallel exercise to the Income Tax Department”s raids and findings to get to the bottom of the Tharoor-Kochi IPL mystery. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Finance Ministry gives clean chit to Tharoor, guns for Modi

April 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Apr 19 (ANI): In a major development, a day after Shashi Tharoor was shown the door from the Union Cabinet, the Finance Ministry’s report has given a clean chit to him in connection with the Kochi –IPL deal.

Tharoor resigned on Sunday night as the Minister of State for External Affairs.

The Income Tax (I-T) department has said Tharoor did not benefit from the Kochi –IPL deal.

The ministry said the I-T department is probing IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi””””s offshore money and trying to find out if stakeholders are fronts for Modi.

Meanwhile, a section of the media, has said that IT officials are probing Modi’s involvement in black money and betting.

The alleged opaqueness with which Modi has conducted the multi-billion dollar cricket tournament, and the manner in which he took on Home Minister P Chidambaram in 2009, seems to have resulted in a detailed inquiry into his activities by the I-T department. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tharoor has an agenda, says Lalit Modi

April 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Mumbai, Apr 16 (ANI): Indian Premier League (IPL) Commissioner Lalit Modi on Friday accused Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor of having an agenda in promoting the Kochi IPL fanchise, and asserted that he won”t let that agenda succeed.

“Tharoor has an agenda. I won”t let it succeed,” said Modi.

A private television channel quoted Modi as saying that he won”t allow any hidden agenda to take over IPL.

Modi further said that Tharoor wants the team to be based in Abu Dhabi, which he wouldn”t allow.

“I can”t understand why the team needs to be in Abu Dhabi. Shashi Tharoor”s agenda will be shut down, believe me,” said Modi.

Brushing aside all media reports that said Modi may step down from the post of IPL Commissioner and that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Shashank Manohar may be appointed as the Co-Chairman of IPL, Modi said: “I am the IPL Chairman and will stay on.”

He also said neither the IPL shareholders nor the BCCI knew who Sunanda Pushkar was, and did not care who she was.

It may be recalled that the media had said that Pushkar had acquired Rs 70 crore equity in the Kochi IPL franchise.

About the reported intention to shift the Kochi IPL franchise to Abu Dhabi, Modi said that the “IPL is an Indian League and no IPL team would be allowed to establish a base outside India.”

Meanwhile, Tharoor has said that he did not misuse his official position and has no role in the Indian Premier League (IPL) bidding process.

“My ministerial position irrelevant,” said Tharoor, adding that he had no role in the Kochi IPL consortium.

A private television channel quoted Tharoor as saying that his role was that of an informal mentor, adding that an IPL team is the dream of many cricket lovers in Kerala.

“The notion of proxy for me is insulting,” said Tharoor, adding that the reference to Sunanda Pushkar has hurt him, NDTV reported.

“I was in no position to influence the bid,” said Tharoor, asserting that money was never a motivating factor for him.

Tharoor is reportedly in trouble after Modi tweeted to reveal that Sunanda Pushkar, a close associate of Tharoor, had been gifted equity worth Rs 70 crores in the new Kochi team which was sold for Rs 1530 crores last month.

Modi in his email to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief Shashank Manohar had stated it was Tharoor who called him and instructed him not to reveal the identities of the stakeholders of the Kochi IPL franchisee.

Tharoor, however, has denied pressurising Modi.

Tharoor said he had ”enough” of the controversy and went on to deny any monetary interest in the Kochi IPL team. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

No misuse of my official position: Tharoor

April 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, Apr 16 (ANI): Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor has said that he did not misuse his official position and has no role in the Indian Premier League (IPL) bidding process.

“My ministerial position irrelevant,” said Tharoor, adding that he had no role in the Kochi IPL consortium.

A private television channel quoted Tharoor as saying that his role was that of an informal mentor, adding that an IPL team is the dream of many cricket lovers in Kerala.

“The notion of proxy for me is insulting,” said Tharoor, adding that the reference to Sunanda Pushkar has hurt him, NDTV reported.

“I was in no position to influence the bid,” said Tharoor, asserting that money was never a motivating factor for him.

Tharoor is reportedly in trouble after IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi tweeted to reveal that Sunanda Pushkar, a close associate of Tharoor, had been gifted equity worth 70 crores in the new Kochi team which was sold for 1530 crores last month.

Modi in his email to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief Shashank Manohar had stated it was Tharoor who called him and instructed him not to reveal the identities of the stakeholders of the Kochi IPL franchisee.

Tharoor, however, has denied pressurising Modi.

Tharoor said he had ”enough” of the controversy and went on to deny any monetary interest in the Kochi IPL team. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Country”s longest rail bridge at Kochi gets its final trial run

April 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Kochi (Kerala), Apr 1 (ANI): The trial run using an engine was held in Kochi on Wednesday over the country”s longest rail bridge in the stretch from Idappally to Vallarpadam.

The 8.86 kilometer-long link was built at a total cost of Rs 350 crore funded by Goverment of India through Ministry of Shipping. The Rail Vikas Nigam oversaw the work. The rail link also includes the longest railway bridge (4.62 km) in the country.

The track has been laid to the best specifications with 52 Kg rails, Pre-stressed Concrete sleepers and 30 cm ballast cushion. The track has been fully electrified and has the latest signalling system.

Officials have said that the trial run on the Vallarpadam rail link was a success.

The project has the longest Railway Bridge and other four small bridges. The bridges are on 1.2 diameter piles and are taken to an average depth of about 55 metres. There are over 1275 piles made for the project totalling to about 65000 metres of pile length.

All put together, there are 99 spans of 40 m and 33 spans of 20 m U girder.

The new bridge cuts across the Vembanad Lake through the Mulavukad Island and will push the Nehru Setu Bridge near Dehri on river Sone in Bihar to the second place by more than a kilometre.

Building the new bridge involved massive deployment of manpower and material. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Body-piercing ritual at Kochi Temple

March 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Kochi, Mar. 31 (ANI): Devotees at Kerala’s Aaryyankavu Bhagwathi Temple have devised a new way of performing the banned ancient Thookkam, or body-piercing ritual.

In the original Thookam ritual, the back of the person willing to perform the ritual is pierced with sharp hooks and lifted up to a height of over 30 feet on a scaffold, before the bleeding victim is brought down and hooks taken out.

However, the new method doesn’t require the devotee to be hung or lifted.

“After a court put a ban on the ancient ritual of multiple body-piercing and hanging from rope, now only single piercing is done in the body and the person just stands still and does not hang. The devotees also fast for 41 days,” said Shiv Raman, a temple committee member.

In 2004 – following a widespread protest by social activists and even Hindu priests – the practice was banned by a court.

The legend behind the ritual goes back to the ancient days. Legend has it that even after slaying the demon Darika, the Goddess Kali remained bloodthirsty.

Hindu god Lord Vishnu then sent his mount, the giant bird Garuda, to Kali. Garuda gave the goddess some drops of blood, which pacified her thirst.

The ritual is performed based on this belief. (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
« Older Posts