Youth arrested for robbery in Delhi

New Delhi, Jun 6 (PTI) A youth was arrested in the national capital for allegedly robbing a person after opening fire at him in north-east Delhi, police said today. He was apprehended from Seelampur yesterday following a tip-off, a senior police official said.

Police has withheld his identity as they were verifying his age. The youth, believed to be 19 years old, along with his three friends allegedly opened fire at one Maya Ram in Dilshad Garden when he was on way to his Tahirpur residence along with his friend.

“When Ram resisted their robbery attempt, they beat them up. One of them then took out a pistol and fired on him.

The bullet hit his left shoulder. They looted his mobile phone and cash.

They also took away the belongings of his friend and fled the spot,” the official said.

Mulayam Singh Yadav not allowed to unveil Lohia””s statue

Lucknow, Mar 23 (ANI): Samajwadi Party (SP) president Mulayam Singh Yadav was on Tuesday not allowed to unveil the statue of Ram Manohar Lohia in Lucknow following which he had a scuffle with the police personnel.

Sources said the Samajwadi Party supremo was about to unveil the statue, when the police personnel following stopped him from doing so.

“The political scene in the country is changing. They did it due to the Chief Minister. Someone could have died had they pulled the ladder. Police officers were pulling the ladder even while we were inaugurating the statue with flowers,” said Mulayam Singh Yadav

“They were even collecting the flowers to show the Chief Minister that they have tried their best to restrict me,” he added.

Samajwadi Party spokesperson Mohan said, “Mulayam Singh Yadav was manhandled,” adding that the attitude of the State Government was not right.

The district administration said Mulayam Singh Yadav was trying to unveil a statue on government property.

The State Government had not given its nod to the Samajwadi Party to carry on with the ceremony. (ANI)

Nainital prepares for the tourist season

Nainital, March 22 (ANI): Hoteliers and traders in Nainital, one of the country”s favourite tourist destinations in Uttarakhand state, are gearing up ahead of the approaching tourist season (April to June).

Hoteliers are working day and night to come up to the expectations of the customers.

“We are updating our hotel rooms, repairing furniture and other preparations are also going on. As you see the weather is pleasant here and we are expecting the same for rest of the months. So we are working hard and preparing for the season,” said Kamal Jagati of Nainital Hotel Association.

Also, the boat owners in Nainital are giving a face-lift to their boats and making them attractive for the tourist season.

Talking to reporters Pratap Ram, a boat owner said that they are repairing boats as part of their preparation for the upcoming tourist season.

“We are preparing for the peak season. We are repairing boats for the coming season; the season will start from the month of April. This season is for three months and we are preparing for it,” said Pratap Ram.

Nainital is a tourist zone that extends upto Mulwa Tal to the east where Bhimtal, Sattal and Naukachiatal have developed as tourist centres. (ANI)

BJP’s Himachal Rajya Sabha poll nominee files papers

Shimla, March 16 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee for the election to the Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal Pradesh, falling vacant next month, filed nomination papers Tuesday.

‘Vimla Kashyap today (Tuesday) filed her papers for the Rajya Sabha election,’ state BJP chief Khimi Ram told reporters.

Kashyap, 68, is the first women the BJP has fielded for a Rajya Sabha seat from the state. Her election seems a certainty as the BJP has 43 legislators in the 68-member assembly and the opposition Congress has decided not to field a candidate. The seat was held by union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma, whose term ends April 2.

Kashyap has been active in the state politics for more than three decades. She has served as state president of the party’s woman wing thrice.

Polling for the seat, if necessary, will be held March 26.

Nine-day ‘Navratri’ festival begins all over India

New Delhi/ Faizabad/Allahabad, Sept 19 (ANI): The nine-day ‘Navratri’ festival began across India with religious fervour on Saturday.

Thousands of devotees queued up at various temples dedicated to Goddess Durga.

In New Delhi, devotees converged at Jhandewalan to offer prayers prior to dawn and observed fast throughout the day.

“We observe fast on the first day of Navratri. On the first day, we pray for the whole day and meditate on Goddess Durga,” said Madan Gehlot, a devotee.

Meanwhile, at Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh, people made a beeline to the temple of Goddess Badi Devkali.

The devotees believe their wishes are fulfilled if they pray to Goddess Badi Devkali during the festival.

“People believe that coming here redeems them from their sins. Since the Goddess Devkali is the deity of Lord Rama’s dynasty, her significance is all the more. That’s why people come here to offer prayers to the Goddess,” said Poonam, a devotee.

Earlier on Friday, a day prior to the commencement of Dusshera, a unique annual horse procession was taken out through the streets of Allahabad.

The belief is that the horse representing sage Vyasa would relate the Ramayana.

Musical bands led the attractively decorated white horse procession organised by a leading Ram Lila committee of the city.

“Legend says that when Maharishi Valmiki narrated the story of Lord Rama to Luv and Kush then this horse standing next to them also listened to the story. The horse in the form of sage Vyasa tells the story of Rama to people during the Navratri celebrations,” said Ajay Kumar Shukla, secretary, Ramlila Committee.

“Naaratri”, which literally means nine nights, is observed twice a year.

The festival lasts for nine days in honour of nine manifestations of Durga, goddess of power, and fall in the months of April-May and September-October.

It is believed that during the Navratri, Goddess Durga descends on earth to rid it of the demons and blesses her devotees with happiness and prosperity. (ANI)

SC extends stay on Kanshi Ram memorial construction

New Delhi, Sep. 18 (ANI): Expressing dissatisfaction over the Mayawati Government’s plea, the Supreme Court on Friday extended the stay order on its earlier ruling for stoppage of work at Kanshi Ram Memorial Sthal in Lucknow.

“The affidavit is not satisfactory. The question here has many, many burning issues,” it observed during a brief hearing in the case,” a Bench comprising Justices B N Agrawal and Aftab Alam noted.t said the question was whether one could spend so much of money from the state or public exchequer for the purpose.

“Suppose today the legislature decides that 80 per cent of budgetary allocation should be spent on such works of memorials and statues…is it not justiciable,” the Bench asked.

“Serious questions arise in this petition…the cabinet and the legislature have to act under the Constitution,” the Bench added.

The next hearing in the case is on October 5th, and the parties are asked to file their responses to the affidavit by September 29th.

In a detailed affidavit filed in response to the show cause notice issued on September 11, the state government had claimed it had the highest regard for the apex court and that it believed in carrying out its directions in “letter and spirit.”

On September 8, the apex court had ruled that no further construction activities should take place at the memorials which have cost the exchequer 2,600 crore rupees.

However, media reports said construction activities were going on in full swing despite the court’s directive, following which the bench had issued a show cause notice. (ANI)

Nirupama Rao discusses India, Nepal ties in Kathmandu

Kathmandu, Sep 15 (ANI): Visiting Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao met Nepal Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala and discussed various bilateral issues including greater sharing of vital information between the two countries.

According to Nepalnews, both the leaders also discussed electricity import from India, signing of extradition treaty and the agreements reached during Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal’s visit to India last month.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Koirala said that the discussion basically revolved around building greater cooperation between India and Nepal, Constitution drafting and the peace process.

“India was keen on providing more assistance to help develop Nepal’s poor infrastructures, building transmission lines for the import of electricity from India, signing of the new extradition treaty and address other trade issues,” Koirala added.

Earlier Nirupama Rao met her Nepalis counterpart Gyan Chandra Acharya and discussed joint strategy for implementation of the 34-point agreement signed between the two countries last month.

During the meeting, she assured substantial amount of Indian investment in Nepal if peace is established in the country.

She also called on former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala at his residence and suggested that Koirala has a great role to play in the days ahead to end the political impasse in Nepal.

She also met CPN UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal and extended an invitation to visit India on behalf of the government of India. During her meeting she advised Khanal to seek a practical solution on rehabilitation and integration of former Maoist combatants.

Nirupama Rao also met Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, Deputy Prime Minister Bijay Kumar Gachhadar, Chief of Army Staff Chatra Mansingh Gurung and Maoist leader Babu Ram Bhattrai New Delhi is sending a high-level official to Nepal at a time when the constitution-drafting and peace process has been stalled due to differences among major political parties.

This is Nirupama Rao’s first visit to Nepal after being appointed Foreign Secretary on July 31.

She will also visit Pashupatinath temple and offer her prayers later today. (ANI)

Indian foreign secretary arrives in Kathmandu

Kathmandu, Sep 14 (ANI): Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao who arrived here on a two-day visit, will meet President Ram Baran Yadav and Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala today.

Nirupama Rao’s visit is aimed at working out the strategy for implementation of the 34-point agreement between Nepal and India signed during Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal’s India visit, last month.

Nirupama will hold official talks with her Nepali counterpart Gyan Chandra Acharya for the same.

She will also meet Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, Foreign Secretary Gyan Chandra Acharya and leaders of various political parties, including opposition Maoist chief Prachanda.

New Delhi is sending a high-level official to Nepal at a time when the constitution-drafting and peace process has been stalled due to differences among major political parties.

This is Nirupama Rao’s first visit to Nepal after being appointed Foreign Secretary on July 31. She will also visit Pashupatinath temple and offer her prayers. (ANI)

38-year-old Delhi woman dies of swine flu, toll rises to six

New Delhi, Sep.11 (ANI): A 38-year-old woman has become Delhi’s sixth swine flu victim.

Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital Medical Superintendent N.K. Chaturvedi said the victim, Raj Bala, was a resident of Faridabad and had been admitted with swine flu symptoms on September 5. He said that she died this morning.

Bala was both diabetic and hypertensive and had a past history of bronchial asthma.

Chaturvedi said she died of pulmonary edema.

Earlier, a 12-year-old girl, Gauri, a resident of Dwarka had died at the same hospital on Thursday. (ANI)

Mystery surrounds motive behind Malay-Indian actress’ suicide

Kuala Lumpur, Sep. 11 (ANI): The mystery behind Malay-Indian actress K. Sujatha’s suicide continues, with her family’s counsel testifying that she took her life for reasons best known to her.

K. Kumaraendran, however, dismissed any third party involvement in her death.

The Star Online quoted Kumaraendran as saying that Sujatha’s close friend S. Vell Paari, who spent lavishly on the actress, including buying her a 420,000 ringgits condominium and financing her brothers’ education, should not be associated with her death.

Making his submissions, he said coroner Mohd Faizi Che Abu should not fail to reach a positive conclusion because there were doubts on some minor points.

Kumaraendran said the coroner had to consider the forensic expert’s evidence affirming that Sujatha herself drank the paraquat, as there were no splash marks on her.

He said the court should also consider the evidence given by Sujatha’s younger brother Surenthiran that he bought the paraquat upon her request.

“Sujatha had claimed that she wanted the para-quat for her friend. There is no interested party here,” Kumaraendran stressed.

He also said that the doctor who treated her was informed by her that she had consumed paraquat unknowingly.

DPP Geethan Ram Vincent said the coroner had to evaluate the evidence, as the evidence given by Vell Paari and Dr Sakti over the reasons for drinking the paraquat was difficult to believe.

He said Surenthiran’s evidence was suspicious, too.

Sujatha, 28, who had worked as Vell Paari’s personal assistant and head of corporate department, died on June 25, 2007, four days after being admitted to hospital. (ANI)

Abandoned by children, inmates of an old-age perform ‘Shraadh’ in Bhopal

Bhopal, Sep.10 (ANI): Abandoned by their own children, many elderly people at an old-age home in Bhopal, performed ‘Shraadh’ for themselves during the ongoing ‘Pitrapaksha’.

As per Hindu tradition, one’s children or family members perform the Shraadh, the ritual of remembering the deceased.

These elderly inmates took the unusual step, as they realised there was no one in their families to perform this ritual.

“They (children) will not do the salvation ritual for us after our death. We are doing it for ourselves. If today they are treating us in this manner, we don’t know what they will do after our death. What can we say?… There is no one to see us. There is no one to listen to our plight… We will die like this here one day,” said Murari Lal Saxena, inmate of Anand Dham old-age-home.

By performing their own ‘shraadh’ rituals, the elderly said they were preparing for their next life.

Parmanad Agrawal, whose family members have died, said in this age and time he couldn’t trust his relatives to do ‘Shraadh’ for him.

“I’m doing my own salvation ritual. So that I don’t suffer in my next life,” said Parmanad Agrawal, an inmate of Anand Dham, the old age home.

Meanwhile, the in-charge of the old-age home Madhuri Mishra said that the inmates did the rituals out of a sense of compulsion.

“All elderly members were worried and in a sad mood. They said since their children have left them in an old age home then why not do their own post-death ritual even if they were still alive. This will leave no burden on their sons after their death. The elderly performed the rituals in the early morning,” said Madhuri Mishra, In-charge, Anand Dham Old-Age-Home.

Hindus believe in reincarnation, or in the cycle of birth. They believe that the body changes with every birth but the soul remains the same.

According to the Hindu philosophy, this birth and death cycle can be broken and the soul can be liberated by performing “Pind Daan” (rituals for dead).

During ‘Pitrapaksha’, children perform the ceremony and pray that the souls of their ancestors should rest in peace. By Ram Chand Sahu(ANI)

Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao to visit Nepal

New Delhi, Sep 10 (ANI): Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao will pay a two-day visit to Nepal next week.

Nirupama Rao will pay courtesy calls on Nepal President Ram Baran Yadav, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala and hold official talks with her counterpart, Foreign Secretary Gyan Chandra Acharya, during her visit.

New Delhi is sending a high-level official to Nepal at a time when the constitution-drafting and peace process has been stalled due to differences among major political parties.

This is Nirupama Rao’s first visit to Nepal after being appointed Foreign Secretary on July 31. She will also visit Pashupatinath temple and offer her prayers. (ANI)

Centre withdraws security cover given to twenty-four VIPs

New Delhi, Aug 29 (ANI): As part of its comprehensive review and rationalisation of the VIP security system, the Union Home Ministry has withdrawn X-category security over of over twenty-four individuals,

The Ministry also decided to reduce the number of personal security officers (PSOs) from three to two to be deployed for X category security.

After the review former Chief Justice of India Y. K. Sabharwal, former MP and Bollywood Star Govinda, former MP Anwar Hussain, UP politician D.P.Yadav, Shoaib Iqbal MLA from Matia Mahal in Delhi, and two Delhi-based journalists and some local leaders from different northeastern states will lose security cover from next month.

Home Ministry sources, the ministry is planning similar reviewing of the Y and Z-category list in due course so that more police personnel are available for actual policing in Delhi.

The ministry will soon write to states to discharge central paramilitary force (CPMFs) personnel who were diverted for VIP security, sources added.

The ministry has also raised concern over the state governments lacking to provide security cover to central protectees, according to their categorisation during their tours in the respective states.

As per the VIP security guidelines, no central protectee can retain his/her Delhi-based PSO beyond 72 hours while on an outstation trip. The PSO is thereafter required to report back to Delhi, leaving the onus of protecting the VIP on the state police.

Meanwhile the Home ministry is also planning to reduce the security cover given to former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, National Commission of Scheduled Castes Chairperson Buta Singh, former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh and Lok Jana Shakti Party Chief Ram Vilas Paswan and others.(ANI)

Our relation with BJP is that of mother and child: Bhagwat

New Delhi, Aug 28 (ANI): Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh Chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Friday that the relation between the RSS and the BJP is like that of a mother and a child.

Addressing a press conference at the Sangh headquarters here, Bhagwat said, “Our relation with BJP is like mother and child. Now, the child has become elder, and it is capable of taking its own decisions.”

Bhagwat said if the BJP asks for any suggestion of the RSS, it will give, ” If they want any help to reconstruct the party, we will certainly help them, but they have to ask for that.”

Responding to a question, Bhagwat said that the Sangh’s commitment’s to the building of the Ram temple in Ayodhya is intact.

“In 90s, we assured Ram Mandir Andolan leaders that the Sangh will stand with it in building a temple in Ayodhya, and we are still committed on it, we will take the Andolan till we construct the temple at the same site,” he said.

Rejecting the formation of two streams of thoughts in RSS ranks, Bhagwat said: “I don’t see any such deviation.”

” We expect our swayamsevaks (volunteers) to be committed to one nation and one culture, if any one goes beyond this thinking we will not consider him as Swayamsevak,” Bhagwat said.

“Sangh never considered power as ultimate way to achieve the ideological commitment, but power is also a mean to achieve it,” he said.

Bhagwat said it is for the BJP to decide on their way forward, and RSS will not dictate it.

Regarding RSS -Muslim relations, he said there are many Muslim workers who are also regularly attending Shakhas (Branches) and we haven’t stopped or restricted any one from coming to shakhas, “But I agree that the number is not visible at the higher level.”

Comparing the views of Sangh ideologue H.V.Sheshadri and the recent statement of former RSS chief Sudarshan on Jinnah, Bhagwat said, “They (Sheshadri and Sudarshan) did not praise Jinnah at all, they were evaluating a particular context in history with a scholarly touch.”

He also said that the banning of books represents a bad trend,

“We cannot stop others from having different thoughts. The RSS believes in taking all thoughts together in achieving national unity, Bhagwat said. Shreeraj Gudi (ANI)

What ex-RSS chief Sudarshan said about Jinnah is right: Bhagwat

New Delhi, Aug.28 (ANI): Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Mohan Bhagwat said on Friday that what his predecessor K.S. Sudarshan had said two days ago about Pakistan Founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah is right.

“What Sudarshanji said is right, RSS holds all in high esteem,” said Bhagwat

He further said that the perception of the Muslim community about RSS is changing

Surdarshan said on Monday that Jinnah was committed to an undivided India.

“Jinnah had many facets. If you look at history, he was once associated with Lokmanya Tilak and was totally committed to undivided India,” Sudarshan said when asked if he considered the Muslim League leader secular.

“And when Gandhiji started the Khilafat movement, with the idea that currently we are opposing the British and if Muslims join in then their support will help gain independence. But at that time Jinnah opposed it saying that if the Caliph in Turkey has been dethroned, what has India got to do with it. That time nobody listened to him, which saddened him. So, he quit the Congress and left for England and only returned in 1927.

“After returning in 1927, Britishers brainwashed Jinnah and prompted him to put forth the demand for a separate state of Pakistan for Muslims,” Sudarshan added.

Sudarshan said that everybody knows history, and added had Gandhiji been adamant, like when he was on giving crores of rupees to Pakistan, then the partition would not have taken place. “But he did not do it because Nehru was his weakness.”

Commenting on Singh’s expulsion from BJP, he said: “It is an internal matter of the party.”

RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav had then sought to clarify Sudarshan’s remarks, saying the former Sangh chief did not mean to say that Jinnah wasn’t responsible for the partition of the Indian subcontinent.

Bhagwat had on August 18 called for an end to factionalism in the BJP, the political wing of the Sangh Parivar, and said the party leadership should make way for younger leaders.

The expulsion of Jaswant Singh, two days after the launch of his latest book-Jinnah: India -Partition – Independence, has been criticised by senior leaders Arun Shourie and Yashwant Sinha. Shourie has called on the RSS to take over the leadership of the BJP. (ANI)

3rd swine flu death in Delhi, toll mounts to 76

New Delhi, Aug. 25 (ANI): A 44-year-old woman died of swine flu at the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital on Tuesday taking the city toll to three and national toll to 76.

“The patient, who passed away this morning, tested positive for swine flu virus. this is the third case of death due to swine flu in Delhi,” N K Chaturvedi, medical superintendent, RML hospital said.

“Her condition was very critical from the day she was admitted to the hospital. She had suffered three cardiac arrests and her BP could not be maintained at the normal level despite medication,” he said.

Usha Jain, a resident of Faridabad, was admitted to the hospital on 21st August with symptoms of fever, breathlessness and joint pain, he said.

“She had not undergone any medication even after eight days of showing symptoms. She went to a private hospital for medication and that too at the last minute when her condition had worsened,” Chaturvedi said.

Immediately after being admitted, she was shifted to the ICU and put on a ventilator.

Last week, two deaths due to H1N1 virus were reported from New Delhi.

While 38-year-old woman, Renu Gupta, resident of Gurgaon was the first case of death due to swine flu in the city on 20th August, 31-year-old man, Samrat Pandeya, a resident of Panchsheel Park, died the next day. (ANI)

Britney’s ex Adnan Ghalib pleads not guilty in felony assault case

Washington, Aug 25 (ANI): Pop princess Britney Spears’ ex-boyfriend, paparazzo Adnan Ghalib, has pleaded not guilty to assaulting a process server with his car.

Ghalib was accused of running over Ram Moskowitz as the latter tried to hand him legal papers, which were a part of the singer’s conservatorship case in 2008, reports Contactmusic.

The photographer is facing felony assault with a deadly weapon, battery and hit and run charges.

He is due back in court in Van Nuys, California, on September 29, and he faces seven years behind bars if he’s found guilty. (ANI)

RSS irked by Jaswant’s mention of India being a country of many nationalities

New Delhi, Aug.21 (ANI): It is learnt that the Sangh leadership has revisited Jaswant Singh’s controversial book — Jinnah – India, Partition, Independenc-and has raised severe objections to many of its contents other than the eulogizing of Jinnah and the denigration of India’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhai Patel.

“The RSS is badly irked by mention of India being a country of many nationalities,” sources said.

The RSS believes that such talk is in itself contradictory to the BJP’s famous slogan of “One Country, One Constitution”, which the party has often used in the context of removing the special status allocated to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The RSS also believes that Jaswant’s argument of India being a country of many nationalities is similar to the ideology of the Left parties.

The RSS has also trashed Singh’s contention that Sardar Patel banned the Sangh, and therefore, he had done no harm to the core ideology of the BJP by writing against the iron man.

RSS sources told ANI that the RSS has deep respect for Patel despite the fact that he banned the outfit.

They further elaborated that Patel had banned the RSS on the orders of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru after Mahatma Gandhi was murdered by Nathu Ram Godse.

Prior to implementing the order, Patel had written a letter to Nehru appreciating the social service rendered by the RSS when the partition of the subcontinet was at its peak. Patel also wrote to Veer Savarkar about the good work done by the Swayamsevaks.

In fact, Patel gave a clean chit to RSS within a month of Gandhi’s assassination, and is said to have told Nehru that the RSS was not involved in the killing.

The RSS was banned on February 4, 1948 four days after the killing of Mahatma Gandhi. The ban was only lifted in July 1949. The right wing outfit was later banned during the emergency (1975) and after the demolition of the Babri Mosque (December 1992).

Earlier in the day, Advani also toed the RSS line in saying that Patel had banned the RSS under pressure from Nehru.

Advani also said that Patel’s task of unifying more 700 odd princely states was a “super human effort and a spectacular achievement.” By Naveen Kapoor (ANI)

Rajnath stays mum on Jaswant, says Advani will continue to lead BJP

Shimla, Aug 21 (ANI ) : Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) President Rajnath Singh, on Friday refused to take any questions from the media on the issue of expulsion of former External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh from the party and said L.K Advani will continue to lead the party “forever.”

” Advaniji will lead the party for longer time.”

Addressing the media at the end of the three-day Chintan Baithak here, Singh said “Don’t bring up the old issues again, and I told whatever I can on day one.”

Singh said the members attending the Chintan Baithak had decided to be tough on the ideological and individual discipline of party leaders and workers.

He urged party leaders and workers to adopt a model life style in their public as well as personal life.

Singh also said the BJP has decided to stick to its core ideology of cultural nationalism as said in the ideological draft of “Integral Humanism.”

Integral Humanism is a draft of five speeches made by Jan Sangh President Din Dayal Upadhyaya. The BJP adopted Integral Humanism as its philosophy in place of Gandhian Socialism at Party’s National Executive of 1984 held at Kolkata.

The analysis of party’s performance on all the fronts made at the Chintan Baithak would be discussed at a general secretaries meeting soon.

He also said that the party would constitute a committee to draft the “road ahead” map for the party, which would be placed before party’s National Executive in September – October.

” I will call a meeting of senior leaders and all general secretaries to discuss the analysation made here, and a committee will be formed to prepare a road map draft for the party, which will be placed before the national executive,” Singh said.

Singh also rebuffed allegations of any leakage of the draft of the party’s performance.

“Both Bal Apte and Ram Lal were assigned to analyse the party performance based on the reports given by various state units, and accordingly they put their views before the meeting. And they brought all the points in their diary and no draft was prepared, “Singh explained.

Considering RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat’s suggestion to give preference to youngsters, Singh said : ” The meeting considered the sarsnghchalkji’s statement and decided to give preference for youngsters from Mandal level to the Central level.”

Rajnath read out the points of the resolutions adopted by the meet, which states, (1) The BJP will be committed to the ideology of cultural nationalism and Integral Humanism, (2)Stress on expansion of party’s geological and social base, (3) Preference to women, youths, farmers in party leadership (4) Strengthening NDA, (5) No compromise on discipline (6) Role model administration by the party’s governments at the state level, (7)Constructive and aggressive opposition at the centre and (8) Leading model life by leaders and workers of the party.

Singh said no one is responsible for party’s debacle, ” No one is responsible for election debacle. If at all any one is responsible, its Rajnath Singh, I owe my responsibility being party chief.” (ANI)

Condition of three swine flu suspects better, says RML doctor

New Delhi, Aug 13 (ANI): The condition of the three swine flu suspects, who are admitted to the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital, was reported to be much better on Thursday.

“The condition of three patients who were serious is improving well. We are awaiting the report from NICD, ” said Dr. N K Chaturvedi, Medical Superintendent, RML.

The three patients were admitted to RML on Wednesday with swine flu like symptoms.

Of the three, one is a 29-year-old man, who is also suffering from renal failure, another a 40-year-old man, who is suffering from pneumonia and a two-year-old child suffering from cough and cold.

The patients have been put under treatment and are responding well.

Though the reports of their samples are still awaited, the doctors at the hospital are hopeful of their recovery.

RML is one of the government certified testing centres for the symptoms of H1N1 virus.

Till Wednesday, a total of 654 people were screened at the RML, of which 584 are adults and rest 70 are children.

The RML doctors took samples of eleven patients, but no one has been advised admission. Of the 11 patients in the isolation ward, four have already been discharged.

The toll of H1N1 positive cases has risen to 312 in New Delhi.

As on Thursday, the fatal cases of swine flu had touched the mark of 20. (ANI)