Send Narendra Modi to Pak: Lalu
Patna: Latching on to a Pakistan Minister’s “destabilisation” remark against Narendra Modi, RJD leader Lalu Prasad on Thursday said the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate should be sent to Pakistan and then only any question of destabilisation will arise. Prasad also said that sending Modi to Pakistan was the “best medicine” for him. “Send Narendra Modi to Pakistan, then only any question of destabilisation will arise. His people talk about sending others to Pakistan, we should send him instead,” Prasad told reporters. He was reacting to Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan’s statement that Modi’s election as Prime Minister will destabilise the region, With the Election Commission slapping two cases against Modi for violating the model code of conduct, Prasad prescribed Pakistan as the medicine for everything related to the BJP leader. “First send Modi to Pakistan. This is the best medicine for him. We will think about EC FIR after that,” he said. Hitting back at the RJD chief for his remarks, BJP spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said, “Why not send Laluji to Pakistan instead? He says he is very popular in that country. It will be a wise decision to send him there.” Hussain also said Pakistan or his ministers should remain in their limits while talking about India. They have no right to interfere in Indian matters and it is for the people of this country to decide who will be their Prime Minister. (PTI)
Muslims who don’t vote for SP not true Muslims: Azmi
Sant Kabir Nagar (UP): In controversial comments, Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi has said that Muslims who do not vote for his party are not “true Mulsims” “A Muslim, who does not vote for SP and talks against it is not a Muslim. His DNA test should be conducted. See whether he is from RSS,” he said while addressing an election rally in support of SP candidate Bhalchandra Yadav at Khalilabad. “I want to say that he cannot be a true person. What SP supremo Mulayam Singh has not done for them (Muslim community),” Azmi, who is the Maharashtra unit chief of SP, asked. (PTI)
UP protests Priyanka’s violation of security norms
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government Thursday protested to the Special Protection Group (SPG) against Congress campaigner Priyanka Gandhi’s violation of security norms in Amethi and Rae Bareli. Informed sources said the Principal Secretary (Home), Anil Kumar Gupta, wrote to SPG director that Gandhi was flouting the rule book, breaking security cordons and mingling with crowds during election rallies. Priyanka Gandhi has been camping in Amethi and Rae Bareli for the last fortnight overseeing the election campaign of her brother Rahul Gandhi and mother Sonia Gandhi. The official reportedly mentioned the security threats from various terrorist groups to VIPs. The Mayawati government had in 2011 also sent similar letters to the central government objecting to the movement of Rahul Gandhi. The 42-year-old Priyanka Gandhi has been mingling with crowds in villages and at roadside meetings, giving anxious moments to her security guards. She enjoys SPG protection as a member of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi’s family. (IANS)
Trial in Asaram’s case to continue even in his absence: Court
Jodhpur: In view of repeated adjournments due to Asaram’s absence citing health grounds, the district and session court hearing the sexual assault case against the self-styled godman on Thursday ordered that the trial will not be stalled anymore on the account of absence of any accused. The court, while admitting the application of the prosecution seeking permission to continue the trial in the absence of Asaram, gave directions to the defence to proceed with the trial from next date on May 5. “The court admitted our application and ordered the defence to continue with the trial, even if any accused was absent from the court,” Public Prosecutor R L Meena said. Meena said now the trial would continue from May 5 when the victim girl will be cross-examined by the defence even if Asaram does not appear in the court. The trail was stalled on the account of continuous absence of Asaram from the court on health grounds. After the prosecution completed the statements of the teenage victim on April 21, the court had listed the matter for cross-examination of the girl by defence on April 25. But since Asaram did not appear in the court on the day and the following dates due to ill health, the matter kept getting adjourned. (PTI)
Passengers stranded in Jeddah a snag develops in AI plane
New Delhi: Over 350 passengers, including IUML MP E T Mohammed Basheer, were stranded at Jeddah airport after a Boeing 747 of Air India suffered a technical problem there on Wednesday and the airline despatched two aircraft from Mumbai and Delhi to bring them back on Thursday. The passengers of the Jeddah-Kozhikode flight AI-962 spent several hours at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport before they were provided with accommodation by the airline at nearby hotels, an airline officials said here. They said two Airbus A-320 aircraft were flown from Delhi and Mumbai today bring back the stranded passengers. A Boeing 747-400 of Air India can accommodate over 400 passengers, while a B 747-300 has 342 seats. Due to the problem suspected in the hydraulic system of the aircraft, Air India rescheduled the departure of flights to Kozhikode and Hyderabad today. The stranded passengers included several elderly Umrah pilgrims besides women and children, according to reports from Jeddah. They said one of the two aircraft sent today would return later on Thursday night while the other tomorrow early morning. (PTI)
Modi’s statement about slumped economic growth complete lie: Azad
Varanasi: Discounting the statement of Narendra Modi that economic growth of the country slumped in Congress-led UPA regime, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday said even the world bank has cited India as the world’s third largest economy. “Narendra Modi has been speaking a complete lie about Congress as even the world bank in its recent report has cited India as the world’s third largest Economy in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP), moving ahead of Japan,” he told reporters here. (PTI)