Everyone living in India is a ‘Hindu’: RSS

New Delhi, Mar 31 (PTI) The RSS today said that everyone who lived in India was a “Hindu” irrespective of religion and suggested that the welfare of all should be considered. Giving the examples of former president A P J Abdul Kalam and pioneer of milk co-operative movement Varghese Kurien, Mohan Bhagwat, who recently became the chief of the organisation, said that everyone residing in the country who believed in the welfare of all was a “Hindu”.

“Hindu is not the name of community. It is a way of life. Each one who resides in Bharat, the greater Bharat before partition is a Hindu and should be proud of his or her identity. We are Hindu by nature and culture,” the sixth chief of the RSS said addressing his felicitation ceremony here.

He said that no leader, policy, or rule can be complete without the accommodation and respect for “people’s aspirations”.

“No Neta (leader), Niti (policy), Raj (rule)… Can be complete without respect for people’s aspiration. The aspiration of people of this country, who are Hindus irrespective of the religion they belong … Is the welfare of humanity,” Bhagwat said.

Bhagwat said the people of the nation aspire to be “world leaders”.

He said RSS has seen worst days “for the last 50 to 60 years” and also underwent a period when everyone showered praises and tried to associate with it,” in an apparent reference to the six year long BJP-led NDA rule, as he traced the graph of the 83-year old organisation. PTI

Twelve die, over 150 injured in Orissa tornado

Kendrapara (Orissa), Mar 31 (PTI) At least 12 people were killed and more than 150 others injured this evening as a tornado wrought havoc and left trails of devastation at villages in Rajkanika block of Orissa’s Kendrapara district.

“Twelve bodies were recovered so far after the furious tornado swept 11 villages in five gram panchayats. A large number of people were injured,” Additional Superintendent of Police Kumarmani Meher said.

However, the death toll has been put at around 20 by local panchayat raj functionaries and residents.

“The tornado damaged more than 300 houses, uprooted a large number of trees blocking roads and toppled electric poles during its brief spell of fury,” Kendrapara Collector Sisirkanta Panda said.

Over 150 people were injured, many of them critically, in the storm. The condition of about 25 people, including elderly and children, was stated to be critical, they said.

The injured were admitted to hospitals at Rajkanika and Aul and those with critical injuries were later shifted to S C B Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.

The administration granted Rs one lakh each to families of the dead, Rs 50,000 to those who were handicapped, Rs 7,500 to seriously injured and Rs 2,500 to injured persons, sources said. PTI

One killed in Assam blast near venue of Pranab rally

Guwahati, Mar 31 (PTI) One person was killed when a bomb planted by suspected ULFA militants exploded close to the venue of a Congress rally this evening a few minutes before External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukerjee was due to address the meeting.
The bomb exploded near Shankar hotel in Jyoti Kuchi Road in Lalganesh area at around 6 p.M. Killing a labourer on the spot and injuring 16 others. Mukherjee skipped the rally following the blast. He had earlier addressed another rally five km from the blast site.

The police said the bomb may have been planted by members of the ULFA’s 709 battalion who had recently sneaked into the city to carry out subversive activities ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

An alert has been sounded in the city following the blast particularly in view of the visit of a host of central political leaders for campaigning.

Some of the injured were admitted to the Guwahati Medical College hospital.

Details of the type of the bomb were awaited and investigations wwere underway. PTI

SC rejects Dutt’s plea to contest LS polls

New Delhi, Mar 31 (PTI) Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt‘s maiden bid to contest the Lok Sabha polls was today rejected by the Supreme Court which refused to stay his conviction for a “serious offence” in connection with the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.
The apex court said Dutt, who has joined Samajwadi Party, was convicted of the “serious offence” and the bar under the election law prohibiting him from contesting elections could not be lifted.

“In view of the serious offence for which he has been convicted by the special judge, we are not inclined to suspend the conviction and senetence awarded by the Special Judge in the present case,” a Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan said dismissing Dutt’s petition.

50-year-old Dutt, who was tipped to contest the Lok Sabha polls from Lucknow, had sought suspension of his conviction under the Arms Act in connection with the Mumbai blasts case. He has been sentenced to six years imprisonment.

The Bench rejected the contention of Dutt that there was no other criminal case against him and that his family background could be considered for suspending his conviction so that the bar on fighting elections under section 8(3) of the Representation of People Act (RPA) will not operate against him.

“Despite all these favourable circumstances, we do not think that this is a fit case where conviction and sentence could be suspended,” the Bench, also comprising Justices P Sathasivam and R M Lodha, said in its nine-page judgement. PTI

.::. All my articles can be view here: MELTED HEARTS .::.