Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi will share the stage at the function to inaugurate a museum dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's life in Ahmedabad on October 29. 

Onion prices continued to reign at as much as Rs 100 a kg in major cities, with the government indicating that rates may start falling after Diwali.        

TRS President K Chandrasekhar Rao today said a possible merger with the Congress can only be discussed after Parliament passes the Bill for the formation of Telangana.        

At least five protesters were killed and over 300 injured as workers of the main opposition BNP today clashed with security forces, during rallies across Bangladesh, to demand that a neutral caretaker government must oversee the next general election.        

MP Kunal Ghosh was today grilled for the eighth time by the police in connection with the Saradha scam, with the dissident Trinamool Congress leader claiming that he had no knowledge about the chit fund fraud.        

Former prime minister and JD-S supremo H D Deve Gowda today said the party would maintain equidistance from both the BJP and the Congress in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and supported the initiative taken by Left parties to form a future political combination.    

Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam party leader Vijaykant is mulling fielding candidates for the upcoming Delhi assembly polls.       

Backing the use of genetically modified technology in crops, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today said farmers prefer GM cotton as it gives a higher yield and is more disease-resistant and opposed "arbitrary bans" on trials of such crops.        

Ousted Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed today alleged that he was in danger of being assassinated by Al Qaeda agents, prompting authorities to launch an investigation.        

Ahead of the seventh India-Republic of Korea Joint Commission Meeting on November 9, the Centre has asked the Odisha government to submit a status report on the Posco project.       

Andhra Chief Minister Kiran Reddy has written to President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, requesting them to follow established practices and conventions in the state's bifurcation and the creation of Telangana.

The Congress today refrained from directly reacting to NCP leader Sharad Pawar's advice for Rahul Gandhi -- that he should gain administrative experience first before trying to become the prime minister -- although the party did point out that its vice-president had gathered "experience" as a two-time MP.        

Rebutting the NCP's objection to the epithet Hindu Hriday Samrat in the name of a recently opened municipal hospital named after Bal Thackeray, Shiv Sena today said 'Maulana' in 'Maulana Abul Kalam Azad' too has a  religious association.       

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party today expressed dismay over the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker's decision to "send a letter" to former army chief General (Retd) V K Singh instead of summoning him in connection with his remarks.        

Senior Congress leader and Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma today described Narendra Modi as a"blot of Godhra".        

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan indicated today that the Congress and the NCP will arrive at an agreeable seat sharing formula to jointly fight parliamentary elections in the state.        

Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Ashok Singhal today claimed that BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is a "creation of VHP" and is best suited to unite people of all castes, creeds and religions.       

Former Intelligence Bureau director Arun Bhagat has expressed concern over Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi being provided with intelligence inputs.

Describing it as an imprudent step, Bhagat said Gandhi's claim to being informed about Pakistani intelligence contacting disgruntled Muzaffarnagar youths after last month's riots, is a serious matter, and if true, needs to be avoided at all costs.

"People who occupy higher positions have to be very, very careful with their words. They have to measure their responses and their utterances, so that there is no fallout in them. This, I feel, may be considered to be imprudent, or an indiscretion by some," Bhagat said

Uttar Pradesh Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi on Friday said party vice president Rahul Gandhi's remark on Muslim riot victims being approached by Pakistan intelligence, should be a warning to people to stay united.

"Rahul Gandhi made the statement because there is not only an international linkage to the communal violence, but also an internal hand in the riots, which India needs to save itself from,' Bahuguna said.

"He made the statement to stress on the need for communal unity within the country to take India forward. In one way, Rahul Gandhi has given a warning that international agencies will try to take advantage of communal tensions, but India needs to stand united,' Bahuguna added.

Bahuguna also used the opportunity to criticize the Sangh Parivar's role in the Muzaffarnagar riots, and reiterated that the violence was a combination of internal actors and potential external actors. 

A food ministry official and his wife have been found dead in their apartment in Delhi. The man's throat has been slit while the wife was found hanging in another room.

Details awaited. 

With the latest ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir injuring 11 civilians, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today hit out at its Premier Nawaz Sharif while the BSF has been asked by the Union Government to retaliate with equal measure any unprovoked firing.

In the fresh violation, three more civilians were injured as Pakistani troops opened fire and shelled 17 border out posts and hamlets along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Samba districts overnight taking to 11 the total number of injured civilians.

"As a Primer Minister of Pakistan, the violation of ceasefire cannot be without his consent", Omar said while addressing a large gathering of affected people in border area of R S Pura belt of Jammu district. "Clearly, he either lacks the will, intention and sincerity or has no control over his
Army. If that's the case, what is the use of talking friendship with Pakistan."

The police have booked Nagar for allegedly raping and beating up the woman on September 11, after calling her to his official bungalow in Jaipur on the pretext of giving her a job.

The CBI on October 9 took over the probe from the Rajasthan Police which had registered the case against Nagar, following which he resigned as the minister of dairy, khadi and rural Industries.

Earlier, the CBI team had conducted forensic examination of the official residence of Nagar, where he had allegedly raped the woman.

The CBI team had also recorded the statement of the victim at her residence. Nagar, who tendered his resignation as minister, was suspended from Congress by the party high command last month.

Former Rajasthan minister Babulal Nagar was arrested today in a sexual assault case.

The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in its report reportedly confirmed that the ex-minister's DNA extracted from his blood matches that of the semen taken off the clothes worn by the woman who has accused him of rape.

Nagar's DNA taken off the rape victim's clothes have allegedly found a match with the DNA swab of his blood sample, sources said.

The CBI is now looking for CCTV footage of the woman to ensure she was wearing the same saree the day she was allegedly raped by Nagar at official residence.

Industry leader Ratan Tata today expressed interest in the possibility of privatisation of Air India, saying he would be very happy to look at it whenever it happened.

"As an when it happens, we would be very happy to look at it," the Chairman Emeritus of the Tata Group said when asked whether he would be interested if Air India was privatised.

Tata's comments came weeks after Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said it was his personal opinion that the government should not be in service sectors like airlines or hotels and any future regime could consider privatisation of Air India, as the government would not give any more funds to the airline after it completed equity infusion of Rs 30,000 crore till 2021.

Tata was speaking to reporters after he, along with Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong and Tata-SIA Airlines Chairman Prasad Menon, met the minister.

Way before Narendra Modi demanded an apology from Rahul Gandhi for painting UP riot victims as ISI recruits, senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan said today that Rahul Gandhi should not speak irresponsibly.

"At one point he blames the BJP for the riots and at the other he raises doubt on the dedication of Muslim youths... He should apologise to Muslims for the same and if he cannot do that Sonia Gandhi should do it," Khan said.

"The claims of Rahul Gandhi that Muslim youths are in touch with the Pakistani Intelligence agency would open new doors of hatred and animosity towards them," he said.

The Uttar Pradesh minister said he would try to find out the truth behind Rahul's claims. "Such a statement is not just putting the ISI in the dock but also doubting the integrity of Muslim youths," he said.

Ashok Khemka, IAS, tweets: These are trying times for me and my family. Witch-hunt is extreme. Do not know what sin I have committed. Truth will ultimately prevail.

Khemka, who has been transferred more than 40 times during his career so far, has been chargesheeted for alleged administrative misconduct in cancelling the mutation of the land deal between businessman Robert Vadra and real estate major DLF in Gurgaon.

The 1991-batch IAS officer has been held liable for alleged administrative misconduct for overstepping jurisdiction in passing orders to cancel the mutation of 3.5 acre land in Gurgaon's Shikohpur village. The land was sold by Vadra to DLF.

The Haryana government is now preparing a second chargesheet against him for alleged low sale of wheat seeds during his tenure in Haryana Seed Development Corporation as its managing director from October 15, 2012 to April 4 this year.

Meanwhile, a top Pakistani judge has said that nobody, including the federal government and parliament, is prepared to bring in legislation to control the Inter-Services Intelligence agency.

Peshawar High Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan made the observation while hearing cases related to 282 "missing persons" of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the tribal areas, a media report said today.

Khan warned that courts would be forced to restrict members of law enforcing agencies and security forces to their barracks if they continued to whisk away citizens almost every day through unlawful means, The News reported.

Political parties in Chhattisgarh are leaving no stone unturned to reach out to young voters through mobile phones and social media to influence them in their favour ahead of the next month's Assembly elections.

Both the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress have created Facebook pages for their candidates in 90 constituencies and are promoting their stand on Whatsapp, besides using voice calls.

Modi says, "Repeat after me "Beimaanon ko nahi denge denge" "Mera desh nahi denge" (We will not give our country to dishonest people).

"Look at the values of a party that chose me to be its PM candidate. The BJP has chosen me an ordinary man born into a poor family, someone who as a child sold tea on the railway platform," says Modi.

Modi ends his speech.

Modi who is addressing the rally in Jhansi, refers to Rani Laxmibai, saying, "If there is a lotus then Lakshmi will follow and if Lakshmi comes then roti will come too. This is the revolution we should bring about.

"The 1857 struggle was symbolised by the roti and the lotus, once again on this land of Lakshmibai we have come with the Lotus. From this land a slogan was given. With her baby tied to her back, Lakshmibai said "Meri Jhansi nahi doongi," says Modi.

"Don't make a PM, make me a watchman (chowkidar). I won't let India's treasury be looted by grabbing hands (referring to the Congress symbol). Give us just 60 months to change your destiny," says Modi.

"I have a feeling that the Congress Party and the Government in Delhi is like a news agency. Their responsibility stops with giving us news. Can your future be safe with such a government? Can you leave your future to such leaders and such a party? If no, then please throw them out of power. They are making fun of poverty."

As expected, Modi takes on Rahul's, "I was angry at my grandmother's death."

"Wasn't an angry responsible for the the deaths of thousands of of Sikhs" he thunders.

Referring to Rahul as sahabzada, he says why did your government not react to reports of ISI recruiting Muslims in Muzaffarnagar. He asks how can intelligence officers share state secrets with Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul in his rally at Indore yesterday had said Pakistani agencies are approaching young Muslims who lost family members in the communal riots of Muzaffarnagar.  "Why does India's intelligence bureau share information with an MP. Can you have faith in such a government," he asks.

Modi challenges Rahul to disclose the names of the men who were allegedly recruited by the ISI.  "If you (Rahul) can't name them, you have to apologise to the riot victims," he said.

Modi says the BJP will rewrite the destiny of India in just 60 months.

"The leaders here are not interested in development, they are not interested in the future of the youth," says Modi. "Yeh sabka lootte hai. They have ruined Uttar Pradesh and Bundelkhand. The Samajwadi Party's conduct is such that if Dr Rammanohar Lohia were alive he would be extremely sad," he says.

"You have given the Congress 60 years to rule India, give the BJP just 60 months. Unless the Congress is routed, your fortunes will not change. The time has come to pack away the Congress," he says.

Attacking Rahul Gandhi, Modi says, "The BJP-led government in Madhya Pradesh has used funds wisely. But Rahul's Bundelkhand package has not worked for the people in UP; it was meant for the leaders not the people. The UPA-government is responsible for the poverty in this region. The time has come to pack away the Congress.

"The Congress, SP and BSP are looting Uttar Pradesh. UP politicians have pocketed all the funds meant for this region." 

Narendra Modi's mega rally in Jhansi begins. On the dais are BJP biggies Uma Bharti, Rajnath Singh. According to a report, the main opposition party, is expecting around two lakh people to attend the Jhansi rally.

In an order to bring more crowd in Jhansi, the party is reportedly ferrying people from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and the poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, where assembly elections will held on November 25. Vijendra Singh Sisodia, the BJP spokesperson from Madhya Pradesh, said that Modi's message in Jhansi will have a bearing on assembly elections in MP.

Modi says he is not in Bundelkhand to weep, a reference made to Rahul Gandhi's speeches where he invoked the killings of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and the possibility of his own assassination. "Main yahan rone-dhone ke liye nahin aaya hoon. Main aason ponchhe ne ke liye aaya hoon. I have come here to wipe your tears," says Modi.

Expressing concerns on famous industrialists' name being dragged into the coal allocation scam, Industry body Assocham has written a strongly worded letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The industry body has also cautioned that such instances could impair decision making too.

The CBI earlier this month filed a case against Birla as a representative of Aditya Birla Group and his group company, aluminium maker Hindalco, for alleged corruption in the allocation of Talabira-II coal blocks in Odisha which was allotted to it on November 10, 2005.

Former Coal Secretary PC Parakh was also named by CBI on the matter.Assocham has sought Prime Minister's intervention to end the "environment of distrust" which had arisen due to "half-baked cases" against industry leaders. Read more

The BJP today asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to resign to uphold the sanctity of his office before submitting himself to questioning by CBI in the coal scam.

"It is fine that the Prime Minister has expressed his willingness to face a CBI probe in the Coal scam and said that he is not above law... but we would like him to be questioned by the agency not in his capacity as the PM, but as the Coal Minister Manmohan Singh who approved coal blocks allotment," BJP national spokesperson Syed Shahanwaz Hussain said.

"It will demean sanctity of the high constitutional post of the Prime Minister if the CBI questions him the coal scam and so he must tender his resignation on moral ground before submitting himself to probe in the said scam," he said.

Another BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy, who was also present at the press conference, said that the PM's remarks should not be taken at face value.

The BJP's PM candidate Narendra Modi will address a rally in Jhansi shortly. 

In comments that are likely to fuel a controversy, Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmad today drew parallels with Pakistan's ISI and BJP, saying both "rejoice" whenever communal riots erupt.

His tweet came a day after Rahul Gandhi's claim that intelligence agencies in Pakistan were approaching some victims of the Muzaffarnagar riots to lure them to terrorism sparking a row with the BJP, which said the Congress Vice President tried to point the needle of suspicion at Muslims by his remarks.

"Really true ! Whenever& wherever communal trouble erupts in this country two sets of people rejoice. Pakistan's ISI& India's Bhajpaei," Ahmad tweeted.

A disgruntled Trinamool Congress MP, Somen Mitra, is likely to defect to the Congress soon. He may bring in at least four dissidents with him, a TMC source tells Rediff.com. A senior Congress leader, who did not want to be named, also confirmed this development. Mitra, it is heard, is busy parleying with the Congress leadership and could not be reached for comments.

Scientists have identified thousands of regions in the genome that control the activity of genes for facial feature. Read

Floods triggered by low pressure induced rains wreaked havoc in cyclone-hit Ganjam and other coastal districts of Odisha, leaving 10 persons dead and lakhs marooned as helicopters launched rescue operations today.

Of the 10 deaths, six, including four members of a family were killed in wall collapse in Jagatsinghpur district and four others were swept away in floods in Ganjam district. He said that around 85,000 persons have been evacuated to safety so far.

A prominent Muslim cleric has said Narendra Modi is not a political untouchable for the minority community, and can get their votes if he shows that he cares about them.

Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, one of the country's tallest Shia clerics, praised Modi for "good development" in Gujarat and said, "People should be given a chance to correct their mistakes.

Modi should make changes in his policies and programmes to convey that he is concerned about the welfare of Muslims. If he does that, Muslims can consider voting for him." -- NDTV

The Group of Ministers (GoM), set up to look into the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, will submit its report to the Union Cabinet before the winter session of Parliament, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said today.

"We will submit the report before the winter session begins," Shinde who heads the seven member GoM said.

Shinde, however, refused to divulge anything on when Telanagana will come into existence.

"There is a process (of creating new state). When the Parliament passes the (Telangana) bill, the new state will come," he said.

The high-powered ministerial panel had detailed discussions over sharing of river water, power, distribution of assets and demarcating of boundaries in its two meetings held early this month.

Heavy rains continued to lash Andhra Pradesh today, leaving 17 people dead and forcing the evacuation of 67,419 others from low-lying areas.

Seventeen people were killed in various rain-related incidents as the downpour continued for the fourth consecutive day today even as two others were also missing, official sources.

They said 135 relief camps have been set up in the coastal districts, which bore the brunt of the rain fury.

More on the BJP's reaction to Rahul Gandhi saying that the IB had briefed him on ISI recruiting UP riot victims.

The BJP today said the Home Minister must answer that in what capacity intelligence officials are briefing the Congress MP.

The party criticised the Intelligence Bureau (IB), asking how can it brief a Member of Parliament or a party office bearer.

"In what capacity is the IB briefing Rahul Gandhi? He is just an MP (Member of Parliament), we are MPs too. He is a party office bearer, we are party office bearers too. IB does not brief our party bearers, how can they brief him. He is not the Prime Minister or a Home Minister," BJP national spokesman Prakash Javadekar said.

"If Rahul Gandhi is saying that ISI is in touch with the youth in India, what action is the government taking? The Home Minister must answer. "This is very serious. We can't take politics today to that level where Congress wants to take it," he said.

In a public rally in Indore, Gandhi had claimed that intelligence agencies in Pakistan were approaching some victims of the Muzaffarnagar riots to lure them into terrorism.

Alleging that the country's property worth Rs 50 lakh crores was given to 140 companies for "free under the Prime Minister signature", BJP today said Manmohan Singh's readiness to be questioned by CBI in the coal scam is "meaningless" as the agency comes under PMO's purview.

 "The investigations have reached the door of the Prime Minister. Now he is saying that he is ready to go to CBI... CBI is under the PMO. Its administrative control is with PMO. His joint secretary changed the status report of the CBI.

"So, saying that he is ready to go to CBI is meaningless. Perhaps he is thinking that he will get a clean chit from the agency in the same way Pawan Bansal, Mayawati and Mulayam Singh got," BJP spokesman Prakash Javedkar said today.

The United Nations today appealed for USD 46.8 million in international aid for the hundreds of thousands now living in tents after a big earthquake in the disaster-prone Philippines.

A 7.1-magnitude quake last week flattened homes, schools, clinics and other vital infrastructure killing more than 200 people.

The BJP today said the ceasefire violations along the LoC and International Border in Jammu and Kashmir are totally "unacceptable" and asked the Centre to "teach Pakistan a lesson" through political means.

"The activities taking place on the border since the last two months are unacceptable. Time has come to respond to Pakistan in clear terms because if it does not stop what it is doing, then there are many political ways to teach the country a lesson so that it does not dare to do such things again," BJP national spokesman Prakash Javadekar said.

Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Thursday said Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has to prove his mettle before taking up a bigger role after the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

"One has to prove his mettle in administration. Rahul Gandhi should have joined the Manmohan Singh government. He did not join," the NCP chief told a TV channel.  Read

Being underweight is a common indicator of both short- and long-term malnutrition in children, and government workers can help prevent health problems from worsening by catching the signs of malnutrition early.

Yet only 18.3 percent of the over 10,000 government-run child welfare centers in Delhi had weighing instruments for infants, according to a 2011 evaluation study by the country's Planning Commission. Read

Tourists arriving in Thailand may soon have to pay an entry fee of Rs 1,000 and also a higher departure tax as authorities in the country are planning to introduce a new service tax for foreigners at airports and land border crossings.

Lunchtime read: On bustling Brabourne Road in central Kolkata, vendors line sidewalks packed with pedestrians, while cars, motorbikes and rickshaw pullers fill the street.

Amid the urban din, the Magen David Synagogue sits silent and empty. A Muslim guard stands watch outside. With an estimated 25 Jews remaining in this city of 14 million people, the synagogue is rarely used. Read

GoM on Telanagana to submit report before the Winter Session of Parliament, says Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde

A fire broke out in the Accountant General of Central Revenue (AGCR) building near ITO in central Delhi today. The fire was reported on the fifth floor of the building and 10 fire tenders have been rushed to the spot to douse the blaze, fire officials said. No casualty has been reported in the incident. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

Rahul Gandhi's reference to his briefing by an "intelligence official" on the ISI having "contacted" 10-15 youth whose kin were killed in the Muzaffarnagar riots, for potential recruitment, has puzzled both retired and serving bureaucrats.

They are questioning how an intelligence official could brief the vice-president of a political party, who is not bound by the oath of secrecy.

They also criticized the Gandhi scion for going public with information that should have ideally prompted a secret intelligence operation to identify the youth contacted and neutralize the ISI agents carrying out sabotage and subversion in the hinterland.

"A potential prime minister of the country should have had more sense of national security. ISI is a hostile foreign agency recruiting people in the hinterland for sabotage and subversion. Rahul's response should have been more robust and decisive.

"He should have asked the intelligence official to go back to the Muslim boys contacted by ISI, lay a trap for these Pakistani agents and neutralize them," said former Intelligence Bureau chief Ajit Kumar Doval.

Read the full report on the Times of India

The Border Defence Cooperation Agreement signed during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to China is without doubt a constructive step towards resolving the boundary dispute. Read

The CBI's handling of the Parakh affair once again highlights the contentious subject of how it treats the civil services. Read

See Parakh's letter to the Cabinet Secretary

The woman who pointed out that Shah Rukh Khan's speech was plagiarised has experienced online hate. Read

In other stories: The last time the Indian government, led by the redoubtable Indira Gandhi, went looking for hidden gold among private property, Pakistan also jumped on to the bandwagon. Read

Hafiz Saifullah Mansoor, one of the close aides of Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed and a founding member of the group, has been killed in a road accident in Lahore.

Mansoor was coming to Lahore from Islamabad on his car when it skidded off the road and overturned near Faizpur, a JuD statement said yesterday. He died on the spot, while his gunman and driver suffered serious injuries. They were shifted to a hospital in Lahore.

Heavy rains triggered by northeast monsoon and a low pressure area over Bay of Bengal lashed several parts of Andhra Pradesh for the fourth consecutive day today, prompting authorities to evacuate thousands of people from low-lying areas.

According to official figures, 12 people have been killed in various rain-related incidents in the state and crops in 2.5 lakh hectares have suffered damages till yesterday.

Low lying areas continued to remain under water in number of towns and villages, particularly in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema.

Hundreds of houses have been damaged due to the rainfall, rendering many people homeless.Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes and shifted to emergency relief camps.

Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa reports: Rahul Gandhi's statement at the Indore rally yesterday that the ISI was in touch with the riot victims of Muzaffarnagar brings up a serious question.

The Intelligence Bureau has been keeping a close watch on the situation in Muzaffarnagar and till date there has been no attempt made by the ISI to lure riot-affected Muslims.

The IB's standard operating procedure during communal riots is that "in case riot victims are not rehabilitated, there is a chance of some elements trying to lure them into their fold."

There is no mention whatsoever of an ISI presence that has taken shape in Muzaffarnagar so far.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javdekar addressing a press meet in Srinagar slams Rahul Gandhi's statement that the ISI was hiring Muzaffarnagar riot victims, saying if there is proof, the government should act.

Rahul Gandhi was apparently briefed by the Intelligence Bureau on the alleged ISI recruitment drive. Javdekar questions the veracity of the claims saying how can the IB brief Gandhi, since he is neither the PM nor the home minister.

Salman Rushdie (on Instagram):The DVD of midnights children in the UK. Out now with my name misspelled in the band at the top. Ugh.

BJP's PM candidate Narendra Modi to address a rally in Jhansi, Madhya Pradesh at noon today. Rahul's speeches ensure enough fodder for Modi. Stay with us. 

The BJP charged that the maximum number of communal riots have taken place under Congress rule and it has no right to allege that they are responsible for the recent incidents.

The Opposition asked why the Centre had not taken appropriate and prompt action in the recent Muzaffarnagar riots."Samajwadi Party, which is in power in Uttar Pradesh, is a Congress ally at the Centre. It failed to control the riots.

Why did the Congress-led UPA government not take action against it? Rahul Gandhi cannot evade responsibility for it," he said.

"Thousands of riots have taken place during Congress rule over the decades. Most of them happened during the Prime Ministership of Rajiv Gandhi and PV Narasimha Rao," he added.

Another prominent Muslim BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the party will take this issue to the Election Commission and demand that an FIR be lodged against Rahul Gandhi for violating the Model Code of Conduct as election process is on in five states.

"Rahul Gandhi has made baseless allegations against BJP and this attempt to divide votes on communal grounds is a clear cut violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

"We will ask the EC to lodge an FIR against him for his communal, provocative speeches," Naqvi said.

The party alleged that Congress is a "traditional and professional exploiter" of votes and is spreading "communal poison" for this purpose during the on-going polls.

"Yuvraj (Rahul) is only taking this tradition forward," Naqvi said. He alleged that Gandhi is trying to spread dissensions and conflict on religious lines in the country through his speeches. He said Gandhi's speech was an attempt at creating communal sensationalism in the name of secular politics.

The BJP says it will go to the Election Commission on Rahul's comments blaming UP muslims for the Muzaffarnagar riots. A BJP delegation will formally compaling to the EC on Monday.

The BJP says Rahul's speeches spread communal hatred.    

The Bharatiya Janata Party today interpreted Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's remarks that Pakistani agencies were approaching victims of Muzaffarnagar riots to lure them into terrorism as an attempt to cast doubts about the patriotism of Muslims and demanded an apology from him.

The BJP says it will approach the Election Commission against Rahul's remarks.

"Rahul Gandhi has tried to point the needle of suspicion at Muslims by his remarks today. These Muslims did not go to Pakistan at the time of Partition and decided to live here," BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said.

The BJP's Muslim face condemned Gandhi's statement. "Rahul Gandhi has raised questions about the patriotism of Indian Muslims by saying they were approached by ISI. This is unfortunate. He should apologise for his remarks," he said.

Speaking at a public meeting in Indore, Gandhi had alleged that BJP is trying to divide the nation and damaging the country's secular fabric.

He invoked the Muzaffarnagar riots and said that Pakistani agencies were approaching some of the victims to lure them to terrorism.

Hussain said BJP has never said Indian Muslims are communal or that they can be influenced by Pakistan's ISI.

Just in: The Supreme Court issues a notice to the Centre and the Tamil Nadu Govt on a DMK MP's plea for release of Indian fishermen caught by Sri Lankan Navy.

The much-awaited verdict on the Bo Xilai trial -- easily one of biggest stories out of China.

A Chinese High Court today rejected the appeal of disgraced Communist Party leader Bo Xilai and upheld his life sentence for bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power in the country's biggest political scandal.

"The Shandong Higher People's Court rejected the appeal and upheld the first instance life sentence verdict on Bo's bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power case," state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

A charismatic Bo, widely expected to be front runner for a top post in the once-in-a-decade leadership change of the ruling Communist Party last year, was expected to be housed at a separate jail for convicted Communist Party officials which was stated to be more like a guest house with all facilities.

His wife Gu Kailai is also imprisoned as she was given a suspended death sentence last year for her involvement in the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood.

There has been a sudden spurt in the number of cases registered against policemen for alleged human rights violations across the country, with 205 last year alone, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.

The total number of cases registered against the men in uniform was 205 last year, much higher than data of 2011 and 2010, which stood at 72 and 37 respectively, NCRB data said.

However, of the 205 cases, only 19 personnel were charge sheeted and none were convicted last year. Assam registered the maximum cases at 102, whereas Delhi registered 75 last year for violation of human rights.

Major rival parties in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh are literally waging a 'war of words' by coining meanings to alphabets to highlight issues of corruption allegedly linked to each other.

Experts feel that this is not a good thing as it may send a wrong message among children when they listen to such attribution of meanings to alphabets.

The ruling BJP in the state has coined terms like 'A for Adarsh scam, B for Bofors scam, C for CWG scam, D for Damad Ka Scam, E-Enron Scam' and so on in an alphabetical order till Z, as highlighted by party leaders during their poll rallies, against the Congress.

Not to be left behind, the Congress hit back at the BJP by formulating a similar order in Devnagiri (script) language's "Barahkhadi", of scams which allegedly took place during the BJP's governance, specially in MP.

State Congress unit issued a press note last month highlighting scams in 'Barahkhadi' (of Hindi) order - "A-Apex Bank Ghotala (scam) AA-Aditya Construction Company Ghotala, E-Indore Vikas Pradhikaran Ghotala, EE-E-tendering Ghotala, U-Udyogon ka nakli sapna, Uu-Urja kharid Ghotala, A-Arrears Ghotala, Ai-Essar coal Block Ghotala, O-Ola-pala muawja Ghotala, Ou-Aurton par Atyachar...and so on."

CNN reports: That's what German Chancellor Angela Merkel firmly asserted early Friday -- as she had the previous day -- in the wake of reports the US National Security Agency had eavesdropped on her cell phone.

This claim and others that she and other world leaders have been spied on had "severely shaken" relationships between Europe and the United States, the German leader said."Obviously, words will not be sufficient," Merkel said in the wee hours Friday at a summit of European Union leaders.

"True change is necessary."

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Eighteen-year-old Indian-American Emily Shah has won Miss New Jersey USA 2014 title, following in the footsteps of Nina Davuluri, who was crowned Miss America recently.

Emily would now compete for Miss America and Miss Universe titles. Davuluri had won the coveted beauty pageant in September. Emily was the youngest among more than 130 contestants for the New Jersey pageant held over the weekend.

Shuffling between India and America, Emily has dabbled in cinema having acted in both Bollywood and Hollywood films. She featured in Hollywood movies like 'The Great New Wonderful' with Naseerudin Shah and Bollywood films such as 'Out of Control' alongside Riteish Deshmukh, 'Ta Ra Rum Pum', 'Jaaneman' among others.

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