Thursday, August 28, 2008
Rangasamy Resigns As Puducherry CM
Puducherry, Aug 28: Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangsamy resigned on Thursday, bringing an end to the month-long political uncertainty following a revolt by his cabinet colleagues against his leadership.
Rangasamy tendered his resignation to Lt Governor Govind Singh Gurjar at the Raj Nivas apparently on the directions from the Congress High Command.
Gurjar later told reporters that Rangasamy had handed over his resignation, along with his council of ministers.
The Lt Governor also said that he had asked Rangasamy to continue in office till alternative arrangements were made by the President, which would be known within two or three days.
He said he was forwarding the letter to the President.
Rangasamy was asked by the Congress High Command to step down as Chief Minister after he failed to muster majority among the party MLAs at the CLP meeting on Monday.
The AICC has convened a meeting of the CLP today to elect a new leader.
Earlier, Rangasamy said he was thankful to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and leaders of alliance parties - CPI, DMK and PMK - for their sustained support to enable him evolve various development schemes.
"The High Command was in touch with me since yesterday," he told reporters, adding that he will attend today's CLP meet.
Rangasamy appealed to the people to maintain calm and assured that he would continue to strive hard for the development of the Congress in Puducherry. - Agencies
"Malltastic": Citi Centre Mall,chennai citi center
The advent of Citi Centre Mall has literally revolutined Chennai's shopping turf. Modelled along the lines of Dubai's famous Citi Centre Mall, it is now giving the old players like Spencer's and Abhirami's a run for their moolah.
With its neo-classical European architecture, this mall is hard to miss, and is hardly surprising that it's a crowd-puller. Step into the five-storeyed mall and a plethora of national and international brands greet you instantly.
There are Giordano and Wills Lifestyle to check out for the latest in Western casual, professional and party wear. Vanilla stores, such as, Helvitica and Allen Solly stand check by jowl with heavyweights like Landmark, Lifestyle, Mochi and Adidas.
Done with shopping and time to grab a bite? At the food court dig into the cuisine of your choice. Wangs, Sangeetha, Little Italy, Arabian Hut and Pizza Hut are some of the many restaurants that will tease your palate. But if fine-dining is what you're looking for, then simply head over to the multicuisine rooftop restaurant run by Park Sheraton called Level 4.
You can also choose to relax and de-stress on the wonderful massage chair that gives you a brief rub down your back and neck. And if you thought that was all thing again. There is Fun City, an arcade centre, wherein kids can enjoy rounds of electronic games and be giddy with joy. For grown-ups there is the INOX multiplex, and a range of flicks to choose from.
So, whether you're a curious onlooker or an avid shopper, movie-goer or a foodie, Citi Centre is sure to keep you happily occupied.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Manmohan responsible for breaking coalition: Buddhadeb
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was responsible for breaking the UPA coalition which had resulted in withdrawal of Left support to the government.
Speaking at the condolence meeting of former CPI-M general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet here, Bhattacharjee said that the Left's support to UPA government was not unconditional.
"We had been opposing the 123 deal as it would undermine the country's sovereignty," he said.
He said that the Prime Minister had broken the coalition by trying to enter into the civil-nuclear deal with the US.
The Left parties are in such a situation now that they have to ward off dangers posed by the Congress on one side and BJP on the other. "In this scenario, we will have to build up a separate front," he said.
Referring to BJP, he said that although the party was not in power, it was trying to raise its `ugly head' as manifested in the recent violence in J&K and Orissa.
Recounting Surjeet's contribution to coalition politics, he said that the Left parties should garner enough strength to fight communal forces.
Chiranjeevi launches 'Praja Rajyam ',Chiranjeevi moves EC for registration of his party
Tirupati (PTI): In true cinematic style, Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi launched his party 'Praja Rajyam' before a mammoth crowd of his fans and supporters pledging to work for social justice as its main agenda and to root out corruption.
He made the much-awaited announcement in this temple town in filmy style after a long speech and a short dialogue session with the assembled gathering. Soon after he announced the name a short song and sequence came on the giant screen behind him on the dais which the few lakh audience lapped it up enormously.
The 53-year-old matinee idol and son of a police constable outlined his party's vision in various sectors and also unveiled the party flag -- green and white with the sun in the middle - amidst rapturous applause from the huge gathering.
In his more than hour-long speech, the megastar, however, skirted thorny issues like Telangana statehood demand, naxalism and categorisation of Scheduled Castes, saying a "collective decision" would be taken on these matters after "scientific evaluation".
"On these sensitive issues, I cannot take an immediate decision. We will take inputs from intellectuals and come to a collective decision", Chiranjeevi told the gathering at the sprawling 120-acre Avilala Tank.
Chiranjeevi, a Padma Bhushan awardee, has acted in 148 films. Former President A P J Abdul Kalam had inspired him to take a plunge into politics and vowed to bring about positive change in politics.
Earlier, excited over their matinee idol's political debut, Chiranjeevi's fans went out of control at the site of the public meeting leading police to lathicharge on them. Thousands of Chiranjeevi fans, who poured in from all over Andhra Pradesh to listen to their star revealing the name and agenda of his party, swamped into the chamber which was alloted for physically challenged people. Chiranjeevi said his party would work for the empowerment of poor and weaker sections of the society. Touching upon a string of socio-economic issues, he said Praja Rajyam would accord top priority for agricultural development and welfare of farmers, primary health, education, labour welfare, opportunities for youth and women. The actor, who was the sole speaker at the more than two-hour-long meeting, also promised to come up with a clear-cut policy on regulation of liquor trade. "Fighting corruption, particularly the political corruption, will be one of our main agenda," Chiranjeevi said. "Change and Social Justice" appeared to be the mantra of mega star as he unveiled his political vision before the gathering. "Today, we are sounding the bugle for a major battle against the social ills. There are no leaders in the battle but only servants. I am your servant. We will win this battle. No one can stop us," Chiranjeevi said with a dramatic flourish.
On the raging demand for separate Telangana state, Chiranjeevi appeared to tread a cautious path. Attributing the backwardness in Telangana region to the failure of the successive governments, he said, "if the division becomes inevitable, we will co-operate and assist the process. Let us respect the sentiments of the region which has suffered neglect in all sectors."
Chiranjeevi, who hails from the backward 'Kapu' community, said his party would also work for "additional reservations" for the economically backward among the forward castes. Invoking Kalam's pet concept of PURA (Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas), he said Praja Rajyam would strive for realising the dream of "Gram Swaraj." Referring to the controversy over Special Economic Zones, he said his party would oppose acquisition of farm lands for SEZs.
"While we are for industrialisation, we will not allow fertile lands to be taken over in the name of development. We will also oppose selling away of government lands," Chiranjeevi said.
Chiranjeevi moves EC for registration of his party
Soon after launching his new party "Praja Rajyam", Telugu film actor Chiranjeevi moved the Election Commission on Tuesday for its registration.
EC sources said representatives of the megastar submitted an application to the commission for registration of the party. Earlier, the cine star announced the name of his political party at a mammoth public rally in the temple town of Tirupati.
Invoking former President A P J Abdul Kalam's advice, the 53-year old matinee idol last week made a grand entry into politics, a move that is expected to alter political equations in Andhra Pradesh ahead of next year's assembly elections.
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