Amitabh Bachchan crosses 17 mn Twitter followers, thanks fans even ‘abusers’

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September 21, 2015

Amitabh Bachchan, a widely followed personality on social media, now has as many as 17 million followers on Twitter. He has thanked those who compliment him, as well as those who contradict. This is what he posted on Twitter late Sunday night.

“17 MILLION!!! FOLLOWERS!!! Thank you all Ef and non Ef and to be Ef…thank you all that compliment me, and those that abuse too,” the 72-year-old, who refers to his social media followers as “Ef — Extended family”, posted on Twitter late Sunday night.

He then also posted images of his fans, who throng outside his house for a glimpse of the actor.

“17 Million!!! Yeaaaaaahhhhhhhh!! and more than that the well wishers of Sunday today!! Blessed beyond,” added the actor, whose over four decades of work in Bollywood and global recognition has earned him the epithet of Indian cinema’s ‘Shahenshah’.

Aamir’s choices are risky but have paid off: Kiran Rao

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Afternoon Voice

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September 21, 2015

Director Kiran Rao is elated with the success of her actor-husband Aamir Khan and says he takes too many risks, which fortunately have paid off.

“I think his success is well-deserved, as Aamir has worked very hard to be part of films that he believed in, even if they were considered too risky by the rest of the industry,” said Kiran.

“He put his skill and experience into projects that no one else may have made, and his faith in them fortunately paid off,” she said.

The 50-year-old actor is one of the most talented actors and commercially bankable stars in Bollywood. Some of his recent hit films are “PK”, ” Dhoom 3″, “3 Idiots”, etc.

Asked if she would ever make films like “Main Hoon Naa” or “Dil Dhadakane Do”, Kiran says she is open to it, depending on the script.

“I try not to write thinking of a genre or a type of film, but rather the story that comes naturally to me. Who knows, may be one day a masala movie will organically come to me, and then I won’t resist,” she said.

Kiran is busy with her son Azad who, according to her, teaches her to spend every moment in life with love.

“Azad has taught me many things, but the most important is to live in the moment and make the most of it,” she added.

SIMI and Sanatan on a same platter?

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Afternoon Voice

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September 20, 2015

According to Congress if a ban is imposed on Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) why can’t it be implemented on Sanatan Sanstha too?

After the arrest of Sanatan Sanstha member Samir Gaikwad for his alleged role in the murder of social activist Govind Pansare the Congress-NCP has come forward to demand a ban to be imposed on the outfit. Residents of Kolhapur have already initiated a signature campaign to press forward for demanding a ban on the outfit. Former Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) and Congress MP Ashok Chavan, demanded an “urgent” ban on Sanatan Sanstha. According to Congress if a ban is imposed on Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) why can’t it be implemented on Sanatan Sanstha too? Sanatan Sanstha has been in controversy for its extreme right wing ideology and was on radar from last two years, after the murder of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar in Pune. Activists of this organisation have also been arrested for their role in a blast in Thane’s Gadkari theatre. Its members were also arrested in another blast case in Madgaon, Goa.

According to Congress leader and former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan, the previous Congress-led government in the state had urged the UPA government at the Centre to ban the right wing outfit in 2011, but the Home Ministry did not act upon it. Prithviraj Chavan’s party colleague and former Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, however, said if Chavan was serious about outlawing Sanatan Sanstha he should have called him and asked him about that, instead of merely sending a report to the Centre. Shinde, however, said he took over as Home Minister at the Centre only in 2013 but added Chavan’s failure to take up the issue directly with the Centre reflected his ‘carelessness’.

“This organisation (Sanathan Sanstha) poses a threat and attacks freedom of thought which is a cultural tradition of Maharashtra. There is an urgent need to ban it with immediate effect”, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President and former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said.

Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly and senior Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil also made the same demand in Kolhapur. After meeting Pansare’s wife and daughters-in-law, Vikhe-Patil said, “I demand an immediate ban on the activities of Sanatan Sanstha,” and said, “The role of Fadanvis government is suspicious in this regard as it has not taken strong action into the murder case.”

“The Congress-UPA government did not act on these organizations when it was involved in bomb blasts and other terror activities and now they have awakened and demanding for a ban on the outfit. The BJP government follows Hindutva agenda and they are backing these organisations” said Bhushan Kadam.

“Sanatan Sanstha been always surrounded by controversies, earlier Sanatan members were arrested for involvement in bomb blast activities and now they are being suspected for Pansare and Dabholkar murder case. Where are these organizations heading? If suspected members are part of Sanatan Sanstha and guilty, I definitely want the government to take strict action against them” said Samarth Devale, Graphic Designer

“I think we should be patient and let the investigations begin. Whenever there is an attack on other religion then people raise their fingers on Hindu organizations which is unjustified. But if Gaikwad is proved guilty, then the government should impose a ban on the outfit” said Parth Kulkarni, IT Analyst

Sujit Prabakar, a Kandivali resident said, “According to me Sanatan Sanstha should be banned as it has been responsible for indulging in unlawful activities. Few years there were reports about political parties demanding ban on this outfit but government has not taken any action in this regard.”

The Congress-NCP government had proposed a ban on Sanatan Sanstha as two of its workers, Vikram Bhave and Ramesh Gadkari, were convicted in 2011 and awarded 10 years life imprisonment for the bomb blast in the parking area of Gadkari Rangaytan auditorium in Thane on June 4, 2008, to protest against a play “Amhi Satpute”, which they claimed was showing Hindu Gods in poor light. But the ban was never implemented.

Abhay Vartak, Sanatan Sanstha spokesperson said, “Sanatan Sanstha is a spiritual and patriotic organisation; it is unnecessarily defamed due to unrestrained accusations of progressive elements despite the lack of any conclusive evidence. It appears that these so-called progressive elements have hatched a conspiracy to prevent Sanatan Sanstha from building up a mission at the national level by undertaking various movements to create public awareness such as exposing scams in the Temple Managements, protection of the environment, preventing dishonour to the National Flag, etc. We are sure that Sanatan Sanstha will come out unscathed of the barrage of accusations hurled at it and will resume its mission to nourish patriotism in the society with the renewed vigour”.

Call for the ban on Sanstha justified?

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Vaidehi Taman

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September 20, 2015

Leader of the opposition in the assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and other Congress leaders demanded immediate ban on Sanatan Sanstha following the arrest of its member Samir Gaikwad in the Govind Pansare murder case. Sanatan Sanstha is not in the news for the first time, time and again the ban has been demanded against them. With the arrest of one of its full-time members on September 16 in connection with the murder of veteran Communist leader Pansare in Kolhapur, people became angry against the sanstha. Pansare was shot at by some unidentified men on February 16 and died four days later in Mumbai. Sanatan is a spiritual organization but misinterpreted as terror outfit these days.

The Sanatan Sanstha is a non-profit organization, founded in 1990 by Jayant Balaji Athavale and is based on the study of spirituality as a science. Athavale has worked in the field of spirituality to share with humanity the findings of his research into the deeper understanding of the spiritual dimension using a scientific approach. In order to achieve this end, he has published more than 1.6 million copies of spiritual books in Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Gujarati, English and six other languages since 2002.

Athavale dedicated all of his life to introduce a human to his divine nature through spiritual awakening. He has reformed the Sanstha with some misguided men to bind them with transcendent teaching of Hindutva. Unfortunately, few years back a dramatic and strange raid was conducted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) at Sanatan Sanstha’s headquarters in Goa’s Ponda. The group of police officials just barged in asked all the members of Aashram to stand in line, and the filming was done on each face. Then, they went to each room opened all cupboards and searched something, without questioning or talking to anyone, three hours police ransacked the whole ashram and went off without giving any reason. NIA officials raided the residential as well as official quarters of the ashram at Ramnathi. Sanstha members have been chargesheeted for carrying out blasts in Goa as well as several parts of Maharashtra over the last few years. The raid followed alleged attempts made by the Maharashtra government to ban the Sanatan Sanstha, for the organisation’s involvement in various alleged illegal activities which included a bomb blast in a Thane cinema hall in 2008 and other blasts in other districts of Maharashtra. Six members of Sanatan Sanstha were arrested for planting bombs outside an auditorium in Thane, and Vashi. In 2011, two of the accused were found guilty and sentenced to ten years’ incarceration. Even though Ramesh Gadkari and Vikram Bhave were acquitted of the terror charges under the stringent UAPA, still the Maharashtra government has sought to ban the organization, and has pressed the case for a ban to the central government as well. However, after investigating the 2009 Goa blast case for two years; on 31 December 2013, the Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court acquitted all six members of Sanatan Sanstha.

Judgment of trail court is further challenged in the Bombay High Court and on 2 May 2013 court ordered to release the accused on bail.

Public interest litigations have been filed in the Bombay High Court seeking ban on Sanatan Sanstha stating that the organisation uses a technique called Ericksonian hypnosis (a technique whereby individuals as well as masses in the society can be hypnotised), to lure people into joining it and carry out acts of violence.

Previously (when UPA was in power at both the places center and state) then state Government recommended the ban, but the central government has sought additional information. The state government has been asked to provide additional information regarding the nature of cases against the Sanatan Sanstha members. Even, the Maharashtra police had suggested to the state government that the Sanatan Sanstha be included in the category of banned terrorist organisations. In spite of all the investigations and accusations, so far police or intelligence agencies could not prove them guilty. Congress Government in Maharashtra and Goa even tried to suppress the voice of devoted Journalism (Sanatan Prabhat) and the organization which teaches about Hindu religion, forgetting that they are just the guards of Hindu religion.

Actually ‘Sanatan Prabhat’ is first on the list of all the devoted journals suffered due to suppression! Fanatics and anti-Dharma people are being criticized by ‘Sanatan Prabhat’. The so called secular political parties are scared of such publications and Hindu groups, that’s the reason they raise the demand to ban ‘Sanatan Prabhat’.

‘Sanatan Prabhat’ used to get advertisement worth Rs. 19 lacs from ‘Information and Publicity Department’ and other Government Departments on an average of 4 years which is absolutely negligible means about 1/10th. According to the government plan government advertisements are given to all the newspapers, on account of National Days, National Festivals; but Dainik Sanatan Prabhat’ appears to be an exception. Rejecting advertisements from ‘Information and Publicity Department’ on the occasions of Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Goa Liberation Day, so they wanted to restrain it financially. Sanatan Sanstha and Sanatan Prabhat were always on the UPA leaders’ target. They had not succeeded in their ill intentions as there was nothing to prove against the organization. Let’s see, how long the secular forces keep trying against one spiritual organization and its people.

BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya passes away

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Afternoon Voice

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September 20, 2015

The President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Jagmohan Dalmiya has passed away on Sunday evening at KM Birla hospital in Kolkata. He was 75.

The BCCI boss had suffered heart attack on Thursday and was under observation after undergoing a heart surgery.

Regarded as one of the greatest Indian sports administrators, Dalmiya became the BCCI president for a second stint in March this year, taking over from N Srinivasan. But with deteriorating health, the Kolkata-based businessman had been keeping away from the board meetings except for the very important ones.

The Indian cricket board condoled the “sudden demise” of the president.

Paying rich tribute to the departed soul, BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur hailed Dalmiya as “the greatest sports administrator of India” and termed the loss a personal one for him.

Dalmiya had been president of the International Cricket Council, and held different offices in the Indian cricket board, and occupied top posts in the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) in a career that began in 1979.

“Mr. Dalmiya died of internal gastrointestinal bleeding and internal organ failure,” hospital sources said confirming the veteran cricket administrator’s death.

Cricket Association of Bengal sources added: “At 6 p.m. in the evening his condition deteriorated and shortly afterwards he suffered a massive cardiac arrest from which he could not recover.”

He is survived by a daughter and a son.

“BCCI Condoles the sudden demise of our president Shri Jagmohan Dalmiya”, the official handle of India’s apex cricket body tweeted.

According to sources, the BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur and IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla will reach Kolkata on Monday.

Dalmiya had first helmed BCCI from 2001-04. He was elected president again in March this year. And, under a changed BCCI constitution, he was to hold office for three straight years, until September 2017.

‘CM wants to empower bureaucrats to speak on major issues’

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Afternoon Voice

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September 20, 2015

With questions being raised over Devendra Fadnavis’ reluctance to address the media in case of major events, a senior Maharashtra minister today said the Chief Minister wants to accord importance to bureaucrats and empower them to speak in such situations.

Recently, Maharashtra’s Additional Chief Secretary (Home) K P Bakshi had announced the state government’s decision to hand over the Sheena Bora murder case to CBI, while he largely kept himself away from commenting on the issue.

“The Chief Minister has categorically told us that he intends to push bureaucrats ahead who until now had refrained from speaking on events considered to have significant impact on the image of the state,” the Cabinet minister said.

Fadnavis has been influenced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s style of governance wherein he prefers to empower bureaucrats and accord a degree of importance to them, he said.

However, the Opposition Congress and NCP said that putting the onus on bureaucrats will only ensure that the “hidden agenda” of the BJP-led government does not come out in front of the people of the state.

“Everybody knows how important was the Sheena Bora case. It was imperative for the Chief Minister to have addressed the media and told the people of the country this government’s intention of handing over the case to the CBI,” Congress MLC Manikrao Thakre said.

“If the CM and other ministers don’t speak up and make bureaucrats speak, how will the people know the hidden intentions of the government behind its decisions?” he said.

NCP leader Jitendra Awhad said Fadnavis has become shy of speaking about the decisions of the Home department following some recent incidents.

“The Chief Minister represents the state. Decisions pertaining to law and order need to come out of the horse’s mouth. It is the people’s government,” he said.

“Bureaucrats are functionaries who follow the instructions of government and implement decisions taken by the ministers. They never speak. Following some incidents, he is shy to face the press related to the Home department issues,” Awhad said.

Shiv Sena to contest over 150 seats in Bihar

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Afternoon Voice

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September 20, 2015

NDA constituent Shiv Sena announced that it will contest 150 seats in Bihar, a decision that may rile BJP with which its ties have been under strain since Maharashtra Assembly election.

Denying allegations that it has targeted Bihari migrants in Maharashtra, the party said it wants to strengthen its support base in Hindi belt and has decided to go it alone in the state, where BJP-led alliance is locked in a stiff contest with the Nitish Kumar-led coalition of JD(U)-RJD-Congress.

“Shiv Sena will contest Bihar assembly polls on its own and put up 150 candidates,” party’s national spokesperson Sanjay Raut said on the sidelines of his party’s state convention.

He said the process for selection of Shiv Sena candidates for Bihar which will go to polls in five phases from October 12 was nearly complete and the first list will be out by tomorrow.

Raut said Shiv Sena will seek mandate of the people of Bihar on the agenda of Hindutva, poverty alleviation and employment generation for the local people among others.

Quizzed why Shiv Sena had not joined the BJP-led alliance in the contest to the 243-member Bihar Assembly, he said that his party wants to strengthen its support base in Hindi belt and empower the local people.

The Shiv Sen and BJP had ended their 25-year-old alliance before the Maharashtra Assembly polls laste year over seat sharing. Though the two reunited after the poll results to form a government, the strain in ties has been visible with Sena being openly critical of its dominant partner.

Accusing RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and senior JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar of failing to usher in development despite ruling Bihar for the past 25 years, the Shiv Sena spokesperson ruled that the people of the state despite being talented and hardworking have to migrate to other parts of country, including Mumbai, for work in order to sustain themselves and their families.

Electoral rolls for KDMC polls frozen: Official

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Afternoon Voice

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September 20, 2015

The electoral rolls for the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) polls, to be held in October, have been frozen, according to official sources at the district election office here.

The electoral rolls for the civic elections to be held in Kalyan have been already made available to the civic corporation. The cut-off date for the same was August 1, Deputy District Election Officer Farogh Mukadam said.

She said that the population of the corporation was around 20.21 lakh and there were around 14.23 lakh eligible voters, as of January, 2015. As of August 1, 2015, there was a marginal increase in the number of voters and it would be little over 14.25 lakh, she said, and added that it would cover the four assembly constituencies of Kalyan.

The civic corporation, upon the announcement of the polls, would publish the wardwise list of eligible voters, she further said.

The revision of voters list would be undertaken across the country from October 8, 2015 to January 15, 2016. This would cover all the constituencies in the district and would in no way affect the civic elections to the KDMC, she said.

In the coming year, the election department would undertake various programmes of electorate revision and educating of voters with regard to the forthcoming elections to Thane and Ulhasnagar municipal corporations, scheduled for 2017, she said.

In the recent revision of voters list, the names of around 5.50 lakh voters had been deleted after due verification, she added.

Man held for murder in Thane

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Afternoon Voice

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September 20, 2015

A 32-year-old man from Ulhasnagar Township of the district was arrested for allegedly murdering a youth, police said.

The victim – Azgar Hussain Abdul Manhan Khan (22) – and the accused Rajkumar R Jha had a financial dispute following which the latter attacked him with a sharp weapon last evening in Prabhudev Nagar locality, Ulhasnagar police station’s inspector A V Saingaonkar said.

The victim died on the spot, he said adding that the body has been sent to central hospital for postmortem.

The accused was arrested in the early hours today and booked under section 302 (murder) of IPC, police added.

Air India forms monitoring team for safe, clean travel

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Afternoon Voice

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September 20, 2015

Air India on Sunday announced it has set up a dedicated monitoring team under an executive director which would conduct surprise checks to ensure safe travel and better service delivery to its passengers.

“Senior executives will undertake surprise checks to monitor and supervise the safety and cleanliness inside and outside the aircraft. They will ensure increased servicing of equipment onboard the aircraft,” the national carrier said in a release.

“A senior officer of engineering will closely monitor cleaning service providers for quality of cleaning in the cabins. More manpower will be deployed on each aircraft for cabin upkeep,” it said.

“Immediate action will be taken on the feedback shared by the passengers, cabin crew and cabin engineers,” the release added.

The measures follow company chairman Ashwani Lohani’s visits to all the engineering bases of the airline in the last week.

“There is a need to enhance passengers experience, which can be done through high standards of cleanliness of the aircraft, improvements to the cabin, audience announcements and courteous behaviour, among others, to resurrect the old glory of Air India,” Lohani said.