1984 riots witness alleges that Sajjan Kumar prompted mob to kill Sikhs

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September 10, 2015

In major trouble for Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, a witness in the 1984 Sikh riots case on Thursday identifies him as an accused in the Sultanpuri riots incident.

Sheela Kaur confirmed that Sajjan Kumar instigated mob to kill all Sikh men of her street after which her family was attacked.

Sheela Kaur, a witnesses in the 1984 Sikh riots case, identified Sajjan Kumar as an accused in the Karkardooma court during examination after which there was a heated argument in the court.

Sajjan Kumar is the prime accused in the 1984 riots case.

The court in July 2010 had framed various charges, including murder and rioting, against Kumar, Gupta, Peeriya, Khushal Singh and Ved Prakash in connection with killing of the man in Sultanpuri in the riots which had occurred in the aftermath of the assassination of Indira Gandhi on 31 October, 1984. Accused Khushal Singh has since died.

The trial court had also framed charges for the offence of spreading enmity between two communities against the accused in the case.

CBI had filed two charge sheets against Sajjan Kumar and others in January 2010 in the riots cases registered in 2005 on the recommendation of Justice GT Nanavati Commission which had probed the sequence of events leading to the violence.

Sonia Gandhi questions on PM Modi’s silent on Vyapam, Lalitgate

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Afternoon Voice

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September 10, 2015

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday reacted sharply to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s barbs at her, questioning why he is silent on External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj as well as chief ministers of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh who are facing serious allegations.

“What about the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh’s case, the foreign minister’s case and Rajasthan chief minister’s case? Why did he not have a word to say about these things,” Gandhi questioned when asked to comment on Modi’s attack.

Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje are facing allegations of helping former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi who is being investigated in a money laundering case. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is facing allegations in Vyapam scam.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi hit out at Gandhi for her “hawabaazi” (empty talk) comment, alleging that “hawalabaaz (scamsters) are unnerved” due to the tough stance of the government on black money.

Addressing BJP workers in Bhopal, Modi said Congress was resorting to “disruptive tactics” as it was not being able to come to terms with its defeat in 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Gandhi had on Tuesday said that the Prime Minister has been “reduced to unedifying flip flops” and most of his poll promises were nothing more than “hawabaazi” (empty talk).

Gandhi, who was on a two-day visit of her Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituency, met locals today and visited Congress workers who have lost members of their families recently and offered condolences.

Ellen DeGeneres says working on American Idol my “Worst Decisions”

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Afternoon Voice

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September 10, 2015

The talk show host appeared on the Howard Stern Show to discuss everything from her life to her career, including her run as a judge on Fox’s American Idol. Looking back on her time on the singing competition show, Ellen had nothing but not-good memories.

“American Idol is one of the worst decisions I’ve made,” she admitted to host Howard Stern.

The comedienne continued to open up about her time on the show, adding that it wasn’t like anything she expected it would be. “As a fan of the shows, it doesn’t matter that I sing or I know anything about pitch or anything, I’m like everybody else at home,” she explained. “It’s American Idol. …So I thought I’m gonna represent those people at home that have opinions.

Katy Perry Makes an Impression at Hand Print Ceremony

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Afternoon Voice

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September 10, 2015

Katy Perry left her mark on Hollywood at a handprint ceremony outside of TCL Chinese Theatre (originally Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and renamed Mann’s Chinese Theatre in 1973).

Bold move, Katy Perry!

Katy Perry bared some serious cleavage. Maybe she forgot that the Hollywood event requires her to put her hands in wet cement and bend over for a number of photos…?

Mandy Moore Samples Litti Chokha in Patna

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Afternoon Voice

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September 10, 2015

Hollywood actress Mandy Moore, who is currently in India, is not shying away from experimenting with local cuisines. She recently sampled Bihar’s favourite dish litti chokha when she was here.

The 31-year-old actress, best known for her roles in films such as A Walk To Remember, Tangled and License to Wed, is in India to support NGO PSI India’s Gender Based Violence (GBV) Programme, Project Wajood.

This is what Mandy shared on Twitter:

Mandy, who joined PSI in 2008, as an ambassador for its child survival programmes, also thanked the Government of Bihar:

Mandy will be in the country for a week. She will be travelling to different cities in order to understand how PSI and its partners work, to improve the health and rights of girls and women by providing comprehensive health solutions.

Man-made drought

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Afternoon Voice

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September 10, 2015

Have you ever struggled without water at home? Stood in long queues waiting to fill up cans and drums? Stayed awake past midnight waiting for a tanker lorry to come clanging, heralding the supply of water for the week? Three members of your family bathing in one bucket of water? Chances are no, or perhaps rarely?

We are experiencing drought this year. Ideally, we ought to live everyday like a drought day. We don’t conserve water as we feel that our taps will never run dry. Most of us feel that modern cities remain unaffected by water scarcity which is not true. Water shortage affects everyone and can claim the lives of farmers, cattle, wildlife and birds.

Indian cities consume more water than other regions of the country. Meat farming and consumption consumes 90 times more water than agro farming. Star hotels consume 5 times more water than the rest. Affluent city dwellers like us consume 12 times more water than our counterparts in villages. A bathtub takes up 10 to 25 times more water than a shower. Jacuzzi, Pool, Spa. , dishwashers and washing machines consume more water. In fact, a bottle of mineral water consumes more water to produce, transport, store and reach you than it holds within itself!

Think. Drought is not a joke. It spreads more disease than flood and destroys more habitat than a forest fire. Famine can destroy a generation of animals, take a few species to extinction. It can change the construct of landscapes, destroy the richness of soil and alter the complexion of the planet.

It’s so easy to blame the poor monsoons and criticise the governments for failing to take steps to resolve the drought issue. Some people also blame the global warming. Be true to yourself and ask…. How many times have you seriously done things you could have to curb usage and stop wastage of water?

How much water did you waste during Holi celebrations this year? How many days did you take to fix the leaking tap? When was the last time you turned off the tap while brushing or shaving? Have you ever thought of washing your small apparels by hand, to reduce load and club washing machine runs? Did you ever tell the waiter at a hotel to not change the plate every time you walked to the buffet counter? Ever used lesser or no cutlery? Did you ever ask your car cleaner to use a bucket instead of the deadly hose? Have you turned off the shower while applying soap to your body?

Drought is the punishment meted out to human beings for being irresponsible to conserve water. It’s not a climatic condition, but a result. It’s not measured in duration of drought or deficiency of rainfall. But in the destructive plastics we dump and electricity we consume. In the constructions we do and forests we destroy. The peaks we scale and tunnels we dig, the flights we take and fuel we burn. This is a year of drought. Don’t suffer but learn to adapt. Some generation at some point in time has to take the responsibility of reversing our fortunes.

Krishna Kumar

Have to become an actor before Superstar: Sooraj Pancholi

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Afternoon Voice

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September 10, 2015

Newcomer Sooraj Pancholi said that he is grateful to his mentor superstar Salman Khan for considering him as a star and he wants to learn time management from him.

Salman is launching Sooraj with Hero, the remake of Subhash Ghai’s 1983 film of the same name. Hero directed by Nikhil Advani, which also marks the debut of Athiya Shetty, daughter of actor Suniel Shetty and will release on Friday.

“It feels good but ‘superstar’ is a big word. I am trying to be an actor first. To be a star it will take time. We can’t be a star overnight. If he (Salman) sees that (superstar) in us then it is his greatness,” said Sooraj.

“He is being very nice to us. Athiya Shetty and I have worked really very hard for this film. People usually say we are star kids so we don’t work that hard but that is not true,” he said.

“It was not obvious (for Salman to launch me) at all because he never told me that he would launch me ever. I got to know him only on the sets of Ek Tha Tiger. People think it is a family thing so he launched me,” Sooraj added.

“I was an assistant director on the sets of Ek Tha Tiger that’s where he found it that I want to be an actor. And he offered me the film and that’s how I got Hero.” Sooraj revealed when he was signed by Salman for Hero remake under his banner, he did not even tell his parents about signing the film.

“I did not even tell my parents about it for one and half year that I am going to do the film. I felt shy to tell them about it as we never discussed films,” he says.

In that one and half year period, Sooraj was training in Mumbai. The remake version of the film also features his father, actor Aditya Pancholi.

He was nervous shooting with him. “One day before I had to shoot a scene with him, I was nervous. But when I went on sets I sensed that my father was little more nervous than me because it was very emotional for him,” Sooraj said.

“May be he thought that he would over shadow or over power me because he is a good actor, much better looking than me. I think he was underplaying it that day. But he made me feel comfortable,” he said.

I am sure Sushant will be fantastic as Dhoni: John Abraham

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Afternoon Voice

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September 10, 2015

John Abraham, who shares a great bond with Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, is happy with the film being made on him and thinks actor Sushant Singh Rajput will do a great job.

“M S Dhoni: The Untold Story” is an upcoming biopic directed by Neeraj Pandey. “He (Dhoni) is a friend and I am glad a film is being made on Mahi’s life. I am happy about it. I respect the vision of the director,” said John.

The 29-year-old “Detective Byomkesh Bakshy!” actor will essay the role of one of India’s most successful captain, while Kiara Advani will feature as his wife Sakshi Singh Dhoni.

“I respect the director and the actor for doing this film. I am sure Sushant will be fantastic and will do good work,” the “Madras Cafe” star said.

John, 42, is currently working on “Force 2” and is busy shooting in Budapest (Hungary) along with Sonakshi Sinha, who plays a RAW agent.

“It’s second day of the shoot. Sonakshi (Sinha) is a lovely girl… She is hard working and dedicated.”

While “Force” was helmed by Nishikant Kamat of “Drishyam” fame, Abhinay Deo will direct the sequel that is expected to hit the screens in May next year. Meanwhile, John is happy with the response his last release “Welcome Back” has got at the box office.

The movie was a sequel to the 2007 comedy “Welcome” directed by Anees Bazmee.

Soha doesn’t interfere in my film choices: Kunal Khemu

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Afternoon Voice

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September 10, 2015

Actor Kunal Khemu says that his wife and actress Soha Ali Khan doesn’t interfere in the film choices that he makes.

In an interview as part of the promotions of his film, “Bhaag Johnny”, Kunal said: “She doesn’t interfere in my films. And the final decision is always our own.”

However Kunal says that they generally discuss projects with each other.

“We generally discuss projects that we’re doing. We respect each other as professionals – because we’ve been doing that before we met each other,” he said.

Kunal and Soha tied the knot in a private ceremony in January this year after several years of courtship. Their romance grew on the sets of their films, “Dhoondte Reh Jaaoge” and “99”.

Soha too intends to work post-marriage and will be seen opposite Sunny Deol in the sequel of “Ghayal”.

Kunal is returning to the big screen after a gap of two years with “Bhaag Johnny” and he says that the story of the film is its USP.

“It’s the first time that such story and screenplay technique is being showed on screen. But yet it is presented in a simple way so that audiences don’t remain confused about the film,” said Kunal.

“Bhaag Johnny” directed by Shivamm Nair also stars Zoa Morani, Mandana Karimi and Manasi Scott among others. The film is scheduled to release on September 25.

Jains condemn meat ban

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Afternoon Voice

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September 9, 2015

According to them the BMC’s resolution will only disturb the communal harmony of the country.

Even though the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has banned animal slaughter and sale of meat in Mumbai for four days during the Jain fasting season of Paryushan but the Jain Community is not pleased with this decision. According to them since, India is a secular country and people have right to follow religion and faith and such type of resolution will only disturb the communal harmony of the country. The Fadnavis government had already received flak for imposing beef ban in the state. The latest order comes days after the BJP ruled Mira-Bhayander municipal corporation banned the sale of meat in the area for eight days during the Jain fasting period called Paryushan. How can one person’s religious belief allow them to dictate their lifestyle choices on others?

Kunal Shah who is the co-founder of FreeCharge, said “I was born a Jain and I am ashamed of ‪#‎Meatban.”

“Can assure you that Lord Mahavira never forced anyone to do what he likes/dislikes. He just inspired and people did what they wanted. Never by force and this is going to end up in a chain reaction where every minority religion will want others to respect their “sentiment”. We should never get carried away and lose our common sense.” he added further.

“I totally justify the ban on meat selling or slaughtering, not just for 8 days but I would love if this ban were carried for life. Not because I am a Jain, I justify the ban, but on a humanitarian ground,” said Sangeeta Jain, a lecturer at SNDT College.

“As a vegetarian myself, I believe that a ban, however temporary, on meat is both legally and morally wrong,” said Ramachandra Guha, Historian.

Vidhi Shah a PR executive said, “Yes. I do support the ban. As India is a democratic country and here the view of each and every citizen is heard.”

“If the government is going to ban something at least compensate the people whose livelihood you’re snatching away for that day,” said Madhuri Banerjee, book author.

“As a Citizen of India we all are bound to follow Constitution of India, which gave us the right to profess, practice and propagate respective religion provided it, doesn’t hurt the sentiments of other religions” said Mahatisagar Shaha, a Chemical Engineer.

“Considering all these facts, my stand on this matter is very clear that though Jains have every right to follow the Ahimsa in every part of life but to forcefully impose the ban on meat will ruin the fundamentals of ‘Live and Let Live’. Hence, I don’t support the forceful imposition of ban on non-veg during Paryusha Parv” he added.

Asaduddin Owaisi, MLA from AIMIM, has condemned the decision of meat ban by Maharashtra government, Owaisi said, “The state government’s decision is unjustified questioning whether it would be tolerable if during Bakra Eid only meat would be served. The government should use its power to reduce the ban and limit it to just two days so that the traders do not suffer.”

Further he said, “I challenge the Maharashtra government to ban alcohol which is a cause of greater misery.”

The BMC took the call to continue the ban which was first enforced a few years ago based on a 1964 and 1994 corporation resolution. The state government too had passed a similar resolution in 2004, where the BMC was asked to shut down slaughter houses during the Jain fasting season.

While the BMC usually restricts slaughter and sale of meat for two days during Paryushan, this year it enforced the four-day ban — 10, 13, 17 and 18 September — across Mumbai. On these days, BMC slaughter houses will be shut and sale of meat will also be prohibited. The BMC’s markets department has been asked to enforce the ban. The decision to enforce the ban was taken by BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta.

“The ban is anti-democratic. The BMC has buckled under pressure from the BJP. The government should not take any decision to please a particular religious community and should function as per constitution,” said Sanjay Nirupam, former MP and president of Mumbai Congress unit.

The Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has also hit out at the BJP over the issue. MNS’s group leader Sandeep Deshpande has called the BJP as ‘Bharatiya Jain Party’ for getting the meat ban enforced.

“This is cultural terrorism. Today, they have banned the sale for four days, will they ask us to stop eating meat,” said MNS corporator Sandeep Deshpande.