Mumbai: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Tuesday clarified that his detention at Newark International Airport in the US was not a drama.
Addressing mediapersons here after his return, Khan said, "I was asked bizarre questions by the airport officials. It wasn't a drama. I don't want publicity. But, I feel routine procedure was not followed there. We should not be treated on the basis of our colour or nationality."
Recalling the incident, he said he was not angry over what had happened there. However, he felt that the airport officials 'went a little overboard' with the questioning.
Denying that he felt bad about the questioning, he said what really hurt him was the question they popped at him several times, "Your name is very common. Can anyone vouch for you to enter here?"
Rubbishing reports that he was trying to promote his upcoming movie ''My Name is Khan'', he said, "I hate people who rake up religious issues for their personal gains. I don't want to sound pompous here but I don't need publicity to promote my movie. I am too big a star for that."
The actor also said the incident would not prevent him from visiting the US again.
He said that if a ''tit for tat'' policy was to be followed, then he would love to be allowed to frisk Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie or Megan Fox.
Khan was detained for about two hours at the airport where he had arrived to attend a South Asian related event in Atlantic City.
Students burn four AC bogies near Patna
PATNA: A mob of students burnt four AC bogies of Shramjeevi Express at Bihta railway station, about 35 km from here, after a clash with securitymen who prevented them from forcibly occupying reserved seats.
Superintendent of Railway Police (Patna) U K Singh said a group of students boarded the air-conditioned compartments of 2392 New Delhi-Rajgir Shramajeevi Express at Ara railway station and tried to grab reserved seats.
They picked up a quarrel and clashed with the security personnel when they were asked to deboard at Bihta, the next station.
Three students, including the one identified as Santosh, sustained injuries in the clash, Singh said, adding that they got infuriated following a rumour that Santosh had died.
The angry students then smashed the window panes of the superfast train and torched the AC coaches at Bhita, he said.
Police reached the spot and baton charged the students to control the situation, he said.
The passengers in the AC coaches soon alighted from their train with their luggage when the trouble started, official sources said, adding that four passengers were injured in stone pelting and clash.
East Central Railway's Danapur division PRO R K Singh confirmed that the four air-conditioned coaches of the train were gutted.
No fresh proposal on farm debt waiver: Pranab
New Delhi: Exuding confidence that the economy would grow by over six per cent despite erratic monsoon, the government said on Tuesday that it is not considering any fresh proposal for farm debt waiver even as over one-fourth of the country is reeling under drought.
"There is no such proposal," Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said when asked if the government was considering a fresh debt waiver scheme to give relief to farmers. The UPA government had last year announced a nearly Rs 71,000 crore farm loan waiver scheme to offer relief to small and marginal farmers and one-time settlement scheme for large ones.
Talking to reporters after holding a review meeting of Regional Rural Banks, he exuded confidence that the economy would clock over six per cent growth despite weak monsoon.
"No doubt, this year we are not expecting to reach nine per cent growth. This year we are projecting six per cent plus growth," he said, adding that the full impact of drought will be known to all as and when it is felt.
Meanwhile, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said the poor monsoon will adversely impact farm production and eat into economic growth.
"The existence of drought by itself can lead to some shaving" off of the growth projections.
The impact, however, would not be much on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as agriculture production constitutes less than 20 per cent of the economy, Ahluwalia said.
On the impact of decline in farm output on economic growth, he said, "If you have decline in farm production, one fifth of that percentage would be knocked off from projected GDP growth rate. Obviously, there would be some effect but not very large".
BJP must put an end to factionalism: RSS chief
New Delhi: Breaking his silence over the leadership crisis in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday cautioned it about factionalism and said it must address real issues and put an end to factionalism, as it had suffered a "nasty jolt" in the elections.
"It was a nasty jolt, quite unexpected, and it destabilised the party. Whatever happened was not very good, even BJP leaders have said this," he said while speaking to a private news channel in an interview.
He said that young generation should be put at the helm of affairs, adding "It is a universal rule that the young generation must replace the old generation," when asked about the aging top leadership of the BJP.
"When, where and how (it happens), they will have to decide the modus operandi," he said, and quickly added that "transition is necessary,” he said.
In a stern message to the party a day ahead of its three-day chintan baithak (introspection session) that begins in Shimla, the RSS chief said: "They have to get their balance back." Bhagwat said the sooner they do so, the better.
Asked if senior BJP leader Advani should carry on for next five years as leader of opposition, Bhagwat said, "That they will have to decide. If they come and ask for our suggestion, we will give it to them."
About the transition to young leadership by the next general elections, he pointed out: "We have been saying that since 2003. Whenever they ask us how should our party be, we have told them you have young men, bring them slowly forward. At all levels of the party."
"The BJP leaders express their angst about this (factionalism), they are keen to restore it," he added.
Bhagwat said he had not applied himself to how the party should resolve the differences between its leaders. "I have not given a thought to the internal situation of the BJP. That is not my job. I tell them to sit together and amend things," he pointed out.
He clearly advised the party not to lose sight of its goals. "Their party had a mission and that mission should be kept in sight. They should think where they have gone wrong. The general condition of the party should be paid attention to."
Mohan Bhagwat said he told senior BJP leader L.K. Advani who went to meet him recently to find ways to resolve the internal strife.
And added: "He came to me. He wanted to meet me. He described all these things. I told him that you consider how this situation came to be because it was a disciplined party, was a very good party. It was a party with a difference."
"In the chintan baithak. All sit together and think about it. Personal considerations must be kept away. This is what I told him," Bhagwat said.
He asserted that the party would have to be clear on the ideology and there should be a dialogue with the Sangh as a while also.
7-month-old is Mumbai's third swine flu victim
MUMBAI: A seven-month-old girl died of swine flu at the municipal Kasturba Hospital here on Tuesday, becoming the third casualty of the disease in the metropolis.
"The girl Modia Mohammad Shaikh, a resident of suburban Ghatkopar, died at the hospital eary today," Additional Municipal Commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar told reporters.
The girl had been shifted to Kasturba hospital from a private hospital and her blood sample was sent to Haffkine institute for tests, Mhaiskar said.
This is the third death in Mumbai due to swine flu after Famida Panwala and another woman from neighbouring Thane succumbed to the virus at the Kasturba hospital.
Indian Business News
Maruti to invest Rs 1,000 cr in new R&D centre
New Delhi:Japanese auto giant Suzuki Motor Corp will set up an India specific research and development centre spread over 700 acre, which could entail an investment of over Rs 1,000 crore.
The land for the R&D centre at Rohtak (Haryana) is to be handed over to the company by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupender Singh Hooda on August 21.
According to sources, the company is going to make an investment of over Rs 1,000 crore in the R&D centre, which will be the largest one outside Japan built by Suzuki Motor Corp.
"The two parties will sign the pact for handing over the land in the presence of the Haryana Chief Minister on August 21. The company will be investing over Rs 1,000 crore for the facility, including the costs of the land," a source said.
When contacted, a spokesperson of Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL), the Japanese auto giant's India venture, declined to comment on the investment figures.
MSIL had recently requested the Haryana Government for 700 acres in IMT Rohtak for setting up the R&D facility, test course and accommodation of ancillaries.
India Inc's hiring activity picks up by 1.3% in July
New Delhi: India Inc's hiring activity picked up by 1.3 per cent in July with improvement in recruitment in IT, real estate and retail sectors, says a survey by job portal Naukri.com.
The Naukri's monthly 'JobSpeak index' continued to move upwards and edged up by 1.3 per cent to 727 in July compared to 718 in June.
On a three monthly moving average, the index inched up from 686 in June to 703 in July with industries including real estate, semiconductors, banking, auto and IT, witnessing an improvement, the survey said.
"The uptrend over consecutive months is encouraging. Improvement in hiring activity in lagging industries, such as IT, real estate, retail and auto, echoes optimism. However, continued increases in hiring activity over the next few months will indicate a turnaround in economic activity and in hiring," Info Edge, owner of naukri.com, National Head Marketing and Communications Sumeet Singh said.
In June, the hiring activity had increased 8.1 per cent over the previous month.
Recruitment activity in the IT industry remained in the green with hiring up by 4 per cent in IT-software, 7 per cent up in IT-hardware and networking and 3 per cent up in ITeS and BPO.
Anil Ambani firm using NTPC to get cheap gas: Dhawan
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP R K Dhawan has cautioned Power Minister Sushil kumar Shinde against falling prey to tactics of an Anil Ambani Group firm, which he alleged was using power PSU NTPC as a front to fight Petroleum Ministry.
Dhawan yesterday wrote to Shinde on advertisements issued by Reliance Natural Resources Ltd (RNRL) accusing Oil Ministry of compromising NTPC's interest in a case on gas pricing with Reliance Industries.
NTPC has taken RIL to court seeking implementation of a gas supply contract at a price of USD 2.34 per mmBtu, while government has approved USD 4.2 per mmBtu as price for RIL's KG-D6 fields.
"RNRL is using NTPC as a front to achieve its objective to receive preferential access to gas at a subsidised price, resulting in government to lose an amount of Rs 35,000 crore," Dhawan wrote to Shinde.
Despite repeated attempts, Dhawan could not be contacted for comments, while no comments could be obtained from RNRL.
Anil Ambani Group is citing a family demerger agreement to seek from RIL more than one-third of KG-D6 peak output at rates 44 per cent lower than the government approved price.
The USD 2.34 per mmBtu price, it says, is the same as what RIL had bid in a NTPC tender in 2004.
Indian Sports News|Sports News
Gambhir, Ishant back Viru, rebel against DDCA
New Delhi: A day after Virender Sehwag threatened to quit playing for Delhi, a virtual revolt appeared to be brewing in the DDCA with more senior players like Gautam Gambhir and Ishant Sharma taking up the cudgels against the administration.
The players are unhappy with the Delhi and District Cricket Association sports committee which, they claimed, interfered in selection matters and also indulged in corruption.
The DDCA Sports Secretary Sunil Dev has refuted the allegations and said he was prepared to talk with the players and resolve the differences.
With more senior players joining Sehwag in the campaign against the sports committee, the DDCA President Arun Jaitley has told his officials not to precipitate the crisis and let things "cool down".
"The President wants things to cool down. He will meet Sehwag when he comes back from Bangalore and hopefully resolve all the issues," informed a top DDCA source.
Sehwag, who is currently in Bangalore undergoing rehabilitation for his injured shoulder, is likely meet Jaitley on August 27 or 28.
The explosive right-hander has threatened to leave the team for Haryana, saying that he is frustrated with the interference in selection matters.
Gambhir and Nehra made it clear that he would "not hesitate" to move out to other associations if things did not improve and transparency in the selection process was not brought in.
Gambhir also felt the DDCA sports committee, which did not have a single cricketer on its panel, needed to be changed as it put pressure on captains and stand-in captains to play their candidates.
Jayawardene, Dilshan flay New Zealand in first Test
Galle: Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan pulverised New Zealand's bowlers to help Sri Lanka make a spectacular start in the first cricket Test on Tuesday. Jayawardene hit an unbeaten 108 and Dilshan smashed 92 off 72 balls in his new role as opener as Sri Lanka, sent in to bat under an overcast sky, recovered from 16-2 to 293-3 by stumps on a rain-curtailed opening day.
Jayawardene, who gave up the captaincy earlier this year to concentrate on his batting, compiled his 26th Test century on the easy-paced wicket at the Galle International Stadium.
Dilshan hit the fastest Test half-century by a Sri Lankan off 30 balls, upstaging former captain Arjuna Ranatunga's 31-ball effort against India at Kanpur in 1986.
Jayawardene put on 118 for the third wicket with Dilshan and 159 for the undefeated fourth with Thilan Samaraweera (82 not out) after New Zealand seamer Chris Martin struck twice in his first two overs.
Martin gave the Test a dramatic start when he had Tharanga Paranavitana, Dilshan's fellow opener, edging the third ball of the match to wicket-keeper Brendon McCullum.
Martin then removed Kumar Sangakkara for eight, the Sri Lankan captain flicking a half-volley to the mid-wicket fielder after hitting two boundaries in the same over.
The start of the Test was delayed by 90 minutes due to early morning rain, although the pitch and outfield remained unaffected under the covers.
The umpires pushed back the lunch break by an hour to make up for lost time, but just 78 of the stipulated 90 overs were sent down before bad light forced play to end early.
Chhetri in 20-member Indian squad for Nehru Cup
New Delhi: Striker Sunil Chhetri, who is recovering from an ankle injury, made it to the 20-member Indian squad for the Nehru Cup international football tournament starting at Ambedkar Stadium here tomorrow.
Dempo midfielder Clifford Miranda, Mohun Bagan''s Rakesh Masih and N Mohanraj, East Bengal's Govin Singh and Subhash Singh, Churchill Brothers' goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharya, Baldeep Singh (Jr) and Jagpreet Singh were the eight players left out of the 28 who had a short training camp at Gurgaon.
Coach Bob Houghton said at the pre-tournament press conference today that he hopes Chhetri to be available in the later part of the five-nation tournament. He said the youngsters who have been left out of the squad will get their chances in future.
India play their first match against Lebanon in the tournament opener tomorrow. The India Squad: Goalkeepers: Subrata Pal, Subhashish Roy Chowdhury.
Defenders: NS Manju, Anwar, Deepak Mondal, Mahesh Gawli, Surkumar Singh, Gouramangi Singh, Samir Naik, Mehrajuddin Wadoo. Midfielders: NP Pradeep, P Renedy Singh, Syed Rahim Nabi, Steven Dias, Anthony Pereira, Climax Lawrence.
Forwards: Sunil Chhetri, Bhaichung Bhutia (C), Sushil Kumar Singh, Abhishek Yadav.
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