Centre has to take decision on Telangana issue: AP CM......

Karimnagar: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Sunday said the Union government has to take a decision on the Telangana issue as the state had no power to resolve the matter. 

He was speaking at Mulkanoor village under Bhimdeverpalli mandal limits. "We will abide by the Centre's decision on Telangana issue. Union government's decision would be final," he said in response to Karimnagar MP Ponnam Prabhakar's demand that the "long-pending" statehood issue should be resolved without any further delay. 

In January, Andhra Pradesh became the first state in the country to give statutory status to the SC, ST sub-plans, he said, adding it was introduced at the instructions of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. 

Reddy launched 'Amma Hastam' welfare scheme for the poor, under which nine essential commodities would be provided to them at a subsidised rate. 

NTR fan, former Andhra minister is dead......

Hyderabad: Former Andhra Pradesh minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Sripathi Rajeshwar Rao died Sunday. He was 73. 

Rao, who was suffering from a kidney ailment for quite some time, breathed his last at Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) here. His last rites will be performed in Secunderabad here Monday, family members said. A die-hard fan of legendary Telugu actor NT Rama Rao, he was founder-president of NTR Fan's Association. 

TDP founder NTR inducted Rajeshwar Rao into his cabinet in 1985. 

He was elected twice to the state assembly from Sanathnagar constituency in Hyderabad in 1985 and 1999. 

Rajeshwar Rao had recently launched a signature campaign in support of his demand for Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian award, for NTR. 

TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and NTR's son and popular actor N. Balakrishna have condoled the death of Rajeshwar Rao and conveyed their heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family. 

A ‘true patriot’ should become next PM: VHP leader......

Ahmedabad: Amid talk about Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's projection as BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate, Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Acharya Dharmendra on Sunday said he wants "a true patriot" to occupy the country's top post after the next elections. 

"I want to see a true patriot becomes next Prime Minister ...I don't think Modi is a traitor...However, we have to see what happens ahead (aage aage dekhiye hota hai kya)," he said when asked whether he would endorse Modi's candidature for the PM's post. 

Dharmendra was addressing a press conference after inaugurating a school function in Ahemdabad. 

In reference to Modi's recent reported remarks in Haridwar that he was not a leader of Hindus only, the VHP leader said, "that means he can be a leader of others as well." 

"But the moot question is, will others like Muslims and Christians accept him as their leader?" the VHP leader added and said,"I don't believe they will accept him." 

On the Modi Government's move to seek death penalty for former BJP Minister Maya Kodnani and nine other convicts in the 2002 Naroda Patiya massacre case, he said "there might be some political compulsions for this decision." 

"Only Gujarat government can answer why they approved such a decision. See, Modi himself is facing accusations, very serious ones. He is also not free from charges." 

Strongly opposing the move to seek capital punishment for Kodnani and Babu Bajrangi (a Bajrang Dal leader and one of the convicts), he said, "No one sought death penalty for (accused of) 1984 (anti-Sikh) Delhi riots; not a single case was filed against (former UP CM) Mulayam (Singh Yadav) who killed so many karsevaks in Ayodhya.
"(Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh) Badal is seeking amnesty for (Khalistani terrorist Devenderpal Singh) Bhullar and here death penalty for Mayaben? Is it justice?"

"Awarding such a harsh punishment in that (Naroda Patiya) case would be gross injustice," the VHP leader said. 

Rajnath demands Khurshid's visit to China be cancelled......

New Delhi: BJP President Rajnath Singh on Sunday demanded cancellation of External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid's May 9 visit to China till it withdraws its army personnel forces from Depsang Valley in Ladakh where they intruded a fortnight back.
"Despite all this, our Foreign Minister is going to China on a visit. I am sorry but I would humbly request the Prime Minister to stop the Foreign Minister. Till the time China leaves Ladakh and goes back, there should not be any visit to Beijing," Singh said addressing the Matri Shree awards function here. 

He also demanded that the area should be handed over to the Army instead of ITBP, which is currently posted there. 

"The area where China has infiltrated was under the army till 2010. The government pulled out the army from there and handed it over to ITBP, which fall under the Home Ministry. 

"I request that without any delay, the area under ITBP be handed back to the army because no other force can work there. It is a very sensitive matter and our country is facing grave danger from outside," Singh said. 

The government so far has decided to go ahead with Khurshid's visit notwithstanding the Chinese intrusion. 

Khurshid's trip comes ahead of the visit by newly elected Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to India later next month. A lot of significance is being attached to Li's visit, his first abroad after becoming Prime Minister last month. 

The BJP chief said the way China was surrounding India from all corners was "not a recent thing" and that he had attracted the government's attention to this five years ago. 

"I was the first politician to raise the issue of China building a dam on Brahmaputra five-six years ago and trying to divert its water. I raised this issue in Parliament. 

The Prime Minister said it is a serious matter and I would speak to you personally. I suggested composition of a joint committee to probe the matter but it wasn't done," Singh rued. 

On the attack on Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh in a Lahore jail, the BJP chief said had India been strong in protesting against earlier similar incidents in Pakistan, no one could have dared to attack him. 

Boston detention: Khurshid hatched conspiracy, says Azam Khan.......

New York: Uttar Pradesh Minister Azam Khan, who was briefly detained on Wednesday at a US airport, on Sunday accused External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid of hatching a "conspiracy" to defame him outside India. 

He even claimed that a call on continuation of Samajwadi Party's support to the UPA government will be taken by party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav after hearing his version and that of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on their return to India. 

"Our leader knows exactly what had happened and who is behind this and he will take a decision soon on the continuation of support to the UPA government," he said. 

On Akhilesh meeting Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in Chennai, Khan said formation of a third front with AIADMK and Pattali Makkal Katchi could not be ruled out. Mulayam Singh, he said, would lead such front, if and when it's formed, and would become the next prime minister. 

Insisting that his situation should not be compared to that of Kalam, Shah Rukh, Indian Ambassador to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri or the then Indian envoy to the US Meera Shankar, Khan alleged, "It was a conspiracy because I am a powerful non-Congress Muslim leader of India and he (Khurshid) had cleverly planned with the help of the Department of Homeland Security using his clout as an Indian Cabinet Minister. 

"My detention at the Boston Logan International can't be treated on par with insults heaped on either former President APJ Abdul Kalam or actor Shah Rukh Khan as I was targeted by Khurshid and his coterie who had no guts to oppose me on Indian soil," he told PTI before boarding his flight to India. 

"When I was in detention inside the airport, the Consulate General of India's protocol officers who had come to receive us acted like total strangers and silent spectators. I guess they must have got some instructions from their superiors to stay away," Khan alleged. 

Maintaining that during the 45 minutes of his detention the protocol officials could have contacted the New York Consul General and the Consul General could have contacted Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao in Washington, Khan claimed, "Nobody spoke a single word to get me out of trouble and I had to fend for myself." 

"How can you expect the Government of India to protest when Khurshid is holding the foreign ministry portfolio? If you do not know who Khurshid is, then I am very sorry... He tried to defame me in my state and failed miserably. He is unfit to be Indian Foreign Minister," he alleged. 

"Except the spokesman of the External Affairs Ministry who issued a routine matter-of-fact statement, did anybody holding responsible position in the central government condemn the incident? Does this sound weird? I am an Indian citizen first and a politician next. Will any other country keep quiet and act like this if their citizen or someone holding high office were insulted and humiliated," Khan asked. 

Giving a ball-by-ball account of the incident, he said after he checked in at one of the immigration counters, the officer who was attending to visitors took his diplomatic passport and ushered him into an ante room. 

The Minister said he was made to sit alone on a bench for 45 minutes in the room. "I asked why was I being singled out in the team of 12 from India but got no answer." 

"I asked them are you suspecting me because I am a Muslim. I was taken to the room while all others were cleared and I felt ashamed and humiliated. Only 24 hours before my departure for this country, the US Consulate issued me a multiple-entry visa for 10 years. Wouldn't have they made the necessary background checks whether I am a terrorist or not before issuing the visa? They also gave a 10-year multiple- entry visas to my wife and children," he said. 

"After 45 minutes, the officers came to me and said, 'here is your passport and you can go'. I told them I won't leave the airport unless they tell me why they had detained me. Until you tell why you harassed me and caused mental agony, I won't leave the airport at any cost. They ill-treated and insulted me. If you do not know who I am you should have checked in India. I also told them that I refuse to enter the US and want to return to my motherland." 

Khan said then a lady officer came to him and asked him to forget the incident and pack his bags and go but she did not either tender an apology or expressed regret. 

"No questions were asked during my entire detention and I guess they were hatching a conspiracy but could not execute their game plans. If they had put a map of The White House in my pocket and pulled it out in front of other officers, I would not had any defence. They could question me how did I get the map of The White House and jailed me for life. I had no evidence and anything could have happened in the room. They wanted to execute some other game plan to fix me up but had no time or failed to do it," he alleged. 

"I suspect some kind of collusion or understanding between the two governments to defame me. It could be like a joint military exercise as Indian politicians tried their best in India to fix me but failed. Even though I am a Muslim I managed Kumbh Mela well and got international recognition and they could not stomach it." 

Khan said his Indian diplomatic passport did not come to his rescue and none of the Immigration officials respected it. 

"I am holding an Indian Diplomatic Passport and if they insult me it's not an insult to me alone but to the people of India and also to the central government that has issued it. But they (central government) has no shame," he said. 

Khan said, "Last year Khurshid's wife lost her deposit in the state election and lost miserably and he has a grudge against me. He became a Union Minister by chance as he happens to sit in Parliament. It's by sheer fluke and what does he know about diplomacy." 

"The Chief Minister is with me 100 per cent on this and he is very upset over the treatment meted out to me. Our decision to boycott both the Harvard University talk and the reception to be hosted by the Consul General was very much correct and he took a correct and appropriate decision to convey our anger and agony," he said. 

Khan said the Chief Minister waited at the airport till he came out. 

The win is a confidence booster for Mumbai: Smith...........

Mumbai opener Dwayne Smith, who came up with a fine 50 off 36 balls and picked up 2/20 to help his side to a thumping win against table-toppers Bangalore, said the victory will inspire his team to be more consistent in the upcoming matches. 

"Any win in the Indian T20 League should be a confidence booster... I am sure we will try to be as consistent as possible. It was a very good wicket. Good bounce and pace was very good. Happy with that and hope that it continues to be like that," Smith said at the post match media conference. 

Speaking about Ambati Rayudu's controversial run-out, Smith said the incident made the Mumbai side to "get up and show". 

"We were already fired up. It is just that, that incident made us want to get up and show. It was a case of fair play but you can't do anything about it. They decided to go against it. Just have to move on from there." 

The Barbados cricketer, who has two fifties in the three games that he has played so far, was asked if he has replaced Australia's Ricky Ponting at the top of the order and he replied by saying that it only job is to be consistent. 

"I don't know that. But it is for me to be consistent. At the end of the day, I have to turn up to play for a team. It is about getting the team into good position," he said. 

Speaking about his knock, Smith said he was hoping to stay as long as possible while the West Indian praised Dinesh Karthik and Kieron Pollard for their contributions with the bat that helped Mumbai post a sizeable total of 194. 

"When I was batting, I thought as long as I stay there, we could get a score of 190 to 200. But unfortunately I got out again. But guys like DK (Dinesh Karthik) really batted well and it was good to see (them get us) close to that score," he said. 

Smith also praised Dhawan Kulkarni for a fine bowling performance. "He is a very good player. He has improved a lot from the first time I saw him. He gets to move the ball a lot, especially when I am batting in the nets. It is a little uncomfortable. But glad to see that he performed. I am sure there will give some headaches now, when it comes to picking up the next team," he said. 

Need to be positive again Delhi: Smith......

All-rounder, Steven Smith wants his side to play positively against Delhi after the thrashing they received at the hands of Chris Gayle a few days ago in Bangalore. "It was an amazing innings, wasn't it? A player like him is arguably the best in the world in this format. That happens in Twenty20 cricket, and we will learn from that," stated Smith. 

Smith wanted his team to forget about the Gayle storm that blew them apart a few days ago. "It is a new game and hopefully, we can come out with a good mindset and be positive from the start. Start the game well and come out with a win at the end of it," Smith said. 

Smith conceded that his team hadn't had a great start to the season but was hopeful of bouncing back. "We have lost a few narrow ones that we probably should not have lost. But we just hope to continue to play good cricket, and hopefully, we can get a few wins and get some momentum coming into the end of the tournament," added Smith. 

Smith has had a tough time in India having been a part of the Australian Test side who was given a 4-0 Brownwash by MS Dhoni's men. He is keen on leaving the country on a happy note. "I think I started OK with the bat. Obviously, I've got a pretty good feel at the moment, since I've been here for a while now. With the Test series, I got used to batting on these kinds of wickets. I just got to keep working hard in the middle and perform to my ability and try to get Pune over the line a bit more," quoted Smith. 

Shakib strikes as Bangladesh chase Test victory.......

Shakib Al Hasan grabbed an early breakthrough for Bangladesh as they began their push for victory on the fourth day of the second Test against Zimbabwe on Sunday. 

Shakib bowled Regis Chakabva with an excellent, spinning delivery to dismiss the Zimbabwe opener for 22, leaving Zimbabwe 43 for one at tea as they went in pursuit of a highly unlikely 401 to win. 

Vusi Sibanda was 21 not out at the interval with Hamilton Masakadza yet to get off the mark, but Zimbabwe's task of avoiding defeat was obvious in the statistical analysis. 

The African side have never successfully chased more than 162 to win a Test, while the highest run chase by anyone on this ground is 192 - achieved by Pakistan in a three-wicket win over Zimbabwe 15 years ago. 

Bangladesh began day four at the Harare Sports Club on 163 for five - an overall lead of 272, which they extended to exactly 400 before declaring on 291 for nine midway through the second session. 

Captain Mushfiqur Rahim's 93 was at the heart of their second innings, but he received excellent support from Nasir Hossain, who registered his second half-century of the match before finishing unbeaten on 67.

Brothers Shingirai and Hamilton Masakadza claimed seven of the nine wickets to fall in the Bangladesh innings, with the former claiming figures of 4 for 58 and the latter taking 3 for 24. 

Zimbabwe hold a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. 

Sammy almost took it away from us: Faulkner......

After claiming the first five wicket haul in this edition of the Indian T20 League, James Faulkner said Rajasthan should not allowed Hyderabad to post a total of 144/9. Faulkner, who was the Man of the match for his efforts of 5/20, also praised Shane Watson for his unbeaten knock of 98 which helped Rajasthan win by 8 wickets with 2.1 overs to spare. 

"We did well and a victory always results feeling high. It was Shane Watson's exceptional innings which saw us home. It was a great effort. We did not have any particular plan but it was our home ground and the ball was swinging around and we did everything well," Faulkner said at the post-match press conference. 

Hyderabad were reeling at 29/6 at one stage before Darren Sammy played came up with a fine knock of 60 that helped the visiting team post a competitive total. Faulkner praised the West Indian skipper for his knock and said he almost took the game away from the hosts. 

"The death bowling was also good but we should not have allowed them to reach 144 after having them reeling at 29 for 6. Sammy played a good knock and almost took it away from us," the left-arm paceman said. 

With five wins from 8 matches, Rajasthan are sitting pretty at the third spot in the points table and Faulkner said his team was on a role and hoped that they could reach to the final stage. 

"We have started well and now hope to get on a roll. Every team wants to reach the finals," said Faulkner. 

Asked if the Indian T20 League has been helping him in his Ashes preparation, Faulkner said: "At least here I am getting to play cricket. It (Test cricket) requires different skills and craft and I have to sharpen it and moreover the wickets would be different too." 
source:cricbuzz

We had no answer to Watson's onslaught: Sammy......

Darren Sammy came up with a splendid rescue act in the match against Rajasthan to lift his side to a competitive 144/9 after they were reeling at 29/6 at one stage. The West Indian skipper, speaking at the post-match press conference, said his team did a good job by getting to the total of 144 but admitted that they could not find an answer to the onslaught by Shane Watson, who blasted a 53-ball 98 to help his side to a comfortable 8 wicket win. 

"I think we did a good job by reaching 144 and had our chances but Shane Watson batted beautifully and his unbeaten 98 weighed on us. He is a class player in any form of cricket. He smashed the ball to all parts of ground. We had no answer to his onslaught," Sammy, who hit a fighting 60 off 41 balls, said. 

Sammy said the Hyderabad bowlers could have bowled better, mentioning that they provided Watson a lot of length balls and also gave him lot of room to free his arms. "I think that our bowlers could have bowled better to him by not providing him the width and length to hit." 

While praising his side for a courageous batting performance, Sammy mentioned that they also bowled well initially but could not sustain the pressure for longer periods. 

"We did a wonderful job by reaching 144 after being reduced to 29 for 6. We were in the match most of the time till Watson took it away from us. Hyderabad again showed the fighting spirit and courage by reaching that total and began well in the bowling by creating pressure in the initial overs but slowly the game slipped away from us," he said. 

Sammy felt the batsmen could have applied themselves better and felt a 160 plus score would have been possible had they taken their time to get used to the conditions before going for the shots. 

"We have to give ourselves a chance. Perhaps we should have gone for our shots after getting our eye in and getting a feel of the wicket. It was a 160 wicket and we should have gone for shots after playing for a while. We are among top four and we need to keep our focus and self belief." 

asked to compare Watson with Gayle and who he felt was a better batsman, Sammy said: "Do you really want me to answer that? Anybody of you can tell that. But if you ask me I would like to bowl to Watson." 

Asked why the West Indians cricketers celebrate their moments of success with gimmicks, Sammy said they love fun and entertainment. 

"After the triumph in T20 world cup and good performance in champions league there was immense increase in following of the likes of Bravo, Gayle and Pollard. T20 suits our style of play. We have flair for it and that comes natural to us," he said. 

Kohli questioned the behaviour of the Mumbai crowd after the booing incident......

Bangalore captain Virat Kohli, who was furious after being booed by the Mumbai crowd, said the fans of the Indian T20 League have forgotten that he also plays for the Indian cricket team and their taunts can lead to "hatred among the players". 

The fans at the Wankhede stadium booed Kohli after a controversial run-out incident in the first innings of the Mumbai v Bangalore match. Ambati Rayudu, while trying to get back to the crease at the non-striker's end, had his bat grounded initially but it went up in the air after he collided with Vinay Kumar by which time Kohli had effected a direct hit. 

After the batsman was given out, Kieron Pollard had a word with Kohli to reconsider the decision and call Rayudu back in the spirit of the game. However, the Bangalore captain decided not to do so, which agitated the crowd who started calling him "cheat". 

The 24 year old continued to be taunted by the crowd when he came on to bat and even during the post-match presentation. A livid Kohli had this to say after the match: "As far as the crowd is concerned, it has happened to a few players in the past as well. I don't know why they get so worked up during Indian T20 League. Indian T20 League is not is not the end of the world. And they forget that the players they are booing for also play for their country." 

"It is only creating hatred among the players. When I come back and play for India, they are going to cheer for me. It doesn't work that way. You come to Bangalore and you see how Indian players are appreciated," he added. 

In the post-match media conference, Kohli again questioned the behaviour of the Mumbai crowd and said it felt a bit weird for him since he also plays for the country. 

"I don't know what is wrong with the people in this venue. It feels a bit weird because at the end of the day you play for India and you don't come here to be hated. Whoever wins or loses, in any of the games, you come to Bangalore, every captain is cheered, every Indian player is cheered." 

"People appreciate good cricket. I don't know why people have so much aggression and so much hatred towards other teams in this particular venue. As I said, Indian T20 League is not the end of the world," Kohli added. 

Speaking about the run-out incident, Kohli said, "Well, it is very important to have knowledge of cricket. If it was any intentional interruption from the bowler then the umpire would have stopped the batsman. It is his job not mine. The umpire told me it was there. The bowler didn't see the batsman and the batsman didn't see the bowler, and they collided. It was perfectly fine to be honest," he said. 

"You should have that much cricket awareness to see where the bowler is coming back to his mark. He has to back up when there is no one behind him." 

Mumbai all-rounder Dwayne Smith refused to get drawn into the debate and merely said, "It was a case of fair play but you can't do anything about it. They decided to go against it." 

Sarabjit Singh’s family to visit Pakistan today.......

New Delhi: Four members of Sarabjit Singh's family will travel to Pakistan on Sunday to meet the death row convict who is battling for life in Lahore after being brutally assaulted by jail inmates. 

The Pakistan High Commission in Delhi has issued 15 days 'gratis visa' to Sarabjit's wife Sukhpreet Kaur, daughters Poonam, Swapandeep Kaur and his sister Dalbir Kaur to meet the Indian prisoner who is in "deep coma" and put on ventilator support. Sarabjit, 49, was convicted for alleged involvement in a string of bomb attacks in Punjab province in Pakistan, that killed 14 people in 1990. His mercy petitions were rejected by the courts and former President Pervez Musharraf. 

"We have got the visas and we will be crossing over to Pakistan tomorrow (Sunday) morning. Our (visa) papers will reach here (Amritsar) by the evening," Sarabjit's sister Dalbir Kaur told a news agency in Amritsar. 

She said that they will cross over to Pakistan on foot from the Attari-Wagah joint check-post, 30 km from here, Sunday. Dalbir will be accompanied by Sarabjit's wife Sukhpreet Kaur and daughters Swapandeep and Poonam. 

"We want to be with Sarabjit in this difficult time. He is all alone. We don't even know what his condition is. We are getting reports only through news channels and his lawyer," said Dalbir. 

Police in Lahore have registered a case of attempt to murder against two prisoners, Aamir and Mudassar, who viciously attacked Sarabjit, a media report said. 

Sarabjit has been on death row in Pakistan since 1990 after being convicted for bomb blasts in Lahore and Multan that left 14 people dead. 

His family claims he is innocent, having inadvertently crossed into Pakistan in August 1990 in an inebriated state, only to be arrested. 

Police in Pakistan however claim that Sarabjit Singh, known as Manjit Singh, was involved in terrorist strikes.

Mayawati's purse searched in Karnataka, Rs one lakh found......

Gulbarga: A "flying squad" of Election Commission on Saturday subjected Mayawati to checking for a second time in quick succession, following which an angry BSP supremo hit out at the poll watchdog, playing the Dalit card. 

As soon as Mayawati, who is here for campaigning for the May 5 assembly poll, landed by helicopter at a helipad on the outskirts of the taluk headquarters town of Jewargi in this district, the flying squad carried out an inspection in the chopper. They found Rs one lakh in cash from her bag, which was not seized after she explained that it belonged to her supporters who accompanied her in the helicopter and that each person is "entitled" to carry Rs 50,000. 

Thereafter, as she was climbing the dais put up for her party's public meeting in Jewargi, the flying squad again searched Mayawati and her car, an action that infuriated the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister. 

"Have you checked Sonia Gandhi (Congress President) and Sushma Swaraj (BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha) when they came for campaigning? You are searching me because I am a Dalit woman?", she said. 

Gulbarga Deputy Commissioner K J Jagadish told a news agency that the flying squad recorded the search and he would send a report to the Election Commission. 

`Aashiqui 2` review: Flawed direction and other nitty-gritty kill it! .......

Resham Sengar

Remaking the 1990`s hit, `Aashiqui`, was a bright idea, given the adulation for the film still exists in the hearts of the audience. But sadly, `Aashiqui 2` has not been given the kind of treatment that a classical on-screen romance should have been given.

Mohit Suri`s version of `Aashiqui` is about two singers – Rahul Jaykar (Aditya Roy Kapur), an alcoholic and falling singing sensation, and Arohi Shirke (Shraddha Kapoor), a wannabe songbird. Arohi catches the eye of Rahul while singing at a Goan bar and he spots the singing star of tomorrow in her. Rahul takes her under his wings to groom her for playback singing and helps her get a great platform to make her voice reach millions. In no time, she becomes a high-flying singer. And yes, the duo fall in love in between all these events. But circumstances hinder the smooth course of Rahul-Arohi’s relationship.

`Aashiqui 2` is quite a clean film unlike the ones that are churned out by the Vishesh Films` factory these days but the quintessential romance element is missing here. The passion between the lead pair is weakened mainly because of Shraddha Kapoor, who can neither emote nor act to intensify the romance. Instead, it is Aditya Roy Kapur who has tried to make things work in the film by being as real as possible while speaking his lines. He puts in genuine efforts to ignite the much-needed spark of passion between him and his on-screen lady love.

Of the supporting cast, Shaad Randhawa as Rahul`s friend has performed his art well. He is one friend in the film that everybody would wish to have in real life. Mahesh Bhatt, as Rahul`s `phone-a-friend father` also deserves a special mention here. Bhatt, the `invisible` father, calls up his son only twice during the film to give him some friendly advice and show that he is `around`.

Neither the story of `Aashiqui 2` is error-free nor is the direction by Mohit Suri unblemished. The scenes are dragged a bit too much at times and there are instances where the length of the sequences is abruptly shortened, which has hampered the quality of the entire film. The storyline’s logic does not go down well at several instances throughout the film.

Thankfully, the characters have been given a neat sketch in the film. The point is that one does not have to rack his or her brains to understand the people in the film, and that helps in relating to the characters and the story.

The soundtrack by Jeet Ganguly, Mithoon, Ankit Tiwari and lyrics by Irshad Kamil and Sanjay Masoomm have been given a modern touch and are as soulful and romantic as they can get. The song - `Tum Hi Ho` - sung by Arijith Singh is the best of the lot.

To sum it up, `Aashiqui 2` must be watched only for three reasons: a) If you love Aditya Roy Kapoor; b) If the songs are of your liking; c) Just out of curiosity. Otherwise, watch the one starring Anu Agarwal and Rahul Roy and save money.

Rating: 

Rapes will come down if people shun meat, alcohol: Agnivesh....

New Delhi: Rape cases will come down if people shun non-vegetarian food and alcohol, activist Swami Agnivesh said on Saturday. 

"We cannot stop a crime like rape by policing only.... I think rapes will come down significanlty if people stop eating non-vegetarian. There has been lot of research on this.... Rapes will come down significantly if alcohol consumption is not there," he said. 

He said a lot of crimes and accidents take place due to consumption of alcohol. Arguing on the benefits of a vegetarianism, he said Japanese scientists conducted a study on the oldest man on earth recently and they found that he was a vegeterian. 

"Every research conducted in this world points to one fact that red meat is the reason behind all diseases," he said. 

Agnivesh said that all the six accused in the gruesome rape of a young girl in a moving bus on December 16 last year were drunk as well as the accused in the recent incident of sexual assault on a five-year-old girl. 

"In both the incidents, the accused consumed alcohol. This explains clearly that alcohol drove them to commit the crime. Alcohol shuts down the moral thinking of a person," he said. 

"Government is not ending alcohol-production in the country as it fetches revenue. All the states have now started competing to outnumber each other in alcohol production. This has become the norm," he said. 

Expressing concern over the fact that everyday one billion animals are slaughtered, he said that "its consequesnce will be severe."Regretting the loss of values in human beings, Agnivesh said, "There are no moral and spiritual values left in people. Schools today do not teach children about the evil-consequences of drinking. We cannot blame an individual for a crime. The society, as a whole, is responsible."

Asked about whether death penalty will stop rape, Swami said, "Death penalty will not do anything. I do not support it. Death sentence should not given to anybody including those who attack Parliament. Even Kasab should not have been given death sentence," he said. 

No question of death penalty in Italian marines case: India.......

New Delhi: Amid concerns by Italy on the possibility of death sentence being imposed on its two marines accused of killing Indian fishermen, India on Saturday said no question of death penalty arises. 
Clarifying the latest Supreme Court order in the matter in which the apex court allowed NIA to probe the case against Italian marines, official sources said the order had been read out of context leading to misleading reports. 

Noting that Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety of Maritime Navigation Act 2002 has not been invoked, official sources said "in any case no question arises of death penalty being imposed in the circumstances of the case if the court was to return a verdict of guilty". 

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has had consultations with Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and other senior legal officials including the Attorney General in the matter. 

The Supreme Court had yesterday allowed NIA to probe the case against the two Italian marines and asked the special court to conduct the trial on a day-to-day basis after the charge sheet is filed. 

Sources said it is clear from the latest order that the judgement of January 18 remains in operation and that the NIA has been designated by the central government to investigate the matter pursuant to the January 18 judgement rather than the NIA Act. 

They added the FIR dated August 29 last year and registered in Kerala's Kollam will be the basis for the investigation. 

"It follows that the later FIR re-registered by the NIA under the NIA Act is redundant and for the present the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety of Maritime Navigation Act 2002 has not been invoked," they said. 

Border dispute with China can be solved: PM.......

New Delhi: India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday he believes a border dispute over an alleged incursion by Chinese soldiers can be resolved, a news agency reported. 

"It is a localised problem, we do believe it can be solved," Singh was quoted as saying by the news agency after Chinese soldiers were accused of intruding across the disputed border in the Ladakh region earlier this month. 
"We have a plan, we do not want to accentuate the situation," Singh said, without elaborating. 

Lower-level talks between military officials have so far failed to break the impasse. 

According to officials in New Delhi, a platoon of Chinese troops set up a camp inside Indian territory on April 15. 

Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid announced earlier in the week he will head for China on May 8, saying both countries had a mutual interest in not allowing the dispute to "destroy" long-term progress in ties. 

A foreign ministry official has said new Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is due to travel to New Delhi late next month, without giving an exact date. 

India has called on the Chinese soldiers to withdraw while China has denied any wrongdoing. 

In 1962, China gave India a bloody nose in the war fought in the Himalayan regions of Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. 

The de facto border separating China and India is known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC). While it has never been formally demarcated, the countries signed two accords to maintain peace in frontier areas in 1993 and 1996. 

Small incursions are not uncommon across the LAC but it is rare for either country to set up camps in disputed territory. 

In recent years, the two neighbours have increased their military presence on each side of the border and hold frequent meetings to defuse tensions. 

Despite the border tensions, trade between the Asian giants has soared in recent years. 

Mark Zuckerberg earned over $2 bn at Facebook in 2012......

San Francisco: Facebook co-founder and chief Mark Zuckerberg earned more than USD 2 billion worth of stock and USD 503,000 in base pay last year for running the world's leading social network.

Zuckerberg was also given bonuses that added up to slightly more than USD 266,000, according to a Facebook filing on Friday with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

He received USD 1.22 million in "other compensation," more than half of which was said in the filing to involve the use of chartered aircraft for travel by Zuckerberg and guests as part of a "comprehensive security program."

Facebook provided US regulators a breakdown of executive compensation and other matters that will be topics at an annual meeting of shareholders set to take place on June 11.

"In the first quarter of 2012, the compensation committee decided to increase the base salaries of our executive officers, other than our CEO," Facebook said in the document.

"Accordingly, our compensation committee increased the base salary of each executive officer, other than our CEO, by USD 35,000 or USD 40,000."

Zuckerberg has served as chairman of the board at Facebook since the beginning of last year.

His base pay will remain the same this year, while chief operations officer Sheryl Sandberg's was raised to USD 340,000, according to the filing. Her bonus last year added up to USD 276,730, the paperwork indicated.


Sandberg was paid USD 321,000 last year, along with a bonus of USD 276,730 and about USD 25.6 million worth of stock awards, Facebook told the FTC.

Sandberg's bonus "reflected her leadership in growing our revenue year over year and her strategic guidance in various business matters," the filing said.

Zuckerberg exercised options to acquire 60 million shares of Facebook stock, which were valued at just shy of USD 2.28 billion, according to the SEC filing.

He holds 607,599,549 shares of Class B stock in Facebook and another 1,939,987 in Class A shares, the company said in the paperwork.

The SEC in March endorsed a Nasdaq exchange plan to create a USD 62 million pool of cash to cover trading losses due to computer glitches that disrupted the launch of Facebook shares onto the market.

The huge electronic market's foul-up marred the USD 16 billion Facebook share issue in May, the most hotly awaited initial public offering on the US markets in years.

The stock hit a high of USD 45 on the first day, but slid below USD 18 in the following weeks. Facebook shares were trading at USD 26.85 at the Nasdaq close on Friday.