VJ Siddharth Bhardwaj enters Bigg Boss 5

MTV Splitsvilla winner and VJ Siddharth Bhardwaj is the third male contestant to enter the TV reality show Bigg Boss.

It seems the makers of Bigg Boss 5 are shifting from their initial strategy of having mostly celebrity women in the programme, co-hosted by Bollywood stars Sanjay Dutt and Salman Khan.

The show started on October 2 on Colors channel with actor Shakti Kapoor as the only male contestant among 12 women and one transgender.

Last week saw the entry of TV actor Amar Upadhay, who became famous as Mihir Virani in popular daily soap Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, and now Siddharth is the third male contestant to become a member of the Bigg Boss house.

Siddharth grabbed eyeballs after winning dating reality show Splitsvilla on MTV with Sakshi Pradhan, who was part of the fourth season of Bigg Boss.

He went on to do shows like MTV Stripped, Gone in 60 Seconds and Roadies 8.0. The young actor said he is both excited and apprehensive about his entry into the show.

"The ladies had to settle for uncle Shati Kappor and uncle-in-making Amar Upadhay. As I am young, single and the ladies are totally going to love me," Siddharth quipped.

Bigg Boss has contestants locked inside a secluded house for three months, without any contact or communication with the outside world.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bigg-boss-5-siddharth-bhardwaj-splitsvilla/1/155061.html

After campaigning against it in the Hisar Lok Sabha by election, Anna Hazare on Saturday said he will work with Congress across the country if the UPA government brings a strong Lokpal Bill in the Winter session of Parliament and keeps its words on other reforms. But he also sent out a warning to the Congress that if the Lokpal Bill was not passed in the Winter session he will work against Congress in the coming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and four other states like in Hisar. In an interview to Aaj Tak before going on 'Maun Vrat', the Gandhian said after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's latest letter to him he was encouraged that the government would bring a strong Lokpal, the channel said in a release. "If the government brings a strong Lokpal and keeps its other promises, why should I oppose the Congress. In fact we will work with the Congress," he said referring to the Lokpal Bill and to electoral reforms including right to reject, decentralisation and more powers to gram sabhas. Seeking to dispel the notion that Team Anna is anti-Congress, he denied that Team Anna had campaigned against Congress in Hisar at the behest of BJP and RSS. "I have only seen him (RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat) on TV, I have never met him or spoken to him. These are all allegations. In politics political parties are ready to do anything. The Congress, BJP and RSS are together conspiring to defame Anna. I have nothing to do with the RSS or BJP," Hazare said. Hazare denied that that he had received a letter from the RSS. "I don't even recognise Ram Madhav," he said when asked why the RSS leader was allowed on stage during the Jantar Mantar agitation. He said he had never thanked BJP President Nitin Gadkari for the BJP'S support. "If someone else from my team did, I can't say." In a rebuff to Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan, Hazare said he completely disassociated himself with his remarks on Kashmir. "I am against anybody who talks about dividing the country. I am very uncomfortable with what Bhushan has said. Our core committee will meet to decide on his continuing as a team member. After it meets. I will take a decision." Hazare also said Arvind Kejriwal was wrong in saying that Anna Hazare is above Parliament. "Arvind Kejriwal has not told me what he has said. But if he did say Anna is above Parliament, it's wrong. People are above Parliament, not Anna." He said he would tell his colleagues not to exceed their brief and speak on each and every issue. Hazare laughed off Congress leader Digvijay Singh's claim that he was being set up as a Presidential candidate in 2012. "I neither have the aptitude nor the desire to become President. In any case, if I become President I won't be able to do what I have been doing for society now." He said the Congress and BJP were shooting in the dark by spreading such rumours.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday gave Maoists a seven-day deadline to lay down arms, saying violence would not be tolerated any more.
"I am giving you (Maoists) a seven-day ultimatum to lay down guns. Think over it. We will not tolerate any more violence. Killings and negotiations cannot go hand in hand," she told a rally in Jhargram.
"They (Maoists) do not pursue any ism, they have no ideals. They are 'supari' killers, jungle mafia. People hate violence. We initiated the peace process. We will continue the negotiations, but you (the rebels) have to lay down arms," she said.
Condemning killings by Maoists and gunning down of two Trinamool Congress leaders in junglemahal recently, Banerjee said, "We have started the peace process, stopped joint operations for over four months, expecting peace to return... But they (Maoists) have not kept their word and continued the killing spree."
She said if peace returned to junglemahal, there would be no need of joint security operations.
Asking the Maoists what they wanted, the chief minister said, "Tell me what you want? We will give you schools, colleges, roads, jobs...everything...The door for dialogue is still open. We want a solution through negotiations but we will not tolerate any more violence."
Holding up the three-month-old baby of slain TC leader Lalmohan Mahato, Banerjee said, "We do not want any more mothers to lose their children...I will never compromise with peace. Development is another name of peace."
Daring Maoists to come into the open instead of indulging in killings under the cover of darkness, she said, "You want to kill Mamata Banerjee? Tell me where you want to kill me.
There will be no policemen with me."
On Maoist threat to people not to avail of government assistance like rice and foodgrains, she said, "Don't be afraid of some goondas. We will not allow this to take place anymore...Development can't come through terrorism."
Urging Maoists to return to the mainstream, Banerjee said, "We will give protection to those returning to normal life. We will give them jobs, monthly pension and benefits under other schemes."
Announcing a number of development projects for junglemahal, said she if development starts taking place in the region, Maoists will be gradually alienated from the masses.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/mamata-bannerjee-maoist-surrender-deadline/1/155089.html

Will work with Congress if Lokpal Bill is passed in Winter session: Anna Hazare

After campaigning against it in the Hisar Lok Sabha by election, Anna Hazare on Saturday said he will work with Congress across the country if the UPA government brings a strong Lokpal Bill in the Winter session of Parliament and keeps its words on other reforms.
But he also sent out a warning to the Congress that if the Lokpal Bill was not passed in the Winter session he will work against Congress in the coming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and four other states like in Hisar.
In an interview to Aaj Tak before going on 'Maun Vrat', the Gandhian said after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's latest letter to him he was encouraged that the government would bring a strong Lokpal, the channel said in a release.
"If the government brings a strong Lokpal and keeps its other promises, why should I oppose the Congress. In fact we will work with the Congress," he said referring to the Lokpal Bill and to electoral reforms including right to reject, decentralisation and more powers to gram sabhas.
Seeking to dispel the notion that Team Anna is anti-Congress, he denied that Team Anna had campaigned against Congress in Hisar at the behest of BJP and RSS.
"I have only seen him (RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat) on TV, I have never met him or spoken to him. These are all allegations. In politics political parties are ready to do anything. The Congress, BJP and RSS are together conspiring to defame Anna. I have nothing to do with the RSS or BJP," Hazare said.
Hazare denied that that he had received a letter from the RSS. "I don't even recognise Ram Madhav," he said when asked why the RSS leader was allowed on stage during the Jantar Mantar agitation.
He said he had never thanked BJP President Nitin Gadkari for the BJP'S support. "If someone else from my team did, I can't say."
In a rebuff to Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan, Hazare said he completely disassociated himself with his remarks on Kashmir.
"I am against anybody who talks about dividing the country. I am very uncomfortable with what Bhushan has said.
Our core committee will meet to decide on his continuing as a team member. After it meets. I will take a decision."
Hazare also said Arvind Kejriwal was wrong in saying that Anna Hazare is above Parliament. "Arvind Kejriwal has not told me what he has said. But if he did say Anna is above Parliament, it's wrong. People are above Parliament, not Anna."
He said he would tell his colleagues not to exceed their brief and speak on each and every issue.
Hazare laughed off Congress leader Digvijay Singh's claim that he was being set up as a Presidential candidate in 2012.
"I neither have the aptitude nor the desire to become President. In any case, if I become President I won't be able to do what I have been doing for society now."
He said the Congress and BJP were shooting in the dark by spreading such rumours.

Telangana Joint Action Committee calls for shutdown on Monday

The Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) has called for a shutdown in Telangana on Monday to protest large-scale arrests and "police excesses" during the first day of its "rail blockade".
Condemning arrests and "false cases" against the protestors, JAC convener M. Kodandaram Sunday night called for the shutdown in Telangana, which comprises 10 districts including Hyderabad.
Kodandaram urged people to come out on the tracks in large numbers to lodge their protest against the arrests of hundreds of people across Telangana.
The JAC, which is spearheading the movement for separate Telangana state, had called for three-day "rail blockade" which began Saturday.
The JAC leader alleged that police did not spare even women. "As many as 60 women are still in police stations in violation of the directions of the Supreme Court," he said.
Prominent women leaders in police custody include Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MP Vijayshanti and TRS chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao's daughter K. Kavita.
Kodandaram accused the state government of adopting repressive measures. He condemned the arrest of MPs, including those of the Congress, for serious offences under the Railway Protection Act.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/telangana-bandh-joint-action-committee/1/155108.html

Facing imminent arrest, former Karnataka Chief Minister

Facing imminent arrest, former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa on Saturday surrendered before a Lokayukta court in Bangalore and was sent to jail for a week after he was issued an arrest warrant in connection with alleged land scams.
On a day of high drama, the 68-year-old BJP leader, who resigned as chief minister on July 31 in the wake of his indictment by the Lokayukta in illegal mining scam, turned up in the court even as a team of police officials went to his house for arresting him.
Yeddyurappa is the first former chief minister of Karnataka to go to jail and the development has come as a major embarassment to BJP whose leader L K Advani is on a countrywide campaign against corruption.
Significantly, Karnataka, where Yeddyurappa had headed the first government of BJP in the South, does not figure in Advani's campaign yatra.
Acting on a complaint by two laweyers against Yeddyurappa for alleged irregularities in denotification of lands during his tenure as chief minister, special Lokayukta judge N K Sudhindra Rao rejected his bail application.
The former chief minister had failed to appear before the court while his sons B Y Raghavendra, MP, and B Y Vijendra as also his son-in-law Sohan Kumar appeared in the court and got bail.
The judge remanded Yeddyurappa to judicial custody till October 22. His lawyer M B Naik had earlier said that they would challenge the Lokayukta court order in the High Court.
Another accused, former minister S N Krishnaiah Setty, was also remanded to judicial custody till October 22 by the judge who also granted bail to BJP MLA Hemachandra Sagar and 10 others in the case.
Rejecting the bail pleas of Yeddyurappa and Setty on the grounds of gravity of their offence, the court said the involvement of both in the alleged irregularities in denotification of lands was 'all-pervading'.
It said since they were powerful and influential people, they could put pressure on the witnesses and tamper with evidence.
Earlier, reading out his order in a packed court, the judge said he has rejected the bail pleas of Yeddyurappa and Setty but allowed those of 14 others.
Shortly after Yeddyurappa surrendered, a Lokayukta police team, headed by its Deputy Superintendent of Police Prasanna Raju, escorted him to Parappana Agrahara Central Prison on the city outskirts.
The court also rejected the applications moved by Yeddyurappa seeking exemption from personal appearance on grounds that he was suffering from severe back pain and unable to take the stairs.
The judge directed Yeddyurappa's family members to furnish a bond for Rs five lakh and Rs 10 lakh as surety in the two cases for their bail and also submit to the court a chartered accountant-certified copies of bank accounts of Davalagiri Properties and Adarsh Homes Pvt Limited owned by them.
The court directed the remaining accused freed on bail to furnish a bond for Rs five lakh and slapped conditions that they should not tamper with evidence and not make any attempt to flee the country.
Setty collapsed as the court pronounced the order. Seeing his condition, the judge directed officials to provide proper treatment before taking him to jail.
Minutes after learning about the court order, Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda cancelled his trip to Mumbai and was closetted with some of his ministerial colleagues, including Home Minister R Ashoka.
Lawyer Srijan Basha, on whose complaint the court acted against Yeddyurappa, had alleged that the former chief minister denotified lands in Arakere, Agara, Devarachikkanahalli, Geddalahalli in favour of the accused causing huge losses to the state exchequer.
People gathered in large number outside Yeddyurappa's Race Course residence as a police team entered with the arrest warrant.
Earlier, Yeddyurappa rushed to a temple to invoke the blessings of the Gods and appeared before the court before the sitting ended for the day.
Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda summoned Bangalore City Police Commissioner Jyoti Prakash Mirji and held discussions with him on law and order issues.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bs-yeddyurappa-surrenders/1/155084.html

The workers on strike at Suzuki Powertrain India Ltd. (SPIL) and Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt. Ltd. (SMIPL) vacated factory premises Saturday morning, following an order from the Haryana government.

The workers at the two companies have been on strike since October 7 in support of their colleagues who have struck work at Maruti Suzuki India’s (MSI) Manesar plant.

“We have decided to vacate the plant as per the government order but we will continue our strike,” SMI Employees Union President Anil Kumar told PTI.

Similarly, workers at SPIL are leaving the factory which they have occupied since October 7.

“We are vacating the plant premises under compulsion as police have threatened action but we will continue to be on strike outside the plant,” SPI Employees Union President Sube Singh Yadav said.

Taking a tough stand, the Haryana government on Thursday declared the strike by the workers at the three entities of Suzuki Motor Corp in India illegal and initiated process to cancel registrations of unions at SPIL and SMIPL.

On Friday evening, the striking workers of MSI’s Manesar plant had vacated the premises, following an order from the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Rail roko begins in Telangana; TRS, Cong leaders detained

Several pro-Telangana leaders, including elected representatives of TRS and ruling Congress, were taken into custody today as the three-day 'rail roko' agitation began in the region in support of the statehood demand.

Among those taken into preventive custody were Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) President K Chandrasekhar Rao's son and MLA K T Rama Rao and his daughter K Kavitha, who is President of Telangana Jagruti, a cultural outfit of TRS. Police thwarted attempts by Rama Rao and his supporters to lay siege to the residence of Home Minister Sabita Indra Reddy, while Kavita was taken into custody for squatting on railway track at Moula Ali Station here. Medak MP Vijay Shanti was detained near Lakadi-ka-Pul station here while Karimnagar Congress MP Ponnam Prabhakar and ex-Minister Jeevan Reddy were detained in Karimnagar district. Congress MP S Rajaiah was taken into custody in Warangal. Police also took into custody scores of protesters, who squatted on rail tracks in different districts of the region and raised slogans in support of Telangana. As a precautionary measure, the South Central Railways (SCR) has announced cancellation of as many 124 passenger trains and diverted/rescheduled some others, including local trains, passing through Telangana, already crippled due to the month-long strike by Government employees. Andhra Pradesh Police have made elaborate security arrangements to thwart attempts by Telangana supporters to disrupt rail services. Central paramilitary forces have been deployed in the state capital and all Telangana districts. Telangana-Joint Action Committee (T-JAC), consisting of some political parties and people's organisations, has called for a rail blockade from today to October 17 to press for statehood to the region.