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Rajinikanth Recuperating in Singapore Hospital

Superstar Rajinikanth who was flown to Singapore for treatment has been admitted to the intensive care unit at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital. He is recuperating fast and his condition is said to be stable. His son-in-law Dhanush, a Tamil actor, said that his condition is stable and there is no cause for any alarm. Before leaving Chennai Rajinikanth left behind a voice message promising his fans that he will be back soon. The voice clip was sent to the media and fans by his daughter Soundarya before he left Chennai. “I am happily going about my routine. Will come as soon as the treatment gets over. How can I reciprocate the love you have shown for me? I get money for acting, for that you are showering so much love. How will I pay you all back? I will conduct myself in such a way that I will never let down all my fans throughout the world. I have God's blessings and the blessings of the Guru. Above all, I have the blessing of all my fans who are the manifestation of God," Rajinikanth said in his one-minute message.  

TD Leader Bramha Reddy Commits Suicide

Telugu Desam leader, a realtor and owner of an engineering college chain Madhira Bramha Reddy was found dead in a hotel room in Vijayawada yesterday. Bramha Reddy, who resided in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad left home on Wednesday for Karimnagar to participate in 'Ranabheri' meeting conducted by TDP. Bramha Reddy's body was found in a decomposed state in a star hotel  room at Vijayawada. A bottle of pesticide and sleeping pills pointed towards Bramha Reddy committing suicide. Preliminary police inquiries with the family suggested financial trouble as the reason for Reddy to take the extreme step. Though no suicide note was recovered, Police believe that Reddy might have consumed the poison soon after checking into the room. Bramha Reddy was an active TDP leader and the chairman of Madhira Institute of Technology and Sciences in Kodad town of Nalgonda district. Police sources said Reddy, who once had a share in Golkonda Hotel at Masab Tank, went into a shock after some of his partners in the real estate duped him of Rs 20 crore. He had also lost heavily in the real estate business. Private management associations in Hyderabad said that he had diverted funds from a pharmaceutical company, which he owned, to his colleges, which led to his company suffering losses. He even had bank loans to pay off.    

Hasan Ali Political Links: More Names Surfaced

Hasan Ali multi-crore money laundering case is taking new turns with more names of political leaders surfacing each day. Kolkata based businessman Kashinath Tapuriah, associate and co-accused in the Hasan Ali multi-crore money laundering case, has in a series of statements made to Enforcement Directorate named several politicians who allegedly had close links with Hasan Ali. According to sources, the politicians Tapuriah is believed to have named include arrested Commonwealth Games chief organizer Suresh Kalmadi, former minister Renuka Chaudhary, expelled Samajwadi MP Jaya Prada, Congress MP Subbirami Reddy, ex-MP A S Chaudhary and the late Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy, who was the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. As per Kashinath's statement, Ali allegedly told him that Subbirami Reddy was his close friend. Tapuriah said he was introduced to A S Chaudhary by Delhi Congress leader Jagdish Tytler. Ali had a good rapport with former actor-turned-MP Jaya Prada, who Tapuriah claims to have seen in the company of Hasan Ali at a hotel in 1996. He also spoke about Ali's links with a Congress leader from AP currently associated in an airport project in Mumbai or New Delhi.  

Rosaiah Come-back as CM Predicted

Political observers in the state are of the opinion that senior Congress leader and former chief minister Mr. Konijeti Rosaiah may come back as chief minister once again. The observations are prompted by the letter Rosaiah has written to the Congress president Mrs. Sonia gandhi. In his letter, Mr, Rosaiah is said to have lamented about the dismal state of affairs of the party in Andhra Pradesh. Though the copy of the letter has not been made public, Rosaiah let it be known to the press that he has communicated to Sonia his deep concern about the state of affairs in the party in the state. According to sources, "All is not well in the state Congress. Corrective steps should be taken immediately to strengthen the party in the light of the experience in the recently concluded byelections in Kadapa district where the party forfeited its deposit in the Lok Sabha poll and was trounced in the Pulivendula assembly constituency," is said to be the gist of his letter to Sonia. "Mr. Rosaiah has already conveyed very strongly to AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad that Kiran is not able to carry the ministers with him. Now, the letter to Sonia is a clear indicator that he is ready to be the loyal Congressman and lead the state once again," say the analysts. Another thing that Rosaiah tried to emphasise in his letter that YS Jagan Mohan reddy was a part of Congress during his tenure as chief minister and Jagan left the party only after Kiran Kumar Reddy became the chief minister. In this way, Rosaiah passed on the unsaid message that the major problems for the party had been precipitated only after the induction of Kiran Kumar Reddy, the analysts observed. Sources close to Rosaiah claim he would convince the high command that there is no groupism in his cabinet, unlike in the Kiran cabinet. In the absence of any effective leader who can replace Kiran, Rosaiah is positioning himself as the best bet in case the high command decides that the present CM needs to go.  

92 Year Old is Getting Rejuvenated!

In yet another breakthrough in the practice of ancient forms of Indian medicine, it seems possible that man can rejuvenate himself, whenever he wants to do so! It was made possible at Ottappalam in Palakkad district of Kerala. A 92-year-old ascetic, Yugal Saran Maharaj, who underwent a special 45-day Kayakalpa treatment in seclusion, now has black strands sprouting in his otherwise grey beard and also confesses to feeling "youthful stirrings". An Ayurveda practioner himself, Saran Maharaj came down from Mount Abu in Rajasthan to go through the rigorous Kayakalpa process. Saran Maharaj underwent the treatment in the three chambered Trigarbha Graham at Ottappalam in Palakkad district as part of an attempt to create a “miracle” of rejuvenation using Kayakalpa Rasayana which is extolled in Ayurveda texts. "I did this not to become younger but to prove a point ancient Ayurveda can do wonders. I was also associated with a similar treatment for renowned freedom fighter and social reformer Madan Mohan Malaviya in 1933," says Saran Maharaj. Besides achieving a haemoglobin count of 15.5, uncharacteristic among people of his age, Saran Maharaj has also started experiencing "amorous feelings" that he abandoned 60 years ago. Now black strands have started sprouting in his otherwise grey beard. The swelling on his feet and hands vanished. Few shaking teeth have now become firmer and Saran Maharaj also confesses of feeling more youthful now. But, Yugal Saran Maharaj cautions that, undergoing this treatment is not a mean task. As part of kayakalpa rasayana, one has to live in a three-chambered room or trigarbha gruham and will be confined to solitude for 45 days, cut off completely from the outside world. His diet will just comprise a combination of herbal medicines and a glass of milk daily.  

Toughest Mahanadu For Chandrababu Naidu

The 30th TDP Mahanadu, that's being held on 27, 28 & 29 of this month at Hyderabad,  will prove to be the toughest test for Telugu Desam Party and its president N Chandrababu Naidu. Though this Mahanadu is being held under the shadow of many other problems, two of them can really prove to be a litmus test for  N Chandrababu Naidu. To begin with, the TDP is facing a critical position in T region for the 'two-eye' policy adopted by Naidu in regard of Telangana issue. The recent suspension of senior party leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy is expected to have an impact on this Mahanadu. While two of Nagam's close adssociates Harishwar Reddy and Jogi Ramanna are expected to skip the meeting, the possibility of Nagam's followers raising T slogans and trying to create obstruction during the Mahanadu is not ruled out. The second issue that is going to come to fore in this Mahanadu is its president Nara Chandrababu Naidu trying to promote his son Nara Lokesh as heir apparent in the party. It is to be seen, whether Mr. Nandamuri Harikrishna, who is said to be unhappy over Naidu promoting his son Lokesh as his successor, will attend the meeting or not. There has been lot of activity going on within the party recently to bring Lokesh in to active politics. Jr. NTR, who used to be an attraction during previous Mahanadus, is away on his honeymoon trip.

Bengal Seals Telangana Fate

According to top AICC surces, It is learnt that the fate of Telangana has been sealed by West Bengal and Mamata Banerjee. The UPA government at the Center is in no mood to give separate statehood to Telangana, as similar demand for separate Gorkhaland is pending long in West Bengal. The central government doesn't want to inflame the separatist forces further in West Bengal and therefore decided to work out a political and economic package for Telangana. The sources revealed that the issues were discussed at length a party meeting held in New Delhi couple of days ago, which was attended top leaders including Sonia Gandhi and AP state party affairs incharge Gulam Nabi Azad. Since Trinamul Congress, an ally of the Congress has come in to power in West Bengal, where a demand for separate Gorkhaland is on the rise. Any attempt at accomodating separate T demand would only make things difficult for Mamata, as a similar demand in that state can intensify into a big agitation. On the other hand, the issue of Second States Reorganisation Commission (SRC), as raised by the UP Congress Committee resolution of May 19, serves the interests of Congress in Uttar Pradesh facing demands for Harit Pradesh and Bundelkhand. It would also help the party keep the lid on the demand for a separate Gorkhaland state in West Bengal. The meeting thus reportedly decided, keeping in view the series of agitations planned by pro-Telangana parties and activists, the high command intends to speed up two packages, one political and the other economic, for the Telangana region.  

TDP's three-day "Mahanadu" begins today

HYDERABAD: The Telangana issue and the suspension of party Polit Bureau member Nagam Janardhan Reddy appear to have cast a shadow over the Telugu Desam Party's annual three-day conclave, ‘Mahanadu,' beginning here on Friday.   Dr. Reddy, a senior MLA from Telangana and till recently chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, was suspended from the party on Wednesday for “anti- party activities” after he pressured party president N. Chandrababu Naidu to take a strident stand on Telangana by writing a letter to Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram. The suspension came immediately after a majority of the Telangana MLAs held a public meeting in Karimnagar, heartland of Telangana, to neutralise the revolt staged by Dr. Reddy and the growing influence of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). Telangana is not the only issue that stares at the party as it holds its 30th  Mahanadu coinciding with the founder and the former Chief Minister, N. T. Rama Rao's 88th birth anniversary. The party has still not made it clear whether the issue will come up for discussion at all. Till the arrival of Jagan on the political firmament, the TDP was perceived to be recovering its lost ground with the Congress in disarray after the tragic death of the former Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. But now suddenly it looks vulnerable and there is talk in the party that Jagan could prove to be another spoilsport like the Praja Rajyam Party chief Chiranjeevi did in the 2009 Assembly elections. Not only from outside, Mr. Naidu has to contend with challenges from within. If there is infighting in some district units between an MP and an MLA in one and two former Ministers in another, an issue that is proving to be a headache for Mr. Naidu is the “succession war” triggered by his brother-in-law and Polit Bureau member Nandamuri Harikrishna. The latter is bent upon projecting his son and Telugu film actor, NTR Junior against Mr. Naidu's son Lokesh as the next generation leader in the party. In spite of Mr. Naidu's warning and to his embarrassment, the local TDP unit of the Chandragiri Assembly constituency encompassing his native village has resolved to make Mr. Lokesh as in-charge.

TRS, YSR Congress invite Nagam janardhan reddy

Hyderabad : After being suspended from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), The party's politburo member and senior leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy is mulling his future action as opposition parties are wooing him.   Meanwhile, TRS leader Jitender Reddy called on Nagam and reportedly requested him to join the party. YSR Congress party leader Gone Prakash Rao also called on the suspended TDP leader to join the newly-floated outfit.   Nagam began consultations with his colleagues and followers Thursday as Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and YSR Congress party initiated efforts to woo him to their ranks.   But the former minister is keeping his cards close to his chest. With the TDP also planning to urge assembly Deputy Speaker N. Manohar to disqualify Nagam as legislator, the senior leader from Mahabubnagar district is contemplating to quit the assembly.   Two TDP legislators from the Telangana region, Harishwar Reddy and Jogi Ramna, have already thrown their weight behind Nagam. Harishwar has even claimed that 25-30 legislators would join hands with them

Bad Weather Leads Faridabad Plane Crash

Faridabad: The preliminary report on the plane crash in Faridabad in which 10 people - seven on board the ill-fated aircraft and three on ground - were killed says that the engine of the P-12 turboprop aircraft was fine and it was the turbulent weather that led to the tragedy.     The investigation into the crash is being carried out independently and not by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). "The investigation will be done independently. The investigation will not be carried out by the DGCA. The Government will appoint a committee of inquiry. A working group will be set up to review existing safety norms," said Civil Aviation Secretary Nasim Zaidi. The investigation into the tragedy is the first independent inquiry by India into an air crash. The investigation will try and find out what went wrong with the P-12 turboprop aircraft belonging to Delhi-based Air Chartered Services India Pvt Limited.

Bipasha Basu detained

Mumbai: Bipasha Basu was detained by custom officials at the Mumbai international airport for apparently carrying undeclared valuables. The jewellery the actress carried, it seems, was worth more than the amount she had declared.   She was later cleared of the charges and allowed to leave. Bipasha later released a statement: "It was just a routine check-up at the airport. Many others were being checked as well. All that I have in my bags are the clothes I had shopped for and hence had excess baggage for which I paid approximately   10,000 as taxes. I think the customs team is doing an excellent job." Just last Wednesday, Minissha Lamba was stopped by the customs department on her return from Cannes. She too was carrying undeclared jewellery, which had been lent to her by Mumbai-based Anmol Jewellers. She was detained for 16 hours, after the jewellers presented documents proving the jewellery had been loaned to her.

SC Cancelled allotted land to Ganguly

New Delhi: In a setback to former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly, the Supreme Court on Thursday Cancelled the land allotment to him by the West Bengal Government in 2000. The Supreme Court directed Sourav Ganguly to surrender the 63.04 'katha' land allotted to him by the West Bengal government within two weeks.     The court passed the order on a petition filed by a West Bengal-based NGO, Humanity and others, challenging the Calcutta High Court's order which had upheld the state government's decision of allotting the land to Ganguly. Allowing the appeal of NGO, the bench quashed the allotment and also directed the government to refund the money paid by Ganguly for the land. The NGO had alleged that the land was illegally alloted to Ganguly as it was earmarked for a college. The state government had accommodated Ganguly's request without amending the master plan, the NGO had alleged. The NGO had submitted that the state government violated all norms and procedures while allotting the prime land to the former Indian cricket captain. The Calcutta High Court had in April 2010 upheld the land allotment observing in its order that there was no arbitrariness in the state government's action of allotting the land to Ganguly.

Jagan supports TDP for no Confidence Motion

Vizianagaram (AP): Kadapa MP and YSR Congress Party chief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy tonight said his party would extend support to the main opposition TDP provided it moves a no confidence motion against the ruling cin Andhra Pradesh.     Hitting out at the Congress during the ''Odarpu Yatra'' (tour for consoling), Jagan said it had failed in protecting interests of farmers and the poor. Jagan said his party would support TDP if it moves a no confidence motion against the N Kiran Kumar Reddy government

TASA Harikatha Program by Smt. Savithri Jayanti

TX USA: San Antonio residents were treated to highly accomplished Harikatha performances by the eminent Bhagavatharini, Smt. Jayanti Savithri, on Sunday, May 22nd, 2011 and Monday, May 23rd, 2011. The performance on Sunday was conducted at the Hindu Temple of San Antonio (HTSA) by the Telugu Association of San Antonio (TASA) and garnered an audience of about 60. Murthy Patamalla, TASA President, welcomed the artist.     Smt. Jayanti’s inspired rendition of Sri Annamacharya’s life story moved the audience. As a TTD employee dedicated to the Annamacharya Project, this was a subject close to Smt. Jayanthi’s heart and it showed! As she explained it, Harikatha is a fusion of mastery in poetry, literature, dance, drama, and music, all presented entertainingly and with great presence of mind. She displayed these qualities in abundance and enthralled the audience with a re-telling of Annamacharya’s life story neatly interspersed with his kirthanas, all sung melodiously to music from her iTouch!     The kids enjoyed the Harikatha and sat enraptured throughout with little fidgeting – testimonial to the immensely enjoyable performance. The afternoon ended with felicitations of the artist, presenting shawl by HTSA Trustee Raj Goud. TASA President Murthy and President-Elect Sreeram presented a plaque in appreciation of artist’s performance.     The next evening, Smt. Jayanti Savithri presented the Rukmini Kalyanam Harikatha at Sri Madhava Rao’s residence. Attended by a smaller, but still very appreciative, audience, this performance was even more entertaining with vignettes and asides that thrilled. The powerful performance captured Rukmini’s love for Krishna, her anxiety over her message to him, Krishna carrying away Rukmini, Rukmi and Sisupala’s anger, Krishna vanquishing his enemies, and finally the joyful wedding.                                      Click Here for more pics of Harikatha performance   Harikatha Performance Videos    Harikatha - Narayana they                                                       Harikatha  -TandananaaPurae                                                 Harikatha - Venkataramana Govindaa   

9-seater plane crashes in Faridabad

Faridabad: A nine-seater chartered aircraft with seven people on board has crashed onto two houses in Faridabad near New Delhi. The aircraft, flying from Delhi to Patna, was a chartered medical ambulance. Plane crash images :   10 killed in air ambulance crash near Delhi                  

10 killed in air ambulance crash near Delhi

Faridabad: An air ambulance carrying a critically ill patient crashed into a residential area in Faridabad on Wednesday night killing 10 people in all. At 10:45 pm on Wednesday night a nine-seater air ambulance crashed into a house in Sector 22, Faridabad, killing all seven on-board and three on the ground.   Eyewitnesses also said that a strong gust of wind gave no chance to the aircraft, which lost control and crashed. "The crash has happened in a residential area. I saw huge flames coming out of the crash," said Naveen Grover, an eyewitness. The air ambulance was hired by Delhi's Apollo Hospital to ferry a critically ill 20-year-old jaundice patient, Rahul Raj, from Patna. Expressing shock and grief over the incident, the hospital said, "The air ambulance crash in Faridabad is most unfortunate and tragic. The plane was hired from Air Chartered Services. It was bringing in a patient, his attendant along with two doctors and one male nurse from Patna." Faridabad's SDM Pradeep said three persons on ground were among the dead when the P-12 turboprop aircraft belonging to Delhi-based Air Chartered Services India Pvt Limited crashed in Jawaharnagar locality near the IAF station shortly before landing at IGI airport in Delhi. Two persons were also injured in the crash. The persons who lost their lives on the ground are believed to be residents of the houses hit by the plane. It's not clear what caused the crash, but an engine failure isn't being ruled out. According to Delhi airport sources, the airplane lost control and nosedived from a height of about 8,000 feet fifteen minutes before landing. There was a strong gusty wind due to a dust storm at the time of the crash. The plane caught fire as soon as it crashed on two houses sending up plumes of smoke. Besides the two pilots, two doctors and two medical attendants accompanying the patient were on board the ill-fated aircraft. The plane was piloted by Harpreet with Manjeet Kataria as the co-pilot. Dr Arshad and Dr Rajesh were the doctors while Ratnesh Kumar and Shiril the medical attendants. The bodies of all the 10 victims were charred beyond recognition, according to Faridabad Police Commissioner PK Agarwal. The plane had taken off at 9.30 am. Twenty-five fire tenders were rushed to the crash site and the blaze on the house, which caught fire, was brought under control nearly two hours after the mishap. While reeking of air turbine fuel from the area could have been a potential hazard, the police said handling curious on lookers was the biggest challenge. "We are doing the exercise. The DGCA authorities have also come, so jointly we are doing an exercise and forensic team will also come...that is why we are requesting people not to come close to the site," said Faridabad Police Commissioner PK Aggarwal. Officials of DGCA and Civil Aviation Ministry were also reached the crash site. "This is a PC 1211 aircraft. This is a single engine small aircraft," said DGCA Joint Director Ashok Saran. "It was a new aircraft," he added. While the area has been cordoned off, questions rising on whether gusty winds were the only reason why the aircraft crashed - why was it flying so low in any case? A DGCA appointed team will submit a report within three months.

Nizam era coins found in Mahbubnagar

HYDERABAD: The department of archaeology has recently retrieved a treasure trove comprising copper and silver coins and silver jewellery that dates back to the 20th century.   Officials of the department said that the trove was found while digging an old house in Mahbubnagar district and contains 737 copper coins (of two anna denomination), 36 silver coins that belonged to the last Nizam, Osman Ali Khan, silver ornaments, one silver `kadiyam' (bracelet), a silver `patti' (anklet) and a silver waist belt.   Speaking to the media about the treasure on Wednesday, P Chenna Reddy, director of state archaeology, said, "The Dr YSR AP State Museum in the city has the largest collection of coins and is only next to the British Museum, London."   Besides Mahbubnagar, the department has also received similar coins from Khammam and Vijaynagaram in the recent past, officials said.

IIT are a Passion for AP Students

HYDERABAD: Coaches for IIT entrance tests estimate that Andhra Pradesh accounts for 12.5% of the total students studying at IITs across the country. Last year, 56,000 students appeared for IIT entrance, a number which shot to 60,000 this year. The state's engineering entrance, Eamcet, too has seen a rise in the number of students appearing for it, from a few thousands a couple of decades ago to a few lakhs now. This year, nearly 2.7 lakh students appeared for Eamcet. So, are students of Andhra Pradesh technology-driven and hence, wish to become engineers or is engineering a fad that refuses to die? Observers state the obvious be it an engineering degree from an IIT or a state engineering college, the students only see it as a stepping stone to realise their big dream, either to migrate to the US or make it to the civil services, their next most crucial ambition.     The 2011 all-India topper in the IIT entrance, I Prudhvi Tej on Wednesday said he aspired to become an IAS officer. The exodus of engineering grads from AP to the US has led to the almost familiar statements about how of every four households in AP, one would have a son or a daughter in the US. K V Raghunath, vice-chairman of Narayana Group of Institutions, says than an engineering degree makes it easy for students to go abroad. D N Reddy, vice-chancellor of JNTU, says that engineering is just a craze among the students. "Students in AP have increasingly taken to engineering because of the job opportunities or because of peer/parental pressure,'' he says. Realising the IIT passion, the state government even tweaked the school syllabus, making it IIT-friendly. The craze for Eamcet is only second to that of IIT. There are so many engineering seats in the state, of the 2.7 lakh students who appeared for Eamcet this year, each is assured to get a seat.

Nagam Suspended From TDP

HYDERABAD: As expected, the Telugu Desam leadership has suspended TDP Politburo member Nagam Janardhan Reddy for ‘antiparty’ activities.   The TDP Politburo, which met at party president N Chandrababu Naidu’s residence soon after the conclusion of party’s Ranabheri in Karimnagar on Wednesday, endorsed the recommendation of the Telangana Telugu Desam Forum (TTDF) made three days ago that the Nagarkurnool legislator be suspended.   It is for the first time in the TDP that a Politburo member was suspended without being served a show-cause notice. Janardhan Reddy was a minister for 12 years in the cabinets of NTR and Chandrababu. After the end of the meeting, TDP Politburo member and former law minister P Chandrasekhar said action was taken against Nagam for making uncharitable comments not only on Chandrababu, but also on the TDP leadership. The Politburo did not mention the period of his suspension. The Politburo meeting lasted for about an hour. Before ratifying the recommendation of TTDF, Chandrababu spoke to some Politburo members about Nagam’s defiance of the party leadership.