Amritsar, Mar 24 (ANI): Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Tuesday morning paid obeisance at the Sri Harmandir Sahib also known as the Golden Temple.

Dr. Singh along with his wife Gursharan Kaur offered thanks giving prayers after his successful coronary by-pass surgery.

Before entering the sanctom sanctorum, the Prime Minister did ‘Parikrama’ of Sri Harmandir Sahib and then listened to the ‘path’ and ‘ardaas’. He spent more than half-an-hour there.

Before leaving for New Delhi, Dr. Singh also visited the Durgiana Temple.

This was his first trip outside Delhi since he underwent a coronary by-pass surgery.

Seventy-six-year-old Dr. Singh underwent a ‘redo’ coronary artery bypass surgery to remove five blockages in his heart at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on January 24 and has since been recuperating. (ANI)

Bhubaneswar, Feb 12, (ANI): Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh on Thursday missed the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bhubaneswar in Orissa’s Khorda District.

Singh could not come and the ceremony was held in his absence at Kansapada.

IIT, Bhubaneswar is among the eight new IITs that are to established in the country by the Human Resource Development Ministry.

Orissa will also get a new Central University under The Central Universities Ordinance 2009, which was promulgated by the President Pratibha Patil on January 15, 2009.

During the Eleventh Plan Period, the Central Government decided to establish eight new IITs, including IIT Bhubaneswar.

Orissa Government had allotted 935 acres of land for this IIT.

The State Government has also agreed to provide facilities like water, electricity and road connectivity for the institution. (ANI)

New Delhi, Feb.8, (ANI): Responding to the allegation that the Congress-led UPA government was going ‘soft’ on terror, United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Sunday said that the Congress Party did not require certificate from anyone over effectively dealing with terrorism in the country.

“Those who address the people on the basis of religion, those who misguide people by taking Lord Ram’s name, cannot effectively deal with terrorism. The party, which has lost two leaders while fighting terrorism, does not need any certificate. Only that party can fight terrorism which has the support of every section of the society,” Sonia Gandhi remarked while addressing a rally at the Ram Lila ground.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), earlier in the day, blamed the central government of going ‘soft’ in its approach to cross-border terrorism from Pakistan, when senior BJP leader L. K. Advani criticized the centre over Mumbai attacks stating: “It was not so much a case of intelligence failure as governance failure.”

BJP President Rajnath Singh, during the national executive meet on Saturday, had stated that the NDA would ensure building of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, in case the party returned to power with majority. (ANI)

Nagpur, Feb.8, (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party’s Prime Ministerial candidate L. K. Advani on Sunday said that National Democratic Alliance would recommend for the Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru’s execution to the President of India, within 100 days of returning to the power at the Centre.

Speaking during three-day national executive meet here, Advani questioned the government’s handling of Afzal Guru issue and said “Now that the term of the UPA Government is coming to an end, will the Prime Minister tell the nation why his Government chose not to implement the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the death sentence on Afzal Guru, the mastermind of the terrorist attack on Parliament?”

“In this context, let me assure the people that a future NDA Government, if elected to power, will recommend Afzal Guru’s execution to the President within the first 100 days,” Advani added.

In the aftermath of 26/11, Advani also opted to question the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for not setting up a commission to probe the Mumbai terror attacks and said: “Although the Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh were sacrificed after 26/11, why has no commission of inquiry been set up to probe all aspects of the Mumbai terror attacks?

The BJP leader warned the terror merchants and said: “Here is our warning to the merchants of death and their sponsors. We shall follow a zero tolerance and zero-compromise approach to dealing with terrorism.”

“The UPA Government enacted two anti-terror laws in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks. The BJP readily supported their passage in Parliament, even though the Congress had stoutly opposed the enactment of The Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) in 2002.”

“Will the Prime Minister show the honesty to admit to the nation that it was wrong on the part of his Government to have doggedly maintained for the first four-and-a-half years that no special anti-terror laws were needed and that existing laws were adequate to deal with the menace? And will the Congress president have the honesty to accept that opposition to POTA in 2002 was wrong? Advani added.

Over the northeast developments, Advani also pulled the UPA government for not taking too much interest in the north-east states. He said: “A future NDA Government will lose no time to implement the apex court’s directive and thereby safeguard the unity and security of India on the eastern front.” (ANI)

New Delhi, Jan 13 (ANI): Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today greeted the nation on the auspicious occasion of Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Bhogali Bihu and Pongal.

In his message, the Prime Minister said: “The harvest festivals of different parts of our country are an occasion to celebrate the bounty of nature and the colour and gaiety of the country.”

Makara Sankranti marks the commencement of the sun’s journey to the Northern Hemisphere (Makara raasi), signifying the onset of “Uttarayana Punyakalam”, and is a day of celebration all over the country. The day begins with people taking dips in the holy waters and worshipping the Sun.

Bhogali Bihu is a harvest festival celebrated in Assam, which marks the end of harvesting season in mid-January.

Pongal is a celebration of the prosperity associated with the harvest by thanking the rain, sun and the farm animals that have helped in the harvest. It is celebrated by Tamils. (ANI)

New Delhi, Jan 13 (ANI): British Foreign Secretary David Miliband will arrive here on a three-day visit today to express solidarity with India over the Mumbai terror attacks.

During his visit, Miliband will meet External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P Chidambaram. He is also expected to call on Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

He is also scheduled to hold talks with a group of young Parliamentarians on climate change and security issues.

Miliband will also visit Mumbai where he will address meetings at the Hotel Taj Mahal and Hotel Trident, sites of the Mumbai terror attacks.

Last month, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who visited Delhi, categorically singled out the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) as being responsible for the terror attacks in Mumbai that claimed 179 lives and injured over 300. (ANI)

New Delhi, Jan.12 (ANI): India has announced that it will gift 250,000 metric tons of wheat to Afghanistan to help that country tide over its current food crisis.

The announcement was made through a joint statement issued after talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and visiting Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai.

The eight-point statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs said: “Prime Minister Dr. Singh further conveyed that in order to help the fraternal people of Afghanistan in tiding over their current food crisis, India will gift Afghanistan 250,000 metric tonnes of wheat. The shipment will be effected immediately, as soon as the Government of Afghanistan has worked out its transportation arrangements.”

The statement also said that President Karzai expressed Afghanistan’s solidarity with the Government and people of India in the wake of the Mumbai terrorist attack.

It further added that the leaders have called for the full compliance with bilateral, multilateral and international obligations of States to prevent terrorism in any manner originating from territories under their control since terrorism emanates from the sanctuaries and training camps and the sustenance and support received by the terrorist groups.

They also reviewed their robust, strategic partnership,and expressed satisfaction at the progress in bilateral development and reconstruction projects in all parts of Afghanistan.

Prime MinisterSingh informed President Karzai that, following the completion of the road from Zaranj to Delaram in South-western Afghanistan, a second major infrastructure project, the Pul-e-Khumri to Kabul transmission line and the sub-station at Chimtala in Northern Afghanistan, will be handed over shortly to the Government of Afghanistan.

President Karzai invited Prime Minister Singh for a State Visit to Afghanistan. The invitation was accepted with pleasure. The dates will be finalised through diplomatic channels. (ANI)

New Delhi, Jan.12 (ANI): The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, has greeted the Nation on the auspicious occasion of Lohri, Makar Sankaranti and Pongal.

In a message, the Prime Minister said: “The harvest festivals of different parts of our country are an occasion to celebrate the bounty of nature and the colour and gaiety of the country.” (ANI)