Rudrapur, an industrial town in Uttarakhand, witnesses large-scale rioting and clashes of a communal nature. THE Garhwal and Kumaon regions, which constitute the tiny hill State of Uttarakhand, were totally free of communal disturbances even when the entire country was in the grip of tension following the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1992 and the Mumbai blasts in 1993. These regions had always maintained communal peace. But on...

-IANS   Two resignations and one more in the offing? The core group behind India Against Corruption (IAC) led by Anna Hazare is likely to be whittled down further with Delhi archbishop Vincent M Concessao distancing himself from the movement, sources said on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Magsaysay award winner Rajendra Singh and Gandhian activist P V Rajagopal quit the original 26-member panel citing the political activism of Arvind Kejriwal and other leaders of...

In a setback to the police, Ahmedabad sessions court today granted bail to jailed IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, who was arrested on September 30, based on a complaint filed by a police constable. Bhatt was accused of forcing a police constable KD Pant to file a false affidavit supporting his claim that Bhatt had attended the meeting called by the chief minister after Godhra train carnage. He was also accused...

“When anyone tries to recruit you into terrorism, hand him over to the police” The All India Ulama & Mashaikh Board (AIUMB) on Sunday gave a call to Sunni Muslims across India to reject and rebuff hardline Wahabism so that Islam could return to its tolerant, Sufi roots: “When an extremist turns up at your door seeking your support, when anyone tries to recruit you into terrorism, hand him over to...

All India Ulama & Mashaikh Board general secretary Maulana Syed Mohd Ashraf Kachochavi made a strong pitch for a Madrasa Board saying: “Right now the madrasas are under the control of Wahabi-inspired organisations which run on Saudi money. The ideology they teach and spread is hardline Wahabism. These organisations have put pressure on the government not to enact the Act. We want the funds to go to the really needy...