Azhar denies he married for third time

Former India cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin on Sunday denied reports that he has married for a third time. "News about my 3rd marriage is incorrect and false. Please check facts before publishing," he tweeted. The denial came after a section of media carried reports that Azhar married his friend Shannon Marie, an American citizen. According to a report in Maharashtra Times, Azhar introduced Shanon as his wife when they visited house of his driver Jaan Mohammed in Mumbai on Saturday to console the family. The driver recently died. The 52-year-old was reportedly spotted with Shanon during IPTL match featuring the Indian aces and Phillippine Mavericks in New Delhi. Azhar, who played 99 Tests and 334 ODIs for India, first married Naureen, with whom he had two sons. In 1996, he divorced her to marry model-turned-actress Sangeeta Bijlani. The couple is believed to have separated in 2010. Azhar, who shot to fame by hitting three consecutive centuries on debut in 1984-85, was one of the most successful captains. His career ended in disgrace in 2000 when he was banned for life from playing the game for his alleged involvement in match fixing. Though the court lifted the ban in 2012, Azhar's career was already over. The Hyderabad entered politics in 2009 and was elected to Lok Sabha from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh. However, last year he lost the polls from Rajasthan's Tonk-Sawai Madhopur constituency.

Novel campaign to resolve Ayodhya issue

With Ayodhya issue stuck in the political and legal quagmire, a retired High Court judge is spearheading a movement to resolve the issue peacefully and has claimed to have got the backing of over seven thousand locals-- both Hindus and Muslims. Justice (retd) Palok Basu is leading the negotiation process and says that more than seven thousand people of Ayodhya and Faizabad have agreed to his proposal by signing a petition. The formula proposed by Basu and his team is that the disputed acquired area of Ram Janam Bhumi/Babri Masjid will house both-- a Ram temple and a mosque. However, this mosque will not sport the name of Mughal emperor Babar. Basu, a retired judge of Allahabad High Court, has been spearheading this "local" effort since March 18, 2010 six months before the High Court partitioned the disputed site into three parts. Justice(retd) Basu and his team are conducting signature campaign in the twin towns of Ayodhya and Faizabad with a target of 10,000 signatures of both Muslims and Hindus in same ratio. Basu told PTI in Ayodhya today that they have crossed the figure of 7,000 signatures. After the target of 10,000 signatures is achieved, Basu and his team will move Supreme Court through the government and appeal the apex court to honour the public sentiments for peace and harmony. "First thing is peace and the last thing is also peace. We have witnessed lot of bloodshed over Ayodhya issue in the last 60 to 70 years. So we must all unite for this peace process," said Ranjeet Lal Varma, counsel for Nirmohi Akhara, and now one of the main members of Basu's team. "After we have 10,000 signatures, we will move this negotiation process in the Supreme Court through authorised person, we hope that the apex court will honour the public sentiments of peace and harmony," said Afzaal Ahmad Khan, also a team member and local leader. "Since this issue cropped up, we were always of the opinion that this must be solved anyway. But the politicians have used the issue for their vote banks, now it has become cancer for the peaceful society. It must be eliminated," Khan said. One of the key members of Basu's team, Manzar Mahdi, who is a journalist with a vernacular newspaper, said,"It is important that peace and communal harmony is established. We are trying to connect majority of people of both the communities with this negotiation process." .

Jagan meets Pranab over party Roja's suspension

YSR Congress Party today requested President Pranab Mukherjee to intervene in the matter of party MLA RK Roja, who has been suspended by the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly for one year. Party members, led by Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, met the President at Rashtrapati Nilayam here and requested him to issue a directive to Andhra Pradesh Speaker to revoke the suspension. They also handed over a memorandum to the President regarding the issue. "We also request you to kindly direct the Hon'ble Speaker of AP Legislative Assembly to revoke the suspension orders against MLA Smt Roja in compliance with the Business Rules of the AP Legislative Assembly," YSRCP said in the memorandum. Roja was suspended from the Assembly following her alleged remarks against Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday. Alleging that some of the Telugu Desam Party members were also involved in the alleged 'call money' racket in Vijayawada, the opposition party requested Mukherjee to direct the state government for a probe by a sitting Judge of High Court into the issue. "In the light of the above (call money scam), we request you to kindly direct an enquiry to order a thorough probe into the human rights violation in the form of forced prostitution in Vijayawada by a sitting judge of AP High Court to bring the culprits to book," the party said. They also requested the President to direct the government to constitute Tribes Advisory Council as mandated by the Constitution of India. Mukherjee, who started his 14-day southern sojourn on December 18, is currently in Andhra Pradesh.

Trump becoming ISIS''s best recruiter: Hillary Clinton

Democratic presidential aspirant Hillary Clinton today slammed Donald Trump's recent comments about banning Muslim immigrants, saying the Republican front- runner was "becoming ISIS's best recruiter". "He is becoming ISIS's best recruiter. They are going to people showing videos of Trump insulting Islam and Muslims in order to recruit more radical jihadists," she said. She said that "it was not in America's interest to react with this kind of fear and respond to this sort of bigotry." Trump, 69, was among the top issue being debated at the Democratic presidential debate in New Hampshire. Other Republican candidates hardly figured in the debate, thus reflecting that all of them consider him as their main rival. "I worry greatly that the rhetoric coming from the Republicans, particularly Donald Trump, is sending a message to Muslims here in the US and literally around the world that there is a 'clash of civilisations,' that there is some kind of Western plot or even 'war against Islam,' which then I believe fans the flames of radicalisation," she alleged. Slamming Trump for his anti-Muslim rhetoric including his call to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the US, 68-year-old Clinton said the first line of defence against radicalisation is in Muslim-American community. "Trump has a great capacity to use bluster and bigotry to inflame people and to make think there are easy answers to very complex questions," she said. "We need to be united against the threats that we face. We need to have everybody in our country focused on watching what happens and reporting it if it's suspicious, reporting what you hear. Making sure that Muslim Americans don't feel left out or marginalised at the very moment when we need their help," she said. Clinton asserted that the Muslim community needs to be befriended not demonized. "We must work more closely with Muslim-American communities. I met with a group of Muslim-Americans this past week to hear from them about what they're doing to try to stop radicalisation. They will be our early warning signal. That's why we need to work with them, not demonize them, as the Republicans have been doing," Clinton said. Martin O Malley, another Democratic presidential candidate, alleged that Trump is incompetent. "We need to speak to what unites us as a people; freedom of worship, freedom of religion, freedom of expression. And we should never be convinced to give up those freedoms in exchange for a promise of greater security; especially from someone as untried and as incompetent as Trump," he said. "I believe we stand together to address the real issues facing this country, not allow them to divide us by race or where we come from. Let's create an America that works for all of us, not the handful on top," said Bernie Sanders, who is seeking Democratic presidential nominee. During the debate, Clinton even praised former president George W Bush, saying he reached out to Muslim Americans and told them that 'you are our partner'.

5 kg gold seized at Shamshabad international airport

Telugu actor kills self

Telugu character actor Ranganath (Tirumala Sundara Sriranganath) today allegedly committed suicide at his residence here by hanging himself, police said. He was 66 and is survived by two daughters and son. "His family members tell us that he was feeling lonely and was under some kind of depression after his wife passed away a few years ago. We found a word 'destiny' written in his kitchen. We are investigating the matter," a police official said. His maid came home this evening. However, as the door was closed sensing trouble, she called neighbours and his daughter who broke open the front door, police said. Born in Chennai, Ranganath acted in over 300 movies and many television serials. He worked in the Indian Railways before entering into the cinema world in 1969.

AP House adjourned for day over YSRCP member Roja's suspension

Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly was adjourned for the day today amid pandemonium in the House over the issue of suspension of YSR Congress Party member RK Roja for one year for her alleged "objectionable" remarks against Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. The Government introduced six bills in the house amid din. Leader of Opposition and YSRCP chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy terming her suspension against the rules and demanded that Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao revoke his decision. Quoting the rule book, he said the Speaker cannot suspend her without giving the member an opportunity to offer an explanation. "Speaker should follow the rule book. Not the decisions of ruling party," he alleged. The Speaker, while cautioning that the Opposition leader cannot question his decision, clarified that he merely announced the decision taken by the House yesterday. At this time, YSRCP members rushed to the podium and shouted slogans. Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu categorically said there is no question of revoking the suspension of Roja given the seriousness of the issue. Later, the Speaker adjourned the House for a brief period and once it resumed the government introduced the Bills. Afterwards, the House was adjourned to meet on Monday. Meanwhile, police took Roja into custody as the suspended member entered the Assembly premises this morning even after her suspension from the House. In the meele, she fell unconscious and was taken to NIMS for treatment.