Yoga guru Baba Ramdev (centre) addresses supporters a day ahead of his proposed fast against corruption in New Delhi on Friday. PHOTO: Biplab Banerjee

The last of Haryana’s politically influential Lals, former chief minister Bhajan Lal, passed away in Hisar on Friday, aged 80, after suffering a heart attack while at his family home.

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), on Friday accused Union textiles minister Dayanidhi Maran of having played a vital role in starting the 2G spectrum scam.

In a veiled attack on the Congress, DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi, in his birthday message to the party cadre, said, “Bad company will lead to disaster (Koodaa natpu kedaai mudiyum)”.

The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the 2G spectrum scam has sought specific details related to spectrum allocation during the tenure of former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran from the department of telecommunications (DoT). The CBI, which is also probing alleged violations regarding spectrum allocation

The people of Tamil Nadu will again “officially” celebrate the Tamil New Year on April 14, the first day of the Tamil month of Chithirai, as the AIADMK regime is likely to reverse the policy decision taken by the previous DMK government.

Pleading that he was in no mood to celebrate his 88th birthday, on Friday, DMK president M. Karunanidhi asked his followers not to visit him either at home or party office. His misery got compounded with news from Delhi that the bail petition of his daughter and party MP, Kanimozhi, has not been listed for court order on Friday, which could

Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee is learnt to be under pressure within her party to get minister of state for urban development Saugata Roy made railway minister and elevated to Cabinet rank, sources said.

Under strident attack over the Aircel-Maxis controversy, Union textiles minister Dayanidhi Maran on Thursday skipped office and remained largely confined to his residence. The only official engagement during the day was the Cabinet meeting, which he attended.

The government on Thursday renewed its effort to convince yoga guru Baba Ramdev not to go ahead with his fast unto death from Saturday. It engaged the yoga guru and his associates in back-channel negotiations throughout the day. Even the top Congress leadership, including party president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan