Addressing a 50,000-strong gathering here on Saturday, Congress president Sonia Gandhi spoke at length about how her party was sensitive towards Goa’s environment — something which the local Congress has been repeatedly criticised about, given the illegal mining scam.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi wrapped up his five-day tour of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday by exhorting the people to work towards a change in the upcoming Assembly elections.

Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare railed against the UPA government’s home minister at a rally in Freedom Park on Saturday where some 30,000 people had gathered to hear the Gandhian speak.

As a storm brews in the CPI(M) over party politburo member Brinda Karat sharing the dais with self-styled Gandhian Anna Hazare, party general secretary Prakash Karat came out in the open to defend her.
He justified her decision of joining hands with the BJP to participate at Anna’s show at Jantar Mantar on December 11.

Threat of a deadly disaster looms large over the city as about 996 highrises here do not conform to the fire safety norms, an increase of more than 35 per cent over the figure last year.

An employee of a Delhi-based finance company and his accomplice were arrested for allegedly cheating a woman of crores of rupees in a land deal, said the police.

Delhiites witnessed another chilly day on Saturday even though the minimum temperature rose a bit over the previous day, the coldest of this season, and was recorded at 5 degree Celsius, three notches below average, the India Meteorologi-cal Department said.

Taking action in an alleged case of corruption in Commonwealth Games-related project, the crime branch of the Delhi police has booked three senior officials of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Fire Services for fraudulently issuing clearance certificates for “monetary benefits” to Eros Group for its “non-existent” multi-facility complex in east Delhi.

The CBI on Saturday registered a case against 20 policemen of Gujarat in the Ishrat Jahan encounter case.
According to sources, all 20 policemen have been charged with murder and destruction of evidence. The case has been registered by the CBI Mumbai unit (special crime). Ishrat Jahan and three others — Pranesh Pillai, a

“Santa Claus” from Finnish Lapland with children at an event to celebrate Christmas in New Delhi on Saturday. — G.N. JHA