New Delhi, June 10
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) today said it would support UPA's choice of presidential candidate.

Briefing mediapersons on deliberations during the daylong National Executive meeting held here, party vice-president and rural development minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said not a single vote of UPA for the presidential election would be cast in favour of anybody other than the UPA's candidate.

Asked if the RJD would support vice-president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat as an independent candidate for the post of president in view of his cordial terms with the RJD chief, he replied, “Mere exchange of greetings does not translate to a vote.''

Replying to a question on the potential of the recently constituted third front, a grouping of eight regional parties, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh remarked, “Why give it the name of third front? It will not last. The UPA will get a second term.''

The National Executive chaired by party president and railway minister Lalu Yadav passed five resolutions, namely political, economic, organisational besides those related to minorities and the achievements of the Railway ministry.

In its political resolution, the RJD National Executive has criticised the BJP government in Rajasthan for its inept handling of the recent clashes between two communities on the question of reservation.

In a resolution related to minorities, the party has said that the BJP, RSS, VHP, Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena are trying to tarnish the image of the minorities.

RJD secretary-general and leader of the party in the Rajya Sabha, Prof Ramdev Bhandari, told TNS that the party has embarked on a membership drive and plans to strengthen its base in Punjab and Haryana.

“At present, we are very weak in these two states. We see tremendous scope in Punjab which is home to a large number of economic migrants from our home State and other Hindi speaking States.''

New Delhi, June 10
After HIV/AIDS, the latest cause to catch the fancy of Bollywood film stars is climate change. Those who have now jumped on the climate change bandwagon in order to spread awareness about global warming and greenhouse gas emissions through sheer star power are megastar Amitabh Bachchan, son Abhishek and bahu Aishwarya.

In any case, these days it is both politically correct and fashionable to proclaim commitment to environmental issues and climate change. Shilpa Shetty, in the limelight after her success in UK TV show Big Brother followed by the much-controversial peck with Hollywood star Richard Gere at an HIV/AIDS awareness programme, has also decided to support the cause of global warming.

While there are plenty of stars who would like to talk about their green credentials, Bachchan, like always, is the first one to pioneer Bollywood’s commitment to the cause of global warming via the prestigious International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) event, currently on in the UK.

IIFA this year is dedicated to the cause of global warming and climate change and Bachchan, in Yokshire with his multi-star family in tow, has been vocal on his commitment to do everything possible through his voice and face to raise awareness about dangers of climate change in India and the world. Particularly concerned about India, Bachchan recounted how experts predicted that India would be one of the worst affected by depredations of climate change. The issue was also discussed at the IIFI-FICC Global Business Forum.

In the past Bollywood stars, like their counterparts in Hollywood, have been active in several social causes, including expressing concern over the rising threat of AIDS in India. They have also been roped in by the government to lend their names to various social causes. Bachchan in particular has been involved with polio awareness programmes and Heroes Project.

Shabana Azmi and husband Javed Akhtar have active in supporting the cause of slum dwellers. Lately, Akhtar has also been lending active support in campaign against encounter killings of Gujarat. Salman Khan, who has always been in news for wrong reasons, is also involved in a project for old people and has even taken to painting to raise money for his dream project.

Preity Zinta and Shah Rukh Khan have also appeared on the TV with brooms in hand to propagate the virtues of cleaning their city. And not to forget Amir Khan, who managed to land himself in some political trouble after he supported the Narmada Bacaho Andolan. Recently item girl Rakhi Sawant too donned the avtaar of a social activist after she orgainsed a morcha against the garbage in the lane near her building . She also threatened to go on a hunger strike with residents of her building if the BMC did not solve the problem of garbage near her building.

Hyderabad, June 10
The Congress government in Andhra Pradesh will issue a modified ordinance within a month to implement quota for Muslims in jobs and admissions in educational institutions.

“We have decided to bring out an ordinance within 30 days to see that the reservation policy is implemented from this academic year itself,” the Chief Minister Y.S Rajasekhar Reddy announced here today.

The High Court had, on November 7, 2005, quashed an earlier ordinance providing for five per cent reservation to Muslims, terming it as “unconstitutional and arbitrary”.

Since then, the Reddy government has been maintaining that it would work a way to come out of the legal quagmire and implement reservations for the Muslims.

Reddy, speaking at a function organised by the state Urdu Academy to distribute computers to the students of madrasas today said the proposed ordinance would seek to “remove all legal lacunae so that no court could strike it down”.

Sources in the government said the modified ordinance will categorise certain sections of Muslims as socially and economically backward and seek reservations for them. This is being done to counter the legal hurdles against religion-based reservation.

The reservation for Muslims is also likely to be pegged at 4 per cent to ensure that the total reservations do not exceed the 50 per cent ceiling prescribed by the Apex Court.

In tune with its election promise, the Rajasekhar Reddy government had first issued a G.O in July 2004 providing for reservations to Muslims. It was struck down by the High Court in September 2004.

Later, the government constituted a four-member Backward Classes Commission and based on its report issued the quota ordinance in June 2005, categorising the entire Muslim community as Backward Class.

While quashing the ordinance, the court pulled up the Commission for not following proper methodology while recommending inclusion of Muslims in the BC list.

New Delhi, June 10
The good news is that the Met office has predicted that the scorching heat wave will subside from June 12 onwards.

As per IMD director S.C. Bhan, there will be a distinctive improvement in the prevailing heat wave conditions on June 13, followed by a period of three to four days when the temperature will remain within the bearable range.

“At least for the next one week the heat wave is not likely to return. And even after that the situation is not likely to be so bad,” Bhan said.

The prediction for improvement in weather was based on two important factors. One, the circulation pattern of the winds will change in the coming week and instead of dry and hot winds from Rajasthan and adjoining Pakistan, cool and moist winds from the east and south will bring down the mercury. Second, isolated dust storm or thunderstorm is also likely over Rajasthan that will lead to fall in the day temperature.

Moreover, dust storm or thundershower activity in the coming week over plains of northwest India will also help in temperature coming down, resulting in the abatement of heat wave conditions.

After the scorching Saturday when the temperature rose to almost near-record level in many places, today saw a comparative comedown.

Meanwhile, the monsoon has been showing good progress due to which Bihar and adjoining parts of Uttar Pradesh have already become comfortable. It has now further advanced into some more parts of northwest Bay of Bengal, entire sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim and Bihar.

Guwahati, June 10
The ruling Congress in Assam yesterday raised the alarm over the “communal overtone” in the rival Assam United Democratic Front's (AUDF) demand for autonomy to religious and linguistic minorities living in five districts of the lower Assam.

Congress MP from the state Anowar Hussain and other senior minority leaders of the party termed the AUDF demand as ‘'baseless’' and a part of design to create communal tension in the state to gain political mileage in the coming panchayat election.

Ahmedabad, June 10
With assembly elections round the corner in Gujarat, Chief Minister Narendra Modi has invited former cricketer and Lok Sabha MP Navjot Singh Sidhu to take the field and assist him in campaigning for the BJP in the state.

Sidhu, a massive crowd-puller, had successfully campaigned for the BJP-Akali Dal alliance during the Punjab assembly polls. He has been asked to spend a month campaigning in different parts of Gujarat.

"Modi is the best chief minister that India can ever get. I adore him a lot," Sidhu, now on a visit to this city as part of a five-member Punjab government delegation, told PTI in an interview.

"I will be campaining in Gujarat for the assembly polls on a special request from the chief minister," said Sidhu, who shares a friendly relationship with Modi.

"He has already told me twice and asked me to spend a month in Gujarat before the elections (to be held later this year)." The invitation to Sidhu comes at a time when Modi is facing problems within his own party as rebel BJP MLAs are regrouping under Modi-detractor and veteran leader Keshubhai Patel before the elections. — PTI