'No circular on Good Friday'
The Union Sports Minister, Ms. Uma Bharti, today denied that she had ordered issuance of a circular directing all her Ministry employees to be on duty on Good Friday. A controversy sought to be created on the subject only reflected a `perverted mentality' which deserved to be condemned, she said.

Kerala: ball in high command's court
There appears to be no end in sight to the crisis in the Congress in Kerala as yet with the ball having been thrown into the party high command's court.

BJP leaders rush to Assam
The revolt by a section of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Assam took a serious turn and the central party rushed three senior leaders to Guwahati today to pacify the agitated state unit.

Pak. team not coming
Pakistan has withdrawn from the 15th Commonwealth table tennis championship which opens at the Indira Gandhi Stadium here on Saturday.

Mehta died after heart attack
The high-profile Information Technology leader, Mr. Dewang Mehta, died after a heart-attack in his hotel room here, police said today after the post-mortem. Embalmed and sealed body was handed over to the Indian authorities this evening.

Laxman wants debate on political funding
Making his first public appearance after the Tehelka expose, the former BJP president, Mr. Bangaru Laxman, today stoutly defended his taking money from the portal team saying whatever he had done was for the party and called for a national debate on political funding.