Even as the main Opposition BJP is trying to make the Army Chief Gen. V.K. Singh’s age controversy an election plank, the Congress made it clear it would have no bearing on the polls in five states, especially in Punjab and Uttarakhand.

Jaipur Literature Festival producer Sanjoy K. Roy said in a statement that “Salman Rushdie will not be in India on January 20 due to a change in his schedule. The festival stands by its invitation to Mr Rushdie.”

Writer Salman Rushdie’s India visit to attend this weekend’s Jaipur Literature Festival looks uncertain, with Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot telling Union home minister P. Chidambaram on Tuesday it “may lead to security problems”.

Amid a day of hectic parleys between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, defence minister A.K. Antony and other top ministers of the UPA government in the wake of the legal challenge thrown by Army Chief Gen. V.K. Singh on his date of birth controversy, the government — in a cautious move to avoid any “ex parte” (one-sided) interim order from the Supreme Court — filed a “caveat” on Tuesday, which gives it a right to be heard simultaneously.

The Bharatiya Janata Party thinks the English language is taking a hit in the land of Mayawati. In its vision document for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls released Monday, the BJP has promised to encourage English in the state and among children.

In a dramatic development which sent shockwaves through the government’s top echelons, Chief of Army Staff Gen. V.K. Singh dragged the government to the Supreme Court over his date of birth controversy on Monday, just a day after he hosted top UPA leaders — including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi — at his residence on Army Day.

The AICC is in no mood to concede the NCP’s demand for 65 seats in the Mumbai civic body elections due in mid-February, but Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and Congress’ Mumbai boss Kripa

The CBI on Friday intensified its search operation to trace the watch of the 36-year-old auxiliary nurse-cum-folk singer, Bhanwari Devi, which was thrown into a canal near Jodhpur by her alleged kille

The CBI probe into Bhanwari Devi missing case has established that the body of the 36-year-old auxiliary nurse-cum-folk singer was set on fire in the desert near Jodhpur after she was allegedly murder

The Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill, 2011, was passed by the Lok Sabha by voice-vote on Tuesday but the move to grant constitutional status to the Lokpal fell through since a two-thirds majority of those present and voting could not be mustered by the government. Also, a Constitution amendment bill requires that at least 50 per cent of the total strength of the House be present.