NEW DELHI, July 26:
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan says he has no plans to enter politics and would rather focus on his social work.
In an interview to Manoj Tibrewal Aakash of Doordarshan, the 48-year-old actor said he would like to carry out the social work through his ‘Being Human’ organisation.
The actor also plans to adopt few places to work for the betterment of the children living there.
He is considered one of the most sought-after bachelors in Bollywood but Salman said he had no plans to settle down anytime soon and may end up never marrying. (PTI)

KATHMANDU, July 26:

As India makes efforts to deepen its diplomatic and economic engagement with its neighbours, Nepal today said there is a “historic opportunity” in taking bilateral ties with India to the “next level” and that it must be seized by both the countries.
Nepal’s top leadership including President Ram Baran Yadav and Prime Minister Sushil Koirala during separate meetings with the visiting External Affairs Minister Minister Sushma Swaraj hailed efforts by India’s new Government to improve Indo-Nepal relations. Swaraj also met UCPN-Maoist chief and Leader of Opposition Prachanda.
Swaraj is here to chair the meeting of the Indo-Nepal Joint Commission which was held today after a gap of 23 years and to prepare for the two-day official visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from August 3 — the first visit by an Indian premier in over 17 years. The late Prime Minister I K Gujral had visited Nepal in 1997.
The Nepalese leaders, in separate interaction with Swaraj, expressed their “happiness” and “excitement” over the initiative taken by India to bring new momentum in the bilateral ties while stressing on the need for stepped up engagement between the countries.
leaders conveyed to Swaraj that they were really upbeat over Modi’s planned visit which they think will bring the two countries “much closer”.
Swaraj yesterday said Nepal stands high on the priority list of the Modi Government and the testimony to it is her visit here within two months of assuming office.
Sources said there was visible excitement among the Nepalese leaders about India’s initiative for closer ties with the Himalayan nation during their meetings with Swaraj.
The Spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry Syed Akbaruddin described the meetings as “productive”.
“In general if I have to encapsulate the views, there is a lot of excitement in Nepal about India’s intention to reengage and reinvigorate the relationship. They are all looking forward to Prime Minister’s forthcoming visit and all feel that this is a historic opportunity to move to the next level in terms of our engagement with each other,” he said.
Koirala, who had his meeting with Swaraj at his official residence in Baluwatar, sought India’s help and goodwill as Nepal moves forward on the path of development by drafting a new democratic Constitution.
“The Prime Minister has asked for India’s cooperation, goodwill and support as Nepal moves towards democracy, political stability and development by promulgating the new Constitution,” Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Dinesh Bhattarai said.
Swaraj wished for good health of the Prime Minister and extended best wishes that Nepal would be able to conclude the peace process by promulgating a democratic and inclusive constitution within the stipulated time frame, according to Bhattarai. Koirala has just returned home from New York after spending nearly a month for treatment of his lung cancer. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, July 26:
Congress today hit back at Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi for opining that the party had no claim to the post of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha and alleged that his view on the matter was aimed at “pleasing the political masters”.
“The AG’s opinion is not worth the paper on which it is written. It is unfortunate that the AG has given an opinion to please his political masters. The AG is just providing an apology for the blatantly partisan approach of a confrontational Government.
“I do not know to which law the AG has referred with regard to the LoP. The AG is expected to have a better understanding of law and statutes not to give such an opinion, which belittles his office,” Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma told reporters here.
Dealing a blow to Congress’s bid to secure the LoP’s post, the AG has opined that the party has no case for claiming the same. There is no precedence to backs its case since the days of the first Lok Sabha, the AG has said.
Rohatgi conveyed his views to Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan after she sought his opinion in the matter, sources said.
Sharma also accused the Government of “trying to pressurise” Mahajan on the LoP issue even as he urged her to take a “fair” decision in the matter.
Maintaining that the appointments in which the LoP’s role is mandated would get “vitiated” if made in the absence of the representative of the Opposition, Sharma said that the party has not ruled out the possibility of approaching the courts if it is denied the post.
“All this reveals the intention of the Government… They are trying to pressurise the Speaker… The Speaker should act impartially,” Sharma said.
Sources said the AG has opined that Congress is not entitled to the LoP’s post as it does not have the required 10 per cent (55) seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. Congress has only 44 seats.
“We hope that the Speaker will reject this opinion, which is just to please the executive, and do what is correct. This is a test for the Speaker and for Indian parliamentary democracy,” Sharma added.
Sharma said the law is clear on the question of the LoP and there is no stipulation about a party needing to have at least 10 per cent of the membership of the House.
He said there is a clear-cut law regarding the LoP, which was passed in 1977 and amended in 2003. It clearly states that the party with the largest number of members on the Opposition side should get the LoP’s post, Sharma added.
“Speaker’s ruling, directives or for that matter any subordinate legislation cannot modify, cannot override and cannot dilute this law. There is no law which says otherwise,” he said.
Asked whether Congress will move court if denied the post, Sharma said, “There are other ways as well. Whatever remedies are available to Congress, we will use that. Either the country will run as per the law or its ‘manmaani’, that needs to be decided.”
When told BJP is arguing that the absence of the LoP will not make any difference as such, Sharma said it was a sign of “mental bankruptcy” and “legal illiteracy”.
He also rejected the contention that there was no LoP on many occasions in the past when Congress was in power, saying there was no point citing examples from 30 years ago.
Claiming that every attempt is being made to deny the LoP’s post to Congress, Sharma said if that was done, it would be “in direct conflict with law”. (PTI)

AMRITSAR, July 26:
In a bid to deescalate rising tension, the Akal Takht today directed that the planned Sikh congregations by ruling Akali Dal here and in Karnal against Haryana government’s move to create a separate gurudwara management committee in the state be called off.
Jathedar Akal Takht Gyani Gurbachan Singh issued a directive to Sikhs of Haryana, ruling SAD (Badal) and the entire Sikh community not to hold any kind of rally or convention tomorrow in Amritsar and in Karnal on Monday by Haryana-based Sikh leaders.
At a hurriedly called press conference here, the Jathedar said that in the light of the prevailing circumstances, nobody could be allowed to hold convention or rally anywhere in Punjab and Haryana as it may deepen the crisis in the Sikh circle.
Keeping in the view the violence in Saharanpur in UP, everybody should focus attention on easing the situation there, he said.
A SGPC team led by President Avtar Singh Makkar has been directed to reach Saharanpur to ease the situation, said the Jathedar.
Talking about the separate Haryana Gurdwara Management Committee, Jathedar said both the parties (Sikh leaders from Haryana and Akali leaders from Punjab) would be asked to come to Akal Takht to find a solution to the current problem which arose after formation of a separate Gurdwara Committee in Haryana.
Sunday’s meet in Amritsar was called after the Haryana government refused to pay heed to the Centre’s missive to revoke the law passed for the creation of a separate SGPC for the state, which Punjab has termed “unconstitutional” and “illegal”.
Haryana has brushed aside the Centre’s directive calling for the annulment of the Act, saying it has every right to enact a law and the Haryana Gurdwara Act has been passed under its legislative powers. It has instead asked the Centre to withdraw its letter.
In pursuant to the directive of the Akal Takht, the Akalis of Punjab and Sikhs of Haryana have called off their conventions which were scheduled to be held at Amritsar and Karnal on Sunday and Monday respectively.
District President of the Amritsar unit of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Upkar Singh Sandhu told that they have called off the World Sikh Convention which was to be held in the Golden Temple Complex at Amritsar tomorrow.
“Akal Takht is the supreme authority for the Sikhs. Its directive is binding on us,” he said.
Didar Singh Nalvi, who was spearheading the movement for the formation of separate SGPC in Haryana, told that they have called off their Sikh Convention at Karnal on Monday following directions of the Akal Takht.
The standoff between the Amritsar-based SGPC and the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal led by Badals in Punjab and Sikhs of Haryana follows the recent decision of the Bhupinder Singh Hooda led Congress government in Haryana to form a separate SGPC for managing Sikh shrines in the state following demands of the Sikhs of the state.
The Haryana Assembly had at its session here on July 11 passed the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Bill 2014 to which Governor Jagan Nath Pahadia gave his assent on July 14 despite opposition from SGPC leaders from Punjab.
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has also rejected the protests of Akalis in Punjab, saying the state was within its right to take steps to protect the interests of its residents.
Haryana goes to polls in October and the Akalis and even Haryana’s opposition parties, the INLD and BJP have criticized the Congress over the separate panel, which they claim has been formed only with an eye on the Sikh votes.
The Congress had made poll promise in 2005 for a separate SGPC, but the issue had remained unsettled during chief minister Hooda’s first term. (PTI)