Senior BJP leaders, including party president Nitin Gadkari, parliamentary party chairman LK Advani, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley, led party MPs to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to present the memorandum.

The leaders marched from Parliament House to the presidential palace a short distance away after both houses were adjourned for the day.

Gadkari later told reporters that the government had promised to bring prices under control within 100 days of coming to power but it had been an all round failure. “The common man is suffering because of this.”

“The basic reason of price rise is the wrong economic policy of the UPA government. We have urged the president to intervene and find solution after talking to the government,” Gadkari said outside Rashtrapati Bhavan after presenting the memorandum.

“Foodgrains worth Rs.58,000 crore are rotting because of the failure of the government to arrange adequate storage facilities.”

Quoting a Planning Commission report, he said 90 percent of the people in the country have a daily income of less than , while 51 percent of the population earns less than Rs.20 (less than 50 cents).

“If things continue like this, the poor man would not be able to afford a one time meal. Already, farmers are committing suicide.”

Veteran leader Advani added that the party had “fulfilled its main responsibility as the main opposition party by presenting signatures of aam admi in whose name the government had come to power”.

“I was surprised (by the government’s statement Wednesday that it had not failed in containing the prices). If it is not government failure, what else is it,” he asked.

The former deputy prime minister said the July 5 Bharat Bandh organised by the opposition was very successful as the common man had expressed his anger against the increasing prices of essential commodities, petrol, diesel and kerosene.

He caused anger in Israel by saying in Turkey that Gaza was a “prison camp”, and went on to offend Islamabad when he suggested in front of an Indian audience in Bangalore that Pakistan “promoted the export of terror”.

While in Ankara, he also dismissed opponents of Turkish membership of the European Union as “protectionist, polarised or prejudiced”, an analysis which will not be shared in Paris or Berlin. France and Germany oppose Turkish entry.

“He doesn’t shrink from giving sometimes tough messages, and he doesn’t shrink from doing that to their faces, as well as wherever he is around the world,” Foreign Secretary William Hague told reporters on Thursday in New Delhi.

At 43, Cameron is the youngest British prime minister in nearly two centuries. He has been in office since May.

His comments on Pakistan delighted the Indian media, which devoted much of its coverage of his visit to the subject, to the detriment of his core message that he wanted to boost trade and business links between Britain and India.

Pakistan’s high commissioner to Britain, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, called Cameron’s comments “completely contrary to the realities on the ground.”

“A bilateral visit (to India) aimed at attracting business could have been conducted without damaging the prospects of regional peace,” he wrote in a column in Thursday’s edition of the British newspaper The Guardian.

A great diplomat

The Israeli ambassador to Britain, Ron Prosor, was equally unimpressed. “The people of Gaza are the prisoners of the terrorist organisation Hamas,” he said in a sharp retort to Cameron’s “prison camp” comment.

In a briefing with British journalists covering the tour, Hague came under a barrage of questions on whether Cameron might watch his words more carefully in future and whether his approach was compatible with the care required in diplomacy.

“The prime minister speaks the truth and we are all united and clear and happy about what he said,” said Hague.

“The prime minister is a great diplomat and I see that in action every day when he’s dealing with foreign leaders. He is a natural at it, so I don’t think you need to be worried on that score,” he said.

Cameron will get a direct response from Pakistan when he hosts President Asif Ali Zardari at his Chequers country residence in Britain next week.

“Earlier we only had films or theatre, but now we have so many mediums for an actor; it is in fact a very good time. Actors of all age groups are getting meaningful roles and a good audience. Earlier there were very few roles for actresses above the age of 30 years, but now the scenario has changed,” Shabana told in an interview.

“Now there is a lot of independent cinema, giving many opportunities to artists of all age groups to play more realistic characters,” said the actress known for her power-packed performances.

Shabana, 59, who is married to poet-lyricist-scriptwriter Javed Akhtar, was here to take part in the Chandigarh Theatre Festival. Her play Broken Images, which was enacted on Monday evening, received a huge response.

A five-time National Award winner, she is among the few Bollywood actors who have successfully featured in experimental as well as mainstream cinema.

Her films range from Ankur, Nishant, Arth, Masoom, Godmother and Fire to Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd, Sorry Bhai! and It’s A Wonderful Afterlife. She has also dabbled in international films.

Speaking about her experience in theatre and films, she said, “In cinema and theatre we get a different sense of satisfaction.

“In theatre, there are no retakes and films do not allow you to fake. Performing in theatre is always difficult as there always remains scope for error. Theatre demands a lot of patience and concentration. Besides entertaining, it is also a good medium of change in society.

“We have put in a lot of hard work in ‘Broken Images’ and audiences are appreciating it. We will take this play to the US in October and then to London,” stated Shabana.

About her dream role, Azmi said, “There is no such role. But, yes, if I get a chance then I would love to play a historical character like Cate Blanchett in ‘Elizabeth’.”

Born to poet Kaifi Azmi and stage actress Shaukat Azmi, Shabana is also very enthusiastic about her mother’s biography ‘Kaifi Aur Mein’.

” ‘Kaifi Aur Mein’ has been carefully constructed by Javed Akhtar (husband) , taking instances from my parents’ life. It is very overwhelming for me to portray the character of my mother on stage. Even Javed shares the stage,” said Shabana.

“Many producers have expressed interest in it, but right now I cannot disclose anything more. The book has been also translated into English, namely ‘Kaifi And I’ and has been selected by 14 different universities in the US as part of their curriculum of South Asian studies,” said Shabana.

Shabana, who also runs an NGO for the welfare of slum-dwellers, feels strongly against social evils like female foeticide.

“Both Punjab and Haryana are progressive states that are seeing development in all fields but the sad part is female foeticide is still in practice here. It is shocking that the desire for a male child is so great that people are killing the girl child. It is cold-blooded murder,” she said.

She said, “We all have to stand together against this and stop seeing girls as a burden.”

At the Nivsar railway station, around 20 kms from Ratnagiri, the tracks of Konkan Railway have sunk about 15 feet. There is now no foundation. It was an eventuality authorities were expecting as the track has been constructed over a water canal that flows beneath it.

Experts have been studying the weakened embankment since 2005. Their proposal to build a bridge over the existing railway station is yet to get the green flag and experts say landslides will continue to pose a threat.

“Most of the cuttings are vulnerable. We are looking to make the slopes more safe by reducing height of the cutting. This is an ongoing process under capital budget. We have already spent around Rs 90 crore on that,” says Nagadut R, Regional Railway Manager, Konkan Railway.

The Konkan Railway winds through treacherous terrain. Repair work is going on at Pomendi.

The wire mesh and concrete wall meant to protect against landslides have been unable to withstand the elements and small landslides keep occurring even as JVCs struggle to clear the debris

Officials say the route will be ready in two days, but workers here say it could take many more weeks to solve the chronic problem of landslides and track collapses this route faces every monsoon.

In a bid to resume services, the Konkan railway has also begun ferrying railway passengers between affected stations in Ratnagiri by bus. But as the rains continue to lash this region, railway authorities will have to find a more permanent solution.

“This is not the first time I am working with Salman. I’ve worked with him even earlier when I assisted Ganesh Acharya. But now he has changed; today he is technically stronger. He also gives his inputs for steps,” Shabina Khan Ansari told in an interview.

Dabangg, a film set in a small town of Uttar Pradesh, will feature Salman in the role of a cop. His younger brother and actor Arbaaz Khan has produced the film while Abhinav Kashyap is the director. The film is slated for a September release.

Ansari has choreographed two songs in the film, a romantic track and a hardcore dance number. She gave Salman steps suiting his character.

“I created steps for Salman keeping in mind his character and image. He is playing a cop in the film, so I didn’t want his moves to be professional like a dancer’s. He plays a straightforward person in the film; we kept all that in mind,” said the choreographer.

“Even Salman really pushed himself. Everyone liked his dancing in Wanted; so he wanted to improve upon that,” she added.

So what’s the strong point in Salman’s dancing? “It’s his style,” said Ansari, without a second thought.

“He has his own way of doing steps. Even if I teach him something, he will do it in his own way. But it actually comes out to be nice and the audience love it,” she added.

Dabangg, which has music by Sajid-Wajid, also stars Sonakshi Sinha, the daughter of veteran actor Shatughan Sinha. However, she doesn’t get to shake a leg in the film.

“Sonakshi will not be seen dancing in the film. Her character doesn’t demand that, but even in the romantic song, where you see her moving a little, you can see rhythm in her body. She has a music sense and I’m sure she will be a great dancer,” Ansari said.

She has over 12 years’ experience and has been part of several Ram Gopal Varma projects such as Company, Bhoot, Naach and Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon.

“Rafiq Estate, a four-storeyed residential building started shaking and finally collapsed at 12:30 am,” said an official.

10 fire engines were rushed to the spot. Authorities have admitted relief measures were slow due to congestion in the area.

Underworld don Abu Salem is an accused in the 1993 Bombay blasts and was extradited from Portugal in 2005. Salem was a Dawood Ibrahim gamng member but later on turned enemy.

Mustafa Dossa is also an accused in 1993 Bombay blasts and was extradited from Dubai in 2003. He is a trusted Dawood aide too.

Both the dons, lodged in Mumbai’s high-security Arthur Road Jail, on Saturday got into a scuffle similar to ones seen several times in Hindi movies, which left Salem with gashes on his face.

Though both have been now shifted to separate jails, what has now come tumbling out of the jail’s closet are the shocking details of the lavish lives of underworld dons behind bars.

“I saw that they had new cloths in their cells and the bathrooms that they use have new tiles and are very clean. The toilets look just like it is in a good hotel,” says Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Ramesh Bagwe.

The details with CNN-IBN are far more shocking. Seated in a jail a don can just about get anything for a price 5-10 times the market rate. Some underworld dons possess three-four mobile phones with numerous SIM cards and Rs 10,000 is the minimum monthly maintenance cost per mobile phone and SIM cards are hidden inside the jail premises. Separate mobiles are used for talking to their bosses, subordinates and family.

A pack of cigarettes comes for Rs 200 and that of a bidi for Rs 25 while a toothpaste costing Rs 25 outside is available for Rs 300. Raw chicken is available for Rs 500. Some even cook their food on gas stoves inside the jail and a bottle of liquor is for Rs 2000. Contraband drugs like charas are available for Rs 1000.

Sources have told CNN-IBN us that while the underworld dons spend Rs 5-6 lakh a month to lead a lavish jail life, other petty criminals struggle to get even the basic facilities. While the smuggling of all the articles takes place during the night, the jail authorities say they are terribly under-staffed to curb these activities and the jails are over crowded.

Arthur Road Jail can hold upto 804 inmates but over 2100 inmates are lodged right now and the figure even touches 2400 at times. The total jail staff is a mere 250 when it should be at least 750

Due to the severe manpower crunch and corruption dreaded underworld dons can smuggle into the jail whatever they want and even manage their crime syndicate from right inside the jail. What’s even more alarming is that high-value convict involved in November 2008 Mumbai terror attack, Ajmal Amir Kasab is also lodged in the Arthur Road Jail.

Kolkata: A teacher in West Bengal’s first Muslim university has not been able to hold her classes for the last three months after she rebelled against the tradition and decided not to wear burqa.

Though the guidelines at Aliah University in Kolkata do not stipulate that women teacher should wear burqa, the students’ union say the 24-year-old teacher, Sirin Middya, can teach but only in burqa.

Sirin joined Aliah University as a guest lecturer in March 2010 after completeing her MA in Bengali from Jadavpur University. The students union warned her in the second week of April that she should wear a burqa and come to the university.

“I was told that I would not be allowed to attend college if I did not agree to come in a burqa. The University Grants Commission does not prescribe any such dress code and even the university does not have a dress code. But the most unfortunate part is that students are forcing us to wear burqa,” she was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

Sirin says she has no issues with wearing a burqa, but it would be of her own free will. The university has not taken any decision on the students union stand and is hoping that it would die down.

The university owns its origin to the famous Calcutta Madrasah which was started in 1781 by Governor General of Bengal Warren Hastings. Calcutta Madrasah was upgraded into the Aliah University in 2008.

In a complaint filed with an Oakland, Calif. federal court last Friday, a trio of plaintiffs accused Apple of everything from fraud and deceptive advertising to violations of California’s consumer protection and unfair business practices laws by making, marketing and selling allegedly defective tablets.

“The iPad does not live up to the reasonable consumer’s expectations created by Apple insofar as the iPad overheats so quickly under common weather conditions that it does not function for prolonged use outdoors, or in many other warm conditions,” the complaint read.

The three plaintiffs — Jacob Balthazar, Claudia Keller and John Browning — said that they were duped into buying a defective device by Apple’s claim that “reading on iPad is just like reading a book.”

That’s not accurate, they alleged in their lawsuit, which also asked a federal judge to grant the case class-action status.

“Using the iPad is not ‘just like reading a book’ at all since books do not close when the reader is enjoying them in the sunlight or in other normal environmental conditions,” the complaint stated. “This promise, like other portions of Apple’s marketing material for the iPad, is false.”

Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the iPad in January 2009 to much fanfare, and his company started shipping the tablet to consumers in early April. Last week, executives said that Apple had sold nearly 3.3 million iPads in the year’s second quarter, generating almost .2 billion in revenues.

When he debuted the iPad, Jobs called the tablet “magical and revolutionary,” and compared the device’s e-reading capabilities to Amazon’s Kindle.

According to the class complaint, the iPad unexpectedly shuts down in warm weather or when it’s in direct sunlight.

“Nowhere … does Apple mention that the iPad is virtually unusable when sitting in particular environmental conditions (e.g. in direct sunlight in connection with virtually any ambient air temperature) since it turns off, sometimes after just a few minutes of use,” the lawsuit claimed.

The suit also took a shot at what the plaintiffs’ said was Apple’s typical way of doing business.

“Defendant has clearly established a policy of accepting a certain amount of collateral damage, as represented by the damages to the Representative Plaintiffs … as incidental to its business operations, rather than accept the alternative costs of full compliance with fair, lawful and honest business practices,” the lawsuit stated.

Reports of iPads overheating are not new. Within hours of its April 3 launch, users complained that the iPad shut down after being in the sun.

“After about 10 minutes in the sun, my iPad overheated!,” said Elliot Kroo in an April 3 message on Twitter . Kroo also posted a screenshot of the ensuing warning that read, “iPad needs to cool down before you can use it.”

iPad owners have also groused about overheating on Apple’s support forum.

“I guess you are not suppose[d] to take it to the beach to read your iBook in the direct sunlight, looks like I will have to take my nook instead!” noted a user identified as “mickey3244″ in a June 25 message when he reported his iPad shut down after 20 minutes in the sun.

Other users advised complainers to keep their iPads in the shade. “Of course the iPad will heat up if it’s in direct sunlight for a period of time — seems like common sense to me,” commented “scullymulder” on a different thread. “Avoid keeping it in direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time and you’ll be fine.”

Balthazar, Keller and Browning have asked for compensatory and punitive damages, the amounts to be decided at trial.

Apple did not reply to a request for comment on the class-action lawsuit.

No pilgrim was allowed to leave from the base camp of Bhagwati Nagar here for onward journey to the cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, official sources said.

Thousands of pilgrims were also stranded at transit camps en route to cave shrine due to slippery tracks.

Despite rains, the 300-kms Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained open for traffic but Amarnath pilgrims were not allowed to proceed further as a precautionary measure to avoid overcrowding at base camps in the Valley, they said.

About 3,000 pilgrims are waiting at the base camp here, the sources said.

Over 3.70 lakh pilgrims have offered prayers at the cave shrine since the yatra started on June 30.