Chinese President Hu Jintao arrives in Brasilia for BRIC summit

Brasilia (Brazil), Apr.15 (ANI): Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in Brazil capital Brasilia on Wednesday for a summit of Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) slated for Thursday and Friday.

According to The China Daily, the BRIC leaders will discuss the global economy and financial situation, reform of the international financial system, climate change and cooperation among the four countries.

It quoted Chinese diplomats, as saying that the four countries will hold a number of supporting activities, including an entrepreneur forum, a meeting of development banks, a meeting of cooperatives and a seminar of think tanks.

China is hoping for a discussion on all global issues in the spirit of mutual benefit, so as to facilitate the recovery of the world economy, safeguard the four nations' common interests and advance their cooperation, said Qin Gang, the spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

China has always adopted a "positive, pragmatic, open and transparent" attitude toward cooperation with other BRIC nations, he added.

As major emerging markets, BRIC countries account for 42 percent of the world's population, 14.6 percent of the world's GDP and 12.8 percent of global trade.

The BRIC countries have become an important force in the international community, receiving worldwide attention.

"In the face of increasing global challenges, the BRIC countries have enhanced cooperation among themselves and with other countries in the world in an active, pragmatic, open and transparent manner. I believe that is in the interests of the whole world," said Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi last month.

After the BRIC summit, President Hu Jintao will pay a state visit to Brazil, a country he last visited in 2004.

Hu and his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, will exchange views on bilateral ties as well as other issues of common concern.

During the visit, China and Brazil will sign a 2010-2014 joint action plan and a number of cooperation documents on culture, science and technology, quality control, energy and finance.

Lula paid a state visit to China last year, during which leaders of the two countries reached consensus over a broad range of major issues.

The Chinese president flew into Brasilia from Washington after attending a nuclear security summit. He will also pay a state visit to Venezuela and a working visit to Chile.

Chinese analysts say BRIC should not be a mere "economic symbol", but should have more meaningful cooperation in other areas such as infrastructure and energy.

Zhou Zhiwei, secretary-general of the center for Brazilian studies with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the BRIC nations are actually exploring the possibility of pragmatic cooperation, but said there's "a long way to go".

"These countries should identify their strengths and concentrate on areas in which they are complimentary," he said.

Jiang Yi, a Russian studies expert with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said cooperation among the BRIC nations is still at the "beginning stage". (ANI)

Colombia warns people against visiting Venezuela

Colombia on Wednesday warned its citizens of the dangers of visiting Venezuela after eight Colombians were detained in the neighboring country on espionage accusations.

"The foreign ministry warns Colombians about the risks of traveling to Venezuela," the government said in a statement, the latest salvo in a long diplomatic feud between Colombia's conservative government and Venezuela's leftist firebrand President Hugo Chavez.

Colombian leader Alvaro Uribe accuses Venezuela of violating the rights of the Colombians arrested in Venezuela in recent weeks for allegedly spying on its ailing energy infrastructure.

The detention followed months of jibes between Uribe, the top U.S. ally in South America, and Chavez, who is wrestling with power shortages that could boost opposition prospects at legislative polls due in September.

Chavez has clamped down on trade with Colombia and accused "counter-revolutionaries" opposed to his socialist government of slashing power cables to worsen the OPEC nation's electricity crisis, which has forced his administration to ration power in much of the country.

In practice, it could be difficult for many Colombians who work in Venezuela or have family there to refrain from crossing the lengthy border. Tens of thousands of people move from one side to the other every day.

Dr. Manmohan Singh accorded rousing welcome in Brazil

Brasilia (Brazil) April 15 (ANI): In the second leg of his tour to the United States and Brasil, Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India, was accorded a rousing welcome at the Brasilia Airbase on Wednesday.

Dr. Singh is here to attend for the fourth India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) and the Brazil, Russia, India, China (BRIC) summits to be held on April 15 and April 16 respectively.

Dr. Singh was received by Brazil"s Defence Minister Nelson Jobin.

The fourth IBSA summit will see Dr. Singh, Brazil President Lula da Silva and South AfricanPresident Jacob Zuma participating in the summit.

IBSA is a unique forum that brings together India, Brazil and South Africa on one platformto face and discuss ways to resolve common challenges.

All three countries are developing nations, plural, multi-cultural, multi-ethinic, multi-lingual and multi-religious.

After attending IBSA, Dr. Singh will take part in the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) summit on April 16. This is the second time that Brasilia is hosting the summit.

The BRIC grouping represents four major economies, and all of them are richly endowed with natural resources. Today, they are in a position to sustain higher growth rates.

BRIC countries together comprise 25.9 pecent of the world's geographic area, 40 percent of the global population and 22 percent of global GDP.

Dr. Singh will return to India on the night of April 17. (ANI)

British hoaxer claimed he was raped by a whale!

Melbourne, Apr 15 (ANI): A British prankster made numerous hoax emergency calls, including a claim that he had been raped by a whale and that his manhood fell off because he smoked too much weed.

Daniel Hammond continued making calls for eight months.

Hammond, 21, even told busy emergency operators that he was struggling to have sex, reports The Daily Telegraph.

Another time, he impersonated Saddam Hussein and claimed he hid a bomb on a train, a court in Sevenoaks, England, was told.

Prosecutor James Nichols said Hammond enjoyed the thrill of wasting the emergency services' time with his bizarre and persistent tales.

Hammond was caught when he called to report threats he claimed he was receiving, and police recognized his mobile phone number, the court heard. (ANI)

Al-Qaeda recruiter addressed Sydney mosque youngsters from Yemen in 2009

Sydney, Apr.15 (ANI): An Al Qaeda recruiter, who was earlier described as America's number one terrorist threat, is reported to have been engaged by a Sydney youth group to address hundreds of young people in one of Australia's largest mosques from Yemen last year.

According to a Sydney Morning Herald report, Anwar al-Awlaki, who has been charged with masterminding the killing 13 people at Fort Hood in Texas, was approached by the Sydney Muslim Youth group, to deliver a sermon to young Australians.

"Anwar al-Awlaki is like a virus produced by the body wanting to fight a microbe," said Taj el-Din al-Hilaly, condemning the sermon, which was delivered at his mosque by phone link from Yemen.

Last week, Awlaki became the first US citizen added to the CIA kill list.

He is considered a military enemy of the US and faces assassination by the US Special Forces.

Reporters of the Sydney Morning Herald attended the sermon at the Lakemba mosque in February last year, but were ejected by its organizers.

Yesterday, no one involved with the mosque would take responsibility for securing Awlaki as a speaker.

The director of the mosque, Ziad Ghamraoui, Shady Alsuleiman refused to comment.

He also refused to say whether Awlaki was paid for the reported speech. (ANI)

States have primary role in fighting Maoists: Chidambaram

New Delhi, April 15 (IANS) Home Minister P. Chidambaram Thursday said states have the primary responsibility of combating the Maoists with a policy of development and calibrated police action.

Making a statement in the Rajya Sabha on the Maoist massacre of 76 security personnel in Chhattisgarh April 6, the minister said anti-Maoist operations were being carried out with the policy deliberated and agreed upon in meetings with the chief ministers of the affected states.

He said the government had qualities of 'a strong head, a stronger heart and enormous staying power' to fight the insurgents.

'We should stay calm, hold our nerve and stay on the course that we had carefully chosen since October 2009,' he said.

Chidambaram said the government's call for talks with the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maosit) was made in the hope that there will be a sincere response.

'The only condition is that the CPI-Maoist must abjure violence.

'Paramilitary forces have been provided to the affected states, including Chhattisgarh, to help the state governments carry out counter-insurgency operations, regain control of areas dominated by Naxalites (Maoists), restore the civil administration and re-start development work. The state governments, therefore, have the primary responsibility,' he said.

He said an inquiry committee headed by E.N. Ram Mohan will complete its probe into the Dantewada massacre in two weeks.

He said report of the inquiry panel should be awaited 'before arriving at any conclusion'.

Giving details of the April 6 attack, he said a 81-strong force from A, C and G companies of the 62nd battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was instructed to undertake operations between April 4-6.

He said the contingent came under heavy fire from Maoists at 5.50 a.m. on April 6 in Chintalnar forests in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district and reinforcements that moved towards the area were also attacked.

Pointing out that anti-Maoist exercise had been jointly planned by senior officers of Chattisgarh police and the CRPF, he said the three companies involved in the operation had undergone pre-induction training before being sent to the area.

'Preliminary inquiries have revealed that the deaths were caused largely due to bullet injuries, crude bombs and grenades. Seventy-four men of the CRPF, one head constable of the civil police and one driver of the reinforcement party lost their lives. Seventy five weapons were also lost. Only post mortem reports and a through inquiry, including de-briefing of the injured 'jawans' (soldiers), would fully establish the sequence of events and the facts,' he said.

Probe Indians' slush funds abroad, demands Jethmalani

Mumbai, April 15 (IANS) Eminent lawyer and former Rajya Sabha member Ram Jethmalani Thursday demanded a probe by a special investigation team into the alleged slush funds of Indians lying in foreign banks abroad.

Citing media reports, Jethmalani said that over $1,500 billion was lying abroad in foreign banks, but the government has not done anything about it.

'Why cannot a special investigation team be appointed to trace out these huge funds which could go for the betterment of the country?' Jethmalani said at a press conference here.

In this context, he said that as per official records, Pune-based billionaire stud farm owner Hasan Ali owed the government a whopping Rs.37,000 crore in income tax dues in 2007, while media reports said he had over Rs.8.2 billion stashed away in Swiss bank accounts.

'This is something alarming, just imagine the tax demand. From where did he (Ali) acquire so much money? Why is the government not conducting an inquiry into these aspects?' Jethmalani asked.

He also cited other reports, including in some foreign journals, making other sensational claims involving Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her late husband, the former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

The senior lawyer also alleged that Ali was present at a meeting when the appointment of Hasan Gafoor as Mumbai police commissioner was being discussed.

'What is more alarming and shocking is that Ahmed Patel, the political secretary to Sonia Gandhi, was also present at the meeting - and this thing, Hassan Ali has confessed himself,' he said.

'What was he (Patel) doing there, what legitimate reason can there be for his mixing with Hassan Ali?' Jethmalani asked.

Ali has been in the news after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) presented a CD, containing content allegedly linking him with several top leaders like union Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal and Home Minister R.R. Patil, in the state assembly earlier this week.

Following the allegations, Patil promptly ordered a CID inquiry into the origins of the CD and vowed to quit from his post if the charges against him were proved.

Deshmukh has dismissed the allegations while Bhujbal is silent over the issue.

BJP for united fight against Maoists, slams Congress

New Delhi, April 15 (IANS) The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Thursday called for 'a united fight to defeat Maoists' but accused the Congress of forging an alliance with the Leftist guerrillas for electoral gains - an allegation that triggered ugly scenes and disruptions in the Lok Sabha.

BJP and Congress MPs were caught in an ugly row over the April 6 Dantewada massacre by Maoist rebels, prompting repeated adjournments of the house.

Members of the Lok Sabha, which resumed the budget session after a month-long break Thursday, reassembled at 2 p.m. following Speaker Meira Kumar's assurance that an objectionable part in BJP leader Yashwant Sinha's speech accusing the Congress of allying with Maoists would be removed.

Sinha, a former finance minister, had initiated the debate on how to tackle Maoist terrorism and assured the government of the BJP's full support in the war against Left extremism.

But he went on to lambast the government for the way it had tackled the problem, which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described as the greatest threat to India's internal security.

Sinha said the Congress used Maoists for political gains in some states and sent a 'wrong signal' that the government was 'ready to compromise on terrorism'.

'You forged an alliance with Naxalites in Andhra Pradesh for electoral benefits,' he thundered.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal reacted sharply and said the BJP leader had forgotten the relationship his party has with Maoists in Chhattisgarh.

'He doesn't know what relationship his party has with Maoists. He has forgotten that,' Bansal said, this time triggering protests from BJP MPs.

'On one hand he is expressing BJP's support and on the other he is levelling allegations,' Bansal said.

Sinha had also earlier 'condemned with contempt' the remarks by Congress leader Digvijay Singh accusing the BJP of having a nexus with the guerrillas in Chhattisgarh.

As the noise grew louder amid the allegations and counter-allegations, Meira Kumar asked Sinha not to 'level allegations which you are not able to substantiate'.

She said the house was discussing 'something very serious'. 'This is a tragedy which has saddened all of us. This is not the debate where allegations should be levelled... All parties should put their heads together and see how we can eliminate such incidents,' Meira Kumar said about the brutal killing of 76 security men in Chhattisgarh.

After two adjournments, the debate over the Dantewada mayhem was resumed at 2 p.m. This time, Sinha appeared more circumspect and asked the government to be clear on its strategy against the rebels.

'If we don't clarify our strategy, we would be defeated... Sometimes they exchange phone numbers and sometimes there is tough posturing,' he said sarcastically, referring to Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Maoist leader Kishenji exchanging phone numbers in the media.

'Sinha said the operation against Maoists was undertaken without ground preparations. State governments were not taken into confidence. If we were prepared better, Dantewada would have never occurred,' he said, likening the massacre with the 1962 Ind-China war.

'They sent soldiers without shoes and socks to fight Chinese. And the Dantewade incident is like that only. Indian forces were sent to Dantewade without preparations,' he said.

Development, calibrated action to fight Maoists: Chidambaram

New Delhi, April 15 (IANS) Home Minister P. Chidambaram Thursday said the government will fight the Maoists through calibrated police action and development of areas affected by the left wing extremism.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Chidambaram gave details of the April 6 Maoist attack in which 76 security personnel lost their lives in Chhattisgarh.

He said an inquiry committee instituted to probe the incident will submit its report in two weeks. He said report should be awaited 'before arriving at any conclusion'.

The minister said the state governments had the primary responsibility in the fight against Maoists and the central government will provide them required assistance.

Tharoor meets Pranab, Antony over IPL row

New Delhi, April 15 (IANS) Under fire for his alleged meddling in the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise business, Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor Thursday met senior cabinet ministers Pranab Mukherjee and A.K. Antony at the Parliament House.

The meeting lasted 30 minutes. Tharoor refused to comment on what they discussed.

This is his second meeting with Mukherjee and Antony in less than a day. He met the Congress leaders Wednesday night to discuss the controversy.

IPL commissioner Lalit Modi Sunday alleged that Tharoor told him not to reveal the ownership pattern of the IPL Kochi franchise. Sunanda Pushkar, a friend of the minister, is linked to Rendezvous Sports World, which is part of a consortium that won the Kochi franchise.

Tharoor has denied the allegation and said he was simply trying to help Kerala get a IPL team.

But the issue did not find a mention in both houses of parliament that witnessed repeated adjournments over the killing of 76 security personnel by Maoists in Chhattisgarh.

South Asia monsoon seen normal - IMD official

Monsoon rains in south Asia are expected to be normal this year, helped by weakening El Nino weather phenomenon, a senior Indian weather official said on Thursday.

"El Nino conditions have started weakening and we expect the south Asia summer monsoon to be within the normal range," A.K. Srivastava, director of the Indian Meteorological Department, told reporters on the sidelines of South Asia Climate Outlook Forum.

Last month, the Geneva-based World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said the El Nino had peaked, but was expected to influence climate patterns up to mid-year before dying out.

India's annual June-September monsoon rains, which delivers 75-90 percent of total rainfall, were the weakest in 37 years in 2009, ravaging rice and oilseed crops.

Lower output hit food supplies in the domestic market and triggered a sharp rise in prices. The food price index rose an annual 17.22 percent in the 12 months to early April.

(Reporting by Ratnajyoti Dutta; Editing by Ranjit Gangadharan)

Heat wave kindles hopes of good harvest

Summer temperature in India is set to remain above average, weather officials said, raising hopes of heavy rains at the start of the monsoon season that will help early sowing of rice, soybeans and lentils.

Early sowing and the subsequent early harvest insulates crops from weather risks such as weak rains towards the end of the June-September monsoon season that delivers 75-90 percent of the rainfall in most parts of India.

It also calms market sentiment as early harvests quickly boost supplies and quash inflationary expectations.

Last year, India saw its driest June in 83 years. The weak rains triggered a rise in inflation and India's food price index rose about an annual 17 percent in March, 2010, leading to widespread protests and pressure on the federal government.

Rice output in India, the world's second-biggest producer, fell 14 percent last year, while plunging cane output turned India into a big sugar importer, sending New York raw sugar futures to their highest in 29 years and encouraging the government to freeze exports of most farm commodities.

Most parts of India saw record-high temperature in March, usually a month of gradual transition from winter to summer, while a severe heat wave has gripped many states in April.

"Higher temperatures during pre-monsoon phase are likely to help initial monsoon rains," said N. Chattopadhyay, director of agricultural meteorology division of India's weather office.

If the weather remains warmer than normal, the country can expect heavy rainfall when the monsoon season begins, he said on the sidelines of the South Asian Climate Outlook Forum.

NORMAL RAINS

On Wednesday, Indian and Western weather experts said they expected normal monsoon rains in India this year, while a forecaster from Japan said rainfall may be weak.

M. Vellinga of the UK weather office said warm weather would continue. "We expect above normal temperature before monsoon and near normal temperature during monsoon," he told Reuters.

Chattopadhyay said crop output would also depend on the distribution of rainfall, particularly in July, in the key crop areas such as soybean in central India and rice in other parts.

Last year, a drop in soybean output helped India topple China as the world's biggest edible oils importer.

B.V. Mehta, executive director of the Solvent Extractors' Association of India, said good rain in the early phase was vital.

"Early monsoon has two crucial aspects. One is sentiment. In case of hoarding, stocks start getting offloaded and supplies suddenly improve," he said.

"The second is planting. Early sowing means early harvest and even if there is early withdrawal of monsoon, crops are safe," Mehta told Reuters.

The weather department said temperatures were expected to remain 2-4 degrees higher than normal in April and in the short term, heatwave conditions would continue over parts of central, east and northwest India.

Predicting monsoon rains, vital for India's farm output and economic growth, remains a challenge for the country as its forecasting skills are inadequate, scientists and weather officials said on Tuesday.

A second straight poor summer monsoon is unlikely, India's weather office chief said ahead of an official forecast for the rains that are crucial to the economy of the world's second-most populous nation.

For a graphic on monsoon forecasts versus actual rain see: http://graphics.thomsonreuters.com/10/04/IN_MSNFCT0410.gif

(Additional reporting by Mayank Bhardwaj; Editing by Himangshu Watts, Himani Sarkar)

CPI-M for more autonomous bodies

Agartala, April 15 (IANS) The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Thursday demanded the creation of constitutional bodies to provide autonomy to tribals and non-tribals in backward and hilly areas and said Tripura was a model of democratic decentralisation.

'If constitutional autonomous bodies were formed for both tribals and non-tribals in backward areas across India, it would defuse the demand for separation or secession and develop those underdeveloped areas,' said CPI-M central committee member Bijon Dhar at a press conference in Agartala.

'Once the constitutional autonomous bodies formed, local people would be involved in the developmental process and they (locals) would administer themselves. Therefore, the centre and concerned state would allocate more funds for these local self-governments.'

The CPI-M also demanded more autonomy to the existing 16 autonomous district councils (ADC) in northeast India facilitating the socio-economic development of tribals, who constitute 27 percent of the region's 40 million people.

Of the 16 ADCs, six are in Manipur, three each in Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram and one in Tripura.

'If necessary, the constitution should be amended to establish fresh autonomous bodies and to provide more autonomy to the existing ADCs,' said Dhar, also the secretary of the Tripura state committee of CPI-M.

Dhar said: 'Tripura is a model in the entire country where democratic decentralisation process among the tribals were exceptional in India. This was evident from the compliments from the Planning Commission, central ministers and senior officials.'

He said ministers, senior leaders and officials from the Congress and non-Left party-led state governments had visited Tripura in different times to learn from the Left Front government how to effectively run autonomous district councils for the tribal people.

Dantewada attack prompts repeated adjournments of Lok Sabha

New Delhi, April 15 (IANS) There were unpleasant scenes in the Lok Sabha Thursday with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Congress accusing each other of using Maoist guerrillas for electoral gains, prompting repeated adjournments.

BJP and Congress MPs were caught in an ugly row over the April 6 Dantewada massacre, forcing Speaker Meira Kumar to interrupt the debate and adjourn the house for a half hour at 12.30 p.m.

The house, which resumed the budget session after a month-long break Thursday, reassembled at 1 p.m. but the unrest continued.

Congress MPs demanded action against BJP leader Yashwant Sinha for his comments. The speaker said she would check the records, promising action if she found anything against the rules.

But the interruptions continued and she adjourned the house again till 2 p.m.

BJP's Sinha, a former finance minister, initiated the debate and assured the government of the party's full support in its war against Left extremism in mineral-rich central India.

But he went on to lambast the government the way it has tackled the Maoist problem, which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said is the 'greatest threat' to India's internal security.

Sinha said the Congress used Maoists for political gains in some states and sent a 'wrong signal' that the government was 'ready to compromise on terrorism'.

'You forged an alliance with Naxalites in Andhra Pradesh for electoral benefits,' he thundered.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal reacted sharply and said the BJP leader had forgotten the relationship his party has with Maoists in Chhattisgarh.

'He doesn't know what relationship his party has with Maoists. He has forgotten that,' Bansal said, this time triggering protests from BJP MPs.

'On one hand he is expressing BJP's support and on the other he is levelling allegations,' Bansal said.

Sinha earlier 'condemned with contempt' the remarks by Congress leader Digvijay Singh accusing the BJP of having a nexus with the guerrillas in Chhattisgarh.

As the noise grew louder amid the allegations and counter-allegations, Meira Kumar asked Sinha not to 'level allegations which you are not able to substantiate'.

She said the house was discussing 'something very serious'.

'This is a tragedy which has saddened all of us. This is not the debate where allegations should be levelled... All parties should put their heads together and see how we can eliminate such incidents,' Meira Kumar said about the brutal killing of 76 security men in Chhattisgarh.

In the morning, the Lok Sabha had been adjourned over demands for a debate on the Dantewada attack, the worst since the Maoist insurgency began over four decades ago.

Tharoor seeks 'audience' with Sonia

Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor has reportedly sought time for a meeting with UPA Chairperson and Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday.

Sources close to the minister said that the appointment has been sought to clear the air on the controversy surrounding his alleged involvement with the newly formed Kochi franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL), and is clash/ disagreement with Lalit Modi, the chairman of the IPL Governing Council.

According to one private television channel, Tharoor met both Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister AK Anthony on Wednesday night to explain the ongoing controversy, even as the opposition continues to demand that he be sacked on charges of corruption and conflict of interest.

Sources said Tharoor explained his version to both ministers at the nearly one-hour-long meeting, and Mukherjee and Anthony are said to have deliberated further on the matter after Tharoor left.

Sources have suggested that Tharoor has been given an option of explaining his position in Parliament today.

On Wednesday, Tharoor ruled out chances of him resigning from the Union Cabinet over the IPL issue saying that he has not done anything wrong or misused his office.

The meeting came after the Congress Core Group headed by party chief Sonia Gandhi met to discuss the strategy in Parliament on the eve of the resumption of the Budget Session.

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, had indicated in Washington that he would take action in the issue if warranted after his return from Brazil, where he is at present to attend the fourth IBSA summit and the BRIC summit.

Earlier, Modi in his email to BCCI chief Shashank Manohar had stated it was Tharoor who called him and instructed him not to reveal identities of the stakeholders of Kochi IPL franchisee.

Tharoor, according to news channels, has denied Modi's allegation, and said: "I deny Modi's allegation that I called him during his meeting with investors in the Kochi consortium in Bangalore in order to press him not to question the composition of the consortium."

Tharoor said he had 'enough' of the controversy and went on to deny any monetary interest in the Kochi IPL team.

"I called Modi to ask why he was further delaying the approval of the franchise when all the legal requirements had been fulfilled. Mr. Modi had held up approval by the IPL of the franchisee agreement earlier by insisting on the reversal of a change in the document that he himself had earlier suggested", Tharoor said

"This change was made, the consortium members flew to Bangalore and met Modi after that night's IPL game for what they had been told would be a routine exercise. Instead they were submitted to a barrage of questions, which led some to suspect that Modi was seeking a further excuse to delay approval. This was the reason for my intervention with Modi", he added.

In tweets on Monday, Modi has accused Tharoor of asking him not to investigate who makes up the Rendezvous Sports World group that led the consortium that bought the Kochi team. Modi also revealed the details of the different partners and their stake in the Kochi team.

Congress slammed in Parl over Dantewada issue

The massacre of 76 security personnel in a Naxal attack in Dantewada in Chhattisgarh triggered uproar in Parliament on Thursday leading to adjournment of both Houses till noon. The Rajya Sabha was later adjourned till 2 pm.

The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha witnessed stormy scenes soon after they re-assembled for the second part of the Budget Session with members from the Opposition, including BJP, Left, SP and BSP raising the issue.

Several opposition members had given notices for suspension of Question Hour and demanded immediate discussion on the issue.

Seeking to pacify the members, Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal said that Home Minister P Chidambaram would make a statement in the Lok Sabha at 1 pm and the government was ready for discussion thereafter.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Prithviraj Chavan made an identical statement in the Rajya Sabha telling the members that they could seek clarifications and have a discussion after Chidambaram's statement.

The Opposition members were not satisfied and wanted the matter to be taken up immediately, suspending the Question Hour. This was not agreeable to the government. In the din, Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the House till noon.

In Rajya Sabha, Chavan requested the members to allow the Question Hour to proceed. As members were unrelenting, Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned the proceedings till noon.

Earlier, the Speaker made obituary reference to Polish President Lech Kaczynski, who was killed in an air crash in Russia recently as also three former members - Shivsharan Verma, P Rajarethinam and Sunderwati Nawal Prabhakar.

The House condemned the dastardly attack by the Maoists on CRPF personnel at Dantewada on April 6 and on security personnel in Koraput in Orissa on April 4.