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Prominent Ministers to be dropped in the much anticipated Karnataka cabinet reshuffle

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Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: According to unconfirmed reports doing rounds in the media, prominent ministers in the state, including Film star-turned-politician and Housing Minister MH Ambarish, Primary & Secondary Education Minister Kimmane Ratnakara, Transport Minister R Ramalinga Reddy and Wakf minister Qamar ul Islam are likely to be dropped from the Cabinet.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who met the national Congress leadership, early this week discussed the long-pending Cabinet reshuffle and appointment of a new president for the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. The post is currently held by G. Parameshwara, Home Minister.

The Chief Minister has said the Cabinet reshuffle would take place by May-end.

UP school principal divides class on caste basis, removed

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caste

Hathras: A principal in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district worked out his own “caste arithmetic”, segregating students of Class IX on the basis of their caste and appointing class teachers on a similar basis, prompting authorities to remove him.

Acting on complaints that Radhey Shyam Varshney, Principal of Seth Phulchand Bagla Inter College, a government- aided institution, had segregated students on the basis of their caste — Scheduled Caste, Backward and General — District Magistrate Avinash Krishna Singh ordered a probe by the District Inspector of Schools (DIoS).

After the matter was found to be true, the principal was removed.

Varshney had also appointed same caste teachers in the class and three of them, working as class teachers, have also been removed from their respective posts.

As per Varshney’s scheme of things, a general category teacher was appointed for a classroom having general students. Likewise, a a scheduled caste teacher was chosen for a classroom with SC students, and an OBC teacher for OBC students.

“We had received a complaint of discrimination against Principal of Seth Phulchand Baagla Inter College for separating classes on the basis of caste. We conducted an inquiry and found that three sections — A, B, C — of Class 9 had difference in ratio over the distribution of General, SC and OBC students,” Singh said.

“Section A had more of General category students as compared with OBC and Schedule Caste, in the same way section B had more OBC students and similarly section C had more SC students,” he said.

Some students had alleged that discrimination was being done in the class on basis of caste in seating arrangements and admissions in the college.

They had complained that the absurd practice was going on since April 1, the day new session started.

“We are planning to take strict action…We have advised the college administration to distribute the students evenly in the class and this should be done urgently,” the DM added.

(PTI)

Progressive groups demand scrapping of Bangalore Blue-print Action Group

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BBPAG

Bengaluru: Around 120 people representing various progressive civil society organisations, trade unions, workers federations, resident welfare associations, artistes, street vendor associations, environmental groups, etc. came together in protest against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s 28th April 2016 decision to form the Bangalore Blue-print Action Group (BBPAG).

Terming it as a Club of Rich and Famous, protestors demanded that the Chief Minister must defer to the Constitution of India and immediately scrap this BBPAG. The Chief Minister was asked to comply with the Constitutional 74th Amendment (Nagarpalika) Act, 1992 and set up the District/Metropolitan Planning Committees and make them functional within three months. The Chief Minister was also asked to immediately take steps to made Ward Committees functional as directed by the High Court of Karnataka over two years ago.

The protest took place at the headquarters of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike. Responding to the protests, Hon’ble Mayor Manjunath Reddy stated that he appreciates the meaning and depth of the concerns raised, and that he would communicate them to the Chief Minister. However, he declined to step out of the extra-Constitutional BBPAG stating:

“I cannot go against the Government. The Government gives funds to BBMP. If I go against the Government, then BBMP may stop receiving funds.”

This fear expressed by the Mayor clearly indicates how Mr. Siddaramaiah, celebrating his third year in power, is curbing autonomy and independence of Local Governments in blatant violation of the Constitution of India.

A copy of the representation received by the Mayor, endorsed by various progressive groups and organisations, is enclosed along with a note on the importance of implementing the Nagarpalika Act in totality. The main demands are:

We demand that the Karnataka Government must take immediate action to:

  1. Constitute Area Sabhas and Ward Committees in all Municipal Corporations and Municipal Councils, and also ensure such oversight bodies are instituted in smaller urban areas/Nagar Panchayats (with population less than 300,000). All proceedings of such bodies must at all times be public. (The constitution of Ward Committees is also required per the directions of the Hon’ble High Court of Karnataka in W. P. No. 46523/2012 c/w W.P. 24739/2012, an order that stands violated for over a year now.)
  2. Constitute, by a transparent and accountable process, District/Metropolitan Planning Committees, taking care to ensure representation from trade unions, public sector bodies, farmers organisations, civil society organisations, pourakarmika unions, street vendors associations, small traders associations, students, home keepers, public health networks, womens groups, human rights networks, child rights networks, environmental networks, sociologists, ecologists, informal sectors, teachers, economists, urban and regional planners, etc., while also including a representative from the IT/BT sector, as non-voting, advisory members of such bodies. Proceedings of this Committee must be public at all times, and its outcome must shape land use plans per the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act, 1961.
  3. Ensure these bodies are established and made functional in every respect within the next three months.
  4. Ensure that every District/Metropolitan Planning Committee produces its Draft District/Metropolitan Development Plan by the end of 2016, and the same is taken up for consideration in 2017 Budget.

Kumble re-appointed ICC cricket panel chief, Dravid made member

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Photo: PTI

Photo: PTI

Dubai: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday re-appointed former India skipper Anil Kumble as its cricket committee chairman while his teammate Rahul Dravid was added as a member of the panel along with Sri Lanka’s former skipper Mahela Jayawardene.

Kumble, who was appointed the chairman in 2012 was given a three-year extension at the top post, the ICC said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Dravid and Jayawardene have been appointed to the committee, adding even more cricketing experience to the list of eminent people already on the committee.

Dravid and Jayawardene have played 1,161 international matches between them from 1996 to 2015, and each has been appointed for a three-year term. They will attend their first meeting at Lord’s on May 31 and June 1, three weeks before the ICC annual conference takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Dravid has been elected by the current Test captains as current player representatives, replacing former Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara, who has completed his final three-year term.

Jayawardene has been appointed as a past player representative and takes over from former Australia captain Mark Taylor, who has also completed his final three-year term.

Former Australia off-spinner and ex-Chief Executive of Federation of International Cricketers’ Association (FICA), Tim May, has also been elected by the current Test captains as current player representative, replacing Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, who has completed his three-year term.

Richard Kettleborough, three-time ICC Umpire of the Year, has been appointed as umpires’ representative in the committee and replaces Steve Davis, who retired last year.

ICC general manager cricket, Geoff Allardice, who also administers the ICC Cricket Committee meeting, said, “I want to thank Mark Taylor, Kumar Sangakkara, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan and Steve Davis for their significant contribution to this committee.”

(IANS)

Malegaon blasts: NIA files chargesheet, clean chit to Sadhvi Pragya

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Sadhvi Pragya Thakur

Mumbai: In a complete U-turn, the NIA today dropped all charges against Sadhvi Pragya Thakur and five others in the 2008 Malegaon blast case while charges under the stringent MCOCA law have been given up against all the other 10 accused including Lt Col Prasad Shrikant Purohit.

During investigation, “sufficient evidences have not been found against” Pragya Singh Thakur and five others, the NIA said, adding it has submitted in the chargesheet “that the prosecution against them is not maintainable”.

Today’s development in the case, in which seven people were killed in twin blasts when people were coming out of prayers during Ramzan in September 29, 2008.

There have been a lot of twists and turns in the probe into the Malegaon blast which was described as a handiwork of people associated with Hindu right wing groups.

The case was investigated initially by Joint Commissioner of Mumbai’s ATS Hemant Karkare who was killed during the 26/11 Mumbai attack. Before the NIA took over the case in 2011, ATS had booked 16 people but filed charge sheets on January 20, 2009 and April 21, 2011 against 14 accused in a Mumbai court.

Purohit and Pragya had moved several applications before Bombay High Court and Supreme Court challenging the charge sheet and applicability of stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in the case.

Shiv Narayan Kalsangra, Shyam Bhavarlal Sahu, Praveen Takkalki, Lokesh Sharma and Dhan Singh Choudhury are the other five accused against whom charges have been dropped besides Sadhvi.

The agency also said during investigation that it has been established that no offence is attracted in this case under the Maharashtra Control of Crimes Act (MCOCA), in which any statement given before a SP level officer is admissible as an evidence.

“In furtherance of same, the confessional statements recorded under provisions of MCOC Act by ATS Mumbai have not been relied up on by the NIA in submitting the present Final report,” the agency said in its chargesheet.

Lt Col Purohit and nine others will now be tried for charges including murder and conspiracy under the provisions of anti-terror law UAPA, IPC, Arms Act and Explosives Substance Act.

Director General of NIA Sharad Kumar told reporters today there was no dilution in the case.

Asked about the stand taken by the agency in the past when it had opposed the bail plea of Sadhvi and others even in the Supreme Court, he said “till our investigation was not complete, we had to go by the probe done by the ATS. Now that we have completed the investigations, we have submitted our final report (chargesheet)”.

The chargesheet was today submitted by public prosecutor Geeta Godambe before Special Judge S D Tekale here.

Special Public Prosecutor in the case Avinash Rasal said he was not informed about the filing of the chargesheet (by the NIA). “I am hurt and I may resign from the case”, Rasal said.

The Congress attacked the NIA decision to drop charges against Sadhvi Praygya and five others besides diluting the case against Lt Col and nine other accused.

Senior leader Digvijay Singh said “as I had predicted BJP and RSS have started the process of saving the Sangh Activists involved in Terror Cases.”

“Was the DG of NIA given extension for this?” he asked.

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju dismissed the allegation saying government does not interfere in the investigation by the agencies. “We allow agencies to work independently,” he said.

(Agencies)

 

Rajan unfit to be RBI Guv, should be removed: Subramanian Swamy

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subramanian swamy

New Delhi: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy today suggested that Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan be removed from the post as he was responsible for “unemployment and collapse” of industrial activity.

“In my opinion, RBI Governor is not appropriate for the country. I don’t want to speak much about him. He has hiked interest rates in the garb of controlling inflation that has damaged the country,” he told reporters in Parliament House.

The Governor’s actions have “led to collapse of industry and rise of unemployment in the economy”, he said. “The sooner he is sent back to Chicago, the better it would be.”

Rajan is the on-leave Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

After assuming charge as RBI governor in September 2013, Rajan gradually raised the short-term lending rate from 7.25 per cent to 8 per cent and had retained the high rates throughout 2014.

He kept the rates high, citing inflationary concerns despite intense pressure from the Finance Ministry and the industry for softening them with a view to boosting growth.

The Governor began the process of lowering the rates in January 2015 and since then it has come down by 1.50 per cent to 6.50 per cent.

(PTI)

Doctors demand removal of Karnataka State Ayurvedic and Unani Practitioners’ Board registrar Dr Thimmappa Shettigar

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dr-thimmappa-shettigarBengaluru: The Karnataka State Ayush Associations’ Joint Action Committee has demanded a CBI probe into the widespread corruption in Karnataka State Ayurvedic and Unani Practitioners’ Board (KAUPB) and sought immediate transfer of board’s registrar Dr Thimmappa Shettigar. Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru on Wednesday, the committee members alleged that the KAUPB was formed to protect the interest of the Ayurveda and Unani practitioners but was instead acting against the doctors and ending up harassing and embarrassing them.

Corrupt practices

Speaking at the press conference, National Integrated Medical Association (NIMA) Karnataka chapter president Dr Bhusanurmath said, “The KAUPB registrar Dr Thimmappa Shettigar was involved in corrupt practices and refused to vacate the registrar’s post despite being transferred on April 21. An FIR has been lodged against Dr Shettigar in Bhadravati police station for his involvement in the death of District Ayush officer Dr Mohammed Hussain. Yet, no action is taken against Dr Shettigar so far. Though he has been transferred from his post, he has been clinging to his seat and not allowing his incumbent to take over. He is also using all the political influence to stall his transfer. We request the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Health Minister UT Khader to immediately shift him out of the Board and initiate action. If the government fails to take action, then we will be forced to organise mass protests across the state. We also demand the State Government to immediately hand over the corruption scandal in KAUPB to CBI for a fair enquiry.”

No action against fake doctors

NIMA’s ex-All-India president Dr KC Ballal said, “Dr Shettigar has been at the helm of affairs at KAUPB for the last five years. He is not only holding all the administrative control but also acting with a personal vendetta. He has been directly accused in the death of honest Shivamogga District Ayush Officer Dr Mohammed Hussain. Hence, he should be immediately transferred. Despite complaints related to the fake doctors, Dr Shettigar failed to take any action yet he never left a chance to harass the honest doctors with a personal vendetta. Dr Shettigar is also treating registered medical practitioners as criminals and termed them as ‘mafia’ for demanding a fair enquiry into the death of District Health Officer Dr Mohammed Hussain. His language is unbecoming of a registrar’s post. Dr Shettigar is also not following the decisions of KAUPB and instead implementing according to his whims and fancies.”

State-wide protest if Dr Shettigar is not removed

Akhila Karnataka Ayurvedic Medical Association president Dr Bharadwaj said, “In March 2016, Dr Shettigar pressurised Dr Mohammed Hussain to file a police complaint against registered medical practitioners under false charges. When Dr Hussain refused to do so citing government regulations that the a complaint cannot be filed in the police station and can be done only at a magistrate court (as per KAUPB rules and regulations, section 40), Dr Shettigar forced Dr Hussain to do so at the police station itself. Under severe pressure, Dr Hussain collapsed and died at Bhadravati police station immediately. We wonder why did Dr Shettigar pressurise Dr Hussain so much? A case has been filed in Bhadravati police station against Dr Shettigar and three others for their involvement in the death of Dr Hussain. Even during so called raids, Dr Shettigar choreographs the raids in such a way to gain maximum media coverage for himself and showing the doctors in poor light. While Dr Shettigar is not taking any action against thousands of fake doctors, he is constantly targetting the registered and authorised post-graduate Ayush doctors.”

Remove Dr Shettigar from registrar’s post

The Association members said that they have brought the whole issue to the notice of Health Minister UT Khader who initially didn’t take action but later formed a committee which found Dr Shettigar guilty of corrupt practices. Subsequently, on April 21, Dr Shettigar was transferred from the post. However, he refused to move out of his job and never allowed his incumbent to take over. He is also now producing a letter by the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah saying that he has got the sanction to continue in the post. “We wonder why the politicians are promoting this corrupt officer who is harassing thousands of doctors in the state. We demand his immediate ouster from the job failing which we will be forced to launch a state-wide agitation against him and the corrupt practices, “Dr Bhusanurmath demanded. The association, with the help of media, request the State Government to immediately interfere in the issue and provide justice to thousands of doctors.

Iraq: At least 50 killed in Sadr City market explosion

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ISIL claims car bombing in predominantly Shia Sadr City that left scores of casualties.

ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on social media shortly after the blast [Khalid Mohammed/AP]

ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on social media shortly after the blast [Khalid Mohammed/AP]

by Al Jazeera

A car bomb in a predominantly Shia district of the Iraqi capital has killed at least 50 people and wounded at least 100 others, police sources told Al Jazeera.

An SUV packed with explosives blew up near a beauty salon in a bustling market at rush hour in Baghdad’s Sadr City on Wednesday.

Most of the victims were women, Iraqi police and hospital sources told the Reuters news agency.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group (ISIL, also known as ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on social media shortly after the blast.

The group said the assault was carried out by a suicide bomber, a claim Iraqi officials denied.

There are fears that the death toll will rise further.

In the last two weeks, ISIL has claimed responsibility for two attacks targeting the Shia community in Baghdad.

First, a car bomb, targeting an open-air market frequented by Shia in Nahrawan near the Iraqi capital, killed at least 23 people and injured 38 others.

Two days later, a car bombing targeting Shia pilgrims commemorating the death anniversary of a revered 8th-century imam killed at least 18 people.

In February, ISIL also claimed a twin suicide bombing in Sadr City that killed 70 people.

According to the UN, at least 741 Iraqis were killed in April owing to ongoing violence, a sharp decline from the previous month.

In its monthly report issued on May 1, the UN mission to Iraq put the number of civilians killed at 410, while the rest were members of the security forces. A total of 1,374 Iraqis were wounded that month, it added.

In March, at least 1,119 people were killed and 1,561 wounded.

Baghdad remains the worst-hit area in terms of documented deaths, with 232 civilians killed and 642 wounded in April.

The fight against ISIL has exacerbated a long-running sectarian conflict in Iraq, mostly between the Shia majority and the Sunni minority.

Sectarian tensions also threaten to undermine efforts to dislodge ISIL from vast areas of the north and west of Iraq that they seized in 2014.

Bangladesh executes Motiur Rahman Nizami for war crimes

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Jamaat-e-Islami calls for general strike after hanging of its leader who was convicted of genocide, rape and massacres.

Motiur Rahman Nizami

by Al Jazeera

Bangladesh has executed head of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami party Motiur Rahman Nizami for war crimes committed during the 1971 war of independence to break away from Pakistan, the country’s law minister said.

Nizami was hanged at Dhaka Central jail at one minute past midnight local time on Wednesday after the Supreme Court rejected his final plea against a death sentence imposed by a special tribunal for genocide, rape and orchestrating the massacre of top intellectuals during the war.

Thousands of extra police and border guards were deployed in the capital Dhaka and other major cities to tighten security as Jamaat-e-Islami called for a nationwide strike on Thursday in protest of the execution.

Previous similar judgments and executions have triggered violence that killed around 200 people, mainly Jamaat activists and police.

Al Jazeera’s Tanvir Chowdhury, reporting from Dhaka, said the situation was still calm in the capital by Wednesday and there were no reports of violence in other cities.

“Unlike the last few years, Jamaat has not been able to materialise any kind of protest on the streets,” he said, adding that this was mainly due to heavy-handed tactics used by the security forces.

“Jamaat supporters are not allowed to gather anywhere. Many of the leaders are behind the bars or on the run,” he said.

“Human rights groups have criticised the government for extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances. So, it is hard for them to gather anywhere. We will see what will come out of Jamaat’s call for a 24-hour strike tomorrow from 6am.”

Jamaat-e-Islami denies that its leaders committed any atrocities. Calling Nizami a “martyr”, it said he was deprived of justice and made a victim of a political vendetta. Nizami had been in prison since 2010.

‘False allegations’

A senior Jamaat-e-Islami leader based abroad told Al Jazeera that Nizami was a supporter of Pakistan in 1971 but “all other allegations of killing, murder and rape are not correct. The tribunal has miserably failed to prove any of those allegations.”

He said Jamaat leaders inside Bangladesh were not giving interviews because their phones were tapped and their families were harassed if they spoke to media.

“Not only leaders, thousands of middle-ranking and ordinary Jamaat workers have been forced to flee their homes due to police repression or harassment. They are refugees in their own country due the vindictive nature of this government,” he said.

“Their agenda is to wipe out Islam gradually and whoever they think opposes their policies is being targeted.”

Five opposition politicians, including four Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, have been executed since late 2013 after being convicted by the tribunal.

International human rights groups say the tribunal’s procedures fall short of international standards – an accusation the government denies.

According to Phil Robertson, the deputy director of the Asia division at the Human Rights Watch, the trial was neither free nor fair as the court was cutting corners on fair trial standards.

“For example, Nizami was allowed to have only four defence witnesses as a man fighting for his life. And the court did allow defence to challenge the inconsistencies in the testimonies of prosecution witnesses,” he told Al Jazeera from Bangkok.

“Finally, we have seen a significant problem in all of these war crimes trials, where the presiding judge was having ongoing discussions about judicial strategy with external consultants and prosecutors in a way that raises concerns about the independence of the panel.”

David Bergman, an investigative journalist in Dhaka, told Al Jazeera that there was long-standing allegations against Nizami since the end of the war.

“So the fact that there was a trial in which he was accused of these crimes is not itself political,” he said, while also noting rights groups’ criticism of the trials.

“There are no doubts that many members of Jamaat-e-Islami are concerned about trials and executions targeting its members, and the party itself is subject to significant repression.”

The war crimes tribunal set up by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2010 has sparked violence and drawn criticism from opposition politicians, including leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, that it is victimising Hasina’s political opponents.

According to the Bangladesh government, about three million people were killed and thousands of women were raped during the 1971 war in which some factions, including the Jamaat-e-Islami, opposed the break from what was then called West Pakistan.

The execution comes as the country suffers a surge in violence in which atheist bloggers, academics, religious minorities and foreign aid workers have been killed.

In April alone, five people, including a university teacher, two gay activists and a Hindu, were hacked to death.

A Biopic on APJ Abdul Kalam Coming Soon

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Pramod Gore with relative of Dr APJ Kalam

It’s the season of Biopics in Tinsel Town, after biopics on the likes of Milkha Singh, Mary Kom, Sarabjit Singh and more it’s the life story of former Indian President namely the late APJ Abdul Kalam that’s attracted the film industry.

Film maker Pramod Gore who last made the acclaimed Marathi film Reti has taken up the herculean task to picturise the life & the times of the highly coveted scientist turned politician Abdul Kalam. “I will be producing the film under my banner Atharva Motion Pictures,” says producer Pramod Gore. But we wonder what made him take up this subject. “There’s so much that Kalamji has done for our nation, he is an inspiration to all of us. A complete rags to riches story where a boy from a small village rose against all odds to become not just the talented scientist that he was but also our President. I was amazed how a story as great as this still remained untold,” says the filmmaker.

Quite contrary to just producing the film, Pramod Gore went to the lengths of travelling till Rameshwaram, Kalam’s native place, met his elder brother who is now 99 years old along with his nephew who is 66 to get more insight into the life that APJ Abdul Kalam lived. “Yes, I traveled till Rameshwaram because I want to be thorough & not falter in conveying a story as great as this. And also had to seek permission from his family before going ahead with this film. I have also bought all of his 22 written works including the likes of “Ignited Minds”, “Wings of Fire”, “India 2020”, “The Kalam Effect” and more to have enough material.”

It is learnt that Pramod Gore will be signing a Hollywood director to make this biopic and wants to cast Irrfan Khan or Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the lead role. Confirming the news Pramod Gore avers, “There have been umpteen films on Gandhi but the one which stood out was that of Richard Attenborough. It’s not easy to weave an entire life into a 2 and a half hour film and I want capable hands on board for it. Which is why I want to cast Irrfan Khan or Nawazuddin Siddiqui also as APJ Abdul Kalam because I think they will be able to do full justice to the film.”

Similarly, Pramod Gore wants to rope in Allah Rakha Rahman for music & Gulzar for lyrics. “I have already registered the title of the film APJ with IMPPA which shows the seriousness of this project and I really think the industry should come out and support a film like this. Yes, I want to approach Allah Rakha Rahman & Gulzar Sahab because this story deserves the best. I will also be approaching the Indian Government, asking them if they want to make this film with me. I am hopeful for a positive response,” says Pramod Gore.

Interestingly, Pramod Gore is so moved by the story of APJ Abdul Kalam that when he went to visit Kalam’s native place and saw the conditions in which his Tomb is placed, he resolved to give all the revenue he would make out of the film into developing that land. He wants to build a library there too and do his bit in the name of APJ Abdul Kalam.

The biopic goes on the floors in Jul, 2016 and will be releasing in 2017.

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