Hinduja brothers are the wealthiest Asians in Britain

London:  Hinduja brothers have been ranked as Britain's richest Asians in 2014 with a total worth of 13.5 billion pounds, an increase of one billion pounds over the previous year.

At a gala Asian Business Awards 2014 function held at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel in London last night, the group also won the Asian Business of the Year award for its outstanding achievement.

G P Hinduja, Co-Chairman of the group and brother of Chairman S P Hinuja, received the award from the Chief Guest Michael Gove, MP, Britain's Secretary of State for Education, in the presence of India's High Commissioner Ranjan Mathai, who was the Guest of Honour.

Mr Gove also released the Asian Rich List, declaring Hinduja group, a conglomerate with interests in banking, oil and manufacturing among many, as the richest in the UK for the second consecutive year.

Just behind the group is steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal with a wealth of 12 billion pounds, one billion pounds more than the previous year.

Leading NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul and Angad Paul (Steel) have been listed as 10th richest with wealth amounting to 750 million pounds, whereas mining giant Anil Agrawal was ranked third (2.4 billion pounds) followed by Sri Prakash Lohia (Petrochemicals and textiles) (2 billion pounds).

India's Tata Ltd won the International Business Award. 

Tatas are the biggest industrial employers in the UK. 

Dr Rami Ranger, MBE, Founder and Chairman of Sunmark ltd, winner of Queen's award for exports for fifth consecutive year, won the Business Personality Award while Veena Nangla of Brightsun Travel was declared as the Asian Business Woman of the year. Chakra restaurant in London received the Restaurant Award for 2014.

According to the Asian Rich List 101 published by EasternEye, one of the publications of the Asian Media & Marketing Group headed by Ramniklal Solanki CBE, there are nine Asians in the UK who can be called billionaires.

The estimated wealth of the 101 Asians in the list totals almost 52 billion pounds - up just over 6 billion pounds on 2013's total.

According to the Rich List, the year 2014 is going to be a big one for the Hindujas for it will mark the centenary of the group, which has its headquarters at New Zealand House in Haymarket, London and employs 75,000 people across 35 nations. 

The Hinduja group has what Gopi Hinduja likes to call 10 'verticals' namely: health, energy, power generation, automotive, finance and banking; oil and gas; IT and BPO; media and cable; real estate; and trading.

FIR ordered over book allegedly carrying objectionable content against Gandhis

Badaun: A First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged against unknown persons in Badaun in Uttar Pradesh for distributing books allegedly containing objectionable material against the Gandhi family.

Omkar Singh, the President of Congress' local unit, had complained that the books titled 'Rahul ki Ravan Leela', allegedly carrying objectionable and derogatory material against the Gandhis, were being distributed in villages in the Lok Sabha constituency which votes on April 17.Mr Singh had also demanded stern action against those responsible for circulating the said books, police sources said.

Taking note of the complaint, the District Magistrate ordered for lodging of an FIR at the Civil Lines police station besides an inquiry by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) in this regard.

The email ID mentioned in the book has also been blocked and people responsible for it have been warned, police said.

The book allegedly contains objectionable material against Congress President Sonia Gandhi, her son and party vice president Rahul Gandhi, daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and son-in-law Robert Vadra, police said.

Rahul Gandhi to file nomination in Amethi today in presence of entire family

Amethi: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is all set to file his nomination from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh today. Keeping him company will be mother Sonia, sister Priyanka and her husband Robert Vadra as the Congress No. 2 seeks re-election for a third consecutive term from the Lok Sabha constituency. 

Mr Gandhi's party, on its part, is pulling out all stops to ensure that the nomination, expected sometime after 1 pm, is nothing short of a grand affair. The district unit has made elaborate arrangements, including 500 kgs of flowers, to welcome the 43-year-old in Amethi which votes on May 7, the penultimate phase of the nine-phase general election.

"We will welcome Rahul Gandhi with rose petals. All Congress workers are very excited about his nomination," said Yogendra Mishra, President of the district Congress.

But Mr Gandhi faces a tough three-cornered contest this time around with the BJP fielding actor-turned-politician and Rajya Sabha MP Smriti Irani from the seat and poet-turned-politician Kumar Vishwas representing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).)

Both Ms Irani and Mr Vishwas have openly challenged the Congress No. 2 to a debate over development in Amethi, but so far he has refused. The constituency, which has been represented by Mr Gandhi's mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi in the past, has traditionally voted for the party.

The battle for Amethi is also a major test for Priyanka, who as campaign manager, will have to ensure that Mr Gandhi's over 3.5 lakh-winning margin in 2009 is not breached this time. The 42-year-old had recently told NDTV that that she will actively campaign only for her brother and mother, who is contesting from the neighbouring Raebareli constituency after vacating the Amethi seat for her son in 2004.

Amit Shah to seek review of Election Commission's ban on his rallies in UP

New Delhi: BJP leader Amit Shah has said he would request the Election Commission (EC) to review its order that bans him from addressing rallies in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly making "highly inflammatory speeches" while campaigning. (Threats, personal attacks and Kargil: hate speeches under scrutiny)

"The EC has asked me to reply by today evening. I will give my explanation in the reply and will request for a review of the decision," he told reporters today. 

Along with Mr Shah, the Election Commission has also banned Samajwadi Party's senior minister Azam Khan from addressing rallies in the state. Both parties have sought a review of the decision. 

In a letter to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary, the Election Commission has also ordered that First Information Reports or FIRs be registered against the two politicians.

In its letter, the poll panel criticised the Akhilesh Yadav government for "soft pedalling" on action against its minister Azam Khan for what it has described as his "undesirable activities". 

Mr Khan has alleged that he is facing a ban and criminal charges as the Election Commission "had to strike a balance as they were anyway proceeding against Amit Shah." His party's spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman also added that the Election Commission "has carried out a communal balancing act."

The UP government has filed FIRs against Amit Shah, a close aide of the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, for talking about "revenge" for the communal violence that tore through Muzaffarnagar last year. Mr Shah delivered the controversial speeches in Bijnor and Shamli, in the riot-scarred western UP region. 

Azam Khan too has made several provocative speeches recently, including one in Ghaziabad on Tuesday when he said that the Kargil war was won by Muslim soldiers. The panel said despite a notice sent to him, he is "still making derogatory and inflammatory statements and using intemperate language as well."

'Pro-incumbency' factor will lead to BJP's win in Goa: Manohar Parrikar

Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar claimed that "pro-incumbency" factor for BJP-led government in the state will lead both the candidates of his party to victory in the Lok Sabha polls, voting for which is underway today.

He admitted that "Modi factor" is one of the drivers for the current election. "But that does not mean that the party or other factors do not count," Mr Parrikar told reporters outside a polling booth in Panaji, where he was among the first ones to cast vote.

"Personality is one factor that will finally lead you to victory," he said replying to a query.

"I feel there is pro-incumbency factor in Goa as people have seen the functioning of the state government for the last two years," he said.

The Chief Minister said that the election people will acknowledge the performance of the government over the last two years.

He alleged that the UPA government had been trying to "consistently damage and purposely harass" the state government.

"They are trying to put spokes in the functioning of the government. Congress' main perception is viciousness," Mr Parrikar alleged.

He said that there is "inner jealousy" in Congress which is why it is trying to work against the BJP-led state government.

Responding to a question, Mr Parrikar admitted that Modi factor is one of the drivers for the current election. "But that does not mean that the party or other factors do not count," he said.

"Personality is one factor that will finally lead you to victory," Mr Parrikar commented.