What Went Really..............???

Serious questions are being raised over Pakistan government's theory on Benazir Bhutto's assassination. While earlier reports indicated that Benazir Bhutto died of bullet wounds, the Pakistan government hours later denied those reports with Pakistani interior ministry spokesperson Brigadier Javed Iqbal Cheema said yesterday that "There should be no ambiguity about Benazir's death - there were bullet wounds...It was a jolt after her head hit the vehicle lever."

However a top aide to the slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has rejected the government's explanation of her death as a "pack of lies".

Farooq Naik, Ms Bhutto's top lawyer and a senior official in her Pakistan People's Party, says that the government's claims that Bhutto was not hit by any bullets is completely baseless.

He says:

"Two bullets hit her, one in the abdomen and one in the head. Bhutto's personal secretary Naheed Khan and party official Makhdoom Amin Fahim were in the car and they saw what happened.... they (government) are turning it into a joke with such claims.'"

I bathed her body, saw the bullet wound

A close aide to Benazir Bhutto said today she saw a bullet wound in the Pakistani opposition
leader's head when she bathed her body after her assassination.

Butto's spokeswoman Sherry Rehman, who said she was in the former premier's motorcade at the time of the gun and suicide attack, rejected government claims that the death was caused when Bhutto's head hit her sunroof.

"I was actually part of the party which bathed her body before the funeral," said Rehman, who added that her car was used to transport Bhutto to hospital.

"There was a bullet wound I saw that went in from the back of her head and came out the other side. We could not even wash her properly because the wound was still seeping. She lost a huge amount of blood," she told AFP.

Rehman accused the government of mounting a cover-up over Bhutto's death.

"The hospital was made to change its statement. They never gave a proper report," she said.

"I believe the interior ministry is saying that she died from some concussion that may have taken place against the sunroof.

"This is ridiculous, dangerous nonsense because it is a cover-up of what actually happened."

Benazir raised questions on government link

The question is who is Baitullah Mehsud, the al Qaeda commander the Pakistan government is blaming the assassination on.

Benazir Bhutto, before returning to Pakistan had mentioned that she was receiving threats from him, even indictaing that he had strong links with the Pakistani government.

She said:

"I am not worried about Baitullah Masood. I am worried about the threat within the government. People like Baitullah Masood are just pawns. It is those forces behind him that have presided over the rise of extremism and militancy in my country."

"I did not kill her"

Meanwhile Mehsud accused by the Pakistani government on Friday (December 28) of masterminding Bhutto's assasination has completely denied any involvement.

"I strongly deny it. Tribal people have their own customs. We don't strike women," Mehsud's spokesman Maulvi Omar said by telephone from an undisclosed location.

Govt issues ultimatum to Taslima

This time it is not the Marxists but the UPA government that has decided that controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen cannot return to her adopted city of Kolkata.

Moreover, Nasreen has been told that if she wants to live in Delhi, she will not be allowed to take part in any public functions.

Speaking exclusively to NDTV's Managing Editor Barkha Dutt, Taslima Nasreen said that the decision had been communicated officially to her by a senior official of the Ministry of External Affairs.

Nasreen also claimed that her security was cited as the reason for the Centre's decision.

The controversial author, who has already withdrawn parts of her writing considered offensive to certain Muslim groups, has been in hiding for the past month.

Breaking down on the telephone, she claimed that she was being made to live under house arrest.

''I appeal to the government to change its mind,'' she said.

Nasreen also asserted that she will leave India if she is refrained from returning to Kolkata.

The author has been in a government safe house since November and has courted trouble over her perceived anti-Islamic writings.

Meanwhile, the CPM, which had sent Taslima off to Jaipur last month, washed its hands off her, saying that this was between Taslima and the government.

''It is between Taslima and the Central government and we have nothing to do with this,'' said Shyamal Chakravarthy, Leader, CPM.

The Congress party too reiterated its earlier stand that no one who is allowed to stay in India can hurt the sentiments of the people

Health Minister In Controversy once again....

The Union Health Minister -- Anbumani Ramadoss -- is once again shrouded in controversy after he unwittingly targetted the people of Bihar by saying that a doctor from Bihar was the sole cause for Britain de-recognising MBBS degrees.

His comment led to widespread protests in Bihar with even doctors joining in the protests and burning effigies of the Union Health Minister. On the flipside, the doctors under the banner of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) are demanding an unconditional apology from the Minister for hurting the sentiments of all people from Bihar living in India and abroad. The organisation has also approached the Indian Medical Coucil and the central IMA asking them to take action against Ramadoss.

On Friday last week, speaking at a meeting of the American Association of Physicians of Indian origin in New Delhi, the Union Health Minister had reportedly said that "a doctor from Bihar was the sole cause for Britain derecognising MBBS degrees".

TIMES NOW, meanwhile, spoke to IMA President, Dr Ajay Kumar, who said he has been in touch with Indian doctors in the UK. Kumar said that Biharis in his field were working well in the UK, substantially contributing to health services and management. He called Ramadoss' statements a reflection of his "narrow mindednes" and bias against Biharis.

In the past for one reason or another the Union Health Minister has managed to stoke the fires of controversy with some unqualified statements, angering people across various forums. However, an explanation from the man himself is awaited to shed light on this particular controversy.

Earlier this month, the Health Minister, embroiled in a controversy over the removal of AIIMS Director P Venugopal charged the Delhi media with bias against him as he was from the ranks of most backward classes. Dr Ramadoss has also attacked opponents of his proposal to make one year rural service compulsory for MBBS degree, saying they are "enemies of villagers, those who oppose the scheme."

BJP slams Ramadoss:

The Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) has slammed Health Minister, Ambumani Ramadoss for his comments on Bihari Doctors. Rajiv Pratap Rudy the Party's Spokesperson said, "We take strong exception to the insane remark. Such remarks do not go well with the UPA government. The remark should be immediately withdrawn."

Another BJP leader, Shatrughan Sinha said that the Health Minister should undergo medical examination as he is making one ridiculous comment after another.

Ramadoss clarifies

Meanwhile, the man himself -- Ambumani Ramadoss -- has now come out and said that he has utmost respect for Bihar's doctors.

"I respect Indian doctors and especially doctors from Bihar or Uttar Pradesh or Tamil Nadu doesn’t make any difference to me. I respect everybody and I have been categorically saying that which ever international forum I go, I have always maintained that Indian doctors are the best in the world. I definitely respect Bihar doctors, who have contributed to a large extent not only to Bihar, but also India and globally,” he added.