After showing door to Margaret Alva, the Congress on Thursday relieved Yogendra Makwana as chairman of its Scheduled Caste department. And the reason cited was “gross indiscipline” for publicly criticizing the party’s functioning.

“The party has taken a serious view of his conduct and consequently the Congress president has relieved him from the chairmanship of the SC department of the AICC with immediate effect,” general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said.

Dr. Makwana, a former Union Minister had been publicly criticising the party’s policies and functioning for quite a long time.

Washington, Nov 14: President-elect Barack Obama will resign from the Senate effective from Sunday.

As he steps down, Obama tells his constituents “it has been one of the highest honors and privileges of my life to have served the people of Illinois in the United States Senate.”

In the statement, the Illinois senator said “his four-year term has been one of the highest honors and privileges of my life,” FOX News reported

Taipei - Taiwan's detained former president Chen Shui-bian continued his hunger strike Friday, while prosecutors questioned his son and daughter-in-law over money-laundering allegations.

Chen launched the hunger strike Wednesday after he was detained over graft allegations. Since then, he has refused to eat and only drinks water at the Taipei Penitentiary.

London, Nov 14: New York Senator Hillary Clinton is being considered to serve as Secretary of State in the President elect Barack Obama’s Administration, according to reports.

Two unnamed advisers to Obama told NBC News that the former first lady was in the running for the job, Telegraph reported.

Clinton fought a bitter battle with Obama for the Democrat nomination, however the pair later put their differences aside to campaign together against the Republican candidate John McCain.

Raipur, Nov. 13: Security has been beefed up beefed up in Chhattisgarh ahead of first phase of Assembly poll.

All arrangements are in place for a free and fair election.

The polling in the 12 Assembly segments in Bastar region will start at 7 am and will close at 3 p. m. while in other 27 constituencies voting will take place between 8 a. m and 5 pm.