Pune, Sept. 9 : In a sharp reaction to Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan''s controversial remarks on Marathi, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray today asked her not to provoke Maharashtrians.

Thackeray in an editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamna said, "Jaya Bachchan has been making controversial statements that have vitiated the atmosphere leading to discord. I am once again appealing to these people that do not provoke us unnecessarily."

"If you rub us the wrong way and try to test our response, you will be on the run," he added.

Pune, Sep 4: On the second day of the ten-day long Ganesh Chaturthi festival, that marks the birthday of Lord Ganesha, hundreds of women devotees gathered here to pray together.

Dressed in traditional attire, they performed the ''Maha Arti'' or the main prayer early in the morning.

The women sat on the road in front of the Dagdusheth temple and offered mass prayers, a tradition that is decades old.

Pune, Sep. 2 : A unique international competition was organised in Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT) recently where robotics ‘Govindas’ enacted the traditional Dahi-Handi (curd pitcher) breaking scene, usually performed on the occasion of Gokulashtami.

Seventeen teams from 16 different countries participated in the international competition of robots, which has a distinct theme every year. This year the theme was the famed Dahi-Handi with resonating Govinda Ala Re song being played in the background.

General Motors (GM) has decided to invest $200 million (about Rs 870 crore) for engine, gearbox and transmission project. The engine project would be set up in Talegaon near Pune, Maharashtra.

The company has recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the state government of Maharashtra. GM is the largest manufacturer of automobiles in the world with strong presence in almost all developed countries.

The proposed power train project would have an annual production capacity of 160,000 units and it would be completed by 2010.

In a major development, the Crime branch police arrested one person for betting for the ongoing India- Sri Lanka one day series from Pimpri area near Pune.

The police alleged that the arrested person Sham Kukreja (32 years) was involved in booking “satta” bets. Apart from recovering a cash of Rs 6,300 the police had also recovered four mobile phones, a television set, all totalling to Rs 16,905, from him. The arrested has been booked under the Gambling Act.

J Kumar Infraprojects Ltd, a civil engineering and infrastructure development company, has secured an order worth Rs 62 crore from Pune Municipal Corp JNNURM Division No 2, Pune to Construct Brigde cum Flyover at Holker Bridge on Mula River in Pune City.

Following the above order the order book position of the company, as on date, stands around Rs 746.95 crore.

The company recently entered stock markets with IPO. The stock couldn't offer good returns to investors as stock markets remained weak during the first half of year 2008.