New Delhi, Mar 18 : The Government of India has approved the proposal of the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture for continuation of India''s participation in the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organization (BOBP-IGO) beyond April 2008.

The BOBP-IGO has been functioning in India since April 2003 with its headquarters at Chennai.

Presently, Bangladesh, India, Maldives and Sri Lanka are the members of the BOBP-IGO.

The BOBP-IGO has played a stellar role in the sustainable development of fisheries in the Bay of Bengal region.

New Delhi, Mar 17: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi, on Wednesday claimed that the tape showing his alleged anti-Muslim remarks has been doctored.

He told reporters that the CD released on March 16 was tampered with and refused to accept that the tape contained his voice.

Gandhi said that he is proud of his faith and is a Gandhi, a Hindu and an Indian in equal measure. " I''ve been a victim of a political controversy," said Gandhi.

New Delhi, Mar 17 : The investiture ceremony for conferring the Kirti Chakra on train driver N. N. Bora posthumously will be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on March 19.

Bora, a train driver of the Lumding division in Northeast Frontier Railway, was awarded the second most important gallantry award posthumously for saving the lives of 34 railway men on board a special train, which after leaving Mupa station in Lumding - Badarpur MG hill section of Northeast Frontier Railway was under heavy fire by militants.

New Delhi, Mar. 17 : BJP’s Prime ministerial candidate Lal Krishna Advani has found a supporter in Bhartiya Janshakti Party chief Uma Bharti, who has now come out in support of his candidature.

In a letter to Advani, Bharti is believed to have expressed her support for the veteran leader, sources claimed.

Interestingly, Bharti had left the BJP accusing Advani of partisan behaviour.

A close aide of Bharti reportedly delivered her letter saying that she would be “happy to see Advani in the Prime Minister''s chair.”

New Delhi, Mar 17 : Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi in Pilibhit for his alleged inflammatory speech against Muslims.

The case was registered under Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code.

Earlier in the day, the Election Commission filed a criminal case against Gandhi for his inflammatory speech against Muslims.

The Commission also directed the District Magistrate of Pilibhit to file the case against Gandhi.