New Delhi, Jan 7 : A nationwide strike by tens of thousands of truckers entered its third day on Wednesday, pushing the prices of vegetables and fruits up mildly in New Delhi.

Although the impact of the strike was not felt much in Delhi on Tuesday, vegetable traders said prices have slightly gone up at the Azadpur Market.

"The strike has led to a hike in the prices of the vegetables," said Ashok Kumar, a vegetable trader.

The strike has also affected the livelihood of the labourers employed by traders at Azadpur market for loading and unloading sacks of vegetables and fruits.

Due to the strike, the number of trucks coming into the market has reduced, leaving the laborers with less work.

Union Home Minister has called an important meeting of all Chief Ministers in New Delhi due to the increasing importance of security in the country.

During the meeting the decision was made to get serious with the Government's moves without coming across as being politically incorrect.

BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley said, "We have a deep concern over the vulnerable internal security situation in the country - the incidents in Assam, the continuing encounters in Poonch."

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has not agreed to cancel the allotment of flats despite the protests which claimed irregularities in the allotment process. Commenting on the issue, DDA PRO, Neemo said, "The draw is fair and the verification process is still going on."

The DDA is on the defensive after media reported about the discrepancies in the housing allotment scheme. It denied that the draw of lots was rigged and assured the public that its verification is in progress.

New Delhi, Jan. 6 : Israel's envoy to India, Mark Sofer, on Tuesday said he saw no difference between the Pakistan-based militant outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba and the Hamas in the Gaza Strip in so far as carrying out willful acts of violence against unsuspecting and innocent civilians.

Speaking in an exclusive interview to ANI, Ambassador Sofer admitted that in some ways there was a similarity between what had happened in Mumbai in November last year, and what is happening in the conflict between the Israelis and the Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

New Delhi, Jan 6 : Pakistan''s High Commissioner to India, Shahid Malik, today said there is no question of rejecting the evidences of the recent Mumbai terror attacks.

Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of a conference here, Malik said Pakistan is examining the evidence handed over to it.

Malik was reacting a day after India handed over to Pakistan evidence of links with elements in Pakistan to the Mumbai terror attack, and said it expected Islamabad to carry out a prompt investigation.

New Delhi - A nationwide strike by Indian truckers entered its second day Tuesday despite government threats to impose an essential services maintenance law and cancel permits.

Oil and cooking gas transporters had joined the strike, a representative of the forum which organized for the strike said.

The All-India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) is demanding a 10- rupees-per-litre (20-US-cents) reduction in the price of diesel and and some service tax exemptions to help the sector deal with the economic slowdown.