Jerusalem  - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert rejected Wednesday a proposal for a 48-hour "humanitarian" lull in Israel's assault on the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, saying that the time was not yet ripe to call a halt to the Israeli operations.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner had proposed to Israel that it unilaterally halt its assault for 48 hours to give Hamas a chance to end its rocket and mortar attacks as well.

The state unit of congress party in Gujarat demanded white paper on concessions offered to Tata's Nano project by the ruling Narendra Modi government. An anonymous note circulated in vernacular media alleged that TATA is offered big sops for establishing Nano project in the state for publicity of state chief minister Narendra Modi.

Madhya Pradesh Tourism Minister Tukoji Rao Pawar was arrested for allegedly threatening and intimidating a lady returning officer and sent to jail by a court in a dramatic action on Tuesday.  All this happened ahead of Assembly elections in the BJP-ruled state.

Pawar is conesting assembly polls from Dewas. Police had arrested another ruling party nominee from Sonkatch, Phool Chand Verma in connection with the same case.

Earlier Returning officer for Sonkatch and Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Sanjana Jain lodged a complaint against them for obstructing official work and threatening her following a dispute over a poll-related issue.