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Two jawans
killed, 4 injured Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 21: For the first time in over decade long history of militancy, the Pakistan-sponsored militants today used a ‘pony bomb’ to blast a Border Security Force (BSF) camp which killed two jawans and wounded four others. A pony, with whom a very powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) had been fitted, entered a camp of BSF 108 battalion located at Lapri between Dharmari and Arnas in Udhampur district at 0730 hours today, BSF sources said here. Taking the pony as a stray animal, one of the security jawan tried to force it out of the camp. However, as soon as the animal reached near a kitchen of the BSF camp, the militants triggered IED explosion with a remote-control device. Two BSF jawans, who were taking their breakfast in the kitchen, were killed and four others were injured in the explosion. The pony was blown into pieces under the impact of blast, the sources said. This act of militants, the first of its kind in the State ever since the Pakistan-sponsored militancy began in 1989, took the security personnel by shock and surprise. While few jawans started shifting the injured to the hospital others fanned out in the area to look for the militants, who had engineered the ‘pony bomb’ blast. No arrest could be made out immediately. According to sources, the IED blast was triggered with a remote-control device by the militants from a distance of about 200 meters while sitting on a hill. The militants might be sitting at a height from where they monitored the movement of pony and triggered the blast when it reached close to the BSF post. The deceased BSF jawans were identified as Laxman Paswan and M K Neelam, both constables while the injured include Satvir Singh and Shiv Lal, both constables, Jagannath, a cook and S Thakur, a barber. Condition of Satvir Singh and Shiv Lal was stated to be serious. They were airlifted to Command Hospital, Udhampur while two other injured were being treated locally. "This is a new and indeed a very dangerous phenomenon added to the militancy by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). This way the militants will lose nothing while inflicting casualties on security forces or civilians", a senior BSF officer commented after getting details of the blast. The animal bomb theory emanates out of human bomb, which were being used by the militants to attack security forces camp across the Kashmir valley as well as border districts of Poonch and Rajouri. Since Pakistan was running short of the militants, who volunteered to become ‘fidayeens’ (the suicide squads), they have developed a new technique to target security camps with animal bombs, the officer said, pointing out that this also indicates frustration on the part of militants and their mentors, who were definitely running short of manpower. Meanwhile, security forces
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Major success for Romeo
Force Excelsior Correspondent RAJOURI, Oct 21: In yet another blow to Pakistan-backed terrorism, the elite anti-militancy Romeo Force and police today eliminated six dreaded militants including Abu Samama, an ‘area commander of Pir Panjal range and 60-year old ‘Colonel Shera’, an ex-serviceman of Pak army turned a hardcore ultra in Surankote tehsil of Poonch district. Huge quantities of arms, ammunition, equipments and explosives were recovered from the encounter sites, a Defence spokesman said, adding in all the three operations there was no casualty on army side. He said the first encounter took place at Peer Ki Gali in the Pir Panjal range of Surankote tehsil at 0630 hours today. Troops of Romeo Force were maintaining a strict vigil in this specific area for the two days as they had report about militants’ presence there. Amidst heavy inclement weather and fog, troops noticed three ultras moving in the area and asked to surrender. However, the duo tried to run away taking advantage of foggy conditions but alert troops opened firing killing all of them on the spot. Of three militants killed in Peer Ki Gali, one of them was identified as Abu Samama alias Doctor, an ‘area commander’ of Pir Panjal range of Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit and a resident of Faisalabad in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). Another encounter took place between troops of Surankote Sector (6 Rashtriya Rifles), who are also part of Romeo Force and police at Dara Sangla in the heights of Surankote at 1000 hours today. The encounter ensued when the militants opened firing on being challenged by army in their hideout. As troops retaliated, two militants were killed in their hideout while there were report that a couple of other militants might have managed to escape taking cover of surrounding heights. Bodies of both the slain militants were recovered from the hideout. The killed militants have been identified as ‘Colonel Shera’, a self-styled district commander Tehreek-ul-Jehad Islami (TJI) and Aslam Salabi alias Abu Gilani of Lashkar-e-Toiba. Sources said 60-years old ‘Colonel Shera’ was an ex-serviceman of Pakistan army and had sneaked into Indian side about a year back. ‘Colonel Shera’ was instrumental in co-ordinating the activities of different pro-Pakistani militant outfit and uniting foreign mercenaries and local ultras. His killing was a major blow to ISI, the spokesman said. DIG Rajouri-Poonch range Ram Lubaya said 'Colonel Shera' was also involved in the killing of three security guards of NC leader Babu Khan in Surankote recently. Another militant was killed in an encounter with army in a cave at Bafliaz in Surankote at 1230 hours today. According to spokesman, two ultras were present inside the cave. On seeing troops, one of them came out, fired on the troops and ran away. Troops fired back killing the second ultra, who was present in the hideout. He too made an unsuccessful attempt to flee from the hideout. From all five slain militants, Romeo Force jawans recovered five kg RDX, five AK-56 rifles, 13 magazines, 352 rounds, 11 hand grenades, four smoke grenades, 31 HE grenades, six Chinese grenades, 33 UBGL grenades, 21 rifle grenades, one sniper magazine, IED accessories, remote control devices and two radio sets. |
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Two lakh Taliban
volunteers in Pak From B L Kak NEW Delhi, Oct 21: Minister for Home Affairs, Mr LK Advani, has reaffirmed the Union Government’s resolve to continue the all-out offensive in Jammu and Kashmir against cross-border terrorism. "We are extremely anxious and eager for the early restoration of peace and normalcy in the entire State of Jammu and Kashmir. And we cannot be expected to lower our guard at a time when desperate attempts are being made by the ISI to intensify terrorist violence in certain areas and disturb communal amity", Mr Advani said on the eve of his visit to Kashmir on Sunday, October 22. Mr Advani and the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, will be in Srinagar on Sunday. Their visit, though brief, is primarily of political nature. Mr Advani, in fact, said in an interview that he and Mr Fernandes would make an on-the-spot assessment of the situation in Kashmir. And the visit is taking place at a time when the talk of talks with militants in Kashmir has been revived. Indeed, on the eve of his Kashmir visit, Mr Advani reiterated, while replying to a question, that the Government "is prepared to hold talks" with the militants provided they gave up arms and came to the negotiating table. According to the Home Minister, Pakistan-backed ‘proxy’ war has gravely threatened internal security and harmed the social and democratic fabric of the nation. Interestingly, he chose to repeat the Vajpayee Government’s familiar assertion that world public opinion has been successfully mobilised against Pakistan for its activities in aiding and abetting terrorism. And Mr Advani’s finding: The Vajpayee Government’s stand of not holding a dialogue with Pakistan till it stops cross-border terrorism has been appreciated globally. Mr Advani’s ‘fact-finding mission’ in Kashmir is taking place at a time when Pakistani ISI, according to the Home Minister himself, has further finessed the methods to infiltrate terrorists and militants across the Line of Control (LoC) into Jammu and Kashmir. Intelligence reports say that mercenaries are now billeted in Pakistan Army or Special Forces camps along the border, awaiting the opportune moment to cross the LoC. Evidence available with the Ministries of Home and Defence suggest the "direct" involvement of Pakistan Army and its Special Forces in the training, planning and logistics of militant outfits. There is no denying that India has been, in recent years, confronted with a definitive and serious threat arising from a mixture of State-sponsored and religious-oriented terrorism. The launch pad for this, the Government of India asserts, has been cross-border terrorism from Pakistan. Top echelons in the power corridors in New Delhi have reckoned that religious-oriented terrorism of the kind now in vogue in Jammu and Kashmir is "far deadlier than the previous variety of ideological terrorism". According to one "assessment note" available with the Home Ministry, ISI-sponsored activities and ISI-sponsored modules have dangerously proliferated across the Indian landmass-from Gujarat in the west to Tripura in the east, from J&K in the north to Kerala in the south. The note has termed as "worrisome" the mushrooming of madrasas along the border in Gujarat, in J&K, in UP, and in Assam and stated that Uttar Pradesh has become "a hotbed of ISI activity". Excerpts from the note made available to EXCELSIOR had also quite a few interesting pieces of information. For instance, the upper reaches of mountain-girt Himachal Pradesh have become the "new nurseries" for terrorism. They harbour ISI operatives and have become sanctuaries for militant outfits that operate in the adjoining Doda district of Jammu region. Second, the Taliban, the note says, have more than 2 lakh volunteers in Pakistan, ready for jihad in India and elsewhere. Third, the note has made a specific reference to the warm flirtations, or "close nexus", between Pakistan’s Jamaat-e-Islami and Kashmir’s Jamaat-e-Islami and the links between the Markaz Dawa-ul-Irshad in Pakistan and certain militant outfit in J&K. |
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Inclusion of Dogri in 8th
Scheduled demanded Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 21: Expressing concern over indifferent attitude of both Centre and State Governments towards problems of the people of Jammu and Ladakh regions, former Sadar-a-Riyasat, Dr Karan Singh today stressed the need for taking urgent steps to address to these problems in order to maintain integrity of the State. Addressing a function organised by the managing committee of the Maharaja Gulab Singh Memorial Trust to celebrate his 208th birth anniversary Dr Karan Singh said that people of the Jammu region were losing their patience and it was high time to provide justice to the people. "On one hand, Government is talking about maintaining integration of the State but at the same time the step-motherly treatment continues with these two regions", he said, adding, "it was essential to provide justice to all the three regions of the State to keep the State united". Dr Singh, however, ruled out any threat to the integration of the country if new states were carved out from J&K. Referring to the discrimination with Jammu region, the former Union Minister regretted that except making promises by successive Government at the Centre and State ,nothing has been done to provide justice to the Jammu region. "Even our mother tongue (Dogri) has yet not been included in the 8th Scheduled despite the fact that Dogri is a complete language and number of Dogri writers have proved their capability at national and international level", he said. "I had constituted Gajinder Gadkar Commission and Sikri Commission but recommendations of these commissions are getting dusted’’, he said. Expressing his support and sympathy with the people of Kashmir valley who have been bearing maximum brunt of the militancy, Dr Singh said "we are ready to give every kind of help to our Kashmiri brethren but they should also have to stand with the cause of Jammu and Ladakhi people". "We all have to live in India as there is no question of the secession of any part of the State from India so all people of the State should jointly fight for their causes", he advised the people. Expressing his anguish over on-going blood-shed in the State, former Union Minister lamented that traumatic developments started in the State with the assumption of power by the minority Government headed by VP Singh at the end of 1989. He expressed his anguish at the terrible destruction and human sufferings that had resulted from the unwise recourse to militancy financed, promoted and armed from across the border. He was of the view that this situation has created an intolerable situation in the Kashmir valley, the Jammu region and for Ladakh. He felt that the process of widespread consultations with various sections of opinion in the three regions, as well as, if possible with the people belonging to the erstwhile State living across the Line of Control, should be initiated. Militancy should be dealt with firmly, he said adding that in democracy the process of dialogue and discussion should never to discarded. Dr Karan Singh said that Pakistan’s attitude of hostility towards India had already paid that country heavily, and if it continued it would bring nothing but sorrow and suffering to the entire sub-continent. Paying tributes to the founder of Jammu and Kashmir State Maharaja Gulab Singh, Dr Karan Singh pointed out that the creation of multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-regional State of Jammu and Kashmir in the mid 19th century was a major act of the statesmanship of Maharaja. It extended and consolidated India’s Northern frontiers along with his great generals such as Wazir Zorawar Singh, Gen Baj Singh, Mehta Bashi Ram and others. Dr Karan Singh reiterated the demand that Maharaja Gulab Singh’s birthday should be declared as public holiday at least in the Jammu region and that the Jammu University should be re-named as Maharaja Gulab Singh University. Mangat Ram Sharma, former MP, Ranjeet Singh, Kashmira Singh, Prof Ved Kumari Ghai, Gulchain Singh Charak were among others who addressed on the occasion. |
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KANPUR, Oct 21: Congress president Sonia Gandhi today lashed out at the BJP and the RSS accusing the latter of functioning as "remote control" of the BJP-led Governments at the Centre and in some States. Addressing a public rally at the Phool Bagh grounds here, she alleged that "RSS takes decisions and BJP Governments merely implement them." "Even the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister have no courage to say anything against the RSS. They merely say that they are active members of the organistation and will remain faithful to that," Gandhi said. Criticising the economic policies of the Centre, she condemned the hike in prices of petroleum products, which had "directly hit the common man" and the manner in which public sector units were being handed over to the private sector. "The BJP Governments at the Centre and states lack interest in development works," she said. She urged the people to root out the "communal forces, which not only posed a threat to the unity of the nation, but also are responsible for the price rise and corruption." "Those who were responsible for the partition of the country and assassination of the father of the nation were now remembering Mahatma Gandhi," she said. Coming down heavily on the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh, Sonia alleged that miscreants in the State had "political protection." "Common man is not safe even in Lucknow, the parliamentary constituency of the Prime Minister," she said. "How could the State Government, which could not pay wages to employees, launch development works," she wondered. Gandhi said she wished to run the Congress as "a movement and not as a common political party.". (PTI) |
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Organisational elections
of Cong from Nov 1 Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 21: Ugly and noisy scenes were witnessed in the crucial meeting of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) members which was held today at party headquarters to formulate procedures and to announce dates for organisational elections. Two senior Congress leaders, joined by their supporters entered into hot exchanges and labeled serious charges against each other. They even abused each other in the presence of the senior leaders. Some veteran Congressmen, somehow, pacified the enraged members before they started scuffling and exchanging blows. The trouble started when chairman of the Congress Election Committee for J&K State, Mr Shamsher Singh Surjewala announced that organisational elections of the party will be held from November 1 to November 10. Mr Surjewala announced that a Scrutiny Committee comprising Mr Pardhuman Singh as convenor and Mr Balbir Singh and Swaran Lata as members has been constituted. Raising objection of constituting Scrutiny Committee at only State level, a former Minister and senior Congress leaders demanded constitution of the similar committees at block and district level to rectify, what he alleged, manipulations in the membership drive at grass-root level. He also demanded that election dates should be extended and elections will be held after rectification of fake membership. As he was speaking another Congress member intercepted and opposed his allegations. Both entered into hot exchanges and their supporters started shouting slogans in the meeting. Some members shouting slogans in favour of PCC chief Mohammed Shafi Qureshi while some were raising slogans against Qureshi. Sensing some serious trouble in the meeting, jawans of the security forces deployed for the security of the PCC office rushed to the spot but they preferred to stay out-side the meeting hall. Before the slogan shouting Congressmen start exchanging blows, some veteran Congressmen started slogans in favour of Shamsher Singh Surjewala and pacified the situation. Mr Surjewala who was witnessing the entire scene as mute spectator ultimately stood up and told the Congressmen that he would not succumb to any pressure tactics. "I belong to that State where political violence is a routine affair. We have not even succumbed to lathis and bullets what to say of our slogans", he told the slogan shouting Congress members. Later talking to reporters, Mr Shamesher Singh Surjewala said that organisational elections of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee, from block levels to State president, will be held from November 1 to November 10. He further said that returning committees for conducting elections at block levels will be constituted very shortly and elections process will be started this week. Mr Surjewala said that a Scrutiny Committee has been constituted to look entire membership drive. He said that any member could file their objection before the said committee. He announced that tenure of the new committee will be of three years. It is worthwhile to mention here that last PCC elections were held in the year 1972 and after 28 years the party has decided to elect its State committee. Replying to a question, Mr Surjewalla said that there was no challenge to the leadership of Mrs Sonia Gandhi and she would again be elected as president of the AICC. He hoped that organisational elections will be held in removing groupism from the party and party would effectively launch mass movement against anti-poor policies of both State and Central Governments. |
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Ultra killed, IED defused on NH Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 21: Special Task Force (STF) and Rashtriya Rifles of Delta Force gunned down a militant at village Chaprari under the jurisdiction of Banihal police station and defused an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on Batote-Kishtwar National Highway. A civilian was killed in village Batriaz in Surankote tehsil. A police spokesman said STF cops and 12 Rashtriya Rifles jawans launched a joint search operation in village Chaprari of Banihal tehsil this morning after receiving an information from villagers about the movement of militants. In the encounter that followed in the village, police and army jawans gunned down a lone militant, who had taken shelter in the village and was harassing innocent civilians. He has been identified as Jalal-ud-Din son of Mohd Rafiq, a resident of Chaprari. One AK-47 rifle and one grenade was recovered from his possession. A Defence spokesman said alert troops of Delta Force noticed an IED planted about 10 kms east of Batote on Batote-Kishtwar National Highway this morning. The IED had been planted after digging the road. Troops became suspicious after noticing the freshly dug earth and sounded an alert. They suspended traffic on the highway and called a Bomb Disposal squad, which defused the IED. A major tragedy was averted with troops neutralising the IED in time, the spokesman said, adding the militants had planted IED to blast a civilian vehicle and cause casualties. Delta Force jawans also destroyed a militants’ hideout at Pathalan nullah, about five kms from Banihal. A huge quantity of ration items including 150 kgs rice, 100 kgs potato, 25 kgs of milk powder and other items of daily use were recovered from the hideout. Troops carried out massive searches in the village but couldn’t get the militants. In another incident, unidentified militants gunned down a civilian Mohd Rashid son of Abdul Gafoor, a resident of Kalakote at village Batriaz in Surankote tehsil of Poonch district last night. Dead body of the civilian bearing marks of bullets and torture was recovered from Batriaz late last night. Police said he had been kidnapped by the militants from Kalakote a day before and remained untraced since then. His body lying near a nullah was noticed by local people, who sounded police. Body was handed over to his family today. Special Operations Group (SOG) and police parties recovered a box of AK and Pika gun ammunition from Surankote yesterday. Indo-Pak troops continued to exchange firing and shelling at Lam, Bhawani and Nowshera sectors in Rajouri district. However, there was no report of any casualty or damage on Indian side. |
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3 Bakerwals of
Rajouri, Kangan killed Excelsior Special Correspondent SRINAGAR, Oct 21: While as security forces have eliminated at least six militants in four different operations in Kashmir valley since last evening, militants have shot dead two civilians, including a village headman. In an apparantly non-militant incident, three members of Bakerwal community have been killed by unidentified assassins, in Kangan forest area, during last night. Special Operations Group (SOG) of the State Police claimed to have apprehended the self-styled "chief commander" of Jammu & Kashmir Islamic Front (JKIF) from the capital city locality of Sarai Balla. Informed official sources told EXCELSIOR that unidentified assassins strangled to death three members of Bakerwal community in Wangat forest area of Kangan during last night. Enmity and vengeance were described as the two reasons behind the assassination as Police recovered the dead bodies and initiated investigation into the deaths shrouded in mystery. The slain shepherds were identified as Javed Khatana S/o Raj Wali, Mehboob Khatana S/o Kareem Khatana, residents of Rajouri and Mustafa Bijral S/o Ishaq Bijral of Baba Nagri, Wangat—residential village of the prominant Gujjar leader Mian Bashir Ahmed. Police have apprehended six Bakerwals and subjected them to sustained interrogation. In addition to the noose, assassins seemed to have used stones and batons to kill their targets. Later, the dead bodies had been buried under stones. Reports available from Budgam said that Police gunned down a Pakistani militant of Harkat-ul-Ansaar in an encounter at Hayatpora, Chadoura, late last night. He was identified as Irshad Bashir alias Abdul Wahab of Sheikhbagh, Karachi. One AK-56 rifle and a wireless set were claimed to have been recovered from the site of encounter. During last night, unidentified persons killed a local militant of Hizbul Mujahideen, namely Abdur Rasheed Dar alias Jaffar, resident of Marhama Sangam, at Brar village in Pahalgam. Late last evening, troops of 18-Madras intercepted a group of militants at Eagle Post, in Shambarg ring of Karnah, close to LoC. Heavy exchange of fire took place between the two sides and three militants got killed. While as three members of the freshly inducted group got killed, others managed to escape. The militants killed in the gun-battle were identified as Siraj-ud-din alias Mohammad of Muzzaffarabad, Qamar-ud-din of Muzzaffarabad and Ghulam Mohammad Dar of Pahli-Daji, Handwara. Two AK-56 rifles, one pistol and 40 grenades were recovered from the spot. Reports available from Kupwara added that unidentified gunmen appeared at Gund-e-Manchhar and shot dead an informer of security forces at his home. He was identified as Mohammad Yusuf Rishi S/o Abdul Ahad Rishi. In Baramulla district, unidentified gunmen appeared at Krash-hama village in Tangmarg area and shot dead the village headman, namely Abdur Rahim Malla, late last evening. At Harath village of Panzla, in Rafee-abad, troops of Rashtriya Rifles 30 Bn claimed to have eliminated one Mohammad Sadiq Sheikh. He was described as a militant of Harkat-ul-Ansaar and one AK rifle with three hand grenades were claimed to have been recovered from the site of encounter. Here in the capital city, militants lobbed a hand grenade towards Police Station of Khanyar at 1100 hours today. It missed the intended target and exploded on road, causing injuries to a constable, Mohammad Shafi. He was treated at Hospital. A young woman, namely Rafeeqa W/o Mohammad Altaf of Drugmulla consumed a poisonous substance. She was rushed to hospital where she died. JKIF chief held According to official sources, SOG Srinagar apprehended one Mushtaq Ahmed Sheikh of Aloochibagh, Srinagar from the nearby Sarai Balla locality when he was travelling in his Maruti car, No: JK01E-7371. One pistol and a wireless set were claimed to have been recovered from his possession while as the car has been seized under rules. SOG claimed that the detainee was the "chief commander" of JKIF. Meanwhile, SOG Ganderbal also claimed to have apprehended a dreaded coordinator of Lashkar-e-Toiba, Al-Badr and other groups, namely Manzoor Ahmed Wani alias Munna Kachru of Treesa Safapora. One rocket-launcher, one grenade-launcher and a quantity of Pika ammunition was claimed recovered from his hide-out. |
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No full ties with Pak until democracy returns: US envoy ISLAMABAD, Oct 21 : Pakistan’s full ties with comity of nations cannot be restored until Islamabad returns to democracy, US envoy to Islamabad has said. "Dialogue yes, but full ties cannot be achieved with the comity of nations until Pakistan returns to democratic rule," the envoy, William Milam said. He said "if Pakistan makes its march successfully to the community of democracy, the US and the other industrial democracies would be ready to lend appropriate support in offering Pakistan prospects for better life for all." Milam suggested that Pakistan launch fundamental political and economic reforms to meet challenges like sustainable growth and eradication of poverty. In his message to the Fifth American Studies Conference here, the Ambassador applauded military regime’s commitment towards sustainability and broadening of the tax base. However, he said, the slogan of us independence movement ‘no taxation without representation’ would be difficult to sustain in Pakistan.(PTI) |
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Media reports on match-fixing probe not authentic: CBI NEW DELHI, Oct 21: The Central Bureau of Investigation today clarified that media reports on the match-fixing inquiry were only ‘speculative’ and ‘not authentic. The reports had allegedly leaked out the CBI report into match-fixing and referred to the names of at least four cricketing personalities - Mohammed Azharuddin, Ajay Jadeja, Manoj Prabhakar and Ajay Sharma - as being involved in the controversy. The reports also suggested that the CBI had given a clean chit to people like Kapil Dev, Nikhil Chopra, Navjot Singh Sidhu and Nayan Mongia. Bureau sources told UNI, "as far as the CBI is concerned, we have not submitted the report yet and have not made any report public. These reports are only speculative and not authentic." (UNI) |
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Mahajan family has no stake in Integral: Khan NEW DELHI, Oct 21: Media house integral productions, recently involved in a controversy over "dues" to Prasar Bharati, today said Union Minister Pramod Mahajan’s family members had no stake in the company. Reacting to reports that Mahajan’s "family firm" owed Prasar Bharati Rs 6.5 crore, Managing Director of Integral Productions Irfaan Khan said the minister’s son Rahul and wife Rekha resigned from the company on December 7, 1998, three days after Mahajan was sworn in as a minister. "Soon thereafter they transferred all their shares in the company and till today neither Rahul nor Mrs Mahajan have repurchased a single share," Khan said in a statement. He added that only three of the 31 episodes of the serial "Tuck Dhina Dhin" were telecast on Doordarshan during Mahajan’s tenure as minister and "his tenure as I&B Minister has no relevance to Integral Productions’ slippage on payment schedules". Khan said Integral will "speedily" clear the entire outstanding payment of Rs 5.10 crore to Prasar Bharati, which is due under contractual obligations for telecasting 31 episodes of the serial. He said Prasar Bharati billed Integral for Rs 8.5 crore for 31 episodes and the company paid Rs 1.96 crore as a first installment and a further Rs 1.39 crore after the programme’s telecast was stopped. (PTI) |
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"People
surrounding PM taking advantage NEW DELHI, Oct 21: Former Law Minister Ram Jethmalani has said people who "surround" Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee were taking advantage of his bad health. He said this in an interview to ‘The Week’ magazine and when asked to about it, Jethmalani said that Vajpayee was "wearing a crown of thorns and I do not wish to add to his thorns". Strongly criticising Attorney General Soli Sorabjee for giving advice to the Hindujas, Jethamalani said, "may be he was encouraged by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to give the opinion". Asked if the PMO was involved, the former Law Minister said, "of course, the PMO is involved". (PTI) |
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MAHARAJGANJ (UP), Oct 21: Police have nabbed three terrorists belonging to the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) while crossing over to India at the Sonali check post on the Indo-Nepal border on Thursday night. Superintendent of Police A K Rai said here today that the three were on their way to Kashmir. They are identified as Riyaz Ahmed, Mohammad Yusuf and Ghulam Mohammad Khan. Riyaz, the leader of the team, also possessed a Pakistani passport. Belonging to Jammu and Kashmir, all of them had recieved intensive training in Pakistan occupied Kashmir in 1998. They were involved in several terrorist attacks in the State. During the interrogation, they revealed details about the activities of terrorist outfits like the Hizbul Mujahadeen, Lashkar-i-Toiba and Alwar Mujahadeen. Mr Rai said that all the three had been sent to jail even as further interrogation was underway. (UNI) |
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BJP to stake claim to form a new Govt in Goa PANAJI, Oct 21: BJP today withdrew support to the 11-month old Francisco Sardinha coalition Government, reducing it to a minority, and decided to stake claim to form a new Government in Goa. In a sudden development plunging the State into a political crisis, all the three BJP ministers—Education Minister Prakash Phadte, Power Minister Digambar Kamat and Health Minister Suresh Amonkar handed over their resignations to the leader of the BJP Legislature Party Manohar Parrikar. ‘BJP will stake claim to form a new Government when they meet Governor Mohd Fazal at the Raj Bhawan tomorrow’ Parrikar told PTI tonight. ‘But the decision is subject to clearance by the party high command’, he said. ‘Some major Government decisions were made without consulting the party,’ Parrikar said. In a parallel development, the Congress Legislature Party suffered another split when four of its 10 members decided to break away from the party. Both the Governor and Chief Minister Francisco Sardinha were out of station and expected back tomorrow. (PTI) |
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