Two women among 8 hurt; 2 detained
Rival groups clash over temple control in Kathua

Excelsior Correspondent

KATHUA, Apr 27: Tension gripped Kathua town this morning when two groups clashed over gaining control of old Ashapurni Mandir resulting into injuries to eight persons including two women and two Shiv Sena leaders. Swords and rods were freely used in the hour long clash after which police took control of the temple and put locks on it.

Police said Gayatri, 40 and his wife Asha Devi, 34, had an old dispute over taking control of the ancient temple. Gayatri had recently beaten-up his wife for which he was sent to jail and later bailed out. During Gayatri’s jail period, Asha Devi had taken control of the temple.

This morning at about 0700 hours, two Shiv Sena leaders Mohinder Pal Khajuria and Rakesh Kumar alongwith their supporters stormed the temple and removed Asha Devi from the seat of temple. The Sena group sat inside the temple and gained control of it.

Asha Devi, in the meantime, approached her supporters in Mandi Sher Singh here. They returned to the temple and grappled with Gayatri’s supporters inside the temple.

This resulted into a clash between the two groups. While one group was armed with sharp-edged weapons like swords, the other group was in possession of rods. The warring groups freely clashed both inside and outside the temple for more than 20 minutes resulting into injuries to about eight persons.

Four of the injured including one Prithipal Singh alias Kid, who was leading Asha Devi group, fled from the scene of clash fearing their arrest by the police, which came to spot when it was all over. For other injured were, however, admitted to the district hospital with sharp-edged weapons injuries.

The hospitalised injured have been identified as Mohinder Pal Khajuria and Rakesh Kumar, both local Shiv Sena leaders. Taro Devi wife of Suman Sharma, who happened to be brother of Gayatri and Asha Rani.

As tension gripped the town during the clash, the shopkeepers, who had either just opened their shutters or were in the process of doing so, fled from the spot. Traffic also went off the roads during the clash.

SP Kathua Manohar Singh and other senior police officers went round the town to restore confidence among people. The SP immediately ordered to put locks on the temple and deployed police personnel to protect it. Temporary, police have taken control of the temple to keep both the groups away from the religious place.

Police have also detained Gayatri and his brother Suman Sharma as a preventive measure. A search also continued to nab the four injured persons including ‘Kid’, who escaped in the melee.

Meanwhile, local people of the town met senior police officers this afternoon and voiced concern over violent clash between the two sides. They demanded that authorities should set up a Trust to run the affairs of temple and both rival groups should be debarred from interfering into temple’s working. They demanded immediate re-opening of the locked temple.

Police have registered a report in the clash. Further investigations were in the progress.

Morality can’t be one-sided; PM warns Cong

NEW DELHI, Apr 27: Striking an aggressive note, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today gave a subtle warning to the Congress, asserting "several issues have come and are coming" where the opposition would be answerable on the issue of morality.

"Several issues have come and are coming in which morality will not be one-sided, but both sides will have to adopt it", he said without elaboration.

In his concluding remarks in the Lok Sabha marking the end of the acrimonious budget session, Vajpayee minced no words in attacking the opposition for paralysing proceedings over the Tehelka issue.

On the Congress demand for setting up of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the charges of corruption in defence deals, Vajpayee said he had spoken of the Government having an ‘open mind’ on the issue.

"Magar Khule Dimag Ka Matlab Khali Dimag Nahin Hain" (but open mind does not mean an empty mind), he said adding Government had always been ready for a discussion on the issue and had an open mind if it was decided by majority or consensus that such a committee should be set up.

Rejecting the demand for JPC on Tehelka issue, the Prime Minister said a judicial commission and a parliamentary probe could not go together.

He recalled that when Government had expressed readiness for JPC, it was not accepted by the opposition.

Describing Tehelka expose as a "serious matter", the Prime Minister said his Government has treated it as such as it was a challenge and a warning to the whole House and all political parties.

"We had hoped for a discussion on the issue ....But my problem was that my resignation was being demanded. I am a member of parliament for 40 years. Never was I subjected to such abusive words," he said adding members even virtually came to blows.

Vajpayee said such behaviour was a matter of concern for the world’s largest democracy.

The Prime Minister regretted that the unsavoury happenings in Parliament was affecting the image of the country.

Leader of opposition Sonia Gandhi made a strong defence of the party’s demand for JPC on Tehelka, saying it was "legitimate and valid".

She said the Tehelka expose had raised serious doubts about the defence purchase procedures which could in turn lead to compromising the national security.

Since Government had not responded positively, the Congress would continue its agitation on the issue both inside and outside Parliament.

Lok Sabha Speaker GMC Balayogi regretted that the House had lost nearly 74 hours of its valuable time as a little over 109 hours it actually sat for transacting business.

"This is indeed disturbing," he said observing it should be the collective endeavour to ensure the House completed all its listed business in an orderly manner in future.

He noted that for the first time in the history of Lok Sabha, the railway budget had to be passed without a discussion, due to continuous disruption of proceedings. "I only hope that such a situation of passing the budget without discussion would never recur".

The session in all had 31 sittings during which the motion of thanks to the President for his address was passed as also 16 bills besides the general and railway budgets. (PTI)

Both accused arrested
Widow kidnapped, raped by two tanker operators

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Apr 27: A widow was kept in illegal confinement and repeatedly raped by two miscreants in a forest area of Sidhra yesterday. Accused have been arrested by police.

Police sources identified the victim as Soma Devi widow of Ajit Raj, a resident of Phalayan Mandal in Niki Tawi area and the accused as Lekh Raj and Rajinder Kumar, hailing from Badyal Barahamana village of RS Pura tehsil.

Police said the duo kidnapped Soma Devi from near Satwari Chowk, packed her off in their water tanker and took her to a forest area in Sidhra along By-Pass. The woman was handcuffed in the water tanker and a ‘dupatta’ tied around her mouth so that she couldn’t raise alarm.

The tanker driver parked his vehicle on By-Pass and both accused took the woman deep into a forest area where they raped her repeatedly rendering her unconscious.

Police said some local youths heard the cries of woman while grazing their cattle in the fields and became alert. They sounded local police post in Sidhra, which immediately carried out a raid in the forests and rescued the victim from the clutches of rapists.

According to police, the accused tried to flee from the forest area but police over-powered both of them and shifted them to Nagrota police station for interrogation. The woman was shifted to hospital for treatment and medical examination.

A report of the medical was awaited but doctors confirmed that she had been raped a number of times. She was restored to her family members this afternoon after her statement was recorded.

Police said a case of kidnapping and rape has been registered against the accused. The water tanker, used in the offence, has been seized by police. Interrogation of accused was on. SHO Nagrota was personally investigating the case.

HM ultra held with RDX

NEW DELHI, Apr 27: The Delhi Police today claimed to have arrested a Pakistan-trained militant belonging to the Hizbul Mujahideen alongwith a Kathmandu-based smuggler of Kashmiri origin, and recovered 1.2 kg of RDX and fake currency worth Rs two lakh from their possession.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Ashok Chand told UNI that Majid Khan (25) of the Hizbul Mujahideen and his accomplice Inhisar Ahmad (35) were nabbed at the Ajmeri Gate bus terminal in Old Delhi last evening where they were supposed to hand over the consignment of RDX and counterfeit currency to an ISI agent.

The explosive and a detonator were found in a "two-in-one" set kept in a shoulder bag while the fake notes of Rs 500 denomination were neatly concealed in two pairs of shoes being carried in a handbag. The shoes, with special cavities in their soles, contained Rs 50,000 each, Mr Chand said.

On interrogation Majid Khan disclosed that he was trained in a terrorist camp at Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). While he was waiting to be sent to Srinagar for conducting operations against the security forces, he came in contact with an ISI official who motivated him to become a "resident agent" and set up a base in India.

On the instructions of the ISI official, Majid Khan came to Kathmandu on a Pakistani passport. He remained in Kathmandu for some time and then received instructions to go to India alongwith Insihar Ahmed.

Insihar frequently visited India for delivering conterfeit currency at the instance of ISI operatives in Kathmandu.

Before his departure to India, Majid Khan was handed over the two-in-one containing RDX and a detonator by ISI operative in Kathmandu. He was supposed to deliver the consignment alongwith the fake currency to an ISI agent in Delhi who would have given them further instructions.

On arrival in Delhi, the duo had checked in a guest house in the walled city.

The sleuths of the special cell of Delhi Police, however, laid a trap on the Ajmeri Gate terminal following a tip-off about the arrival of the two criminals and arrested them.

Insihar Khan told the police that he had been living in Nepal for several years and had made several trips to India. During these trips, he smuggled counterfeit currency worth lakhs of rupees. (UNI)

Civilian be-headed
MLC’s house attacked by militants in Kishtwar

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Apr 27: Militants attacked the house of a National Conference leader and member of a Upper House in Marwah and gunned down a civilian in captivity in Shiva area in two separate incidents in Kishtwar tehsil of Doda district last night.

Official sources said a group of militants, who had taken positions atop a hill, opened firing and launched grenade attacks on the house of National Conference MLC Mohd Yasin in Yardu area of Marwah late last night.

Police and para-military guard of the MLC returned the firing from their pickets. Exchange of firing continued for about half an hour after which the militants fled away.

There was no casualty or damage to house in the attack.

In the morning, sources said, army also reached the spot and launched a search operation with the help of local police to track down the militants involved in attack on MLC’s house.

Incidentally, according to sources, this was fourth attack by the militants on the house of MLC. However, all the time MLC and his family members had survived the attack.

In another incident, unidentified militants kidnapped a civilian Rustam Ali from his house in Shiva area of Kishtwar late last night. The militants, numbering three, took Rustam to an adjoining forest area where he was tortured.

Later, the civilian was beheaded and his headless body was thrown on the outskirts of Shiva area. Body was picked-up by police and handed over to the family after post-mortem.

Local police was investigating reasons behind the killing of civilian. People of Shiva today protested against the killing of an innocent civilian at the hands of militants.

Centre calls for migrants’ rehabilitation
Govt vows to eradicate terrorism in J&K

From B L Kak

NEW DELHI, Apr 27: The Union Home Ministry has let it be known that the Government is fully committed to eradicating terrorism and bringing back normalcy and peace and tranquility in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Government has, in fact, embarked upon a three-pronged strategy to restore normalcy in the State. The strategy seeks proactive tackling of the cross-border terrorism which has been unleashed by Pakistan-sponsored terrorist outfits, accelerating economic development and redressing the "genuine" grievances of the people and initiating a dialogue "within the constitutional framework with alienated sections of the society, specially misguided youth.

Giving these and other details, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs has, in its 67th report, has highlighted what it has termed as "urgent need" to have a comprehensive review of the strategy being used to fight the militants in Jammu and Kashmir. The strategy, the report insisted, should not only focus on identifying potential ‘soft targets’ for militants but it should also ensure that Indian security forces and establishments do not fall prey to the militants.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) did concede that Pakistan-supported terrorists were, due to the Kargil intrusions in 1999, able to take advantage of the depleted security grid to push in armed foreign infiltrators in a substantial number. This phase, the report said, also witnessed introduction of suicide squads, intensification of attacks on security forces, upgradation of weaponry and hardware of the terrorists and efforts to garner local support as also to provide a jihadi flavour to the ongoing terrorism in J&K.

If the MHA pointed out that to sharpen the anti-terrorist process in J&K an inter Ministerial group had been set up to review, revise and supplement the 1998 action plan in operation to tackle militancy, the Parliamentary Standing Committee felt that economic development played a crucial role in dissuading the misguided people from the path of violence and secession.

Hence, the recommendation: Adequate funds should be made available to the Jammu and Kashmir Government for accelerating the pace of economic development. At the same time, the Standing Committee counselled: It should be ensured that the flow of funds from the Centre to the State must remain unhindered.

Stating that there has been a calculated spurt in the attacks on security forces, the Standing Committee has strongly suggested: "This needs to be curbed. There is a need for upgrading security in and around the camps and company headquarters of security forces. Adequate steps should be taken to maintain foolproof security at all such places in order to see that security forces suffer lesser casualties while engaging the militants".

Even as the Standing Committee has termed as "noteworthy" the initiatives taken to beef up the security in and around establishments of defence forces, the report says that lessons are yet to be learnt from the past incidents in J&K.

Strongly defending the existence in Jammu and Kashmir of the scheme of village defence committees (VDCs), Parliamentary Standing Committee has stated that the VDCs and special police officers (SPOs) have played an important role in combating militancy in the State.

The approved strength of VDCs in J&K, at present, is 2,486 and that of SPOs attached with them is 7,458. In addition, there is an approved strength of 10,542 other SPOs as well. Thus, the total strength of SPOs is 18,000 and the Government of India is reimbursing to the J&K Government the expenditure incurred in respect of SPOs attached to VDCs at the rate of Rs 20,000 per SPO per annum.

On the much-talked-about resettlement of Kashmiri Hindu migrants in the Valley, the Standing Committee’s report says that Parliamentary body, while expecting the Government to come up with the ‘action plan’ in this connection, has urged the J&K administration to accord "topmost priority" to this matter and send its draft action plan to the Union Government without any further delay. It has, in fact, cautioned: "For, the delay by each passing day will further compound the agony and misery of the Jammu and Kashmir migrants".

And the Union Home Ministry’s declared position: The observations made by the Committee have been communicated to the State Government with a request to finalise the action plan without any further delay and send it to the Union Government for consideration to enable the Union Government to facilitate extension of appropriate assistance to the State Government for resettlement of Kashmiri migrants back in the Kashmir valley.

Accused impersonating as Omar Abdullah gets bail

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Apr 27: Mujeeb Siddiquee, who had cheated several business concerns in Jammu after impersonating as Union Minister of State for Industries, Omar Abdullah was granted bail by Sub-Judge Judicial Magistrate First Class Jammu, Mr Kartar Singh.

A resident of Lala Bad Colony, Mujeeb Siddiquee was arrested by Police on March 29,2001 from Kashipur and brought to Jammu after charging him under sections 419/420/120-B RPC . All these offenses are, however, bailable and the petitioner, as a matter of right can claim for the bail.

The Judge accordingly admitted his petition for bail with a direction to furnish bail bond and personal bond to the tune of rupees 10,000, failing which he shall be kept in judicial lock-up.

The accused, according to Police, had on February 14 2001 contacted a Jammu based jeweller Vijay Kumar on telephone, impersonating himself as Omar Abdullah. The Mujeeb-turned "Omar Abdullah" in his conversation had told the jeweller that he will be sending some of guests for purchasing jewellery and the payment be made next date.

A young lady— Zoya, a daughter of senior Police Officer Niaz Mohammed had approached the jeweller’s shop alongwith a receptionist of a leading hotel, posing themselves as the guests of Omar Abdullah. As they were ready to purchase the jewellery worth lakhs of rupees, the shop owner, suspected something wrong. He contacted the real Omar Abdullah who expressed his ignorance over the whole episode.

The Police was called and two ladies handed over to the investigating agency to probe into the matter. Upon the interrogation of Zoya, it was traced that Mujeeb Siddiquee was behind the whole show. It had also come to the surface that many other business concerns including owners of "Monalisa" were also duped by Siddiquee after using the same modus operandi.

Pant refuses to react on Hurriyat stand

NEW DELHI, Apr 27: The Centre’s negotiator on Jammu and Kashmir K C Pant today declined to comment on Hurriyat Conference’s stand for tripartite talks on Kashmir involving Pakistan.

"I have not yet seen the statement. I cannot react on it," Pant told reporters here.

Pant said he would decide only after going into all aspects of the statement issued by the amalgam in response to the Centre’s invitation for talks without any pre-conditions.

The prospect of Hurriyat Conference holding talks with the Centre on the Kashmir issue suffered a set back last evening with the 23-party conglomerate terming Pakistan’s involvement in parleys as vital to a solution and insisting on its delegation’s visit to Islamabad for talks.

In a major initiative after the unilateral ceasefire in the state, the Centre had invited Hurriyat Conference for political parleys to resolve the Kashmir issue.

Rejecting the suggestion for holding talks with Pakistan-based militant groups, Pant said "we have issued letters inviting various political parties, parliamentarians, legislators and groups like the Hurriyat Conference for talks without any pre-conditions".

Pant, during his first press conference, had clarfied on Hurriyat’s stand of going to Pakistan, saying "we have not put any conditions and we expect the same from them... Let them come and talk to me. Let me also understand why they want to go to Pakistan." (PTI)

NK Singh shifted from PMO to Planning Comm

NEW DELHI, Apr 27: N K Singh, officer on special duty in the Prime Minister’s Office, was today shifted to the Planning Commission where he was appointed a member.

Singh, who belonged to the 1964 IAS batch, had retired on January 31 but had been retained as OSD in PMO, where he handled key economic matters.

Of late the veteran bureaucrat has been under attack from within the Sangh Parivar and other quarters when the Prime Minister’s Office was severely criticised in the wake of Tehelka expose.

The Planning Commission will have a vacancy following the selection of its member Montek Singh Ahluwalia as the first independent evaluator of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Singh had held key economic posts at the Centre including Revenue Secretary in the last decade when the country embarked on economic reforms. He was also good in economic diplomacy having held the Post of Economic Counsellor in important Indian missions like Tokyo. (PTI)

Sonia flays Advani

NEW DELHI, Apr 27: A belligerent Sonia Gandhi today blasted Union Home Minister L K Advani for the way the Congress was attacked by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee before the Lok Sabha adjourned sine die.

The verbal onslaught inside the Lok Sabha, which took everybody by surprise, came minutes after the House was adjourned by Speaker GMC Balayogi and Prime Minister had left the House.

Advani, who had walked across to the opposition benches along with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan apparently to exchange pleasantries with the leader of the opposition, was taken aback by the sudden emotional outburst.

A visibly angry Gandhi told the Home Minister that she had gone out of her way to end the session on a positive note, but Vajpayee, in his closing remarks, had again resorted to attacking her party.

"For the sake of democracy, I did not speak up", she told a stunned Advani.

Even as Advani sought to say something, Gandhi, in no mood to listen to the minister, shouted "for years, they (BJP) have insulted my mother-in-law (Indira Gandhi) day in and day out......They had crucified my husband (Rajiv Gandhi)".

As Congress members gathered behind their leader, Gandhi raising her voice said "after doing all this, you have the cheek to say that you never did anything. Is that right?". Media personnel, who were leaving the packed press gallery, stopped in their tracks as Gandhi’s decibel level shot up.

Gandhi, who has on occasions come under criticism by the ruling NDA members for mostly relying on prepared texts, was at her aggressive best during the impromptu encounter with the senior BJP leader.

In a hurt tone, she was heard telling Advani "even today they are calling me and my children thieves".

"After all this, to say that we never behaved in this fashion. How can we accept it?. It is a lie", she said.

Gandhi recalled that at the end of the winter session too, Prime Minister had indulged in such an attack on the Congress during his concluding speech which resulted in the House being adjourned on a bitter note.

Even before Gandhi’s attack, deputy leader of Congress Madhavrao Scindia and some senior party leaders were seen expressing their displeasure with Advani over the way the session had ended.

Gandhi’s objection was to the Prime Minister’s remarks lashing out at the opposition for disrupting Parliament and using abusive language against him, which Vajpayee said he had not witnessed in his parliamentary stint of over 40 years. The war of words spilled outside Parliament with Scindia stating bluntly that the Prime Minister had no right to lecture them. "We are tired of hearing these lectures".

Scindia said Vajpayee was "clearly forgetting" the kind of abuse that was hurled on then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi when the BJP led by him was in the opposition.

"It is Vajpayee and his party which began this tradition in Parliament of hurling abuses at the Prime Minister," he said.

On the charge that Congress was responsible for paralysing Parliament, Scindia contended that BJP had joined other opposition parties in disrupting proceedings in both Houses for 19 days over the Maruti issue, 18 days on Bofors, 14 days on Navnirman movement against Chimanbhai Patel Government in Gujarat and 13 days on Sukh Ram.

Stating that it was the primary responsibility of the treasury benches to ensure smooth running of Parliament, he regretted that the Prime Minister’s concluding remarks has embittered the atmosphere. (PTI)

BJP MP to head JPC on market scam

NEW DELHI, Apr 27: BJP MP Prakash Mani Tripathi was today appointed Chairman of the 30-member Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe the recent stock market scam.

The appointment was finalised by Lok Sabha Speaker GMC Balayogi, Parliament sources said.

Tripathi, a retired Lt General who served as Deputy Chief of Army Staff, was associated with the final production of the indigenously-built Main Battle Tank Arjun.

Tripathi was elected to Lok Sabha for the second term from Deoria in Uttar Pradesh.

Both Houses of Parliament had yesterday unanimously adopted by voice vote a resolution moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan for appointment of the committee.

The 20 members of the joint committee from Lok Sabha are Manishankar Aiyar, Margaret Alva, V P Badnore, Baliram, Anant G Geete, Vijay Goel, Jagannath Mallik, Rupchand Pal, P H Pandian, Harin Pathak, Pravin Rashtrapal, S Jaipal Reddy, Akhilesh Singh, Maheshwar Singh, Prabhunath Singh, Kirit Somaiya, Kharabela Swain, Prakash Mani Tripathi and K Yerrasabha are Ramdas Agarwal, S S Ahluwalia, Nilotpal Basu, Prem Chand Gupta, K Rahman Khan, Praful Patel, C Ramachandraiah, Kapil Sibal, Amar Singh and C P Thirunavukkarasu.

According to its terms of reference, the JPC would probe the recent irregularities and manipulations in the stock market "in all their ramifications in all transactions including insider trading relating to shares and other financial instruments".

The JPC would also go into the role of banks, brokers and promoters, stock exchanges, financial institutions, corporate entities and regulatory authorities and fix responsibility of persons, institutions or authorities in these transactions. (PTI)

Pak regime for talks with PPP

ISLAMABAD, Apr 27: The military regime has initiated talks with former Premier Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on the formation of an interim national Government and Gen Pervez Musharraf’s plans to get elected as President.

The first round of talks had been held between Government officials and PPP senior vice president Makhdoom Amin Fahim here. Few Army officials have also called on Bhutto in London earlier this month, daily ‘Dawn’ reported today.

PPP sources here said that the Musharraf Government has sent feelers to the party after the Supreme Court recently set aside her conviction in a corruption case.

Following the judgement, PPP is also eager to reach an understanding with the regime to enable Bhutto to end her self exile and return to Pakistan to take part in active politics.

Bhutto was, however, hesitant to return as she feared arrest in connectioon with other cases, they said.

With the court verdict and the subsequent judgement by the Supreme Court drastically toning down the powers of the National Accountability Bureau, (NAB), which was set up to prosecute corrupt politicians, the Government was willing to reach a compromise with Bhutto, they said.

According to PPP, Musharraf is willing to provide an important role for the PPP in an interim Government provided Bhutto gives an undertaking to stay away from politics for few years and support Musharraf’s presidency with enhanced powers.

Gen Musharraf, who is under presure from the Supreme Court to hold elections by October 12, 2002 and hand power to an elected Government, plans to get elected as President by reviving the suspended national and provincial Assemblies, PPP sources said.

PPP leaders say that Benazir has so far not accepted the proposals. However, the contacts between the two sides are continuing, they claimed. (PTI)

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