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| China assists Pak missile plan
US won’t use Indian military bases: Jaswant From B L Kak NEW DELHI, Dec 7: The Government of India will not permit the country’s military bases to be used by the United States in the ongoing.....more Joint
working group NEW DELHI, Dec 7: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajapayee today said a joint working group on terrorism could be set up with. ...more Laloo
Prasad Yadav PATNA, Dec 7:RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav was produced before the court of designated...more US
places JeM, LeT WASHINGTON, Dec 7: The US has placed Pakistan-based terrorist groups Jaish-e-Mohammed.....more |
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India testing GM NEW DELHI, Dec 7: Government has begun testing for four more genetically modified crops including rice and maize on the lines of those being undertaken for the controversial bt cotton, which is likely to be introduced for commercial use in the next cropping season......more Gandhi
peace prize for NEW DELHI, Dec 7: John Hume, eminent civil rights leader of Ireland, has been selected for this year’s international ‘Gandhi peace prize’....more Publishing of history text books NEW DELHI, Dec 7: Government today clarified that the guidance of religious leaders would be sought only on controversial issues while publishing history text books, to ensure that material which could hurt religious sentiments is not included.......more |
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China
assists Pak missile plan From B L Kak NEW DELHI, Dec 7: The Government of India will not permit the country’s military bases to be used by the United States in the ongoing war on terrorism. New Delhi has, however, offered assistance for the ‘Operation Enduring Freedom’. This, according to the Minister for External Affairs, Mr Jaswant Singh, is on the basis of "specific requests" by the United States and in conformity with the existing guidelines for such clearances requested by friendly countries. Mr Jaswant Singh told the Rajya Sabha that the Government’s assistance was for overflights, landing and refuelling facilities for US air missions and port calls by naval ships in support of the campaign in Afghanistan. The assistance approved by the Government, he said in reply to a question by Ms Saroj Dubey, did not cover provision of military bases in India to the US or participation in combat operations in any form. On security assessment of Pakistan’s nuclear assets, the External Affairs Minister informed Dr Manmohan Singh and Mr Prem Chand Gupta that the Government of India has entered into strategic dialogues with several countries and had thus assured itself reasonably of the safety and security of Pakistan’s nuclear assets. The Government, he assured the House, remained fully committed to taking all necessary steps to safeguard the nation’s security in accordance with its own assessment of security threats. In his reply to a question by Mr CO Poulose, Mr Jaswant Singh stated that while the Government had consistently advocated that terrorism is a global problem that required a comprehensive international response targeted against terrorism and its sponsors everywhere in the world, it was well established that the Taliban and the Al Qaeda network "have links with terrorism" in Jammu and Kashmir. The Government’s support to the ongoing military campaign against the Taliban and Al Qaeda network was, therefore, in keeping with India’s national interest, he reiterated. Mr Jaswant Singh admitted that China continued to assist Pakistan in its missile development programme. Answering a question by Mr Rumandla Ramachandraiah, Mr Jaswant Singh stated that China’s assistance to Pakistan’s missile development programme had been discussed by the Government of India with China. China, he said, maintained that its military cooperation with Pakistan "conforms to the existing international regime on non-proliferation". The External Affairs Minister asserted that New Delhi was committed to the development of friendly and good neighbourly relations with China on the basis of the principles of Panchsheel and mutual sensitivity to each other’s concerns. Mr Jaswant Singh said in reply to a question by Mr Nana Deshmukh that the Chinese Premier, whose planned visit to India had to be postponed last month at the request of the Chinese side, was now expected to visit Delhi early next year. Mr Jaswant Singh also emphasized that regular high level political exchanges between India and China "are an important element in the process of further development of bilateral relations". In his reply to Mr Poulose’s another question, Mr Jaswant Singh said that the Government of India believed that the destruction of the Taliban and Al Qaeda network in Afghanistan and the establishment of a moderate, broad-based and multi-ethnic Government in Kabul, together with the increased international focus on combating terrorism, would have a salutary effect on the problem of terrorism in India. The Minister for External Affairs charged Pakistan with providing refuge and safe havens to known criminals and terrorists responsible for heinous crimes in India. On extradition of uderworld don, Dawood Ibrahim, Mr Jaswant Singh informed Mr K Rama Mohana Rao and Mr Rama Muni Reddy Sirigireddy that there are reports that Dawood Ibrahim resides in Karachi is being allowed to conduct his underworld activities from Pakistan. Mr Singh regretted that Pakistan, as part of its policy of sponsoring cross-border terrorism in India, provided refuge and safe havens to knowns criminals and terrorists responsible for heinous crimes in India. The Government of India, he said, has, on numerous occasions, urged Pakistan to end its sponsorship of cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere in India and to arrest and extradite these criminals and terrorists so that they can be brought to justice. The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, has already noted that terrorists and criminals responsible for heinous crimes in India including the Mumbai bomb blasts in 1993 as also the hijacking of Indian Airlines plane, are living in Pakistan. Mr Jaswant Singh also recalled that the Home Minister, Mr LK Advani, had, during his meeting with Pak President, Gen. Parvez Musharraf, on July 14 last, raised this issue. |
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Joint working group on terrorism with Japan: PM NEW DELHI, Dec 7: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajapayee today said a joint working group on terrorism could be set up with Japan during his five-day visit to that country. "There will be discussions on this issue as well. Some decisions have already been taken in this regard", Vajpayee said before emplaning for his Japan tour. New Delhi and Tokyo will sign agreements which will be helpful in bringing peace, development and security in the region, he said. "A comprehensive security dialogue has started and is to be institutionalised. Contacts in the defence sphere has grown", he said adding Japan, like India, is a member of the international coalition to combat terrorism. "Our country should strengthen bilateral co-operation against terrorism. We can also co-operate in the efforts for reconstruction and rehabilitation in Afghanistan", he said. In a statement before his departure, Vajpayee said he believed the Indo-Japan partnership was based "both on strategic convergence and economic complimentalites. I expect to cover on aspects of India-Japan interactions in my discussions with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and his colleagues". Vajpayee, whose visit to Japan, originally scheduled for February was postponed owing to the earthquake in Gujarat, said he was keen on visiting that country. During the visit of then Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori in August last year,"many positive developments in our bilateral relationship had taken place," he said. Many high-level Japanese economic missions have visited India and interactions on information technology have progressed well. "During my visit, we expect to build further on the interactions", Vajpayee said "I believe that India and Japan have a number of contributions to make not only to peace and stability in our regions, but also to the strategic and economic dialogue within the international community," he said. Coinciding with Vajpayee’s visit delegations from CII and FICCI will icant business interactions in Osaka and Tokyo. (PTI) |
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Laloo Prasad Yadav produced in Patna court for 2nd day PATNA, Dec 7:RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav was produced before the court of designated CBI judge S K Mishra for the second consecutive day today in connection with a disproportionate assets case, an offshoot of the multi-crore fodder scam. His appearance was to facilitate examination of the last prosecution witness, former SP (CBI) Patna V S K Kaumudi, now commissioner, security, Hyderabad. Stringent security was provided to the RJD chief who is in the ‘Z’ plus category. He was driven to the court in a bullet-proof car from Beur jail. The RJD chief had arrived on December 3 in judicial remand from Ranchi. The DA case relates to laloo yadav having accumulated over Rupees 47 lakh disproportionate to his known source of income when he was Chief Minister between 1990 and 1997. Meanwhile, Patna Civil Surgeon Dr A K Mishra described Laloo’s condition as "better" today. A team of experts from the Patna Medical College Hospital examined Laloo Yadav at the jail today and chest and cervical X-rays were taken, Dr Mishra said. "At this stage there is no need to shift the RJD supremo to hospital. We are taking care of his health in the best possible way," the civil surgeon said. Laloo fell ill after he was brought to Patna from Ranchi on December threring from bronchitis and spondolysis. Laloo Yadav has to return to Ranchi for appearance before the designated CBI judge Ranchi H C Mishra on December 10 in case no 47a/96 relating to fraudulent withdrawal of Rs 137 crore by Bihar AHD officials from Dorandra treasury. (PTI) |
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Publishing of history text
books NEW DELHI, Dec 7: Government today clarified that the guidance of religious leaders would be sought only on controversial issues while publishing history text books, to ensure that material which could hurt religious sentiments is not included. Union Human Resource Development Minister, Murli Manohar Joshi, clarified this while refuting reports attributed to him that from now on Sadhus and Pandits would frame the country’s history syllabus. "We will consult religious leaders only on those issues which are controversial so as to prevent inclusion of any material that could hurt sentiments of any religion," he said. "We are not changing the country’s history by writing anything new instead we are just showing it in the right perspective," Joshi said addressing a gathering of Arya Samajis here today. Inclusion of objectionable material like that related to consumption of cow meat during the Vedic period, derogatory references to Jat community, Hains and Guru Teg Bahadur would have a negative imprint on the minds of children having a lasting impact, he said. Reacting to allegations of Talibanisation of education, Joshi said those who had attacked Jats, Sikhs and Jains were the "real Talibans," and called for an aggressive campaign to help achieve cultural freedom. "After the war for independence, there should be a second war for the country’s cultural freedom," he said. He later told PTI that the Government had not breached any rules, by making changes without consulting experts on the subject, saying there was no need to consult them. "Who are they to be consulted," he asked. The Arya Samajis, from the Kendriya Arya Yuvak Parishad, demanded the arrest of historians Romila Thapar, Arjun Dev and Ramsharan Sharma and extended their full support on the issue. (PTI) |
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NEW DELHI, Dec 6: The BJP today said the stalling of Parliament on Ayodhya issue by Congress and other opposition parties today was done with an eye on the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. "We condemn the behaviour of Congress, SP and other opposition parties for stalling proceedings in Parliament with an eye on the coming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh," party spokesman V K Malhotra told reporters here. "It has become a ritual for opposition parties to raise the Ayodhya issue on December 6 every year. On December 3, the issue was discussed in Lok Sabha. In the last ten years, the issue has been discussed about 40 times in Parliament but nothing new has come out of it," he said. Malhotra accused Congress and other opposition parties of going against the code of conduct adopted at the recent meeting convened by Lok Sabha Speaker GMC Balayogi. "The code is meant only for such emotive issues. The Ayodhya issue can be resolved either through consensus or court order. Besides, the Prime Minister has revived the ayodhya cell and the issue may be resolved by March 12," he said. (PTI) |
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