Excelsior... Nation

Madhav Rao Scindia

No question of bringing
in no-confidence
against Govt: Scindia

NEW DELHI, Mar 15: Deputy leader of Congress party in the Lok Sabha Madhav Rao Scindia today......more

George Fernandes

Limited production of
longer range Agni has
begun: George

NEW DELHI, Mar 15: India has begun limited production of the longer range Agni II missiles and.....more

Andhra CM warns PM
Vajpayee under pressure
to sack Defence Minister

From B L Kak

NEW DELHI, Mar 15: The Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes’ days seem to be numbered, although he has reportedly told his aides in the Defence Ministry......more

Delhi for composite dialogue
Pak relying more on foreign
mercenaries in J&K: Rao

From B L Kak

SPOTLIGHT
Internet news site triggers protests
Is national security in
the wrong hands?

Excelsior Correspondent

NEW DELHI, Mar 15: "The situation is very serious. The NDA Government should step down. The Government, in fact, has no moral right to continue after an unprecedented.......more

Determined opposition
forces adjournment on
defence deals issue

NEW DELHI, Mar 15: A determined opposition forced both Houses of Parliament to adjourn without ....more

CWC meet today to review
political developments

BANGALORE, Mar 15: The Congress Working Committee (CWC) will meet here tomorrow to ....more

EC directs states
to improve law,
order before polls

NEW DELHI, Mar 15: Ahead of Assembly polls in five states, the Election Commission today....more

Limited production of longer range Agni
has begun: George

NEW DELHI, Mar 15: India has begun limited production of the longer range Agni II missiles and the Intermediate Range Missiles (IRBM) would be inducted this year, the Rajya Sabha was told today.

Defence Minister George Fernandes in a written reply, said the missile, with a range over 2,000 km, could be configured to be used with any type of warhead.

He said the second test firing of the missile recently had met all parameters and that the weapon was capable of carrying a payload of 1000 kg.

Fernandes replied in the negative to a question whether India was proposing to go in for space based battle platforms.

However, the minister said the thrust of current modernisation in the armed forces was on enhancement of surveillance capability, induction of force multipliers, surface to surface and surface to air missiles and acquisition of state of art platforms.

On fencing of security installations in Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of increased suicide attacks by foreign mercenaries, Fernandes said the fencing was an ongoing scheme to be taken up over a prolonged period of time.

"Adequate security measures, including fencing, wherever required have been made to ensure the security of Army and Rashtriya Rifles installations.

Fernandes said, however, due to the dynamic nature of counter-militancy operations, the forces were constantly required to be re-deployed and in view of this it was not always possible to provide fencing perimeters at all posts.

Admitting that security fencing was a deterrent against sneak attacks by terrorists, the minister said fencing was being further strengthened by physical domination of areas around posts.

On reports of withdrawal of troops by Pakistan from fringes of the LOC, Fernandes said after Islamabad’s announcement of withdrawal of troops during the third week of December, certain reserve formations and some other units undergoing ‘training in POK had been moved to their permanent locations.

But, he said there were no confirmed inputs to suggest reduction of troop levels deployed on the Line of Control.

On recommendations of the Kargil Review Committee undertaken by the Group of Ministers, Fernandes said the recommendations included setting up of separate border management mechanism and establishing of defence intelligence agency.

The minister said the GOM had presented its report to the Prime Minister and decision as considered appropriate would be taken by the Government after careful consideration in due course of time. (PTI)

Andhra CM warns PM
Vajpayee under pressure to sack Defence Minister

From B L Kak

NEW DELHI, Mar 15: The Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes’ days seem to be numbered, although he has reportedly told his aides in the Defence Ministry that he was not prepared to oblige those demanding his resignation.

The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, may find it difficult to keep him in his Cabinet for long, following the unpublished warning from the most crucial ally of the NDA Government, the Telegu Desam Party (TDP), that it would be compelled to withdraw support in the event of Mr Fernandes continuing to hold Defence portfolio.

The Vajpayee Government will collapse if the TDP finally decided to withdraw support. The warning from the Telegu Desam Party has been conveyed to Mr Vajpayee himself by the TDP supremo and Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Mr N Chandrababu Naidu.

A senior Ministerial source divulged on Wednesday, following the stormy scenes in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha over the sensational expose of the wheeling-dealing that preceded defence procurements in India, that the Trinamul Congress led by the Railway Minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee, also wanted the Prime Minister to save the present NDA Government by immediately showing the door to Mr George Fernandes.

With the crucial Assembly elections in her home State, West Bengal, slated to take place in the coming weeks, Ms Mamata Banerjee has been thrown into confusion following the sudden loss of face of the NDA Government at the Centre. She did not fight shy as she told the Prime Minister that the story of "how the suitcase people are compromising Indian defence" has created a first rate political crisis not only for the NDA Government but its allies across the country.

The Ministerial source, while answering questions by EXCELSIOR in Parliament’s Central Hall after the two Houses had to be adjourned in the wake of violent protests from the Opposition benches against the continuance of the Vajpayee Government, also divulged that a section of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership had warned the Prime Minister that the party "cannot escape major electoral reverses here and there in the country" if he unnecessarily decided to defend the present Defence Minister and failed to effectively and appropriately handle the situation arising from the shockwaves spread by the tehelka.com, an Internet news site.

The story, which suggested that Mr George Fernandes had, on Tuesday, offered to resign from the Council of Ministers, was not based on facts. Immediately after the revelations were presented by the website (tehelka.com) at a press conference narrating a telling tale of how defence middlemen, political operators, politicians and officials went about accepting money from a fictitious arms manufacturing company based in London, Mr George Fernandes was contacted by two of his Ministerial colleagues and persuaded to submit his resignation.

The argument advanced by the two Ministers: Resignation by the Defence Minister, to be followed by the statement by the Prime Minister for a high-level probe, would result in a decrease in the intensity of the Opposition’s offensive against the NDA Government. Mr George Fernandes turned down their suggestion.

Mr Fernandes was, on the other hand, found most vociferous during the discussions held by the Union Cabinet on the sensational expose of the wheeling-dealing that preceded defence procurements in India. By the time the Cabinet meeting began, at least half a dozen Ministers had expected an announcement from Mr Fernandes about his resignation.

But Mr Fernandes took them by surprise when, during the discussions at the meeting, he vehemently argued that the Government should "fight it out". That the Defence Minister’s supporter, Mr Vajpayee, would not easily allow his (Mr Fernandes’) head to roll down became amply evident with the wording of the statement issued by the Union Cabinet: "The attention of the Government has been drawn to the tehelka tape. The Government is ready and willing for a thorough debate in Parliament and an inquiry, if necessary. The Government has nothing to hide. The guilty will not be spared…"

According to sources, the Prime Minister has adopted pro-Fernandes posture merely because the list of 34 individuals, who allegedly accepted money from the purported representatives of the fictitious company, does not contain the name of the Defence Minister.

It is a different matter that the various purported middlemen bandy about names such as Mr Brajesh Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Mr George Fernandes, Mr Hiren Pathak, former Minister of State for Defence. Mr Fernandes, who had a closed-door meeting with a team of his trusted men in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Army Headquarters on Wednesday, was believed to have remarked that the Government will not survive if he was forced to step down.

If the BJP president, Mr Bangaru Laxman, was forced to step down, the Defence Minister is reported to have decided to defend his "beloved" chief of Samata Party, Ms Jaya Jaitly. Both Mr Laxman and Ms Jaitly were shown to be "on the take". In fact, the website presented video images of the two accepting money from the fictitious company, called West End-Mr Laxman on January 5, 2001 and Ms Jaitly at the residence of Mr George Fernandes on December 28, 2000.

Delhi for composite dialogue
Pak relying more on foreign mercenaries in J&K: Rao

From B L Kak

NEW DELHI, Mar 15: Pakistan continues to rely more on foreign mercenaries in Jammu and Kashmir, who, according to the official data available with the Government of India, are better trained and equipped to sustain militancy and to provide "dedicated leadership" to the local militants in the State.

The Minister of State for Home Affairs, Mr Vidyasagar Rao, has pointed out that Pakistani establishments’ dependence on foreign mercenaries has led to further marginalisation of local elements in J&K, thereby changing the whole complexion of cross-border terrorism.

Mr Rao said that the J&K Government had informed the Union Home Ministry that as many as 436 foreign militants were killed during the year 2000. The number of foreign militants killed in January and February this year was put at 60.

According to Mr Rao, as many as 10981 civilians, including Sikhs, were killed in terrorist violence in Jammu and Kashmir between 1988 and February 2001. He put the number of civilians killed after the declaration of unilateral peace initiative by the Government of India in J&K at 288-that is, from November 28,2000 to March 7, 2001.

The Minister stated that as many as 2501 security personnel were killed in J&K between 1988 and February 2001. He put the number of security personnel killed in the State between November 28 last to March 7 this year at 111.

Reiterating that Pakistan-backed jihadi militant outfits have not responded positively to the peace initiative and have stepped up violent activity in order to thwart the peace process, Mr Vidyasagar Rao observed: It is regrettable that our neighbour across the border has not recognised the need for peace and continues to promote, encourage and abet cross-border terrorism".

Mr Rao charged Pakistan with continuing to be disinterested in curbing militants operating with the backing of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). He said that while 243 militants had been killed in J&K between November 28 last and March 7 this year, the Government was pursuing a multi-pronged strategy to bring peace and normalcy in the State.

He also reiterated that the Government of India, as part of the strategy, was willing to have talks with any group in Jammu and Kashmir that "abjures violence". He said it was also hoped that Pakistan would abjure violence, give up its hostile propaganda against India, stop promoting and aiding cross-border terrorism and take the path of peace through bilateral talks as enshrined in the Shimla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration.

Statistics available with Mr Vidyasagar Rao, a copy of which was also made available to EXCELSIOR on Thursday, clearly put the number of militancy-related incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir at 964 during the cease-fire period (from November 28, 2000 to March 7, 2001).

Significantly, however, Mr Rao sought to emphasize that there had been a "perceptible change" in the general atmosphere in J&K in terms of "overwhelming positive response" from the public and the mainstream political parties to Prime Minister’s peace initiative. Equally significant was his expression accepting the fact that except on the Line of Control (LoC) the extent of violence had not seen any significant decline.

Mr Vidyasagar Rao put the number of grenade attacks in J&K at 124 from November 28 last year to March 7 this year. During the period, as many as 83 blasts took place, in addition to 63 incidents of arson, 9 rocket attacks, 259 incidents of random firing and 255 incidents of cross firing as well as 9 incidents of arms snatching in different parts of the State. While the number of abduction was 60, other acts of violence numbered 101, Mr Rao said.

On the talk calling for talks between India and Pakistan, Mr Rao stated that New Delhi had repeatedly expressed its commitment to resume the composite dialogue initiated by India in 1998. At the same time, however, he made it clear that Pakistan will have to end its sponsorship of cross-border terrorism in order to create an appropriate environment for the resumption of meaningful dialogue within the avowed principles of the Shimla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration.

SPOTLIGHT
Internet news site triggers protests
Is national security in the wrong hands?

Excelsior Correspondent

NEW DELHI, Mar 15: "The situation is very serious. The NDA Government should step down. The Government, in fact, has no moral right to continue after an unprecedented can of worms was exposed by tehelka. com". Making use of these words to defend her party’s offensive against the Vajpayee Government, Ms Sonia Gandhi has warned: "People of India cannot tolerate any unfair means in matters relating to the country’s security and defence".

The Congress is the main Opposition party in both Houses of Parliament. Happily for the Congress leadership, other Opposition parties have also planned to make the Government’s going tough in days to come within and outside Parliament.

Almost all the Opposition parties are for the ouster of the Vajpayee Government, although none of them seem prepared, at this stage, to face a fresh round of parliamentary elections. The Samajwadi Party supremo, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, has much to say against Ms Sonia Gandhi on certain political issues. But he wants to strengthen her hands in the drive against the Vajpayee Government.

"We have strong reasons to suspect that national security is not in the safe hands". These words are from the former Defence Minister of India, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav.

His demand: The Prime Minister and the Defence Minister must immediately pack up and quit. He took high tone as he voiced the demand in the course of a question-answer session with a group of mediapersons in the capital on Wednesday.

Mr Mulayam Yadav, who, as Defence Minister, had excess to highly classified intelligence inputs and ‘inside truth’ vis-à-vis the defence procurements, was specifically asked in Parliament’s Central Hall if every defence contracts signed in recent memory could be under a cloud after the sensational expose by tehelka.com of the wheeling and dealing that preceded defence procurements in the country. He paused for a while and then said: "I would take you into confidence at an appropriate time, not now".

Mr Mulayam Yadav does not deny that April 17, 1999, in a sense, saw history repeating itself. In a space of 10 years, two Governments fell, on more or less the same issue-corruption in high places, especially related to defence deals.

Only the star performers were different. If it was Mr Rajiv Gandhi of Congress(I) who failed at the hustings on the Rs 1400-crore Bofors scandals, 10 years later it was the turn of the BJP leader, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, heading a coalition Government, to be ousted in a confidence motion in Parliament.

Startling revelations by tehelka.com came at a time when the sacked chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat, had, without allowing grass to grow under his feet, launched a frontal attacks on the Government and especially the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, by alleging corruption in defence procurements and lobbying by arms dealers at the highest levels in the Services and the Government.

The public at large have now started suspecting that in the name of security and national interest, a barrier was perhaps sought to be created between the Armed Forces and the media on the one hand and the Ministry of Defence and the public on the other. Was the aim to keep under the carpet dirty deals in purchases?

Although the sacked Chief of Naval Staff, for example, brought into sharp national focus allegations about corruption in arms deals, the fact remains that some of the top notch agents or representatives have been flourishing for decades. Will the Government place before Parliament details about the agents working in the country for varaious foreign arms manufacturers, especially those blacklisted.

One such firm, formed by HDW Germany and Ferestol Group, Germany, is Marlog. Its representative in New Delhi is Dynatron Services, a new avatar of Globetech, New Delhi, which was blacklisted for being involved in the HDW submarine deal currently under CBI investigation for kickbacks paid to senior functionaries in the Rajiv Gandhi Government.

The lessons for politicians from Bofors was to leave no tell-tale signs. On the Sukhoi deal, then Defence Minister, Mr Mulayam Yadav, made the declaration that there were no middlemen or kickbacks. "We politicians are clean". Yet, after a Samajwadi Party meeting in Calcutta (now called Kolkata) in October 1997, he threatened to reveal the names of brokers and agents who were involved in arms deals and were harassing him.

Determined opposition forces adjournment
on defence deals issue

NEW DELHI, Mar 15: A determined opposition forced both Houses of Parliament to adjourn without transacting any business for the second day today vociferously demanding the resignation of the A B Vajpayee Government following the expose of shady defence deals.

While the proceedings in the Lok Sabha lasted less than five minutes, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned after appeals by chairman Krishan Kant to restore order fell on deaf ears. A large number of opposition members trooped into the well in the lower house, and the opposition in both Houses continued to raise slogans though nothing could be heard in the din.

The expose by tehelka.com revealed the nexus between commission agents, bureaucrats, senior defence officers and several ruling party politicians including the presidents of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Samata Party in sleazy defence deals.

Even before Speaker G M C Balayogi assumed his seat in the Lok Sabha, the opposition members moved to the well gesticulating towards the treasury benches. The Bharatiya Janata Party joined by some NDA members stood on their feet and shouted ‘Chor Machaye Shor’ (thief makes the noise).

The Samajwadi Party (SP), Congress, RJD and Left Parties members shouted ‘Gali Gali Men Shor Hain, BJP Chor Hain’ (there is noise in every street that bjp is a thief), ‘Desh Bechne Walon Ki Sarkar Nahi Chalegi Nahi Chalegi, NDA Sarkar Ashtifa Do and Pardhan Mantri Ashtifa Do’ (the Government of people trying to sell the country would not run, NDA Government resign, PM resign).

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was present in the Rajya Sabha, where the chairman asked to members to restore order. ‘Let us not make it (the house) into a zoo,’ he appealed. Congress member Suresh Pachouri was heard saying the Prime Minister should own moral responsibility and resign.

A grim-faced Defence Minister George Fernandes, Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi, and Heavy Industries Minister Manohar Joshi were in the Lok Sabha. On the Congress side, leader of the opposition Sonia Gandhi, Congress spokesperson S Jaipal Reddy, Mr Buta Singh and Mr Madhav Rao Scindia were in the House.

The Speaker asked the agitating opposition members to give their notices to him (for discussing the matter) and go back to their seats. But the members kept raising slogans and were heard insisting that they would not settle for anything short of the Prime Minister’s resignation. (UNI)

CWC meet today to review political developments

BANGALORE, Mar 15: The Congress Working Committee (CWC) will meet here tomorrow to review the latest political developments in the country, particularly with reference to the alleged involvement of some prominent NDA leaders in the pay-offs for certain defence deals as revealed by a internet news portal "tehelka.Com."

The Congress, which has been demanding dismissal of the Vajpayee Government after the revelation and been stalling the proceedings in Parliament on the issue, was likely to reiterate its demand in the CWC and the AICC plenary session, party sources said.

The CWC would also finalise the resolutions on economic, including agricultural sector, political and external affairs to be taken up for discussion by the AICC plenary which commences from March 17. The resolutions, which have been drafted under the chairmanship of former Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, express the view that the oldest political party in the country, will strive for "Nehruvian economy" by according top priority to the public sector and would oppose privatisation of the profit making public sector undertakings, including the nationalised banks.

Besides opposing the economic policy being followed by the NDA Government, with particular reference to the BALCO, the Congress, which is coming closer to the left parties, especially the CPI(M) on the economic and foreign affairs, would launch a scathing attack on the Government’s foreign policy. It is of the view that the NDA Government had failed to retrieve the prestigious position once occupied by the country in the non-aligned world.

An estimated 10,000 delegates, including nine Chief Ministers of the Congress ruled states, AICC members, delegates from the Pradesh Congress Committees, Members of Parliament and invitees were expected to participate in the plenary session which will commence with the flag hoisting by Congress president Sonia Gandhi on March 17. (UNI)