Excelsior... Nation

George accumulated Rs
9.6 lakh disproportionate
asset, says CBI

NEW DELHI, Mar 22: The CBI has accused V George, personal secretary to Congress president .....more

Murli Manohar Joshi

Joshi appears
before Liberhan
Commission

NEW DELHI, Mar 22: Yet another senior leader and Union HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi ....more

NHRC asks UP Govt
to pay Rs 50,000 for
custodial torture

NEW DELHI, Mar 22: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Uttar...more

V P Singh

Vajpayee failed to check
corruption: V P Singh

NEW DELHI, Mar 22: Former Prime Minister V P Singh today charged Prime Minister Atal Behari.....more

People urged to notify
Cable TV Act violations

NEW DELHI, Mar 22: Complaints against television channels or cable operators who violate provisions of the Cable TV networks (amendment) Act or the Broadcasting and Advertising Codes can now be lodged to District Magistrates, Sub-Divisional Magistrates, Commissioner of Police or any other authorised officer........more

SC takes strong note
of sexual harassment
of women IFS officer

NEW DELHI, Mar 22: Taking strong note of the alleged sexual harassment of two women IAS and IFS officer by Kerala Forest and Transport Minister Neelalohithadasan Nadar, the Supreme Court today sought response of the state to a petition alleging that the Government has not taken adequate steps to stop harassment at workplace as per court’s earlier order.......more

After RSS, SJM
targets PMO
officials

NEW DELHI, Mar 22: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) today came under attack from yet another Sangh Parivar outfit Swadeshi Jagran ......more

Complaint petitions
against Siwan SP,
20 others filed

PATNA, Mar 22: Controversial RJD Lok Sabha member from Siwan Sahabuddin today said complaint petitions.........more

George accumulated Rs 9.6 lakh disproportionate
asset, says CBI

NEW DELHI, Mar 22: The CBI has accused V George, personal secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, and his family members of having accumulated disproportionate assets of the value of Rs 9.6 lakh during the period he was a public servant between November 1984 and December 1990.

The Congress party hit out at the Government saying the CBI action showed its vendetta and the timing spoke volumes about its "designs, motives and intentions."

The FIR, filed by the agency before a Delhi court on Tuesday, says that his total income during the six year period was Rs 8.8 lakh and expenditure Rs 1.2 lakh. Savings during the period could be around Rs 7.6 lakh.

While assets of George were estimated as Rs 1.6 lakh in november 1984, they were estimated as Rs 18.82 lakh in December 1990, the agency said, adding, assets acquired between November 1984 to December 1990 were worth Rs 17.25 lakh.

The agency also alleged in the FIR that there was reason to believe that George might have acquired other assets also either in his own name or in the name of the members of his family or Benami during his tenure as public servant.

It claimed that during the enquiry, George could not explain the "disproportionate assets" found to be in his possession and his family members at the end of December 1990 "satisfactorily". (PTI)

Joshi appears before Liberhan Commission

NEW DELHI, Mar 22: Yet another senior leader and Union HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi today appeared for the first time before the Liberhan Commission probing demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya and answered questions mostly on the relationship between BJP and Sangh Parivar outfit VHP.

Answering the questions put up by commission’s counsel Anupam Gupta, he sought to explain that the BJP and the VHP were different organisations but said "there may be a point where they agree in the larger interest of the country."

Joshi said "BJP is a political party and VHP is an organisaion for international cooperation among the Hindus" when asked about what is the relationship between the two organisations.

Asked about the BJP’s interaction with the VHP, he said "a political party interacts with all. Any organisation can come to us and we hear".

Joshi, who is one of the accused facing charges of criminal conspiracy in the demolition in a sessions court in Uttar Pradesh, also explained that the RSS was a cultural organistion and his involvement with it was owing to the ideology of "partiotism".

BJP, RSS and VHP had been accused of mobilising forces which had demolished the disputed structure on December six, 1992. (PTI)

NHRC asks UP Govt to pay Rs 50,000 for custodial torture

NEW DELHI, Mar 22: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Uttar Pradesh Government to pay immediate interim relief of Rs 50,000 to a victim of custodial torture and take action against the guilty police officials.

On a complaint received from Congress leader Salman Khursheed, the Commission asked the State Government to pay immediate interim relief to the victim, Tajender Rajoura, within eight weeks and send a compliance report. The complaint stated that some Congress activists had gone to submit a memorandum to the District Magistrate of Agra on June 12, 2000 regarding sale of synthetic milk, spurious drugs and irregular supply of water and electricity and in the process tried to destroy the office of District Magistrate.

In this connection a criminal case was registered against Mr Tajender Rajoura, Atikar Rehman and 100 other persons. Mr Rajoura was arrested at 1745 hrs and lodged in Nai Ki Mandi police station where he was tortured and beaten up. When he was medically examined on the order of the court the next day he bore eleven serious injuries caused by lohi, roll and a blunt object, the complainant had alleged.

On the direction of the NHRC, the Inspector General (Human Rights) of Uttar Pradesh sent a copy of the inquiry report of the dig special branch which admitted that when Mr Rajoura was brought to the police station there was no injury on his body but when he was produced before the CJM, he had eleven injuries which were caused in the police custody. The medical examination was conducted on the direction of Magistrate, which established that there was beating and torture in custody.

On perusal of the report, the Commission issued show cause notice to the State Government asking why a sum of Rs 50,000 should not be paid to the victim as immediate interim relief under the protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 as the state was victoriously liable to pay compensation to the victim since injuries were inflicted on him in custody violating his human rights. The State Government was asked to reply to the showcause notice issued on October 23, 2000 within four weeks and also intimate to the Commission of the action taken against the erring police officials.

"In case, no action has been taken so far in this regard the State Government should initiate and complete the inquiry against the erring police officials within a period of eight weeks from the date of receipt of the proceedings and submit the action taken report to the Commission."

However, Even after a passage of five months no response was received from the State Government so the Commission assumed that it had nothing to say in the matter and reiterated its recommendation demanding speedy compliance. (UNI)

Vajpayee failed to check corruption: V P Singh

NEW DELHI, Mar 22: Former Prime Minister V P Singh today charged Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for his failing to check corruption and demanded that the Government initiate immediate action against the accused in the Tehelka expose.

"I do not accuse Vajpayee of being corrupt, but I accuse him of failing to curb corruption," he told a press conference here.

Accusing CBI of adopting "double standards" while registering cases, he demanded that normal procedure of law should be followed in the defence deal expose on the basis of prima facie evidence, if any.

"If CBI can act against Vincent George, private secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, then why not in cases of others? why this double standard?" he asked.

He said if there was any prima facie evidence in the tehelka.Com expose then normal procedure of law should be followed. "FIR should be lodged, the accused should be arrested and the matter be proceeded with in the court," he said.

Criticising the decision to set up an inquiry commission to go into the expose by the news portal, Singh said Government had set up the commission as it knew very well that nothing would come out of it.

Stating that the news portal had made a "major contribution" in exposing corruption, Singh said Government "should not harass them. Rather it should arrange for their security."

Singh said it was not fair for the Government to order a probe against the news portal.

Asked how stable the NDA Government was in the wake of the defence deal expose, he said "after the moral authority of the Government is eroded, the stability becomes the stability of a dead body".

Singh said it was high time to evolve consensus on issues like transparency in public life, political funding, right to information, decentralisation of power and electoral reforms.

He said it was not fair to highlight others’ scams to defend ones own scandals.

On the prospects of the new front - Lok Morcha, Singh said though he was not in the front, he welcomed it in the prevailing circumstances.

"The front will play a positive role in fulfilling aspirations of the people," he added. (PTI)

People urged to notify Cable TV Act violations

The move by the centre comes following reports that some cable operators had not been complying with the provisions. The Central Government has asked people to approach the persons authorised by the Central/State Governments. The people have also been asked to lodge complaints if any objectionable programmes are transmitted by satellite channels, so that action be initiated against the channels.

Information and Broadcasting Ministry sources said all cable operators must get registered with the concerned head post office and the registration certificate issued by the head post office should also be displayed prominently on the premises of the cable operator.

In order to check the unauthorised showing of pirated feature films by a cable operator, the programme code prohibits the carrying of any programme for which unless he owns the copyright or has been granted a licence by the owners of the copyright.

It is mandatory for every cable operator to carry two Doordarshan Channels (DD-National and DD-Metro) and one regional channel of Doordarshan without any deletion or alteration in the prime band in satellite mode on frequencies other than those carrying terrestrial frequencies. Prasar Bharati has already notified the names of the regional language channels to be mandatorily transmitted in respective states by the cable operators located in these states.

The North East channel of Doordarshan has to be beamed by operators in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura. The Gujarati channel has to be shown in Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Gujarat while Punjabi has to be telecast in Chandigarh and Punjab, and Pondicherry and Tamil Nadu operators have to telecast podigai. The others are: Andhra Pradesh (Telugu), Jammu and Kashmir (Kashir), Karnataka (Chandana), Kerala and Lakshadweep (Malayalam), Maharashtra (Sahyadri), Orissa (Oriya), and West Bengal (Bangla).

The cable operators are also required to comply with the programme and advertisement codes, prescribed in Rules 6 and 7 of the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 with regard to their own channels such as video channels. The programme code bars programmes which are indecent or obscene, contain criticism of friendly countries, attack religious groups or promote communal attitudes, or which promote anti-national attitudes and contain anything amounting to contempt of court. The code also bars programmes which denigrate women or children the programmes should be a suitable for unrestricted public exhibition as per the provisions of the Cinematograph Act, 1952.

The advertisement code does not permit ads which deride any race, caste, colour, creed and nationality, are against any constitutional provision, incite people to crime, cause disorder or violence or breach of law or glorifies violence or obscenity in any way, presents criminality as desirable. It says women must not be ensured that portrayal of female form in tasteful and aesthetic and within norms of good taste and decency.

The code also does not allow promotion, directly or indirectly, production, sale or consumption of cigarettes, tobacco products, wine, alcohol, liquor or other intoxicants, infant milk substitutes, feeding bottle or infant food. Indecent, vulgar, suggestive, repulsive or offensive themes or treatment are also not allowed. (UNI)

SC takes strong note of sexual harassment
of women IFS officer

Counsel Aparna Bhat contended before a division bench comprising Justice K T Thomas and Justice R P Sethi that instead of constituting in-house committees as directed by the apex court in Vishakha case to go into cases of sexual harassment at workplaces, the State Government has set up a commission of inquiry under a sitting judge of the High Court.

The bench observed that the proceedings of the commission of inquiry notified by the State Government to probe allegations made by IAS officer Nalini Netto against Nadar "would go contrary to the guidelines issued by the apex court in Vishakha case".

"In the meanwhile, all proceedings initiated under the aforesaid notification would stand stayed," the bench said while asking the Kerala Government to file response to the petition filed by Bhat by April 24, the next date of hearing of the case.

Counsel for the State Government, G Prakash, said that the police was also investigating into the matter and raised objections to the manner in which the petition was filed.

The bench brushed aside the objections and told the counsel to raise them in the counter affidavit filed by the state in response to the petition. (PTI)

After RSS, SJM targets PMO officials

NEW DELHI, Mar 22: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) today came under attack from yet another Sangh Parivar outfit Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) which alleged that it was manned by people who are "insensitive to national interest".

The outfit, known for its allergy to multinationals, also criticised the BALCO disinvestment deal saying it was "undervalued".

"The Government is facing a crisis created by people like N K Singh (Officer on Special Duty in PMO) and Montek Singh Ahluwalia (Member, Planning Commission) who do not have any mandate or accountability to the people," the Manch’s all India organiser Muralidhar Rao told PTI.

"When key policy-making positions are given to such people who are insensitive to national interest, such problems are bound to happen," he said.

While Atal Behari Vajpayee was not involved in any corrupt practices, he has given governance to "bureaucratic leadership", Rao said.

"This Government lacks a political direction. It is not led by a political leadership but by a bureaucratic leadership and we have always opposed that," he said.

"It is not possible for people to believe in the sincerity and credibility of a Government which has such people at the helm of affairs," the Manch leader said.

RSS chief K S Sudershan had last Sunday blamed "incompetent" officials in the PMO for the crisis faced by the Government, which drew an instant rebuttal from south block. (PTI)