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BJP asks TN Governor CHENNAI, Dec 3: The BJP today urged Tamil Nadu Governor P S Ramamohan Rao to give an assent to the prevention of ....more Ayodhya
issue: A LUCKNOW, Dec 3: Eleven years after the disputed structure was demolished in Ayodhya,.....more Godhra where fear lurks behind facade of normalcy GODHRA, Dec 3: This small business town, the epicentre of the February .more Six-time
winner BJP’s AHMEDABAD, Dec 3: With as many as six consecutive wins from the sensitive Khadia ....more |
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Haryana earmarks Rs 98.18 cr for women and children CHANDIGARH, Dec 3: The Haryana Government has earmarked a sum of over Rs 98.18 crore to be spent on various .......more Karna
HC adjourns BANGALORE, Dec 3: The Karnataka High Court today adjourned till tomorrow the hearing on a contempt petition filed against some leading ......more NEW DELHI, Dec 3: Russian Industry Minister Illya Klebanov today held a crucial meeting with Defence......more Shahrukh Khan turns hostile in Bharat Shah case MUMBAI, Dec 3: Film actor Shahrukh Khan today turned hostile in a special court in the case of alleged nexus....more |
BJP asks TN Governor to give assent to anti-coversion bill CHENNAI, Dec 3: The BJP today urged Tamil Nadu Governor P S Ramamohan Rao to give an assent to the prevention of forcible conversion bill as any delay in it would "send wrong signals." Talking to reporters here, BJP national secretary L Ganesan pointed out that the bill had been passed by a majority vote in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. Holding it back would only generate speculations and send wrong signals, he added. Asked if the Congress and the DMK, a constituent of the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre, opposing the bill, appeared to be forging an electoral tie-up for the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, Mr Ganesan said at the moment the proximity between the two was only issue based. Stating that the so called secular parties were pseudo-secular in their outlook, he alleged that these parties had been taking a pro-minority stand conveniently at the cost of the majority community. "I leave it to your inference," he said when asked if the DMK came under this category. Mr Ganesan said though the congress was opposing the bill now, it was during its rule that similar bills were passed in Orissa, Arunanchal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. He dismissed as incorrect the DMK charge that the bill was passed by the State Assembly to please the Kanchi seer Sri Jayendra Saraswathi. Mr Ganesan said at present the party was concentrating on strengthening itself and the issue of alliance would be decided depending on the ground situation at the time of election. Asked about Dalit leaders like Dalit Panthers of India general secretary R Thirumavalavan, declaring that Dalits were not Hindus, Mr Ganesan said the reserved constituency from which the DPI leader was elected to the State Assembly was meant for only "Hindu Dalits". He would seek Mr Thirumavalavan’s resignation after getting a clarification from him, he added. Though Mr Ganesan maintained that the BJP’s ties with the DMK at the Centre were intact, the two parties parting ways appears to be in the offing when the byelection to Sathankulam Assembly constituency are announced. The DMK had contested in the constituency with the support of the BJP last time and had lost. The seat fell vacant following the death of Mr Mani Nadar (TMC). Responding to the sudden transfer of Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Sukhavanesvar yesterday, Mr Ganesan said frequent transfers in bureaucracy would cause a feeling of insecurity and indifference among officials. (UNI) |
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Ayodhya issue: A chronology of the 11-year-old case LUCKNOW, Dec 3: Eleven years after the disputed structure was demolished in Ayodhya, the issue is still entangled in a legal web. Nevertheless, such were the juristic procedures involved that it took over a decade to decide where the trial involving Union Ministers and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti among others would be held. A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice G B Pattanaik, Mr Justice K G Balakrishnan and Mr Justice Arun Kumar rejected an application by Mohammed Aslam alias Bhure seeking revival of trial at Lucknow by a special court. Bhure had challenged a high court order quashing the charge sheet filed by the CBI against the eight persons including the Union Ministers. The order came in the wake of an affidavit filed by the Uttar Pradesh Government stating that the trial of all the accused in the case could be held at Rae Bareli in line with the high court notification. The chronology of events from the day the structure was brought down makes for interesting reading. The first FIR pertaining to the demolition of the structure on December six, 1992 was lodged by Ramjanmabhoomi police station in-charge Priyambada Nath Shukla under criminal case number 197/92 under sections 395, 397, 332, 337, 338, 295, 297, 153 a and section seven. The second FIR was lodged by Ramjanmabhoomi police post in-charge Ganga Prasad Tiwari under criminal case number 198/92 under sections 153 a, 153 b and 505. While case number 197/92 mentioned the demolition of the structure, case number 198/92 named some people. The trial at the Rae Bareli special court would be based on case number 198/92 in which the three union ministers, along with VHP leaders Ashok Singhal, Vishnuhari Dalmiya, Acharya Giriraj Kishore and Bajrang Dal founder president Vinay Katiyar are named. The UP Government handed over the enquiry of case number 197/92 to the CB-CID on December 10, 1992 and six days later it issued a notification to set up a special court at lalitpur to hear cases under criminal case number 198/92 after consulting the high court. On 27 February, 1993 the CB-CID filed a charge-sheet in case number 198/92 at the Lalitpur special court. The court took cognisance of the charge-sheet on March one. On July 8, after consulting the high court the State Government got the sittings of the special court transferred to Rae Bareli. On August 25, the State Government requested the Centre to hand over the investigations of case number 198/92 and 47 other cases to the CBI. On August 26, the Centre handed over the investigations of the 48 cases to the CBI. The body on September nine sought permission from the Rae Bareli special court to start advanced investigations in case 198/92. The courts gave the go-ahead the very same day. Allahabad high court appointed third additional chief judicial magistrate Vijay Verma as special Nyayik through a notification on September 15 to listen and dispose off cases on the Ayodhya demolition being investigated by the CBI. On October five, the CBI filed a combined charge-sheet against the eight accused of cases number 198/92 and 197/92 and 32 others of the 47 cases at the Lucknow special court. On October eight, the Lucknow special court was given privilege or special right to hear the case number 198/92. Three days later, the special court took cognisance of 49 cases including case number 198/92. On September one, 1994, the CBI filed a request for advance investigations in the special court of additional chief judical magistrate which was, however, rejected by the court on September seven. After a gap of nearly seven years, the CBI on June 16, 2001 requested the State Government to issue a fresh notification on the Ayodhya demolition case. On September 17, 2002 Chief Minister Mayawati rejected the request. It took the State Government less than a year to decide on the fate of a fresh notification which gave the opposition enough ammunition to target the UP Government inside and outside Parliament and State Assembly. On November 29, the 11-year-old case took a new turn when the Supreme Court termed as correct the decision of the Uttar Pradesh Government against issuing a fresh notification on the case. With this, the apex court laid to rest the controversy about the venue of trial of the three union ministers concerned and five others in the 1992 case when it upheld a notification of the Allahabad High Court appointing a special court at Rae Bareli for the purpose. On February 12, 2002 the high court had held as defective the notification issued by the State Government in 1993 for the trial of the accused persons. The high court had, however, noted that the State Government could rectify the defect in the notification for reviving the trial. (UNI) |
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Godhra where fear lurks behind facade of normalcy GODHRA, Dec 3: This small business town, the epicentre of the February quake and the communal violence that followed in Gujarat, today appears completely normal, at least, superficially but an undercurrent of fear is said to pervade among the minorities as the dec 12 deadline approaches. People go about their business as if nothing has happened but a little conversation with anyone on the street brings out the divide, writes a PTI correspondent on election campaign trail. Worries about security are palpable if one looks at the teeming policemen deployed in the town ahead of the elections. In minority-dominated signalfalia locality facing Godhra railway station, Ahmed starts closing his shop as he sees a an approaching car full of people. "We are very scared. The BJP candidate has said he will make a cricket ground of our locality," says Bilaal Hussain, a garage owner who claims to have called the police when trouble began at the station on February 27. More people join him as he starts recalling that fateful day- February 27- which changed the life for him and many others. "We are opposed to the anti-minority policy of the Government. Most of us voted for BJP in the general elections but not any longer." In the same place, with a population of around 8,000-10,000, Gohil, a Hindu, says he lives in harmony with his Muslims neighbours and will vote for the party chosen by them. A wall separates signalfalia from the station, a few feet away from which the burnt bogey still stands. Gohil may be among the few exceptions. Harish Bhatt, BJP’s candidate for Godhra, a former Bajrang Dal leader, says his slogan is "Its our own Godhra, let us make it a beautiful Godhra". Asked about reports that he threatened to make a cricket ground out of signalfalia from where some arrests were made in connection with the Sabarmati Express massacre, he says "people say all sorts of things. But it’s an election and everything is fair". Several local people parrot the aggressive Hinduism of Togadia and Modi. "For Hindus to be alive, we need BJP." But the train carnage is not the only issue troubling people here. "We get water once in four days in our locality. After getting votes, they don’t look back," says Sonal Rajput who works in a pharmacist’s shop. A Government employee, who refuses to divulge his name, says "riots does not fill the stomach. For the poor, hunger is the main issue." Shantibhai Patel, former Union Minister and Congress leader hailing from Godhra, says business suffered losses upto 70 per cent in Godhra and life is just limping back to normal. "Traders refused to bring goods to Godhra out of fear of violence. Peace is needed for development." Bhatt says "everyone talks of development. But elections are always fought on caste and community issues." He is not expecting the votes of the 35,000 Muslims in an electorate of 1.87 but says there is no communal divide in the constituency. Patel claims that besides the Muslim vote, the BJP will also lose out on the 1.10 lakh obc vote since the Congress candidate Rajendra Patel, the sitting MLA, belongs to this category. "Business, industrial development, irrigation, drinking water and power are major issues," he says. Police patrolling continues round-the-clock in the lanes and by-lanes of the city where Muslims houses face those of the Hindus at several localities. Panchmahal district, in which there are seven constituencies including Godhra, has been alloted 30 companies of paramilitary forces, DSP N Komar says. "Godhra has been peaceful for the last six months. The law and order situation is under control," he says. Asked if he apprehended trouble on December 6, the day the Babri Masjid was demolished ten years ago, Komar said "there are no such reports but we are keeping vigilance." At the BJP office in the city, a 15-feet poster of Chief Minister Narendra Modi greets you. Apart from this, Godhra wears more or less a bare look less than ten days before the December 12 election. Kamlesh Parmar, a tailor nearby, says "the BJP will protect the Muslims". Murli Moolchandani, who wears a saffron tika on his forehead, is more aggressive. "If it was a Congress Government, we would have been finished. We need BJP." Pathan Salim Ali, an autocrikshaw driver, does not talk of religion- bread and butter issues worry him. "The curfew took away my livelihood. It looks like it will be a bloody poll." Bhatt was reportedly Modi’s choice for Godhra in preference to former Rajya Sabha MP Gopalsinh Solanki. A retired Air Force officer, Bhatt later joined the Bajrang Dal. (PTI) |
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NEW DELHI, Dec 3: Russian Industry Minister Illya Klebanov today held a crucial meeting with Defence Minister George Fernandes a day ahead of Putin-Vajpayee summit meeting here tomorrow. The meeting — second in the course of a week — was scheduled on the request from the Russian side. Officials from both sides were tightlipped, but sources said the meeting was scheduled to carry forward what they described as "unfinished business". Klebanov leading a high powered three member delegation was clossetted with Fernandes for an one-to-one meeting for the major part of the talks apparently giving final touches to parts of Delhi declaration on military to military cooperation. Klebanov also holds the portfolio of science and technology. At the end of two rounds of meeting last week between defence officials of the two sides, Klebanov had told newsmen that some agreements on further strengthening defence strategic cooperation during President Putin visit was also on the anvil However, officials said there was little likelehood of an agreement on over 2 billion US dollars deal for acquisition of Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov with the two sides still locked in hard negotiations on the full package. ‘ The deal for leasing out to India of two Akula II nuclear submarine and two long range Tu22m bombers, officials said could be even signed at a later stage. Officials said the two sides could sign protocols on joint development of a fifth generation futuristic fighters as well as on developing a fifty seater passenger-cum-transport aircraft to replace IAF’s ageing AN-32 fleet. Besides the Delhi declaration on strategic partnership, India and Russia during Putin visit are also scheduled to sign another declaration expanding cooperation in scientific, technological, trade and economic fields. (PTI) |
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Shahrukh Khan turns hostile in Bharat Shah case MUMBAI, Dec 3: Film actor Shahrukh Khan today turned hostile in a special court in the case of alleged nexus of Bollywood with the underworld. Deposing before designated judge ap Bhangale, the actor did not support the prosecution case, following which the public prosecutor, Rohini Salian declared him hostile. According to prosecution, the actor was allegedly threatened by producer Nasim Rizvi alias Raja Saheb and his assistant Abdul Rahim Allahbaksh to act in their film and was also pursuaded by them to speak to Pakistan-based gangster Chhota Shakeel. But the actor had refused to oblige. The actor denied the police allegation that Rizvi and Abdul Rahim had approached him to act in their film. Rizvi and Rahim are accused in this case and are facing the charge of developing alleged nexus with Chhota Shakeel to target film personalities for personal gains. Shahrukh is the eleventh witness to turn hostile in the case. Others include, director Anees Bazmee, producer Sanjay Gupta, director Mahesh Manjrekar, owner of Venus music company Ratan Jain, financier Harish Sughand, businessmen Aftab Patel and Mohammed Ali Morani, secretary of actor Ajay Devgun - Kumar Mangat Pathak and Director Ali Morani. (PTI) India for united approach in dealing with terrorism NEW DELHI, Dec 3: Without naming Pakistan, India today asked the international community to take "decisive" steps against all States, individuals and entities which promote terrorism and a "united approach" to eradicate this menace. "Terrorism is indivisible and there cannot be any double standards in dealing with it," External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha said in an interview to Russian agency Itar-Tass to mark the three-day State visit of President Vladimir Putin to India. New Delhi is expected to aRk russia to have a close look at Pakistan’s clandestine nuclear cooperation with North Korea and its support to cross-border terrorism during talks here tomorrow between Putin and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The two sides will sign a host of agreements, including on cooperation in combating terrorism and boosting economic and scientific ties. Putin and Vajpayee will sign path-breaking Delhi declaration on further strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries besides another declaration on expanding cooperation in trade, economic, scientific and technological fields. Sinha stressed that "the international community must unite to counter every manifestation of terrorism anywhere in the knowledge that it is only such a united approach which can eraadicate this menace". Sinha said the recent terrorist act in a Moscow theatre once again showed the ugly face of terrorism and extremism. "India firmly believes that terrorist acts cannot be justified on any ground and terrorism must be eradicated wherever it occurs". He said the primary reason for continued acts of terrorism was the support and assistance such activities received from "outside forces". "The international community needs to take firm and decisive steps against all states, individuals and entities which render support, harbour, finance, instigate or train terrorism or promote terrorism," he stressed. Sinha said UN Security Council resolution 1373 clearly indicated that there was one definition of terrorism under international law and this included cross-border terrorism. Recalling the Moscow declaration against international terrorism signed during Vajpayee’s visit to Moscow last year, Sinha said both countries had supported early adoption by the general assembly of the draft comprehensive convention on international terrorism sponsored by India and the draft intervention convention for suppression of acts of nuclear terrorism , an initiative mooted by Russia. Emphasising that action against terrorism should be both preventive and deterrent, he said this would require enhanced cooperation reflecting the collective purpose of combating terrorism in all its forms, decisively and everywhere. Sinha said Putin’s visit would help further deepen the bonds between the two countries. "We have excellent political and strategic relations. There is also a common desire to further expand and deepen the content of our strategic partnership by adding new dimensions of an economic nature," he said. The priority fields would be energy, science and technology, telecommunications and information technology in addition to reviving and revitalising traditional areas of economic cooperation. Observing that the two countries had already made considerable progress in this regard, he said India’s largest investment abroad was in Saakhalin which underlined the element of energy security. "There exists vast potential in expanding bilateral ties," he said adding this would be reflected in important political and economic documents that would be signed during the visit. The minister noted that there was a remarkable similarity in the approaches and perceptions on major international issues — multipolarity, strategic stability, combating terrorism, sustainable development and environment issues. Noting that there has been no serious dispute or contradiction between the two countries on major issues of concern, he said "the reason for this is clear. Our relations meet the national interest of both countries and are based on national consensus". (PTI) Weapon locating radars to start arriving from July 2004 NEW DELHI, Dec 3: India will start receiving Weapon Locating Radars (WLRs) from July 2004 from the United States and the process will be completed by July 2005, according to the Defence Ministry. Delivery of WRLs will go a long way in monitoring infiltrations from across the border and will prove an effective technological aid for the Indian forces at the border. In its 15th action taken report on the recommendations of the standing committee on defence, which was placed in Parliament today, the ministry said a "letter of offer and acceptance" was signed in April 2002 between the Governments of India and the US for the acquistion of eight WLRs through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme of the US. Additionally, efforts were being made to procure two WLRs on lease from ex-US Army stock to meet India’s requirement in the interim period, it said. Referring to the disappointment expressed by the standing committee over various modernisation schemes of the IAF not materialising, the ministry said all efforts were being made to ensure fructification of planned projects within the desired time-frame and to ensure that the funds were utilised for the projects. The ministry sought to dispel the misconception that there was any relationship between the acuisition of AJTs by the IAF and the spate of crashes involving the force’s aircraft. The causes of major air crashes were inquired and analysed continuously. The major causes were human error, technical defect and bird hit. However, the IAF has identified the requirement of the AJT for safe and smooth transition of young trainee pilots to high performance/technology aircraft in front line squadrons. Various options for the acquisition of an AJT have been under examination by the Government. No deal has been finalised as yet. The Government was keen on an early finalisation of the acuisition process. The Government also said that the commercial process was likely to start soon on procurement of Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS). The technical configurations have been finalised.The contract for supply of aerostat-based surveillance systems has been signed in May. Technical proposals for low level transportable radars have been received and are being analysed by a joint team of the Indian Air Force and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). Further progress on the deal will depend on the technical evaluation report, the Government told the committee which had expressed unhappiness that till date no progress had been made in the acquisition of the LLTRs. The standing committee said it was only partly satisfied with the reply of the Defence Ministry regarding the purchase of equipment from a single source, Russia. The ministry agreed with the committee’s recommendation that although Russia may remain a main reliable source of defence equipment but in the current scenario floating of global tenders should be encouraged to enable emergence of competitive prices which may prove to be an advantage in the purchase of sophisticated state-of-the-art equipment. (UNI) Oppn parties to hold dharna on Ayodhya issue on Thursday NEW DELHI, Dec 3: MPs of major opposition parties would hold a sit-in at Parliament house on Thursday to protest the demolition of Babri Masjid and also raise the Ayodhya issue as well as "communal outbursts" by BJP and VHP leaders during Gujarat poll campaign in both the houses, CPI-M leader Somnath Chatterjee said today. A meeting of the parties, convened by Chatterjee today, also decided to jointly raise the issues of Dalit killings in Haryana, the problems faced by agriculture labourers and disinvestment of profit-making public sector units. The meeting, attended among others by leaders of Congress, RJD, JD(S) and four left parties, expressed grave concern over the "deliberate attempt at the highest level of BJP and the Government in rousing the basest communal sentiments and trying to divide the country on communal and fundamentalist lines", Chatterjee told reporters here. Quoting BJP’s Gujarat election manifesto on setting up "private armies", he said "these are very serious developments .... BJP has nothing to offer to the people or tell them about their performance for the past five years when they had their control over the administration in full sway". Castigating Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on his statement about the threat of more attacks on temples, the CPI-M leader said "it is unimaginable that such statements are coming from the highest levels of Government ... Which are creating scare even in the minds of the majority community". He also took Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani to task "for flexing muscles and inviting pakistan for a fourth war" and said "the party (BJP) and its leadership both are completely imbalanced". Chatterjee said the opposition parties including Congress have already sought a discussion in Parliament on the internal security situation in the country and would raise these issues whenever the debate is held. The opposition would also force a discussion on privatisation of profit-making PSUs, he said, adding that even NDA partners were protesting on this count. He said several profit-making PSUs like Neyvelli Lignite, Shipping Corporation, Hindustan Papers and National Fertilisers were on Government’s disinvestment list. (PTI) Punjab CM warns against nefarious designs of Pak CHANDIGARH, Dec 3: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today exhorted the state police to equip itself with latest information technology and armaments to combat any eventuality caused by the cross border terrorism, "specially at the behest of our hostile neighbour pakistan, bent upon to destabilize our country in one way or another." Capt Singh addressing top brass of the Punjab Police force, said Pakistan’s nefarious activities were constantly posing a threat to the Punjab state’s internal security in general and country’s peace and communal harmony in particular. Earlier Capt Singh had dedicated Punjab Police website (www.Punjabpolice.Org) to the people of Punjab at the state police headquarters here. He called upon the police officers to be vigilant and not to be complacent in any case even in the routine policing. He asked Police Director General M S Bhullar to link all the districts and sub- divisions with the state police headquarters here through internet in a phased manner to make policing more efficient, accountable, responsive and vibrant. With the launching of website, the police force would effectively maintain law and order situation in the state, he said. Capt Singh was confident that Punjab now would become a trendsetter in swiftly disposing off and sorting out criminal cases like murders, kidnapings, rapes, molestations, burglaries, robberies and the like crimes, with the launch of the website. The Chief Minister commended his police force for the user friendly website, which had been conceived, designed, developed and uploaded completely in-house by webmasters of the special wing of the Crime Branch. Additional Police Director General (Crime) K K Attri said it was really a matter of pride that the website, which had recorded almost 63,000 hits, and was being accessed by as many as 54 countries around the globe had been bestowed with the prestigious golden web award for design, contents, coverage, presentation and originality by the International Association of Webmasters and Designers for the year 2002-03. He said at the click of a button, any person in any part of the world could acquaint himself with any aspect of the Punjab Police including its history, organisational set up. This included training aspects, a detailed digital map, public utility information, saga of sacrifices and contributions of Punjab cops, specially during terrorism and laudable achievements of this brave force even in the field of sports. The Chief Minister recommended one rank up promotion both to Head Constable Rajesh Thakur and Constable Surya Kumar attached to ADGP crime for their outstanding contribution in conceptualization and designing of this gigantic website. DGP Bhullar, speaking on the occasion said this website would go a long way in improving functioning of the Punjab Police. It would apprise the police personnel with the latest developments and basic inputs available in the department. Additional Director General (Law and Order) A A Siddqui also spoke on the occasion. (UNI) |
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