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‘No
room for gun in democratic dispensation’ Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Nov 18: In a significant development, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed on Monday called for "help" from the security forces for creating a situation "congenial for a dialogue to herald an era of lasting peace" in Jammu and Kashmir. As chairman of the Unified Headquarters of Jammu and Srinagar, the Chief Minister also allowed equally significant development—that is, asking the security forces to make a distinction between foreign mercenaries and local militants. In his first address to the joint meeting of the two Unified Headquarters here this morning, Mufti Sayeed stressed the need for greater coordination among the Army, paramilitary forces, police and the civil administration. The Chief Minister, in fact, advocated "firm and effective" measures to check infiltration into J&K from across the border. Conceding that the challenges thrown up by militancy are enormous, the Mufti said that they required to be met with "courage, fortitude and determination". At the same time, the Chief Minister had an important message: Efforts must be made to take along the civilian population in meeting the challenges. The people are carefully watching how we tackle the militancy. Appreciating the relaxation in the roadside frisking and search operations during ‘sehri’ and ‘taraveeh’ in Kashmir valley by the Army, Mufti Sayeed reiterated that the people wanted reduction in tensions. The Chief Minister’s verdict: Any such measure, which could lead to the relaxation of situation, would be welcomed by all. And as he emphasized the need for attitudinal change, he asked security forces to build a people-friendly image. He said that the Army and other security personnel had earned people’s appreciation at many places by their good conduct and helpful attitude. He recalled that once the people of a particular area had approached him to get the transfer of a Brigadier of the Army cancelled because he had won the hearts of villagers in Kashmir during Governor’s rule. The Chief Minister hoped that all categories of security forces would emulate this image and strive to win over the hearts of the people. The Mufti, in fact, wanted them to send this message down the line in every formation and build good rapport with the civilians. The Chief Minister, while appreciating the good civic action programmes undertaken by the Army and paramilitary forces in many areas, stressed that every measure must be initiated to avoid any unpleasant incident. If any wrong was committed, action, he said, must be transparent. This, he explained, would help establish people’s confidence in the security forces. Referring to the surrendered militants, the Chief Minister said that anyone who "shuns violence and returns to the mainstream needs to be rehabilitated properly". He added that it should be the duty of the security forces and the State to look after such people and not allow them to bring a bad name, either for themselves or the organisations they are affiliated to, by their unacceptable actions. A rehabilitation package, he argued, needed to be prepared so that their services were utilized in a meaningful manner for good of the society. Mufti Sayeed revealed that his Government would pursue the policies and programmes to check discontent and alienation, leaving no scope for militancy to be sustained by the people. "We must see that we don’t give any cause to anyone to pick up the gun and go astray", he advocated. He also asked the security forces to ensure that no innoncent was harmed. The Chief Minister’s argument: People get outraged when innocents are killed and not the militants. His warning: No custodial killing would be accepted. His recommendation: Security forces and police should adopt innovative and modern methods of interrogation and information gathering. The Chief Minister called for a multi-pronged strategy to tackle the situation with "human touch" in J&K. He, at the same time, pledged to respect the people’s mandate by restoring peace with "honour and dignity". He reiterated that his Government was keen to initiate a political process involving all the political parties and other groups within the State and also to strive for consensus at the national level. "Democracy is a battle of ideas", was his poetic expression. And his firm opinion: There is no room for gun in democratic dispensation in which we are living. We are ready to hear anyone’s views and put across ours in true democratic spirit. "We have given a pledge to the people for restoration of peace with dignity and honour and the security forces, civil administration and the political leadership will have to work in unison to redeem this", he said and added: "This is in the national interest to end discontent, which would ensure lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir, machinations from across the border notwithstanding". The Commanders of 15 and 16 Corps, Director-General of Police, IGs of the Border Security Force and J&K Police, besides senior officers of intelligence agencies, gave their assessment of the situation to the Chief Minister. All the forces assured him their full support in bringing about a desired change in the situation in accordance with his directions. The Chief Secretary and Divisional Commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir also participated in the meeting. |
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Govt will move Accountability Bill in Assembly: Beig Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU,Nov 18: The stage seems set for an unprecedented move by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-led coalition Government, envisaging a hassle-free offensive against corruption in the administration and public life in Jammu and Kashmir. As the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, has committed himself to the onerous task of eradicating corruption from the administration and public life, a move, which, in official terminology, is called Accountability Bill, will become a reality with the commencement of the special session of the J&K Legislative Assembly on November 21. The Bill with the Chief Minister under its purview will be tabled in the House, Mr Muzaffar Hussain Beig, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, disclosed on Monday after taking the oath as a member of the Legislative Assembly. It will be for the first time in the history of the State that the Mufti Government will introduce the Bill in the brief session of the newly-constituted Assembly. Mr Beig, who also holds Finance and Planning portfolio, pointed out that Mufti Sayeed himself had suggested that the ‘Ahtisaab’ (Accountability) Bill should include the top post (Chief Minister’s) as well. With this, the message from the Chief Minister became loud and clear: PDP-led coalition Government is keen on having the anti-corruption machinery with teeth. Mr Beig said that the coalition Government was determined to provide a clean,credible and accountable administration to the people to address their grievances with "a healing touch". He said that the ensuing session of the Legislative Assembly would be a "historic" session as it had come up after holding a free, fair and credible elections by the Election Commission of India. Mr Beig stated that the recent polls had achieved much more significance as the people of the strife-torn State had attached high hopes and aspirations with the present dispensation. He said that the Assembly session would register a new chaper in the history of Jammu and Kashmir. On the release of political detainees, Mr Beig said: "We are a responsible Government and our effort is to have a synthesis of national interests and local aspirations. There is no reason for any concern". Emphasizing that the Government would take all steps to weed out corruption, Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Mangat Ram, said that the move to table the Accountability Bill in the coming session of the Assembly was specifically meant to ensure transparency and accountability in "all spheres of the State administration". Answering questions by mediapersons on the sidelines of the oath-taking ceremony for the newly-elected members of the Legislative Assembly, Mr Sharma stressed that the Bill would be accorded "priority" along with the Lok Pal Bill as it would prove that even under intense scrutiny the officials could perform to the best of their ability. On the proposed visit to J&K by the members of the Kashmir Committee headed by former Union Law Minister, Mr Ram Jethmalani, Mr Mangat Ram Sharma made a pointed reference to the "willingness" of the State Government to talk to the panel if the latter desired so. There was a pointed question vis-a-vis the demand for transfer of volatile border areas to the Army. In his reply, Deputy Chief Minister made it plain that such an arrangement was not viable at all. He had a significant point to make: There cannot be two Governments in one State. That the Deputy Chief Minister was keen to ensure that wrong messages did not go out in this connection became quite clear with his statement: "We respect the Army as they have done a commendable job in containing militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, apart from continuing their civic action programmes". Refusing to give the control of the bordering areas of the State to the Army, Mr Sharma observed: "I am afraid this can’t be supported, simply because there can’t be two Governments in one State". On the other hand, Mr Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami, CPI(M) leader, undertook the task of setting the record straight in the context of different interpretation by different people on the release of a set of political detainees in recent days. He insisted that only those ultras against whom there were no serious charges were being released by the State Government. Was the present Government ‘soft’ on the militants? In his reply, Mr Tarigami told mediapersons: "The system was in vogue during the earlier regimes as well". Welcoming the initiative being taken by the Kashmir Committee in defusing the present turmoil in the Valley, Mr Tarigami stated that there was nothing wrong if they talked to the Hurriyat Conference and tried to arrive at an amicable solution. "Talks should go on which is definitely better than no talks", he said. In a related development, Mr Muzaffar Hussain Beig said that no one should perceive that the present Government headed by Mufti Sayeed "is toeing a soft line" in relation to the detained ultras. |
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MLAs insist on regional
languages Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Nov 18: The oath taking ceremony of newly elected MLAs in the Assembly hall today was marred by a stalemate with two legislators insisting on taking oath in Dogri and Sheena language resulting into disruption of proceedings for sometime. As soon as the Pro-tem Speaker Abdul Aziz Zargar named first timer Panthers Party MLA from Udhampur, Balwant Singh Mankotia to take oath, the legislator told the Chair that he wanted to take the oath in Dogri. Zargar, however, asked Mankotia, who had defeated BJP heavyweight Lala Shiv Charan Gupta’s son Pawan Gupta in the Assembly elections, to take oath in Hindi saying he had a provision (of taking oath) in only three languages—English, Hindi and Urdu, which was official language of the State. But, Mankotia maintained that either he would take oath in Dogri or would defer his oath by 10-15 days till a document of taking oath in Dogri language was prepared. "Mein Apni Basha Ch Oath Laini Aay. Ide Taayin Paamein Intzaar Ki Ni Karna Poye (I’ve to take oath in my language even if I had to wait for this)", he asserted amidst a stalemate in the House with several other members requesting Mankotia to take oath in Hindi. Mankotia cited that there was a provision in the Constitution to take oath in any language and "I can’t be deprived of my Constitutional right". "I agree that Urdu is official language of the State but I’ve a legal right to take oath in Dogri", the Udhampur MLA said when the Pro-tem Speaker asked him not to insist on taking oath in Dogri. He said the Assembly staff should have prepared the language of oath in Dogri. At this, the Pro-tem Speaker pointed out that a member required to give in writing to the Assembly Secretary a day before that he wants to take oath in a particular language. As Mankotia refused to relent, a formula was worked out by the Assembly staff under which the Pro-tem Speaker read the oath in Hindi while Mankotia translated it and took the oath in Dogri. A history of sort was created by Mankotia, who became the first legislator to take the oath in Dogri in the State Assembly. Again, the National Conference MLA Nazir Ahmed from Gurez wanted to take oath in Sheena language. "How will we know that you are taking the oath of the Constitution of India when we can’t understand Sheena"? asked a NC MLA Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari. Nazir Ahmed retaliated :"then how did you know that Mankotia took the oath of the Constitution in Dogri"? Zargar again reiterated that he had only three options and he (the MLA) should have given an advance notice of taking the oath in a particular language. "Then why a legislator was allowed to take the oath in Dogri"? Nazir asked. Finally, Nazir Ahmed agreed to take the oath in English. NC Legislature Party Secretary Javid Rana, MLA Mendhar, who had turned up in the House attired in a traditional Gojri dress with a ‘kalgi pagri’ (headgear with a tail), described Gojri as ‘Maan’ (mother) of all languages but didn’t insist on taking oath in the language. The well-educated Javid Rana, who had won Mendhar seat with over 8500 votes, took the oath in English. BSP MLA from Vijaypur Manjeet Singh, Advocate also wanted to take the oath in Punjabi but later relented and took it in English. Chief Minister Mufti Mohd Sayeed, who is not a member of either House, was not present in the House today during the oath ceremony. Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma was the first to take oath followed by Finance and Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Muzaffar Beig, Rural Development Minister Peerzada Mohd Sayeed, Housing and Urban Development Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir, Social Welfare Minister Mula Ram, School Education Minister Harshdev Singh, MoS Works Nawang Rigzin and MoS Rural Development Haji Nissar Ali. After the Ministers, NC Legislature Party leader Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Shah followed by former Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather took oath. While all Ministers and Shah took oath in English, Rather was the first to take oath in Urdu. Congress (I) MLA from Reasi Jugal Kishore took the oath in the name of Goddess Vaishnodevi while other legislators took oath in the name of ‘Ishwar’, God, ‘Bhagwan’ and ‘Khuda’. Few legislators couldn’t take oath today. The Pro-tem Speaker announced that they would be administered the oath in the Chamber tomorrow. Jammu Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) Legislature Party leader and CPM MLA from Kulgam Mohd Yusuf Tarigami intervened during the oath ceremony and said all legislators should take oath in Urdu, which was official language of the State. However, the Speaker said the legislators enjoyed the option of taking oath in English, Hindi and Urdu. |
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Bid to blame ‘Kale
Kachewale’ gang foiled Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Nov 18: In bizarre incident, a Government official today murdered his wife and a year old son in his house at Gali Malhotran under City police station’s jurisdiction and tried to make it a crime executed by the ‘Kale Kachewale’ gang. Accused Surinder Sharma, 46, a Surveyor in Department of Archives, who was also running a private finance company, has been kept under house arrest and would be arrested formally tomorrow after the last rites of his year old son Arjun and wife Vinny Sharma , police sources said. While the infant died instantly, Vinny Sharma succumbed to her injuries in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Government Medical College hospital late tonight, they said, adding the woman had sustained a ‘very deep’ wound in her head. Police quoting the circumstantial evidence said Surinder Sharma, whose first wife had died in 1994, used to have frequent scuffles with his second wife Vinny with whom he had married in 1997. He had a grown up son and a daughter from the first wife and a year old son from the second wife. Besides, he had two sisters in his house, one of whom was mentally-ill, they said. Initially, police said, they received a telephone call from Surinder Sharma at about 1730 hours, more than half an hour after the incident, that two ‘Kale Kachewale’ had struck in his house and attacked his wife and son. Sensing gravity of the situation, a City police party led by SP City (North) Parbhat Singh and comprising DySP City Rupinder Chalotra and SHO City Inspector Kuljeet Singh rushed to the house. Police said Surinder Sharma had destroyed all evidences from the house. He had washed the blood stains and hidden a hammer he had used in committing the offence. When quizzed, he failed to give any clue, which could attribute the crime to ‘Kale Kachewale’ gang or any other criminal, they added. Police rushed Vinny Sharma to hospital, where the doctors’ sterenous two hours efforts to save her life proved futile. The woman breathed her last late tonight. Doctors said her head had been completely crushed with the hammer. According to police, all evidence on the spot pointed out towards cold-blooded murders. Sequences of the incident, which were developed by police during questioning of the family members and some neighbours, indicated that Surinder Sharma attacked her wife, who was holding her one year old child in her arms, with a hammer without any provocation and with a direct attempt to kill her. As the woman fell down bleeding profusely, the child also went down from the arms and died after suffering a head injury. Police said the accused tried to give a twist to the story by telling police that the crime was executed by ‘Kale Kachewale’ gang. However, police got no time in working out the double murder mystery and found that the accused was none else than Surinder Sharma. Police said after committing the crime, Surinder also rang up her mother-in-law and narrated them the same story of ‘Kale Kachewale’. However, his in-laws told police that Surinder used to beat-up their daughter frequently. Meanwhile, police have seized the hammer as well some other evidences like a ‘kaleen’ from the house. Police said the accused has been kept under house arrest and would be arrested after the last rites of hie wife and son are performed tomorrow. |
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3 cops arrested for
extortion Excelsior Correspondent SRINAGAR, Nov 18: While as security forces today killed a militant in an encounter at Chadoura, Police have arrested three constables of District Special Branch (DSB) when they were found extorting money from shopkeepers at Hazratbal. Informed sources said that, on a specific information, troops of BSF 171 Bn raided a militant hideout at Nopora in Chadoura area of Budgam district during last night. One militant of Hizbul Mujahideen got killed. He was identified as Mohammad Shafi Dar S/o Mohammad Ramzan Dar R/o Chrawni, Chrar-e-Sharif. A fake identity card, recovered from his pocket, described the militant as Shabir Ahmed Mir S/o Abdul Aziz Mir R/o Badipora, Chadoura. At Sirigifwara, near Bijbehara, militants fired upon CRPF personnel when they were busy in shopping today. One soldier, identified as B A Biswas of 86 Bn, sustained injuries. He was rushed to hospital. Another encounter began between militants and security forces in a forest area, in Handwara, this afternoon. Details were still awaited. Here in the capital city, three persons carrying a loaded pistol appeared at Hazratbal today and began extorting money from shopkeepers. Two shopkepers, namely Bashir Ahmed Mir and Abdur Razaq of Ashai Bagh resisted and called the Police. Police arrested the trio and seized their pistol. The detained persons turned out none other than the Police personnel. They were identified as constables Aijaz Ahmed, Ghulam Ahmed and Shahnawaz Ahmed. Sources said that the detainees identified themselves as the officials of DSB Srinagar, Nowhatta Section. DSB is the intelligence unit of executive Police at District level. SSP Srinagar, who reportedly visited the spot, was not available for comments. Residents of Ashai Bagh expressed shock over the way the complainant shopkeepers had also been placed in detention alongwith the accused. Four fake militants, indulging in extortion with a fake pistol, have also been arrested in Pulwama. One of them was operating in Police uniform. |
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Two Govt officials among 4
held; stamps haul Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Nov 18: Police today smashed a racket engaged in selling fake state subjects to the people to enable them to purchase land and get the Government jobs. Four persons including a kingpin of the racket and two Government officials have been arrested by police so far while some more arrests were expected to be made soon. A number of fake state subjects and stamps of different Government officials especially those having the authority to issue state subjects and other certificates have been recovered from the racketeers, police sources said, adding ‘more recoveries were in the offing’. The sources didn’t rule out the possibility of some of the fake state subjects having fallen into hands of the anti-national elements to purchase land and settle in Jammu. A total of 20 fake stamps belonging to Deputy Commissioners of Jammu and Kathua, Tehsildars of Hiranagar, Kathua, Jammu, Akhnoor, RS Pura and Bishnah besides Chief Education Officer (CEO) and Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) Jammu and Head Master Government high school, Channi were recovered from the house of kingpin, who was identified by the police as Ashok Kumar son of Ram Dass, a resident of Upper Gadigarh. He was a retired employee of RRL, Himachal Pardesh. Besides, one basic stamp, used in verification of the certificates, one stamp showing valid date of state subjects and another stamp indicating the certificate valid till marriage were also recovered from the accused. Two agents of the kingpin, who too had been arrested, included Arun Kumar son of Sewa Ram R/o Kothian Slair, Bishnah and Hansa son of Nek Ram R/o Nanak Nagar. Both of them were employees of Jammu Development Authority (JDA). A recipient of the fake state subject Sat Pal R/o Gorkha Nagar has also been arrested, police said. In addition to the stamps, police have, hitherto, recovered 19 fake state subjected from the possession of the racketeers. While three seized certificates had been issued to the individuals, 16 certificates were blank but had been stamped and were ready to be issued to the gullible persons. Kingpin of the racket told police during the investigations that he and his agents had already sold 200 state subjects to different people. Police said efforts were on to identify the fake state subject holders and recover the certificates from their possession. Racket was smashed by a Bakshi Nagar police team led by SDPO Bhupinder Singh Wazir and SHO Inspector Mohd Rafiq. The investigating team comprised Probationer Sub Inspector Vikram Sharma, Sub Inspector Zakir Hussain and head constable Dev Raj. The team was supervised by SSP Farooq Khan and SP City (North) Parbhat Singh. Some of the fake state subjects were wearing the duplicate signatures of Anil Goswami, former Deputy Commissioner and presently Divisional Commissioner, Jammu while others had the fake signatures of former Tehsildar, Jammu Shanti Saroop Gupta. Police said the recovery of fake stamps of CEO and ZEO Jammu and Head Master of a high school indicated that the accused might be selling fake educational certificates also. According to police, the kingpin used to acquire the fake stamps from Palampur in Himachal Pardesh, where he had served in the RRL. The kingpin said they had learnt the technique of making fake state subjects from one Omi, who was now dead. |
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Adjournment motion on Gujarat defeated NEW DELHI, Nov 18: An opposition attempt to arraign the Government on the opening day of the Winter Session in the Lok Sabha on Gujarat failed today with the defeat of an adjournment motion as Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani sent a veiled message to the Sangh Parivar that elections in the state are free, fair and peaceful. He also strongly endorsed Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s appeal to parties not to make Godhra and the subsequent communal violence an election issue. He dismissed reports of difference between him and Vajpayee. In a bid to give a vent to the opposition steam, Speaker Manohar Joshi admitted an opposition-sponsored adjournment motion which targeted mainly the handling of the communal situation in Gujarat. The CPI-M motion in the backdrop of VHP’s attempt to take out a Vijay Yatra from Godhra yesterday was later defeated by a voice vote and strangely the opposition did not press for division. During the six-and-a-half hour debate, the opposition attacked the BJP and Parivar outfits like VHP accusing them of attempting to foment trouble in Gujarat and cash on polarisation in the polls. In a spirited but brief intervention, Advani told the House that India can never be converted into a Hindu state and that the people would neither condone communal violence nor tolerate pseudo secularism. "BJP and other related organisations should see that the elections are free and fair and that good governance and safety of minorities are key poll issues," the Deputy Prime Minister said. Observing that a new Government in Gujarat would be in place before the session ends, Advani said the Godhra carnage under no circumstances should be made an election issue as emphasised by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. "Nobody should level allegations that can disturb the communal situation in Gujarat, he said, adding BJP’s slogan is to convert `Swaraj’ (self governance) to `Suraj’ (good governance). Advani also described the demolition of disputed structure at Ayodhya in December 1992 as "shameful". During the debate, some opposition members even demanded the detention of VHP leaders like Praveen Togadia till the completion of the poll process. (PTI) |
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Mamata may notbe taken back in Cabinet soon NEW DELHI, Nov 18: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, who has indicated her intention to rejoin Vajpayee Government, may have to cool her heels outside the cabinet for some more time. Highly-placed Government sources today said Banerjee’s re-induction during the winter session of Parliament is unlikely and indicated that Government was in no mood to agree to her demands, including those relating to Eastern Railway bifurcation. The TC chief, who held discussions with NDA convenor and Defence Minister George Fernandes over her demands had said in Kolkata last week that Fernandes had "requested" her to join the NDA Government. The working committee of Trinamool Congress had decided last week to remain in NDA and after the meeting Banerjee had indicated her party could join the Vajpayee Government. She also had a telephonic talk with OSD in Prime Minister’s Office Sudhindra Kulkarni, on the issues. (PTI) |
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Surrendered ultra killed, SPO hurt Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Nov 18: A surrendered militant was killed while as a Special Police Officer (SPO) was injured in an encounter. Reports said that a surrendered militant was killed when terrorists opened firing near Jamia Masjid Bharti in Gandoh. The security personnel deployed in the area immediately retialiated the fire but militants managed to escape from the area. Meanwhile, a Special Police Officer (SPO) was critically injured in an encounter with militants at Yaryana Post under the jurisdiction of Kishtwar Police Station. The militants opened indiscriminate firing on the SPO Post Yaryana on the intervening night of November 17 and 18 which was effectively retialiated. In the cross-firing, SPO Parvez Ahmed received critical bullet injuries and has been hospitalised. The security forces also busted a hide-out in the house of one Mohd Hussain in village Allal Dana under the jurisdiction of Thana Mandi Police Station in Rajouri district. The hide-out was made in such a way that atleast five to eight militants could hide there. Search operation in the area was continued when reports last came in. |
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Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Nov 18: Three persons were killed and two others sustained severe injuries in separate road accidents. According to police, a pillion rider was killed and scooterist sustained severe injuries when their scooter bearing registration number JK02N-315 was hit by a speeding truck at Shamshan Ghat Pulli on National Highway near Digiana. The truck driver immediately fled from the spot leaving behind the victims bleeding profusely. Both the victims were rushed to Government Medical College and Hospital where doctors pronounced pillion rider Champa Devi, daughter of Chater Singh of village Chabra in Bishnah tehsil as brought dead. The condition of injured was stated to be out of danger when reports last came in. In another road accident, one Kirpal Singh of Ambica Colony was killed when his scooter bearing registration number JK02B-9810 was hit by a Tata Sumo bearing number HRC-6725 at Greater Kailash, Kunjwani. The pillion rider Kripal Singh, son of Omkar Singh of Ambica Colony was seriously injured in the accident. He has been hospitalised and his condition was stated to be critical when reports last came in. Meanwhile, one Kamlesh, wife of Mangal Singh of Gajansoo was killed when she was hit by a speeding army vehicle at Kirpal Pur near Gho Manhasan this evening. She was rushed to Government Medical College and Hospital where doctors pronounced her as brought dead. |
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