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Saxena
wants Governor’s rule for shortest possible period From Ahmed Ali Fayaz SRINAGAR, Oct 19: Governor Girish Chander Saxena today said that the leaders of the major political parties were anytime welcome at the Raj Bhawan to stake their claims for the Government formation. He clarified that, after the imposition of the Governor’s rule in a situation of emergency on October 17, there was no deadline for such an act. He said that no advisors to Governor were being appointed immediately as he would like the operation of the Governor’s rule for shortest possible period. While addressing his first news conference after becoming the head of the Government on Thursday night, Girish Chander Saxena wished the elected representatives of the people to form a majority and, consequently, the popular Government. Expecting such a possibility in near future, he clarified that no advisors were being appointed immediately for running the executive. "I don’t know how long it (Governor’s rule) will continue. It will be my effort to keep it as shorter as possible", he said. Governor wished to register his gratitude to the Election Commission of India, polling staff brought in from outside, electorate, participant candidates, Police, security forces, media and the foreign diplomats for their varied contribution to conducting of free, fair and transparent democratic process in the strife-torn State of Jammu & Kashmir. He said that the elections had dispelled all negative impressions with respect to the credibility of the democratic process. Saxena said it was nevertheless unfortunate that the people had given a fractured verdict and no political party had acquired the required strength to form the Government. It created a fluid and complex situation and the imposition of Governor’s rule became indispensable to deal with that outcome. He said unfortunately Dr Farooq Abdullah refused to continue as the caretaker Chief Minister at 8.00 p.m on Thursday and the Governor was left with no option but to impose the Governor’ rule under Section 92 of the Jammu & Kashmir Constitution. He sought to clarify that no claim was pending for the Government formation when he imposed the Governor’s rule on Thursday night. He said that after Dr Abdullah’s negative reply at 2000 hours, the State was heading for breakdown of the constitutional machinery and he had no other option but to impose the Governor’s rule. Saxena asserted that the leaders of the major political parties were free to approach him anytime, without any deadline, with the resolution of their supporting MLAs. Once the Governor was adequately satisfied that a particular contender was enjoying the majority support as per the constitutional provisions, he would lose no time in taking the necessary step for the installation of the popular Government. Asked why the single largest party National Conference (NC)— which has 28 MLAs against 20 of Congress (I) and 16 of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)— had not been directly invited to form the Government and prove its majority on the floor of the House, Saxena said it was not a Constitutional binding upon him. "There is no such Constitutional provision or precedence. It was on a few occasions at the Centre that the single largest party had been directly called but that was always relating to particular situations", Governor said. Asked if a particular contender was required to parade 44 supporting MLAs before the Governor while staking claim for the Government formation, Saxena said that the Governor had his own wisdom and means to satisfy himself. He referred to the statements of the two MLAs from Ladakh—who have said that they would not support any party—and added that there were "certain extraneous factors". He explained that after the two MLAs’ statement, one would have to work out on the figure of 85 only. Governor asserted that he would not disclose in advance as to how he would satisfy himself with regard to the majority support of a contender. When a journalist sought the Governor’s opinion vis-a-vis the suggestion of holding a special session of the assembly to ascertain the strength of the potential contenders, he remarked that it was very much "debatable". It has never happened in India since the Independence, he said. The Governor also sought to set the record straight by explaining that it was necessary for him to deal with the outcome and to take an initiative. Elaborating on it, he said that he invited the leaders of all the three major parties, namely, National Conference, Congress and People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Purpose for the exercise, he said, was simple: "I wanted them to benefit me with their views". Mr Saxena lamented: "Unfortunately, the situation did not crytalize enough to enable me to identify the party or group of parties that could command a majority in the new Assembly or form a stable Government in the State". And as he referred to his first round of talks with the leaders of National Conference, Congress and the PDP, Mr Saxena divulged that he had explained to them that it would be desirable that the new Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers should be appointed by October 17, when the term of the outgoing Assembly expired. Mr Saxena made use of such expressions as to clearly suggest that compulsion of circumstances finally led to the imposition of Governor’s rule. He said: "I feel that every effort was made to avoid the imposition of Governor’s rule. But circumstances arose where it became unescapable". Mr Saxena made a significant point vis-a-vis his future line of action: The doors for the formation of the Government will remain open beyond October 21. The October 21 deadline was fixed by Mr Saxena himself prior to the imposition of Governor’s rule. As he made a pointed reference to the altered scenario, Mr Saxena disclosed his plan to go in for another round of parleys with leaders of the political parties. He said: "Now the situation is that I invite the major political parties for second round of talks". He made it plain that as long as Governor’s rule remained in force, the administration, which was till the other day pre-occupied with the Assembly polls, would try to address the problems of the people. His administration, he said, had started functioning to give relief to the people till the time they get their Government. "People will not be allowed to suffer", he emphasized. When asked if he planned to invite the single largest party to form the Government, Mr Saxena made it clear: "There was no constitutional obligation to invite the single largest party if it did not command a majority in the Assembly... It should command a majority or be able to win the vote of confidence in the Assembly". Nor was it all. The Governor also made it abundantly clear: "I should be satisfied that the Government formed is most likely to survive the vote of confidence". He hoped that the wishes and the verdict of the people would be respected and an elected Government formed "at the earliest". Mr Saxena began his news conference by dwelling on the success of the Assembly elections. He felicitated the State’s electorate for braving bullets and threats to participate in the polls. He also congratulated candidates for their participation in the polls, despite the killing of two contestants and bids on the lives of many others. Mr Saxena, at the same time, highlighted the scintillating performance of the security forces while providing a secure environment for the conduct of polls. He placed himself on record by saying: "I salute the memory of those personnel who lost their lives while performing their duties". Mr Saxena did not conceal his appreciation for what he termed as "largely fair coverage" by the media of the poll process in J&K. Last but not least, he praised diplomats of foreign countries for projecting the "fairness and transparency" of the J&K elections. |
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Cong for consolidation of
people’s mandate Excelsior Special Correspondent NEW DELHI, Oct 19: ‘Mission Kashmir’, this time by Ms Sonia Gandhi’s confidant, Dr Manmohan Singh, will, on present indications, unfold itself, maybe in phases, from Sunday, October 20. Dr Manmohan Singh, who has had detailed consultations with his party supremo, Ms Sonia Gandhi, and the J&K PCC chief and newly-appointed leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, will arrive in Srinagar on Sunday for "crucial" talks with various political leaders, particularly Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, in a bid to break the deadlock over Government formation. The need for restructuring the Kashmir strategy by the Congress High Command arose soon after the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) supremo, Mufti Sayeed, hardened his stance on the issue of Chief Ministership. This aspect of the situation led to brainstorming sessions senior Congress strategists had, in the past two days, with Ms Sonia Gandhi. In these sessions, a select group of Congress leaders took part. Prominent among them were Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, Dr Manmohan Singh, Mr Kamal Nath and Mr RK Dhawan, besides Ms Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary and AICC general secretary, Ms Ambika Soni. If these leaders were found working overtime, the continuing political impasse had, obviously, forced them to do so. The whole exercise finally yielded the Congress High Command’s decision to depute Dr Manmohan Singh to Srinagar on Sunday for holding talks with Mufti Sayeed. These talks will be meant to firm up a coalition Government in Jammu and Kashmir, Ms Ambika Soni told reporters. The decision, in this regard, was taken by Ms Sonia Gandhi after consultations with senior party leaders including Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ms Ambika Soni said in reply to a question. Dr Manmohan Singh is leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha. The move to send him to Srinagar came hours after the J&K Governor, Mr Girish Chandra Saxena, said that there was no deadline now on the formation of Government in the State and asked the political parties to come with a credible claim. The decision also assumed significance in the context of Mufti Sayeed’s public assertion (in Ganderbal on Friday) that his party, PDP, would firm up an alliance with other political parties only at its own term or might sit in the opposition. Ms Ambika Soni made it plain to reporters that her party president was for the continuance of the process of consultations on the issue of formation of a coalition Government in the State. "Our main objective is to consolidate the mandate of the people. It should not be frittered away", she said. Ms Ambika Soni also made it plain that Dr Manmohan Singh, during his stay in Kashmir, will also hold talks with leaders of all other non-National Conference and non-BJP parties including independents. On Governor, Mr Saxena’s statement that the October 21 deadline was no more relevant in the formation of the next Government, she said: "We are aware about it, and we are trying to expedite Government formation as it was the desire of the people of the State". Asked whether the Congress would insist on Chief Ministership, Ms Ambika declined to be drawn into discussion. She, in fact, avoided a direct reply. She simply said that Mr Azad and other senior party leaders had been contending that a common minimum programme should be chalked out first and Government formation should be based on that. She steered clear of the PDP charge that Congress was responsible for the continued stalemate, saying that she would not like to say anything on the matter as the process of consultations was on with likeminded parties including independents. She stated that Ms Sonia Gandhi had held two rounds of talks with Mufti Sayeed earlier this week in Delhi. Dr Manmohan Singh and other senior Congress leaders also had separate talks with the PDP leader. Mr Azad held two rounds of discussions with the Mufti in Srinagar, Ms Ambika Sonia said in reply to another question. She also informed reporters about the meeting the J&K CPI(M) leader, Mr Yusuf Tarigami, had with Ms Sonia Gandhi here. Mr Tarigami apprised the Congress president of the political situation in J&K. He favoured another round of talks with the PDP leader, Mufti Sayeed, to firm up a coalition Government. After his meeting with Ms Sonia Gandhi, Mr Tarigami was asked: What will happen in the event of the failure to cobble a coalition Government? Mr Tarigami’s reply: "We will think over it when such a situation arises". |
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I didn’t leave in a huff: Farooq SRINAGAR, Oct 19: Jammu and Kashmir former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has brushed aside allegations that he created a situation which led to the breakdown of constitutional machinery and drove the State to Governor’s rule. "I did not left my post in a huff. I stayed on the post till I was morally and constitutionally bound and I did not slip away. I discussed the issue with my senior party colleagues and legal luminaries...Their views were exactly the same," Dr Abdullah told a TV channel in an interview last night. Dr Abdullah said it was only after consultations with constitutional experts that he wrote to Governor Girish Chandra Saxena within a period of three hours after receiving his letter. "They have been blaming me that I kept it hanging on for such a longtime...Which is wrong," he added. Asked if Governor’s rule in the State was not a betrayal of the people’s mandate, he said those people who have been shouting on top of their voices that the mandate has been in their favour should be blamed for it. "One party says it was a mandate for them in Jammu and other says they got it in Kashmir. But the National Conference has been saying that it got the mandate in all the three regions," Dr Abdullah said. The former Chief Minister said he never wanted Governor’s rule in the State. "I am the last person who wants a Governor’s rule in the State. I have opposed it in the past...I do not agree with Governor’s rule at all." Asked about his decision if the Congress or the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) sought his support in the Government formation, he said, "none of them have asked for my support so far. Whenever it comes through I will speak to my party president and other colleagues and then pass my verdict on it." Taking a dig at the Congress and the PDP, Dr Abdullah said his party was not in the race for "Aya Ram Gaya Ram business." "The two parties are running helter-skelter to collect people, hiding their MLAs in hotels where no one can take them away...We are not into that," he added. The NC patron said he, his son Omar Abdullah and the party will work together to strengthen the NC at the grass-root level and will fight for the cause of the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. Ruling out his shifting to Delhi, Dr Abdullah said it has become more important for him to stay here after the election results were out and work harder. "There is no way I can shift to Delhi...My work is here," he added. (UNI) |
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No alternative to
coalition Govt: Mehbooba SRINAGAR, Oct 19: In an apparent softening of stand, PDP today said there was no alternative to a coalition Government with Congress but advised that party to relent on the demand for Chief Ministership. "Congress should understand that the alliance can get going once someone from the PDP is appointed as the Chief Minister, party’s vice president Mehbooba Mufti told PTI here. She said her party was in favour of settling the issues through dialogue but was unaware of the next step of Congress in ending the deadlock. Mehbooba said this was not a fight between PDP president Mufti Mohammed Sayeed or Congress chief Ghulam Nabi Azad, but a battle on principles. "Let me make it clear that Congress should understand that PDP has been given the mandate in the Valley against National Conference and should be allowed to serve the people". She alleged that Congress was spreading rumours about its staking claim to form Government which leaves the independents, whose support is crucial for Government formation, vulnerable to horse trading. The PDP vice president said "Congress should come and hold talks and stop making claims and adopting a one-sided approach in resolving the crisis" No crisis can be resolved without holding talks and the Government formation was a small issue, which has been unfortunately blown out of proportion, Mehbooba said. Asked about the October 20 deadline set by a group of independents to PDP and Congress to resolve their differences, Mehbooba said "I have nothing to say on these deadlines but let me make it clear that such a situation has arisen only due to the uncompromising stand of Congress". Setting the deadline, Peoples Democratic Forum, a group of independents and CPI(M) legislators led by rebel Hurriyat leader Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Sofi, has threatened to seek support of National Conference in Government formation. Mehbooba said Congress and PDP should come and initiate a dialogue which could lead to formation of Government. Other smaller groups and independents will fall into line themselves, she said. She said her party was not rigid on Mufti being the Chief Minister. "We have a galaxy of leaders who can take the responsibility", Mehbooba said. She said Congress should refrain from its "so-called signature campaign" as this was brewing mistrust between the two parties. Asked about possibility of a split in PDP if Congress staked claim without PDP support, Mehbooba said "my party is intact. No MLA is willing to defect against the wishes of the people of the State". To a question whether the Governor’s rule has been thrust by the National Conference, Mehbooba said "I will not like to comment about the decision taken by Farooq Abdullah (of refusing to continue as caretaker Chief Minister) but I wonder Abdullah remembered his moral responsibility only after he was out of power". (PTI) |
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Heavy firing in Uri,
Kargil By B L Kak JAMMU, Oct 19: Trigger-happy Pakistan troops have,literally, justified the continuance of the deployment of Indian forces along the Line of Control (LoC), if the latest Pak firing in Uri and Kargil sectors of Jammu and Kashmir was taken as proof. Even after Islamabad’s "assurance" that it would also take steps to help defuse tensions along the Indo-Pakistan border following New Delhi’s decision to redeploy troops from the International Border with Pakistan, unprovoked firing from Pakistani soldiers stationed across Uri and Kargil sectors in the past two days signalled the apparent intention of the other side to shift the focus to the Indian side of the LoC. The three-hour firing in Uri sector on Friday involved the use of artillery by Pakistanis. Indian troops’ initial reaction to the firing of a volley of shots from the other side wasn’t impulsive. But they soon found the Pak soldiers unwilling to behave properly. Hence, the retaliatory fire from the Indian side. According to one account, Pakistanis put a halt to their shooting spree only after the Indian soldiers demonstrated two aspects—first,their effective firepower, and, secondly, their unwillingness to tolerate uncalled for provocation. A couple of elevated tablelands in the equally strategic Tangdhar sector of Kashmir also witnessed firing by Pakistani soldiers and effective "reply" fire from this side. There were no casualties on the Indians both in Tangdhar and Uri sectors. Indian forces had to be set in motion elsewhere as well in the wake of markedly offensive posture of Pakistani soldiers close to the frontier in Kargil and Siachen sectors since the beginning of this week. Medium to heavy gunfire took place between the armies of India and Pakistan in the Siachen area on Thursday and Friday. Siachen glacier, the world’s highest battlefield, has, in recent days, became hot, thanks to the belligerant Pak soldiers. And signals from across the LoC in Kargil sector are not encouraging at all, if one were to take into account the continuing fire from Pakistanis for the last some days. Believe it or not, Pakistani soldiers, on the night intervening Thursday and Friday, kept Indian forces virtually on the tenter-hooks for almost six hours in a couple of forward locations in Kargil sector. The exchange of fire between the two sides set off alarm bells ringing in quite a few villages. Reason: The average resident in the strategic Kargil sector, as noticed by Government sleuths, continues to be assailed by a fear, a premonition of anti-people thrust by Pakistani troops and irregulars in the coming days. Such kind of fears have also been generated in the Turtuk valley of Ladakh as a result of the unprovoked firing by Pakistani forces on Thursday and Friday, although the Indian border guards did offer an appropriate reply to the trigger-happy Pakistanis. |
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News Analysis From Pushp Saraf NEW DELHI, Oct 19: It is ironic. Governor’s rule has followed the fair, free and credible assembly elections, held under the international glare, in Jammu and Kashmir. Who is to be blamed for this? Governor G.C. Saxena obviously had no option but to personally take control because no administration can exist in vacuum. It is wrong to blame him and the criticism that vested interests in Srinagar and New Delhi are behind the decision to impose Governor’s rule is entirely unjustified. Farooq Abdullah could perhaps for the first time justifiably take the high moral ground for not continuing as the leader of the Assembly whose term had expired, although, in the past, there have been instances of the leaders continuing as caretaker Chief Ministers even after the dissolution, leave alone expiry of the tenure, of the Assembly or the leaders recommending the dissolution of the Assembly in which they did not have the majority. However, we should be more worried about the present. Why Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, former Union Home Minister who is the supremo of the People’s Democratic Party, and Ghulam Nabi Azad, president of the state unit of the Congress-I, don’t realise the significance of the electoral mandate given to them? People have voted for their parties while rejecting the National Conference and even, unbelievably so, the Abdullahs in the Valley. Why should Azad be denied the chance to head the coalition just because he belongs to the Jammu region? The onus is on the Mufti and Azad to prove that they would live up to the voters’ expectations and they should not delay their coalition. Given the present standards of politics, it would be wrong to blame Farooq for having refused to continue as the caretaker Chief Minister and, having, thus, paved the way for Governor’s rule in the State. Farooq is just out to expose the chinks between the Congress-I and the PDP. And, nobody should grudge him his first-time role in the opposition in the State (there is no comparison between what he faces now and what he had faced during the rule of his estranged brother-in-law G.M. Shah and what he himself had invited in 1990) which he has to play to the hilt to salvage the mandate personally handed over to him by the late Sheikh Abdullah, the tallest leader so far of the State, in 1982.* I repeatedly say Farooq and not Omar because I feel that the latter was pushed into politics rather too early. Farooq’s compromise with the Bharatiya Janata Party, which in its earlier avatars as the Jan Sangh and the Praja Parishad described the Abdullah family as ‘traitors’, helped Omar gain a ministerial berth at the Centre and a media profile which was not in conformity with the ground realities with which the young National Conference president was tragically out of tune as has been proved in these assembly elections. For Omar, these elections must have been a big learning experience. But nobody can ignore Farooq, despite all his eccentaricies, for, the fact remains that he is the self-appointed political heir of the Sheikh and he is the only State leader who could take on, at least once, on the might of the gutsy Indira Gandhi in the 1983 Assembly elections. There is nothing worth knowing in the State which he does not know. Unfortunately, however, having failed to build up on the 1983 mandate, he has failed the State again after 1996 when he had won what was admittedly a virtually one-horse race raising the hopes of many, including this scribe, that he would deliver a just and beneficent regime which he has not done. The Mufti and Azad have got a once-in-life opportunity to prove that they mean well by their home State and that they would not let down the people. One fails to understand the arguments advanced by them for furthering their respective claims for the post of the Chief Minister, as they are as much aware, as you and me, are that every such argument in the context of Jammu and Kashmir is valid. The argument that the People’s Democratic Party having humiliated the National Conference in the ‘politically-important’ Valley should get the post of the Chief Minister is valid but is it more valid than the one that the Congress having bagged more seats in the new legislature should have its nominee as the Chief Minister? Even the Congress, while harping on the respect and dignity of every region, can’t lose sight of the fact that nationally and internationally the Valley continues to be the focus of the attention. On my part, however, I fail to understand why Azad can’t be regarded as a true representative of the State. Is it only because he belongs to Doda district of the Jammu region? Not only he speaks his local dialect and the Dogri language, he speaks Kashmiri fluently, has studied in Srinagar’s S.P. College and married Shamim Dev, one of the topmost singers in the Kashmiri language. Similarly, the Mufti is one of the few politicians of the State who have contested elections in both the main regions of the State (immediately I can recall of the only two others, my esteemed father Om Prakash Saraf who had contested from the Amirakadal constituency in 1962 and Mian Bashir, the highly-revered Gujjar leader who has excelled both in Kangan in Srinagar district and Poonch-Rajouri in Jammu region) and who rose to become the Union Home Minister which ought to have given him a statewide and national perspective. That is why his party’s attack on Azad as being only a leader of the Jammu region is particularly galling. To single out Azad as a leader only of the Jammu region --- after he has led the Congress-I to a spectacular triumph in these elections --- is as irresponsible as to ignore the argument about drawing the people in the Valley into the national mainstream for which they have expressed their tacit approval should the elections be as credible as these have been in September and October. Neither the Mufti nor Azad --- one can say with confidence --- are unaware of the ground scenario. They are as aware of this as any one else. What is obviously acting as an impediment in their understanding are their personal and organisational ambitions which they would do well to note would spoil the case of both of them should they not form a coalition Government. People of the State have voted, as CPI-M leader Yusuf Tarigami has rightly said, for a coalition and for a non-NC Government. He is right when he says that if the PDP with 16 MLAs from the Valley --- just one region --- could insist upon having its nominee as the chief minister, why the top berth could not remain with the National Conference which had won 19 seats from Kashmir! If the popular verdict is not respected, the people would get disillusioned with the entire political class itself, particularly with the Congress-I and the PDP, the two major gainers in these elections who must realise that the time may eventually run out for them. And, even if one of them is able to form the Government with the help of defections, it will run the risk of losing in popular esteem. Farooq is precisely be waiting for that to happen. Strange though it may appear, a significant section of the population is also waiting for another round of free, fair and credible elections to take place in the Valley. Having not voted this time because of the fear of the gun and skepticism about the fairness of the electoral exercise, they are itching to join the fray in a large number next time now that they feel assured that their vote will count. In the process, possibly, new political forces may also jump into the arena realising the supremacy of ballot over bullet. |
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5 ultras, 2 jawans among eight killed Excelsior Correspondent JAMMU, Oct 19: Five terrorists including a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) ‘commander’ A B Usmaan, two security personnel and a civilian were killed in separate incidents in Jammu region overnight. Official sources said three more infiltrators, who had sneaked into Indian territory from the Line of Control (LoC) yesterday, were killed this afternoon in a Government school building at village Dhanwan in Keri sector in Rajouri district. Sources said a total of nine terrorists, all Pakistanis, had intruded from Keri sector yesterday morning. Three of them were eliminated by army and BSF’s 92 battalion yesterday while six others had managed to escape. Of six absconding terrorists, three were spotted by security forces in a Government school building, where they had taken shelter last night, at village Dhanwan this afternoon. In about hour long exchange of firing, army and BSF jawans eliminated all three terrorists. Three more infiltrators were still at large and were being searched by the security personnel, they said. Of three terrorists killed today, two have been identified as Mohd Iskar, an ‘area commander’ of Tehreek-e-Jehad and Asama, both residents of Kotli, PoK. A BSF jawan Sunil Kumar was injured in the encounter. Six AK rifles, 207 AK rounds, two radio sets, seven hand grenades, Rs 31,000 in cash and a large quantity of ammunition and explosive material had been recovered from the encounter site. Meanwhile, a joint team of army and Special Task Force (STF) carried out a search operation at village Dulligam in Banihal tehsil of Doda district early today. The operation was launched after the STF developed a specific information about the presence of JeM ‘commander’ A B Usmaan in the village. Usmaan’s two body-guards opened firing when they noticed the security personnel laying a cordon around their hideout. Firing was replied by the army and STF jawans. After half an hour long exchange of firing, both body-guards of Usmaan fled away to a forest area leaving their ‘commander’ alone. Usmaan was gunned down by the troops and his hideout destroyed. One AK rifle, three magazines, 82 rounds, one grenade and one pouch were recovered from Usmaan’s hideout, the sources said, adding that a search operation was going on in Dulligam forests to trace two body-guards of Usmaan, who escaped during the encounter. A BSF Havildar Inder Singh was killed when the terrorists ambushed a BSF patrol party at Bhimdasa in Gool area of Udhampur district at 0500 hours today. The terrorists managed to escape after the ambush. One more terrorist was killed by army on the LoC in Angan Pathri area in Poonch sector this evening. On Thursday, five infiltrators were shot dead by army and police in the same sector. Sources said the unidentified terrorist killed today was part of the same group of Al-Badar outfit, whose five activists were killed on Thursday. Three activists of the group were still suspected to be hiding in Angan Pathri forests. Army and police continued searches for the remaining terrorists. One AK rifle and one magazine were recovered from the terrorist, who was killed this evening. A SPO Shakti Kumar was killed and two others including a VDC member Anant Ram and a civilian Bajan Dass were injured when the terrorists fired upon a joint post of VDC/SPOs at Lopara in Dachan area of Doda last night. Firing was replied by the SPOs and VDC members after which the terrorists fled away. Injured civilian Bajan Dass was today referred to the Medical College hospital in Jammu. While fleeing, the ultras also torched the house of Bajan Dass. A civilian Ashiq Hussain son of Farooq Din was killed in exchange of firing between the terrorists and security forces at village Jaran Gajoth in Bhaderwah area of Doda district last night. |
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NEW DELHI, Oct 19: Congress president Sonia Gandhi today held a telephonic talk with PDP chief Mufti Mohammed Sayed in a fresh bid to break the deadlock over the issue of Chief Ministership of Jammu and Kashmir. During her long conversation, Mrs Gandhi is understood to have persuaded Mufti Mohammed Sayed not to create impediments in the installation of the coalition Government in the State. The deadlock between the two parties over the issue of the Chief Ministership has forced the Centre to impose Governor’s rule in the State for six months. Mr Sayed has so far turned down all proposals of the Congress Party and insisted that he should be made the Chief Minister of this State as it was his party which defeated the National Conference at the hustings. The Congress president took this fresh move after holding talks with Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ms Ambika Soni, Mr Ashok Bhan and CPI-M leaders of the State. She has also deputed Mr Manmohan Singh for further talks with Mr Sayed and his party leaders to sort out the differences between the two parties. (UNI) |
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Former Punjab Minister arrested CHANDIGARH, Oct 19: Shiromani Akali Dal MLA and former minister Jagdish Singh Garcha was arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau from his Ludhiana residence early this morning. Punjab Technical University (PTU) former Director Amarjit Singh Garewal was also arrested from the industrial city, while police teams are out to catch the Akali leader’s son Parminder Singh Garcha and the University Vice-Chancellor, Dr H S Guram, Jalandhar Vigilance Bureau’s Superintendent of Police Lok Nath Angra said. He told UNI all the four accused have been booked under Sections 420 and 120-B of IPC and Sections 7, 13(1)(D) read with Section 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The Vigilance sources said the accused are alleged to have caused a loss of over Rs 11.51 crore to the Jalandhar-based university through six Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) signed with private companies for running study centres in the name of PTU. The MoUs were signed during the tenure of Dr Guram as the University’s VC and Jagdish Singh Garcha as Punjab Technical Education Minister in the erstwhile Badal Government. The sources said it was discovered during preliminary investigation that payments in respect of a Delhi-based study centre was made from the bank accounts of Parminder Singh. One Surinder Singh was said to be a partner in the Delhi firm. Surinder Singh is brother of Karnail Singh Kaler, who in turn, is brother-in-law of Dr Guram, the sources added. The Jalandhar Vigilance team recovered a cash of Rs 3.5 lakh and one fixed deposit receipt of Rs 90 lakh from the house of Garcha during the raid. Garcha is the fourth ex-Akali minister to have been arrested by the Amarinder Singh Government. Sucha Singh Langah, Tota Singh, and Ajit Singh Kohar, who held the PWD, Education and Jail portfolio respectively in the Badal Government, had been arrested earlier. While Kohar is still lodged in the Jalandhar Central Jail, Langah and Tota Singh have since been bailed out by courts. Dubbing the arrest a "political vendetta" by the Congress Government, Garcha’s brother Man Singh Garcha told reporters that their family was a leading trader in liquor business and the seizure of just Rs 3.5 lakh meant nothing as "our daily sales runs in lakhs". (UNI) |
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Al-Badr district chief among 5 killed SRINAGAR, Oct 19: A self-styled district commander of Pakistan-based Al-Badr and a Special Police Officer (SPO) of Jammu and Kashmir Police were among five people killed in the Kashmir valley overnight. An official spokesman said an encounter took place between militants and security forces at Chak-e-Arshalan in Bandipora last night during which Al-Badr commander Shaheen was killed. An SPO also lost his life in the clash, he said. One AK rifle, three magazines, 90 rounds and one wireless set were recovered from the slain militant, who was involved in a number of militancy related incidents in north Kashmir. In another incident, militants entered the house of one Munir Ahmad Khan and fired upon the inmates indiscriminately with automatic weapons. The house owner was killed and his wife was wounded. Militants also killed one R A Mir at Tral in Pulwama district late last night, he said. Official sources said militants detonated a powerful IED at a busy market at Sopore, about 50 km from here in Baramulla district around 1320 hours. A civilian was killed and four BSF jawans were wounded in the incident. A BSF vehicle was completely damaged in the blast, sources said, adding about a dozen shops were also damaged. The area has been cordoned off and massive hunt has been launched to nab the militants responsible for the blast. Security forces recovered two bombs, five grenades, ten detonators and three explosive sticks during a search operation at Handwara last night. (UNI) |
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Ex-Joint Director Education arrested SRINAGAR, Oct 19: A former Joint Director and three employees of Education department have been arrested for allegedly regularising 58 adhoc employees by issuing fake Government orders, official sources said here today. Ghulam Hassan Mir, a retired Joint Director, was held along with Mohammad Amin Makhdoomi, Mohammad Afzal Khanday and Ghulam Mohammad Lone after investigations revealed their involvement in the case, the sources said. The accused, under the garb of a 1989 Government order, issued fake and fictitious orders under pecuniary consideration, wherein 58 adhoc appointees in the Education department were regularised, they added. (PTI) |
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MANDI (HP), Oct 19: In the biggest ever haul, police seized 28 kg charas, worth Rs three crore in the international market, from a car at Sundernagar in Mandi district yesterday, police said today. Superintendent of Police Satnder Pal Singh said the contraband drug was concealed under all the four window panes of the car. He said two occupants of car, identified as Dehal Singh of Katrain (Kullu district) and Dinesh of Goa, were arrested and a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act had been registered against them. (UNI) |
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Tarigami asks Cong to make fresh contact with Mufti NEW DELHI, Oct 19: Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, CPM leader heading the People’s Democratic Forum (PDF) in Jammu and Kashmir, today said Congress should make a "fresh contact" with People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in a bid to resolve the present stalemate over formation of a coalition Government. "I suggested that they (Congress) should make a renewed and fresh contact with PDP president Mufti Sayeed to narrow down the gap between the two parties over the issue of formation of the next Government in the State," Tarigami, who came to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi here, told PTI. Tarigami, who along with Jammu and Kashmir Congress unit president Ghulam Nabi Azad held discussions with Gandhi to workout the solution to the present impasse, said "another serious effort is required between Congress and PDP which along with the other non-National Conference and non-BJP partners could form a stable Government in the State." Describing the meeting with Gandhi as "very good", the CPM leader said views were exchanged over the ways to unify the non-NC and non-BJP forces in Jammu and Kashmir. Stressing the need for both Congress and PDP to workout some solution soon, Tarigami said "otherwise the credibility of politicians will suffer a big jolt in the eye of the people of the State." Tarigami, who heads the PDP comprising seven independent and CPM MLAs, has already given a letter of support to Azad for a Cong-PDP coalition in the State. (PTI) |
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