.
‘Diabolic CPI-M’ conspiring
to topple Govt: Antony

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Nov 3: In a tactical shift in focus of his attack from his arch rival, senior Congress leader K.....more

Six-day boating expedition
on Narmada canal ends

AHMEDABAD, Nov 3: An Army boating team, which had embarked on a six-day maiden expedition along the Narmada....more

Internal security
issues to be
discussed at DG’s
conference

NEW DELHI, Nov 3: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his Deputy L K Advani will address...more

SC seeks Centre’s
response on ‘single
directive’ in CVC Act

NEW DELHI, Nov 3: The Supreme Court today gave four weeks time to the Centre to respond to allegations that it has......more

HC refuses to extend
Daler’s anticipatory bail

NEW DELHI, Nov 3: Delhi High Court today refused to extend the anticipatory bail of Punjabi pop singer Daler Mehndi....more

Lyngdoh to review
poll preparations in
C’garh today

RAIPUR, Nov 3: Amidst allegations of large-scale violation of model code of conduct by Chhattisgarh Government, the......more

Rs 214 cr to be spent
on technical education

CHANDIGARH, Nov 3: An outlay of Rs 214 crore has been earmarked for promotion of technical education in Haryana......more

Bachchan to enthrall
people as a
football player

JAISALMER, Nov 3: Having ruled the silver screen for decades, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan will now try his......more

HC disposes of plea alleging complaints about voters’ list.....

Chattisgarh CM accuses PM of misusing IB and CBI .....

Pakistan High commissioner meets LS Speaker .....

Stalemate in Orissa assembly over rape of a school girl .....

‘Diabolic CPI-M’ conspiring to topple Govt: Antony

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Nov 3: In a tactical shift in focus of his attack from his arch rival, senior Congress leader K Karunarakaran, Kerala Chief Minister A K Antony today accused the CPI-M of trying to topple the Government through ‘horse trading’ with the support and blessings of the Politburo.

The statement by the CPI-M Politburo yesterday that Antony ought to be removed from power made it clear that ‘the drama being enacted in Kerala’ was not just scripted by the state CPI-M leaders alone, Antony told a crowded press meet here.

In a sarcastic comment apparently aimed at his Bete Noire Karunakaran, Antony asked the Marxists to clarify "which Harishchandra or Satyavan" was going to be their Chief Ministerial candidate in place of "a corrupt Antony."

The ‘diabolic face’ of the CPI-M lay exposed by its move to dislodge a Congress Government when the party was locked in a direct combat with the BJP in northern states, he said.

"Only the people of Kerala, West Bengal and Tripura know the real face of the CPI-M. In Delhi, you are seeing only a cosmetic face of the CPI-M. I know they are an anti-democratic party and they are out to weaken the Congress," Antony said.

Evading question on whether it was not the infighting in the Congress that triggered the present crisis, he said "I am not going to drag inner-party issues to the street." He, however, hastened to add that he had the majority and nobody could topple the Government.

Asked whether he was against the Congress coming closer to the CPI-M at the national level, Antony said " they are not our friends."

"The CPI-M is out to weaken the Congress. At a crucial time when the Congress is fighting the BJP in northern states, the CPI-M is trying to pull down a Congress Government here. Are they real friends of the Congress or the friends of the BJP ?" he asked.

"I don’t want any certificate from the CPI-M.I know them very well as I had worked with them 19 years back. All the attempts to topple the Government have the approval and blessings of the CPI-M central leadership," he said.

"What justification is there for the CPI-M’s attempts to seize power since the opposition IDF has only 40 MLAs in the 140-member house. How they are going to muster the required numbers except through horse trading. Why this intolerance to sit in the opposition for the full five years?" he asked.

On questions on challenge posed by Karunakaran as well as the IDF to prove his majority in the assembly, Antony said the session would be held at the appropritate time.

If anybody was eager for an imminent trial of strength, they could very well approach the Governor with signatures of 71 MLAs, he added.(PTI)

Six-day boating expedition on Narmada canal ends

AHMEDABAD, Nov 3: An Army boating team, which had embarked on a six-day maiden expedition along the Narmada canal from Kevadia colony, near the Sardar Sarovar Dam on October 29, 2003, today reached its destination at Gandhinagar.

General Officer Commanding (GOC), Major General J Thamburaj, along with other senior officers of the Army’s Golden Katar Division, were present at the flagging-in ceremony of the expedition.

The expedition comprising of nine officers and 104 jawans on six assault boats, was the first of its kind ever to be undertaken in the Narmada canal and was aimed at inculcating the spirit of adventure, fostering espirit-de-corps and also to undertaking a study of the Flora and Fauna of Gujarat. The expedition team covered a total distance of about 250 kilometers approximately, averaging nearly 55 Km each day.

The expedition was planned as part of the bi-centenary celebrations of the ‘Bengal sappers’, of the corps of engineers.

Speaking to mediapersons, the leader of the expedition, Major Sandeep Sharma said,"rowing in a man-made canal is much more difficult than in a river. In a canal, there is no regular current and this makes rowing all the more difficult."

"During this expedition, we got a chance to interact with the local populace and understand the local culture. Moreover, the expedition was also successful in spreading the image of the Army enroute in the rural parts of southern and central Gujarat," major Sharma said.

Speaking on the occasion, Major General Thamburaj said, "we have planned to organise a similar boating expedition on the Narmada river in early December 2003. This expedition would cover over 200 Kms and the team using motor-powdered boats would move upstream on the Narmada from Sardar Sarovar Dam. This is part of our efforts to increase contact with the civilian population. In August 2003, the Golden Katar Division in association with the Indian Air Force had staged a display of weapons on Gujarat University grounds in Ahmedabad."

The flagging-in ceremony was attended by school children, retired Army officers, families of officers and jawans among others. (UNI)

Internal security issues to be discussed
at DG’s conference

NEW DELHI, Nov 3: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his Deputy L K Advani will address the country’s top police brass in the next two days at a key conference which is scheduled to discuss major internal security issues, including the growing links between outlawed Naxal militant groups and Pakistan’s ISI.

The annual conference of Directors General of Police, organised by Intelligence Bureau, would be inaugurated by Advani tomorrow while Vajpayee would address it on Wednesday and present gallantry medals to police officers.

The three-day conference, among other things, would focus on the emerging dangerous links between militants of peoples’ war group and ISI in which ULFA and some other militant groups of north east have played a major role.

Effective measures to counter this new emerging menace assume significance in the wake of Naxal groups recently making an abortive assassination bid on the life of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

A special presentation of Kashmir issue would also be made amidst reports that exfiltration has picked up this year as compared to last year.

The overall law and order situation in the country and repeated attempts by ISI to destablise India are also scheduled to figure prominently during the discussions.

In view of fresh evidence that militants were now completely depending upon computer technology to pass on information or execute a plan, the conference would also deliberate on means to check growing cyber crimes in which officers of CBI’s cyber cell are likely to make a presentation.

Last year during the conference, formation of a Multi Agency Centre (MAC) was announced which would collate all the inteligence information from various states and then forward with directions including the action that was required to be taken.

Inputs regarding operation of overseas units of Lashker-e-Taiba were discussed and a concerted effort launched which later led to deportation of several criminals from Dubai, who were involved in Ghatkopar blasts in Mumbai last year.

This year, the issue would come up for discussion as reports continued to flow in that some more overseas units had been started by ISI in some neighbouring countries apart from Pakistan.

Director General’s Police and Additional Director Generals’ from all states, Commissioners of Police from various Union Territories, senior IPS officers in Intelligence Bureau and CBI will participate in the conference which would also have observers from research and analysis wing. (PTI)

SC seeks Centre’s response on ‘single
directive’ in CVC Act

NEW DELHI, Nov 3: The Supreme Court today gave four weeks time to the Centre to respond to allegations that it has revived the controversial ‘single directive’ clause in the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003, to restrain CBI from inquiring against high officials without its prior permission.

A bench comprising Chief Justice V N Khare, Justice S B Sinha and Justice A R Lakshmanan asked Solciitor General Kirit Raval to seek the response from the Centre after Amicus Curiae Anil Devan said the ‘single directive’ had been revived by the act, which got president assent recently.

Raval said the Government had not put the clause in the CVC bill but the it was inserted on the suggestion of the select committee of Parliament to which the bill was referred prior to its passage in both Houses of Parliament.

Devan said the Government had inserted the ‘single directive’ clause in the much debated CVC ordinance in 1998 restraining CBI from investigating or inquiring into corruption charges against civil servants above the rank of Joint Secretary without prior permission.

When the same was challenged before the Apex Court, Attorney General Soli J Sorabjee had submitted that he would advise the Government to drop the clause to bring it in consoance with the 1997 judgement of the Court in Vinnet Narain’s case quashing the single directive clause.

Later, the clause was dropped by the Ggovernment by an amendment to the ordinance but the same has resurfaced through the act, he said and requested for stay of the provision as CBI had been operating wihout it for last five years. (PTI)

HC refuses to extend Daler’s anticipatory bail

NEW DELHI, Nov 3: Delhi High Court today refused to extend the anticipatory bail of Punjabi pop singer Daler Mehndi, key accused in the human trafficing case, after Punjab Police assured full protection to the singer.

Justice S K Agarwal dismissed the petition saying the petitioner had sought regular bail from the Patiala Court, which will hear the matter tomorrow.

The Judge also told the counsel for the petitioner to either produce Daler Mehndi before the Punjab Police or furnish the surety bail amount of Rs five lakh as the singer had violated one of the conditions of anticipatory bail by not appearing before the Punjab Police on October 31.

The Punjab Police alleged that the petitioner was not cooperating with them and failed to join the investigation on October 31.

The petitioner’s counsel R P Bansal replied that Daler Mehndi did not join the investigation as he apprehended danger to his life. There had been demonstrations and incidents of stone-pelting during his previous appearances that damaged his car.

The Punjab Police agreed to provide full protection to the singer.

The singer, through counsel R P Bansal, had sought police protection for himself and his counsel in view of demonstration and incidents of stonethrowing on October 27 when he appeared before the Punjab Police, which had on October 15 issued non-bailable warrants against him, his wife Daljit Kaur and four others.

On October 23, the High Court had granted ten-day anticipatory bail to Daler, against whom the Patiala Court had issued the NHW in connection with an alleged immigration racket.

Granting the protection to enable the singer to approach an appropriate Court for a regular bail, Justice S K Agarwal directed him to appear before the state police in Patiala on October 27 at 1030 Hrs.

In the event of his arrest during that time, the petitioner was ordered to be released on furnishing a personal bond of Rs five lakh and a surety of the like amount.

The Court had told daler to cooperate in the investigations, deposit his passport with the trial Court and not to leave the country without its permission and keep the police informed about his place of stay. The judge granted anticipatory bail in view of his background and the fact that there had been bad blood between him and his brother.

The Punjab Police had already arrested Mehndi’s estranged brother Shamsher Singh Shera, the prime accused in the visa racket case, registered on a complaint by one Bakshish Singh on September 19. Since then Punjab Police has received 31 such complaints.

Counsel for Delhi State Anil Soni had opposed Daler’s anticipatory bail plea, saying that if the High Court granted him bail, it would open a "pandora’s box" and Courts would be flooded with such petitions seeking protection where crime had allegedly been committed in other states. The Court should only give interim or transit bail but not regular anticipatory bail in such matters.

Daler’s counsel R K Jain had alleged that his client was being hounded because his celebrity status was not liked by "certain people".

The counsel also claimed that the petitioner was implicated in the case probably because the complainant was not able to recover money he allegedly paid to Shamsher Singh.

Punjab Police counsel Atul Nanda questioned the conduct of the petitioner in trying to mislead the Court by giving a "wrongly" translated copy of the FIR and also countered the petitioner’s claim that he had no links with his brother.

The serious charges required his custodial interrogation, which was also needed for recovery of passports of various complainants, he said.

Material collected during the course of investigation unfolded a larger conspiracy having national and international ramifications, he said and added that the petitioner and his co-accused had been cheating the innocent youth of the country by promising to send them abroad by illegal means.

It was further contended that the petitioner had deliberately not approached the competent court (Patiala Court which had issued non-bailable warrants) even though his wife had moved the Sessions Court in Punjab. (UNI)

Lyngdoh to review poll preparations in C’garh today

RAIPUR, Nov 3: Amidst allegations of large-scale violation of model code of conduct by Chhattisgarh Government, the Election Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner J M Lyngdoh, is visiting the state tomorrow to review the arrangements for December 1 assembly polls.

Lyngdoh, along with Election Commissioners T S Krishnamurthy and B B Tondon, is visiting the state tomorrow to review the poll arrangement for the December 1 election for the 90-member state assembly, State Election Office sources told PTI here today.

After arrival from Delhi, the Commission will have a meeting with all the political parties which will be followed by meetings with District Collectors, Superintendent of Police before having discussions with the Chief Secretary S K Mishra and Director General of Police Ashok Darbari, sources said.

The Commission is arriving at a time when both the opposition BJP and NCP have flooded it with complaints against the Congress Government, led by Ajit Jogi, alleging large scale violation of model code of conduct.

The removal of Bastar Collector L N Suryawanshi and Jashpur Collector B S Anant by the EC and their subsequent stay from the central administrative tribunal would also figure during the meeting between state officials and the Commission, sources added.

Meanwhile, BJP sources said they were preparing documents detailing the alleged violation of model code of conduct by the Congress Government in the state with proof to hand over to the Commission for ensuring free and fair polls.

The NCP leaders said they have already brought before the Commission several matters, including harassment by the local Government here through their District Administration against its political adversaries and would urge the Commission to keep such officials out of the election process.

The BJP also plans to complain to the Commission that the State Government ‘deliberately’ did not relieve both the Bastar and Jashpur Collectors despite order from the EC and allowed them to obtain stay from the cat.

"Otherwise when on October 29 the order was issued they were not relieved till October 31 and enabled them to obtain stay", BJP sources stated saying this would also be brought to the notice of the Commission. (PTI)

Rs 214 cr to be spent on technical education

CHANDIGARH, Nov 3: An outlay of Rs 214 crore has been earmarked for promotion of technical education in Haryana during the tenth five year plan and this amount includes Rs 100 crore for implementation of a World Bank assisted project to bring about qualitative improvement in technical education.

A spokesman of technical education department said that a sum of Rs 40 crore was being spent during the current financial year, out of which Rs 20 crore would be spent under the World Bank assisted programme.

He said that keeping in view the policy of the state Government to set up atleast one polytechnic in each district, private initiatives were being encouraged in the district of Fatehabad, Kaithal, Panipat, Panchkula, Rewari, Jind and Kurukshetrah.

He said that a decision had also been taken to introduce new courses in emerging areas of technology having better placement opportunities and phase out those having poor public demand. The Government polytechnics at Manesar, Loharu and Nathu Shri Chopta would be strengthened.

He said that the World Bank assisted technical education quality improvement programme was being introduced in those selected degree engineering colleges and polytechnics, which fulfilled the eligibility criteria laid down by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development and World Bank.

Haryana had been selected as one of the six eligible states for this programme and the other five states included Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala.

The programme would continue for 10 to 12 years and focus on development of a cluster of well performing institutions growing together by sharing resources of each other to ensure their optimum utilisation.

The major components of the programme would include promotion of academic excellence, networking of institutions and providing services to the community, he said. (PTI)

Bachchan to enthrall people as a football player

JAISALMER, Nov 3: Having ruled the silver screen for decades, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan will now try his hand at another field, when he plays a football match in the prescence of thousands of spectators later this month.

The match, which is being organised as part of the annual desert festival on November 22, will also be incorporated into the shooting of Bachchan-starrer "Ab Tum Hare Hawale Watan Sathiyon", with director Anil Sharma planning to shoot the entire match, sources said today.

Besides Bachchan, the other stars of the film, Bobby Deol and Akshay Kumar, would also figure among the players in the match, they said.

It will be only the second time that Bachchan is shooting a film in this desert town after "Reshma Aur Shera" which he shot in the early part of his career.

The film star, had however visited Jaisalmer last year to celebrate his birthday and watch the shooting of his son Abhishek’s film, "Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost".

Official sources said the district administration would extend all possible help to the film unit.

"The unit needs about 1200 spectators in traditional Rajasthani dresses in the stadium flanks for the shoot of the match and we are confident that popularity of Bachchan would make our task of attracting people in to the stadium easier," Assistant Director Tourism Upendra Singh Shekhawat said. (PTI)

HC disposes of plea alleging complaints about voters’ list

NEW DELHI, Nov 3: Delhi High Court today disposed of petition alleging discrepancies in the electoral rolls for the Delhi cantonment assembly constituency in the capital, after an assurance from the Election Commission that it will try to deal with all such complaints before November 14, the last date of nominations.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice B C Patel and Justice A K Sikri recorded the statement of EC’s counsel R K Anand that the Commission would try its best to look into and dispose of the more than 14,000 complaints of discrepancies, illegalities and irregularities in the voters’ list in the area before November 14, the final day till when changes could be made in the rolls.

"See to it that the same was done at the earliest," the Judges said.

Mr Anand also said the process of revision was already on and the Delhi cantonment assembly constituency was the only one in the city where revision had been done thrice in some cases.

The Court was dealing with a petition, by former BJP MLA K S Tanwar, pointing out about 12,000 alleged discrepancies in the rolls. It was also claimed that the Commission officials were callous, indifferent and sometime partisan.

The Commission had received the complaints on October 15 and since then it had been on the job continously, Mr Anand said adding that a general public notice had already been given in the regard and all persons concerned were being informed individually.

On October 31, the division bench had directed the Commission to inform by today the time it would take to complete the exercise of taking action on representations given to it on alleged discrepancies, illegalities and irregularities in the electoral rolls of the assembly constituency.

On October 1, Justice B D Ahmed had expressed the hope that the EC would complete as expeditiously as possible the exercise of taking action on representations given to it on the alleged discrepancies, in the electoral roll in three assembly constituencies, including Delhi cantonment, in the national capital.

The Judge had disposed of three petitions alleging infirmities in the rolls in hastsal and Delhi cantonment assembly constituencies in West Delhi and Wazir pur constituency in north West Delhi, after recording the statement of the EC counsel that all complaints made, on the prescribed format, would be expeditiously considered by the Commission in accordance with law.

Former BJP Councilor R C Verma in his petition claimed that there were discrepancies in cases of about 25,000 voters in Hastsal and former BJP MLA Kanar Singh Tanwar claimed that there were discrepancies in about 13,000 cases in Delhi cantonment. Former BJP councilor and party’s Delhi Yuva Morcha chief Nahinder Nagpal also claimed that there were about 10,000 such cases in Wazir pur.

Mr Anand had said the Commission was currently conducting a special drive to upgrade the rolls and an individual could fill up any number of requisite forms for addition or deletion of names in the list.

Correction of the electoral rolls was a continuous programme, a person could seek a change before it was finalised and even afterwards till the last date of nominations in an election in the concerned area, he added.

He also denied allegations of bias shown by EC officials towards any particular party.

The Court noted the main issue revolved around the issue of deletion of names from the rolls as some people did not existent while others were either dead or had shifted to some other place. (UNI)

Chattisgarh CM accuses PM of misusing IB and CBI

LONDON, Nov 3: Accusing Atal Bihari Vajpayee of indulging in political vendetta and having anti-lower caste bias, Chattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi has said the Prime Minister was "misusing" the CBI against him after receiving an election survey indicating congress victory with heavy margin in the state.

"It is a political reality that the NDA Government at the Centre, especially our Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, cannot tolerate that the son of an Adivasi is a Chief Minister of Chattisgarh. Such is their mentality. They want to look down upon the downtrodden in the society," Jogi said while participating in a BBC Hindi special programme `Aap Ki Baat BBC Ke Saath broadcast’ last night.

Jogi said it was for this reason that they first targeted Laloo Prasad Yadav in Bihar, then the Dalit Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mayawati, and now in Chattisgarh, "they are making unsuccessful attempts to get rid of me, they cannot tolerate such changes in the society. Such is their mental state."

Asked about a CBI charge that he had forged a document, Jogi said: "It has happened for the first time in the history of this country that a Chief Minister complains to the Prime Minister, and the latter turns the complainant into an accused."

Jogi asked why the CBI decided to file the chargesheet two days after the elections were notified. Chattisgarh will go to the hustings on December 1.

"If they had evidence, why did they not do it earlier. It is only after the Prime Minister received reports of election surveys which stated a victory with a heavy margin for the Congress that this was done," Jogi said.

He said he had received a document from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) by post.

"I sent it to the Prime Minister requesting that this is a serious matter involving an intelligence agency and it must be investigated. Far from investigating, the Prime Minister chose to make me an accused.

"The charge-sheet submitted by the CBI against me does not anywhere say that I have forged the documents. It, on the contrary, has a laughable query - why did I write to the Prime Minister and why I did not investigate it myself."

He said no State Government can launch an investigation against the IB. "If I had done that, they would not have told me anything. It is for the first time in the history of the country that a Chief Minister writing to the Prime Minister is booked in a case and it is for the first time that a complainant is turned into an accused."

He said the "unprecedented action of the Prime Minister in ordering the central intelligence agencies to implicate me clearly shows that this Government at the Centre does not want any Chief Minister to write to the Prime Minister.

"Even if the Prime Minister did not like my letter, he could have informed me. On the contrary he asked the CBI to file a politically motivated charge-sheet against me. I have full faith in the judiciary of this country, and this charge-sheet would not stand the legal scrutiny," Jogi said. (PTI)

Pakistan High commissioner meets LS Speaker

NEW DELHI, Nov 3: Continuing the process of meeting Indian leaders, Pakistan High Commisioner to India Aziz Ahemad Khan today called on Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi and discussed with him various bilateral issues.

According to Pakistan High Commission sources, the 30-minute meeting was cordial.

Mr Khan told Mr Joshi that Pakistan desired promotion of people-to-people contacts between the two countries.

He said India and Pakistan must immediately begin a dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.

The sources said the Pakistani envoy would meet Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptullah tomorrow.

Mr Khan’s diplomatic ‘house arrest’ in India ended on Friday when he met Commerce Minister Arun Jaitley. His meeting with Mr Jaitely came nine days after External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha proposed twelve Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) to the neighbouring country. Pakistan has accepted some of the Indian proposals while attaching unacceptable conditions to others.

Ever since Mr Khan arrived in India on June 30, he had not been given any audience with Indian leaders, except with President A P J Abdul Kalam when he presented his credentials and later with the External Affairs Minister once.

Now that Mr Khan has been allowed to meet the Indian leaders, New Delhi hopes Pakistan would follow the same policy in the case of Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad Shiv Shankar Menon. (UNI)

Stalemate in Orissa assembly over rape of a school girl

BHUBANESWAR, Nov 3: Stalemate in Orissa assembly continued for the second consecutive day today over the opposition demand for a CBI inquiry into the alleged rape and murder of a public school student.

The house witnessed furore on last Saturday last forcing the Speaker to adjourn the assembly for the day as the major opposition parties insisted either a judicial inquiry or a CBI inquiry into the rape and murder of a school girl.

Though Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik described the incident as a rumour without any basis, the opposition alleged that influencial officials were involved in supressing the matter and urged Speaker Sharat Kumar Kar to direct the Government to order for a CBI inquiry into the matter.

The house again witnessed pandemonium during the zero hours today as the Congress members wanted to know the Government’s stand on the consensus arrived at the Speaker’s chamber on Saturday last for a CBI inquiry into the incident.

The Congress members trooped into the well, stalled the procedings of the house stating that they would not allow the house to run unless the Government ordered for a CBI inquiry into the incident.

The situation reached a climax when chairs were broken inside the well by the agitated Congress members in support of the demand forcing the Speaker to name two Congress members and asked the Marshal to remove them from the house.

The Congress members protested against the Speaker’s decision and this led to a chaos forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House for lunch.

The issue was raised by leader of opposition Ramakanta Mishra during the zero hours, who referred to the unanimous decision taken at the Speaker’s chamber on the CBI inquiry inpresence of the all the leaders of opposition political parties.

Government chief whip Pradeep Maharathi, who had earlier demanded an inquiry into the incident, today said his investigation revealed that no such things had happened. He appealed to the opposition not to make politics on dead body stating that even the parents of the girls had strongly denied that their daughter was raped and murdered.

But Speaker S K Kar wanted to listen from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Panchanan Kanungo about the opposition demand for a CBI inquiry. At this Mr Kanungo stood up to say that there is no primafacie in the case.

This infuriated the opposition Congress members and they tropped into the well demanding for a CBI inquiry into the incident. The Speaker tried to pacify the situation and said the matter could be referred to the Crime Branch.

But the opposition maintained that since the Chief Minister had already described the incident as baseless, Crime Branch inquiry would not solve the purpose.

The Speaker wanted to put an end to the impasie and offered to hold talk with the opposition leaders again in his chamber.He asked the opposition that how could a CBI inquiry be ordered when there has been no complaint filed in the case.

Congress member L B Mohapatra cited the Balasore sex scandal issue where the Court had ordered a CBI inquiry even though the victim and her parents denied any such incident in an affidavit before the Court.

His party colleague Santosh Singh Saluja alleged that there was a conspiracy to supress the matter and the official of the Chief Minister’s Secretariat was hand-in-glove with the conspirator.

Former Finance Minister R K Pattnaik, rising on a point order, stated that inquiry could be ordered even though no FIR was filed in the case. He also disagreed with the Crime Branch inquiry saying that how could the Crime Branch give a fair finding when the Chief Minister had said there was no truth in the incident.

The Speaker, who failed to convince the opposition on the issue, finally decided to go ahead with the business of the house but faced strong resistance from the opposition who demanded that the house be adjourned first.

This led to chaos inside the well forcing the Speaker to name Congress member Anup Sai and Tara Prasad Bahinipati. But Congress members resisted the action of the Marshal when the latter tried to removed the named members from the house.

The Speaker then adjourned the house for lunch. (UNI)

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