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Kalam presents Indira Gandhi prize to Ramphal

NEW DELHI, Nov 19: President A P J Abdul Kalam today presented the 2002 Indira Gandhi prize for peace, disarmament and development to former ...more

CM nominees in Delhi face challenge from freshers

NEW DELHI, Nov 19: It is a battle between political stalwarts and fresh youngsters at the two prestigious Chief...more

IIM-a aims to be among top 20 B-schools in the world

AHMEDABAD, Nov 19: The global vision at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, (IIM-A) here is to be ....more

US provides grant
for collaborative
research on ayurveda

COIMBATORE, Nov 19: Sensing the future potential for alternative medicines, the United States has sanctioned the ...more

Rebels may queer pitch
for Congress and BJP in Madhya Pradesh

BHOPAL, Nov 19: Unfazed by threat of expulsion, a large number of rebel candidates from major political parties are in the fray for the December 1 . ....more

Pasricha takes over as Mumbai Police Chief

MUMBAI, Nov 19: Dr Parvinder Singh Pasricha today assumed charge as the 30th Police Commissioner....more

Shekhawat’s absence
will hurt BJP in assembly elections: Vyas

JAIPUR, Nov 19: Rajasthan Pradesh Congress president Girija Vyas today......more

UP defends withdrawal
of POTA charges against
Raja Bhaiya

NEW DELHI, Nov 19: The Uttar Pradesh Government in an affidavit before the Supreme......more

Check violence against Biharis, Rabri, Laloo ask Assam CM .....

Image and personal charisma of candidates to play major role .....

Counsel accuses police of injecting Telgi with HIV virus .....

Rs 188 cr Sonia Vihar Project under scrutiny .....

Kalam presents Indira Gandhi prize to Ramphal

NEW DELHI, Nov 19: President A P J Abdul Kalam today presented the 2002 Indira Gandhi prize for peace, disarmament and development to former commonwealth Secretary-General Sir Shridath Ramphal.

Presenting the award at the Ashok hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kalam said India firmly believed that for a better tomorrow, "interaction among nations must be based on co-existence not conflict, cooperation not confrontation and concord and no coercion" and that violent conflicts are an enemy of development.

Globalization has come to stay but "with the dawn of this millennium, the pace of transformation of the world into a global village has accelerated. Globalization is inevitable and unavoidable and the need of the hour is for humanity to collectively make endeavours to transform the process of globalization into a positive phenomenon," he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said countries of the world today face complex challenges of development and security, dealing with the tensions of prosperity coexisting with poverty, and fighting terrorism and other transnational crimes.

"We enjoy the advantages presented by global interdependence, but also face the security vulnerabilities of the global village. This unprecedented complex of challenges calls for a new look at international organizations and the processes through which nations can cooperate in these matters," he said.

Felicitating Ramphal, the Prime Minister said that it was during his tenure as Secretary-General of the commonwealth that Ramphal pursued its persistent and vigorous campaign against apartheid in South Africa which eventually led to the dismantling of the racist regime there.

Ramphal had been given the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award earlier this year in recognition of his achievements.

Vajpayee said that while his roots were in India, his identity was firmly in Caribbean.

"This harmonious blend of national origin and current citizenship defines the emotional, intellectual and cultural outlook of a successful and well-integrated representative of the Indian diaspora abroad," the Prime Minister said.

Recalling the role played by Indira Gandhi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said that Ramphal was representative of the values and causes cherished by the late Prime Minister.

Accepting the award, Ramphal said "the architecture of peace in our time will have to be developed by a coalition of the many who are right, though they are separately weak; not by the few who are wrong, though they are singularly strong."

In a criticism of the US occupation of Iraq, he said the people of the world are saying no and "people of all walks of life have marched in peaceful protest - they are marching today - through the streets of the industrial world against war on Iraq. They cannot be dismissed as feckless moralisers; they are enlightened citizens of the world playing their part in a great struggle for the soul of internationalism. They are giving the world the moral leadership it requires and has not had." (PTI)

CM nominees in Delhi face challenge from freshers

NEW DELHI, Nov 19: It is a battle between political stalwarts and fresh youngsters at the two prestigious Chief Ministerial constituencies of Delhi which go to polls on December 1.

While Poonam Azad poses a challenge to Congress Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit at the latter’s Gole Market seat, BJP leader Madan Lal Khurana will have to defeat Alka Lamba from his traditional Moti Nagar constituency to demonstrate why he has won 10 out of 11 elections from there.

Although both Sheila and Khurana seem unfazed by the challenge for the moment, they would face immense embarrassment even if their political opponents bag votes anywhere close to their tally.

"By merely being a youth cannot make you a winner. You need to have done some political work," Khurana told PTI about his "daughter" challenger Alka, a former Delhi University student leader.

"Nursing an ambition is good for a youth, but you need to have some mission," he said, questioninng what she has done for the constituency he has represented and "groomed" for decades.

Describing her as "an outsider", Khurana said "let her roam about in the constituency till December 1, then we will see her off."

But Alka, campaigning for a change, feels the older generation should make way for youngsters in the political arena.

Khurana has been "in politics for long. It is time for him to retire", she says, adding she was happy to get an opportunity to "defeat" Khurana.

"Chodo Kal Ki Batein, Kal Ki Baat Purani. Naye Daur Me Likhenge Hum Milkar Nayi Kahani (leave the talk of past, it is old. In new age, we will write a new story)," recites Alka the famous Hindi film number as she goes about seeking votes.

Similarly, Poonam, wife of cricketer-turned-politician Kirti Azad, also aims at defeating Sheila at her Gole Market constituency by presenting the voters with an option of young versus the old besides highlighting "failures" of her rival.

Sheila has "been inaccessible and has not cared about her constituency," says Poonam, who aspires to avenge the defeat of her husband at the hands of Dikshit in 1998 polls.

Countering the charges of the "fresher", the Chief Minister says she has worked a lot for the constituency and "people are satisfied with my performance".

"People of my constituency realise the real work I have done here," she asserts.

Dikshit is banking on her "clean image and good governance" in the polls, saying "all-round development of Delhi making it a better place to live" will help her sail through. (PTI)

IIM-a aims to be among top 20 B-schools in the world

AHMEDABAD, Nov 19: The global vision at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, (IIM-A) here is to be among the top 20 international B-schools, informed Bakul Dholakia, the institute’s director.

Sharing the institute’s vision with media persons here yesterday, Mr Dholakia said, "it was for the first time that IIM-A has been included among top 50 international B-schools, 45th to be precise, by a global rating agency this year".

He said, "for that IIM-A has to be large in size, with foreign students forming a sizeable number of the total intake. It should have excellent scope for studies, research and advancement and world-class infrastructure".

Mr Dholakia said, "however we cannot admit any number of students at random. The number of intake at IIM-A has already been increased from 180 to 254, but only after they pass the ‘toughest test’ from among over 100,000 candidates. We has another expansion plan on our agenda."

He pointed out that IIM-A had already been adjudged as the best B-school in Asia. While there are two rating agencies in the world engaged in assigning ranks to B-schools worldwide for the last two decades, it was for the first time that any Asian B-school has been included among the world’s top 50. In India, rating B-school is a recent phenomenon with around five such surveys conducted so far.

Prof Dholakia said that it was with a view to projecting IIM-A as a global brand that ‘confluence’, the largest students’ meet of its kind in India, is being arranged here since 1999.

There are not many such platforms for B-school students in the country.

He said the other objective of the event is developing a synergy between industry and the academic world. Since tata sons have been partnering this institute for the fest, it has been christened ‘IIM-A-Tata confluence’ for the last four years.

Mr Satish Pradhan, Tata group’s executive vice-president for human resources, said that they not only looked forward to a sustained relation with Asia’s best B-school but expected other corporate houses to take interest in future managers and leaders.

Prof Indira Parikh, dean of IIM-A and faculty coordinator for ‘confluence 300’, said that the event provided the students an opportunity for interaction with top B-schools of the world such as MIT Sloan, Stanford, London Business School, Haas (Columbia), stern of New York university besides that of other IIM’s and top domestic B-schools. (UNI)

US provides grant for collaborative research on ayurveda

COIMBATORE, Nov 19: Sensing the future potential for alternative medicines, the United States has sanctioned the city-based ayurveda trust and a few top US universities a grant of Rs 1.20 crore for conducting collaborative research in ayurveda.

Dr P Ram Manohar, Director (research), Arya Vaidya Pharmacy group, told UNI that the National Institute of Health (NIH), USA, would fund the projects through its national centre for complementary and alternative medicine to develop and consolidate long-term scientific collaborations between researchers at the ayurvedic trust and the universities for two years.

He said the US scientists now realised the importance of ayurveda in curing chronic ailments. "This is a big boost to ayurvedic medicine and once the pilot study is completed after updating our research facilities, it will get international reputation."

To a question, Dr Manohar said this highly competitive prestigious grant was awarded on the basis of the ayurvedic trust’s experience with the seven-year study conducted by World Health Organisation (WHO) and Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) on ayurvedic treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, its commitment to research and strong connections with US researchers.

This is the first-ever grant that NIH has awarded to conduct study on traditional medicine in India, he claimed.

Dr Manohar said the current programme involved cross disciplinary training sessions and exchanges between the US scientists and the Indian Ayurvedic Trust Personnel.

The American scientists would visit the trust later this year to assess the resources available to undertake the research and its current needs. They would ensure that the facilitites at the trust met the NIH’s scientific and regulatory standards.

The scientists would train the ayurvedic physicians in clinical trial research and grant-writing and also develop necessary infrastructure.

Dr Manohar said once the infrastructure was developed on par with international standards, the ayurvedic trust would become a centre of excellence for rigorous traditional medicine research in India. The outcome of the research would benefit the healthcare system in all the countries.

Stating that this project would be an important step to put ayurveda on a scientific footing globally, he said during the second year of the project, a pilot clinical trial would be done on rheumatoid arthritis.

The trial would compare ayurvedic and allopathic treatments under the direction of eminent rheumatologist Dr Daniel furst from the university of California at Los Angeles. While Dr K G Ravindaran and Dr K C Narayanan, Medical Directors of the Ayurvedic Trust Hospital, would administer the ayurvedic treatment and an experienced rheumatolgist would provide allopathic treatment.

They have planned this programme in such a way that it brought together investigators from some of the best universities in the US, who share a deep interest in ayurveda, highly qualified consultant from Christian Medical College Hospital, Vellore in Tamil Nadu and renowned ayurvedic researchers and practitioners, he added.

Speaking about the lapses in ayurvedic treatment, Dr Manohar said though it treated chronic diseases without side effects, there was no documentation so far. To avoid this in future, eight doctors have been appointed for documentation in the trust hospital, where every year 12,000 out-patients and 600 inpatients were treated.

About 20 per cent of the patients admitted to the hospital were from developed countries, he added.

To a question, Dr Manohar said though they had planned now for the first two-year programme, the colloborative study would be extended further to areas like nephrology, neurology, dermatology and lung disorder.

The trust had taken all necessary steps in order to ensure that there was no conflict with national interests. The project would be subject to scrutiny and clearane by the ICMR and Union Health ministry, he said and added that Mr P R Krishna Kumar, managing trustee of the trust and managing director of the Arya Vaidya pharmacy group of institutions, would be the principal investigator and Dr N Sreevaths and other physicians involved as co-investigators.

The US team included Dr Suhail Ahmad of the university of Washington, Seattle, Dr Srinivasa Raja of Johns Hopkins university, Dr Daniel furst of the university of California at Los Angeles and Dr Manorama Venkatraman of the university of Washington, Seattle.

Besides, Dr Chacko Jacob, Dr R S Ramakrishna and Dr Nihal Tomas of Christian Medical College Hospital, Vellore, and Dr N P Shanker Narayan, consultant of voluntary health services, leprosy project Sakthinagar, will also participate in this research programme. (UNI)

Rebels may queer pitch for Congress and BJP in Madhya Pradesh

BHOPAL, Nov 19: Unfazed by threat of expulsion, a large number of rebel candidates from major political parties are in the fray for the December 1 assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh causing concern to official nominees of both the Congress and the BJP.

Though some rebels pulled out of the race after cut-throat fight during ticket distribution following stern warnings by party bosses, many are still in the race either as independents or nominees of smaller parties.

After withdrawal of nomination papers, both Congress and BJP would have to face the presence of more than 150 rebel candidates who are expected to eat into a sizeable chunk of their respective vote banks damaging the prospects of their nominees.

While the revolt phenomenon is widespread, it is more visible in areas like Vindhya Pradesh, Bundelkhand and Chambal perhaps due to considerable influence of parties including Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party who have fielded Congress and BJP rebels.

For the Congress, rebel menace is more pronounced in seats including Churahat where party veteran Arjun Singh’s son and Rural Development Minister Ajay Singh is in the fray.

Congress rebel and former Bahujan Samaj Party MP, Budhsen Patel is trying his luck against Singh this time.

Similarly, Cooperative Minister Govind Singh is facing rebel Congress aspirant Rama Shankar Singh, who has been nominated by BSP, in Lahar constituency, while former minister Yadvendra Singh is in the fray as a Samajwadi Party nominee to make the going tough for the Congress candidate in the Tikamgarh constituency.

Angry over denial of Congress ticket, former State Minister and Dindori district Congress president Basauri Singh Masram is contesting from Bajag reserved constituency as an independent against party nominee Nandini Maravi.

In Rajgarh district, Congress leader Rajvardhan Singh quit the party following denial of ticket and is now contesting as an independent candidate from Narsingarh seat, while another Congress rebel Arjun Paliya is in the race from Pipariya constituency in Hoshangabad district as a Samajwadi Party nominee.

Sitting Congress MLA from Bhopal (south)P C Sharma may face a tough time due to the presence of former party leader Rajesh Vyas,who is contesting as a Samajwadi Party candidate against him.

In Bhopal (north), Minority Welfare Minister Arif Aqueel may face stiff fight from Arif Masood who is contesting from the seat as a Samajwadi Party nominee.

In the six assembly seats of Dhar district, there are ten rebel candidates from Congrese and BJP.

BJP rebel and district Panchayat Samiti chairman Prakash Sawant is in the field against the official party nominee in Badnawar consituency, while Congress rebel Liyaqat Patel is contesting from the same seat as Nationalist Congress Party candidate and another Congress rebel Bane Singh is fighting as independent.

Deputy Chief Minister Jamuna Devi’s brother Dayaram Sengar quit Congress and jumped into the electoral arena as a NCP nominee from Sardarpur reserved constituency.(PTI)

Pasricha takes over as Mumbai Police Chief

MUMBAI, Nov 19: Dr Parvinder Singh Pasricha today assumed charge as the 30th Police Commissioner of Mumbai, succeeding Ranjit Singh Sharma who went on leave in the wake of his questioning by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on his handling of the fake stamp paper scam.

"Boosting the sagging morale of the police force and winning back the confidence of the people are my top priorities," Dr Pasricha told a news conference after formally taking over the charge from Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Dr Satyapal Singh who had been officiating as the Police Chief in absence of Mr Sharma.

Mr Sharma, who was due to retire on November 30, proceeded on 16 days earned leave after the SIT headed by Special Director General of Police S S Puri, questioned him last week and submitted a report regarding his role in the investigations of the multi-crore counterfiet stamps racket when he was the Pune Police Commissioner.

Dr Pasricha, who was the Additional Director General of Police (administration) prior to the new appointment, said he had accepted it as a "challenge more than a pressure" and assured that he would restore the image of the Mumbai Police force affected by the fake stamp papers scam.

The new Mumbai Police Chief said his immediate task was to restore the 139-year-old Mumbai Police Commissionerate to its old glory.

"There should be no mark of disrespect on this well nourished system," he said, adding that it would not be fair to declare his predecessor Mr Sharma as an accused and defame him till the charges were proved. "We should not act on the basis of perceptions."

Dr Pasricha was given a guard of honour on his arrival at the Mumbai Police headquarters at the crawford market in south Mumbai.

Asserting that he will do justice to honest cops, Dr Pasricha warned that the corrupt elements would be weeded out of the force. "In all seriousness, we will do introspection and take corrective measures," he said referring to the fake stamps scam.

Dr Pasricha, however, refused to directly admit that the image of the city police had taken a beating due to the alleged proximity of few police officers with prime accused in the fake stamps racket Abdul Karim Telgi. "Due to the repeated highlighting of the scandal, public perception about the police force may have undergone a change resulting in the drop of honest policemen’s morale. I need to change this situation," he said.

"We have honest police officers and men too. The sit probing the case consists of police officers who are of impeccable character and integrity. They have brought their colleagues to book. There is nothing to be disappointed about. However, some thing has gone wrong. After all, we are no gods or super human beings and at the same time we are not bad either. At present, some fine tuning is neccessary and I will do it. However, it will be a slow process like a homeopathy effect and I can assure you of my good intentions. I would like to see a confident force and public in the next few days," he said.

Dr Pasricha said he has been given a "free hand" by the Government and has its support. "They have trusted me and I will not betray the trust"

Asked to comment on the controversies surrounding recent appointments to top posts in the police department as well speculation that his appointment was due to his closeness to NCP president Sharad Pawar, he said, "I understand that my appointment has been done based on consensus among the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister and Mr Pawar."

"As far as my proximity to Mr Pawar is concerned, he has been Chief Minister a number of times during my tenure in various posts in the police force. Similarly, I know Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde as well as former Chief Minister Manohar Joshi. All top police officers know top ranking politicians due to interactions in course of day-to-day functioning," he added.

"There will be no groupism during my tenure at the helm of affairs. When I say, I want support of the media and the people, I assure you total transparency and you can talk to me looking directly in my eyes. The police force is after all a public limited company and all of us are its shareholders. Instead of pointing accusing fingers at each other, let’s work together. We are all one family and the media too is part of the family. We have nothing to hide," the new Mumbai Police Chief said.

Dr Pasricha said he intends to meet retired ex-Police Commissioners and intellectuals as well as senior mediapersons over the next few days to discuss good police-public interaction. "I will also speak to my officers and men regarding their responsibility to the public so that their aspirations could be met," he added.

Replying to questions, Dr Pasricha rejected the perception about political interference in the functioning of the Police Department. On the threat perception in Mumbai, Dr Pasricha said criminal mafia and terrorism are interlinked and his experience as Commissioner of intelligence department would come handy in dealing with such situations.

He said another priority would be to examine what went wrong with the once elite crime branch now under cloud of corruption and links with underworld.

On the issue of modernisation of the police force, Dr Pasricha said funds have come in for GIS/GPS system and to improve the helpline, video surveillance system, setting up area traffic control system for traffic co-ordination and computerisation. Bids are being finalised to computerisation, while tenders are being invited for the area traffic control system.

He said that Mckinsey consultancy services is already on the job of rationalising duty hours for the police and the process would be completed in two months. (UNI)

Shekhawat’s absence will hurt BJP in assembly elections: Vyas

JAIPUR, Nov 19: Rajasthan Pradesh Congress president Girija Vyas today said the absence of vice president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat from active politics would hurt BJP in the state assembly elections and exuded confidence that her party would retain power.

"In the absence of Shekhawat, BJP will suffer internal conflict and the party organisation would scatter... Only Shekhawat had the ability to hold the warring factions in BJP together," PCC president told PTI here.

Pointing out, however, that Congress had defeated BJP even under the leadership of Shekhawat, who has kept out of party politics since assuming the office of vice president, Vyas said "the issue was not as to how much Congress would be benefitted... It is how much BJP would suffer".

She said that rama pilot, party candidate and wife of late Rajesh Pilot, will tie down BJP state unit president Vasundhara Raje Scindia at Jhalarpatan assembly constituency during the election as had been intended.

Asked about reported differences between the state Congress unit and the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Vyas said that there was no truth in them and that there was as much coordination between PCC and the Government as was required.

"We have as much coordination between the party and the Government as is needed... We get into Government on the strength of party and then the party works on the performance of the Government in the next elections," she said.

Vyas also dismissed reports about the differences between her and Chief Minister on distribution of tickets for the assembly elections, polling for which will be held on December 1.

Asked for the basis of her claims for retaining power in the state, the PCC president said that Congress would get elected on account of "good showing" by the Government and people would vote for the development work done since the party came back to power with a thumping majority in 1998.

Listing the achievements of Congress Government in the last five years, she said Rajasthan has emerged at the top in terms of new power generation capacity and fresh connections to over 10 lakh consumers.

She, however, did not comment on the caste factors in the elections which could overtake the performance issue, saying performance should play a role. (PTI)

UP defends withdrawal of POTA charges against Raja Bhaiya

NEW DELHI, Nov 19: The Uttar Pradesh Government in an affidavit before the Supreme Court has defended withdrawal of POTA charges against MLA Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya and two others saying neither were they members of any banned organisation nor involved in anti-national activity.

The decision to withdraw pota charges invoked by then Government headed by Mayawati against Raja Bhaiya, his father Uday Pratap Singh and relative Akshay Pratap Singh was taken by the State Government immediately after Mulayam Singh Yadav was sworn-in as the Chief Minister on August 29.

The Special Public Prosecutor on September 1 filed an application before the special Judge at Kanpur seeking to withdraw the charges saying that "there is nothing substantial on record to show that the accused persons of this case were ever enabled to strike and create terror among the people at will within the meaning and spirit of POTA."

The criminal cases pending against Raja Bhaiya and others could be dealt with by the normal criminal laws, the Government said, adding they have also not found to be members of any terrorist organisation given in the schedule to POTA."

The Prosecutor in his application said "there appears no public interest involved in the prosecution of the persons under the provisions of POTA."

This affidavit was filed by the state responding to the Apex Court’s notice issued on a petition filed by one S K Shukla challenging the Uttar Pradesh Government’s decision to withdraw POTA charges against Raja Bhaiya

the state said that the decision to withdraw the proceedings under section 3/4 of POTA pending against Raja Bhaiya and two others was taken after "due consideration of all relevant facts and in due exercise of powers vested in the State Government".

"At present a total of 28 persons have been arrested under POTA - eight of whom connected with Lashkar-e-Toiba, five from Hizbul Mujahideen, nine connected with Pakistan Intelligence Agency ISI and three connected with Jaish-e-Mohammed and Raja Bhaiya and his two associates," the affidavit of the state said giving details of the POTA cases.

Differentiating the cases pertaining to Raja Bhaiya, Uday Pratap Singh and Akshay Pratap Singh from the 25 others arrested under POTA, the affidavit said "there was no allegation that Raja Bhaiya and two others were not involved in the upsurge of any anti-national activity or were members of any banned organisation, their cases stood on a different footing than that of the other 25 persons."

"The said fact was duly considered and a conscious decision to withdraw POTA cases against respondents was taken by the State Government," it said. (PTI)

Check violence against Biharis, Rabri, Laloo ask Assam CM

PATNA, Nov 19: Expressing displeasure over the ongoing violence against Biharis in Assam, Chief Minister Rabri Devi today asked the Assam Government to take effective measures to contain it.

"We have spoken to Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and asked him to use full force to ensure that ongoing violence against Biharis on the recuritment issue is contained otherwise the situation may further aggravate", Rabri and RJD supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav told PTI here.

"There are reports of Biharis being attacked and killed. Their houses are targeted and burnt. We strongly condemn the incidents", Laloo told Gogoi over phone.

Laloo and Rabri had twice telephonic talks with Gogoi this morning expressing their concern over the incidents in Assam.

Laloo said the Bihar Government had acted with full concern and took all the possible steps to counter and contain the incidents that took place at Katihar and Kishanganj railway station last week in the aftermath of the assault on the students who were debarred from appearing in the exams for jobs in railways on November 9 in Assam.

Laloo said the State Government had taken serious exception to the incidents in Bihar and had handed over to the CBI the cases relating to assault of the north eastern states’ passengers travelling by trains through the state.

He said stringent punitive action has been taken against officials for the lapse in preventing the incidents at Katihar and Jamalpur stations.

"We removed the DM, SP of Munger and even shifted the Superintendent Railway Police at Jamalpur", Laloo said expresssing confidence that the Assam Government would also act swiftly to counter the rioteers.

He said the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary had already faxed letters to the Assam Government expressing strong displeasure over the continuing violence against Biharis and called for suitable action.

"India is one, people of all the state are one, there should be quick action as we have age old and cordial relations with each other", Laloo said.

He strongly condemned the attack on the office of the railway recruitment board in Mumbai by Shiv Sena. (PTI)

Image and personal charisma of candidates to play major role

KOTPUTLI (RAJASTHAN), Nov 19: Personal image and charisma of candidates are likely to play a major role in the assembly polls in the stretch from industrial township of Shahpura to agricultural belt of Kotpulti adjoining Jaipur.

As electioneering gets heated up following tours by national and party leaders in this stretch spread over to Alwar and Jaipur districts, candidates and their respective party cadres have started door-to-door convessing.

But rebels and others are making the task of the two major parties the Congress and the BJP daunting.

In Kotputli, Raghuvir Singh who got victory for BJP for the first time in the last polls defeating Congress nominee by ove 5,000 votes is in the fray as an independent after being denied party ticket.

BJP has rushed here Sheel Dhabhai, Mayor of Jaipur Municipal Corporation, to retain the seat for her party as Congress, banking on Gujar votes opted safe by fielding Hans Raj Gujar.

As many as seven more candidates, including Jagdish Prasad of Bahujan Samaj Party, are also in the fray playing spoilers for the two contenders of power.

Not the party agendas but the only visible issue dominating the poll campaign seems to be to make Kotputli a separate district as people are oblivious to performance of the State Government and national issues.

"I won the seat for BJP in a Congress wave in the state in the last elections but I have been rewarded with denial of ticket," rued Singh.

"Workers in the area forced me to contest and I am in the fray against the BJP’s official candidate who is an outsider," he claimed.

However Chabhai claimed that she was getting huge support from workers and local people every since she was declared as a BJP nominee.

"There is no other issue in the election here except carving out Kotputli as a separate district and people are confident that I can lead this fight to a logical conclusion," Congress nominee Gurjar said.

Congress is trying to retain neighbouring Behror constituency, dominated by Yadavs, by again fielding Karni Singh Yadav, a noted heart surgeon.

BJP has fielded Laxmi Yadav replacing Sujan Singh who lost the last polls by a margin of over 35,700 votes. However, Sujan Singh Yadav is again in the fray as an independent.

Indian National Lok Dal, nationalist Congress party and Bahujan Samaj Party have also fielded their candidates here making the contest 13 cornered one with the presence of independents.

However, supporters of none of the candidates seem to be confident of their parties and feel image and personal touch of their candidates would overweigh everything.

In adjoining Bansur constituency, Rohitash Kumar, who served as a Cabinet Minister in Bhairon Singh Shekhawat ministry from 1993 to 1998, has been fielded by the BJP to retain its seat which it bagged in bye-election in December last year.

Kumar, who had won Bansur seat as an independent in 1993, but lost as BJP candidate to Jagat Singh Dayama of Bahujan Samaj Party. He romped home in bye-election caused by death of Dayama.

Congress has chosen Mahipal Singh Yadav to get the seat for the party which last won it in 1980.

INLD and BSP candidates in the fray in 14 cornered contest are too making the poll battle fierce for every one.

Fileding its Rajya Sabha member Amamuddin Ahamed Khan "Durru Mian," Congress is trying to regain Tizara seat which it lost to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate Jagmal Singh in 1998 polls.

Durru Mian had got this seat for Congress in 1993 and to counter this, the BJP has fielded Zilla Pramukh Kiran Yadav, wife of Lok Sabha member Jaswant Yadav, from Tizara where RJD candidate Shashi Yadav is also in the fray to retain the seat for the party.

From Alwar, Jitendra Singh of Congress who wrested the seat from BJP in 1998 polls is trying to retain the seat facing challenge from his own sister Minakshi Kumari who is in the fray as an independent.

BJP has also fielded a women candidate Pushpa Gupta to regain the seat it held in 1990 and 1993 polls. (PTI)

Counsel accuses police of injecting Telgi with HIV virus

BANGALORE, Nov 19:The sensational multi-crore fake stamp paper racket today took a new turn with Nanaiah, counsel for the prime accused Abdul Karim Telgi, alleging that his client has been injected with HIV virus by police and demanding a CBI probe into it.

Nanaiah claimed to PTI that he was in possession of a medical certificate issued by Doctors of Nimhans (National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore) that Telgi has tested HIV positive.

Earlier medical tests conducted on Telgi when he was taken to custody had not indicated that he was HIV positive, he said.

He said he served notice today on the Parappana Agrahara Jail Superintendent seeking copies of the medical certificate for suing stampit, the Special Investigation Team appointed to probe the scam, the State Police and jail authorities holding them responsible for allegedly injecting Telgi with the deadly virus.

Nanaiah said the jail authorities referred Telgi, who is a chronic diabetic and cardiac patient, to Nimhans to undergo vaious tests on November six and the doctors submitted a report on medical examinations on November 9, in which Itwas noted that he has tested positive for HIV.

The Nimhans doctors also recommended to jail authorities to ensure further treatment to Telgi, which was neglected, has AID.

Nanaiah charged that not only did the jail authorities keep the medical report under wraps but did not care to provide necessary treatment to Telgi.

Nanaiah alleged the jail authorities have also ignored a recommendation by Nimhans doctors to bring Telgi for further tests on Novemebr 12.

Nanaiah claimed that Telgi, who has been in judicial custody since November 2001, was in police custody for ten days a few months ago.

When Telgi was in police custody, doctors from Government hospital were administering insulin and other injections to his client, Nanaiah said and charged that during that time there was a possibility that the virus had been injected to eliminate him.

Nanaiah said on November 11 he had filed an application before the State High Court that there was a conspiracy by police to eliminate Telgi and his suspicions have now cometrue.

Meanwhile DIG, Karnataka Prisons Jayaramaiah, when contacted by PTI, refused to comment, saying "no comments. I cannot share such information with the press".

The stampit has already filed ten chargesheets against Telgi in connection with the scam and was in the process of filing another chargesheet.

The Karnataka High Court has accepted the request of the State Government to set up a Special Court for speedy trial of the accused in the fake stamp paper racket.

Only yesterday, Karnataka Home Minister Mallikarjun Kharge said the trial was expected to commence in about eight to ten days and firmly ruled out referring the racket to CBI for probe. (PTI)

US wants to collaborate with India in defence sector: Official

BANGALORE, Nov 19: The US is keen to collaborate with India in development and production of next generation technologies in the defence sector, a top US defence official said here today.

Addressing Industry and Government delegates at the second industry meeting of the India US High Technology Cooperation Group (HTCG), US private sector chairman of the HTCG and Boeing corporation vice president Thomas Pickering said as global technology leaders, US research and development and production costs tend to be higher than many of its competitors.

US was beginning to weigh new ideas about how it can collaborate with Indian partners and pointed that India’s procurement process has typically focused on buy (outright purchase), buy and make (licensing) or make (indigenous development).

"In today’s meeting, we want to introduce a new concept: co-development and co-production of next generation technologies," Pickering said.

He said there was a need for a more open defence procurement process in India and a level playing field to enable private industry to take risks and invest in new technology development with a reasonable prospect of being able to compete effectively for Government contracts.

"Perhaps most important, technology export controls in India, as well as export compliance practices by Indian end users, will need to be strengthened to give private parties and the US Government comfort that leading edge technologies co-developed in India are appropriately used," he said.

Later, India’s Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal told reporters that India’s stand was for co-development and co-production of defence products and welcomed the US stand.

"We don’t want solely a buyer seller relationship. We want a relationship of co-production and joint ventures and we have opened the sector for private sector participation," he said.

"We are buying a lot of defence material from abroad. Why should we need to buy? we should cooperate and that can help in other way, in terms of spare parts and product support," Sibal said.

Earlier, Sibal said the HTCG was aimed at developing bilateral economic trade and growth in Hi-tech commerce "more rapidly and strongly without any distortions".

India and US would jointly hold an Indo-US space summit in Bangalore during 2004 to expand collaboration in space related activities between the two countries.

US Under Secretary for Commerce Kenneth I Juster said there was misconception among Indian companies on US export control policies.

Export control license approvals was about 90 per cent for India of the 700 odd applications last year.

"Licence is a small portion, less than one per cent exports involved are licence trade," Juster said, adding it was not just on India that export control licences were imposed.

He said nearly 900 licences were issued for Japan and between 400 and 500 for the United Kingdom. (PTI)

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