PCC-I chief hardens stand on NPP
Cong, allies will form Govt without any support: Azad

Excelsior Special Correspondent

JAMMU, May 9: The Congress and its allies will comfortably form next Government at the Centre without requiring any support from any other party, AICC (I) working committee member and PCC (I) president Ghulam Nabi Azad said today.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi will be our Prime Ministerial candidate, he told newspersons before leaving for New Delhi after campaigning for four days for Congress candidate from Udhampur-Doda constituency, Chou-dhary Lal Singh, along with Chief Minister Mufti Mohd Sayeed.

"Congress and its allies will get 272 seats, required for the majority, on their own. They won’t be dependent on any other parties for support", Mr Azad said. Nevertheless, he pointed out, the Left parties leadership has been giving suo moto statements expressing their desire to support the Congress Government to keep the BJP led NDA away from the power.

To a question of the Prime Ministerial candidate of the Congress and allies, he said the Congress has been fighting elections under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi. "When it comes to choosing our Prime Ministerial candidate, we will choose Sonia", he added.

"All television channels and newspapers, in their opinion polls, have mentioned only two Prime Ministerial candidates—Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Sonia Gandhi, who stand in the popularity ratings. Other leaders—be they from the BJP or the Congress—don’t stand anywhere", he said, adding in non-NDA parties, Sonia is more popular and she has to be the Prime Ministerial candidate of the party.

On reservations voiced by some Congress allies including NCP president Sharad Pawar on the Prime Ministerial candidate, Mr Azad the allies would realise that for a strong, effective and stable Government at the Centre, the Prime Minister has to be from the leading partner.

"The NDA Government survived full term only because their Prime Minister belonged to the leading coalition partner. In a coalition, it should always be the largest and biggest party which should lead the Government and allies should be its constituents", the Congress leader said.

He asserted that the NDA will be confined to the BJP in the new Lok Sabha as its allies will get a severe drubbing. It won’t be possible to keep the NDA united after its defeat, he claimed.

He charged the NDA with being unaware of the ground realities. There were no takers of their slogans like Feel Good and India Shining. "They hadn’t seen power for the years together. And when they came to power, they forgot farmers, labourers and unemployed youths. They made their policies Sensex and City oriented", he alleged.

Claiming that he was 200 per cent sure of the Congress victory on both Lok Sabha seats of Jammu region, Mr Azad said the PDP-Congress coalition Government is very stable. "Even without the National Panthers Party (NPP), we have 60 MLAs in the Assembly", he claimed.

"The contest between Congress and PDP in Baramulla Lok Sabha seat was friendly but the same is not true for Udhampur Parliamentary seat where NPP president Prof Bhim Singh is contesting against the Congress nominee", he observed.

Taking a hard stand on the NPP, the PCC (I) chief revealed that Prof Bhim Singh had been given a berth in the Upper House on the ground that he won’t contest the Parliamentary election.

"This is a total betrayal and indiscipline by Prof Singh, who fielded candidates on five seats", he observed and said the people should teach him a lesson in the elections for the betrayal. The coalition partners will also review the NPP’s role after the elections are over, he added.

Asked what action would be taken against the NPP, Mr Azad evaded a direct reply saying "let the voters first teach them a lesson. They (the voters) are supreme. Let us see their judgment. If the verdict is in our favour, we are much armed to take action".

On spurt in violence in Doda on the eve of polling, the Congress leader said the fingers are being pointed out on the parties, who don’t want to see the Congress-PDP perform better. Also, he alleged, one section wants a low turn-out in Doda district and warned that they are fishing in the troubled water.

However, he declined to disclose as to who has been resorting to such acts and why.

Non-Congress parties welcome to join NDA: Jaitely

NEW DELHI, May 9: Not wanting to close its options in the event of a hung Parliament, BJP today said those wanting to do non-Congress politics were welcome to join the NDA.

" We are nucleus of non-Congress politics and those who want to be part of it were welcome to join the NDA," Law Minister Arun Jaitely told reporters adding " I don’t think we need to have new allies after the elections."

The minister even sought to drive a wedge between the Congress and the DMK by demanding an explanation from the Congress on its alliance with the DMK, a party which it had accused of having links with the LTTE.

Jaitley also pointed out that the Congress had in its manifesto for the 1998 Lok Sabha polls said that this was an issue that cannot be ignored and wished away.

"It affects the Congress to its very core," he said.

The minister said that the Congress must explain as to how after holding a high moral ground in its 1998 election manifesto about the DMK and its links with the LTTE which it held responsible for the assassination of its leader and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had the party compromised on it.

Quoting profusely from the Congress manifesto, he said the party owed an explanation to the nation on its volte face about the DMK.

Asked about BJP"s views on the issue of DMK-LTTE links, Jaitley said:"We have never made these allegations against Karunanidhi and it is Congress which has made these charges."

He said that having used this kind of strong language in a document like the election manifesto, the Congress must now openly confess that it had done so and it was not an issue which can be brushed aside.

Asked about the language used by BJP leaders both publicly and privately against AIADMK and its leader J Jayalalithaa when the two parted ways, he said in an era of coalition politics, polarization and re-polarisation has taken place.

" You can join again but to use this kind of language and no one can use a more stronger language and that too in a document like the manifesto.Let the Congress openly confess to having used it," Jaitely said.

Summing up the election campaign, Jaitley said in these elections for which campaigning was spread over 70 days, the most prominent issue was concerning leadership and that of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the central focus and how he had successfully run a coalition Government and provided stability.

Another feature of these elections was that wherever BJP Governments were in office, there was no anti-incumbency against the State Governments like those in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh,he said.

But, wherever Congress Governments were in power, there was a strong anti-incumbency factor like those in Punjab and Karnataka, Jaitley said. (PTI)

CEC threatens to countermand elections in West Bengal

NEW DELHI, May 9: Taking a strong view of senior CPI(M) leader and Left Front chairman Biman Bose’s alleged threats to poll observers in West Bengal, the Election Commission tonight threatened to countermand tomorrow’s Lok Sabha elections in the State if ruling CPI(M) workers vitiated the electoral process following his utterances.

In a hard-hitting statement read out at a press conference, Commission spokesman A N Jha termed Bose’s reported remarks that CPI (M) activists would grab poll observers by their collars and put them in police custody as tantamount to directly interfering with the discharge of constitutional duties of the EC.

The Commission "would not hesitate to even countermand elections in the State of West Bengal if the party workers vitiate the electoral process following the threats issued by Bose", he said.

Jha said an FIR would be filed against Bose for inciting his party workers to create disturbance and to prevent election observers from performing their legimate duty in the State.

The Commission is also issuing a show cause notice to the CPI(M) as to why action should not be taken for intefering in the functioning of the election observers, Jha said.

The EC has asked the State Government to enqure adequate security to the election observers in the State so that they are able to move around in the constituencies and observe the polling. (PTI)

Another saree controversy hits BJP in polls

NEW DELHI, May 9: BJP was hit by another saree controversy today when Congress alleged that sarees were distributed in a key constituency in the Capital to influence voters to vote for Union Minister Vijay Goel who, however, denied the charge.

Delhi Police seized 12 sarees which were allegedly being distributed in a slum cluster in Delhi Sadar constituency and detained a policeman attached to Goel as Personal Security Officer and two slum dwellers, including a woman.

Police have registered a case and sent a report to the returning officer in this connection, police sources said.

Goel’s PSO Devendra Singh has been accused of being involved in distribution of sarees on behalf of the BJP candidate and an inquiry has been ordered against him, they said.

He is being questioned about his role in the affair, the sources said.

Goel on the other hand denied his involvement, saying it was a ploy of the Congress to frame him.

Goel said he was passing by the area when "some Congress workers started stoning my vehicle."

"I sent my PSO Devender Singh to nab the culprits but he was overpowered by them and falsely accused of distributing sarees on my behalf," Goel said.

Police conducted a raid in the slum colony situated on Roshanara road in Subji Mandi area of Sadar Lok Sabha constituency and seized the sarees from a man and a woman who have been detained for questioning.

Congress candidate Jagdish Tytler has complained to the Election Commission seeking Goel’s disqualification.

The raid was conducted after Tytler lodged a complaint that Goel was distributing sarees among slum dwellers to woo them, the sources said.

A police team seized 12 sarees from the spot, they said.

A case was registered under Section 171 (E) of Representation of People’s Act, a non-cognisable offence, the sources said.

Tytler alleged that the sarees had been kept in the vehicle used by Goel’s security men to avoid detection.

He claimed that the distribution had been going on for the last few days and the Congress workers were waiting to "catch them red-handed."

He said they got information today about distribution of sarees in Sita Sharan Jhuggi colony on Roshanara road and workers rushed to the spot to catch them and police were also called.

The police sources said the woman detained after the incident had allegedly said that the sarees were being distributed by Goel.

Goel, however, said that the woman was a Congress worker who was making "false claims."

Later, in a statement here, Goel alleged that the sarees were in fact, being distributed by Congress workers. He stated that the BJP has filed complaints with the police, Chief Electoral Officer and Assistant Returning Officer on this.

Goel claimed that the Congress workers after being found by his PSO scared to be caught red-handed started shouting that BJP activists were distributing sarees.

The BJP candidate alleged that his Congress rival Jagdish Tytler had been found involved in the distribution of bicycles which the latter "confessed" had been hired.

Goel said Tytler was levelling baseless charges "out of frustration" adding this would not help avoid his defeat. (PTI)

PM and no-trust motions

NEW DELHI, May 9: As the 14th Lok Sabha is about to be constituted amid predictions that no party is going to get absolute majority, the next Prime Minister to head a Government will most likely face the daunting task of proving majority on the floor of the House.

Between the first and 13th Lok Sabhas, spanning a period of 51 years, seven Prime Ministers together had 26 motions of no-confidence moved against them, Mrs Indira Gandhi alone among them faced 15 motions of no-confidence during her 16 year tenure— 12 during her first tenure between 1966 and 1977 and three between 1980 and 1984.

Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and P V Narasimha Rao faced three motions of no-confidence each while two were moved against the Council of Ministers of Mr Morarji Desai. Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee (during his third term 1999-2004) faced one motion of no-confidence each against their Council of Ministers. Prime Ministers Charan Singh, V P Singh, Chandra Shekhar, H D Deve Gowda and I K Gujral did not face any.

Among Prime Ministers, the highest three motions of confidence was moved by Mr Vajpayee. Two each were moved by V P Singh in the ninth Lok Sabha and H D Deve Gowda in the 11th Lok Sabha. Prime Ministers Chandra Shekhar, P V Narasimha Rao and I K Gujral moved one motion of confidence each in their Council of Ministers.

The motion of confidence by Charan Singh in August 1979 was not taken up since he resigned before it could come up before the House. The need to seek the trust of the House did not arise in the case of Jawahar Lal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Morarji Desai and Rajiv Gandhi. Prime Ministers P V Narasimha Rao and Atal Bihari Vajpayee were the only two to have sought the trust of the House but also face motion of no-confidence.

Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee is the only member who moved a motion of no-confidence against the incumbent Government (1993), faced a no-confidence motion as Prime Minister (2003) and moved a motion of confidence in his Council of Ministers (1999).

Parliament had spent 456 hours and 36 minutes over 84 days discussing 26 motions of no-confidence and 11 motions of confidence in 51 years.

More such interesting facts have been revelead in a book "Cabinet Responsibility to Legislature: Motions of Confidence and No-Confidence in Lok Sabha and State Legislatures" authored by Lok Sabha Secretary General G C Malhotra. The book was released by Speaker Manohar Joshi recently. (UNI)

Full EC to study police report today

NEW DELHI, May 9: A meeting of the full Election Commission to be held here tomorrow will examine the report submitted to the poll watchdog by Delhi Police tonight on the distribution of sarees allegedly by BJP in Delhi Sadar Lok Sabha constituency which goes to poll tomorrow.

"We have received the report and

a full commission meet will study it tomorrow," an EC official said.

He, however, said he was not aware who were named in the FIR lodged by Delhi Police in connection with the incident.

A senior Delhi Police official said the report was prepared on the direction of the EC and sent to the watchdog. He, however, declined to divulge its content. (PTI)

3 militants killed in Valley

SRINAGAR, May 9: Three Pakistani militants were killed in an encounter while as a civilian was abducted by the militants in Kashmir valley since last evening, an official spokesman said today.

Three Pakistani militants were killed in an encounter with security forces at Kachhama in Kupwara last evening. The slain ultras have been identified as Khalid Akber, Amin Qasim and Abdul Kasif.

Militants abducted a civilian from his house in Bandipora area of Baramulla last night and killed him by slitting his throat. (PTI)

Siachen Major for CBI probe

CHANDIGARH, May 9: The counsel for Major Surinder Singh, the Army Officer who "faked killings and demolition of enemy bunkers" in Siachen, has demanded fresh investigation by another court of inquiry outside the Northern Command or by an independent investigating agency like the CBI in the case.

The counsel R S Randhawa said he was not satisfied with the way in the court of inquiry was conducted because the officers under whom the probe was held may themselves be involved in the scandal.

"The Government should either order a fresh investigation by another court of inquiry outside the Northern Command or by an independent investigating agency like the CBI if it was really interested in bringing out the facts", he said today.

He said Singh has filed a petition in Punjab and Haryana High Court asking to be moved to a location where he would get a fair opportunity to defend himself.

"Through the petition we have challenged the (Army’s) order of his attachment to a remote unit in the Kashmir valley on the grounds that there is restriction placed by the medical board on his employability as he is unfit for service in high altitude area.

"Second, the unit which he is being attached to, is at such a place which is insurgency infested area and where his health will suffer and no counsel can go there. My client cannot defend himself and will not get an opportunity to consult anybody there," Randhawa said.

He said the High Court has issued notices to the Centre, Chief of Army Staff, Northern Command among others and the arguments which had remained inconclusive would come up for further hearing on May 11. (PTI)

Khare flays political inaction

NEW DELHI, May 9: Former Chief Justice of India V N Khare today said the Government’s "political inaction" was responsible for the failure to fill 48 vacancies of judges in various High Courts across the country.

"The Government is responsible. They can’t have inquiries done quickly. This is political inaction, not necessarily mala fide, but it is sheer inaction, like elsewhere. Things just remain pending," Justice Khare said in an interview to ‘Aaj Tak’ news channel.

It is a long procedure (for appointments). It takes a lot of time. We followed the procedure. In fact, there are 48 recommendations which are pending with the Government, he said.

Talking to the news channel in the ‘Seedhibaat’ programme being telecast tonight, Justice Khare said the office of the Chief Justice was not responsible for long delays in filling up the vacancies.

Asked if there was a need to regulate the functioning of the judges, he replied in the affirmative, but said he was helpless due to lack of adequate powers vested in the Chief Justice.

I told the Law Minister as well as the Prime Minister more than once. What more could I do? I told the Law Minister to give me the powers, Justice Khare said. If I had been given the powers, I would have taken less than 24 hours to carry out the corrections in the system, but I was helpless.

The former Chief Justice justified the swift action on politically-sensitive cases like the Gujarat riots, saying the State Government had a responsibility to protect the citizens and prosecute the offenders. I think the State Government failed in the latter as an institution, which is why the Supreme Court played a dual role, of prosecuting the offenders, and on the judicial side.

Justice Khare said he would have acted equally swiftly on Bihar. If I had got a case from Bihar, I would have immediately taken it up. I wanted to deal with them as well. But nothing came. Not a single application was moved, he said.

The former Chief Justice said he managed to achieve whatever he had envisaged in the limited time that was available to him. When I came, the judiciary was at a low ebb things were happening in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Delhi, Punjab. My first priority was to restore the confidence of the people in the judicial system and the constitution, and I think I have been quite successful in doing that. (UNI)

Najma on point of no return

NEW DELHI, May 9: Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson and dissident Congress leader Najma Heptullah has said she will decide about leaving or staying in the party after the Lok Sabha elections.

The time for making the crucial decision is drawing near and she had reached a place from where no retreat was possible, said Ms Heptullah, who has of late been in the news for severe criticism of her party.

"I have no hesitation in saying that despite my old association with the Congress, I do not agree with its policies under the present leadership. I find the policies of the NDA led by Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the country’s interest," she said in an interview.

Under Mr Vajpayee, India was shining not only at home but also abroad, she added.

Ms Heptullah was of the view that her party under the present leadership had no room for democracy and no respect for seniority.

Refuting the charges of being an opportunist, she said she had been feeling sidelined in her party for a long time, and felt that Lok Sabha elections were the right time to vent out her feelings.

She avoided a direct reply to a question on whether she would be joining the BJP, but said the Prime Minister had already extended an open invitation to her.

Ms Heptullah vehemently denied allegations that she has revolted against the party because she did not see any possibility for her nomination to the Rajya Sabha for the fifth time. Nor was she eyeing the post of the United Nations secretary general, for which she expected the support of NDA.

She did not deny that the Congress has not given her anything, but it was also true that she has served her party selflessly and diligently. "I was compelled to take the present stand after such a long association with the Congress only because of the party leadership."

The party needs to be brought on the "right track" was the feeling of all Congressmen and women, said Ms Heptullah.

She said she was confident that the NDA would secure majority in the elections while the Congress will finish at not more than 120.

Dr Heptullah also claimed that minorities were feeling secure under the Vajpayee-led Government as it was working for their development. The Congress Governments did not work for the uplift of Muslims and their tenure has also not been free of riots. "So why should one only stick to the Gujarat riots," she added. (UNI)

US acts at last

BAGHDAD, May 9: A 24-year-old military policeman has been ordered to stand trial this month in the first court-martial scheduled in connection with abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison, the military said today.

Spc. Jeremy C Sivits of Hyndman, Pennsylvania, a member of the 372nd Military Police company, will stand trial in Baghdad on May 19, according to Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt.

Sivits has been charged with conspiracy to maltreat subordinates and detainees, dereliction of duty for negligently failing to protect detainees from abuse, Kimmitt said.

Seven soldiers including Sivits are facing criminal charges for alleged abuse of Iraqi prisoners. Photographs of the abuse were published throughout the world. Sivits is the first for whom a trial date has been set.

President George W Bush vowed yesterday that "we will learn all the facts and determine the full extent of these abuses. Those involved will be identified. They will answer for their actions."

The Army trained Sivits as a truck mechanic, not as a prison guard, his father, Daniel Sivits said. He said his son "was just doing what he was told to do."

Kimmitt told reporters that Sivit’s trial will be open to media coverage. The head of US Detention Centers in Iraq yesterday said the military has no plans to close the Abu Ghraib prison and blamed the abuse of detainees there on poor leadership and disregard for the rules. (AP)

| home | state | national | business| editorial | advertisement | sports |
| international | weather | mailbag | suggestions | search | subscribe | send mail |