Saturday, August 15, 1998

BJP government’s
future tense
NEW DELHI, Aug 14 — Yet another day passed with the Vajpayee-led coalition behaving in a manner as if it was surviving on the basis of daily wages. This despite the fact that all indications pointed to Ms Jayalalitha Jayaram’s inability to pull the rug.

Two convicted in Rs 33-cr securities scam
MUMBAI, Aug 14 — Six years after the multi-crore securities scam rocked stock exchanges in the country, a Mumbai court today convicted stock broker Hiten Dalal and a former assistant vice-president of Canara Bank Financial Services (Canfina) S. Mohan.

BJP government’s future tense
From Shubhabrata Bhattacharya
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Aug 14 — Yet another day passed with the Vajpayee-led coalition behaving in a manner as if it was surviving on the basis of daily wages. This despite the fact that all indications pointed to Ms Jayalalitha Jayaram’s inability to pull the rug, principally because of the Congress’ reluctance to deal with her.

The Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, was back in Chennai, summoned by the lady of Poes Garden. So uncertain is the present ruling combine that the very news of Ms Jayalalitha’s summons created tremors. Despite being equipped with the state intelligence apparatus the coterie around the ruling circles started saying that Mrs Sonia Gandhi had given the "go-ahead" signal to Ms Jayalalitha and that it was only a matter of time before she pulled out of the coalition.

The factual position is till now there has been no one-to-one contact between the lady of 10 Janpath and the lady of Poes Garden. Ms Jayalalitha has several times tried to get through on telephone but somehow the connection has not materialised.

As the day advanced, Ms Jayalalitha went on record in an interview with Tamil weekly "Kumudam" and stated she had not served any ultimatum on the Vajpayee government.

As things stand, the present is imperfect: The possibility of the BJP government bowing out remains, but at the same time the government’s ability to survive, even as a minority regime on the lines of the P.V. Narasimha Rao government is also a distinct possibility. The future is tense because of the uncertainties.

The dilemma before the Congress is whether it should take on the mantle now or wait for the results of the November state assembly elections (in which Mrs Gandhi thinks her party will do well) and thus let the contradictions of the BJP-led coalition be compounded before pulling the rug.

More than the BJP it is the Congress which is afraid about the consequences of Ms Jayalalitha withdrawing support to Mr Vajpayee.

In Mrs Gandhi’s gameplan, the party congresses of the two Communist parties, which are due in September (CPI in Chennai) and October (CPM in Calcutta), are important. The Bathinda resolution of the CPI is likely to be reversed. The Communists are likely to conclude that between the BJP and the Congress the latter is the "lesser evil". And thus the way may be paved for future cooperation between the Left and the Congress.

Congress strategists feel in the event of fresh Lok Sabha elections the party cannot do worse than its present tally of 141 while the BJP will have to come down from its 181, yielding seats to the Congress and its allies. The Communists having a potential of winning around 40 seats, or marginally more, provide a bulwark for any intending regime. Hence, the Congress strategists feel if their party can win 180-odd seats and the Communists (after their party congresses) are clear in their mind about where to stand a plausible combination for providing governance in a future scenario of continued hung house of Parliament may emerge.

Yesterday, talking of the exchange rate of the rupee, the Union Finance Minister had exuded confidence and said things would stabilise, "come September". Congress strategists are likely to review their stance vis-a-vis the continuance of the BJP-led government in mid-September. Thus after the euphoria over the movie "Titanic" attention seems to be turning towards the Fifties classic, "Come September", a comedy of errors featuring Rock Hudson and Italian star Gina Lollobrigida.

Shenoy on Prasar Bharati panel
Sushma-Gill sparring continues
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Aug 14 — The President, Mr K.R. Narayanan, has appointed eminent journalist, Mr T.V.R. Shenoy, as the third member of the selection committee that will appoint the new Chairman of the Prasar Bharati.

The other members of the committee are the Vice-president, Mr Krishna Kant, and the Chairman of the Press Council of India, Justice P.B. Sawant. The committee was expected to meet soon to finalise the appointment of the new Chairman.

The post of the Prasar Bharati Chairman has been lying vacant since the death of Nikhil Chakravarty in June last.

Mr Shenoy is a former Editor of the Malayalam Manorma Group, who launched the news weekly, ‘The Week’. At present, he is a widely read columnist. His column, ‘Random Jottings’ appears in The Tribune on Sundays.

Meanwhile, the sparring between the Information and Broadcasting Minister, Ms Sushma Swaraj, and the Prasar Bharati CEO, Mr S.S. Gill, has been continuing with the latter making last-ditch efforts to save his position.

The removal of Mr Gill as the Prasar Bharati CEO has been on the cards ever since the BJP-led coalition government came to power at the Centre. The Information and Broadcasting Minister has been airing her views, that the government must have more control over the Prasar Bharati, to which the present CEO has been opposed to.

Mr Gill has also given an indication of moving the court of law if an ordinance was brought about seeking his removal.

With the basic motive of removal of Mr Gill, the BJP-led coalition government had earlier let the Prasar Bharati Ordinance lapse in Parliament and in the last session introduced a new Bill in the Lok Sabha. Although the Bill was passed the same day by the Lok Sabha, it was not introduced in the Rajya Sabha till the session was adjourned sine die.

This also had a large number of opposition members, specially from the Left parties, protesting that the government was purposely not wanting to introduce the Bill in the House. The opposition members were of the view that the government was wanting to bring another ordinance in regard to the Prasar Bharati and get it signed from the President.

The opposition members later also wrote to the President requesting him not to sign on the ordinance. Cutting across party lines, they had also written to the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, seeking his intervention in the matter.

The opposition members had questioned the government’s attempts to bypass the Rajya Sabha on the Prasar Bharati Bill. They had also staged a walkout in the Rajya Sabha in this regard.

The I&B Minister had assured the House that the government would bring a legislation as soon as it obtained presidential recommendation for placing it before the House. She had said that as the Prasar Bharati Bill involved expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of India, it required the President’s assent before it could be brought before the Rajya Sabha for discussion.

Two convicted in Rs 33-cr securities scam

MUMBAI, Aug 14 (PTI) — Six years after the multi-crore securities scam rocked stock exchanges in the country. A Mumbai court today convicted stock broker Hiten Dalal and a former assistant vice-president of Canara Bank Financial Services (Canfina) S. Mohan for fraudulently siphoning Rs 33 crore from the Canara Bank subsidiary.

Special Judge S.N. Variava in his first judgement on the scam convicted Dalal and Mohan for entering into a fraudulent transaction by which the latter abused his position as a public servant to cause loss to Canfina.

The Judge, however, acquitted Canfina top officials, former executive vice-president M.K. Ashok Kumar and former assistant vice-president Balasubramaniam of all charges levelled against them by the CBI.

The special court, deferred till August 27 his order on the quantum of sentence to be awarded to both accused in view of a Supreme Court judgement which allowed the convicts to address arguments on the quantum of sentence to be awarded to them.

The Judge held Dalal guilty of offences under Section 411 of the Indian Penal Code (receiving stolen property through criminal breach of trust) and Section 120B (criminal conspiracy).

Mohan was convicted under Section 409 of the IPC (criminal breach of trust) and various provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act in the case filed by the CBI in 1994.

Counsel for CBI, Vishwas Gupte and Raja Thakare, informed the special court that Dalal had traded on telephone and handed over the securities to Canfina in Mumbai.

Vernekar, Mumbai-based Canfina official, who deposed as a star witness, said he had initially refused to accept 'Cancigo units' sent by Dalal because it was not in his name and also because they were non-transferrable securities. However, he said that Mohan, Canfina official based in Bangalore, had instructed him in February 1992 to accept them because payment would be released from Bangalore.

When the scam broke out in April 1992, it was discovered that securities worth Rs 11 crore were standing in the name of Andhra Bank and some other securities worth Rs 22 crore were in the name of Andhra Bank Financial Services Ltd (ABFSL).

Both Andhra Bank and ABFSL said they had not entered into these transactions with Canfina. Hence, the CBI argued, these were obviously fraudulent transactions which Hiten Dalal had entered into with Canfina.

As Dalal was declared a notified person by the court, all his properties were attached. The 'Cancigo units', held by Dalal as benami, were also attached. While acquiring these securities, money had been paid from Dalal’s account. Since these securities were attached, Canfina lost Rs 33 crore.

Sonia in no mood to form govt
From K.V. Prasad
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Aug 14 — The Congress president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, today refrained from commenting on the current political situation, indicating that she was concentrating on party affairs

In an informal interaction with the media after releasing the party's newsletter, "Congress Sandesh", at the AICC headquarters, she said while the Congress was always ready to form the government in case the present arrangement fell there was no opportunity at hand at present.

In fact, when she was asked if she was willing to accept the post of Prime Minister in the eventuality of the Congress forming the government she seemed to get irritated. However, she just reiterated: "But there is a government (at the Centre).

Asked as to how long she thought the present political impasse would continue, the Congress president said the question should be directed to someone else, meaning the party heading the coalition, the BJP.

She refrained from offering her opinion to a question whether the pressure tactics of the AIADMK leader, Ms Jayalalitha, were good for national politics.

"I am not the one to pass judgement," she replied cryptically.

The Congress president indicated her focus was on strengthening and revitalising the party rather than anything else.

Asked how much ground she had covered on the task she had set upon herself, Mrs Gandhi said there had been some movement but much remained to be done.

Her statements today indicated the current mood of the party leadership which does not want to be a catalyst in leading to the fall of the present government at the Centre.

A large majority of senior leaders are of the opinion the coalition government must be allowed to run and earn disrepute and fall apart itself rather than bring it down and give the BJP the halo of being a martyr.

Earlier, after the launch of the newsletter she said the venture was a medium to communicate with the party workers and hoped that even Congress sympathisers and others would read it.

She urged the editorial board headed by former Union Minister Vasant Sathe to ensure that the magazine hasall shades of opinions and encourage democracy within the party.

he said she hoped "Sandesh" would fill the gap by disseminating the party's plans and programmes to its rank and file.

Jethmalani for review of Article 356
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Aug 14 — The Union Minister for Urban Affairs and Employment, Mr Ram Jethmalani, has called for constitutional reforms to prevent the misuse of Article 356.

Participating at a seminar on “Indian Polity and Public Governance “ organised by the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) here today, Mr Jethmalani said there were instances when state governments had been dismissed on grounds quite irrelevant to Article 356.

Maintaining that there was nothing wrong with the basic structure of the Constitution, Mr Jethmalani stated that independence and integrity should be maintained at any cost. He said a National Judicial Commission was needed for this purpose.

Former Speaker of Lok Sabha and MP, Mr P.A. Sangma, said the single most important achievement during the past 50 years had been the preservation of democracy.

Endorsing Mr Jethmalani’s views that there was no flaw in the basic structure of the Constitution, Mr Sangma said that replacing the Parliamentary form of democracy with the presidential system would not solve the problem inflicting the country’s polity.

“Concentration of power in one person would not be suitable”, he said, adding that the present political instability in the country was mainly due to the rise of regionalisation of politics.

“Regional parties were never meant to rule the country”, he said and added that it is more important to focus attention on the nexus between politicians , bureaucracy, and industry rather than political instability.

JD asks Sonia to topple govt

PATNA, Aug 14 (PTI) — The Janata Dal today urged Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to take the lead in toppling the “communal” BJP Government at the Centre and affirmed full support to her on the condition the Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha (RLM) was not a part of the Congress-led ministry.

“The Congress president should take the initiative to bring down the Atal Behari Vajpayee ministry and form her party’s government”, Dal parliamentary party leader, Ramvilas Paswan told reporters affirming “full support” to such a move.

Cautioning the Congress against the inclusion of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), one of the RLM partners, in its ministry, Mr Paswan said. “The RJD president Laloo Prasad Yadav will stoop to any level like the AIADMK leader, Ms Jayalalitha, to save his skin in the fodder scam.

His party would oppose tooth and nail the entry of “tainted” politicians into the Congress-led ministry, Mr Paswan said and described the front (RLM) “as one represented by casteist and corrupt forces”.

He also charged the RJD with having “tacit” understanding with the BJP to save the RJD Government in Bihar.

Ruling out the possibility of his party joining the RLM, Mr Paswan said steps were being taken to “strengthen” the United Front.

Referring to Tuesday’s police firing in Sitamarhi in Bihar in which five JD activists were killed and many others injured, the former Railway Minister said a delegation of his party would call on President K.R. Narayanan next week to press for the dismissal of the “corrupt, ineffective and incompetent” RJD ministry.

He demanded that the state government instituted a judicial inquiry by a sitting judge of the Patna High Court to probe the “uncalled for and unprovoked” police firing on JD supporters.

His party had called a dawn-to-dusk bandh in north Bihar on August 18 in protest against the firing, Mr Paswan said. He also alleged “scanty” relief measures by the state government for the flood-hit people.

Skeleton could be of Jha

RANCHI, Aug 14 (PTI) — The post-mortem report of the skeleton dug out on August 13 by a Delhi CBI team has deepened suspicion of the investigating agency that it might be of Mr Shashinath Jha, private secretary to JMM(S) leader chief Shibu Soren.

"Although the skeleton can be identified only after a DNA test in Hyderabad, the post-mortem report does establish the fact that it belonged to a male who was killed about four years ago", a top CBI source said here today.

The skeleton, recovered from the forest near the Pisca Nagdi residence of one of the arrested JMM(S) leaders, was somewhat decomposed, but the individual parts were intact.

There would be no difficulty in conducting a DNA test on it, a CBI team member said.

Mr Jha, private secretary to the JMM(S) chief Shibu Soren, has been missing since May 22, 1994, after his alleged kidnapping from Delhi.

The CBI said it had received information in the course of its investigation that Mr Jha was last seen at the residence of the JMM leader and businessman Nand Kishore Mehta shortly before his kidnapping.

The CBI team later left for Delhi with the three arrested JMM(S) leaders Shailendra Bhattacharya, office secretary of JMM(S), Nand Kishore Mehta, central committee member of the JMM(S) and another party leader Ajay Mehta.

In order to substantiate the murder theory the CBI said the inference had been drawn on the basis of the fact that there were injury marks on the skull and the left leg of the skeleton.

The CBI earlier took the three leaders on a seven-day transit remand after producing them in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate here yesterday.

They would be produced in the court of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Delhi, by August 19.

When contacted the arrested JMM(S) leaders alleged that they had been arrested as part of "a conspiracy hatched by Congress leader Subodh Kant Sahai."

The nine-member Delhi CBI team looking into the case included Mr Ashok Kumar (DIG), Mr A.K. Gupta (SP) and Mr Vino Pandey (Inspector).

The CBI, in its petition to the Chief Judicial Magistrate for taking the three arrested JMM(S) leaders on transit remand, said it had received information in the course of the probe that Mr Shashinath Jha was last seen at the Pisca Nagri residence of Mehta shortly after his kidnapping from Delhi.

The petition said the CBI had also information that Mehta, his brother Ajay Mehta, and some of their friends had been instrumental in burying a body exactly at the spot from where the skeleton was recovered by the agency.

JMM(S) chief Shibu Soren who was arrested by the CBI in connection with the Jha kidnapping case on May 21 this year is out on bail.

Kashmiris observe black day
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Aug 14 — A group of Kashmiris demonstrated outside the Pakistan High Commission here today to protest against the ongoing proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir.

The general secretary of the Kashmiri Samiti, Dr Romesh Raina, said the Kashmiris had been observing August 14 as black day to protest against the interference of Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir.

Protesters carrying banners and black flags raised anti-Pakistan slogans and urged them to stop the proxy war in the Himalayan state.

Mr Raina said they submitted a memorandum to an official of the Pakistan High Commission. He added a memorandum was also submitted to the US Embassy urging them to declare Pakistan a terrorist state.

ED Director's transfer kicks up dust
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Aug 14- The sudden transfer of Enforcement Directorate Director M.K. Bezbaruah today came under strong criticism from the opposition parties even as the BJP termed it as a routine administrative matter.

The CPM came out strongly against the transfer of Mr Bezbaruah to his parent cadre and said, "it is well known that continuous efforts have been made for some time to interfere with the investigation of certain sensitive cases by the Enforcement Directorate".

The statement said that the transfer of the director of ED at this critical juncture would be seen as an action against an officer who had been discharging his responsibilities impartially without giving in to political pressure.

"This step is an act of political expediency undertaken by a government which is fighting for survival. It will further damage the image of the BJP-led government," the statement said.

The BJP, on the other hand, said that there was no connection between the transfer of the ED Director and the Cauvery water dispute. During his daily briefing here, party general secretary M. Venkaiah Naidu said all supposition and speculation with regard to his transfer was wrong. "I wonder how Bezbaruah is linked with the Cauvery water dispute? It was purely an administrative decision and there was no politics in it."

Meanwhile, in Chennai, AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha also said that she was in no way involved with the transfer of some central government officers. She asserted that there was absolutely no truth in the reports to this effect.

Delhi lodges protest over kidnapping
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Aug 14 — India today lodged a strong protest with Pakistan over the kidnapping of a staff member of its High Commission in Islamabad, Mr Ajay Gupta, along with his three-year old son by the Pakistani intelligence operatives on August 10.

The Indian High Commissioner handed over a strong protest note to the Pakistani Foreign Office and this was reiterated to the Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan in New Delhi today, a Ministry of External Affairs press note said, adding that the Pakistani High Commissioner was summoned to the ministry.

The Acting High Commissioner was told by the Ministry of External Affairs official that the Government of India had taken a serious view of the intimidatory behaviour of Pakistani intelligence operatives whose conduct was highly reprehensible and completely unacceptable.

"It also constituted a breach of the bilateral code of conduct governing the treatment of diplomatic and consular personnel in the two countries and the international conventions relating to the treatment of Mission personnel", New Delhi told Islamabad.

Disabled kids fly the skies

NEW DELHI, Aug 14 (PTI) — It was a dream come true for the 50 odd handicapped children from various Delhi Government schools who hit the skies this morning on board wingless flying machines with the Tricolour in their hands and excitement writ large on their faces.

Even the rain gods chose to watch the deaf, dumb and mentally retarded children’s flight of fantasy from the clouds above as the Pawan Hans helicopters took off from the Safdarjung aerodrome one after another with the kids on board.

The Civil Aviation Secretary, Mr P.V. Jayakrishnan, also joined the excited kids on the 10-minute joy ride over the city organised by the state-owned Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd to mark the conclusion of the golden jubilee celebrations of Independence.

Tears of joy rolled down the cheeks of Puja, a student of the Government Lady Noyce School for the Deaf and Dumb, when asked through sign language how she felt about the ride.

“I would certainly want to go up once again if they take me”, Monica Joshi said as she reluctantly came out after the short flight.

“Delhi is so beautiful from above. I wish it looked equally good down here too,” said Suleman.

The dream sequence over, the children returned to their respective schools with a handful of gifts from Pawan Hans and a determination to prove their limits beyond the skies.

Unseated for having over 2 kids

CUTTACK, Aug 14 (PTI) — A Congress member of the Mayurbhanj zila parishad has been unseated by the Orissa High Court on the ground that he has more than two children.

Mr H.C. Mahanta became the first person to be disqualified under the Orissa Zila Parishad (Amendment) Act, which prohibits a person from contesting a poll if he had more than two children.

Though a lower court had upheld the election of Mr Mahanta, it was challenged in the High Court by Mr Malaya Kumar Mahanta, who lost the election.

Security beefed up in Delhi
From Our Correspondent

NEW DELHI, Aug 14 — The Delhi police has stepped up security in the capital in view of Independence Day.

Over 15,000 policemen, apart from 5,000 central police personnel, will be deployed in and around the Red Fort, Rajghat, Rashtrapati Bhavan and India Gate areas, the Police Commissioner, Mr V.N. Singh today said.

The police suspected the presence of Kashmiri and Afghan militants in the Capital. The Commissioner of Police also held a meeting with the district police chiefs of the neighbouring districts like Faridabad, Gurgaon, Sonepat and Ghaziabad.

Sonepat, in particular, had been put on the maximum alert because of a blast in the district last year, a senior police official said.

Aerobatics display at I-Day fest
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Aug 14 — The elite Surya Kiran aerobatics team of the Indian Air Force will form part of a flypast, which will be the highlight of the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort where Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee will make his maiden Independence Day address tomorrow.

The flypast, the third ever at the Red Fort, will first see a formation by three MI-17 aircraft flying at a height of 60 metres. The lead helicopter will carry the national flag with two copters on the sides carrying the golden jubilee logo. Another helicopter will shower flower petals.

In the aerobatics display three aircraft will pull up and execute a loop while the remaining six will carry out an upward peel-off.

Expedition flagged off
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Aug 14 — A motorcycle expedition “Spirit of Independence ’98”, was flagged off by the Udhampur MP, Mr Chaman Lal Gupta, in the Capital today.

The eight-member team will complete the expedition in 25 days.

The expedition will be in four legs comprising New Delhi-Srinagar and Leh through Kargil. The third leg will be through the inhospitable Trans-Himalayan desert en route to Chushul.

New neem-based contraceptive
NEW DELHI: Defence scientists here have entered into an agreement with a Bangalore-based company for the commercial production of a neem-based contraceptive. The herbal contraceptive developed by the scientists at the Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIPAS) in collaboration with the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) here, can kill the sperm without affecting the normal cells. The contraceptive, called “Comcept”, is now going through the last phase of the animal toxicity test at the Rallies India Research Laboratory in Bangalore.— PTI

Show on Indian art from Germany
NEW DELHI: President K.R. Narayanan on Friday inaugurated an exhibition on rare works of Indian art from Germany loaned for the first time as its contribution during the celebrations of India’s 50 years of Independence. The six-week exhibition “Treasures of Indian Art - Germany’s tribute to India’s cultural heritage”, at the National Museum here comprises unique sculptures in stone, bronze, terracota and paintings reflecting development of art in the Indian subcontinent between the third century BC and 19th century AD. The exhibition will also travel to the Indian Museum at Calcutta and the National Gallery of Modern Art in Mumbai after being staged in Delhi. — PTI

Tripura releases pay panel report
AGARTALA: The Tripura Government on Friday released the Fourth Day Commission report amid uncertainty over its implementation due to paucity of funds. Releasing the report, Finance Minister Badal Choudhury said the commission has recommended Rs 2,550 as the minimum pay and Rs 22,400 as the maximum and asked the government to implement its recommendations with effect from January 1, 1996. It has increased the number of scales to 25 from the existing 19, Mr Choudhary said, adding that the government would require an additional Rs 200 crore each year to meet the annual recurring expenditure to implement the new scales. — PTI