Wednesday, August 26, 1998
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N A T I O N |
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Cong asks Advani |
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 Landslides have blocked the Mad Maheshwar river near Pithoragarh, leading to the formation of a 1.5 km-long lake. — photo by Jagdamba Prasad Maithani.
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CMs should quit before
poll: Gill BJP
to ignore Jayalalitha Convention
on Sikh problems Package
for farmers on the cards Protima
Bedi's body not yet found Dropsy
cases: HC takes serious note Herbal
cure for high-altitude illnesses Discussion on Viagra’s effects JD assails BJP on Jaipur meeting Five-judge Bench for Hegde case |
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Cong asks Advani to clarify NEW DELHI, Aug 25 — The Congress today demanded that the Union Home Minister should clarify the status of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi following contradictory statements on his exoneration in the action taken report on the findings of the Jain Commission of Inquiry. Senior Congress leader Arjun Singh today wrote a letter to Home Minister L.K. Advani seeking a clarification. He said that considerable avoidable confusion had been caused by the release to the press the letter of Mr Advani to DMK’s MP Murasoli Maran and the subsequent clarification by the Union Home Secretary. Mr Arjun Singh said as per their understanding the investigation into the links between the LTTE and the DMK was going to be conducted, the amendment to the ATR with reference to Mr M. Karunanidhi not withstanding. The letter said when a party delegation met Mr Advani he had agreed that the LTTE-DMK links, including the involvement of Mr Karunanidhi would be probed. "We request you to kindly clarify the position at your level confirming that your exchange of letters with Mr Maran does not extinguish the commitment given by you to us at our meeting on August 19," the letter said. The confusion arose with Mr Maran claiming in Chennai yesterday that the Home Minister in a letter to him, acknowledged an "inadvertent error" in mentioning Mr Karunanidhi’s name in the ATR. The Centre later clarified
that Mr Karunanidhi’s name was inadvertently
mentioned under the list of suspects in the ATR. The
omission was pointed out by Mr Maran during a debate in
the Lok Sabha and Mr Advani had assured the member that
if it was a mistake, it would be corrected. |
SP impatient to pull down Vajpayee govt BHOPAL, Aug 25 (PTI) — Samajwadi Party (SP) president Mulayam Singh Yadav today said his party could not wait indefinitely for the Congress to take an initiative to bring about the downfall of the BJP-led government at the centre. Addressing a press conference at the end of the two-day meeting of the Samajwadi Party national executive committee here, Mr Yadav said the future course to be adopted by the SP in case the Congress failed to take an initiative to cause the collapse of the Vajpayee government would be decided at its three-day national conference to be held at Jaipur from September 25. He said most of the non-BJP political parties had authorised the Congress to take the initiative for ending the rule of the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre. Answering questions, the SP president asserted that there would be no mid-term polls to the Lok Sabha after the fall of the Vajpayee government. "An alternative government is already ready and it will take its place at the appropriate time", he said. Mr Yadav said if the Congress failed to take the desired initiative the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha would go to the people to highlight the failures of the BJP-led government. The SP president said the issues that would be raised before the people include rising prices, increase in terrorist activities and shortage of power and drinking water. Mr Yadav said the response to the rallies of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha at Jaipur, Patna and Ahmedabad had proved that the people were getting disenchanted with the policies of the BJP-led government. Asked who would be the Prime Minister if a Congress-led government was formed at the Centre, he said "this will have to be decided by the Congress itself." The SP president said as far as his party was concerned, it did not want to bring about the fall of the BJP-led government merely to ensure that its leaders got some posts. "There is no question
of the SP working against the BJP to get some posts for
its own leaders," Mr Yadav said. He reiterated the
charge that the Vajpayee government had a hidden agenda
which it was pursuing vigorously. Mr Yadav dubbed Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee as the weakest Prime Minister India ever had and alleged that as a result his government was working without any ideology or principles. The Samajwadi Party president said a weak Prime Minister also made the nation weak which was not good at all. Mr Yadav said he was describing Mr Vajpayee as the weakest Prime Minister because no one knew for sure who was the driving force behind the government. "Some say L.K. Advani is the real Prime Minister, while at times Parliamentary Affairs Minister M.L. Khurana appears to be guiding Mr Vajpayee and on some occasions even men like Mr Pramod Mahajan make statements as if they were the Prime Minister," he said. This sort of confusion was not healthy since the government appeared to speak in many voices, he said. Wrestlers make successful politicians, according to Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav. Mr Yadav, who is himself a former wrestler, told reporters here today that apart from him there were several wrestlers who had "made good" in Indian Politics. They included senior
Congress leader Sharad Pawar and former Defence Minister
Y.B. Chavan, and late socialist leader Raj Narain, he
said. |
ISI ‘trying’ to infiltrate into Army GUWAHATI, Aug 25 (UNI) — The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is trying to infiltrate into the Indian Army through immigrants of Assam, says a top Army official. Talking to newspersons here yesterday, Brig D.S. Dhillon, Deputy Director-General of the Army recruitment cell of the north-eastern region, said the Defence Ministry was aware of the ISI’s design to plant moles in the Indian Army. He said that illegal immigrants were trying to get recruited to the Army with fake permanent resident certificates (PRCs) acquired through an organised network at the behest of the ISI. “We are trying to ensure that no immigrants enter the Army through such fake PRCs. In a recent recruitment drive some immigrants produced PRCs which looked original but on closer scrutiny it was revealed that they were fake PRCs”, the Brigadier said. The Army had already filed two FIRs in regard to the fake PRCs in Jorhat and Satgaon police stations and five persons of a bigger network were nabbed for providing fake PRCs. The Deputy Director-General said that the district authorities besides, the state Chief Secretary and Home Secretary were informed about the proliferation of the organised gangs. There were also touts who were working in tandem with the organised gangs to infiltrate into the Army for the ISI. “We are blocking it so far”, he added. The recruitment-level from the North-East had started increasing again after two years of slump. At least 2000 soldiers were expected to be recruited from the region in the current financial year while the previous year saw the recruitment of only 1348 soldiers from the region. This year there would be
700 added vacancies as per the instruction of Defence
Minister George Fernandes for rehabilitating the
misguided youths. |
CMs should quit before poll: Gill NEW DELHI, Aug 25 (PTI) — The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Mr M.S. Gill, today advocated the resignation of chief ministers of four states before they go to the polls in November this year to enable a neutral administration under a governor to be in place during the elections. With Rajasthan and Delhi being ruled by the BJP and Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram having Congress regimes, both parties could become "tyagmurthis" (renunciate power) by voluntarily sacrificing their governments for a six week period in the run-up to the elections, Mr Gill said in a wide-ranging interview to PTI. "Article 356 of the
Constitution should be amended by Parliament to provide
for an elected state government to move out of office
once the elections are announced so that the state could
be placed under governor’s rule," he said. The CEC said he was suggesting this in response to apprehensions being voiced by opposition parties in those states over the possibility of an impartial poll under a state administration, including the police, being run by the party in power. The commission had already begun preparation for holding the assembly elections in the four states where the five-year tenure of the governments would come to an end in December. "The four states are already in the election mode and the commission can announce the poll dates any day". He, however, did not indicate the dates and whether the poll would be held in a phased manner. Intensive efforts are being made to update the electoral rolls which would be available to political parties and candidates on computer CD-ROMs for the first time, he said, adding the exercise was aimed at eliminating fake voters. The name of the father and the voter identity card number, wherever available, had been incorporated in the revised electoral rolls. The commission was convening a meeting of chief electoral officers of the four states on August 27 to finalise the administrative and logistical arrangements for the elections. To a question on donations by companies to political parties, he felt that this should be permitted after ensuring that such money was accounted for and was within reasonable limits. "These dealings should not be under the table," he said, contending that when individuals and trade unions had the right to give donations, why not companies ? Stating that the commission did not approve of a total ban on donation by companies to political parties, he said the political process involved heavy cost and this had to be met by funds coming through certain channels. On a ceiling on expenditure limit for candidates, the CEC said, "This is a routine mechanical exercise which should be left best to the commission" instead of the government. The commission, while fixing the limit, would take into account factors like inflation and modify the ceiling accordingly. He denied there was a tussle on between the government and the commission over the issue of more powers sought by the latter "Our objectives are the same and the government and the commission in no way stand apart. The commission has frequent dialogue with the Prime Minister and that does not diminish our independence," he said. About the inordinate delay in disposal of election petitions, several of which had been pending in the high courts and the Supreme Court since 1990, Mr Gill suggested that courts should set up special Benches to dispose of such petitions within six months of they being filed. A total of 339 election
petitions were pending in the high courts since 1990
while the figure of such petitions pending in the Supreme
Court was 41. He said he had written to Law Minister M.
Thambi Durai to address the matter promptly and find a
way for prompt disposal of such cases. |
BJP to ignore Jayalalitha NEW DELHI, Aug 25 — The Bharatiya Janata Party in a tactical move has decided to cold shoulder the AIADMK chief, Ms Jayalalitha. Between August 17 and 21, the BJP leaders, including the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, declined several of Ms Jayalalitha’s telephonic requests, sources in the BJP said adding that the party and the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee would now remain cold to her. Mr Advani, whose office received a call from Chennai with a request for a telephonic conversation, got a message conveyed that he was not inclined to talk to her. Mr Advani, who was the main architect of the BJP- AIADMK alliance last year, has been nursing a wound inflicted by her when she accused the former of "selective amnesia" few months ago. Unable to establish a contact with Mr Advani, Ms Jayalalitha turned to a journalist at whose daughter’s wedding reception Mr Advani had first met her which finally led to the BJP-AIADMK electoral alliance. When the journalist went to consult the Home Minister, the latter advised the former that he should proceed on his scheduled foreign trip and not to go to Chennai. Meanwhile, the above journalist has left the country for a tour abroad. As part of the same strategy, the party leadership did not allow the Jayalalitha issue to figure at the national executive committee meeting at Jaipur. The party spokesman and other important leaders made a conscious effort to convey to the media that problems relating with the AIADMK chief were not taken up at the meeting. Even the AIADMK ministers would be told in categorical terms that they must stop making irresponsible public statements which damage credibility of the BJP-led coalition. The AIADMK ministers, if they don’t heed the advice of the Prime Minister’s confidants, they would find it difficult to function, sources said adding that "important issues and related files" then would not be sent to them. The BJP appears to be in
no mood to suffer public insults. The BJP’s
confidence is based on their understanding that Ms
Jayalalitha is getting isolated from her allies. Moreover
her support in the public is dwindling. |
Convention on Sikh problems NEW DELHI, Aug 25 — The problems being faced by Sikhs living outside Punjab would be discussed in a convention to be held soon in the Capital. The Sikh convention would be addressed by the Union Minister for Chemical, Food and Fertilizer, Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, president of the SGPC, Mr G. S. Tohra, and the Chief Minister of Punjab, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, a Longowal Peace Foundation release said today. The chairman of the foundation, Mr Onkar Singh Thapar, said the convention will decide the future course of action by the Sikhs living outside Punjab in the coming Assembly poll in the states of Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Mizoram. The convention will also
discuss the demands of Sikhs such as the punishment of
the guilty of November 1984 riots, compensation to the
victims of the riots, granting of second language status
to Punjabi in Delhi, reservation of seats for Sikhs in
the forthcoming elections and exclusion of Udham Singh
Nagar in the proposed Uttaranchal state. |
Package for farmers on the cards NEW DELHI, Aug 25 — The Vajpayee government is finalising a package for farmers which will be announced next month as a sop for the electorate in the coming Assembly elections in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The package, which is likely to be announced on Deen Dayal Upadhya’s birth anniversary on September 25, will include crop insurance, credit cards and other financial incentives. The farmers whose land is acquired by the government will not have to pay any tax on their compensation money. The package is being jointly worked out by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and the Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr Som Pal,sources said adding that they were asked by the BJP high command to ready the package. The package will be named after veteran Jan Sangh leader, sources said. The BJP leadership has asked the government to take every possible step within its command to bring down the prices,sources said adding that imports of edible oil and other essential commodities was not ruled out. While in Delhi, the issue of leadership will be left to the elected MLAs, the party has decided to contest the Assembly elections in Rajasthan under the leadership of the Chief Minister, Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. The party is likely to call all the Delhi state unit leaders to sink their differences on the leadership issue. The party is conscious of the factionalism within the Delhi unit. In Madhya Pradesh too, the BJP will not project any single leader as its chief ministerial candidate. Officially, the party will say that the issue will be decided by the elected MLAs or the party president, Mr Kushabhau Thakre. In Rajasthan, the party will not focus on national issues thus assiduously avoiding any comparison between the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee and the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi. At the same time, the BJP
will ask for votes in Delhi for strengthening the
Vajpayee government. In Madhya Pradesh, the party will
focus on the maladministration of the Congress
government. The party is preparing a long list of the
Digvijay Singh’s cases of corruption and it will
make a determined effort to highlight them, sources said. |
Protima Bedi's body not yet found DHARCHULA, Aug 25 (PTI) — The body of eminent Odissi danseuse Protima Gauri Bedi is yet to be traced from under the debris at landslide-ravaged Malpa village, Pithoragarh District Magistrate R.L. Yadav told PTI here today. Earlier, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Director-General, Mr Gautam Kaul, had said on August 22 that the bodies recovered from the mishap site included that of Protima Bedi. However, Yadav said the provisional death certificate (PDC) has been issued to her sister Ashita, who was here since yesterday. He said PDCs were being issued to relatives of those pilgrims whose bodies were yet to be identified or traced. LUCKNOW: Inclement weather hampered airlifting of more bodies from Malpa village, where over 200 people, including 60 Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims, were feared killed last week. Indian Air Force choppers failed to take off from Pithoragarh and Dharchula to bring bodies from Malpa or ferry pilgrims stranded at Gunji, due to hostile weather, Maj-Gen J.R. Mukherji, in charge of the rescue operation code-named ‘White Horse’ told PTI at the central command here. The death toll in the Malpa tragedy has risen to 67 with the recovery of 32 bodies, including those of eight pilgrims, yesterday. NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday termed as "very inadequate" and "callous" the ongoing relief and rescue operations in the Rudraprayag district and said the problem was not being dealt with seriously. "The tragedy in the district is being ignored as Malpa has been making most of the news,’’ party leader Vijay Bahuguna, who visited the district on directions from the high command for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation, told reporters here. He said people living in villages partially hit by landslides have still not been evacuated. Mr Bahuguna, who has
already submitted a report to party President Sonia
Gandhi, also wrote a letter to Prime Minister Atal Behari
Vajpayee demanding that a Central team be sent to the
area to examine relief operations. |
Dropsy cases: HC takes serious note NEW DELHI, Aug 25 (UNI, PTI) — Taking a serious note of the growing dropsy cases in the Capital, the Delhi High Court today summoned Director, Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) of Delhi government in an effort to check adulteration of mustard oil sold either in packed containers or loose by retailers. A Division Bench, comprising Mr Justice Y.K. Sabharwal, and Mr Justice K.S. Gupta, directed the officer to be present in the court to explain what steps were required to bring the situation under control, especially in view of the fact that 90 per cent of the samples of mustard oil sold loose by retailers were found to be adulterated. The directive came on a public interest petition, filed by Dr B L. Wadehra, seeking the court’s directions for immediate steps to investigate the source of such adulteration and the modus operandi of those involved in it and bringing them to book. According to hospital figures, nine persons have died so far, after consuming adulterated mustard oil and over 400 patients were admitted with symptoms of dropsy. Considering the urgency of the case, the case has been fixed for tomorrow when the court will give its interim direction to provide immediate relief to the people of the capital city. The Delhi Pradesh Congress
Committee today demanded a judicial inquiry into deaths
caused by adulterated mustard oil in the capital and said
city Health Minister Harsh Vardhan should resign for
allegedly adopting a callous attitude towards the
problems. |
Herbal cure for high-altitude illnesses NEW DELHI, Aug 25 (UNI) — For the security personnel touching it out at high-altitude areas like the Siachen or engaged in high-pressure job of combating militancy in the North-East, strain and intense loneliness can adversely affect their efficiency level and performance. But Indian scientists have now developed herbs-based medicines that can greatly fortify their endurance and keep them shipshape in most trying conditions. Of these drugs, being developed by the Defence Institute of Physical and Allied Sciences (DIPAS), a Defence Ministry undertaking, geri forte and one-be have been found to be immensely beneficial during trial, DIPAS Director W. Selvamurthy says. The two drugs have been found to be a potent antidote to illnesses induced by extreme climatic conditions and emotional stress, while a third drug extracted from aloe vera, a cactus-like plant, contains immense healing properties against frostbite. The hazards of job for the security personnel, working in low intensity conflict environment such as Kashmir and militancy-plagued North-East, lie not only in eyeball-to-eyeball encounters with hostile troopers from across the border but also in difficult climatic conditions, lack of emotional anchor and the lurking fear of the unknown, which can trigger stress and affect their efficiency, he said. Though these drugs are
being developed primarily for the defence and security
personnel, these can also be beneficial for civilians, he
said. Geri forte can keep the tourists visiting
high-altitude and cold areas physically active and agile.
Similarly, one-be, during its trial, has been found
effective for pregnant women, patients afflicted with
serious diseases or waiting to undergo surgery and the
officials saddled with strenuous assignments, all of whom
may experience bouts of strain and anxiety. |
Tansi case adjourned CHENNAI, Aug 25 (PTI) — A special judge today adjourned to September 9 proceedings in the ‘Tansi land deal’ case in which former Chief Minister and AIADMK leader J. Jayalalitha and her friend Sasikala are the prime accused. The case pertains to the alleged sale of state-owned land far below the market value during the AIADMK rule. Judge P. Anbazhagan, trying cases of corruption, also posted to August 28 hearing on a petition filed by Ms Jayalalitha challenging the validity of the Tamil Nadu Governor’s sanction to prosecute her. The counsel for the crime branch-CID of the state police submitted that the special judge could proceed with the case and frame charges against Ms Jayalalitha and the other accused at the earliest, in view of the Supreme Court’s August 21 verdict vacating a stay by the Madras High Court on proceeding with the Tansi case. However, the special court cannot proceed with the trial of the case, following a June 1997 order staying trials in all cases in the special courts till a batch of petitions by Ms Jayalalitha and others, challenging the validity of the special courts, was disposed of by the Madras High Court. The petitions are being
heard by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice M.S.
Liberhan and Justice E. Padmanabhan. |
Discussion on Viagra’s effects NEW DELHI, Aug 25 — The much talked about wonder drug for impotency ‘Viagra’ will be discussed at a convention to be held in the Capital on August 30. The Heart Care Foundation of India and the IJCP Academy of Continuing Medical Education are organising the conference in which more than 100 medical experts would present their views on sexual dysfunction and the effects of Viagra, a press release said. According to Dr K.K. Aggarwal, India has the maximum number of patients with sexual dysfunction. The disorder is common in patients with diabetes, heart diseases and those who have suffered a paralytic attack. It has been estimated that five to 10 per cent of the population above the age of 30 and 15-20 per cent population above the age of 60 may be suffering from sexual dysfunction, he said. With Viagra already
available with some Indian companies, it is likely to be
commercially available in India by early next year, an
organiser said. |
JD assails BJP on Jaipur
meeting NEW DELHI, Aug 25 — The Janata Dal today attacked the ruling coalition’s main constituent, the BJP, for its National Executive having failed to point out the government’s successes and having only expressed apprehensions over the opposition joining hands. The Janata Dal spokesman, Mr Mohan Prakash, while talking to newsmen here, said it was deplorable that the BJP was trying to blame the opposition for its lapses and at the same time also trying to keep the Vajpayee government in power. Mr Prakash was reacting to the resolutions adopted at the two-day National Execuitve meeting of the BJP at Jaipur last week. The Janata Dal was also critical of the government trying to adopt all means to remain in power. The party spokesman pointed out that with this one purpose in mind the BJP had now deleted the name of the DMK supremo, Mr M. Karunanidhi, from the Action Taken Report. Finding itself in trouble with the AIADMK, the BJP was now trying to grope for the DMK’s support. He, however, said that
Janata Dal’s consistent view that Mr Karunanidhi had
nothing to do with the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi was
now getting vindicated. When asked specifically whether
there were chances of the United Front further getting
depleted with the DMK showing signs of aligning with the
BJP, the Dal spokesman said that Mr Karunanidhi had never
announced support for the BJP. |
Five-judge Bench for Hegde case NEW DELHI, Aug 25 (PTI) — The Supreme Court today referred contempt matters against R.K. Hegde and journalist Arun Shourie to a five-judge Bench to decide whether truth could be a defence and two other vital questions arising from these. A three-judge Bench, comprising Justice S.C. Agrawal, Justice S.P. Kurdukar and Justice SSM Quadri, also said the new Bench would decide whether there was any time bar on initiation of contempt proceedings and whether insinuations against an apex court judge functioning as chairman of an inquiry commission could be regarded as contempt of court. A petition filed by Janata
Party President Subramanian Swamy in 1990 had sought
initiation of contempt proceedings against the then Chief
Minister of Karnataka, Mr Hegde, and the then Editor of
Indian Express, Mr Shourie, for allegedly passing
derogatory remarks against Justice Kuldip Singh who was
heading a commission of inquiry. |
Encyclopaedia’s import on CD-ROM banned NEW DELHI, Aug 25 (UNI) — The government today banned the import of Encyclopaedia Britannica in CD-ROM because of various discrepancies in the maps and text they include: — The external boundaries of India correctly in the maps. — The text also contains factual inaccuracies about Jammu and Kashmir. — The state of Jammu and Kashmir has been mentioned as a disputed territory among India, Pakistan and China since partition. The non-permission to
import Encyclopaedia Britannica in CD-ROM is on account
of inability to insert the required corrections. |
4 pilgrims killed as jeep overturns JAIPUR, Aug 25 (PTI) — Four pilgrims were today killed on the spot and eight injured when a jeep carrying them overturned after bursting of a tyre in Rajasthan’s Barmer district, the police said. The injured in the accident at Harsani village have been rushed to a nearby hospital. Those killed were part of
a pilgrimage party from Gujarat on way to attend the
annual religious fair of Baba Ramdevra in Jodhpur. |
| In
brief 10 held for hooch deaths Metals from the
sea Sikkim’s
inclusion in NEC ULFA behind train
blast Girls' engineering
college 6 militants held
in Tripura |
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