The Tribune...Spotlight

			Tuesday, July 21, 1998
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Riots case: HC notice to Bhagat
NEW DELHI, July 20 (PTI) — The Delhi High Court today issued notice to former union minister H.K.L. Bhagat on an appeal filed by the city government against a session court's order denying permission to the prosecution to summon two new "eye-witnesses" in a 1984 riot case. Mr Justice J.B. Goel, after hearing arguments by counsel Anil Soni, also stayed the proceedings before the trial court and fixed August 12 for the next hearing. Additional Sessions Judge O.P. Dwivedi had refused permission to prosecution to summon the witnesses and ruled that there was no "good ground" to examine them at such a late stage.
Ram temple in 2001
CHENNAI, July 20 (PTI) — The Vishva Hindu Parishad will commence the construction of the Ram janmabhoomi temple at Ayodhya on "ekadashi" in the month of "Karthik" in 2001, if the court verdict was in its favour, VHP international secretary general Acharya Giriraj Kishore said here today. He told reporters that if the judgement did not come by then, it would launch an agitation demanding the enactment of a suitable legislation in Parliament for removing hindrances in building the temple.
Cong's refusal
NEW DELHI, July 20 (PTI) — The Congress today reacted coolly to the suggestions by the Left that it should take initiative to dislodge the Vajpayee government, saying that its job was not to topple the government. Party spokesman Ajit Jogi told reporters here that though the party welcomed every effort of consolidation of the secular forces, it would not take any initiative to dislodge the government.
Indo-Russian deal
MOSCOW, July 20 (PTI) — India and Russia today signed a crucial contract to kick-start the deal on the construction of a nuclear power plant at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu. Under the contract, signed by Nuclear Power Corporation of India's Managing Director Y.S.R. Prasad and General Director of Russia's Atmostrioexport, Kozlov, Russia will prepare the detail project report to initiate work on designing and implementation of the deal, Indian Embassy sources said.
Demands for grants
NEW DELHI, July 20 (PTI) — Parliament today approved budgetary demands for grants of a massive Rs 7,04,222.69 crore with the Rajya Sabha returning the relevant appropriation Bill after a spirited defence of the Budget by Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha.
MP pulled up
NEW DELHI, July 20 (PTI) — A Shiv Sena member in the Rajya Sabha was today pulled up by the Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptullah for possessing a cellular phone inside the House against the general rules and procedures. "It is for the third time that you have been found in possession of the phone. Next time it will be gone", she warned Shiv Sena member Sanjay Nirupam.
AGP activist shot
TEZPUR, July 20 (PTI) — A district leader of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) was shot dead in Assam's Sonitpur district by the NE Guerrilla army, official sources said here today. Phuleswar Nath was killed last night near his residence at Balikhuti village. The police recovered from his pocket a letter allegedly written by the NE guerrilla army claiming the victim was "sentenced to death by the army for his anti-social activities".
MLAs stage sit-in
JAIPUR, July 20 (PTI) — Several Congress legislators today staged a "sit-in" in the well of Rajasthan Assembly for about 15 minutes protesting the alleged lathi charge on protestors at Udaipur last week and demanded setting up of a separate agriculture university there. During zero hour, Congress legislator Laxman Singh, who led the sit-in in the well, raised the lathi charge issue.

‘Godse’ playwright
MUMBAI, July 20 (PTI) — Pradip Dalvi, writer of the controversial Marathi play "Mee Nathuram Boltoy" would feature in a live chat show on the Internet tomorrow. The chat show, which commences at 9 pm tomorrow, could be accessed at www.rediff.com, according to Syed Firdaus Ashraf of Rediff on the Net, organisers of the programme.