tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Friday, October 23, 1998
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CEC meets President
NEW DELHI, Oct 22 (PTI) — Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Dr M.S. Gill, met President K.R. Narayanan today and briefed him on the preparations for next month’s assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Mizoram and byelection to 14 seats across the country. During his 45-minute meeting with Mr Narayanan, Mr Gill drew President’s attention to the commission’s work in computerising electoral rolls and bringing out CD-ROM of constituencies. The President expressed the hope that the elections would be held peacefully and in a free and fair manner.

All-party meeting
CHENNAI, Oct 22 (PTI) — The Tamil Nadu Government came under attack from the AIADMK at an all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi today on ways to prevent recurrence of caste clashes in the state even as participants of the inconclusive deliberations decided to meet again on Monday. Representatives of 41 political parties attended the five-hour-long meeting convened here in the aftermath of clashes in Ramanathapuram district which left 11 persons dead.

Laloo's case
PATNA, Oct 22 (PTI) — The CBI might file charge sheet against Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) President Laloo Prasad Yadav in a disproportionate assets case in the fodder scam next month and did not rule out the possibility of interrogating him for a second time CBI sources told PTI today that the agency's investigation in the case had reached 'a crucial stage' after yesterday's six-hour marathon grilling of Mr Yadav in the case and "the final report may be ready sometime next month."

China's objection
BEIJING, Oct 22 (PTI) — China today reacted strongly to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's recent meeting with the exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama saying it amounted to New Delhi's interference in China's internal affairs. The meeting by the Indian Prime Minister with the Dalai Lama violated the commitment of the Indian side of not allowing the Dalai Lama to engage in anti-China political activities in India," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Tang Guoqiang said. This had hurt the feelings of the Chinese people, he added.

Lanka violence
COLOMBO, Oct 22 (UNI) — Crack police commandos destroyed a major Tamil rebel base in eastern Sri Lanka today, killing at least 10 militants and raising the number of rebels cadres killed in one week to about 50, official said. Military officials said special task force commandos, backed by the artillery and the air force, destroyed a major base of the LTTE known by the number 24, in the Kanjikuduchchiaru jungles in Ampara district. At least 10 rebels were killed, while the rest fled, they added.

13 feared dead
GOPESHWAR, Oct 22 (PTI) — At least 13 labourers engaged in snow-clearing operation were feared dead when an avalanche swept the Niti valley in Chamoli district of UP, official sources said here today. Search was on for locating the Public Works Department labourers, they said, adding there was "little hope" of their survival. The incident took place yesterday when the labourers were engaged in clearing a snow-covered road at Labathala near Barbhot in the valley, the sources said.

Meeting cancelled
ISLAMABAD, Oct 22 (ANI) — The Clinton Administration has cancelled the annual meeting of the Pakistan-US consultative group on security and defence because of the sanctions, according to knowledgeable sources here. However, no responsible official of the Defence Ministry, including Defence Secretary Lt-Gen Chaudhary Iftikhar Ali Khan was willing to confirm or deny the report. The consultative group, which was revived in January, 1994 during former US Defence Secretary William Perry's visit to Pakistan, had been meeting annually since then alternately in Washington and Islamabad. The last meeting of the group was held in Washington on October 15, 1997.

Salman's father
MUMBAI, Oct 22 (PTI) — A Sessions Court today once again extended its interim order directing the police not to arrest till 11 am tomorrow, actor Salman Khan's father Salim Khan, accused of keeping protected animals in captivity, for want of original documents from the State Forest Department. The noted script writer had sought an anticipatory bail, apprehending arrest on the charge of keeping wild animals in captivity in violation of the Wildlife Protection Act.

Envoys to Algeria and Zambia
NEW DELHI, Oct 22 (TNS) — Mr Ashok Kumar Attri and Mr Mahesh Kumar Sachdev have been appointed India's High Commissioner to Zambia and Ambassador to Algeria, respectively. A Ministry of External Affairs' press note said Mr Attri, who has recently returned from Kathmandu from a posting at the SAARC Secretariat, would proceed to Zambia shortly. Mr Attri, who hails from Punjab, replaces Mr P. Wangdi. Mr Sachedev, who has been India's Ambassador to Algeria, would take up his assignment shortly.

HC summons Jogi
RAIGARH, Oct 22 (PTI) — Congress spokesman Ajit Jogi has been charged with having won the Lok Sabha elections from a seat reserved for the Scheduled Tribes without being a tribesman and summoned by the Madhya Pradesh High Court to face the proceedings on an election petition in this regard. The notices were published in an English newspaper of New Delhi and a Hindi daily here after attempts to summon Jogi through other means failed. Jogi has been directed to submit his written response to the court by October 23 or appear in person or send his advocate by October 30.
RJD warning
NEW DELHI, Oct 22 (PTI) — The Rashtriya Janata Dal today warned that the creation of a separate Vananchal state in Bihar would lead to secessionism and said if statehood was to be accorded to Jharkhand it should include the contiguous areas of Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal as well. Party general secretary Suman Sahay told reporters that before creating a separate state, the matter should be thoroughly debated all over the country as the step would have serious ramifications. She cautioned that the Jharkhand issue should not be used as a pawn for political opportunism.
Adjourned
CHENNAI, Oct 22 (PTI) — The all-party meeting convened by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to find ways to prevent the recurrence of caste clashes in the state was today adjourned to Monday as most of the leaders attending the meet wanted more time to air their views on the subject.
16 die in mishap
GANGTOK, Oct 22 (UNI) — At least 16 persons were killed and 17 seriously injured when a Sikkim Nationalised Transport bus fell into a 200-foot gorge at Takray-Gariv, about 5 km from Ribdi, yesterday according to delayed reports reaching here today, the bus was carrying 33 passengers. The reports said the condition of five of the injured was critical. Preliminary reports suggested human error as the cause of the accident.
Countrywide strike
NEW DELHI, Oct 22 (PTI) — Various mass organisations will go on a countrywide general strike on December 11 against what they call the BJP Government's "disastrous anti-people activities." The National Platform of Mass Organisations (NPMO) comprising various central trade unions, industrial federations and organisations of students, youth, peasants, agricultural workers and women held a meeting here yesterday presided over by E. Balanandan, CPI-M MP, and expressed concern over certain reported "unilateral" moves of the government.