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| Sunday, February 6, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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Court reserves order on
Chadha’s plea Chautala decries Cong stand on
statute Mahapatra’s war against
Naveen Indoor shooting of
‘Water’ begins Lightning kills four |
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Yukta launches anti-AIDS drive Minister’s house attacked Anoop Mishra is Dy Leader Sat Narain
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Court reserves order on Chadha’s plea NEW DELHI, Feb 5 (PTI) — A Delhi court today reserved its order on an application of Dubai-based businessman Win Chadha seeking more time to appear before it in the Rs 64 crore Bofors pay off case while deferring execution of the non-bailable warrant (NBW) against him till February 8. Special Judge Ajit Bharihoke, who had issued fresh NBW against Mr Chadha on February 3, reserved his order for Tuesday after hearing his lawyer’s arguments and the CBI plea. The NBW against the former Bofors agent is returnable by March 21, but the court has deferred its execution till disposal of his application filed soon after issuance of NBW. Mr Chadha’s counsel Ritu Singh Maan submitted that Mr Chadha was not getting visa endorsement from UAE authorities on the passport issued by the Indian Government to facilitate his travelling to India. He had not been actually handed over the passport, she said. However, CBI counsel U.S. Prasad strongly opposed her contention saying the accused was making unreasonable demands and he just wanted to delay the matter as he did not want to face trial in the case. The fresh arrest warrant was issued against Mr Chadha on Thursday after he failed to appear in the court despite an undertaking given by his counsel on an earlier date. Earlier on January 20,
the court had cancelled the NBW, issued against Mr Chadha
on December 14, as he did not have requisite travel
documents to come to India. |
Chautala decries Cong stand on
statute NEW DELHI, Feb 5- The National Commission to review the working of the Constitution is not an issue in the campaigning for the forthcoming Assembly polls in Haryana as the Vidhan Sabha has nothing to do with it, according to the State Chief Minister and the Indian National Lok Dal President, Mr Om Prakash Chautala. Speaking to reporters after launching the party’s web site on the Internet here last night, Mr Chautala said the threat of the Congress to make the proposed review of the Constitution a poll issue would not yield any dividends and it was a "negative" approach. Charging the Congress with adopting double standards in its political campaign, Mr Chautala said the same party had made use of the amendment provision in the Constitution several times during its more than 40 years of rule. Expressing confidence that the INLD-BJP combine would win the elections with comfortable majority, Mr Chautala said the mood of the electorate could be gauged by a very popular slogan—"Vikas diya, Vikas karenge, Congress ka naash karenge (Credited with development and committed to it, we will destroy the Congress) that is being raised by the people at election rallies in the State. Mr Chautala was also of the opinion that the Haryana Vikas Party and its chief, Mr Bansi Lal, were a spent force in the State and their presence would have no impact on the polls. He said the Congress was the only Opposition in the State. The Chief Minister announced that the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Chandrababu Naidu, would campaign in the State for a day during the elections. Telegu Desam Party leader in the Lok Sabha, Mr Yerran Naidu said the date of the campaign would be finalised shortly. Mr Chautala said he had been getting very good response at the election meetings and his Government’s "Sarkar aap ke dwaar (Government at your doorstep)" programme had been appreciated by the people. Launching the web site of the INLD, whose address is "www.inld.org.", Mr Chautala said Internet and E-mail facilities would be made available to the common man in Haryana. He felt the next stage of the green revolution would be entirely dependent upon information technology and Haryana should be a leader on that front. The web site of the INLD has 11 chapters and provides a variety of information about the party’s history, profiles of leaders, including Mr Devi Lal, objectives and achievements. The web site would be updated regularly and for the coming elections it would provide information about the election campaign and other details. News photographs and graphics would also be available at the site. UNI: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee will undertake a day-long election tour of Haryana on February 7 and address at least two public meetings at Palwal and Mehendergarh from where the BJP senior party leader Ram Bilas Sharma is seeking re-election to the Haryana Assembly. Other senior leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) including Defence Minister George Fernandes, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandababu Naidu, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal would also campaign in favour of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and BJP candidates for the February 22 Assembly elections in the state, INLD working president Om Parkash Chautala told newsmen last night while launching the party web site here. Describing the resignation of 10 Ministers yesterday as a healthy practice for democracy, he said all these ministers who had resigned from the Cabinet were not given party ticket. ‘‘Its good that they filed their nominations only after resigning from the Cabinet’’, Mr Chautala said and added that there was no dissent among their workers as he had selected the candidates only with the consent of party workers. A large number of
Congress rebels were contesting the elections, thus
making things easier for candidates who are confident of
90 per cent of the seats. Mr Chautala said in the
recently held Lok Sabha elections, the INLD-BJP combine
got all the 10 seats and commended lead in around 85
Assembly segments of the total 90. |
Mahapatra’s war against Naveen BHUBANESWAR, Feb 5 (UNI) — Ruling out split in the two-year-old BJD, ousted leader Mr Bijaya Mahapatra today lashed out at the party President and Union Mines and Mineral Minister, Mr Naveen Patnaik, saying that "his days in Orissa politics are numbered". Mr Mahapatra, a founder member of the BJD, who was expelled from the party by the Mr Naveen Patnaik, after withdrawing his ticket for the Assembly election, told mediapersons at his residence that he would take all possible steps to see that Mr Patnaik did not remain in Orissa politics. The senior leader, whose nomination papers were rejected by the Returning Officer in Kendrapara today claimed that party leaders and workers all over the state had disapproved the BJD chief’s action of debarring him from contesting the election and expelling him from the party for "anti-party" activities. Stating that Mr Patnaik had no authority to take such action against him, Mr Mahapatra said, "The BJD is nobody’s paternal or personal property and one cannot take a decision ignoring other leaders of the party." Mr Mahapatra alleged that it was Mr Patnaik who had ‘damaged’ the party, during his presidentship as he had neither exposed any corruption case against the Congress Government nor organised any demonstration, he added. Mr Mahapatra said he still enjoyed the support of party workers and leaders who disapproved the action of the president. On the action of the party president withdrawing his ticket at the last moment after filing the nomination for the Patkura Assembly seat Mr Mahapatra said, "It is a deep-rooted conspiracy by Mr Patnaik, a few businessmen and some Congress leaders involved in different scams, and exposed by him. "All of them conspired and succeeded in their attempt to debar me from contesting the assembly election." To a question Mr Mahapatra said, "Mr Patnaik probably saw a potential threat in me. Such was the conspiracy that I was not even allowed to contest the election as an independent candidate." He challenged Mr Patnaik
to come to Patkura and campaign for his party candidate
and hoped that Mr Patnaik would accept his challenge. Mr
Mahapatra had filed his nomination for the Patkura seat
as BJD candidate but his nomination was rejected today
after scrutiny as the party president withdrew his ticket
and authorised journalist Atanu Sabyasachi for the seat. |
Indoor shooting of ‘Water’ begins VARANASI, Feb 5 (PTI) — Film maker Deepa Mehta today began indoor shooting of her controversial movie, "Water", on the plight of widows in this pilgrim city, even as the VHP President Ashok Singhal threatened to disrupt its filming even at the cost of his life. Mehta took the first close up shots of eight-year-old Urvi, who plays the lead role of a child widow, at Clarks Towers Hotel, where the film unit is lodged, Deepa’s brother Dilip Mehta told PTI. The shooting commenced after Mehta, along with Dilip and script writer Anurag Kashyap of "Shool" and "Satya" fame, held night-long parleys with senior religious leaders of the city, including Mahant Veerbadra Misra of the famous Sankat Mochan temple and Shivji Upadhyay of Kashi Vidwat Parishad. Uttar Pradesh Home Secretary V.K. Mittal told reporters in Lucknow that the shooting began after Mehta showed the script of the film to the mahant. "The shooting at the Assi Ghat, the outdoor location of the film, has, however not yet started," he added. However, Singhal remained adamant, saying the shooting would proceed only over his "dead body" and that if the people of Kashi "decide not to allow the shooting here, it will not be allowed anywhere in the country". As Mehta began the filming two days after the Information and Broadcasting Ministry approved her revised script, scores of Bajrang Dal activists staged a demonstration outside the hotel and burnt her effigy. They later courted arrest. The district administration has beefed up security for the film crew and deployed Rapid Action Force and Provincial Armed Constabulary at key shooting locations, including Tulsi Ghat. Mr Singhal, who arrived here today, threatened "more violent protests" against the film. Stating that his fight was not against the government, he alleged the film was part of a conspiracy by a US-based church group. Claiming that Mehta had taken only a rehearsal shot and not done actual shooting, Kaushal Kishore Mishra, spokesman of Kashi Sanskriti Raksha Sangharsh Samiti, spearheading the stir against the film, dared the film crew to do outdoor shooting. Alleging that the District Magistrate was hand in gloves with Mehta, Mr Mishra said the samiti will call for a Varanasi bandh on Monday. In a related development, the Kashi Vidwat Parishad, a forum of religious leaders and scholars, today distanced itself from the controversy. Parishad spokesman Shivji Upadhyay, who met Mehta yesterday, told PTI that the forum was neither in favour of nor against the film’s shooting. The Sangh Parivar outfits said earlier that they would abide by any decision taken by the Vidwat Parishad. Congress workers also staged a demonstration in support of Mehta and burnt an effigy of Singhal at ASSI crossing. Sangh Parivar outfits have been opposing the film’s shooting alleging it degenerated Indian culture and womanhood. NEW DELHI: Deepa Mehta has said RSS is not behind the protests against her controversial film "Water", due to be shot in Varanasi, and that the agitators are "misguided and misinformed people." In an interview to "Janata Ki Adalat" programme on Star TV, she said the RSS leader, Mr K.S. Sudershan, had assured her that his organisation was not behind the agitation in Varanasi where the film was to be shot, according to a statement from the network. "What I was told in
the papers was they (protesters) were supported by the
RSS. I went to meet the RSS leader to find out if its
true that you are behind this. Mr Sudershan gave me his
assurance that they are not behind this," she said. |
Lightning kills four BAHARMPUR (West Bengal), Feb 5 (PTI) — Four youth died instantly after lightning struck them while they were playing football in heavy rain at Daulatabad in Murshidabad district today, the police said. The youth, aged between
17 and 20 years, were playing at the high school ground
when they were struck by lightning. They were rushed to a
local hospital where they were declared brought dead, the
Deputy Superintendent of Police said. |
EC puts medical teams on alert NEW DELHI, Feb 5 (PTI) — In an unprecedented move in the backdrop of increasing poll violence, the Election Commission (EC) today decided to put medical officers and adequate paramedical staff on full alert and on round-the-clock roster duty during the assembly poll in Bihar. In a letter to Bihar Chief Secretary U.N. Biswas, Deputy Election Commissioner Sayan Chatterjee said the medical facilities should be made available for 72 hours from a day prior to the date of election i.e., from February 11 to 13, 16 to 18 and 21 to 23. Appropriate evacuation centres may be set up in strategic and convenient central locations where better facilities of medical care could be available, he said adding arrangements for ambulances, other transport and aircraft/helicopter for air-lifting casualty, personnel and medicine should also be kept ready and on standby. The Health Secretary and
the Director-General Health Services shall personally
ensure that necessary medical personnel with paramedical
support were located at appropriate points with necessary
medical equipments to attend speedily to any emergency
situation, Mr Chatterjee said. |
States given more time to file responses NEW DELHI, Feb 5 (PTI) — The Supreme Court has expressed its displeasure over the non-filing of responses by the states and union territories to the report of the first National Judicial Pay Commission and asked them to do so within six weeks. The commission had submitted its report on November 11 recommending a uniform pay scale for judicial officers all over the country and the constitution of All-India Judicial Services (AIJS) for district judges. Hearing a petition filed by the AIJS, a three-judge Bench comprising the Chief Justice A.S. Anand, Justice S.P. Bharucha and Justice B.N. Kirpal observed that "all states must give their responses to the Union Government within six weeks otherwise we will take it that they have nothing to say in this matter." The Bench said after the submission of the responses by the states and union territories, the Attorney General Mr Soli J. Sorabjee would indicate to the court the stand of the Union Government on the issue. One of the counsel in the matter, Sanjay Parikh, raised the issue of enlarging the scope of the commission headed by Mr Justice K. Jagannatha Shetty regarding the pay package for the subordinate staff of the courts. The Bench asked Mr Sorabjee to look into the matter and get the needful done at the previous additional Solicitor General Mr Altaf Ahmed had submitted on behalf of the Union Government that the scope of the commission would be enlarged. The Shetty Commission report, if implemented, would put an additional burden of Rs 95.71 crore on the Centre, states and union territories. The Centre must share half of the additional burden, it has been recommended by the commission. The commission has recommended pay scales of Rs 9,000-14,500 for Civil Judge (junior division), Rs 12,850-17,550 for Civil Judge (senior division) and Rs 16,750-20,500 for the District Judge. While a pay scale of Rs
18,750-22,850 was recommended for the District Judge
(selection grade), the commission also suggested a scale
of Rs 22,850-24,850 for the same. |
Dutch film-maker steals show MUMBAI, Feb 5 (PTI) — It may be Lord Shiva, river Vecht in Holland or a monument for a gorilla, the highly acclaimed Dutch film-maker Bert Haanstra’s creativity is incomparable. Fourteen of the maestro’s films, who handles each subject with unparalleled skill were screened in the retrospectives section of the ongoing Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF-2000) documentaries short and animation films. Almost all films were visual treats, said some regulars at this festival. Haanstra’s black and white as well as colour films from 1950 to 1987 were among the packages screened at two venues — Nehru Centre and Films Division. The first in the series was "Mirror of Holland". 1950 "Golden Palm" award winner at Cannes. The 10-minute film is on the film maker’s voyage along the river Vecht from Utrecht to Amsterdam, depicting the surrounding countryside and the mirrors image of Holland. He filmed it with an inverted camera and is not a travelogue. Another attraction was a 1955 film "God Shiva" depicting the saviour of mankind — Shiva in his merciful love when he decided to drink the poison to save all living creatures. "Zoo" was a
visual treat for any film buff. He proves that watching
people is as interesting as watching animals. |
Yukta launches anti-AIDS drive KOLHAPUR, Feb 5 (PTI) — Miss World Yukta Mookhey today asked the youth to be alert against AIDS and not fall prey to the dreaded disease. Launching the statewide campaign against AIDS at a function at the Chhatrapati Shivaji stadium here, Yukta said preventive measures should be initiated on a war-footing and underlined the need for awareness among the masses about the disease. Accompanied by the Maharashtra Health Minister, Mr Digvijay Khanvilkar, she arrived today to a rousing welcome at Ujalaiwadi aerodrome near here. Yukta and Mr Khanvilkar
later flagged off an awareness run from Rajaram College
and then drove in an open jeep accepting flowers and
garlands from the crowd lined up along the route. M.S.
Gill, the meeting was attended by Election Commissioners
J.M. Lyngdoh and T.S. Krishna Murthy. |
Anoop Mishra is Dy Leader BHOPAL, Feb 5 (UNI) — The BJP today appointed Mr Anoop Mishra as the Deputy Leader of the legislature party. This was disclosed by
Leader of Opposition in state assembly Gauri Shankar
Shejwar in a press release here. Anoop Mishra is the BJP
legislator from the Lashkar west assembly seat of
Gwalior. |
Minister’s house attacked SHILLONG, Feb 5 (UNI) — Meghalaya Finance and Information and Public Relations Minister A.H. Scott Lyngdoh today said that unidentified miscreants who pelted stones at his house and official car smashing its windscreen on Thursday must be nabbed soon. Mr Scott Lyngdoh told
UNI that last year too unidentified youth attacked his
house at Jaian in which his private car was damaged, but
none was arrested in that case either. |
Sat Narain NEW DELHI, Feb 5 — The Punjab cadre officer, Mr Sat Narain, has been unanimously elected president of the newly formed States Information and Public Relations Officers Association. The Himachal Pradesh
cadre officer, Mr Girdhari Lal Mahajan, has been elected
vice-president and Mr Khem Shar of Jammu and Kashmir
cadre has been elected general secretary. |
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