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| Tuesday, March 21, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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Riot
of colours all the way
5
die in Holi violence |
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| Clinton begins state visit to
India today NEW DELHI, Mar 20 — US President Bill Clinton formally begins his five-day state visit to India tomorrow with the two sides signing a political "vision document" that sets out future course of bilateral relationship despite differences over the nuclear issue. ..to meet TB patients at hospital HYDERABAD, Mar 20 — Little did the management, doctors and staff at the Mahavir Hospital and Research Centre here expected that US President Bill Clinton would visit the hospital and cheer up tuberculosis patients during his short visit here on March 24. Win Chadha to appear before special court today NEW DELHI, Mar 20 — Former Bofors agent Washeshwar Nath Chadha, alias win Chadha, one of the main accused in the Rs 64 crore Bofors pay-off case, will appear before a special court here tomorrow. BJP demands CBI probe
into Asnotikar murder
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NEW DELHI, Mar 20 (PTI) — It was a riot of colours across the country as jubilant revellers celebrated the millennium's maiden Holi today daubing gulals, exchanging greetings and sweets and visiting friends. Right from the morning, groups of people, particularly youths and children, began applying gulal and splashing colours on faces, hair and clothes of friends, family and unsuspecting passers-by. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee participated along with his family members at a colourful Holi bash at his residence here. Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha and film star Shatrughan Sinha were among scores of visitors who greeted Vajpayee at his residence, where revellers danced to the beat of drums. Denizens woke up to a colourful morning to celebrate the grand festival of colours, even as an unprecedented security cover has taken over the Capital in view of US President Bill Clinton's five-day state visit. The festive spirit was hardly dampened by restrictions in movement though revellers confined themselves within colonies. Young boys went around in groups with 'gulal' (powdered colour) and 'pichkaris' (colour pistols) greeting friends and strangers alike with colours shouting 'Holi hai-Holi hai' and ranting Bollywood songs in chorus. In Uttar Pradesh, Muslims participated in the celebrations and exchanged warm greetings with their Hindu brethren expressing brotherhood and communal harmony, a Lucknow report said. Sweet vendors recorded a brisk business as 'gujjiays' and 'bhang' formed inseparable parts of the celebration. The festival was
celebrated with gaiety in most of the states, especially
in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Haryana. |
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NEW DELHI, Mar 20 (PTI) — Five persons were killed in clashes among rival intra-community groups and police firing and 12 others were wounded in a communal clash as stray violence hit Holi celebrations in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, while the occasion was marked festivities in other parts of the country today. A youth and a woman were killed in intra-community rivalry in Varanasi and Baharaich districts and 12 were injured in a clash between two communities in Farrukhabad district of Uttar Pradesh. Reports from Lucknow said a woman was killed when she was hit by a bullet fired during a clash between two groups of the same community over throwing of colours at Fatehgarh in Farrukhabad district, Director General of Police Sriram Arun said. A youth was shot dead in the Perm Chand Nagar area of Varanasi when he objected to sprinkling of colours triggering heated exchanges of words between two groups. At least 12 persons were wounded in a clash between two different communities over throwing of colours in Madhwapur village of Bahraich district. Two groups of Holi revellers hurled bombs at each other following an altercation over throwing of colours at the Bajaria police station area of Kanpur leaving two persons injured, a report from Kanpur quoting the police said. Timely intervention by
the police prevented the incident from snowballing into a
major showdown. |
Stalemate in Maharashtra legislature resolved MUMBAI, Mar 20 (PTI) — The ruling Democratic Front (DF) in Maharashtra and the Shiv Sena-BJP opposition, who had locked horns over some contentious issues paralysing the ongoing budget session of the state legislature, today resolved the impasse by agreeing to conduct the remaining session in a peaceful manner. The agreement was reached by both sides at a meeting convened by Assembly Speaker Arun Gujrathi and Chairman of the Upper House Prof N S Pharande at Vidhan Bhavan here. The meeting lasted for over two hours. Later at a joint press conference, Gujrathi and Pharande said the government had agreed to refer the issue of security of Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray to the review committee, which would submit its report within 15 days. On the reported anti-national statements of city unit Samajwadi Party chief Abu Asim Azmi, Gujrathi said the SP leader was arrested and later released on bail yesterday. However, the government would take appropriate action based on new proofs after analysing them, he added. Similarly, the government has arranged for payments of all the cotton growers and within eight days would pay remaining dues to cotton producers. Also as per requirement, the cotton collection centres would remain open till March 31. The government would pay
arrears within one month to onion producers and onion
collection centres would be opened as per the
requirement. Onion would be purchased in Nasik between
21-27 March and after that for two weeks in Pune, Mr
Pharande said. |
Clinton begins state visit to India today NEW DELHI, March 20 (PTI) — US President Bill Clinton formally begins his five-day state visit to India tomorrow with the two sides signing a political "vision document" that sets out future course of bilateral relationship despite differences over the nuclear issue. Clinton, who was away on a day-long visit to Dhaka today, will be accorded a ceremonial reception tomorrow at Rashtrapati Bhavan where he will be received by President K R Narayanan, Vice President Krishan Kant and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. After placing a wreath at the samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat, the US President will hold intensive talks with Vajpayee covering an entire gamut of Indo-US ties, non-proliferation and the Jammu and Kashmir issue besides regional and international matters of mutual concern. Broad contours of Washington's views that are expected to figure during the parleys were outlined by Clinton who said he would call for restraint by both new Delhi and Islamabad on the nuclear issue and suggest to both the neighbours to resume their dialogue stalled since last year's Kargil incursions by Pakistan. "I also believe that India and Pakistan will not not achieve real security until they resume dialogue to resolve their tensions," Clinton wrote in an article to the Los Angeles Times syndicate. Clinton said while he was not going to mediate between India and Pakistan "but I will urge restraint, respect for the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir and renewed lines of communications". The US President said he would directly address Washington's serious concern following the nuclear tests by India and Pakistan last year with leaders of the two countries. "Narrowing of our differences on non-proliferation is important to realising the full potential of our relationships," he said. On its part, New Delhi has made it clear that there was no question of rollback of its nuclear weapons programme and delivery systems and that it would raise the issue of post-Pokhran sanctions imposed against India since they were an "impediment". Vajpayee has stated in categorical terms that India would not take any decision with regard to its security "under pressure" and wanted the relationship to be based on "equal" terms. He has also ruled out India announcing any decision to sign the CTBT during Clinton's visit. The US president will be
hosted to a lunch by Vajpayee and a banquet by Narayanan
tomorrow. He would address members of both Houses of
Parliament on Wednesday before enplaning for Agra. He
would also visit Jaipur, Hyderabad and Mumbai from where
he would fly to Islamabad on March 25 for a brief
stopover. |
Win Chadha to appear before special court today NEW DELHI, March 20 (PTI) — Former Bofors agent Washeshwar Nath Chadha alias win Chadha, one of the main accused in the Rs 64 crore Bofors pay-off case, will appear before a special court here tomorrow. "He (Chadha) will certainly appear before special judge Ajit Bharihoke tomorrow unless prevented by reasons beyond his control," his counsel Ritu Singh Mann said. He will be taken to the court from Batra hospital where he was admitted on his arrival from Dubai on March 18, she said. The 76-year-old NRI businessman, accused of receiving a part of the kickbacks in the Rs 1,437 crore Bofors gun deal, was taken to the hospital from Indira Gandhi international airport as he had come here contrary to medical advice. The court had issued non-bailable warrant against Chadha on February 3 for his failure to abide by an undertaking given to it regarding his appearance. But later the warrant was withdrawn and he was given another opportunity to come to India and stand trial. This was the second non-bailable warrant against Chadha after the CBI filed a chargesheet in the case on October 22 last year naming Chadha, Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, former defence secretary S K Bhatnagar, former A B Bofors chief Martin Ardbo and the Swedish company, now named as Celsius. The first non-bailable warrant issued to him on December 14 was cancelled as he did not have proper travel documents to come to India. Chadha's arrival after
over a decade follows transfer of resident visa on his
new Indian passport issued early this year to facilitate
his appearance in the court. |
Clinton to meet TB patients at Mahavir hospital HYDERABAD, March 20 (PTI) — Little did the management, doctors and staff at the Mahavir Hospital and Research Centre here expected that US President Bill Clinton would visit the hospital and cheer up tuberculosis patients during his short visit here on March 24. A pioneer in starting dialysis unit in the state in the private sector, Mahavir hospital was only one of the two places being shortlisted for Clinton's visit here. The President would call on the TB patients here, who underwent a six-month therapy under TB eradication programme funded by the World Bank and the World Health Organisation (WHO), and administer final dose on some selected patients and declare them as cured. The day (March 24) being the World TB Day, Mr Clinton would also deliver a message. "It is indeed a
red-letter-day for all of us at the hospital, which was
established in 1978 by the Bhagwan Mahavir Memorial Trust
as a tribute to Lord Mahavir's ideology", Shanthilal
Daga, managing trustee of the hospital, said. |
Muslim, Christian leaders
participate in KUMBAKONAM, March 20 (PTI) — In a gesture of communal amity, leaders of the local Muslim and Christian community were among those who pulled the car of the famous Lord Srinivasa Perumal temple near here today. Mr K J Kamal Batcha, the Muslim Jamath president of Natchiarkoil village, and Mr Susai Raj, leader of the 'Christ Street', a Christian outfit, were among the 5,000 devotees who pulled the car. Mr S Ramalingam, the DMK
MLA, managing trustee of the temple, inaugurated the
festival. |
BJP demands CBI probe into Asnotikar murder BANGALORE, March 20 (PTI) — The Opposition BJP today demanded a CBI probe into the murder of Congress MLA Vasanth Asnotikar, who was gunned down by unidentified persons on February 19 at Karwar, and flayed the delay in apprehending culprits. Speaking in the state Assembly, BJP leader Jagadish Shettar said the killing of an MLA, the second in the state since 1996, had created a sense of insecurity among legislators and people of the state. He wanted to know as to why the government had not made public the report of judicial enquiry commissions headed by K Jagannath Shetty and Ramachandra, which probed the 1992 Bhatkal riots and killing of BJP MLA U Chittaranjan in 1996 respectively. Shettar said if the government initiated action on the report of the Jagannath Shetty Commission, it could have prevented the Asnotikar's killing. He also urged the government to take action to check underworld activities in coastal districts of the state. A remark by Shettar that
there seemed to be some differences of opinion between
Chief Minister S M Krishna and Home Minister M
Mallikarjuna Kharge, drew flak from Krishna and Kharge. |
Temple construction to begin within 15 months: VHP CHENNAI, March 20 (PTI) — The Viswa Hindu parishad (VHP) today said it would commence construction of a ram temple at Ayodhya within next 15 months. VHP international secretary-general Dr Pravin Togadia told reporters here that works relating to the construction of the first floor of the temple was on expeditiously at eight centres. Once these were completed, the temple construction would commence, he said. Asked would not the VHP wait for court verdict on the matter, Togadia said while his organisation had all respect for judiciary in the country, "faith is a matter which is out of the purview of the court." Only dharmacharyas could determine about matters of faith, he said. "We are waiting for stone carvings and pillars to be ready. Once they are ready, we will commence building of the first floor of the temple within 12 to 15 months," he said. Asked whether the BJP-led NDA would not interfere if the VHP chose to construct the temple, he said there had been several such interferences from governments in the past. Queried what the
parishad proposed to do if the government initiated
preventive action against the VHP's programme, Togadia
said the matter would be dealt with at that time.
"But the present government is not against our
cause," he said. |
No need for Rabri to resign: Kanshi Ram BANGALORE, March 20 (PTI) — Bahujan Samaj Party leader Kanshi Ram today said there was no need for Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi to resign even if the CBI filed chargesheet against her in the disproportionate asset case. Addressing a rally here against the proposed review of the Constitution, he lashed out at the Bihar Governor's sanction for the CBI to prosecute Rashtriya Janata Dal President Laloo Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi in the case. "It (sanction) is a mischief of Governor V C Pande and the Central government," he told newsmen alleging that the CBI was working at the behest of the Centre. Asked if Rabbi Devi should quit in the event of CBI filing a chargesheet against her, he said: "Why should she yield to the mischief. We should crush the mischief. Change the Governor... it is better to change the Governor." To a question, the BSP leader said as far as his party was concerned, review of the Constitution was the 'main issue', and described the hike in the prices of LPG and kerosene as 'small issues'. Earlier, addressing the
rally organised by his party, Kanshi Ram opposed the
review of the Constitution. |
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