S P O T L I G H T

India spurns Pak offer for talks
NEW DELHI, March 30 (PTI) — India today brushed aside Pakistan military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf’s renewed offer to resume dialogue with New Delhi, asserting that there was no change in its position. Asked about General Musharraf’s remarks made during his visit to Singapore, a Foreign Office spokesman said “there is no change in our position, in our substance or nuance.” India has asserted that the continuous calls for ‘jehad’ (holy war) by Islamabad against it “can hardly be interpreted as messages for dialogue and peace”.

RSS chief meets PM
NEW DELHI, March 30 (PTI) — Newly-appointed RSS chief K.S. Sudershan, whose views on economic policies brought much embarrassment recently to the BJP-led coalition at the Centre, had a lengthy meeting with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee along with the RSS top brass and leaders of several Sangh Parivar outfits here this evening. This was the first major interaction between Mr Vajpayee and the newly-installed top RSS leadership at the invitation of the Prime Minister for an “informal meeting over tea”.

Bill on Chhattisgarh
BHOPAL, March 30 (UNI) — The much-awaited Bill on the formation of a separate Chhattisgarh state was today unanimously approved by the Madhya Pradesh Assembly after some suggestions. Of the 21 suggestions placed during the marathon debate lasting nine hours, 17 were finally approved by the House.

Pak boat tragedy
ISLAMABAD, March 30 (PTI) — Eleven bodies have been fished out of the Chenab in Punjab after a boat, with over 100 pilgrims on board, capsized yesterday. Only eight passengers managed to swim ashore after the mishap. The rest of the pilgrims were believed to have drowned after the boat, sailing for Sialkot, sank midstream at Pattan Sheikh Nik Ka, Jalalpur Jattan, near Gujarat, 120 km from here.

CPI (ML) flays govt
NEW DELHI, March 30 (PTI) — The CPI-ML today criticised the government’s economic policies which it said have resulted in high prices and increased unemployment, and welcomed the attempts made by all Left parties in forging a broader unity to resist the “unfolding saffron agenda of communal fascims”. The party’s central committee meeting which had begun on March 27 decided to launch an agitation from April 2.

DD serial
NEW DELHI, March 30 (PTI) — “Fugitive — India’s Most Wanted”, TV serial of Suhaib Ilyasi, arrested in connection with death of his wife recently, was tonight taken off Doordarshan, official sources said here. Ilyasi’s programme used to be aired on every Thursday at 9.00 pm but today “Bikhre Panney” (Scattered pages) replaced it in the prime time slot, the sources said.

RPF jawan killed
DEOGHAR (Bihar), March 30 (PTI) — A RPF jawan was killed and four persons injured following a clash between the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Government Railway Police (GRP) at Madhupur Railway Station near here, the police said today.