M A I N   N E W S

Political parties to support stir today

NEW DELHI, May 10 (UNI) — More than 20 members of Parliament, belonging to the Left, the AIADMK, the Nationalist Congress Party and Muslim League, today announced holding of a dharna outside the Parliament House tomorrow in solidarity with a nation-wide strike against the hike in the prices of essential commodities.

In a joint statement, the members, including Mr Somnath Chatterjee (CPM), Mr Sharad Pawar (NCP), Mr P.H. Pandian (AIADMK), Mr G.M. Banatwalla (IUML), Mr Ajay Chakraborty (CPI), and Mr Amar Roy Pradhan (AIFB), said they would also highlight the manner in which the government was going about disinvestment “selling national assets in public sector units without proper re-evaluation of such assets at current prices.”

“We, representing wide-ranging political and social forces of the country in Parliament have met today and decided to draw the attention of the nation to the grave problems and challenges faced by the people, particularly the vulnerable sections due to the policies of the government.”

Broad-based organisations of the peasantry, labour and other democratic sections of the people have given a call for a nation-wide strike tomorrow. The political leaders said they would also raise these issues in both Houses of Parliament.

The statement was also signed by Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP), Ms Saroj Dubey (RJD), Mr S.R. Bommai (JD-S), and Mr Ramdas Atawale.

Order reserved on Kishan’s bail plea

NEW DELHI, May 10 (PTI) — A Delhi court today reserved its order on the bail application of Bollywood actor Kishan Kumar, accused of FERA violations in connection with the sensational cricket match-fixing case.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Sangeeta Dhingra Sehgal reserved her order on his bail plea for May 15, after hearing his counsel R.K. Anand and Enforcement Directorate (ED) counsel S.S. Bansal. Mr Anand contended that there was no evidence in the case other than the tapes of alleged conversation between South African cricketer Hansie Cronje and London-based Indian businessman Sanjeev Chawala which was not connected with Kishan Kumar.