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| Wednesday, June 14, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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BJP team to visit massacre site Probe ordered into cop’s role NEW DELHI, June 13 — The BJP is sending a three-member team headed by the party’s national secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to study the situation in Nawada, Bihar, which witnessed caste violence. Pak writer’s visa extended Industrialist breaks down before SC Row over defence officers’ transfer Nigerian assurance
on Indian hostages |
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NDA ally opposes aid to Lanka Attacks on Christians:
Cong forms panel Janata Party announces pact with RJD
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BJP team to visit massacre site NEW DELHI, June 13 (PTI) — The BJP is sending a three-member team headed by the party’s national secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to study the situation in Nawada, Bihar, which witnessed caste violence. Reiterating the party’s demand for the resignation of Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi as she had “lost the moral and political right to continue in office”, party spokesman Venkaiah Naidu told reporters that the other members of the team include S.S. Ahluwalia and Sanjay Paswan. The team, which would commence its two-day visit on June 16, would meet the affected people as well as local officials and state unit leaders and submit a report to the party’s central leadership. We are intrigued by the continuing silence of the Congress which happens to be a partner of the ruling RJD government in the state. The party seems to have become spineless and has lost its sense of responsibility,” Mr Naidu said. Accusing the state government of “acting in a partisan manner”, he said the Chief Minister has not even visited the site in Nawada district where 12 upper caste people were gunned down yesterday. Meanwhile, the Congress today condemned the latest spate of killings in Bihar and demanded the state government to immediately take action against those involved in the criminal act. Admitting the fact that the law and order problem was not satisfactory, party spokesman Ajit Jogi told reporters that Congress President Sonia Gandhi during her recent visit to the state had advised the Chief Minister to take effective steps in this regard. Besides, he said “the killings were not related only to the law and order problem as it was the direct outcome of the socio-economic conditions of the society. PATNA: Probe has been ordered into the “alleged role” of a policeman in the killing of 12 persons at Afsar village in Nawada district of Bihar on Sunday night. Inspector General of Police (Patna zone) Neelmani, who visited the affected village, said here on Tuesday that the police was also investigation the FIR lodged by local villagers against Deputy Superintendent of Police P.K. Mandal for his alleged role in the massacre. Six Additional Deputy Superinten-dents of Police had been deployed in Nawada district for dealing with the law and order situation effectively, he said adding commandos of the Bihar Armed force had been replaced by three companies of the Central Reserve Police Force, the Rapid Action Force and the BMP, who were deployed in and around the area to control the situation. Mr Neelmani said the criminal gang involved in the massacre had been identified and the police was raiding all possible hideouts to apprehend them. He said no arrest had been made so far and added that a police picket had been set up at Afsar village following the incident. He, however, assured that the situation in the area would return to normal soon. |
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Pak writer’s visa extended NEW DELHI, June 13 (PTI) — Pakistani writer and poet Aftab Hussain, who fled to India in March following “harassment” by the military regime for publishing poems of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, was today given 45 days extension of visa for stay in this country although he had sought political asylum. Hussain showed PTI his passport with extension stamp but said he was unhappy that India had not yet acceded to his request for political asylum. Earlier, Foreign Office spokesman said “Hussain’s request for extension of visa is being considered by the competent authority.” His 90-day visa will expire on June 15. The 38-year old Pakistani poet, who arrived in India on March 15, said “it is unfair that despite verbal assurances from the Ministry of External Affairs, his request for political asylum has still not been considered.” “I am on tenterhooks and I cannot concentrate on my writings or poetry,” a
visibly upset Hussain said. He said several Indian writers had also written a “request letter to the Prime Minister and Home Minister L. K. Advani for a favourable response to my plea for political asylum... but the reply is still awaited.” His miseries started after a noted Indian poet, Jameel Akhther, who translated Vajpayee’s poems in Urdu, sent a copy to him with the request for publishing it in Pakistan. He said he was harassed by the military regime for this act to such an extent that he was left with no option but to leave the country. Hussain said he was more that of a political prisoner as the Foreign Ministry had removed Kharagpur in West Bengal and Orissa from his visa. “These two places were endorsed in my visa from
Pakistan and when I was asked to apply for my extension I had applied for two more cities Aligarh and Lucknow to carry out my literary work,” Hussain said, adding that “however, besides not granting me the new cities, my earlier two were also scrapped off” by the Ministry. The poet claimed he had applied for only 15 days visa but the Ministry asked him to extend it till July 31 “as they needed sufficient time to consider his plea for political asylum.” Hussain said “I had approached the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Home for granting me political asylum as situation in Pakistan was worse than ever before...extension of my visa was not the priority.” Stating that he took a natural decision to seek asylum in India, he urged the government should take a decision on his plea soon. |
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Industrialist breaks down before SC NEW DELHI, June 13 (PTI) — An industrialist from Siwan in Bihar wept before the Supreme Court and sought protection from the Centre alleging that RJD MP Mohd Shahabuddin was out to kill him for his refusal to pay extortion money. A Bench comprising Mr Justice V.N. Khare, Mr Justice M.B. Saha and Mr Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, yesterday heard Viren Pande, claiming to own a sugar mill and a distillery, issued notice to the Union Home Ministry, the Bihar Government, and the RJD MP and posted the matter for further hearing on June 19. The Bench first asked Mr Pande to approach the Patna High Court but the petitioner said he would not be able to reach Patna. “He will finish me before I can file a petition in the High Court.” The Bench then issued notice and posted the matter for hearing after the reopening of the court in July. Again, Pande pleaded: I am running against time. Those people are here in Delhi to kill me. I may not survive till July if not granted protection immediately.” When contacted by PTI, the Siwan MP, Mohd Shahabuddin, dismissed these as a drama enacted by a “fraud” he said. “You can ask any industrialist in my area. There is no question of any extortion being done by me. On the contrary, I am trying my best to reopen sick industries to help people get employment in my constituency.” “Mr Pande alleged that the Shahabuddin was in the “habit of collecting huge funds from the industrialists and big business families for protecting their life known as `rangdari tax’ and if someone like me dares to refuse, he is kidnapped and killed and his property looted.” The petitioner further alleged that Mr Shahabuddin had close links with Laloo Prasad Yadav, whom he described as the de facto Chief Minister of Bihar, and because of this the RJD MP was flexing his muscle in the area without fear of law. Mr Pande said “with great pains and investment I had brought my factory into running condition but again Mr Shahabuddin started demanding rangdari tax in lakhs and on refusal got the entire factory ransacked and property worth several lakhs looted.” “Not true,” says Shahabuddin and alleged “Pande was out to sell parts of his factory to pay bank loans as he was in no mood to run the sugar mill. But the labour union forcibly stopped such sale of parts.” The industrialist prayed to the court to direct the Central Government to provide him with adequate security as there was immense threat to his life and he was not in a position to visit his factory. He said he wanted the Centre to provide him security as he did not have faith in the state police, which was under the control of the RJD
government. |
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Row over defence officers’ transfer NEW DELHI, June 13 (UNI) — The government’s recent decision to transfer 36 officers of the Directorate General of Defence Estates (DGDE) has kicked up a controversy with a Supreme Court lawyer alleging that the orders do not follow any pattern or policy. Dr B.L. Wadehra, who is responsible for several landmark judgements at the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court, says transfers at the DGDE, though ostensibly on administrative grounds, are generally made with ulterior motives and
mala fide intentions. The shifting of officers on June 5 seems to be dedicated to harass those who are daring to do their duties consistent with rules, regulations and law, and public interest, he said in a letter to Defence Secretary T.R. Prasad. “Transfer is a potent weapon in the hands of administration which is at times used to browbeat and demoralise honest and upright officers, particularly those who resist falling in line with their immediate or ultimate bosses for doing acts against public and national interest.’’ Such creed of officers in the present environment seething with misuse of power and corruption are only very few. But they are there, Dr Wadehra said. And that is how the system is functioning. His outburst come at a time when Defence Minister George Fernandes has admitted in Parliament that 2,800 acres of land belonging to the defence services have been encroached upon by individuals and elements of land mafia. “This is an admission of incompetence,” Dr Wadehra said. “As a citizen, one feels ashamed that our top-class defence forces who are known for repulsing the enemy at borders find themselves helpless in the face of small-time
mafioso who have been encroaching upon defence land for years.’’ The lawyer said all such defence estate officers should be asked to explain why they did not take any action against such encroachments in their areas during their tenure. It is clear that 2,800 acres of defence land could not have been encroached upon without a nexus between the officers and encroachers. If the government does not rectify its June 5 decision and stays the transfer of 36 officers, Dr Wadehra said he will file a public interest litigation and drag the matter to courts. |
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Nigerian assurance
on Indian hostages
NEW DELHI, June 13 (UNI) — Nigeria has assured India that it would make all efforts to secure the release of the 21 Indian soldiers who have been held captive by Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels in Sierra Leone even as the hostage crisis entered the seventh day on Tuesday. The assurance was conveyed by Nigerian President Olasegun Obasango to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on the telephone yesterday, External Affairs Ministry spokesman said today. In fact it was a return call to the Prime Minister who had called up the Nigerian President on Sunday. “The Nigerian President said he was assessing the situation in Sierra Leone and would make all efforts to secure the release of the 21 Indian soldiers,” the spokesman said. Meanwhile, India has stepped up diplomatic efforts to pressurise RUF into releasing the 21 Indian troops of the UNAMSIL. Mr Dinkar Srivastava, Joint Secretary in the External Affairs Ministry, who is a member of the Indian team that went to Sierra Leone, had met Mrs Musuleng Cooper, former Foreign Minister of Liberia, to secure the release of the Indian soldiers.
NDA ally opposes aid to Lanka CHENNAI, June 13 (PTI) — The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), a partner of the NDA, today said the Centre should vigorously pursue a process that would usher in peace in Sri Lanka but disfavoured India’s offer of financial aid to Colombo, saying this would be detrimental to the interests of the Tamils. In a letter to External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, PMK founder, Dr S. Ramadoss said his party appreciated the Centre’s efforts to find a political solution to bring in lasting peace in that country. “We are slightly upset over your offer of credit facilities to the tune of $ 100 million,” he said in his reaction, perhaps the first from an NDA partner to Jaswant Singh’s visit to the island nation. In the letter a copy of which was made available to the press, Ramadoss said the financial assistance would tilt the balance in favour of the Sinhalese and was also not in ‘consonance’ with the decision taken by the NDA. |
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Attacks on Christians:
Cong forms panel NEW DELHI, June 13 (UNI) — Congress President Sonia Gandhi has set up a three-member committee to probe into the recent incidents of atrocities on minorities especially of the Christian community. The members of the committee are Mr K. M. Khan, MP, Mr Anil
Shastri, Secretary, AICC, and Mr Ajit Jogi. Mr Jogi said the committee has been asked to visit the affected institutions and places, conduct a thorough probe and submit a report to the party President as early as possible. |
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Janata Party announces pact with RJD NEW DELHI, June 13 (PTI) — Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy today announced an alliance with Laloo Prasad Yadav-led RJD and said a new broad-based “front” would be forged soon to fight the “RSS controlled NDA”. “We have accepted the invitation of the RJD leadership to join his party in an alliance to fight fascist and communal forces,” Dr Swamy told reporters here. Dr Swamy, who played a crucial role in bringing down the BJP-led government last year, said he had already initiated consultations on the issue of forming a “broad-based Janata Front” with several leaders, including former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav. Attacking the Congress for its “non-performance” he said the main opposition party “cannot lead the entire opposition”. Till Sonia Gandhi can get rid of Arjun Singh”. “Mr Arjun Singh and CPM leader Harkishen Singh Surjeet had earlier sabotaged the formation of an alternative government after Mr Vajpayee was toppled,” he alleged. Asked whether Left Parties would have any role in the proposed ‘Janata Front’, he replied in the affirmative adding they have to cut Surjeet’s influence greatly. |
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