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Sunday,
May 6, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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Pak has ‘designs’ on Punjab JKIF ultra behind CP bomb case held IMD admits error
in calculating quake epicentre Swami for better ties with Punjab Delhi to be swept up in night
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Decision
on runway irks villagers Depots
not allotted ration despite deposits
ASSEMBLY POLL KERALA BJP’s bid to wean away Hindu votes Jaya, Karunanidhi fire salvos ASSEMBLY POLL
WEST BENGAL Mahanta takes on former aide
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Pak has ‘designs’ on Punjab New Delhi, May 5 “Pakistan’s intelligence agencies are coaxing and pressurising Pakistan-based hard-core militants to revive militancy in Punjab,” the Annual Report 1999-2000 of the Ministry of Home Affairs, released recently, says. However, it points out that the Central and the state security agencies are, therefore, maintaining utmost vigil and are taking coordinated action, including strengthening of border management and intelligence-based operations, to foil all “overt” and “covert” attempts to resuscitate militancy in the state. Regarding Himachal Pradesh, the report says that the Home Ministry has been reimbursing security-related expenditure to the state government to control/contain the spill over of militant activities from Jammu and Kashmir. An amount of Rs 1.07 crore has been reimbursed on account of Special Police Officers (SPOs), material and supplies, etc, it says. Three hundred SPOs Grade-I and 40 SPOs have been sanctioned for Himachal Pradesh over and above the 178 existing SPOs for which the Centre would reimburse expenditure at the rate of Rs 24,000 per SPO Grade-I and Rs 20,000 per SPO, per annum, respectively. An additional Rs 4 crore has been released in advance for equipping the Armed Police with modern weapons, etc, it added. Regarding Jammu and Kashmir, the report points out that the Central Government is continuing with its four-pronged strategy to counter terrorist and separatist violence by deepening of the democratic process, accelerating economic development, isolating foreign mercenaries and terrorists and playing a pro-active role to neutralise them. As one of the major prongs of a multi-pronged strategy to tackle militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, the government has formulated an action plan regarding the activities of security forces and intelligence agencies and related matters. The core elements and priorities of the strategy are curbing infiltration, countering militancy in the hinterland, protection of minorities, greater interaction with the border population, enhancing intelligence capabilities, countering secessionists over ground base within Jammu and Kashmir and greater functional integration through an institutional framework of two Unified Head Quarters in Jammu and Srinagar and at field levels, it says. Over and above the Action Plan, a multi-disciplinary group of officers under the chairmanship of Special Secretary in the Department of Jammu and Kashmir Affairs with representation from the Ministry of Defence, state government, the Army, the CPMFs and intelligence agencies have been asked recently to have a fresh look and suggest changes, if any, needed in the strategy keeping in view the existing scenario, the report adds. |
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JKIF ultra behind CP bomb case held New Delhi, May 5 The militant, Azad Ahmed Qureshi, was arrested by
sleuths of the Special Cell of the Delhi Police yesterday from a guest house in the walled city, Special Commissioner of Police (Intelligence), Mr S. Ramakrishnan said. One kg RDX, a timer pencil, two handgrenades, a pistol along with two magazines, 14 cartridges and a cellular phone were seized from his possession. The RDX seized is similar to that which was seized from Connaught Place on May 2. The police seized the IED from a dustbin near a fountain in Rajiv Gandhi Park in CP on May 2. The IED contained an explosive timer pencil and a detonator. While addressing the media, the Special Commissioner of Police said after seizing the IED from CP, the police received inputs from the Intelligence Bureau that the suspects had their base somewhere in the walled city. Guest houses, restaurants and hotels in the walled city were raided during which the police came to know that the militants had checked-in in a guest house on April 24 and they did not return on May 2 and did not check out of the guest house. He said physical descriptions of the youths were obtained and surveillance was kept around the guest house. One of the youths, Azad Ahmed Qureshi, was spotted coming towards the guest house at 7.30 p.m. last evening and he was arrested. The militant was carrying a bag in which he had kept IED consisting of RDX, a timer pencil and rivets. During interrogation he disclosed that he came to Delhi after completing his matriculation in 1996 and worked as a labourer in a leather factory in Ballimaran. In 1998, he went to Nepal from where he came to Chandigarh in search of a job. In Chandigarh he met Mohammad Safi who worked as a commission agent in Sabzi Mandi. The militant went to Zoori in Himachal Pradesh in search of a job where he met Irfan Bhai who introduced him to Abu Baqar, district commander of Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islami. With Abu Baqar’s assistance, Qureshi crossed over to Pakistan where he met Basarat, a close associate of the chief of Jammu and Kashmir Islamic Front, Bilal Ahmed Beg, and was imparted training in handling explosives and guns. After completion of his training, he was sent back to India with ammunition and Rs 50,000 with a direction to cause explosions in Delhi.
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IMD admits error
in calculating quake epicentre Ahmedabad, May 5 This follows an affidavit by the IMD, where it admitted that the first position of the epicentre declared by the department was based on data from just four stations. Later, it was recalculated. The Bench comprising Chief Justice D.M. Dharmadhikari and Mr Justice P. B. Majmudar yesterday took on record the study report made by the
JSM titled “Kutch Quake Profile”. The manch had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) questioning the original epicentre of 23.6° north latitude and 69.8° east longitude declared by the IMD, which was proven incorrect by its calculations. The IMD admitted that the first position declared by it was based on data from four stations. Later, on receiving data from 53 more stations, the epicentre was recalculated at 23.4° north latitude and 70.28° east longitude, which coincided with the location of Bandhadi village.
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Swami for better ties with Punjab Rudrapur, May 5 Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Nityanand Swami said the ownership of the government land being cultivated by farmers from Punjab and other states for the past several years would soon be transferred in their name. All cases registered against activists of the Sangharsh Samiti, which was formed to oppose the merger of Udham Singh Nagar in Uttaranchal would be withdrawn soon, he said. He invited the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, who was present on the occasion to join hands to set up hydroelectric projects in Uttaranchal. He asked Mr Badal to contribute Rs 1,000 crore for starting a joint hydel project. Requesting Mr Badal to play a crucial role in the development of the newly created state, Mr Swami promised that the minorities living in his state would have no cause for complaint. Responding to the charter of demands presented to him by Mr Harbhajan Singh Cheema, president of the Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh units of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Mr Swami said the farmers’ dues pertaining to sugarcane and paddy would be cleared within 15 days. Mr Swami sought the help of Mr Badal for greater cooperation between the two
states. Mr Puran Chand Sharma, president of the Uttaranchal unit of the BJP, Mr Madan Lal Khurana, senior BJP leader from Delhi, Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Capt Kanwaljit Singh and Mr Balwinder Singh Bhunder also spoke on the occasion. |
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Delhi to be swept up in night New Delhi, May 5 Following a public interest litigation by an advocate, Mr Ravinder Raj, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi had informed the Delhi High Court that it had begun sweeping of roads during night on an experimental basis in 31 colonies. According to the petitioner, sweeping the city during the day time stirs up dust leading to man-made pollution. |
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Decision
on runway irks villagers Hanumangarh, May 5 According to sources a scheme for land acquisition for preparing the runway near Gosanisar village of Suratgarh tehsil was prepared in 1984. A survey of Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh districts was conducted and Dhandusar, Dhildesar, Motesar, Baggasar and Bannasar villages was chosen and the procedure for land acquisition was started. For completing the legal proceedings notices were issued in the newspapers. The famine affected villages did not raise any objection but felt happy, hoping for a good bargain. The state government on May 22, last year approved an award of Rs 150 crore and wrote a letter to the Air Force to sent the amount. According to sources in between this period the priorities of the Air Force changed some objections were also raised by Suratgarh Thermal Plant. Now the Air Force in reportedly adopting hands-off approach. Now the air force was questioning when it had demanded the land for acquisition. The Air Force authorities were present during the proceedings of land acquisition so now after spending lakhs of rupees on the publication of notices and when the award was to be distributed among the owners of the land chosen for acquisition, the Air Force authorities are washing their hands of the proceedings. Now the question is if the Air Force had not applied for land acquisition on whose orders the authorities of the Air Force attended the proceedings. The dreams of the villages to start a new life with the amount after land acquisition have been dashed. |
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Depots
not allotted ration despite deposits Hanumangarh, May 5 In seven wards there are no ration depots. The District Supply Office (DSO) had invited applications for 34 shops to which 172 persons responded. On June 14, 2000, interview of the applicants was conducted. On
December 15, 2000, the DSO issued a list of persons selected and ordered them to get the sanction letters by December 30, 2000. Apart from the rural area, 10 persons under the municipal council area were also selected. Of this nine submitted the deposits in the office on
December 27, 2000, but only three were allotted the depots and ration was arranged for them by the office while the remaining six are still waiting for the allotment. Persons selected in rural areas are also facing a similar situation. The selected applicants allege that the DSO was delaying the matter on the pretext that investigations had to be made or that the candidate selected was not the resident of respective ward. At some places the department allegedly has allotted depots to persons not belonging to that area. |
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Giani Zail Singh remembered New Delhi, May 5 |
ASSEMBLY POLL KERALA Thiruvananthapuram, May 5 The unsavoury incident involving Kerala Assembly Speaker M. Vijayakumar has added a new dimension to their campaign and provided yet another lever to the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) to attack and charge them with indulging in unfair electoral practices. The Congress and the BJP are demanding that the Election Commission of India should take up the case of Mr Vijayakumar. Confronted by the delicate situation in Kerala, the LDF took a leaf out of West Bengal and decided to field a fresh leader in Mr V.S. Achutanandan by bidding adieu to current Chief Minister E.K. Nayanar. The argument advanced by the LDF for undertaking such a line of action is that they wanted to have a forward looking approach by having a proper mix of experience and youth. Cracks have also developed in the ranks of the LDF with rebels in their ranks joining hands in a bid to send more than six official nominees packing. Whether these dissidents succeed or not remains to be seen, but they can certainly cause enough problems for the LDF nominees. Electoral contests in this state have always been close with the margin of victory in most Assembly segments ranging between 1,000 and 3,000. However, the LDF and the high-strung Marxists in particular are using all the force at their command in dismissing the opposition’s accusations and claiming that they have done much more in the past five years than the UDF for Kerala’s development and protecting the interests of the poor. The past five years saw the Atal Behari Vajpayee government withdrawing participation from the critical social sectors at the national level, was the observation of the CPM central committee member Mr M.A. Baby. Mr Baby reeled off statistics to buttress his point and held forth that the LDF spent nearly Rs 4,600 crore in four years through the Peoples Plan Developmental Activities in which the UDF panchayats also benefited. He said six lakh houses had been built for the poor of which three lakh keys had been already handed over. Besides, eight lakh electrical connections had also been made available to the underprivileged and weaker sections. While acknowledging that the LDF might have committed mistakes and that there was bound to be some unhappiness with the government of the day, Mr Baby dismissed suggestions that there was a palpable anti-incumbency factor in Kerala. We are sure of our prospects as corruption in high places has occupied the minds of the people especially after the Tehelka expose. People are convinced that only Leftist leaders are above corruption. He charged the Congress with unleashing political violence and then propagating that it was the handiwork of the CPM. He was emphatic that the Congress was bound to suffer in Kerala just the way it had taken a beating in West Bengal. In this context, he said the BJP was gaining respectability because of its subterranean linkages with the Congress. Mr Baby kept harping on what the LDF would do after returning to power in Kerala and how it would accord priority to value-added agriculture, promoting the Information Technology sector and go for globalisation by keeping out its negative aspects. Asked what was the scenario for the LDF in case the UDF regained power, Mr Baby replied we would cross the bridge when we got to it.  |
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BJP’s bid to wean away Hindu votes Thiruvananthapuram, May 5 The BJP leadership has a clear cut strategy in Kerala to slowly consolidate its position in the next 10-15 years and deal a crushing blow to the Marxists by weaning away its supporters among the majority community. The saffron brigade realises it is no longer an untouchable and in fact is gaining credibility among the youth irrespective of their political leanings. The party strategists have no illusions of being just a fringe player in the upcoming Assembly elections on May 10 and want to increase their vote share in Kerala to upwards of 12 per cent. What is of prime importance is that the BJP needs to gain the confidence of the minorities – the Christians and the Muslims — who constitute 45 per cent of the electorate in the state. Both these communities are still wary of the BJP though the liberal image of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is beginning to change their perception that the party with the lotus symbol is not inimical to them and keen to protect their interests. It is, therefore, a calculated move on the part of the BJP to contest 124 out of 140 seats to the state assembly for the first time in the hope of opening its account. Even if the BJP is unable to achieve a breakthrough, it can certainly make a difference to the LDF’s chances in about 33 odd constituencies where the party has between 10,000 to 15,000 votes. In three constituencies the BJP had finished second in 1996. The BJP is absolutely clear that it has to strike the deathknell of the Marxists for making any impact in Kerala which is easier said than done. Kerala BJP Vice-President P S Sreedharan Pillai is emphatic in an exclusive interview that “we will definitely open our account in the state assembly.” He refuses to give any figure but says that his party will henceforth be a factor in Kerala politics. Interestingly, Mr Pillai is the only person who claims that there will be a hung Assembly in Kerala which is dismissed by the two Fronts as nothing short of wishful thinking. Both the Fronts view the BJP as being an inconsequential factor. It is apparent that only in the event of a hung Assembly that the BJP might find itself somewhat in the spotlight. He is quick to draw pointed attention to their nominees being lawyers, doctors,
littérateurs and academicians the likes of whom have never been considered for tickets either by the UDF or the LDF. Considering the mood in Kerala with campaigning at a high pitch, Mr Vajpayee has been persuaded to visit the state though it was felt earlier that the BJP stalwart and head of the union government can afford to skip the state and concentrate his energies in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Mr Vajpayee is now scheduled to address a rally here on Monday (May 7) during the day before proceeding to Chennai for a joint rally with the
DMK. |
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Jaya, Karunanidhi fire salvos Chennai, May 5 With the rejection of Ms J. Jayalalitha’s nomination papers and the intense debate over her eligibility to become Chief Minister taking centre stage, the issue of Ms Jayalalitha’s “corruption and misrule” and the “good governance” of Mr M. Karunanidhi, slowly got diluted. This set the stage for the two leaders to fire salvos directly at each other. A defiant Ms Jayalalitha accused Mr Karunanidhi of hatching a conspiracy to ensure the rejection of her nomination papers to pave way for the coronation of his son M.K. Stalin. Instead of focussing on her promise to provide good governance and restoring MGR rule, she provoked Mr Karunanidhi, charging him with misusing power to get her disqualified. Stung by this, Mr Karunanidhi, explaining to the voters that Ms Jayalalitha had only herself to blame for the rejection of her papers, shot back questioning how could she, being an educated woman, file papers from four constituencies simultaneously. She must have known that election laws allowed a candidate to contest only from two constituencies at a time. “Did I ask her to file papers from four constituencies?”, the DMK leader asked the crowds. Mr Karunanidhi also explained that it was because of her conviction in the Tansi land deal cases that her papers were rejected as per law. “Did I ask her to purchase the state-owned Tansi lands?”, he thundered. When Ms Jayalalitha continued her verbal assault on the Chief Minister, accusing him of perpetuating dynastic rule, an incensed Mr Karunanidhi fired yet another salvo at her. “What is wrong in Stalin becoming the Chief Minister? He had undergone imprisonment as a MISA detenu (during Emergency). He was also a victim of brutal police atrocities”, he retorted.
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ASSEMBLY POLL
WEST BENGAL Satgachhia (South 24-Parganas), May 5 And people of Satgachhia were reasonably proud that their “own man” had been the Bengal Chief Minister for record five terms at a stretch and he is no other than Jyoti Basu, the Marxist leader who now has become a living legend in politics. This time, however, Basu is not contesting and the seat is no more in the VIP list. Now Gokul Bairagi, Basu’s main poll agent in the past five elections, has been chosen to contest the seat as Basu’s nominee. Gokul will be facing Ms Sonali Guha, one of Ms Mamata Banerjee’s close associates, who is also the Congress candidate. There is also a third candidate in the fray and she is Mrs Anuradha Putatunda, wife of Samir Putatunda, the erstwhile secretary of the CPM South 24-Pargana district committee and now the founder president of the PDS. Mrs Putatunda is contesting on PDS ticket. Basu is not in the fray and the present contestants are not that charismatic. Still the election to this seat is going to be of interest the Trinamool Congress has taken the contest to be a prestige issue and to them, if Gokul is defeated, it will be a defeat for Jyoti Basu — a defeat for the CPM. Initially, Ms Mamata Banerjee had a plan to take on Jyoti Basu at Satgachhia. But since Basu decided to withdraw himself from contest, Ms Banerjee had chosen Sonali in her place, who will be fighting as her
protégé against Gokul. In a sense, it will be a fight between Jyoti Basu and Mamata Banerjee and that is why, the Satgachhia election has become focus of attention for all politicians, bureaucrats, mediapersons and common people. Satgachhia was not Basu’s original seat. He was the sitting MLA of Baranagar, an industrial town, located in the northern part of the city, adjacent to Dakhineswar Kali temple. But after getting defeat in the 1972 election in the hands of a young candidate of the CPM (now Left Front partner), Basu shifted himself to a more safe seat at Satgachhia, which he won for the first time in 77 elections and became the Chief Minister of the front government. Since then, Basu has been retaining the seat, sometimes with vast margin of votes, sometime narrow margin. In the 96 elections, Basu won the seat with 11,110 votes against the Congress candidate, Chityaranjan Bag. In ’91 elections, however, the difference was less when Congress (I) candidate was Sardar Amjad Ali, the former Congress Rajya Sabha member and an advocate. Though Basu had been winning the seat for the past 24 years, but the going has never been easy for him. As Jyoti Basu, the person, had no importance for the local poor people (who mainly dominate the area). To them, Basu was a man living at much distance, living beyond their reach. And in the true sense, he could never become their representative. Basu could never become popular to them. Still Basu winning the elections and these people were voting him to power successively as if they were voting for the Chief Minister. But things changed a lot and like the CPM, Jyoti Basu’s popularity also eroded because of being in power for so also long at a stretch. An anti-incumbency factor was standing in the way. Local people were now coming out publicly expressing grievances and resentments. And Ms Mamata Banerjee rightly was encashing those anti-incumbency factors and Jyoti Basu’s unpopularity. Jyoti Basu so far held two public meetings at Satgachhia — one was spoiled due to inclement weather and another, also very thinly attended because, Gokul Bairagi explained, the voters had been busy in the cultivation of paddy which forced them to stay back. Similarly, the Chief Minister, Buddhadev Bhattacharya’s election meeting held last week at Satgachhia also drew a large crowd and the people could be seen waiting till late evening, ignoring all odds to hear their Chief Minister. |
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Mahanta takes on former aide Guwahati, May 5 The constituency is all set to witness a triangular contest between AGP supremo and state Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, his once-close confidante Atul Bora who parted ways to form the Trinamool Gana Parishad, and the Congress candidate Capt Robin Bordoloi, son of Assam’s first Premier Lokopriyo Gopinath Bordoloi. For the Chief Minister, the contest is to prove a personal point to his erstwhile friend with whom he spearheaded the anti-foreigners movement in the state for six years, but fell apart two years ago, following serious differences. Mr Bora, once a powerful minister and considered Mr Mahanta’s deputy following the exit of Chief Minister’s close associate Bhrigu Phukan, has many scores to settle and his own political existence hinges on the result of this constituency.
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UP RAISES FINE FOR POACHING SMALL SAVINGS MAN DUPES GOVT 6 KILLED IN LAND DISPUTE PARTHASARATHY, DAS HONOURED MAY 7 DECLARED “MEATLESS DAY” ONLY ONE WOMAN JUDGE IN SC McDONALD’s OUTLET VANDALISED
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