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Thursday, September 20, 2001,
Chandigarh, India  
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India steps up drive against terrorism Evacuate Indians from Afghanistan: NCM A-I to ferry ashes free
of cost Cabinet ‘not divided’ over support to USA |
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Tehelka accused of camera trick
ICRC meets 1,395
detainees in J & K Orissa may get
special status
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India steps up drive against terrorism New Delhi, September 19 During his telephonic conversations with Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, Mr Jaswant Singh reiterated India’s view that the entire struggle could not be treated as a fight against one individual or one manifestation alone. The handling of the situation required long-term planning, resolution and stamina. Mr Jaswant Singh also said effective action would need to be based on cooperation and coordination among the largest possible number of countries. He emphasised that Islam could simply not be equated with terrorism and countries such as India and Iran needed to work together to ensure that this did not happen. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Nirupama Rao, while briefing reporters, said Dr Kharrazi agreed with this approach inter alia reiterating the need for the two countries to remain in constant touch. The spokesperson said the discussions with the leaders of the two countries were in continuation of similar exchanges India has held in the recent past with a large number of countries, including Russia, the USA and the UK. “The discussions were held in the context of the present situation and the need for effective international cooperation to combat the problem of terrorism in a concerted and sustained manner through wide-ranging action,” the spokesperson said.
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Cong to back coalition
against terrorism New Delhi, September 19 The Congress Working Committee, which met today at the residence of party President Sonia Gandhi, expressed its anguish at the unprecedented devastation caused by the terrorist attacks in the USA. The CWC meeting was held in the backdrop of the impending US attack on Afghanistan. The party said global alliance was long overdue . “The CWC will support a broad-based international coalition as envisaged in the resolutions passed on September 12 by the UN Security Council and the General Assembly,’’ said the statement released at the end of two-hour meeting which was attended by 17 of its 21 members. The CWC also observed a two-minute silence in the memory of those killed in the terrorist attacks in the USA. The CWC hoped that in combating global terrorism the world community will fully take into account India’s concerns and predicament in the face of sustained cross-border terrorism. Expressing distress over the hate-crimes against people of Indian origin, the CWC urged the government to do its utmost to ensure the safety and dignity of our citizens and people of Indian origin living abroad. Though the party today committed itself to a broad-based coalition against international terrorism, party leaders later explained that the Congress was offering support to an “ideological coalition” and not necessarily a military coalition. Talking to mediapersons later, party spokesman Jaipal Reddy said no stand had yet been taken on the question of allowing the USA to avail facilities in India as the question was hypothetical. |
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BJP leader against
direct involvement New Delhi, September 19 Talking to newspersons, senior BJP leader Jagdish Prasad Mathur said India should be cautious about getting involved in the US fight against terrorism. “Moral, diplomatic and intelligence support short of military action could be provided to the USA to every possible extent”, he said, adding that the physical involvement in the fight had to be discreetly decided by experts. Meanwhile, BJP national secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi came down heavily on Islamic fundamentalists who were trying to provide security cover to advocates of terrorism in the name of religion. He said Islam did not permit terrorism and any organisation or individual that supported outlaws such as international terrorist Bin Laden or underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, was anti-Islam. |
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Evacuate Indians from Afghanistan: NCM New Delhi, September 19 In a letter to External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh today, he said: “All foreigners have left Afghanistan because of the fear of attack on that country. I have been approached by a large number of Hindu/Sikh Afghan refugees who are now in Delhi to request you to kindly take some action to evacuate their families living in Kabul, Ghaznavi and Jalalabad.” Informing that Hindu and Sikh families in Afghanistan numbering few hundreds were stranded and could not move out because of the prevailing situation, he said: “All these people look towards India because of their ancestral ties and inspite of living in Afghanistan for two centuries they claim India to be their motherland.” According to information available with the NCM, there were about 1,000 to 3,000 Hindu/Sikhs stranded in Afghanistan. Since they were very poor and the borders with Pakistan had been sealed, they would be left at the mercy of the Taliban regime if the Indian Government did not take special steps to evacuate them. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs has made it mandatory for all Afghanistan nationals living in India to register themselves in foreigners regional registration offices or foreigners registration offices. The revised policy, announced yesterday, requires Afghan nationals possessing valid or expired travel/immigration documents to be duly registered. The cases of those who are without any documents will be put up before a committee constituted within the Home Ministry. |
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A-I to ferry ashes free of cost New Delhi, September 19 Similarly, the Indian Airlines will provide free onward transportation of the mortal remains upto the airport nearest to the native place of the deceased, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Nirupama Rao said here today. Facilitation counters will operate at international airports in Delhi and Mumbai to ensure that the bodies or ashes are cleared promptly and smoothly.
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Cabinet ‘not divided’ over support to USA New Delhi, September 19 A spokesperson of the Prime Minister’s Office said there were no differences or reservations among the ministers regarding the issue. He explained that the Cabinet did discuss the terrorist attacks in the USA at a meeting yesterday, after completing the regular agenda, in which it was briefed by the External Affairs Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh, since it was meeting for the first time after the attack.
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Tehelka accused of camera trick New Delhi, September 19 Mr Fernandes’ counsel told the Venkataswami Commission during a hearing here that the former Defence Minister had got an internal inquiry done along with an expert examination of the 22-minute video clipping which revealed the news portal had inserted the money part into the footage to “give a particular direction to the expose.” He said he would be submitting the affidavit along with the expert report to the commission. The video-clipping allegedly showed the meeting between Ms Jaitley and the Tehelka reporters, posing as arms dealers, along with another person, who was allegedly acting as a go-between. The commission also took exception to the Centre’s “continuous coming of files” and refused to admit more than nine files given to it yesterday by the government pertaining to handheld thermal images. The portal was given two days’ time to respond to the government’s affidavit along with some documents submitted to the commission, charging the news portal with “economic motives” for conducting such an expose.
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Furore over Paswan’s 2nd wedding New Delhi, September 19 In a demonstration staged outside Jantar Mantar in the Capital today, women representatives of the Dalit section voiced their concern and pointed out that the masses are bound to follow the leader, it thus becomes the responsibility of the leader to set a healthy example for them to follow. “What Mr Paswan has done is a highly shameful deed. We request the Prime Minister to take strict and immediate action against such erring ministers. If nothing is done then we will shower Mr Paswan with shoes and drive home our message “, said Teertha Devi, President of the Mahila Manch. Raghunandan Paswan who claims to have been close to the minister added,” I have snapped all ties with him following his second wedding. Everyone must understand that women must be respected and if they are harassed they can turn into a ‘Jhansi ki Rani’ to vindicate themselves”. The former supporters of the Janata Dal allege that Mr Paswan separated from his wife Rajkumari Devi because she came from the Dalit section and was not beautiful and educated. They pointed out that it was his so called uneducated wife who helped him and stood by him when he became a MP. The demonstrators also added that they would not support the Janta Dal unless they snap their alliance with the BJP. They claim that the JD leaders are now following what they had earlier preached against. The demonstrators later surrendered to the police and also presented a memorandum to the Prime Minister demanding dismissal and arrest of Mr Paswan. |
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ICRC meets 1,395
detainees in J&K New Delhi, September 19 In addition to this, the ICRC sent 333 letters to families to confirm the release of their relatives and submitted the names of the detainees to the authorities in a bid to establish their whereabouts. ICRC workers also met 10 former members of the LTTE interned in Tamil Nadu to ascertain if they wished to be repatriated to Sri Lanka. During the year 2000, the ICRC imparted training to two armed forces instructors in humanitarian law and organised seven workshops. |
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Orissa may get
special status New Delhi, September 19 Taking part in a video-teleconference with people of Kashipur, the Prime Minister agreed to the demand for an increased allocation of foodgrain under the below poverty line (BPL) and old-age pension schemes. Currently, there are 2.68 lakh beneficiaries under the pension scheme and the number is expected to go up to 3.68 lakh. Mr Vajpayee also agreed to the request of the state Chief Minister, Mr Naveen Patnaik, to increase the number of BPL families to around 4.8 million. |
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BJP suspends Andhra MP New Delhi, September19 Probe into Enron
deal Mumbai, September 19 The terms of reference of the judicial commission would include the Power Purchase Agreement between the Enron-promoted Dabhol Power Company and the MSEB.
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Yograj remanded New Delhi, September 19 Yograj is one of the accused in the killing of model Jessica Lal at a party on the intervening night of April 29-30, 1999.
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Kid rescued from
kidnappers New Delhi, September 19 The victim, Mohiuddin (5) was rescued from a sugarcane field in Nehtore town of Bijnaur district. He was rescued after 17 days of his kidnapping. |
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Jamnalal Bajaj
awards announced Mumbai, September 19 |
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