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Saturday,
September 22, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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Interpol alert over cell phones
Cong plays down verdict on Jaya |
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Mandate not above Constitution: experts
Centre, Delhi to handle CNG crisis Tehelka: panel declines Jaitly’s disposition plea Tremors rock Kutch, Bhuj areas Two hovercraft commissioned into Coast Guard
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Interpol alert over cell phones New Delhi, September 21 The Interpol alert came in the wake of the bombings of the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington by suspected Islamic terrorists. Senior airport security officers said all passengers carrying cell phones were being asked to dial any number at random to ascertain that they were genuine handsets and not fake with hidden trigger releases before being allowed to board the aircraft. According to the Interpol alert, the modified cell phones have a .22 calibre gun capable of firing four rounds beneath the digital phone face. The only difference is that the genuine cell phones are lighter than the modified ones. Earlier, some of the terrorist organisations active in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country were reported to have been carrying pen and pencil bombs. The Intelligence Bureau (IB) had several years ago circulated a list of such improvised explosive devices (IED) which the terrorists were alleged to have acquired. Meanwhile, officials of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) claimed that security at all airports had been upgraded and closely monitored. A close liaison was also being maintained with the respective state police and the intelligence agencies. The internal security throughout the country had been put on maximum alert because of intelligence warnings of an impending terrorist strikes around the Independence Day. Additional precautions were taken after the bombings in the USA earlier this month. Meanwhile, official sources said the authorities were in constant touch with their counterparts in the USA to keep track of global terrorist activity since like the USA, India, too, was on the target list of Al Quaida, the cadre specially raised by the Arab millionaire-turned terrorist, Osama bin laden. |
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Don’t allow USA to use bases: VP New Delhi, September 21 Criticising the Vajpayee government for extending “unconditional” and “unilateral” support to the USA, Mr V.P. Singh asked “Has the USA agreed or will it agree to extend its logistical and other support to us in the event of our pursuing the war on cross-border terrorism beyond the Line of Control (LoC) and even the international border?” |
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Cong plays down verdict on Jaya New Delhi, September 21 “We do not make political comments on judgements made by the Supreme Court,’’ the Congress chief spokesman Mr Jaipal Reddy, said. He said Ms Jayalalitha was a leader of “our friendly party” which had an absolute majority in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. On the leadership issue, the Congress said it was an internal affair of the AIADMK. “Whether she remains the Chief Minister or not, Ms Jayalalitha continues to be supremo of her party,” Mr Reddy said. To a question about the Supreme Court’s decision being a setback for the Congress since the party had supported the move to make Ms Jayalalitha the Chief Minister, Mr Reddy said the Congress had supported the decision of the then Tamil Nadu Governor. “Irrespective of the party’s previous stand, the final decision on the issue has been given by the Supreme Court,” Mr Reddy said. The BJP today welcomed the Supreme Court’s declaration of the appointment of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Mr J. Jayalalitha, as “unconstitutional” saying that the court’s ruling has vindicated the party’s stand. Reacting to the Supreme Court’s judgement, the CPI General-Secretary Mr A.B. Bardhan, said the Supreme Court verdict would not affect the government in Tamil Nadu. “The AIADMK has a majority. It has powerful allies. It will find a new Chief Minister after Jayalalitha’s resignation. The task of governance will go on,” he said. The Samata Party welcomed the Supreme Court judgement saying that the judgement had done a yeoman service to end corruption. |
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Mandate not above Constitution: experts New Delhi, September 21 “There could have been no other view than what has been expressed by the apex court,” constitutional expert Shanti Bhushan told The Tribune. Mr Bhushan, who is a former Union Law Minister, reacting to the Supreme Court judgement on the Jayalalitha case, said, “A person not qualified to be elected as a member of legislature or Parliament cannot be administered the oath of office of the Chief Minister.” Mr Bhushan said the appointment of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister by the Governor was on the grounds that Ms Jayalalitha would get elected within six months. The apex court held that “a non-legislator can be appointed as chief minister or a minister under Article 164 only if he/she has necessary qualifications prescribed for members under Article 173 and is not disqualified by the reasons of disqualification under Article 191.” “We are of the view that a person who is convicted for a criminal offence and sentenced to imprisonment for a period not less than two years cannot be appointed chief minister under Article 164(1) read with (4) and cannot function as such,” the judges said. The bench observed that “the will of the people as expressed through the majority party prevails only if it is in accordance with the Constitution.” Asked whether the actions taken by Ms Jayalalitha as Chief Minister were void, the constitutional expert said “the past acts of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister would remain unaffected as the established principle of law in this regard is quite clear.” However, the Supreme Court advocate B L Wadhera opined that “all the decisions of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister can be challenged.” He said, “the whole Cabinet has to resign and a new one has to be sworn in as the present Cabinet had taken oath as part of Ms Jayalalitha’s council of ministers. Once the court has given its verdict that her appointment as illegal, the council of ministers too do not have the right to continue.” |
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Centre, Delhi to handle CNG crisis New Delhi, September 21 Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today held parleys with Union Petroleum Minister Ram Naik and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to discuss the problem. Delhi Transport Minister Pervez Hashmi was also present at the meeting. “We (the Centre and the Delhi Government) are meeting tomorrow to decide on a common coordinated approach to the problem,” Mr Naik told newspersons after the meeting. The approach will address specific details of the problem including the number of vehicles to be run on CNG which will ease out long queues at the CNG stations. Mr Naik said that the Mashlekar Committee on Alternative Fuel had been asked to submit its interim report within three months. Meanwhile, transport operators today said that the rush in the CNG filling stations has not reduced because of increased efficiency, but due to the introduction of a token system which saves considerable time for the transporters. |
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Tehelka: panel declines Jaitly’s disposition plea New Delhi, September 21 The commission asked various parties, who alleged that the tapes were not authentic and some parts were inserted in it, to submit expert report, if any, to back their contention and said Mrs Jaitly would be called for cross-examination with other notices last in the proceedings.
PTI |
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Tremors rock Kutch, Bhuj areas New Delhi, September 21 However, there were no immediate reports of any damage to life or property. A temblor measuring 4 on the Richter Scale today shook the area at 08.11 a.m. Its epicentre was located at 23.5 degrees North and 70 degrees East. This was followed by another quake at 8.43. a.m. measuring 3 on the Richter Scale. Earlier in the morning, a tremor measuring 3.6 had rocked the area at 2.35 a.m. A temblor, measuring 4.5 had also been recorded at 19.05 p.m, last evening. Its epicentre also was at 23.5 degrees North and 70.4 degrees East. Sources at the IMD, however, said the tremors were aftershocks of the devastating January 26 quake, which measured 7 on the Richter Scale.
UNI |
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Two hovercraft commissioned into Coast Guard New Delhi, September 21 The service will celebrate silver jubilee of its dedicated service to the nation next year and the induction of these hovercrafts will give an additional punch and modernised look to the service. The hovercraft have been named H-182 and H-183. The first of its series H-181 has already proved its worth by saving lives of 30 Vietnamese abroad MV Luncnam, which sank off Sand Heads,
Haldia, on July 10. |
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Dhanus missile flight tested
Balasore (Orissa), September 21 |
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Security personnel at all airports have been asked to take a closer look at the cell phones being carried by passengers following an Interpol alert that some of the cell phones may have been modified to function as guns by terrorists.
