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Friday,
January 11, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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BJP-RLD talks on seats Is UP heading for hung Assembly? Cong MPs not to be part of foreign tour Partial response to Bangla bandh
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Zail ‘sought’ BJP help in ’84 riots Laloo bail plea rejected Cheating client an offence: SC AIADMK nominee elected to RS Firm partner jailed
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BJP-RLD talks on seats
New Delhi, January 10 While BJP spokesman Sunil Shastri declined to give details of the negotiations admitting that talks are progressing, sources said the meeting is taking place in Ghaziabad where former party President Kushabhau Thakre is camping. Mr Thakre, who is election in charge for UP, has been authorised by the party high command to take handle the entire issue of seat sharing with the allies. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Rajnath Singh and state unit President of the BJP Kalraj Mishra are also participating in the talks. The sources said while Mr Ajit Singh has staked claim to 55 seats in western Uttar Pradesh he is serious about only 40 seats. The BJP, the sources averred, was willing to concede around 35 seats and the problem was only on a couple of seats. Meanwhile, Janata Dal (U) leader Sharad Yadav today met BJP General Secretary Pyarelal Khandelwal over lunch and the former is scheduled to meet the UP Chief Minister and the BJP state President shortly. Though the spokesman declined to divulge the exact number of seats that the BJP would finally contest in the UP assembly elections but he did say that the party would field candidates at 325 plus seats. When pointed out that ego problem was one of the main cause of delay in the finalisation of the seat-sharing arrangements with its allies, Mr Shastri said this was not true and talks are going on smoothly. The party would also hold talks on the seat-sharing arrangements with the Lok Jan Shakti of Union Coal Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and also with the allies in the state with whom the BJP has been in the government in the state. However, the spokesman was a silence to over Minister of State for Statistics, Planning, Programme implementation and Animal care Maneka Gandhi who has already declared that her party was going to field candidates in the Terai region. Despite seat sharing with some of the partners of the National Democratic Alliance and the existing allies in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP was not going to have a common manifesto, Mr Shastri said adding that the party manifesto for UP was ready and was likely to be brought before the central leadership for approval. Governance in the state, ban on SIMI, fight against terrorism, POTO and political stability in the state would form the main plank of the BJP. Mr Shastri said the party would not give ticket to persons with criminal background and those party MLAs would be denied ticket who would be identified for cross voting in the Rajya Sabha and Vidhan Parishad elections. The party had already finalised details of workers who would be deputed during the Assembly elections. Party leaders from Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan were being sent to Punjab, he said. Leaders from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Haryana was being sent to Uttar Pradesh and from Haryana and Himachal to Uttaranchal. |
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Is UP heading for hung Assembly? Saharanpur, January 10 Political observers say that no party is in a position to win a comfortable majority. Though the BJP has managed to emerge as the single-largest party in the last three Assembly elections, yet its performance has been inconsistent. It has failed to open its account in 51 Assembly seats since 1993. On the contrary, the BJP was defeated by the SP in more than 65 new Assembly seats other than those had already been in its kitty in the segment-wise performance during 1999 parliamentary polls. Expected to ride high on Kargil conflict, the BJP could manage only 110 Assembly seats against the SP’s 127 in the last Assembly elections. Earlier, it had finished first in 232 Assembly seats during the 1998 elections. But now the BJP is a bit more confident as far as the leadership is concerned. “Instead of a hostile Chief Minister we have a committed leader in Rajnath Singh,” says Mr Prabhat Jha, BJP spokesman. “The other factor that is likely to favour the BJP in forming the next government is the coalition allies that will really make the things work”, he added. Relaxed over his party’s stupendous performance in the last Lok Sabha elections, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav is confident of exploiting the anti-incumbency factor. It reflects in his decision to go alone. But this time, Mr Yadav faces a duel with Mr Rajnath Singh, who has not only stopped the party slide but has also put a check on the opposition parties eager to cut his vote bank by adopting populist measures just before the elections were announced. On the other hand, the Congress will seek to win over minorities that had earlier been supporting the SP and the BSP. Underlining the fear, the BJP feels that a jittery SP has struck a secret alliance with the Congress. “That’s why the SP has released the list of only 295 candidates out of the total strength of 403”, says Mr Kalraj Mishra, president of the state unit of the BJP. The BSP is sure to play the king-maker’s role in the next Assembly. The party with significant Dalit-base has shown signs of improvement after consistent shows in 1993 and 1996 elections when it won 67 seats each time but increased its vote percentage from 11.11 per cent to 19.59 per cent. The party men feel that any figure over 80 seats will make Ms Mayawati an important player in future. However, the BSP is stressing assembly segments where it commands solid vote bank. But all eyes are now on the Congress, which political observers feel, can play the spoiler.
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Cong MPs not to be part of foreign tour New Delhi, January 10 In a statement, Dr Manmohan Singh, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said the Congress was distressed at the cavalier manner in which the government had gone about planning the all-party delegation to explain India’s position on cross-border terrorism. “The Congress President has extended the party’s full support to the government in its initiative. The least was expected in return was consultations and dialogue with the leadership of the Congress about the composition of the delegations and places to be visited. This has not happened despite assurances having been given and the Congress had to read about the composition and itinerary of the delegation from the newspapers. This indicates the non-seriousness of the BJP in dealing with vital national affairs and in sustaining a national consensus on crucial issues,’’ the statement said. Mr Sharma parried a question on whether the Congress would reconsider its stand. |
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Partial response to Bangla bandh Kolkata, January 10 The bandh was also supported by the CPI (M-L), Left Front partners like the RSP, the Forward Bloc and the CPI also supported the bandh but did not participate. The bandh was called to protest against hike in charges of electricity bills, hospital admission fee and the government’s banning on ‘rail and rasta roko movement.’ In Kolkata and other cities activities were normal. In the districts, particularly, the places where the TMC, the FB and the RSP dominate, bandh was successful. In the city, public vehicles, buses, trams, taxis, train services were normal. In offices here the attendance was also normal. But in the districts, particularly, in Coochbehar, Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri, Murshidabad, Birbhum, Burdwan, Nadia and Darjeeling, office attendance was negligible. In south and north 24-Parganas also and in many areas, people observed bandh. Chief Minister, Buddhadev Bhattacharyya claimed that the bandh had been a total flop. He criticised Ms Mamata Banerjee for supporting the bandh which the BJP as well as the Congress opposed. SUCI leader Pravash Ghosh and Ms Mamata Banerjee, however, made a counter-claim. Mr Ghosh alleged their workers and supporters, including women, had been assaulted and manhandled by the police and CPM workers. Mr Bhattacharyya expressed dissatisfaction that some of Front partners were supporting the bandh and their ministers and leaders had been openly criticising the functioning of the government, contrary to the ministerial code of conduct. Mr Biman Bose, Left Front chairman, who is also a politburo member of the CPM alleged that the RSP, the FB and the CPI had been involved in a conspiracy against CPM and acting in favour of their adversaries. He warned that the CPM would no more tolerate such ‘subversive activities’ of the Front partners, adding that doors were open for those disgruntled elements in the Left Front to go out. Veteran FB leader Asoke Ghosh strongly criticised the CPM for “hobnobbing with the Congress as well as with the Muslim League to make a gain in the national politics. Mr Ghosh and CPI leader, Mr Manju Kumar Mojumdar also accused the CPM of maintaining a “big-brother” attitude towards them which was hampering the Front’s unity. |
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Zail ‘sought’ BJP help in ’84 riots New Delhi, January 10 This was disclosed by BJP spokesperson, V.K. Malhotra while deposing before the Justice Nanavati Commission here today. Appearing before the commission, which is probing the riots, Mr Malhotra said he urged the President to personally intervene in the matter to stop bloodshed. “But Giani Zail Singh expressed helplessness and instead suggested that I and my party ( the BJP) should do something for the protection of the members of the Sikh community living in Delhi”, the senior BJP functionary told the commission. Mr Malhotra said Giani Zail Singh would call up senior BJP leaders on the telephone as and when any distress call was made to Rashtrapati Bhavan from terrified Sikhs in the city. Moreover, the BJP spokesperson said Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, Mr L.K. Advani and other senior leaders of the BJP called on the then the Union Home Minister, Mr P.V. Narasimha Rao urging him to impose curfew to defuse the situation. In response, Mr Rao gave a cryptic reply “ I will do something”. A disillusioned Mr Vajpayee then told BJP leaders and workers to spread out to all corners of the city and make an allout effort to protect members of the Sikh community in the national Capital, he said. Mr Malhotra alleged that the Congress, however, undertook a negative propaganda exercise against the BJP telling the mobs that the party who was protecting the Sikhs were “the killers of Indira
Gandhi”. |
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Laloo bail plea rejected Ranchi, January 10 Justice D. N. Prasad had reserved his order on their bail petitions on Tuesday after hearing the arguments of the petitioners and the CBI counsel here. While turning down their bail petitions, the high court observed that the allegations levelled against the petitioners by the CBI were of a serious nature and hence, bail could not be granted to them. Both Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav and Mr Jagannath Mishra have been in judicial custody in this case since the Special CBI Judge P.R. Das rejected their bail prayers on December 20 and 24, respectively.
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Cheating client an offence: SC New Delhi, January 10 “The message which should go to all members of the legal profession is that they are being watched regarding their professional activities through the binoculars by the bar council of the states and the Bar Council of India,’’ the court said. The punishment was awarded by a three-Judge Bench of Mr Justice K.T. Thomas and Mr Justice S.N. Phukan while disposing an appeal by a Lahimpur Kheri-based advocate — Harish Chandra Tiwari. The advocate had cheated a client of Rs 8,118 in a land acquisition case and on a complaint the Bar Council of India suspended him from practising for three years. The apex court found the punishment inadequate and debarred him for life. In its judgement, delivered in Tuesday, the court said if an advocate misappropriated money of his client there was no justification in de-escalating the gravity of the misdemeanor. “Perhaps the dimension of the gravity of such a breach would be mitigated when the misappropriation remained only for a temporary period,’’ the court said. The court said there might be a justification to award a lesser punishment in case where the delinquent advocate returned the money before the commencement of the disciplinary proceedings. The court was of the view that retaining such an advocate on the roll of legal profession, it would be very unsafe for the profession. “The situation in this case, thus warrants the punishment of removal of his name from the roll of advocates,’’ the court said. The court also warned the disciplinary committee of the Bar Association of India against taking a lenient view of such an offence.
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AIADMK nominee elected to RS Chennai, January 10 The Secretary, Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and the returning officer for the by-election, Mr V. Rajaraman, officially declared his election to the Upper House of Parliament at 3 pm today, on the expiry of the time for the withdrawal of nominations, as Mr Maitreyan was the only candidate left in the fray. The seat fell vacant following the death of TMC chief G.K. Moopanar.
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Firm partner jailed Hanumangarh, January 10 According to details available, on January 9, 1984, the firm got a licence for manufacturing and selling unsterlised
surgicals. As per the conditions of the allotment of the licence if any change was made in the preamble of the firm the licence issuing authority was to be informed within three months, failing which the licence could be cancelled. The then Medicine Inspector of Sriganganagar on December 18, 1990, inspected the records of the firm and found that two partners of the firm had changed. Following this the licence of the firm was cancelled on July 5, 1990, on the grounds that the information regarding the change of the partners was not given to the licence issuing authority. Even after the cancellation of the licence the firm kept on production. On September 15, 1992, the Medicine Inspector filed a case against the firm and the two partners under Section 27 (3) II of the Medicine and Cosmetics Product Act, 1990. In its decision the court found the firm guilty and fined it Rs 5,000 and sentenced a partner to one year of imprisonment. The other partner was acquitted, as he was found innocent. |
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Communication,
IT ministries merged New Delhi, January 10 A presidential communique issued this evening said Mr Tapan Sikdar had been re-designated as Minister of State in the new ministry.
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Freedom fighter dead Hyderabad, January 10 |
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