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Tuesday,
January 15, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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BJP’s AC
culture won’t last, says Govindacharya SC quashes
Delhi HC order in Sukh Ram case BJP
expects action from Pak Mine
blasts kill 8 Pak soldiers |
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Parties
gear up for Yamunanagar, UP poll SP lists
for UP, Uttaranchal Tripura
ultras call to boycott R-Day 3 lakh
take dip, 3 die in mishaps
Poornima
Advani made NCW chief INSAT 3C may be launched this month
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BJP’s AC culture won’t last, says Govindacharya New Delhi, January 14 Informally interacting with newspersons on his return from meditation to the Capital, the former BJP General Secretary said tie-coat culture of the elite class had come to dominate the party which ‘has had an unique identity of its own given to it by its workers’. Stating that its unique identity would continue, Mr Govindacharya said though the issue had been raised by him at different party forums but there has been no response. Brushing aside the recent controversy about him ceasing to be a “pracharak” as merely a “communication gap”, the BJP leader denied that the party and the RSS were “upset” with him and asserted that “I continue to be in politics as also a swayamsevak”. “My ideological moorings are as intense as ever and I will continue my contributory role”, Mr Govindacharya said and informed that he would now be attending the BJP national executive sessions since his period of solitude was over. The BJP leader, once known as an ideologue of the party, said he would return to active politics next year as his study leave would end exactly in one year on January 14 next year. Then it would be up to the BJP leadership to utilise his services, Mr Govindacharya said adding that he would present his study report to the BJP President on the completion of his sabbatical. However, he hastened to add that he was “not career-minded and not a rival or competitor of anyone and is not part of power politics”. Since coming to the Capital, Mr Govindacharya has talked to BJP President K. Jana Krishnamurthi, RSS joint general secretary Madan Das Devi and Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) leader Murli Dhar Rao, but he has no plans to meet either Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee or Home Minister L.K. Advani during his brief stay in the Capital as he would proceed to Agra to attend a SJM meeting. Declining to attach any significance to the cancellation of a much publicised lunch which was to be hosted by the Chairman, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Mr Mahesh Sharma, to which he also was an invitee. In a sincere effort to end the controversy involving him and Sports Minister Uma Bharati, Mr Govindacharya said: “I despise such controversies”. Admitting that he wanted to marry Uma Bharati in 1991and had also sent a proposal to her and her family through a senior BJP leader but she turned it down. That chapter was over then, he asserted. Thereafter, she took ‘sanyaas’ and the matter ended there, the leader said adding that “I regard and respect her and she is nothing more than a friend”. |
SC
quashes Delhi HC order in Sukh Ram case
New Delhi, January 14 Special Judge R.K. Gauba, in his order, said the day-to-day hearing in the charges framed on May 19-20, 1998 against Sukh Ram, former Director (FA) Renu Ghosh and the Advance Radio Masts Ltd (ARM Ltd) of Hyderabad would begin after the apex court set aside the order of the Delhi High Court. Mr Justice M.B. Shah, Mr Justice B.N. Agrawal and Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat of the Supreme Court in an order on December 13, said: “Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, the impugned order of the Delhi High Court quashing the charges framed, is set aside. The trial court will proceed with the trial on a day-to-day basis.” The Delhi High Court had quashed the order of the trial court in which charges were framed against Sukh Ram, Renu Ghosh and ARM Ltd under Sections 120B of the IPC 13 (2) and other Sections of the PC Act. The high court order was passed on January 30, 2001. The CBI had gone to the apex court against the decision of the high court for a revision. According to the charge sheet, Sukh Ram, who was the Union Minister of State for Communication between January 18, 1993 and May 16, 1996 had entered into criminal conspiracy with Director (FA) of the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) Renu Ghosh and P. Rama Rao, Managing Director of
the ARM Ltd to cause pecuniary advantage to the private firm or to themselves at the cost of public exchequer. By adopting corrupt and illegal means and abusing their official position as public servants, Ram and Ghosh purchased 3000 sub-standard 2/115 MARR shared Radio System equipment (Crystal version) causing loss of Rs 1.68 crore to the government. Sukh Ram issued an order on July 16, 1993 that after the finalisation of every tender and before the issuance of the purchase order, every file should be put up before him, the charge sheet said. Charges have also been framed against Sukh Ram in the Disproportionate Assets case in July 2001. The CBI had seized cash worth Rs 3.6 crore which was concealed in bags and suitcases. Apart from the case, his bungalow in the Kaushambhi residential scheme on the Delhi-Ghaziabad border had been valued at Rs 11 million, jewellery worth over Rs one million, bank accounts and fixed deposits worth Rs 7 lakh, house in Mandi evaluated at Rs 5 million and a farmhouse at Panarasa in Mandi worth Rs 5 million. Other property belonging to him or his family included an apple orchard spread over nearly 12 acres and the Hotel Mayfair in Mandi. The case was registered under Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) on the basis of the scrutiny of Income Tax returns filed by Sukh Ram during the check period.
UNI |
BJP
expects action from Pak New Delhi, January 14 Reacting to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s address to his nation on Saturday, Mr Krishnamurthi said “When General Musharraf was expected and required to walk a metre towards India, he has chosen to walk a kilometre length for America and other Western countries. India is not going to be convinced by talks bereft of action”. The touchstone of Pakistan’s sincerity would be its positive response to India’s four demands namely: closure of training camps; arms supply and funding of terrorists on Pakistani soil; stoppage of infiltration of arms and men from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir and a categorical and unambiguous renunciation of terrorism in all manifestations, the statement said. While General Musharraf has repeated his country’s stand on Kashmir he should realise that India’s clear-cut stand on Jammu and Kashmir for the past 50 years and more has been spelt in the unanimous resolution passed by Indian Parliament in 1994, he
said. |
Mine
blasts kill 8 Pak soldiers Jaisalmer, January 14 The accident occurred when Pakistani army men were laying landmines in their territory just opposite the Indian Harsukh out post in the region. However, the mines exploded accidentally, killing eight of them and injuring several others, the sources said. There has been reports of Pakistani army laying landmines and anti-tank mines on a large scale in its border region.
UNI |
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Parties
gear up for Yamunanagar, UP poll THE INLD in Haryana and the state units of the Congress and the BJP have planned a two-pronged strategy for the Yamunanagar byelection and for the Assembly elections in the Punjab and UP. Sources in the INLD are of the view that the Haryana Chief Minister and party chief, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, is in a mood to divert all the party’s resources in UP. The INLD is keeping its option open with regard to the possible seat adjustment with other political parties in UP. It also has its strategy in case it has to go it alone. The party will, however, wait till the last moment for a possible seat sharing with its ally, the BJP, even though it is at daggers drawn with the Rashtriya Lok Dal, headed by Mr Ajit Singh, Union Agriculture Minister and son of former premier Charan Singh. The INLD will not have problem to oversee things in Yamunanagar, even though he may not physically visit the constituency. As the INLD has set its eyes on areas in Western Uttar Pradesh, party cadres are girding their loins to cross the border from various points into UP parts. The Congress, the principal Opposition in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, has decided to give thrust to the poll campaign of its UP counterpart in western UP. The state leadership of the party has decided to make its campaign in UP Haryana-centric with a view to deflating the electioneering machine of its rival, the INLD. A prominent leader of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) said the Haryana unit would highlight the “failure” of the INLD government in the state and the unfulfilled promises made by the INLD leadership before the Assembly elections in Haryana. The Congress’ strategy is to pump in workers in western UP from the districts of Haryana contiguous to it. One of the reasons being there is a cultural affinity with western UP and large areas of Haryana. With regard to electioneering in Yamunanagar, the party feels that workers and leaders of the district and its thereabout would suffice to bolster the campaign for its nominee. The Congress plans to send contingents of workers from districts like Sonepat, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Panchkula and Rohtak to Punjab to give a boost to the party’s campaign. The schedule prepared by the Haryana Congress for its president, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, suggests that he would be more like a flying bird visiting western UP, Punjab and Uttaranchal. Senior state leaders of the party are also loosening themselves to visit western UP, Punjab and Yamunanagar for electioneering purpose. The Haryana unit of the BJP has also decided to add to the party’s campaign punch in Western UP and in Punjab in addition to the electioneering in Yamunanagar. A BJP leader said that the state unit had assigned units in Gurgaon and Faridabad districts to join the party’s campaign in Mathura-Brindavan and Goverdhan Assembly seats in Agra
division. The units of Bhiwani, Rewari and Mahendragarh have been assigned duties in Meerut division. The two
divisions fall in western UP. The remaining units will join the party’s campaign in Punjab. The state president, Mr Rattan Lal Kataria will visit western UP and Punjab, besides focussing in Yamunanagar. |
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SP lists for UP, Uttaranchal
Lucknow, January 14 With this, the party has announced candidates for 340 out of the 403 seats in Uttar Pradesh and 38 out of 70 seats in Uttaranchal. In today’s list, the SP announced the names of candidates for Pilibhit, Kanwar, Arkheda (reserved), Tilhar, Katheri, Ekauna (R), Balrampur, Rasra (R), Bayalsi, Allahabad (north), Allahabad (south), Allahabad (west), Naraini, Hamirpur, Charkhari (R), Govardhan (R), Chata, Maath, Kher, Zewar (R), Anupshahr, Syana and Siwal Khas in Uttar Pradesh. For Uttaranchal, the party announced the names of its nominees for Sahaspur, Laxman Chowk, Rishikesh, Pauri, Rudra Prayag, Karn Prayag, Kapkot, Kanda, Bageshwar (R), Dwarahaat, Ranikhet, Someshwar, Almora, Haldwani, Rudrapur Kichcha, Lohahaat, Didihaat, Kanali Chinna, Dharchula, Roorkee, Bhagwanpur, Landaura (R) and Laksar. The SP is expected to give the remaining seats to its People’s Front partners in the two states.
PTI |
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BJP leader joins SP Lucknow, January 14 |
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Tripura ultras call to boycott R-Day
Agartala, January 14 All police stations in the state have been directed to intensify security measures to prevent ultras from perpetrating any more strikes with the Republic Day drawing closer, the sources said. The 840 km-long Indo-Bangladesh international border has been sealed and all border outposts put on maximum alert to foil insurgents’ attempt to infiltrate into the state, BSF sources said. Meanwhile, massive combing operation is on at Singhicherra village and its adjoining areas to flush out the ultras who fled the scene after the strike in which 12 persons were killed on the spot and four others succumbed to injuries on the way to hospital last evening. Banned outfits National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and All-Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) have called for a boycott of Republic Day programmes. The ruling CPM has given a call for a dawn-to-dusk bandh in Khowai subdivision tomorrow. The Opposition Congress and Trinamool Congress have also condemned the incident. However, the CPM in a statement said the Congress, Trinamool Congress and Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura, who are in the process of forging an alliance for the February 21 parliamentary byelections had links with the killings because they wanted to create panic among the people. Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, Finance Minister Badal Chowdhury and senior CPM leaders had visited the injured at G.B. Hospital. CPM leaders and local MLA Samir Deb Sarkar also visited the attack site. Among the victims, CPM leader Binod Pal and his wife and brother fell prey to the extremists’ bullet. Party sources claimed that all victims were their supporters. Tension prevailed in the area, though official sources claimed that the situation was under control. KOHIMA: The security forces on Sunday prevented a highway robbery as they shot and killed one of the gang members on an Imphal-bound bus while other robbers fled. An exchange of fire broke out as 27 Assam Rifles personnel reached the scene of crime near Piphema, about 33 km from here, on national highway 39. One air gun, modified into an self-loading rifle, two hand grenades, some ammunition, stolen money and ornaments were recovered from the spot.
UNI, PTI |
3
lakh take dip, 3 die in mishaps Sagar Island (WB), January 14 Following today’s deaths, the number of those who died in accidents here rose to 10. Seven, including two women from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh, had died in an accident yesterday. A woman was killed in a stampede today at the bus stand where thousands of pilgrims tried to scramble into buses to take them to
Kochuberia, sources in the hospital, where she was admitted, said. Another pilgrim was killed when he slipped into the waters from a launch at Kochuberia in the early hours, while a driver was killed when his vehicle collided with a bus at
Doctorbari, SP D.K. Ganguly said. Five women pilgrims sustained burn injuries when they tripped into a large “kadai” (utensil) of hot “gur” (molasses) when they were asked to make way for a vehicle, the sources said.
PTI |
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Poornima
Advani made NCW chief New Delhi, January 14 According to an official release issued here today, Dr Advani would succeed Vibha Parthsarathy who has completed her three-year term. A member of the Commission for the past three years, Dr Advani will be the fourth Chairperson of the NCW. A doctorate in law from the University of Bombay, she has been a lecturer in the department of law there. |
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INSAT 3C may be launched this month New Delhi, January 14 He said the satellite, having 24 C-band transponders, six extended C-band transponders, two S-band transponders for broadcasting and 1-S band channel for transmitting, would establish the additional capacity needed by the country and take care of needs arising because of the ageing of older generation satellites. Talking about the ongoing projects of ISRO, Mr Kasturirangan said INSAT 3-A and INSAT 3-E would be launched by early next year. |
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Sagar
Island (WB), January 14
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