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Sunday,
March 17, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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How govt prevailed upon Sangh Parivar NDA united over Ayodhya: BJP VHP men ransack Orissa House
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Talks with Pak not yet: PM
Air Marshal Bhatia’s fate hangs in balance More rollbacks in the offing: BJP Govt withdraws post office Bill Hindu-Muslim panel for riot-hit Exams postponed in Ahmedabad, Vadodara 3 SIMI leaders rounded up ‘Lagaan’ fever rises as Oscars near Mohan Agashe quits as FTII Director Reddy is new
PAC chief
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How govt prevailed upon Sangh Parivar New Delhi, March 16 Though the peaceful denouement of the fortnight-long Ayodhya drama may be seen as a tactical victory for Mr Advani, the Vishva Hindu Parishad and the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas are believed to have extracted their own pound of flesh by agreeing to the Advani-brokered agreement. Well-placed sources told The Tribune today that realising the clout Mr Advani wields on the ‘sants’ sympathising with the VHP and the Nyas, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee made him ring up VHP leader Ashok Singhal and Nyas President
Ramchandra Das Paramhans from 7, Race Course Road itself. Mr Vajpayee had summoned Mr Advani and others to his official residence on March 14 evening unnerved by the threat of Mahant Paramhans to commit suicide if his shila-daan was not allowed. Authorised by the Prime Minister, Mr Advani first talked to Mr Singhal and then to Mahant Paramhans. The Home Minister lost no time in niceties and came straight to the point. “Aap kyon nahin hamen maaf kar sakte” (Why can’t you forgive us) he asked Mahant Paramhans. To this, Mahant Paramhans replied “My blessings are with you”. Then Mr Advani explained that the government was really in an extremely delicate and tight situation because the law and order in Uttar Pradesh too was its baby as the state was under President’s rule. Mahant Paramhans was not moved by the argument and complained that the government was not taking the Ayodhya issue seriously. Mr Advani assured that the government would make amends and suggested the workable formula: holding puja and shila-daan proceedings outside the 67 acre of Ayodhya land under Centre’s control. Later that night, Mr Singhal called up Mr Advani and said his formula was workable if the government were to change its attitude in favour of the Ram temple movement and also specifically asked for Mr Shatrughan Singh, in charge of the PMO’s Ayodhya Cell. Mr Singhal said Mr Shatrughan Singh, a UP Cadre IAS officer who had a fine rapport with the Sangh Parivar, must be immediately despatched to Ayodhya as a Central Government observer and the shila-daan ceremony should be held under his presence so that the VHP could tell its cadres that the government had legitimised the temple movement. Mr Advani asked the Prime Minister who gave his green signal for sending Mr Shatrughan Singh to Ayodhya. Mr Advani later rang up UP Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri and advised him to make sure that the police should not resort to lathicharge or teargas on karsevaks and sadhus. Mr Advani was also asked how to deal with the firebrand Acharya Giriraj Kishore and pat came the reply: arrest Kishore before shila daan and release him after the ceremony is over. This is what happened the next day. |
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NDA united over Ayodhya: BJP New Delhi, March 16 “The decision to send a Central official seemed to be controversial, but the allies on the whole are satisfied with the government’s handling of the situation in Ayodhya,” BJP parliamentary party spokesman V.K. Malhotra observed. “Terming as “unfortunate” attempts by the Congress to kick up a row over a PMO official receiving the shilas, the spokesman said, “When the entire country has heaved a sigh of relief that the ‘shila daan’ day went off peacefully, the Congress finds it difficult to digest the deft handling of the crisis by the Government”. “Even when the Babri Masjid Action Committee has praised the VHP and the government on the issue, the Congress seems to want to whip up a row on everything for petty political gains,” he said. Mr Malhotra said the Government felt that the suicide threats by Paramhans would have had “grave
repercussions across the country” and sending the PMO official was a way to defuse a potentially volatile situation. |
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VHP men ransack Orissa House
Bhubaneswar, March 16 Security personnel and Assembly staff were stunned as hordes of the activists went on the rampage smashing glass windows, hurling flower pots and stones, wrenching out name plates of ministers in a free for all. The attack occurred despite a tight security cover thrown around the Assembly and the nearby Secretariat complex since the December 13 attack on Parliament. The attackers, however, could not enter the lobby and the House as panic-stricken securitymen locked the entrances with some legislators and newsmen still inside. The incident occurred soon after the house adjourned for the lunch recess. They smashed window panes of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s office from outside as his personal staff locked themselves in. The belligerent activists raised slogans ‘Jai Sriram’ and ‘Vajpayee Zindabad’ and hurled invectives at the Chief Minister as they ransacked the artistically designed glass door of the famed library of the legislature. Most Assembly employees, including women, hid in their office rooms after bolting the doors from inside.
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Talks with Pak not yet: PM New Delhi, March 16 “Tension still exists between New Delhi and Islamabad. Infiltration of terrorists has not stopped as yet. When that happens and infiltration stops fully along the Line of Control and the International Border, a situation can develop which can pave the way for resuming a dialogue,” Mr Vajpayee told the Lok Sabha in his reply to the motion of thanks on the President’s joint address to Parliament. “There is no problem in starting the talks, but the question is what after that,” the Prime Minister pointed out adding that the international community also recognised the menace of terrorism and “they understand our position” on resumption of talks. Referring to Leader of the Opposition Sonia Gandhi’s question as to the status of India’s demand for the return of 20 wanted terrorists and criminals, he said “our efforts are on, but no progress has been made as yet.” The Prime Minister said Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf “has a style of working. He keeps on making last minute surprises. We saw it in Kathmandu (SAARC Summit) and now in Islamabad (Information and Broadcasting Ministers’ meet) — an announcement is made about Pakistan’s readiness for the resumption of airlinks between the two countries... we have also learnt about his style.” Referring to Islamabad’s insistence that Indo-Pakistan dialogue should be resumed, the Prime Minister asked what was the use of such an exercise if Pakistan did not stop nefarious activities. Welcoming the recent developments in Sri Lanka where talks between the government and LTTE have begun, Mr Vajpayee hoped the process would usher in peace in the island nation. Recalling New Delhi’s traditional ties with Colombo, he said India had sent its soldiers to Sri Lanka and “we want that a solution be found to ensure that the unity of Sri Lanka is not endangered and it marches ahead on the path of progress”. |
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Air Marshal Bhatia’s fate hangs in balance New Delhi, March 16 Sources in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) today said that the findings of the Court of Inquiry were expected to be made public only next week and action if any against the Air Marshal would be taken a few days later. The report prepared, incidentally, by Air Marshal Sekhon is already with the Air Headquarters
(AHQ) and only the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal S.
Krishnaswamy, after clearance from the MoD, is to take the final decision. The sources confirmed that while flying the AN-32
transport aircraft Air Marshal Bhatia had strayed into the Pakistani territory and his plane had been hit by a surface-to-air missile. Only he was fortunate enough that it did not explode on impact. However, in all this, the issue now is whether or not any action would be taken against Air Marshal Bhatia for straying into Pakistan and more importantly for flying the aircraft, which he was not supposed to pilot. The Wing Commander in charge had been told in clear words to stay away from the pilot’s seat. Reports here suggested that the Chief of Air Staff might again be forced to take a hard decision to maintain the IAF’s record. He would be under a microscope not only publicly but also from his own men, who have already seen an unprecedented action being taken in the case of Air Marshal
Sekhon. While the IAF officers agree that the leaking of the letter written by Air Marshal Sekhon to former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at this time was no coincidence, they point out that a lot would depend on what happens in the case of Air Marshal Bhatia. For no action or a minor penalty would only be setting a precedent in the IAF where the officers in future would be in a position to get away with more such cases, simply by citing this incident. There are indications that he may be shifted out of the WAC for the few months that are left of his service in the IAF. A lot would depend on the fact that how seriously the AHQ treats this incident and how far would it like to go on the issue. |
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More rollbacks in the offing: BJP New Delhi, March 16 “We are happy to hear the rollback in LPG prices, an announcement regarding rollback in the levying of surcharge on Income Tax and also on the reduction in incentives for savings is also in the offing,” BJP spokesman V.K. Malhotra told a press conference. Sensing that a “large section of middle-class voters were annoyed with it” ahead of the crucial Municipal Corporation of Delhi poll, a group of BJP MPs from Delhi had met Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha yesterday to demand the rollback of certain proposals in the budget. Apart from the steep hike of Rs 40 per cylinder of LPG which was rolled back by Rs 20 today, Mr Malhotra listed the five per cent surcharge and reduction in tax concession for small-saving schemes for higher income groups as some of the measures in the budget which were unpopular with the middle lass. Mr Malhotra said the Centre’s decision to roll back LPG prices had boosted the prospects of his party in the coming MCD polls, even as it took the “wind out of the sail of the Congress” who were harping on the issue to browbeat the BJP during the campaign.
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Govt withdraws post office Bill New Delhi, March 16 Moving a resolution seeking permission to withdraw the Bill, Communication Minister Pramod Mahajan said the government would come forward with a comprehensive amendment to the postal Bill during the Budget session after the Cabinet’s approval. After getting the approval, the Bill would be referred to the standing committee before being brought to Parliament, Mr Mahajan said, adding that before the new Bill was brought, the current needed to be withdrawn.
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Hindu-Muslim panel for riot-hit New Delhi, March 16 The 12-member committee’s primary objective is to draw the attention of the government to riot victims’ hardships. The committee is headed by Qaria Mohammad Mian, Chairman of the National Minorities Development Financial Corporation while former Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has been elected its secretary. It will send a three-member delegation to Gujarat to make a detailed assessment of loss of life and property. The committee will meet Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Home Minister L.K. Advani to seek their help in launching relief and rehabilitation work in the riot-torn state. Other members include Shameem Kazim, member, Minorities Commission, a former minister, Mr C.M. Ibrahim, Minister for Minorities Affairs, West Bengal, Mr Mohammad Salem, Mr Rajiv Tyagi, Mr Rahat Mehmood of the Sir Syed Foundation, Mr Mohammad Ali Momin of the Bombay Mercantile Bank and Mr Hakeen Aneesur Rehman, Chairman, Janata Cooperative Bank. |
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Exams postponed in Ahmedabad, Vadodara Gandhinagar, March 16 Official sources said here that the decision was taken in view of the indefinite curfew reimposed yesterday in some police station areas of Ahmedabad and Vadodara, after fresh violence. Elsewhere in the state, the examinations will be held as per schedule. The board also decided to scrap the proposed alternative examination, announced earlier to be started from May 6 to give another opportunity to students who did not want to appear in the examination commencing from March 18. Now, only one examination schedule, from March 18, will be followed, except in Ahmedabad and Vadodara for which new dates would be announced later, sources said.
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3 SIMI leaders rounded up Kolkata, March 16 They have been identified as Abul Hasan, Naimul Hoque and Saifullah. They were in the police wanted list but had been absconding since the recent terrorist attack on the American Center in Kolkata in which five policemen were gunned down. The police said they had been acting as agents of the ISI and had undergone terrorist training in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The arrested persons have been kept in a special cell at the state CID headquarters at Alipore Bhabani Bhavan where the Dubai-based don, Aftab Ansari, has also been imprisoned. According to police sources, SIMI activists have set up a wide network in West Bengal and the entire north-eastern region with the assistance of the ISI. They have been involved in several incidents of killing and kidnapping due to their links with ULFA, NLF and other outfits in the region. |
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‘Lagaan’ fever rises as Oscars near Kolkata, March 16 Notwithstanding the rising mercury, the predominantly young crowd thronged the venue where a specially designed large replica of a ‘kurta’, similar to the one worn by Bhuvan, the protagonist of the film, was hung for good-luck signatures. “‘Lagaan’ is Oscar material, India will win,” teenaged girls were heard speaking eloquently about the blockbuster that mixed patriotic fervour and the popular game of cricket to sweep most film awards at home. To add to the public excitement surrounding the film that epitomised the bat-and-ball game, Bengal’s eminent sportsperson Chuni Goswami inaugurated the “good-luck” signing ceremony at the Park Street store in central
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Mohan Agashe quits as FTII Director Pune, March 16 Confirming the news, Dr Agashe, who is now in Mumbai to attend a conference, told PTI over the phone today that he had come on deputation for a three-years, period, which ended in 2000. However, the governing council nominated him for another three-year period, which would have come to an end next year. “But now, since the term of the governing council has come to an end, I felt it would be best if I resign so as to give the council a free hand to appoint whomsoever it wants,” the noted film and theatre personality said. “If it wants to reappoint me, I am prepared to accept the challenge,” he added.
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Reddy is new
PAC chief New Delhi, March 16 Deputy Speaker P.M. Sayeed appointed Mr Reddy as the PAC Chairman for the term ending on April 30, 2002, a Lok Sabha press note said. Earlier, Mr Tiwari had resigned as the PAC Chairman consequent to his election as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Uttranchal. Mr Reddy, at present, is also the Chairman of the Standing Committee of Finance. |
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