Wednesday, May 8, 2002, Chandigarh, India
 Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Jaswant scoffs at foreign prescription
Rules out external observers in J-K poll
New Delhi, May 7
External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh today said India would not accept prescriptions from outside on internal matters and ruled out the presence of outside observers in the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Army out in Ahmedabad; CCS reviews situation
Ahmedabad, May 7
A fresh outbreak of communal violence today killed nine persons, two of them were burnt alive, forcing deployment of the Army and imposition of curfew in different parts of the riot-torn city.
In video (28k, 56k)

• Gill’s proposal yet to get Centre’s nod

• K.P.S. Gill meets Advani

• Govt failed to gauge global fallout: Cong

• Walkout on move to close relief camps

• VHP raps govt on RS motion on Gujarat

• Nation page: Non-Cong Oppn plans joint attack

• Edit page: A distorted political scenario

US panel indicts India on Gujarat
Washington, May 7
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, a statutory body which advises the Congress and the American President, has expressed “great concern” over riots in Gujarat in which the victims, it notes, were “primarily Muslims.”

Naik tipped to be Speaker
New Delhi, May 7
Union Petroleum Minister Ram Naik is tipped to the next Lok Sabha Speaker with both the ruling NDA as well as the Opposition parties tending to agree on his name.

CM consults Montek Singh
Invite MNCs & reform power sector, Captain told
New Delhi, May 7
Industrious Punjab can rebuild its economy and put itself on a high- growth path by concentrating attention on reforming the power sector, refurbishing the tax collection machinery and providing focussed attention on its expenditure policy.

• No more subsidy for Punjab units

Punjab to seek vacation of Judge’s order
Chandigarh, May 7
The Punjab Government will seek vacation of the interim order issued by Mr Justice Garewal, besides seeking dismissal of the petition filed by PPSC Chairman Ravi Sidhu seeking a ban on the release of information to the media about investigations in the recruitment scam. 

• Punjab page: Lawyers to boycott ‘tainted’ judges

• Editorial: Do respond, My Lords!

Haryana to get 12,000 cr for Tenth Plan

New Delhi, May 7 Haryana’s Tenth Five-Year-Plan (2002-2007) has been approved at Rs 12000 crore and the Annual Plan for 2002-2003 has been approved for Rs 2034 crore by the Planning Commission here today. Deputy Chairman Planning Commission K.C. Pant had a meeting with Haryana Chief Minister here today.

Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala with Deputy Chairman Planning Commission K.C. Pant in the Capital on Tuesday. — Tribune Photo Mukesh Aggarwal

2 Pak infiltrators shot dead
Jammu, May 7
Two heavily-armed Pakistani infiltrators were shot dead in two encounters near the Pindi and Kote Kuba border outposts (BOPs) in the Arnia sector along the international border of the Jammu region this morning. A senior police officer said here that Indian border guards manning the Pindi BOP noticed some persons moving suspiciously near the border.