Friday, July 12, 2002, Chandigarh, India
 Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Venkaiah blends youth with experience
New Delhi, July 11
Newly appointed President of the Bharatiya Janata Party M. Venkaiah Naidu announced his team of office-bearers, bringing in former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Rajnath Singh as General Secretary and dropping Mrs Maya Singh and Mr Sunil Shastri as general secretaries.
In video (28k, 56k)

BJP President M. Venkaiah Naidu addresses his first press conference at the BJP office in New Delhi on Thursday. Former Law Minister Arun Jaitley is also seen in the picture. — Tribune photo Mukesh Aggarwal

Vaiko at Mumbai airport. — Reuters photo

Vaiko arrested in Chennai
MDMK workers prevented from reaching airport
Chennai, July 11
Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) General Secretary and MP Vaiko was arrested this evening under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) and other Sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for supporting the LTTE.
In video (28k, 56k)

Haryana Chief Secretary replaced in absentia
A.N. Mathur occupies the hot seat
Chandigarh, July 11
The Haryana Government today replaced its Chief Secretary, Mr L.M. Goyal, while he is abroad. He is scheduled to return tomorrow. The government also reshuffled 10 other IAS officers and three HCS officers.

Capt wants to shed PPCC post
Chandigarh, July 11
Sensing the growing skepticism and politico-administrative drift, Capt Amarinder Singh has decided to respond decisively. As a first step, he has asked the party high command to relieve him as President of the PPCC.

Dullo frontrunner for PCC chief’s post
New Delhi, July 11
Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo, MP, tops the list of names being considered by the Congress high command for appointment as PCC chief in Punjab even as several DCC chiefs met Congress President Sonia Gandhi today demanding that Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh be allowed to continue as Congress chief.

    Punjab page: Sonia urged to let CM continue as PPCC chief

Takht, SGPC on collision course?
Amritsar, July 11
In an unprecedented move, the SGPC has constituted a two-member committee to look into the alleged complaints of moral turpitude against Baba Dhanwant Singh of the Noor Vishav Roohani Charitable Trust, who has already completed his ‘tankha’ pronounced by Akal Takht, a few days ago.

Punjab’s search for Vice-Chancellors
Chandigarh, July 11
While no name has yet been finalised for appointment as Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, Patiala, another slot falls vacant tomorrow when the present Vice-Chancellor of Baba Saheb Ambedkar Technical University, Jalandhar, H.S. Gurum, retires.

    Appointments made by Soch to be probed

Toll tax drives trucks off the road Doraha, July 11 The movement of goods in the state was affected today as transporters went on a day’s token strike in protest against the imposition of toll tax on National Highway No. 1 from Doraha to Delhi. Transporters from all over the state arrived in the city and went in procession to the venue of the protest — an open stretch of land facing the toll tax booths on the highway.