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Sunday,
July 14, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Govt to review J&K situation New US-UK formula on J&K expected
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BJP in fix over Vaiko’s arrest BJP, BSP clash over textbooks NTPC descales supply to Bihar TPDK workers held for
blocking traffic Madhuri to play matchmaker
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Govt to review J&K situation New Delhi, July 13 Sources here said with the Parliament session beginning from Monday and the British Foreign Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, due for a visit to the sub-continent next week a review of the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir was to be undertaken by the government which wants to be armed with all details. A review of situation is also important from the point of view of the approaching elections in Jammu and Kashmir and the further preparations to be made by the security agencies in view of the poll. What is also troubling the government is the increase in the number of killings of the security personnel in comparison with militants during the past few weeks. Although officially there was no confirmation available about the CCS meeting, but reports suggested that a final decision on it could be taken tomorrow morning. However, Mr Mishra has convened a meeting of the heads of the intelligence, security agencies and the military on Monday to review the security scenario in the state. The meeting is more important from the point of view of the visit of the British Foreign Secretary beginning from July 19. Mr Straw has been forced to rush back to the sub-continent after India categorically refused to take any more de-escalatory steps on the Indo-Pakistan border as there was no decline in infiltration. The government wants to have all details and evidence in hand of the continued ISI support to the terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. India has been urging both the USA and the UK to put pressure on Pakistan to cease its support to cross-border infiltration. However, despite assurances from both countries infiltration from across the border has been going on unabated with the Pakistani army providing cover to the terrorists in the garb of cross-border shelling. Visit of Mr Straw is to be followed by a visit of the US Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell. The increase in the number of violent incidents in Jammu and Kashmir has also necessitated the holding of a review meeting. With terrorists having altered their strategy to pick on smaller groups of security personnel rather than creating bigger incidents, there has been an increase in the number of killings of the security personnel. Reports here said there was a sharp rise in the number of killings of security personnel over the past 45 days in comparison with same period earlier. There has been a concern primarily arising out of corresponding decline in the number of terrorists being killed by the security agencies. |
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New US-UK formula on J&K expected New Delhi, July 13 Analysts and strategists look upon the India visits of British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw on July 19 and US Secretary of State Colin Powell on July 27/28 with expectancy. However, government sources here say that the Vajpayee government knows exactly what it will do and where it will not going to budge. Sources said Mr Straw and Mr Powell were expected to come out with a new formula which could be acceptable to both India and Pakistan and pave the way for political as well as military de-escalation between the two countries. The focus of the visits of The proposal for a joint patrolling of the Line of Control by Indian and Pakistani troops is in a limbo. While India maintains that Pakistan is not serious about the proposal, Pakistan’s contention is that to discuss the modalities, India would have to come to the negotiating table. India rejects the very idea of talks or of “talks before talks”, saying that Pakistan would have to first give-concrete proof of its sincerity by putting a complete stop on cross-border infiltration and dismantling all terrorism infrastructure. There was an improvement in Indo-Pak ties some weeks back, but Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s interviews to “Newsweek” and BBC once again applied the reverse gear. India has gone on record to say that a mere 30 per cent decrease in cross-border infiltration of terrorists over a few weeks was “just not enough” to pave the way for de-escalation of tensions and resumption of dialogue. External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha also made thispoint today when after gifting 25 buses to Afghanistan at a function, he said in a brief interaction to a few reporters that the infiltration had decreased for some time but after General Musharraf’s interview to “Newsweek”, there was again a spurt in it. |
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Infiltration
continues, says Sinha New Delhi, July 13 In his first-ever, though brief, interaction with journalists since he took charge of the Ministry of External Affairs, Mr Sinha said there was a decrease in cross-border infiltration for some time but after Gen Pervez Musharraf’s interview to “Newsweek”, there was again a spurt in it. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher today said “.. there has been a significant decline in the level of infiltration along the Line of Control.” Mr Sinha was speaking to the media after gifting 25 buses to Afghanistan at a function here this evening. |
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All set for presidential poll New Delhi, July 13 On July 15, 4894, elector members of Parliament and state legislators would cast their franchise to elect the country’s new President. Two UP MLAs — Vijay Kumar Mishra and Atiq Ahmed — under preventive detention will cast their vote through the postal ballot while MDMK leader Vaiko, arrested under POTA, will vote in the Tamil Nadu Assembly for the July 15 Presidential election, Returning Officer for the 12th presidential election Rajya Sabha Secretary-General R.C. Tripathi said. Mr Vaiko, MP from Sivakasi, has been allowed by the Chennai High Court to vote in the state Assembly on the condition that he does not talk to reporters or raise slogans when he goes to exercise his franchise. Mr Tripathi said at a press conference in New Delhi that in all, 27 MPs would vote in state capitals while five MLAs had opted to exercise their franchise in Parliament House on July 15. Six MPs will cast their vote in Hyderabad, eight in Chennai, three each in Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram, two in Bangalore and one each in Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Dehra Dun, Gangtok and Kolkata. The formal announcement of the result is expected by Thursday, afternoon, three days after polling, since ballot boxes have to reach the Capital for counting. The counting of votes will start at 1100 hours on Thursday and the results are expected around 1500 hours. The value of the vote of a legislator varies from state to state as it is calculated on the basis of the population of a particular state (census year 1971) divided by the number of total legislators and multiplied by 1,000. Calculated thus, the value of the vote of a Delhi legislator is much more than that of an Arunachal Pradesh MLA at 7 and of Sikkim at 8, he said. The vote of a member of Parliament commands a value of 708. This is the first presidential election being held in the newly formed states of Uttaranchal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Elaborate security arrangements in and around various Vidhan Sabha complexes have been made to ensure trouble-free conduct of elections. Also, the ballot boxes sent from the Election Commission have been stored under proper security. After the polling, the returning officers would personally accompany the ballot boxes to New Delhi by air and deposit the same to the Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha, who is the returning officer for the elections. Counting of the votes would be held in the morning of July 18, when ballot boxes from all the states are received.
UNI |
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BJP in fix over Vaiko’s arrest New Delhi, July 13 By refusing to comment on the Vaiko issue today, Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani made it obvious the helpless situation the Centre is in to make any intervention in the matter as it did last year when DMK leaders were taken into custody. “As far as Mr Vaiko is concerned, the government would not like to comment on it,” Mr Advani told newspersons after attending the first meeting of BJP office-bearers chaired by Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu, who took over as party President on July 1. Although BJP leaders strongly believe that the arrest was politically motivated and is unlikely to hold in court, they are perturbed over the fact that the apprehensions voiced by some political leaders about the misuse of POTA, during the debate on the Bill in Parliament, is getting some credence. With just a day left for the Monsoon Session of Parliament to begin, the party’s spin doctors are now busy trying to deflect attention from the fact that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa appears to have built up a case against Mr Vaiko under the law he himself helped to legislate. BJP President had said his arrest “was undesirable and unwarranted, as it would send a wrong signal about the very purpose of the legislation.” The BJP leaders also found it difficult to explain why the Centre, which had been more active when the DMK leaders had been arrested last year, is not so when leader of another ally from Tamil Nadu has been taken into custody. “The situation last year was different. The Centre had to act as the Jayalalithaa government had arrested two Union Ministers,” a top BJP functionary said. With Ms Jayalalithaa taking a hard stand on the issue and even going to the extent of demanding a ban on the MDMK, it will be interesting to see how the Vajpayee government acts to remove the apprehensions of the misuse of POTA on the one hand and help its ally tide over the matter on the other. |
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BJP, BSP clash over textbooks Lucknow, July 13 On July 5, the Chief Minister, Ms Mayawati, announced a new textbook distribution policy under the ‘Education for All’ scheme in which the government will distribute books free of cost to Dalit and girl students up to primary standard. The decision offended the BJP. The state president of the BJP, Mr Vinay Katiyar, even threatened to review party’s decision to support the BSP if “Ms Mayawati continues to take decisions on the caste lines.” The World Bank sponsored ‘Education for All’ scheme has been going on in the state for the past eight years. For the past three years the students of the primary classes, irrespective of any caste, have been getting textbooks free of cost. Even last year, the Rajnath Singh government emphasised that all students should get books free of cost and the concession was extended to students of up to eighth standard. Former Chief Minister Rajnath Singh told The Tribune from Delhi on telephone that it was preposterous to divide students, that too at the level of primary classes, on the caste lines. “The policy of the government should be clear. If one student gets any government help, others should also get the same. The Chief Minister should not distinguish students on the basis of their surnames,” he said. Spewing venom, Mr Katiyar said: “What wrong a child has committed if he is born in a Brahmin family. Not all upper caste students are rich and can afford books. In villages, the upper castes too need government help and the BSP leader should not view the things on caste line.” The BJP leaders got unsolicited support from the SP on the issue. The national president of the SP, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, said the decision of the government was wrong. “Free education is every child’s birth right. If the government do not review its decision, then his party would stage a demonstration on July 16,” he said. Faced with barrage of opposition, Ms Mayawati has pushed the ball in the Central Government’s court. She has written a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, asking for government help. “If the Centre gives us money we will distribute books to the upper caste students too,” said a press note issued by the Information Department. |
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NTPC descales supply to Bihar Patna, July 13 NTPC Deputy General Manager (Operations) Toofani Ram told UNI at the Kahalgaon Thermal Power Complex in Bhagalpur that following the decision of restricted supply, the NTPC has been supplying 440 MW power to Bihar. Mr Toofani said in addition, power was also being supplied by the Farakka and Talchar power plants under the restricted supply orders. Minister of State for Power Shyam Razak said the State Government had already agreed to sign a tripartite agreement with the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India for one time settlement of the Corporation’s outstanding dues of Rs 2226.98 crore, which was a fresh initiative in order to resolve the tangle. The power situation
nose-dived last evening when the State’s own Barauni and Kanti thermal power stations developed snag and stopped electricity generation. Meanwhile, the Bihar Government has sent an SOS to the Centre to come to its aid in view of the fresh commitments made by it.
UNI |
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TPDK workers held for
blocking traffic Dharmapurai (TN), July 13 They said the demand also included release of their leader Kolathur Mani, arrested for his alleged association with sandalwood smuggler Veerappan. The protesters, including 50 women, came in about 15 buses and attempted to block vehicles coming in from Karnataka, District superintendent of Police K. Periyaiah told reporters. They were arrested, he said adding, there was no blockade of traffic. Kolathur Mani, who played a key role in securing the release of Kannada actor Rajkumar from the custody of Veerappan in 2000, was arrested by the Karnataka Special Task Force personnel in March last.
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Madhuri to play matchmaker New Delhi, July 13 Madhuri makes her debut on the small screen in ‘Kahin Naa Kahin Koi Hai’ (Someone, somewhere is made only for you), a reality show on Sony Entertainment
Television (SET), beginning July 29. For Madhuri, appearing on the television show, which provides a platform for girls and boys in search of a life partner to meet one another with their families and get to know each other, is an opportunity to interact with people on a personal level. Asked why she chose to appear in the show after having rejected several similar offers before, Madhuri said: “I felt the show would provide me a good platform to directly interact with people.” “What initially attracted me to ‘Kahin Naa Kahin Koi Hai’ (KNKKH) was the uniqueness of the concept,” she said.
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