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Thursday, September 26, 2002,
Chandigarh, India  
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Parallels drawn
with Parliament attack Venkaiah blames Pak Advani to attend
BJP meeting today
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Afzal denies he was
in touch with ultras
Frightening
experience for 60-year-old Chhabra Self-immolation bid
over attack NHRC condemns
attack  Fresh warrant
against SalemNew Delhi, September 25 A Delhi court has issued fresh non-bailable warrant against underworld don Abu Salem in a case in which former Congress activist Romesh Sharma and Salem allegedly conspired to murder Om Prakash Srivastav alias Babloo. Rise of Salem —
from mechanic to don
13 die as bus catches fire Hyderabad, September 25 The toll in today’s early morning fire mishap in a state-owned Road Transport Corporation bus in Andhra Pradesh has risen to 13, even as Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu air-dashed to the site and ordered a CID probe into the mishap. Babbar turns
hostile in St Kitts case Balakrishnan new TN
Cong chief Cartoon network to air Ramayana
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Parallels drawn with Parliament attack New Delhi, September 25 However, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee will meet his top ministerial colleagues and strategy formulators soon to decide whether the attack merits a similar response at the military, political and diplomatic levels, given the fact that the needle of suspicion in this terrorist outrage too points to Pakistan. The stamp of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) or/and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) is all over the incident, top sources said today. Consider the following leads thrown up by the preliminary investigations into yesterday’s incident which have been shared at top levels of the Vajpayee government: 1. Like Parliament attackers, the militants planned to take hostages with the objective of carrying on with the hostage drama for days and extract maximum mileage out of it. This is proven by the fact that the militants carried large quantities of dry fruits like almonds and walnuts in a manner similar to the terrorists of the LeT and JeM who attacked Parliament House on December 13. This also shows that the so-called Tehrik-e-Kasak, the hitherto unknown outfit which has claimed responsibility for the attack, is only a front for the LeT or the JeM. 2. The weaponry used by the militants was “Tanzeem-like” which is to say that only terrorist outfits (that too those supported by Pakistan) have been using. These include AK-series assault rifles and grenades. 3. Like in the case of Parliament attack, what went against the militants in Gandhinagar case was the inadequate knowledge of the targeted complex. The Parliament attackers too had planned to take a large number of MPs hostage but failed as they entered Parliament from a wrong gate, turned in the wrong direction to park their car and stopped the car at a place where the Vice-President’s car was parked. In the Gandhinagar temple incident also, the militants apparently lost their nerve because they were not very familiar with the geographical features of the temple and did not implement their plans of taking hostages and staying put inside the temple for days. A two-page note recovered from the slain militants’ pocket clearly says that they were the only inheritors of the “martyrs of Gujarat” and the temple attack was the “first gift” for Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Clad in loose khakis and jungle boots, the two medium-height terrorists should have caught the attention of security personnel in the temple, but did not because they did not exchange a single word with the temple staff. The militants were hardcore because they stuck to the golden rule: do not open your mouth in an alien area of operation if you do not belong to that place. The militants were “definitely not Gujaratis”. The fact that the slain militants were of medium height indicated that they were not Punjabis or Pathans and could have been Mohajirs from Sind in Pakistan. |
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Venkaiah
blames Pak New Delhi, September 25 “Pakistan is dejected following the successful conduct of elections in Jammu and Kashmir and this (terrorist attack) was their way of giving vent to their frustration,” Mr Naidu said launching the party’s “gaon chalo abhiyan”. In an appeal to people to exercise restraint and not to get “swayed by communal provocations from Pakistan”, the BJP President said the Vajpayee government was committed to countering Islamabad’s threats in the strongest terms. “India sees the attack on temple as yet another instance of Pak-sponsored cross-border terrorism and the NDA government is determined to put a permanent stop to it,” Mr Naidu said. The campaign launched on the birth anniversary of Jan Sangh ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, aims to cover five lakh villages and involve over a hundred Central leaders, including the party’s national executive members and central office-bearers, as also BJP ministers at the Centre. The exercise is being undertaken for ensuring a majority for the party on its own in the next Lok Sabha elections and securing success in the states going to the polls next year. The party leadership, particularly Mr Naidu, is convinced that the BJP’s support base could be strengthened by this campaign. “We are targeting 300 seats in the next parliamentary poll and the chunk of it will come on the basis of the splendid work done by the party in rural areas and what we achieve in the next two years,” he said. Referring to Mahatma Gandhi’s fervent appeal to the post-independence national leadership to be guided by the “back to villages” approach, Mr Naidu said the successive governments had been “turning their back” to villages. This attitude had resulted in bias for the urban sector, while the rural areas continued to be starved of basic amenities, education, medical, transport and employment opportunities, he said. |
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Advani to attend BJP meeting today New Delhi, September 25 “The meeting is being held to take stock of the situation arising out of the terrorist attack on the temple and we will also chalk out the future course of action,” party President M. Venkaiah Naidu told newspersons here after launching the Gaon Chalo Abhiyan (go to villages) programme as part of the exercise by the party to rejuvenate its cadres. Mr Naidu has cancelled the Uttaranchal and Punjab leg of his programme. |
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Afzal denies he was in touch with ultras
New Delhi, September 25 Recording his statement before Special Judge S.N. Dhingra, Afzal said it was wrong to say that the terrorists were in touch with him until a week before the attack. He denied that the attackers had contacted him last over telephone on November 25, 2001. Another JeM militant and co-accused in the case Shaukat Hussain Guru denied that he had made calls to Pakistan and Dubai from Afzal’s satellite phone. He said it was incorrect to say that the police had recovered the impugned instrument and its sim card from his house. Later, the court allowed Shaukat to talk to his sister in Kashmir over the phone following a plea that he be allowed to contact his sister who was getting married. Shaukat, his wife Navjot Sandhu alias Afsan Guru, Afzal and suspended Delhi University lecturer S.A.R Geelani are standing trial in the case of the December 13 attack on the Parliament.
PTI |
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Frightening
experience for
60-year-old Chhabra Ahmedabad, September 25 The 60-year-old Sikh, who was among the devotees trapped in the Golden Temple in Amritsar during a military operation to flush out terrorists in 1984, found himself reliving the nightmare yesterday. Chhabra, along with his son, nephew and his nephew’s daughter, was visiting the Akshardham Swaminarayan Temple in the Gujarat capital Gandhinagar when two terrorists went on a shooting spree, killing 30 devotees. Chhabra, who was injured in his right leg by splinters from an exploding grenade, is recuperating at Ahmedabad’s Civil Hospital. The grenade blast that injured him also severely wounded his son Randeep Singh. And Chhabra’s nephew Gurmeet Singh Bugga, who was also injured, “had to literally beg for his life before one of the terrorists to let him go”. “In attempting to shield my daughter Guddi from a grenade blast, I was injured in the leg and was crawling towards the gate when I was yanked by one of the terrorists,” recalled Bugga. “I showed my little daughter to them and literary fell at their feet, begging for mercy. Neither of the terrorists spoke for a while, but one of them gave a nod and allowed us to leave the temple,” added Bugga, who is also being treated at the Civil Hospital here. “We Sikhs are secular-minded people,” said Chhabra, explaining how he came to be at the Hindu temple that is frequented by people of different faiths.
IANS |
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Self-immolation bid over attack Badaun, September 25 Deepmala Goyal set herself on fire while BJP activists were staging a demonstration against the terrorist attack by burning a symbolic effigy, the police said. The police and demonstrators rushed to save her, but before the fire could be doused, she had sustained severe burn injuries.
UNI |
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NHRC condemns attack New Delhi, September 25 Taking suo motu cognisance of the case, the Commission today said that nothing should be done to divert the attention of the authorities from fulfilling their responsibilities and no encouragement should be given to any act or statement which could exacerbate the present situation. The NHRC has further observed that the “full force of law must be brought to bear in dealing with such acts of terrorism and in bringing to justice those who perpetrate or abet them.” While conveying deep condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives or have been injured in the terrorist attack, the Commission has urged the civil society to cooperate fully with the authorities in maintaining law and order and protecting human rights of all people of Gujarat. |
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Fresh warrant
against Salem New Delhi, September 25 Additional Sessions Judge S.S. Bal issued the warrant on a plea by the Delhi police on Monday and did not give any time limit for its execution after the police submitted that Salem was arrested in Lisbon, Portugal, last week. Sharma, the prime accused and an alleged frontman of Pakistan-based gangster Dawood Ibrahim, had regular contact with Dawood on his mobile. The police said the mobile phone details of Sharma had revealed that he had spoken to Dawood and his associate Salem and had conspired to kill Babloo in India. Babloo, presently lodged in Naini jail, Allahabad, was reportedly behind the murder of a Dawood loyalist — Mirza Dilshad Beg — in Nepal. To take revenge, Dawood had tried to make Sharma as the instrument to kill Babloo in India.
UNI |
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Rise of Salem — from mechanic to don Lucknow, September 25 The Indian Government has started preparations to make a fool-proof case against Salem to facilitate his extradition from Portugal where he is cooling his heels in Lisbon jail. The UP police has been asked to extract all available information about his criminal records. A senior police official said though Salem basically belonged to UP, there is no recorded criminal case against him. The police has sent the dossier of Salem’s earlier life to the intelligence bureau and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Sarai Mir of Azamgarh district is known to produce criminals. Dawood
Ibrahim, Irfan Goga and Abu Salem were all born here. Abu Salem actually had a decent life. His name was Abdul Saleem
Ansari. His father was an advocate in the district court and had a well-to-do
practise. When his father died in a road accident, the responsibility to feed the family fell on the shoulders of
Saleem, who was the eldest of four brothers. He started off as a motor mechanic in
Azamgarh. But the earnings were not enough to feed the family of four brothers and two sisters. He then migrated to Mumbai where he came in contact with Anees
Ibrahim, younger brother of Dawood Ibrahim, who by now was a name to reckon with in the underworld. Saleem even worked as a driver for Anees Ibrahim and used to transport arms from one place to another. Due to his proficiency in delivering goods at the right time and right place, he earned the sobriquet of Abu “Samaan” (goods). Slowly he climbed the ladder of crime and became the right hand man of Dawood
Ibrahim, before they fell apart. According to the police, Abu Salem’s youngest brother still lives in Sarai Mir while his two brothers live in Lucknow and deal in real estate. One his brothers, Abu
Jais, was arrested by the STF around a year ago for giving threats to a businessman. The police claims that Abu Salem was expected to come to Lucknow in February to meet his ailing mother. But his plans changed at the last minute. “The Indian police had kept track of Abu Salem. Had he come to Lucknow in February India would have been saved of the botheration of going through the diplomatic rigmarole to bring this don back,” a police officer said. |
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Shakeel, Rizvi ‘targeted’ Hrithik
Mumbai, September 25 The cassette was played in front of a witness Atul Shah in whose presence it was sealed in crime branch office on November 10, 2000. After hearing the alleged conversation, the witness informed special judge A.P. Bhangale that it was same cassette which he had heard in the crime branch office. In the alleged talk, Shakeel and Rizvi dwelt upon film production and they suggested each other to make their spouses producers in their forthcoming film. After a brief while, Shakeel suggested Rizvi to make Bharat Shah as the producer of their film. Rizvi informed Shakeel that Shah was making excuses on the pretext that his film was already on the floor. They also talked about “Chikna”, the nickname of actor Hrithik Roshan. Shakeel told Rizvi in a fit of rage that he would shoot Hrithik. “Tell Rakesh Roshan (Hrithik’s father) what will happen to his son,” the alleged gangster said. They are bothered about his face, Shakeel told Rizvi, adding that “We will deface him (Hrithik) or else Rakesh Roshan should pay Rs 20 crore.” The witness was examined by prosecutor Rohini Salian and later cross-examined by defence lawyers S.N. Chimade, Shrikant Shivde and Sayaji Nangre.
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13 die as bus catches fire Hyderabad, September 25 The police said the bus was proceeding from Hyderabad to Rayachoti when it caught fire near Kodandapuram in Mahabubnagar district. All passengers were fast asleep when the mishap occurred. While eight persons were burnt alive, five succumbed to burns at the Government Hospital in Kurnool. Seventeen persons were being treated at the hospital, of which the condition of three was stated to be critical. Meanwhile, Mr Naidu, accompanied by Home Minister T. Devender Goud and DGP P. Ramulu, inspected the mishap site and later called on the injured at the hospital.
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Babbar turns hostile in St Kitts case
New Delhi, September 25 Retracting from his earlier statements recorded by the CBI, Raj Babbar told Special Judge R.K. Gauba that he came to know about the St Kitts case from the newspaper reports before the 1989 elections. When asked by the Special Public Prosecutor N.K. Sharma during his cross-examination that whether he was convinced with the talks of Chandraswami and Harish Chand Nahata, a film financier, that something fishy was being cooked up against former Prime Minister V.P. Singh at St Kitts, Raj Babbar said he was told that the “godman” was getting involved with Mr V.P. Singh’s opponent. “I had been told by Nahata that Chandraswami was getting involved with the opponents of Mr V.P. Singh and anything could happen,” Raj Babbar in his deposition as prosecution witness said and added that he was “furious” on hearing about the reports of St Kitts accounts in the name of Singh’s son Ajeya Singh in the First Trust Corporation, St Kitts. The CBI alleged that Chandraswami and Mamaji had conspired to defame Mr V.P. Singh by forging certain documents to show that his son Ajeya Singh had opened a bank account in St Kitts . Raj Babbar today said that before much prior to Mr V.P. Singh became the Prime Minister, the name of Chandraswami had cropped during a meeting at former Home Minister Mufti Mohd Saeed’s house. “When I heard this I had remarked to Mr V.P. Singh that Chandraswami did not like him.” he said.
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Balakrishnan
new TN Cong chief Chennai, September 25 The change in the leadership is said to be the result of the pressure brought in by the late Moopanar’s son, Mr G.K.Vasan, whose Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) recently merged with the Congress, and who is the AICC general secretary. The 66-year old Balakrishnan, a four-time MLA, has pledged that he will take the party to new heights by emulating the late congress leaders, Kamaraj and Moopanar. Mr Elangovan, whose attacks against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Ms J. Jayalalithaa, has won the appreciation of Congress President, Sonia Gandhi, has been made the “working president”. His supporters see some significance in the new designation, but his detractors believe he will be a “dummy” like Mr Kamlapathi Tripathi when he was designated as the working president of the Congress. |
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Cartoon
network to air Ramayana New Delhi, September 25 This two-hour feature-length animation will be telecast in half-hour episodes at 4 pm every Saturday in October, leading up to Divali. On Divali, the Network will telecast “Ramayan — The Legend of Prince Ram in its entirety starting 12 noon. Ramayan — The Legend of Prince Ram, along with Pandavas-The Five Warriors, is part of a specially packaged programming block for Dasehra and Divali, titled The Great Indian Epics. The block will be telecast in Hindi and English. “Cartoon Network’s aggressive localisation strategy, of which sourcing local content is an integral part, has led to strong growth in ratings and viewership. As per the August 2002 TAM ratings reports, within the core target group of kids 4-14, SEC ABC, C and S Homes, the Network today ranks number one among kids channels and number two among all national channels during kids prime time as well as the 16-hour daypart,” said Ian Diamond, senior vice-president and general manager, Turner Entertainment Networks Asia, Inc. “Ramayan symbolises eternal values of love, friendship, sacrifice and selfless devotion. Launching the feature in a serialised format in October, Cartoon Network will be celebrating this festive season with truly relevant programming for Indian audiences. We are proud to present this epic tale to our young generation in an entertaining format”, said Mr Anshuman Misra, Managing Director, Turner International India Pvt Ltd. |
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