Monday, October 28, 2002, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Mufti to scrap POTA Dy CM, Speaker from Congress New Delhi, October 27 Having decided the contours of their coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir, the People’s Democratic Party and the Congress today released their 31-point common minimum programme which promises assimilating the Special Operations Group within the regular police, releasing detainees held on non-specific charges, rehabilitating victims of militancy, ensuring equitable development of the three regions of the state and not implementing POTA. In video (28k, 56k)

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed speaks during a Press conference in New Delhi on Sunday. — Reuters photo

Revolt by Cong MLAs
Srinagar, October 27
While the common minimum programme of the Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party was being announced at the Congress headquarters in Delhi this afternoon 14 newly elected Congress and Independent MLAs raised a banner of revolt here and declared that they would not accept Mufti Mohammed Sayeed as the Chief Minister.

    Azad rules out split
    Advani assures support to Mufti’s govt
    In video (28k)

NEWS ANALYSIS
Cong’s grudging nod to PDP programme
Jammu, October 27
Grudgingly, the Congress has accepted the common minimum programme whose guidelines and contours, besides the content, have been prepared by the PDP.

    Editorial: The PDP-Cong accord

Amar in touch with BSP legislators
Lucknow, October 27
The political crisis in Uttar Pradesh took a new turn after Chief Minister Mayawati claimed today that over 24 Samajwadi Party legislators were ready to join the BSP if an attempt was made to topple her government.

Mulayam meets Sonia
New Delhi, October 27
Amid rumblings within the Uttar Pradesh BJP and revolt by Independent MLAs, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav today met Congress President Sonia Gandhi and discussed the possibility of an alternative government in Uttar Pradesh.

Karnataka to release water
Bangalore, October 27
Ahead of the Supreme Court’s order on the contempt petitions against Chief Minister S M Krishna and others, Karnataka tonight is learnt to have decided to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

Dalits embrace Islam, Buddhism
Gurgaon, October 27
The Dulina incident continued to cast its shadow on society as several Dalits today embraced Islam, Buddhism and Christianity at a public function organised by the All-India Confederation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Organisations and the Lord Buddha Club.

Talwandi for unanimity on SGPC chief Ambala, October 27 A former SGPC chief and chairman of the SAD Disciplinary Committee, Jathedar Talwandi, has supported the seven-member committee working for the unanimous election of the new SGPC chief on November 12.