Wednesday, December 11, 2002, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

High-pitched campaign ends
Ahmedabad, December 10
Campaigning in this western Indian state of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel came to an end tonight on a rather aggressive note with the Congress alleging that the BJP and the supporting parties had been using unfair means in their campaigning.
BJP top leaders up the ante at election rallies in Gujarat, which goes to the polls on December 12. (28k, 56k)
GUJARAT DIARY: Modi dwarfs PM, Advani
Nation page: Congress raises BJP’s issues

Nation page: Punjab got Rs 12.95 cr under ICDS in 2002-03

SAD expels Talwandi
Amritsar, December 10
In a clear signal to detractors, the Political Affairs Committee of the SAD today expelled its Disciplinary Action Committee Chairman, Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi, and Sant Veer Singh Madhoke, who had contested for the post of SGPC chief as a rebel candidate against the official nominee, Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar, from the primary membership of the party.

‘Rasta roko’ on February 10

‘Diversion’ of HUDA funds
Chandigarh, December 10
The Haryana Urban Development Authority is allegedly diverting funds, collected from its allottees, to the state government for fulfilling the latter’s exigencies. 

JKHRF chief sets himself aflame
Srinagar, December 10
Jammu and Kashmir Human Rights Front chairman Mohammad Ahsan Untoo sustained burn injuries today when he set himself on fire on the world human rights day in protest against the state government’s failure to appoint a commission to probe human rights abuses in the state. In video: (28k, 56k)

Disinvestment issue rocks LS
New Delhi, December 10
The disinvestment of HPCL and Centaur Hotel and divestment of BPCL created a furore in the Lok Sabha today, with the Opposition charging the government with bypassing the Parliament in taking these decisions.

Editorial: Disinvestment hiccups
Nation page: Furore in LS over ‘beating up’ of MP

Indian doc develops new TB test Chandigarh, December 10 Oxford Immunotec Limited, a spin-off company of University of Oxford, has developed a revolutionary new test for identifying people suffering from tuberculosis, one of the deadliest social diseases of the world.