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Saturday,
January 25, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Sinha to visit Central Asia Virbhadra: Sukh Ram
issue not discussed
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Mufti meets Sonia, Sushma Swaraj New Delhi, January 24 Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today asked the Centre to set up a radio station in the frontier district of Kupwara.
Mann to file PIL on death to Bhullar Triangular contest in Uttaranchal civic poll
BJP has a dig at Communists Uma’s brother will be punished: Naidu
Left govt encouraging infiltration: RSS chief Sachar flays move to honour RSS men Kalam’s nod to Bill on money laundering PM to launch ‘Hariyali’ Himachal Jan Morcha appeal for unity Special TV shows for kids
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Sinha to visit Central Asia New Delhi, January 24 Mr Sinha is also undertaking a two-day visit to Russia, starting February 19, during which he will hold discussions on anti-terror combat. Mr Sinha’s visit to Moscow is at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Igor
Ivanov, with whom he is also likely to hold discussions on bilateral issues, the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan and whole of Asia. Foreign office spokesman Navtej Sarna said Mr Sinha’s working lunch in Abu Dhabi on January 28 was important as he would be able to get feedback from the heads of Indian missions a day after the United Nations inspectors submit their report on Iraq. The Heads of Indian missions in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE would be attending the working lunch. Mr Sarna said during Mr Sinha’s visit to Tajikistan the two countries were expected to set up a Joint Working Group on terrorism. The External Affairs Minister would call on Tajik President Emomolai Rakhmonov and other leaders in Dushanbe for exchanging views on a wide range of bilateral, regional and international issues of importance. |
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Virbhadra: Sukh Ram
issue not discussed New Delhi, January 24 Sources said apart from the sitting MLAs, most of whom would be renominated, there was consensus on seats of senior leaders, including Mr Sat Mahajan and Mrs Chandresh Kumari. Former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, Mrs Vidya Stokes, Mr Anand Sharma and Mrs Chandresh Kumari met at the residence of Mr R.K. Dhawan for drawing up a panel of names for the seats on which consensus has not been reached. Meanwhile, Mr Virbhadra Singh said today that the party high command had not discussed with him any proposal to have a tie-up with Mr Sukh Ram’s Himachal Vikas Congress. “The basis of any tie-up is mutual benefit. I will give my opinion if some proposal unfolds,” he said. Mr Virbhadra Singh said the party high
command was aware of the views of the state unit on the issue. The Congress today hoped that the Centre and the Himachal Pradesh Government would take steps to prevent attacks on religious shrines. Referring to “concerns linked to terrorist strikes,” made by BJP leaders, a Congress spokesman said the governments in Delhi and Shimla should remain alert. |
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Mufti meets Sonia, Sushma Swaraj New Delhi, January 24 During a meeting with Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj, Mr Sayeed laid stress on countering the misinformation campaign from across the border by setting up a radio station with studio and recording facilities in Kupwara district of North Kashmir. Sources said Mr Sayeed asked the Union Minister to broadcast programmes from the proposed radio station in various languages spoken in the state as it could help the listeners across the border understand the propaganda orchestrated by those sitting in Islamabad. Mr Sayeed also asked the Centre to set up more low power transmitters in the remote areas of the state where there was no coverage of the state-run television and radio. The minister informed the Chief Minister that the Centre had already earmarked Rs 430 crore for this purpose and a review would be undertaken during the next financial year. The Chief Minister also sought reservation in the state-run Institute of Film and Television Institute at Pune for aspirants from the state. Mr Sayeed also met Congress President Sonia Gandhi this evening and discussed the political, economic and development needs of the state. Senior Vice-President of PDP and MLA, Ms Mahbooba Mufti, also accompanied the Chief Minister. |
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Mann to file PIL on death to Bhullar New Delhi, January 24 Mr Mann will also support Bhullar’s mercy petition by leading a delegation of members of Parliament and members of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee on February 20 to the President for commuting the death sentence to life imprisonment. Bhullar’s petition has been forwarded to the Delhi Government and the Ministry of Home Affairs. Bhullar was deported from Germany for trial for his alleged involvement in the attack on the then Indian Youth Congress President, Mr Maninderjit Singh Bitta, at the IYC office on Raisina Road here in 1993. Mann said he decided to file a PIL after meeting Bhullar in Tihar Jail here earlier in the day. Mr Mann has also decided to build public opinion on the matter at the 56th birth anniversary celebrations of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale at Fatehgarh Sahib on February 12. “The main resolution would be that the death sentence should be repealed,’’ Mr Mann said. Mr Mann told TNS here that they would challenge the verdict on various grounds. ``If the death sentence has to be passed, the Bench has to be unanimous in its decision. In this case, the presiding judge, Mr Justice M.B. Shah, had dissented and acquitted Bhullar. Our second objection is that since TADA has been repealed, there is no moral justification to hang him under the provisions of an Act which has been repealed by Parliament. Besides, there are no eye-witnesses to establish his complicity in the crime. He has been sentenced to death on the basis of a police officer’s statement which under Section 25 of the Evidence Act is inadmissible under law.” Mr Mann also drew attention to the fact that any person deported from the European Union cannot be given the death sentence. “He was deported from Germany and any person deported from the EU cannot be given the death penalty.’’ Mr Mann said during his recent visit to Europe, he took up the matter with the authorities in Berlin, who assured him that they would exercise full diplomatic pressure to ensure that Bhullar does not get capital punishment. Commenting on violation of human rights, Mr Mann said Bhullar complained that he was not getting copies of The Tribune and Punjabi Tribune at Tihar Jail. Dal Khalsa Chairman Satnam Singh Paonta Sahib, spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh and Punjab Human Rights Democracy Forum Chairman Jaspal Singh Dhillon, Akali Dal (Amritsar) General Secretary Jagmohan Singh and Parliamentary Secretary Gursharan Singh accompanied Mr Mann to
Tihar. |
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Triangular contest in Uttaranchal civic poll Hardwar January, 24 Ms Subhash Chaudhary of the BSP has already been elected unopposed as the chairman of Landhora Nagar Panchayat. It is the first trial of strength among the political parties after the state Assembly elections held in February last. In the elections to the nagar palika parishad of the city the Congress has taken wind out of the saffron party’s sail by fielding Satpal Brahmchari, an influential sant of the city, for the post of the president of the parishad. The dominant sant community, which has been the traditional vote bank of the BJP, is now backing the Congress candidate. Since the BSP and the Samajwadi party have not put up any candidate for the presidentship of the parishad, there is almost a straight contest between Brahmchari of the Congress and Mr Madan Mohan Sahagal of the BJP. Another prestigious contest is taking place for the presidentship of the nagar palika parishad of Roorkee. The main contest here is between the Congress, the BJP and rebel Congress candidate Dinesh Kaushik, who is also being supported by the Samajwadi party. The BJP is trying to cash in on the internal revolt in the Congress in the city. Though the BJP is facing the problem of internal sabotage, the problem is more serious in the Congress. The presence of rebel candidates at Roorkee and Laksar are spoiling the prospects of the official candidates of the Congress. Acting promptly to quell dissidence in the party, the BJP has expelled five senior leaders, including the president of the co-operative cell of the party of Roorkee city, Mohan Lal Goyal who is contesting for the post of president of Roorkee Nagar Palika Parishad on the BSP symbol and the president of the Manglaur unit of the party, Sanjay Sharma who is supporting the Congress candidate there. |
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BJP has a dig at Communists New Delhi, January 24 “Buddhadeb is no doubt a civilised person and his acknowledgement about Netaji is only of one of the many historical blunders committed by the Communist Party,” BJP president M. Venkaiah Naidu said addressing a press conference after inaugurating the teleconference facility at the BJP headquarters here. Using the occasion for subtle derision, Mr Naidu said the CPI-M had been “committing historical blunders from time to time... Taking an overall view of all their blunders like their stand on the Quit India Movement in 1942, the 1962 Sino-Indian conflict, JP movement, Swami Vivekananda and on poems of Rabindranath Tagore, they should seek apology from the nation for all these mistakes.” |
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Uma’s brother will be punished: Naidu New Delhi, January 24 Swami Lodhi, who represents Bada Malhera Assembly constituency, had said on January 22 at Tikamgarh that he was holding talks with Chief Minister Digvijay Singh and other Congress leaders and may join Congress before the next Assembly elections in the state. Elections in Madhya Pradesh is due before November this year. Swami Lodhi, who had since been suspended, had been called for an explanation by the state unit president and firm action would be taken against him, Mr Naidu added. |
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Left govt encouraging infiltration: RSS chief Kolkata, January 24 The RSS chief was responding to Chief Minister, Buddhadev Bhattacharjee’s criticism yesterday on Mr Togadia’s demand for President’s rule in the state for stopping infiltration from Bangladesh. Talking to newsmen, Mr Bhattacharjee remarked he did not give any importance to them and called both Mr Togadia and Mr Sudershan unwanted guests in West Bengal. The Chief Minister said the West Bengal people would not allow the VHP and the RSS to operate and introduce Modi-line in the state. The VHP chief, who was in the city on Wednesday, met a cross section of people and the state BJP president and interacted with them on the VHP’s activities vis-à-vis the scope of Hindutva in the Marxist-run state. He accused the Marxist government of encouraging infiltration for political gains. He demanded president’s rule be imposed in West Bengal which would also facilitate Hindutva in the state. He left the city on Thursday. But the RSS chief is still camping in Kolkata, holding seminars and indoor discussions with RSS workers and leaders encouraging them to spread RSS net-work in the districts and combat the Marxists and other anti-Hindus. He also took part in the drill and parade by young RSS volunteers and advised them to get trained to save the country from Muslim fanatics. Mr Sudershan expressed his happiness that the RSS had set up some
in-depth networks in several areas in the state and successfully fought for the cause of the Hindus. He alleged the CPM government had been unnecessarily harassing the Hindus of Bangladesh and West Bengal in the interest of the Muslim fundamentalists, who had been patronising the Left parties. The RSS chief asked the people and all secular parties to stand united and fight against the Muslim fundamentalists and the CPM for their own interests. |
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Sachar flays move to honour RSS men New Delhi, January 24 In a statement, he said: “Those of us who were adult at the time of Partition saw no heroes. We witnessed madness and hatred in the eyes of some fanatic Hindus (mostly RSS) and some fanatic Muslims.”
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Kalam’s nod to Bill on money laundering New Delhi, January 24 With the assent to the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Amendment Bill and the Money Laundering Bill, the government has notified about 12 crucial legislations, including several economic Bills passed in winter session of Parliament. The Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Amendment Act provides for a complete ban on pre-conception sex selection techniques and misuse of pre-natal diagnostic techniques for sex-selective abortions and provision of the regulation of such abortions. It also seeks to uphold medical ethics and initiate the process of regulation of medical technology in the interest of the society as the present practices and techniques are considered discriminatory to the female sex and not conducive to the dignity of women, an official note said today. It seeks to provide for deterrent punishment with imprisonment extending to three years and fine up to Rs 50,000 for the first offence and for any subsequent offence with imprisonment up to five years and fine up to Rs 1 lakh for unscrupulous medical practitioners indulging in female foeticide, it said. The Money Laundering Act seeks to declare laundering of money carried through serious crimes a criminal offence, working out modalities of disclosure by financial institutions regarding reportable transactions, confiscation of the proceed of crime and declaring money laundering as an extraditable offence. The Act which forms endorsement of various international conventions to which India is a party, seeks to promote international cooperation in investigation into money laundering. It also seeks to provide for reciprocal arrangement for assistance in certain matters and procedure for attachment of confiscated property to facilitate transfer of funds involved in money laundering kept outside the country and extradition of the accused persons. |
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PM to launch ‘Hariyali’ New Delhi, January 24 The Prime Minister will announce launching of the new scheme at a two-day conference of state ministers of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Public Works Department, Union Rural Development Minister Shanta Kumar told newspersons here today. Mr Kumar said another initiative of the Centre ‘Swajal Dhara’ launched on December 25 empowering panchayats to formulate, implement, operate and maintain drinking water projects had been a “success”. Of the Rs 1070 crore to be spent on ‘Hariyali’, the Centre’s share would be Rs 885 crore and states would have to provide Rs 185 crore, Mr Kumar said, adding that under this programme, panchayats would execute watershed projects. Under the Prime Minister’s road scheme, projects worth Rs 7553 crore had been cleared connecting 37,000 habitations in various states and laying 56,000 km of road during the past two years, he said. Under this scheme, 1.60 lakh habitations would be connected at an estimated cost of Rs 60,000 crore by the end of the Tenth Plan, the minister said. |
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Himachal Jan Morcha appeal for unity New Delhi, January 24 Talking to TNS, Himachal Jan Morcha convener Ranjit Singh said the Assembly elections in the state were significant to change the political scenario of the country as the main aim of the morcha was not merely to contest the elections and share some seats but to defeat the design of communal forces. |
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Special TV shows for kids New Delhi, January 24 On January 27, the network is launching Tiny TV during lunchtime targeted at the mothers and the pre-school children. It would run from 11 am to 2 pm on weekdays and on the weekend from 10.30 a.m. to 12 noon. It would include several of the most loved and renowned children’s shows including BOB the Builder, Kipper, Make Way for Noddy, Oswald and Pingu. “Through Tiny TV, we aim to establish Cartoon Network as a positive influence on the lives of pre-school children. All Tiny TV shows have been specially developed to familiarise toddlers with social concepts such as cooperation, sibling rivalry, positive “can do” attitude, importance of friends and family, etiquette,” said Ian Diamond, senior vice-president and general manager, Turner Entertainment Networks Asia. |
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