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Tuesday,
February 25, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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VHP demonstration rocks
LS RS adjourned twice Cong silent on Ayodhya due
to poll: BJP |
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Where’s Shotgun? ask MPs |
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NORTH INDIA IN PARLIAMENT
SC notice to Centre, Punjab on SYL HC defers verdict in Shah case Maken case
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VHP demonstration rocks
LS New Delhi, February 24 Drawing attention of the House to provocative statements made by VHP leaders at the Dharam Sansad during zero hour, CPM and Samajwadi Party members said these were fomenting communal tension. The members demanded their arrest under POTA and asked the government to rein in leaders of the VHP, which enjoyed “proximity” to the ruling BJP. On the other hand, the BJP wanted the government to take initiative for the restoration of the undisputed land around the site to the Ramjanmabhoomi Trust and for the early construction of the temple. BJP members insisted that the Chair must put a stop on the “inciting” statements made by Opposition members against the saints, emphasising that leaders and workers of every party except Communists had faith in God. “Communists are traitors and they have always worked against the country’s interests and they are out to break the country,” BJP MP Ram Nagina Mishra said. Supporting him, Shiv Sena leader Chandrakant Khaire said the government should hold talks with VHP leaders to find a solution to the issue. The debate took place after Speaker Manohar Joshi rejected the notice of adjournment motion given by CPM member Basudeb Acharia on the issue, but allowed members to speak on the matter. The government, however, did not respond. Both the ruling and Opposition Benches rejected Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s plea that the discussion on the motion of thanks on the President’s Address should begin immediately, skipping zero hour. Finding the members in an unrelenting mood, Mr Joshi said the motion be taken up after the lunch recess. Mr Acharia said the VHP leaders’ statements that India be declared a “Hindu rashtra” and sons of Babar be driven out were creating communal tension in the country and the Home Minister must clarify whether the government subscribed to their views. Stating that what the VHP leaders were doing was nothing short of terrorism, CPM leader Somnath Chatterjee said “this is a perfect case for application of POTA.” Condemning the VHP’s statement that it would create hundred “Gujarats” in the country, Mr Chatterjee said it was out to destroy the country’s secular fabric.” This type of action must end... what they are doing is the worst type of terrorism and insurgency, “ he said, adding that “we will fight it to the last.” CPI member Prabodh Panda said the VHP was challenging the very essence of all religions and asked Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani to react to it. Samajwadi Party leader Ramji Lal Suman said it was difficult to say who was a saint and who was not and claimed that many prominent saints did not attend the two-day Dharam Sansad. The VHP’s statement that they would start construction work on the temple before March 6, the day Supreme Court will hear the petition and their demand for declaration of India as a “Hindu rashtra”, were threatening the unity and integrity of the nation, he said. |
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RS adjourned twice New Delhi, February 24 BJP member S.S. Ahluwalia lost no time in interrupting Mr Sibal and wanted to know the rationale behind discussing a
sub-judice matter on the floor of the House. He contended that since the matter was scheduled for hearing before a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on March 6 and Mr Sibal was appearing for a party in the matter, he could not further his interest by reading the verdict. Demanding a ruling from the House Mr Ahluwalia looked at Mr Suresh
Pachouri, who was in the Chair, and said reading out a verdict went against the Rule Book. “Let me know under which rule you cannot read the judgement,” Mr Pachouri asked Mr
Ahluwalia. Mr Sibal’s counter arguments in self defence that he was not espousing anything good or bad or opining one way or the other failed to convince his opponents. While members of the Opposition supported Mr Sibal’s arguments, Information and Broadcasting Minister, Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad supported Mr
Ahluwalia. “You must tell the House that you are an advocate,’’ shouted Mr
Ahluwalia. At this point Mr Sibal said, “If you don’t understand what is
sub-judice, what can be done? I cannot be bulldozed by members of the House. All right, I will not speak,” he said before taking his seat. It was here that Suresh Pachouri adjourned the House for 10 minutes. When the House assembled again Nilotpal Basu adjourned it for 20 minutes. Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptullah made an appearence when the House reassembled. After hearing Mr Ahluwalia she ruled in his favour. Mr Ahluwalia demanded that Mr Sibal should seek an apology from the House for not disclosing his interest in the case. After hearing I & B Minister’s reservations about allowing Mr Sibal to make submissions after reading out the verdict Ms Heptullah allowed Mr Sibal to read out only the verdict which was part of a public document. Mr Sibal attacked the government on its inability to formulate a strategy against Pakistan. |
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Cong silent on Ayodhya due
to poll: BJP New Delhi, February 24 “They want to avoid these issues till the Himachal poll on February 26,” BJP parliamentary party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra told newspersons here. He said the Congress was “absolutely confused” on which way to go on sensitive issues and was trying to run away from taking a firm stand. “While its (Congress’) Chief Ministers are demanding for a ban on cow slaughter, Central leaders of the Congress are in a fix,” he said. He also accused the Congress of not uttering even a single word on the situation in Iraq. |
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Where’s Shotgun? ask MPs New Delhi, February 24 The absence of Mr Sinha from the two Houses of Parliament, which was regularly pointed out while he was the Health Minister, became an issue again in the Rajya Sabha today during question hour as a member pointed to the absence of the Shipping Minister while he was slated to answer questions related to his ministry. Instead his Minister of State Dilip Gandhi gave the replies and won appreciation from none other than Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat himself. When some members pointed out Mr Sinha was not present to reply on his department’s affairs, the Chairman said “kabhi na Kabhi aayenge” (he will come sometime). Mr Shekhawat said the Minister (Mr Gandhi) had replied for the first time and had done a good job and should be encouraged. Mr Gandhi was made the Minister of State for Shipping in the recent reshuffle of Council of the Ministers. Earlier, the Chairman asked Congress member Subbarami Reddy in a lighter vein about his absence from the House during the past so many days. Before he could give any suitable reply the Chairman said, “Kya marriage anniversary manane gaye the?” (had you gone to celebrate your marriage anniversary?). Mr Shekhawat, however, told the Leader of Opposition to ask the members about their absence from the House. |
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NORTH INDIA IN PARLIAMENT New Delhi, February 24 In a written reply Minister of State of Health and Family Welfare A. Raja told the Rajya Sabha that to contain female foeticide, the pre-natal diagnostic techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1994, as enacted came into force on January 1, 1996. The Act and rules have been amended from strengthening its enforcement by constituting appropriate authorities at the district and state level and making punishment more stringent, the minister told the House. The state government has been advised to mount campaigns for spreading awareness on the provisions of the Act and closely inspect ultrasound clinics indulging in sex determination etc., the minister said. A religious leaders’ meet had been organised at Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab against the practice of female foeticide where Akal Takht issued a Hukamnama to stop the practice. As per the report of the Government of Punjab on the reports of organ transplant the Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Parliamentary Affairs Sushma Swaraj said that a special investigation team was investigating the case. The state government has also reported that the registration of Ram Saran Das Kishori Lal Hospital, Amritsar, where such activities were reported, has been withdrawn on January 20, 2003. The Punjab Government has also issued new guidelines to protect the donors from exploitation. They have also set up a high-level committee to review the status of organ transplantation, guidelines and other relevant issues, the minister told the House. The Government of Himachal Pradesh has recommended the inclusion of the Labana community in the list of Scheduled Tribes. The recommendation has been processed as per the modalities approved for deciding such claims, the Minister of State of Tribal Affairs Mr F.S. Kulaste, told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply today. |
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SC notice to Centre, Punjab on SYL New Delhi, February 24 The Haryana Government had filed a petition before the apex court two months ago on the implementation of the earlier Supreme Court order and the discharge of duties of the Centre and the Punjab Government as per the order. |
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HC defers verdict in Shah case Mumbai, February 24 With the mutual consent of defence and prosecution, the trial in the alleged Bollywood-underworld nexus has also been deferred until then. The trial had come to a halt as the prosecution had declared that it would not examine any witnesses until the High Court gave its ruling on the constitutionality of MCOCA.
PTI |
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Maken case New Delhi, February 24 Additional Sessions Judge R.K. Jain also awarded 10 years rigorous imprisonment to Ranjit Singh Gill, who was found guilty under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC.
PTI |
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