Thursday, March 6, 2003, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Sonia clears HP Cabinet
Musafir likely to be Speaker; Dharam Pal Dy Speaker
New Delhi, March 5
Mr Virbhadra Singh will be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh tomorrow along with his Cabinet, which is likely to have 15 ministers. Mr Virbhadra Singh, who came here to meet the Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, over the formation of his Cabinet, said the expansion of the ministry would take place after the Budget session of the Assembly.

    Editorial: Return of Virbhadra
    Edit page: Himachal poll and Hindutva
    Nation page: BJP opposes Virbhadra as CM

Himachal page Defying all odds, Virbhadra is back Mr Virbhadra Singh being greeted on his arrival at Himachal Bhavan in Delhi on Wednesday.  — PTI photo

Ruckus in LS over Maya’s letter
New Delhi, March 5
The video-tape controversy, involving Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister today figured in the Lok Sabha for the second day even as Ms Mayawati wrote to the Centre a letter but the government refused to either table it or divulge the contents and urged the Speaker to take a view on it.

   No-confidence motion rejected in UP Assembly

Vohra tests waters in Kashmir
Meets Governor, ministers
Jammu, March 5
The Government of India’s interlocutor, Mr N. N. Vohra, today had a series of meetings with important persons to draw up a strategy for in-depth discussions with the elected representatives and others in order to facilitate the process of peace in Jammu and Kashmir.

   J&K page: Hurriyat forms panel for deliberations in Delhi

In video (28k, 56k) Indian Government interlocutor on Kashmir N. N. Vohra (left) calls on J&K Governor Girish Chander Saxena in Jammu on Wednesday. — PTI photo

Portugal wants formal request for Abu’s deportation
New Delhi, March 5
The Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, today informed the Rajya Sabha that Portugal has asked New Delhi to formally write to it for the deportation of underworld don Abu Salem to India. Portugal had said that “we are willing to hand him over under our laws,” Mr Advani stated during question hour.

FBI assurance on hate crimes
Chief Mueller meets Sikhs, Muslims
Washington, March 5
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has so far initiated 414 investigations into hate crimes against Muslims, Sikhs and Arab-Americans with federal charges brought against 17 persons, the agency said.

HC orders excavation Lucknow, March 5 In a major development in the Ayodhya case, the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court today ordered the excavation of the disputed site at Ayodhya to ascertain whether or not there existed a temple at the site, before the Babri Masjid was built. The three-judge bench of the high court, while hearing the title suit of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid issue, directed the ASI to carry out the excavation.