Friday, May 30, 2003, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Vajpayee flays West’s doublespeak
Berlin, May 29
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today sharply attacked western nations for adopting double standards in measuring terrorism even as he hoped that his fresh peace initiative would inspire Islamabad to stop cross-border terrorism and dismantle terrorists infrastructure.

PM clarifies on ‘retirement’
BERLIN DIARY: Vajpayee at home in Bundestag
World page: It’s for India, Pak to strengthen ties: Rice
Business page: Germany to raise investment in India

BJP finalises plan for LS poll
Hyderabad, May 29
The BJP has finalised a two-pronged action programme to galvanise party workers through agitational and propagational charters to secure 300 seats on its own and a two-third majority with its allies in the Lok Sabha elections next year.

After Ajit, Mulayam calls on Sonia
Fresh challenge to Mayawati government?
New Delhi, May 29
Political realignments in the country’s biggest state — UP — has begun to assume threatening dimensions in the backdrop of elaborate confabulations between the major stakeholders — the Samajwadi Party, the Congress, the Rashtriya Lok Dal and the Rashtriya Kranti Dal — to hammer out a credible alternative to the existing BSP-BJP regime.

23 militants killed in encounters
4 JeM ultras surrender; three Hizb men held
Srinagar, May 29
At least 15 militants were killed today in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag district in south Kashmir, defence sources here said. 

Congress CMs arrive for conclave
Srinagar, May 29
It was almost after a gap of 14 turmoiled years that a number of VVIPs, three Chief Ministers and senior leaders of the AICC moved out together for sightseeing the Mughal Gardens and the Dal Lake, here this afternoon.

J&K page: Partners look up to Sonia rally A jawan stands guard near Dal Lake as security is beefed up in Srinagar ahead of Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s visit to Srinagar on Friday.  — Tribune photo Amin War

Takht’s emissary to Tohra dismissed
Patiala, May 29
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee President Kirpal Singh Badungar dismissed the messenger who had brought a letter for veteran Akali leader Gurcharan Singh Tohra in a private hospital here yesterday even as Mr Tohra’s son- in-law claimed that the dismissal of the messenger was uncalled for.

Punjab page: Tohra’s condition improving

2 Dawood men deported, held
Mumbai, May 29
Two gangsters owing allegiance to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim were tonight deported from Dubai on a request by the Indian Government and were arrested by the Mumbai police on their arrival here.

Punjab wheat husk to woo Rajasthan voters Bathinda, May 29 If the Congress Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Mr Ashok Gehlot, has proposed 14 per cent reservation in government jobs for the upper-caste poor with an eye on the coming Assembly elections, the Congress government of Punjab has also decided to “help” its neighbouring Congress-ruled state.