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Saturday,
May 31, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Pak WMDs may fall into radicals’ hands: India Pak puts curbs on Hizbul Bhat funding terrorists, says Delhi police
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India, S. Korea to liaison on farm issues Bail plea of Shilpa’s father rejected
Medha Patkar begins indefinite fast Shabana too pitches in Servant’s death case: kin alleges foul play 2 Naxals killed
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Pak WMDs may fall into radicals’ hands: India New Delhi, May 30 The annual report of the MoD for 2002-2003 states that there is the ever-present possibility of hostile radical fundamentalist elements gaining access to the WMDs. The perception of the MoD assumes importance in the backdrop of not only the December 13 attack on Parliament House, but also the fact that India-Pakistan relations have always been fragile and any rash act on the part of the radical elements could again cast a shadow on the emerging scenario of lasting peace in the Indian subcontinent. The report which was released today also reflected the of late soft Indian approach towards China and pointed to several steps undertaken by both countries to reduce tension. Incidentally, the report was slated for release during the Budget session of Parliament but was apparently delayed and made public today as the mandarins in the South Block rephrased paragraphs devoted to China after the successful visit of Defence Minister George Fernandes to that country last month. The report devoted majorly to Pakistan further reiterates India’s stand that should Pakistan purposefully move towards eradication of cross-border terrorism, India would be prepared to resume bilateral dialogue to address differences and enhance cooperation. Continuing with its soft approach towards China, more importantly with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee due to visit Beijing in the near future, the report said “important developments” marked the progress of Sino-Indian ties in 2002-2003. However, India did not underplay China’s continued close defence relationship with Pakistan and threat from its missile to major Indian cities. The report said this threat had been rather augmented with China building submarine launched ballastic missiles and that the asymmetry in terms of nuclear forces was still “pronouncedly in favour of China”. Talking of Indo-Russian relations, the report said that they were not only steady but there was also an all-round strategic course during the year covering the gamut of political, defence, security and economic fields. Referring to the Indo-US relations, the report says that following the end of the cold war and in response to the changing international environment, these relations are undergoing a qualitative transformation. |
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Pak puts curbs on Hizbul New Delhi, May 30 This month alone there have been seven infiltration bids as compared to eight attempts foiled in the corresponding period last year. The controversy about infiltration of terrorists from across the Line of Control (LoC) assumes significance in view of contradictory voices emanating from the Ministry of Defence. While Defence Minister George Fernandes said infiltration had of late come down, the Army Chief, Gen N.C. Vij, has gone on record saying that there has been no decrease in infiltration figures. Sources said the latest intercepts indicated that the curbs which the Pakistani Government had imposed on Hizbul Mujahideen seemed to be a serious exercise as instructions had been onpassed to the field commanders. However, unlike Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Toiba, which have been operating in Jammu and Kashmir under new names since the US State Department banned these, the Hizbul Mujahideen cadres have not indulged in such old-wine-in-new- bottle technique, the sources added. The Indian Army has launched a major effort to plug infiltration routes along the 740-km LoC and by fencing the infiltration-prone stretches on a priority basis. As part of this, fencing of 275 km in the most infiltration prone areas on the LoC would be completed by the year end. More than 4,000 Army engineers are already working on this project. Next year, the fencing operation would be extended to over 600 km. It is being erected about 10 to 15 km inside the Indian territory. The Army has embarked upon another major exercise: to set up state-of-the-art gadgets like thermal imagers and unattended ground sensors, along the LoC. Every battalion operating in Jammu and Kashmir has now been equipped with some sensors and hand-held thermal imagers. Significantly, the Army has added a new counter-infiltration grid south of the Pir Panjal ranges and has moved eight or 10 battalions to the Poonch-Naushera sector for checking infiltration. However, the acquisition of sensors and thermal imagers from abroad and their installation at vantage points is not as fast as desired and an Army source said these devices required to be installed along more than 80 per cent of the LoC. |
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Bhat funding terrorists, says Delhi police New Delhi, May 30 However, Bhat’s name has been kept in column-II of the charge sheet as an accused not sent for trial because the police said it had not been able to collect any direct evidence against him, so far, in the case relating to financing of militant outfits in the valley. The charge sheet was filed after a probe by the Delhi police, in which, Mr Bhat was interrogated by its sleuths at Srinagar. The police said, during the examination, Mr Bhat had failed to explain what was the source of Rs 2 lakh recovered from the Kashmir Awareness Bureau (KAB) in the capital. He had been accused of using the KAB chief, Mr Shabir Ahmed Dar, and the arrested Hurriyat activist, Anjum Zamrooda Habib, to collect the money from a top official of the Pakistan High Commission, who has since been sent back to Islamabad. The money was being received by the High Commission official from various sources and, then, passed on to Habib, who was channelising it to terrorist outfits through Bhat. Dar had specific instructions on how the money should be utilised, the charge sheet alleged. “The Hurriyat chief, during the interrogation, could not explain the source of the money recovered from Dar,” the police said. Bhat had refused to confess his direct involvement in the crime, but admitted that the money had been given by Jilani for militant organisations to further their
activities in India, the charge sheet said. The police said the investigation at various levels had revealed that senior Hurriyat leader, Abdul Gani Lone, had given Rs 9.5 lakh to the KAB for buying a car. When Bhat was questioned about it, he failed to give any satisfactory explanation on from where the money had come. The probe showed that some Hurriyat functionaries were holding unaccountable funds that were being passed on to terrorist outfits operating in Jammu and Kashmir. |
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NCP rules out return to Cong fold New Delhi, May 30 “It is a Congress propaganda that the NCP is returning to its fold, but we would like to make it clear that we are not going back to the Congress,” the party general secretaries, Mr Tariq Anwar and Mr P.A. Sangma, said at the party’s national convention here. The NCP, which broke away from the Congress four years ago on the question of person of foreign origin holding the highest office in the country, in its political resolution moved at the party’s national convention here, said: “The Congress, which is the main Opposition party, has failed to offer an alternative, both in Parliament and outside. The NCP will endeavour to work towards dislodging the BJP-led NDA government and intensify its efforts to bring about better coordination among like-minded secular parties.” Mr Sangma, while moving the political resolution, said he would continue to fight against the “talwar and lathi” politics and use all his energy to strengthen secularism and fight for the rights of the people across the country. He said there was no difference between the BJP and the Congress, as the former was pursuing hard Hindutva and the latter soft Hindutva. The day-long convention is being presided over by Mr Sharad Pawar, who was unanimously re-elected party president for the second time. Besides Mr Sangma and Mr Anwar, Mr V.C. Shukla, Mr Jagannath Mishra and the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Mr Chhagan Bhujbal, are among those attending the meeting. |
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India, S. Korea to liaison on farm issues New Delhi, May 30 India will urge developed countries to reduce support for agricultural exports to make developing countries competitive in the field, said the Union Agricultural Minister, Mr Rajnath Singh, at a meeting with the Minister for Agriculture and Forestry of South Korea, Mr Kim Young, here today. Mr Rajnath Singh said New Delhi would provide a draft protocol of its stand in the WTO to South Korea for more understanding between the two countries. Both countries decided to strive in the WTO to make the stand of developing countries clear. |
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Bail plea of Shilpa’s father rejected Surat, May 30 The bail was rejected on merits by Additional District and Sessions Judge K.M. Vin after the prosecution opposed tooth and nail his plea for liberty on the ground that there was prima facie evidence of his involvement in the alleged crime. Acting on a police complaint, the court had earlier issued non-bailable warrants against Mr Shetty and his wife Sunanda. Mr Shetty and his wife had obtained provisional bail till May 28 and June 12, respectively, from a court in Mumbai which ordered them to seek regular bail in a Surat court. According to the police, Shilpa’s parents had hired a gangster to recover from an industrialist Rs 80 lakh dues of their daughter who had modelled for Prafulla sarees some years back. The police claims to have recorded telephonic talks between a gangster and victim Pankaj Agarwal as well as between Shilpa’s parents and Mr Agarwal which reveal that extortion threat was indeed issued. Mr Shetty’s counsel V.B. Raju denied his client was involved in hiring the underworld to recover the money due to Shilpa. He refuted alleged telephonic talk between Shilpa’s parents and the victim saying that it was “manipulated”.
PTI |
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Medha Patkar begins indefinite fast Nasik, May 30 Ms Patkar resorted to the fast after all their efforts to rehabilitate people affected by the SSP proved futile, NBA spokesman Pratibha Shinde said. The activists had been on an indefinite dharna in front of the Revenue Commissionerate since Monday demanding, rehabilitation before increasing the dam height by 100 M. Andolan leaders, including Ms Patkar, had talks with Revenue Commissioner Vijay Mathankar but no amicable settlement was reached, Ms Shinde said. Around 500 NBA activists had observed the “warning fast” yesterday but as it elicited no response from the state government, Ms Patkar began her indefinite fast, she added. PTI |
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Shabana too pitches in Lucknow, May 30 While Amitabh had been asking people to get their children vaccinated against polio, Ms Azmi has come to the Uttar Pradesh capital to boost the morale of volunteers on a door-to-door campaign under the scorching sun. She felt, more than mere appreciation was required for the health workers who have had been fighting a frontal battle against the virus in the country, especially in UP. At a function organised by UNICEF here last evening, Ms Azmi while felicitating workers, lauded their efforts in the immunisation drive and said most countries had secured a victory over polio and it was time to launch a final assault on the dreaded disease in UP. The rising polio graph has been controlled and it was time to give a last push to finish off the disease, the actress said.
UNI |
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Servant’s death case: kin alleges foul play Jaipur, May 30 Complainant Roop Lal Rawat, in his complaint filed yesterday in the court of Additional Civil Judge, sought judicial direction to the police to file a case under Sections 302 and 201 of the IPC against Mr Shaktawat in the death of his brother Badan Lal
Rawat. PTI |
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2 Naxals killed Hyderabad, May 30 |
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