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Corruption becomes election issue Judeo was not
candidate for CM’s post,
Investigators
concerned over Telgi’s safety Captain takes
steps to check dissidence Mizoram poll din
ends |
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Shetty, Manjrekar
campaign for Sena Hindu saints to
organise Iftar
Sena activists
assault Railway job panel chief CBI may take
legal recourse on Madhumani Contempt proceedings against scribes stayed Army called out in upper Assam Norwegian envoy
briefs Sibal on Lanka
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Corruption becomes election issue New Delhi, November 18 Adopting an aggressive stance, the Congress has demanded that prosecution proceedings be launched against Mr Dilip Singh Judeo, stating his resignation is not punishment enough. This issue is now set to snowball as the Congress leaders hit the campaign trial in what is being seen as a dress rehearsal for next year’s Lok Sabha poll. This was evident from the tone and tenor of Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s speeches in Chhattisgarh today where she put the onus on Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for sheltering “corrupt ministers.” The BJP, on the other hand, hopes to deflect attention from the “bribes on tape” by pointing to the fact that where as Mr Judeo had resigned immediately, Chhattisgarh Chief
Minister Ajit Jogi had not done so, even though he was embroiled in several cases. Prime Minister Vajpayee made a pointed reference to this during his campaign speech today. The Congress, however, plans to counter this charge equally aggressively, saying Mr Jogi had not been indicted as cases against him were pending in court. Mr Judeo, on the other hand, had been found with his hand in the till, the Congress charged. In fact, the Sonia-PM remarks could well set the tone of the election campaign. Congress leaders, who can barely mask their glee after the Judeo episode, maintain that it is not just this incident but all previous corruption cases and scams will now be back into focus. The almost forgotten Tehelka tapes issue, coffingate, UTI and petrol station allotment scams will all be resurrected by the Congress. While keeping the focus on all corruption cases which surfaced during the NDA regime, the Congress plans to counter the charges of lack of development by putting the blame on the Centre and its “step-motherly” treatment of Congress-ruled states. Congress General Secretary Ambika Soni
admitted that Madhya Pradesh was hit by a severe power crisis but said the Centre was as much to blame for it as it had failed to make alternate arrangements for the people of MP after the bifurcation of the state. Similarly, she said, the Centre had discriminated against Rajasthan in the distribution of drought relief. While attacking the Centre, Ms Soni refused to admit that the coming Assembly elections were a referendum on the Vajpayee government. At the same time, she wondered why so many BJP ministers had been superimposed on the state leaders in these elections, referring to the fact that senior BJP ministers like Mr Arun Jaitely and Mr Rajnath Singh had been deployed in the states. “In case the BJP loses in MP, would you say it is Uma Bharti’s defeat or Arun Jaitely’s,” she asked. |
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Judeo was not candidate for CM’s post, says Naidu
New Delhi, November 18 Stating that it is the media that is projecting Mr Judeo as the chief-ministerial candidate, a visibly annoyed BJP president said, “This is injustice as the party has not yet decided its chief-ministerial candidate.” He was addressing a press conference before formally launching the BJP election campaign in the Capital. Reiterating that the Judeo episode was the creation of the Congress to malign the BJP, Mr Naidu said, “Mr Judeo’s integrity could not be questioned till the truth came out from the CBI inquiry, which was promptly ordered by the Prime Minister.” “In this high-tech age it is possible that the tapes could have been doctored. Now, images in videos could be censored, merged and dubbed too...,” he said. Mr Naidu refused to comment on Mr Judeo’s reported remarks that Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad had also accepted money during the freedom struggle. The BJP president also tried to take on the Congress, saying, “The Congress, which is making hue and cry over the Judeo issue, is protecting and continuing with the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, who has been chargesheeted in a case.” Asserting that development would be the BJP’s main poll plank in the assembly elections in the four states, Mr Naidu said while there had been “unmatchable” development under the Vajpayee government,
performance of the Congress-ruled states had been that of “broken promises, betrayal, misgovernance, corruption and failures on all fronts.”  |
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Investigators concerned
over Telgi’s safety Mumbai, November 18 Telgi is lodged in a Bangalore jail at present. It is still not clear if the Bombay High Court, which is overseeing investigations in the case, will be approached in the matter. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for later this month. A section of the police in Mumbai feels that there is a threat to Telgi’s life with prominent politicians across different states, top police officials and corporate houses being linked to the fake stamp racket. The safety of Telgi was called into question after a spate of rumours originating from the Mumbai Police about Telgi’s health. Even a section of the media here picked up rumours about Telgi suffering from some life-threatening disease though it is now confirmed that he suffered only from blood pressure and diabetes. According to observers here, investigations in the scandal have reached a crucial stage with 56 tapes containing telephone conversations between Telgi, top politicians and police officials. The tapes have been produced by the Karnataka Police and need to be transcribed before further investigations can begin, police officials here say. The scandal has already forced Mumbai’s Police Commissioner Ranjit Sharma to go on leave after handing over charge to a deputy. Two lawmakers from Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh are in jail. Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Vilasrao Deshmukh of the Congress has been accused of helping Telgi obtain a licence for selling stamps and other legal documents. Former Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde of the BJP is being investigated for trying to influence the probe. According to latest reports, Maharashtra’s Minister of State for Home Kripashankar Singh and a Karnataka politician Roshan Baig allegedly used funds from Telgi to buy votes from politicians before an important confidence vote in the state legislature last year. Also accused in the case are leaders of the BJP and the Shiv Sena who are accused of helping Telgi’s accomplice, Maharashtra MLA Anil Gote. The MLA was sought to be elected Deputy Speaker in the state legislature. Several politicians will be in trouble in case Telgi appeared in court and testified against them. |
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Captain takes steps to check dissidence New Delhi, November 18 The recent administrative reshuffle in the state is being seen as an attempt by the chief minister to address grievances of party leaders, specially MLAs and ministers. Sources said Capt Amarinder Singh kept in mind recommendations of MLAs and ministers in ordering the changes. On several occassions in the recent past, the chief minister has warned the officialdom against ignoring the word of elected representatives. Chief minister’s presence at all recent weddings of sons and relatives of party leaders is also being seen as part of his attempts to reach out. Sources said dissidents in the state were planning to up the ante after the results of Assembly elections. Aspirants to the top post in the state have been regularly visiting the AICC to present their case and to know the feelings of the central leaders. The sources said Punjab Agriculture Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and former Union Minister Sukhbans Kaur Bhinder have taken their grievances against the Chief Minister to the high command. While Bhattal has been peeved at the steps of the state government in the embezzlement case faced by her, Bhinder has complained about the state authorities keeping a vigil on her visits to the state. Sources said the Congress high command was closely watching the state government’s handling of corruption case against former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. The outcome of the high profile case is likely to have a bearing on the chief minister’s standing within the party. All party MPs from the state had given the high command their assessment of the Congress prospects in the state for the Lok Sabha elections next year and conveyed their views on the leadership issue. |
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Mizoram poll din ends Aizawl, November 18 The campaigning, mostly confined to public meetings, followed by rock concerts, with major political parties avoiding hectic door-to-door canvassing to woo the electorate, came to end at 1600 hours today. National leaders like Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu and other senior politicians and Union ministers visited the state to campaign for their parties. With no major issues, except for the controversy over the voting rights of the Bru tribals getting highlighted, campaigning was low key and confined to charges and counter-charges on corruption and development. Top leaders like Chief Minister Zoramthanga, former Chief Minister and Pradesh Congress
Committee (PCC) chief Lal Thanhawla were mostly confined to their respective constituencies.
— PTI |
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Shetty, Manjrekar campaign for Sena Hindu Mal Kot, November 18 The occasion was the visit of filmstar Sunil Shetty and producer –actor Mahesh Manjrekar to an outpost of the Border Security Force in this sleepy hamlet which lies right on the international border with Pakistan. The duo was warmly received by the personnel. They were escorted to a sentry post and shown the Pakistani side of the border through binoculars. Accompanying them was MP Sanjay Nirupam. It was a big day for this village and surrounding areas and a sea of humanity – including schoolchildren from nearby areas- descended on the village to catch a glimpse of their idols and heart-throbs. Word had been doing the rounds in the past few days that a galaxy of stars would visit this village in connection with a poll-related function in favor of Shiva Sena candidate from Sriganganagar Anil Mujral. Those waiting for Sanjay Dutt, Manisha Koirala and Sonali Bendre, who could not make it at the last moment, were heartbroken but then Sunil and Mahesh made up for the loss. Arriving more than three hours behind schedule, the actors were escorted to the dais amidst a mad scramble by spectators to get a closer look and to shake hands with them. A large number of women and girls, too, tried to push their way through but had no avail. But for the presence of a large posse of police, things could have taken an ugly turn. Speaking first, Manjrekar said he was proud to be here. It was a wish fulfilled. “ It is very hard to imagine the trying conditions of the people who live on the border and those who guard it all year round. We often enact such characters but try to make it as close to the ground realities as possible.” He, however, turned down requests to speak a few dialogues from his movie, “Kaante” and did not take offence when a section of the audience mimicked his stammering dialogue delivery in the movie. He said he was a producer and had to have a rehearsal before acting in front of the camera. In any case, acting before an audience was very hard. “I have come to meet the jawans and the people of this area,” he said. Sunil, too, politely turned down requests for some dialogues but quipped that he was an action hero and his dancing was too bad otherwise he would have obliged them. This provoked laughter. Mr Sanjay Nirupam, MP, told mediapersons that the living conditions of BSF personnel were harsh and the party had decided to donate some colour TV sets stereos and fridges for the benefit of the personnel. The idea of setting up a unit here was to show solidarity with the jawans and to show our "hostile neighbour that the common man is with their jawans," he pointed out. They later addressed an impressive public rally in Sriganganagar and flew back to Delhi in the evening. |
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Hindu saints to organise Iftar Ayodhya, November 18 He said among the 80 invitees, prominent leaders included Babri Masjid Action Committee local convener Yunus Siddiqui, Babri Masjid contesting party Mohammad Hashim Ansari, Hilal Committee chairman Khalik Ahmed, Haji Mehboob, Capt Afzal Ahmed and Syed Aftab Raza
Rizvi. Mr Das said the Iftar would promote brotherhood among Hindus and Muslims.
— UNI |
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Sena activists assault Railway job panel chief
Mumbai, November 18 The police said more than 800 activists of the Shiv Sena affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Sena (ABVS) were involved in the attack. The party cadre has received the support of Mr Raj Thackeray, Shiv Sena leader and nephew of supremo Bal Thackeray. President of the ABVS has threatened to intensify the agitation in the coming days. Some of Shiv Sena activists went up to RRB Chairman Anil Mittal’s office and ransacked it. Mr Mittal himself was beaten up though he received minor injuries, the police said. At least 100 rioters went to RRB’s Chairman Anil Mittal’s second-floor cabin and damaged it. The place looked like a bombed out zone with furniture smashed and files scattered all over the place. The provocation followed reports of photographs and reports in a local press that featured several lakh candidates from northern India who were camped at the Mumbai Central station, among them graduates and lawyers, who were trying for the job of gangmen and khalasis, all menial cadre posts in the Railways. However, all vacancies were in the western region. Shiv Sena activists said the candidates from outside the state should not be appointed for these lower jobs since candidates are available aplenty locally. However, Mr Mittal told the activists that the Railway exams were held at a national level and it was not possible to refuse applications from any area. The exams are being held in four phases. While the first phase ended on November 16, the second phase ends on November 23. The third phase is on December 7 and the fourth phase on December 14. It is estimated that 40 per cent of the applicants are from outside Maharashtra. The police has taken 70 rioters into custody. Mr Thackeray said his followers would not allow candidates from outside the state to appear for the exams. “We will throw the Biharis out. Wherever jobs are created in the country, does it mean they are for Biharis. In Maharashtra only the locals should get jobs. No Bhaiyyas or Biharis should be allowed,” he said. Patna, November 18 Railway Minister Nitish Kumar told reporters here that the decision to postpone the next rounds of examination for group-D posts under the North Frontier Railway was taken after a request was made by the Assam Government. The new dates for the examination and selection of test centres would be decided in consultation with the Assam Government, he said.
— PTI |
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CBI may take legal recourse on Madhumani
Lucknow, November 18 Ms Tripathi, wife of controversial SP MLA Amarmani Tripathi, who is already in judicial custody for his alleged involvement in the case, today once again failed to turn up for questioning. This was for the third time she failed to appear before CBI officials investigating the case. The investigating team had this morning served her with a third notice asking her to be present at her residence for questioning. “We can arrest her as we are constantly tracking her movements. But since she is a woman, we want her to voluntarily appear for questioning,” said a CBI officer who did not rule out the possibility of her arrest after questioning. Agency officials said by ignoring notices, Ms Madhumani was only paving way for the agency to move court for her arrest. Yesterday, Ms Madhumani’s father-in-law was provided with three mobile phone numbers by CBI sleuths on which she could contact them. Maya (wife of Amarmani’s brother), Gyanu and Kishore (said to be Tripathi’s kin) were asked to appear before the agency office on November 16, but no one, including Ms Madhumani made themselves available for questioning. Another notice was pasted outside the house of state Welfare Minister (independent charge) Shyam Narain, uncle of Mr Amarmani Tripathi, to appear before the agency tomorrow. Ms Madhumani has absconded since the arrest of alleged killer Prakash Chandra Pandey along with other two accused on November 6. A team of CBI sleuths has reportedly gone to Bareilly to trace Ms Madhumani. The two alleged killers of Madhumita — Santosh Rai alias Satya Prakash Tripathi and Prakash Chandra Pandey have reportedly told the investigators that Mr Amarmani’s maternal cousin Rohit Chaturvedi had paid them Rs 2 lakh to carry The CBI has recovered a .315 bore country-made pistol from a house in Gorakhpur which the killers had used to kill the seven-month pregnant poetess.
— UNI |
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Contempt proceedings against scribes stayed New Delhi, November 18 The apex court Bench comprising Chief Justice V.N. Khare, Mr Justice S.B. Sinha and Mr Justice A.R. Lakshmanan directed stay of the suo motu contempt proceedings initiated by the High Court after hearing brief arguments from Amicus Curiae F.S. Nariman and counsel for journalists Anil Divan and P.H. Parekh. The stay was granted when Nariman pointed out that the High Court had continued with the contempt proceedings against the journalists and the newspapers despite the apex court’s view that the “matter should have gracefully come to an end”. The journalists in an application said though the apex court on October 6 had observed that the matter needed to be given a quietus burial, yet on the same day notices were issued to 43 respondents, including the newspapers and their editors, on behalf of Mr Justice N.S. Veerabhadriah, who is claiming damages of Rs 1 crore each for defaming him. Nariman said the Judge had filed nine defamation suits against newspapers claiming damages on the ground that his name was needlessly linked to the scandal. A committee of three senior Judges of different high courts, appointed by the Chief Justice of India, earlier to inquire the matter, is understood to have given a clean chit to the Karnataka judges. |
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Army called out in upper Assam Guwahati, November 18 Official sources said the Army had already been called out in Tinsukia town of upper Assam where the Bihari population outnumbered the Assamese. Though there were some group clashes, no casualties had been reported so far. However, the situation remains tense. Confirming the
Army's position, Tinsukia District Magistrate D. Das said the Army was called out to prevent any untoward incident. Educational institutions also remained closed for two days. The AASU activists are seeking revenge for yesterday’s attack on one of their leaders by some Biharis, who allegedly cut off his fingers. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today visited some of the affected Bihari families whose houses were burnt. Later, based on a complaint by the affected families, he suspended the officer-in-charge of the Dispur police station. — UNI |
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Norwegian envoy briefs Sibal on Lanka New Delhi, November 18 Mr Solheim’s meeting with Mr Sibal assumes significance as the recent political developments in the island nation threatened to derail the peace talks between Colombo and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Just a couple of days ago, Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen had announced in Colombo that Norway would suspend its peace brokering role in the country until the power struggle between the leaders of the island nation was resolved. It is understood that Mr Solheim apprised Mr Sibal of the factors that had made the Norwegian side detach itself, for the time being, from the peace process. Apart from the ongoing political standoff between Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, another factor that has adversely affected the peace process is the stand of the Norwegian side. |
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New Delhi, November 18
In video: Residents
of Khwaja Nagar in Madhya Pradesh have threatened to boycott
the December 1 assembly polls. (
