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2 former ministers join BJP Naidu reconstitutes BJP panels PM urged to resolve Ayodhya issue Train to Ayodhya
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Prosecution seeks to play Mann’s speech
in court Tarlochan seeks meeting with French minister
Suraiya’s flat is bone of contention IIMs rule out legal action against fee cut 2 CRPF jawans killed in Naxalite attack
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2 former ministers join BJP New Delhi, February
7 The BJP, which had roped in former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh and RJD rebel MP from Bihar Anwarul Haque, today formally took into its fold two senior Dalit leaders and Union Ministers Jai Narain Prasad Nishad, formerly with the Lok Janshakti Party, and Mr Arvind Netam of the Nationalist Congress Party, in line with its strategy. Mr Nishad, who was a minister in the governments of the then Prime Ministers I.K. Gujral and H.D. Deve Gowda, was the second leader from Bihar after Mr Haque to join the BJP from Bihar this week. He has influence in the Muzaffarpur Lok Sabha constituency, from where he has been an MP for three terms, and also among the Nishad (boatmen) community in Bihar. An open critic of former Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav, Mr Nishad had left the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and got elected on a Janata Dal (United) ticket from Muzaffarpur, Bihar to the 13th Lok Sabha. He then joined the Lok Janshakti Party of Mr Ram Vilas Paswan. But his relationship with Mr Paswan's party did not last long. He then floated another outfit before joining the BJP. Mr Netam, who was a union minister in the Congress government headed by Mr P.V. Narasimha Rao, had parted ways with the Congress to join the NCP headed by Mr Sharad Pawar. A popular tribal leader, Mr Netam, a four-time Lok Sabha member, had been thinking of joining the BJP after the poor showing of the NCP in the recently concluded Assembly poll in Chhattisgarh. Although most of the leaders joining from other parties are not counted among big leaders, the BJP strategy is to open its doors to all those who can help the party widen its influence in even a single constituency or among a particular caste. Some leaders, who are likely to join the BJP fold in the run-up to the Lok Sabha poll are Union Minister Maneka Gandhi, her son Varun Gandhi and Apna Dal chief Sonelal Patel in Uttar Pradesh. As part of its strategy to reach out to the masses, the BJP has convened over 100 public meetings across the country. Besides, the party has scheduled about 75 meetings with influential associations and groups, including industrial and trade organisations. |
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Naidu reconstitutes BJP panels New Delhi, February 7 Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani and Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi are in the nine-member BJP Parliamentary Board as well as the CEC. Mr Naidu will be the chairperson for both the committees, while party general secretary and former Union Minister Pramod Mahajan will be the secretary. Finance Minister Jaswant Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Law Minister Arun Jaitley and party general secretary Sanjay Joshi are the other members of the board, the important decision-making body. The other members of the CEC are Union Minister Rajnath Singh, former Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, party general secretaries Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, BJP vice-president Anita Arya, Sushil Kumar Modi and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi. |
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PM urged to resolve Ayodhya issue New Delhi, February 7 Trust chairman Maulana Umair Ahmad Ilyasi and managing trustee Allama Saiyed Asghar Abbas Rizvi said in a press note, “The solution formula has been submitted with the Prime Minister’s Office. The government is seriously working for the resolution by acquiring suitable land to build Ayodhya Jama Masjid complex so that a Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir can be built within the acquired area of Janmabhoomi-Kot Ram Chandar at Ayodhya.” They slammed the Congress and “acts” of the then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao and his successors H.D. Deve Gowda and I.K. Gujral, saying due to their wrong policies Ayodhya has become a tangle. |
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Train to Ayodhya On Board VVIP Train, February 7 Vajpayee travelled by the Presidential saloon, a hi-tech "armoured" rail coach, the 8 km stretch from Katra to Faizabad which will provide a direct rail link between Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Rama. This was the first train journey undertaken by a Prime Minister after late Indira Gandhi travelled from Chandigarh to New Delhi in early 1980s after attending the AICC session in Chandigarh. Before her, Prime Minister Morarji Desai too had travelled by train in 1978. The Rs 95 crore river-bridge project will provide an alternative route from Gorakhpur to Lucknow, connecting Allahabad directly. The project, which includes a total of 10 bridges, one manned railway crossing and five road underbridge, was sanctioned in 1994-95 at a cost of Rs 80 crore. However, the cost was revised to Rs 95 crore due to inflation. The bridge consists of 19 spans. Soon after dedicating to the nation the project, Vajpayee undertook the historic train journey to Ayodhya. The special train carrying the Prime Minister and his entourage consisted of nine coaches. The entire Faizabad town was placed under heavy security cover and people had a tough time with restrictions on free movement of vehicles. An old timer, Narayan Prasad, recalled that some four decades ago, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had visited Faizabad district and had addressed a public meeting at Gonda railway station. Local people said that so far Faizabad had witnessed over half-a-dozen Prime Minister visits and such security-arrangements were not new for them. Hoteliers admitted that because of activities in Ayodhya from time to time, there was good business for them.
— PTI |
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Prosecution seeks to play Mann’s speech in court New Delhi, February 7 The prosecution today sought permission from Additional Sessions Judge J.S. Malik to play the cassette containing his speech made in Gurdwara Bangla Sahib on April 7, 1991, allegedly in support of separate Khalistan state for Sikhs. The prosecution had moved an application to this effect, stating that it was a crucial evidence in its case against the Akali leader, who was also a member of the dissolved Lok Sabha. However, Mann’s counsel opposed the playing of the cassette, contending it was a belated effort by the prosecution to raise the issue when the court was hearing final arguments in the case. He sought time from the court to file an application opposing the prosecution move, following which the judge adjourned the hearing till March 27. Mann was booked by the Delhi Police under TADA for allegedly propagating the cause of Khalistan. Charges were also framed against him under the anti-terrorist law as well as for sedition under Section 124-A of the IPC in February last year. Though the case was closed in 2000 by the trial court for the prosecution not showing any interest, but it was revived on the orders of the Supreme Court last year, which said that trial judge had not followed proper procedure for its closure. |
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Tarlochan seeks meeting with French minister New Delhi, February 7 Mr Tarlochan Singh told TNS on Saturday that he wished to convey to Mr Villepin the apprehensions and sentiments of the Sikhs regarding the proposed French law banning the wearing of ostensible religious symbols in public schools. Sources in the French Embassy here said Mr Villepin's two-day visit to India beginning on February 12 included meeting with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha and Leader of the Opposition Sonia Gandhi. Mr Villepin will deliver the Madhavrao Scindia memorial lecture at the invitation of the Madhavrao Scindia Foundation. Ambassador of France to India Dominique Girard said no decision had been taken about the Villepin-Tarlochan Singh meeting. “It will all depend on time and if we can accommodate something we will try to do so. The minister has to take the decision.” The NCM chairperson carried with him old pictures of Maharaja Ranjit Singh with French generals working at Lahore with the Sikh Army during 1820. “I showed the Ambassador photographs and drew his attention to the historical ties the French people have had with the Sikhs.” Mr Tarlochan Singh said that the 5,000 Sikhs in France were very worried about the proposed ban. The NCM chief stayed away from the pro-turban march from the Bastille to the Republic in Paris in January. "I'm not a politician. I'm not in favour of demonstrations.” he said. |
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Suraiya’s flat is bone of contention Mumbai, February 7 The flat originally belonged to Suraiya’s mother and the actress had been staying there for the past 71 years. The flat is valued at Rs 1.7 crore. The actress was reportedly paying a monthly rent of Rs 400. Just hours after Suraiya’s funeral cortege moved out of the premises, the landlord, Ashwin Shah posted a notice asking for her heirs to come forward and claim the flat. The actress, who never married, died without leaving a will. Under the law, the flat would have reverted to the landlord. Suraiya had spent the last few months of her life at Thakar’s house. His daughter, Ami, a homoeopath, had looked after Suraiya in her last days. Thakar told reporters that he had known Suraiya for decades and the actress was like a family member. The lawyer has now moved into the premises, though he told reporters that he was only there to perform Suraiya’s last rites. The copy of Thakar’s letter to the landlord claiming possession of the flat has been released to the Press. Suraiya Shaikh, as per her official name, lived alone in Mumbai in her twilight years. All her relatives had migrated to Pakistan. The Marine Drive flat has a huge hall, two bedrooms, a small guest room, three bathrooms and a kitchen. It has bright shades of stained glass, porcelain vases and antique furniture. |
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Sealed Mumbai, February 7 |
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IIMs rule out legal action against fee cut Ahmedabad, February 7 "It (legal recourse) is totally out of the question at the moment. Unless the board meets and discusses all aspects, there is no question about taking the legal step," Mr Bakul Dholakia, Director of IIM-Ahmedabad, said here, reacting to the Union Human Resource Development Ministry decision to drastically reduce the fees for IIMs. Ruling out any compromise on the quality of education, Mr Dholakia said the Board of Governors was likely to be convened earlier than scheduled to discuss implications of the step and decide the future course of action. "Generally, the Chairman convenes the meeting in the first week of April. But in the present situation, it is likely that the meeting is held earlier," Mr Dholakia said. However, the date had not been fixed, he added. The Board of Governors was scheduled to meet on April 2. Though he was non-committal on the financial consequences of the step, Dholakia said it was not an "isolated issue" and asserted that the quality of education would not be diluted. "No matter what happens, we will not allow the quality of teaching in the institutes to be diluted. Therefore, the whole exercise, when the board meets, will focus on quality and brand image," he added.
— PTI |
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2 CRPF jawans killed in Naxalite attack Koraput, February 7 Terming the attack as serious, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the security in the district had been beefed up and the state government would request the Centre to provide an additional battalion of the CRPF. A group of 100 Naxalites blasted a CRPF truck near Kolab killing two policemen and injuring three others immediately after attacking six places in the district headquarters and three police stations, Superintendent of Police Arun Kumar Bothra said. The truck of the CRPF jawans was blasted when they were rushing here from their battalion centre at Kolab to provide assistance.
— PTI |
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