New Delhi, March 10
The second round of talks between Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani and Hurriyat leaders is likely to be held here on March 27.

According to Home Ministry sources, the meeting is being tentatively scheduled on March 27, a day after Mr Advani returned to New Delhi after the first leg of his “Bharat Uday Yatra” concludes. But it is subject to confirmation from the Hurriyat Conference.

On March 28, Mr Advani is scheduled to leave for Gujarat to file his nomination papers from the Gandhinagar seat and is expected to spend one more day campaigning in his home constituency before he reaches Vardha to begin his second leg of the yatra.

The amalgam leadership is scheduled to meet in Srinagar early next week to decide whether to continue holding parleys with the government in view of recent incidents of alleged human rights violations by the security forces.

Keen on continuation of talks, both the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir Government have assured that any incident of human rights violations by the security forces will be dealt with severely.

Mr Advani, had last month held a meeting with the Army chief and Director-Generals of paramilitary forces and asked them to take utmost care to prevent any human rights violations.

In the event of the Hurriyat agreeing to continue dialogue, it may have to look for replacement to Fazal-haq Qureshi, who decided to pull out of the talks following threat from militant groups.

New Delhi, March 10
The Delhi High Court today declined to entertain a petition seeking to stop Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani’s “Bharat Uday Yatra” which started from Kanyakumari this morning, on the ground that the matter had already been brought to the notice of the Election Commission.

“It has been made clear to us that the petitioners have already approached the Election Commission, hence this court would not like to exercise its jurisdiction in the case,” a Bench of Chief Justice Mr B C Patel and Mr Justice Badar Durez Ahmed said.

Earlier, a similar PIL had also been rejected by the Madras High Court.

ITUC’s general secretary Shyamdev Bhadana, in a public interest litigation (PIL) had sought stopping of the yatra on the ground that it was violative of the Election Commission’s model code of conduct.

When the court asked as how the model code of conduct would be violated, ITUC counsel Arun Maitri submitted that Mr Advani was undertaking this exercise in the capacity of Deputy Prime Minister and it was obvious that the official machinery would be used in it.

The trade union organisation had also expressed the apprehension that the journey criss-crossing through 121 Lok Sabha constituencies in various states might result in communal tension.

But the court was not impressed with the arguments of the ITUC and observed that every citizen, including the Deputy Prime Minister, had a right to take out a procession and he could not be prevented from exercising the right merely because he belonged to the ruling party.

New Delhi, March 10
The Delhi High Court today deferred hearing on a petition saying “there is no urgency as the Election Commission has already taken a decision on the matter.”

Referring to the EC’s order for the removal of hoardings and advertisements, including those on the “India Shining” campaign, a Bench comprising Chief Justice B.C. Patel and Mr Justice B.D. Ahmed adjourned the matter to May 26.

Earlier during the last hearing, the Bench had asked the Centre to furnish details of the funds spent on the controversial “India Shining” campaign and had sought to know the guideline under which the expenditure was incurred.

The first two public interest litigations (PILs) challenging the government campaign were filed by the Unemployed Youth Unity Movement and by a lawyer Chanchal Thakur.

The Bench today also heard a fresh PIL filed by Shyamdev Bhadana, national general secretary of the Indian Trade Union Congress.

New Delhi, March 10
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) today said a “serious” food security situation was persisting in the country with food stocks increasing not because of overproduction but due to lack of purchasing power of the people.

Carrying forward its campaign titled “Lies, damned lies and statistics’ against government’s India shining campaign, the Left party said almost one-fourths of the world’s undernourished population were in India alone.

Nandyal, March 10
Terming the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government in Andhra Pradesh as ‘’governments of scam’’, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today claimed that the Congress alone could provide a ‘’safe and beautiful future’’ for the people of the country.

Addressing a public meeting at the Nandyal Degree College grounds in the drought-prone Rayalaseema region here, Ms Gandhi accused the BJP at the Centre of being responsible for the Tehelka, the UTI, petrol station and other scams.

New Delhi, March 10
The Election Commission today modified the format of the affidavit to be filed by candidates contesting the coming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, incorporating six new columns for providing details of their outstanding dues to government departments.

The Commission informed the Delhi High Court that the affidavit, containing details of criminal antecedents, if any, educational qualification, assets and liabilities and outstanding dues to the government, should be mandatorily submitted along with their nominations.

The six additional columns cover dues outstanding to departments dealing with government accommodation, supply of water and electricity, telephones, transport (including aircraft and helicopters) and “other dues, if any”.

New Delhi, March 10
The Communist Party of India (CPI) is likely to field another woman candidate, a doctor, in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. She is expected to contest the Chittorgarh seat in Rajasthan.

The seven-member Central Secretariat of the party is meeting here on Thursday to finalise the second list of candidates.

The CPI has already decided to field Kaushalya Bhowra, wife of late Bhan Singh Bhowra, from the Bathinda seat. Ms Bhowra is a member of the National Federation of Indian Women and a central executive member of the Bhartiya Khet Mazdoor Union (BKMU).

CPI General Secretary A.B. Bardhan told the TNS here today that the party would announce names of candidates for Salumbar, a tribal seat in Udaipur district, and Chittorgarh in Rajasthan, Gonda, Machlishehar and Shahjehanpur in Uttar Pradesh, Tehri in Uttaranchal, Inner Manipur and one seat in Goa.

The party will make a decision on seats in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa after resuming dialogue with the Congress. It is awaiting Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s return to Delhi on March 13.

The party wishes to contest seven seats in Bihar i.e. Ballia, Buxar, Gaya, Khagaria, Motihari, Madhubani and Nalanda. In the last elections, the party had contested 11 seats alone. Although the CPI is yet to receive any formal communication from Laloo Prasad Yadav’s RJD on seat sharing in Bihar, there are indications that the party is not prepared to give up its political ambitions and will go it alone.

The party does not believe in any feelers and has authorised its state executive to go ahead with its choice of candidates in Bihar if no seat adjustments are announced by March 15 by the central office here. “We have given our people a cutoff date. If no seat adjustment takes place by March 14, they can field candidates by March 15, ” Mr Bardhan told the TNS.

Mumbai, March 10
The Tehelka tape visuals of former BJP President Bangaru Laxman taking money from undercover reporters, the petrol station scam, the UTI scandal where investors lost crores of rupees will feature in the Congress party’s campaign against the BJP in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Ashwani Kumar, Congress Party’s Rajya Sabha MP and Chairman of the party’s Intellectuals’ Cell said today that his party’s counter-offensive would take the gloss off the ‘India Shining’ campaign initiated by the BJP. “The crony capitalism of the BJP will be a major poll plank for the Congress party,” Kumar said.

The Congress party had already released a series of advertisements highlighting unemployment issues and losses to investors following the scam in the Unit Trust of India.

New Delhi, March 10
India is understood to have conveyed to Pakistan that it has infrastructure in place for starting the Khokharapar-Munabao bus service within three months.

However, the Pakistani authorities have told their Indian counterparts at the two-day technical-level discussions that concluded in Islamabad today that they needed some more time to prepare the necessary infrastructure.

The Indian side is understood to have conveyed to Pakistan its willingness to start the service from August 1, but the Pakistanis sought more time for doing the preparatory work and readying the infrastructure, sources here told The Tribune.

The sources described the talks as “a good meeting”. A joint Statement issued at the end of the talks said: “The talks were held in a cordial and constructive manner.”

The statement said the two sides agreed to meet again to continue discussion. Date and place for the next meeting would be fixed through diplomatic channels.

The Indian delegation was led by Mr Ashok Rawat, Joint Secretary, Ministry for Road Transport and Highways, while the Pakistani side was led by Mr Mussadaq Mohammad Khan, Joint Secretary, Ministry for Communications.

India and Pakistan are currently in the process of negotiating two bus services, the other being Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus link.

Technical-level talks for the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service are scheduled to take place later this month. The existing infrastructure for this bus service is much better in both the countries.

New Delhi, March 10
The much-hyped biotechnology has come under scanner as an NGO has moved a petition in the Supreme Court alleging that biotech companies were involved in illegal clinical trials on humans, resulting in the death of several persons.

Taking cognizance of a public interest litigation (PIL) by the NGO, Adar Destitute and Old People Home, a Bench, comprising Mr Justice S. Rajendera Babu and Mr Justice G.P. Mathur, has issued notices to the Union Ministries of Health, Science and Technology and Environment and the Department of Biotechnology, seeking their replies.

Biotech companies were conducting clinical tests on humans without the requisite permission from the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), the petitioner said eight persons died due to “unauthorised” trials conducted by Hyderabad-based company Shanta Biotech.

Accusing the government of total apathy towards such illegal acts, the petitioner said with the advent of biotechnology, a number of companies had mushroomed in the country, claiming capability to manufacture products through recombinant technology, wherein genetically-engineered organism was used to make drugs.

“In the case of Shanta Biotech, the company had conducted trials on the drug called Streptokinnese resulting in the death of eight persons. Similarly Bangalore-based Biocon had conducted clinical trials without the approval of the Union Environment Ministry and purportedly used the approval of the Drugs Controller-General of India whereas the approval of the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulations and the GEAC was necessary,” the PIL said.

New Delhi, March 10
Representatives of industrial houses from Haryana will assemble at PHD House here on Saturday to attend a workshop on female foeticide. The workshop is being organised by the Population Foundation of India (PFI) and the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI). The Registrar-General of India, Mr J.K. Banthia, will make a presentation on the child sex ratio in Haryana.

Sources in the PFI said the foundation would strive to sensitise the industrial houses on the issue of female foeticide and a worrying child sex ratio in Haryana. The PFI has entered into a partnership with the PHDCCI to reach out to industrial houses in seven states where the child sex ratio cannot be overlooked. They also plan to involve legislators to discourage female foeticide.

The sources said the PFI would draw the attention of the industrial houses to Haryana’s alarming child sex ratio as reported in the Census 2001. “The child sex ratio in Haryana was 820, far below the national average of 927. We want to remind the industrial houses to discharge their corporate social responsibility. In Punjab, where the child sex ratio is 793, we are planning to hold a workshop in Ludhiana on April 10. This will be followed by Himachal Pradesh which has a child sex ratio of 897. We will also hold similar workshops in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal. In the second phase, we will cover New Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jammu and Kashmir.”

Ms Teevra Sharma, Executive Officer, PHD Family Welafre and Rural Development Programmes, said it was important to involve industrial houses as they employ a huge workforce in the reproductive age group. “They need to be sensitised. We want them to create awareness among the workers on this vital issue. We want them to tell the workers how sex-selective abortions will have an adverse affect on the child sex ratio.

Agra, March 10
Fiftyfour pro-BJP Muslims were excommunicated and their marriages nullified by a local Mufti after they reportedly expressed the view that singing of the national song, Vande Mataram, was not un-Islamic, a fatwa which has sent ripples in the community here.

While issuing the fatwa, Mufti Abdul Quddus Rumi declared that the singing of the national song “would lead them (Muslims) to hell.”

It was wrong for Muslims to sing Vande Mataram, the Mufti said, adding that those advocating the song were deviating from religion.

The fatwa also nullifies the wedding of those excommunicated.

The Muslims who made statements in favour of the national song should offer prayers to renew their faith in Islam and remarry according to Islamic rites, he said.

Among those excommunicated were Mutwallis (masjid heads) of the Loha Mandi and Shaheed Nagar mosques, where a group of pro-BJP Muslims had said the song praised the motherland and did not mask any religious sentiments.

New Delhi, March 10
The BJP today alleged the Congress hand in the excommunication of 54 pro-BJP Muslims by a Mufti in Agra after they reportedly expressed the view that singing of Vande Mataram was not unIslamic.

“Nothing could be more fundamentalist and foolish. We strongly condemn the action,” BJP spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said here.

The spokesman said the Mufti’s action was engineered by the Congress and “we should understand that Vande Mataram is not performing of puja but salute to the motherland.”

“The entire nation, including the Muslims, has been singing the song ‘Maa tujhe salaam’ by A.R. Rahman and saluting the motherland cannot be unIslamic.

New Delhi, March 10
Iranian Chief Justice Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi today called on Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

A prime ministerial aide described the visiting Iranian dignitary’s meeting with Mr Vajpayee as “a courtesy call”.

Ayatollah Shahroudi is considered to be a key figure in Iran and some even look upon him as a successor to President Khameni.

Before calling on the Prime Minister, Ayatollah Shahroudi addressed a press conference in which he made it clear that Tehran was not going to stop its nuclear programme which, he said, was “totally peaceful” and in tune with the international norms.

Ayatollah Shahroudi warned that if the USA or any other country were to make a hostile case against Iran on the nuclear issue, it would only reflect their “unjust attitude”.

Jaipur, March 10
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has forwarded its Audit-Report ‘Commercial’ (ARC), to Rajasthan Governor, relating to the state Government financial year 2002-03.