India objects to US making Pak ‘major ally’
New Delhi, March 20
The Government of India today handed out a diplomatically-coated warning to Washington, saying that the George Bush administration’s decision to designate Pakistan as a “major non-NATO ally” had “significant implications” for Indo-US relations. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) today came out with its much-awaited reaction to US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s March 18 statement in Islamabad announcing Washington’s decision to designate Pakistan as a “major non-NATO ally”.
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Capt threatens  to stop entry of sugar from other states
Patiala, March 20
The Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, today took the Centre head on by announcing that his government would ban the entry of sugar from other states into Punjab in case the Centre did not allow him to sell its sugar stocks within two weeks.

2nd Cong list out; Punjab kept waiting
New Delhi, March 20
The waiting game for Punjab’s Lok Sabha aspirants continues. Except for clearing the nomination of Sukhbans Kaur Bhinder for the Gurdaspur seat, no other name from the state figures in the second list of 75 candidates from 13 states released by the Congress tonight.

EC stops Modi’s Narmada poojan yatra
Ahmedabad, March 20
The Election Commission today stalled midway the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi-led controversial Narmada poojan yatra for violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

Nation page: EC rejects merger of JD-U, Samata

Two jawans killed, 41 injured  in Baramula blast
Srinagar, March 20
Militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen today blasted an Army vehicle with an improvised explosive device planted in a scooter parked on the roadside in Baramulla district of north Kashmir killing two Army jawans and injuring 41, six of them seriously.

Balle, balle Amitabh Chandigarh, March 20 After two days of action-packed acts at Chandimandir, Amitabh Bachchan did some dance sequences for the film, “Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo” today. Taking up the new role with admirable ease this morning, he went about practicing his steps all day, not losing patience despite the tedious schedule. Amitabh Bachchan and Sandali Sinha shoot for the dance sequence, being picturized on a Punjabi song for the film, “Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo”, at Forest Hill Resort, near Chandigarh on Saturday.  — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan.