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Increase frequency of bus to Muzaffarabad, says Mufti
Naval chief asks for speedy delivery of ships
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Centre accommodates Hurriyat on visit to PoK
No one can own Jama Masjid: Bukhari
BJP MLAs to move court
High-level probe into UP sati incident
Ex-PM given overdose of sleeping pills
2 Goa BJP MLAs disqualified
Senegal honours Natwar Singh
RGF ranking no certificate to Modi, says Cong
Karat resents decision to disinvest BHEL
Three ambassadors appointed
Advani meets PM on Pak visit
Tsunami victims’ resilience moves Clinton
Antony elected to RS unopposed
Nation remembers Nehru
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Increase frequency of bus to Muzaffarabad, says Mufti
New Delhi, May 27 Terming the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service as the biggest decision taken “in favour of people” by India and Pakistan since 1947, he said people coming from PoK want to extend their stay in valley. Their visit helped fight negative campaigns about the state, he said. Mr Sayeed said he had urged the Prime Minister to open the bus service to people other than those from the divided families. Responding to queries of mediapersons, Mufti Sayeed said Hurriyat leaders, who are to travel by the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus, should not go to Pakistan on the basis of travel permits. The travel permits issued to the passengers of the bus were meant only for journey across LoC to the two sides of Kashmir. Travel to Pakistan required a passport and visa and not travel permits, he said. “If Hurriyat leaders go to Pakistan on travel permits, it will be a precedent for others to follow. How can there be double standards?” the Chief Minister said. The Centre had said yesterday that Hurriyat leaders could not go beyond PoK as it would be a violation of understanding with Pakistan on the travel by bus passengers. The Chief Minister termed the role of the Hurriyat Conference in the current peace process as “positive”. He said business chambers of the two sides of Kashmir should meet soon to explore opportunities of trade. He said persons desirous of visiting the Sharda Peeth shrine in PoK should also be allowed to travel by the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus. Dismissing apprehensions about the passengers from PoK claiming evacuee properties in the state, he said no such claim had been filed. Asked about Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin’s recent statements about talks, Mr Sayeed said dialogue was the only way to sort out problems. “ The role of the gun is coming down...Violence only creates complication and even a right cause gets undermined,” he said. The Chief Minister said the Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq had said that it would try to speak to militant groups on the other side of Kashmir and talk about resolution of the problem. Asked about Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s proposals of making borders
irrelevant, he said it could mean soft borders with easier movement of people across boundaries and increased trade. Referring to the India-Pakistan peace process, the Chief Minister said the two countries were on the same wavelength and the thaw in relations had contributed to improving the situation in the state. On the suggestions of the state Governor Gen S. K. Sinha (retd), about increasing the duration of the Amarnath yatra, he said it was difficult for the state government to extend it beyond a month due to security considerations. “The yatra has always lasted for a month,” he said. The Chief Minister said the matter would be resolved amicably. Mufti Sayeed said the biggest achievement of the PDP-Congress government in the past two-and-a-half year had been the creation of “a sense of security” among people in the state. He said he was determined to start the process of return of Kashmiri Pandits to the state. |
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Naval chief asks for speedy delivery of ships
Mumbai, May 27 Addressing senior naval officers and officers of MDL on the occasion of the launch of Sahyadri, the P-17 Shivalik-class stealth frigate, Admiral Prakash said the Navy required six to seven ships to be inducted per year though only two to three ships were made available to it at present. The Navy is in a hurry to
modernise its ageing fleet and efforts are on to acquire ships of different classes. Admiral Prakash said more orders would be coming from the Navy during the 10th five-year plan to keep the production facilities of organizations like MDL to keep going at full capacity. The Admiral, however, felt that the defense contractors could speed up their delivery schedules. The Sahyadri, which was launched today, was only about 23 per cent complete. “Our ships need at least 35 to 40 per cent completion before launch,” Admiral Prakash said. The Sahyadri was launched by Ms Kumkum Prakash, wife of Admiral Arun Prakash, Chief of Naval staff. Like the Shivalik and Satpura, Sahyadri is designed to avoid enemy radars and works on the principles of reducing the ship’s signature. The ship is fitted with a mix of Indian, Russian and Western weaponry systems along with both air defence and anti-submarine warfare capabilities. It will also carry two advanced helicopters, he said. The total length of the ship is 143 metres while its breadth is 16.90 metres. The total displacement of the ship is 4900 tonnes. It will be powered by gas and diesel turbines. Sahyadri will be fitted out at MDL and is scheduled for commissioning by 2009, according to Rear Admiral R. M. Bhatia, Chairman and Managing Director, Mazgaon Docks Ltd. |
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Centre accommodates Hurriyat on visit to PoK
New Delhi, May 27 The UPA government has gone out of its way in accommodating the Hurriyat separatist leaders for their visit to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). The application forms for the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus for June 2, which were unavailable till yesterday, were today circulated to the aspiring travellers of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leadership. On another front, the inter-LoC movement of trucks to facilitate greater trade between India and Pakistan is high on the agenda of the two governments. Islamabad is very keen on holding of technical-level talks on starting of trucks between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-held Kashmir very soon and indications available here are that trucks may start rolling across the Line of Control in June-end or July. The UPA government does not mind to bend over backwards to accommodate the Hurriyat separatists as long as people-to-people contacts and trade are increasing between either side of the LoC. Indications are that a special bus may roll out from Srinagar for Muzaffarabad on June 2 to take Hurriyat leaders to Muzaffarabad. It is understood that the Hurriyat leaders would be travelling all over Pakistan once they cross the LoC. Interestingly, the Ministry of External Affairs seemed to have made unnecessary noises when its spokesman yesterday said that the Hurriyat leaders could not go beyond PoK and if they were to do so, it would be violative of an understanding between the governments of India and Pakistan. The reason is that ever since the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service was launched on April 7, those travelling to Mirpur and Gilgit have been doing so after going to Islamabad or Muree simply because there is no direct motorable road link between Muzaffarabad and Mirpur-Gilgit and the travelers have to go up to Islamabad\Muree for going to Gilgit-Mirpur. Thus, this “understanding”, which the MEA talks of, has been broken several times already. The Hurriyat leaders are expected to submit their travel application forms on the next working day — May 30. Though the verification process takes a minimum of 15 days, in their case, the process is expected to be expedited. The MEA spokesperson, in response to a query, today said the applications of the APHC leaders for travel to Muzaffarabad would go through “established procedures”, though government
verification formalities “may vary” from case to case. |
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No one can own Jama Masjid: Bukhari
New Delhi, May 27 Syed Bukhari also lashed out at the Delhi Wakf Board for claiming ownership of the mosque, saying: “no one can own it”, but added that the board can be its custodian. “No Muslim will tolerate if the Jama Masjid is declared a protected monument,” the head priest of the mosque said while reacting to the Delhi High Court’s criticism of the Centre for maintaining silence over the ownership issue and maintenance of the 355-year-old mosque. Syed Bukhari warned that the “country will see a second stir akin to that of the Babri masjid” if the Jama Masjid is declared a protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). “We are not criticising the court but if it comes to the worst and the sacred Jama Masjid is declared a protected site, every Muslim will take to the streets,” he claimed. — PTI
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BJP MLAs to move court
New Delhi, May 27 “There was no basis for the dissolution of the Bihar Assembly. This has become clear with the Governor himself conceding it. Therefore it is a fit case to move the Supreme Court. Many legislators belonging to different parties are preparing to move the apex court”, BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar told newspersons here. “Instead of the party moving the court, the aggrieved parties, the MLAs who have been affected by the dissolution, are going to the Supreme Court individually and collectively”, Mr Javadekar added. Meanwhile, BJP MLA in the dissolved Assembly Rameshwar Prasad Singh said the legislators would challenge the decision in the Supreme Court either on Monday or Tuesday. He claimed that besides former MLAs of the BJP, those of the JD (U), divided Lok Janshakti Party, Samajwadi Party and the NCP have decided to move the Supreme Court. Asked why the BJP was simultaneously demanding early polls and moving the courts, Mr Javadekar said: “As a political party, we will exercise all possible option to counter a wrong decision.” |
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High-level probe into UP sati incident
Lucknow, May 27 Expressing grave concern at a 75-year-old woman being forced to commit sati, Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav yesterday said that his government would take stern action against the guilty. Earlier, a delegation of women organisations had met the Home Secretary Alok Sinha to demand a high-level enquiry into the sati performed by Ramkali. Asking for immediate action against members of the police and administration who abetted the crime by allowing the ‘chabutra’ to come up and puja to be performed at the site, women’s representatives demanded immediate demolition of the ‘chabutra’ to prevent further glorification of sati. Meanwhile, the fact-finding by the Vanangana, a women organisation, has raised certain questions. Describing the role of the police as confusing the report says that SP Zaki Ahmad says that he was not aware of the incident till the local SP leader and former minister informed him. At the same time the SO, Jaspur, Mr Surendra Singh Yadav, has admitted that he had come to know of the incident the next day. According to the report, despite the presence of the police in the village from the next day (May 8) the ‘chabutra’ was allowed to be constructed. As word of the so-called sati is spreading people from surrounding villages are coming to perform puja at the site. It points out that despite this the preliminary inquiry conducted by the ADM and the ASP found no signs of glorification of sati in the incident. As such no FIR has been filed against anyone in the case till now. Raising a pertinent question the fact-finding report wonders how a 75-year-old woman who could hardly see at night and could walk with great difficultly, manage to cover the one and a half kilometer distance to the site of the funeral in the dead of night. It also points out that the men of the Tiwari household have already disappeared from the village leaving the women behind to face the police and the media. |
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Ex-PM given overdose of sleeping pills
New Delhi, May 27 Sources in Indrasprastha Apollo Hospital told TNS that the hospital has taken disciplinary action against a junior doctor attached to the treating oncologist and a nurse for this
negligence. Sources said that Chandra Shekhar who is being treated for malignancy for the past four months had come to the hospital for follow-up treatment after undergoing operation for a pathological fracture. The medication error was allegedly committed by a junior doctor. Dr Prathap C. Reddy, Chairman of the Apollo group of hospitals, is a friend of Mr Shekhar and has been cautious in planning his treatment. Dr Reddy has consulted doctors in the USA, Mumbai and Chennai. Dr S.H. Advani, Mumbai-based president, Oncology of the Apollo group of hospitals who is available for consultations once every week in Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, has been monitoring Mr Shekhar’s condition from time to time. Dr Advani said he was not aware of any overdose given to Mr Shekhar. “I see him from the disease point of view, not day-to-day management. He is doing fine.” Medical authorities at the Indraprastha were tight-lipped about the alleged medication error committed by the hospital. Sources in the Public Relations Department of the hospital said, “That is really very odd and we have not heard about it. We are very
distressed about the allegations. Mr Shekhar was being treated here, but he has been discharged.” The department tried its best to undo the damage caused by the allegations and faxed to TNS a written denial from Mr Shekhar. The former PM has stated that his stay at Apollo Hospital was extremely pleasant and satisfactory. “I was under constant competent supervision and medical care. The allegations made against Apollo Hospitals are distressing and untrue in nature,” Mr Shekhar has said. On the nature of the disease, sources in the
hospital's PR Department said, “We have a confidentiality policy for every patient who walks through this hospital. We cannot tell you the nature of the disease till we have got a clearance from the patient.” |
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2 Goa BJP MLAs disqualified
Mumbai, May 27 Judge Nelson Britto set aside the election of Mr Rajendra Arlekar from Vasco da Gama and Mr Dayanand Mandrekar of Siolim acting on the petition filed by candidates of the Nationalist Congress Party who contested the 2002 poll against the two MLAs. The election of two Goa BJP MLAs has been set aside because they were holding government posts at the time of the polls. The court, however, granted a stay of 30 days on the order. The court also awarded the petitioners the cost of the petition. The disqualification reduces the number of BJP to 14 seats. It has the support of United Goans Democratic Party MLA Matanhy Saldanha. However, Mr Saldanha himself was disqualified by Acting Speaker Fransisco Sardinha two months ago. The Congress with 17 seats with the help of the lone NCP MLA is in a position to form the
government. However, Congress leaders in Goa said this afternoon that they would not stake claim. Goa is under President’s rule and
bye poll to five seats is to be held here on June 2. Five rebel BJP MLAs who quit their seats are contesting as candidates of the Congress and the NCP. Their resignation earlier this year sparked off political instability in the state. Meanwhile, the BJP has said it will approach the Supreme Court against the Bombay High Court ruling. |
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Senegal honours Natwar Singh
New Delhi, May 27 Mr Natwar Singh’s programme in Dakar included a meeting with President Abdoulaye Wade and discussions with Foreign Minister Cheikh Tidiane
Gadio, a foreign Office spokesman said. During their 45-minutes conversation, President Wade highlighted the importance of India’s partnership with Senegal in key sectors like transport, agriculture and small and medium enterprises. He acknowledged, in particular, the enormous impact on Dakar’s transport system following the arrival of 350 buses from India under a concessional line of credit. In another significant gesture, Mr Natwar Singh and Mr Gadio laid the foundation stone for a monument to Mahatma Gandhi in a prestigious spot by the side of the Atlantic Ocean adjoining the main highway of the city. The Senegal Government has named it Place Mahatma Gandhi and is planning to build an impressive park around this monument. The bust of Mahatma Gandhi was sculpted by Mr Gautam Paul, well-known Indian sculptor under the sponsorship of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations. Though Senegal is a Francophone country with traditional close ties with France, India has emerged as its second largest trading partner and largest exporter destination. |
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RGF ranking no certificate to Modi, says Cong
New Delhi, May 27 Denying that the observations of the RGF were a certificate to Mr Modi, Mr Singhvi said communal killings could never be offset with economic prosperity. “How does the ranking detract from very serious charges against Mr Modi,” Mr Singhvi asked. The spokesman said Gujarat’s economic performance was based on foundations laid by successive Congress governments. Describing Mr Modi as a “self-congratulatory propagandist,” Mr Singhvi said there was no link between how the Gujarat Chief Minister dealt with communal issues and the economic index. Responding to questions about Left opposition to Centre’s decision to reduce 10 per cent holding in Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited, Mr Singhvi said it was wrong to call it disinvestment as the government continued to be majority shareholder. |
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Karat resents decision to disinvest BHEL
Kolkata, May 27 Mr Karat was in the city today on his way to New Delhi from Orissa. This was his first visit to the Marxist-ruled state after taking over as the General Secretary succeeding Harkishen Singh Surjeet. He was given a cordial reception by party workers at Howrah station when he reached there by train from Puri in the morning. During his brief halt here, Mr Karat talked to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and other politburo members, including Mr Jyoti Basu and Mr Anil Biswas, and exchanged views with them on the country’s present political situation vis-à-vis the coming Assembly elections in Bihar and the civic elections in Kolkata and Salt Lake City on June 19. Meanwhile, both Ms Banerjee and Congress secretary Mansh Bhuiya alleged today that the CPM was importing a large number of musclemen and party cadres from other districts for their deployment during the civic poll in Kolkata and Salt Lake City. Trinamool Congress leader Pankaj Banerjee had sent a letter to state Election Commissioner Ajoy Singha requesting him to deploy a large number of central forces personnel, including the CRPF, the BSF and other paramilitary forces, during the elections. |
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Three ambassadors appointed
New Delhi, May 27 Mr S.R. Tayal, at present, Consul General in Houston has been appointed Ambassador of India to Uzbekistan in succession to Mr Sharat Sabharwal. Mr Rajiv Kumar Bhatia, at present, Ambassador of India to Myanmar, has been appointed Ambassador of India to Mexico in succession to Mr S.S. Gill. Mr Amarendra
Khatua, at present. Minister in Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, New York, has been appointed Ambassador of India to Cote D’ Ivoire (Ivory Coast). |
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Advani meets PM on Pak visit
New Delhi, May 27 The two leaders are understood to have deliberated upon the agenda of discussions the former Deputy Prime Minister will have in Pakistan during his week-long visit beginning May 30. Mr Advani, who will visit Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, is likely to meet Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and other leaders. Emerging from the 20-minute meeting, the former Deputy Prime Minister told newspersons that he considered his visit to Pakistan an important link in the ongoing peace process started by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. |
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Tsunami victims’ resilience moves Clinton
Nagapattinam, May 27 After hearing the story of Mr K. Parameswaran and his wife P.
Churamani, who lost all their three children and seven close relatives on December 26 at the district collectorate here, he said, “I will never forget your story in my life.” Later, referring to the couple during his interaction with the media, Mr Clinton said, “I was specially moved by the couple who lost three children and are now running an orphanage.” The couple have converted their house into an orphanage that supports 60 children and also offers counselling for parents who had lost their children. Mr Clinton was also impressed by a 15-year-old orphaned girl, K. Nirmala who told him that she wanted his help for higher education as she wanted to be come an IPS officer. Though he did not offer any individual help to any of the tsunami victims, he encouraged the girl saying, “Never give up on your education.” He also heard the experience of M.
Vadivel, another 15-year-old tsunami victim. The UN Secretary-General’s special ambassador for rehabilitation work in tsunami-hit countries was moved at a temporary shelter 1 km away from the collectorate where children sang songs in his praise in Tamil, saying, “We love Clinton, we welcome Clinton.” As he touched a small girl, she jumped up and Mr Clinton entered the circle and shook hands with the 20-odd children. He requested the District Collector, Dr J. Radhakrishnan: “Ask them will they sing for me again if I come back?”. The children replied in a chorus, “Yes.” |
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Antony elected to RS unopposed
Thiruvananthapuram, May 27 Legislature Secretary M.C. Valson declared Mr Antony elected to the Upper House when the time for withdrawal of nominations expired today. The seat fell vacant following the resignation of Mr K Karunakaran, who left the Congress and formed a new party, the National Congress (Indira).
— UNI |
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Nation remembers Nehru
New Delhi, May 27 Congress President Sonia Gandhi also joined the Prime Minister and his wife at an all-religion prayer meeting at his memorial at Shantivan here. A wreath was laid on behalf of President APJ Abdul Kalam, who is on a fortnight long four-nation tour. Union ministers Shivraj Patil, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Delhi Lieutenant-Governor B.L. Joshi were among those who visited the memorial to pay their tributes. Several Congress leaders paid tributes to the former Prime Minister at a function held at the AICC office. |
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The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, today said he had urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take steps for increasing the frequency of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service and opening the Jhelum Valley road for trade.
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