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Sena foils Rane’s attempt to unite MLAs
Expelled Shiv Sena leader Naryana Rane with his MLAs greets his supporters outside his official residence in Mumbai on Friday. — PTI
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Construction of temple is only solution: Advani
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Bodies of militants buried
Jeep driver had AK-47 bullets
Ayodhya security in for overhaul
Nagaland plans to replace national emblem
No change in UK visa regime
Medical visa for foreigners to be introduced
HC rejects Kohli’s petition against extradition probe
Bofors case expenditure: Cong leader moves SC for probe
Rape accused convicted within 25 days
AICC silent on J&K leadership issue
CRPF officer alleges sexual harassment
Modi flags off Jagannath Yatra
TN restores CET
Arup Chanda
Editors Guild wants justice for Imrana
Jyoti Basu turns 92
Enquiry hotline
New Ambassador to Italy
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Sena foils Rane’s attempt to unite MLAs
Mumbai, July 8 Scores of Shiv Sena activists were brought in from different parts of the state to prevent Mr Rane’s supporters from freeing the legislators, party officials said here. Only nine MLAs from the Shiv Sena, who are known supporters of Mr Rane, turned up at his official bungalow at Nariman Point for the meeting. “Two more MLAs faxed in their messages and 26 more MLAs are in touch with me,” Mr Rane told reporters after the meeting. Apart from Mr Rane, those who attended the meeting were chief whip Vinayak Nimhan, Kalidas Kolambkar, Ganpat Kadam, Shankar Kambli, Manik Kokate, Shyam Sawant, Vijay Wadettiwar and Subash Bane. Mr Rane said he had asked Mr Nimhan to begin disqualification proceedings against some of the MLAs, who stayed away from the meeting called by him. Earlier, Mr Rane had warned that the MLAs who stayed away from today’s meeting would be disqualified. Meanwhile, Mr Rane’s supporters have rounded up relatives of some of the MLAs, who were in the custody of Shiv Sena leaders, to file complaints of kidnapping. Striking a defiant note, Mr Rane said he would not resign as the Leader of the Opposition when the state legislature meets for the monsoon session on Monday. “I will first finish my legal battle before stepping down,” Mr Rane said. Mr Rane, meanwhile, indicated that he was in talks with the Congress party as well. “I am closer to (Chief Minister) Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh and his colleagues more than Mr Sharad Pawar. I don’t see any difference between the Congress and the NCP,” Mr Rane said. The Congress and the NCP are wooing Mr Rane, who is a major force to reckon with in Maharashtra’s Konkan region. |
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Construction of temple is only solution: Advani
Ayodhya, July 8 As Uma Bharti raised the slogans of “Ram Lalla hum aayenge, mandir wahin banayenge”, Mr Advani addressing sadhus at the Karsewakpuram declared that the Hindus in the country would be happy only when the Ram mandir was built at the site. Admitting that there were worst terrorist attacks during his time, Mr Advani said the attack on Ayodhya was the worst episode of terrorism after the attack on Parliament. He conceded that even mandirs like Akshardham and Raghunathji had been attacked. Blaming the Central Government for compromising with terrorism by withdrawing POTA, Mr Advani said the withdrawal had sent a message across that the present government was not serious about tackling terrorism. Commenting on the UPA government’s peace process with Pakistan, Mr Advani said his government also took forward the message of peace without giving any concession to terrorism. Referring to the reassertion of global terrorism, he said in such an environment a tough law like POTA was the need of the hour. He said the UN had recommended that ordinary laws were not adequate to deal with the menace of terrorism. It was on the basis of their recommendations to address terrorism that the NDA government had drafted POTA. Wondering how the threat perception to the makeshift temple at Ayodhya was ignored, the former Home Minister said during his time all intelligence reports suggested that Ayodhya was on the top of the militant’s list. Senior BJP members like Rajnath Singh, Uma Bharti, Sushma Swaraj, Kalyan Singh, Kesharinath Tripathi were present at the meeting. Interestingly, VHP leader Ashok Singhal, who was present at the Karsewakpuram, chose to keep away from Mr Advani’s meeting. Earlier, speaking at Amausi airport, Mr Advani said this was not the time to play the blame game. He called terrorism a national issue and said it needed to be addressed collectively. |
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Bodies of militants buried
Ayodhya, July 8 “The modus operandi of the attack indicates that it was carried out by militants, owing allegiance to LeT,” Senior Suprintendent of Police, Special Task Force, Akhil Kumar told PTI today. “The way the militants forced their entry into the complex by carrying out an explosion is the method generally adopted by the LeT,” he said. Meanwhile, the bodies of all the five militants were buried at the Takiya graveyard in Faizabad on Wednesday last, official sources said. The caretaker of the graveyard Iqbal Husain said today that a police party had come with the bodies of the militants which were
entered under their supervision. One Mohammed Sharif, who takes claim of all the unclaimed bodies in the district, took charge of the bodies after which they were buried. Mr Husain said they were buried there because they were Muslims. “The administration had informed us in writing that these were the bodies of the five militants killed in Tuesday’s attack and we had also
identified the bodies to be those of Muslims while performing the pre-burial rituals,” Mr Husain said. The body of the local guide Ramesh Pandey who was also killed when the militants blasted their jeep was also cremated at the Jambhara cremation ground, according to Hindu rites, sources said.
— PTI |
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Jeep driver had AK-47 bullets
Ayodhya, July 8 Official sources said here yesterday, PAC jawans had arrested Rehan with the bag moments after the explosion blew off a section of the barricade near the Ram Janmabhoomi site. The bag also contained some audio
cassettes and wallets of the terrorists, the sources claimed. Some visiting cards were also recovered from inside the wallets. According to preliminary investigations in the case, the terrorists had closely inspected Ayodhya and the nearby areas before they struck on Tuesday. The sources said the terrorists hired a jeep in Akbarpur, 8 km from here, which was driven by Rajesh Kumar Singh. Later, at Faizabad taxi stand, they changed the vehicle and hired Rehan’s jeep to reach the disputed site. One of the rifles recovered from the encounter site had a coating of mud, which was also being investigated by the agencies.
— UNI |
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Ayodhya security in for overhaul
New Delhi, July 8 “There were some shortcomings in the security arrangements there (Ayodhya), which have been identified and action has been initiated to remove them,” CRPF Director General J.K. Sinha told The Tribune here today. “The security deployment around the disputed structure was so far made to tackle law and order problem, crowd management and prevent mob attack, but the Tuesday’s attack has necessitated that security should be toned up to prevent storming by fidayeen attackers,” Mr Sinha said. Asserting that the “re-orientation” of security arrangements does not necessarily mean “increase in the deployment of personnel”, the CRPF Director General said the focus would be on the construction of additional concrete barricades, lighting up of the area, installation of alarm system and placing of close circuit televisions (CCTVs) at strategic points. “It was only because of the strong second cordon that the terrorists were unable to advance much and were neutralised,” Mr Sinha said. He replied in the negative when asked whether the CRPF will take over the “outer cordon” security also from the Uttar Pradesh Police and PAC. “Law and order is a State subject and we as a Central force can only assist them in maintaining law and order and not take over their responsibility,” he said, “Moreover, in the outer cordon 12 companies of PAC/UP police (about 1200 policemen) are deployed.” At present, five Companies of CRPF, including One Mahila Company, are deployed for the security of the Ram Janambhoomi/Babri Masjid complex in Ayodhya in the “inner cordon”. Soon after the attack, though the Centre maintained that there was no security lapse and commended the efforts of the security personnel in repulsing the terror attack, the authorities were concerned over the manner in which the terrorists in the jeep managed to reach so close to Ram Lalla’s makeshift temple. |
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Nagaland plans to replace national emblem
Kohima, July 8 Come Independence Day, the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) government in Nagaland plans to replace the national emblem with one of its own. Sources in the Chief Minister’s office said the move was certainly aimed at sending a message to the Centre about the desire of the Naga people to come together under a single administrative umbrella. The Cabinet last week decided to replace the Ashoka emblem with one depicting symbols of Naga culture and more importantly with the “Unity” word above the state’s name. The explanatory note states that the indigenous entities in the proposed emblem represent the current
political set-up as a strong and vibrant government having its roots. Designed by 23-year-old Merimvu Duolo in just 15 days, an indigenous species of bison called Mithun (Bosfrontalis) symbolysing wealth and status dominates the proposed emblem. It is perched on a log drum and surrounded by other Naga symbols. “The shield forming the background originally used for defence by Naga warriors speaks of the inherent trait of the Nagas to defend and protect their land and all things that form a part of their lives,”
says the accompanying note. But even before the decision was implemented, the Chief Minister came under attack from the Opposition Congress. Leader of the Opposition
I. Imkong accused the government of violating the norms by taking the decision without consulting others, he said. Describing the emblem as a political gimmick to derive political mileage, the Congress asked whether Nagaland was ever divided. |
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No change in UK visa regime
New Delhi, July 8 "The visa regime has been open for bonafide travellers. There is no reason to change the visa regime," Mr Arthur told reporters when asked whether Britain was contemplating visa restrictions. The High
Commissioner also did not see any backlash on the Asian community or the minorities in Britain as was witnessed in the post 9/11 strikes in the USA. "Most unlikely," he said and pointed out that Britain had a very multicultural and diverse society. "The mood in London is of getting on with normal business and not let terrorists win by stopping regular business, he said. Asked whether Indians figured in the list of dead and injured, he said, "I have no such information. But I do not exclude that. I simply do not have enough information on that given the immediacy and the scale of the attacks," he said. |
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Medical visa for foreigners to be introduced
New Delhi, July 8 The medical visa would be admissible to all foreigners seeking medical treatment in reputed hospitals and treatment centres in the country. The visa would initially be issued for one year or for the period of treatment (whichever is less). State governments and Foreigners Regional Registration Office have been delegated powers to extend the visa. Till now, foreigners seeking medical treatment in India had been issued a tourist visa. In the absence of a medical visa, they had to face difficulties in getting their stay extended for medical treatment. Dr Naresh Trehan, Executive Director of Escorts Heart Institute, termed the initiative as “excellent”. |
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HC rejects Kohli’s petition against extradition probe
New Delhi, July 8 Kohli, whose extradition is sought by the UK authorities in connection with his alleged involvement in the brutal rape and murder of the 17-year-old British school girl, had fled to India two days after her body was recovered on March 14, 2003, by the British Police. He had challenged the Union Government’s order appointing Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) of Delhi to hold inquiry into his extradition matter. “No interference is called for on the appointment of the ACMM to probe whether there is a prima facie case against the petitioner for extradition,” a Bench of Chief Justice B. C. Patel and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said, rejecting his petition. The court clarified that the ACMM was only assigned the job to determine whether a “prima facie” case for his extradition was made out following the allegations of the British Police against him or not. Kohli, who escaped to India on March 16, 2003, after the dead body of Foster was found in London, was caught by the police in Kalimpong in West Bengal in July last year. He had challenged the extradition probe on the ground that the Centre did not have the powers to appoint a member of subordinate judiciary as extradition magistrate without the prior approval of the High Court. |
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Bofors case expenditure: Cong leader moves SC for probe
New Delhi, July 8 Though the government has never come up with any official figure of the amount spent on the investigation by the CBI into the alleged kickbacks of Rs 64 crore paid to some unidentified middlemen since the controversy came to light in 1987, Mr Justice R. S. Sodhi of the Delhi High Court, while quashing the charges against the Hinduja brothers — Srichand, Gopichand and Prakashchand — in his judgment on May 31, had observed that as per his understanding, the probe had cost the exchequer nearly Rs 250 crore. Basing his petition mainly on this observation of the High Court, former Congress MP from Allahabad Ram Nihor Rakesh, in a public interest litigation (PIL), has sought fixing of the accountability on officials for the “extravagant” spending on the investigation. Quoting the observations made by Mr Justice Sodhi extensively in his PIL, the Congress leader has pleaded the apex court to lay down guidelines against the “misuse” of probe agencies like the CBI by the political parties in power. Mr Justice Sodhi in his judgment had said: “I must express my disapproval at the investigation that went on for 14 years and I was given to understand that it cost the exchequer nearly Rs 250 crore.” However, former Law Minister Arun Jaitley, who as Additional Solicitor-General during the National Front government, headed by Mr V. P. Singh, was instrumental in initiating the investigation abroad after registration of the FIR in 1990, had stated that the observation of the court on expenditure on probe was “highly exaggerated”. Though the Bofors controversy continued to rage since the Swedish Radio first broke the news of payoff in 1987 when the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was at the helm of affairs, the FIR in the case was registered by the CBI in 1990 when the V. P. Singh government was in power. The CBI had filed two charge sheets in the case, putting Rajiv Gandhi’s name in “column-II as not sent for trial” after his death. However, another High Court Judge, Mr Justice J. D. Kapoor, had last year given clean chit to Rajiv Gandhi, saying that the CBI had failed to produce any evidence about the payment of bribe to any public servant by the Swedish arms manufacturers A B Bofors. The Congress leader in his petition alleged that the CBI “continued to dance to the tunes and whims of their existing masters and ultimately at the end of the day was unable to prove or substantiate the charges against any one.” He has also cited the failure of the CBI in investigating properly other sensitive cases like Purulia arms drop, Indian Space Research Organisation espionage and St Kitts forgery, while making reference to the Ayodhya demolition and Gujarat riot cases, which he described as a threat to secularism. He has even sought a direction to the Election Commission for derecognising political parties, which were found raking “frivolous” issues for meeting political ends and cause divisions in society on caste and religious lines. |
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Rape accused convicted within 25 days
Jaipur, July 8 Pronouncing the judgement, the Additional Sessions Judge observed that this kind of heinous crime committed by a sex maniac with a 7-month infant weighing just 7 kg was just shuddering and unheard of during his 20-year career in the judiciary. It was a slur on our so called civilized society, he added. About a month earlier, a Jodhpur based fast-track court also made history by dispensing justice within a fortnight of the occurrence of the crime to a German tourist who was raped by two goondas. The court had sentenced both of them to life imprisonment. |
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AICC silent on J&K leadership issue
New Delhi, July 8 The two coalition partners had agreed that the PDP would head the government for the first three years after which the baton would be handed over to the Congress for the remaining three-year period. PDP Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s “term” ends this November. The Congress, however, has adopted a cautious approach on this issue on the ground that Jammu and Kashmir is a sensitive state and any discussion on the change of leadership can have serious repurcussions in the state. Congress President Sonia Gandhi, AICC leaders said, would address this issue close to the expiry of the deadline. Senior Congress leaders maintain that its agreement with the PDP still stands and, so far, nothing has happened to change the situation, thus indicating that the Congress will take a turn at heading the government. There has been speculation that the Congress may not press for a change and that the PDP will continue as its lead partner in the state government as any shake-up on top can have an adverse impact on the improving situation in the strife-torn state. The Congress, however, does not want to open this issue too early as it could also affect the working of the state government. Ms Ambika Soni, AICC General Secretary in charge of Jammu and Kashmir, reiterated that the party would focus on this issue only in November. She was, however, all-praise for Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who, she said, has been the “best Chief Minister”. She was also quick to add that the Congress-PDP government was working very well as there was perfect understanding between the two parties. |
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CRPF officer alleges sexual harassment
New Delhi, July 8 Sources in NCW told TNS that the Commission received a complaint of sexual harassment from an Assistant Commandant of CRPF in April, 2004. She alleged that the second-in-charge, Ashok Bali, from the Rapid Action Force of CRPF harassed her by making suggestive and obscene remarks during the selection process for leading a contingent to the Republic Day Parade. She also complained that G.M. Srivasatava who was then Inspector General of Police, CRPF, called her to his office on some pretext on January 29, 2003, and forcibly kissed her. Following intervention of the NCW, the CRPF set up a complaints committee to look into the allegations. Sources in the Commission said they had agreed in principle with the findings of the CRPF and found them satisfactory. |
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Modi flags off Jagannath Yatra
Ahmedabad, July 8 Since the break of dawn, thousands of devotees thronged the precinct and surrounding streets approaching the temple. As per tradition, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi performed the morning pooja and took blessing of Mahant (chief priest) Rameshwardasji Maharaj at the temple before flagging off the 128 rath yatra by setting the three main raths (chariots) of Lord Balram and Sister Subhadra rolling at the pious timing set by the vedic brahmins.
— UNI |
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TN restores CET
Arup Chanda
Chennai, July 8 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa issued a statement here today saying that the government had, at the moment, little choice but to follow the orders of the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court with regard to the admissions. She had last month ordered scrapping of the CET stating, “students from rural areas were affected in particular as the examination worked against their chances of securing admissions to professional colleges. However, the high court struck down the order and ordered restoration of CET. The Tamil Nadu Government challenged it at the Supreme Court but it refused a stay and posted it for hearing after summer vacation. In today’s statement Ms. Jayalalithaa said: “Therefore, admissions for the academic year 2005-06 will be based on the earlier system consisting of plus two marks along with improvement marks as allowed before, together with marks obtained in the common entrance test already held. |
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Editors Guild wants justice for Imrana
New Delhi, July 8 “As a citizen of India, Imrana’s basic constitutional rights to justice and equal treatment are at stake. We have to ensure that a woman’s self respect is not sacrificed at the altar of parochial and regressive interests. We must guard against any incursions on our fundamental rights and ensure that the rule of law prevails.” “We appeal to all sections to see that Imrana gets justice and the guilty are punished,” the resolution said.
— TNS |
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Jyoti Basu turns 92
Kolkata, July 8 Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, Mr Ashok Ghosh, Forward Bloc secretary in the state, and Fire Brigade Minister Pratim Chatterjee of the RCPI were among others who called on Mr Basu in the morning and wished him a happy and active political life. But neither Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee nor party secretary Anil Biswas and any other CPM leaders were present.
— OC |
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Enquiry hotline
New Delhi, July 8 |
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New Ambassador to Italy
New Delhi, July 8 Fluent in Italian and Swedish, he will assume charge of the Indian mission in Rome in October. He has earlier served as Ambassador to Romania. A 1974 batch career diplomat, and a painter and writer, Mr Dogra is an expert on foreign trade and played a key role in consolidating economic ties with the Central Asian states as well as Russia. It will be his mandate to help boost bilateral trade and cooperation in other areas
with Italy, one of world’s key industrial powers. — IANS |
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Mumbai, July 8
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