New Delhi, September 10
When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh holds a bilateral meeting with US President George Bush in New York next week on the margins of United Nations General Assembly, the two leaders would take up several differences that have erupted since their June 19 meeting in Washington.

Diplomatic sources here said the USA, at an official level, has reported to the Ministry of External Affairs in the past few weeks about certain irritants and added a rider that if these concerns went unaddressed the Indo-US nuclear deal might be derailed.

The Americans are reportedly upset over three things. One, an alleged remark by Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar that India will take “minimalist” position when the stage of identifying military nuclear facilities comes. They are also peeved at a statement allegedly made by Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran regarding Iran.

Thirdly, Washington wants India to come out with a categoric statement that it is against Iran becoming a nuclear weapon state.

India has dismissed all above-mentioned US “concerns” as baseless. On the first two, New Delhi has conveyed to Washington that nothing of the sort has been stated either by Mr Kakodkar or by Mr Saran in the first place. The Foreign Secretary went on record yesterday to say that he had not made any such statement and advised that statements should not be made on the basis of media reports.

On the third point, the Foreign Secretary said India had repeatedly stated that it was against proliferation of nuclear weapons and all countries, including Iran, should adhere to their international commitments in that regard.

“Any differences should be resolved through discussions, not through confrontation,” Mr Saran said in response to a question during his briefing on the Prime Minister’s coming visit to France and the UNGA.

However, despite these so-called irritants or differences (from the American viewpoint) the two countries continue to be engaged in building up their strategic partnership.

An example of this is the fact that an American defence team yesterday concluded a two-day classified briefing of Indian officials of the Ministry of Defence on the Patriot Advanced Capability 3 missile (PAC 3).

Pakistan has already expressed concern about the purported American sale of PAC 3 to India which is considered to be the world’s most advanced ground-based air defence system. The USA has gone ahead with the classified briefings to India on PAC 3 despite Islamabad’s protests that the move would upset the strategic balance in the subcontinent.

Patriot is a long-range, high-altitude, all-weather system designed to defeat advanced threats, including aircraft, tactical ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles. Combat proven during operation Desert Storm, Patriot can simultaneously engage multiple targets under the most severe electronic countermeasure conditions.

Only eight countries — the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Taiwan and Greece — have currently deployed the system.

Lieut-Gen Jeffrey B. Kohler, Director of the Pentagon’s Defence Security Cooperation Agency, led the briefing team. It also included officials from the US air force, navy and Boeing and Lockheed Martin companies. Gen Kohler said the PAC 3 system had unique capabilities, particularly against weapons of mass destruction.

The briefing, which was requested by India, is a follow-up to the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership (NSSP) under which the two countries have pledged to cooperate on missile defence.

The American defence team also made presentations to the Indian Air Force and the Navy on F-16 and more advanced F/A-18 Hornet combat aircraft and the P3-C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft.

The two sides also held discussions on the possible joint production of military hardware, Gen Kohler said. The 10-year defence agreement recently signed by India and the USA envisaged joint production of weapons and transfer of technology.

India would need to buy more than 100 advanced combat aircraft to replace its largely Russian-built fleet which is fast ageing.

France, Sweden and Russia, apart from the USA, are keen on selling fighter aircraft to India. India and the USA have held a series of joint military exercises and F-16 and F/A-18 combat jets are expected to take part in a joint Indo-US air exercise, Cope India, in November this year.

New Delhi, September 10
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) today expressed its opposition to any move to oust Fertiliser and Chemical Minister Ram Vilas Paswan from the UPA.

NCP General Secretary Tariq Anwar told newspersons that ousting Mr Paswan from the UPA would not be the proper course of action in the event of the LJP leader contesting the crucial poll in Bihar separately because of local “compulsions”.

In a bid to effect a patch-up between RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mr Paswan ahead of the Assembly poll, Mr Anwar suggested that the issue of chief ministership be decided after the poll.

“The chief ministership issue should be decided after the poll. Even in the last Lok Sabha poll, the issue of prime ministerial candidate was taken up later”, he said.

In the last elections held in February, Mr Yadav had remained adamant on making his wife Rabri Devi as the Chief Minister while Mr Paswan had been insisting that a Muslim should head the government. Mr Anwar said formation of any third front in Bihar ahead of the poll would only divide the secular votes as it had happened in Jharkhand enabling the BJP to form the government.

Observing that no single party was in a position to form a government, the NCP leader said in the coming days, a time-bound programme for the state should be made.

He said NCP leader Sharad Pawar had formed a two-member team comprising Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and himself to talk to Mr Yadav and Mr Paswan.

Meanwhile, former Manipur Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam and five others, including two former ministers, today joined the NCP.

Patna, September 10
LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan today said it was for the Congress to decide whether it wanted to go to polls in Bihar on a larger UPA platform comprising majority of its allies or with the RJD.

Asking the Congress leadership to steer clear of the controversy over the issue of a Muslim chief minister, Mr Paswan asserted he was ready to make any sacrifice for the uplift of minorities, Dalits and other weaker sections.

“By stating that our party’s demand for a Muslim chief minister is unreasonable and impractical, the Congress has done political hara-kiri. Its secular credentials are now at stake,” he said.

The Union Minister for Steel, Chemical and Fertilisers also ruled out the possibility of his resignation from the UPA “under pressure” from any quarter, including that of the RJD.

“It is now for the Congress to choose between the RJD and the LJP and retract from its stand describing my party’s insistence on a Muslim becoming chief minister as unreasonable and impractical,” he said.

Reiterating that the LJP would not make any compromise and maintain an equal distance from both RJD and BJP, Mr Paswan claimed that “the LJP represents the larger UPA with support of majority of its allies in Bihar and the ball is now in the court of the Congress to decide whether it wants to stay with us or join hands with the RJD.” — PTI

Kolkata, September 10
The veteran CPM leader, Mr Jyoti Basu, today lashed out at the CPI for breaking the Left Parties’ unity against the BJP on the eve of the Assembly elections in Bihar.

Mr Basu alleged that the CPI’s open challenge to Mr Lallu Prasad Yadav against Mr Ram Vilash Paswan was helping the BJP and the NDA partners in their electioneering.

He suggested that both Mr Paswan and Mr Yadav should be brought to the negotiating table for bridging their differences and the Congress and the Left should jointly work in that direction.

Mr Basu felt at this critical juncture, the Left Parties should try to unite the secular forces in Bihar against the BJP for restoring a secular and stable government in the state.

The CPM state committee, after the end of its two-day meetings in the city, resolved to support the secular parties in Bihar in the forthcoming elections against the BJP and accordingly the committee suggested that the anti-BJP parties should form an electoral adjustment among themselves during the poll.

The CPM wants that this time a strong, stable and secular government be set up in Bihar and the UPA and the Left Parties should work jointly in that direction.

Hyderabad, September 10
Many of the Andhra Pradesh politicians have fielded their kith and kin for the municipal elections scheduled for September 24.

Ahead in strengthening the family bonds is none other than the Congress Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, whose brother-in-law Ravindranath Reddy and first cousin Manohar Reddy are in the race from the CM's home district Kadapa.

As many as 16,023 candidates are in the fray for 3500 wards in 96 municipalities and 11 corporations. Elections to Hyderabad are on hold in view of the proposed Greater Hyderabad move.

Three Ministers followed in the CM's footsteps. Rural Development Minister D Srinivas has his son Sanjay in the fray in Nizamabad, while Minister for Cooperation K Lakshmi Narayana and CM's son Nagaraju is contesting for Guntur municipality.

Panchayat Raj Minister J C Diwakar Reddy ensured his brother J C Prabahakar Reddy is nominated for Tadipatri in his native Anantapur district.

The elections, to be held on party lines, will witness a multi-cornered contest with Congress, TDP, TRS and BJP contesting the polls independently. Only the Congress and the Left parties have an understanding in these local polls, widely seen here as a test of the Congress government and CM's popularity.

A host of the MLAs, especially from the Congress, were also able to prevail upon the state leadership to give tickets to their blood relations.

With most of the party ticket appropriated by bigwigs, many aspirants, ordinary workers of the various parties, were left in the lurch, leading to protests and even attempts at suicide.

Mumbai, September 10
Aspiring actress Preeti Jain, who hit the headlines last year after she levelled allegations of rape against director Madhur Bhandarkar, was today arrested here for allegedly trying to get the latter killed.

The police said Preeti had tried to hire former underworld don and present MLA Arun Gawli to kill Bhandarkar.

Preeti allegedly paid Rs 70,000 as part payment to Gawli henchman Naresh Pardesi two months ago. However, Pardesi allegedly decamped with the money. The actress is then believed to have contacted Gawli directly who told her to approach the police. Gawli’s advocate is said to have brought the matter to the notice of the police.