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NDA delegation meets President
Left welcomes probe into Volcker findings
Manekshaw stable
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Indo-US air exercise begins amid protests
Solar power plant at Rashtrapati Bhavan soon
Kalam urges companies to create jobs
No to Salman’s plea for
in-camera trial
Double capacity at IFFI
SC orders fresh examination of Kanshi Ram’s health
Dacoit Gujjar shot
Polling put off in 15 Bihar Assembly seats
Narayanan grave
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NDA delegation meets President
New Delhi, November 7 “This (removal of Mr Natwar Singh as External Affairs Minister, but his retention as Minister without portfolio) has made the issue more murky as the Congress has indulged in political compromises to maintain its internal equilibrium,” BJP Spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said. The main Opposition party also dubbed the judicial probe ordered by the Centre into the issue as a “futile exercise” and demanded a CBI probe into it. “In fact, to probe such a scam, an agency, which is empowered to register an FIR and has the authority to travel abroad and probe the dealings, should be entrusted with the responsibility. A judicial commission into such a scam of international ramification would become a futile exercise,” Mr Javadekar said. Targeting the Congress, Mr Javadekar wanted to know “how the ruling party is now going to atone for its sins?” Former Union Minister and senior BJP leader, Murli Manohar Joshi said Mr Natwar Singh’s resignation was imperative. “To say that he is Minister without portfolio means nothing. This is a compulsion of a weak coalition under a weak leader who is constantly under pressure from the Left.” Terming the disclosures made by the Volcker report as “a very big scandal”, Dr Joshi said it was inhuman and unethical to get kickback in a humanitarian venture. The former BJP president, however, expressed satisfaction over the appointment of Justice R S Pathak as head of the judicial commission to look into the allegations made by the Volcker report. He said, “Justice Pathak is a well-known person for his very remarkable stint as the Chief Justice of India.” Earlier in the day, an NDA delegation, led by Leader of the Opposition L K Advani and NDA convener George Fernandes met President A P J Abdul Kalam and sought immediate removal of Mr Natwar Singh from the Union Cabinet and pressed for a CBI probe into his alleged involvement in the Iraq oil-for-food scam. The delegation requested the President to advise the Prime Minister to ensure that lawful investigations into the alleged commission of offences was ordered forthwith. Noting that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had already given a clean chit to Mr Singh, who has been named by the UN independent probe committee headed by Paul Volcker along with Congress party, the delegation led by Leader of the Opposition said: “We believe that the government would attempt a cover-up exercise.” Emerging out of the meeting, Mr Advani told mediapersons that the delegation had told the President that to be dubbed a lobbyist for a discredited Iraqi regime under Saddam Hussein was enough to render a foreign policy spokesman ineffective.” Some of Mr Singh’s recent statements also indicated that he was cracking under pressure, the memorandum said, adding that his statement about the UN panel that investigated the scam and other important countries lacked even basic diplomatic courtesy. The delegation told the President that it was distressing that the Congress and Left parties, which were having a row over allowing foreign direct investment in certain sectors, were not opposed to the FDI in political funding, even if it undermined the independence and sovereignty of the nation. In a related development, NDA Chairman Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mr Advani and Mr Fernandes sought from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, copies of documents in the possession of Volcker Committee for arriving at the names of Mr Natwar Singh and the Congress as being part of the scam. They also sought to know if prior intimation and opportunities were given to the External Affairs Minister and the Congress to explain their position and whether they were explained the modalities followed by the Volcker Committee to arrive at the conclusion on their involvement in the scam. “Our Parliament is assembling on November 23 and we shall be greatly obliged if you would try to assist us in getting a response from Volcker Committee by that time,” the NDA leaders said in a communication. |
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Left welcomes probe into Volcker findings
New Delhi, November 7 The Communists, who have come in support of Natwar Singh, said the appointment of committees — headed by Virender Dayal and Justice R.S. Pathak — “as a good one.” “He (External Affairs Minister) has a case. Let him put his case before them,” CPI General Secretary A.B. Bardhan told reporters. He refused to comment on the External Affairs Minister’s remarks that India would reverse its vote on a resolution on Iran’s nuclear programme at the IAEA if it was on a harsher note than the one moved at the meeting of the IAEA Governors in Vienna in September. Clearly indicating that they continue to back the External Affairs Minister, in this hour of crisis, the CPM Politburo in a statement said, “the Volcker Committee report cannot be taken as final and conclusive. The committee was set up under pressure of vicious attacks by the rightwing circles in the United States against the United Nations for undertaking the Oil for Food Programme in Iraq. These circumstances must be kept in mind, when considering the Volcker Committee’s report.” It said, “The appointment of Shri Virender Dayal, former Under-Secretary of the United Nations to collect all facts and information regarding the references to India in the Volcker Inquiry Committee is a necessary step. The appointment of Justice R.S. Pathak to look into the payments and related matters is also required.” The Left party said they had wanted an inquiry into the Volcker Committee findings to ascertain the actual facts after going through the evidence. The inquiry should unravel the truth behind the naming of the Congress and Natwar Singh in the annexure of the report as being “non-contractual beneficiaries”. The Communists did not leave an opportunity to score a point against the BJP by stating that the “politburo condemns the BJP and the rightwing media for toeing the American line of maligning the struggle of the Iraqi people against the unjust sanctions imposed on them. These apologists for the US do not have a word to say in condemnation of the brazen loot indulged in by the US companies in occupied Iraq, which is a scandal of massive proportions.” |
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Manekshaw stable
New Delhi, November 7 “His condition is stable and he is responding to treatment,” Major-Gen O.P. Mathews, Commandant of the hospital, said in a medical bulletin issued on the health of the 92-year-old Field Marshal, who was flown here this morning from his home near Wellington in Tamil Nadu. “We plan to undertake extensive investigations of his health condition,” the bulletin said as the Marshal, a veteran of World War II Burma campaign and hero of the 1971 Bangladesh Operations, had a brief tete with a number of VVIP callers on. The Army Chief Gen J.J. Singh as well as other top services brass called on the Field Marshal briefly in his Intensive Care Unit ward. Former President K.R. Narayanan is being treated in the same hospital for acute pneumonia and there has been no change in his condition from the time he was admitted October 29 and placed on a ventilator. Field Marshal Manekshaw was Army Chief from June 1969 to January 1973 when the force recorded its most decisive victory ever — the defeat of the 93,000-strong Pakistani Army in what was then East Pakistan, an event that led to the creation of Bangladesh in 1971. Born in Amritsar on April 3, 1914, Sam Manekshaw, as he was popularly called, was among the first batch of cadets to pass out of the Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun, in 1934. Decorated with the Military Cross for valour in Burma during World War II, he was conferred with the honorary rank of Field Marshal on January 1, 1973. |
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Indo-US air exercise begins amid protests
Kolkata, November 7 The joint exercise, which started at 8.30 am and held in batches, lasted over six hours, in which both US and the Indian Air Force pilots and engineers took part. Besides, US F-16s, Indian MIG 29s, Mirage 2000s, and Sukhoi 30s were also deployed in the drill. It was the beginning of the 13-day joint Indo-US air forces’ exercise “learning of drill”, called Cope India 2005, in which about 250 US air force officials and technicians and their 400 Indian counterparts will participate. The CPM and other Left parties opposed the exercise at Kalaikunda by organising large-scale demonstrations with the burning of Mr George Bush’s effigies and showing black flags to the US air force personnel. Entire Midnapore district, specially Kalaikunda township, had been decorated with red flags and festoons since yesterday. From the early morning workers and supporters of the CPM and other Left parties started coming in several processions and assembled near the air base. A large dais was also erected in the adjacent open field for the leaders to address the gathering. Over one lakh people encircled the Kalaikunda air base and staged demonstrations there by raising slogans against the US imperialism and the Bush administration. But none raised any slogans against either Dr Manmohan Singh or the UPA. In Kolkata, demonstrations were held in front of the American Center at Chowringee and Netaji Subhas International Airport in the presence of Mr Anil Biswas, CPM state secretary and Mr Biman Basu, Left Front chairman. Similar protests and demonstrations were organised at Siliguri in Darjeeling and several other districts, both in North Bengal and South Bengal Interestingly, the state Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who opposed the drill but did not participate in the demonstration, reiterated that he would still welcome larger US investments to Bengal. The Defence Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, welcomed the joint exercises, which, he said, would strengthen the Indian Air Force for meeting any external challenges. He hoped the 13-day Indo-US air force exercises could be completed smoothly with the administrative support of the state government. The front chairman and the CPM secretary reiterated that their protest and demonstrations would be peaceful in the remaining days of the exercises.
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Solar power plant at Rashtrapati Bhavan soon
New Delhi, November 7 Speaking at the inauguration of the ‘Global Conference on India R & D 2005 - The World’s Knowledge Hub of the Future’, Dr Kalam said, “we are working on a project for creation of a 5 mw solar energy plant for meeting the power needs of the Rashtrapati Bhavan”. Dr Kalam pointed out that though the capital cost of the project might work out to Rs 100 crore, the cost could be brought down by 60 per cent if high efficiency photovoltaic cells were available. It was mentioned that at present, silicon photovoltaic cells worked with an efficiency of 13 per cent to 15 per cent, whereas research has shown promise of achieving 50 per cent efficiency in solar photovoltaic cells with CNT and silicon bonding. “Educational institutions, R and D organisations and the industry should mount a mission mode programme to realise quantity production and marketing of the high efficiency CNT based photovoltaic cell within the next three years,” Dr Kalam said. Expressing hope that the country should achieve energy independence within the next 25 years, he went on to add. “In notional terms, there will be a minimum saving of Rs 200,000 crore in capital cost for establishing 50,000 mw of solar power out of 100,000 mw of power from renewable energy sources required for realising energy independence in the country.”
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Kalam urges companies to create jobs
New Delhi, November 7 He said in order to make India a cost-effective knowledge hub, there was an urgent need for creating attractive job opportunities for those who take up basic sciences as a career and scaling investments in R & D. Inaugurating “Global Conference on India R & D 2005- The World’s Knowledge Hub of the Future” here, he said for India to emerge as the centre for research and development, it was essential to make a career in science as attractive as engineering, management or medicine. “We should work for the creation of a science cadre with well-defined growth path and attractive salaries,” he added. The two-day conference aims at projecting India as a cost-effective knowledge hub in future and to stimulate investment for more R & D centres being set up in the country. Delegates and scientists from across the globe have gathered here to participate in the conference Dr Kalam asked private sector industries like pharmaceuticals, IT, oil and natural gas, transportation, agriculture and power to contribute to R & D and attract additional 400 MSc and 200 PhDs every year for carrying out research on frontier areas of science and technology. Terming energy independence as country’s urgent need, Dr Kalam said energy independence should be the nation’s first and highest priority. The President urged scientists to take up research in nano-technology and its applications. |
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No to Salman’s plea for
in-camera trial
New Delhi, November 7 “We don’t understand what for the in-camera trial is sought,” a Bench of Mr Justice Ashok Bhan and Mr Justice Altamas Kabir said, rejecting his petition. Salman Khan had sought the recording of evidence of Mumbai Police constable Ravinder Patil, a key witness, in-camera, contending that reporting of the court proceedings by media would go adversely against him. The court said since the evidence of other witnesses were being recorded in the open court, why should there be a problem in recording of Patil’s testimony in the open court. Salman had moved the Superme Court, challenging the Bombay High Court order rejecting his petition for the in-camera hearing of the case. The deposition of Patil, who was provided as a bodyguard to Khan, is considered to be crucial because he is the only eyewitness of his allegedly crushing to death a person sleeping on the footpath in Bandra by a rash driving and causing serious injuries to four others at wee hours of September 28, 2002.
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Double capacity at IFFI
New Delhi, November 7 Announcing decisions taken at the end of two-hour long deliberations by members of the IFFI organising committee, Information and Broadcasting Minister Jaipal Reddy told mediapersons that they have reviewed arrangements being made for the festival beginning on November 24. The meeting was chaired by the IFFI Chairperson Jaipal Reddy and the Chief Minister of Goa, Mr Pratapsingh Rane, who is co-Chairperson of the festival. Chief Secretary of Goa, Kiran Dhingra, Secretary, Information, Government of Goa, Debashree Mukherhee, CEO of the Entertainment Society of Goa, Sanchit Rodrigues, Director, Directorate of Film Festivals, Afzal Amanullah, and film-makers, Yash Chopra and Sudhir Mishra participated in the deliberations. The objective of the IFFI is to showcase a selection of the best of global and Indian cinema. Mr Reddy said they want to ensure that “some of the imperfections of last year’s film International film festival are removed.” Learning from last festival’s experience where a seating capacity of 900 persons led to problems, the organisers want to screen the films in the courtyard between the old JMC building and INOX multiplex. Replying to questions, Mr Reddy said while it was his duty to attend the festival, the organising committee is yet to decide on the name of the chief guest for the inaugural session. “We were thinking of some high profile intellectual film personalities but because of paucity of time, they could not be contacted.” Asked if the conflict over the name of the chief guest for the IFFI was discussed at the meeting, the minister said, “It was not discussed here at all.” Asked how much the IFFI was costing the government, Reddy gave figures of last year’s film festival when the I&B Ministry and the Goa Government spent Rs 3 crore each. Responding to the Goa Chief Minister’s request to schedule the film festival in February instead of November, the peak tourist season where travel bookings pose a problem, the minister said it was not possible to change the dates this year. Mr Pratapsingh Rane thanked the I&B Minister for his efforts in making Goa a permanent venue for the IFFI. Sources in the Directorate of Film Festival told TNS that 31 film-making countries including the China, Europe, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, the UK and the US, will present 58 films in the Cinema of the World section. The foreign retrospective will comprise films on Isabelle Rupert from France, a recent student film from Germany and a retrospective of films of Italian Director, Lina Wertnulla. |
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SC orders fresh examination of Kanshi Ram’s health
New Delhi, November 7 A bench comprising Mr Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Mr Justice P.P. Naolekar issued the direction to the Department of Clinical Psychology and Neurologists of AIIMS to get the ailing leader examined by a team of its doctors and submit a report within five weeks. The order was issued on a petition of Kanshi Rama’s mother Bishan Kaur, who had alleged that her son was kept in illegal custody by BSP supremo Mayawati and he was not being provided proper treatment as he was not able to speak. Kanshi Ram, the founder of BSP, has been sick for past few years and is reportedly confined to the bed. |
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Dacoit Gujjar shot
Lucknow, November 7 Nirbhay, who had spread a reign of terror in the districts of central Uttar Pradesh and also those of neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, carried a reward of Rs 2 lakh on his head. Senior Superintendent of Police (STF) Akhil Kumar, who personally led the operation, said the encounter lasted for over one hour after which the police recovered a body from the scene, which was identified as that of Nirbhay by a local resident. — PTI
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Polling put off in 15 Bihar Assembly seats
New Delhi, November 7 The decision was taken in the wake of reports from observers as well as returning officers.
— UNI
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