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CPM’s new chant: More industries, more jobs
Sleeper cells can spoil party
Government to lay pressure on B’desh
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BJP wants to know who’s calling shots in Pak
Call off talks with Islamabad: Sinha
Mumbai Parsis split over lawyer's offer
Interpol promises help
Rs 800 cr to put Varanasi
on world map
ISRO conducts ‘hot test’ on cryogenic engine
MP Cabinet formed 23 sworn in
Verma is new internal security adviser
Pro-LTTE leaders burn Sonia’s effigy
Govt to export 20 lakh tonne wheat
Panel raps PGI
IAF geared up, says chief
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CPM’s new chant: More industries, more jobs
Kolkata, December 20 The leadership that included Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and party secretary Biman Bose as the main speakers called upon their workers and supporters to defeat the Congress, BJP and other vested interests in the forthcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections and isolate them from society. Today’s brigade rally was organised by the CPM’s youth wing, the DYFl. From early morning, the cadres carrying the red flags and festoons, came out in processions in the streets in Kolkata from different directions which paralysed the traffic and transport system in the city and the neighboiuring areas. Hundreds of party workers and supporters arrived in the city last night by trains from the districts and they were accommodated in the Netaji indoor stadium and the Eden Gardens premises. Addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister alerted the party workers against capitalist forces and other vested political interests that had been “ruining the country”. He reiterated that the front government was committed to implement the rapid industrialisation programme for solving the present unemployment problem. He accused the UPA of flouting the common minimum programme by selling the country’s sovereignty to US imperialism. The party secretary exhorted the CPM workers to prepare themselves for the Lok Sabha polls. He said the country was now passing through a serious crisis for which the ruling UPA and some other interests were responsible. He asked the party men to work sincerely and whole-heartedly for defeating the Congress, Trinamool Congress, BJP and other vested interests in the forthcoming polls and elect the Left Front candidates in large number. Meanwhile, Mamata has announced that she was now ready to join hands with any political party for defeating and ousting the CPM from power. She said the people now wanted to see the CPM out of power for their prolonged misrule and misuse of power. She felt the situation was now ripe in West Bengal and other states for all anti-CPM parties to get united and fight jointly against the CPM for defeating it. Mamata alleged the CPM was now involved in a false campaign for “more industries” after destroying all the existing industries during their prolonged 32 years of misrule in Bengal. She said once they were in power, they would demonstrate what actually industrialisation meant with the setting up of new industries and re-opening of the sick and closed mills.
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Year-end Celebrations
New Delhi, December 20 According to sources, intelligence inputs indicate 600 terrorists and their sleeper cells to be underground in different parts of the country, who may carry out attacks in the New Year. The home ministry in its list of suggestions to the states and union territories has asked to establish a round-the-clock control room. The control room should be linked by computer for sending and receiving e-mails, telephone, mobile telephone for sending sms and fax to the offices of the district magistrate and SP at the district headquarters. The control room should be the centre to receive and disseminate intelligence / information pertaining to terrorism and other forms of organised violence. The home ministry wants that the state intelligence wing must have an analysis group that will receive, collate, analyse, link up with previous inputs and disseminate intelligence inputs. This analysis group should work in two shifts totalling 16 hours - no more 9 to 5 jobs. All intelligence inputs and information should be forwarded to central government on a real time basis. The state have been asked to immediately identify major establishments, installations and symbolic or iconic structures. A small team of commandos should be positioned at each of these places round-the-clock. The central government has also offered assistance to train and equip such commandos. Not just this in major towns, important private establishments that have large number of visitors coming in may also be identified. The access has to be controlled and related security equipment be installed. The home ministry also wants the states to get rid of mafia gangs, extortion gangs, land sharks and loan sharks. Several of these gangs are linked to the under world. The ministry also suggests that actions should be taken under the National Security Act (NSA), Goonda Act, Unlawful Activities Act or similar enactment.
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Tackling Terror
Guwahati, December 20 “India has been putting much pressure on Pakistan to stop anti-India activities from its soil and now, the central government has agreed to put similar pressure on Bangladesh also,” Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said here today. Gogoi had held meetings with the Prime Minister, union home minister, external affairs minister and defence minister during his recent New Delhi visit and discussed mainly the insurgency problem facing the state. He said, “I had tried to impress upon them the gravity and seriousness of the issue in Assam compared to other states. The problem is far more serious here.” The Chief Minister had pointed that the state has over 14 active insurgent groups and almost all its neighbouring states have more than one such group, with the latter having much influence in bordering Assam districts. Ethnic tension, difficult terrain and vast foreign borders further made the situation tough for Assam, Gogoi claimed, with Bangladeshi infiltration also another major problem. Pointing specifically towards the neighbouring nation, he said, “Bangladesh has camps of Northeast militants and also several other Islamic radical groups and all these outfits are constantly targeting our state.” “Such problems exist with Myanmar and Nepal also, but to a far lesser extent,” he added. The Chief Minister informed that the centre will take up these issues with Bangladesh and demand stern action on their part.
— UNI
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BJP wants to know who’s calling shots in Pak
New Delhi, December 20 Prasad further said Sharif’s exposure has clearly established that those involved in Mumbai strikes ‘were not only Pakistanis, but were trained and duly aided by influential sections within Pakistan.’ “Apart from Sharif, Kasab’s father has also identified his son. Moreover, the residents of Kasab’s village also confirmed that a couple of months ago the boy had come to seek the blessings of his mother to undertake an assignment of grave importance.” The BJP spokesman also referred to the terrorist’s demand for legal assistance from Pakistan and said in spite of such incontrovertible evidence Pakistan continues to be in a denial mode. “This will not be good for Pakistan or democracy in Pakistan,” warned Prasad.
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Call off talks with Islamabad: Sinha
New Delhi, December 20 BJP leader Yashwant Sinha said the government seemed to lack "cohesion" of thinking as senior ministers were speaking in different tones on the issue of dealing with Pakistan. The former external affairs minister said New Delhi should build pressure on Islamabad by sending high-level political emissaries to various countries, besides the US and UK, with "incontrovertible" proof of the involvement of Pakistani elements in the Mumbai attacks. "Not judging between strength and weakness, somewhere the grip seems to have loosened over the last few days. Our government seems to be speaking in different voices," Sinha told Karan Thapar in 'Devil's Advocate' on
CNN-IBN. "We hear the external affairs minister (Pranab Mukherjee) saying one thing and the defence minister (A K
Antony) saying another thing on the very same day (on dealing with Pakistan). I think it will be better if there was unity and cohesion within the spokespersons of the government," he added. He said the ministers should discuss more among themselves and "come to a clear conclusion. There is lack of cohesion in
thinking". On how to deal with Pakistan, he said if his party were in power, it would have opted to "call off the composite dialogue" rather than putting a "pause" as has been done by the UPA
government. Making it clear that his party was not satisfied with the measures taken by Islamabad to meet New Delhi's demands for curbing terrorism, Sinha said, "Well, Pakistan has taken some steps. But, clearly Pakistan is not doing enough. I think what Pakistan has done is most inadequate, if not complete eyewash."
— PTI
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Move to defend Kasab
Mumbai, December 20 The leaders of the tiny community have come out against Kaikhusro B N Lam, the lawyer who has come out in the open to defend Kasab after reading media reports that no one was willing to do so in court. Lam, who has been a barrister at Lincoln's Inn in London, is now practising in Mumbai and teaches law at the Government Law College here. Earlier this week, the Bombay Parsi Panchayat (BPP) adopted a resolution to ostracise Lam from the community for choosing to defend Kasab. "The chairman and trustees.... state that the Parsi Irani Zoroastrian community wishes to totally disassociate itself from barrister K B N Lam who intends to take up the brief of the arrested Pakistani terrorist Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab," the statement said. The BPP also called upon Lam to change his mind and not associate himself with Kasab. So far, Lam has stuck to his stand and said he would defend Kasab so that the case could be heard by the court. Till a lawyer is appointed to defend the accused, the case cannot be heard by the court. However, the decision of the BPP has drawn flak from reformists in the Parsi community who say things should be left to Lam's own conscience. According to sources, some people opposed to members of the BPP are collecting signatures in support of Lam. A meeting is also likely to be held to oppose office-bearers of the BPP, according to members of the community. Lam has drawn flak from colleagues and even the Shiv Sena for deciding to defend Kasab. Last week, Shiv Sena activists attempted to attack his house in South Mumbai. Lam called the actions of the Shiv Sainiks equal to that of the terrorists. He has now been provided with police protection.
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Mumbai Heat
New Delhi, December 20 Noble told the home minister that the details of the terrorists, who were killed or captured, including their names, fingerprints, DNA profiles and photographs, were compared with Interpol’s global databases and appropriately disseminated to each and every one of its 186-member countries. Interpol also offered to issue black notices (for deceased persons) and blue notices (to obtain additional information) for the 10 terrorists involved in the attacks. These notices will allow investigators to seek formal and structured assistance from Interpol-member countries, they said. In addition to the ongoing support to the probe, Interpol is offering to extend access to its global databases beyond the Interpol National Central Bureau. This will include police, immigration, border-control units and other law enforcement authorities, thus enabling officers to conduct real-time checks of databases on wanted persons, stolen and lost travel documents and other critical information related to terrorism. Noble also met CBI director Ashwani Kumar yesterday. CBI has experience in using Interpol tools and services to track down terrorist fugitives. India has said the gunmen were trained and equipped by the Pakistan-based militant group Laskhar-e-Taiba.
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Rs 800 cr to put Varanasi
on world map
Lucknow, December 20 Towards this end, CM Mayawati unveiled the foundation stones of various projects for flyovers, roads, drinking water supply, sewerage, drainage system, solid waste management, improvement of power supply to cost approximately Rs 800.68 crore. Elaborating upon the schemes for the development of Varanasi, the Chief Minister said action had been initiated on the Heritage Plan of Varanasi that would be completed within six months. She further said that directives had been issued to invite financial bids for the construction of multi-level underground car parking projects at Beniabagh, Shaheed Udhyan and Maidagin on public-private partnership (PPP) basis costing Rs 142 crore so that the traffic system of Varanasi could be improved. Various schemes for the development of Kannauj were also unveiled by Mayawati restore the lost glory of this historical city.
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ISRO conducts ‘hot test’ on cryogenic engine
Bangalore, December 20 The test was conducted at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Mahendragiri on December 18, the ISRO said in a statement here. “This cryogenic stage will be used in the next Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle mission - GSLV-D3,” it said. The indigenous cryogenic engine develops a thrust of 73 kilo Newtons (KN) in vacuum with a specific impulse of 454 seconds and provides a payload capability of 2,200 kg to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) for GSLV. The Cryogenic engine will be further integrated with propellent tanks, stage structures and associated feed lines to realise the first fully integrated indigenous flight cryogenic stage by the middle of next year.
— PTI
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MP Cabinet formed 23 sworn in
Bhopal, December 20 Most of them are old faces-Babulal Gaur, Kailash Vijayvargiya, Anoop Mishra, Laxmi Kant Sharma, Tukojirao Pawar, Gopal Bhargava, Raghavi and Jayant Malaiya-who were holding ministerial assignments in the last government. Bands, fireworks and crowds of joyous supporters outside the residences of the ministers threw the movement of traffic in several parts of the city out of gear.
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Verma is new internal security adviser
New Delhi, December 20 Another IPS officer, Safi Ahsan Rizvi, of the 1989 batch has been appointed as officer on special duty to the home minister. Separately Rajeev Kumar Mital, an IAS of the Maharashtra cadre has been appointed as private secretary to the home minister.
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Pro-LTTE leaders burn Sonia’s effigy
Chennai, December 20 It all started when the workers of Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam, a breakaway group of Dravidar Kazhagam were holding a protest demonstration in the city demanding the release of their leader S. Mani and film director Seeman, who were arrested for making pro-LTTE speeches. They also burnt effigies of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, alleging that they were behind the Sri Lankan government’s ‘genocidal war against Tamils’. When they tried to burn effigies of Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, Congress men, rushed to the spot and attacked some of the protestors, who retaliated.
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Govt to export 20 lakh tonne wheat
New Delhi, December 20 As per the fourth advance estimate released by the department of agriculture and cooperation, the country registered record production of 215.56 million tonnes of food grains, including rice, wheat and coarse grains. “We have decided to allow export of up to 20 lakh tonne of wheat from the central pool, on diplomatic basis to friendly countries, Akhilesh Prasad Singh, minister of state for consumer affairs, told Rajya Sabha on Friday. The ministry of external affairs will make payment to FCI at economic cost.
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Panel raps PGI
New Delhi, December 20 In its report tabled in Parliament, the committee on health and family welfare found merit in the case and wondered as to why PGI, Chandigarh, had taken so many years to propose the amendments. The committee questioned the director of the institute as to why it had taken so long. It then refused to buy the argument extended by the department that suo moto action in the matter could not be taken due to “autonomous character of the institute.” The PGIMER, Chandigarh, moved for amendments to the Act on the pattern of AIIMS, which had proposed similar changes in 2002. The institute further told the committee, when asked about the delay, that it proceeded only on the pattern of
AIIMS.
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