New Delhi, July 26
IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal PV Naik, who retires at the end of this month, today assured the nation that Pakistan’s tactical nuclear missile Nasr, which was recently unveiled, or its expanding nuclear arsenal was not a cause of worry to India.

India’s response to a nuclear strike would be “very heavy” in case someone chooses to do so. “Our nuclear policy is of ‘no first use’. It also talks about a very heavy response in case of a nuclear attack, a retaliatory and hard response,” Air Chief Marshal Naik told reporters at his final press conference here today.

The Air Chief was responding to a query on the Pakistan’s new tactical nuclear missile Nasr, which is touted to be a “game changer” in future warfare and aimed at blunting India’s cold-start doctrine that is largely backed by quick-moving land forces in conjunction with the IAF.

“Our response would be absolutely violent as per our existing policy,” he said, adding that he did not see the new Pak missile as a “game changer’. Pakistan recently successfully tested Nasr, a short-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile which can hit targets in the range of 60 km.

Asked if there was any need to be concerned about the assessment that Pakistan had an edge over India in terms of the number of nuclear warheads, the IAF Chief said: “There is no need to be worried on this.”

The IAF Chief's statement follows media reports from Pakistan that the country planned to add 24 nuclear-capable missiles and their air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles would be able to hit targets at a distance between 700 km and 1000 km.

The IAF chief, who is known to speak his mind, said India did not need a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in the “next five to 10 years”. The CDS was one of the recommendations in the Kargil review committee and in 2001 the group of ministers had strongly recommended a CDS as a single-point military adviser to the government. The country did not possess the desired technology to facilitate such an officer. “At present we don't have the technology. It is coming in the form of Integrated Command and Control System. Once that technology is available in five to 10 years, then once again we can think whether we can have a CDS or not.”

He said contracts to construct new Advanced Landing Grounds in the North-east would be signed next month while the evaluation reports to purchase heavy-lift choppers and attack choppers have been submitted to the Ministry of Defence for approval.

Speaking about the expected $10.4-billion 126 fighter jet deal, he said the likely winner of the combat aircraft deal would be known in the "next five to six" weeks.

Guwahati, July 26
Showing signs of its inclination to sit for dialogue with the government, the anti-talks faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) led by its “chairman” Ranjan Daimary today announced indefinite ceasefire with effect from August 1 “to find a political solution to Bodo insurgency problem through political dialogue”.

This was said in a statement issued to the media by the outfit’s information and publicity secretary B Khwlw Khwlw. “The general meeting of the NDFB, held on July 25, 2011, at general headquarters unanimously decided to cease all hostile activities indefinitely with effect from August 1, 2011, to find a durable and sustainable political solution to the conflict through political dialogue and discussion,” the statement said.

CM Tarun Gogoi had earlier claimed receiving positive feelers from the NDFB (anti-talks) faction expressing interest to come over for dialogue with the government. He had entrusted the Bodo National Convention (BNC), a civil society banner organisation working for the unification of all Bodo groups and facilitate peace talks between militants and the government, to persuade the NDFB faction to come for dialogue in the greater interest of restoring lasting peace.

Tezpur, July 26
The security forces today claimed to have arrested Arun Udoy Dehotia, the right hand man of Paresh Baruah, in Assam’s Sonitpur district, but it turned out it was another ULFA leader. A joint team of the 44 Assam Rifles and the police raided Jinjia village in Biswanath subdivision and arrested Ritwik Hazarika, who was first thought to be Dehotia, the ULFA publicity secretary of the anti-talk faction led by Paresh Baruah, SP Anant Prasad Tiwari said here.

Ritwik was initially mistaken for Dehotia as they both had similar physical features with local people also claiming it to be him, Tiwari said. A pistol with two magazines, two mobile phones and three SIM cards were seized from him, Tiwari said. “Though Ritwik is not Dehotia, he is nevertheless a very important and senior cadre of the political wing of the anti-talk faction led by ‘ULFA c-in-c’ Paresh Baruah,” the SP said. He further stated that Ritwik was sent by Paresh Baruah from Myanmar to prepare the ground for the ULFA in northern Assam to launch a recruitment drive. He was being interrogated at the Assam Rifles camp at Lokra in Tezpur. — PTI

New Delhi, July 26
Gujarat’s former Home Minister Amit Shah today contended in the Supreme Court that the CBI had implicated him in the case relating to the murder of Sohrabuddin Sheikh allegedly in a fake encounter in November 2005 by fabricating evidence.

Senior counsel Ram Jethmalani, arguing for Shah before a Bench comprising Justices Aftab Alam and RM Lodha, contended that this had been brought to light by a sting operation conducted by a television news channel.

Jethmalani sought to file the transcript of the sting operation but the Bench said it was not inclined to take it on record at this point of time. Nevertheless, the court advised CBI counsel KTS Tulsi to pull out of the case as he had appeared for the Gujarat Government in the same case in 2007. Tulsi immediately accepted the suggestion despite the fact that none of the parties to the case had raised any objection on this score.

Jethmalani said the CBI chargesheet against his client would have to go if the contents of the sting operation were true. The Bench, however, said it would like to first decide on the CBI’s plea for holding the trial in the case outside Gujarat and the ban imposed on Shah by the Supreme Court, restraining him from entering that state at the time of granting him bail.

These two issues had already taken a long time and had to be expedited, the Bench clarified. The hearing was adjourned for August 17 due to the withdrawal of Tulsi.

The Gujarat police had maintained that Sohrabuddin was a terrorist belonging to Pakistan’s Lashkar-e-Toiba. Both Sohrabuddin and his wife Kausar Bi were allegedly eliminated by the state police. According to the CBI, Shah had a role in the killing.

Kolkata, July 26
The one-member bench of Justice Saumitra Pal at the Calcutta High Court hearing the Tata Motors’ charges against the state government on their land-grabbing at Singur today recused himself from the case.

He said he was taking the decision on personal ground and he had conveyed to the Chief Justice about his decision. Chief Justice J N Patel reassigned the case to Justice Indra Prasanna Mukerji who would hear the matter afresh.

Justice Pal who had been hearing the Tata Motors’ petition since June 21 last made his decision of stepping out during the hearing at the high court today. Both the state Advocate General Aninda Mitra and Tata Motors’ counsel Samaraditya (Bachu) Pal requested him to continue, but Justice Pal declined.

He feared he could not make a fair judgment as after scrutinising the petition papers he found the names of some persons closely known to him had been named in the case.

Hyderabad, July 26
Telangana agitators are on a renaming spree. As part of a strategy to step up the statehood movement, they have embarked on a mission to rewrite the boards, nameplates, and other official insignia in government offices, replacing the words “Andhra Pradesh” with “Telangana”.

Armed with buckets of paint, brushes and stickers, thousands of Telangana activists hit the streets across and went on a name-changing spree. The activists targeted government offices, private establishments, universities, and hotels and even private vehicles.

Even the hotel boards which read “Andhra Meals” were changed to “Telangana” while the number plates of the vehicles were prefixed with letters “TG” instead of the normal “AP”. They also pasted stickers on the boards of government offices, private establishments and hotels.

The police and the civic authorities looked the other way as Telangana activists went about their job as per the call given by the Telangana Joint Action Committee.

New Delhi, July 26
The Congress today quickly got into a fire-fighting mode to undo the twin damage done to its image by its two high-profile leaders - Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh and former Union Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar - one by wiping his shoe with a garland given to him out of reverence and the other for calling the Congress a “circus”.

Jairam was caught on TV camera wiping his shoe with a garland of spun cotton given by Congress members while welcoming him at a public function in Rajasthan yesterday.

AICC general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi was visibly upset when mediapersons mentioned this incident and said, “In the life of a nation there are certain symbols and one should be more careful and sensitive about them.”

Rajasthan Congress leaders Rameshwar Dudi and Rampyari Vishnoi garlanded Jairam, but after some time he took off the garland and wiped the dust off his shoe with one of them.

The state BJP immediately demanded an apology from Jairam reminding him that, “The garland is a symbol of Gandhi’s spinning wheel. It (the act) is an insult to Gandhi’s khadi.”

Meanwhile, Dwivedi seemed to be targeting simultaneously Mani Shankar Aiyar, who dismissed the Congress party as a “circus”. Mani though was quick to retrace his steps and said he merely described the “mela” at 24, Akbar Road, as a “circus”.

Aiyar known for his wit and repartee also added that he hoped the party had not lost its ability to laugh at itself. But Janardhan’s indignation and Mani’s quick retreat clearly demonstrated that the Congress lacked the ability to laugh at itself.

As for party leader Satyvrat Chaturvedi’s “pertinent question”, he said, “I am neither the joker or the trapeze artiste at the circus but a caged lion.”

He fondly remembered how former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi used to enjoy his jokes and added, “I trust the Congress has not lost its capacity to laugh at itself.”

Sources said Aiyar who had implicitly dragged Ahmed Patel into the controversy as well reportedly got a earful from Ahmedbhai and only after that he realised that his party had lost its capacity to laugh at itself, at least after Rajiv Gandhi’s death. 

New Delhi/London, July 26
The years-long veil of secrecy over the alleged black money stashed away by Indians in Swiss banks may end soon with India and Switzerland both exuding confidence that their revised treaty for sharing of account details would come into effect this year.

Speaking to reporters during his London visit, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said last evening that the new tax treaty to help India get the account details of Indians having black money in Swiss banks might come into force by 2011-end.

Back in New Delhi, Swiss Ambassador to India Philippe Welti was more specific and said he was hopeful of all the formalities from Switzerland's side being completed by October 6 with regard to the new treaty.

Welti told PTI in an interview that he was very optimistic about Switzerland informing the Indian government after October 7 about its readiness to exchange information.

The issue of black money stashed away by Indians in safe havens abroad, including in Swiss banks, is being widely debated in India and the recent months have seen a growing judicial scrutiny and political outcry over the matter.

The level of secrecy has somehow lessened recently with a disclosure by the Switzerland's central bank, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) that the total deposits of Indians in various Swiss banks stood at $ 2.5 billion as on 2010-end.

While this is the first-ever official disclosure of money held by Indians -- both individuals and institutions -- in Swiss banks, insiders say that the actual wealth held directly and indirectly by Indians there could be much more.

Amid a raging debate on Indians having allegedly stashed away billions of dollars in Swiss banks, the two countries in August last year signed an agreement to revise their Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement.

If it comes into force this year, the revised treaty would allow India to seek secret bank account details from Switzerland with effect from January 1, 2011 itself.

Speaking to newsmen At India House in London last evening, Mukherjee said: "We signed a protocol amending the existing Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement with Switzerland last August. As per their law and Constitution, their international agreements should be ratified by both houses of Parliament and local authorities. "The ratification by the two houses are over. The ratification by local authorities may be over by the end of this year".

The revised DTAA was approved by Switzerland's Parliament on June 17. After ratification by Parliament, the treaty is open to scrutiny by Swiss people for 100 days, which ends on October 6. If there is an opposition to the agreement, then the same would be subject to a national referendum.

However, the Swiss Ambassador said he was hopeful the treaty would be approved without a national referendum.

"By October, it will be clear whether we will have a referendum or not... I have a strong feeling that by October 6, we will be able to say that there will be no referendum.

"... My feelings tell me that there will be no need for a referendum... If I am proven right, it means that after October 7 (this year) we will inform the Indian government that we (Swiss government) are ready for exchange of information," Welti said. — PTI

New Delhi, July 26
Even as pressure mounted on BJP president Nitin Gadkari to sack Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, with BJP general secretary Ananth Kumar meeting the president here today, Yeddyurappa has thrown a gauntlet at his political rivals both within the party like Kumar and outside like JD-S chief H.D. Deve Gowda to prove any wrongdoing by him. Lokayukta Santosh Hegde is to submit his report in Bangalore tomorrow.

While Ananth Kumar and BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad refused to divulge what transpired at Kumar’s meeting with Gadkari earlier this morning, Yeddyurappa has virtually challenged his biggest detractor in the BJP, Ananth Kumar to investigate any wrongdoing by him.

For the second day today the BJP refused to acknowledge Yeddyurappa’s letter. In a similar letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Karnataka Chief Minister has offered to be probed by Hegde-led panel comprising Deve Gowda and External Affairs minister S.M. Krishna on phone tapping. He also set a deadline of two months to complete these probes. In effect accepting Yeddyurappa’s challenge implied giving him a grace period of two months.

Sections within the BJP are questioning Hegde’s claims of finding against former CM S.M. Krishna, wondering how come the Congress CMs have been spared while the BJP alone has been singled out by the Lokayukta?

Meanwhile, party vice-president Shanta Kumar has been pulled up for going public against Yeddyurappa. But that apart, CM baiters are busy trying to pull him down and Ananth Kumar’s meeting with the party president is being seen in the same light.

According to sources, anti-Yeddyurappa camp is trying to persuade the party to replace Yeddyurappa with some leader of credibility. But the party high command faces the dilemma that if it sacks Yeddyurappa it may have to do the same to Reddy brothers and taking on their financial clout is no mean task. Losing Yeddyurappa may also result in losing Lingayat vote bank. The BJP is busy computing the losses but does not feel too confident. The only option it considers feasible is to ask Yeddyurappa to advise dissolution of the House and go in for mid-term poll.

FIRs have been filed against kin of officials who are under the scanner of Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, sources said. — PTI

Mumbai, July 26
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today informed the Bombay High Court that investigations into the attached properties of Pune-based businessman Hasan Ali Khan, arrested in a multi-crore money laundering scam, has revealed that the assets were purchased through dubious transactions so as to not disclose the true source of funds.

"Properties (both movable and immovable) worth about Rs 16.5 crore were attached on June 30. Investigations revealed Khan had arranged for cheques to be issued in lieu of cash given by him to several persons so as to not disclose the true nature of transactions," the affidavit stated.

The affidavit was filed by ED while opposing Khan's bail plea before Justice A M Thipsay.

It further claimed that Peddar Road property purchased in the name of Khan's wife Rheema in 2003 was through a loan arranged by a finance company Dhanshri Fin Caps Ltd.

"The loan for Rs 1.40 crore was arranged after Khan paid the company in cash so as to camouflage the true source of funds," the affidavit alleged.

According to ED, several transactions shown as payment through loans or cheques were actually in lieu of cash already given by Khan. — PTI