Thursday, August 13, 1998
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BJP down, but |
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 A person injured in the police firing on those agitating for flood relief in Sitamarhi, Bihar. — PTI Sitamarhi firing unprovoked, says RJD PATNA, Aug 12 — Bihar’s ruling RJD today termed as "unprovoked" the police firing on Janata Dal supporters at Sitamarhi even as Opposition parties demanded the resignation of the Rabri Devi government owning moral responsibility for the incident which claimed four lives. |
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Cauvery accord best
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BJP down, but not out NEW DELHI, Aug 12 — The Sword of Damocles continues to hang. Alliance with the AIADMK remains the Achilles heel. However, amidst uncertainty an ambience of stability seems to prevail in the ruling circles. The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, had spoken to Ms Jayalalitha over the telephone yesterday. He sent two emissaries, Mr George Fernandes and Mr Pramod Mahajan, to Chennai today. Ms Jayalalitha has not smiled as yet. In her frown, the BJP-led coalition has read an uncertain future which is going to last a while. Ms Jayalalitha is meeting her Tamil Nadu allies in Chennai tomorrow. She may not go to the extreme of withdrawing support. But short of that, she is likely to let her protest be registered loud and clear. This may mean her ministers in New Delhi sending in their papers to Mr Vajpayee (which Mr Vajpayee need not forward to the President immediately). It can also mean a large scale protest by the AIADMK and its allies in New Delhi in the form of a MPs’ delegation meeting the President and the Prime Minister. There has been no one-to-one contact between Ms Jayalalitha and Mrs Sonia Gandhi, so far though Congress emissaries have been active on the AIADMK front. A former Union Minister, who had been a Rajya Sabha colleague of Ms Jayalalitha a decade ago and continues to enjoy excellent personal rapport with her, has been made the go-between. Ms Jayalalitha, however, knows that even if she withdraws support, the lack of enthusiasm on part of the Congress to immediately provide an alternate government may catalyse a situation in which Mr Vajpayee may either use the method of cross-polination to get his numbers right or may even fall back on the P.V. Narasimha Rao formula for running a minority government. Mrs Sonia Gandhi, while asserting that her party will not be found wanting in case the present regime "collapses", prefers to concentrate her energies on rejuvenating her party and thereby get better electoral results in the forthcoming assembly elections in Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram, thus getting a stamp of legitimacy from the people before plunging into Machiavellian tactics for capturing power in Delhi. Rashtriya Loktantrik Manch of Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mr Laloo Yadav wants Mrs Sonia Gandhi to "topple" Mr Vajpayee. The Left, especially the CPM, is also egging the Congress on. Mrs Sonia Gandhi, however, would prefer the present drift to continue. She has a lot to sort out within her own party and would not like to acquire Mr Vajpayee’s headaches of managing the contradictions of a fragile and unwieldy coalition. The BJP, on its part, is prepared for the worst. As the ruling party it has the advantage of determining the date for calling the Lok Sabha for a trial of strength, if such an eventuality arises. The numbers game is still open. Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee will be the fourth Prime Minister over a period of four years to unfurl the Tricolour from the Red Fort on Saturday. Like his three predecessors, he too will not be sure if he will return to do the honours next year. All Prime Ministers before him had at one stage or the other belonged to the Congress. On the 51st anniversary of the Independence, for the first time, a non-Congress politician will be climbing the historic ramparts. In 1969, when the clouds
of a split had gathered on the Congress horizon, Mrs
Indira Gandhi had used her Independence Day speech to lay
bare her agenda — this strategy paid her dividends
while she took on the Syndicate in the following weeks.
It remains to be seen if Mr Vajpayee will also similarly
use the spot to pronounce an agenda. Since he became the
Prime Minister, the "fire" in his discourse has
been somewhat missing. Will a besieged Mr Vajpayee use
his turn on the Red Fort to give a new turn to the coming
events? |
SHO to serve notice on Bhagat NEW DELHI, Aug 12 (UNI) — In a significant development, the Delhi High Court today directed that the show cause notice issued to senior Congress leader H.K.L. Bhagat in connection with a 1984-riot case should be served on him in person or it be affixed at the entrance to his premises. The direction came during the hearing of an appeal filed by the state government challenging the trial court order rejecting the prosecution plea for summoning and examining two fresh ‘eye-witnesses’ to the ‘killing’ of the husband of Satnami Bai during the riots in 1984, allegedly at the instance of Mr Bhagat. The case against Mr Bhagat has been awaiting conclusion for the past two and a half years. As Mr Bhagat was unrepresented before the court today even though he was issued notices on July 20, Justice J.B. Goel issued fresh notices and directed that the SHO of the area concerned, should personally serve it on him. The order was passed after it was found that the previous notice could not be served on the former union minister as he was reportedly admitted to some hospital, the identity of which was not known, and was unavailable at his residence. The matter was then posted to August 31 for further hearing. The recording of the Congress leaders testimony would have marked the beginning of the conclusion of the case. However, on the same date the government moved the Delhi High Court and got a stay on the trial court order. The prosecution had asked
the trial court to summon the two eye-witnesses under
Section 311 (a court’s power to summon and examine
material witnesses at any stage) of the Criminal
Procedure Code (Cr.P.C.). |
Sitamarhi firing unprovoked: RJD PATNA, Aug 12 (PTI) — Bihar’s ruling RJD today termed as "unprovoked" the police firing on Janata Dal supporters at Sitamarhi even as Opposition parties demanded the resignation of the Rabri Devi government owning moral responsibility for the incident which claimed four lives. RJD president Laloo Prasad Yadav dubbed the police firing on JD activists, who were protesting inadequate flood relief, as "unprovoked and uncalled for" and demanded strict action against those responsible for it. Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav’s statement to the press followed his visit to Muzaffarpur along with his Chief Minister wife, Rabri Devi. Ms Rabri Devi also announced ex-gratia payment of rupees one lakh to the dependents of each of the four killed including former MLA and veteran socialist leader Ramcharitra Rai. JD president Sharad Yadav demanded the resignation of the Rabri government alleging that at least 12 persons were killed and 20 injured in the firing. Seeking the resignation of the Rabri Ministry, state Samata Party president Raghunath Jha demanded a judicial probe into the firing and compensation of rupees ten lakh to the families of those killed. Mr Jha told reporters in Sitamarhi that the Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent of Police (Sitamarhi) should be sacked and cases filed against them. The Samata Party also took
out a silent procession at Sitamarhi against the
incident. |
Cauvery accord best solution: Hegde NEW DELHI, Aug 12 (PTI) — Union Commerce Minister and Lok Shakti Chief Ramakrishna Hegde today said all efforts were being made to keep the BJP-led coalition government intact but asserted that the agreement on the vexed Cauvery issue was the best possible solution. "It (the agreement) is a conscious decision. It is a unanimous decision agreed upon by all the four Chief Ministers under the guidance of the Prime Minister. I do not think there could be any better solution," Mr Hegde told PTI here. The former Karnataka Chief Minister, however, declined to comment on Jayalalitha’s threat to review the AIADMK’s support to the Vajpayee government on the issue saying, "it is a delicate time. They (AIADMK) have said they are going to announce a decision tomorrow. Until then, I do not want to say anything." Asked about Defence Minister and Samata Party chief George Fernandes fire-fighting mission to Chennai to pacify AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha, Mr Hegde said, "every effort is being made to keep the coalition intact." Meanwhile, elderly statesman C. Subramaniam today welcomed the Cauvery water sharing accord and said it would benefit a large number of farmers in the four basin states. In a letter to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, the former Maharashtra Governor said he was "earlier of the opinion that perhaps politicians might not be able to find a solution to the Cauvery dispute as it was surcharged with emotions of the people of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu". A solution to the "long-pending problem" had falsified his views, he said. HUBLI: Karnataka Chief Minister J.H. Patel today rejected the Congress demand that the state assembly be convened to discuss the Cauvery water dispute. "Assembly is not a rotary club to meet as per the whims and fancies of political leaders", he told newsmen after performing bhoomi pooja for a by-pass road between Hubli and Dharwad. Mr Patel said he had consulted leaders of political parties before the Cauvery water scheme was formulated. The new agreement would not affect the ongoing irrigation projects in the state, he added. Answering a question, he
predicted a mid-term poll to the Lok Sabha soon. |
No threat to govt, says
Thakre NEW DELHI, Aug 12 — Admitting the situation to be "delicate", the BJP president, Mr Kushabhau Thakre, today denied that the Vajpayee government was facing a crisis on account of the AIADMK’s threat to review support to the coalition government. In an unscheduled interaction with the media, the BJP chief said: "I hope the government will survive. It has survived many crises in the past. It will survive this also." Stating that he was waiting for Ms Jayalalitha’s decision tomorrow, Mr Thakre said he had no information on the outcome of the talks between the AIADMK leader and the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee’s emissaries, the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes and a senior party leader, Mr Pramod Mahajan, at Chennai this morning. Expressing surprise at the stand taken by the Karnataka Government on the Cauvery issue in the Supreme Court after agreeing on the arrangement reached between four riparian states, Mr Thakre said it was a historic agreement in consultation with the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Pondicherry. To a question on Ms Jayalalitha’s grudge on not being consulted by Mr Vajpayee while arriving at an agreement on the Cauvery issue with the four states, the BJP president said on such official matters Chief Ministers are taken into confidence and not the political parties. The Prime Minister had rightly done it, Mr Thakre said adding that even he was not taken into confidence. "I do not mind it.Similarly she should also not mind it", he pointed out. "The BJP had no role in arriving at an agreement on Cauvery but I welcome the agreement as a long-pending issue has finally been resolved," Mr Thakre said. On Ms Jayalalitha’s allegation that the government had reached "some understanding" with the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Mr M. Karunanidhi, before concluding an agreement, the BJP chief said as far as he knew there was no such understanding. Asked to give his reaction on the BJP’s allies applying pressure on the government on one issue or the other, Mr Thakre said it really made him unhappy but he had no control on other parties. "I can only talk of my party", he said. Denying that the BJP’s credibility had suffered, Mr Thakre said there was nothing wrong in resolving issues through talks. Asked if he was of the opinion that the BJP had chosen a wrong ally in the AIADMK, Mr Thakre said: "We have not reached that conclusion". The BJP had not prepared any contingency plan in the event of withdrawal of the AIADMK support, he said adding one should be ready for any eventuality. "Why we should think about it when the government is running well and taking important decisions", he pointed out. To an another question on
the Srikrishna Commission report, the BJP president
described it as "biased" as it had not taken
many incidents into consideration. |
India Gate canopy: "Issue
referred to NEW DELHI, Aug 12 — The issue of shifting the canopy at India Gate and installing a statue of Mahatma Gandhi there has been referred to the Cabinet Secretary for placing it before the Union Cabinet, the Delhi High Court was told today. Central government counsel A.K. Vali stated before a Division Bench comprising Mr Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Mr Justice K.S. Gupta that the issue had been under consideration and a decision could be taken any day. He sought time to intimate the court about the outcome of the matter after the Cabinet decision. The judges did not pass any direction but only observed: “We expect an early decision in the matter from the central government.’’ The matter was adjourned to September 8 for further hearing. The court was hearing a public interest petition filed by the Conservation Society of Delhi (CSD) and the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) opposing the move to shift the canopy from its present site and replacing it with the Mahatama Gandhi statue. Counsel for the CSD and the INTACH Joy Basu submitted that the central government had not yet taken a decision on the matter and urged the court to direct the government to come out with a solution at the earliest. The court had through an interim order restrained the government from shifting the canopy from India Gate. Advocate D.S. Adil, appearing for the Indian Freedom Fighters Organisation, which demanded that the statue be placed at the canopy site, stated that a letter had been received from the central government stating that the decision on the installation of the statue could not be taken as the matter was sub judice. The court had on July 24 last year stated that the central government was free to take a decision about the installation of the statue, but any decision should be implemented only with the consent of the court. Mr Basu argued that he should be allowed to address the court before any decision was taken. The CSD and the INTACH objected to the move of shifting the canopy on the ground that it was a historical monument attached to the historical character of India Gate. Shifting it from the present site would disturb the historical set up of the place. The organisations were not
opposed to installing the statue of Mahatma Gandhi near
India Gate but without disturbing or damaging the canopy. |
IAF rescues British trekker NEW DELHI, Aug 12 — The Indian Air force in a daring “search and rescue” helicopter operation rescued a teenaged British national, a member of a trekking expedition, at break of dawn on August 2, in the mountain ranges of Kulu and Manali at a height of 16,000 ft. Children from two British schools, at present in India under the world challenge scheme involved in community projects in Manali area, were undertaking a trekking expedition in the mountainous terrain of the Kulu-Manali region on August 1. Racheal Kirkham, a 16-year-old girl who was a member of the trekking expedition suffered from high altitude pulmonary oedema in the late evening. The problem occurred when the team was at a height of 16,000 feet above sea level, 120 km north of Manali. With great
courage the captain of one ‘Cheetah’ descended
and took the ailing teenaged girl on board the
helicopter, with engines running. The expedition team was
located at Jamskar. The girl was evacuated to Manali to
the local hospital, where necessary medical treatment was
given and she is recuperating. |
No breakthrough in
Rajiv-Monica case NEW DELHI, Aug 12 — The police today failed to collect any substantive evidence from Monica Malik’s locker from her Zee TV office deepening the mystery surrounding the death of Zee TV producers Rajiv Raja and Monica. The police was working on the theory that Monica might have visited her office after leaving the party and changed her dress there. The police had received conflicting reports about the dress that Monica was wearing. While the body of Monica was recovered in a pair of jeans and a white top, the police has received reports that she was seen wearing a skirt and shirt in the party. The video film and still photographs taken during the party by different individuals have been seized by the police to find out the persons who interacted with the victims in the party. Meanwhile, it appears that vital clues may have been lost as the dog squad was summoned nine hours after the bodies of Rajiv and Monica were found. In another development, the police sources indicated that they might exhume Rajiv’s body if required, for a second autopsy. A team has been sent to the West Delhi residence of a transporter for questioning. The transporter is believed to be a school friend of Monica and had spoken to her on Tuesday evening at about 6.45 pm from his mobile phone. The police categorically stated that the man was not a suspect but would be summoned for questioning as a part of routine investigations. The district police has also questioned a watchman of the INA Colony, Veer Bahadur.The questioning of Veer Bahadur lasted for about 15 hours spreading over two days, the sources said. Meanwhile, forensic
experts here said that there were many loopholes in the
autopsy report in the case. |
HC rejects Uphaar plea NEW DELHI, August 12 — The Delhi High Court today rejected an appeal by the Uphaar cinema management seeking the quashing of the licence revocation order. A fire in the cinema house on June 13 last year had killed 59 persons and injured several others. The Ansal-owned Green Park Theatre Association, which runs Uphaar, in an appeal before a Division Bench had challenged the single judge order dismissing its plea for quashing the notice issued by the licensing authority to revoke the licence if the theatre did not meet the prescribed norms of fire safety. Mr Justice Arun Kumar had last year revoked the licence of Uphaar and later dismissed the plea for quashing the notice on the ground that in view of the revocation of the licence the notice had become infructuous. The Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Mahinder Narain and Mr Justice Mukul Mudgal dismissed the appeal stating that “we agree with the single judge that in view of the revocation of the licence, the petition has become infructuous.” The Bench, in a brief
order, said the cinema house owners had not disputed that
Uphaar was closed following the fire on June 13 last year
and there was no question of its becoming operational
before being renovated. When the renovation was complete,
Ansals might apply for the licence afresh, it said. |
Arrest of Ashok Jain condemned NEW DELHI, Aug 12 — The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) yesterday condemned the arrest and the alleged harassment of Mr Ashok Jain, Chairman of Bennet Coleman and Company by the Enforcement Directorate and charged that the “unethical methods” being used by the government were indicative of an emerging authoritarian pattern. The society, which is the parent body of Indian media publishers, passed a resolution to this effect at the executive committee meeting held at Aurangabad on Tuesday. In a statement the
President of the INS, Mr Vijay Darda, pointed out that
the Ashok Jain case had become “unsavoury” in a
war against the freedom of the Press. He said the
authorities in Nasik and Akola districts had attacked and
humiliated editors, and justified their actions by saying
that if the owner of The Times of India newspaper could
be subjected to cruelty, who were they to defy the
government? |
Solar powered traffic lights NEW DELHI, August 12 — Traffic lights were with solar power back up today inaugurated in one of the busy intersections of the Capital suggesting that power failures, which often disrupt the smooth flow of traffic at many of Delhi’s road intersections, may be a thing of the past here. Inaugurating the system, the Minister of State for Railways, Parliamentary Affairs and Planning and Programme Implementation, Mr Ram Naik said that the whenever the power fails, the solar panels will keep the traffic signals at Ring Road-Africa Avenue crossing going. The system will also power
traffic lights for a fixed duration every evening to save
electricity during peak hours. |
Five killed in Naga clash KOHIMA, Aug 12 (PTI) — At least five persons were killed and an equal number injured when rival Naga insurgent outfits traded gunfire in the state’s Mokokchung district today, official sources said. The incident occurred at Chuchuyimpang village when the two factions, NSCN (I-M) and NSCN (K), were engaged in an hour-long exchange of fire, the sources said. However, it could not be ascertained immediately as to which faction the victims belonged to. This is the first major
incident involving insurgents after extension of
ceasefire in the state for six months at the expiry of
its term in July-end. |
| In
brief Road to Badrinath blocked Unshapely trend in
women’s dresses HC releases
contempt notice on Imams Admission denied
to selected students Attachment order
made absolute |
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