Saturday, November 21, 1998

Divergent views on ‘Vande Mataram’
NEW DELHI, Nov 20 — The issue of he recital of "Vande Mataram" and "Saraswati Vandana" in schools in UP today evoked divergent opinions with a Union Minister defending the move as not being "anti-Muslim" while Muslim leaders termed it against "tenets of Islam" and "violative of fundamental rights."

Satish Chandra is JIC chief
NEW DELHI, Nov 20 — India’s High Commissioner in Pakistan Satish Chandra was today appointed chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, which will be the secretariat of the high-powered National Security Council (NSC) headed by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

CVC step to end corruption

NEW DELHI, Nov 20 (PTI) — In a major step aimed at eliminating corruption, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has banned, with immediate effect, all post-tender negotiations by government departments and public sector units (PSUs) except in case of deals with the lowest tenderer.

In another significant move, the CVC also decided to allow junior officers to furnish copies of their observations concerning vigilance matters directly to the CVC for follow up action.

In a press note the commission said that in its new incarnation as a statutory body it has prescribed certain other directions in addition to the scrapping of the post-tender negotiations to all government departments, PSUs, nationalised banks, insurance companies and other organisations.

These significant measures would ensure creation of a culture of "honesty" among junior officers, greater transparency in all areas of administration and speedy and quick finalisation of departmental inquiries in corruption cases, it said.

The ban on post-tender negotiations was the most far-reaching direction issued to tackle the "monster of corruption"’ and to usher in transparent and effective system in the tendering process.

On allowing junior officers to directly report to the CVC on any vigilance matter, Chief Vigilance Commissioner N. Vittal said this would encourage junior officers, who would generally not be as corruption-minded as those who have been part of a corrupt system, to remain honest.

Such a step would also help in checking whether the organisations were taking deterrent action against corrupt officials promptly, Mr Vittal said, adding that such references made by the junior officers would not amount to an act of indiscipline.

The information sent by junior officers would be computerised and followed up with departments concerned.

However, frivolous complaints or references by junior officers "would be viewed adversely", he added.

Stating that almost 3,000 of the 5,300 cases were pending departmental inquiries for over six months, the note said the CVC had prescribed a time-limit for conducting of inquiries on a day-to-day basis and directed all organisations to immediately review the pending cases.

All departments and PSUs have also been directed to appoint honest retired officers for conducting inquiries to be completed in six months, the note said.

Divergent views on ‘Vande Mataram’

NEW DELHI, Nov 20 (PTI) — The issue of he recital of "Vande Mataram" and "Saraswati Vandana" in schools in UP today evoked divergent opinions with a Union Minister defending the move as not being "anti-Muslim" while Muslim leaders termed it against "tenets of Islam" and "violative of fundamental rights."

The Qaumi Mushawarat Committee (QMC) demanded that Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee call a meeting of the National Integration Council to discuss the issue, while the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) criticised the issuing of the ‘fatwa’ by various Muslim organisations to protest against the UP Government’s move in this regard.

Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, flaying the parties opposing "Saraswati Vandana" and "Vande Mataram", said the criticism was "a conspiracy to mislead the Muslims" in the country.

"Vande Mataram" was not anti-Muslim and there was an attempt to give it a political colour, mislead Muslims and exploit their sentiments to gain political mileage," Mr Naqvi said in Jaipur where he had gone in connection with an election tour.

Stating that "Vande Mataram" was a freedom struggle song, sung by all Muslim leaders during the Independence movement, he said, "to term it as anti-Muslim is nothing but an attempt to create a vicious atmosphere in the country by exploiting their sentiments."

The Vice-President of the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board Maulana Kalbe Sadiq, opposing the reported move by the UP Government, told reporters in Lucknow that it was against "the basic tenets of Islam".

"In no circumstances can we accept it," the noted Shia scholar said, adding the UP Government had "no power to control the religious prayers of any community whether in educational institutions or in religious places."

QMC convener Javed Habeeb demanding a meeting of the National Integration Council to discuss the controversy, also wanted a national debate on the issue.

He also threatened to move the Supreme Court unless the Centre took steps to stop the UP Government from implementing the move.

The VHP leader and President of the Ram Janambhoomi Trust, Mahant Ramchandra Paramhans, told PTI in Ayodhya that the issuing of the "fatwa" by various Muslim organisations was "anti-national" and "unacceptable".

"Our ancient cultural heritage is not the monopoly of any particular religious group," he said, adding "nobody should be given the liberty to issue such objectionable fatwas" as Indian tradition was a "blend of all major religions-Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism."

Pact signed on Parbati project
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 20 — The much-delayed 2051 mw Parbati Hydel electric project in Kulu district is all set to take off with the Himachal Pradesh Government and the National Hydro-electric Power Corporation (NHPC) signing an agreement here today to commence work on the ambitious project.

The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, is expected to lay the foundation stone of North India’s one of the largest power generation projects sometime in the first week of December, the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, told newspersons.

The agreement signed by the Himachal Pradesh Power Secretary, Mr A.K. Goswami and Mr Yogendra Prasad, Chairman and Managing Director, NHPC, in the presence of the Union Power Minister, Mr P.R. Kumaramangalam, and the State Chief Minister, envisages construction of 800 mw Stage II of the project in the first phase.

The Parbati project comprises three stages of which the first stage is of 750 mw capacity and stage III is of 501 mw capacity. Mr Dhumal said the construction of the project on the river Parbati, a tributary of the Beas in Himachal Pradesh, would be a boon for the entire Northern region and the state in particular. The Parbati project with a capacity generation of 2051 mw has nearly double the capacity of the Bhakra Nangal power project.

Prof Dhumal said the State would have a share of nearly 30 per cent of the 8500 million units generated by the project, which is expected to be completed in the next 12 to 15 years. The first stage would be completed in about eight years.

Apart from getting 12 per cent free power from the project, the State is entitled for 15 per cent of the Centre’s share and around three to four per cent of the regional states’ share.

Annual revenue to the State on account of free power would be around Rs 400 crore after the completion of Stage II of the project.

According to the agreement, around 80 per cent of the class III and IV employees recruited by the NHPC would have to be from Himachal Pradesh. Thirty per cent of executives recruited in the project would also be from the state.

The Parbati power project has been hanging fire for many years now even though the Himachal Pradesh Government had signed in October, 1992, a memorandum of understanding for the detailed survey and investigation and execution of the Parbati project with the States of Haryana, Delhi, Gujarat and Rajasthan. However, the MoU had to be rescinded due to impasse on the State’s proposal to raise its equity in the project from 5 per cent to 25 per cent and the inability of the other States to ensure timely contributions for the ongoing investigations.

On the financing of the Parbati power project, the Chief Minister said it was for the NHPC to work out the details. He however, said the World Bank was prepared to finance the entire project, which was expected to cost around Rs 10,000 crore.

He said the State had identified a hydro-electric potential of more than 21,000 mw out of which only about 4000 mw had been harnessed so far. Prof Dhumal said projects totalling nearly 2000 mw were under execution in the State, DPRs for a number of hydel projects were ready for which the Government was seeking the private sector and the joint sector participation, he added.

Suspended BJD men move court

BHUBANESWAR, Nov 20 (PTI) — Even as the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President, Mr Naveen Patnaik, today expressed the hope that the crisis in his regional outfit would soon blow over, the ongoing feud in the 11-month-old party took a new turn with the two suspended party MPs and five expelled legislators taking the issue to court.

In two separate petitions filed before the court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) here, they challenged the action of the party president, holding it as neither legal nor ‘sustainable’ and thus liable to be declared null and void.
After hearing counsel of the rebel BJD leaders and the party chief, the court posted the matter till tomorrow for further hearing.

The two suspended MPs, Mr Tathagat Satpathy and Mr Prabhat Samantaray and the five expelled MLAs — Mr Prabhat Tripathy, Mr Kalpataru Das, Mr Bishnu Das, Mr Bijoyshree Routray and Mr Surya Narayan Patra — pleaded before the court to issue an ad interim injunction against the opposite party (Naveen Patnaik) directing him not to give effect to the suspension and expulsion orders.

With the issue being taken to court, attempts for a patch-up between the two warring factions, one led by the suspended chairman of Political Affairs Committee (PAC) Bijoy Mohapatra and the other comprising Naveen loyalists, received yet another jolt.

Although Mr Mohapatra was among the suspended, his name did not figure among the plaintiffs.

Describing Mr Patnaik’s order as ‘illegal’ and ‘arbitrary’, the petitioners prayed to the court to restrain him from preventing them functioning as members of the BJD and participating in its day-to-day activities during the pendency of the suit.

The petitioners contended that the power of expulsion and suspension could be exercised by the party president only with the prior approval of the PAC, which had not been done in the present case.

The order of the president amounted to a punishment, which was beyond his jurisdiction and not sustainable in law, they said.

Mr Naveen Patnaik, who had already requested Lok Sabha Speaker G.M.C. Balayogi, to treat the two suspended party MPs as ‘unattached’ members of the House, had expressed confidence in Delhi earlier in the day that the party would not split.

"I do not anticipate any split in the party. Our party will overcome the problem," he said.

The rebel leaders continued their parleys to chalk out their common strategy in the face of the crackdown by the leadership.

Satish Chandra is JIC chief

NEW DELHI, Nov 20 (PTI) — India’s High Commissioner in Pakistan Satish Chandra was today appointed chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), which will be the secretariat of the high-powered National Security Council (NSC) headed by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

A day after the establishment of the council, the government announced the appointment of Mr Chandra, a 1965 batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service, to head the secretariat.

The JIC is one of the three wings of the NSC. The other two units are; the Strategic Policy Group and the National Security Advisory Board.

An official spokesman told reporters that the JIC would be suitably revamped to meet the demands of its new role.

The NSC will undertake a strategic defence review which is part of the national agenda of the BJP-led government and also recommend long-term policy options.

The members of the NSC will be: Ministers for Home, Defence, External Affairs and Finance and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission.

The National Security Advisory Board will consist of persons of eminence from outside the government covering expertise in external security, strategic analysis, foreign affairs, defence, armed forces, internal security, science and technology and economics. The names of the board members will be announced shortly, the spokesman said.

Mani’s remarks on Emergency decried
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 20 — The Bharatiya Janata Party today tried to put the Congress in a tight spot for having stated that it was "proud of Emergency".

In a statement, the BJP Vice-President, Mr K.L. Sharma, joined issue with the Congress spokesman, Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar, who had stated yesterday that imposition of Emergency was well within the Constitution.

Interpreting Mr Aiyar’s statement as a justification of Emergency, Mr Sharma went on an offensive saying that "the Congress has justified the dynasty’s onslaught on the judiciary, subversion of Parliament, freedom of expression, censorship of media, suppression of civil liberties".

"That the Congress is not ashamed of Emergency is a matter of grave concern for the entire nation and all those who cherish democracy", Mr Sharma said adding that "since the Congress is proud of Emergency, it can be expected to resort to the same black means to restore power to the ‘dynasty’."

"It is only to be expected that Congressmen like the AICC spokesman, whose political base is born out of slavery to the ‘dynasty’, will justify the rape of democracy as happened during Emergency", Mr Sharma said.

Appealing to the people to give these anti-democratic and evil forces, represented by the Congress, a fitting reply, Mr Sharma asserted that "democracy has survived in India not because of the Nehru-Gandhi family, but despite their best attempts to destroy democracy".

"The Nehru-Indira-Sonia family is not the protector but devourer of democracy. Democracy continues to face a serious danger from this dynasty and the Congress", the BJP leader said.

Mr Sharma said the Congress is contesting these elections with four political mascots namely atrocities committed during Emergency, dynastic rule, massacre of Sikhs in 1984 and unlimited corruption.

In another development, Mr Sharma accused the Congress and the Left parties of creating an environment in the country which is detrimental to the country’s security and unity.

"It is because of this attitude of the Congress, its leadership and their bossom friends, the Leftists, that Muslim fundamentalists in Uttar Pradesh have issued a fatwa and launched a tirade against the singing of "Vande Mataram and Saraswati Vandana". The first is an ode to our great nation and the second to learning and enlightenment. But then, the Congress President does not believe that India is one nation and publicly said so in Mizoram", Mr Sharma said challenging the Congress and the Left to take a public stand on this issue.

"The BJP challenges Sonia Gandhi, who led an attack on "Saraswati Vandana", to make her position clear on this subject", he said asking whether these "fundamentalists also boycott Parliament where sittings commence with the National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana... and conclude with the national song, Vande Mataram".

Assembly poll to sway national politics: PM
From K.V. Prasad
Tribune News Service

BHOPAL, Nov 20 — The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, today admitted that the current round of elections to State Assemblies would have an effect on national politics and decried attempts to treat these as a referendum on his eight-month old government at the Centre.

Addressing an election rally at the Lal Parade Grounds towards the end of his whirlwind tour of Madhya Pradesh, the BJP leader charged there were attempts to destabilise his government and looked at the forthcoming polls to the Assemblies of Delhi, Rajasthan, MP and Mizoram, through the prism.

Attacking BJP’s principal political rival the Congress, Mr Vajpayee said despite being in power at the Centre for nearly 45 years the party left behind a host of problems which his government was busy attending to.

The 35-minute address was laced with the popular Vajpayee wit through which he took on both his rivals and highlighted the achievements of the BJP-led coalition at the Centre. The issue of nuclear tests drew maximum applause from the large gathering that waited patiently to hear the Prime Minister.

Underlining the BJP’s achievements, Mr Vajpayee took credit for striking an alliance of brotherhood with the Shiromani Akali Dal and reaching across the Vindhyas for tie-ups in south India.

Underlining the achievements of his government, Mr Vajpayee said it undertook nuclear tests considering the security situation in the world and declared that the country did not produce it to attack any nation but for defence.

He sought to take credit for resolving the vexed Cauvery waters dispute having fire for nearly three decades, and said the government was working on a scheme to offer comprehensive crop insurance to farmers in the country.

Mr Vajpayee criticised the Congress for speaking against the Pokhran-II tests on the grounds that the BJP had supported the 1974 tests since it believed in keeping national interests above poll politics.

He said the Congress President Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s criticism that people at Pokhran did not have water to drink was not in good taste.

Mr Vajpayee, who sounded defensive on most other issues, said his government could not be blamed for the price rise and attributed it to unseasonal rains and damage to crops which resulted in suffering for common people.

Blaming the opposition, he charged the parties were adopting all means to destabilise his government and cited the recent shortage of common salt as a case in point.

He said suddenly common salt started disappearing from the market and rumours were being spread. "Who’s is behind all these" he said adding that there was enough salt in the country to meet any requirement.

Turning to his favourite subject, international relations, the Prime Minister said the government decided to talk to Pakistan on all issues including Jammu and Kashmir.

BJP alleges poll code violation
Complains to CEC
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 20 — The Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party today complained to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) alleging violation of the model code of conduct by the Congress in campaigning for the Delhi Assembly polls.

The chairman of the BJP election committee, Mr V.K. Malhotra, and Chandni Chowk MP, Mr Vijay Goel, today met the CEC, Dr M.S. Gill, and complained that the code was being violated by the Congress which had pasted “a large number of posters of Mrs Sonia Gandhi at the Railway station and the Inter-State Bus Terminus.”

Mr Malhotra said that in the past few days the posters had come up at places where large number of people pass through every day. “The model guidelines had been decided upon by all political parties at a meeting with the Delhi Police Commissioner and the Election Commission,” he said.

He said it was agreed that no posters, cut-outs, hoardings and flags would be put up. “However, the Congress has violated the model code of conduct,” he said.

Mr Malhotra said that Dr Gill assured them that officers would be sent to the areas pointed out by the BJP and suitable action taken, if the Congress was found violating the code of conduct.

He also said that in some areas, anti-BJP posters had been pasted. “We have appealed to the CEC to take stern action in this matter,” he said.

Mr Vijay Goel said that Dr M.S. Gill was also apprised of the incidence of violence in the past 3-4 days. “Some of our candidates and party workers have been attacked. We feel that anti-social elements are responsible for the pre-poll violence,” he said.

Mr Goel said that the Election Commission had identified the sensitive polling stations and a keen vigil will be kept.

Mr Vijay Kumar Malhotra said that they had also requested the CEC to increase the number of chairs and tables where the number of polling booths was more than one.

Meanwhile, the Congress took objection to Lt-Governor, Vijai Kapoor’s reported direction to increase the quota of rice and wheat for the public distribution system (PDS) in Delhi, saying this amounted to the violation of the election code of conduct.

Senior Congress leader, Mr Jag Pravesh Chandra, said they have sought an appointment with the Election Commission for tomorrow to lodge a formal complaint.

“We also urge the Lt-Governor to desist from passing such orders which would help the party in power. With all respect, we say that he should not become a party in the election,” he added.

According to a Delhi Government announcement yesterday, ration card holders would get an additional two kg of rice or wheat per adult per month from this month.

Hauz Khas constituency
Sushma speaks highly of BJP rule
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 20 — “Pachaas Hatore Sonar Ke Aur Paanch Lohar Ke”.This slogan being highlighted by the BJP’s chief campaigner, Mrs Sushma Swaraj, who is contesting from the Hauz Khas Assembly constituency, underlines the achievements of the BJP rule in the Capital in the past five years in comparison to nearly five decades of the Congress rule.

Mrs Swaraj has been trying to impress upon the voters to bring the party back to power so that the unfinished development work could be completed.

The Congress nominee and Delhi University Reader, Ms Kiran Walia, a virtual newcomer into mainstream politics, on the other hand, is not only attacking the BJP for its failures on various fronts, she is also promising prosperity and steady development in the area.

“ There appears to be anger among the people”, Ms Walia stressed during her campaigns.

Mrs Walia said: “Leave alone onion or potato, people do not have cooking oil which is now selling at Rs 80 per kg.”

Mrs Walia also promised rationalisation of house tax in some parts of the constituency. “Most of the houses in the constituency are in the village area where the price of the property is not as high. Yet they have to pay house tax equivalent to residents of posh colonies. The Congress promises to remove this discrepancy.

The Hauz Khas constituency, an upmarket area, was the last minute choice for the Mrs Sushma Swaraj, who had kept her options open for fighting from any of the Assembly constituencies falling within the South Delhi parliamentary constituency.

The Assembly constituency, in the last Assembly elections, had an electorate of 73,158 which has increased to 10,95,46 in the past five years. Out of the 57.44 per cent polling last time, the BJP candidate, Mr Rajesh Sharma, had won with 44.39 per cent votes in his favour. The Congress candidate, Mr Ashok Kumar Jain, had come second. He had polled 40.28 per cent votes.

Mrs Swaraj has been returned to Parliament twice from the South Delhi Parliamentary constituency and commands considerable respect in the area specially among the women voters. Even when she defeated the Congress candidate for the parliamentary elections, noted Supreme Court advocate, Mr Kapil Sibal, her main thrust area had been to woo the women.

Being chosen as the Chief Minister of Delhi at the last minute also means that she would have to face questions about the governance by her party in the last five years even though she has donned the mantle barely 40 days before the D-Day.

Her main opponent, Mrs Kiran Walia, was also chosen on the last minute. Known for her vociferous and sometimes overtly ambitious approach for handling the issues of the Delhi University teachers, her strengths as having been a part of the university teachers politics will come in handy during the campaign.

The factors in favour of Sushma Swaraj are her personality, including her oratorial skill, has won two Parliamentary elections and has the backing of committed BJP cadre. The negative factors are the anti-incumbency factor and the spiralling prices of essential goods.

How much that is going to work this time still remains to be seen as many uncomfortable questions are being asked from her about the spiralling prices of essential commodities. Incidentally, there are 61989 males compared to 47557 female in the total Assembly constituency.

Mrs Walia is unfazed by the personal popularity of the BJP candidate and she said that the being a member of Parliament from the South Delhi constituency, Mrs Swaraj owes a number of answer to the voters.

Mrs Kiran Walia is employing the same tactics in checkmating Mrs Sushma Swaraj as she had practised in the university. Mrs Walia is trying to impress upon the electorate specially the women voters that the BJP’s promises had turned out to be hollow as was being proved by the rise in prices specially of onion.

Sonia’s Gole Market rally cancelled
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 20 — The Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, today cancelled her rally in Gole Market constituency which was scheduled for tomorrow.

The cancellation follows an assurance by the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) chief and the party nominee from this segment, Ms Sheila Dikshit, that her chances of winning were “bright”.

“My chances of winning the Gole Market seat is bright and I would not feel good if you curtail your tour of Rajasthan and address a rally in this assembly segment,” Ms Dikshit is reported to have told Mrs Sonia Gandhi.

A DPCC spokesman, Mr Brij Mohan, however, stated that Mrs Gandhi would address a rally on November 23, the last day of campaigning, in Shahdara, East Delhi.

Ms Dikshit is contesting against sitting BJP MLA and cricketer, Kirti Azad.

Meanwhile, Mrs Panmeshwari, the mother of slain Samata Party candidate Ved Singh, has been fielded from the Nangloi Jat Assembly segment, party general secretary, Ms Jaya Jaitly, said here today.

Mr Ved Singh, a BJP rebel who was contesting from the Outer Delhi assembly segment on the Samata Party ticket, was gunned down on the night of November 9, in Mundka village.

In another development, a DPCC spokesman, Mr Jag Pravesh Chandra, today protested against a reported statement of former Delhi Chief Minister, Mr Sahib Singh Verma, claiming that the five men arrested in connection with the murder of the Samata Party candidate in Nangloi were Congress worker. “This is a baseless claim. The Congress should not be needlessly dragged into this affair.”

The Congress party, meanwhile, received a shot in the arm with a large chunk of the state unit of the Rashtriya Janata Dal joining the party.

Introducing the 10 office-bearers of the RJD (Delhi) who had joined the Congress under the leadership of the Youth RJD leader, Mr Jagat Singh, the Congress spokesman said they had already started helping the party candidates.

Among the RJD office-bearers present at the press conference were Ms Tripta Tangri, general secretary of the Mahila RJD, Mr Govind Singh Rana, general secretary of the RJD’s Delhi unit, Ms Zaina Begum, vice-president of its Delhi unit, and Dr Harish Gulati, Delhi unit’s secretary.

Meanwhile, addressing several election meetings in Najafgarh Assembly constituency, the president of the Indian National Lok Dal, Mr Devi Lal, accused the Congress of being “anti-poor, anti-farmer and anti-people”.

Badal assails Cong policies
From Balwant Garg

SRIGANGANAGAR, Nov 20 — The SAD President and Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, blamed the Congress party for the prevailing ‘hunger and corruption’ in the country.

Owing to the ‘wrong’ policies of the party, more than 50 per cent of the country’s population was hungry even forced to go 51 years after Independence. The Chief Minister was addressing an election rally at Sadul Sahar, about 34 km from here this afternoon, in favour of Mr Abhay Chautala, the Indian National Lok Dal candidate.

He alleged that four decades of Congress rule had pushed the country on the brink of economic disaster and it was to keep the party away from power that the SAD had entered into alliances with the BJP and INLD.

Mr Badal, who was accompanied by Mr Om Parkash Chautala, Mr Ganeshi Lal and Mr Gurdas Singh Badal, was addressing his first election rally in the state.

Addressing an election rally at Sangaria last evening, the Union Industry Minister, Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, attacked the Congress for its "anti-Sikh" attitude and blamed the party for disregarding Sikh sentiments. He said more than a decade after the anti-Sikh riots in New Delhi, the guilty had yet to be brought to book.

Mrs Surinder Kaur Badal, wife of the Chief Minister, has also been canvassing in favour of the INLD candidate from Sangaria constituency. She was accompanied by Mr Surjit Singh Kang, president of the SAD’s Rajasthan unit.

EC directive on opinion poll

NEW DELHI, Nov 20 (PTI) — The Election Commission today announced a ban on publication and dissemination of results of any opinion poll for the November 25 Assembly elections in four states during 48 hours prior to the close of polling.

No result of any opinion poll conducted at any time should be published, publicised or disseminated in any manner in or by print or electronic media between 1700 hrs on November 23 and 1700 hrs on November 25, the Deputy Election Commissioner Subas Pani said.

Stating the guidelines relating to opinion poll and exit poll for Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Delhi, he said organisations concerned and agencies would be free to conduct exit polls.

But the result of any such exit poll should not be published, publicised or disseminated in any media between 0700 hrs and 1700 hrs on November 25, he said.

The Commission said the sample size of the electorate covered by such poll and geographic spread of survey must be indicated while publishing, publicising and disseminating the result of the poll.

Details of methodology followed, likely percentage of errors, professional background and experience of the organisation or organisations and the key professionals involved in the conduct and analysis of the poll must invariably be given, it said.

Pigs kill abandoned baby
NELLORE: In a horrifying incident, a new-born baby abandoned near a nursing home has been killed by pigs at Atmakur town. The police on Thursday said the baby was found near a dustbin. Passers-by had made a vain attempt to save the infant. — UNI

Maulana Azad essay contest
NEW DELHI: The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) on Thursday announced the winners of the Maulana Azad Essay competition for the year 1996-97. The annual competition, held in three languages, is being organised by the council and all citizens, below 30 years of age, of India and other SAARC countries are eligible to participate. While Subhajit Mitra Mazumdar bagged the first prize of Rs 25,000 in the English category, Abul Hassan Khan, Umama Salma got it for Hindi and Urdu, respectively, it said. — PTI

Railway award for Mumbai girl
NEW DELHI: A 19-year old final year college girl from Mumbai, who lost her legs while bravely fighting miscreants in a running train, has been nominated for special award of Rs 50,000 and given an assurance of a Railway job after recovery. Jayabala Ashar did not buckle under threats from the miscreants and showed exemplary courage in dealing with them in the train plying in Mumbai. The cash award was today announced by Railway Women’s Welfare Central Organisation (RWWCO) Chairperson Veena Aggarwal at a function presided by Railway Minister Nitish Kumar. — PTI

4 killed, 5 hurt in collision
NASIK: Four persons, including three farmers, were killed on the spot and five others seriously injured when their Tempo-Trax collided with a truck at Vadalibhoi village near here on Friday. The accident occurred when the truck was on its way to Chandvad and pomegranate-laden Trax was to Nasik. The deceased were identified as Anil Yadav, Shivaji Pansare and Pandharinath Baste. The body of the truck driver has not yet been identified. — PTI

No plans to close Taj Mahal
LONDON: Dispelling fears that the country’s biggest tourism draw. The Taj Mahal, might be closed to visitors, India’s tourism authorities have ruled out such a move and termed the reports as “figments of imagination”. Reacting to British media reports saying that the Taj Mahal might close down. Director-General of Tourism Ashok Pradhan told international tour operators gathered for “India Evening” at the ongoing World Tourism Mart here, “There are no moves to close down the Taj”. Media reports had said the Taj Mahal had so badly been affected by pollution that it may soon be closed down to visitors. — PTI