Thursday, May 20, 1999
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Govindacharya briefs high command
on UP NEW DELHI, May 19 — BJP General Secretary K.N. Govindacharya today briefed the party high command on the developments in UP where 33 MLAs had demanded the removal of Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, resenting his style of functioning. US ship evokes surprise NEW DELHI, May 19 — India has expressed total surprise over the reported expedition by US scientists to the Bay of Bengal for studying the coming monsoon without any agency in the Indian Government being told about it. |
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US
museum returns rare Krishna idol |
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Delhi HC lawyers suspend strike NEW DELHI, May 19 — The Delhi High Court Bar Association today suspended its strike following an assurance by Acting Chief Justice Devinder Gupta that the court would give the Bar a hearing on the issue of raising pecuniary limit of civil matters. Shivani murder: probe
minister's role, urges Cong Khanna
is Tariff Commission chief New
postal rates from May 26
Tohra
should quit RS: SAD DMK,
MDMK tie up |
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UP
developments NEW DELHI, May 19 (PTI, UNI) — BJP General Secretary K.N. Govindacharya today briefed the party high command on the developments in UP where 33 MLAs had demanded the removal of Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, resenting his style of functioning. Mr Govindacharya was deputed to resolve the crisis and he briefed the central leadership of the developments in the state, party spokesman Krishan Lal Sharma told reporters here. The central leadership was firm that there would be no change of leadership in the state as demanded by the dissidents, Mr Sharma said. The dissidents had also met party President Kushabhau Thakre in the Capital last week but their demand was turned down by Thakre. State Power Minister and Loktantrik Congress leader Naresh Aggarwal too had met Mr Thakre and said the issue should be resolved as soon as possible in view of the Lok Sabha elections. Asked whether the central leadership had evolved a formula to resolve the crisis in the state, Mr Sharma said "Mr Govindacharya has briefed the central leaders about the situation in the state and there is no formula to resolve the crisis". LUCKNOW: Social Welfare Advisory Board Chairperson Kusum Rai, whose proximity to Chief Minister Kalyan Singh had given rise to controversy in the BJP, on Wednesday resigned from the post. In a statement issued here tonight, Ms Rai said she had sent in her resignation to Union Minister of State for Human Resources Uma Bharti. She said she was greatly pained by the’ planned malicious ‘campaign against her and does not want to be a part of the ‘disgusting’ politics in the BJP." For me, the interest of the party is greater than any post. In fact the target is Mr Kalyan Singh and I am being made just an scapegoat to malign him", she added. She appealed to all political parties to put an end to the politics of character assassination if they were sincere about giving women their due share in politics. The appointment of Ms
Rai as chairperson of the Social Welfare Advisory Board
had evoked strong reaction in the BJP and it was one of
the main issues on which the dissidents were demanding Mr
Kalyan Singh’s resignation. |
US ship evokes surprise NEW DELHI, May 19 (PTI) — India has expressed total surprise over the reported expedition by US scientists to the Bay of Bengal for studying the coming monsoon without any agency in the Indian Government being told about it. “This is a surprise to us,” Valangiman Ramamurthi, secretary of the department of science and technology said. “We are in the dark about this expedition. Our ministry was not consulted or informed,” he said. “We do not know anything about this,” said Muthunayagam, secretary in the department of ocean development, the other agency which keeps track of who is doing what in indian waters. The ministry of defence is also unaware. According to a press release from the University of Colorado at Boulder, the two-million $ Joint-Air Sea Monsoon Interaction Experiment (JASMINE) began on April 26 from the US Research Ship “RON BROWN” in Bay of Bengal in the Northeast Indian Ocean.” The expedition will remain there for six weeks. A joint venture of half-a-dozen American and Australian agencies, the “massive project,” according to the press release, is directed by Peter Webster of the Colorado University’s Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. The release said “the team will be studying the upper 400 metres of the ocean and its interaction with the overlying atmosphere. The major US expedition
in waters close to indian shores has caused surprise for
two reasons. The first reason being not only was the
Indian government kept in the dark but no Indian
scientist was invited to participate in spite of the fact
that India and the U.S. have a vigorous collaboration in
atmospheric research. |
‘Staines had no prior threat’ BHUBANESWAR, May 19 (PTI) — Australian missionary Graham Stewart Staines, who was burnt to death along with his two minor sons at Manoharpur on January 22, did not face any direct or indirect threat to his life before the incident, his widow, Glades Staines, told the D.P. Wadhwa Commission of inquiry probing the killing today. Glades, deposing before the commission here, said that she also had no idea about the possible motive of the people behind the gruesome killing. Replying to queries by counsel to the commission, Gopal Subramaniam, she gave details of the activities of the Evangelical Missionary Society of Mayurbhanj and the Mayurbhanj Leprosy Home with which her husband was connected. Asked if the jungle camps attended by her husband caused any resentment among the people, she replied in the negative saying that such camps were meant for Christians. She, however, recalled that a jungle camp held at Baliposhi last year had to be stopped due to some problem of which she was not aware. In reply to another question, Glades said she heard about tension between Christians and non-Christians at some places from time to time. Questioned if baptisms and conversions took place at such camps, she replied: “I have already said that they were meant purely for Christians.” Glades said she met Graham Staines for the first time in 1981. Asked whether conversions took place in Mayurbhanj district, Glades said she would not like to use the word conversion but she was aware of “some people choosing to follow the teachings of the Bible” in Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts. At the end of her deposition, Glades wanted to clarify that the charge made by Dr B.K. Das in his deposition that Graham had hatred for other religions, did not take part in festivities and did not eat with others was “wrong”. “We as a family were invited to such functions in families belonging to other religions and took the food there,” she said, adding that they did not take the ‘prasad’ as it was forbidden in the Bible. Orissa DGP Dilip Kumar Mohapatra was interrogated on the chain of recent transfers in higher echelons of the state police by the Wadhwa Commission. He was particularly grilled about the transfer of Keonjhar SP, A.K. Roy within three months after joining his post hardly a week after the incident. However, he is yet to be relieved of his post. The commission was not
satisfied with his deposition and asked him to appear
before it again tomorrow after going through the records. |
US museum returns rare Krishna idol Bhopal, May 19 (ANI) — A unique 11th century idol of Hindu god Krishna, stolen more than 30 years ago, has been brought back here from a museum in New York. The idol, which was stolen from the Dhubala Archaelogical Museum in 1968, depicts Lord Krishna being breast-fed by his mother, Devaki, in a prison with the security guards keeping a close watch. A theft report was lodged with the local police station but the idol's whereabouts were not known until 1981 when an arts professor of Texas University saw it in a Sherman Lee catalogue, which indicated that the idol was on display at New York’s Rockfeller Museum. The Madhya Pradesh Government initiated efforts with the help of the New-Delhi based National Museum to retrieve the idol which is worth $ 0.2 million in the international market. "We made our
efforts through the National Museum in Delhi, but with
little success as the Rockfeller museum had gifted it the
idol to the Asia Arts Society. But in the last three to
four years we were able to convince the curator of the
society that the idol was stolen and belonged to the
State Government. So we got it back without paying
anything," said Mr Ajit Singh Dada of Bhopal Museum. |
Delhi HC lawyers suspend
strike NEW DELHI, May 19 — The Delhi High Court Bar Association (HCBA) today suspended its strike following an assurance by Acting Chief Justice Devinder Gupta that the court would give the Bar a hearing on the issue of raising pecuniary limit of civil matters. HCBA Secretary Anoop Bagai said the Bar executive decided to suspend the strike as Justice Gupta in a letter informed that the court would give it a hearing on the issue on July 9. "Justice Gupta also informed that till that date the full court decision of May 14 to raise the pecuniary limit of civil matters from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 50 lakh for attracting High Court jurisdiction, will not be implemented", Mr Bagai claimed. He said the letter was given by Justice Gupta after a full court meeting held today to consider the lawyers’ demand. The two-day strike by the HCBA had paralysed normal functioning of the court. No effective hearing was held by any Bench either in criminal or civil side in absence of advocates during the strike period and the cases were adjourned for some other dates. Earlier, HCBA President Amarjit Singh Chandhioke and Secretary Anoop Bagai said the Bar today gave a letter to Acting Chief Justice Devinder Gupta explaining its view points on the order of full court on May 14 regarding raising the pecuniary limit of civil matters. They said the representation was given following Justice Gupta asking the Bar to put its view point in writing. Mr Chandhioke said a full court meeting had been fixed for this afternoon to consider lawyers’ demand. However, Acting Registrar Ramesh Sharma said he was not aware of any full court meeting saying, "We are functioning, they (lawyers) are on strike. We are doing nothing to resolve it (strike). You better ask the striking lawyers." Meanwhile, the court fixed hearing on a contempt plea by a former Law Minister and senior advocate, Mr Shanti Bhushan against Mr Chandhioke, Mr Bagai and a senior advocate Mr P.N. Lekhi for Monday. Mr Bhushan had accused the three Bar association leaders of "forcibly" preventing him from entering the court yesterday to attend the cases. Mr Bhushan, in his petition, said the use of "force" by them amounted to "criminal contempt" and the strike by the advocate to "professional misconduct". In retaliation to Mr Bhushan’s action the lawyers’ body yesterday suspended Mr Bhushan’s sons, Mr Prashant and Mr Jayant, from the bar for allegedly defying the strike call. Show cause notices had also been issued to Mr Prashant and Mr Jayant, Mr Chandhioke said. Reacting to the action of the Bar, Mr Prashant Bhushan said it was "absurd". "They cannot prevent any member of the Bar from entering the court and if any one does so, it amounts to contempt of court," he told said. He said the Supreme
Court had given a clear ruling in this regard. The apex
court has ruled that any member of the Bar should not be
prevented from performing his professional duty. |
Shivani murder: probe minister's role, urges Cong NEW DELHI, May 19 (UNI) — The Congress today urged Home Minister L.K. Advani to take personal interest in the investigation into the murder of journalist Shivani and clarify the role of a Union Cabinet minister in the murder case. Congress spokesperson Ajit Jogi said the party had reasons to believe that the Union Minister was in frequent contact with Shivani. The police also knew about his frequent contact with Shivani on phone, including their 45 minute-long telephone conversation on the day she was murdered, 115 days ago, he said. The Home Ministry had abruptly transferred Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) B.K.Gupta and DCP (Crime) Karnail Singh and the transfers had raised suspicions and serious doubts as they were involved in the Shivani murder investigation, he said. According to reports, Mr Gupta, before his transfer, had directed under compulsion that the Cabinet Minister should not be interrogated, he said. It was intriguing that there was no progress in the investigation into her murder and into the murder of cartoonist Irfan so far. Irfan was found murdered 75 days ago in the capital. He said it had been reported that the investigation into the Shivani murder case has been hampered and influenced by the said Union Minister. Three Congress MLAs had raised the issue in the Delhi assembly. A week ago the police had said that there would be a lie detector test for three persons named in the case and two persons not named. Mr Jogi wanted to know whether this Cabinet Minister also would be subjected to this test, and if not, why? Mr Jogi also wanted to
know the result of the DNA test of her child. |
Khanna is Tariff Commission chief NEW DELHI, May 19 (PTI) — The government today appointed Mr M.D. Asthana as the new Food and Civil Supplies Secretary, Mr V.K. Khanna as chairman of the Tariff Commission, posted Mr M.K. Bezbaruah, a former Enforcement Director, as the commission’s member secretary and announced promotions and postings of 14 other senior bureaucrats. Mr R.S. Mathur, who was Food and Civil Supplies Secretary, would replace Mr Asthana as Secretary in the Department of Statistics and Programme Implementation. Mr Khanna, a 1963 batch officer of the Punjab cadre, was the Presiding Officer of the School and College Tribunal in Punjab. He will get the pay of Secretary. Mr Bezbaruah, a 1968 batch IAS officer, was moved out of the Enforcement Directorate in January this year in the wake of the Centre upgrading the Enforcement Director to that of Additional Secretary level at that time, he held the rank of a Joint Secretary. Mr S.B. Mahapatra has been shifted as Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser in the Commerce Ministry. Mr Mahapatra, who was holding the post of Additional Secretary in the Rural Development Ministry, would be succeeded by Mr Mohan Kanda, an Andhra Pradesh cadre IAS officer of the 1968 batch. While Mr S.K. Mishra, an
IAS officer of the 1968 batch from Madhya Pradesh, has
been appointed Additional Secretary in the Defence
ministry, Mr K.C. Mishra (IAS Andhra Pradesh-1967) has
been made the new Chairman of the Forward Market
Commission, Mumbai, in the rank and pay of Additional
Secretary. |
New postal rates from May 26 NEW DELHI, May 19 — Postal articles, including printed postcard, letter cards, parcels and registered post, will cost more from May 26, as per the announcements made in the Union Budget for 1999-2000. The new tariffs become operational with the President giving assent to the Finance Bill after its passage in Parliament, an official release said here today. The revised tariff would yield an additional revenue of Rs 123 crore during the current financial year. Under the revised tariff, a printed postcard would cost Rs 2 instead of the existing Rs 1.50 while a competition card would cost Rs 4 instead of Rs 3. A letter card, which cost Rs 1.50, would now be available for Rs 2. The first 50 grams or fraction thereof of book pattern and sample packet would be charged at the rate of Rs 2 instead of Re 1 and every additional 50 grams or fraction thereof would be charged Rs 3, a rupee more. Parcels weighing up to 500 gm would cost Rs 2 more at Rs 12 and every additional 500 gm would be charged at the rate of Rs 15. The registration fee has been increased from Rs 12 to Rs 14. For book packets containing periodicals, the first 100 grams or fraction thereof would be charged 50 paise more at Re 1 and every additional 100 grams would be charged at the rate of Rs 2. Regarding value payable post (VPP) the new tariff is as follows: For a value not exceeding Rs 20, it would cost Rs 2 instead of the existing Re 1. For a value exceeding Rs 20 but not exceeding Rs 50 would be charged Rs 3 and for a value exceeding Rs 50 it would cost Rs 5. New commission rate on
Indian Postal Order (IPO) would be Re 1 for postal orders
up to Rs 10, Rs 2 for up to Rs 20, Rs 3 for up to Rs 30,
Rs 4 for up to Rs 40, Rs 5 for up to Rs 50 and Rs 10 for
up to Rs 100. |
Editors Guild to boycott Pak envoy NEW DELHI, May 19 (PTI) — The Editors Guild of India today decided to boycott any function in which Pakistani High Commissioner Ashraf Jehangir Qazi is to participate as Najam Sethi's incarceration was reportedly "prompted" by a report from him. After a meeting of its executive committee, the guild adopted a resolution saying it "notes with mounting anxiety the continued brutal incarceration of Mr Najam Sethi, the distinguished editor of the Friday Times of Pakistan, following his address to an India-Pakistan Friendship Group in New Delhi". It also took note of the statement of the Federal Government spokesman of Pakistan that Mr Sethi's arrest was prompted by a report from Mr Qazi on his speeches in Delhi and decided that all its members would boycott any function in which Mr Qazi was to participate, a statement issued by the Guild President Ajit Bhattacharjea said. However, it added, the ban was personal and did not extend to other officers of the Pakistan High Commission and its routine functions. Meanwhile, editors, academics and other intellectuals today appealed to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Mr Sethi. Rejecting the charge that Mr Sethi was an Indian agent and lacked patriotism, they said in a joint letter to Mr Sharif that people like him who combine intellectual honesty with forthrightness are needed today in both our countries. The occasion where Mr Sethi expressed his view on Kashmir was an academic one, and it was only in the fitness of things that he shared his perceptions frankly with a small, select and scholarly audience which included the High Commissioner of Pakistan. The signatories, numbering about 300, included Dr Ashok Mitra, MP, Prof Mushirul Hasan of Jamia Millia Islamia, Editors N. Ravi of The Hindu, N. Ram of Frontline, John Dayal of Mid Day, and writer Arundhati Roy. ISLAMABAD: Wife of detained editor Najam Sethi, Jugnu Mohsin, has appealed to Pakistan's Supreme Court to order the Nawaz Sharif Government to produce him before the court when hearing resumes in the case tomorrow. "I hope the court will order his production so that the matter can be dealt with the law because for last so many days, he is being held without charge, without a case and in complete violation of law", she said after a meeting with Mr Sethi. She was allowed to meet Mr Sethi, who was arrested on May 8 for his anti-Pakistan remarks during a seminar in New Delhi, after the apex court ordered the government to do so. Mr Sethi has been under solitary confinement since his arrest. The Lahore High Court had earlier dismissed a habeas corpus petition filed by Mr Sethi's wife ruling that the case was beyond the competence of the civilian courts. The government has said it will book Sethi under the Army Act. Hearing of the case, that has sparked off outrage at home and abroad, is to resume in the apex court tomorrow with Attorney General Choudhury Muhammad Farooq placing details of Sethi's arrest and his detention before a three-member Bench. The government accuses
Mr Sethi, a firebrand known for his anti-establishment
stand, of not only maligning the country but also
weakening its position on Kashmir in his speech in New
Delhi recently. |
Tohra should quit RS:SAD NEW DELHI, May 19 — The SAD (Badal) today demanded the resignation of expelled leader Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra from the Rajya Sabha. Addressing a press conference here, the newly-appointed national General Secretary of the SAD (Badal), Mr Onkar Singh Thapar, stated that Mr Tohra should resign from the Rajya Sabha on “moral grounds”. Mr Thapar also said the ousted Akal Takht Chief Bhai Ranjit Singh should sever all ties with Mr Tohra. Condemning the alleged “desecration” of Sikh shrines in the capital by Tohra supporters in connivance with the Congress government there, Mr Thapar warned the latter against interfering in the internal affairs of the community. He pointed out that the
expulsion of Mr Tohra would not have any impact on Sikh
politics “as all those who have left the Akali Dal
have been defeated by the people”. |
DMK, MDMK tie up CHENNAI, May 19 (PTI) — The DMK and MDMK today announced that they would jointly fight the coming Lok Sabha elections. The alliance was finalised at a meeting between the DMK President, M. Karunanidhi, and the MDMK General Secretary, Mr Vaiko, here. Mr Vaiko told newsmen that it was a preliminary meeting and no seat sharing issues were discussed. After an hour-long meeting with Mr Karunanidihi, Mr Vaiko said that the former told him that the DMK would soon constitute a committee for holding seat-sharing talks. All parties of the alliance would negotiate with the DMK’s seat-sharing panel. Corruption charges against the AIADMK supremo, Ms Jayalalitha, and her act of destabilising the Vajpayee ministry for her own ends would be the main plank of electioneering of the DMK-led front in Tamil Nadu. The DMK would hold its
general council meeting here on June 2 to ratify the
party’s alliance with the BJP, PMK, MDMK and
Tamizhaga Rajiv Congress (TRC), Mr Karunanidhi said. |
136 Excise, Customs officials shifted NEW DELHI, May 19 (PTI) — As many as 49 Commissioners and 87 Additional Commission-ers in the Central Customs and Excise Department were transferred nationwide in a major reshuffle which Finance Ministry sources today described as routine. “These transfers are routine and usually take place in the summer vacation,” Revenue Secretary Javed Choudhury told PTI. These transfers close on
the heels of the reshuffle in the Income Tax Department
last week. |
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| 40,000 pilgrims have
darshan BADRINATH: As many as 40,000 pilgrims have had darshan at the Badrinath temple since the Himalayan shrine reopened last month, according to the chief executive of the temple committee, Mr Jagat Singh Bist. — UNI Social worker stabbed to
death Chhota Shakeel
men shot dead Bravery awards
presented Women’s
panel against death penalty IIT, DRDE
develop warfare detector V-C’s bail
plea rejected |
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