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| Sunday, September 17, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Naidu biding time to get even with Left RSS: PM’s remark regrettable BKU suspends stir India to consider
asylum to Karmapa |
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Bihar DMs’ SOS to government No headway on vital issues: Cong Centre ready to help
Karnataka: minister Khurana accuses Delhi Govt
of negligence Eunuchs meet to worship deity President’s rule in
WB ‘not possible’
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Naidu biding time to get even with Left NEW DELHI, Sept 16 — Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who is losing his sheen as the chief executive officer of the southern state, wants the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government to keep the Left Front regime of Jyoti Basu in West Bengal under a tight leash till the schedule for the Assembly elections is announced by the Election Commission. Facing the heat of the cadres of the fringe Left parties in Andhra Pradesh against his power reforms, Mr Naidu is on his now familiar gambit of undertaking a delicate balancing act on the issue of invoking Article 356 and bringing West Bengal under Central rule because of deteriorating law and order situation in the state. It is apparent Mr Naidu wants to go along with Union Railways Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee that Central intervention in West Bengal has become imperative because of increasing political violence as a means of getting even with the Left parties. For the present, Mr Naidu is toeing the line that it is for the NDA to decide. He has suggested that a meeting of the steering committee should be convened to hammer out the issue. Obviously, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s return from the USA is anxiously awaited for considering Ms Banerjee’s entreaties on the free-for-all between the Marxist cadres and activists of the Trinamool Congress. When Mr Naidu was here last week making a beeline for discussions with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, he also had an extended meeting with Ms Banerjee with TDP Parliamentary Party Leader Yerran Naidu in tow. During the meeting lasting more than an hour, Ms Banerjee gave a detailed account how Marxist cadres were turning their ire against Trinamool Congress workers in certain districts. She alleged that the administration was colluding with the Marxist cadres by being passive rather than intervening to stop the political violence. The firebrand Ms Banerjee told Mr Naidu that she was disappointed with the report of NDA’s fact-finding mission headed by TDP’s Venugopalachari. This mission was of the view that trouble-prone districts in West Bengal in the grip of political violence should be declared as “disturbed areas”. It remained silent on Ms Banerjee’s persistent demand of invoking Article 356 of the Constitution. Though Mr Naidu has stoutly opposed taking recourse to Article 356 at the meetings of the Inter-State Council on devolution of powers to the states, he has pushed for dismissal of a state at the very last minute to suit his own political ambitions and strategy as evidenced in the case of Bihar. Mr Naidu’s confidants, who spoke on condition of anonymity, emphasised that their leader as always would keep the cards close to his chest till the last moment before announcing the TDP stand. “He (Mr Naidu) wants to wait and see how the situation unfolds in the weeks ahead as bringing West Bengal under Central rule at this juncture might be counter-productive for the NDA and his own bitter feud against the
nine-party Leftist alliance in Andhra Pradesh,” his aided said. The TDP’s honeymoon with the Left parties ended no sooner than he had a truck with the BJP for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh last year. Though there is no danger to the TDP governance in Andhra Pradesh as Naidu enjoys a comfortable majority in the 295-member Assembly, his popularity among the masses is slowly but surely getting eroded. Mr Naidu believes he can
arm twist the BJP and secure his pound of flesh because of the solid chunk of 28 seats that the TDP has in the 13th Lok Sabha. His support to the Vajpayee government from outside has provided a comfortable cushion to the BJP-led NDA government. The BJP leadership is not exactly on cloud nine in their relationship with Mr Naidu. Its strategists are sore that Mr Naidu brazenly held a meeting of Chief Ministers in the national Capital to garner support that the recommendations of the Eleventh Finance Commission were highly inequitable and arbitrary to forward-looking states. That has indeed, raised the hackles of some sections in the BJP and certain partners of the NDA that Mr Naidu is now playing for bigger stakes in the national arena. CHENNAI, Sept 16 (PTI) — The RSS today said it was regrettable that Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was “distancing himself from the RSS” following the controversy over his description of himself as a “swayamsevak” at a function in Staten Island in the USA earlier this week. “It is regrettable that Mr. Vajpayee has distanced himself from the RSS, that too within a fortnight, when he declared at the RSS headquarters at Nagpur that he is proud to be a swayamsevak,” senior RSS leader K. Suryanarayana Rao told reporters here. Mr Vajpayee, who faced criticism over this remark, had later clarified that he used the word in the context of a “volunteer” in the service of the people. Mr Rao said nobody could deny that Mr Vajpayee was a RSS swayamsevak. “He has denied that he is a RSS swayamsevak only to satisfy his opponents,” he added. Justifying the demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya, he said the Ram temple could not be constructed there without the structure being demolished. The RSS fully supported the move to build the temple at the site, he said. He accused the BJP of putting the Janmaboomi issue on the backburner just for the sake of being in power. He said successive governments in the past 50 years had not allowed the courts to give their verdict on the ownership of the disputed site. The controversy would not have arisen at all if the courts had been allowed to function freely, he said. An amicable solution to the issue could have been found if Hindu and Muslim communities settled it among themselves, he added. |
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BKU suspends stir HARDWAR, Sept 16 — The BKU supremo, Mr Mahendar Singh Tikait, has temporarily suspended the Hardwar Bachao Sangharsh Samiti and BKU’s joint agitation against the merger of Udham Singh Nagar and Hardwar in the proposed Uttaranchal state. The stir has been suspended only till September 23 as Mr Tikait has called a meeting of the BKU here to plan further strategy. The BKU has removed the “chakka jam” late last night following Mr Tikait’s talks with the Union Home Secretary, Mr Kamal Pandey, which continued throughout the day yesterday. The district administration remained on tenterhooks throughout the day as Mr Tikait was not ready to relent till his meeting with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Chander Babu Naidu could be arranged. Official sources told TNS last night that telephonic conversations between Mr Tikait and Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal and Haryana Chief Minister, Om Parkash Chautala were also arranged. But Mr Tikait was unrelenting and was not ready to lift the blockade and go to Delhi. Instead he wanted the talks to be held at Hardwar itself. Meanwhile hundreds of vehicles carrying essential commodities to Uttaranchal hill area were stranded as the BKU activists kept a strict vigil on all their “nakas”. A BKU spokesman said that it has agreed only to suspend the “chakka jam” but its dharna opposing the merger move would continue at the Tulsi Chowk near the residence of the District Magistrate. However, following an assurance by Mr Kamal Pandey that Mr Chander Babu Naidu would be able to meet Mr Tikait between September 21 to 23. Mr Tikait agreed to visit Delhi on September 22. Home Minister, L.K. Advani, Defence Minister, George Fernandes, Railway Minister, Mamata Banerjee, Union Communication Minister Ram Bilas Paswan, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Haryana Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala and some other NDA leaders. Mr Naidu will also participate in the meeting with Mr Tikait. It is not known whether Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Ram Parkash Gupta would be invited or not. But Uttar Pradesh Power Minister, Naresh Aggarwal has already gone on record that his party would support Mr Tikait’s stand on the issue. Meanwhile, citizens of Hardwar heaved a sigh of relief after the jam was lifted late last night. Mahant Harashwardhan Singh of the Nirmala Akhara told TNS that the entire business in the city was almost at a standstill for the last three days and pilgrims experienced great difficulties. The rail services to the city remained totally suspended. Residents feared clashes between the pro-merger and anti-merger groups as tension had gripped the town. Almost all hotels, dharamshalas and lodges remained near empty. After the announcement of the suspension of the stir by Mr Tikait, over one lakh farmers who had descended on the city started going back. But they would again be here on October 13 when Mr Tikait has called another “mahapanchayat” of farmers on that day. The Kisan chief has also threatened that if there was no positive outcome of the Delhi talks, the agitation after October 13 would be more “fierce and may even be bloody”. |
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India to consider
asylum to Karmapa NEW DELHI, Sept 16 — Home Minister L.K. Advani, today assured Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama that the government would consider granting asylum to the 17th Karmapa Ugyen Trinley Dorjee, who fled to India from Tibet early this year. “I have assured him of discussing the matter with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee after he returns home (from his visit to the USA)”, Mr Advani told reporters here after the Dalai Lama called on him. “Basically this issue is being looked after by the Ministry of External Affairs, “Mr Advani remarked. After a nearly 30-minute meeting, the Dalai Lama said the 14-year old monk’s “main” aims were to serve the “Buddha Dharma and the Tibetan nation. “These two goals cannot be fulfilled if the (Karmapa) remains inside Tibet”, the spiritual leader said. Even as the Centre has maintained a studied silence and chosen to tread cautiously on the issue, there has been severe opposition to giving asylum to Karmapa Dorjee from one of the major Tibetan group International Karma Kagyu Forum (IKKF). In a letter to the Prime Minister recently, the IKKF has demanded that “since Karmapa Dorjee has entered India illegally and is not a refugee, he ought to have been deported to China from India.” |
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Bihar DMs’ SOS to government PATNA, Sept 16 — In what could be termed as the culmination of chaos and water mark of anarchy, almost all District Magistrates (DMs) of Bihar have sent a ‘crisis message’ — a virtual SOS — to the state government expressing their fear of complete failure of the administrative system following the strike of the Bihar Administrative Services Association (BASA) members. As the strike of the 2,600 state services officials entered its 16th day today, developmental works and the general law and order scenario has suffered grievously. The DMs have expressed their inability to cope with the duties to monitor the law and order as per the Patna High Court orders. The state has also warned of the complete failure in meeting the revenue collection targets. The BASA strike has lingered on with little sign of it ending. The leaders of the BASA held the first round of talks after the government called for negotiations today but it seems the strike will continue as the BASA is adamant on its demands. Sources in the government say that it may seem to be talking with the strikers, but it does not intend to concede the demands. The BASA strike is for implementation of the ‘agreement’ it had earlier reached with the government. It relates to increase in pay scales and raising of retirement age. No new demand has been added. The strike has caused problems to the common people. Most parts of Bihar are in the grip of either drought or floods. The victims are not getting any relief from the administration as block and district officers are on strike. The opposition parties are blaming the government for the ‘nosedive’ in the law and order. Routine works are at a standstill. It is believed that the SOS by the DMs is ‘normal’ to relieve themselves of the blame. The BASA officers have accused the IAS lobby for ‘scuttling’ the talks with the government and prolonging the strike. The state government, too, in the past has used the strikes as an ‘alibi’ for its failure in all fronts of governance. |
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No headway on vital issues: Cong NEW DELHI, Sept 16 — The Congress today took strong exception to US President Bill Clinton’s reference to Kashmir “being at the core of difficulties between India and Pakistan” and expression of a desire to play a role in the resolution of the “Kashmir dispute”. Addressing a specially convened press conference, the Congress Working Committee member, Mr K. Natwar Singh, pointed out that no US President before Mr Clinton in 53 years of Indo-US relations had used such words to state the US stand on Jammu and Kashmir. “This is the language used by Pakistan. It is totally against India’s stand”, he said. Surprisingly neither the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee nor the External Affairs Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh, have protested against the change in the US stand on Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Natwar Singh said adding that in fact by cancelling a scheduled joint press conference with Mr Clinton, the Prime Minister had missed an opportunity to convey to the US President politely but firmly that “his formulation” on Kashmir was not acceptable to India and the Indian people. Claiming that the USA had not yet abandoned. Pakistan, Mr Natwar Singh recalled that Mr Clinton had earlier described Kashmir as a disputed territory during his speech in the Central Hall in New Delhi as well, “but the Prime Minister did not protest even then”. Dwelling upon Mr Vajpayee’s US trip, Mr Natwar Singh, who was a Minister of State for External Affairs in the Congress governments, said the visit had failed to achieve a breakthrough on any substantial issue of India’s concerns and priority. Listing the issues, Mr Natwar Singh said the USA had neither agreed to declare Pakistan a “terrorist state”, nor had promised to back New Delhi’s claim for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council. Despite a resolution from the US House of Representatives urging the American administration to lift the economic sanctions imposed on India after its nuclear tests in 1998, the US President had not given any indication of termination of sanctions. While the Vajpayee government has been telling the world that no dialogue with Pakistan was possible until Islamabad stops cross border terrorism, the US President has again reiterated its stand that the two countries should begin talks, Mr Natwar Singh said and added that there was no mention of Pakistan’s support to cross border terrorism. “There has been no forward movement on these issues which are so vital for the growth of the Indo-US ties”, Mr Natwar Singh said pointing out that differences continued to persist. The Congress leader said it was really surprising that Mr Vajpayee had met only two world leaders during his stay in New York. The Prime Minister missed an opportunity to interact with over 150 world leaders, Mr Natwar Singh said and also questioned the Prime Minister’s visit to his adopted daughter or to address a Vishva Hindu Parishad’s function in Staten Island near New York on Saturday last. “The Prime Minister could have met these sadhus and saints in the country also”, he observed sarcastically. Welcoming the upswing and improvement in the Indo-US relations in economic and other vital areas like Information Technology, Mr Natwar Singh observed that the Indian and US governments should not take credit for it. “Very brilliant Indians work there. They are away from the government and outside the government”, he said referring to the growing Indo-US ties in the field of Information Technology. |
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Centre ready to help
Karnataka: minister BANGALORE, Sept 16 (PTI) — Union Minister of State for Finance V. Dhananjaya Kumar said today that the Centre was ready to consider if Karnataka Government sought its help to secure the release of Kannada film star Rajkumar from forest brigand Veerappan’s captivity. “Government will take a decision at that point of time”, Mr Kumar told reporters when asked if the Centre would help the state if sought. Asked to comment on the abduction issue, he said “it’s better to be a spectator now... Already the Supreme Court has set a date (September 19), for hearing petitions of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. |
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Khurana accuses Delhi Govt
of negligence NEW DELHI, Sept 16 — BJP Vice-President and former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana has accused the Congress government in the state of criminal negligence in the task of relocating polluting industries. Talking to mediapersons here, Mr Khurana said the BJP government had acquired 1,400 acres to relocate the industries but the Congress government had failed to provide basic amenities as a result of which industries could not be set up there. He said the BJP MPs and Urban Development Minister Mr Jagmohan had held meetings with the Home Minister, Mr L. K. Advani, and some proposals were worked out. Refusing to divulge the details, he said these would be announced soon. Mr Khurana said the BJP MPs belonging to Delhi would soon work out some concrete steps to bring justice to the 10-15 lakh workers who would be rendered jobless if the estimated 1.26 lakh industries in residential areas were shut down. |
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Eunuchs meet to worship deity JAIPUR, Sept 16 — They are known for extracting money from citizens. But in sharp contrast here today they were seen doling out money generously. Occasion was the formal start of inter-state meet of eunuchs from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Punjab. Leader of eunuchs of Jaipur, Rekha Nayak, is the host of this meet. She will provide food and stay facility free of cost to her guests. She hopes the number of the eunuchs participating in the meet may go up to 1000. A massive water-proof pandal has been erected in the Bani Park area of Jaipur to accommodate the guests. As entry into the pandal and other places earmarked for rituals to be performed on this occasion is strictly restricted only to the third gender the pandal has been fully sealed and tight security arrangements made. Artisans from Calcutta have been called and entrusted with the job of making foolproof arrangement to ensure that no one else is able to peep inside the pandal. As a mark of the beginning of the meet and start of Navratra festival the eunuchs took out “Kumbh Kalash Yatra” (procession of earthen Kalash) from the venue of the meet to the residence of the host Rekha Nayak in the nearby colony here this morning. The eunuchs danced non-stop to and from their leaders residence and generously doled out currency notes of Rs 10, Rs 50 and Rs 100 denomination as “Waar Pher to the accompanying dholak” and Shehnai players. Throughout the 17-day celebrations puja of “Bochra Mata” will be performed. Bochra Mata is the presiding deity of eunuchs to whatever caste or religion they might belong. The deity is depicted riding on a cock and a “jyoti” is lighted before her to pay respects. The celebration of “jyoti prajjvalan” and “puja” is an exclusive affair of the eunuchs and no one else is allowed to witness the same. The biggest Bochra Mata temple is situated in Gujarat and also boasts of a big dharmshala for the eunuchs. Though it is the first day of the meet, eunuchs from far-flung areas like Junagarh, Lucknow, Hyderabad have already arrived in substantial numbers but the attendance is likely to reach its peak in two/three days. The eunuchs will go neither for offering greetings nor will they collect money for the same on the birth of marriage of a son during the current meet. They have appealed to the public not entertain anyone else who comes to them in the garb of a eunuch to collect money.
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President’s rule in
WB ‘not possible’ TIRUCHIRAPALLI, Sept 16 (UNI) — The Union Government cannot impose president’s rule in West Bengal by invoking Article 356 of the Constitution as it lacks majority in the Upper House of Parliament, former Union Minister and Tamizhaga Rajiv Congress president Vazhapadi K. Ramamurthy said. Talking to newspersons here last night, he said the West Bengal government itself had admitted that 170 political murders have taken place in that state in recent years. He also appealed to West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu to put an end to political killings. |
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