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| Thursday, November 30, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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HC grants bail to Laloo Samata
rules out merger with JD (U) Mandela, Grameen
Bank share Gandhi Peace Prize SC order on power of review Kulu land acquired for Army units Sonia launches stir
against NDA govt |
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SP faces action for maligning MLA Days of gun over: Kashmiri leaders WB CM to meet
PM, Advani today Going to Parliament on tractor Cyclone kills 1 at Pondicherry Govt may set up
fast-track courts Pak must make
choice: Gujral Gang of extortionists
busted, 3 held VP rules out joining third front
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HC grants bail to Laloo PATNA, Nov 29 (PTI) — RJD President Laloo Prasad Yadav was today granted provisional bail by Patna High Court for three months (till March 1, 2001) in connection with a disproportionate assets case. Justice S.K. Singh granted bail to Yadav extending the period of provisional bail for three months from today and asked him to furnish a bail bond of Rs 2 lakh and two sureties of like amount to secure his release. He was yesterday remanded to judicial custody and sent to Beur jail by designated CBI Judge S.K. Pathak in the absence of any order from the High Court on his (Yadav’s) plea for the extension or confirmation of the provisional bail period which expired on November 27. Justice S.K. Singh, in his order, said the period of provisional bail would be valid till March 31 and the matter would be taken up by the court on February 26. Opposing Laloo Prasad Yadav’s supplementary affidavit for the grant of bail, CBI standing counsel Rakesh Kumar urged the court not to entertain the supplementary petition and ask his counsel for filing a fresh application for regular or provisional bail in the case. He said Laloo Prasad Yadav should have moved the court afresh seeking bail as he is now under judicial custody. Justice S.K. Singh, however, refused to entertain Kumar’s argument saying the court had not disposed of Laloo Prasad Yadav’s earlier petition for extension of period of provisional bail and listed the matter for hearing on November 27. The court had on May 10 granted provisional bail to Laloo Prasad Yadav for a period of three months. It was extended for a further period of three months on August 16 and subsequently on November 16 the court adjourned the hearing till November 27 so no fresh petition was required, he observed. On CBI counsel’s request for extending the days of trial from four to five days every week, Justice S.K. Singh observed that the investigating agency may file a petition in the trial court on the matter for speedy trial in the case and the matter would be decided by the lower court on merit. He said the CBI had come to the court showing certain allegations against the accused with respect to tampering of evidences. The agency is at liberty to probe such matter and produce relevant documents in support of the allegations for cancellation of the bail and the court will decide it on merit. He also emphasised taking steps for ensuring the completion of trial in the case within a stipulated period. |
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Samata
rules out merger with JD (U) NEW DELHI, Nov 29 — The Samata Party has ruled out the possibility
of an immediate merger with the Janata Dal (U).
“There is no official proposal either from them or from us as
yet,” Samata Party general secretary Shambhu Sharan Srivastava said
here.
Agriculture Minister Nitish Kumar had hinted about the possibility of
a merger of the two parties a few days ago in a TV interview.
Asked whether the floating of the Janshakti by Communications
Minister Ramvilas Paswan would affect unity of the National Democratic
Alliance, he replied in the negative.
Maintaining that the creation of the Janshakti would not affect
anti-Laloo votes in Bihar, he said all alliance partners had an
understanding in the matter. |
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Mandela, Grameen
Bank share Gandhi Peace Prize NEW DELHI, Nov 29 — Former South African President Nelson Mandela and the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh will share this year’s International Gandhi Peace Prize. The prize, instituted by the government in 1995 on the 125th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, carries a cash prize of Rs 1 crore and has been jointly awarded for the first time. “They have been chosen in recognition of their exemplary work resulting in social, economic and political transformation through non-violence and Gandhian means,” the Tourism and Culture Minister, Mr Anant Kumar, said while announcing the name of the awardees. The prize would be presented by President, K.R. Narayanan at a special ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on a date convenient to the awardees, he said. The jury chaired by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, selected 82-year-old Mandela and the Grameen Bank at its meeting on September 26. A total of 90 valid nominations were received for this year’s prize, of which 70 were individuals and 20 organisations. The former South African president was honoured with the Bharat Ratna in October 1990 and he got the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Earlier recipients of the prize were former Tanzanian President, Julius K. Nyerere, founder president of the Sarvodaya Movement in Sri Lanka, Dr A.T. Ariyaratne, Dr Gerhard Fisher of Germany, the Ramakrishna Mission and Baba Amte. |
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SC order on power of review NEW DELHI, Nov 29 — The Supreme Court today ruled in a judgment of far-reaching consequences relating to freedom of speech and expression under the Cinematograph Act, 1952, that “a Secretary and/or Minister cannot sit in appeal or revision over a judicial order”, while dismissing an appeal by the Union of India defending the power of review retained by the government under Section 6 (1) of the Act over an appellate tribunal’s decisions. “Once a quasi-judicial body like the appellate, consisting of a retired judge of a high court or a person qualified to be a judge of a high court or other experts in the field, gives its decision, that decision would be final and binding so far as the executive and the government is concerned”, the court ruled. A Division Bench comprising Mr Justice V.N. Khare and Mr Justice S.N. Variava added, “To permit the executive to review and/or revise that decision would amount to interference with the exercise of judicial functions by a quasi-judicial board. It would amount to subjecting the decision of a quasi-judicial body to the scrutiny of the executive.” The judges held, “Under our Constitution, the position is reverse. The executive has to obey judicial orders. Thus, Section 6 (1) is a travesty of the rule of law which is one of the basic structures of the Constitution. The legislature may, in certain cases, overrule or nullify the judicial or executive decision by enacting an appropriate legislation.” They said, “However, without enacting an appropriate legislation, the executive or the legislature cannot set at naught a judicial order. The executive cannot aim an appeal or review over a judicial order. A Secretary and/or Minister cannot sit in appeal or revision over those decisions. At the highest, the government may apply to the tribunal itself for a review. But the government would be bound by the ultimate decision of the tribunal.” Pointing out that the government had chosen to establish a quasi-judicial body which had been endowed the powers, inter alia, to decide the effect of the film on the public, the judges stated, “We fail to understand the apprehension expressed by the learned counsel that there may be a law and order situation.” “Once an expert body has considered the impact of the film on the public and has cleared the film it is no excuse to say that there may be a law and order situation. It is for the state government concerned to see that law and order is maintained. In any democratic society there are bound to be divergent views”, the judgment added. Delivering the judgement for the Bench, Mr Justice Variava stated, “Merely because a small section of society has a different view from that taken by the tribunal and chooses to express their views by unlawful means would be no ground for the executive to review or revise a decision of the tribunal.” “In such a case, the clear duty of the government is to ensure that law and order is maintained by taking appropriate action against persons who choose to breach the law”, the judge held. |
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Kulu land acquired for Army units NEW DELHI, Nov 29 — Defence Minister George Fernandes told the Rajya Sabha today that 1,259 bighas and 16 biswas of land has been acquired in Averi village of Kulu district for locating Army units. Replying to a question on the progress made after the acquisition of the land, Mr Fernandes said that the state government was in the process of shifting out the 39 families living there. The Minister of State for Home, Mr Vidyasagar Rao, told the Rajya Sabha that a large consignment of explosives and arms meant for militants in Punjab to revive terrorism was intercepted by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Delhi police in the Libaspur area of north-west Delhi. He said that the government was aware of and alert to the ISI designs to revive terrorism in Punjab in a big way. The Minister of State for Power, Mrs Jayawanti Mehta told the Rajya Sabha that unprecedented flashfloods in the Sutlej on August 1 this year resulted in a large-scale damage to the Nathpa Jhakri Hydro-electric project (1500MW) being executed by Nathpa Jhakri Power Corporation. Replying to a question, Mrs Mehta said that the exact extent of damages and its impact on the time and the cost over-run of the project would be known after assessing the loss to the electro-mechanical equipment in the powerhouse, which was fully flooded. She said that the revised commissioning schedule would be finalised on the completion of this exercise and Rs 4866.26 crore had been spent on the project till the end of last month. Replying to a question on the progress of the probe into the massacre of Amarnath pilgrims in August, Minister of State for Home Affairs Vidyasagar Rao clarified that the Justice Pandian Commission was not appointed to look into the massacre of Amarnath pilgrims. He said the Lieut-Gen Mukherjee Committee constituted to look into the attack on pilgrims at Pahalgam on August 1 had submitted its report to the Jammu and Kashmir Government. He said that the report was being examined from the point of view of action required by the union government. He said that since a large number of recommendations pertain to the state government, consultation with the government would be necessary for the union government to form its opinion on the subject. Sonia launches stir
against NDA govt SALON (UP), Nov 29 (UNI) — Congress chief Sonia Gandhi today announced the launch of a nationwide agitation aimed at dislodging what she called the “anti-people’’ Vajpayee government. Addressing a regional Panchayat Partinidhi Sammelan here on the opening day of her three-day visit to the Amethi parliamentary constituency, she blamed the policy and programmes of the NDA government for making the life of the common man miserable. The situation would remain unchanged until the Vajpayee government would remained in power, she said. “Moujuda sarkar ke rahte samasya ka samadhan sambhav nahi” she said, adding that struggle was the lone course to dislodge the NDA from power, “sangarsh hi rasta hai”. Mrs Sonia Gandhi said the essence of democracy lay in the empowerment of people through decentralisation of power and for that democratic institutions at the grassroots should be strengthened. The Congress leader said she was emotionally attached to the issue as it was the dream of her husband, the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, to give more and more power to people’s representatives at the grassroots-level. She alleged that some vested interests were working to undermine the role and importance of
panchayats.
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SP faces action for maligning MLA BHOPAL, Nov 29 — The Janata Party MLA from Balaghat district, Mr Kankar Munjare, has had frequent troubles with the police for his penchant for exposing the “misdeeds” of the men in uniform — be it rape or molestation of a tribal woman by a member of the police or the arrest and subsequent administration of the police “medicine” to a person condemned by the police as a sympathiser of the Nexalites. How much the Madhya Pradesh police “cares” for Mr Munjare can be gauged from the fact that he was once mercilessly beaten up with lathis by some policemen near Birla Temple in Bhopal, barely 100 metres from the Assembly, simply because Mr Munjare was flaunting a small bunting of his party on the bonnet of his jeep while he was going to attend the Assembly session. A fierce critic of the establishment and its inhuman ways, Mr Munjare has always been at loggerheads with the Chief Minister, Mr Digvijay Singh, inside the House and also with the Speaker, Mr Shreenivas Tiwari, who finds Mr Munjare’s diatribe against the system a bit too much for his taste. Rarely has he been allowed to speak and not infrequently he stages a walkout raising slogans against the Chief Minister and his government. Mr Munjare, however, had his day in the Assembly on Tuesday because of the “overenthusiasm” of an IPS officer. Mr Munjare had submitted to the Chairman of the MP Human Rights Commission on June 25 last year a memorandum listing the cases of police atrocities on the tribals of Balaghat and the Chairman had routinely sought the comments of the Superintendent of Police of Balaghat district, Mr Akheto Sema. The SP, in his reply to the commission, had described Mr Munjare as a “criminal” and “traitor to the country”. On Tuesday, there was a question by Mr Munjare on the subject in the Assembly and he wanted to know why he was being permitted to remain a member of the House and not prosecuted if he was a traitor as alleged by the SP in his report to the commission and if the SP had made the accusation without evidence, why no action had been taken against him. As the Home Minister, Mr Mahendra
Boudha, was fumbling for words, the Speaker came to his rescue by announcing that question hour was over. Mr Munjare, though, persisted on getting a reply. The Independent MLA from Multai, Dr Sunilam, joined him and soon opposition BJP members were on their feet in support of the Balaghat MLA. There was so much turmoil that the Speaker had to adjourn the House for 10 minutes. When the House re-assembled, the Chief Minister was quick to take the floor, the total boycott of the House proceedings by the entire Opposition for two days on a similar issue last week. He strongly condemned the action of the Balaghat SP and announced that action against him would be decided by him in consultation with the Speaker and the Leader of the Opposition, Dr Gauri Shankar Shejwar. This was the first time in his seven years as Chief Minister that Mr Digvijay Singh had publicly condemned the action of a Madhya Pradesh police officer. |
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Days of gun over: Kashmiri leaders NEW DELHI, Nov 29 — Militants are out of touch with changing international realities and shifting balance of power, assert expatriate Kashmiri leaders. A number of expatriate leaders, currently in the Capital after attending an international symposium, talking to TNS have emphasised, “We are aware of changing international realities and shifting balance of power and, therefore, there is no room for armed struggle and gun any more”. The Director of the London-based Central Policy Institute of the Jammu and Kashmir National Liberation Front (JKNLF), Mr Nazir Ul-Haq Nazish, who is one of the founder members of the JKLF, said “They (militants) are living in an outdated and make-believe world”. While those who fought against the Soviet Army in Afghanistan were called Mujahideens and were respected in western capitals, the same are being today termed as terrorists and shunned, Mr Nazish pointed out, adding that militants in Jammu and Kashmir should recognise the present day reality. Canada-based organiser of the United Kashmir Peoples National Party, Mr Mumtaz Khan said, “Militancy, guns and violence must come to an end as times have changed.” “Prior to the Kargil war, the international community had a different perception of the Kashmiri struggle”, Mr Khan said pointing out that Pakistan’s claim for support to the Kashmiri cause was exposed. The image of Kashmir has been tarnished by the declaration of jehad, Mr Khan said adding that the struggle in Kashmir was a national movement for fulfilling political aspirations and not religious aspirations. The international community has nothing to do with religious aspirations and such declarations have only weakened the cause of Kashmir, he said. Welcoming the offer of a unilateral ceasefire of the Government of India, Mr Nazish said more steps should be taken to prepare the atmosphere for a dialogue. The JKNLF, which has its presence in Azad Kashmir and Europe and is also trying to establish its branch in Jammu and Kashmir, has a solution to the Kashmir imbroglio which would neither offend Pakistan nor India and would also satisfy the aspirations of the people of the united Kashmir, Mr Nazish said. First, trade, commerce, culture, tourism and people-to-people contact should be allowed between the divided population of the state of unified Jammu and Kashmir, he said. “We are deeply concerned over the attempt to change and dismantle the secular character of Jammu and Kashmir and its people”, Mr Nazish said. The JKNLF was trying to counter the venom being injected into the minds of Kashmiri youth by fundamentalist and obscurantist forces. There cannot be any compromise on the democratic, secular and unified character of Kashmir, he said while rejecting the two-nation theory on which Pakistan was created. WB CM to meet
PM, Advani today CALCUTTA, Nov 29 — The new Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mr Buddhadev Bhattacharya will meet Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee and the Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, in Delhi tomorrow to formally lodge complaints against the Railway Minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee, for “creating law and order problems in the state”. The Railway Minister, who has already left for Delhi, will meet Mr Vajpayee, reiterating her demands for an immediate implementation of Article 356 and holding the state’s next Assembly elections under the Governor’s rule. She will present a detailed report on the fresh spurt of violence in Midnapore to the Centre. The CPM and other Left parties want the Assembly elections be held in the last week of April. This will be Mr Bhattacharya’s first visit to Delhi after taking over from Mr Jyoti Basu, who had served as the state’s Chief Minister for 24 years. Mr Bhattacharya will also pay a courtesy call on the President, Mr K.R. Narayanan tomorrow evening. In his meeting with Mr Vajpayee and Mr Advani, Mr Bhattacharya will also press for immediate release of funds from the Central pool for relief and restoration works in the nine flood-affected districts in south Bengal. “The floods claimed 1,344 lives and caused damage to crops and properties worth over Rs 6,000 crore. The state government demanded a paltry amount of Rs 1,487 crore but so far, it has received nothing. We have spent Rs 584 crore from our resources which have been exhausted and adequate resources are needed to continue the relief and restoration work”, said the state Finance Minister, Mr Asim Dasgupta, who is accompanying the new Chief Minister. |
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Going to Parliament on tractor NEW DELHI, Nov 29 — Members in the Lok Sabha today took exception to the various advertisements in newspapers inviting people to dial for fun and tantalising conversation. Raising the issue during zero hour, Telugu Desam member MVVS Murthi demanded that the government take immediate measures to ban such advertisements. Responding to his suggestion, Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr Pramod Mahajan, assured the House that the government would look into the matter and disconnect such telephone lines.
*** The government is considering a proposal for lifting the ceiling on bonus and a decision on this is expected soon. A detailed proposal in this regard has been sent to the Centre for its consideration, Labour Minister Satyanarayan Jatia said during question hour.
*** A member today contested an answer relating to the House proceedings that appeared in the popular quiz show “Kaun Banega Crorepati”. Independent member Ramdas Athawale pointed that zero hour could last half-an-hour and could go up to two hours and said such incorrect answers in the popular quiz programme anchored by Amitabh Bachchan should not be given.
*** Congress member Renuka Chaudhary’s attempts to drive to Parliament on a tractor and the security personnel’s denial of permission to let the vehicle in created a furore in the Lok Sabha. The issue figured briefly during zero hour. Mr Buta Singh of the Congress said she was stopped by the Delhi police from entering Parliament House as she was coming on a tractor and demanded action against the “erring” authorities. Mrs Chowdhury wanted to highlight the problems of the farmers by driving on a tractor, he said. One person who was not amused by the issue was former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar. He snubbed the Congress members for raising such an issue and requested Speaker G.M.C. Balayogi to use his authority if members behaved in this manner. Will a member be allowed to enter Parliament riding a tank, he asked. The Speaker finally resolve the issue when he ruled that no vehicle without parking label issued by the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha secretariat could be allowed to enter Parliament. Cyclone kills 1 at Pondicherry CHENNAI, Nov 29 (PTI) — The severe cyclonic storm that hit the east coast between Pondicherry and Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu this evening with wind speed reaching up to 130 km per hour claimed at least one life in the union territory and uprooted thousands of trees. Police sources told pti in Pondicherry that a 45-year-old man sustained serious injuries when a tree fell on him at Thengaithittu village. He was rushed to the Government Hospital where he was declared dead, the police said. Meanwhile, Defence Minister George Fernandes told the Rajya Sabha that the Army and coastguard had been put on maximum alert in Tamil Nadu in view of the cyclone. The storm had earlier in the day uprooted several trees in both Pondicherry and nearby Cuddalore district. Telecommunication services were disrupted. Power supply was cut off as a precautionary measure. Rain water also entered several huts in low lying areas. Revenue officials in Chennai and Pondicherry Chief Minister P. Shanmugham said the extent of damage was being assessed and would be known only by tomorrow. Meanwhile, 43 fishermen from Cuddalore who ventured into the sea in 20 catamarans on Sunday last were yet to return. The Pondicherry Chief Minister said the fishermen in the union territory had been moved to safer places and officials of revenue, fisheries, public works, police and local administration departments were monitoring the situation. Meteorological sources said latest satellite cloud pictures and coastal observations indicated rainfall in Tiruvallur, Chennai, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur and Pudukkottai districts of north Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry during the next 48 hours. Rainfall would also occur at most places with isolated heavy falls in all the districts of north interior Tamil Nadu during the same period. |
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Govt may set up
fast-track courts NEW DELHI, Nov 29 — The government was opposed to any move at controlling the judiciary and was considering proposals to set up fast-track courts at the district level to clear mounting backlog in cases, Law Minister Arun Jaitley said here today. “We have no intention to control the judiciary, we are rather opposed to any such move,” Mr Jaitley told the, Rajya Sabha. On setting up of fast-track courts, the Centre was consulting state governments and high courts. Expressing concern at the growing judicial backlog, the minister said the
government was according topmost priority to exploring procedure to clear the cases. He said the Finance Commission had allocated a sum of Rs 502 crore for reforms in judiciary. Replying to a brief discussion on the Judicial Administration Laws (Repeal) Bill, 2000, which was later passed by the House, Mr Jaitley said the Centre would consult high courts and states on how best to utilise the allocation. Referring to the Repeal Bill, the minister said there were as many as 1,323 Acts, including 17 war-time ordinances, which still existed in the statute book and needed to be struck off. He said the government proposed to “bunch these Acts subjectwise” and get them repealed by Parliament progressively. |
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Pak must make
choice: Gujral NEW DELHI, Nov 29 — Former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral categorically said today Pakistan must decide whether it wished to be a state based on fundamentalist prescriptions or a modern state in tune with the new economic and sociological realities. Delivering the Admiral R.D. Katari memorial lecture here, the former Prime Minister went on to say it was time Pakistan decided whether its policies were decided by the jehadis or by the modern requirements of the global economy and composite societies. “There is a serious danger of Talibanisation of Pakistan that would be disastrous for the civil society of Pakistan and adversely affect India and the rest of the region” he said while adding that a weak and failing Pakistan would serve no Indian interests. |
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Gang of extortionists
busted, 3 held NEW DELHI, Nov 29 — The Delhi police today claimed to have busted an underworld gang of extortionists with the arrest of three persons from different areas of the Capital. The arrested — Karambir Singh, Narender and Gopal Goyal — were members of the Fazlu-ur-Rehman alias Fazloo gang presently based in Dubai. Besides Delhi, the gang operated in Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Jaipur, Calcutta, Mumbai and Patna, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime), Mr Qamar Ahmed said. While addressing the media, Mr Qamar Ahmed said Fazloo wanted to fill the vacuum created after Dawood Ibrahim had moved to Dubai. Fazloo extorted money from businessmen in the Capital and other cities. In Delhi, he had so far extorted money from at least 15 businessmen but none, had reported the matter to the police, Mr Ahmed said. He said the crime branch received a tip-off that Karambir had been the main organiser of extortion activities for the Fazloo gang. He had become the leader of the gang in Delhi after the arrest of Jaspreet Singh alias Ginni. Karambir was also involved in the kidnapping case of Sanjay Aggarwal, who was released by the abductors after paying huge sum in ransom. The Delhi police laid a trap a few days earlier near the Nizamuddin bridge. It intercepted Karambir’s car which was coming from Uttar Pradesh and arrested him and his accomplice, Narender. Two country-made revolvers of .315 bore and two cartridges were seized from their possession. During interrogation, they revealed that they had been active in and around Delhi for six months. During the period, they had extorted money from a few businessmen of the city. The extortion money ranged between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 15 lakh. VP rules out joining third front CHENNAI, Nov 29 (UNI) — Former Prime Minister V.P. Singh today ruled out joining any political party or political formation. Addressing a press conference here, he said his health would not allow him to lead a third front. He would be active in a non-partisan field campaigning especially for the farmers and the poor, he added. He further said a third front at the national level was a necessity at the moment. Asked whether he would object to the inclusion of politicians convicted in corruption cases in the third front, Mr V.P. Singh said this was for the leaders of the front to decide. As for himself, he would not comment on individual politicians, he added.
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