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| Friday,
March 23, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Tehelka expose shows intelligence failure Home Ministry orders probe PIL for checking Tehelka from using site PM should quit, says V.P. Singh VHP backs PM, for action against guilty |
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Verghese consultant to Defence Minister Case against Vincent act of vendetta: Cong Sonia appoints
5 more AICC secys Both
Houses adjourned Adjournments cost exchequer Rs 5.21 cr Padma Bhushan for Amitabh Bachchan Urdu poet dies before receiving Padma Shree Temple issue can be solved through
negotiations: Joshi Badal, Chautala meet PM on MSP Sexual harassment incurs SC’s ire Suspension of 70 Cong men revoked Ex-Army man held for aiding ISI
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Tehelka expose shows intelligence failure New Delhi, March 22 Eyebrows are being raised over the fact that the intelligence agencies had no clue at all about the operation being carried out by the reporters of the website as they went about recording politicians, government officials and senior Army officers. Fingers are being pointed particularly at the Military Intelligence (MI), which has a record of keeping a close tab on its lower rank officers. But on this occasion again it failed to keep itself abreast with what its senior level officers were doing. The Tehelka disclosures had at least six Army officers caught in its web and interestingly all are above the rank of Major. Three of them are Major Generals. The Intelligence Bureau is not above board either. Although claims are being made that the IB did have some knowledge about what was likely to be brought out, but by then enough was already on tapes to pin the government to the carpet. Senior bureaucrats and government officials are privately pointing to the regular failures of the MI and the IB which have repeatedly put the government in a tight spot. From failures to detect the Kargil intrusions to the ‘defencegate’, the officials say no lessons seem to have been learnt by the intelligence agencies. According to reports the Vajpayee government is not very happy with the functioning of the intelligence agencies. Once the present storm blows over, the government is likely to focus its attention on seeking answers to the failure in detecting the “Operation Westend”. What is troubling the officials more is the fact that the Operation Westend was on for more than six months and despite the fact that men from the fictitious firm were repeatedly meeting senior politicians, government officials and Army officers, the intelligence agencies failed to pick the reasons for the meetings. The IB which comes under the Home Ministry and has the responsibility of keeping a tab on what is happening within the country was caught off guard again. The breaking of the defencegate reflects that the professionalism is still lacking in the premier intelligence agency of the country, say senior government officials. On the other hand the MI, which keeps an eye on even the smallest of movements within the forces seems to have turned a blind eye even to the frequent visits of its senior officers to five star hotels. |
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Home Ministry orders probe New Delhi, March 22 “Government’s attention has been drawn to a newspaper report under the caption “Conspiracy unravels: Government official mentor of Tehelka sting”. An inquiry in the matter is being conducted and based on the findings of the inquiry, appropriate action against the officer will be initiated”, a Home Ministry spokesman said here.
PIL for checking Tehelka from using site New Delhi, March 22 The petition filed in the name of an organisation “Voice of People” is likely to be taken up for hearing tomorrow. The petitioner alleged that the activities of Tehelka in making secret tapes on defence deals also amounted to its indulging in “criminal conspiracy” and “waging war against lawful government”. Besides Tehelka, the petitioner had also named Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Delhi Police Commissioner as respondents. The
petitioner said it was not understandable how the fictitious firms could enter into a deal for selling arms the way the news portal had shown in its tapes.
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PM should quit, says V.P. Singh New Delhi, March 22 “I do not accuse Mr Vajpayee of being corrupt, but I accuse him of failing to curb corruption at high places,” he told newspersons here. “Constructive responsibility is the hallmark of any vibrant democracy and after the Tehelka expose the Vajpayee government should have resigned owning constructive responsibility,” he said. Demanding immediate action against the accused in the Tehelka expose, Mr V.P. Singh said if there was any prima facie evidence in the tehelka.com expose then normal procedure of law should be followed. “An FIR should be lodged, the accused should be arrested and the matter be proceeded within the court,” he said adding that “had there been any ordinary person in place of the BJP President, Mr Bangaru Laxman, he would have been by now put behind bars.” Criticising the decision to set up an inquiry commission to go into the expose by Tehelka, the former Prime Minister said the government had set up the commission as it knew very well that nothing would come out of it. Stating that the news portal had made a “major contribution” in exposing corruption, he said the government “should not harass them. Rather, it should arrange for their security.” He said it was not fair for the government to order a probe against the news portal. Accusing the CBI of adopting “double standards” while registering cases, he demanded that normal procedure of law should be followed in the defence deal expose on the basis of prima facie evidence, if any. “If the CBI can act against Mr Vincent George, Private Secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, then why not in cases of others? Why this double standard?” he asked. Asked how stable the NDA government was in the wake of the defence deal expose, he said “after the moral authority of the government is eroded, the stability becomes the stability of a dead body”. Mr V.P. Singh said it was high time to evolve consensus on issues like transparency in public life, political funding, right to information, decentralisation of power and electoral reforms. |
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VHP backs PM, for action against guilty New Delhi, March 22 While demanding the setting up of an authority to which everyone, including the “highest office” (PMO) should be accountable, the VHP Working President, Mr Ashok Singhal, said the demand for Mr Vajpayee’s resignation was part of a larger “conspiracy to destabilise” the country. “The expose has happened for the good of the country in the sense that it has woken us up to the malaise in the system. I urge the Prime Minister to punish everyone, including PMO officials, if they are found guilty,” he said when asked about the allegations against some PMO officials. He, however, differed with RSS chief K.S. Sudarshan’s remarks that the government was facing the present crisis due to the “incompetence” of some PMO officials. “It is for him (Vajpayee) to decide who is competent and who is not. It should be left to his discretion and judgement, Mr Singhal said, adding “Mr Vajpayee is a spotless leader and there is nobody head and shoulders above him to lead the nation.” |
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Verghese consultant to Defence Minister New Delhi, March 22 The appointment of an information consultant unprecedented in recent times comes in the background of the image damage the ministry has faced following the Tehelka expose. A highly respected professional, Mr Verghese was a member of the Kargil committee, headed by Mr K. Subrahmanyam, and was also on the national security council. Former editor of the Hindustan Times and Indian Express, Mr Verghese is on the Prasar Bharti board.
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Case against Vincent act of vendetta: Cong New Delhi, March 22 Answering questions about the BJP demand for the resignation of Congress President Sonia Gandhi after registration of an FIR against Mr George, party spokesman Jaipal Reddy said the idea of filing the charge sheet was a diversionary tactic of the NDA government. Asserting that Mr Vincent George had ceased to be a government employee 11 years ago, Congress officials indicated that the FIR filed by CBI might not stand judicial scrutiny. Mr Reddy said Mr Vincent George had so far not been given a copy of the FIR which was mandatory in such cases. Questioning the motive behind the whole exercise, Mr Reddy indicated that the party would not go by the verison of the CBI only. “The CBI is as autonomous as is Prasar Bharti,” Mr Reddy quipped. Pointing out that he was not going into the merits of the CBI case against Vincent George, Mr Reddy said the exercise was aimed at diverting the attention from the Tehelka expose. While the Tehelka expose “betrays the timidity of the NDA government, the registration of the FIR betrays its stupidity,” Mr Reddy said. Referring to the Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s letter for time on Doordarshan for the party to refute contentions of former Defence Minister George Fernandes, Mr Reddy said the Congress President had taken exception to the Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee not replying to her letter. Mrs Gandhi, he said, had again written a letter to the Prime Minister saying that the PM was guilty of deplorable discourtesy in not replying to the letter himself. “This is certainly not a healthy way for the PM to keep a healthy equation with Leader of the Opposition,” Mr Reddy said quoting the letter. Meanwhile, the BJP on Thursday made a scathing attack on Sonia Gandhi saying that she owed an explanation to the nation as to how she allowed Vincent George to continue as her personal assistant in the wake of CBI registering case against him for possessing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income. “The Congress owes an explanation to the nation as to how Mrs Gandhi continues to have Vincent George as her personal assistant after the CBI had registered a case against him for possessing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income”, party spokesman V.K. Malhotra told reporters here. To a question whether the BJP wanted her to resign, he said, “If she continues as Congress President, it suits us.” Sonia appoints 5 more AICC secys New Delhi, March 22 While Major Prakash, secretary in the Communication and Information Department of the party, would assist AICC General Secretary Ambika Soni, former President of Indian Youth Congress Gaekwad would assist another AICC General Secretary Oscar Fernandes, Mr Fernandes said in a statement. Mr K.K. Sharma has been appointed to work with CWC member Mukul Wasnik in charge of Mahila Congress and the NSUI, while Imran Kidwai has been attached to Mani Shankar Aiyer, special invitee to the CWC, he said. Afzal Ahmed, alias Meem Afzal, has been appointed as secretary in the Minority Department of the AICC, Mr Fernandes said adding all appointments were with immediate effect.
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Both
Houses adjourned New Delhi, March 22 The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day minutes after they assembled. It was a stormy scene in the Lok Sabha as the Opposition members led by the Congress resorted to raising slogans against the government. “Yeh sarkar chor hai (this Government is a thief)”. The members of the Treasury Benches countered the slogans by charging the Congress with being corrupt. In the Rajya Sabha, the Opposition was on its feet the moment the Chairman, Mr Krishan Kant, assumed his seat. The Chair’s direction that nothing would go on record did not prevent the opposition members from raising slogans. The Prime Minister was present in the House during the din. Tomorrow is the last day of sitting for both Houses before they go for a three-week recess and reassemble on April 16. |
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Adjournments cost exchequer Rs 5.21 cr New Delhi, March 22 Mr Naik said that the present Parliamentary expenditure per minute at Rs 16,568 was on the basis of Budget provisions for 2000-01. The total budget of Parliament is Rs 182.67 crore. While Mr Naik had taken only the Budget figures relating to Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, he had not taken into consideration the expenditure incurred by various government agencies in dealing with the Parliamentary business. “If the expenditure of security agencies were also taken into account, the loss of the national exchequer would be much more than the Budgetary provision,’’ Mr Naik told UNI. Admitting that the present members of NDA had also obstructed the Parliament proceeding in the past, he said they blocked the House for a discussion in the Parliament and not for obstructing the discussion as the present Opposition was doing.
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Padma Bhushan for Amitabh Bachchan New Delhi, March 22 The President conferred four Padma Vibhushans, 13 Padma Bhushans and 31 Padma Shris in a colourful ceremony which was attended by Vice-President Krishan Kant, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Union Home Minister L.K. Advani and other ministers. Renowned shehnai player Ustad Bismillah Khan, who was given Bharat Ratna this year, could not be conferred the award as he had expressed his inability to attend today’s function, Home Secretary Kamal Pandey said, adding that the shehnai maestro may be conferred the award at a later date suitable to him in consultation with the President. Famous film director Hrishikesh Mukherjee and known santoor player Shiv Kumar Sharma were given Padma Vibhushan by Mr Narayanan.
Urdu poet dies before receiving Padma Shree New Delhi, March 22 The Mumbai based 75-year-old author died at the Escorts Hospital a day after he was admitted there following a stroke, they said, adding that he was cremated last evening at the Nigambodh Ghat here. He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter. The Jalandhar-born Gupta, who wrote about 80 books on prose and poetry, was considered one of the best known authorities in India and Pakistan on the great poet Ghalib.
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Temple issue can be solved through New Delhi, March 22 Asserting that his party always wanted to resolve this sensitive issue either through negotiation or legislation, he said: “The BJP holds that the nature of this controversy is such that it cannot be settled by a court of law.” “It can not be adjudicated by a court whether Babar invaded Ayodhya, destroyed the Ram Temple there and built a mosque at the place,” Dr Joshi said quoting from the 1989 BJP resolution on the Ayodhya issue. “The spirit of the 1989 resolution continued to guide us always,” the former BJP President said in his first appearance before the commission which is probing the sequence of events leading to the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. “Ram Janamsthan should be handed over to the Hindus either through negotiation or through legislation”, he added further quoting the resolution.
UNI
Badal, Chautala meet PM on MSP New Delhi, March 22 During the meeting lasting about half-an-hour, the two Chief Ministers sought a hike in the minimum support price as the input cost for farmers had increased steeply. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala had met Mr Vajpayee last month also on the issue of minimum support price to the farmers. Mr Chautala later indicated that the Prime Minister might announce the new minimum support price during the NDA rally in Delhi on March 25. The rally, he said, was likely to be attended by a large number of farmers. He said the interests of farmers were safe in the hands of Mr Vajpayee. Meanwhile, the INLD has started mobilising people for the March 25 rally which would be addressed by several NDA leaders. |
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Sexual harassment incurs SC’s ire New Delhi, March 22 Counsel Aparna Bhat contended before a Division Bench comprising Mr Justice K.T. Thomas and Mr Justice R.P.Sethi that instead of constituting in-house committees as directed by the apex court in the Vishakha case to go into cases of sexual harassment at workplaces, the state government had set up a commission of inquiry under a sitting judge of the high court. The Bench observed that the proceedings of the commission of inquiry notified by the state government to probe allegations made by IAS officer Nalini Netto against Nadar “would go contrary to the guidelines issued by the apex court in the Vishakha case”. “In the meanwhile, all proceedings initiated under the aforesaid notification would stand stayed,” the Bench said while asking the Kerala Government to file response to the petition filed by Bhat by April 24, the next date of hearing of the case. Counsel for the state government, G.Prakash, said that the police was also investigating the matter and raised objections about the manner in which the petition was filed. The Bench brushed aside the objections and told the counsel to raise them in the counter-affidavit filed by the state in response to the petition. Bhat submitted that the appointment of a commission of inquiry reflected that the state government had not taken any steps to implement the Supreme Court directives in the Visakha case. Meanwhile, reports said IFS officer Prakruthi Srivastava, who also had alleged sexual harassment at the hands of Nadar, had sought to know from the state government whether it had constituted any complaints committee as directed by the apex court so that she could lodge her complaint there.
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Suspension of 70 Cong men revoked Hyderabad, March 22 The Congress members were suspended for stalling the proceedings in the morning demanding a discussion on alleged kickbacks in some liquor deals. As soon as the House met for the evening session, BJP floor leader N. Indrasena Reddy urged the government to revoke the suspension to enable the Congress members to participate in the proceedings since important Bills were to be taken up. Following this, Legislative Affairs Minister Y. Ramakrishnudu said the government had no objection to
revocation. UNI Ex-Army man held for aiding ISI Lucknow, March 22 He confessed during interrogation that he had been working for the ISI since 1993, Mr Dwivedi said.
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Award for Maneka New Delhi, March 22 A letter from the trust says that the award is being given in recognition of her remarkable contribution in the field of environment and animal welfare. The award is given every year to a woman who has made an extraordinary mark in a special field. |
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