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Friday,
July 5, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Rao denies ‘inaction’ during ’84
riots De-escalation after Pak ends terror:
India Survey: India safe for foreign
tourists
Godhra police chief transferred Milosevic-like trial for Modi sought |
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Fernandes' Japan tour from today Gadhafi’s envoy
meets Digvijay RSS for J&K poll under Central rule
VHP seeks law on Ram temple Doordarshan drive against AIDS
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Rao denies ‘inaction’ during ’84 riots New Delhi, July 4 “Despite my sorrow at the death of the late Prime Minister, I was fully conscious of my onerous duty and left no stone unturned in the full discharge of my duty. At no point of time was I indifferent in any way. There was never any question of callousness on my part,’’ the former Prime Minister said in his statement filed before the commission. Mr Rao, who had appeared before the commission on May 2, was asked by the panel to file a written submission explaining his role during the riots in the context of allegations of some witnesses that he was indifferent and inaccessible during the communal carnage. Former Union Minister Ram Jethmalani and Sikh historian Patwant Singh had alleged before the commission that Mr Rao seemed “indifferent’’ when they called on him during the riots. While Mr Jethmalani had gone to meet the Home Minister on the evening of October 31 the day Indira Gandhi was assassinated, Mr Patwant Singh called on Mr Rao along with former Prime Minister I.K. Gujral and Gen J S Aurora on November 1. About charges of inaccessibility during the riots, Mr Rao said: “I never avoided to talk to any important person. I remained in touch with the authorities continuously and gave them information as well as necessary instructions.’’ Former Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, in his deposition before the commission, had stated that on November 1 he had tried to contact Mr Rao over phone from Rashtrapati Bhavan but despite his hour-long efforts the Home Minister did not come on line. Mr Paswan had gone to meet President Zail Singh along with former Prime Minister Charan Singh and former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal to express their concern over the communal violence. The President had suggested them to contact the Home Minister. Mr Rao, who was also accused of being busy attending foreign dignitaries amidst the riots, said that in the absence of the External Affairs Minister at that time he had to help in receiving foreign dignitaries at the Teen Murti house. However, “my duty as the Home Minister continued to remain my primary concern.’’ he added. About his sense of duty, Mr Rao said: “This was never called in question all these years at any time. Any such attempt at insinuation after the lapse of such a long time could only be an afterthought without any basis or iota of truth.’’
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De-escalation after Pak ends terror:
India New Delhi, July 4 With the latest infiltration bid in the Poonch sector late last night in the backdrop, India’s stand was made clear to the visiting British Defence Secretary Geoffery Hoon during the extensive meetings he had with National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra and External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha during the day, sources said. Highlighting the recent numerous attempts to push in militants across the Line of Control, India categorically told the British Defence Secretary that Pakistan had to act on its promises before India could take some more steps towards de-escalation. The Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, Gen S. Padmanabhan, also called on Mr Hoon this morning and briefed him on the situation on the border, particularly about the five recent instances of attempts by militants to cross the LoC. India also provided the UK with evidence to back its claim that infiltration from across the border had not stopped. Heading a high-level defence delegation on a two-day visit here, Mr Hoon also assured the Indian leaders that London took a serious view of raising of funds on its soil for use of terrorism abroad. |
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Survey: India safe for foreign
tourists New Delhi, July 4 A survey conducted by Hotel Association of India (HAI) at the instance of the Tourism Department in a number of leading hotels all over the country said tourists from more than 20 countries, who were interviewed, felt that India was a safe and secure place for foreign tourists. Those interviewed said they would gladly recommend a visit to India to their friends and associates. A similar exercise of tour operators and other agencies connected with tourism has corroborated the results of the HAI survey by interviewing foreign tourists at airports, in hotels and other tourist places. |
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Godhra police chief transferred Gandhinagar, July 4 Mr K. Chakravarthy, DGP, however, remains in his post even as his DGP-rank colleagues R.N. Bhattacharya (Anti-Corruption Bureau) and Mr S. Banerjee (Prisons) have swapped their posts. The third DGP-rank officer, Mr K.S. Chaturvedi, who was Commandant-General (Home Guards and Civil Defence), will now head the Police Computer Centre-cum-State Records Bureau. Mr Bhargava has been shifted as district SP to the tribal district of Dangs. Valsad SP Narasimha Kumar will be the new SP of Panchamahals district. Special IGs O.P. Mathur and R.M.S. Brar have been promoted as Additional DGPs and posted, respectively, as Commissioners in the Communications and Prohibition Departments. The third officer to be promoted is Mr P K Jha, who has been posted as DIG (Border Range).
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Milosevic-like trial for Modi sought New Delhi, July 4 Mr B.K. Roy Burman, Chairman of the Forum for Cultural Democracy, stated in the letter that the country heaved a sigh of relief after Mr Modi put off his rath yatra. “By calling this rath yatra as “gaurav yatra”, Modi and his ilk are posing as if Gujarat is not part of the nation. Action should be taken against them for their anti-national activities and such yatra should be banned under the law,” Mr Burman said. The letter has been signed, among others, by former Railway Minister Madhu Dandavate, former MP Surendra Mohan, Sarva Seva Sangh president Amarnath Bhai and Sarvodaya Samaj convener R.C. Rahi. The signatories have demanded immediate removal of Mr Modi as Chief Minister and a trial on the lines of Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic in the war crimes tribunal. |
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Lifetime award
for Amrita Pritam New Delhi, July 4 The ailing writer, was presented a cheque for Rs 15 lakh, a plaque and a ‘Phulkari’. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister said Amrita Pritam could be rightfully acknowledged as the living legend of Punjabi literature. Quoting a few lines from her famous poem ‘Aj Akhan Waris Shah Nu, Kiton Kabran Vichon Bol,’ the Chief Minister said she was a versatile writer and had written more than 100 books in genres of poetry, prose, novel and autobiography. Her books had been translated into 34 Indian and foreign languages. The entire medical expenditure on her treatment would be borne by the state government, he added. Describing partition as the most unfortunate episode in her life, she said literature could play a vital role in cementing the bonds of brotherhood.
Among those present was novelist Dr Dalip Kaur Tiwana. |
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Fernandes' Japan tour from today New Delhi, July 4 During his visit, the Defence Minister will hold discussions with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and Defence Minister Nakatani. Mr Fernandes was the first Indian Defence Minister to visit Japan in January 2000, lying the foundation for several initiatives, including an Indo-Japanese strategic dialogue. The first military-to-military talks between the two countries were held on July 18 and 19, 2000, where it was agreed to have regular goodwill visits in training and mine sweeping exercises. Mr Fernandes will head the delegation-level talks that will be held with the Japanese Defence Ministry. |
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Gadhafi’s envoy
meets Digvijay New Delhi, July 4 A spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs said the two sides also used this opportunity to review friendly relations and add further substance to them. Indian companies have so far concluded projects worth over $ 2.5 billion in Libya. After a long gap, two Indian hydrocarbon PSUs are expected to import during 2002 over 1 million tonne of Libyan crude worth approximately $ 160 million. |
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RSS for J&K poll under Central rule New Delhi, July 4 “Nobody can expect a free-and-fair poll under the present National Conference government in Jammu and Kashmir...it should be held under Central rule,” RSS Spokesman M G Vaidya told newspersons here. To buttress the RSS viewpoint, Mr Vaidya pointed out that in the 1996 poll, there was just 5 per cent voter turnout in the valley. |
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VHP seeks law on Ram temple Ranchi, July 4 |
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Doordarshan drive against AIDS New Delhi, July 4 The campaign has been launched by the BBC World Service Trust, an NGO arm of the BBC World Service, in collaboration with Prasar Bharti and NACO. The Executive Producer of BBC World Service Trust, Mr Peter Gill, told TNS here today that this is the first time the trust was launching a subsequent campaign in London. He said the campaign was scheduled to be held on July 9 at the Commonwealth Club in central London. The British end of the launch would include a brief presentation to create interest in UK and Europe on the project, he added. In India, the campaign was launched by Mr Mark Byford, Director, BBC World Service and Global News, at a function in Delhi on Tuesday. In the first phase, the campaign would target five low-prevalence states, including Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal.
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