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Tuesday,
July 9, 2002, Chandigarh, India   |
Indo-US talks ‘limited’ to Pak agenda Naidu plans new team
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Govt has
rectified Badal’s wrong: Tohra Presidential poll: observers to meet today TDP chief opposes rly bifurcation |
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Threefold rise in malaria cases Groom drowns during ritual
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Indo-US talks ‘limited’ to Pak agenda New Delhi, July 8 “India is not averse to the USA putting pressure on Pakistan. However, once an end to terrorism is brought about, we will sit down and talk with Pakistan”, Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal said while speaking at a meeting organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). He made it clear that while India welcomed the US role in resolving the Indo-Pak conflict by bringing an end to cross-border terrorism, this did not mark the end of New Delhi’s policy on bilateralism. The issue of international terrorism cannot be addressed by ignoring the India-Pakistan conflict, he said. “Unfortunately, the dialogue between India and the USA has narrowed down to the Pakistan agenda by the latter.” On the US-led war against terror, he said it had to be encompassing in all respects. “The incidents of September 11 are all about combating international terrorism. The USA cannot separate one segment of international terrorism with another. They cannot accord second priority to another segment of terrorism just because it does suit their immediate political interests”, he said. “This position is not acceptable to us”, he said, even as he admitted that “because the priorities of both the countries are not in place, there is a problem.” Mr Sibal said the progress in ironing out the differences had been “substantial, but not complete”. The Foreign Secretary clarified that if pressure on Pakistan to stop cross-border terrorism was interpreted in the way “ that it meant only those terrorists which were under General Musharraf’s control, it would provide room for manoeuvre.” “That is precisely the alibi that he is looking for”, Mr Sibal said. Stating that Kargil marked a watershed in India’s foreign policy, he said post-Kargil, there was growing realisation among the international community, particularly the USA, that the sanctity of LoC should not be violated. He clarified that there was no real conflict of interests between India and the USA on the front of foreign policy. “If there are any differences, it is because of the USA’s unwillingness to provide India the space that we are looking for,” he said. The diplomatic exercise between India and the USA is “not yet over” and will continue, he said. Mr Sibal regretted that the USA always viewed India’s nuclear capability in the narrow parameters as pertaining to Pakistan. “Even before a single shot was fired across the Indo-Pak border, fears about a possible nuclear conflict was being discussed”, he said, adding that “If they were fearing a nuclear conflict, what were they doing about it”. The travel advisories urging their citizens to stay away from the subcontinent were essentially doing a political act — the basis of which was not known, he stated. On defence cooperation, Mr Sibal said this was one area where maximum progress had been achieved. Counter-terrorism has evolved as the core strategic area of military-to-military cooperation between the two countries, he added. |
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Naidu plans new team New Delhi, July 8 Mr Naidu, who had promised to consult the party high command before announcing the names of the office-bearers, was also expected to send the Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs, the Minister for Urban Affairs, Mr Ananth Kumar, the Minister for Small Scale Industries, Mr Vasundhare Raje, the Lok Sabha MP from Sonepat, Mr Kishan Singh Sangwan, and Mr Madan Lal Khurana to take charge of BJP state units in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi, respectively. From all available indications, Mr Naidu is not going to retain General
Secretaries Sangh Priya Gauatam and Pyarelal Khandelwal in his team and would bring in former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Rajnath Singh as a powerful General Secretary and in charge of Uttranchal and Uttar Pradesh. Even senior Vice-President Kailashpati Mishra may also be out of the team, sources said adding that former party President Kushabhau Thakre’s role is also going to be considerably reduced. Mr Naidu is expected to promote National Secretary Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to the post of the General Secretary for the first time the BJP is going to appoint a Muslim for that post. Party spokesman of former BJP President K. Jana Krishnamurthi’s team Sunil Shastri, Mr Sunil Joshi and Ms Maya Singh are expected to continue in their posts with new assignments. Shifting of at least four more ministers of the Vajpayee government to the party would obviously
necessitate another Cabinet expansion which may see former Uttar Pradesh party President Kalraj Mishra and former leader of the BJP legislative party in Madhya Pradesh Vikram Verma in the Union Cabinet. Mr Naidu, who had consulted the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, yesterday, was likely to finalise his team after his meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Lal Krishna Advani, who was now the last court of appeal in the BJP, sources said. A former Madhya Pradesh state unit President, Dr Lakshmi Narayan Pande, is also expected to be inducted in the party as the Vice-President and if for some reasons, Mr Vikram Verma is not inducted in to the Cabinet then Dr Pande is going to find a place in the Union Council of Ministers, the sources added. Similarly, Mr Naidu may also change in charges of the different cells and Morchas after some time. |
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Govt has rectified
Badal’s wrong: Tohra New Delhi, July 8 The state government has only withdrawn the notification issued by the Badal-led Punjab Government three years ago to reconstitute the commission, said the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal President in a statement here. The Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress government in the state had come in for sharp criticism from the SAD in its Political Affairs Committee meeting. The PAC had termed the government action as “unconstitutional”, against the spirit of the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925, and tantamount to gross interference of the government in the religious affairs of the Sikhs. Mr Tohra said the notification by the SAD was aimed at facilitating the then Badal government’s control on the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and to remove the then Akal Takht Jathedar Ranjit Singh. The reconstitution of the commission through an official Act was the Badal government’s first blatant interference in religious affairs, which also stood against a full-Bench decision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Mr Tohra added. “That is why we (Mr Tohra’s party) challenged the Badal government’s notification ,” Mr Tohra said. |
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Presidential poll: observers to meet today New Delhi, July 8 The meeting of the returning officers belonging to 30 states and union territories and the chief returning officer and Rajya Sabha Secretary, Gen R.C. Tripathi, would meet in the morning. Sixtytwo assistant returning officers from across the country would also participate in the meeting, sources said today. All arrangements would be thoroughly reviewed to ensure smooth conduct of the election, the sources added. On the other hand, 34 observers, who were drawn from various government departments, would meet in the evening to apprise themselves with the rules and procedures of the election, the sources said. |
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TDP chief opposes rly bifurcation Kolkata, July 8 Both leaders are now in close touch with one another and preparing to jointly oppose the Railway Minister’s move, which according to them, will disintegrate and destabilise the country. Ignoring Mr Naidu’s stiff resistance, Mr Kumar on Saturday issued an order, setting up East Coast Railways, with its headquarters at Bhubaneswar. This would include Waltair in his state, which had annoyed the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister. Mr Naidu, who had resented the minister’s decision on Waltair, sent a letter to the Prime Minister to intervene and suspend the decision. Both Mr Naidu and Ms Banerjee wanted Mr Vajpayee to act positively or to face consequences like inter-state squabbles. |
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Threefold rise in malaria cases Hanumangarh, July 8 Against 114 malaria patients in 2001, there were 360 cases in the previous year. Favourable conditions for mosquito breeding and inadequate spray of DDT in the district have been cited as reasons for the increase in
cases. Nohar subdivision has the maximum number of cases — 239. In Sangaria subdivision, 100 cases of PV malaria were detected, out of a total of 17,575 slides taken. At the district headquarters, a total of 24,995 slides were taken. Out of this, 18 cases of PV malaria and three of PF malaria were identified. In 2000, about 1,05,000 slides were taken for the purpose and only 114 malaria cases were detected. According to medical experts, in May and June, DDT should be sprayed to check the breeding of mosquitoes. Sources said DDT was not available in the district due to which spray was not done in the rounds required. |
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Groom drowns during ritual Bhadohi (UP), July 8 According to the police, the groom, Saajan Dubey, offered prayers at a local temple and then went to a nearby lake to bathe as part of a ritual. However, he slipped into deep waters and drowned. The bride, along with some other family members, was singing a traditional song while Saajan was bathing. The police, handed over the body to the family members.
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