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Thursday,
August 22, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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BJP-morcha alliance for J&K poll BJP justifies ‘gaurav yatra’ |
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Geete to replace Prabhu as
Power Minister SPECIAL REPORT
Maya continues to shuffle officers Land allotment issue: Congress declines comments
Ban Baba’s
activity, Mann tells NCM Check conversion of
Sikhs, Christians told Submersion threat in Narmada valley Drought situation has eased: Ajit
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BJP-morcha alliance for J&K poll New Delhi, August 21 A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the Central Election Committee of the party held at the residence of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to chalk out the electoral strategy and seat arrangements for the Assembly poll. The meeting chaired by party president Venkaiah Naidu also finalised on the majority of the party candidates, but preferred not to release the list till JSM decided on which seats it would put its candidates. Later, briefing newspersons, party spokesman Arun Jaitley said, “We are having an alliance with the morcha so as to check division of votes even though the party does not support trifurcation of the state.” “Notwithstanding the difference, we decided at this juncture that we should avoid any devision of votes of various nationalist groups which could benefit our rivals,” Mr Jaitley said. He said the BJP was against the trifurcation of the state as being propounded by the morcha, but “we are for development of the three regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.” “There is no question of compromise on trifurcation as propounded by the morcha, but we share its perception of development of the three regions and are for setting up of regional development councils,” Mr Jaitley said. He said the issue of seat adjustment would be decided after another round of discussions with the morcha. The final decision had been left to Mr Naidu, who chaired the meeting. Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, now in England, and former party President Kushabhau Thakre, being indisposed, were the notable absentees at the meeting. On the number of seats to be given to the morcha, Mr Jaitley said this would be decided by Mr Naidu after discussions with Mr O.P. Kohli, who is prabhari for the state, and party general secretary Rajnath Singh, who is in charge of the state, have with the morcha. Mr Jaitley said, “We decided that at this juncture, we should avoid the division of various nationalist groups, and therefore, by way of adjustment leave a few seats for the morcha.” The BJP had won eight seats in the 87-member Assembly in the last elections and this time, it is likely to contest all seats in alliance with the morcha. According to sources, the BJP is likely to contest about 65 seats on its own. The meeting also decided to constitute the party’s election campaign committee for the Jammu and Kashmir poll under the chairmanship of Minister of State for Defence Chaman Lal Gupta, who represents the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency. |
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AEROs appointed for Delhi, Jammu New Delhi, August 21 While the Secretary, Resident Commission of Jammu and Kashmir Government, has been appointed the AERO for Delhi, the Relief Commissioner of Jammu has been appointed as the AERO for Jammu, commission sources said here. The commission’s decision to appoint these AEROs comes in the wake of complaints that the names of Kashmiri
Pandits, who fled the Kashmir valley in the wake of terrorist violence, did not figure in the electoral lists. Any migrant, belonging to any one of the 46 Assembly constituencies in Kashmir valley, could enroll his or her name in Delhi or Jammu itself by merely showing refugee card or any other proof that they were presently residing in the place from where they wanted to exercise their franchise, sources said. BJP
justifies ‘gaurav yatra’ New
Delhi, August 21 “The
situation in Gujarat is normal and it is well within our rights to
conduct “gaurav yatra”, which is purely a political activity,”
party spokesperson Arun Jaitley told newspersons. Replying to a
question why the party was planning to have this yatra when the
Election Commission (EC) and the NHRC had expressed concern over the
situation in Gujarat, Mr Jaitley said, “Where is the question of
anyone suggesting these legitimate political activities not to be
organised, particularly when the situation has returned to normal.” Mr
Jaitley further said “The Election Commission’s job is to conduct
elections. Moreover, it has not, said any political programme should
be organised or not”. “When Congress President Sonia Gandhi can
hold a rally when many parts of Gujarat were under curfew, even now
opposition parties are holding various political activities, why can
the BJP not hold its political activities?” he said. Mr Jaitley also came down heavily on the Congress for all sorts of irresponsible allegations against the BJP. “Day
before yesterday, the Congress spokesman had made allegations that
Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani’s daugther Pratibha Advani and
Union Minister M.M. Joshi were allotted land in Uttaranchal, which
have been proved baseless. But there is no sense of shame left in the
Congress to even apologise or retract the statement,” Mr Jaitley
said adding “It is a typical example of hit-and-run policy being
adopted by the Congress.” Referring to the Shivani murder case, Mr
Jaitley said by holding a demonstration outside Parliamentary Affairs
Minister Pramod Mahajan’s residence, the Congress had only given “legitimacy
to the diversionary tactics of the accused (R.K. Sharma)”.
Sonia expresses concern Congress
President Sonia Gandhi today expressed concern over Gujarat Chief
Minister Narinder Modi reviving plans of ‘Gaurav Yatra’ and urged
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to advise the Chief Minister about
the overarching aim of maintaining and consolidating peace and amity
among the people of Gujarat. In a letter to Mr Vajpayee, Mrs
Gandhi recalled the “prompt action,” taken by him on the
suggestions contained in her letter of June 29, 2002, regarding the
Gaurav Yatra which was called off. “However, we have once
again begun to see reports that the Gujarat Chief Minister has revived
his plans for undertaking such a yatra and that too in those districts
of the state that have been most affected in the recent communal
violence,” she said. |
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Geete to replace Prabhu as
Power Minister
Mumbai, August 21 Mr Anand Adsul, a Shiv Sena MP from Buldhana, will be the new Union Minister of State for Finance. The names of Mr Geete and Mr Adsul were cleared by Shiv Sena chief Bal
Thackeray, according to the party mouthpiece, Saamna. UNI |
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SPECIAL REPORT New Delhi, August 21 Senior Army officers here feel that availability of mobile phone services throughout the North-East will not only help the security forces, but may also prove counter-productive for them. It may actually give militant organisations an upper hand. The government, earlier this month, decided to go ahead with the proposal of Union Communications and Information Technology Minister Pramod Mahajan to allow mobile phone operators to provide their services in the North-East and in Jammu and Kashmir. So far, mobile phone services were available only in Guwahati and Shillong in the North-East, but there was a blanket ban of such services in Jammu and Kashmir due to security reasons. More than Jammu and Kashmir, the Army and security forces are worried about the opening up of the North-East. While the security forces have the best of equipment available in the Jammu and Kashmir region to intercept communication between terrorist organisations and their cadres, it is the North-East which may create problems for them. There is also a feeling that terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir may also not go for the local mobile service as they get the best of the communication equipment from their handlers in the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan. Sources here say with Pakistan eyeing the North-East as its new ground to create trouble in India, the proposal to throw open the region to mobile services may prove to be a boon for the militant groups. The proliferation of mobile services throughout the North-East will boost the communication abilities of the terrorist groups, making it more difficult for the security forces to fight militancy. However, there is also an opinion that availability of mobile services in the region may help the security forces in tracking down the militants as the phone calls and the communication through them will be prone to interception. It is on these grounds that the decision had been taken to allow mobile service operators to provide their services there. The ministry was also of the opinion that security concerns could not be the reason for depriving people from facilities. The government announced its decision to throw open the North-East and the J&K sector to mobile service providers after the Cabinet Committee on Security gave its clearance to the proposal. |
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Maya continues to shuffle officers Lucknow, August 21 Mr Sehgal replaced Mr Ramaraman who has been transferred to Meerut on the same post. The posting of Mr Sehgal has all the ingredients of high class drama. The official spokesman said that on July 21 when Mr Sehgal was transferred to Allahabad as member judicial board he had requested the Chief Minister, Ms Mayawati, to give him some time to say his view point. Mr Sehgal along with the SSP, B.B. Bakshi, DIG, IG of Lucknow range and COs of five police stations were transferred for ostensibly for their failure to control law and order. The transfer of such a large number of officials came as a surprise and moreover when the then DM and the SSP were claimed to be blue-eyed boys of Urban Development minister and senior BJP leader Lalji
Tandon. |
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Land allotment issue: Congress declines comments New Delhi, August 21 Party spokesman Anand Sharma told mediapersons that Congress treasurer Moti Lal Vora was in touch with Uttaranchal Chief Minister N.D. Tiwari to “verify the truth in the allegations” levelled by a functionary of Uttaranchal Pradesh Congress unit. Mr Sharma said the AICC would comment on the issue immediately after hearing from Mr Vora, who was in Uttranchal today. Asked about apology sought by the BJP and former Uttaranchal Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshiyari from the Pradesh Congress for levelling the “baseless” allegations, Mr Sharma said until Mr Vora had spoken personally to Mr Tiwari about the facts and nature of the allegation, he would not comment. |
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Praveen
Babi to move SC Mumbai, August 21 “I will file a petition in the apex court within 30 days and place before it incriminating evidence against Dutt”, Babi, told reporters at her Juhu residence. Reading out a pre-prepared handwritten statement to the media, Babi said she had yet to receive the August 19 order of the designated TADA court which dismissed her petition for her failure to appear in person to tender evidence against Dutt. “The court registrar has intimated me about the order and I am disappointed for having been denied the opportunity of presenting irrefutable evidence of Dutt’s involvement in the bomb blast conspiracy”, she said. Reiterating that she had “irrefutable” evidence to prove Dutt’s involvement, she said she could not appear before the court due to a heinous conspiracy to murder her.
PTI |
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Ban
Baba’s activity, Mann tells NCM New Delhi, August 21 At a meeting with members of the National
Commission for Minorities, the dal delegation comprising party general
secretary Jagmohan Singh and parliamentary secretary Gursharan Singh
offered to submit evidence on the audiotapes of the objectionable
speeches of Baba Ashutosh’s follower Shradhanand. The party has
offered to submit the evidence before August 27 when the Punjab Chief
Secretary, Mr Y.S. Ratra, is scheduled to appear before the
commission. The NCM has summoned Mr Ratra to discuss last month’s
firing in Malout. Mr Mann reportedly told the commission that the terms of reference of the four-member committee chaired by Punjab Education Secretary N.S. Rattan are too narrow and that it will serve no purpose. He said that the state and Central governments did not understand the gravity of the situation which had the potential of flaring up into a catastrophe and lead to bitterness and bloodshed. In
a letter to NCM Chairman, Justice Mohd. Shamim, Mr Mann has demanded
that all anti-Sikh literature being disseminated by Baba Ashutosh from
his ashram, Divya Jyoti Jagran Sanstha, in Noormahal be “proscribed”,
his headquarters sealed and his followers handed over to their
respective families. Professor Jagmohan told TNS here on Wednesday
evening that Baba Ashutosh hails from Bihar and has a following of 10
lakh. “He and his followers have been claiming that they are
satgurus who are here to provide spiritual solace. They have five main
centres in Punjab, of which one is in Malout. Their anti-Sikh
activities have spread to Delhi. They also claim to have offices in
Canada and the UK,” he said. |
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Check conversion of
Sikhs, Christians told New Delhi, August 21 In the letter written today, NCM Vice-chairman Tarlochan Singh said, “I have been approached by a large number of Sikh organisations to take up this matter. I request you to please examine all these cases and adopt a policy not to make further attempts of converting Sikhs through any means”. “You will agree with me that conversion is a serious issue with all communities,” the letter read. |
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Submersion threat in Narmada valley Bhopal, August 21 The Maharashtra police is learnt to have arrested or detained a number of (NBA) activists and villagers in Domkhedi and other villages today. The Gujarat Government has increased the height of the dam up to 95 metres (+3 metres of humps). The NBA maintains that this was in violation of the conditions laid down by the Supreme Court while permitting the construction of the dam to resume. |
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Drought situation has eased: Ajit New Delhi, August 21 “The drought situation in the country has eased on account of the recent spell of monsoon. Oilseed crops are picking up,” he told newspersons here. Hoping that the rains would continue till the middle of September, the minister said this would improve the groundwater level and help in sowing. On the agricultural growth projections, he said it was “too early” to talk about it as inputs from various parts of the country were still pouring in. |
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BRO told to maintain roads Dehra Dun, August 21 He was speaking today at a meeting with BRO officials led by its Director-General, Lieut Gen Prakash Suri. |
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Vajpayee meets
President New Delhi, August 21 This is the third formal meeting between the President and the Prime Minister. |
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