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Monday,
September 16, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Pak bid to disrupt poll:
Advani Lyngdoh reassures J&K
voters Anti-Al-Qaida drive called off Modi’s ‘anti-minority’ speech
aired Railways ‘harassing’ officials for leaking report SP vows to expose Maya-Advani link |
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SC to hear Shah’s SLP today Sanjay, 88 others to appear in court
today Gulshan case
hearing Cauvery row: farmers
lathi-charged Lorry hijacked
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Pak bid to disrupt poll: Advani New Delhi, September 15 “Despite stepped up terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir as part of Pakistan’s attempt to disrupt poll, people are taking part with great enthusiasm as they feel violence should stop and for this impartial election is needed”, Mr Advani told reporters here. “They think increasing participation in the poll process would play a significant role in stamping out terrorism”, Mr Advani, who was speaking after inaugurating a photo exhibition of veteran photographer Vijendra Tyagi, said. Even the assassination of state Law Minister Mushtaq Ahmed Lone had failed to create any adverse impact on the election process as intended by Pakistan, he said, adding that today’s attack on state Tourism Minister Sakeena Itoo was yet another attempt to disrupt the elections. Asserting that security forces had succeeded in curbing terrorism effectively, Mr Advani said the biggest success was the fact that Pakistan had now failed to lure Kashmiris for armed training and send them back to Kashmir for violence. “Now, only foreign merceneries, including Afghans and others, are being sent for terrorist violence in Jammu and Kashmir”, he said. Mr Advani said the maximum number of terrorists killed in recent times in Jammu and Kashmir was in 2001, though many innocent citizens as also prominent personalities had also fallen victim to terrorists bullets. Asked about Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s charges of “Hindu extremism”, Mr Advani said the General’s entire speech at the UN General Assembly was “a sign of frustration and utter desperation”. On the gaurav yatra taken out by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, he said there was nothing “anti-minority” about it.
PTI |
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Lyngdoh reassures J&K
voters New Delhi, September 15 Briefing mediapersons here on Sunday on the arrangements made for the polling, Mr Lyngdoh conveyed a “final word to the voters” to encourage them to cast their vote fearlessly. The appeal reads: “None of you who does not wish to vote is to be forced to do so but there are many of you who wish to vote. I assure you that alert security forces are there to protect you while you vote. Enthusiastic employees from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and within the state are ready to serve at the polling booths. Most of all, media and diplomats from many parts of the world would be your guests just to see you vote. Do not disappoint them.” In the first phase, 14,36,151 voters will exercise their franchise in nearly 2,000 polling stations in 23 constituencies in Baramulah, Kargil, Kupwara, Poonch and Rajouri districts. Two constituencies in Leh have already returned candidates unopposed, election in the Lolab constituency in Kupwara has been countermanded following the assassination of the National Conference (NC) candidate. Replying to a question on independent candidate Sofi Ghulam Mohi-ud-din’s decision to pull out of the contest in Handwara constituency in Kupwara district if Presiding Officers known to NC candidate were not changed by Sunday evening, the CEC said the commission had removed 10 Presiding Officers from the state Agriculture Department. The CEC said the commission had taken a number of steps to improve the electoral rolls by computerising them, issued voters’ slips to every household, introduced electors’ photo identity cards, voting through EVMs for migrant voters and EVMs in all constituencies in the state. Apart from 17 Special Observers sent to the state in July, the commission had sent 48 more observers (senior IAS and IRS officers) to observe and report on the poll process. All these 65 officers were monitoring every stage of the election process in the state, he said. According to the commission, the observers are from Australia, Canada, Japan, Sweden, the UK and the USA. The commission has also allowed complete access to local, national and foreign media to the election process. Nearly 260 passes have been issued through the Press Information Bureau to mediapersons. |
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Anti-Al-Qaida drive called off New Delhi, September 15 These Al-Qaida terrorists belonging to West Asian countries were arrested by the Pak army last week, but under the pressure of tribals they were handed over to the tribal chiefs to be produced at the nearest army camp next day. However, tribals refused to hand over these terrorists, following which there was a clash, in which army troops suffered many casualties. The Pakistani army is reportedly hand in glove with the Al Qaida. It had also released a number of Al-Qaida terrorists earlier captured in Gilgit in Northern Areas last week. These terrorists were being shifted to Haripur jail via Sawat when they escaped. The local police refused to disclose their names and nationality. It is learnt that cassettes based on terrorist training are in circulation in Gilgit and some of the news channels have purchased them at the cost of $ 30,000. Earlier, security forces, with the help of the FBI, had arrested 11 Al-Qaida militants from a Harkat-ul-Mujahideen hideout in Tajabad near Peshawar. Of these, two militants are Arab nationals whose names are not known, but the names of the eight militants are Sanaullah, Noor Mohammad, Qamarul Haq, Shafiullah, Adnan Rahat, Nabi Ahmed, Zaffar Qayoom and Abdul Rehman. Meanwhile, thousands of pamphlets written in the Pushtu language have been distributed in south Waziristan by Al Qaida and Taliban militants, who are believed to be hiding in tribal areas of Pakistan. These leaflets termed US-backed Afghan administration “a government of infidels” and said those who cooperated with it deserved death. There are also reports that the Al-Qaida has also established a secret network in Karachi, where top aides of Osama bin Laden are hiding. In this connection, Al Jazeera has interviewed a number of terrorists hiding in different hideouts in Karachi, for telecast shortly. The FBI is suspecting that recently some Pakistanis have gone to the USA. It suspects that some of them are
associates of the Al-Qaida and accordingly, it has sought details from Pakistan security agencies about their whereabouts. |
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Modi’s ‘anti-minority’ speech aired New Delhi, September 15 The tape, broadcast by Star News, gives a new twist to the controversy in the light of Gujarat government’s denial of existence of any tapes and the text of Mr Modi’s speech during the yatra at Besraji village in Mehsana district on September 9. The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) had also asked for a copy of the tape following a furore over Mr Modi’s remarks. In the excerpts of the audio tape, a voice purportedly of Mr Modi is heard allegedly saying in Gujarati, the English translation of which is: “I told them that I got water from the Narmada in the month of Shravan. If they had it their way, they would have got it in Ramzan. “What should we do? Run relief camps for them? Do we want to open baby producing centres? We are five and we will have 25 offspring. Gujarat has not been able to control its growing population and poor people have not been able to get money,” Mr Modi was heard saying. Alleging conspiracy by the Opposition, a spokesman of the Gujarat Government, Mr Purshottam Rupala, maintained that Mr Modi had not made such utterances. Mr Modi goes on to say: “There’s a long queue of children who fix tyre punctures. In order to progress, every child in Gujarat needs education, good manners and employment. That is the economy we need. For this, we have to teach a lesson to those who are increasing the population at an alarming rate.” However, Mr Rupala said, “There is nothing like this. These days there is a conspiracy by the Opposition to malign the image of the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister has not said anything derogatory against anyone.” The channel reported that the state Intelligence Department had sent a report dated September 12 to the Additional Chief Secretary, Home, on the alleged inflammatory content of the Chief Minister’s speech.
PTI |
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Railways ‘harassing’ officials for leaking report Patna, September 15 “Railway Minister Nitish Kumar and Railway Board Chairman I.I.M.S. Rana are spreading concocted story over the Rajdhani Express mishap to wash off their hands from the incident and the Mughalsarai division officials are being harassed for leaking a report submitted to the Railway Board on the poor condition of the Dhave bridge’’, RJD national spokesman and Bihar minister Shivanand Tiwari, accompanied by party secretary-general Ram Kripal Yadav, told mediapersons here. “The Railway Minister and his officials are floating sabotage theory to shift the blame for the mishap on others and to buttress their points that they got a few fish plates strewned near the track and got it photographed,” they alleged. Most of the wooden sleepers of the Dhave railway bridge were damaged and despite that the Railways did not impose a speed restriction on the movement of trains over it, they said, adding that the train on the day of the accident was running at a speed of 127 km/hour. They demanded the Railway Minister and Railway Board officials to stop harassment of the Mughalsarai division staff failing which the RJD would launch an agitation against the Railway.
PTI |
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SP vows to expose Maya-Advani link Lucknow, September 15 The SP has got support from the Babri Masjid Action Committee
(BMAC) which has asked Muslim legislators of the BSP not to share dais with the Advani at the September 28 rally. The BSP had won Muslim support in last Assembly election only because they (BSP leaders) had promised to fight the communal forces like the BJP. But by joining hands with the BJP in government formation, the BSP has belied the faith of the Muslim community, said the spokesman of the
BMAC. This statement of the BMAC has boosted the morale of the SP leaders. In the past week, meetings were held at the state headquarters of the party to chalk out the strategy. It was decided that the SP should expose BSP’s love for Muslims and for this the district presidents of the party had been asked to hold demonstrations, press conferences and dharnas at the district headquarters. This new strategy has brought worry signs on the forehead of the BSP senior leaders. Though the national Vice-President of the party, Ms
Mayawati, claimed that Muslims were solidly behind the BSP, her statement lacked confidence. This is further evident from the fact that a senior Muslim minister in the Mayawati Cabinet has been asked to keep in touch with all 15 BSP Muslim legislators. The Muslims are said to be the vote bank of the SP. But in the last few elections, the BSP has been able to make inroads in the SP vote bank. Now the SP leaders feel that they have an opportunity to win back the party’s traditional support. The SP state President, Mr Ram Saran Das, told The Tribune that the party would try to bring the Muslims out of the BSP hold. Even at the national level, the SP leaders have started attacking Ms
Mayawati. The national General Secretary of the SP, Mr Amar Singh has asked Ms Mayawati to use her influence on Mr Advani and get Mr Arun Shourie dropped from the Union Cabinet for writing a book on Dr Ambedkar by the name Worshipping False Gods. The UP Chief Minister prefers to ignore this charge. “We will give a befitting reply at the opportune time”, she said. |
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SC to hear Shah’s SLP today Mumbai, September 15 Mr Shah has also appealed for the modification of some charges framed against him under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) on the plea of lack of evidence as per the materials on record. The film financier was arrested last year under the MCOCA for his alleged links with the Karachi-based gangster Chhota
Shakeel. He has been charged with threatening and conspiring to kill certain film personalities. Mr Shah’s contention is that the evidence does not justify these charges.
UNI |
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Sanjay, 88 others to appear in court today Mumbai, September 15 Designated Judge P.D. Kode had directed the accused to come to the court on September 16 while exempting them from appearance a fortnight ago. The judge had directed the CBI to conclude its arguments tomorrow. CBI lawyer S. Natrajan is likely to file submissions. Defence lawyers have already argued on behalf of the accused. The accused were exempted on conditions that they would not maintain any contact with absconding accused and would not leave the jurisdiction of the court, defence lawyers Subhash Kanse and Farhana Shah told PTI. The judge had also directed an accused Pervez Qureshi to surrender in September on the expiry of his interim bail. Qureshi has been granted liberty to undergo treatment for peptic ulcers. The court is housed in the high security Central Prison. In the seven-year-long trial, the CBI has examined more than 680 witnesses and evidence runs into more than 13,000 pages. About 33 accused are in custody for the past 10 years while others, including Dutt, are on bail. About 20 accused in this case are absconding. Among them are prime accused Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, Abu Salem, Tiger Memon and Mohammed Dossa.
PTI
Mumbai, September 15 Merchant was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Sessions Court here, while 17 other accused in the case were acquitted for want of evidence. He had filed an appeal against the lower court order on the ground that the conviction should be set aside as there was no concrete evidence against him.
UNI |
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Cauvery row: farmers
lathi-charged Mysore, September 15 The police said lobbing of teargas shells and lathi charge proved futile in dispersing the farmers participating in a “kabini chalo” stir, forcing them to fire in the air at Handpost, 16 km from the reservoir, to prevent the agitators from entering the dam premises. Nearly 500 farmers, including Cauvery Hitharakshana Samithi president Made Gowda and Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha president Puttannaiah were among those who were taken into custody.
UNI |
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Lorry hijacked Salem, September 15 The police said the two persons, who came in a jeep posing as police officials, intercepted the lorry. They asked the driver of the lorry to produce the documents for carrying the PVC powder and then attacked the driver and cleaner.
PTI |
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New Delhi, September 15
In video (
