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Thursday, September 19, 2002,
Chandigarh, India  
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Maya’s
U-turn on Ayodhya saves Advani, Joshi VHP
favours law on Ram temple Cabinet okays transfer of defence land Rajiv
stalled Bofors probe in Sweden: CBI SAARCLAW
meet from tomorrow Probe
migrant voters’ list: PDP |
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Terrorists
attack CPM office Infiltration
reaches all-time low No
mediators, says Jaya One
more held for murder of Cong Corporator Top
Chinese commander to visit India
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Maya’s U-turn on Ayodhya saves Advani, Joshi Lucknow, September 18 On September 17, 2002 Ms Mayawati said: ‘Law and order reigns supreme in my rule. No one is superior. All people are alike. I am not in favour of the constitution of a new court for the trial of the accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case. Therefore, I do not see any reason to issue a fresh notification. The U-turn taken by UP Chief Minister Mayawati in the Babri Masjid demolition case has given a shock to those who were hoping for an early fall of the BJP-BSP-led government in the state. The political pundits who had predicted an early fall of the government are forced to revise their predictions. But the statement of the Chief Minister has left the Opposition smiling because they got exactly what they wanted. There was expectation in the air that Ms Mayawati would drag her feet on the Ayodhya issue and apprehension was further cemented when she announced that Union Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani would be the chief guest in the BSP rally of September 28. Political pundits say the CM had made up her mind about exonerating Mr Advani, Mr Joshi and other senior BJP leaders at that time only; today she has only made a formal announcement. It was not long ago when Ms Mayawati, as an Opposition leader, was baying for BJP leaders blood. Almost a year and a half later she, as a Chief Minister of a coalition government, is defensive trying to save senior BJP leaders. The decision of the CM is indicative of the fact that now both the BJP and the BSP are looking for a long-term relationship. Those in the BJP who were opposing the alliance have now been turned into mute spectators. One of the senior BJP leaders said: “It was not expected that Ms Mayawati could go that far. No one had expected that she would take a political decision which could even affect BSP’s Muslim vote bank.” Ms Mayawati is conversant with political fallout. Therefore, she said, her government’s decision was based on legal advice. “I have followed as per the rule book,” she added. |
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Left flays Mayawati on Ayodhya notification New Delhi, September 18 Taking strong exception to the state government’s assertion yesterday at Lucknow that there was neither any justification nor necessity for issuing a fresh notification, they accused Ms Mayawati of working on the dictates of her coalition partner, the BJP. They said, the state government should have complied with the Supreme Court’s order to issue a fresh notification, in the case in which Union Ministers L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti are among the accused. National Secretary of the CPI D. Raja said the Uttar Pradesh Government’s action had “serious implications” for the cause of secularism, democracy and the future polity of our country. “She cannot be absolved of a
willful act in favour of the BJP,” Mr Raja added. CPM Central Secretariat member Ranjit Abhigyan termed it as yet another “disgraceful” milestone in the history of the BSP’s continued betrayal of the secular agenda. Ms Mayawati is desperate to cling to power by advancing the “saffron agenda” on the question of Ayodhya, the CPIM leader said. “It had become quite clear when the BSP banned the May 10 secular programme in the memory of the 1857 martyrs in Faizabad,” he added. LUCKNOW: Ms Mayawati termed as ‘’baseless and misleading’’ the statements of the Opposition leaders, criticising her decision against issuance of a fresh notification in the Ayodhya case. She said the issuance of a notification does not mean granting permission to start a fresh trial as was being propagated. |
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VHP favours law on Ram temple
Lucknow, September 18 “The courts cannot decide a matter that relates to the beliefs of crores of Hindus who are unanimous that Lord Ram was born at the janmabhoomi site at Ayodhya”, VHP international President Ashok Singhal told reporters. Efforts to resolve the issue through dialogue would also not be fruitful, he said, adding that the vexed issue could be resolved only by enacting a new legislation. Though Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had been advocating resolution of the issue through dialogue, the three rounds held so far had not yielded any result, Mr Singhal said. He claimed that politicians, cutting across party lines were keen on building a massive temple at the janmabhoomi site and all efforts to stall its construction would prove futile. Mr Singhal said the central steering committee of the VHP would hold an emergency meeting here on September 28, followed by a ‘dharma raksha sammelan’ the next day. To be attended by ‘sants’ from various states, the meeting would discuss the “attacks’’ on Hindus from various corners and announce some important decisions on the Ram Janmabhoomi issue, he added. Mr Singhal said several new developments had taken place between June and now, including the contempt notice on Mahant Paramdas Ramchandradas, the alleged spread of terrorism through the more than one lakh madrasas in the country and the proposed trifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir.
PTI, UNI |
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Cabinet okays transfer of defence land
New Delhi, September 18 The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, approved the transfer of the defence land known as “Panipat camping ground” in exchange of 181.1625 acres of the state government land, an official spokesperson told reporters. Seeking to monitor activities of the Taliban, Al Qaida and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan and Central Asia, the Cabinet also approved an ex-post-facto agreement with Kazhakstan on setting up a joint working group for combating international terrorism and other crimes. The agreement will help curb activities of terrorist groups against the two countries besides checking illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, an official spokesperson announced after a meeting of the Cabinet. It aims at sharing experience, coordinating and exchanging information on international terrorism, organised crime and illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, he said. Under it both sides will monitor activities of Taliban, Al Qaida and any other terrorist group in
Afghanistan and Central Asia with a view to implementation the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and enhance cooperation through extradition of terrorists, exchange of professional expertise, cooperation with
Interpol and facilitating legal action to combat terrorism. PTI
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Rajiv stalled Bofors probe in Sweden: CBI
New Delhi, September 18 Appearing before Special Judge Prem Kumar during the arguments on charges, CBI counsel Natrajan alleged, “Even Rajiv Gandhi denied the allegations in India when the Swedish radio broke out the news of bribery in the Bofors gun deal on April 14, 1987.’’ “Gandhi said to the Swedish Government that there was no need of any further investigation in Sweden,’’ Mr Natrajan told the court. The CBI also alleged that the Hinduja brothers — Srichand, Gopichand and Prakashchand, Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrochhi, Bofors’ Indian agent Win Chadha and the then Bofors chief Martin Ardbo had conspired to clinch the deal for a commission. “Bofors also made a false representation that there would be no agent in the deal, whereas money was paid to many agents,’’ he alleged. He said the gun manufacturer had dishonestly and fraudulently led the Indian Government to believe that there were no middlemen and induced it to make payments. But for the influence of the agents, the Government of India would not have bought Bofors guns, he added. Opposing the application of Bofors for discharge, the CBI said a company could be prosecuted for criminal conspiracy and cheating. Mr Alok Sengupta, appearing for A.B. Bofors, argued that the company could be discharged as it was a corporate body and did not have a mind of its own for indulging in criminal conspiracy in the Rs 1437- crore Howitzer gun deal in 1986.
UNI |
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SAARCLAW
meet from tomorrow New Delhi, September 18 The three-day conference, beginning on September 20, is being held at Rajputana Palace Sheraton Hotel. This conference is to be attended by delegates from SAARC countries, comprising judges, lawyers, academicians and government or public servants. Fifteen to 30 delegates are coming from each of the SAARC countries. A 25-member delegation is coming from Pakistan, comprising various sitting and retired judges. The conference is being organised primarily by the SAARCLAW’s India Chapter, which is headed by its president, Mr Justice Umesh C. Banerjee of the Supreme Court. The conference will be inaugurated by the Chief Justice of India, Mr Justice B.N. Kirpal. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Mr Justice Umesh C. Banerjee, Mr S.B. Mukherjee, Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers, and Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister of State for Law and Justice, will also address the conference. |
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Probe migrant voters’ list: PDP New Delhi, September 18 In a memorandum to the Chief Election Commissioner, Mr J.M. Lyngodh, PDP chief and former Home Minister, Mr Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, sought probe into “fraud” in the migrant voters’ list, which, he alleged, had been manipulated by leaders of various political parties, including the National Conference and the BJP. A letter to this effect was also submitted to the commission by PDP candidate from the habakadal assembly constituency B.K. Vaishnavi, who accused certain state election officials of helping some candidates in getting 12-C forms filled in a benami manner to help the ruling National Conference and the BJP to get votes. Mr Sayeed said certain norms were violated by handing over these forms to touts. He urged the commission that such forms should be immediately rejected and no vote issued in lieu of the same. Such unscruplous elements should be prevented from misusing the migrant votes, he added. The Habakadal constituency has the largest number of migrant voters, claims Mr Vaishnavi. Out of 56,632 migrant voters, more than 23,000 are from this constituency, where 11 candidates are in the fray. Nine candidates are Pandits. Election in this constituency will be held on September 24. |
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Terrorists
attack CPM office Kolkata, September 18 However, no report of casualties from either side had reached the state government so far. None of the KLO terrorists could be caught for they escaped into the nearby Bhutan forest as the police stock of bullets was exhausted. This time too, the ISI-backed ULFA was behind the attack. This time the terrorists, in “Army uniform”, came in a “military jeep” and two motor cycles. Soon they started firing at the police party stationed there who too promptly retaliated. For an hour there was an exchange of bullets between the police and the terrorists before the latter fled into the jungle. This was the second time in the past four months that terrorists had attacked in the north Bengal tea gardens area. On May 24, the KLO carrying AK-47 had gunned down five CPM workers during a party meeting at Dhupguri. The police till now could not arrest any of the gang involved in the action. According to an official report an action squad of the KLO, led by Tom Adhikary (better known as Uncle Tom), yesterday entered the busy market area of Kumargram, 6 km from the Dhupguri tea estate, and reportedly attacked the CPM party office where some district leaders were holding a meeting with police officials. The meeting was organised as a part of a strategy to combat terrorism following the Chief Minister, Mr Budhadev Bhattacharjee’s recent visit to the area. After yesterday’s attack Mr Bhattacharjee rang up the Home Secretary and the DG of Police and directed them to send further reinforcement to the area from Darjeeling police camps. Mr Bhattacharjee said he had already requested the Bhutan government to allow the state police and the Army to enter the jungle which the KLO and ULF had been using as their hide-out. The Chief Minister said he had also requested the Home Minister, Mr L.K.Advani, to negotiate with the Bhutan government to take appropriate action against the terrorists hiding in the forest. |
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Infiltration
reaches
all-time low New Delhi, September 18 According to official figures made available to The Tribune here today, there were just 17 incidents of infiltration in the first fortnight of this month. The figure assumes importance in view of the fact that as many as 205 infiltration incidents were reported from August 1 to 31 this year. The infiltration figures in the corresponding period last year were 279 (in August ) and 130 (from September 1 to 15 in 2001). The marked decline in the infiltration of terrorists is obviously coincided with the stepped up US pressure on Pakistan in pursuance of Washington’s strong backing of free and fair and violence-free elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Meanwhile, in a politically significant development, two candidates, including one belonging to the ruling National Conference, have lodged a complaint with the District Electoral Officers regarding alleged malpractices during the September 16 polling and demanded repolling in certain polling booths. |
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No mediators, says Jaya Chennai, September 18 With the hostage crisis entering the 25th day today and no clues about the fate of the former Karnataka minister, Jayalalithaa adopted a tough line asserting that the operations of the TN Special Task Force in the jungles falling in the state territory would not be stopped.
PTI |
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One more held
for murder of Cong Corporator New Delhi, September 18 Deputy Commissioner of Police (North-West) Sanjay Singh said Nirvikar, alias Doctor, is alleged to have fired at the Congress MCD member from a point-blank distance on August 24 along with Pushpinder Singh on the direction of Gupta’s fellow party corporator Sharda Jain. Nirvikar and Pushpinder, now in judicial custody, are the contract killers of Uttar Pradesh who had been allegedly hired by Jain to eliminate Gupta for an amount of Rs 60,000.
UNI |
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Top Chinese commander to visit India New Delhi, September 18 Lt-Gen Zou Gengren, deputy commander of the Lanzhou military command, will arrive here at the head of a high-level delegation on Friday for a week-long visit, a spokesman for the Indian Defence Ministry said. ‘‘This is a goodwill visit and part of the confidence-building measures between the two sides,’’ he said. General Zou will hold talks with several key Indian Army, Navy and Air Force officials and Defence Secretary Subir Dutta here on Monday.
IANS |
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