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Tuesday,
April 8, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Allies’ sprint to Baghdad an Iraqi ploy?
SARS: medical teams deployed at airports |
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BJP trapped in ‘Modi syndrome’? Vajpayee asserts ‘swayamsevak’ identity VHP not serious about temple: Shiv Sena CISF to take over Red Fort security I wasn’t living with Naina:
tandoor murder accused
Jordan deports six Indian ‘human shields’ SC extends term of Agarwal panel RS mourns
Nadimarg killings
Govindcharya to rejoin politics Court decision on ASI’s plea tomorrow
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Allies’ sprint to Baghdad an Iraqi ploy? New Delhi, April 7 The coalition forces — whose spokesman four days ago had remarked that “the dagger is pointed to the heart of Baghdad” — would not like to be drawn into treacherous street battles. Instead, their military strategy at present seems to be to race to the heart of Baghdad by using highways and broad roads and avoid entering streets and alleys which are sure to suck them into urban warfare, diplomatic observers here feel. Besides, there are intelligence reports that the Iraqi regime has pulled back most of its remaining anti-aircraft guns and surface-to-air missiles to vantage positions in Baghdad. The idea behind this move is to surprise the allies with a blitz and inflict maximum possible casualties on them in a short period with the hope that it would trigger an avalanche of protests worldwide, particularly from the American and British public, for putting an immediate end to the war. President Saddam Hussein’s strategy would be to delay the coalition forces’ “final assault” and engage them in unpredictable street battles where familiarity with terrain is more important than manpower and technological superiority. This may well be the Achilles’ heel of the allies. In a city of five million people where there has been no mass exodus, a lot of civilians are bound to be caught in the cross fire which the Iraqi regime would naturally blame on the aggressors. The more the number of Iraqi civilians killed, the better it would be for Mr Saddam Hussein because it would invoke the “shame factor” against the coalition forces. The much-feared chemical weapons’ attack by Iraqi forces also may not materialise because in the first place, Mr Hussein may not have these. Manufacture of chemical weapons requires sophisticated technology which Iraq does not have access to because of the crippling sanctions since 1991. Even assuming that Mr Hussein does have weapons of mass destruction — which have not been found either by the UN inspectors in their official searches or by the coalition troops in their covert searches — the probability of their being used is very low. While Mr Hussein may personally gloat over the mass casualties that are sure to occur with the use of chemical weapons, he will suffer a strategic loss of image worldwide. Such a rash act would also justify the allies’ invasion of Iraq. In many ways, the coalition forces have already crossed the Iraqi regime’s “red line” of tolerance and the feared chemical weapons’ strike has not taken place yet. This makes the allies’ dilemma all the more pronounced — whether to go for an all-out assault on Baghdad immediately with the inherent risks or adopt a cautious approach and wait for a more opportune time. That is why, the observers said, there were reports of the USA and the UK toying with the idea of announcing the setting up of an interim government which may operate from Umm Qasr or some other place rather than wait for total military victory over Iraq. |
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SARS: medical teams deployed at airports New Delhi, April 7 The threat of the spread of SARS understood to be a killer pneumonia infection looms large with reports indicating a worldwide toll of 93 due to SARS and the number of confirmed or suspected infections mounting to 2,705. Sources in the Health Ministry told TNS here today that as per the decision taken by the government, incoming passengers would be “screened by our doctors before they come to the immigration counter.” Prior to the decision, it was the prerogative of the immigration officers whether or not to refer a passenger to a doctor of the Health Ministry posted at the airport. Sources said the Health Ministry had increased the existing strength of doctors at the airports from four to eight. Apart from this, the ministry claims to have supplied 2500 masks as a stop-gap arrangement. Sources in the ministry said the masks should have instead been arranged by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Airport Authority of India (AAI). Sources said they had deployed ambulances at airports and handed over 1,20,000 forms to be filled by passengers flying into the country. Passengers will be required to spell out the countries they have visited in the last seven days. “It is for the AAI, immigration officers and the Ministry of Civil Aviation to ensure that these forms are filled by passengers. Till Sunday evening, they had not distributed the forms”, sources in the Health Ministry said. Sources said although no suspected case of SARS had been reported at the National Institute of Communicable Disease (NICD) round-the-clock control room, the Ministry has adopted pro active measures to ensure that India was not affected by SARS. “We have identified isolation centres in Central government hospitals,” sources said. |
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BJP trapped in ‘Modi syndrome’? New Delhi, April 7 The ejection of Mr K. Jana Krishnamurthi first from the party presidentship and then his uncerimonious exit from the Union Cabinet and then denial of party ticket to late Haren Pandya in the Gujarat Assembly elections last year, which eventually in a sense also resulted in his physical elimination, are nothing but the symptoms of a growing tendency in the ruling BJP, which is being described in party circles as the “Modi syndrome”. The BJP, which till it came to power at the Centre in 1998 was striving to broaden its base and appeal by roping in political personalities which were outside the Sangh Parivar, seems to be falling back on its old martinet stance in which dissent and debate were not permitted. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, after the post-Godhra riots, adopted a hard line at Goa meeting of the BJP in April last year and that set the pace with the emergence of Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu as the party President and ensured the exit of Mr Jana Krishnamurthi. There has been a mixed reaction to the resignation of the Rural Development Minister from the Vajpayee Cabinet. Although nobody was ready to speak on record, many in the BJP felt that Mr Shanta Kumar was made a scapegoat for calling a spade a spade. Some of them feel that the party in the name of sending out strong signals to those indulging in anti-party activities and groupism ahead of the coming Assembly polls in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Delhi has infact tried to single out Mr Shanta Kumar for the debacle. Political analysts strongly feel that the BJP high command by asking Mr Shanta Kumar to resign from the Cabinet has only absolved the sins of other BJP leaders in Himachal, who were, if not more, equally responsible for the party’s debacle in the recent Assembly poll. “His (Mr Shanta Kumar’s) remarks against the then Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal’s performance was post-election and not pre-election. So, asking him to quit the Cabinet was a severe action net warranted,” a political analyst felt. In the entire oust Shanta Kumar campaign, sources indicate the possible “big role” of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who was instrumental in making Mr P.K. Dhumal the Chief Minister of Himachal when the former was the in charge of the hill state. It is being seen in the political circle as a levelling of scores by Mr Modi against Mr Shanta Kumar. It may be recalled that Mr Shanta Kumar had been vocal against Mr Modi when he was appointed as the in charge of Himachal Pradesh about five years back. |
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Vajpayee asserts ‘swayamsevak’ identity
New Delhi, April 7 The sangh became a victim of the same narrow mentality that tried to dump Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose to the margins of history, Mr Vajpayee said after releasing a book on RSS founder Dr K.S. Hedgewar published by the Publications Division of the government. While Mr Vajpayee mentioned with pride his association with the RSS since 1940, Mr Advani termed his entry into the sangh after passing out from school as a “turning point of my life.” Taking strong exception to the description of the sangh as a “fascist organisation,’’ the Prime Minister said: “Is such a grave allegation just a joke?” Some persons had tried to paint the RSS as a “secret organisation,” Mr Vajpayee said. So much so, that the practice of whispering the number of ‘swayamsevaks’ present at the RSS ‘shakha’ daily was seen by some as a “conspiratorial activity.” “The RSS organises ‘shakhas’ for public consumption, but whisper the real thing in the ear at the end of it,” he said, while quoting the detractors of the sangh.
UNI |
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VHP not serious about temple: Shiv Sena New Delhi, April 7 The sena’s state unit, which organised a one-day fast at the Jantar Mantar in the capital to demand the handing over of the acquired land at Ayodhya to the Ram Janmabhoomi
Nyas, also threatened to organise an indefinite fast outside the Parliament, where a number of sants would “sacrifice their lives to the temple cause.” State Shiv Sena president Vijay Tiwari said if the government did not bring a legislation in the Parliament soon to pave way for the construction of the temple, it would fall “like a house of cards by the curse of Hindu society.”
UNI |
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CISF to take over Red Fort security
New Delhi, April 7 This was decided at a high-level meeting between officials of the Defence Ministry, the Tourism and Culture Ministry and the Archaeological Survey of India. Hitherto, the Army was looking after the security of the monument, built by Mughal Emperor Shahjehan. According to an Army spokesman, various contingents of the Army would pull out of the Red Fort by the year-end. The Tourism Ministry for quite sometime had been asking the Army authorities to move out of the Red Fort so that it could be developed into an attractive tourist spot. However, the Army had been showing its unwillingness to move out of the fort on the plea that the monument faced a serious threat from terrorist groups. The fort had been attacked by terrorists nearly three years ago, strengthening the Army’s argument that it must be allowed to remain in charge of the fort’s security. However, the Army has now made way for the CISF to take over the security of the fort.
UNI |
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I wasn’t living with Naina: tandoor murder accused New Delhi, April 7 When confronted by the prosecution that he used to stay with his wife, Naina, in the flat on the Mandir Marg, he said it was false. “I did not stay with her in the flat.” Continuing his deposition before Additional Sessions Judge G.P. Tarneja, he again alleged that the police had fabricated documents and tampered with evidence to implicate him. His deposition started on April 2 and will continue on Wednesday, the next day of hearing. On the lock of the Gol Market flat that had allegedly been broken by the police in the presence of public witness Dhara Singh Chauhan, Sharma said the police could have done so in the presence of Mr and Mrs Choudhary who occupied the flat on the opposite side. Chauhan was called from the Hindu Mahasabha office nearby, advocate Manish Chauhan said. On being accused of absconding after the incident on the night of July 2, 1995, he said he had gone to Tirupati. It was true that he was not found but he was traceable as police had been told of his being in Tirupati, he added. When charged with abandoning his car on Malcha Marg from where it was recovered by the police on July 4, he said it was baseless. The police had taken away the car from his residence in Maurya Enclave in Pitampura on July 3, he alleged. The police had allegedly recovered some long hair, a blood-stained polythene, a wrist watch and vegetable fibres from the car. Alleging that he was being implicated, Sharma said the police had taken away the watch from his house. When asked if he knew that Anaro Devi used to supply vegetables to his Baghiya restaurant where Naina’s body was allegedly burnt, he said that he was not aware as his managers dealt with purchases. Anaro Devi had seen smoke billowing out from the restaurant when Naina’s body was allegedly being burnt in the tandoor (oven) on the fateful night. Sharma has been alleging that public witnesses had been purposely kept away from the recoveries. He said the FIR should have been registered at the instance of public witnesses who, the prosecution claimed, were there. Earlier on Wednesday last, Sharma had submitted that it would have been fair if an SDM was called at the scene of the crime. “In cases involving burns, normally the SDM is called. No SDM was called. In such cases, an FIR is registered at the instance of the SDM,” he had said. The former Youth Congress leader, along with four others, is facing trial in the case for allegedly killing his wife Naina Sahni in July 1995 and then trying to dispose of her body by burning it in the tandoor at his Baghiya restaurant in Ashok Yatri Nivas here.
UNI |
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Jordan deports six Indian ‘human shields’ Mumbai, April 7 A press statement issued by the academy said the Jordanian Government, after taking an assurance from the “Indian human shields” that they would not travel to Iraq, had extended their visas till Wednesday. This morning, however, the government told them that their visas were cancelled and asked them to leave Jordan immediately. The press note further said the six persons had informed the Jordanian authorities that they did not have reservations for the flight. In turn, the authorities told them that they had spoken to Qatar Airways and that, the group would have no problems in boarding the flight. The six, meanwhile, met President of the Red Crescent Society in Jordan Mohammad Al Hadid who thanked them for their concern for the Iraqis. The group will be reaching Mumbai tomorrow morning at 0310 hrs.
UNI |
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SC extends term of Agarwal panel New Delhi, April 7 The term of the committee was extended by a Bench of Mr Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and H.K. Sema following a request to the counsel for the committee, Sanjay Kapoor. By an omnibus notification issued by the Centre on August 9, 2002, the allotments of petrol stations, LPG and kerosene dealers, made after January, 2000, had been cancelled. Allowing a batch of petitions, the apex court quashed the notification and appointed the committee headed by Mr Justice Agarwal, a retired Judge of the court, to inquire into the allegations of favouritism in the allotments. The committee had earlier been granted three months’ time to complete the inquiry and submit its report.
UNI |
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RS mourns
Nadimarg killings New Delhi, April 7 The House also paid tributes to a former member from Orissa, Krishna Chandra Panda, who died on March 23. |
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Govindcharya to rejoin politics Jabalpur, April 7 “Before joining politics, I will submit my report on the World Trade Organisation to BJP president, M. Venkaiah Naidu,’’ Mr Govindcharya said last night. Denying his reported differences with the party, Mr Govindcharya said,’’ During my studytour, I prepared a 4,000-page document on globalisation and its ill-effects, which will be presented to the BJP President.’’ Declining to comment on the current political scenario in the country, Mr Govindcharya said,’’ Though my position in the party will be decided after I submit my report to the BJP President, I’am sure it will be based on my experience and two years of study.’’ UNI |
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Court decision on ASI’s plea tomorrow Lucknow April 7 The three-member Bench of the court today reserved its judgement on the contempt notice filed against Mr Ashok Singhal, international president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). |
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Father, son burnt alive Lucknow, April 7 |
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Sikh NRI shot dead Meerut, April 7 |
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Convoy attacked Indore, April 7 |
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MCC ULTRAS SLIT THROATS OF 3 MEN CATCH-VEERAPAN TEAM CHIEF SHIFTED DEMOLITION OF COLLEGE STAYED FOUR BROTHERS DETAINED UNDER NSA 
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