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Friday,
July 11, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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PM not to appear before Liberhan panel: Centre Delhi declaration
for dialogue
Wimpy case: Capt
gets 4 days to reply |
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Geelani ‘triggered’ Lone’s
killing Seer’s formula ‘threat’ to Muslims NCP willing to reconsider Sonia’s foreign
origin issue Israel ready to give peace a chance: envoy
Deputy Prime Minister
L.K. Advani speaks to US Ambassador to India Robert D. Blackwill at
North Block in
New Delhi on Thursday. — PTI photo
USA delivers radars to Indian Army Laloo Yadav hails Sonia’s statement Ex-Vishwa Bharati student nominated
for physics Nobel Cong’s reservation demand a poll gimmick: BJP Hindujas challenge framing of
charges IAF contingent
for Congo Uphold values, Prasad tells scribes
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PM not to appear before Liberhan panel: Centre New Delhi, July 10 “The Centre wishes to place on record certain documents but it does not wish to, or require to examine or recall any witness,” Centre’s counsel told Justice M.S. Liberhan when he made a query about the Union Government’s stand on four applications seeking the summoning of Mr Vajpayee, Mr Advani and Mr Kalyan Singh. He said if the plea for the summoning of the Prime Minister was accepted by the commission, the Centre would contest it and prove that their evidence was not required. Mr Kalyan Singh in an application moved through his counsel said: “At this stage, no witness can be summoned, except on the application of the Central Government as provided under Rule 5(b) of Rule of the Commission of Inquiry (Central) Rules, 1972.” The Centre’s stand and Mr Kalyan Singh’s plea came in the wake of applications by the All-India Muslim Personal Board (AIMPB) and a Muslim citizen seeking the examination of Mr Vajpayee, Mr Advani and the former UP Chief Minister by the panel in the wake of the latter’s statement before the media about their alleged involvement in the demolition conspiracy. The former Chief Minister, who was sacked from the BJP about three years ago, in his application said since the recording of evidence of witnesses by the commission was over and it was now hearing arguments by counsel for the respective parties, “there is no law under which he can be summoned at this stage.” The application said the commission had in the past passed some order “giving an option to Mr Kalyan Singh to appear or not for (recording of) evidence.” Mr Advani and Mr Joshi had already recorded their statements before the commission. After brief proceedings, the commission
adjourned hearing till July 21 when it would decide the four applications. The UP Government counsel is also expected to open up his arguments on that day as the Centre has already concluded its arguments. |
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Delhi declaration
for dialogue New Delhi, July 10 The global concern on terrorism finds expression in the 23-point New Delhi declaration adopted at the end of the two-day international ministerial conference on “Dialogue among civilisations-quest for new perspectives”. The conference was inaugurated by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee yesterday. Describing the conference as “successful”, Union Human Resource Development Minister, Murli Manohar Joshi said dialogue was essential in order to impress upon people that the way things were happening needed to be reviewed. He said all 179 delegates preferred a dialogue to violence and coercion.
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SAD, BJP train guns on Amarinder New Delhi, July 10 Addressing a joint press conference here, BJP leaders Madal Lal Khurana and Vijay Kumar Malhotra and Union Minister and SAD leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa said they had handed over a letter to Finance Minister Jaswant Singh yesterday demanding initiation of proceedings against Capt Amarinder Singh for the evasion of customs duty and penalty there on as per the order of the Central Excise Commissioner. They also urged the Finance Minister to find out through revenue intelligence how Capt Amarinder Singh returned a loan of Rs 9 crore soon after he became the Chief Minister, Mr Khurana told newspersons here. Releasing their three-page letter to the Finance Minister, Mr Khurana accused Capt Amarinder Singh of using his influence to avoid paying the customs duty and penalty there on. The three leaders said he owed Rs 9 crore to a nationalised bank before he became the Chief Minister. “This amount was paid after he became the Chief Minister. The source of this amount of Rs 9 crore should be investigated,” Mr Khurana said. Mr Dhindsa said contrary to the promise made by the Congress in its manifesto to set up a commission to probe corruption cases, Capt Amarinder Singh had been trying to harass political opponents. “We challenge him to set up a commission headed by a sitting high court judge and allow people to file complaints against both Congress and SAD leaders,” he said. Mr Malhotra said despite the Vigilance Bureau raiding several places within the country and abroad it had failed to gather evidence against SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal and others. Asked why the BJP had raised the customs duty evasion case, which purportedly took place in 1996, Mr Khurana said: “I only got the confidential papers pertaining to the issue day before yesterday...Had I got them earlier, I would have revealed it earlier.” Asked from where he got the papers, he said: “I got it from a Congress leader in Punjab.” |
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Wimpy case: Capt gets 4 days to reply
New Delhi, July 10 During resumed hearing of the two petitions filed by Wimpy’s and its employees, Senior Counsel Kapil
Sibal, appearing for the Punjab Chief Minister, told a Division Bench of Justice Usha Mehra and Justice Pradeep Nandrajog that Capt Amarinder Singh would like to file his reply and sought time till Monday, which was allowed by the court.—
TNS |
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Geelani ‘triggered’ Lone’s
killing New Delhi, July 10 Mr Lone has accused the fire-spewing Jamaat-e-Islami leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani of inflammatory statements which triggered off the assassination of his father Abdul Gani Lone. In a seven-page letter to the Hurriyat chairman, Mr Lone has demanded that a committee be formed to investigate the statements of his late father’s colleagues. “Let the committee decide whether the statements especially those issued by Geelani were provocative enough to have triggered the assassination and let the committee decide whether Geelani is not up to the same game with his present bouts of venomous verbosity?” In his attack, Mr Lone singled out Mr Geelani. He said: “Our people are of the view that the statements were a major contributory factor in the assassination of our dear leader. Has any action been initiated against those constituents? Or is not a matter big enough to be probed? Did our leader betray the people of Kashmir in Dubai? Mirwaiz Sahib was there along with him. Why doesn’t he speak out? Was he a party to the betrayal?” |
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Seer’s formula ‘threat’ to Muslims New Delhi, July 10 “He (Jayendra Saraswati) keeps on changing his statements like a politician. He altered his earlier formula and this clearly shows that he is not the brain behind the proposal,” the seer told reporters here. Blaming the Kanchi seer for unilaterally extending a formula without taking other Hindu leaders and sants into confidence, he said the “AIMPLB rejection of his proposal clearly shows either the formula was flawed or the way it was presented was wrong”. Terming the AIMPLB’s decision to reject the formula as appropriate, he said: “The second formula contained an open threat and by projecting that the Kanchi seer had brought disrepute to his position”. —
PTI |
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NCP willing to reconsider Sonia’s foreign Mumbai, July 10 “We have not abandoned our position on the foreign origin issue...but are willing to reconsider it since we feel that the topmost priority should be given to defeating fascist and communal forces”, the NCP spokesman, Mr Vasant Chavan, whose party shares power with the Congress in Maharashtra, told a news conference here. The NCP outlined its stance after the Congress at its Shimla brain-storming session shed its Panchmarhi reticence and expressed willingness to enter into “appropriate electoral and coalition arrangements” with secular parties to defeat the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha elections. Welcoming the Congress’ readiness of cobbling an alliance of secular-minded parties, Mr Chavan said, however, it was not practical for Congress leaders to set a pre-condition that all parties should accept Ms Gandhi as the leader. The decision about leadership could be taken up after the secular parties come to power, he said. “Instead of harping on the leadership issue, the Congress should begin the process of a dialogue with other parties”, Mr Chavan added. “As far as the NCP is concerned, our differences with the Congress are not over but we are willing to discuss them”, he added. After much prodding on whether the NCP would accept Ms Gandhi as the Prime Minister in the event of secular forces coming to power with the Congress bagging maximum number of seats, Mr Chavan said “then it will be improper for us to oppose her”. But, Mr Chavan clarified that it was for the party’s national executive to take a final decision in this regard. Asked after four years of sticking to the foreign origin issue why the NCP was willing to re-consider it, Mr Chavan replied “for us nation is greater than anything, anybody.” He stressed that the NCP feels that unification of secular parties was necessary to defeat communal forces but for that the Congress should initiate a dialogue with the like-minded parties to build a atmosphere. Referring to Congress leaders in Maharashtra, Mr Chavan said: “Instead of indulging in policies of personal hatred and political
upmanship, they should be prepared for a dialogue”. It may be recalled that the NCP was incepted in 1999 after, Mr Pawar along with Mr P.A. Sangma and Mr Tariq Anwar were expelled from the Congress for raising the issue of foreign origins of Ms Sonia Gandhi. The two parties separately contested the Assembly poll in Maharashtra but came together to form a government. The NCP had recently threatened to pull out of the ruling coalition in Maharashtra if the Congress leaders fail to “mend their ways” and stop making statements that were “damaging the party’s image”. —
PTI
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Israel ready to give peace a chance: envoy New Delhi, July 10 “Relationship with India is much more important”, Mr Irvy said in answer to a question on Islamabad’s desire to establish ties with Tel Aviv. Talking to a group of newspersons on his last day of stay in the capital, Mr Irvy said Israel was committed to peace and Tel Aviv was prepared to travel an extra mile to give “peace a chance”. “We would be withdrawing from many more cities, including Jerusalem”, he said and pleaded for “patience”. During his visit, the special envoy met the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, the External Affairs Minister, Mr Yashwant Sinha and the National Security Advisor, Mr Brajesh Mishra, and briefed them about Israel’s firm commitment to peace as he gave details of confidence building steps that Tel Aviv has taken in the past few weeks. Mr Irvy was also keen on meeting Congress leaders but because of their non-availability it was not possible. Mr Irvy said Israel was trying to strengthen the hands of the Palestinian Prime Minister, Mr Mahmoud Abbas, who in Tel Aviv’s perception was a man of peace and was coming under tremendous pressure of the hardliners. “Security is a major problem” and suicide bomb attacks are the major hurdle on the peace road map, the special envoy said and added that Tel Aviv was also encouraging foreign investments in the Palestinian area so that employment generation could take place. But then terrorist groups like Hamas create road blocks and that is why both sides have to move with utmost caution isolating extremist elements, he said. To a question on the timetable of the peace road map, Mr Irvy said though a time frame had been worked out but peace cannot be made hostage to a rigid timetable. “We don’t want to push too hard”, he said. For peace to return to Middle East, a process for change of mind is needed as the special envoy distributed the Israel Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom’s statement containing details of the meeting of the joint Israeli-Palestinian Committee on Prevention of Incitement. The committee was set up to take effective steps against propaganda which if not controlled may mar the peace process. Asked about reports on Islamabad’s desire to normalise relations with Tel Aviv, Mr Irvy said though “We would like to be recognised by everyone”, the relationship with India “is much more important”. The democratic societies are threatened, he said stressing on the need for more efficient coordination between New Delhi, Tel Aviv and Washington to fight terrorism. |
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Blackwill
meets
Advani New Delhi, July 10 During the hour-long meeting, the two reviewed the developing situation with regard to the fight against terrorism and reviewed Indo-Pakistan ties.
New Delhi, July 10 The shipment is part of a $ 190 million Indo-US military sales agreement under which the USA will supply 12 AN-TPQ/37 radars to India. The radars arrived here on a US Air Force C-17 aircraft, a US embassy spokesperson said. The delivery of the radars will be completed by September, 2006. Operator and crew training for 16 Indian Army personnel on these radar systems began at California in April this year. The mobile radar system uses a combination of radar techniques and computer functions to detect and accurately locate artillery and rocket weapons to permit rapid engagement with
counterfire. |
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Laloo Yadav hails Sonia’s statement Patna, July 10 “It is a phase of coalition politics and the RJD has always favoured it. I heartily welcome Soniaji’s statement,’’ Yadav told reporters. Pledging to continue RJD’s alliance with the Congress, he said: “I had extended my support to Sonia Gandhi in her unsuccessful bid to form the government after toppling the Vajpayee ministry in 1999. I am sure all secular parties would unite under her in the coming Lok Sabha elections.” —
PTI |
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Ex-Vishwa Bharati student nominated Santiniketan, July 10 A former student of Vishwa Bharati’ Dr Mrinal Thakur, has been nominated for this year’s Nobel prize in physics, for the third time. Friends and professors here are optimistic that Dr Thakur, hailing from Birbhum district’s Kirnahar, will be as lucky as Dr Sen. However, Dr Thakur had earlier alleged that the Nobel Prize Committee had mistakenly awarded the premier honour on the theory of polymer conduction in 2000 to two scientists even as he had proved in 1988 that in the process of polymer conduction there was no requirement of the conjugated condition. He had proved that a double bond was only required for polymer conduction, he claimed. Dr Thakur is presently working as a scientist in the Urban University, USA, as mechanical engineer and a polymer expert. After graduating from Viswa Bharati in physics, Dr Thakur left for the USA for further studies. Besides excelling in science, Dr Thakur has a tremendous penchant for recitation. Dr Thakur’s teacher and chancellor in-charge Dr Ranabir Dutta said he still had an audio cassette of Mrinal Thakur’s recitation. “I want to gift the same audio cassette to Dr Thakur if he wins the Nobel,’’ Dr Dutta said, adding that, “However, that Dr Thakur is nominated for the prestigious award is of great honour.’’ Dr Pratim Basu, Head of the Physics Department, said Dr Thakur would always manage time to come to the department and deliver a lecture whenever he came to his hometown . Dr Thakur’s one-time college pals Dr Shanti Sinha and Dr Shibani Chowdhury were quite upbeat about the chances of their friend bagging the honour. —
UNI |
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Cong’s reservation demand a poll gimmick: BJP New Delhi, July 10 “The demand for reservation in the private sector runs parallel to the spirit of economic reforms and privatisation process, which was first initiated by the Congress... The Congress’ suggestion is a pure poll gimmick,” member of BJP’s Economic Cell Jagdish Shettigar told The Tribune here. “Such a suggestion on the eve of the poll reflects the desperation of the Congress to regain power and not their sincerity towards the welfare of the down-trodden,” Mr Shettigar said adding that “If the Opposition was so serious about its proposal, why it did not implement the same in 15 Congress-ruled states.” He said the very spirit of economic reforms and privatisation was to increase competitiveness and improve the quality and technology of production. |
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Hindujas challenge framing of charges New Delhi, July 10 Initiating arguments before Justice J.D. Kapoor on the appeals filed by the Hinduja brothers — Srichand, Gopichand and Prakashchand — against the November, 2000, order of special judge Prem Kumar framing charges against the accused, their counsel Ram Jethmalani asserted that they played no role in the 155mm Howitzer Gun supply contract awarded to Swedish arms manufacturer A.B. Bofors in 1986. “It was the choice of the Army and the Price Negotiating Committee under the chairmanship of the then Defence Secretary S.K. Bhatnagar had to agree to it,” Jethmalani told the court. He pointed out that Gen K. Sunderji, who took over as the Army Chief after the retirement of Gen A.S. Vaidya on February 1, 1986, sought “uninfluenced” opinion of senior Army officers and accordingly decided in favour of Bofors as against the Fench gun system — Sofma. Jethmalani submitted that the framing of charges was bad in law in as much as the case is registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, which required recording evidence before framing of charges as laid down under the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1952. In its supplementary chargesheet filed in October, 2000, the CBI accused the Hinduja brothers of receiving illegal commissions from Bofors in violation of terms and conditions of the contract signed by the government with the Swedish arms manufacturer. —
PTI |
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IAF contingent
for Congo New Delhi, July 10 A spokesman for the IAF said the contingent would be complimented with the presence of helicopters which would be used for providing aerial support to ground staff. The Army will also despatch its company- strength contingent to Congo. |
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Uphold values, Prasad tells scribes New Delhi, July 10 In his inaugural address at a seminar on ‘Reflection of India in Indian media' at the Constitution Club here today Mr Prasad said that the Indian media should relate to global happenings and situations but remember to uphold the Indian values. The seminar was organised by the Programme Staff Association of All India Radio and Doordarshan. The Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharti, Mr K.S. Sarma, said that although AIR and DD had increased their revenue generation capacity, they needed more funds from the government for content creation. He said that Rs 15 crore for AIR and Rs 125 crore for Doordarshan for content creation was not enough. He said that AIR and DD continued to face shortage of staff despite manifold increase in operations. |
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