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Thursday,
September 25, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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RSS chief meets Joshi secretly Advani regrets Bush’s omission of India as terror victim HC seeks
records on CAS deferment Jaish, Lashkar
carried out Akshardham attack
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SC upholds Punjab rule on quota for women
Principals
SC reserves order on bail to Editor BSF chief seeks perks
for Tear Smoke Unit Doors for talks on Ayodhya not closed, says seer SC says no to raising air hostesses’ retirement age Expedite Bhattal case, says SC
Gates' funding for combating AIDS likely
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RSS chief meets Joshi secretly New Delhi, September 24 RSS spokesman Ram Madhav denied that a meeting or a telephonic conversation between the two had taken place. However, well placed sources asserted that such a meeting had indeed taken place and the issue had been sorted out amicably. Mr Sudarshan had a long meeting with Dr Joshi at the residence of a RSS worker in Punjabi Bagh area of the capital where the latter is understood to have given his version of the entire resignation episode and how he was being maltreated by the party leadership. The Sudarshan-Joshi meeting took place away from the media glare after a meeting of the top four RSS leaders yesterday at Keshavkunj which is the organisation’s Delhi headquarter in Jhandewalan. It was decided at the meeting in Jhandewalan that the BJP should be asked to sort out the issue of Dr Joshi’s resignation as there was no point for the RSS to intervene. At the meeting, which was attended by Mr H Y Seshadhari, Mr Mohan Bhagwat and Mr Madandas Devi, it was decided that there was no need to intervene in Dr Joshi’s affair as the matter should be sorted out within the BJP and by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. This obviously suggests that the RSS does not consider the Joshi affair to be too serious a controversy and the entire imbroglio is on its way to resolution. Asked about the RSS’s stand on the issue, Mr Madhav told TNS that the issue of the resignation of the Human Resource Development Minister was the BJP affair and it should be resolved at the party forum. Dr Joshi is leaving for Kochi tomorrow to participate in the 50th birth anniversary celebrations of Mata Amritananamaye and would be back in the capital on Saturday. Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani was today in Kochi to attend the function. Dr Joshi, sources said, has told his confidantes that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s decision would be acceptable to him. This stand is being seen in the context of his meeting with Mr Sudarshan. Meanwhile, it is learnt that Mr Vajpayee is sore with BJP President M Venkaiah Naidu who, in the Prime Minister’s assessment, has crossed all limits by calling a meeting of 45 members of the Union
Council of Ministers at his residence. Mr Vajpayee is likely to have one-to-one talk with Dr Joshi before he holds a meeting with Mr Advani. No RSS leader would be present at the meeting. This was also confirmed by Mr Madhav, when TNS asked him if RSS representative would be present at the meeting which is likely to be convened by the Prime Minister to discuss Dr Joshi’s resignation. Earlier Dr Joshi met Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) working president Ashok Singhal and said after the meeting that he was confident of emerging from the episode unscathed and added that the case had generated a countrywide resurgence on the Ayodhya issue. PTI adds that a day after NDA Convenor and Defence Minister George Fernandes made efforts to get Joshi to reconsider his decision to resign in the wake of the framing of charge sheet against him by the Rae Bareli Special Court, leaders of key NDA allies, TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandra Babu Naidu and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, spoke to him on phone. |
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Advani regrets Bush’s omission of India as terror victim
Kochi, September 24 “Indian people have expressed disappointment over the US failure to take note of terrorism being faced by India”, Mr Advani told reporters accompanying him on board special aircraft en route for Kochi to attend the 50th birthday celebrations of spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi. He was replying to a question on Mr Bush mentioning Bali, Casablanca, Riyadh, Jakarta and Jerusalem as places which were victims of terrorism but making no reference to India. Asked about Dawood Ibrahim’s presence in Pakistan, Mr Advani avoided a direct reply.
— PTI |
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HC seeks records on CAS deferment New Delhi, September 24 “We want to see the files as to what kind of satisfaction was there to defer the implementation of the CAS in the Capital,” a Bench comprising Chief Justice B.C. Patel and Mr Justice A.K. Sikri said while hearing a bunch of petitions seeking implementation of the CAS in the city. The petitioners, including Siti Cable Network, and Cable Network Association, challenged the Centre’s August 29 notification, deferring indefinitely the implementation of CAS in the Capital from September 1, contending that it was unconstitutional, illegal, arbitrary and contrary to public interest. Senior advocate A.S. Chandioke, appearing for the petitioners alleged that CAS had been deferred in the Capital for political reasons, undermining the public interest. Asserting that the notification was neither illegal, unfair and arbitrary, nor against public interest, the Centre said, “The decision has been taken purely after weighing the pros and cons of the circumstances.” —
PTI |
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UK defence chief
lauds joint exercises New Delhi, September 24 The Defence Minister said this during his meeting with the visiting Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of Britain, Gen Sir Michael Walker. While the two discussed matters of mutual interest and matters related to defence, Mr Fernandes made it clear that for the peace initiative, undertaken by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to proceed further, infiltration from across the border must end. He said, “India is still keen on peace with its neighbours but unfortunately infiltration from across the border continues unabated”. General Walker acknowledged India’s concern in this regard. General Walker gave a brief account of the UK’s experience in developing the CDS system. The situation in Iraq and other parts of the continent was also discussed. The Defence Minister told General Walker in detail about the proxy war and the Prime Minister’s peace initiative with Pakistan. In an effort to further strengthen the bilateral military ties between the two countries, India and
Britain have also decided to hold joint military exercises in February and March next year. Talking to reporters here, General Walker, who arrived here yesterday on a four-day visit to India, said the joint exercises would go a long way in
strengthening the ties between the two countries. He noted that India and Britain had several things in common in the field of defence and, therefore, the cooperation between the two was natural. “I shall pursue any project in which our two countries can cooperate,” he said after his meetings with Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff and Naval Chief Admiral Madhvendra Singh, Army Chief Gen N. C. Vij and Vice-Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal M McMahon. The meeting with Air Marshal McMahon is being considered significant. |
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Jaish, Lashkar
carried out Akshardham attack Ahmedabad, September 24 “The temple attack was a joint operation conducted by several modules of Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Toiba having their network from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and other cities”, Joint Commissioner of Police, P.P. Pandey said here. The police chief made the claim on the basis of “documentary evidence” available with them and “precise information” revealed during the interrogation of arrested Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist Chand Khan. —
PTI |
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Naidu, Rudy escape aircraft disaster Hyderabad, September 24 Mr Rudy, Mr Naidu, TDP MPs Yerran Naidu, and K. Ramamohan Rao and a few reporters were among the 33 passengers of Air Deccan ATR 42 Flight from Hyderabad to Vijayawada when its engine developed a snag following accumulation of fuel moisture just before the take-off. However, all passengers were disembarked safely and the 48-seater French aircraft was grounded, airport sources said. —
PTI |
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SC upholds Punjab rule on quota for women
Principals New Delhi, September 24 The Panjab University Calendar Volume-III providing for the appointment of lady principals in colleges for women or women teachers therein could not be held to be violative of either Article 14 (equality) or 16 (equal opportunities) of the Constitution, a Bench comprising Mr Justice M. B. Shah and Mr Justice A. R. Lakshmanan ruled. The judgement came on an appeal by Ms Vijay Lakshmi, a principal from Punjab, against the Punjab and Haryana High Court order quashing the rule holding it as violative of the fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 14, 15 and 16 of the Constitution. The rule was applicable only to colleges for girls and not those having co-education. Setting aside the high court’s judgement, the apex court said the classification by the state government was reasonable and it had a nexus with the object sought to be achieved by it. Moreover, the state government was empowered to make a special provision under Article 15(3) of the Constitution for the well-being of women and children and “this power is not restricted by any manner by Article 16,” the court said. The high court had struck down the rule by a majority judgement. The judge who had given his minority opinion in the high court order that the framing of such rules did not violate the fundamental right was the correct interpretation and “is upheld”, the apex court said. |
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SC reserves order on bail to Editor New Delhi, September 24 The high court had rejected the state government’s contention against bail to Gopal, Editor of Tamil magazine Nakkeeran, and had set him free. The judgement was reserved by a Bench comprising Mr Justice S.N. Variava and Mr Justice H.K. Sema after hearing lengthy arguments. Gopal had acted as mediator to take police messages to Veerappan when he had kidnapped Karnataka filmstar Raj Kumar two years ago. |
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BSF chief seeks perks
for Tear Smoke Unit New Delhi, September 24 “TSU constables, who face health and life-threatening conditions, are being compensated with a petty toxic allowance of Rs 20 which is ridiculous,” Mr Sharma said while addressing the 28th governing body meeting the unit here. Mr Sharma said, “Though personnel of ordnance factories are paid risk allowance and the government has approved productivity linked bonus for Central Government organisations, a similar proposal is pending with regard to the TSU.” Urging the Home Ministry to sympathetically consider the case of TSU personnel, Mr Sharma said, “This will greatly facilitate higher productivity and better performance.” Lauding the performance of the TSU, Mr Sharma said a large variety of new munitions had been introduced by the unit and it had munitions for use in riot situations, counter-insurgency operations, flushing-out operations and early warning systems, besides special munitions for self-protection, use by prison staff and Railway Protection Force. Three projects given by Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) development of a 12-bore non-lethal cartridge, development of irritant aerosol for use in self- protection aerosol device and grenade launching adaptor for gas gun for firing of 12-bore cartridge — had been successfully developed, he said. “The TSU has successfully manufactured tear gas munitions, which are several times more irritant than munitions being manufactured at present,” the BSF chief said, adding, “Facilities for in-house manufacture of incendiary munitions are being set up in the unit to make it self-sufficient.” The TSU had achieved 100 per cent capacity utilisation and achieved a record production of 1,26,572 numbers of munitions including 61,878 numbers of special munitions, the highest ever in the history of the TSU, he said. In the context of human rights and respect for human values, Mr Sharma said the use of force by security forces had to be exercised with utmost restraint and in a judicious manner and the use of non-lethal munitions occupied prime importance. |
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Doors for talks on Ayodhya not closed, says seer Hardwar, September 24 The Shankaracharya said the report of the Archaeological Survey of India on the excavation at the disputed site would not solve the problem. ‘The real dispute is about the ownership of the disputed land. The findings of the excavation are not going to solve the dispute regarding the title suit of the land. It can only be resolved amicably by negotiated settlement,” he said. The seer, who has been playing a key role in finding out a negotiated settlement of the dispute regarding the temple also said building the temple was an issue of faith with the Hindus and that the temple would definitely be constructed sooner or later. |
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SC says no to raising air hostesses’ retirement age
New Delhi, September 24 A Bench comprising Mr Justice Doraiswamy Raju and Mr Justice D M Dharmadhikari, in a chamber proceeding, refused permission to a host of petitioners, including the Air-India Hostesses Association, to file petitions seeking a review of the apex court’s July 11 verdict. The Supreme Court on July 11 had set aside a Bombay High Court judgement increasing the flying age of Air-India air hostesses from 50 to 58 years and had ruled that their early retirement from flight duty with ground duty options could not be held to be gender discriminatory.
— PTI |
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Expedite Bhattal case, says SC New Delhi, September 24 |
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Bengal border sealed for puja festival Kolkata, September 24 The state government has also set up special anti-terrorist task force in all sensitive areas in Kolkata and the districts which will be manned by the central paramilitary forces and state police. The Centre has already alerted the state against terrorist attacks during the festive season of Durga pujas. Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee has requested Deputy Prime Minister L.K.Advani, who is also the Home Minister, to sanction additional 10 companies of paramilitary forces, including the BSF, CRPF and CISF for assisting the state police during the period. The BSF authorities had also been told to gear up the security measures on the border. |
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Gates' funding for combating AIDS likely Mumbai, September 24 Addressing a meeting of officials of the foundation and representatives of the Maharashtra AIDS Control Society yesterday, Mr Khanvilkar said the funding would be used to provide assistance patients suffering from AIDS. |
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