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Punjab Cong, a house divided New arms giving Army upper hand in J&K HC stays Maya’s
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Chinese minister arrives for
talks INLD talks to Samata, JD (U) on Rajasthan seats
Congress flays BJP for ‘exhibiting’ rape
victim Cong to move EC on DD
channel CBI interrogates
Tripathi’s wife Dalits quit after oath Maoists rob bank of Rs 13
lakh NCP not to fight Mizoram poll 700 detonators seized
in Mumbai Five Bodo militants killed Indian Justice Party gets jolt
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Punjab Cong, a house divided New Delhi, October 22 Capt Amarinder Singh’s problems have been compounded by growing factionalism in the PPCC and the state government’s drive against corruption. Congress President Sonia Gandhi is acutely aware of the delicate situation in Punjab and believes that the problems afflicting the PPCC and the discontent among the rank and file of the party should be addressed expeditiously. Party leaders from Punjab, who met Ms Gandhi in the last few days to apprise her of the delicate political situation in the state, underlined the fact that nothing should be done at this juncture to destabilise the government. Such a move will tantamount to playing into the hands of former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s Shiromani Akali Dal, which has been pleading with the BJP-led NDA government for more than a year to intervene. These Congress leaders from Punjab told the party chief about the general unhappiness among a large section of Congressmen, who were dismayed with the apathetic attitude of the state government. Some senior Congress Working Committee members insist that Capt Amarinder Singh must take along all sections. They argue taht any precipitate action in Punjab now will have an adverse impact in other Congress-ruled states like Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi, where assembly poll are due on December 1. Ms Gandhi is already having to contend with intense opposition to the continuance of Kerala Chief Minister A.K. Antony and the chargesheet filed against Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi. While Mr Antony has refused to step down, saying he will abide by any decision taken by the Congress high command, Mr Jogi has been defiant that he will lead the party in the Assembly elections. Capt Amarinder Singh, who was here today, met Congress General Secretary Mohsina Kidwai before leaving for Chandigarh. He briefed Ms Kidwai about the attempts being made by the SAD-BJP combine to destabilise his government. The complaints received by the Congress high command against the functioning of his government , including those regarding the raids on the premises of certain ministers, were also discussed. The Chief Minister is believed to have explained that he is not aware of the raids and has taken remedial measures. He has been urged to sit across the table and sort out the irritants. Sources said Capt Amarinder Singh was advised to be more accessible to partymen. At the same time the party high command is also talking to disgruntled Congress leaders and legislators from Punjab, assuring them that their grievances will be redressed. Punjab
Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, who is here since two days, also met Ms Kidwai and discussed the general political situation in Punjab, with specific reference to her case. |
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New arms giving Army upper hand in J&K New Delhi, October 22 “With the process of induction already having commenced, we are being successful in detecting most cases of trans-border infiltration, with the new electronic surveillance devices playing a very significant role,” Director-General (Infantry) Lieut-Gen K. Nagaraj said today. Likewise, the increase in firepower provided by new weapons, such as the Under Barrel Grenade Launcher, will enable a soldier to fire a grenade from his gun than throwing it. The wide-ranging ‘across the board’ modernisation of the infantry regiments was launched, after the Cabinet Committee on Security recently sanctioned a budget of more than Rs 3,000 crore for this programme, he said. Interacting with reporters at a display of the new arms and equipment, General Nagaraj said the major focus was on four key areas, which included augmenting the units’ firepower, communications, recce and surveillance capabilities and overall mobility. “A fifth area, which I will add, is the soldier’s personal protection,” he said, drawing attention to the protective equipment, including bulletproof vests, helmets and nuclear, biological and chemical suits on display. Pointing out that the patterns of warfare till the present, and even in the ‘foreseeable future’, as far as the Indian context was concerned, would be ‘infantry-centric’, he said this branch of arms must be modernised to take the lead in combined-arms conflict. Holding that the number of 350 plus infantry battalions they had envisaged was enough for their needs, he said any further expansion would be based on requirements. —
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HC stays Maya’s
arrest Lucknow, October 22 A two-member Bench of the High Court comprising Mr Justice Khemkaran and Mr Justice
G.K. Gupta in its judgement stayed the arrest of Ms Mayawati till the “conclusion” of investigations in this the case. The court also directed that Ms Mayawati should not leave country without written permission of the court. The Central Bureau of Investigation had accused Ms Mayawati, her Principal Secretary P.L. Punia, former Environment Secretary V.K. Gupta and four others in this case. Satish Chandra Mishra, the counsel of Ms Mayawati, pleaded before the court that the case was politically motivated and investigating agency had not found any proof to show that she was involved the scam. “There was no prima facie evidence to show that Ms Mayawati was directly or indirectly involved in this case and therefore the court took the right decision by staying her arrest,” Mr Mishra told The Tribune here today. They were tried on three counts dereliction of duty, illegally amassing wealth and violating laws protecting the monument. Last month, Ms Mayawati said she was unaware of the project and accused Union Culture and Tourism Minister Jagmohan and bureaucrats in her government of approving the plan. Other officials facing charges are D.S. Bagga, the former highest official in Uttar Pradesh, R.K. Sharma, former Principal Secretary in the state government, and N.C. Bali, Project Director of the state-run National Project Construction Corporation and former minister Nasimmudin Sidaqui. In July this Supreme Court stopped work on the Rs 175 crore tourism complex and asked the CBI to identify who approved construction of shopping malls, restaurants and amusement parks in a 2-km strip between the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort in Agra. The court ordered investigations amid allegations that the project could destroy the famous view of the Taj Mahal and cause the Yamuna to flood the monument’s gardens and erode its white marble. |
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Chinese minister arrives for
talks New Delhi, October 22 The two special representatives will have “open and
frank” discussions, a diplomatic term for no-holds-barred talks on highly contentious issues between two sides. Mr Mishra and Mr Dai were appointed special representatives of the two governments on the border dispute during Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s visit to China in June. The decision to appoint the special representatives was proposed by Mr Vajpayee. The border issue had also come up for discussions between Mr Vajpayee and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao at Bali earlier this month on the sidelines of the ASEAN engagements. At ths meeting, Mr Wen had assured Mr Vajpayee that his country would honour all understandings reached between the two countries during Mr Vajpayee’s China visit. Tomorrow’s talks are bound to to give a political push for an early resolution of the protracted boundary problem. |
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INLD talks to Samata, JD (U) on Rajasthan seats New Delhi, October 22 Party sources said the INLD would contest about 45 seats falling in 16 districts of Rajasthan and would be willing to support candidates of non-BJP NDA parties on other seats. The party has also kept its doors open for a tie-up with the Bahujan Samaj Party. Talks were recently held on the issue of seat adjustment at the residence of Samata Party chief George Fernandes between Haryana Chief Minister and INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala, Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav and Samata Party leaders. There is a feeling in the INLD that a joint effort would help the party reinforce its strengths as also give the voters choice of an alternative to both the Congress and the BJP. Mr Chautala, who has held about 10 district rallies in Rajasthan, recently toured 14 Assembly constituencies in the state. The INLD, which is mainly raising issues related to farmers in its election campaign, talks of having a ‘kisan’ chief minister in the state. In an effort to forge a Jat-Dalit combination, the INLD has decided to give tickets to about 20 candidates from among Dalits. Having already released its first list of candidates, the party hopes to declare all its candidates by the beginning of next month. Party leaders are hoping that the poll would throw up a hung Assembly in which the INLD could play a major role. Efforts being made by the party leadership to emerge as a player in Rajasthan are part of its larger goal to be a key contestant in about 40 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan. Mr Chautala and his son Ajay Chautala would use helicopters for the last phase of
campaigning in Rajasthan. Unlike the last assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, where the party had deputed ministers and MLAs from Haryana for party work, the election work in Rajasthan has been mostly entrusted to the functionaries from state. The performance of Chautala government in Haryana is being showcased by the INLD to garner votes from the people of Rajasthan. |
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Congress flays BJP for ‘exhibiting’ rape
victim Bhopal, October 22 The Chief Minister, Mr Digvijay Singh, felt that the BJP had violated human rights by presenting the woman publicly. He said the incident had taken place about nine years ago and those responsible had been convicted. The PCC president, Mr Radha Kishan Malaviya, said the BJP had put women to shame by publicly presenting the rape victim. He said there was a Supreme Court ban on public display of rape victims. Several ministers and party leaders also condemned the BJP’s action. The incident had taken place at Chhuvadalia village in Rajgarh district over nine years ago. On Sunday, the woman was seated on the dais with the Prime Minister. She was introduced to the audience to highlight the point that no woman was safe in the Digvijay Singh regime. |
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Cong to move EC on DD
channel New Delhi, October 22 “This is a blatant attempt to manipulate public opinion in five states due to go to the polls in December. It is flagrant violation of the moral code of conduct that is already in force,” he said. Describing it a clandestine and hurried attempt by the BJP-led government, Mr Reddy said the Rs 54-crore annual budget for the channel would come from the public funds. “In an earlier attempt, the BJP government commissioned a similar channel that featured dull programmes which came to be seen as sops for favoured journalists. The channel folded when a hue and cry was raised in Parliament,” he said. The spokesman said the latest attempt to launch a news channel was intended to dish out BJP propaganda in the run up to general elections next year and to woo journalists. |
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CBI interrogates
Tripathi’s wife
Gorakhpur, October 22 According to sources, Madhumani requested the agency to resume its interrogation after Divali, claiming she was not keeping well. The interrogation lasted about 45 minutes, at Madhumani’s residence here. Meanwhile, in Lucknow Additional District and Sessions Judge A.K. Awasthi, while fixing November 1 as the next date for hearing on the bail application of Amarmani Tripathi, directed the CBI to produce the relevant case diary and the DNA report on the said date. The court also rejected the defence plea to summon the expert who had prepared the DNA report. —
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Dalits quit after oath Madurai, October 22 Elections to three panchayats —
Pappapatti, Keeripatti and Nattarmangalam — could not be held since 1996 due to deep-rooted caste sentiments prevailing in this communally-sensitive district. All the three seats had been reserved for Dalits, evoking vehement protests from the Devar community forming a majority in these areas. Last year, the government undertook the Herculean task of conducting elections to these seats by even using “coercive” methods, only to find that the winners, all puppet candidates fielded by caste Hindus, put in their papers immediately. This year, the authorities managed to find a “willing” candidate to contest the election for Pappapatti Panchayat Union, forcing the Devar community to field their own puppet candidate. As expected, K.
Azhagar, the candidate of the caste Hindus, was elected with a thumping majority in the October 9 byelection at Pappapatti village. He took the oath at the Chellampatti panchayat union office in the morning and put in his papers within minutes. When the official refused to accept his resignation, Mr Azhagar posted it to the District Collector, thus bringing the situation back to square one. The byelection was necessitated following the resignation of the previous president who quit office after taking the oath last year.—
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Maoists rob bank of Rs 13
lakh Kolkata, October 22 The incident occurred in the wake of a spurt in terrorist activities of the PWG and MCC in the Bengal-Bihar-Jharkhand border areas. Last week, in an encounter with the police, Maoists rebels gunned down the OC of Banduan thana in Purulia and blew up a police jeep with a landmine. The police suspects the bank was looted as the rebels needed money for new weapons. According to information available with the state government at Writers Building, five or six youths, believed to be Maoist rebels, armed with rifles, revolvers and other weapons, arrived at the bank in a car during the busy morning hours and locked the staff in a room. They allowed the customers present a safe exit, before removing Rs 13.26 lakh from the vault and escaping. |
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NCP not to fight Mizoram poll Aizawl, October 22 Speaking to newspersons here, NCP General Secretary Purno A Sangma said the party would, however, contest in the Assembly elections in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. “In Mizoram we shall render our full support to the Mizo National Front (MNF), which is at present in power,” Mr Sangma said. Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio would also campaign for the MNF. —
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700 detonators seized in
Mumbai Mumbai, October 22 The vehicle was carrying ammonium nitrate, used in a number of blasts in Mumbai since December last, and 700 detonators, when it was intercepted at Manikpur in Vasai, 25 km from here. According to a case registered by the police, the explosives were packed in jute bags and hidden under consignments of onions and vegetable products. Interrogation of the driver, cleaner and transporter led the police to Mr Pravin Gala, a local businessman, who had procured the explosives for quarrying. Mr Gala did not possess any licence for quarrying and he was not permitted to hold explosives. Mr Gala had acquired the explosives from Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra for Rs 40,000, the police said. |
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Five Bodo militants killed Guwahati, October 22 |
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Indian Justice Party gets jolt New Delhi, October 22 Ms Bakshi, a former officer of the Indian Revenue Service, had joined the IJP at the personal initiative of the IJP President Udit Raj. A
statement from Ms Bakshi said that “due to personal reasons, I have
withdrawn from the IJP”. “This of course does not mean
withdrawal from the fight for a just society at all levels”, Ms
Bakshi said. |
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DAWOOD'S BROTHER SEEKS BAIL THREE OFFICIALS KIDNAPPED BUDDHA'S STATUE RECOVERED 15 SCIENTISTS WIN AWARD ARUNACHAL BANS TOBACCO PRODUCTS EMBASSY PAYS 50-LAKH RELIEF |
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The Army has succeeded in dominating over the militants and detecting infiltration bids in
J&K after the induction of a wide range of state-of-the-art arms and equipment as part of a modernisation programme for the infantry.
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