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CVC denies naming ministers; PM seeks Cong apology Telgi denied parole; special court to start on Nov
24 Violence spreads to Nanded, curfew
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HC notice to PM, Advani,
EC House Secy defends action against The
Hindu Militants kidnap student Expedite deportation of Pak prisoners:
SC
Lakhubhai gave money on Rao’s assurance:
CBI SC verdict in Tansi case on Monday Naxals threaten
to kill informant Check attack on Biharis, Laloo asks Centre Sinha writes
to Jack Straw
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CVC denies naming ministers; PM seeks Cong apology New Delhi, November 22 The comments from the Prime Minister came within hours of Chief Vigilance Commissioner P Shankar denying having forwarded to Mr Vajpayee the names of the six ministers who allegedly sought undue favours from the public sector undertakings under them. “After the Chief Vigilance Commissioner’s statement denying that he had forwarded the names of the six Minsters, it becomes imperative for the Congress leaders (who met the President) to tender an unconditional apology to the Ministers,” Mr Vajpayee told Doordarshan. He said the Congress leaders should realise that such “baseless” allegations could damage the public image of these ministers and ethics demand that they should apologise for their acts. Mr Vajpayee sought to put at rest these allegations, saying that after the statement of the Chief Vigilance Commissioner, there was nothing left in the matter. “Is maamle ko ab yahi khatam kar dena chaahiye.” Meanwhile, BJP President M.Venkaiah Naidu rubbished the Opposition charges as unsubstantiated, even raking up the Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin to counter these allegations. Mr Naidu demanded that the Congress tender an unqualified apology to the people, the President and the six ministers for making such charges. The Congress, however, stood its ground. Party spokesperson S.Jaipal Reddy pointed out that the CVC had denied formally naming the ministers but he had not denied having made any adverse references to the
functioning of the PSUs under these ministers. The Congress is now promising to come up with more explosive material to substantiate its charges. Despite the denials, the Congress allegations created ripples in the Capital’s political circles. There was frenetic activity in the BJP camp as it initiated a damage, control exercise. The party president issued a two-page strongly worded rejoinder to the Congress allegations, while Mr Jaitely was seen denying the charges on all television channels. Coming down heavily on the Congress, Mr Naidu said it had “raked up” this issue because it was “unable to face imminent defeats” in the forthcoming Assembly elections. He said after the CVC’s clarification, it was now clear the Congress was making “absurd charges” against the Centre and the BJP. Mr Jaitely, he said, had sent legal notices to a language paper to apologise for publishing the “unsubstantiated report.” Mr Naidu also used this occasion to hit out at Sonia Gandhi, particularly on the issue of her foreign origin. In this connection, he referred sarcastically to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi’s poll campaign where he said “only an asli Chhattisgarhi” should become the Chief Minister of the state. He wondered why the same argument did not apply to the Congress leader. —
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Telgi denied parole; special court to start on Nov 24 Bangalore, November 22 The second fast-track sessions court Judge, K Nagaiah Shetty, declined to pass an order, saying that a Special Court had already been constituted to conduct trial in the case. The Judge adjourned further hearing in the case to November 29. In one of the three petitions filed on November 11, Telgi had sought permission to visit his ailing mother and wife at his native place Khanapur in Belgaum district. Meanwhile, the special court on the multi-crore fake stamp paper racket, headed by Mr Justice A T Manoli, will begin its proceedings from November 24, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister D.B. Chandre Gowda said today. He told reporters that the special court would be located on the premises of Parappana Agrahara jail on the outskirts of the city where the prime accused Karim Lala, alias Abdul Karim Telgi, the kingpin of the racket, was lodged. Necessary measures, including providing security to the special court, were underway, he said. This is the fourth time that the special court had been set up. Earlier, special courts were set up in the same jail premises to try churches blasts case, Kambalapalli episode in which some Scheduled Caste people were massacred and the Dandupalya gang, which had struck terror in and around Bangalore city by ruthlessly killing people, mostly by slitting the victims’ throats. Mr Gowda said the special team probing the scam, which had inter-state ramifications, had completed the investigations. In all, 10 charge-sheets had been filed and 54 people accused in connection with the scam were in custody. Replying to queries, he said once the trial began, the court would be seized of the whole matter. He reiterated the State’s opposition to hand over the investigation to the CBI saying that the special team had already completed the probe in detail. "What more the CBI want to do. We are not concerned" about the inter-state aspects involving the issue, he observed. New Delhi: A week after the Allahabad High Court’s direction, the government has decided to hand over the investigation into the Rs 30,000-crore stamp paper scam to the CBI. The decision was taken after Finance Minister Jaswant Singh last night referred the matter to the Home Ministry to get the scam investigated by the central agency. The Allahabad High Court had ordered the Finance Ministry to call for a CBI probe. The CBI has already indicated it was willing to take up the case if the Centre directed it to do so. The decision came after the Maharashtra government had reportedly refused to entertain Home Secretary N Gopalaswamy’s request to share findings of the state government’s special investigation team probing the scam. Congress Chief Ministers in Maharashtra and Karnataka had expressed reservations over a CBI probe into the scam. Chandigarh: The CBI today said that it had not received any request from the Maharashtra government so far in the Rs 30,000 crore Telgi stamp paper scam. Dismissing reports that suggested that the premier investigating agency had declined to investigate the case, the CBI Director P C Sharma said "if we have a specific request we will take it". He said that the Additional Solicitor General, Mumbai, had written a letter to the CBI, saying the scam had its fallout virtually in all states of the country. "We did write back at that time that it will be impossible to take cases in every state, but at that time or now we did not have any request from the Maharashtra government," he said addressing a press conference here before he relinquishes office next month. —
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Violence spreads to Nanded, curfew imposed Mumbai, November 22 In Parbhani, however, curfew, imposed yesterday, was relaxed in some areas, but it remained in force in sensitive areas. “Protesting against yesterday’s explosion in a mosque in Parbhani, an unruly mob pelted a theatre with stones and damaged few shops,” Special Inspector-General of Police B.N. Raut said. A curfew was clamped in the area soon after the incidents. However, the situation was now under control, he said. Meanwhile, in Parbhani, curfew was extended from 8 am to 10 am and thereafter relaxed in some areas till 5 pm. The situation in Parbhani and Nanded was tense, but under control, officials said. Seven persons were injured in today’s incidents. Aurangabad: A high alert has been sounded in the city in view of violence at Parbhani. Three companies of the Rapid Action Force were dispatched from Mumbai for Aurangabad last night as a precautionary measure on the orders of city Police Commissioner Ramrao Wagh, the police said. Meanwhile, panic gripped the city early today after a box was spotted at the square opposite the court building on the Adalat Road. However, on examination by the bomb disposal squad, the police found no explosive in the box. —
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HC notice to PM, Advani,
EC New Delhi, November 22 Mr Justice C.K. Mahajan issued the notice on a suit, filed by several prominent personalities, led by Arya Samaj leader Swami Agnivesh, after the Gujarat riots and was heard by two judges earlier on the point whether congnisance of such an issue could be taken through a civil suit. Normally such a relief is sought in a writ petition or a public interest litigation (PIL). Last year, Mr Justice B.N. Chaturvedi and Mr Justice J.D. Kapoor had heard long arguments by Congress MP and senior advocate R.K. Anand on behalf of the plaintiffs on the maintainability of the suit as well as their locus standi to bring such an issue before the court. But the suit had remained pending as the court had given a long adjournment. Besides Agnivesh, the other plaintiffs are Gandhian Nirmala Deshpande, social activist Nafisa Ali and Valson Thampu. Mr Anand was able to convince Justice Mahajan yesterday that notices had to be issued in a civil suit to defendents to at least seek their replies. The four plaintiffs had named Mr Vajpayee, Mr Advani, Mr Murli Manohar Joshi and the BJP Uttar Pradesh unit president, Mr Vinay Katiar, and the Election Commission (EC) as defendents in the suit, seeking a direction to the commission to derecognise the BJP as political party and bar its members from contesting the elections. Mr Anand alleged that BJP leaders after the break of Gujarat riots in post-Godhra incident, had made “assault” on minority Muslim community by making “derogatory” remarks against them, which was against the basic structure of the Constitution, which provides religious freedom to every citizen. The plaintiff had made special reference to the BJP’s Goa meeting after the Gujarat riots and Mr Vajpayee’s speech centered on “Hindutva”, Mr Anand said. “By such acts, the BJP has also violated the mandatory declaration required to be given to the Election Commission by a political party at the time of its registration that it would abide by the principles of secularism,” he contended. As the court pointed out why the plaintiffs had not approached the commission directly, Mr Anand cited a Supreme Court ruling that the commission as constitutional body, had no power to issue a writ mandamus and review its own order of granting registration to a political party. On the court’s query how a civil suit was maintainable by a party not directly affected, the plaintiff’s counsel said the issue was of larger public interest affecting millions of people. |
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House Secy defends action against The Hindu New Delhi, November 22 Assembly Secretary V. Rajaraman, in response to a notice sent by the Supreme Court on two writ petitions challenging the resolution, submitted that the actions and the decisions of the House and the Speaker were well within their jurisdiction and could not be questioned on any grounds whatsoever. The publication of an editorial by The Hindu on April 25 imputing motives to the action of the Speaker and the Privileges Committee amounted to gross contempt and breach of privilege of the House. Freedom of the press would not apply when reports containing incorrect and false accusations, amounting to breach of privilege, were published, he stated. The reply also stated that Article 21 of the Constitution would not apply in such cases. He sought the dismissal of both petitions contending that Article 212 of the Constitution had made it clear that validity of any proceedings in a legislature of a state shall not be called into question or subjected to the jurisdiction of any court. —
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Imphal, November 22 Armed militants kidnapped Nongmaithem Napoleon, Finance Secretary of Kumbi branch of the Manipur Students Federation, from the Kumbi area, about 60 km south-east of here, on November 17 and his whereabouts were unknown, they said. Sources said the kidnappers had not demanded any ransom and added that the motive behind the crime was not yet known. They said Napoleon had been kidnapped along with a friend, identified as Moirangthem Rajib, who was released on the same day after being beaten up. Napoleon was still in capitivity, sources said, adding that the incident caused concern among the people, who had earlier protested against the kidnapping and killing of Elizabeth, daughter of general administration minister Francis Ngajokpa. Elizabeth was kidnapped for ransom on November 4 and her body was recovered on November 12. Meanwhile, a report from Jiribam said normal life was affected today at the sub-divisional headquarter town bordering Cachar district following a 12-hour Jiribam bandh from 6 a.m. in protest against the recent kidnapping of a local school student. Official reports said all markets, shops and business establishment were closed in this remote area. The bandh was called by the All Jiribam Transport Owners and Workers Federation in protest against the recent kidnapping of H. Maniton Singh, a student of Jiribam Higher Secondary School, by unknown militants some days ago. Singh, however, managed to escape from the custody of the militants under the cover of darkness, official sources said. —
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Expedite deportation of Pak prisoners:
SC New Delhi, November 22 The direction was issued by a Bench comprising Ms Justice Ruma Pal and Mr Justice P.V. Rddi yesterday after the issue was raised through a public interest litigation (PIL) by the Jammu and Kashmir Legal Aid Committee (LAC). Panthers Party president and advocate Bhim Singh appeared on behalf of the LAC in the court and pleaded for their release. The prisoners are Abdul Khaliq, Zulfikar Ali Shah, Iftikhar Hyder, Salah-ud-Din (all from Pakistan), Mir Hamza and Bashart Ali Rajput from PoK. Attorney-General (AG) Soli J. Sorabjee, appearing for the Centre, told the court that the Government had to take up the matter at diplomatic level to find out whether these people were acceptable to Pakistan. The court asked the AG to expedite the process so that their early deportation could be facilitated. Another Bench of the court had earlier issued notice to the government on a separate petition by the LAC seeking the release of nine other Pakistan and PoK prisoners. |
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Lakhubhai gave money on Rao’s assurance: CBI New Delhi, November 22 CBI counsel K. N. Sharma told Special Judge Dinesh Dayal at the specially set up court room in the high-security Vigyan Bhavan here that had Rao — the then External Affairs Minister in the Rajiv Gandhi Government — not promised Pathak he would not have given the money to Chandraswami. Mr Rao had assured Pathak that “Swamiji has told me everything and Mr Pathak your work would be done”, Mr K.N. Sharma said, adding that Chandraswami and his aide K. N. Agarwal, alias Mamaji, were also present at the hotel where the assurance was given. He contended that Chandraswami told Pathak to pay him, $ 100,000 so that the same could be used to show the latter’s financial soundness to the Indian government and get the contract for the supply of pulp paper and newsprint. —
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SC verdict in Tansi case on Monday New Delhi, November 22 The pronouncement of the judgement, is listed before the Bench, headed by Mr Justice S. Rajendra Babu, which had reserved the order on September 26, 2002. She was sentenced to two-year imprisonment after being found guilty by the trial court, but the Madras High Court had reversed its judgement and acquitted her. The appeal in the case was filed by advocate R. Sai Bharthi, who was the original complaint against her in the case before the trial court. Her conviction in the case had forced her to step down and she could assume office only after being acquitted by the High Court. According to Constitution experts, if the apex court restored the trial court judgement, Jayalalithaa would have to step down again. |
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Naxals threaten
to kill informant Hyderabad, November 22 In a video-taped message, telecast by several private Telugu satellite channels today, People’s War Nalgonda district committee leader Arunaka said the fate of the informant, Nagesh Goud, would be decided by the “people’s court”. About five extremists, including two women, attired in olive green military fatigues, stood with their backs facing the camera, while Goud, trussed up with ropes, confessed to his having informed the police about the ultras’ activities. Goud was the Nalgonda unit president of the PW. The tape, sent to offices of private television channels, was accompanied by a letter signed by Arunaka. —
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Check attack on Biharis, Laloo asks Centre Patna, November 22 Mr Yadav held the Centre and the ruling political party responsible for the killings and said the security of common people was the Centre's responsibility and it should immediately check the violence. The Centre should send a delegation to Assam, the RJD chief said and pointed out that he would soon take a delegation to the trouble-torn state. He said all political parties instead of levelling allegations against each other and issuing statements should come forward for the rescue of the Biharis in Assam. Meanwhile, Mr Yadav also raised the issue before L.K. Advani —
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Sinha writes
to Jack Straw New Delhi, November 22 “This act demonstrated that the war of terrorism is truly global and can be combated by concerted international cooperation. India stands along with Britain ready to contribute to this global coalition,” Mr Sinha said. |
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