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Mufti Sayeed meets Sonia, Vajpayee
Online screening of passengers
from Pak
Mamata lambasts Centre on closure of collieries
India should not be party to US game,
Sonia turns to older leaders
Youth Cong attacks PM, Fernandes
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NCP differences to be sorted out, says Sangma
Cong ridicules BJP on highway issue
Mumbai all set for World Social Forum
Sinha to leave for Washington on January 19
SC for security of 9-yr-old murder witness
DSGMC meets French envoy
Militants kill three in Bihar
Violent protests as 9 UP districts abolished
Khurana sworn-in as Rajasthan Governor
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Mufti Sayeed meets Sonia, Vajpayee New Delhi, January 14 Mr Sayeed told reporters after an 40-minute-long meeting with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee that talks with Hurriyat Conference led by Maulana Abbas Ansari was a welcome development and would go a long way in bringing peace in the state. Asked whether he would like to appeal to the militants to leave their guns and come to the negotiation table, he said some political parties had already issued statements to this effect. “Once the process of violence is halted in the state, the result of talks between the separatists and the Centre would be better and the boys with guns will themselves realise that their is no need to lift the gun,” he said. To a question about giving invitations to other separatist groups, including the group led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mr Sayeed said it was one-by-one approach. “Let us talk to those who are willing first. Others can be invited at a later stage,” he said. Mr Sayeed said he conveyed to the Prime Minister that people in his state were happy about the peace moves initiated by New Delhi. “The successful completion of the SAARC summit and the Joint Declaration have improved the relations between the two countries and this realisation process has a direct bearing on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said. Earlier, Mr Sayeed met Congress President Sonia Gandhi for about 30 minutes and discussed the working of coalition government. PDP and Congress have decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections together. The two leaders discussed the overall situation in the state in the light of initiation of dialogue. The meeting was also attended by senior Congress leader Manmohan Singh. Mr Sayeed also met Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission K.C. Pant about the additional plan allocation. |
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Online screening of passengers from Pak
New Delhi, January14 A sophisticated computer system is being used here to screen the TRPs. Earlier, only the names of passengers were sent to the authorities in Delhi by fax mode. But with the new system, the details, including the name, photograph and the local address of the passengers, from Pakistan will be available online. “The new procedure takes effect following reports that some ISI agents and others sent for spying from Pakistan reach Delhi and vanish without reporting to the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) dealing with Pakistan in Delhi,” said sources. Passengers travelling from Pakistan to Delhi by air, road or rail have to report to the FRRO (Pakistan) within 24 hours of their arrival in this country. If they don’t turn up, the police will put up a lookout notice to trace their whereabouts with the help of the local address provided by them. Since the train will be carrying at least 600 to 700 passengers to Delhi and they are expected to report within a day, the officials have also come up with another idea of introducing the ‘Token System,’ to manage crowds at the office of the FRRO. “This system will help officials manage overcrowding of passengers at the office. Passengers after getting the tokens can manage their time accordingly for reporting,” added sources. The officials are also contemplating getting the TRP details of those who come under the Exempted from Police Reporting (EPR) category. People like diplomats, parliamentarians, journalists, celebrities and delegates come under this category and are exempted from reporting to the FRRO. “We have requested the officials to send their details also as recently some Pakistan delegates who came to India did not return to Pakistan in time. In future, we can take care of such matters during emergencies, though they are not expected to report,” added sources. |
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Mamata lambasts Centre on closure of collieries
Kolkata, January 14 Within three days of assuming the Ministry of Coal and Mines, the Trinamool Congress leader declared she would not carry out the decision taken by her predecessor, Karia Munda of the BJP. She would also oppose the Finance Ministry’s decision of lowering the excise duty on the import of coal from 25 to 15 per cent, which, she said, had been facilitating foreign companies. Ms Banerjee has been mainly focusing on the Lok Sabha poll preparation in the state against the
CPI (M) and the Congress. In a bid to woo voters for the TMC-BJP candidates, she directed Kolkata Mayor Subrata Mukherjee of the TMC for slashing the property tax for the economically weaker and the middle-income groups. She also decided to enhance the DA of the colliery workers by 15 per cent with an immediate effect. The proposal had been earlier turned down by the government. Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee welcomed Ms Banerjee’s announcements. However, he said in the past also she had made the announcement of withdrawal of the decision of closing down 23 central PSUs in the Bengal-Bihar areas, but her promise did not materialise. Mr Anil Biswas,
CPI (M) secretary, alleged Ms Banerjee had the habit of making false
promises. He said this time also her promises might turn out to be false. Ms Banerjee, however, denied she had ever made any false promises. She claimed she had deferred the decision of closing down of 23 CPUs in the past, but she did not get the opportunity to force the Centre to abandon the decision since she had to suddenly quit the ministry. Ms Banerjee expressed confidence that TMC-BJP candidates would bag most of the MPs seats in West Bengal. She said the
CPI (M) had no moral right to be in power any more in the state since it had failed in all fronts. |
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India should not be party to US game, says CPM New Delhi, January 14 “Even when other major countries of the world refused to subscribe to the new missile defence system (of the USA), the Vajpayee government showed inordinate keenness to be part of the new ballistic missile defence system”, the party Politburo said in a statement here. It said the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government was “the first one to endorse US President George W. Bush’s strategic version of nuclear security and the NMD system in May 2001”. The announcement by the USA and India to expand strategic partnership in the realm of nuclear, space and high technology was “one more step taken by the Vajpayee government to make India part of the US global strategic plans”, the CPM said. The announcement showed that American concerns regarding nuclear proliferation predominate while there are no concrete measures for India accessing high technology. “The BJP-led government has been set on course of acquiescing in the US drive for global hegemony and new militarisation in turn or the US acceptance of India’s nuclear weapon status”, the party said, demanding the government desist from “making India party to American strategic plans”. In another development, the CPM said the CBI had “damaged its credibility” by deciding not to appeal against the judgement exonerating Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani in the Babri Masjid demolition case. The CPM said the investigating agency should reconsider its stand and pursue the case against Mr Advani. |
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Sonia turns to older leaders
New Delhi, January 14 Today, she brought back senior leader and former Chief Minister J.B. Patnaik to head the Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee. At the same time, she named another former Chief Minister, Mr Motilal Vora, as president of the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee, as a replacement for Mr Ramanuj Yadav, a supporter of former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi. Mr Vora will continue to hold charge as AICC treasurer. In addition, Ms Gandhi appointed Mr. Charan Das Mahant as working president of the Chhattisgarh party unit to ensure a better and effective coordination. By drafting Mr Mahant into the organisational set-up, the Congress is hoping to check further erosion in its traditional support base of scheduled tribes, which has shifted to the BJP. The ticklish issue of Rajasthan’s legislature party was finally resolved with Ms Gandhi appointing Mr
B. D. Kalha to the post. In addition, Mr Narain Singh, member of the Rajasthan Assembly, was appointed president of the state party unit. He replaces Ms Girija Vyas, who had resigned following the party’s defeat in the recent Assembly election. By naming a Brahmin and a Jat to the two key posts, the Congress President has attempted to correct the caste equations in Rajasthan, which became a controversial issue in the Assembly poll. There was strong resistance to the reappointment of former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot as the legislature party leader on the plea that a Jat be accommodated either in this post or as the PCC chief. It was argued that the Jat community should be mollified as its displeasure with the Congress had cost the party dearly in the recent election. All these changes have been timed to coincide with the special meeting of PCC and CLP chiefs, slated for January 16. The meeting is meant to gain inputs from the state leaders for the party’s poll strategies and also to tone up the party machinery. Similarly, the appointment of Mr Patnaik and Mr Vora is also an effort to set its organisation in order ahead of the Lok Sabha election. Party insiders maintain that a change in Orissa was long overdue as the state party unit was riven by divisions and outgoing PCC president Sarat Patnaik had not been effective in strengthening the party. Orissa Congress leaders had, for long, been demanding that Mr
J.B. Patnaik, who was removed as PCC chief two years ago, be brought back to head the state party unit. It was pointed out that Mr Patnaik’s experience — he has been PCC chief five times and Chief Minister three times — could help galvanise the party and challenge the BJP-BJD ruling combine. Admitting that there was factionalism in the Orissa unit, Mr
J.B. Patnaik today said his first task would be to ensure a patch-up so that the party worked unitedly for the Lok Sabha election. Mr Patnaik recalled that every time the Congress faced a crisis in the past, he had ensured a victory for the party. |
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Youth Cong attacks PM, Fernandes
New Delhi, January 14 Mr Surjewala said the Prime Minister should tell in what capacity did a woman stay in the Prime Minister’s residence. “People want to know in what capacity did Ms Kaul stay in the PM’s official residence. They also want to know if he had a foster son-in-law,” Mr Surjewala told mediapersons here. He said Mr Fernandes should explain in what capacity Ms Jaya Jaitley stays in his house. “What are their relations,” he asked. The IYC chief said Mr Fernandes was seen with Ms Jaitley and the son of Mr Ajay Jadeja. He raked up the Tehelka issue asking how Ms Jaitley “talked to defence brokers in the drawing room of the Defence Minister.” The IYC chief wondered why details of Mr Mahajan’s alleged conversation with slain Indian Express journalist Shivani Bhatnagar had not been made public. “What relations Mr Mahajan had with Shivani Bhatnagar. Why is he afraid of a paternity test,” the IYC chief asked. Referring to the BJP’s ‘Shine India’ campaign, he said the ruling party was in a self-congratulatory overdrive by 8 per cent growth rate achieved in a quarter of the current year. |
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NCP differences to be sorted out, says Sangma
New Delhi, January 14 “Whatever differences are there in the party, they would be discussed in the next couple of days,” he told reporters after a three-hour meeting of the NCP’s Working Committee here. He said party chief Sharad Pawar had been authorised to hold further talks with leaders from the North East and Chhattisgarh to find a solution to the opposition from the people of their respective areas to a tie-up with the Congress. “On the basis of the outcome of Mr Pawar’s efforts, I will take a final decision,” he said when asked if he would part ways with the NCP if it aligned with the Congress. To a question whether he was contemplating joining the BJP, he said there was no possibility. “What are you saying?” he retorted when a reporter asked him about his chances of joining the saffron party. To a question whether he had sought an appointment with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mr Sangma said he desired to meet him to dicuss problems of the North East, particularly insurgency in the region. “There is no political agenda,” he said. Mr Sangma said he had already convened a meeting on January 18 of the North East Forum floated last year, to discuss matters regarding the region. Earlier in the day, efforts by senior NCP leaders to bring Mr Sangma on board on the issue of tie-up with the Congress apparently did not make much headway. — PTI |
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Cong ridicules BJP on highway issue
New Delhi, January 14 Reminding the BJP that the National Highway Authority of India was not the National Hindutva Authority of India, Congress secretary Jairam Ramesh today said the NHAI should not become a showcase of partisan politics and promoting a single individual. Mr Ramesh pointed out that it was the Congress which had established the NHAI in 1995 and that most of the detailed plans were finalised during the tenures of Congress and the United Front governments. The Congress also rejected as baseless and bogus the comparison of the current highway development programme with that in previous years. An extensive network of two-lane highways was created in the first four decades, Mr Ramesh said, adding that the new generation of highways for which the BJP was claiming credit were largely four-lane and six-lane for which there was not much demand earlier. More importantly, he said, the “Congress highways” were free for the public while the “BJP highways” involve payment by users. |
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Mumbai all set for World Social Forum
Mumbai, January 14 With more than 85,000 people scheduled to attend the forum, Mumbai is stretching its civic resources to play host to people of diverse nationalities and cultures. According to a WSF spokesperson, people from Asia, Africa, the Western nations and Latin America will come together under a number of banners. Of particular interest are gatherings of people from war-torn regions of the world, refugees thrown out by gigantic development projects, people affected by tests by pharma majors and indigenous people marginalised by development. The sprawling National Exhibition Ground in suburban Goregaon is already packed with hordes of visitors trickling in. “All rooms are booked,’ says a spokesperson of the Taj Hotel in downtown Mumbai. The rich set parked at Mumbai’s downtown hotels will drive down 25 km to Goregaon for the meeting. The smarter ones have already checked in hotels closer to the venue. The
WSF was born in Brazil in 2001 and is moving out of that country for the first time, according to the organisers. The meeting has a budget of Rs 10 crore, most of which has been raised from donations by non-government organisations, trade unions and other bodies. According to an organiser, Mr Gautam
Mody, even hawkers and ragpickers have contributed to the cause. The 1200 workshops and conferences held till January 21 will see a number of personalities from the left-wing talk show circuit in Mumbai. World Bank basher Joseph Stiglitz and Mr Nguyen
Binh, former foreign minister of Vietnam, will be among the star speakers. Pakistani human rights activist Asma Jehangir will be accompanied by more than 800 people, sources say. Numerous tents and campsites have sprouted all over the grounds. In all there are 600 exhibition stalls, 150 seminar halls, seven stages to hold performances including street plays, and makeshift “villages” to house delegates. The organisers are busy making last-minute preparations ahead of the forum. Last-minute advertisements in local newspapers have seen caterers with experience in Indian, Continental, Chinese, Thai and other cuisines being shortlisted to set up shop. With such a big gathering, the organisers have decided to keep out India’s largest advertisers. Keeping in mind the slogan, Another World is Possible there won’t be plugs for Coke, Pepsi, McDonalds, etc. However Mumbai’s hawkers will sell the city’s famous vada
pav, bhelpuri and other local goodies at the venue. Even the local administration is gearing up for the meeting. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has put water pipelines to service the visitors. Mumbai’s Central and Western Railways and BEST will pitch in with additional buses to ferry participants from their camps to the exhibition site. |
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Sinha to leave for Washington on January 19
New Delhi, January 14 Mr Sinha would also meet Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice. The MEA statement said Mr Sinha would also have engagements in the US Congress, including meetings with Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the House International Relations Committee, important members of the House Appropriations Committee and leaders of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans. “The dialogue between External Affairs Minister and US Secretary of State is a very important component of the Indo-US dialogue architecture and covers all aspects of our bilateral relations and international issues of mutual interest,” the MEA statement said. |
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SC for security of 9-yr-old murder witness
New Delhi, January 14 “Necessary directions may be obtained from the trial court so that the eyewitness, who is a girl child of nine years of age and other witnesses get adequate protection and police security to be able to depose in the court without any fear and pressure,” a Bench comprising Mr Justice Shivaraj V Patil and Mr Justice D.M Dharmadhikari said. The direction came on the petition by victim Rajwati’s mother Leelawati, seeking transfer of the case from Faridabad to a court in
Delhi. She had alleged in her plea that her grand-daughter Priyanka, faced a threat from her father Ramesh Chand and co-accused Kanshi Ram, Shanti and
Jugita. “Priyanka is terribly afraid of deposing against her father and his relations at Faridabad. The complainant has received threats from the accused and there is no proper atmosphere at Faridabad for a free and fair trial,” Leelawati had said in her petition . The court, however, rejected her petition for the transfer of the case after Haryana Government counsel gave an assurance to it that adequate protection would be provided to the witnesses, including Priyanka. Rajwati’s murder had taken place in 2001 and the police had booked her husband Ramesh Chand, Kanshi Ram. Shanti and Jugita in the case. |
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DSGMC meets French envoy
New Delhi, January 14 “It is not a matter of choice. Our religion has made it obligatory for all Sikh males to cover their heads. If your new decision is fully implemented, it will drive all Sikh students out of schools in France which may even lead to pushing the Sikh community out of France,” said a party statement here today. France has decided to ban the use of religious signs and symbols, including headgear, by school students. The delegation, which included DSGMC president Prahlad Singh Chandhok and SAD Delhi leaders, urged the French Government to either withdraw the new decision or grant special exemption to the Sikh community. They informed the country’s Ambassador here that Sikhs had been exempted on the headgear issue in several European countries and the USA. |
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Militants kill three in Bihar
Jehanabad, January 14 Inspector General of Police (Administration) Neelmani told PTI that around 60-65 PW militants swooped on Mirjapur village under Sakurabad police station last night and sprayed bullets on villagers assembled at the temple. One Siddheshwar Sharma was killed in the firing, while seven persons were kidnapped by the extremists. The extremists later let off five persons while bodies of remaining two were recovered from a nearby field. Neelmani denied reports that six persons were killed in the extremists’ operation.
— PTI |
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Violent protests as 9 UP districts abolished
Lucknow, January 14 BJP MLA from Shravasti and the ‘Raja of Bhinga’ Chandramani Kant Singh today submitted his resignation from the state Legislative Assembly to protest against the decision of the government. Mr Chandramani Kant Singh’s Shravasti district has been merged with Bahraich and Gonda districts. Reports from Auraiyya, Basti and Jyotibaphule Nagar said people came on roads this morning, blocked road and rail traffic and burnt an effigy of Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav.
— UNI |
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Khurana sworn-in as Rajasthan Governor
Jaipur, January 14 Rajasthan High Court Chief Justice Anil Dev Singh administered the oath of office to Mr Khurana at a specially-erected pandal on the sprawling lawns of Raj Bhavan. Mr Khurana, 15th occupant of the gubernatorial office in the state, took over in place of Gujarat Governor Kailashpati Mishra who was holding the additional charge of Rajasthan Governor since the death of previous incumbent N.C. Jain.
— PTI |
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ULFA ultras derail
goods train
Guwahati, January 14 The accident took place in the wee hours of morning when nine bogies of the goods train were derailed without causing any harm to anybody. The Brahmaputra Express was supposed to cross the section immediately after the passing of the goods train. The NF Railway officials had confirmed removal of fishplates of the tracks. Security forces had zeroed in on ULFA militants, who had been trying unsuccessfully to make their presence felt after the Bhutan operation.
— UNI |
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PMK ministers quit Cabinet
New Delhi, January 14 Talking to newspersons, Mr Shanmugham said Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had accepted the resignations. He said both he and Mr Moorthy were departing without any ill-will and had no rancour against any party. He said the Political Affairs Committee of their party had passed a resolution that the date for advancing the poll was against ethics.
— UNI |
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