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SC quashes Bal Thackeray’s conviction
Eyewitness identifies 15 accused in Best Bakery case
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Amnesty raps Union Carbide, MP Govt for Bhopal tragedy
Laloo calls Paswan’s party gathering of ‘mafia elements’
Cong plays down Laloo-Paswan spat
Paswan dares Laloo to order CBI probe
Stormy Parliament
session likely
Pak for neutral expert on Baghlihar project
Make 2-year NCC
training compulsory, says Kalam
CPM flays Rao for religious
rite in office
Pranab for separate doctrine for elite forces
Combat maritime terrorism jointly, says Madhvendra
40 paise cut in petrol prices likely
“Village on Wheels” flagged off
Youths ignored rly porter’s warnings: minister
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SC quashes Bal Thackeray’s conviction
New Delhi, November 29 Setting aside the High Court order of 1997, sentencing Mr Thackeray, Editor of Shiv Sena mouthpiece ‘Samana’ Sanjay Raut and its publisher Subhash Desai to seven-day imprisonment and imposing a fine of Rs 2,000 on each of them, a Bench of Mr Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Mr Justice P.P. Naolekar ruled that the case did not fall within the guidelines laid down by the apex court in such matters. The case against them was initiated on the complaint of Congress activist Harish Madhav Pimpalkhute and Manohar Prasad Tripathi alleging that they had denigrated judiciary by making reckless allegations against a judge. The High Court had found Mr Thackeray guilty of making certain allegations of corruption against a judge in his ‘Dasehra’ speech on October 21, 1996 at a customary Shiv Sena rally at Shivaji Park on the occasion. The speech published in ‘Samana’ attributed to Mr Thackeray had stated that a favourable judgement could be obtained from a particular judge on payment of Rs 35 lakh. But the Shiv Sena supremo later in his affidavit, filed in the court, had said he had made the statement on the basis of information provided by someone else. He also had stated that the reference was not to any High Court judge but to a lower court judge. Allowing Mr Thackery’s appeal, the apex court said for initiating criminal contempt proceedings against a person on a private complaint, the mandatory provision of prior sanction of Advocate-General of the concerned state or Attorney-General or the Solicitor-General of India, was not obtained in this case. The Bench said the apex court had, in the Duda case, clearly laid down that the contempt proceedings could be initiated either by the court suo motu or on prior sanction from the three law officers of the government or directly by these officers. The Supreme Court also directed the High Courts to lay down clear rules on the issue as per its guidelines to remove any ambiguity. Mr Thackeray and the other two convicts, who though had paid the fine, filed appeals in the Supreme Court in 1997 on the ground that the mandatory provisions of the law had not been followed in their case.
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Zaheera appears in court
Mumbai, November 29 However, she could not testify before the court as she was not called to do so by the prosecution. Prosecutor Manjula Rao told designated Judge Abhay Thipsay of the special court that Zaheera would be examined at the end of the trial. Zaheera Sheikh left after her counsel, Harshad Ponda, assured the court that she would depose as and when summoned. Zaheera Sheikh did not comment on her affidavit before the authorities in Vadodara, Gujarat, on November 3 in which she accused social activist Teesta Setalvad of coercing her to charge the accused persons with rape and murder. Zaheera had alleged that she was forcibly taken to Mumbai by Ms Setalvad and her colleague, Raees Khan, and made to sign documents in English. The Supreme Court had ordered re-trial of the case in Mumbai after Zaheera Sheikh claimed that she was forced to turn hostile in a Gujarat trial court out of fear.
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Eyewitness identifies 15 accused
Mumbai, November 29 Deposing before designated judge Abhay Thipsay, Sailun, a bakery worker, recognised three accused by name and the rest by faces. All accused were asked to stand up in the dock and he pointed at 15 of them. The three accused, identified by name, were Dinesh Rajbhar, Sanjay Thakker and Lala. The witness told the court that on that day Rajbhar and Sanjay, were holding swords and had attacked him on the head as a result of which he suffered injuries. He also said that they had snatched away the purse of his brother, Shazad Khan, also a bakery worker. Sailun also named accused Jeetu Chauhan but could not recognise him when the accused stood up in the dock during the identification parade. —PTI |
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Amnesty raps Union Carbide,
New Delhi, November 29 They have also failed to “stop the continuing pollution of the environment and water through the dispersal of toxic and hazardous substances,’’ Amnesty International said in a study titled “Clouds of Injustice: Bhopal Disaster 20 years on.” The study was released at a news conference this afternoon at which two victims — Ms Rasheeda Bi and Ms Champa Di — picked up broomsticks and thrashed two cardboard dummies symbolising UCC and its new parent, Dow Chemical Company. It said the Bhopal case “illustrates how companies evade their human rights responsibilities’’ and underlined “the need to establish a universal human rights framework that can be applied to the companies directly.’’ The study noted the government’s “primary responsibility’’ to protect human rights of communities endangered by hazardous technology and other corporate activity and called for global HR standards for companies to comply with. It “is a significant step towards generating a universally recognised, normative framework to identify the responsibilities of companies for the human rights impact of their actions,’’ the AI study said. AI stressed “there is no substitute for taking steps to regulate the activities of corporations in both host and home countries. “Laws in host countries must be developed and enforced to allow national governments and local communities to control the activities of companies operating in their territory.’’ Transnational corporations “should avoid double standards in safety and adopt the best practices in all aspects of safety in all their operations.’’ It said the Bhopal disaster and its aftermath “demonstrate clearly’’ the need for an international human rights framework “that can be applied to companies directly,’’ catalyse national legal reform and serve as a benchmark for national legislation. The study emphasised ensuring public participation and transparency in decisions on location, operational safety and waste disposal of industries using hazardous materials and technology. It said this was essential raising “risk awareness and responsible behaviour’’ as well as “better preparedness’’ to prevent and deal with the consequences of disasters like Bhopal. It said governments and the international community must ensure that victims have “effective access” to justice and “effective redress’’ — without discrimination or regard to whether violators are governments or corporations. Amnesty International also asked the United States to do everything within its legal authority to ensure that Bhopal survivors are able to obtain redress. The study asked the US to cooperate with the Indian government to ensure that UCC and Dow Chemical appear before the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Bhopal to face trial on criminal charges. AI asked Dow to ensure that UCC “effectively and promptly decontaminates the Bhopal factory site, cleans up the groundwater and removes the stockpiles of toxic and hazardous substances left by the company when they abandoned the site.’’ It also asked Dow to ensure that UCC cooperates “fully with those who are assessing the long-term health consequences of the gas leak and of the hazardous and toxic substances left on site since 1984.’’ AI called on the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to work towards adoption of an international, universally recognised normative framework for business, including minimum human rights standards for corporations to be incorporated into domestic law. — UNI
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Laloo calls Paswan’s party gathering
Patna, November 29 “LJP mafia ka jamghat hai aur Paswan uske sargana hain jo Bihar ko badnam karne par tule hue hain (LJP is a gathering of mafia elements and Paswan is their leader, who is bent upon bringing a bad name to Bihar), Prasad said addressing a gathering after flagging off the ‘village on wheels’ special train. Referring to the LJP’s November 27 rally where Paswan described him as ‘chara chor’, Laloo said, “the mafia elements who are with Paswan used foul language against RJD leaders, including me’’. RJD President expressed his concern over the delay in securing the release of abducted NHPC General Manager T Mandal and warned that if the official was harmed the gang responsible for it would be sternly dealt with. Naming controversial Lok Sabha Member Surajbhan Singh and LJP MLAs Munna Shukla, Rajan Tiwari, Rama Singh and former MPs Anand Mohan and Kali Pandey, Prasad said, “I warn such people to mend their ways or face consequences’’. The Railway minister reiterated his accusation against Mr Paswan that he was involved in irregularities in the Rs 800 crore purchase of cranes from a foreign company in 1996-97 when he was Railway Minister in the H.D. Deve Gowda government and said he was going to expose the LJP leader. The Railway Minister said the spate of incidents of kidnapping for ransom was an “orchestrated attempt as part of a conspiracy to discredit Bihar’’ and asked the people to unitedly fight against such elements. Claiming that he had freed the Railways of the mafia involved in bagging contracts by strong-arm tactics, Mr Prasad said had Mr Paswan or Nitish Kumar been the Railway Minister these people would have succeeded in cornering the contracts “but I have shown them their place’’. The Bihar strongman said the UPA government at the Centre and the Bihar Government were working with “great synergy’’ for the development of the state which some leaders were unable to stomach. Referring to the state assembly elections due early next year, he said RJD and its allies would win a two-thirds majority. — PTI
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Cong plays down Laloo-Paswan spat
New Delhi, November 29 This issue would be sorted out in the next meeting of the UPA coordination committee, Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said today while playing down this ongoing battle between friends-turned foes RJD’s Laloo Prasad Yadav and LJP’s Ram Vilas Paswan. “All are aware of the dynamics of regional politics in a state heading for elections....The UPA coordination committee will take an appropriate note of this....will resolve and
respond.. It will be resolved”, he added emphatically. Clearly uncomfortable with the exchange of allegations and counter-allegations being flung at each other by the two ministers, Mr Sharma sought to steer clear of this spat. “We will not make any comment on what one minister said against another”, he said. As for Paswan’s call to the Congress to distance itself from the RJD and align with the LJP in the Bihar polls, Sharma said “as a political party, we will take an appropriate view taking into consideration the long term interests of the state and party and based on the reports of state leaders.” Although this is only the
beginning, the Laloo-Paswan spat has the potential of creating problems for the Congress as the Bihar Assembly polls draw closer. Besides impacting adversely on the credibility of the ruling alliance, the Congress will soon be called upon to opt for either of them as an ally in Bihar but, at the same time, ensure that the other party is not antagonised. It is early days yet but the issue is already being debated in Congress circles. There is a section in the party which believes the Congress should not have an alliance with the RJD as Laloo Prasad Yadav is unlikely to concede more than 25-odd seats to it. It is argued that Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav is faced with anti-incumbency in Bihar and this would hurt the Congress as well. Besides, the Congress would alienate the upper castes by aligning with the RJD. On the other hand, it is said the anti-Laloo front should be strengthened by striking a deal with Mr Paswan and Mr Nitish Kumar of the JD(U), provided he severs his links with the NDA. However, this is easier said than done as breaking off with the RJD will have direct
repurcussion on the stability of the UPA government at the Centre. In such a case, it is felt the Congress could bargain for more seats from the RJD by asking for the seats it has already won and those held by the NDA. Meanwhile,
preparations for the upcoming Assembly elections in Jharkhand have got under way with the Congress today admitting a former BJP MP and a Santhal tribal Salkhan Murmu from the state into the party fold. Water Resources Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi, who was present when he was formally inducted, said Mr Murmu had joined the Congress as it was primarily responsible for ensuring that Santhali language was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Mr Murmu’s entry into the Congress at this juncture is a clear attempt by the aprty to strengthen its tribal support base in poll-bound Jharkhand. |
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Paswan dares Laloo to order CBI probe
New Delhi, November 29 Refuting Mr Prasad’s allegation about “swindling” in Rs 800 crore crane deal when Mr Paswan was Railway Minister in the UF Government, the LJP Chief said he was willing to face any probe. Mr Paswan said if any swindling was detected, he will quit politics. The LJP Chief said Mr Prasad was unnerved at the “massive turnout” at the LJP rally at Patna and out of “frustation” he was levelling various allegations against him. The relations between Mr Prasad and Mr Paswan have spured over the past few months. The LJP had declared earlier that it was preparing to contest assembly elections in Bihar and Jharkhand on its own. The bitterness took a turn for the worse after the Bihar Government raided house of LJP MLA in connection with kidnapping of NHPC officials. The spat between the two Bihar leaders comes days ahead of the winter session of Parliament. |
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Stormy Parliament
session likely
New Delhi, November 29 While the Congress-led UPA government will be looking at introducing as many as 20 bills, including those to replace POTA and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Bill, the Opposition has already planned a demonstration on the opening day and has given notice to the government on at least five issues, including the price hike. The introduction of the Bills would be as part of its efforts to implement items under the National Common Minimum Programme. The main opposition party, BJP has already declared that it would aggressively raise issues of national importance in both the Houses of parliament. As part of its efforts to put pressure on the government a protest rally is being held from the Ramlila Grounds to Parliament against the price rise, especially in diesel and petrol. Incidentally, both Leader of the Opposition L K Advani and NDA Parliamentary Party Chairperson Atal Bihari Vajpayee had recently assured the Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee at the all-party meeting that the opposition was keen on the smooth functioning of the House. But they had also demanded that the Opposition should be given its “space” to raise prominent issues and through which effort would be to put pressure on the government. The issues on which the Opposition has given notice to the government are the arrest of Kanchi Shankaracharya, internal security situation, situation in the North-East particularly Manipur, Indo-Pak relations and the price hike. As many as ‘11 priority Bills’, including those seeking amendment to the Patent Act will also be introduced during the session. At the UPA coordination committee meeting earlier in the week it was decided to constitute a sub-committee to identify issues to be sorted out before taking a decision on the creation of a Telengana state carved out from Andhra Pradesh, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said while briefing reporters after the two-and-half hour meeting held at the residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
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Pak for neutral expert on Baghlihar project
New Delhi, November 29 A careful reading of Pakistani media reports suggests that Pakistan may be on the point of bringing in a neutral expert on the Baghlihar project on the Chenab outside the framework of the bilateral process. Wular Barrage and Kishanganga projects in J&K have also led to tension between India and Pakistan. These reports have come in at a time when the Indus Water Commission of India, Mr T.K. Mehta, is currently in Pakistan to discuss the Kishanganga project. On the Baghlihar project discussions between India and Pakistan have been going on for several years. Indian experts are convinced that the Baghlihar project is entirely within the framework of the Indus Waters Treaty. Analysts here say since the treaty was signed, Pakistan has objected to virtually every project that has been taken up in Jammu and Kashmir on the Indus water system. At one level , it has paranoia about usage in J&K of the waters that subsequently flow into Pakistan. Pakistan’s paranois, the analysts say, extends to such an extent that for its own selfish reasons it wants to object to and prevent even legitimate and treaty-permitted usage in J&K. This shows that despite claiming to be wanting to speak for the people of J&K or talking about the aspirations of the people of J&K, Pakistan wants to object to anything that benefits the people living there. This also shows why Pakistan has kept up its campaign on the J&K issue. Going by Pakistan’s past track record, the analysts point out, it will not be a surprise if Islamabad were to show the negative mindset on the Kishanganga project also.
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Make 2-year NCC
training compulsory, says Kalam
New Delhi, November 29 Delivering the National Cadet Corps lecture here Dr Kalam said, “in my view, two years’ NCC training must be made compulsory for all eligible students, both for boys and girls at the school or college level”. “This may work out to cadre strength of 20 million students for the NCC. I realise the NCC budget needed for this will increase substantially. However, the output in terms of societal development and peace will adequately compensate through the availability of young disciplined human resource,” he said. Addressing the NCC cadets and officers who had come from across the country to participate in its 56th Founding Day celebrations the President said that was confident that if 10 million trained NCC cadets were “injected” into the society with a mission every year, it would have a positive impact by promoting righteous life, eliminating corruption, improving efficiency, augmenting a clean environment and ensuring disciplined and committed action on the part of the cadets. “Dynamics of the nation with a billion population are becoming complex day by day. Youth need productive employment,” he said.
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CPM flays Rao for religious
rite in office
New Delhi, November 29 The CPM, which has been opposed to the formation of separate Telengana state, closely watched the raise of the TRS in the Lok Sabha poll and the six-month tag of minister without portfolio to Mr Rao. The TRS leader took charge as Minister for Labour and Employment on Sunday by performing religious ceremony in his office. The party in a statement said, “Mr Rao performed a public religious ceremony in a government office. Each individual is entitled to freedom of conscience and the right to freely practise and
propagate religion.” |
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Pranab for separate doctrine for elite forces
New Delhi, November 29 Addressing the opening session of a seminar on Special Forces: Doctrine, Structures and Employment Across the Spectrum of Conflict in the Indian Context, the Defence Minister pointed out that India needed the SF, especially in regard to the security scenario prevailing in the region. He was of the view that the SF were not merely better infantry or naval or air units, but were a "total force of quality officers and soldiers". They were structured comprehensively for as full spectrum capability and were trained and ready for victory, he said. The Minister said India's SF should orient themselves to face the challenges of the 21st century so that they had a "futuristic vision in mind". He asserted that there would be no shortage of funds for the SF and the Ministry of Defence was in the process of equipping them with the latest military equipment that they needed in terms of "firepower, communication and night-vision capability". Earlier, the Chief of the Army Staff, Gen N.C. Vij, said buoyed by the success of the SF in tackling militancy in Kashmir and the North-East, the Army was drawing up a separate doctrine for them. "Special forces are a great institution, excelling in all types of operations, especially in the war against terrorism. Terrorism, these days, is another way of fighting a war and we are facing this on our western borders," he said. The Army Chief was of the view that the numbers of the SF should not be increased without proper thought going into it. He said the step to create the SF had been taken after a great deal of thought. Pointing out that rather than acting in haste, proper attention should be paid to their organisational structure, training and equipment. "We should not take recourse to this unthinkingly. There was a great deal of deliberation before we took this decision," he said. The Chief of the Army Staff said the seminar should consider all aspects of SF operations in the Indian context. |
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Combat maritime terrorism jointly,
New Delhi, November 29 “If this campaign of maritime counter-terrorism is to succeed, then the navies of the world will have to be in the forefront — they are the main players, the prima donnas so to speak,” he said while inaugurating the International Workshop on Maritime Counter-Terrorism, organised by Observer Research Foundation (ORF) here. They have, of course, to be supported by their governments and other maritime security services, he said while stressing that to combat this menace the navies of the world will have to put up a united front. As a first step, he suggested increasing the number of joint exercises between navies of different countries which he said would also help in confidence building between the governments and people. “During these joint exercises, they should build in maritime terrorism scenarios so that they can arrive at standard operating procedures to be followed,” he said. Admiral Madhvendra Singh said terrorism was as old as recorded history, but it required the power of modern media to bring it into the sharper focus by reporting incidents instantly and delivering a blow by blow account in our living rooms. “If the world sat up and took note of terrorism on land, it must now stand up to, to use a naval phrase, and prepare itself for possible terrorist acts at sea. The task will not be easy because of the nature of the maritime domain -the theatre where acts of maritime terrorism will be perpetrated”, he told the two-day international workshop attended by experts from India, US, Japan, China, Australia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Talking about the problems maritime terrorism might pose, Admiral Madhvendra Singh said the oceans covered a little over 70 per cent of the globe and they were unowned, unpatrolled and uncontrolled unlike the land. He said “there are no boundaries at sea” and a ship required no permission to go from one ocean to other and move around freely.
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40 paise cut in petrol prices likely
New Delhi, November 29 “The international fuel prices have fallen in the past fortnight. Petrol, having being linked with import parity prices, may see a cut of 40 paise per litre,” a senior oil company official said today. Diesel prices, if aligned with international prices, may be cut by 0.05 to 0.10 paise per litre in step with global trends. Earlier today, Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar was non-committal on the issue. “Let us wait and see,” Aiyar said, in a reply to reporters’ query as to whether the present practice of the fortnightly revision in the petrol and diesel prices would be followed at the next due date on November 30. |
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“Village on Wheels” flagged off
Patna, November 29 The first “Village on Wheels” left Patna on a nine-day tour of Varanasi, Agra, Mathura, Delhi, Jammu, Amritsar and Howrah. Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi was also present at the programme. The train has five sleeper coaches with 360 berths and a pantry car, Divisional Railway Manager of Danapur division of East Central Railway B.L. Mittal said, adding that the total fare, including breakfast, two meals and a guided tour by the bus, would be Rs 4,500 for each passenger.
— PTI |
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Youths ignored rly porter’s warnings: minister
Bhopal, November 29 “The youths, who were engaged in a scuffle on the tracks, did not pay any heed to the shouts of a railway porter or the whistles sounded by the driver of the Chennai-Lucknow Express”, Union Minister of State for Railways, Naranbhai Rathwa told reporters here after visiting the site. “According to eyewitnesses, the youths alighted on the tracks instead of the platform and even beat up the porter, rather than heeding his advice,” he said. However, financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh each to the bereaved families and Rs 30,000 each to the injured was being given on humanitarian grounds though they are not entitled to any ex-gratia or compensation under the rules, as it was an act of
trespassing,” Mr Rathwa said. There was no need for the mandatory probe since the incident was not treated as an accident under railway rules but local officers would look into the matter, he added. — PTI |
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