New Delhi, April 3
The UPA government, whose alliance partners, including the Congress, had severely attacked the NDA government over the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report pointing “delay” in procuring certain equipment during Operation Vijay in Kargil has virtually defended the action of the Defence Ministry in the Supreme Court, saying no rules were violated as the military equipment were not “available off the shelf”.

The contracts signed by the Defence Ministry during Operation Vijay “in no way violated any of the financial rules of the government or the Defence Procurement Procedure of 1992,” said an affidavit of the Ministry of Defence filed in reply to the apex court notice on a public interest litigation (PIL) on the issue, virtually giving clean chit to former Defence Minister George Fernandes.

“On the issue of nature of the actual delivery of items, it is submitted that at times or marking projections, the duration of operation, the nature of levels of conflict and the possibility of spread of the conflict to other areas/sectors could not have been predicted. Moreover, the weapons, equipment and ammunition required by the Defence Ministry are generally not available off the shelf and a lead time which can range from 4 to 18 months is required to produce and deliver them after the conclusion of a contract,” it said.

The ministry’s March 10, 2005, affidavit was filed recently by Attorney-General Milon Banerjee, giving graphic details of the action taken report to the CAG’s special audit report of 2001, which had raised two sets of issues — (a) relating to general observations and (b) specific cases of procurement of 35 military items out of 123 — and questioned the Defence Ministry’s procurement procedure during the Kargil conflict.

The UPA government said: “The then Defence Minister envisaged modifications in the procurement procedure applicable for the duration of Operation Vijay for items specifically required…The modified procedure issued on June 21, 1999, was not to substitute or supersede the prescribed procedure for normal procurement actions.”

New Delhi, April 3
The Centre today declared a three-day state mourning as a mark of respect to Pope John Paul II, who passed away in Vatican early this morning.

During the period of mourning, the Tricolour will be flown at half mast and there will be no official entertainment, a Home Ministry spokesman said.

“It has been decided that as a mark of respect to the departed dignitary state mourning will be observed throughout India for three days, starting today. During this period, the national flag will be flown at half mast where it is flown regularly and there would be no official entertainment,” the spokesman added.

Meanwhile, President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have joined millions across the country in mourning the death of Pope John Paul II, describing him as a champion of peace.

The world had lost a statesman who throughout his life worked for human dignity and freedom and for the needy and the oppressed, the President said.

“He tirelessly worked for peace on this planet and to establish an international order based on equality and justice,” Dr Kalam said in a message.

Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat expressed profound grief, saying he had always championed the cause of the poor and was an apostle of peace.

The Prime Minister described Pope John Paul II as a People’s Pope.

He was an iconic figure for nearly three decades, in particular as a beacon of unflinching moral values, Dr Manmohan Singh said in a message.

“The Pope endeared himself specially to people of India by initiating the process of granting sainthood to Mother Teresa,” the Prime Minister said.

New Delhi, April 3
The President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), Cardinal Telesphore Toppo from Ranchi and two other Cardinals are heading to the Vatican city to participate in a formal meeting tomorrow for planning the burial of Pope John Paul II.

CBCI Spokesperson, Dr Babu Joseph told TNS here on Sunday that the Cardinals, the closest associates of the Pope, are expected to assemble in Vatican city on Monday for planning programmes for the burial of Pope John Paul II.

The Cardinals are invited to the Vatican city by the Embassy of the Holy Father, Apostolic Nunciatore in Delhi, to plan the burial of the Pope and elect his successor. While Cardinal Telesphore Toppo arrived here on Sunday to take a Rome bound flight, Cardinal Varkey Vithyaathil from Ernakulam and Cardinal Ivan Dais from Mumbai will fly to Rome tomorrow morning. The Cardinals will later join other members of the College of Cardinals to elect the successor to Pope John Paul II.

India has five Cardinals but only three Cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote. Dr Joseph expressed satisfaction over the announcement of a three-day mourning and hoped that the government would send a delegation to the Vatican City to pay last respects to Pope John Paul II, the much revered head of Catholics in the world. "It is a diplomatic necessity. The Vatican City has diplomatic relations with 160 countries," Dr Joseph said.

Sources in Apostolic Nunciatore (Embassy of the Holy Father) told TNS here this evening that the Vatican Ambassador to India, Arhbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana will concelebrate the mass at St Columbus Grounds tomorrow.

The Deputy Secretary-General of CBCI, Dr Donald H.R. De Souza

said a special mass will be held on St Colombus grounds. The Archbishop of Delhi, Vincent Concessao will lead the special prayer meeting that is expected to be attended by over 5,000 persons.

A large number of persons assembled at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Ashok Place here to pay their tribute to the Pope. The response was overwhelming. Till 3.30 pm, the condolence book placed on a desk at the entrance of Sacred Heart Cathedral had more than 160 signatures with messages of prayer and reverence for Pope John Paul II known as the People's Pope.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's also wrote her message in the condolence book .

It was difficult for believers to accept the news of the demise of the Pope.

The Archbishop of Delhi, Vincent Concessao told mediapersons here today that Pope John Paul II brought the Vatican City to the people.

Chennai, April 3
Catholic Churches across Tamil Nadu were packed to capacity during the Sunday Masses, offered today for Pope John Paul II, who died last night, and to thank God for the Pope who guided the community for about 27 years.

Auxiliary Bishop and Administrator of Madras-Mylapore Diocese Lawrence Plus led the Catholics in prayer at Santhome Bascillica where five masses were held since morning.

Services were also held in all the other Catholic Churches in the city.

Bishop of Coimbatore Diocese Dr Thomas Acquinas in his message said the entire Catholic world and all the men of goodwill were sad because of the demise of the Pope.

The Evangelical Church of India said the Church of Jesus Christ and the world had lost a great champion of peace, fighter for justice and liberator of the oppressed.

The pontiff was not only the head of the catholic church, but also recognised as the spiritual leader of the Church of Jesus Christ at large, Bishop Ezra Sargunam, president of the Evangelican Church of India said in a statement here.

Pondicherry Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, PMK leader Dr S. Ramadoss, Puthiya Tamizhagam President K. Krishnasamy also condoled the death of the Pope. — PTI

New Delhi, April 3
The two-day special meetings of the BJP National Executive and National Council, beginning from April 5 to mark the saffron party’s silver jubilee, will take up the challenges before the party, including the coming Assembly elections.

“We will discuss the present political situation and chalk out future course of action to meet the emerging challenges, including the upcoming Assembly elections in three states,” BJP Vice-President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here today.

The party will take a retrospective view of its 25-years of experience in the polity and try to showcase itself as a party that represents all strata of people across the nation.

To be inaugurated at Ambedkar Stadium here, the silver jubilee function will mark the party’s envious track record of remaining “undivided” in the last 25 years and running a coalition government for a full term of five years, he said.

“When all major political parties like the Congress and Communist parties have spilt on many occasions, we have ensured that BJP is undivided and strengthened,” Mr Naqvi claimed.

The BJP-led NDA has the distinction of being the only non-Congress government that lasted for five years at the Centre, he said.

Rejecting the notion that the Ram Janmabhoomi movement had an adverse impact on the party’s image, Mr Naqvi said on the contrary it was a “turning point” for BJP.

Despite toeing the ‘Hindutva’ line, Mr Naqvi pointed out that all sorts of political parties had come forward to join the NDA coalition.

Attacking the Congress-led UPA government’s policies, he said “the Common Minimum Programme has become a common mahengai programme.”

The silver jubilee year will begin with a special session of the national council.

New Delhi, April 3
A four-day conference of country’s top Army Commanders is beginning here tomorrow to take stock of the situation in the insurgency-affected areas, the Army’s “wish list’’ of new weaponry, and to assess the developments on the Sino-Indian and Indo-Pakistan borders ahead of the visits of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and President Pervez Musharraf.

The commanders will deliberate on the details and maps of the Macmohan Line separating China and India to help the leaders in the crucial discussions between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Chinese Prime Minister, sources pointed out.

India and China have already exchanged maps on boundary claims in the central sector and are poised to undertake similar exchanges on the claims in the western and eastern sectors.

Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee will provide a wide framework of issues which will set the tone of discussions for the bi-annual commanders' conference with his inaugural address which would lay down the common strategy on the border issue.

The Army Commanders will also review operational preparedness and chalk out strategy to deal with expected surge in militancy in Jammu and Kashmir with the melting of snow, which would make infiltration routes across the LoC more passable.

Present at the meeting will be the Northern Army Commander Lt-Gen Hariprasad whose command includes the frontier region of Ladakh where the Chinese are still in occupation of Aksai Chin and eastern Army Commander Lt- Gen Arvind Sharma whose forces petrol Tawang and Walong, areas of Arunachal Pradesh bordering China’s Yunan province.

With the Army claiming to be well on way to winning the ‘proxy war’ in Jammu and Kashmir, its top brass will also deliberate on ways to maintain the edge while acting in consonance with Army Chief General JJ Singh’s stipulation of “minimum force and restraint’’ and avoidance of “collateral damage’’.

The four-day brainstorming sessions on operational issues will also include the upcoming new South Western Command (SWC) as also how to improve training and discipline.

This will be the first Army Commanders conference after General Joginder Jaswant Singh assumed charge of the 1.13-million-strong force. The conclave comes at a time when the Army is restructuring formations along the Indo-Pakistan border to carve out its sixth operational command to bolster strike capabilities. 

New Delhi, April 3
The Bharatiya Janata Party president, Mr L. K. Advani, today nominated 10 MPs to the party’s National Council.

Announcing the names at a press conference here, BJP spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Sardar Sartaj Singh (Lok Sabha), Krishan Murari Modhe (Lok Sabha), Rupa Patil Niglekar (Lok Sabha), Sangeetha Singh Dev (Lok Sabha), Subhash Meheria (Lok Sabha), Ashok Pradhan (Lok Sabha), Capt Jai Narain Prasad (Rajya Sabha), Kiran Rijiju (Lok Sabha), Narayan Pani (Rajya Sabha) and Kripal Parmar (Rajya Sabha), had been nominated.