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Chandrababu Naidu, Paswan
Tackling resignations Mirdha’s priority
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High Courts get new judges
Arms supply to Nepal under review: Pranab
Koirala meets PM, Sonia
Mayawati woos Brahmins
NHRC seeks details in child labour case
Natwar’s mission: Lanka should co-sponsor G-4 resolution
Bachchan wants tree relocated, not hacked
NDA to parade Bihar MLAs before Kalam
Manmohan calls on Kalam
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Chandrababu Naidu, Paswan support Advani
Hyderabad, June 9 “Though Advani’s resignation is an internal matter of the BJP, his statements in Pakistan on Jinnah should be welcomed by all. The country has to accept that,” Mr Naidu told reporters here. In a belated reaction to the furore over Mr Advani’s remarks on Pakistan’s founder leader, Mr Naidu, whose Telugu Desam Party is a crucial outside supporter of the NDA, said he was “endorsing” the senior BJP leader’s description of Jinnah as a secular leader. Favouring a national debate on how to strengthen bilateral relations between India and Pakistan, he said it was high time that the two countries abandon the baggage of “mutual suspicion, distrust and animosity” and join hands to fight poverty and improve the living standards of people. To persistent queries on the impact of a possible leadership change in the BJP on the future relationship between the two parties, Mr Naidu remained evasive and recalled that his party was never a partner in the NDA but had extended outside support to its government on the basis of a common minimum programme. “As of now, there are no formal relations with the BJP. In the last elections, we had seat adjustments. Beyond that, there is no relationship,” Mr Naidu said. Mr Naidu’s spirited defence of Mr Advani and the endorsement of his controversial remarks on Jinnah indicated that the TDP is not in favour of leadership change in the saffron party. Meanwhile, the Lok Janshakti Party leader and Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan today came in defence of BJP President L.K. Advani for his remarks on Mohammad Ali Jinnah saying they were in national interest and would promote India-Pakistan unity. “Mr Advani merely quoted what Jinnah said in his August 11, 1947 speech.... The speech is a historical truth which nobody can deny,’’ Mr Paswan told mediaperson here and added that this would be an issue in the coming Assembly elections in Bihar. Mr Paswan called the RSS and the VHP “intolerant,’’ as they created a furore without going into the context in which Mr Advani made the remarks. — PTI, TNS
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BJP unlikely to gain from comments: CPM
New Delhi, June 9 “Those who seek to theories that Advani is attempting to shift the BJP to a more liberal frame must remember... that the BJP functions merely as a political arm of the RSS,” said the CPM in the latest issue of “People’s Democracy”, the party’s official organ. Mr Advani’s remarks recently made in Pakistan on Jinnah describing him as a “secular and great man” had unleashed a sharp attack on him by the RSS and the VHP leaders. Elaborating on various interpretations by political commentators on Mr Advani’s resignation offer and its fallout, the CPM said yet another interpretation was given that Mr Advani sought to establish the secular credentials of the RSS and its leaders in India by characterising Jinnah as a secular person. “If Jinnah, despite his two-nation theory and the consequent partition of the country, can be described as a secularist, then Savarkar, who propounded this theory full two years before Jinnah, is a patriot, while Advani and company are also secular,” the CPM said.
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RSS rejects debate on Advani’s remarks
New Delhi, June 9 “Our misgivings should be removed. And they (BJP leaders) know what needs to be done,” RSS spokesman Ram Madhav said in reply to questions on what would satisfy the RSS that could leave to the resolution of the leadership crisis in the BJP. On Mr Advani’s call for a debate on his remarks on Jinnah and other issues in Pakistan, Madhav said “There is no need for a debate 60 years after independence (Advani’s praise for Jinnah).” “He (Jinnah) may have said something in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan...but if this is the understanding of Jinnah, who was responsible for the partition of the country on religious lines?” Mr Madhav asked. Asserting that the RSS cannot accept that Jinnah is secular, the RSS spokesperson said “Mr Advani’s statements on Jinnah and that the Akhand Bharat concept was irrelevant did not jell with our ideology.” Asked whether the RSS would accept the return of Mr Advani as the BJP President, Mr Madhav said it was completely an internal affair of the BJP and its leaders whether to accept his resignation To a question whether the BJP would be able to resolve the crisis, he said “the party has mature leaders who understand implications of all these things. We can’t tell them what they have to do.” Asked about tomorrow’s meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Board, he said “Advani knows what we want. He will do what is appropriate. We hope tomorrow it will be over.”
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JD(U)
backs Advani’s statement
New Delhi, June 9 Briefing mediapersons after an inconclusive meeting of senior party leaders, central party office-bearers and MPs at the residents of JD(U) President George Fernandes’ here today evening, party Secretary General K.C. Tyagi said his party welcomed Advani’s visit to Pakistan and his statement in Karachi in historical context. At the same time, the JD(U) has expressed concern over the happenings in the BJP particularly the
statement made by the frontal organisation on Advani’s statement. “We stand by Advani’s statement.”  |
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Advani’s Pak visit boost for peace process: BJP
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 9 Jaswant supports Advani
A beleaguered Advani found to his chagrin that the much-needed support from the BJP for his praise of Pakistan-founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah was sadly missing. He, however, got a boost from former External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh whose unqualified support from far away Tel Aviv must have come like a breath of fresh air. Jaswant Singh insisted that what Mr Advani had spoken in Pakistan was a historical fact and exhorted him not to give up the presidentship of the BJP. The expanded meeting of the BJP Parliamentary Board scheduled to meet this evening has been postponed till tomorrow. This has been done to facilitate Mr Jaswant Singh, who is presently in Israel, to participate in the deliberations and provide his inputs in preparing a fresh resolution which might possibly include Mr Advani’s reference to Jinnah of seeking to pursue secularism. Despite Venkaiah Naidu’s assertions to the contrary, the Advani camp needs a face saver for their leader to continue as the BJP President without hurting the susceptibilities of the Sangh Parivar. No mean task this and might require all of Jaswant Singh’s guile and dexterity of the English language in framing the draft resolution. Advani skips function
Considering the angst in the VHP camp which wants to see the back of Advani as the BJP President for seemingly veering away from the Hindutva ideology, Mr Advani chose to skip an official function in his Gandhinagar constituency today which he has represented in the Lok Sabha five times. Mr Advani, who resigned as the BJP President on Tuesday, was to formally announce Gandhinagar district as a beneficiary of the Jyotigram scheme which seeks to electrify all villages in Gujarat. In Mr Advani’s absence, Chief Minister Narendra Modi presided over the function at Rupal village, about 40 km from Ahmedabad. The function was attended by all members of Modi’s cabinet. VHP
activists in Gandhinagar had burst crackers and distributed sweets on hearing the news of Mr Advani’s resignation as the BJP President. Speculation in Pak Press
Mr Advani’s resignation as the BJP President has led to intense speculation in the Pakistan Press about his moves of taking this extreme step. One editorial noted that Mr Advani’s remarks about Jinnah in Pakistan had certainly given him a new look among the Pakistani people. The shrewd and astute Advani appears to be more responsive to the emerging environment in the region, the editorial observed. Another newspaper in its editorial said Mr Advani’s remarks brought to the fore his desire to acquire an Atal Bihari Vajpayee-like liberal visage, catapulting him as a Prime Minister-in-waiting. A third newspaper said that Mr Advani’s remarks had provoked a radical reappraisal of religion-based politics in the subcontinent. |
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Tackling resignations Mirdha’s priority
New Delhi, June 9 Mr Mirdha said he had made it clear that his appointment should be treated as “interim” and the government should find a person from the field to succeed him. He said his first priority was to tackle the issue of resignations by several eminent artistes from the body. “I am in touch with them to see what they propose to do. The government has not accepted their resignations as yet.” “I am just a facilitator, not the CEO. I will salute every artiste and let him take decisions rather than imposing something on him,” he added. |
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High Courts get new judges
New Delhi, June 9 While Justices Kadavil Raman Udayabhanu and Melath Sasidharan Nambiar have been appointed judges of the Kerala High Court, Justices Harshavardhan Binduprasad Antani and Bankim Nikhilbhai Mehta were appointed additional judges of the Gujarat High Court for a period of two years, a release issued by the Ministry said. Justices Prem Shankar Asopa, Gopal Krishan Vyas, Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Vineet Kothari, have been appointed additional judges of Rajasthan High Court for a two years period. Their appointment would be effective from the date they assume charge of their offices, it said. |
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Arms supply to Nepal under review: Pranab
New Delhi, June 9 Talking on the sidelines of a session in FICCI, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee clarified that the government had maintained that the supply of arms to Nepal was under constant review. “We have repeatedly said that the supply of arms to Nepal is under constant review,” he said. He also pointed out that India was constantly monitoring the situation and when it improved, like release of political prisoners did in fact take place, New Delhi would take a decision on the matter. India had recently delivered some of non-lethal weapons to Nepal and the delivery was only of that equipment which had been in the pipeline before King Gyanendra assumed power on February 1. Mr Mukherjee’s remarks come two days after former Nepal Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala met him and urged that arms supply should not be resumed till a mutli-party democracy was restored in the country. Meanwhile, addressing the session, Mr Mukherjee said although some major armament deals cleared by the erstwhile NDA government were under review, he was confident that Rs 34,375 crore earmarked for capital acquisitions in this year’s Union Budget would be spent within the financial year. In the defence budget for the current year, there is a provision of Rs 83,000 crore under which expenditure on capital acquisition is pegged at Rs 34,375 crore. Out of this, a very significant portion would be spent on imports,” he said at the seminar on defence industry. Admitting that domestic private participation in defence procurement had not taken off as expected, he said the trend should be reversed by giving the defence industry, both private and public, a major role in indigenisation of imported products.
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Koirala meets PM, Sonia
New Delhi, June 9 Earlier, Mr Koirala met UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and exchanged views on bilateral issues. Mr Koirala, who is the Leader of the Nepali Congress and heads a seven-party alliance for restoration of democracy in Nepal, had met External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh yesterday. He also met Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee. The UPA government is of the view that the constitutional monarchy in Nepal should co-exist with multi-party democracy and there should be no room for violence. The government is of the opinion that the Nepalese Maoists, who have been on a violent path since 1996, should also be involved in any talks, which King Gyanendra undertakes in future. Mr Koirala is understood to have expressed concern over the government’s decision to resume non-lethal military supplies to Nepal. Sources said Mr Koirala urged the Indian Government to reconsider its stand on military supplies to Nepal as the move was being seen by the Nepalese people as a stamp of approval for the monarchy.
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Mayawati woos Brahmins
Lucknow, June 9 Addressing a Brahmin Samaj Mahasammelan at the Ambedkar Maidan, Mayawati explained her efforts at social engineering that could spell doom for Samajwadi Party in the next assembly elections. She hopes to reduce Mulayam Singh Yadav to the 1991 position when in spite of being the Chief Minister he had won 30 seats in a house of 425. Publicly disowning the trademark BSP slogan “Tilak, Tarazu aur Talwar, inko maro jutey chaar”, Mayawati claimed that it was the propaganda of her detractors that had projected her party as anti-Hindu and against upper castes. “My party is against those who deprive the socially disadvantaged of their self-respect and dignity”, she explained. The participants in the front rows were flaunting visible marks of the twice born. One could see exaggerated “tilak” and “kumkum” smeared foreheads, tulsi malas round the necks, “chotis” swinging and “Ramdhari gamchas”. A pot-bellied Brahmin participant in a BSP blue “dhoti” menacingly displaying a king-size trishul even walked passed the press gallery. The organisers presented silver ‘axe’ associated with Parshuram to their ‘Behenji’ Mayawati. She was also presented a gold crown by an ingratiate Brahmin samaj. The backbenchers that filled the vast venue were clearly non-Brahmins making no such pompous show of their caste. The organisers claimed that at least, 2000 buses carrying Brahmin participants from across the state had been forcibly stopped by the state administration. One-lakh chairs, a thousand fans and 400 coolers had been arranged to keep the upper caste participants cool and comfortable in the sweltering heat. Speaking to the gathering, Mayawati, however, claimed that she had asked the Bahujan Samaj to stay away from the rally, as she personally wanted to assess the support of the Brahmins to her party. Assuring the rudderless Brahmins of a share in power if they shed their prejudices against the Bahujan Samaj, Mayawati said old political homes of Brahmins, the Congress and the BJP, were “truly Manuwadi” and were fast losing their social base. Urging the Brahmins to join hands with her party she guaranteed that her party, was the only one in position to challenge the might of the Samajwadi Party. Projecting the troika of National General Secretary and Rajya Sabha member Satish Chand Mishra, BSP leader in the Lok Sabha Brijesh Mishra and former Cabinet Minister and BSP MLA Ramveer Upadhyay as the new Brahmin faces which believed in her vision and with the association of more such Brahmins “UP’s destiny could change”. Sharing her vision for an equal, humane and socially just society, the BSP leader declared that her party stood for the oppressed of all castes. Promising a fair share to all who were prepared to share the BSP vision she coined a new slogan: “jitni jiski taiyari hogi, utni uski bhagidari hogi” (your participation depends on your preparation).
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NHRC seeks details in child labour case
New Delhi, June 9 The police and non-government organisations joined hands to rescue 400 children working in zari, leather and steel workshops in Madanpura in Central Mumbai on June 1. According to a press release issued by the NHRC here on Thursday, the Commission has given the Maharashtra Chief Secretary two weeks to send details on the action taken against the employers of the child labourers. The Commission also wants to know from the state government if the children were produced before a child welfare committee. Taking suo motu cognisance of news reports on one of the largest raids ever in the country to rescue child labourers, the Commission has directed that that copies of the news story be sent to the Chief Secretary, Maharashtra, for his comments. According to news reports, the rescued children belong to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and even Nepal. The police arrested 42 employers and will charge them under the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act, the Child Labour Act and the Indian Penal Code. The Commission observed that if the contents of the report were true, it raised serious issue of violation of human rights of children and their exploitation.
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Natwar’s mission: Lanka should co-sponsor G-4 resolution
New Delhi, June 9 Mr Natwar Singh will be looking for a pledge from the Sri Lankan government to be a co-sponsor for the draft resolution of G-4 (India, Japan, Germany and Brazil) for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has already publicly declared her country’s support to India’s candidature for the permanent membership of the Security Council. Mr Natwar Singh would raise the issue when he meets the top Sri Lankan leadership, including President Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Rajpakse, and leaders of other political parties. India-Sri Lanka relations have seen significant progress since the last meeting of the Joint Commission in 2003. Political relations are close, trade and investments have increased, infrastructural linkages are expanding, defence cooperation is under discussion and there is a general, broad-based improvement across all sectors of bilateral cooperation. There has been traditional convergence of views between the two countries on a range of international issues including their deep commitment to oppose terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They agree on the need for urgent reform of the UN system to meet global challenges, including the expansion of both permanent and non-permanent membership of the Security Council. Sri Lanka has endorsed India’s candidature for the permanent membership of the
UNSC.
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Bachchan wants tree relocated, not hacked
Mumbai, June 9 On Monday, a local paper carried a front-page report on the residents of Juhu being angry about a tree that Bachchan wants to "hack" down in the premises of his new office, Nyoma, in Juhu. Bachchan, who is currently shooting for Apoorva Lakhiya's thriller in Bangkok, was more exasperated than amused. "Yes, it's a tree, and a lovely tree, but it's blocking the gate to my office. But we've no intention of 'hacking' it. Hacking is for computer crooks, not for law-abiding citizens," Bachchan said. "If we get a written consent we shall remove it from the driveway and relocate it a few feet away. If we don't get the consent we'll let it be", he said. "The municipal authorities have come to inspect the tree at our request. Further instructions from them are awaited", he added. "How did the media come to presume that I am guilty of anything improper? Would it be such an issue if a celebrity weren't involved?"— IANS
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NDA to parade Bihar MLAs before Kalam
New Delhi, June 9 Janata Dal (United) secretary general K.C. Tyagi told that the members of his party and the BJP, 17 Independent MLAs and 21 members of the breakaway LJP and some MLAs from local parties would present themselves before the President and the media. |
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Manmohan calls on Kalam
New Delhi, June 9 Mr Kalam informed the Prime Minister about his wide-ranging discussions with the leaders of the four countries as well as the scientists, intellectuals and students. He also threw up the suggestion that a sputnik be jointly sent in space so that students globally could benefit from it. |
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