New Delhi, October 29
Even as prosecution today demanded death sentence for Lashker-e-Toiba militant Mohammed Ashfaq and two of the co-conspirators in the Red Fort attack case after they were found guilty along with four others, a Special Court here deferred pronouncement of the punishment to them to October 31.

Ashfaq was a member of a suicide squad of the militant outfit, which had attacked the Red Fort in December 2000 and was found guilty by the court in a judgement pronounced on October 24.

Since the law required that the counsel for prosecution and accused have to advance arguments before fixing the sentence, Additional Sessions Judge O P Saini, deferred his verdict for Monday after hearing their lawyers.

While prosecution made a strong plea that Ashfaq and two of his accomplices, Nazir Ahmad Ausid and his son Farooq Ahmed, deserved to be awarded death sentence, it demanded severe punishment to others as well.

Ausid and his son were found guilty of helping the LeT militant waging war against the country, besides other offences.

The militants had attacked Indian Army installations inside the Red Fort in which two of its personnel and a civilian was killed.

The prosecution said that no leniency should be shown to the convicts as they had committed a crime aimed at destabilising the country and threatening its sovereignty.

The counsel for the accused though contended that the prosecution story against the convicts was based on “cooked” up facts and “flawed” reasoning, they pleaded for leniency in determining the sentence.

Other accused convicted in the case were Ashfaq’s wife Rahamana Yousuf Farooqui found guilty of harbouring the accused, Babar Mohsin Baghwala, Saddaqat Ali and Matloob Alam were convicted for criminal conspiracy and complicity in the attack.

However, the court, for lack of evidence, acquitted four other accused, Rajeev Kumar Malhotra, Devender Singh, Moolchand Sharma and Shahanshah Alam, who were charged with abetting the crime.

Patna, October 29
The RJD today questioned the commitment of the Election Commission related to its constitutional obligation in encouraging larger participation in democracy.

The RJD spokesman, Mr Sivanand Tiwari, today picked up this issue from where the Chief Election Commissioner, Mr B.B.Tandon, left it yesterday during his press conference.

Reacting to the low turnout of voters despite the best possible deployment, as claimed by the commission itself, of the Central paramilitary forces to ensure free and fair polls, Mr Tandon said that the duty of the commission was to ensure that the voters could caste their votes without any fear or under no intimidation and threat. “But the commission had nothing to do with low turnout, “ he added, stating that there could be many factors behind the same subject to a detailed analysis.

Talking to the media here today Mr Sivanand Tiwari referred to the debate in the Constituent Assembly in 1948 by Dr B.R. Ambedkar where he had categorically stated that it was the duty of the constitution not only to ensure that the names of those eligible should figure in the voters list, but there should be larger participation in democracy also.

Mr Tiwari wondered whether the commission, which was a constitutional body, could bypass its responsibility on the issue of low turnout of voters since February this year.

Citing official statistics by the commission, Mr Tiwari said that while 58 to 60 per cent polling was recorded in Bihar between 1952 and 2004 polls, both for Assembly and Lok Sabha polls, there was a sharp decline in voters’ turnout between February 2005 and the current phase of polling.

Mr Tiwarai referred to the official comparative figures released by the Election Commission between the first phase of polling in February and the first phase in the current one.” Against 48 pe cent turnout in the first phase of polling in February this year, it dropped to 42.6 percent in the first phase of polling in the present spell’, Mr Tiwari added.

Mr Tiwari urged the Election Commission to clarify the link between the free and fair polls and drop in poll percentage and the reasons behind less participation in the democratic exercise despite violence free poll.

On its part, the RJD claimed that the huge deployment of CPMF was creating a fear psychosis in the minds of the backwards and Dalit voters in remote villages who were never used to such gun-totting exercise.

Motihari, October 29
The beginning of the 10-day-long period of festivities from tomorrow is creating a unique set of problems for campaign managers of political parties as they are finding it difficult to draw a schedule of public meetings and rallies for their national leaders for the third phase of poll.

Since the outcome of the 72 Assembly seats in the third phase will have a direct bearing on the formation of government in Patna, the reduced number of days of campaigning is a cause for worry for political parties, a local official said.

At the same time, there is a silver lining in the dark cloud too as the beginning of the festive season also marks the return of migrant labourers from Delhi, Mumbai, Punjab, Gujarat and other parts of the country. Some even return from abroad particularly from the Gulf and West Asian countries.

In Mithalanchal, where the third phase of elections are scheduled, Divali and four accompanying pujas ending with Chhath is celebrated with gusto. It begins with usual whitewashing of houses, purchases and then celebration of festivals, a local resident Amit Kumar said adding that it was impossible for them to go to political rallies and public meetings.

Not only common voters but even local leaders and party workers have problems in attending to party work as even they are not above the social fabric, Congress leader Siddesheshwar Kumar Yadav said.

While it may be a little difficult to manage crowds at public meetings, “we are keeping our fingers crossed that migrant labourers will also exercise their franchise and the voting percentage will go up”, JD (U) activist Amar Kumar Sharma said.

Festivities for Divali begin tomorrow with Dhanteras when families go shopping, and the circle of festivals ends with Chhath on November 7. Then only can campaigning begin in right earnest, RJD leader Sushil Prasad said adding that “our leader Lalu Prasad has been holding meetings”.

Hindu festivals are not the only ones falling in this period. Id will be observed immediately after Divali, which comes at the culmination of month-long fasting of Ramazan, Mr Prasad pointed out adding that the lower voter turnout during the first and second phases was also because of Ramazan.

“We expect a higher voter turnout in the second phase as not only minorities would caste vote but even migrant labourers would hopefully turn out in large numbers at polling booths on November 13,” BJP leader Vijay Nath Jha said.

But even during festivities, soft campaigning goes on as candidates and their supporters visit families and seek support and votes, Mr Jha pointed out. At the Patna airport, 20-odd choppers, being used by different political parties, are not in use and are stationed in hanger.

Only three helicopters flew with RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, LJP supremo Ramvilas Paswan and BJP leader Uma Bharti yesterday and today, an airport official said.

NDA chief ministerial candidate Nitish Kumar utilised his presence in Patna to meet minorities during Friday namaz in Patna, a JD (U) worker Mohammad Afzal said adding that it was sort of a campaigning for the fourth phase.

Hyderabad, October 29
Nineteen persons were killed following heavy rains triggered by the deep depression that crossed coast near Ongole, leaving a trail of death and destruction in Andhra Pradesh since last night.

Nellore bore the brunt of nature’s fury recording 29 cm of rainfall and accounting for six deaths, while Chittor recorded six deaths followed by four deaths in the city, two in Nalgonda and one in Prakasham.

Rains battered most parts of the coastal districts and Rayalaseema for the third successive day inundating many areas, breaching minor and medium tanks and roads hampering traffic flow even as the official machinery swung into action and evacuated people to safety.

The state has set up 107 relief camps in six districts and evacuated 42,985 persons from marooned villages, State Relief Commissioner D.C. Roshiah said.

More than 2,200 houses were damaged, while 73 irrigation sources were breached in Nellore (50), Chittoor (21) and Cudappah (2).

Nine roads were breached in Nellore district affecting the Chennai-Kolkata national highway.

Heavy rains since last night claimed four lives when a wall of an old house collapsed in the outskirts of the city. — PTI

New Delhi, October 29
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has asked the Railway Ministry and the Andhra Pradesh Government to speed up rescue and relief measures following the derailment of the Repalle-Secunderabad passenger train.

The Prime Minister has expressed sorrow at the loss of life in the accident.

Chairman Railway Board Joginder P. Batra, who is at the scene, told the TNS that the number of those killed in the accident has touched 94.

Mr Batra said the assistant driver of the train, G. Srinivas Rao, who is admitted to the district Civil Hospital in Nalgonda, told him that the train was moving at a speed of 30 kmph because of speed restriction beyond the concrete bridge ahead.

According to the assistant driver, the track had sagged and he could see the rise in the water level from a distance. “The assistant driver told me that by the time he shouted to the driver, the latter had applied emergency brake. By then, the bridge had been washed away due to water gushing out upstream from the irrigation reservoir. The derailment was caused by flash floods,” Mr Batra said.

Additional Member (Mechanical) Biswas, Director General Health, Railways, Dr Das, and Additional Member (Civil Engineering) Arvindram also joined Mr Batra to the spot. Sources in the Railway Ministry here said the Commissioner of Railway Safety would conduct a statutory inquiry into the accident.

New Delhi, October 29
Calling for a policy on illegal constructions in the Lutyen’s zone in Delhi, outgoing Urban Development Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today said there should be single agency to allot houses to ministers, MPs and senior officials to deal with the problem of stay beyond entitlement and unauthorised occupation.

Mr Azad, who will take over as Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister on November 2, said that there were three pools and three types of rules for allotting houses to VIPs, which often led to their staying in houses beyond entitlement.

Answering queries of mediapersons, Mr Azad said apart from the general pool under his ministry for allotting houses mainly to ministers, senior officials and judges, there was a house committee each of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha over which the government had no authority. The two committees had substantial number of houses under them and the ministry had no jurisdiction there, he said. “Till there is one agency, such problems will continue,” he said.

The Supreme Court had recently come down heavily on the VIPs staying unauthorisedly in government accommodation and had sought further details about allocation and eviction rules.

About the ministry’s reply in the court, Mr Azad said there were two types of information - one about those staying unauthorisedly and the other about those staying in houses they were not entitled to.

He said that the government had provided full information to the court.

On unauthorised construction in the Lutyen’s zone, including that by political parties, Mr Azad said a policy was needed in the matter as the houses were constructed during the British period when officers residing in the houses did not like to meet people. “The policy has to be in accordance with the needs of parties and leaders of a democratic country,” he said.

Mr Azad said that the ministry had evolved a policy of allotting land to political parties to construct their offices. The policy, which had been sent to the cabinet for approval, makes it binding on the political parties to build offices in three years after allotment. Mr Azad indicated that the land would not be given to the parties at one place.

Recalling the major policy initiatives during the last 18 months, Mr Azad said that the government would shortly start the National Urban Renewal Mission, which would cover 60 cities with million plus population and involve investment of Rs 1,00,000 crores in the last seven years.

New Delhi, October 29
An enraged Congress today vehemently rejected a UN inquiry report charge naming it as a “non-contractual” beneficiary of Iraq’s Oil-for-Food programme, stating that its legal experts are examining the report to explore the possibility of legal action.

While the Congress called a special Press briefing on a Saturday afternoon to clarify the party’s position, it left External Affairs Minister K.Natwar Singh, also named a beneficiary in the UN report, to defend himself.

Delinking the two, Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said he was only authorised to speak on behalf of the party and that Mr. Singh and other Indians named in the report were competent to defend themselves. Pointing to the formal denial already put out by the external affairs minister, Mr. Sharma said he had nothing to add or comment on it.

As far as the party is concerned, Mr. Sharma denied the charges “completely and categorically”, adding that the Congress has always upheld the highest traditions in “our democracy” and it has been transparent in its functioning.

Although the party was quick to deny the charges, the Congress leadership, including party president Sonia Gandhi, were apparently quite rattled by these revelations. In addition to placing its denial on record, the party also deputed its battery of legal experts, including Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Singhvi and Anand Sharma, to study the report in detail, especially the basis on which it had arrived at the conclusion naming the Congress as a non-contractual beneficiary. “We will then see how we can challenge the report,” remarked a senior party leader.

Mr. Sharma maintained: “The Congress is in no business and has no association with any company, individual or entity named in the report... we have heard of it for the first time,” adding that they shall not allow any agency to sully the fair name of the Congress.” On BJP’s criticism, he said: “Let them clear their skeletons... George Fernandes, Jaya Jaitely and Bangaru Laxman..”

New Delhi, October 29
External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh, who is suddenly facing a bolt from the blue in the form of his alleged involvement as a non-contractual beneficiary in the United Nations’ Oil For Food Programme, is arriving here from Moscow after midnight tonight and is expected to meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tomorrow.

Mr Natwar Singh issued a statement today from Frankfurt while reacting to the published reports of “Iraqgate” and outrightly rejected the allegations made in the Volker report. He said: “I have seen The Hindu report which quotes the Volker report on Iraq’s Oil-for-Food programme as having listed my name as one of the beneficiaries along with that of the Congress Party, in its annexure. I am deeply shocked and outraged by these allegations which are baseless and untrue.

“My record in public life for the past fifty years and more has been an open book. My personal integrity has never been questioned. I will, of course, examine the report in detail on my return and meet the PM and the Congress President. This is obviously part of the continuing campaign to malign the Congress Party and its senior leaders and functionaries.”

Mr Natwar Singh’s name appears in Table 3 under the sub-heading: “Summary of Oil Sales by Non-Contractual Beneficiary” It identifies the name of the operating company as “Masefield AG” says four million barrels which was allocated four million barrels of oil, out of which 1,936,000 were lifted by the company. The report identifies Mr K Natwar Singh as “member of the Indian Congress Party”. Mrs Sonia Gandhi is in town while the PM, who reached Kolkata this evening from Tripura, is coming back to the Capital tomorrow.

New Delhi, October 29
The Bharatiya Janata Party and its ally Janata Dal (United) today demanded immediate resignation of External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh in the wake of his name figuring as a “non-contractual beneficiary” in the UN oil-for-food programme in Iraq. The parties have said that Singh cannot continue even for a moment after this serious “revelation”.

The Janata Dal (United) has gone a step further and demanded the resignation of UPA Chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi as she was the President of the party at the time the kickbacks were received.

JD(U) General Secretary Shambhu Srivastava told mediapersons here on Saturday that Sonia Gandhi should ``immediately resign from the Congress and UPA Chairmanship’’. The party has further demanded that Natwar Singh be sacked from the Union Cabinet by the Prime Minister ``in order to ensure that the government agencies are able to probe the shameful affair impartially.’’

Addressing a Press conference, BJP General Secretary Arun Jaitely also demanded that Congress give a candid statement on the issue and the government set in motion an investigation to find out the truth in the entire episode.

Jaitley said, “How can he (Natwar Singh) continue as India’s Foreign Minister even for a day if the UN report mentions him as a non-contractual beneficiary for manipulated payment in UN Food-for-Oil programme. Every word he speaks will be suspect and his statements on Foreign Affairs will be compromised by Y.”

Asserting that Mr Singh cannot continue as Foreign Minister even for a day, Mr Jaitley said he must go immediately.

New Delhi, October 29
Shoddy management marred the 66th Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Raising Day celebrations here at Jadoda Kalan today.

The only saving grace was the inspiring address and the pledge (in Hindi) administered by President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

While mediapersons with invitation cards and PIB accreditation cards found it difficult to enter the parade venue, a 15-year-old son of a CRPF jawan came rushing towards the President to touch his feet near the saluting podium, which is a sanitised area and no unauthorised person is allowed to enter.

He was pushed out by the Delhi Police security personnel present near the podium.

After the ceremonial parade, mediapersons were singled out from entering the luncheon area to have an informal chat with the President and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, despite having PIB accreditation cards and the invitation.

This resulted in an altercation between some mediapersons and security personnel, before the former decided to boycott the lunch.

By the time DIG (Administration) A.P. Maheswari came to apologise for the fiasco and requested mediapersons to return, the President and the Home Minister had left the venue.

New Delhi, October 29
India and Bangladesh have agreed to work on security-related issues closely and provide consular access to insurgents and criminals arrested by either side.

Following India’s insistence on having an extradition treaty and an agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, Bangladesh agreed to expedite its response to the proposal.

At the end of the two-day Home Secretary-level talks, the two sides issued a joint statement agreeing to work closely on security-related issues.

Home Secretary V K Duggal, who signed the statement with his Bangladesh counterpart Sarfaraz Hossain here, said both sides, while maintaining their own national interests, worked in a friendly atmosphere with a spirit of cooperation.

Referring to the commonalities between the two countries in regard to history, culture, language and democratically elected governments, Mr Hossain said Dhaka was “eagerly looking forward to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit shortly” for the upcoming SAARC summit.

Mr Hossain read out the joint statement, but neither side took any questions from the media.

During the talks, the visiting side clarified that media reports about India’s alleged involvement in the bomb blasts in that country in August this year “do not reflect the official position of the Government of Bangladesh.

“Bangladesh had also mentioned that the investigation was on,” it clarified.

The two sides agreed to take all-possible measures to prevent smuggling of arms and explosives, the statement said.

On the issue of fencing of the border by India, which was discussed at the meeting, Dhaka urged New Delhi to provide specific details of the places where fencing was proposed within 150 yards of the international border.

India had maintained that the border fencing being carried out by it was generally 150 yards away from the border, but at a few pockets it was within due to the difficult terrain.

The two sides stressed the need for the early signing of the agreement for cooperation in combating the problem of drugs and narcotics smuggling, especially of Phensidyle, and to cooperate and exchange information. In order to prevent trans-border crimes, Dhaka and New Delhi agreed for enhanced vigilance and take action. They also said the two governments were resolute in their determination to effectively curb smuggling. 

Chennai, October 29
Eighteen persons, including 13 women, were killed and 31 injured when a bus collided with a van near Trichy city in Tamil Nadu, 300 km from here, today.

They were travelling in an overloaded van. The carrying capacity of the van was 16 but 48 persons were travelling in it.

They were mostly workers of an industrial unit .

District authorities have started investigating and said action would be taken against the factory owner who supplied the van.

Bangalore, October 29
Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) President H.D. Deve Gowda, whose party is a partner in the coalition government in Karnataka, on Wednesday came up with another diktat for the IT industry — give jobs to those whose land is acquired by them.

Setting his own agenda at the inaugural function of the IT.in fair here, he talked about issues, including his objection to giving land to IT companies without a detailed study, as well as the work done by him and his erstwhile government to establish the IT industry in the state.

He refrained from talking about any achievement of the present government led by N.Dharam Singh and left immediately after delivering his speech saying that he had to visit those who had been affected by flooding in the city.

Gowda blew hot and cold during his speech. He first said he would “insist” all IT companies acquiring land in the state provide employment to the dispossessed. “The uprooted cannot be allowed to take to the streets as beggars,” he said.

He also said Bangalore had grown enough and the IT industry should move to Mysore, Mangalore and Hubli, all of which, he claimed, had the requisite airports and other infrastructure. “I will request Chief Minister Dharam Singh to implement this proposal,” he added.

Gowda even tried to explain his view on the controversy with Infosys. He claimed that his government had amended the State Land Act for investors . He, however, said the entire acquisition process had to be carried out in a transparent manner.

Claiming that 90 per cent of the IT companies were functioning from rented buildings in Bangalore, he said he had advocated formation of a committee to look into the needs of all companies wanting to acquire land in the state. The report of the committee should be submitted to the Cabinet for approval, he added.

The inaugural function seemed over after Mr Gowda’s speech, with Chief Minister N Dharam Singh not responding to a single utterance made by the former PM. The Chief Minister read out from a prepared text saying that “good infrastructure, excellent telecom connectivity and a proacve government” had resulted in a tremendous growth in the IT sector in the last financial year. He said IT exports had recorded a 52 per cent growth and touched Rs 27,000 crore.

New Delhi, October 29
A picture is worth a thousand words. And an assortment that faithfully captures time, even in its frayed frames, is in itself an eloquent story.

A child bride who stands almost hesitantly by her much older husband, women of substance who participated in the freedom struggle, standing tall undivided India’s first trained pilot…these fragments of India’s history are part of a visual treat currently on display at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) here. An initiative of the Centre for Women’s Development Studies (CWDS), the exhibition, Re-presenting Indian Women 1875-1947: A Visual Documentary, attempts to narrate the history of women in India.

Culled from family albums, individual collections and records of museums, these pictures in black and white are a peep into the time gone by. Documenting the freedom struggle, rise of women’s emancipation, the socio-religious flavours of India through the decades, these pictures have travelled to other cities over the past three years.

“The work began in 2000 and through word of mouth we began telling people to send us old pictures. This exhibition is a slice of Indian history,” explained the curator of the exhibition and Editor of The Indian Journal of Gender Studies, Ms Malavika Karlekar, who has also edited a book ‘Visualising Indian Women 1875-1947’.

With the display in five sections, the viewers are taken through different stages, from ‘Visualising the Family’, where the photographs are of women and girls placed in the context of the family, to ‘The Learning Experience’, which focuses on women breaking out of the gender moulds to seek their place under the sun.

The next segment, World Beyond, is an evidence of women barging out of the purdah and into what were the traditional male bastions. Here women are agricultural labourers, mill workers and even professionals like lawyers and doctors.

“The National Movement” vouches for the role that women played in the freedom struggle. Here are stories of grit, marching along the sands of Dandi, courting arrest for rejecting foreign cloth, matching steps with the men as they ventured to reclaim the motherland.

The final segment, Towards the Midnight Hour, manifests the many facets of the Indian woman. Next to a starving, wounded victim of Partition stands a self-assured radio broadcaster.

And mounted on the walls of the IGNCA, these pictures are not just a story untold. For many it is revisiting the alleys of the past. Recollection and memories of events surge through as the eyes scan for details.

Mumbai, October 29
The Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are in a twist over fielding a candidate against Ms Priya Dutt, daughter of former union Sports Minister Sunil Dutt who died while in office.

While Shiv Sena supremo Mr Bal Thackeray is opposed to fielding a strong candidate against Priya Dutt who is contesting on the Congress party ticket, the BJP has threatened to field its own nominee if required.

Mr Thackeray, who was close to Sunil Dutt and had backed his son Sanjay when he was accused in the 1993 blasts case, is not keen on opposing Priya’s candidature. At a meeting in Mumbai,Mr Thackeray referred to her as his “friend’s daughter” and indicated that he would like her to don her father’s mantle.

However, the BJP upped its stake against its partner and threatened to field a strong candidate against Priya if the Sena gave up its claims on the Mumbai North-West seat. As per the deal between the two saffron partners, the seat is to be contested by the Shiv Sena.

Rather than let his ally go one up against him, Mr Thackeray has now decided to field a weak candidate against Priya. The most likely nominee is Anil Parab, a Thackeray loyalist.

Incidentally, Parab is likely to be busy with the party campaign against rebel-turned Congressman Mr Narayan Rane at Malwan in the Konkan.

Elections to the Malwan assembly seat and the Mumbai Lok Sabha seats are to be held on November 19.

The Thackerays have indicated that the Malwan contest is more prestigious and they would not offer more than a token fight against Priya Dutt.

Rane is already trying to deepen the wedge between the Sena and the BJP by getting ten of the former’s MLAs to quit the assembly. Should the Shiv Sena’s tally fall lower than the BJP, it would have to concede the post of the leader of the opposition in the state legislature to the national party.