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Govt, Opposition clash over Muslim survey in forces
BJP-ruled states not
to cooperate on Muslim count
Malik favours including ultras in talks
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Conference on Kashmir postponed
Govt ready for debate on Iran
Indo-French N-deal not during Chirac’s visit
Phone-tapping: SC pulls up UP, Delhi
Kumaraswamy rewards loyalists
Speaker asks ‘tainted’ MPs not to attend House
Benegal, Bhartia nominated to RS
SC rejects Daya Nayak’s bail plea
ED questions Natwar
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Govt, Opposition clash over Muslim survey in forces
New Delhi, February 17 “Our armed forces are basically professional, apolitical, secular and most disciplined force......There is no question of compromising with the character of Indian Armed Forces,” Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said replying to an hour-long impromptu discussion. Leader of the Opposition Lal Krishna Advani led a walkout of the BJP and its allies demanding that armed forces should not be subjected to the survey being conducted by the Rajindar Sachar Committee constituted to go into the socio-economic condition of Muslims. Reacting sharply to Advani’s charge that the reported “communal headcount” was being done to aim at “vote-bank politics”, Mukherjee shot back saying the BJP had been indulging in such politics for long. Defence Minister said while sending questionnaires to ministries and government departments, Sachar Committee appointed in March last, had sent the same to the armed forces also. The data so collected by the committee would address the reasons for backwardness of the minorities and would be useful to evolve appropriate policy framework to ameliorate their conditions. Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Advani said the government was sending “wrong signals” to troops by the move, which was objected to by the service chiefs. Raising the issue of the survey in the Rajya Sabha, Leader of Opposition Jaswant Singh said the survey ordered by the PMO would destroy the proud institution of armed forces and would be a “fraud” on the people of the country. Both the houses were adjourned over the issue during the day. The Lok Sabha was adjourned for ten minutes during Question Hour with Opposition demanding withdrawal of the survey of minorities in armed forces, trooped into the well and raised anti-government slogans. In the Upper House, however, timely intervention prevented an incident turning ugly. As BJP leader Sushma Swaraj was arguing her case for withdrawal of the survey, SP member Shahid Siddiqui accused Swaraj of “being an RSS” to which SBP member Sharad Joshi retorted, “you are a Muslim League”. This sparked off vehement protests by Siddiqui, who rushed into the Well gesticulating as if he would tear off own shirt and turned back menacingly towards Joshi with several members intervening to pacify the situation. The House was adjourned twice over the issue. |
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BJP-ruled states not
to cooperate on Muslim count
New Delhi, February 17 “The clarification given by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee is unsatisfactory. He has not mentioned whether the survey would be stopped. The BJP will launch a countrywide protest till it is withdrawn and the five states ruled by the party will not cooperate with the Sachar Committee,” BJP spokesman V.K. Malhotra said. Apprehending that Justice Sachar panel’s terms of reference would foment communal passions, he said till now whatever committee was set up, the word ‘minority’ was used and not ‘Muslim’ as has been done “so blatantly” now “which is very objectionable”. Mr Malhotra said the Supreme Court and high court directives on identifying and deporting Bangladeshi infiltrators had not been implemented by the UPA government. |
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Malik favours including ultras in talks
New Delhi, February 17 Mr Malik, who met the Prime Minister for over an hour at his 7, Race Course, residence, advocated talks on the lines of the Naga peace process with militants in Jammu and Kashmir. The JKLF leader and his party general secretary Ghulam Rasool Dar, gave the PM CDs of signatures of 15 lakh residents of the state demanding that the people of the state “should be included in the dialogue process between India and Pakistan.” “There is no participation of Kashmiris in the dialogue process. There are only consultations and photo-opportunities and that’s why there is no optimism so far,” Mr Malik said talking to mediapersons later. The Prime Minister told Mr Malik that the government wanted to inolve all people of goodwill in the dialogue process to end the period of suffering in the state. “We have an opportunity to bring lasting peace to the state,” the Prime Minister said. He said the government wanted to involve all political parties and those outside the electoral system in constructive dialogue. Briefing later about the talks, Prime Minister’s Media Adviser Sanjaya Baru said that Dr Manmohan Singh conveyed the government’s desire to involve a large cross-section of public opinion to seek “a genuine, permanent reconciliation in the state.” The Prime Minister said the government was seeking ways to promote a structured dialogue. Mr Baru said the meeting was very cordial. He said the Prime Minister “listened” to the suggestions made by Mr Malik. Unlike the Hurriyat Conference-led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and People’s Conference leader Sajjad Lone, who had described their meetings with the Prime Minister as a very good beginning, Mr Malik made no such remarks. Refusing to call his talks with the Prime Minister as dialogue process, Mr Malik said it was a consultation process. Terming his agenda of talks as “transparent,” Mr Malik said he had also told Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf that to make the peace process irreversible and take it to its logical conclusion, it is in the interest of both India and Pakistan that Kashmiris be involved in the decision-making process. Home Minister Shivraj Patil, National Security Adviser M K Narayanan, Centre’s interlocutor on Jammu and Kashmir N N Vohra and Principal Secretary to Prime Minister T K A Nair were present during the talks today. |
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Conference on Kashmir postponed
New Delhi, February 17 This is in keeping with the Centre’s efforts to broadbase the discussions bringing in its fold all shades of public opinion. It is not entirely unexpected that certain pro-Pakistan groups have already rejected the Centre’s offer for talks as evidenced by the Jamaat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani. The moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference is yet to take a decision about attending the meeting. The All Party Hurriyat Conference has convened a meeting of its working committee on February 20 to discuss the issue.
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Govt ready for debate on Iran
New Delhi, February 17 In order to accommodate Left parties, UPA managers decided to reschedule the debate on the President’s Address to the joint session, which was originally to be wrapped up by February 23 but will now conclude a day earlier. Both Left parties and BJP had earlier raised strong objections when the Prime Minister decided to make a suo motu statement on Iran today. They wanted the PM to make his speech after the debate. The issue was raised in the business advisory committees of both Houses yesterday when angry BJP and Left leaders insisted that they should be heard first. The government, on its part, stood
firm, saying the PM has a right to make a suo motu statement as and when he chooses to do so. Having had its way on this, the UPA managers, especially Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi, held informal talks with individual Left leaders last evening and this morning in an effort to placate them. Consequently, a compromise was arrived at wherein Left members reiterated their demand for a full debate on Iran in both Houses. CPI member Gurudas Dasgupta and Rajya Sabha CPM leader Nilotpal Basu pointed out that since this was a highly sensitive issue, the government should also hear their views and then respond to their queries. The government readily agreed. Consequently, the PM’s statement on Iran was heard in silence. Although the Left parties wanted the debate at the earliest, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee pointed out that no discussion could be listed till the two Houses had debated and passed the motion of thanks to the President’s Address. It was, therefore, decided to curtail this debate and make time for the Address. It was, therefore, decided to curtail this debate, and make time for the discussion on Iran. |
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Indo-French N-deal not during Chirac’s visit
New Delhi, February 17 Paris has clarified to India that even if the bilateral civil nuclear cooperation pact is signed, its implementation will have to wait for the USA and the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to alter their rules for transacting nuclear business in favour of India. Like the Americans, the French may also put gentle pressure on India to make some compromises for cooperation in the field of civilian nuclear energy cooperation. But unlike in the USA, there is no parliamentary process involved in France to clear the nuclear energy issue. Though negotiations between India and France on the nuclear energy cooperation issue are afoot at the level of National Security Adviser, the French have decided to put the subject on hold till the implementation of the July 18 Indo-US nuclear agreement. Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma said today MoUs on cooperation between IIM Ahmedabad and École Supérieure des Sciences Économiques et Commerciales) and between Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Power and Agence de l’ Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l’ Energie were also expected to be signed. A deal to launch third party’s satellites is also likely to be arrived at during his visit. There are, however, differences between India and France over signing the pact on civil nuclear cooperation. Initially, the French appeared to be inclined to sign a nuclear energy pact with India but not now due to a interference by US Ambassador Mulford and the differences over references to the International Atomic Energy Agency and the NSG. Another contentious issue which the Prime Minister will have to raise is related to the use of turban by the Sikh community in France. The Shiromani Akali Dal and the SGPC have already asked the Prime Minister to raise this issue to address the concerns of the Sikh community in France. |
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Phone-tapping: SC pulls up UP, Delhi
New Delhi, February 17 Advising the heads of the two governments to mutually discuss the issue rather than blaming each other and dragging their police forces to the court in an “unfortunate” manner on the question how the investigation should proceed in phone-tapping cases registered in Delhi and Noida, a Bench of Chief Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Mr Justice C.K. Thakker restrained the two governments from taking “precipitated” action against each other. Taking serious objection to the high officials of the two governments allowing themselves to be used as tools in the efforts of taking “political mileage” out of the controversy, the court said it was “very unfortunate” that the senior officers of one state had raised “doubts” about the officers of the other state. “Speaking for ourselves, we feel such thoughts should have not come in the minds of the investigating officer. Let the country be governed as per the rule of law and not make a mockery of it,” the Bench observed. The strong admonishment of the two governments came in the wake of Delhi Police initiating contempt proceedings against the IG of UP Police Special Task Force (STF), set up to probe phone tapping FIR registered in Noida and the said officer giving an interview to a TV channel, indicating that the STF might “interrogate” the Delhi Government Home Secretary because it was a letter with his forged signature that had formed the basis for tapping of Amar Singh’s telephone. The conflict between the UP and Delhi Governments arose with the registration of separate FIRs in the case at Delhi and Noida. While the Delhi Police has been probing the tapping of Amar Singh’s phone, the UP Police had enlarged the gamut of the case by initiating investigation in respect of over 300 phones allegedly being tapped. |
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Kumaraswamy rewards loyalists
Bangalore, February 17 Mr Kumaraswamy rewarded the legislators who had helped him topple the N Dharam Singh-led government. In the process he even left out earlier Deputy Chief Minister M P Prakash who had earlier aligned with his father H D Deve Gowda during the political crisis in the state but later jumped into his camp. Mr Prakash had done an about turn and voted in favour of the vote of confidence moved by Kumaraswamy to prove his majority on the floor of the house despite criticising the Chief Minister’s actions earlier. Also left out was the Chief Minister’s elder brother H D Revanna, who was Public Works Minister in the earlier government. A few other senior JD (S) legislators had wanted a ministerial post and had even held a meeting in this regard yesterday to press for their case. But this move apparently also did not succeed. But the pressure was on the Chief Minister to reward his loyalists. Hence even an Independent, Bandeppa Kashampur, has also got a Cabinet berth. Others who have managed berths include former JD (S) ministers D T Jayakumar, N Cheluvarayaswamy, Iqbal Ansari, Basavraj Horatti and C Chennigappa. BJP has accommodated two new faces, Sreeramulu and B Nagaraj Shetty, first time MLAs. |
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Speaker asks ‘tainted’ MPs not to attend House
New Delhi, February 17 The inquiry committee’s term has now been extended till March 17 to present its report as Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal had resigned as Chairman of the committee formed to look into the expose. “Until a further decision is taken, I request the concerned members in relation to whose conduct the inquiry is being held, not to attend the session of the House or the meeting of any committee,” he said in the Lok Sabha in a statement. The Speaker after consulting party leaders had constituted a seven-member inquiry committee under the chairmanship of Pawan Kumar Bansal and given it time till January 31 to submit its report. After Bansal’s resignation, the Speaker appointed V Kishore Chandra S. Deo as the new chairman. |
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Benegal, Bhartia nominated to RS
New Delhi, February 17 72-year-old Benegal, who was credited with introducing what is called the “middle cinema”, shot to fame with his film Ankur in 1973 was awarded Padma Shri in 1976 and Padma Bhushan in 1981. Bhartia, Vice-Chairperson and Editorial Director of Hindustan Times, is Chairperson of PTI Board of Directors. Vatsayan, 78, is one of the foremost Indian scholars of Indian dance and performing arts. An associate of late Indira Gandhi, she was recently appointed Chairperson of the Indira Gandhi National Centre of Arts. |
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SC rejects Daya Nayak’s bail plea
New Delhi, February 17 Nayak, who was credited with eliminating 83 underworld operatives in daring operations in Mumbai during the past one decade, has been on the run after registration of the case against him on January 20. He had moved the apex court after his application for anticipatory bail was rejected by the Bombay High Court on February 8. A Bench of Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat and Mr Justice S H Kapadia, however, directed the trial court that his bail plea should be decided the same day when he would surrender before it. The High Court, while rejecting his plea for pre-arrest bail, had given him a week’s time to surrender before the trial court, which was extended by the apex court on Monday till today pending hearing on his appeal. |
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