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IA Plane Hijack to Kandahar
Fernandes differs with MPs
Left dubs UPA unjust
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UPA policies intensifying inequalities: CPM
No consistent farm policy: Pawar
Holi violence
Amitabh plays down Raj Thackeray's barbs
4 N. Indians assaulted
Scarlett Death Case
Chargesheeted employee has no right to be represented: SC
Ex-Pak Brig spills beans
in autobiography
Canada keen to tap Assam, Meghalaya resources
ED slaps Rs 18-cr penalty on Sasikala, nephew
Pension only if disability due to service: SC
Urgent need for TB drug stressed
Rahul’s Karnataka tour begins tomorrow
MLA held under Arms Act, released
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Terrorist-Passenger Swap
I was unaware, says Advani
New Delhi, March 23 In an interview to NDTV yesterday, Advani, while discussing his latest book 'My Country My Life', said he was not happy with the idea of releasing jailed terrorists for securing the passengers' release. He said none in the all-party meeting had opposed the release because the issue was to bring back the passengers safely to the country. He said the terrorists had threatened to blow up the plane in the event of non-acceptance of their terms which has found a mention in the book. Advani evaded a reply on who decided the release of the terrorists, saying that Jaswant Singh should be asked that question. Asked whose decision was it to allow the then foreign minister Jaswant Singh escort the terrorists on the same plane, Advani said it was not a matter of Jaswant Singh escorting the terrorists but to bring the hostages back and he might have consulted the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. Distancing himself from the decision of the previous NDA government to release the three terrorists, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad chief, the BJP leader said he knew the release was likely to cause considerable heartburn within the BJP and the NDA. This also happens to be the most open confession by Advani about the hijack that took place during Christmas. Asked about former J&k Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah who had actually taken the decision on the terrorists, Advani was not forthright in his answer.
— UNI
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Fernandes differs with MPs
New Delhi, March 23 Reacting to the recommendation made by a 10-member House committee, headed by Rajya Sabha member J.P. Aggarwal (Congress), that 795 MPs of both Houses be allowed to use red beacons on their vehicles, the JD (U) MP from Muzaffarpur has reminded his colleagues in Parliament to keep the common man before their eyes and carry on with their activities. Fernandes’ letter reads: “During their campaign, the candidates go before the people by making statements that they are in the field for serving the people and after becoming MPs they will look after the problems of those who don’t have a voice, that is, ‘aam aadmi’. Once in Parliament, not only is the ‘aam aadmi’ forgotten but also they look for every opportunity that will enable them live a comfortable life. My suggestion to my colleagues in Parliament is that we keep the ‘aam aadmi’ before our eyes and go on with our activities. “The reason given by the panel to have such a beacon on the vehicles is the nature of the work. It denotes that a person is important and it is essential for him/her to get smooth passage. What the panel is saying is that every MP should have what the President, the Vice-President, the Prime Minister, the former Presidents and the former Prime Ministers, the Chief Justice of India, the Lok Sabha Speaker, Cabinet ministers, the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, the Leader of Opposition in both Houses of Parliament and the Supreme Court judges are presently having.” Responding to the Fernandes’ letter, Aggarwal said: “Parliament in its wisdom has given certain pre-requisites to its members which I believe Fernandes must also be availing, including monthly salary, constituency allowance, daily allowance, free travel and rent free accommodation. These facilities are not luxuries but necessities. These are meant to help an MP serve the common man.”
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Left dubs UPA unjust
Hyderabad, March 23 “Our party thinks it is time we make every effort to build a Left and democratic alternative to both the Congress and the BJP rule through common struggles on people’s issues and by evolving an alternative Left and democratic programme, CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan said while inaugurating his party’s 20th national congress here. Speaking as a fraternal delegate, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat suggested gathering other democratic and secular forces to find a way out of the ruling class consensus, which was leading the country on a “highly iniquitous and socially unjust path”. The four-day event, being attended by over 1,000 delegates, including communist guests from 30 countries, would deliberate on a plethora of issues, including Indo-US nuclear deal, price rise, agrarian crisis and problems of the unorganised sector.
— PTI
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UPA policies intensifying inequalities: CPM New Delhi, March 23 “The finance minister should work more closely on the lines of the Common Minimum Programme than his own economic agenda,” CPM leader Brinda Karat told a news channel. Chidambaram had said in Madurai yesterday that “some 60 members of Parliament” criticised everything being done by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and him to improve the economy and argued that those who claim that growth only helped the rich were the worst enemies of the poor. “The pattern of growth in the neo-liberal framework, promoted by Chidambaram and some of his colleagues, has clearly intensified inequalities in India,” Karat, who is also a Rajya Sabha member alleged. — PTI
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No consistent farm policy: Pawar
New Delhi, March 23 “For larger and long-term interest, we have to be a little open for import and export,” he said, when asked about self-sufficiency in the food commodities and whether wheat import would be continued. Making a case for integration of Indian market with the world community, Pawar said, “If there is a shortage you can import, if there is surplus you can export. Today, I have issued a ban on export of non-basmati rice and if next year we produce a huge quantity, who is going to believe me in the international market?” “They may say you are not a dependable supplier... But these type of ideas... still our Parliament and media are not able to digest,” he said, adding that “there is no consistent policy because of the public pressure and Parliament”. Talking about prevailing practices, he said, “If onion prices go up in Delhi, we immediately ban it. If onion prices collapse in Nashik (Maharashtra), state government has to pay some subsidy (to farmers).” He, however, said wheat would not be imported on a regular basis, and instead favoured an approach akin to the petroleum sector. “Generally our thinking is now like the petroleum sector. Everyday petroleum companies devise something to reduce (the gap). Time has come to think on that line,” he said. Even as Pawar claimed that agricultural production had scaled up during the years, he admitted that rapid urbanisation and infrastructure development in the country had led to immense pressure on agricultural land. “Be it for construction of a school building or expansion of highways and roads, it is the agricultural land that is being converted,” he said. Citing an example of how agricultural land was shrinking, Pawar said, 60,000 hectares of paddy land had been acquired from Maharashtra’s Thane district and converted into a new city. He said there was enough farm land in Delhi, some five to 10 years ago, but now they had been converted. Pawar said 60 per cent of farmers hold less than 5 acres of land, of which, 60 per cent is non-irrigated. “It is impossible to manage a family of five with this land.”
— PTI
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Holi violence
New Delhi, March 23 Bihar topped with 12 Holi revellers, including two women, being killed and 74 sustaining injuries in violent clashes in different parts of the state during yesterday's Holi celebrations. The police said that among the deceased, three each belonged to Samastipur and Banka districts, followed by two each from Rohtas and Vaishali districts, while one each from Munger and Patna districts respectively. Among the deceased were two women in Samastipur district. The maximum number of injured revellers, however, belonged to Vashali district in north Bihar where a total of 34 Holi revellers sustained injuries in group clashes in Tangol, Arara, Chandpura and Kartaha villages, the police said adding that as many as 25 other youths were injured in three villages in Samastipur district, also in north Bihar since yesterday. In Uttar Pradesh, a dispute over playing Holi snowballed into a full-fledged clash in Banthara area of Mathura in which a man opened fire on three siblings Rajendra (35), Bijendra (30) and Raghu (32) killing them instantly and wounding several others. In two separate incidents, while a youth drowned in a canal where he was bathing after playing Holi in Jasrana area last evening, three youths were drowned, while they were bathing in the Ganga in Adampur area of Varansi. In Rajasthan also, indefinite curfew was imposed in the old city localities of Chittorgarh town following communal clashes during Holi celebrations which left over 35 people injured. The communal violence also marred Holi celebrations in Tonk town with Holi revellers clashing with people of a particular community outside a religious place in Heera Chowk area. In Gujarat, controversial BJP MLA and Baroda dairy chairman Madhu Srivastava was today arrested by the Vadodara Crime Branch Police for indiscriminately firing in the air while celebrating Holi with his supporters near Baroda Dairy here yesterday. In Haryana, the brother of a Shiv Sena leader was allegedly stabbed to death while another person was injured during Holi
festivities. Group clashes marred Holi celebrations in Byculla in Maharashtra also after members of a group entered Shankeshwar Building and started applying colours on its residents.
— UNI
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Amitabh plays down Raj Thackeray's barbs
Mumbai, March 23 "Random charges are random and they do not deserve my attention. This is a free country and every individual enjoys the liberty of free speech. The law of the land and its Constitution are supreme. Every Indian should be governed by that," Bachchan said in an interview published in a Mumbai tabloid this morning. The actor also defended his decision to set up a girls’ school in Uttar Pradesh in honour of his daughter-in-law Aishwarya
Rai. "A promise to the people of the region was made a year ago. We kept our promise and have laid the foundation stone for this school. It will be built and get operational.” “I shall be involved in providing funds for its construction and then through a trust or a board be involved in its administration," Bachchan said in the interview. Meanwhile, the MNS got into another controversy today after police complaints were filed against its activists for assaulting people of North Indian origin in
Mumbai. Some revellers hailing from Bihar and UP stated in a police complaint that they were beaten up by workers of the MNS during Holi celebrations on Saturday. According to the complaint filed at the Santa Cruz police station in suburban
Mumbai, the migrants were celebrating with musical instruments and spraying colours on each other at Juhu beach when a group of MNS activists accosted them and asked for their place of origin. When the revellers replied that they were from the North, the activists assaulted them with hockey sticks and ran away, the complaint said. The incident comes just a day before MNS chief Raj Thackeray is to address a public meeting at Shivaji Park on the occasion of Shiv
Jayanti. Thackeray was forced to stay silent after the Maharashtra Government forced a gag order on him. However, the duration of the gag order expired earlier this month and the state government did not renew it. Prominent artistes including singer Lata Mangeshkar are due to perform at the function tomorrow.
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4 N. Indians assaulted
Mumbai, March 23 However, it was not immediately known if activists from the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which had run an anti-north Indian campaign last month, were behind the attack which occurred in suburban Santacruz's Juhu Koliwada area last night, they said. "According to the complainant, a group of around 8-10 persons asked the victims as to where they hail from and started hitting them with bamboo sticks and fists when told that they were from Bihar," said a senior officer from the Santacruz police station. A case of rioting has been registered in connection with the incident, he said, adding, a passer-by was also injured in the incident. The complainant in the case works as a driver and all the victims stay in the same locality, he said, adding, no arrests or detentions have been made in this connection.
— PTI
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Scarlett Death Case
Panaji, March 23 “Since they have exhausted all their executive options and the final opinion is clear that Scarlett was put to death, they have decided to approach the High Court,” Fiona’s lawyer Vikram Varma told PTI. She is considering the option of going to the High Court seeking protection for herself and also intervention in the “continued cover-up by the police in Scarlett’s death case,” he said. Varma said that the family may file a petition in the High Court on Wednesday or Thursday. The final opinion given by forensic experts yesterday was that the girl’s head was plunged into the water for five to ten minutes. The report says that the bruises and abrasions on the body are suggestive of signs of struggle, which means that the police theory of she dying unconsciously in shallow water is ruled out. London:
Julio Lobo, the boyfriend of the slain British teenager, has launched a stinging attack on the teenager’s mother Fiona MacKeown, saying she was well aware of Scarlett’s heavy drinking habit. According to a report published in the Mail today, Julio said: “Scarlett had a drinking habit. She used to drink vodka, beer and tequila, sometimes in large amounts, and her mother knew this. The report said Julio’s testimony was in direct contradiction to MacKeown’s assertions that her teenage daughter was “not a drinker.” Julio, who is not under suspicion of involvement with Scarlett’s death, said the police had interrogated him. “This is such a confusing time for me.” “Scarlett has been murdered. I feel I did everything I could to help her but now I am being accused of failing her. I feel like I am being blamed by Scarlett’s family for not looking after her but she did what she wanted to do. Julio said MacKeown left Scarlett in Goa with no money, and Scarlett herself boasted that she was capable of looking after herself. The last time Julio saw Scarlett alive was when he dropped her at a vegetarian restaurant in Anjuna called ‘Bean Me Up’ on February 17. “She was due to meet the rest of her family in Gokarna in Karnataka the following day and said she wanted to spend time with her friend Ruby, whose family run the restaurant,” Julio said. Scarlett and Ruby went out, and returned to the restaurant at 1.30 am, when they appeared under the influence of alcohol or drugs, he said. Ruby went to bed, and Scarlett was next seen about two hours later in Lui’s bar on Anjuna beach, again in “an intoxicated state,” according to witnesses. A Briton, Michael Mannion, who was at the bar, said Scarlett told him she had taken three drops of LSD, two ecstasy pills and cocaine. Julio said: “She said she’d call me when she was ready to be picked up. When I didn’t hear from her, I went out on my bike searching for her. Later, I was told a body had been found though no one knew anything more. Then, I was told the body was of Scarlett’s,” he said.
— PTI
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Chargesheeted employee has no right to be represented: SC
New Delhi, March 23 A bench comprising Justices H.K. Sema and Markandey Katju, while upholding the validity of rule 153 (8) of the Railway Protection Force Rules 1987 observed, “Following the above decision, it has to be held that there is no vested or absolute right in any chargesheeted employee to representation either through a counsel or any person unless the statute or rules/standing orders provide for such a right.” “Moreover, the right to representation through someone, even if granted by the rules, can be granted as a restricted or controlled right. Refusal to grant representation through an agent does not violate the principles of natural justice.” “In the present case, rule 153 (8) only provides for assistance to the chargesheeted employee by an agent. Thus, a restricted right of representation has been granted by rule 153 (8).” “Even if no right of assistance had been granted by the rules, there would no illegality or unconstitutionality.” “How then can it be said that when a restricted right is granted, the said restricted right is unconstitutional?’’ The apex court, while setting aside the judgement of Andhra Pradesh court dated September 7, 2001 allowed the appeal of DG RPF and others. High Court had struck down the rule 153 (8). RPF employee K. Raghuram Babu was placed under suspension on September 18, 1995 on the allegation that he made excess delivery of scrap worth about Rs 10000.
— UNI
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Ex-Pak Brig spills beans in autobiography
New Delhi, March 23 The Pakistani army helped and trained Mizo insurgents in East Pakistan led by Laldenga. An unsuccessful coup attempt was made to overthrow President Yahya Khan, who handed over power to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto soon thereafter. These are some snapshots from a book authored by a former Pakistani Brigadier, who himself arrested Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from his Dhanmondi residence in Dhaka on March 25, 1971. The book also delves into graphic details of the situation prevailing in then East Pakistan, which finally led to the surrender of the Pakistan Army to the Indians in 1971. 'The Way It Was - Inside the Pakistan Army' by Brig Zahir Alam Khan (retd) has been dubbed by its Indian publisher 'Natraj' as "the first honest and no-holds-barred autobiography of a soldier in the Pakistan Army." Khan, a trained commando, himself led the forces into Longewala, an operation which was meticulously planned. Under 'Operation Labbaik' as it was called, Pakistani forces started from Reti in Pakistan and entered India from Tanot area. They were to have taken over Longewala, Ramgarh and Ghotaru and then proceeded on to capture Jaisalmer. However, the author said, the IAF 'Hawker Hunters' had a field day bombing Pakistani tank formations as these were rendered sitting ducks. — PTI
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Canada keen to tap Assam, Meghalaya resources
Guwahati, March 23 Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said the Canadian official was apprised about the sectors open to foreign direct investment in the state. He informed that Canadian official delegation led by the high commissioner to India showed interests for investment in cola, power, natural gas-based projects, and handloom and textile sectors. Besides showing interests in exploiting the rich hydro-power potential in Meghalaya, the Canadian high commissioner Malone said he would try to persuade Canadian companies in India to tap the horticulture sector in Meghalaya and help the hill state set up some modern cold storage facilities.
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ED slaps Rs 18-cr penalty on Sasikala, nephew
Chennai, March 23 The ED passed the orders while allowing a petition by Sasikala and Bhaskaran seeking trial under FEMA instead of defunct FERA. Sasikala and her nephew had moved the ED as per the directions of the Madras High Court. While directing the cases be tried under FEMA, the ED adjudicating officer imposed a penalty of Rs 8 crore on the company (JJ TV). In addition, a penalty of Rs 6 crore and Rs 4 crore, respectively, were imposed on company directors Sasikala and Bhaskaran. — UNI
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DRDO to increase scientists' retirement age
New Delhi, March 23 Among others who would benefit from the proposal reportedly cleared by the Sixth Pay Commission would be scientists working on advanced composites, metallurgists and others. The bonanza is not confined to select scientists as the ministry of defence has proposed in general to raise the retirement age of DRDO scientists across the board to 62 years. These proposals finalised by the ministry have been vetted by Administrative Staff College of India
(ASCI) and according to sources, have been cleared by the Sixth Pay Commission. The proposals, in fact, formed part of the new incentive package for DRDO personnel and were about to be formally enforced late last year before defence minister
A.K. Antony suggested that it would be better to have the new pay commission give its seal of approval
on them. According to official figures tabled in Parliament, DRDO has lost 1,404 scientists during the past few years and the department is losing them at the rate of 6 to 7 per cent per year, which has left many key strategic projects almost stranded. The government move to increase the retirement age of scientists comes as projects like increasing the strike range of Agni missile and development of the underwater launched missiles are in key stages. "The next two to three years are very crucial for these
programmes," a top DRDO official told PTI. He said many other key projects were also
likely to fructify in the same period. "So we cannot afford to lose some of the key personnel engaged in developing these systems," he said. As per other incentives in store for DRDO personnel in the Pay Commission, they would be getting 30 per cent of the new basic pay scales as special intellectual capital pay, increase in professional update allowance from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000 per annum. In addition, new recruits would straightway get three increments on initial selection, higher qualification allowance of Rs 1,000 per month for recruits who have post-graduate degree in engineering or Ph.D in science subjects.
— PTI
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Agni-I test-fired successfully
Balasore (Orissa), March 23 The missile’s successful launch from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at the Wheelers' Island on Orissa's coast near here into the Bay of Bengal, was described as a "major milestone" in preparing the armed forces in handling strategic weapons. So far, the tactical units of the Command, comprising the Army's specialised artillery personnel, had carried out user trials of short-range surface-to-surface Prithvi missile and supersonic cruise missile BrahMos. Though Agni-I and the 2000-km-range Agni-II have been inducted into the armed forces, they were earlier being manned for the Army units by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) personnel. Powered by solid fuel, the missile, fired from a mobile launcher at 1015 hours, "had a textbook performance in terms of range, accuracy and lethality", the Defence Ministry said. This was the second user trial of the precision target hitting missile to test its "operational readiness", DRDO scientists said. The previous trial was conducted on October 5, last year, from the same launch site.
— PTI
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Pension only if disability due to service: SC
New Delhi, March 23 Such a benefit can be claimed by an armyman only if the disability was aggravated while rendering military service or was attributable to the service rendered, a Bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and J.M. Panchal ruled. The apex court passed the ruling while upholding the appeal filed by the Union Government challenging the orders passed by the Rajasthan High Court for granting "disability pension" to Surinder Singh Rathore, who worked as a Signalman in the Army and was discharged from service due to failing vision. Earlier, a single-judge Bench and a Division Bench of the Rajasthan High Court had ordered the government to pay "disability pension" to Rathore after the medical board constituted by the Defence Ministry had rejected his plea.
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Urgent need for TB drug stressed New Delhi, March 23 In a statement issued on the eve of the World TB Day, Dr Balganesh, head of research at AstraZeneca, said, “With new societal changes, impacting the immune system, you are now seeing TB all over, not in a select population. We are also seeing a more diverse face of TB. That is the worrying part because you cannot change lifestyle so easily.” He said when his pharmaceutical company began working eight years ago on a new drug for TB, it began with the concept of developing a drug that could shorten the duration of treatment. “But now my vision of a new drug for TB is any therapy that works and brings benefits to the ailing TB patient, especially those infected with drug resistant TB. There is a shift in how Tuberculosis needs to be perceived in our socio-cultural environment.”
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Rahul’s Karnataka tour begins tomorrow
Bangalore, March 23 Rahul will be first halting at the Vivekananda Tribal Centre at the B.R. Hills in Chamarajnagar district following which he will visit nearby Nagarhole and then Mangalore, Hubli, Dharwad, Bagalkot and Raichur districts. State Youth Congress president Krishna Byregowda said Rahul would also be interacting with the youth throughout his visit.
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MLA held under Arms Act, released
Vadodara, March 23 Srivastav fired six rounds from his licensed revolver yesterday in a Holi procession taken out in the city. He said he had been doing it for the past several years and as expiry date of the bullets were approaching he fired the six bullets. Srivastav was arrested under Section 135 of the Bombay Police Act and Section 30 of the Arms Act. He was released on bail soon after.
— PTI
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One beaten to death by RPF man 8 killed, 32 hurt in mishap Injectable polio vaccine Oriya actor found dead Stranded ship reaches Kolkata
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