New Delhi, June 12
The Antony committee, mandated to re-energise the Congress in the run-up to the coming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, is in the throes of a debate on whether the party should project a chief ministerial candidate in an Assembly poll. The seven-member committee held its second meeting today where this subject was among the host of issues which figured in the deliberations.

The panel also drew up suggestions on the selection of candidates, election campaigns and tours and election strategy. There was agreement that the party should adopt state-specific strategies in the coming elections as each state has different issues and elections are increasingly becoming state-centric.

The panel, which includes Union ministers Priyaranjan Dasmunsi and Mani Shankar Aiyar, senior leader Digvijay Singh and J&K chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, was also of the view that the Congress has to adopt different strategies in states where it is in power and where it is in the Opposition.

In states where it has a government, the party has to fight anti-incumbency and highlight its achievements while in the Opposition-ruled states, it has to identify issues on which it can attack its opponents.

The panel will have its last meeting on June 21 when it will finalise its recommendations which will then be submitted to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

The leadership issue has emerged as a key point of discussion in the Congress after the party suffered humiliating defeats in a string of Assembly elections in the recent past, the latest being Karnataka.

There is a growing realisation in the party that one of the reasons the Congress lagged behind the BJP is because it ran a “faceless campaign”.

It is also felt that the Congress does not have strong and effective leaders in most states, which is proving to be a handicap especially when it has to battle a popular opponent like Narendra Modi. It was the same story in Karnataka where the the BJP had declared B.S. Yediyurappa as its CM candidate while there was no clarity on the leadership issue in the Congress camp.

For all those in the Congress who believe it helps to project a CM candidate, there are an equal number in the party who feel otherwise.

“It is against all democratic norms to announce a Chief Minister before the elections. It is the MLAs who have to elect a CM,” said an AICC general secretary, adding that the Congress convention is not to project an individual but the party’s ideology and programme.

Another senior Congress leader maintained this formula does not work all the time as sitting Chief Ministers have also lost elections.

While this debate rages on, the Congress has decided to act on an old suggestion that the party be strengthened at the grassroots.

The AICC Panchayati Raj Sangthan has convened a meeting of PCC chiefs, state sangthan heads and general secretaries tomorrow to discuss how local bodies can be used to strengthen the party.

New Delhi, June 12
The Left, supporting the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government from outside, is caught in a dilemma with visible cracks within their ranks on the question of allowing the government to sign the safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). They do not want to allow the government to sign the deal with the IAEA at this stage because they feel it may only hasten the “operationalisation” of the Indo-US nuclear deal.

But they were keen to secure four more nuclear power plants for Koodankulam in Tamil Nadu and nuclear fuel for these from Russia and a similar agreement between India and France in respect of Kalpakkam in Kerala, sources said.

To obstruct 123 agreement, they were not likely to consent to the government signing the IAEA agreement at least till July, when they expect the Bush administration to become a “lameduck” government, Left sources indicated.

“If after July, the government shows that it still needs to go to the IAEA to secure nuclear fuel from other members of the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG), then that is another matter,” a Left leader said.

RSP parliamentary party leader Abani Roy said, “This IAEA is in the context of 123 agreement. If you want with Russia and France then there has to be a different line of thinking. But anyway let it come, then we will see.”

The government on the other hand is pressing them to agree to India going to the IAEA now as a first step to enable the NSG members to supply nuclear fuel to India. An UPA-Left coordination committee to discuss this issue will be held here on June 18.

Apart from the RSP, other Left leaders like CPM general secretary Prakash Karat and the CPI too have sufficiently indicated that they were open to the safeguards agreement per se. Similarly, CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan said, “no problem” with the IAEA. CPI national secretary D. Raja said, “If they are so keen on nuclear energy then why didn’t the Prime Minister sign the agreement with Russia during his last visit.”

Manmohan Singh was to sign an agreement with Russia during his last visit to Moscow on November 11-12. But at the last minute he decided not to sign that agreement.

New Delhi, June 12
Reacting to the situation in West Bengal, the Central government today despatched 10 companies of paramilitary forces to the state. A mix of the BSF, the CRPF and the Seema Shahstra Bal (SSB) have been moved in, said officials in the ministry of home affairs.

Meanwhile, the demand of deploying Army by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was being assessed by the ministry of defence. Bhattacharjee was quoted by news agencies as having said, “The Army is being deployed in Siliguri and its adjoining areas. This has been decided after judging all aspects of the situation. We had talks with the Army and they will start patrolling as soon as possible.”

Army authorities here said once formal request comes in from the state government, the ministry of defence would clear it. The state government is in touch with Army authorities at the command level. The Army has the capability to send in its men within six hours.

New Delhi, June 12
A six-member team of the National Human Rights Commission will be visiting Bharatpur in Rajasthan from tomorrow to have a first-hand account of alleged police atrocities on the Gujjar community. SSP Mukesh Singh will head the team. The cmmission’s move comes on a petition in this regard filed by S.K. Bainsla and Anurag Kasana.

They pointed out in their request for an impartial probe that at least 50 persons of the Gujjar community were killed in police firing and several others were injured.

New Delhi, June 12
The growing ‘unhealthy’ competition among media companies is threatening all journalistic norms and values, the government today observed, apparently in the context of the virtual trial being carried out in the media in the Arushi Talwar murder case.

Delivering the convocation address at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) here, information and broadcasting minister P.R. Dasmunsi said the government was concerned over this trend in the media. The I&B ministry had been receiving many complaints from the general public and concerned citizen groups.

There were numerous instances of media excesses and media trials, fake sting operations, criminal trespassing of privacy, glamourisation of criminals and mafia dons, promotion of hatred among communities and inflaming of raw emotions, the minister pointed out.

He advised young journalists to have a constructive attitude and think in the terms of solutions, not in the terms of problems.

Dasmunsi said the government has decided to upgrade the IIMC as an international media university. The Planning Commission had already approved the proposal and the I&B ministry was working to make the institute into a world-class media education, training and research university by an Act of Parliament, he said.

Noting that the Indian media industry was growing at much faster pace than even the country’s economy, Dasmunsi said the industry was estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 18 per cent in the next five years.

“The growth rate is almost unparalleled in the world. But to maintain and enhance this growth rate, the industry requires a large number of trained media professionals otherwise shortage of skilled and qualified professionals will hurt the growth rate of the industry,” the minister added.

New Delhi, June 12
The National Commission for Women today wrote to the Haryana government seeking strict action against the local police, who hurriedly cremated the body of Rosila Kunjur, 20-year-old housemaid, found dead in mysterious circumstances in Palwal, few days ago.

The police is in the dock for having cremated the body of a Christian, that too at a time when the The National Commission for Women was seeking a second post-mortem to rule out foul play. The police had conducted the first post-mortem and claimed “no rape.”

The victim’s uncle Habib Kerketta, however, felt otherwise and raised the matter earlier with the NCW, when the Palwal police failed to register an FIR.

The commission ordered the police to set up a medical board to conduct a fresh post-mortem and find out if there was rape, as the family had been alleging.

“We had met the Red Cross and arranged to send the body of Rosila to Bangalore, but by the time we returned to the capital, the body had been cremated and we were shocked,” said Manju Hembrom, member, NCW, adding that such action on part of the police raised suspicion about their intent.

The commission is also questioning the police’s right to cremate a Christian.

Although local SP claimed that he had the consent of the victim’s uncle and brother in doing so, the family said they were forced to give consent.

The family had been contesting the police’s view in this case from day one, alleging that Rosila was murdered and perhaps raped.

Enraged over the police inaction, the NCW plans to take up the issue with the Haryana government and see that the erring cops are brought to justice.

The NCW now has to go ahead with the case is - the victim’s viscera report.

Rosila had come from West Bengal and a domestic help agent had placed her with a jeweller in Palwal. Her family claimed that she had been complaining to her agent against her employers, alleging sexual harassment. She died a few days later.

Lucknow, June 12
The National Minorities Commission (NMC) receives maximum number of complaints from Uttar Pradesh. And if numbers are taken into account Muslims happen to be the most aggrieved over here.

Giving a comparative picture, chairperson Shafi Qureishi said, “If 10 complaints are received from UP then a mere six are received from all states put together”.

Talking to the mediapersons at the conclusion of a two-day NMC public hearing here, Qureishi said from their interaction with members of the minority communities, they felt that the Muslims in particular “were fast losing faith as commission after commission failed to bring about any substantive change in their lives”.

"No gazetted officer today is ready to sign any papers for them regarding verification of their identity,” declared Qurieshi. He said a large number of cases pertaining to the disappearance of people where family members running from pillar to post trying to get information of their close ones had emerged not only from UP but from all over the country.

However, as Muslims in UP by their sheer size are the biggest minority (96 per cent of the total minority population of 321.40 lakh), such cases are also coming in large numbers, he pointed out.

Giving details of the four categories of cases coming to the NMC, member Dileep Padgoankar said the first were individual complaints regarding the denial of promotion etc. then there were some concerning lack of civic amenities. The third type related to the conduct of the local officials and the police and the fourth were about general discrimination and biases.

The major complaints of the Sikh community of the state were regarding the non-settlement of cases pertaining to the 1984 Sikh riots. Member Harcharan Singh Josh pointed out that still only 50 per cent of the cases had been settled.

No official recognition for Pali in UP, the language in which the Buddhist scriptures are written, was a major objection of the Buddhist community. "The language is not taught in any of the schools in the state,” underlined member Lama Chospel Zotpa.

According to the Lama, three lakh neo-Buddhist, (those converted under the influence of Dr Ambedkar) are facing problems in getting certificates of recognition as a Buddhist minority. They, however, have no problem to prove their Dalit Budhist credentials for the benefit of reservation.

New Delhi, June 12
Women and child development (WCD) minister Renuka Choudhury said today that she favoured capital punishment for the abusers of child rights, adding that children in India were treated worse than animals.

She was referring specifically to the insensitive portrayal of children in the entertainment industry represented by reality TV shows, where no norms were in place to ensure basic facilities to children.

“We want to know whether children get nutritious meals while they shoot for long hours and whether they are allowed to rest in between the shoots.”

“Right now, children in TV studios are no less than performing animals. Animals are in fact treated better,” said Renuka. The WCD ministry in collaboration with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights is now in the process of framing guidelines for TV producers to follow if they want to have children on air.

For her part, the minister added that if she had her way, she would “award capital punishment to those who rob children of their childhood.” She also severely condemned state governments for brazen neglect of child welfare laws like the Juvenile Justice Act, and said her ministry was cracking down on such states, which had not even cared to set up juvenile justice boards and child welfare committees in every district.

“We are writing to the Planning Commission to block grant of funds to states that are insensitive to children’s issues. Every plan sanction that comes from states should be screened for sensitivity to child rights. If the demand does not meet this criterion, it can be returned to the drawing boards of states,” said Renuka, adding that the WCD ministry would demand constitution of a committee to look into the issue.

“Our representatives have to be on the committee,” she said.

Renuka also repeated her old demand of crèches for working mothers in all government and private offices and a full-fledged set of guidelines to govern working children like those in TV show.

Bangalore, June 12
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa yesterday visited the family of the farmer in Haveri who was killed in the police firing on Tuesday. The Chief Minister presented a cheque of Rs two lakh to the farmer's family. Yeddyurappa, who took oath in the name of farmers less than two weeks ago while being sworn in as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, expressed his shock and grief to the bereaved family members.

He also offered a government job to one member of the family.

The 34-year-old farmer, Siddalingappa Choori, was killed in Haveri town when the police fired at farmers who had turned violent while protesting against fertilizer shortage in the state. Before leaving for Haveri, the Chief Minister held a press conference at his home office in Bangalore in the morning.

He said the protest by the farmers was a political conspiracy to malign the BJP government in Karnataka. Yeddyurappa, however, did not specify who he considered were the agent provocateurs of the “conspiracy”. Yeddyurappa also alleged that no initiative was taken during the President’s rule period in Karnataka to ensure adequate supply of fertiliser to the farmers of the state.

Hoarding by traders and panic buying by farmers had also created the shortage, he said. The Chief Minister added that delay in release of subsidy by the centre to fertilizer manufacturing firms was also responsible for the crisis plaguing the state.

Officials in the state’s agricultural department said advancement of sowing season with the onset of monsoon in the state in May-end instead of early June, which is usually when sowing began in the state, also contributed to the crisis.

The political fallout of Tuesday’s firing incident has woken up the government from its slumber and has compelled it to pay attention to the problem.

Dehra Dun, June 12
The message of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to carry the decision of loan waiver to the masses ahead of the next general election was lost in the din as Uttarakhand Congress leaders squabbled today.

A meeting of the senior Congress leaders was called by party in charge R.K. Dhawan, with a view to mobilising the party to carry the message to the masses.

Dhawan refused to deliver his address as rival Congress leaders jostled and indulged in slogan- shouting.He even refused to have food and left the venue.

The meeting was called at the behest of Sonia Gandhi and all senior party leaders. In the Congress politics, Uttarakhand has remained the battleground of political rivalry between veteran Congress leader and Andhra Pradesh Governor N.D. Tiwari and Harish Rawat for the past three decades.

It was Tiwari who had the last laugh when he outsmarted and outmanoeuvered Rawat to become the first elected Chief Minister of the state after 2002 assembly poll.

Besides being the state party chief, a sulking Rawat also played the role of ‘main opposition’ for Tiwari during the five-year tenure. After the defeat of the Congress in the 2007 assembly elections, while Tiwari managed to become the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Rawat was removed from the post of Uttarakhand Congress chief.

It was again Tiwari who got his own protégé and former Speaker Yahspal Arya as state party chief. Trouble at the meeting started after Rawat demanded a thorough inquiry into the factors that led to the defeat of the party in the 2007 assembly elections.

Braham Swarup Brahmachari, another leader from Hardwar, alleged that Rawat being the Congress president opposed Tiwari that led to the defeat of the party.

This infuriated Rawat who refuted the charge and accused the Tiwari camp of sabotaging the elections. Supporters of Rawat and Arya started raising slogans and jostling with each other came on the stage.

This also led to verbal duels between senior Congress leaders sitting on the dais amongst themselves, including party MPs, namely Rawat and Vijay Bahuguna. It was after some time that order prevailed but the message of Sonia Gandhi on loan waiver was lost in the din.

Pune, June 12
A woman and her lover, both MBA students, were sentenced to life by a sessions court today for killing a fellow student by offering him ‘prasad’ laced with poison in a crime of passion.

Additional sessions judge S.S. Phansalkar Joshi pronounced the sentence here a day after holding both Aditi Sharma and Praveen Khandelwal guilty of poisoning Udit Bharati last year bringing to a close the infamous case. A fine of Rs 10,000 each was also slapped on each of the convicts.

According to the prosecution, both Udit and Aditi had come to Pune from Jammu in 2006 to do their MBA course at a Wakad-based institute and fell in love that was expected to culminate into marriage after they completing the course. Praveen hailed from Jaipur. All the three were aged 24 years.

However, a love triangle emerged when both Aditi and Praveen got a job offer in Gurgaon and left Pune and developed an intimate relationship at the workplace.

Sensing that Udit could prove to be an obstacle, the duo conspired to get rid of him.

Aditi and Praveen returned to Pune on April 22, 2007 during when the woman called Udit over to a lodge in Chinchwad. When Udit arrived, Aditi offered Udit ‘prasad’ laced with arsenic. — PTI

New Delhi, June 12
The Border Security Force (BSF) is about to complete the process of having women constables to be put on duty along Pakistan border in Punjab to frisk women, who cross the fence along the border daily.

The BSF has been facing a problem in search and frisking of women, who have to go across the fencing to assist their families in cultivation of land or work as farm labourers. At present, the BSF takes the help of village women for this duty.

BRIEFLY

Sakkarbaug Zoo to house cheetah
RAJKOT: Sakkarbaug Zoo of Junagadh will soon become India's first zoo to house the world's fastest mammal, the cheetah, zoo officials said. The zoo officials have decided to exchange a pair of lions to bring a pair of cheetah from a zoo in Singapore. “The zoo authorities will provide a pair of famous Asiatic lions to bring a pair of cheetah from Singapore,” sources said. — PTI

Woman swaps babies, lands in police net
PUDUCHERRY: A woman who swapped her baby girl with a baby boy at a hospital here to escape the wrath of her husband for giving birth to a third girl child has landed in police custody. Saridha, who already has two girl children, gave birth to a baby girl in a hospital here a few days ago. A team of police personnel led by sub-inspector Jayaraman rescued the baby boy. — PTI

Fire in industrial estate
MUMBAI: A major fire broke today in an industrial estate in Dadar, a suburb in central Mumbai, official sources said. The fire broke out in a readymade garments manufacturing unit, located in the Nandgopal industrial estate and four fire engines and three water tanks have been rushed to the spot. However, no injuries or casualties have been reported. The reason for the fire is not yet known, the officials added. — PTI