New Delhi, August 28
The BJP has asked the Central government to summon immediately Pakistan ambassador to India to the external affairs ministry and launch a formal and strong protest against yesterday’s “Fidayeen” attack in Jammu, in which three Indian security personnel were killed even as they successfully annihilated the three terrorists.

BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad complimented here today the Indian Armed Forces for successfully liquidating the terrorists, while managing to ensure the safety of women and children taken hostage by the terrorists in Jammu.

He said, “In last 10-12 months over 200 such incidents have taken place where the Fidayeen have managed to infiltrate into India under cover of firing from the Pakistani Rangers and other security forces on the Indo-Pak border.

The BJP spokesman has blamed Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) for this and said even though it had been banned in Pakistan, it is operating in PoK under different names and Hurriyat leader Yasin Malik had met LeT leader Hafiz Saeed after which he had met the Prime Minister.

Prasad demanded an explanation from the Centre on this. While he did not disclose what transpired in the negotiations between the Centre and the Shri Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti (SASS), he urged the government to immediately publicise it to defeat the designs of the separatists.

New Delhi, August 28
There is a sense of disquiet in the South Block over the fate of the Indo-US nuclear deal. However, senior officials are still optimistic that the Americans would ultimately prevail on the countries opposing a waiver for India at the next meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group (NSG) on September 4-5.

According to top officials, the ball is now in Washington’s court and the Bush administration must live up to its promise to secure a waiver for India.

“We are not a part of the NSG…the US has to fulfil the promise it made in the July 18, 2005, agreement and get us an exemption from the NSG,’’ one official said.

India and the US are currently working on a revised draft that seeks to address some of the concerns of a small group of countries, which ganged up to deny a clean waiver to India by the NSG when it met in Vienna on August 21-22.

Foreign secretary Shiv Shanker Menon is currently in Washington discussing the revised draft with US officials. US assistant secretary of state Richard Boucher has also discussed the issue with Prime Minister’s special envoy Shyam Saran and other Indian officials in New Delhi earlier this week.

The officials said the revised draft was expected to be finalised soon by the two sides. The language of the draft could be modified keeping in mind the concerns of the NSG sceptics and as well as India’s red lines. As many as 50 amendments have been proposed in the original draft by countries like New Zealand, Austria, Ireland, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

There are at least three sticking points: a testing clause, bar on transfer of enrichment and reprocessing technology and a periodic review of India’s compliance.

The officials said India knew right from the beginning when the historic agreement was agreed upon between President George W Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the deal would face hurdles at every stage, but was always hopeful that Washington would use its economic and political clout to see it through.

However, a feeling has now crept in that the US did not exert sufficient effort to the NSG sceptics, all of them known to be close allies of Washington, on board.

Meanwhile, diplomatic experts have started questioning whether the NSG fiasco was an act of deliberate sabotage by Washington. They apprehend that it might be dawning on the Bush administration that the deal would not pass the muster at the US Congress, given the limited time at its disposal and, therefore, it would be better to break it at the NSG stage itself so that Washington was not blamed for it.

The experts said Washington could also be worried that an NSG exemption for India without the passage of the 123 agreement in the US Congress stands to benefit nuclear suppliers like France and Russia and not the US.

They, however, opined that the government should not agree to any major changes in the draft, which would be perceived in the public eye as a compromise with the country’s nuclear sovereignty.

New Delhi, August 28
India will now ask Bangladesh to hand over terrorists who are believed to be hiding there.

A 14-member delegation will head for Dhaka for the two-day home secretary-level talks between the two countries. India will also point out how smuggling of arms, ammunition and fake currency was being carried out through the borders.

Union home secretary Madhukar Gupta will lead the delegation while Bangladesh delegation will be led by their secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Mohd. Abdul Karim.

The meeting is expected to discuss various security related issues, border management issues as well as ways of enhancing cooperation between the law enforcement agencies of both sides.

The last meeting between the two home secretaries was held in August last year.

These meetings are part of the institutional mechanism set up in 1993 to resolve various issues of mutual concern. Apart from the home secretary-level talks, DG-level meetings between the BSF and the BDR are held twice a year. In the run up to the forthcoming home secretary-level talks, the DG-level talks between the BSF and the BDR were held at Dhaka last week.

New Delhi, August 28
India today took exception to a statement by the United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), voicing its concern over the recent violent protests in Jammu and Kashmir that led to casualties.

“We regret that the office of the OHCHR has issued a statement on the situation in J&K. This is uncalled for and irresponsible. India does not need any advice in respect of the protection and promotion of the human rights of its citizens,” an external affairs ministry spokesperson said in response to questions.

He said OHCHR should be aware that the state of Jammu and Kashmir has been a victim of terrorist violence for almost two decades and all through this period the authorities have acted within the law and with restraint.

“Terrorist groups have targeted innocent civilians. They have not refrained from taking women and children as hostages as in the recent incident in Jammu. Personnel of the security forces have sought to ensure that no innocent lives are lost and for this objective they have on many occasions laid down their lives,” he said.

In a statement issued in Geneva yesterday, the OHCHR called upon the Indian authorities and in particular security forces to respect the right to freedom of assembly and expression and comply with international human rights principles in controlling the demonstrators.

“The use of force should be proportionate to the threat posed and firearms must only be used in dispersing a violent assembly to protect individuals against an imminent threat,” it added. 

New Delhi, August 28
The CBI today took over investigation and registered a case in the cash-for-judge scam allegedly involving some lawyers and judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court besides several persons based in Chandigarh and Delhi.

The CBI authorities confirmed here tonight that a case has been registered by the Delhi unit of the CBI and the FIR registered by the Chandigarh police will now be probed by the investigating agency. This comes a day after UT Administrator Gen S.F. Rodrigues (retd) recommended a CBI probe even as the Supreme Court set up a three-judge inquiry committee to look into the matter.

Since Chandigarh is a Union Territory, the CBI did not require much paperwork as is required in case a state recommends a case to the Centre government for the CBI probe. The UT Administrator had written to the CBI that the case be taken over for further investigation. The scam came to light after a High Court Judge Nirmaljit Kaur alleged that a packet containing Rs 15 lakh had been delivered at here residence in Chandigarh. A clerk of the former Haryana additional advocate general Sanjiv Bansal was booked. The Judge reported the matter to the police. Police investigations revealed that the packet was supposed to be delivered to another High Court Judge, Nirmal Yadav.

The police registered a case against Bansal and others. Bansal had claimed that the money was to be delivered at the residence of a property dealer Nirmal Singh on behalf of Ravinder Singh in connection with a property deal, but the cash was wrongly delivered at the residence of a Judge.

New Delhi, August 28
The BJP ruled out here today pulling out support to the Naveen Patnaik government in Orissa even while admitting to “disquiet among some Orissa MLAs.”

Meanwhile, the VHP, blamed for the large-scale violence and arson against Christian tribesmen following the murder of VHP leader Swami Lakshmananda Saraswati, implicitly justified the post-murder violence against the Christians saying that “every action begets an equal and opposite reaction.”

The BJP is a partner in the Naveen Patnaik-led government with considerable number of ministers in it.

Senior VHP leader Acharya Giriraj Kishore also justified the near revolt by a section of Orissa BJP MLAs over what he described “The state government’s failure to protect” the late VHP leader saying that, “What is the use of government if it cannot protect the people?”The BJD is the BJP’s partner since 1998, and with L.K. Advani as its prime ministerial candidate, the BJP is looking forward to adding more members to the larger Opposition NDA, including some new and some erstwhile NDA partners like the National Conference.

BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said: “The BJD, the Akali Dal, the old Samata Party and the Shiv Sena are some of our oldest and dependable allies. It is true that some MLAs have expressed their unhappiness but there is no question of withdrawing support to the Naveen Patnaik government.”

He stated that BJP general secretary, in charge of Orissa, Vinay Katiyar had left for Bhubhaneshwar today to talk to the MLAs. The BJP leader also refused to condemn the VHP and the Bajrang Dal, however, he added, “We appeal to all to maintain peace. We do not support violence.”

Incidentally, the VHP is also heading the nearly two-month long agitation in Jammu ostensibly led by the Shri Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti for return of forest land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board for facilitating the stay of Amarnath pilgrims during the pilgrimage. VHP general secretary Praveen Togadiya has twice addressed the media on the issue.

Bhubaneswar, August 28
Curfew was relaxed for a short period today in Orissa’s Kandhamal district, where some violence was reported despite shoot-at-sight orders, as the situation in most areas was under control.

“Though tension prevails in some remote areas, the situation has been brought under control in 6 to 7 out of the 12 blocks of the district,” district collector Krishan Kumar said.

The violence was reported from Tikabali, G Udaygiri and other areas.

Additional central forces have arrived in the troubled areas but were facing difficulty in movement because of obstacles on roads. More central forces are expected, Kumar said. Curfew was relaxed for three hours in the morning in some places in the district to enable the people to shop essential commodities, official sources said.

So far, 70 criminal cases had been registered and 123 persons arrested for the violence in the state, they said.

Meanwhile, the Orissa High Court directed the government to take quick measures to restore peace following the violence sparked by the August 23 killing of VHP leader Laxmanananda Saraswati.

“Take measures to restore peace in the area immediately by deploying adequate forces,” a Bench comprising of Chief Justice B. B. Chouhan and Justice B.N. Mohapatra said while adjudicating a PIL.

Schools run by missionaries in the state remained closed today to protest the gunning down of Saraswati as also the violence triggered by it. — PTI

Mumbai, August 28
The Mumbai police said more than 150 activists of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) had been arrested at the end of a deadline called by party leader Raj Thackeray to change signboards of shops and establishments to Marathi.

The decision to crackdown on the MNS activists across the city came hours after the Bombay High Court asked the state government to explain what measures it had taken to prevent attacks on shops and establishments.

The court also warned the government that it would have to compensate people who are the victims of the MNS.

Some traders have approached the court seeking protection for their establishments. The court today asked the state government to issue notices to Raj Thackeray for his statements. Now the police have threatened to stop the MNS on the streets.

“If the MNS party workers commit any cognisable offence like assault then they will not be forgiven and action will be taken against each one of them,” joint commissioner of police (Law and Order) K.L. Prasad said.

The official said Raj Thackeray was playing a regional card for political ends.

Mumbai, August 28
Maharashtra's revenue minister Narayan Rane, who has been openly lobbying for the post of Chief Minister in place of the incumbent Vilasrao Deshmukh, is likely to be offered some sops in the forthcoming cabinet reshuffle, according to sources here.

Senior leaders of the Congress and its ally, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), are working out the modalities of the cabinet expansion. NCP president Sharad Pawar and Deshmukh have had meetings over the past few days amidst indications that a major overhaul would be undertaken as the state government gears up for the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.

Sources said the decision on cabinet expansion was almost complete last week before political maneovering by Rane forcing Deshmukh and other leaders back to the drawing board.

Rane had put in his resignation as the revenue minister to protest his claims for the top job being ignored by the party high command. However, he is said to have withdrawn his resignation after a meeting with party chief Sonia Gandhi. After indicating that he may quit the Congress, Rane has since piped down and promised to work under Deshmukh.

However, backroom activity is on to accommodate Rane and his supporters. Some of Rane's men, who quit the Shiv Sena to contest and win on Congress tickets, may be made ministers. Several Rane loyalists will also be given the posts of chairpersons of state corporations, the sources said.

It is, however, not clear what sops would be given to Rane himself without antagonising the NCP. Under the power-sharing arrangement between both parties, the Congress will hold the CM's post while the deputy's post will be given to the NCP. The latter was also given some plum posts for giving up claims for the top job. Congress party sources say even elevating Rane to the post of deputy chief minister will upset the delicate balance with its ally.

As per the coalition arithmetic in the state, the 42-member cabinet will have 18 berths for the ruling Congress party while 24 will be given to the alliance partner. Leaders of both parties are still working out regional and caste calculations ahead of the cabinet rejig, said party sources.

Allahabad, August 28
A two-day meeting between leaders of the Congress and the Samjawadi Party (SP) would decide the nitty gritty of the Lok Sabha seat sharing arrangement in Uttar Pradesh keeping the winnability of the candidate in mind.

Accepting the inevitability of “like-minded secular forces” coming together in the state, the Uttar Pradesh Coordination Committee of the Congress today unanimously came out in support of an alliance with the Samajwadi Party. A meeting in New Delhi on August 30-31 would give final shape to this alliance.

Speaking at a press conference after the conclusion of the meeting, in-charge of Uttar Pradesh Digvijay Singh revealed that there was unanimity in the view that like-minded secular forces should come together in order to fight the communal elements.

Today’s meeting was attended by 33 coordination committee members. Rahul Gandhi also addressed the meeting.

Singh, however, refused to elaborate on which other parties the Congress could possibly align with or if his party was ready to concede to the SP’s demand of an alliance beyond Uttar Pradesh. “Today’s meeting was focusing solely on Uttar Pradesh,” he said evasively.

Responding to questions on the Congress’ decision of aligning with its once bitter critic - the SP - the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister repeated the dictum of there being no permanent friends or enemies in politics.

Sharing some of the poll strategies Singh said it had been decided to closely monitor the process of the revision of the electoral rolls as irregularities in the rolls cause major damages during polling.

The Congress was also to take up the issue of the state government’s failure to provide relief to the flood-hit areas. “The Chief Minister has not even bothered to make an aerial survey of the flooded districts,” he pointed out. 

Allahabad, August 28
In a self-introspective mood, Amethi MP Rahul Gandhi today spoke of the wide gap between the leader and the led as the day-to-day struggles of the common man were no longer on the agenda of today’s politicians.

Briefly addressing his maiden public rally at K.P grounds in the city, he urged the contemporary generation of Congress leaders to live up to the idealism and glory of those who fought for causes of the poor and prepare to take the challenge of the future.

Calling Allahabad his “old family residence” Rahul shared the experience of visiting the cell in the Allahabad jail where his great grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru had spent many years.

“When I visited my great grandfather’s cell, I felt the leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi used to fight for a cause and they were driven by the support of the poor,” he said.

He reminded the breed of new leaders to reconnect themselves with the poor and take the challenge of the party in future.

Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi paid respects at his grandfather Feroze Gandhi’s grave and visited the Allahabad jail where a number of NSUI activists have been imprisoned for a week.

Dehra Dun, August 28
The capital of Uttarakhand has broken all rainfall records this year. Dehra Dun has become the wettest capital in the entire country, except some places in the northeast. It has received a total of 2059 millimeters of rain in the period from June 1 to August 27 as compared to 1976 mm in Mumbai during the corresponding period.

In June, the Doon valley received 594 mm of rain against an average of 225 mm during the month. The trend continued in July as 774 mm of rainfall was recorded against an average of 719 mm during the previous years. Till August 27, Dehra Dun has already received 691 mm of rain against an average of 730 mm. An early pre-monsoon has remained active in the valley since May this year, when it rained 52 mm.

Dr. Anand Sharma, director of the state meteorological department, said as compared to neighbouring states, Uttarakhand has been lucky to receive more rain during monsoon period starting from June 1. Shimla has received a total of 1117 mm while Chandigarh got only 839 mm. The national capital Delhi also received 502 mm of rain while Jaipur received only 369 mm in the past three months. Patna received 1424 mm and Lucknow 1135 mm of rainfall during the period.

Weathermen are not predicting any let-off in the fury of the monsoon during the coming days. “There are no withdrawal symptoms of the monsoon clouds in the region and more rain is expected from the cyclonic circulation over south-west and eastern Uttar Pradesh,” Dr. Sharma said.

Kolkata, August 28
Information and Broadcasting Minister and WBPCC (I) president, Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, ruled out any assistance from the Centre to the state government in resolving the Singur deadlock here on Thursday, as it was opposed to the process of land acquisition in Singur for the Tata Motors.

Dasmunshi, who was here to attend the 52nd foundation day celebration of the Chhatra Parisad, alleged Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee for creating the Singur impasse and held him solely responsible for finding its solution. He charged that the state did not follow the UPA guidelines on the SEZ and the industrial policies, and wrongly applied the Land Acquisition Act of 1894 for acquiring farmlands in Singur.

He declared that the Congress (l) would also re-launch their agitation in support of the landless farmers in Singur from Sunday next. While addressing the youths at function, he asked them to immediately start campaigning in all schools and colleges and other educational institutions against the CPI (M) on the issue.

Almost at the same time, Trinamool Congress supremo, Mamta Banerjee, while addressing another largely attended meeting of the Chhatra Parisad (Trinamool Congress) on the fifth day of the agitation here, shared the similar views as Munshi’s and told the youth and students to intensify their present agitation in all schools and colleges elsewhere in the districts till the affected farmers did not get the forcibly acquired 400 acres of farmland back.

She said she would better sacrifice her life in support of the farmers’ cause than yielding to the pressure of the “arrogant Chief Minister.” She said they were not against the Tatas, but against the industry on the farmlands. She welcomed the Tatas to build the Nano Motors Project on the 600 acres of lands and demanded that the remaining 400 acres be returned to the unwilling farmers.

The Chief Minister, who had invited the ire of his party after making a statement on the bandh against the party line, did not talk to the media persons on Thursday. But he reviewed the Singur situation at an official meeting at the Writers Buildings and also presided over the cabinet meeting.

Earlier in the morning, he attended the Alimuddin Street party office and explained to Biman Bose and other leaders that his statement on the ASSOCHEM meeting were aimed at removing the fear and apprehensions of the industrialists, who had started giving a second thought on their investment proposals in the state after the Singur episode. However, the state committee sources disclosed that the Chief Minister apologised for making such personal statement in the public.

The politburo and the party state committee did not waste time to formally reject Buddhadeb’s statement against bandh and strike by stating that it was “his personal views” which were not the party’s stand. All other leftist and the opposition parties also today publicly criticised the Chief Minister for his statement against bandh and strike.

BRIEFLY

UJJAIN
Advani flags off rally: The BJP leader, L.K. Advani, has flagged off “Jan Ashirwad” rally headed by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan here on Thursday. It will aware people about the state government’s public welfare and development-oriented policies to every nook and corner of the state. The rally aimed at launching the party’s election campaign in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. — UNI

CHENNAI
First frozen oocyte baby: India’s first frozen Oocyte (egg) baby was born at a private hospital here on Wednesday. The unique feat was achieved when a 29-year-old woman gave birth to a 2.5 kg bonnie pre-term boy in the city. “This was for the first time in India that a woman conceived using a frozen oocyte, an assisted reproductive technology that has a success rate of just two per cent,” said Dr Kamala. — UNI

MUMBAI
Mahesh Bhatt meets Governor: An eight-member delegation representing various religious organisations led by noted filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt met Maharashtra Governor S.C. Jamir at Raj Bhavan here on Thursday, under the banner of All-India Christian Council. The delegation strongly condemned the attacks on Christians in Orissa and urged that the Centre should step in to save the lives of Christians. The members demanded that armed forces and relief materials be rushed to victims there. — UNI

BOKARO
180 can bombs found: In a major crackdown on Maoists, the security forces on Thursday unearthed 180 can bombs and arrested two ultras from this steel city. SP Priya Dubey said here the bombs were recovered from two hideouts near Lugu hills under Mahuntand police station area in the district. The ultras - Araj Lal Manjhi and Vijay Mahto - were arrested from Narang and Morpa villages under same police station area, Dubey added. — UNI