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Asks K’taka police to be on alert
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High alert
in Kolkata
BJP: Who commands nation’s security?
Mumbai attacks not to affect Medvedev’s visit
Deshmukh ouster a matter of time
Lashkar squad out to kill Modi
Mumbai Attacks
Battle of ballot for Kargil
war hero
Urban spaces not disabled friendly: Ansari
Tackling Terror
‘Sorry Bhai’ Case
BJP tones down anti-Pak talk
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Symbols of resurgent India terror targets: PM
Bangalore, December 3 Puri was gunned down by terrorists in 2005 in front of the J N Tata Memorial Auditorium, the very place where the Manmohan Singh was today addressing a distinguished gathering of scientists, faculty members and students of the IISc. The Prime Minister said terrorists struck at the IISC campus in the city of Bangalore as the institute and the city both had come to symbolise the “resurgent India”. He said the third anniversary of Puri’s death was only a few weeks away (the IIT professor was shot on December 28) and the occasion should be observed with a resolve to defeat “the nefarious design of terrorists”. He said IISc founder and entrepeneur J N Tata, and pioneer Indian scientists like J C Bose, Ramanujan, Satyen Bose, C V Raman, Meghnad Saha, etc, were not only great visionaries but were also staunch patriots. He said while Indian scientists showed astonishing results at a time when the country was still a colony, in post independent India scientific research had seen a downslide. He urged the scientists to “think big” and assured that funding would not be a constraint for scientific research. Lauding the IISc for its contribution in the field of scientific education, the Prime Minister said the success of institution had inspired him to announce setting up of IISc in five other cities of the country. “Let us not allow unreason to dominate over reason or intolerance to threaten tolerance”, the Prime Minister said to underscore the importance of the spread of scientific education in the country. Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, Governor Rameshwar Thakur and former ISRO chairman K Kasturirangan also spoke in the function. Yeddyurappa spoke about the security threat to the city from terrorists and requested the Prime Minister to deploy central forces including NSG commandos in the city. The vote of thanks in the function was presented by IISc director P Balaram.
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Asks K’taka police to be on alert
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seems to be concerned about the security of the nation’s IT capital Bangalore in the wake of the recent strikes by terrorists in Mumbai.
He asked the police in Bangalore to be on alert on his arrival here today. The Prime Minister told city police commissioner Shankar Bidari, who greeted him at the IAF airbase here, of the great responsibilities that lay with the police. “Your responsibilities are high. I am confident that you will discharge your responsibilities,” he told Bidari. A delegation led by Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa also met Manmohan Singh at Raj Bhavan and sought stationing commandos of the National Security Guard (NSG) in the state. Yeddyurappa, in a memorandum, also urged the Central government to sanction three more battalions of the India Reserve Police (IRP) for the state. The Centre has sanctioned funds for raising one battalion of IRP in Karnataka. The Chief Minister also asked the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) to be deployed in the state.
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Intelligence report says terrorists could strike at several places
Subhrangshu Gupta Tribune News Service
Kolkata, December 3 Closed circuit televisions have been installed at all the busy places, hotels, restaurants and markets. Special checking systems have been introduced for the people to enter government and private offices. Guardians have been issued special passes for dropping in and taking back their wards from schools. City police chief Gautam Mohan Chakraborty has requested the people to be on alert and asked them to immediately report if they found anything suspicious. Official sources in the state home department admitted that they had received an intelligence report that Hizbul Mujahiddin and the KLO were preparing a joint operation along with the KPP and dissident Maoists group in and around the city and border districts of Nadia and Malda that would last till December 20. It was reported that Hizbul leader Md Tajuddin, ISI chief Daud Khan and anti-Indian group leader in Bangladesh Abu Taher held a secret meeting at Konabari in Gajipur near Dhaka on November 2 for finalising a detailed plan for their operation in West Bengal and other northeastern states. KPP leader Jiban Singh, who had been absconding from for some time, was also present at the meeting. Incidentally, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had already sent a report to the home ministry stating that the ISI had intensified its network along the Indo-Bangladesh border districts of West Bengal, Assam, Tripura and other northeastern states. He had also spoken to the Prime Minister and the external affairs minister and sought the Centre’s help in preventing the terrorists activities in the region. State home secretary A.M Chakraborty said during his meeting with Union home secretary Madhukar Gupta in Delhi on Friday that he would request him for sanctioning at least 10 companies of the CRPF and other paramilitary forces for combating terror and other criminal activities in the state.
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BJP: Who commands nation’s security?
New Delhi, December 3 BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad referred to four RAW intercepts in between September and November about likely terrorist attacks on hotels facing the sea in Mumbai. He said, “If this is the level of criminal negligence even in matters concerning the security of the Prime Minister then, a very serious question arises, who is in command of the country?”
Clearly not satisfied with the resignation of home minister, Prasad said, “Who after all is responsible? Should we presume that with the exit of home minister Shivraj Patil, all others responsible for country’s security are doing their job well?” He wondered, “Was the centralised intelligence group set up by the NSA doing certain value addition in a systematic way to these inputs or working like a post office just shuffling messages.” He said, “We all know that the chief of IB and RAW have direct access to the Prime Minister and if this was the nature of intelligence input available then what was the PMO, particularly the NSA doing?”
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Mumbai attacks not to affect Medvedev’s visit
New Delhi, December 3 There were apprehensions in diplomatic circles that Medvedev might postpone his maiden visit to India as Russian President in view of the terror strikes in which nearly 200 persons were killed. However, there is no change in his programme and the Russian leader will arrive here tomorrow night as scheduled at the head of a high-level delegation and hold official-level talks with the Prime Minister, officials said. Nearly 10 agreements and a joint declaration are expected to be signed during the Russian leader’s visit, including an accord on setting up of more power plants by Russia in India. Indications are that Russia will set up four more reactors at the Kudankulam nuclear power project. They would include two reactors of 1,000 MW each in addition to the existing two and the induction of two more with a capacity of 1,200 MW each. The two sides had agreed on nuclear cooperation a long time ago but India was waiting for the Indo-US nuclear agreement and the attendant international processes to become operational before inking it. The other agreements include: an MoU between the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and the Russian financial agency, an MoU between ISRO and the Russian space agency, an agreement between the financial intelligence unit of India and the Russian financial intelligence agency to check money laundering, an accord between the National Academy of Customs and Excise and its Russian counterpart, a joint action plan on tourism (2009-2010) and an MoU between the chief executive officer (CEO) forums of the two countries. Meanwhile, India has also decided to renegotiate with Russia the deal for Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier that is to be inducted into the Navy as INS Vikramaditya. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) that met yesterday gave its seal of approval to the defence ministry to strike a deal for the additional cost for the refit and repair of the 44,500-tonne warship scheduled to join the Indian Navy fleet by 2012. Russian Deputy Prime Minister A. Zukhov has already arrived to co-chair the 14th meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission (IRIGC) on trade, economic, scientific, technological and cultural cooperation with external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee. Russia, a time-tested friend of India, has strongly condemned the audacious attacks in Mumbai and offered full support to New Delhi as it fights the scourge of terrorism. Soon after the Mumbai incidents, Medvedev telephoned Manmohan Singh and expressed outrage over the heinous attacks. “We are concerned about the loss of life and consider that acts of terrorism of this type are harmful to the whole international order and a challenge to humanity,” he told Manmohan Singh.
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Deshmukh ouster a matter of time
New Delhi, December 3 “Maharashtra is going through difficult times. An entire spectrum of issues have to be factored into the decision making process These are not the times when the State can be left headless. The principal of accountability has been laid down, which stands and will be applied across the board…people are also expecting that. Otherwise, they would think it is business as usual. There is no uncertainty in the Congress regarding this,” a senior party leader said. Responding to the question on uncertainty in the party regarding the Maharashtra Chief Minister and why the Congress had taken so long to react to the situation, at the Party briefing spokesman Manish Tiwari said “we are ceased of the situation… there is a consultation process underway. As and when we arrive at a decision we will let you know". Tiwari was replying to questions whether Deshmukh would escape the axe and continue to be chief minister and whether the principle of accountability would be applied to him as well. But the real question is that is whether the Congress is ready with a successor for Deshmukh. While on one hand there are speculations that TINA (there is no alternative) factor might come to the rescue of Deshmukh, on the other side is the opinion that the Congress cannot escape but fix the responsibility. The party president Sonia Gandhi has openly voiced her opinion on the accountability issue plus at present there is widespread public anger against politicians. So even while the Congress may have decided that Deshmukh must go, there is no decision yet on who will succeed him as the leadership appears divided. Minister of state in PMO Prithviraj Chavan is almost ruled out because of NCP chief Sharad Pawar's objections. Power Minster Sushil Kumar Shinde also appears to be out of race even though NCP has no problem with him. Apparently, he does not fit the strong Maratha bill and also the Prime Minister is also not keen to sacrifice a senior cabinet minister. That leaves Maharashtra leaders Ashok Chavan and Narayan Rane in the race. Another candidate that has been the latest addition to the list is senior leader Balasahib Vikhe-Patil, who has met Sonia. His name is among those under consideration as a possible replacement for Deshmukh. However, sources say the Congress and its ally NCP are still in a deadlock over a suitable candidate for chief minister. Party in-charge of Maharashtra A K Antony met NCP chief Sharad Pawar again today.
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Lashkar squad out to kill Modi
Mumbai, December 3 Lashkar fidayeens and an advance team sent by the terrorist group have been casing Modi's security for the past several months, the arrested terrorist revealed. Modi, who enjoys Z plus security cover, has been on the hit list of terror organisations for the past several years, especially after the anti-Muslim riots following the Godhra train-burning episode of 2002. According to sources, investigators probing the Mumbai terror attacks are sharing inputs provided by the arrested terrorist with the central intelligence agencies. There seems to be strong indication that a fidayeen squad could have landed in Gujarat at the same time as the terrorists involved in the Mumbai attack. The men responsible for Mumbai mayhem had originally landed at Porbandar in Gujarat from where they headed to India’s financial capital, using a fishing trawler registered in Gujarat. Qasab has confessed that he was a part of 29-member team, which underwent training in Pakistan. Ten of them landed at Cuffe Parade before the terror strike. Wipe out ‘mini-Paks’ first
In its reaction to Mumbai terror strikes, the Shiv Sena today asked the Centre to launch a major crackdown on ‘mini-Pakistans’ in India before taking on its western neighbour. A hard-hitting article published in party’s mouthpiece Saamna said the
'mini-Pakistans' within the country were much more dangerous than India's most talked about neighbour and needed to be destroyed on a priority basis. The newspaper accused the politicians of the ruling parties in India and Maharashtra of allowing hostile elements from Pakistan and Bangladesh to settle down in the country. "Before taking on Pakistan, why not wipe out the
mini-Pakistans that have sprouted across the country,” the article stated. The party said it would not allow sports and cultural personalities from Pakistan to perform in India.
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Angry e-mails and SMSes give vent to pent-up rage
Man Mohan Our Roving Editor
New Delhi, December 3 The mouse’s letter reminds the PM that he promised to make Mumbai like Shanghai, “but you have given us a Jallianwala Bagh.” Copying Mumbaikars’ strong sentiments, even the mouse warns that “enough is enough!” The mouse has compared the terrorist attacks in Mumbai hotels with the Amritsar massacre. In his letter, the mouse has asked the PM “to wake up, and be a real Sardar” and has advised him that “the choice is yours…do you want to be led by one person - Sonia Gandhi - or do you want to lead the nation of 100 crore people?” “If this had been the land of fools and idiots,” says the mouse, “then I would not have cared to write you this letter. We have reached the moon, but on the other hand, politicians have converted nectar into deadly poison. I am everything-Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, SC, ST, OBC, creamy layer, but what I am not is an Indian.” Meanwhile, the latest SMS on Wednesday was about Kerala Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan’s controversial remark on the NSG’s Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, who was killed in the Mumbai terror attacks during a commando operation. On Monday, Achuthanandan told a TV channel that “if it had not been Major Sandeep’s house, not even a dog would have glanced that way.” He said this when the octogenarian CPM leader’s motorcade was shooed away from the Bangalore home of Sandeep, a Keralite, for what his father perceived as the Kerala government ignoring his son’s supreme sacrifice by not making a condolence call on time. As Achuthanandan on Tuesday added more fuel to the fire by saying that “I did not say anything wrong,” an angry SMS says: “Shaheed zindabad, kutagiri murdabad.” The SMS carries an unprintable description of the CM, while pointing out, “see who went to Major’s residence.” Achuthanandan, however, on Wednesday expressed deep sorrow and regret over the pain caused to the officer's kin. Someone has forwarded an SMS on behalf of the Army: “Forgiving a terrorist should be left to God, but fixing their appointment with God is entirely our responsibility - Indian Army.” Another SMS says: “Do not worry about those who have come thru boats as our forces can easily defeat them…worry about those who have come thru votes as they are our real enemies.” There are people who are upset over the financial relief being announced by the authorities for the families of the NSG commandoes and the Maharashtra police, including members of the anti-terrorist squad. “An Olympic shooter wins Gold (only a game) & government gives him rupees 3 crores...another shooter dies, fighting with terrorists (saving our country and our live) & government pays his family rupees 5 lakhs…this is our India…!” reads a fresh e-mail. “The elite NSG commandoes were transported into Mumbai’s ordinary BEST buses, whereas our cricketers taken in luxury buses, these jawans lay down their lives to protect every Indian and these cricketers get paid even if they lose a match. We worship these cricketers and forget the martyrdom of the brave soldiers. The jawans should be paid the salaries of the cricketers and the bat-ball players should be paid the salaries of the jawans,” the e-mail suggests. However, the letter from the Mumbai local train compartment’s mouse to the PM is the most hard-hitting. “Your statement that ‘no body would be spared’ is nothing but a cruel joke on the unfortunate people of India.” “About 15 years have passed since the first serial bomb blasts were carried out in Mumbai by the mafia don Dawood. Our Bollywood actors, builders and gutka kings meet him but your government can’t catch him. Because: the people in power are hand in glove with him,” the mouse’s letter allege. “The day is not far when the terrorists will attack us by air, destroy our nuclear reactors and there will be one more Hiroshima...the people are left with only one choice - womb to bomb to tomb,” it warns. “Only your Home Minister and deputy Maharashtra CM have resigned. What took you so long to kick them out? Why you have not yet accepted National Security Adviser M K Narayanan’s resignation? Their loyalty to Sonia Gandhi was more important than the blood of innocent people, isn't it?” the mouse wants to know.
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Finally, Kerala CM says sorry
Thiruvananthapuram, December 3 “I express deep sorrow and regret over the pain caused to Sandeep Unnikrishnan’s family by certain remarks of me,” the 85-year-old Marxist veteran told reporters here after the Congress-led UDF stalled the assembly proceedings, demanding an apology from him over his remarks. His clarification came shortly after he declined to tender an apology in the Assembly, stating that his remarks were distorted by the media and exploited by the Congress and the BJP for political gains.
— PTI
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Battle of ballot for Kargil
war hero Neem Ka Thana, December 3 Contesting the elections for the first time from Neem Ka Thana seat, Digendra, who is credited with killing 48 Pakistani soldiers and hoisting Indian flag on the Tololing Peak, smiled sarcastically as he had personally experienced how hollow the appreciation was. “They rave about your bravery and encash on it but if one seeks share in the governance, it is denied. It happened with me. Neither the Congress nor the BJP, the so called secular parties, gave me the party ticket. I did not have money to buy the same. My bravery was not considered enough to attract votes,” he said, showing his chest where five bullet marks had pierced in the battle of Kargil. Hell bent to take on the politicians in the election war, Digendera chose to fight them alone. Eventually, Ram Vilas Paswan-led Lok Janashakti Party came to his aid and made him the party’s candidate. “Paswan ji called me saying he wanted heroes like me representing his party. I accepted the offer with tears in my eyes. Parties like the Congress and the BJP can give easy breaks to TV and film actors but not to real life heroes,” he said. Digendera promises a district status for Neem Ka Thana, presently a tehsil. The town achieved fame after the brave feats of Digendera and Ashok Chakra winner Jagdish Prasad Yadav, who laid down his life thwarting terrorist attack on Parliament. “These politicians have been sucking our blood by false promises and corruption. Mein chahun to sab ko tapka du, par yeh jung bullet ki nahi ballot ki hai, inhe aap ko harana hoga (I can defeat them in a duel. But this is war of the ballot, not bullet, only the masses can defeat them)” he roars in his speech. Digendera was all over the national TV when he achieved the near impossible feat of wresting the Tololing Peak from Pakistan.
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Staff crunch disables mental health programme
Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 3 The situation is grim considering mental illness is the most disabling of all illnesses. That’s precisely why it’s the only illness to have been categorized as a disability under the Persons with Disabilities Act. But the matter, it seems, ends at categorisation, with little visible progress on the critical mental health front. Lack of treatment due to shortage of skilled manpower remains the single gravest challenge to the programme. As of now, India needs 11,500 psychiatrists for the NMHP, but has only 3000. The shortage is 8500. The requirement of clinical psychologists is 9000 but the availability is just 500, leaving a gap of 8500. The situation is the same for psychiatric nurses, their current shortage being 2100. But the worst of all categories is psychiatric social workers. The mental health programme needs 9000 social workers but has just 200, the shortage is of 8800 professionals. This problem is linked directly to the dearth of teaching institutions in the country, where per year output of trained mental health professionals is abysmally low when compared to the per year requirement. As against 3000 psychiatrists needed per year, we have an output of just 271. Whereas the country needs 500 clinical psychologists per year, its institutions produce just 50. The output is over 10 times short of the requirement in case of all categories of mental health professionals. Another challenge is to accommodate the ever-growing number of mentally disabled. India just only 30,000 beds for psychiatric patients -- a poor availability by all standards. If that was less, matters are being made worse by lack of coordination between the health ministry, which deals with the treatment component of the programme and the social justice ministry which must provide for rehabilitation of the mentally disabled by setting up half-way homes. Half-way homes are meant to mainstream patients coming out of mental hospitals and help them come back to normal life. Currently, India has just 18 half-way homes for the 10 per cent of its population believed to be mentally disabled. We don’t even have a half-way home for each of the existing 43 mental hospitals. The result is the already ill-equipped hospitals remain forever occupied with long-term patients, depriving admission to the critically ill.
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Urban spaces not disabled friendly: Ansari
New Delhi, December 3 “If only we had ensured implementation in this period, facilities required for the disabled would have been available in a significant number. Today, even our urban and metropolitan spaces continue to constrain persons with disabilities,” said the Vice-President after giving away the national awards to persons with disabilities at Vigyan Bhavan. Ansari added that though there were some excellent exceptions, the country should resolve to ensure that every government facility that catered to persons with disabilities should enjoy a barrier-free environment. Earlier, Ansari talked about the need to see disability in a human rights perspective. He referred to how it was recognised the world over that creation of barrier-free environment for persons with disabilities must start with public buildings and must be written into vehicular design codes for public transport, municipal and civil regulations, constructions codes and building by-laws. In saying this, the Vice-President echoed the sentiment of all the disabled gathered at the function organised by the social justice ministry. Minister Meira Kumar also took today’s occasion to announce that from next year onwards, the government would give away awards for the best Braille press in India. The awards would be given away on January 4 next to coincide with the bi-centenary celebrations of Louis Braille. Thereafter, they would be made part of the national awards. Even today’s show, for that matter, was exceptional, thanks to the display of splendid paintings by Sarita Dwivedi from Uttar Pradesh, who has dysfunctional limbs (she works with her left leg); Rizwan Azimuddin Shaikh from Gujarat who has 80 per cent orthopaedic disability and Kshama from Kulshreshtha, Madhya Pradesh, who has over severe locomotor disability due to spinal cord injury. The awardees for different categories of working persons with disabilities are as follows: Blindness: Dr. G.N. Sangeetha, Karnataka; Gokul Prasad Pareek, Rajasthan; Mohammed Asif Iqbal, West Bengal. Leprosy (cured): Hanamanth Devnoor, Karnataka; Manjulaben Patel, Gujarat. Speech and Hearing impairment: Vijay Krishnamani, Karnataka; Sunita Thomas, Maharashtra. Locomotor Disability: Satender Sangwan, Uttarakhand; Ajay Mandhyan, Jharkhand; Ira Bhatanagar, Andhra Pradesh. Cerebral Palsy: G.J. Siddharth, Tamil Nadu; Latha G., Karnataka; Mental Retardation: K. Srikanth, Andhra Pradesh; Shitur Urjit Shah, Maharashtra. Autism: G. Sujatha, Andhra Pradesh; Multiple Disability: P. Ramalaxman, Andhra Pradesh. Best employer: Padma Vertical Solutions, Tamil Nadu; MPHASISAN EDS Company, Karnataka, Sweeker Rehabilitation Institute for Handicapped, Andhra Pradesh, IBM India, Karnataka, Spectra Vision, Gujarat; Best placement officer: Jhanna Lall Shastri, Assam; Bachchoo Singh, Delhi; Purushottam Jivan Lal Panchal, Gujarat; Prosenjit Majumdar, Delhi Best individual working for the cause of persons with disabilities: Muktaben Pankajkumar Dagli, Gujarat; S. Sunder, Tamil Nadu; Deepak Sharan, Karnataka; Kishore Bhattacharyya, Assam. Best institution: Blind People’s Association (India), Gujrat; National Association for the Blind (Delhi), New Delhi; Devnar Foundation for the Blind, Andhra Pradesh; Society for Child Development, Delhi; M.P. Viklang Sahayta Samiti, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh; Re-Creation, A Voluntary Agency (Spastic Society of Manipur), Manipur Role Model Award: Veena Malhotra, Delhi; Ravindra Nandekar, Maharashtra; Asesh Banerjee, West Bengal; Prabhakar, Tamil Nadu; M. Sagadevan, Tamil Nadu. Best Applied Research/Technological Innovation Aimed At Improving the Life of persons with disability: National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped, Andhra Pradesh. Development of new cost effective product for manufacture aimed at improving the life of persons with disability: Webel Mediatronics Limited, West Bengal; Outstanding work in creation of barrier-free environment for persons with disabilities: Sanjivini Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana, Goa; Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. Best District: Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh; Imphal East and Imphal West, Manipur; Best local level committee of national trust: Local Level Committee, Madhya Pradesh; Best state channelising agency of NHFDC: HP Minorities Finance and Development Corporation, Himachal Pradesh. Outstanding creative adult with disabilities (female): Kshama, Kulshreshtha, Madhya Pradesh; Outstanding creative adult with disabilities (male): Praveen Singh, Uttar Pradesh; Best creative child (girl): Sarita Dwivedi, Uttar Pradesh; Best creative child (boy): Rizwan Shaikh, Gujarat
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Intl community can’t have two yardsticks: Cong
New Delhi, December 3 "Infrastructure for terrorism is there all over Pakistan...The international coalition fighting terror cannot have two yardsticks, one for the eastern border of Pakistan (India) and the other for its western border (Afghanistan)," party spokesman Manish Tewari told reporters here. He said those elements (international terror) which threaten the US, the UK and other states also threaten the stability of South Asia. "The attack on Mumbai should lead to an appraisal of global fight against terror," the spokesman of the ruling party said, adding that the way the attacks were executed suggested that it was an "attack on all liberal democracies of the world". About the statement of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari rejecting India's demand to hand over some 20 terror suspects, believed to be in Pakistan, Tewari said it was an issue of diplomacy and only the External Affairs Ministry would respond to it. On a query about Congress leader Veerappa Moily's statement about a hardline stand against Pakistan, Tewari said that the MEA has already stated that various options are being looked into. The spokesman, however, thanked US President-elect Barrack Obama and other leaders who have expressed solidarity with India in this hour of grief following the terror attacks.
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SC rejects Rabbi Shergill’s plea
Legal Correspondent
New Delhi, December 3 The petition would not be heard before December 15, a Bench comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat and S.H. Kapadia said even as the petitioner expressed the fear that the producers would put the song, under challenge for plagiarism, back in the film. A single judge Bench of Delhi High Court had stayed the release of the film, but a two-judge Bench subsequently vacated it. “Don’t you think two persons listening to the song was better than one person listening,” the Bench asked the petitioner, who has charged that a song, ‘jalte hain,’ in the film had been copied from his composition ‘Ballo’ for his album “Avengi Ja Nahi, released in July 2008. Pointing out that he had chosen to challenge the release of the film in November though its music CD was marketed a month earlier, the Supreme Court said his petition would be listed for hearing in the normal course.
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BJP tones down anti-Pak talk
New Delhi, December 3 BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad stated here today that Pakistan has rejected the demarche of India demanding the handing over of 20 terrorists to it and said of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, “He is now disowning the citizenship of Ajmal Qassab (the terrorist caught alive in Mumbai during the terrorist attack) saying the Government should approach the UNSC. Under the UNSC resolution 1373 India can seek destruction of terrorist bases in Pakistan under UN supervision. |
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Fake currency kingpin held Sandhu is media adviser to PM New DG Infantry takes charge
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World Disability Day
