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Let war with Pak be last option: Rajnath
2008 proved challenging for defence forces
Seat Sharing |
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Set up SC Benches in states: MPs’ panel
No dearth of funds for coastal security: MHA
Fallout Of Xen’s Killing
BSP, UP police hand in glove: Mulayam
Judges must declare assets: Lawyers’ body
Bandh disrupts life in Siliguri
Rs 1,947 cr for Kolkata airport’s makeover
Govt to ‘remove’ SHOs posted under SP govt
Army orders probe into student’s death
Rs 16 crore looted in Arunachal Pradesh
Coming, Bollywood movie on
Bush
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Let war with Pak be last option: Rajnath
Mumbai, December 29 “The UPA government considers the US as India’s strategic partner after signing the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal. It is high time that the Centre uses its diplomatic channels with the US to stop all financial assistance to Pakistan and work jointly to impose economic sanctions against it,” Rajnath told a press conference here. He said the US aid to Pakistan was nearly $2 billion a year. Recently, the US was instrumental in the International Monetary Fund providing $7.6 billion package to save Pakistan from Bankruptcy. “According to credible media reports published in US dailies, Pakistan has been diverting the monetary assistance from Western countries to fund terrorist modules against India,” the BJP leader said. He said Pakistan leadership had also admitted that “non-state players” were involved in the Mumbai attacks last month. “Pakistan is a nuclear-weapon state. The international community must take cognizance of the fact that it cannot control the non-state actors operating in the country. It is also important to note whether Pakistan’s nuclear weapons are a threat to world peace,” he added. Asserting that military strikes could be the last option, Rajnath said the government should take international community into confidence and persuade it to launch a joint military action under the UN Security Council’s supervision against terrorists operating from Pakistan. He said news reports indicated that the Pakistani navy had already switched to war mode. India could consider the option of military blockade of Karachi, a step which is in conformity with the International law, he added. The BJP leader said the government was not only “confused in its approach but also showed willingness to compromise and thereby diluting the national agenda against terrorism”. “India should immediately withdraw itself from the Indo-Pak anti-terror mechanism and snap economic and commercial ties with Pakistan in protest against its blunt refusal to hand over perpetrators of the heinous crime,” he added. Rajnath also called for fixing charges of ‘war crimes’ against the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jamaat-ud-Dawa and the ISI in the International Court at Hague. He felt that current diplomatic initiatives being undertaken by the government were not strong enough. “It should be done discreetly. We have our foreign and defence ministers stating that all options, including war, are possible against Pakistan while the Prime Minister says that there was no need for a war,” Rajnath said. He claimed that government never tried to build national consensus on terrorism before the Mumbai attacks.
— PTI
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2008 proved challenging for defence forces
Although Prime Minister Manmohan Singh categorically stated that India did not want a war with Pakistan, the government had looked at the military option in the wake of the November 26 Mumbai terror attacks. As the armed forces geared up along the western borders and the Line of Control, the Navy projected its strength when it went pro-active against the audacious pirates off the Somali coast in November. The Navy's sinking of a pirate vessel sent out a strong message to the world of India's resolve to root out the menace that has threatened sea lanes vital for global trade. A government decision on October 23 gave powers to the Navy to act against the sea bandits, who had hijacked over 100 ships this year, and in the two months since then, the warships have successfully repulsed three attacks on merchant vessels and nabbed 23 pirates. The IAF, on its part, showcased it strategic reach by flying Su-30 MKI air superiority fighter jets and IL-78 air-to-air refuellers to NATO air exercise 'Red Flag' in the US to pit its pilots and machines against air forces of the US, France and South Korea in September, and came out with flying colours. The Army successfully validated its "Cold Start" war doctrine during 'Exercise Brazen Chariots' using firepower and superior tactics in the Pokhran range in the Rajasthan desert in March, as defence attaches from foreign missions watched in awe. The only blot in the textbook execution of the exercise objective was the loss of lives of three jawans in a freak mishap during the live firepower demonstration. In the wake of the Mumbai terror strikes, armed forces commandos joined the security personnel in eliminating the terrorists in the western megapolis. Just after this operation, India came close to trying the "Cold Start" doctrine, developed from experiences in troop mobilisation during Operation 'Parakram' after the 2001 December Parliament terror attack. "Cold Start" refers to the military doctrine under which a smaller formation in the borders carries out a short, but quick offensive at the enemy's vital installation, in coordination with the IAF. The Navy's plans to acquire a nuclear-powered submarine from Russia in 2010 for testing India's submarine launched ballistic missile was hit after an Akula-II class vessel, 'Nerpa', encountered a mishap during sea trials in Russia in November. The 1.5 million-strong defence forces of the country also had their own moments of despair, when "anomalies" remained to be addressed by the Sixth Central Pay Commission report that was implemented in September. Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta, along with Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major and Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor appealed to the Prime Minister to intervene. The government in October approved the implementation of the Phase-II of the Ajai Vikram Singh Committee report providing for 1,896 new posts of colonels, brigadiers, major generals and lieutenant generals, aimed at career progression. In July, it created the Armed Forces Tribunal at Delhi with eight regional benches to hear the service-related grievances of the personnel. The government also approved permanent commission for future women officers in the three armed forces, but restricted it to certain non-combat services such as the Judge Advocate General branch and Education Corps. In August, the government released the fresh Defence Procurement Procedure, 2008, which aimed at rationalising licensing condition, introducing offset banking, listing defence products and exempting offsets of acquisitions under fast track procedures. The document, which became operational in September, also aimed at giving a boost to indigenous defence industry, encouraging competition by broadening the vendor base. India, in fact, plans to spend over $100 billion in the next five years for defence procurement, both from the domestic and foreign markets. Continuing the close army-to-army relations, India held the second 'Hand-in-Hand' series of army exercise with the Chinese army in Belgaum in Karnataka in December. Counter-terrorism operations were high on the training agenda. Among the major long-term initiatives for India's quest to be acknowledged as a major power in the region was the Indian Ocean Region Syposium (IONS) hosted by the Navy in February, participated by naval chiefs of 25 littoral nations. As many as 33 nations of the Indian Ocean region including France, South Africa and Australia are part of the IONS initiative which is aimed at long-term cooperation among the navies of the region that constitute 20 per cent of the world's oceanic area and for increased maritime domain awareness. The Navy also suffered a blow on February 1 when a freak mishap on board INS Jalashwa, acquired from the US last year, killed five naval personnel and injured three others. Another major irritant has been the fresh price demand of Russians for the Admiral Gorshkov (INS Vikramaditya) aircraft carrier. Finally, the Cabinet asked the Defence Ministry to carry out negotiations on Russia's demand for an additional amount of $1.2 billion. India had already paid $1.5 billion in 2004 for the warship. The year also witnessed the IAF's induction of the newly acquired 'Hawks' Advanced Jet Trainers in February, fulfilling a long-felt need to effectively bridge the gap between the slower indigenous Kiran trainers to the advanced "unforgiving" fighter jets. Some of the major developments in IAF included the opening of the Daulat Beg Oldi and Fuk Che advanced landing grounds in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir closer to the Sino-Indian borders. First of the Sukhoi squadrons were also deployed temporarily for training purposes in Leh and Srinagar air bases in the later part of the year. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) celebrated its golden jubilee in January and found success in several of its projects including the testing of the naval version of 'BrahMos' supersonic cruise missile, the 700-km range 'Agni-I', the 3,500-km range nuclear-capable Agni-III and 350-km-range Prithvi-II strategic missiles, 'Nag' anti-tank missile, and the new 'Shaurya' missile. The country lost its most loved military leader in the death of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw at the age of 94. He will be remembered as the architect of India's stunning victory over Pakistan during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
— PTI
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Seat Sharing
Mumbai, December 29 Both parties seem opposed to the earlier arrangement under which the BJP got the bulk of the Lok Sabha seats while the Sena played the dominant role in the state. Now, the Sena wants a greater say in the Lok Sabha while the BJP sees a possible chance at the top job in Maharashtra, with the support of a weakened Shiv Sena. However, sensing that the BJP under Lal Krishna Advani was desperate to hold on to the 20-year-old alliance in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena has upped the ante leaking reports to the media that it was holding talks with the Bahujan Samaj Party. None other than the party’s Rajya Sabha MP and editor of party mouthpiece Sanjay Raut is behind the move to leak information on the negotiations with Mayawati's outfit. The Shiv Sena, says Raut, was fulfilling Bal Thackeray's dream to empower the Dalits by negotiating with the BSP. Mayawati's party managed about four per cent of the vote in the last Lok Sabha elections and spoilt the chances of a number of Congress and NCP heavyweights. The BSP also managed impressive showings in local elections and garnered impressive crowds at political rallies organised by the UP Chief Minister. But it’s hardly a contender in Maharashtra politics, say observers. However, the threat of the Sena shifting support away from the BJP could badly hurt Advani’s chance for the post of Prime Minister and Thackeray’s want to milk the opportunity for whatever it is worth. Sources say the Sena wants to contest 24 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. So far, the regional party had remained contended with 22 seats under a formula crafted by late Pramod Mahajan. In return, the BJP let the Sena keep 171 seats in the state Assembly. Senior Maharashtra BJP leaders in the post-Mahajan era want a lion's share in the state Assembly as they see the Shiv Sena losing ground. “We have to gear ourselves for days when Balasaheb is not around,” says a senior BJP leader. “Thackeray’s son and heir apparent Uddhav is not seen as a chip of the old block and the Sena is reeling under the defections of Raj Thackeray and Narayan Rane.” Meanwhile, the RSS lobby in the BJP has already cracked the whip on the supporters of the Thackerays in the party. Gopinath Munde, Mahajan's brother-in-law, has been pushed into a corner. After threatening a revolt against the party last year, Munde managed to hold on to office but the BJP’s debacle in Rajasthan under his watch has hurt the leader. Maharashtra BJP president Nitin Gadkari, who does not see eye to eye with Munde, is waiting to strike but has been held on a tight leash by Advani. With the LS polls being held ahead of the Assembly elections, the Thackerays sense that it could be their election as an ally with the BJP. Seat sharing arrangements in the Assembly elections due in October 2009 would depend on the composition of the next Lok Sabha. So the Sena aims to drive a hard bargain.
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Set up SC Benches in states: MPs’ panel
New Delhi, December 29 In its latest report (32nd), the 31-member committee said it was reiterating its recommendation for such Benches for easy accessibility to justice to the poor and the needy on reasonable expenditure. The government had earlier informed the committee through the action taken report
(ATR) that the Supreme Court had not agreed to setting up its Benches "at any place outside Delhi." The Full Court of the Supreme Court had considered the matter on August 7, 2007 and found “no justification” for deviating from its earlier resolutions (rejecting the proposal). The Chief Justice conveyed this to the government a few days later, on August 12. In order to obviate the difficulties faced by litigants in other parts of the country, the SC subsequently introduced a system enabling petitioner-in-person and advocates-on-record to file cases through internet. The Standing Committee had made the suggestion on SC Benches in its 26th report, stating that Article 130 of the Constitution had a provision for this. The
ATR, however, pointed out that Article 130 provided that the SC “shall sit in Delhi or in such other place or places as the CJI may appoint with the approval of the President”. The government, however, clarified in the ATR that the recommendation was still being examined in consultation with the Law Ministry. The panel wants the establishment of Benches at least in Chennai on a trial basis and then in other parts of the country.
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No dearth of funds for coastal security: MHA
New Delhi, December 29 Representatives of all nine coastal states and four union territories including the Andaman Nicobar islands were in the meeting at the North Block here today. The biggest development is of having a specialised identity cards to inhabitants of coastal villages including the fishermen who reside here. The Registrar General of India circulated a proforma at the meeting and requested the states to provide the requisite information to enable it to issue bio-metric cards. Security agencies will be equipped with hand-held card readers to know the details of the holders. It was also informed that a sum of Rs 100 crore has been earmarked for having transponders on all boats that are below 300 tonnes of weight. There are about three lakh such vehicles. The Automatic Identification System will be all along the coats and the boats will be fitted with transponders. Also, the fishermen will be provided basic training in identifying outside vessels and informing the coast guard about suspicious activities. At the meeting it was pointed out there is a need to have uniformity in the process of registration of boats. The Ministry of Shipping has been asked to circulate a draft of the uniform system of registration. The meeting attended by National Security Adviser
(NSA) MK Narayanan, Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta, BSF Director General ML Kumawat and representatives of Navy and Coast Guards. The meeting had a threadbare discussion about the security requirements, including fast-moving vessels and sophisticated naval equipment to protect Indian waters, a Home Ministry official said.
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Malegaon Blast
Mumbai, December 29 The holiday magistrate of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act court, which is hearing the Malegaon blasts case, granted a transit remand to the Jabalpur police so that Kulkarni could be produced before a court there. The court also extended the judicial custody of nine others accused in the case till January 6. These included Sadhvi Praghya Singh
Thakur, Army officer Lt. Col. Prasad Shrikant Purohit, Dayanand Pandey, alias Swami
Amritanand, a self-proclaimed Shankaracharya and others.
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Fallout Of Xen’s Killing
Lucknow, December 29 On Sunday, Mathura district president Pratap Singh was shown the door along with his two sons. They had been named as the main accused in a shootout that had left one Raghvendra Singh dead at Inder Nagla in Mathura on Saturday night. In Aurraiya where the local BSP MLA had created an outrage by killing a PWD engineer, the party has decided to disband the entire district unit. District president Yogendra
Dohrey, who was reportedly close to the BSP MLA, has also been named as an accused in the killing of the engineer. Incidentally, the GRP at Aurraiya has named BSP MLA Shekhar Tiwari and seven of his associates in another criminal case against them for allegedly assaulting public servants and indulging in rioting and causing damage to the public property. The complaint is regarding a heated argument that took place during the night of December 21 and 22 after which Tiwari and his seven associates came to blows with the GRP and Railway Protection Force
(RPF) jawans. An FIR regarding in this regard has been lodged with the GRP outpost at Phaphoond railway station in Aurraiya district on Sunday evening. According to the FIR, Tiwari and his aides reached the railway station in an intoxicated state and allegedly misbehaved with the staff at the office of the Assistant Station Master. Another abduction that had reportedly occurred in Ferozabad district on December 1 has now come out in the open. A woman has charged local BSP MLA
Naseeruddin, and his men, of allegedly abducting her daughter Rekha on December 1.
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BSP, UP police hand in glove: Mulayam
Lucknow, December 29 Replying to Chief Minister Mayawati's charges that the police inspector of Dibiapur was acting on the SP tunes, Yadav said the situation was just reverse as the nexus existed between the BSP and police. Talking to mediapersons here, Yadav said the party would continue its agitation against the state government over the PWD executive engineer M K Gupta's killing by BSP MLA Shekhar Tiwari and would observe ‘Thu Thu Diwas’ to counter the ‘Dhikkar Diwas’ announced by the ruling party on January 15, the birthday of Mayawati. “The party is yet to decide modalities of the ‘Thu Thu Diwas,’ but we will hold a big programme to counter the BSP’s birthday celebrations and expose the government,” he said. Commenting on the fate of the electoral pact between the SP and Congress for the coming Lok Sabha elections, the SP chief said the talks were going on in the ‘right direction’ and alliance would be evolved soon. “We are not in a hurry as there is enough time to resolve the differences in some seats with the Congress,” he said. Asked if the Congress was behind the petition filed in the Supreme Court on the disproportionate asset case against him and his family members, the former UP CM said, “I don't think so.”
— UNI
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Judges must declare assets: Lawyers’ body
Hyderabad, December 29 “A mechanism must be created for the effective implementation of this policy,” a resolution adopted at the 10th national conference of AILU here said. The conference also demanded that the spouses, sons and daughters of the judges of the apex court and high courts declare their assets. The three-day meeting, attended by members of AILU from all over the country, suggested constitution of an independent national judicial commission to "appoint, remove and transfer" high court judges. The president and general secretary of Andhra Pradesh unit of AILU G Vidyasagar and K Satyanaryana, respectively, released copies of the conference resolutions to the media. The lawyers’ body also demanded constitutional amendment for setting up of Supreme Court benches in various parts of the country and allowing use of vernacular languages as an option in high courts. The conference called for measures to ensure that there were 50 judges for a population of 10 lakh so that the delay in administration of justice was reduced significantly. Also, the lawyers strongly opposed entry of foreign law firms into the country. Meanwhile, West Bengal Assembly Speaker Hamid Abdul Halim was re-elected as AILU general secretary at the conference. A 28-member national executive and central committee with 120 members were also constituted. Addressing the conference earlier, Supreme Court judge B Sudarshan Reddy said that the criminal justice system in the country had become “dysfunctional, fuelling a sense of helplessness in rural poor”.
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Bandh disrupts life in Siliguri
Siliguri, December 29 Shops, markets, business establishments downed their shutters and private vehicles kept off the roads, official reports said. Three Janachetana activists, including its secretary Mridul Chakraborty, were arrested by the Pradhan Nagar police for allegedly trying to enforce the bandh, Additional Superintendent of Police Gaurav Sharma said. In Jalpaiguri district, the shutdown call evoked response in many places, particularly in the Dooars area, Superintendent of Police Manoj Verma said. Shops in the Dooars tea gardens functioned normally, but some shops and business establishments remained closed, official reports said. Fewer private vehicles plied on the roads. The shutdown did not have any impact outside Terai and Dooars region of Jalpaiguri, besides Siliguri. Significantly though the CPM had formally opposed the bandh, it did not field cadre to oppose it.
— PTI
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Rs 1,947 cr for Kolkata airport’s makeover
Kolkata, December 29 The duo were speaking on the occasion of the laying of foundation stone for modernising the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata. The Rs 1947 crore Kolkata airport’s modernisation project would be executed within 13 months by M/s Edal Tahis & Company, the one that recently upgraded the Bangkok International Airport. Among those present were Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, CPI (M) politburo member Sitaram Yechuri, several state ministers, MPs and MLAs. Regretting the delay in commencing of the project, Mukherjee said now the modernisation programme would be taken up at war footing and completed within the stipulated period. Mukherjee said: “We should now be looking to the east, towards China and Japan in particular, for developing West Bengal and other north-east and eastern states of the country.” He complimented Patel for taking the decision of upgrading Kolkata airport along with those at Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bangaluru. With the modernisation of Netaji Subhash Chandra airport, Bhattacharjee said, the whole of West Bengal and other states in the region would be benefited.
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Govt to ‘remove’ SHOs posted under SP govt
Lucknow, December 29 “A circular has been issued to all IGs and DIGs to prepare a list of Station House Officers posted during the previous Mulayam Singh Yadav regime between September 2003 to May 2007,” a senior official said today. The Chief Minister at a press conference on Saturday had described Hoshiyar Singh, SHO of the Dibiyapur police station, as “a Samajwadi Party (SP) man” and cast doubts over his role in the case of the killing of the PWD engineer in Auraiya allegedly by a BSP MLA. “After the Auraiya incident, the BSP government feels that these SHOs posted during the previous SP regime could do anything to malign the image of the government and the circular was issued to remove such policemen from these posts after identifying them,” the official said. Singh was suspended and a probe had been initiated against him after the killing of the PWD engineer.
— PTI |
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Army orders probe into student’s death
Bangalore, December 29 The “internal” probe into the shooting at the Flag Staff House here, the residence of Commander of Karnataka and Kerala Sub-Area, would be conducted by an Army Colonel from the Madras Engineering Group and Centre (MEG &
Centre) here, Army sources said. It would look into the breach of security, verify the version given by sentries, find out what other Army guards on duty were doing at the time of the incident and suggest measures, if needed, to enhance security, the sources added. “The inquiry is expected to be completed in a couple of days”, the sources said. |
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Rs 16 crore looted in Arunachal Pradesh
Itanagar, December 29 The money might have been looted in the past two days when the treasury was closed. It was detected when the staff today opened the vaults after two successive holidays. Police reinforcements have been sent from here by helicopter to Anini along China border on receipt of the information. There were only 14 policemen in the district headquarters and the police super was away, the sources said, adding no one has been arrested so far. The possibilities of the involvement of undergrounds or insiders could not be ruled out, they said.
— PTI
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Coming, Bollywood movie on Bush
New Delhi, December 27 An Indian filmmaker has made a film showing how much the Indians actually love the outgoing US President. Produced by Rohan Sippy, ‘The President is Coming’ is a work of fiction and it is all set to release on January 9 next year. The film shows the journey of six young Indians who are desperate to meet the US President during his visit to India. “In a way, George Bush is the star of the film as everyone around there is desperate to meet him. It’s about the hue and cry created around his visit to India where a contest has been organised and the winner gets to meet the American President,” scriptwriter Anuvab Pal said over the phone from Mumbai. National award winning actress Konkona Sen Sharma plays one of those six Indians who compete with each other to meet Bush. — PTI
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New Delhi, December 29