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Mamata link to Rajdhani hijack? CPM believes it
Home Ministry warns of more
such incidents
Bhagwat-Advani meeting creates flutter
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Cong hopes for M’rashtra repeat in Jharkhand polls
Year on, Assam blasts’ mastermind still at large
Chinese intrusions errors: Krishna
PM’s offer to Hurriyat irrelevant, says BJP
Dhruv crash raises questions
Bihar to modify surrender policy for Naxalites
100 yrs on, Dalits gain access to temple
Fresh fraud case against Big B
Manmohan Singh scholarships announced
AI pilots threaten ‘action’
over dues
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Mamata link to Rajdhani hijack? CPM believes it
New Delhi, October 28 Putting the Railway Minister in the spot for repeatedly expressing her sympathies for the Naxals in public, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat demanded that the connection between the Union Minister and the Maoists be made known, especially after yesterday’s incident. Mamata had last evening, rather hurriedly, come to the defence of Maoists after the news spread that the New Delhi-Bhubaneshwar Rajdhani Express had been halted by armed crowds in Banstala in West Bengal. “The Maoists have told me they have not done it. Then who has done it?” the TMC chief had said even before the information regarding the incident was fully out. She was in fact quick to lend political shade to the crisis by pointing the finger of suspicion at the ruling Left Front government in the state. Today, however, it was the Minister’s turn to face music, with the Left parties demanding answers from the Prime Minister on how a member of his Cabinet was voicing views that ran contradictory to government’s stand on Maoist violence in the country. “The Prime Minister says the Naxals are the gravest threat to India’s internal security, while his Cabinet colleague has sympathy for the Maoists. This contradiction deserves to be explained,” CPM Politburo member Sitaram Yechury today said, further ruing the irony that the TMC was using the Maoists for political gains in West Bengal. How far is it correct to use rails and other such establishments to meet political purposes, Yechury asked, even as TMC’s Shishir Adhikari denied the allegations, instead accusing
the CPM for links with Maoists. “It is the CPM and the Maoists who are together. Both are under China’s influence,” he said. The Left for its part had a point in questioning Mamata’s sharing the dais with PCPA (People’s Committee against Police Atrocities) Chief Chatradhar Mahato, whose release the Naxals sought after they stopped the New Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express. Though born out of people’s struggles in West Bengal, the PCPA is now a known frontal organisation of the Maoists with Chatradhar Mahato’s brother being a leading Maoist leader in the area. Meanwhile, Singhvi dubbed CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat’s allegation of involvement of a Union Minister in Maoist violence as “baseless, mindless and ridiculous”.
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Home Ministry warns of more
such incidents New Delhi, October 28 The future attacks could be on a much bigger scale, an official said, adding pressure was mounting on the Maoists, hence such acts of desperation were being carried out. According to sources, the Home Ministry is livid at how a group of Maoists armed with only lathis and stones attacked and detained one of the country’s premier trains. At the time of the incident there was no armed escort on board as is the practice on the Rajdhani’s and Shatabdi’s. The officials said Central agencies were collating inputs on who masterminded the attack. In some sections of the media have alleged that the Maoists, who attacked the train, were affiliated to the Trinamool Congress led by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee. Fallout of the incident was discussed at a meeting in the Ministry of Home Affairs today. The direction is clear that there would be no changes in the plans to counter the Naxals, an official said. Home Minister P Chidambaram has already made it clear that the Maoists would have to lay down arms before any dialogue starts. Separately, Defence Minister AK Antony has rejected Mamata Banerjee's demand for deployment of the Army in Maoist-affected areas of West Bengal, saying use of Armed Forces for internal security was the “last, last and last resort”. He said law and order issues should be handled by respective state governments and ruled out talks with Maoists before they abjure violence. Agreeing that Naxal violence was a serious threat to internal security, Antony said the Centre would render all help to the affected states. He said the government was of the view that the tribal and Maoist-affected states needed more development.
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Bhagwat-Advani meeting creates flutter
New Delhi, October 28 In the capital today, Bhagwat again created flutters when he met BJP’s leader in the Lok Sabha LK Advani to discuss “party affairs”. That the meeting came in the wake of the forthcoming winter session of Parliament (before which Advani was to, according to some reports, step down) made it extremely significant, with party sources saying the two discussed the impending party presidential elections. The national president of the BJP would be selected before the end of this year, and there were reports earlier that Advani might step down from his position around the same time. As Bhagwat met the BJP leader today, speculation was rife on whether he discussed the leadership issue with Advani in the post-Vasundhara Raje resignation era. Vasundhara’s resignation was being seen, by many, as a precursor to Advani’s final exit. However, the party was, as usual, mum on the matter today. When asked what transpired between Bhagwat and Advani, party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said, “Advaniji is such a senior leader of the party. It might just be RSS chief’s courtesy call on him.” But the duration of the meeting was enough to tell that the meeting was more than a “courtesy call”, with party sources admitting that the two leaders might have discussed change of guard from old to young, along with the national presidential election issue. The party was, by and large, on the defensive today, after Bhagwat’s “misrepresented” statement in Jaipur yesterday on the need for a surgery or chemotherapy for the BJP. To party’s relief, Bhagwat today clarified that he never said such a thing. “I don’t even think it is necessary for me to clarify the point. The said TV news channel must have clarified already,” Bhagwat said at the launch of “India Battles to Win” by former Panchjanya editor Tarun Vijay. On the launch event at Parliament Library, too, Bhagwat, was in sharp focus. He made the right kind of noises reminding the UPA that it was in India’s best interest to take pride in being itself. “India should not want to be like the USA or China. Diplomatic mistakes made in the past need to be corrected. We don’t want to fight with anyone, but we should be strong and secure enough so no one dares to fight with us,” said the RSS Sarsanghchalak, who enjoys the reputation of being more accessible than any of his predecessors.
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Cong hopes for M’rashtra repeat in Jharkhand polls
New Delhi, October 28 Political observers claim that the grand old party is following the Maharashtra approach as it goes about finalising the line of attack for the Jharkhand elections. In a tactical move to unnerve prospective alliance partner Jharkhand Mukti Morcha
(JMM), Congress negotiators are floating suggestions that the party is not interested in an alliance with Shibu Soren’s
JMM. Observers explain that the recent win in three states has worked wonders for the Congress’ morale and the party feels it is in a position to operate from the driver’s seat in
Jharkhand. “The party thinks it can drive a hard bargain and is only trying to drive a message to the JMM by showing disinterest,” they explain. Meanwhile, what appears to be almost certain is that the Congress does not want anything to do with Lalu’s RJD and Ramvilas Paswan’s
LJP. This despite Lalu and Paswan leaving no stone unturned to woo the Jharkhand Congress. The duo are not entertaining ticket claims, presumably because they do not want to repeat mistakes made during the Bihar Lok Sabha elections in
Jharkhand. Congress sources indicate that if things with the JMM do not work out the way the party wants to, it might try its luck alone. Party general secretary Rahul Gandhi wants to strengthen the party in the region and may support the clamour by state Congress workers that this time the party should try going alone as an experiment. “The disadvantage of going with the JMM is that automatically people think that Soren will become the Chief Minister. The advantage of going with him is that the Congress stands to gain from sizable tribal vote share that he enjoys,” sources say. Another option for the Congress is to go with Babulal Marandi’s Jharkhand Vikas Morcha
(JVM). Marandi, a BJP rebel, has a good hold in the region. Congress sources indicate the party might think of joining hands with
Marandi, if he agrees to “spare more seats”. “We are not averse to the idea of forming an alliance with the
JVM. We are ready to give around 20 seats to Marandi,” a Congress leader says.
Marandi however wants to contest half the assembly seats. While, Congress leaders favour contesting on the party’s own strength, observers say the party’s optimism is not based on the ground reality in the backdrop of results of Lok Sabha elections in the state. Meanwhile, with the Congress showing disinterest toward aligning with
JMM, the tribal party has started scouting for new allies.
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Year on, Assam blasts’ mastermind still at large
Guwahati, October 28 However, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which took over from Assam police within two months of the tragedy, has completed the investigation. In the meantime, police and security forces have killed 73 NDFB cadres in the state in the intensified operation launched against the outfit that continues to strike terror in the state at regular intervals. According to the chargesheet of the CBI before the Court of Special Judicial Magistrate, the NDFB’s fugitive ‘chairman’ hatched the conspiracy for the blasts. The chargesheet named 18 others besides him. Six of the accused - Ajay Basumatary, Nilim Daimary, Prabhat Boro, Jayanti Brahma, Raju Sarkar, and Mridul Goyari - have been arrested. Some of the accused, besides Ranjan Daimary, who are still at large are Arun Borgayary alias Dinthilang, George Boro alias John, Jitu Daimary, Tarun Swargiary, Khargeswar Basumatary alias Rahul Brahma, Tensu Narzary alias Thungri Boro, Dinesh Boro, Uttam Swargiary alias Ulafat and Rajen Goyari alias Rifikhang. The NDFB took the final decision to carry out the serial blasts in a meeting held on October 19 last year at Jhoraguri in Kokrajhar district in the house of Dinthilang alias Arun Borgoyary alias Kabin, self-styled Army chief of the NDFB. The meeting was attended by many NDFB cadres, including Ulafat, Rifkhang Goyari, George alias John, Rahul Brahma alias Kharmswar and Ajoy Basumatary
alias Aogai. Spadework for the blasts was started in July 2008 when the three Maruti 800 cars used in the three blasts in Guwahati - Ganeshguri, CJM court complex, and Panbazar - were bought. Ajoy Basumatary came to Guwahati from Bangladesh on October 13 after undergoing training in arms and explosives handling. The NDFB chairman sent Nilim Daimary from Bangladesh to Assam to procure explosives with the help of G Songswar, an NDFB cadre from Udalguri district in Assam. Nilim was later arrested in Meghalaya and some other cadres of the outfit who had received training in Bangladesh procured explosives. It was also during the October 19 meeting that Ulafat was directed to trigger the blast at Bongaigaon and Kokrajhar, Rifkhang. George was assigned Barpeta and Ganeshguri. Rahul Brahma alias Kharmswar was given the task to bomb the CJM court complex and Panbazar in Guwahati. Finally, Prabhat Boro and Raju Sarkar triggered Ganeshguri blast, which caused maximum damage to life and property.
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India won’t join US ops in Afghanistan: Antony
New Delhi, October 28 “I am saying categorically that there is no question of Indian military involvement in Afghanistan,” Antony told reporters when asked about the US suggesting India to join its military operations in Afghanistan. “I do not foresee such a situation,” Antony said, in reply to a question if the recent Indo-US army counter-insurgency and anti-terror exercise was aimed at future joint operations in Afghanistan. India was involved in Afghanistan for humanitarian aid, reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts. At the recent joint military exercise in Babina, Uttar Pradesh, a US Army commander Lieut. Gen. Benjamin Mixon had said that his troops would be comfortable operating with Indian troops in the future anywhere and anytime, and that the fortnight-long exercise that ended on Monday was aimed at achieving inter-operability. Defence Minister AK Antony today announced a 33 per cent jump in the number of Indian Coast Guard personnel, who form country’s naval counter-terrorism force. The announcement comes after around 11 months
of the biggest terror attack in India in November last year. The government has sanctioned nearly 3,000 additional posts at various levels and these needs to be filled on priority basis. He said the concept of “security” has changed in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks and the spectrum and nature of duties of the Indian Coast Guard have undergone a sea change. The Coast Guard would be one of the world’s best forces in a couple of years, he added. The force was in the process of acquiring 20 fast patrol vehicles (OPVs), 41 interceptor boats, 12 coastal surveillance aircraft (Dorniers) and seven offshore patrol vehicles.
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After Russia, US to produce fighter aircraft in India
New Delhi, October 28 President of the Boeing Military Aircraft systems Chris Chadwick made it clear today that F-18, produced by Boeing, “will be for licensed production in India by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)”. If the IAF selects F-18, first 18 aircraft will be imported and the rest will be made in India. Chadwick was replying to a question if Boeing was comfortable with producing its frontline aircraft in India like the Russian products are made here. Notably, Russian fighter Sukhoi-30, rated as one of the best in the world, and the T-90 tanks, both are produced in India as part of an agreement between India and Russia. His colleague Mike Reitz, director of the F-18 project made it clear: “The US government has approved of the technology transfer. We will be building the plane here itself and not be just assembling parts ”. The F-18 is part of the six global contenders of the medium range multi-role aircraft (MMRCA) project that India in buying. At $10 billion, it is one of the biggest ongoing deals in the world. The F-18 has finished its two-stage Indian leg of the trails conducted across Bangalore, Jaisalmer and Leh. As part of its commitment to Indian market, Boeing has signed agreements with a total of 38 Indian defence public sector companies and private companies for supplying equipment. Agreements have been signed with Indian companies such as Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Electronic Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Boeing India head Vivek Lall said. As per the Defence Procurement Procedure, for any deal worth over Rs 300 crore, the selected manufacturer has to reinvest a minimum of 30 per cent of the deal’s worth in Indian defence industry. The F-18 has been modified for Indian conditions, said Reitz as he challenged the other five contenders saying “we challenge anybody to fly a plane like us”. A new radar, that allows tracking of multiple targets on land, air and sea, is fitted onto the plane. The US Government has also approved this for technology transfer to India.
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Chinese intrusions errors: Krishna
Bangalore, October 28 In a ‘meet-the-press’ programme at the Press Club here today, Krishna said border between India and China was not clearly delineated and this gave rise to the problem. “It is nothing to be alarmed about,” Krishna said and added that a mechanism was being worked out to prevent recurrence of such incidents. “Indo-China border is most peaceful. There may be incursion by the Chinese without them even being aware of it. Relations between the two countries are warm,” Krishna, who held a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart here yesterday, said. He added that efforts were underway to take the relationship between the two nations to the next level, which would be one of “partnership”. The Minister said National Security Adviser MK Narayanan had been assigned to hold negotiations with the Chinese on the boundary questions and the two sides had already held meetings on the issue. He, however, added that resolution of the disputes would be a time-consuming process and would require a “lot of patience” on the part of those who were keen to see an end to the boundary problems. Regarding the proposed visit of Dalai Lama’s to Arunachal
Pradesh, Krishna reiterated that the Tibetan spiritual leader was an “honoured guest of India” and was free to go to any part of the country that he would wish to visit.
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PM’s offer to Hurriyat irrelevant, says BJP
New Delhi, October 28 “Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji had started the dialogue process, but the UPA failed to take it forward in the first five years of its rule. Making such offers now, when Pakistan is accusing India of aiding the Taliban and is not acting against the perpetrators of Mumbai attacks, is meaningless and sheer dishonesty on the part of the UPA,” said BJP national spokesperson Prakash Javadekar, accusing the Centre of a failed diplomatic policy. The party also asked the PM to explain whether he gave a go-ahead to the 2G spectrum licence allotment, as claimed by Raja. “This becomes necessary in the wake of the new revelation in the form of a noting by the then law minister HR Bhardwaj and letters from the PM to Raja and vice-versa,” Javadekar said. The new revelation suggests that the PM had not cleared the allotment and had in fact asked Raja to advance the same in the wake of TRAI’s objections to the same. “We would like to know why the PM is compromising his Mr Clean image for Raja?” the BJP asked.
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Dhruv crash raises questions
Bangalore, October 28 Ameen Faisal, Minister of Defence and National Security of Maldives, arrived in Bangalore today and visited the export hangar and the helicopter complex of HAL. He also had a look at the Advanced Light Helicopter prototype developed by HAL.The Maldivian Defence Minister will proceed to Belgaum tomorrow where the armies of India and the Maldives will be holding a joint counter-terrorism exercise. The exercise comes close on the heels of Defence Minister AK Antony’s visit to the island country a couple of months ago. A Defence Ministry spokesperson here said it was unlikely that the Indian offer to Maldives would be reviewed in the light of the Ecuador incident. “When the Defence Minister visited Maldives, he promised to give them a Dhruv for their military. They were also asked to set up hangars and other paraphernalia for parking the bird,” he said. The Dhruv crash in Ecuador took place during a military parade injuring its two pilots and prompting the Ecuadorian authorities to ground the six remaining recently purchased choppers. The helicopter was flying in formation with two other choppers over an air force base near Quito yesterday when it suddenly veered off course and hit the ground.
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Bihar to modify surrender policy for Naxalites
Patna, October 28 During his recent meeting with top brass of the police to review the Naxal problem, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar directed the Chief Secretary and the DGP to formulate a more development-oriented surrender policy to woo the ultra leftists back to society. Expressing his dismay over the surrender of only two Maoists this year up to August, the Chief Minister admitted that the surrender policy framed under the guidelines of the Centre in 2005 had failed to yield the desired results so far. On the initiative of Nitish Kumar, a special development programme was initiated by the state in Sikaria village under the hotbed Naxal area of Jehanabad district. The programme was a success. Impressed by it, the administration had now decided to launch it in 67 Naxal-affected panchayats.
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100 yrs on, Dalits gain access to temple
Chennai, October 28 As many as 70 Dalits, escorted by the police officials and accompanied by the District Collector and revenue officials, entered the Kamatchi Amman Sametha Ekambareswarar Temple last evening and offered prayers for 25 minutes. A group of non-Dalits, including panchayat president V Manimaran, also accompanied them. District Collector C Munianathan himself distributed “prasadam” to the Dalits after the prayers. Earlier, the community members were barred from entering the temple and were allowed only to stand ten feet away from the entrance to offer prayers. All their attempts to enter the temple had failed due to opposition from caste Hindus living in the area. On September 30, the community members found the temple locked. When they tried to break the lock the next day, they were arrested. Later, when Nagappattinam revenue divisional officer tried to lead them into the temple on October 14, non-Dalits started pelting stones and violence broke out in the area, leading to lathicharge and firing of warning shots by the police. A tripartite meeting involving non-Dalits, Dalits and government officials was held on Monday after which it was decided that Dalits would be taken into the temple. Amid large deployment of cops around the temple, police vehicles picked up Dalits from their houses and after they gathered in front of the temple, the Collector ushered them in. Thanjavur range DIG Abhay Kumar Singh and SPs of Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur accompanied the Dalits. The Collector C Munianathan said the Dalits need not worry about their safety in the village and assured them that they could enter the temple and offer prayers without fear. He added that the district administration would ensure that they are not stopped from entering the temple and police would be stationed in the village for a few more days.
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Fresh fraud case against Big B
Lucknow, October 28 In her FIR, Rajkumari has alleged that a piece of land, which had been gifted by the actor to the gram sabha for a girls’ college in the name of his daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai, has now been donated to Nishtha Foundation, which is owned by another film star and Samajwadi Party MP Jayaprada. The complainant points out that on July 5, 2007, Vinay Kumar Shukla, who then held the power of attorney on behalf of Bachchan, had given a letter to the gram pradhan, which had mentioned that the actor was donating the land to gram Sabha. “We had issued a letter of acceptance but the land has now been gifted away,” said Rajkumari. The FIR claimed that on October 23, through the registration of a gift deed, RR Yadav — who now holds the actor’s power of attorney — had gifted the land to the secretary of the Nishta Foundation Dr Devendra Kumar. Barabanki SP Alok Singh, while confirming the lodging of the FIR, said the matter would be thoroughly investigated. “The DM would be setting up a committee that would go through the land records”, he added.
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Manmohan Singh scholarships announced
Chennai, October 28 The scholarships would enable academically outstanding Indian students to study for doctoral degrees in subjects like science and technology, economics and social sciences, a British Council release said here on
Monday. The scholarship was set up in 2007 in honour of Singh, a graduate and Honorary Fellow of St John's College. The applications in Aerospace Engineering and Energy Studies would be of particular interest this year. — PTI
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AI pilots threaten ‘action’
over dues New Delhi, October 28 Stressing that the ICPA will not accept any pay cut proposed by the management, the association has now set November 1 as the deadline for the payment of two months’ dues, failing which they can “take action”. “Our patience has run out and we are ready to go for any action,” ICPA says that is the non-executive pilots body of erstwhile Indian Airlines while NACIL is the holding company of Air India and Indian Airlines, formed after the merger of the two government-owned carriers in 2007. The association has also rejected any pay-cut proposal by the management, saying there are many other ways to turnaround the cash-strapped company besides wage cuts and the management should explore them. Meanwhile, talks between senior pilots of erstwhile Indian Airlines and a sub-committee of the AI board on incentives and allowances also proved inconclusive.
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