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Wednesday, July 8, 1998

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SAD demand on Udham Singh Nagar issue to be considered: PM
Tribune News Service
NEW DELHI, July 7 — A delegation led by the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, was today assured by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, that the demand for the exclusion of Udham Singh Nagar district from the proposed Uttaranchal state would be considered.
Barring the assurance, there was little the delegation, which included MPs and ministers from Punjab, got from two meetings it had on the issue with the Prime Minister and the Home Minister.
The Punjab Chief Minister later told reporters that the Prime Minister gave them a patient hearing while the Home Minister mentioned that the issue of the formation of new states was being examined by a group of ministers.
Mr Vajpayee told the delegation that the demand for the exclusion of the district from the proposed state had been raised for the first time.
Briefing reporters, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr Madan Lal Khurana, said the Prime Minister said the demand was raised when the government was getting ready to introduce a Bill in Parliament. Therefore, the government was facing a new problem because of the demand at this late moment, he said.
The Prime Minister, however, assured the delegation that the demand would be considered in the context of the background.
The delegation was here to press its demand in the wake of its rejection by the Centre yesterday.
To strengthen its case, the delegation had taken along five residents of Udham Singh Nagar district who briefed the Prime Minister on the issue.
According to a Punjab MP, the delegation took exception to the statement by Mr Khurana on the issue yesterday.
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister who was present at the meeting with the Prime Minister "clarified" his stand.
Later, the delegation also met Mr Advani. The Union Home Minister, according to a member of the delegation, explained the constitutional provision and said since no delimitation of constituencies could take place before the year 2000, there could be a hurdle in the accepting the demand.
Earlier, the Punjab Chief Minister said the argument advanced by Mr Khurana about the constituency falling in two states was not correct.
"There have been occasions when Punjab and Haryana were formed that the assembly segments fell in two places," he said.
The delegation maintained that the area being sought to be excluded was plain unlike the hill terrain that comprised Uttaranchal.
In addition, people residing in the area who belonged to various states like Assam, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana and other states had little in common with those residing in the hill areas of Uttar Pradesh. The delegation stressed that what was most important was that the people of Udham Singh Nagar district favoured its exclusion from the proposed Uttaranchal state and their views must be respected.
The delegation included union ministers, Surjit Singh Barnala and Sukhbir Singh Badal, Punjab Minister for Local Government Balramji Dass Tandon, Food and Supplies Minister Madan Mohan Mittal and SAD and BJP MPs.

PM rules out talks on LAC
Accept no-first-use pact
Tribune News Service
NEW DELHI, July 7- The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, today said that New Delhi was keen to normalise ties with Islamabad and advised Pakistan to change its foreign policy towards India and agree to a no-first use pact on nuclear weapons.
The Prime Minister told the Lok Sabha during question hour that he would take up Islamabad’s continued support to terrorist activities on the Indian soil with his Pakistan counterpart, Mr Nawaz Sharif, when the two meet on the sidelines of the SAARC summit at Colombo later this month.
Replying to a spate of questions on the Indo-Pakistan relations during Question Hour, the Prime Minister said the proposed summit in Colombo would cover all bilateral issues between the two countries. While Pakistan was insisting that Kashmir should also be discussed at the summit, India had conveyed that issues like the training and abetting of terrorist activities by Islamabad on the Indian soil should form part of the agenda.
Mr Vajpayee said the Pakistan Prime Minister had in a speech made at the United Nations General Assembly referred to a non-aggression pact with India, but, the government had yet to receive any proposal in this regard.
The Prime Minister also ruled out any discussions with Pakistan on the basis of the Line of Actual Control in Jammu and Kashmir saying "The entire Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India."
Replying to a specific charge made by Mr Madhavrao Scindia of the Congress, who criticised the Government for its belated, amateurish and jingoistic handling of the post-Pokhran situation which had sent wrong signals to the international community, Mr Vajpayee said there was no delay in the response by the Government to the reaction of the international community.
"We placed effectively and convincingly India’s clear stand on the issue of nuclear tests," he added. The attitude of the nuclear nations towards India had changed after the Indian Government explained its viewpoint to them, he said.
Mr Vajpayee asserted that the nuclear tests were a measure towards self-defence and not for war. Infact, it was meant to stop war, he added.
He said while India had announced a voluntary moratorium on nuclear tests, Pakistan had not announced its intentions in this respect.
The Prime Minister said the issue of a no-first use pact would figure during his meeting with Mr Sharif and if Pakistan agreed to this pact, it would be one more step in confidence-building measures between the two countries.
To another question by Mr Scindia on the command control structure for the nuclear weapons, Mr Vajpayee said the government was working out an arrangement as to who should control the nuclear button.
Earlier, the Minister of State for External Affairs, Mrs Vasundararaje, informed the House that Mr Vajpayee had written a letter to Mr Sharif on June 14, reiterating India’s commitment to fostering a peaceful and friendly relationship and developing a stable structure of cooperation between the two countries.
In his reply, the Pakistan Prime Minister had agreed with Mr Vajpayee’s suggestion to hold bilateral discussions during the SAARC summit in Colombo. This meeting would be held in keeping with the traditions of such bilateral meetings between the Prime Ministers of the two countries.
She asserted that there was no place for any third party involvement in Indo-Pakistan relations and this had been made known to the international community through official statements as well as interaction at political and diplomatic levels.
Replying to another question, she said 54 Indian soldiers and 5062 civilians were imprisoned in various foreign countries. The Indian Government was making effort to find out the whereabouts of 54 soldiers in Pakistan but there had been no response from Islamabad, she added.
Of the 1314 civilians imprisoned in Pakistani jails, about 740 had been released so far, she said.

Book Husain, police told
Tribune News Service
NEW DELHI, July 7 — The Delhi Government has asked the police to register a criminal case against M.F. Husain for his painting, "Sita rescued", which was displayed at an art exhibition in the Capital last year.
A committee set up by the state government after examining a complaint lodged against Husain by Mr Raghu Vyas of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Lajpat Nagar police station in February this year, gave the permission to register the case against him.
In his complaint, Mr Vyas said the painting had hurt religious sentiments of the Hindu community. The painting was "pornographic" and had "hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus," the complaint said.
The committee examined the complaint and observed that the painting was "violative of religious sentiments of the Hindu community". It said that the painting appeared to be promoting, on grounds of religion, feelings of enmity, hatred and illwill which might cause disharmony among different religions. Therefore, he might be prosecuted under Section 153-A of IPC. Under the section, anyone promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language and committing acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony shall be punished with imprisonment, which may extend to three years, or with fine, or both.
The matter, after the police investigation, will again be referred to the government along with the evidence collected to seek a sanction for filing a charge sheet in court.
The Mumbai residence of Husain was attacked when the painting was displayed there and he had apologised to the Shiv Sena following threats to disrupt his film project, "Gajgamini".

Farmers' suicides: Opposition stages walkout in RS
NEW DELHI, July 7 (PTI) — The Opposition in the Rajya Sabha today staged walk out in protest charging the government with adopting an "unhelpful" attitude towards the needs of the farmers.
The walkout came towards the end of a four-hour-long calling attention discussion on the situation arising out of suicides committed by farmers due to crop failure and indebtedness in different parts of the country.
Even as Agriculture Minister Sompal was concluding his response to clarifications by members on his earlier statement in the House, CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta rose to say that the minister had not answered all vital queries raised during the discussion.
The minister's reply was totally dissatisfactory, he said and charged the government with adopting an attitude of apathy towards the interests of the farmers.
Joined by leaders of other opposition parties the Congress, the United Front and the RJD, Mr Gupta then led the walkout.
Earlier in his reply, Mr Sompal said the government was committed to the welfare of farmers and was taking all steps to prevent the recurrence of suicides by indigent farmers.
He said pest attack on crops would hereafter be considered as a natural calamity for assistance to affected farmers from the Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) and the National Fund for Calamity Relief (NFCR).
The minister said 447 suicidal deaths by farmers had been reported from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Punjab which had sanctioned ex-gratia payments up to Rs 1 lakh each to the affected farmers.
He said a study group which went into the 269 suicidal deaths in Andhra Pradesh would soon submit its report. The toll in Karnataka was 44, Maharashtra 82 and Punjab 52.
Earlier Chairman Krishan Kant adjourned the House for 15 minutes as the minister was not present when Mr Dasgupta stood up to raise the issue.
Later when the House reassembled, Mr Sompal tendered an unqualified apology for his absence saying he could not be present because of pressing engagement in the Lok Sabha.
Mr Sompal said no suicidal deaths by farmers were reported from other states.
He said the Andhra Pradesh Government had set up a pesticides testing laboratory in Warangal district, worst-hit by the calamity.
The decision to include pest attack in the list of natural calamities was taken after receiving memoranda from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab and Rajasthan. The state governments had sought additional assistance from the NFCR in the wake of crop damage due to pest attack.
The minister assured that all possible assistance would be provided in the wake of calamities of rare severity.
The high-level committee of scientists which investigated the cotton crop failure in Andhra Pradesh leading to suicidal deaths, had made several recommendations to be followed in the 1998-99 season.
On the question of quality seeds availability, the minister said it was the responsibility of state governments to make them available in time to farmers.
The Central Government assessed the seed requirement state-wise prior to each cropping season — kharif and rabi as per the information provided by state governments, the overall seed availability in the country was "satisfactory".
Responding to a specific query, the minister said the granting of industry status to agriculture would not be in the interest of farmers. In such a situation farmers would be compelled to bear burden of taxes like the income tax etc, he said and favoured giving facilities enjoyed by industry to agriculture without granting the status.

Disputed site at Ayodhya: No construction activity, says Advani
Tribune News Service
NEW DELHI, July 7 — The Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, today informed the Rajya Sabha that no construction activity was going on at the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site at Ayodhya.
In a written reply, the Home Minister, however, said that reports had been received from various sources that the cutting and carving of stone pillars was going on at places away from the disputed site and at some villages in Rajasthan.
The carving of stones did not constitute any violation of law, the minister said, and added that the Centre was duty-bound to maintain the status quo in the disputed area as per the Supreme Court order.
The site was under the protection of the central government and would be fully protected, Mr Advani said.
In a reply to another question, Mr Advani said the government had no information about any threats by heads of some religious bodies that the Supreme Court would be penalised in the"court of religion", if its decision in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case went against them.
The minister also justified the sending of high-level central teams to Bihar and West Bengal to assess the prevailing law and order situation in the two states and look into specific cases of crime.
The minister said that there was no proposal under consideration for an on-the-spot study of the law and order situation in any state.
The analysis and assessment of the law and order and security scenario in the country was an ongoing process in view of the Centre's constitutional obligations, he said.
The minister said reservations had been expressed by certain leaders about the constitutionality of sending central teams to states.
Article 355 of the Constitution cast a duty on the Centre to protect every state not only against external aggression but also against internal disturbances and to ensure that the governance of all states was carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, he said.

VHP firm on Ram temple
Tribune News Service
NEW DELHI, July 7 — Categorically stating that no court could give a verdict on Lord Rama’s birthplace, the VHP asserted today that the Ram temple would only be constructed at the place where Lord Rama was born.
Addressing newspersons after a two-day meeting of the Kendriya Margdarshak Mandal of the VHP here its Chairman, Mr Ramchandra Paramhans said that while courts could give a verdict on whether there was a temple or a mosque at the disputed site they could not tell whether Lord Rama was born there or not.
He said that the work like the stone carving of the proposed temple structure was going on and was expected to be completed in about three years. Only after the work was over, the construction of the temple would begin which would take about six months to complete.
"We expect that the court verdict would be in our favour but even if it was not, then also a temple would be built there only", Mr Paramhans said.
Launching an attack on the proposed march to Ayodhya of a former Defence Minister, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, the VHP leader said that it was an effort to corner Muslim votes.
He said the two-day meeting was held to counter the propaganda launched by the Opposition that the temple would be built overnight.
The meeting adopted six resolutions which included a demand for a ban on cow slaughter. Another resolution asked the Centre to stop all work on the Tehri Dam. The resolution suggested the construction of mini dams on the other tributaries of the Ganga, but not to stop the flow of Ganga.
He said the organisation would not do anything to weaken the BJP-led government.
Earlier, the VHP working president, Mr Ashok Singhal, said that the organisation had decided the Hindu saints from all over that country would undertake a march from Patna to Anandpur Sahib next year.

Pak plan to snap supply line
Tribune News Service and agencies
SRINAGAR, July 7 — Atleast six persons were injured in fresh incidents of firing by Pakistan troops from across the border in Kargil sector of Ladakh region yesterday.
A police spokesman said here today that three persons were injured on the Srinagar-Leh highway between Chchamgund and Kharbo, near Kargil while three others were injured in Majidas village due to the shelling by Pakistan troops. However, there were no reports of any damage to property, he said.
In another incident, two senior Army officers had a narrow escape when the Pakistani troops fired mortars and artillery shells on Indian positions in Uri sector yesterday.
Official sources said Maj-Gen K. Nagarajan and Brig Jasbir Singh Lidder were visiting some forward pickets when the Pakistani troops resorted to firing.
The shells exploded at a distance without causing any damage.
Indian troops, meanwhile, have been directed to foil Pakistan plan to snap the supply line to Kargil and Leh sectors in Ladakh by shelling the Dras-Kargil-Leh route, which is the only road that links Ladakh with Srinagar.
During the last 12 days of intermittent shelling by the Pakistan troops, the Dras-Kargil road, across the 11,000 feet high Zojilla Pass, has been the main target. A truck carrying essential commodities was blown up on Monday. On two occasions the vehicular traffic on the Dras-Kargil road was suspended following heavy shelling which damaged a bridge and hit several houses near Kaksar and Channigund.
Sources said the main aim of the shelling was to disrupt the traffic so that people and troops in the Ladakh region could be deprived of foodgrains, essential commodities and ammunition. The recent incidents have already caused terror among private and government truck owners.
Meanwhile, in the valley at least 11 persons were injured in an explosion at the Exhibition Crossing this morning. The police said militants hurled a grenade at a vehicle of the Jammu and Kashmir Police. The grenade, however, missed the intended target and exploded on the road, injuring five pedestrians and six policemen.
Meanwhile, three militants have been killed and five houses gutted in an exchange of fire between the militants and the security forces at Lankreshipora in Bandipore area of Baramula district since yesterday. The adjoining town of Bandipore observed a complete shutdown following the incident. Till the last reports came in a search was going on.
One militant was killed in an encounter with the security forces in the Lilam jungles of Handwara in Kupwara district, the police said. An AK-47 rifle and 30 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the site of the encounter, it said.
Two civilians were injured in an exchange of fire between the militants and the security forces in Hakoora village of Anantnag district today. The encounter took place when the militants fired at a patrol. The security forces retaliated and two civilians were injured in the exchange of fire.
The troops have handed over 16 bodies of foreign militants, killed in encounters at Bangus Handwara forests during the past one week to the police.
Ten AK-56 rifles, two pistols, 60 magazines, 3,288 rounds, a compass, a battery and a wireless set were recovered from the militants.
A spokesman said a militant, who was spotted while crossing the border, was challenged by the security forces in Poonch district last evening. The militant attempted to flee but was shot down by the security forces.
He said the body of Kamlesh, alias Gudi, of Uttar Pradesh, was recovered from a river bank at Bhella Samote village in Surankote area of Poonch last night.
A highly-decomposed body was recovered from Safawali-Haihama forest in Kupwara district today, he said.
The security forces apprehended an Afghan national, Naik Mohammad, from Nawa Pind area of R.S. Pura sector in Jammu region last evening. Some Pakistani currency was recovered from his possession, he said.

No PM-Jaya meeting on July 10: AIADMK
CHENNAI, July 7 (PTI) — The AIADMK general secretary, Ms Jayalalitha, has no immediate plans to visit Delhi but a date for meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, to resolve differences would be decided soon, the party said today.
Addressing a joint press conference here, AIADMK deputy general secretaries K.A. Sengottaiyan and M. Chinnasamy denied media reports that Ms Jayalalitha would be meeting the Prime Minister in Delhi on July 10.
Asked when she would go to the Capital, they said it would be decided soon and the meeting with the Prime Minister would come off on a date convenient to both.
They also announced the postponement of the AIADMK front's thanksgiving meeting, scheduled for August 2 at Dindugul, due to 'unseasonal rain' and for 'security reasons', Mr Vajpayee, Mr L.K. Advani and a host of leaders of the coalition had been invited to the meeting.
They said Ms Jayalalitha had written letters to all leaders, including the Prime Minister on July 2, informing them about the postponment.
They denied that the AIADMK had made a fresh demand for more berths in the Vajpayee ministry, saying Ms Jayalalitha had raised the issue in May itself.
The AIADMK leaders said Ms Jayalalitha had written a letter to the Prime Minister on May 18, asking him to induct C. Gopal, party MP from Arakkonam, as a replacement for R.K. Kumar, who resigned as Union Minister of State for Finance on health grounds.
In that letter, she had also reminded Mr Vajpayee about the induction of party's Rajya Sabha member Niraikulathan, whose name she had recommended even at the time of the BJP-led government assuming office, but had been held over for a Cabinet expansion at a later date.
They said she had also requested that C. Srinivasan be made a Cabinet minister in place of Sedapatti R. Muthaiah, who had to quit after charges were framed against him by a court.
Ms Jayalalitha had in fact recommended Srinivasan's name long back. In her letter, she had also recommended the induction of N. Shunmugam of the Pattali Makkal Katchi also. "It was a consolidated list of nominees of the AIADMK front in the state," the leaders said.
She had also requested Mr Vajpayee to allocate the Banking and revenue portfolios in the Finance Ministry to Kadambur. R. Janardanam, and personnel and pension and portfolio, now being held by Janardanam, to Gopal, they said.

2 Haryana DGPs chargesheeted
Tribune News Service
CHANDIGARH, July 7 — The Haryana Government today chargesheeted two police officers holding the rank of Director-General of Police for major penalty.
The officers who have been served with the chargesheets are Mr Ramesh Sehgal and Mr Budh Ram Fansal. Disciplinary action against them has been initiated for their conduct in granting parole to a convict when they were heading the Prisons Department.
Earlier, the government had chargesheeted an ADGP, Mr S.P.S. Rathore, for the same action.
These officers had allegedly granted parole to a murder convict, Dheeraj Pahwa, against rules. The mother of the victim had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court against grant of parole to Dheeraj.
The court ordered an enquiry by the then District and Sessions Judge, Karnal, Mr N.K. Jain, who indicted these officers. The High Court directed the Haryana Government to take action against these officers.
Mr Rathore, who was suspended, filed a writ petition in the High Court alleging mala fide against the Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal. The case is fixed for July 15.
According to official sources, Mr Fansal had initially declined to extend parole of Dheeraj. However, later he consented, allegedly on the recommendation of two Ministers in the Bhajan Lal Cabinet, Mr K.L. Sharma and Mr Subhash Batra.
Mr Fansal was made the Director-General of Police by the Bansi Lal Government. However, he was removed from his post early this year because the State Government felt that he had failed to provide necessary leadership to the police.