Tuesday, August 3, 1999
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Railway Minister's resignation
sought NEW DELHI, Aug 2 — Left parties today demanded the resignation of Railway Minister Nitish Kumar, saying he must own moral responsibility for the train accident in Gaisal in West Bengal which killed nearly 200 persons. BJP:
decision on JD inclusion soon |
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 Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and BJP President Kushabhau Thakre seem to have a point of agreement while Mr L. K. Advani contemplates at a meeting of the ruling party to decide on the Lok Sabha candidates on Monday. — Photo by Vijender Tyagi
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IUML-UDF pact in Kerala Karnataka BJP sticks to its guns DMK offers nine-seat package to
PMK, TRC Dismiss BJP govt in Gujarat: Cong Sonia to contest LS poll AGP: Cong had understanding with
ultras Thackeray ‘not to shed
Hindutva’ plank Amarjit Kaur rejoins Cong Spend more on defence: experts Jaya launches poll campaign HC gives more time in Red Fort
case INLD poll campaign after Aug 15 HC reprieve for Bhagat Plea against CBI chief’s
appointment dismissed DPCC urges Sonia to name nominees Delhi Jal Board driver shot |
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Railway Minister's resignation sought NEW DELHI, Aug 2 (PTI) — Left parties today demanded the resignation of Railway Minister Nitish Kumar, saying he must own moral responsibility for the train accident in Gaisal in West Bengal which killed nearly 200 persons. Expressing profound shock at the loss of lives, the CPI and the CPM said the way the railways had ignored safety requirements and gone ahead with privatisation was "absolutely scandalous". Stating that the mishap came within 15 days of the GT Express accident, the CPM Polit Bureau said the Railway Minister had to take moral responsibility for these "ghastly" accidents and resign immediately. It also demanded that the Railway Board Chairman be changed forthwith. The CPI central secretariat said railway travel had become a big risk, though the common man had no other means of travel in the country. The two parties also demanded that the Centre should rush all relief measures to the accident site and provide adequate compensation to those affected. The BJP demanded a judicial enquiry into the ghastly train accident. The party expressed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and said adequate compensation had to be paid to the victims. Speaking to newspersons,
party spokesman M. Venkaiah Naidu said Prime Minister
Atal Behari Vajpayee spoke to Railway Minister Nitish
Kumar regarding the accident. Mr Nitish Kumar, along with
the Railway Board Chairman, had reached the accident
site. |
BJP: decision on JD inclusion
soon NEW DELHI, Aug 2 — The Central Election Committee (CEC) of the BJP today reviewed the political situation in different states and considered the list of names of the party’s Lok Sabha candidates from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh,Tripura and North Eastern states. Briefing newspersons about the meeting, which was presided by BJP President Kushabhau Thakre and attended by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Union Home Minister L.K. Advani, party General Secretary M. Venkaiah Naidu said the meeting took up the recommendations of the state units and progress made in talks with allies about seat sharing. The meeting also took note of Defence Minister George Fernandes’ purported threat to walk out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) if Sharad Yadav-led Janata Dal was not admitted in the NDA. "We are trying to get in touch with Mr Fernandes", he said. The meeting would continue tomorrow also, Mr Naidu said, adding that the first list of the party’s candidate was expected by tomorrow evening. Mr Naidu said the party was hopeful that the issue of entry of Sharad Yadav-led Janata Dal would be resolved soon. Asked about the entry of Karnataka Chief Minister J.H. Patel into the NDA to strengthen it, Mr Naidu said: "Patel was in the process of strengthening himself. Let him do so. He is not yet part of the NDA and therefore no comment." When confronted with the
proposed rally of the Lok Shakti, the Samata Party and
the Janata Dal in Bangalore on August 7 to which the BJP
had not been invited, he tried to play down the issue
saying that "What was wrong in parties holding
public rallies to strengthen themselves". |
Chinks in rail safety exposed NEW DELHI, Aug 2 — The train accident has once again exposed the chinks in the Indian Railways safety system. With an average of 375 train accidents every year since 1995, and the constitution of safety commissions after every major accident has contributed little to evolving higher safety standards as the railways does not have the means and the resources to implement the recommendations. More than 1411 persons have died (excluding the latest tragedy) in 18 major accidents since July 1988. In the present case, what is more alarming is the fact that a head-on collision has occurred in an area where double track exists. If it was a signal failure, there is something seriously wrong with the signalling mechanism itself.If on the other hand, it was a human error, it is reflective of much more deep-rooted problem and entire monitoring mechanism of railway personnel would call for an overhaul. "Our basic thrust has been on bringing in better technology," Mr Shantinarayan, Member ( Traffic ) Railway Board, told The Tribune today. The Railways has not yet developed an automatic warning system based on radio technology.It was proposed to undertake a pilot of radio-based European train control system (ETCS) — Level 2 on Delhi — Mathura section — in co-ordination with the UIC ( International Union of Railways, Paris). Officials involved with the safety of the Railways say that lack of proper attention and investments in infrastructure was one of the main reasons for the numerous accidents. The latest tragedy only matches in intensity with the August 20, 1995 incident when the Delhi-bound Purushottam Express rammed into the stationary Kalindi Express near Ferozabad, leaving 302 persons dead. In this case, Kalindi Express had come to an unscheduled halt after the train driver saw a Nilgai trapped in the tracks. A poor communication system prevented timely alarm for Purushottam Express and it smashed into the stationary train. While the Railway Board Chairman, Mr V.K. Aggarwal, indicated that it was caused by a human failure, Superintendent of Railway Police, New Jalpaiguri said it seemed to be a case of head-on collision due to a signal failure. But the fact remains that two trains were in the same track and that too in a sector where double track exists. "It is definitely a bad case of failure. Whether it is equipment failure or human failure needs to be ascertained", Mr Shantinarayan said. If it is a human failure, it needs to be looked into under what circumstances the fault may have occurred. Moreover, a human error could be of various kinds like "overshooting" by the driver or negligence of cabinmen and the pointman. If it is a "systemic " failure, it needs to be looked at how soon the responsibilities are fixed. As casualty figures begin to mount, the government may have a lot to answer with respect to safety considerations for the passengers. In November last year,more than 210 persons were killed as Jammu-Sealdah Express rammed into a decoupled Amritsar bound Frontier Mail near Khanna in Punjab. It was later found that cracks in the tracks caused the accident. If the accident has indeed occurred due to a human error, as the Railway Board Chairman has indicated, then there is always the danger of such tragedies occurring in any part of the country at any point of time. It also remains
unanswered why Railway Minister, Nitish Kumar had to come
to Delhi from Patna and then reach the accident site when
he could have directly proceeded from Patna which was
much closer to the site. |
IUML-UDF pact in Kerala THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Aug 2 (PTI) — The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) will contest the coming Lok Sabha elections in Kerala as part of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) despite differences over a pre-poll alliance of all secular parties. There were differences in the perceptions of the IUML and the Congress over the need for a pre-poll alliance of secular parties at the national level, but this will not come in the way of the IUML contesting the poll as a partner of the UDF, league leader P. K. Kunhalikutty said today. "It is the considered view of the league that a pre-poll alliance of secular forces is essential to halt the march of fascist forces, but this need not come in the way of the league contesting the coming elections as a partner in the UDF as the fascist forces are not as big a threat in Kerala as they are in other states", he said. The league leader, however, said the chances of "fascist forces" gaining strength in Kerala too in the future could not be ruled out making the unity of all secular parties essential. But the immediate issue before the party was the Lok Sabha poll and given the prevailing political realities there was nothing wrong in the league remaining a partner in the UDF, he said. "It is true that the Congress’ stand on the pre-poll alliance differs from the league’s perception, the overriding concern of the league is to check the scattering of secular votes. There are indications that the Congress too has started thinking in this direction", he said. On the part of the league, this line of thinking was nothing new. Ever since the ascendance of the BJP, the league had been stressing this point. Now other parties had also begun thinking on these lines and league position stood vindicated, he said. In the post-masjid-demolition phase the stand taken by the league was to oppose Mr Narasimha Rao (the then prime minister) but continue the association with the Congress. Even some sections in the league were not convinced of the logic of the stand. The differences within the league had then led to a section breaking away and forming the Indian National League (INL). But the IUML stand had now been vindicated, he said alluding to the INL-Congress tie-up in Tamil Nadu. Asked about the "softening" of approach towards the league CPM, he said: "There are positive and critical aspects about what other parties have to late been saving about the league." "But the immediate
issue before the party is the coming Lok Sabha elections
and the party has made clear the stand it is going to
take". |
Karnataka BJP sticks to its guns BANGALORE, Aug 2 (PTI) — The BJP's Karnataka unit today decided to stick to its earlier stand to have an alliance only with the Lok Shakti in the coming elections in the state. An emergency meeting of the party's office-bearers reviewed the political situation and moves by the Lok Shakti chief, Mr Ramakrishna Hegde and the Samata Party leader, Mr George Fernandes, to push in the Janata Dal (Sharad Yadav) into the NDA, the BJP's state unit president, Mr B.S. Yediyurappa, told reporters. He said the NDA meeting scheduled for August 3 and 4 at Delhi would deliberate on the JD faction's entry into the NDA. Mr Yediyurappa said the BJP and the Lok Shakti would discuss seat-sharing between them to fight the coming Lok Sabha and assembly poll in the state on August 4 and 5. He exuded confidence that the BJP-Lok Shakti combine would secure a comfortable majority to form the government in the state after the assembly poll. Mr Yediyurappa refused to comment on Mr Fernandes' veiled threat to delink from the NDA, if the JD group was not admitted to the alliance. Meanwhile, Karnataka Minister of State for Sericulture D. Nagarajaiah today resigned from the J.H. Patel Ministry. Mr Nagarajaiah, the sixth minister to quit after the split in the Janata Dal, told reporters here that he was disgusted with the latest political developments and was forced to resign. He said development activity had come to a standstill in the state. He had not identified with either the Deve Gowda faction or the Patel group of the dal. Mr Patel had sacked eight ministers, including former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, while two others, Mr Basavaraj Neelannavar and Mr Muniyapa Udappa, had resigned as they had identified themselves with the Deve Gowda faction. Another minister, Mr D. Manjunath, had announced his resignation, while the Backward Classes Minister, Mr Malikaiah Guttedar, had sent his resignation to the Chief Minister's office. Municipal Administration Minister Mirajuddin N. Patel had also resigned from the ministry. Four ministers — Mr
M.C. Nanaiah, Mr B.L. Shankar, Mr B.A. Mohiddin and Mr
Jayaprakash Hegde — were remaining neutral. |
DMK offers nine-seat package to PMK, TRC CHENNAI, Aug 2 (UNI) — The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu today reached a seat-sharing agreement with two of its allies — the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and Tamizhaga Rajiv Congress (TRC), even as the talks with the BJP remained inconclusive. As per the agreement reached this noon between DMK President and Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and PMK founder S. Ramadoss, the PMK was allotted seven seats and the TRC two. The PMK will contest from Mayiladuthurai, Chidambaram (SC), Vandavasi, Vellore, Dharmapuri, Chengalpattu and Pondicherry, while the TRC will field candidates in Salem and Rasipuram (SC). The PMK’s quota includes the five seats it had contested in the 1998 elections. It will field candidates from Chengalpattu and Pondicherry where the DMK had fielded candidates last time. TRC President and Union Petroleum Minister Vazhapadi K. Ramamurthy is likely to contest again from Salem. However, the talks between Mr Karunanidhi and state BJP leaders K. N. Lakshmanan and L. Ganesan remained inconclusive. According to DMK sources, the talks will resume tomorrow morning when the state BJP leaders will get a feedback from senior party leader and Union Home Minister L. K. Advani. Mr Lakshmanan said the state BJP unit had conveyed to the party’s national leadership that a "broad consensus" was reached during the talks. He said once the party’s national leadership gave its consent, it would be conveyed to Mr Karunanidhi who would, in turn, announce the seat-sharing formula. The BJP had contested five seats last time and won three. The party had pressed for more seats than it had contested last time and Mr Karunanidhi’s response to the plea was "very positive", he added. The DMK was yet to hold
the final round of talks with its other ally, the
Marumalarchi DMK. Significantly, none of the MDMK leaders
was present at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK headquarters, for
talks. |
Dismiss BJP govt in Gujarat: Cong NEW DELHI, Aug 2 (PTI) — The Congress today demanded the dismissal of the BJP government in Gujarat charging it with attempting to cover up the involvement of the BJP and several Sangh Parivar organisations in the recent communal riots in Ahmedabad. "There is incontrovertible evidence to show that the riots were planned and provoked by the BJP and its allies", state PCC President C.D. Patel and CLP leader Amarsinh Chaudhary told reporters. Demanding that a judicial commission headed by a high court judge be set up to go into the incidents, they said a government which had failed to protect the lives and property of the citizens and had "connived" at the incidents had no right to continue in office. Claiming that an
impartial inquiry would not be able to take place until
the BJP government was in power, they charged the
Keshubhai Patel government with shielding the culprits
and directing "trusted policemen" to destroy
the evidence. |
Sonia to contest LS poll NEW DELHI, Aug 2 (PTI) — Congress President Sonia Gandhi today declared that she would contest the coming Lok Sabha elections but said no decision had yet been taken on the constituency from where she would launch her maiden electoral battle. "Yes, I am going to contest", she told Star News adding that it would certainly enthuse party workers, particularly in UP. Mrs Gandhi’s announcement came a day before the Central Election Committee (CEC) of the party is to begin a two-day session to finalise nominations for the Lok Sabha poll and assembly elections in some states. The Congress embarks on the exercise of selection of candidates for the parliamentary and assembly elections tomorrow in some states. The CWC, converted into the Central Election Committee (CEC) for deciding the party nominees in the poll, would hold deliberations for the next two days. The assembly poll is being held in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. The AICC has already
announced that most of the sitting members in the
dissolved Lok Sabha would be renominated. |
AGP: Cong had understanding with ultras NEW DELHI, Aug 2 (PTI) — Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta today charged the Congress with having an "understanding" with extremist elements which, he said was a major factor behind the ruling Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) not winning any seat in the last Lok Sabha poll. "There was an understanding between the Congress and extremist elements. Our voters were not allowed to cast their votes by these extremists (in the last elections)," he told reporters here. The ruling four-party alliance, he said, would announce its candidates for all 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state after the election notification was issued, he said in reply to questions. The alliance, which also had CPM, CPI and United People's Party, would not align with the Congress in the upcoming elections, he said. He refused to reply to
questions whether his party would join the National
Democratic Alliance, but only said: "We have not yet
decided" on the issue. |
Thackeray ‘not to shed Hindutva’ plank MUMBAI, Aug 2 (PTI) — Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray said here today that "nobody has any right to disenfranchise me and I don’t recognise a democracy which snatches my fundamental right to vote". Speaking at a Meet-the-Press programme, Mr Thackeray said he would ask Shiv Sainiks agitating over his disenfranchisement to call off the stir. "In the first place, I did not ask them to agitate. So why should I ask them to withdraw the agitation", the Sena chief said. "However, enough is enough. From tomorrow, I will tell my men to stop the agitation", he added. Mr Thackeray denied that he was ordering the calling off of the protest as the Election Commission had taken a "serious" note of the agitation during which the agitators burnt an effigy of Chief Election Commissioner M. S. Gill. Mr Thackeray said: "I have not distanced myself from the issue of Hindutva". He also flayed announcements by certain parties regarding the setting up of special institutions for the minorities after the poll. "When somebody announces that a Maulana Abul Kalam Azad institute would be set up or Dilip Kumar sets up Ummeed for the minorities, it is alright. But when I say something, there is a controversy". Mr Thackeray said there
would be "anarchy" in the country in the event
of a hung Parliament. |
Amarjit Kaur rejoins Cong NEW DELHI, Aug 2 — A former Rajya Sabha MP, Ms Amarjit Kaur, today rejoined the Congress party. She was in the Shiromani Akali Dal. The readmission of Ms Kaur was announced here today by the AICC Secretary, Ms Selja, at a media conference which was attended among others by the PPCC President, Capt Amarinder Singh, the CLP Leader, Mr Jagjit Singh, and former Punjab Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal. Welcoming her re-entry Capt Amarinder Singh said it would help strengthen the party and said she would be a major asset to the Congress in Punjab. Ms Kaur said the primary reason for leaving SAD was that it failed to keep up its promise and that she was disappointed. Ms Kaur was a SAD candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections but was withdrawn in favour of Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra. Meanwhile three Congress
leaders from Punjab including former PCC chiefs, Mr
Mohinder Singh Gill and Mr Santokh Singh Randhawa and
former state minister Brahm Mohindra welcomed her
readmission into the Congress. |
Spend more on defence: experts NEW DELHI, Aug 2 (PTI) — India spends about Rs 14,500 crore or 2.5 per cent of its GDP just to pay the “standing cost” of 1.7 million men in uniform. But Kargil has come as a wake-up call for modernisation of the forces in a hurry, say defence analysts. With up to 80 per cent of the allocated funds being spent on the salaries and pensions of the forces, there are tremendous constraints on upgrading and modernising these, which nevertheless has to be undertaken soon, says Cdre Uday Bhaskar, Deputy Director, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. “Kargil has been a wake-up call.” Modernising and upgrading skills are deterrents enough. For the past 10 years there have been several indications to show that the Indian Army was not modernising and that’s what encouraged Kargil, says Maj-Gen Y.K. Gera (retd) of the United Services Institution, a security issues think-tank. To avoid another Kargil like situation, India needs to step up its Defence allocation to at least 4 per cent of its GDP with the additional 1.5 per cent to be consistently spent on upgrading skills through procurement or indigenous research and development, says General Gera. “No one should be bluffed that even if Jammu and Kashmir is given to Pakistan on a platter, the conflict will end. The only way we can avoid a war is by optimum strengthening of the military,” said Lt-Gen Satish Nambiar (retd) recently. Echoing him Lt-Gen Hridayanath Kaul (retd) says: “It is unfortunate that some people have spoken a lot on economic strength while reducing the defence budget. They are complementary”. Kargil, says Commodore Bhaskar, has served as an important reminder for India to carry out a techno-strategic appraisal of its defence spending and review its policies by balancing adequacy and affordability. Following the break up of the Soviet Union, India can no longer acquire arms either at low rates or under a barter system with which the Russians obliged us. Today, everything has to be paid for in hard currency and weapons systems of western nations are quite expensive. This coupled with the depreciating value of the Indian rupee to the US dollar, has put severe constraints on scouting for technologies in the international market. General Gera says, “Mountains eat men. A majority of the force is today deployed in maintaining vigil in Kashmir and along the northern borders in the Himalayas. Forces are required there. India, says he, will first need to take bold decisions regarding not to use its military for internal duties which could justify cutting down on manpower. “But in the present context, I don’t foresee any such thing happening,” says General Gera. Despite the fact that expenditure on defence has come down the world over, General Gera points to the swelling allocations for defence in China and Pakistan. “Theirs is a proactive policy on defence while ours is a reactionary one. The Chinese have drawn up a plan and they are proceeding accordingly. Unfortunately we haven’t,” rues General Gera. But where is the money going to come from? According to General Gera, a conscious effort has to be made to step up spending on modernisation. With an annual overall growth rate of economy being up to 5 per cent, the country can afford to keep spending an additional 1.5 per cent on its defence. All this need not
necessarily be spent on acquisitions from abroad. The
country could spend on its own R and D and industry,
suggests General Gera noting that already there’s
been a decision to build our own aircraft-carrier. |
Jaya launches poll campaign KANCHIPURAM, Aug 2 (PTI) — AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha launched the party’s campaign for the forthcoming Lok Sabha poll from this temple town last night with a vow to defeat the ‘communal and evil forces’ of the BJP and the DMK in Tamil Nadu. Launching a tirade against both the parties, she told a public meeting that the BJP-led coalition at the Centre and the DMK government in Tamil Nadu were ‘inept’ and were unable to fulfil the aspirations of the poor. She blamed the Vajpayee government for “mishandling” the Kargil infiltrators issue. She said the Centre had ignored repeated cautions from Brig Surinder Singh, who was heading the operations in the Kargil area, about infiltration in the area. In fact, Brig Singh was transferred from the area and made a “scape goat” for government’s failure, she alleged. She came down heavily on Union Defence Minister George Fernandes for sacking Naval Chief Vishnu Bhagwat which, she said, had demoralised the armed forces. Ms Jayalalitha said she had cautioned the Centre about the role of Osama bin Laden and his men in the infiltration as early as in October but her warning was ignored by the Centre. Ms Jayalalitha charged the BJP-led coalition of having scant respect for its allies and did not consult them before taking important decisions, like the Pokhran blast. Even after the blast, Mr
Vajpayee invited opposition leaders like Mr Murasoli
Maran and Mr P.Chidambaram for a video-show on it but did
not care to invite the leaders of the ally parties, she
said. |
HC gives more time in Red Fort case NEW DELHI, Aug 2 (PTI) — The Delhi High Court today allowed two weeks further time to the Centre, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Delhi Government to file replies on allegations of “unauthorised constructions” inside the Red Fort and neglect of some portions “symbolising” the country’s struggle for freedom. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice S N Variava and Mr Justice S K Mahajan, which had earlier issued notices to the ministries of Home, Defence, Human Resource Development, the ASI, Delhi state, the City Police Commissioner, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Delhi Development Authority, asked the respondents to file replies by August 18. The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Society for Protection of Heritage and Culture (SPHC), which had listed a series of violations and acts of negligence by the Defence Ministry, the ASI, the MCD and other agencies responsible for the maintenance of the historic monument. Seeking a direction to
the government for removing all “authorised and
unauthorised” occupants inside the Red Fort,
including the Army and the shopkeepers near Lahori Gate,
the SPHC said some spots inside the fort had virtually
become-public nuisance and presented an “ugly”
picture to lakhs of tourists, including foreigners, who
visit the monument every year. |
INLD poll campaign after Aug
15 NEW DELHI, Aug 2 — The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) will formally launch its election campaign for the forthcoming Lok Sabha poll after August 15 and has asked the five candidates, who have been given the party’s ticket, to resort to mass contact programme. The INLD’s electoral strategy was discussed here last night at a meeting between the party’s working president and Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala and the five candidates. The Election Commission will issue the notification tomorrow for the Lok Sabha poll. The elections for the 10 seats in Haryana will be held on September 4. The INLD has given tickets to the four sitting MPs and Mr Ajay Singh Chautala, son of the Chief Minister, to contest from Bhiwani. He was defeated in the last general elections by the Haryana Vikas Party candidate, Mr Surendra Singh, son of the former Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal. At the meeting the INLD candidates and the Chief Minister discussed the issues which needed to be raised during the campaign, sources said. The failures of the HVP and its “anti-people” policies would be highlighted during the campaign, they said, adding that the “opportunistic attitude” of the Congress and its role in supporting the Bansi Lal government for a few weeks would also be taken to the people. Stressing the importance of the mass contact programme, the party president asked the candidates to establish a rapport with the electorate in their constituencies as it would give them an edge over the rivals. The four sitting MPs who had again been given the ticket were Dr Sushil Indora from Sirsa, Mr Surender Singh Barwala from Hisar, Mr Kishan Singh Sangwan from Sonepat and Prof Kailasho Saini from Kurukshetra. They had defeated rival candidates by a margin of more than 89,000 votes. While the HVP bagged one seat from the state, the four other seats were won by the BJP, which would be contesting the poll as INLD’s alliance partner. In the last general election, the BJP had a tie-up with the HVP. The five other
constituencies were Ambala, Mahendergarh, Rohtak, Karnal
and Faridabad. |
HC reprieve for Bhagat NEW DELHI, Aug 2 (UNI) — Senior Delhi Congressman H.K.L. Bhagat today got a reprieve when the Delhi High Court dismissed the plea of the state for allowing the prosecution to summon and examine two fresh eyewitnesses in an 1984 anti-Sikh riots case against him. Mr Justice M.S.A. Siddiqui today dismissed the state’s appeal for overruling the trial court order rejecting the prosecution plea for summoning and examining the two fresh eyewitnesses. Mr Justice Siddiqui said the appeal was being rejected as the state had failed to name any other person who had seen the two witnesses when the husband of the riot victim Satnami Bai was killed in 1984 allegedly at the instance of the former union minister and East Delhi Congress strongman. He further said that the prosecution had failed to move any application for summoning the two and it was the application of individuals through advocates on which the prayer was made to examine the two witnesses. The high court ruled
that the trial court had given a clear reading in the
matter and there was no ground for overruling its ruling.
The case against Mr Bhagat had been awaiting conclusion
for the past two and a half years. |
Plea against CBI chief’s appointment dismissed NEW DELHI, Aug 2 (PTI) — The Supreme Court today dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the appointment of Mr R. K. Raghavan as CBI Director, saying that the government had followed all requisite procedure required for the appointment. A three-Judge Bench comprising Mr Justice S. P. Bharucha, Mr Justice S. P. Kurdukar and Mr Justice R. P. Sethi, while dismissing the petition filed by Mr Vineet Narain, said: “The appointment was done after complying with required procedures”. Admonishing the
petitioner, the Bench said “just because you think
the appointment was not done in a proper manner, the
court cannot take up the matter.” |
DPCC urges Sonia to name nominees NEW DELHI, Aug 2 — The Delhi Pradesh Congress Election Committee today unanimously urged Congress President Sonia Gandhi to decide the candidates for the seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Delhi. The meeting of the 23-member election committee, chaired by Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) President Subhash Chopra this morning, unanimously passed the six-line resolution authorising Mrs Sonia Gandhi in choosing the candidates, DPCC sources told UNI. All seven constituencies
in the national capital will go to the polls on September
4. |
Delhi Jal Board driver shot NEW DELHI, Aug 2 (UNI) — The driver of a Delhi Jal Board vehicle was shot dead and another three employees were injured when robbers opened fire near Najafgarh in south-west Delhi in a bid to take away Rs 25 lakh being carried for disbursement of salaries. However, the robbers failed to snatch the money due to crowd gathering. The jal board officials, after drawing the money from the Chandni Chowk branch of the State Bank of India, were taking it to pay salaries in the Najafgarh zone, when some men in a Maruti Van opened fire at their car around 2.15 pm, the police said. The driver of the
vehicle died on the spot. |
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| Dave sworn in Arunachal
Governor ITANAGAR: Former Director of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) Arvind Dave was sworn in as Governor of Arunachal Pradesh on Money. Mr Dave succeeds Lt-Gen S.K. Sinha (Retd), the Governor of Assam, who was holding the additional charge of Arunachal after the retirement of Mr Mata Prasad. —UNI Kannada film actor dead Power supply in
UP normalised Senior ULFA
leader dead Monsoon fury
continues in Rajasthan Children’s
film bonanza from Aug 5 2 KYKL men
killed in encounter Five killed in
Bihar |
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