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Thursday,
November 1, 2001, Chandigarh, India   |
Mamata’s reinduction
likely Sushma: India not for war against Islam Koshiyari may expand ministry next
week |
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Shourie allays fear on POTO
misuse |
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Defence exercise from Nov 2 Temple issue not
politicised: VHP
VHP leader, 100 others detained SP to fight BJP on Ayodhya
issue French minister arrives today Advani to open
criminology conference 14 killed as
jeep, truck collide ONGC fights to
control oil well fire Boppanna NCC DG Recall UN group chief: Panthers
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Mamata’s reinduction
likely Kolkata, October 31 This was indicated to the Trinamool Congress leadership by the NDA chairman, Mr George Fernandes, who had recently rejoined the ministry with the Defence portfolio. For Ms Banerjee the alternative choice is the Rural Development Ministry, held by a BJP general secretary, Mr Venkaiah Naidu. If Ms Banerjee rejoins the ministry, then she will have to accept a rebel TMC leader, Mr Ajit Kumar Panja, whom the Prime Minister had already agreed to reinduct. Mr Panja could have been reinducted much earlier but the Prime Minister wanted Ms Banerjee to rejoin simultaneously. Both Ms Banerjee and Mr Panja had stepped down from the Vajpayee cabinet voluntarily in the wake of Tehelka’s expose on corruption in the Vajpayee ministry. Mr Fernandes had also resigned as Defence Minister on Ms Banerjee’s demand. Since then Ms Banerjee and other TC leaders had severed all ties with the BJP and fought the Assembly election in Bengal on seat adjustment with the Congress. Mr Panja, however, remained with the NDA individually and openly supported Mr Vajpayee and the BJP, despite their differences with the TMC leadership. But things changed afterwards and Ms Banerjee returned to the NDA “to strengthen the Prime Minister’s hand”. TC sources said they were anticipating a call from Mr Vajpayee to Ms Banerjee for rejoining the Cabinet when Mr Fernandes was sworn-in. It was, however, not possible because of strong resistance from the BJP’s state and Central leadership as well as some partners of the NDA. However, now it has been conveyed to the TC leadership that the Prime Minister and the BJP leadership have agreed to reinduct Ms Banerjee, possibly in the Railways Ministry. At the same time, Mr Panja’s re-entry into the Cabinet was also made certain and his name was personally recommended both by Mr Jaswant Singh, Union External Affairs Minister, under whom Mr Panja served for about two years, and the BJP President, Mr Jana Krishnamurti. The state BJP leadership also endorsed Mr Panja’s re-entry into the Cabinet. If Ms Banerjee is happy with the Rural Development portfolio instead of Railways, then Mr Panja can join as Mr Nitish Kumar’s deputy in the Railways. But if Ms Banerjee get back the Railways portfolio on which she has been insisting as she feels it will be an “honourable return” for her, then Mr Panja may get his old ministry or a berth in the Commerce Ministry. |
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Sushma: India not for war against Islam New Delhi, October 31 Presiding over a seminar on “India’s Role in the War Against Terrorism”
organised by the All-India Minorities Front, Ms Swaraj said India would support the war till it was against terrorism. “But if it is against Islam, we are not with it,” she said. She said India has raised the issue of terrorism from time to time at international fora but it was now that the world had realised the exact ramifications of the menace. Ms Swaraj decried the call for a jehad by certain elements and hailed the explanation offered by Islamic religious leaders that jehad does not mean killing of innocents. Most participants at the seminar were of the view that terrorism has no place in Islam. Prominent among those who participated in the seminar were the Imam of Fatehpuri Masjid Mufti Mohammed
Mukarram, former MP Syed Sibtey Razi, BJP MP Sheesh Ram Ravi, National Conference MP Abdul Rashid Shahin and General Secreatry of Marqazi Jamat-e-Ulema Hind Maulana
Kazmi. |
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Koshiyari may expand ministry next
week Dehra Dun, October 31 He ruled out any differences with party organisation and loyalists of former Chief Minister Nityanand Swami. All MLAs of the BJP and leaders of the party organisation were committed to take up the challenge of the coming panchayat and State Assembly elections, he said. In reply to a question, he said the Union Government had promised all help to put the new state on the road to development. The assets of the Power Department were likely to be transferred from Uttar Pradesh to Uttaranchal in a week’s time. The Union Home Ministry had already ordered the Union Ministry of Power to comply with the draft of assets transfer already prepared with mutual understanding between both states at the behest of the Home Ministry. Mr Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister of Power, was coming here on November 4 to hand over the papers of transfer of assets to Uttaranchal, he said. Mr Koshiyari made it very clear that he would not keep any political adviser with him. Instead, experts in various fields would be inducted on the advisory panel of the departments if required. He said his government would introduce a number of reforms in the coming days to tone up the administrative structure of the state. He claimed that there were a number of financiers who were willing to invest in the power generation sector. |
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Indira
remembered New Delhi, October 31 Mr Narayanan, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dixit were among the dignitaries who arrived at Shakti Sthal early this morning and offered flower tributes before joining an all-religion prayer meeting. The President and Mrs Sonia Gandhi later went to the Safdarjung Road memorial of Indira Gandhi and paid floral tributes. In memory of the late Prime Minister, the Delhi Pradesh Youth Congress observed Anti-Terrorism Day. The Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee held a prayer meeting to pay tributes to the memory of former Prime Minister.
Indira Gandhi award for Sharada Prasad New Delhi, October 31 Expressing concern over attempts being made by some people to create communal tension, the Congress President stressed that “we need to remind ourselves that India’s unity lies in its diversity.”
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Shourie allays fear
on POTO misuse New Delhi, October 31 Mr Shourie said this while delivering the valedictory address on the concluding day of the three-day international seminar on “The Global Threaat of Terror: Ideological, Material and Political Linkages” organised by K.P.S. Gill’s Institute for Conflict Management. The seminar was convened at the India Habitat Centre. While commenting on the new Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO), the minister said the data on the abuse of the earlier TADA against the minority community was completely false, and added that the same logic is being used in the debate on POTO. Mr Shourie stated if the potential for abuse could be an argument against a law, then one would have to do away with the Cr Pc and IPC also. |
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Defence exercise from Nov 2 New Delhi, October 31 This will be the first major exercise to be conducted in the operational area of the recently-formed integrated Andaman and Nicobar Command. Apart from a mountain brigade of the Army, elements of special and mechanised forces, artillery, air defence artillery, engineer and logistics will be involved in the exercise. From the Air Force, the Jaguar aircraft will operate in maritime strike roles. In addition IL-76, AN-32 and helicopters will transport logistics and carry out
para-drop operations in the islands. A large number of ships and aircraft, including amphibious ships and long-range maritime patrol aircraft, will take part. |
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Temple issue not
politicised: VHP New Delhi, October 31 “The VHP will build the temple at the same place where Ram Lalla is being worshipped today and we are committed to it,” Acharya Giriraj said deposing as a witness before the Liberhan Commission, which is probing into the sequence that led to the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. “Ram temple could be built at any place, but the Ram Janmabhoomi temple could only be built at a place where the entire Hindu community believes he was born,” he said. |
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VHP leader, 100 others detained Jalgaon, October 31 They were detained under Section 144 of the CrPC as a preventive measure in view of the volatile situation at Malegaon area in Nasik district which witnessed communal clashes in the past few days, Superintendent of Police Kulwant Kumar said. The Hindu Mahasammelan organised by the Bajrang Dal in Jalgaon today has been cancelled, Bajrang Dal sources here said.
PTI |
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SP to fight BJP on Ayodhya
issue New Delhi, October 31 Samajwadi Party General Secretary and spokesman Amar Singh said here today that his party would fight tooth and nail the BJP’s efforts to revive the Ayodhya issue. He said that the issue was again being communalised with the motive of returning to power. He said his party was committed to fighting communalism and would welcome any other party wishing to participate in its campaign. Mr Amar Singh said the recent Gonda violence was a calculated move of the ruling BJP to unleash terror on the minorities. He mentioned names of a few important leaders of the BJP and the Bajrang Dal who openly took part in instigating the violence at Gonda during the immersion of Durga idols on Dasehra.
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French minister arrives today New Delhi, October 31 The French Foreign Minister, Mr Hubert Vedrine, arrives here tomorrow by a special flight. He will have a meeting with External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh for about an hour during his seven-hour visit tomorrow. The Greek Foreign Minister, Mr George A. Papandreou will be visiting India just for three hours on November 2. |
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Advani to open
criminology conference New Delhi, October 31 To be inaugurated by Union Home Minister
L.K. Advani, the silver jubilee conference of the ISC, will be participated by nearly 500 delegates, including top Indian criminologists, senior police personnel and officers from the judiciary, prosecution and prison services. |
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14 killed as
jeep, truck collide Jaipur, October 31 All victims, reported to be residents of Dadri town in Mahendragarh district of Haryana, were yet to be identified, it said. They were returning to Jaipur after visiting Balaji in Mahendipur.
UNI |
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ONGC fights to
control oil well fire
Vadodara, October 31 Bharuch District Superintendent of Police M.D. Antani said over phone that ONGC experts and crisis management teams were still on the job to put out the blaze. All senior company officials, including ONGC Director (onshore) R. C. Gourh, Executive Director (safety, health and environment) K.K. Jagati and Asset Manager A.H. Mehra were camping at the accident site.
UNI |
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Boppanna NCC DG New Delhi, October 31 Commissioned into the 11th Gorkha Rifles in 1965, Lt-Gen Boppanna has held several prestigious Command and Staff appointments. |
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Recall UN group chief: Panthers New Delhi, October 31 The party president, Prof Bhim Singh, said by his statements Major-Gen Hermenn Loidolt, head of the UNMOGIP, has proved that he was working “at the behest of Washington and not for the UN.” Urging the UN Secretary-General to recall General Loidolt, Mr Bhim Singh also called upon the Centre to withdraw India’s protest petition in the UN against Pakistan’s aggression in Jammu and Kashmir. |
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