Wednesday, September 18, 2002, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Grenade attack on Cong HQ
Urdu daily Editor shot at in Srinagar

Srinagar, September 17 The Editor of an Urdu daily was shot at and injured even as three Congress candidates from Srinagar district for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections today had a narrow escape in a grenade attack by militants on the party headquarters here, the police said.	Security force personnel help an injured colleague on the way to hospital after a grenade explosion at the Congress headquarters in Srinagar on Tuesday. — Reuters photo
Editorial: Kashmir poll pointers     World page: J&K poll free: USA

Centre pleads with SC on Gujarat
Says poll has to be held within 6 months
New Delhi, September 17
The BJP-led NDA government submitted before the Supreme Court today that elections to a state Assembly have to be held within six months of its dissolution and that it was beyond the Election Commission to suggest or recommend imposition of President’s rule.

BBMB cuts water release
Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan hit
Chandigarh, September 17
The share of water to Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan stands reduced and this reduction will remain in effect till May next year, or largely till the monsoons start. The worst hit will be Rajasthan where water will be available only for drinking purposes.

No new notification on Babri
Lucknow, September 17
In a significant political decision, the BSP-BJP coalition government in Uttar Pradesh said today that there was neither any justification nor necessity for issuing a fresh notification in the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid case in which Union Ministers L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti are among the accused.

No hint about Indian troop pullout: Pervez
Islamabad, September 17
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf today said there was no indication from India about the withdrawal of its troops from the border, but envisaged “some movement” in this regard after the completion of the ongoing Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

SHSAD quits Panthic Morcha
Amritsar, September 17
The Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal (SHSAD) today made a formal announcement to withdraw itself from the Panthic Morcha, headed by Baba Sarbjot Singh Bedi. The morcha comprised five Akali factions before the crucial Majitha byelection.