Tuesday, July 20, 1999
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Congress focus on Kargil, BJP
snipes Wasim Ahmed expelled from Janata
Dal |
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Sethi with SAD (Badal), says
Dhindsa NEW DELHI, July 19 — The Secretary General of Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, today claimed that the former President of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, Mr Jaswant Singh Sethi, was with the SAD (Badal) and had not joined the SAD (Delhi).
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CWC meeting today No exit poll survey till elections
end Investors throng CLB premises Charges framed against Jaya ‘No human rights violations
in J&K’ |
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Congress focus on Kargil, BJP snipes NEW DELHI, July 19 — The Congress today stepped up its attack on the BJP-led government, charging it with "apathy" in defending the Line of Control (LoC) in Kargil and asked the Vajpayee government to "come clean" on the issue. The BJP reiterated by launching a personal broadside against Ms Sonia Gandhi, alleging that she is "completely alien to India’s national spirit". The Congress president, Ms Sonia Gandhi, addressing a rally at Lucknow, maintained her focus of attack against the government and said it was ridiculous that they were celebrating Kargil victory having initially "utterly failed" in defending the country’s borders. Two days ago, at Ahmedabad, she had spoken on similar lines. The BJP spokesman, Mr Arun Jaitley, charged that at a time when Indian soldiers had reached the LoC after a magnificent victory against the Pakistanis and at a time when India’s diplomatic victory was also acknowledged, "Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s singular effort is to convince the country that India’s victory is actually a defeat". "This only reinforces the view that Ms Gandhi continues to remain completely alien to India’s national spirit. Thanks to her leadership, even the Congress has become alien to national spirit and pride", Mr Jaitley said. Mr Jaitley also said, "Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in keeping with her by now familiar habit of taking utmost liberty with the truth, has claimed that ‘thousands of brave Indian soldiers’ were ‘murdered’ in Kargil. This amazing fabrication, which can only demoralise soldiers and their families, is part of her election rally speech at Ahmedabad on Saturday". The Congress spokesman, Mr Kapil Sibal, who like Mr Jaitley is a former Additional Solicitor-General, denied the specific charge and said Ms Gandhi had never used the word "murdered". In Hindi, she had referred to many soldiers having laid down their lives or being injured, Mr Sibal clarified. Mr Sibal told the mediapersons at the AICC’s regular press briefing that according to information available with him, the Brigadier in charge of the Kargil area had filed a report on August 24, 1998, on the enhanced threat perception in the area under his charge. This Brigadier had requested for a helicopter to carry out a reconnaissance mission — this was denied. His request for a remote pilotless vehicle (RPV) for a recce mission too was turned down. With the Congress making such specific serious charges and also alleging that the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, has "demonstratively inaccurate perception" about the Kargil conflict, the stage is set for Kargil to become a major poll issue. The BJP’s reaction, of making a personal attack on the Congress president, shows that the ruling party is aware of the potential fallout of Kargil being brought into political focus. At Lucknow, Ms Sonia Gandhi said, "The infighting in the BJP-led coalition government has made it completely ignorant about the intrusion by Pakistani troops and militants in Kargil and the people need to be made aware of this in the coming elections." She came down heavily on the Vajpayee government for taking several policy decisions in the economic sector and entering into various agreements and said "a caretaker government has no right to do all this". At Ahmedabad, on Saturday, she had told a largely attended meeting which had been synchronised with the formalisation of merger of Shankarsinh Vaghela’s Rashtriya Janata Party with the Congress, that the Vajpayee government had shown "disregard to democratic values" by not convening a session of the Rajya Sabha to discuss Kargil. She had congratulated the armed forces for successfully retrieving the Indian territory from the aggressors and said that the country should never forget its martyrs. Today, at Lucknow,
referring to the dismal performance of her party in Uttar
Pradesh, she said "we have to blame ourselves
because we had lost contact with the people". She
asked her partymen to be united and to go to the people
and explain the failures of the BJP government especially
on Kargil. |
Wasim Ahmed expelled from
Janata Dal NEW DELHI, July 19 — Former Janata Dal general secretary and former Member of Parliament Wasim Ahmed, a close aide of former Prime Minister V.P. Singh, was today expelled from the Dal for six years for anti-party activities. Mr Ahmed was expelled from the primary membership of the party by Janata Dal chief Sharad Yadav with immediate effect. This was announced by party secretary-general Bapu Kaldate in a statement issued today. Mr Ahmed, who owes his rise in politics solely to the former Prime Minister, who was also instrumental in his being nominated to the Rajya Sabha, attended a rally in Patna on July 5 which was organised by the Rashtriya Janata Dal of former Bihar Chief Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav. Even yesterday he issued a statement for the merging of the Janata Dal with the RJD in his capacity as general secretary of the party. He also called for all those in favour of the Janata Dal aligning with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to quit the party. Apparently annoyed with the open association with the RJD, the Dal decided to expel him from the primary membership of the party. Mr Ahmed was earlier
removed from the post of general secretary of the Dal for
not attending meetings of the central secretariat for
almost over a year and not responding to communications
from the central office. |
Sethi with SAD (Badal), says
Dhindsa NEW DELHI, July 19 — The Secretary General of Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, today claimed that the former President of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, Mr Jaswant Singh Sethi, was with the SAD (Badal) and had not joined the SAD (Delhi). Mr Dhindsa said he had an hour-long meeting with Mr Sethi, who had assured him that he has not joined the SAD (Delhi). "Mr Sethi categorically told me that he had not left the SAD (Badal) and joined hands with the Tohra faction," Mr Dhindsa said. However, at a press
conference organised by the SAD (Delhi) on July 14, the
President of SAD (Delhi), Mr Autar Singh Autopin, had
stated "senior Akali leader, Mr Jaswant Singh Sethi,
with a large number of his followers has joined the SAD
(Delhi)". |
Remove regional imbalances: PM NEW DELHI, July 19 — The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, today advocated a three-pronged strategy to meet the challenges in rural development. Inaugurating the annual conference of project directors of the District Rural Development Agencies (DRDAs) here, the Prime Minister said there was a need to devise and implement policies and programmes in such a way that they helped in removing regional imbalances. Secondly, the programmes should bring benefits of development to all sections of society, rather than widening the gulf between the rich and the poor. Equally important was the third challenge of social justice and empowerment. In this regard, Mr Vajpayee called upon the project directors to work in close concert with the Panchayati Raj institutions and non-government organisations (NGOs) so as to realise the government’s commitment of allround development of “gaon, gareeb and kisan” (village, poor and the farmer). He said the challenge of empowering women continued to be of particular concern as they continued to be invariably neglected or sidelined both within their families and communities. Mr Vajpayee said rural development programmes were a collaborative effort between the Centre and the states and the success in jointly implementing such programmes was an important yardstick to measure the efficacy of the Centre-state cooperation. Noting that the incidence of poverty had declined from 55 per cent to 36 per cent in the two decades between 1973-74 and 1993-94 and that the urban-rural divide, though still very sharp, had been narrowing, the Prime Minister underlined the need to remove the misconception about rural India being static and perennially poverty stricken. Such a notion did grave disservice to the tremendous dynamism of the farmers and other sections of rural society, he said. Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Rural Development Baba Gouda Patil suggested that the project directors should not only participate personally but also encourage others to involve themselves effectively in the training programmes. Field awareness of the programme among the target groups should be ensured through appropriate communication measures. He also stressed the need for promoting transparency in all activities of the implementing agencies. The Deputy Chairman of
the Planning Commission, Mr K.C. Pant, said financial
outlays by themselves could not ensure results and
realisation of objectives called for imagination and
flexibility. The Union Finance Minister, Mr Yashwant
Sinha, said there should be a shift towards people’s
participation in the implementation of the rural
development schemes. Technical institutions at rural
level should also be involved and there should be
transparency in decision making, he added. |
CWC meeting today NEW DELHI, July 19 — The Congress Working Committee (CWC) will meet here tomorrow to draw guidelines for selection of the candidates for the forthcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. The meeting will be the first to be held after the announcement of the poll schedule by the Election Commission on July 11. Apart from drawing up guidelines, the CWC will also consider other relevant matters, including framing of an internal schedule and proforma, which all candidates have to file with the EC about their conduct. Section 8 of the Representation of People Act prevents any person from contesting elections if he has been convicted by a court of law for specified criminal offences. Party sources said the CWC would also consider a pledge to be undertaken by the candidates that they would abide by the norms, party principles and policies. Meanwhile, the Congress President is also expected to take a decision on the formation of a Central Election Committee (CEC), the apex body which clears the party nominations for the polls. During the past two
general elections, the CWC was converted to CEC and a few
prominent members were added to it to make it broadbased
and more representative in character. |
Press Council guidelines NEW DELHI, July 19 (PTI) — The Press Council of India (PCI) today asked the newspapers not to publish any exit poll survey till the coming Lok Sabha poll is over. In its guidelines issued to the media on election reporting, the council said no newspaper shall publish exit poll surveys “however genuine they may be”, till the last date of the poll is over. About pre-poll surveys, it said the newspapers should take care to preface such surveys conspicuously by indicating the institutions which have carried them. The newspapers should also mention the individuals and organisations which have commissioned the surveys, the size and nature of sample selected, the method of selection of the sample for the findings and also the possible margin of error in the findings, it said. The council said the Press should also eschew reports which tend to promote feelings of enmity or hatred between people on the ground of region, religion, race, caste, community or language. It also asked the newspapers to refrain from publishing false or critical statements in regard to the personal character and conduct of any candidate or in relation to the candidature or withdrawal of any candidate and not print unverified allegations against any candidate or party. Asking the Press to give objective reports about the election and the candidates, the PCI said newspapers were not expected to indulge in unhealthy election campaigns, exaggerated reports about any candidate or party or incident during the elections. Conceding that in practice two or three closely contesting candidates attract all media attention, it said newspapers should not leave out any important point raised by a candidate. It also said the press should not accept any kind of inducement, financial or otherwise, to project a party or a candidate. “The press is not
expected to indulge in canvassing of a particular
candidate or party. If it does, it shall allow the right
of reply to the other side also,” according to the
guidelines. The council also cautioned against accepting
or publishing any advertisement at the cost of the public
exchequer regarding achievements of a party in power. |
Investors throng CLB premises NEW DELHI, July 19 (PTI) — Hundreds of hapless investors today thronged the Company Law Board (CLB) premises here in vain as the promoters of Incan Mutual Benefit Ltd., failed to turn up for the hearing today to decide on repayment of investors’ deposits of Rs 70 crore. The non-banking finance company (NBFC), based in Lucknow and believed to have a network of around 200 branches in North India, had approached the CLB for its permission to repay the investors deposits in instalments. The investors gathered in front of the CLB offices as the case was posted for hearing today with promoters of the company, who have allegedly gone into hiding, expected to appear before the board. However, as the promoters or their representatives failed to turn up for the hearing of the case, the court gave 10 more days’ time for the next hearing. Incan, promoted by Manjit Singh Aujla, a non-resident Indian from Canada, is a notified ‘Nidhi’ had started functioning from May 1993. “The trouble arose after the Assistant Chairman Maj J.S. Talwar, resigned on February 17 following differences with the management,” said Mr Rajender Singh who has invested Rs 6 lakh in the Nidhi. Mr Rajinder Singh, who came from Rohtak, expressed the fear that the promoters could have fled the country. According to Mr Bharat
Srivastava, who has put in all his retirement money with
Incan, alleged that the company had invested the funds in
many immovable assets, leading to lack of liquidity. |
Tansi case CHENNAI, July 19 (PTI) — A Special Judge today framed charges against former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha and five others in the Tansi land deal case and fixed Aug 16 for the commencement of trial. Judge P. Anbazhagan framed charges after all accused pleaded ‘not guilty’. The other accused are Jayalalitha’s close friend Sasikala, an ex-minister, two IAS officers and a former Deputy Collector of Stamps. The case relates to purchase of land and buildings on 11 grounds belonging to Tansi Enamelled Wires, a subsidiary of the state-owned Small Industries Corporation, by Sasi Enterprises, a firm in which Ms Jayalalitha and Ms Sasikala were partners. According to the Crime Branch-CID’s charge sheet, the sale, registered in September, 1992, involved undervaluation of the sale consideration and consequent evasion of registration charges and stamp duty, resulting in a pecuniary advantage of Rs 66 lakh to the accused. The main charges are under Section 169 of the IPC and Sections 420, 409 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act for alleged ‘criminal misconduct’ in causing loss to the exchequer and gaining pecuniary advantage. Besides Ms Jayalalitha and Ms Sasikala, the others arraigned in the case are former Tansi Managing Director T.R. Srinivasan, former AIADMK Minister Mohammad Asif, former Deputy Collector of Stamps S. Nagarajan and Secretary in the former Chief Minister’s office Karpoorasundara Pandian. On July 12, the Judge had dismissed a petition filed by Ms Jayalalitha seeking discharge from the case and, the next day, fixed July 19 for the framing of charges against the accused. This is the fifth case
in which charges have been framed against Ms Jayalalitha. |
‘No human rights violations in J&K’ NEW DELHI, July 19 (PTI) — India today firmly ruled out third party mediation on Jammu and Kashmir and dismissed as “factually incorrect” allegations of large-scale human rights violations by security forces in the state. “International mediation is not an answer to the Kashmir (issue)”, External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh told BBC’s “Hard Talk” programme. Questioned whether the role of US President Bill Clinton on Kargil amounted to mediation, Mr Singh pointed out that Washington’s statement asking Islamabad to withdraw its forces from the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC) came after Pakistan Premier Nawaz Sharif had rushed to the USA in the face of a certain military defeat in Kargil at the hands of the Indian security forces. ‘“The main point is for Pakistan to understand that it cannot force a resolution (on the issue).... It has to come to terms with history,” he said asserting the 1972 Simla Agreement providing a bilateral framework for addressing outstanding issues between India and Pakistan has “worked”. On reports of alleged torture, rape and extra-judicial killings by security personnel in J and K, Mr Singh said these charges were based on “incorrect information’’. He said “every single’’ allegation or incident of human rights violation, was investigated by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) headed by former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Specifically asked about
the complaint of a woman in J and K that her 14-year old
son had been shot by security forces and another reported
missing, he said the NHRC was seized of the matter and
taking appropriate steps. |
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| Two extortionists held NASIK: The police arrested two youths, including an autorickshaw driver, for threatening a doctor and demanding Rs 5 lakh from him here on Sunday. The duo, Pankaj Devdatta Gaikwad (25), a resident of Nasik Road, and Balkrishna, the autorickshaw driver, were remanded in police custody till July 22. Dr Umesh Mauskar, running a nursing home in the city’s Sharanpur Road locality, received a letter allegedly written by Gaikwad, demanding Rs 5 lakh. — PTI 3
drowned while escaping from cops Dainik Bhaskar
donates 1.51 cr to NDF Television actor
passes away Brahmin leader
hacked to death Telugu poet gets
fellowship Ramasamy, Rajan
join AIADMK |
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