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Wednesday, July 28, 1999

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Cong, BJP sharpen knives
NEW DELHI, July 27 — The Congress and BJP today sharpened their knives on the Kargil issue. Reacting to Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s broadside at a public meeting in Madhya Pradesh, where the Congress president said "under the Vajpayee government, even the borders of the country have become unsafe", the BJP General Secretary, Mr M. Venkaih Naidu, alleged that the Congress was, "hopelessly isolated and alienated from the national sentiment".

Shoot-at-sight orders in Ahmedabad
AHMEDABAD, July 27 — At least four persons were killed in fresh outbreak of communal violence here forcing the authorities to order shoot-at-sight and clamp indefinite curfew in the Shahpur and Karanj localities.

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Governor tells JD to settle rift in court
BANGALORE, July 27 — The Karnataka Governor, Mr Khursheed Alam, today advised warring Janata Dal factions to settle 'all disputes' in a court of law, even as the faction headed by Chief Minister J.H. Patel claimed that it enjoyed majority support in the state.


Operations ‘far from over’
NEW DELHI, July 27 — Chief of the Army Staff Gen V.P. Malik today claimed the action in Kargil is "far from over" and said firing was continuing along the Line of Control despite the eviction of Pakistani intruders as there was neither any political nor military understanding between the two countries.
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Cong pacts with RPI group, MGP
NEW DELHI, July 27 — With the objective of defeating the BJP-Shiv Sena combine in Maharashtra, the Congress today arrived at an electoral understanding with Prakash Ambedkar’s faction of the Republic Party of India.

Jats align with BSP, NCP in Rajasthan
JAIPUR, July 27 — The BSP, the Lok Dal (Ajit Singh), the Nationalist Congress Party and the Jat Mahasabha have entered into a poll alliance in Rajasthan for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Arrest warrant of Devi Lal cancelled
NEW DELHI, July 27 - The Delhi Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Mr R.K. Gauba, today cancelled the non-bailable arrest warrants issued against Mr Devi Lal after the former Deputy Prime Minister personally appeared before him.

430 cr for better DD, AIR services in J&K
NEW DELHI, July 27 — The Cabinet today approved a package worth Rs 430 crore for improving Doordarshan and All India Radio services in Jammu and Kashmir.

ISI putting pressure on Punjab militants
NEW DELHI, July 27 — Pakistan’s inter-services intelligence is employing new strategies to revive militancy in Punjab and putting pressure on the remaining militants to “undertake some sensational terrorist actions”, according to official sources here.

Heroin worth 1.8 cr seized
NEW DELHI, July 27 — Heroin worth Rs 1.8 crore in the international market was seized by Customs officials from a German national at Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Health employees strike work
NEW DELHI, July 27 — Health employees of several government hospitals and dispensaries went on a day-long token strike here today but the authorities claimed that normal services were maintained in all major hospitals.

Jagat Singh is YC Gen Secy
NEW DELHI, July 27 — Mr Jagat Singh has been appointed as the General Secretary of the Indian Youth Congress by its President, Mr Manish Tewari.

5 UP gangsters arrested
NEW DELHI, July 27 — With the arrest of five alleged gangsters of Uttar Pradesh, the crime branch of the Delhi police claimed to have solved nine cases of murder and impounded five trucks.

Prem Bhatia Memorial Lecture on Aug 11
NEW DELHI, July 27 — The father of the green revolution in India, Prof M.S. Swaminathan, will deliver the fourth Prem Bhatia Memorial Lecture next month in the Capital.

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Kargil
Cong, BJP sharpen knives
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, July 27 — The Congress and BJP today sharpened their knives on the Kargil issue. Reacting to Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s broadside at a public meeting in Madhya Pradesh, where the Congress president said "under the Vajpayee government, even the borders of the country have become unsafe", the BJP General Secretary, Mr M. Venkaih Naidu, alleged that the Congress was, "hopelessly isolated and alienated from the national sentiment".

The BJP alleged that the Congress campaign, which it termed as "absurd", was essentially threefold - "First, to project national victory as defeat when victory could not be denied; to assert that the Army had won and the government had lost; and even while the international community endorsed India’s stand, to allege diplomatic failure".

Thus, even in its denial, the BJP sought to drape itself in the glory of "victory in Kargil" - which is essentially the Congress party’s point of criticism.

The principal opposition party is of the opinion that while the glory should be reserved for the jawans, the government ought to reply to specific questions regarding circumstances leading to the presence of intruders on Indian territory while the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, was shaking hands with his counterpart, Mr Nawaz Sharif.

Addressing a meeting at Rajnandgaon, Mrs Sonia Gandhi today asked the Vajpayee government to own moral responsibility for its "failure" to check the intrusion of Pakistani forces in Kargil. Had the government been more watchful, hundreds of Indian soldiers would not have been killed, she pointed out.

She said it was strange that at a time when the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan were talking in friendly terms to each other (apparent reference to the Lahore bus ride), intruders from Pakistan were entering Kargil.

In New Delhi, her party’s spokesman, Mr Kapil Sibal, referring to a press report from Lahore in which Pakistan army spokesman Brig Rashid Qureshi had been quoted as saying that the process of capturing the heights in Kargil had started in September last year, said that Congress party’s criticism was not against the bus ride but he was questioning the judgement of the government which was oblivious to the realities on the border during the much trumpeted event at Lahore.

Mr Sibal said that by setting up the four-member committee headed by Mr K.Subramaniam, the Vajpayee government had shown that it wished to hide its culpability. "The Prime Minister does not want to tell us that when the enemy crossed the LoC and when he came to know of it - to answer this the Prime Minister does not need a four-member committee".

The BJP, on its part, alleged that the Congress was using information emanating from Pakistan with ease and even alleged that Islamabad’s Information Minister, Mr Mushahid Hussain, has been accepted by the Congress as its official "information guru".

Referring to the Congress criticism, the BJP spokesman said, "this contrasts sharply with Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee’s response during the build-up to the 1971 war, during the war and when India won the war or when he as Leader of the Opposition put aside his political differences with the then Congress government (headed by P.V. Narasimha Rao) and successfully fought India’s case at the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva".Top


 

Shoot-at-sight orders in Ahmedabad

AHMEDABAD, July 27 (PTI) — At least four persons were killed in fresh outbreak of communal violence here forcing the authorities to order shoot-at-sight and clamp indefinite curfew in the Shahpur and Karanj localities.

A 32-year-old man was stabbed to death by some unidentified persons at Ratanpol and two persons were killed in Shahpur and Maninagar localities of the city.

A youth, who was stabbed and injured at Karanj area, succumbed to his injuries at a hospital. Another youth was stabbed at Raikhad, the police said.

The latest killings push up the death toll since communal violence broke out on Sunday to seven. The police said 20 persons were injured in stabbing and stone-pelting incidents since then.

The police said a youth suffered severe burns at gheekanta when a mob set him on fire this morning. The police burst about 100 teargas shells in the areas to quell the mobs which hurled stones and attacked passers-by.

Stone-pelting and group clashes were reported from Mirzapur, Gheekanta, Ratanpol and Raikhad areas, the police said.

Ahmedabad Police Commissioner P.C. Pandey issued shoot-at-sight orders against rioters found indulging in violence and arson.Top


 

Governor tells JD to settle rift in court

BANGALORE, July 27 (UNI) — The Karnataka Governor, Mr Khursheed Alam, today advised warring Janata Dal factions to settle 'all disputes' in a court of law, even as the faction headed by Chief Minister J.H. Patel claimed that it enjoyed majority support in the state.

After a 45-minute meeting with the Governor, Mr Patel told newsmen at Raj Bhavan that they had agreed to abide by the Governor's advice.

In a related development, Mr C. Byre Gowda, president of the Patel faction of the Dal, claimed that 68 out of 128 members of the Dal legislature party had signed the affidavits demanding allotment of the 'wheel' symbol to the group. The affidavits had to be submitted before the Election Commission on August 3.

NEW DELHI (TNS): Meanwhile the BJP is discussing Lok Shakti President R.K. Hegde’s proposal to bring in a faction of the Janata Dal into the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The party spokesman, Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu, said that Mr Hegde, who met the BJP President, Mr Kushabhau Thakre, last evening at the party headquarters, brought up the proposal of bringing in the Janata Dal into the NDA.

Mr Hegde told Mr Thakre that "if the JD can also join the NDA, it would be useful for our cause", Mr Naidu said.

When asked about the BJP’s stand on the issue, Mr Naidu said that the proposal had come now and the party would take a proper decision at the proper time after discussing it. The BJP would finalise its stand about the JD’s proposal to join the NDA before the coordination committee meeting on July 31.

Meanwhile, the Janata Dal President, Mr Sharad Yadav, has convened a meeting of the party’s National Executive on July 29, a day ahead of such a meeting convened by rival JD faction headed by the former Prime Minister, Mr H. D. Deve Gowda.Top


 

Operations ‘far from over’

NEW DELHI, July 27 (UNI) — Chief of the Army Staff Gen V.P. Malik today claimed the action in Kargil is "far from over" and said firing was continuing along the Line of Control (LoC) despite the eviction of Pakistani intruders as there was neither any political nor military understanding between the two countries.

In an interview to private television channel "Aaj Tak", Gen Malik maintained that except the air strikes all other forms of armaments is being used by the Army in the Kargil theatre and therefore it would not be correct to claim that the action is over.

"It would be wrong to say that the conflict in Kargil is over because firing from both sides along the LoC is going on", he said.

Asked why the firing was continuing even after pullout of Pakistani troops and eviction of the remaining intruders, the Army Chief said, "the firing is continuing because at the moment there is neither a political nor a military understanding between the two countries."Top


 

Cong pacts with RPI group, MGP
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, July 27 — With the objective of defeating the BJP-Shiv Sena combine in Maharashtra, the Congress today arrived at an electoral understanding with Prakash Ambedkar’s faction of the Republic Party of India (RPI).

“The Congress and the RPI have agreed to forge a common platform and have come to an understanding to fight such forces which represent what could be a bleak future for the country and Maharashtra in particular,” the AICC General Secretary, Mr Madhavrao Scindia, said today.

Addressing a press conference at his residence, Mr Scindia said that further talks would be held with the RPI leaders and the State Congress leaders on seat adjustments.

Mr Scindia said the Congress was open to the idea of power-sharing.

Apart from Mr Prakash Ambedkar, a grandson of Bhimrao Ambedkar, those present on the occasion included the PCC Chief, Mr Prataprao Bhonsale, an AICC Secretary, Mr Anil Shastri, and Maharashtra Congress leaders, Mr Sushil Kumar Shinde, Mr Suresh Kalmadi and Mr Gurudas Kamat.

On the possibility of tying up with other factions of the RPI, including Mr R.S. Gavai and Prof Joginder Kawade, the AICC General Secretary said he was hopeful of clinching an agreement with these two. The other faction, that of Mr Ramdas Athavale, has already sided with Mr Pawar’s party.

In Goa, the Congress has formed a coalition with the Maharashtra Gomantak Party (MGP) headed by a former Union Minister, Mr Ramakant D. Khalap.

The Congress, which won 21 seats in the 40-member assembly earlier this year, has decided to enter into a coalition with the four-member MGP in Goa, the Mr Scindia announced today.

The Congress at present has a strength of 23 with two MLAs joining the party after the elections and also the support of an Independent. While the exact nature of coalition has not yet been worked out, it is understood that the MGP would like to share power in Goa.Top


 

Jats align with BSP, NCP in Rajasthan
From Our Correspondent

JAIPUR, July 27 — The BSP, the Lok Dal (Ajit Singh), the Nationalist Congress Party and the Jat Mahasabha have entered into a poll alliance in Rajasthan for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

This was announced here today at a press conference jointly addressed by representatives of all four parties.

State BJP chief Jagat Singh Dayma, General Secretary of the Lok Dal Mahipal Yadav, the Nationalist Congress Party’s state convener Jagdeep Dhankar and the Jat Mahasabha action committee’s chairman Hari Singh told newsmen that seat sharing would be decided after a rally on August 1 at Jaipur to press for the demand of reservation.

Dr Hari Singh of the Jat Mahasabha, said since the mahasabha was not a recognised political party it would extend support to candidates of the BSP, the NCP and the LD. Where these parties did not have enough strength the Jat Mahasabha would field its own candidates.

The Jat Mahasabha’s call to Jats to not give votes to the Congress sent former MP Bal Ram Jakhar running to Jaipur on Monday to convey Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s message that the Congress still stood by its promise to grant the OBC status to Jats. He appealed to the Jat Mahasabha to withdraw its call in this regard.

But the Jat leaders today rejected Mr Jakhar’s appeal saying that Mr Jakhar was a “liar”.

Former minister Sheesh Ram Ola, who had recently joined the Congress, told newsmen that it would be wrong to underestimate the impact of the mahasabha’s call.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said his hands were tied because of the procedure laid by the Supreme Court ruling in matters of granting the OBC status to any particular community. He said he stood still committed to the promise of reservation to Jats and others and promised to implement the recommendations of the commission as and when received.Top


 

Arrest warrant of Devi Lal cancelled
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, July 27 - The Delhi Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Mr R.K. Gauba, today cancelled the non-bailable arrest warrants (NBW) issued against Mr Devi Lal after the former Deputy Prime Minister personally appeared before him.

Mr Gauba, who had issued the NBW against Mr Devi Lal yesterday for his failure to appear before him in a Hawala-scam related income tax case, also allowed his plea seeking restoration of bail bond.

The CMM had issued the NBW as neither Mr Devi Lal nor his counsel appeared before him despite repeated calls.

However, Mr Devi Lal today submitted that it was due to an inadvertent mistake as on May 4, the last date of hearing, his counsel had noted down in his diary the next date as July 27 instead of July 26.

The court fixed September 10 for adducing evidence.Top


 

430 cr for better DD, AIR services in J&K
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, July 27 — The Cabinet today approved a package worth Rs 430 crore for improving Doordarshan and All India Radio services in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Information and Broadcasting Minister, Mr Pramod Mahajan, said under the package, Doordarshan would set up two high-powered transmitters each at Naushera, Tithwal, Kupwara, Gurez and Samba for DD-1 and DD-2 programmes besides providing mobile lower-powered transmitters at 12 locations and new VLPTs at 60 locations at a cost of Rs 218 crore.

The package includes upgradation of existing transmitters for DD-1 and DD-2 at Amritsar.

All India Radio would set up nine relay stations and upgrade three existing transmitters at a cost of Rs 48.40 crore. An amount of Rs 163.67 crore would be spent for developing software for AIR and DD under this approval, Mr Mahajan said.

The upgradation would begin immediately and would be completed by June, 2001.

An empowered committee of secretaries, chaired by the Secretary, Information and Broadcasting, had also been set up to ensure its speedy implementation. The other members of the committee were the Secretary (Defence), Secretary (Expenditure), Special Secretary (J and K Administration) in the Home Ministry and Adviser, Planning Commission.

PTI adds: With this upgradation, Jammu and Kashmir would be the only state in the country with satellite uplink facilities from three centres — Jammu, Srinagar and Leh.

"This package would help the government to tackle the information war launched by Pakistan. During my recent visit to Kargil, the local people had brought to my notice that PTV reception was better than Doordarshan. The upgradation should have been done much earlier, " Mr Mahajan said.Top


 

ISI putting pressure on Punjab militants

NEW DELHI, July 27 (PTI) — Pakistan’s inter-services intelligence (ISI) is employing new strategies to revive militancy in Punjab and putting pressure on the remaining militants to “undertake some sensational terrorist actions”, according to official sources here.

“Pakistan-based Punjab militant groups, particularly Khalistan Commando Force (Panjwar) (KCF-P), Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), are under pressure from the ISI to undertake some sensational terrorist actions here,” they said.

KCF-P chief Paramjit Singh Panjwar is believed to have sent two consignments of explosives to Punjab, they said, adding two of his confidants — Paramjit Singh and Kulwinder Singh — have sneaked into the state from Germany via Nepal with a specific purpose of targeting VIPs.

At least 29 leaders of various Punjab militant organisations are at presently believed to be in Pakistan getting active support of ISI.

The sources, citing the recent incidents of militant strikes in Punjab and neighbouring states, said the ISI had embarked upon a new strategy to revive the atmosphere of terror in the state.Top


 

Heroin worth 1.8 cr seized
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, July 27 — Heroin worth Rs 1.8 crore in the international market was seized by Customs officials from a German national at Indira Gandhi International Airport.

White heroin weighing about 1.8 Kg was seized from Richard Heinrich Rodriguez, who was ‘in-transit’ in Delhi on his way to Amsterdam from Kathmandu on July 21, the Commissioner of Customs Mrs Vijay Zutshi told newsmen here today.

The accused had concealed the contraband between two layers of leather in his briefcase and in a cavity in his shoes. He admitted to having procured the heroin in Islamabad and was carrying it to Amsterdam via Kathmandu.

This is the second major drug seizure at the IGI Airport recently. Last week, heroin worth Rs 72 lakh was seized from a national of Ghana.

Mrs Zutshi said the accused had scraped the sole of his shoes from inside to create a cavity and the heroin packets were concealed beneath the sole.

The accused, besides concealing the contraband, had tried to “camouflage” his journey details as well.Top


 

Health employees strike work

NEW DELHI, July 27 (UNI) — Health employees of several government hospitals and dispensaries went on a day-long token strike here today but the authorities claimed that normal services were maintained in all major hospitals.

The group ‘C’ and ‘D’ employees had struck work for 24 hours from 6 a.m. today to press their demand for action against the Director of Lala Ram Swarup TB Hospital, Mr V.K. Arora, charged with sexual harassment at the workplace.

Several hundred agitating employees, demonstrating outside the Health Ministry’s office at Nirman Bhavan, were pushed back by the police. While the joint council representing the striking employees claimed that the police resorted to a mild lathi-charge and water cannons to disperse peaceful demonstrators. The Union Health Ministry said the police had to push the employees back as they scaled the boundary walls and started pelting stones.

The joint council co-convenor, Mr Ram Kishan, said the hospital administration tried to run the basic services with the help of the police personnel. Top


 

Jagat Singh is YC Gen Secy
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, July 27 — Mr Jagat Singh has been appointed as the General Secretary of the Indian Youth Congress by its President, Mr Manish Tewari.

The IYC President also appointed Mr Mansoor Hasan as the General Secretary of the Delhi Pradesh Youth Congress, Mr Irar and Mr Noor-Ul-Zazama were appointed Secretary of the DPYC, a press note said.Top


 

5 UP gangsters arrested
From Our Correspondent

NEW DELHI, July 27 — With the arrest of five alleged gangsters of Uttar Pradesh, the crime branch of the Delhi police claimed to have solved nine cases of murder and impounded five trucks.

The gangsters held were Attar Singh, his associate Ram Avtar and three receivers of stolen property — Satish Kumar of Bulandshahr, Nanhe Khan and Pawan Kumar of Delhi. They basically operated in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, the Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime), Mr S.K. Jain, said.

The gangsters used to sell the truck either in Delhi or Uttar Pradesh on throwaway prices, Mr Jain said.Top


 

Prem Bhatia Memorial Lecture on Aug 11
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, July 27 — The father of the green revolution in India, Prof M.S. Swaminathan, will deliver the fourth Prem Bhatia Memorial Lecture next month in the Capital.

The noted agricultural economist would express his views on the topic, “Media, hunger and the environment,” on August 11 at India International Centre.

A former ICS officer, Mr B.K. Nehru, will preside over the function.Top

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in brief
  Fake degree holder surrenders
NAGPUR: The special investigating team (SIT), probing the fake degree, marksheets and wrongful revaluation scandal or Nagpur University, got a shot in the arm with a fake degree holder surrendering before the police on Monday. The police said Pavichandran Bhagwatchandran Narayan of Begumpeth in Hyderabad was wanted in connection with the scam for obtaining a Bachelor of Engineering (BE) degree by unfair means. — PTI

Vice-President back
NEW DELHI:
Vice-President KrishanKant returned here on Tuesday after attending the funeral of King Hassan II of Morocco who died on July 23. Mr Kant led a delegation to represent India at the Moroccan Capital, Rabat, where the King was buried on Sunday at the mausoleum where the remains of his father Mohamed v Lie. — PTI

Partial lunar eclipse today
CHENNAI:
A partial lunar eclipse will occur in India on Wednesday between 3.52 p.m. and 6.16 p.m. A press note from the Meteorological Department said here on Tuesday that the eclipse would be visible over parts Antartica, Central America, western parts of North America, except north of Alaska, Pacific Ocean, Australia, New Zealand and parts of Asia. In India, only the ending of the eclipse would be visible over north-eastern parts of the country and south-eastern parts of the Bay of Bengal. — PTI

Infant killed in accident
NEW DELHI:
An infant, Vishnu, was killed while his father Srinivasan, a Sergeant in the Air Force, and his wife Sinija were injured when their scooter was hit by an Army truck near Palam airport in south-west Delhi on Monday, the police said. — FOC

Load shedding declines in Delhi
NEW DELHI:
Delhi Chief Secretary Omesh Saigal on Monday claimed that load shedding in the Capital last week due to shutdowns breakdowns and grid restrictions had shown a decline. Addressing a meeting of senior Delhi Vidyut Board officials he stated that the total load shedding last week was 4.63 million units as compared to 8.16 million units during the preceding week. — TNS
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