tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Friday, September 3, 1999
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RSS complaint
NEW DELHI, Sept 2 (UNI) — The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) today said it had complained to the Election Commission about a "false and defamatory" advertisement published against it in a leading newspaper. The advertisement, put in by an organisation called — Communalism Combat — had been published with the "intention of causing disharmony and feeling of enmity among the citizens of the country and affect the results of the elections", — a statement by RSS Delhi media coordinator Kishore Kant said. The RSS also requested the commission to find out the source of funding of the organisation.

SC stays order
NEW DELHI, Sept 2 (UNI) — The Supreme Court today stayed a Karnataka High Court order directing 13 legislators, including two state ministers, to resign their posts on the basis of a report of the state Lokayukta. The Lokayukta had asked the legislators to submit their resignations for their failure to file statements of assets and liabilities on assuming office. The interim stay today was granted by a three-Judge Bench.

Bodies recovered
MIDNAPORE, Sept 2 (PTI) — Bodies of two Trinamool Congress supporters were recovered from two different areas of West Bengal’s Midnapore district last night, the police said today. The body of S.K. Abul, who was missing after attending an election meeting of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee last week, was found at a pond in Kultha village under the Khagaria police station. The other body was recovered from a canal at Bilagram.

Drivers’ strike
GANGTOK, Sept 2 (PTI) — The movement of vehicular traffic along the NH 31A, lifeline of Sikkim, remained disrupted as the 72-hour strike by the Himalayan Gorkha Drivers’ Association continued for the second day today. Like yesterday, both the Mainline Taxi and Jeep Drivers’ Association and the Sikkim Nationalised Transport have not plied their vehicles between the capital Gangtok and Siliguri following the strike at Teesta Bazar in West Bengal, which falls on the way.

Air Marshal Patney
NEW DELHI, Sept 2 (PTI) — In a major reshuffle Air Marshal Vinod Patney has been appointed Air Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), Central Air Command. Air Marshal Patney, who was in charge of the air operations during the Kargil conflict, will take up his new assignment on November 1, a Defence Ministry release said here today. Air Marshal S. Krishnaswamy, at present AOC-in-C, South Western Air Command, will take over from him as AOC-in-C, Western Air Command.

21 ultras surrender
HYDERABAD, Sept 2 — Twentyone Naxalites of the banned People’s War Group (PWG) have surrendered to the police in Nizamabad district of Andhra Pradesh. According to the police here today, the ultras, including the Kamareddy town organiser K. Rajeswar Goud, surrendered before the DSP, Mr C.V. Anand, yesterday. Goud, who joined the PWG in 1973, carried a reward of Rs 2 lakh, the police said.

Ransom demand
AGARTALA, Sept 2 (PTI) — The BJP today claimed the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) insurgents had demanded Rs 1 crore as ransom to free the four abducted leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsevek Sangh (RSS) in Tripura. BJP central committee member and observer for the state, Mr Bansi Lal Soni, told reporters initially the banned militant outfit had demanded Rs 2 crore and now they had lowered the amount by half.