Sunday, September 5, 1999
|
N A T I O N |
|
weather  spotlighttoday's calendar |
 |
 |
|
|
BJP flays Gamang attack
on judiciary |
 |
 Bellary: Poll officials with materials and personal belonging waiting to board their vehicle to reach the booth allocated to them in Bellay Lok Sabha Constituency, where Congress president Sonia Gandhi takes on senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj. — PTI photo |
|
BJP challenges Sibal’s denial
on Bofors Fernandes charges Cong with
treason PM holds Pak responsible Mahants condemn priest’s
murder
Fake PAN card racket busted Stage set for smooth polling
Bhadana to contest from Meerut ‘Bachpan virodhi’
nominees blacklisted
Lust for dowry leads to murder |
|||||||||
 |
||||||||||
Killing of missionary NEW DELHI, Sept 4 — The BJP today condemned the statement of the Orissa Chief Minister, Mr Giridhar Gamang, in a television interview that the killing of Christian missionary, Rev Arul Doss, was a direct consequence of the Justice Wadhwa Commission of Inquiry report. A BJP General Secretary, Mr K.N.Govindacharya, told newspersons here that the Wadhwa panel was appointed to go into the circumstances and fix responsibility in relation to the killing of the Christian missionary, Graham Staines, and his two sons in the Congress-ruled Orissa. Mr Govindacharya said the commission had its report categorically stated that no organisation was behind the killing of the missionary and his two children and it had charged the Congress government and the state police for inaction and also for initial fabrication of the first information report (FIR). He said instead of taking action consequent to the report, the Congress had launched a tirade against the report. By blaming the report of the Supreme Court’s judge, the Orissa Chief Minister was trying to conceal his failure to protect innocent lives, Mr Govindacharya claimed. Mr Gamang and the Congress must own moral responsibility for the collapse of law and order machinery in Orissa and the Chief Minister should resign instead of attacking Justice Wadhwa’s report, the spokesman added. Mr Govindacharya said
the attack showed Congress’ attempt to belittle
great institutions of the country and cited the example
of the Emergency when the Congress launched an assault on
human rights, the Press, judiciary and Parliament.
"Now the Congress has attacked the judiciary and
insulted the integrity of a Supreme Court judge", he
added. |
Sushma will trounce Sonia: BJP NEW DELHI, Sept 4 — The BJP today claimed that it had the edge over the Congress in the first round of poll tomorrow and that its candidate, Mrs Sushma Swaraj, would trounce Mrs Sonia Gandhi in Bellary. A BJP General Secretary, Mr K.N. Govindacharya, said according to an internal assessment made by the BJP, there was an "unprecedented pro-incumbency, pro-Vajpayee wave" in the country and the outcome of the elections would be decided on the strength of a positive mandate in favour of the BJP and its allies. In the 145 constituencies spread over 15 states and union territories, the BJP is contesting 83 seats. In the 1998 general election, the party had won 57 seats and this time it hoped to improve the tally. Mr Govindacharya said the BJP and its allies during the campaigning in the first round had focused on the positive strengths of the government and why the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, should head the next government and be given a decisive mandate for a full five-year term. He said while the BJP had highlighted the tested and trusted Prime Minister, the government’s track record and its commitment to a comprehensive agenda for governance, the Congress was running a virulently negative campaign. Mr Govindacharya said the Congress in the process was trying to divert the attention from the fact that its leader was an "inexperienced and untested prime ministerial candidate of foreign origin whose sole qualification was that she belonged to the erstwhile ruling family of India". The BJP spokesman said
the choice before the voters tomorrow was that of
experience versus inexperience, good governance versus
malgovernance and integrity versus corruption. |
EC monitoring pre-poll violence NEW DELHI, Sept 4 (PTI) — The Election Commission today said it was closely monitoring the pre-poll developments of hostage-taking in frontier district of Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir and gunning down of a top Andhra police officer in Hyderabad and hoped that the violent incidents would not hamper polling. Deputy Election Commissioner Subas Pani told reporters that the office of the local Returning Officer of Kupwara district, located on the ground floor of the building, was attacked by Pakistani mercenaries and where they were holding six security personnel — four DCF and two IB officers — hostage. "Though it is not directly connected with the election process, we are in close touch with Chief Electoral Officer of J and K as also the State Director General of Police to keep a watch on the situation", he said. On the gunning down of a top Andhra police officer Umesh Chandra, his gunman and a driver at a basy crossroad in the heart of Hyderabad, Mr Pani said the commission had sought details from the state authorities. The Andhra police officer was suspected to have been gunned down by the outlawed extremist Peoples War Group (PWG) which has given a call for boycott of the forthcoming elections in the state. On the reported ransacking of a public sector guest house in Mumbai by three poll observers, Mr Pani said the preliminary report from the state government indicated that there was no such incident and it had been "blown out of proportion" by the media. The matter was still being probed and action would be taken if required, he said. The commission on
September 3, had asked the Chief Electoral Officer of
Maharashtra for an immediate report on the rampage by
three senior bureaucrats, who have been deputed to
oversee elections in a Mumbai constituency. |
BJP challenges Sibal’s
denial on Bofors NEW DELHI, Sept 4 — The BJP today challenged the Congress spokesman, Mr Kapil Sibal’s denial on his reported statement in a television show that there was nothing illegal about Mr Ottavio Quattrocchi receiving payments for the Bofors deal. A BJP spokesman Mr Arun Jaitley, made available a recorded video version of the reported statement of Mr Sibal saying the Congress spokesman had clearly stated that Mr Quattrocchi, a family friend of both Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, had received payments from the manufacturers of the Bofors gun. The recording has Mr Sibal replying to a question on how Mr Quattrocchi, whose firm had nothing to do in the dealing of arms, received money for the Bofors deal, that it was the Italian businessman’s contract. "It was Quattrocchi’s contract and Quattrocchi has admitted this. It has come in evidence. There was a contract and Quattrocchi had made it with the Bofors in 1985. Everyone knew about it. If Bofors paid Quattrocchi then how is Rajiv Gandhi responsible for it? Under the contract- this is not illegal. If under the contract somebody pays money to someone then which law does it violate"? Mr Sibal is shown as saying. Mr Jaitley said the video clipping nailed Mr Sibal’s denial and the "ifs and buts" raised by him after the interview was clearly an afterthought. He said since the BJP had reproduced the exact transcript of what Mr Sibal said on the television, there was no question of any falsehood. Mr Sibal, he said had
categorically admitted that Mr Quattrocchi was paid
monies and he had admitted that the payments came from
the manufacturers of the Bofors gun. Mr Jaitley said by
denying what he said on the television, Mr Sibal was
again taking liberties with the truth. |
Fernandes charges Cong with treason BIHARSHARIF, Sept 4 (PTI) — Defence Minister George Fernandes today charged the Congress with "treason and lowering" the morale of the armed forces by resorting to "baseless and absurd" propaganda against the government and Defence Ministry tackling the Kargil situation. "Congress is acting irresponsibly and is levelling unnecessary accusations against the government and Defence Ministry on Kargil", Mr Fernandes told an election rally after filing nomination for Nalanda Lok Sabha constituency to seek re-election from the seat for the third time in a row. "The Pakistani TV is everyday highlighting Congress' statement that India has lost the battle in Kargil .... The party is also playing with the security interests of the country by disclosing unverified documents relating to the country's defence", he said alleging the activities of Congress tantamounted to "treason". Mr Fernandes said it was
for the first time that the armed forces created a record
of sorts by driving away Pakistani troops and militants
fighting against them at a height of 18,000 feet in
Kargil, and claimed that it had helped to further boost
the country's prestige and image in the world. |
PM holds Pak responsible NEW DELHI, Sept 4 (PTI) — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the BSF camp at Handwara in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir on the eve of the first phase of the Parliamentary elections and held Pakistan squarely responsible for this act of terrorism "which is nothing but a continuation of war by other means". Warning Pakistan not to test either the patience or ability of India to crush cross-border terrorism, Mr Vajpayee said in a statement here, "I urge the international community to take due note of Pakistan's sponsorship of terrorism in India." "The attempt by the Pak-sponsored terrorists to take IB officers and BSF jawans as hostages has been foiled by the brave rescue operation mounted by our security forces," he said. He said just as the armed aggressors in Kargil were not the Mujahideen but Pakistani regulars, Islamabad was directly involved in this and similar such terrorist attacks on the Indian security forces. "Indeed, our security forces are increasingly being targeted in such hostile acts, which seem to be a part of Pakistan's well-designed low-intensity war strategy", he said. Mr Vajpayee said both
Kargil and its aftermath had again underscored the need
for a strong and stable government at the Centre which
could deal with all threats to national security with a
firm hand. |
Mahants condemn priest’s murder AYODHYA, Sept 4 (UNI) — Hindu religious leaders have condemned the murder of Christian priest Aruldoss in Orissa and said the act was "irreligious." They have also not ruled out foreign hand in the incident. Mahant Gyan Das of Hanumangarhi, while expressing concern over the killing of two persons of the minority community in Orissa within a week, said the government should take strict measures to prevent a repeat of such incidents in future. Some foreign forces might have masterminded these just to malign the country. President of the Ram
Janam Bhumi Nyas Paramhans Ramchandra Das called on the
leaders of all religions to mobilise public opinion
against such incidents. |
Oldest Indian couple? HUBLI, Sept 4 (UNI) — Centenarian couple Ksheerasagars Lakshman (102) and Lakshmi Bai (101) often gets nostalgic when it reminisces the days of its youth when a tola of gold was sold for one rupee and three annas and just six annas could fetch a pound of mutton. Those were the days, indeed. The couple, who got married when Lakshman was only two years old and Bai was just one year old, recently celebrated its 100th wedding anniversary at Athani, 160 km from here. Theirs may be the oldest Indian couple alive, leading a normal life. Lakshman, a barber by profession, has a son and three daughters. His son left the village 22 years ago and his whereabouts are not known. Mrs Lakshmi Bai
remembers how she had always been keeping good health and
never got fever. |
Stage set for smooth polling NEW DELHI, Sept 4 (PTI) — The Election Commission today said arrangements, including the deployment of adequate security forces, had been completed for the conduct of the first phase of polling tomorrow. A 16.65 crore strong electorate would elect 145 candidates from 1068 nominees for the Lok Sabha while 343 Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka and Maharashtra would also go to polls tomorrow, Deputy Election Commissioner Subas Pani told reporters. By-election to three Assembly seats, one each in Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, will also be held, he said adding that elaborate arrangements had been made to link polling centres with the commission’s secretariat to ensure smooth polling. Mr Pani said nearly
30,000 electronic voting machines would be installed in
21 parliamentary constituencies during the first phase of
polling. |
Delhi goes to polls today NEW DELHI, Sept 4 — More than eight million electorate of Delhi will exercise their franchise for the seven Parliamentary constituencies amid tight security in the Capital tomorrow. Electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used in all seven seats. There are 8668 polling booths. Though a total of 97 candidates are in the electoral fray, less than those for the 1998 elections, the contest mainly is between the Congress and the BJP. The Delhi Chief Electoral Officer, Mr Prakash Chander, talking to newspersons said that all preparations were complete for tomorrow’s polling. “The EVMs have been `set’ and the polling booths readied,” he said. With nearly a month-long gap between the day of polling tomorrow and the counting date, the EVMs would be closely guarded at the 13 counting centres approved by the Election Commission. “Postal ballot papers for service voters have already been dispatched. Elaborate arrangements have been made with the Post Master General for receipt, dispatch and delivery of postal ballot papers. Arrangments will also be made for receipt of postal ballot papers well in time on the day of counting by the Returning Officers concerned,” Mr Prakash Chander said. The Delhi Police has identified about 220 polling booths as “sensitive” and “hyper-sensitive” and the Police Commissioner, Mr Ajai Raj Sharma, has said the entire police strength of 55,000 personnel and 8,000 Home Guards would be on poll duty. The police has already seized a large quantity of illicit liqour in the past few days which was meant for distribution on the eve of elections. The low key campaigning was largely peaceful and was marked by cyber-canvassing, allegations and counter-allegations between candidates, ‘padyatras’ and corner meetings. The city’s ‘intelligentsia’ including Mr Khushwant Singh, industrialist Raunaq Singh and artists Anjolie Ela Menon and Manjit Bawa and senior Professors of Delhi University chipped in for the Congress candidate for the South Delhi seat Dr Manmohan Singh. While BJP star
campaigners, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and
Union Home Minister L.K. Advani, addressed several
election meetings in the Capital, Congress President
Sonia Gandhi’s, scheduled rally was cancelled. |
Bhadana to contest from Meerut NEW DELHI, Sept 4 — The Congress today announced the candidature of Mr Avtar Singh Bhadana from the Meerut Lok Sabha constituency. Mr Bhadana, who represented the Faridabad Lok Sabha constituency in 1991, was shifted to Meerut, the party spokesman, Mr Kapil Sibal, announced today. Mr Bhadana, who rebelled in 1998 and left the Congress to contest on a Samajwadi Janata Party ticket after being denied re-nomination, said he was happy to get the ticket from Meerut. Introducing the candidate, the AICC Foreign Affairs Department Chairman, Mr K Natwar Singh, said the Congress had wanted to field a person belonging to minority in Haryana and so it opted for Mr Zakir Hussain. He said Meerut was an important seat and the Congress wanted to utilise the services of a leader like Mr Bhadana in Uttar Pradesh. Mr Bhadana told TNS later that he would file his nomination on Monday and said he hoped to do well since the constituency had nearly 2.5 lakh votes belonging to his community, the Gujjar community and another 3 lakh minorities of the 12-lakh strong electorate. The former Faridabad MP would be locked in a quardangular contest against BJP’s Mr Amar Pal Thakur, a member of the 11th and 12th Lok Sabha, Mr Yakub Qureshi of the Bahujan Samaj Party and Mr Jagbir Singh of the Samajwadi Party. Meanwhile, the party today changed its nominee in Raipur Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh bringing in Mr Jugal Kishore Sahu instead of Mr Somnath Sahu. Mr Somnath Sahu, whose name was cleared earlier refused to contest since his mentor Mr Vidya Charan Shukla was denied a ticket from Mahasamund which was alloted to Mr Shyama Charan Shukla. Yesterday, the party cleared Mrs Hema Gamang wife of Orissa Chief Minister Girdhar Gamang from Koraput-reserved constituency. Mr Gamang has been representing the constituency for the past seven times. The party also replaced
Mr Kallol Shaha in the Durgapur reserved constituency in
West Bengal and would field Mr Hardhan Mandal, instead. |
2 Sikh to pay homage to
’65 martyrs NEW DELHI, Sept 3 — The 2 Sikh (Royal), erstwhile XV Ludhiana Sikhs, who have been honoured with the battle honour of Raja Picquet, will pay homage on September 6 to the soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in the 1965 war. The 2 Sikh, which has a rich tradition of valour, had celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1996. During the 1965 India-Pakistan war, to establish a link up astride the Uri-Hajipir-Kahuta axis it was imperative that a series of dominating picquets en route Kahuta were captured. Of these, the most important were Raja and Rani, both formidable features held in strength. The 2 Sikh reached Poonch on August 30 and was to attack the heights of Rani in phase 2 following the 3 Dogra attack on Raja. This operation of phase 1 did not succeed and Lt-Col Narinder Nath Khanna CO of the 2 Sikh, volunteered to capture Raja, but requested time for a detailed recce till September 5. However, due to the urgency to clear the Uri-Hajipir-Kahuta axis Brig Zora Singh, Cdr 93 Inf Bde, preponed the operation to the night of September 5 and 6, 1965. The stage was set for the display of valour and grit by the 2 Sikh. In the absence of a confirmatory recce, the operation was planned on the information available. Raja and Rani, the twin objectives were being held by a force of approximating to a battalion less one company supported by two 3.7 Howitzer, two 81 mm mortar, eight .30 boring machine guns and other auto weapons. The enemy had also laid mines and both positions were well-stocked with ammunition and rations. Of the two, Raja was more strongly defended. The terrain favoured the enemy consisting of Pathans of Zhob militia along with some Rangers. The height of Raja was 7,700 feet and it was covered with pine trees and scrub, deceptively hiding the steep gradient. A 450 by 300 yards feature, it consisted of three prominent spurs to the South West, the South East and the North. The enemy had fortified the locality overhead protection of the bunkers and inter-connected them with a deep and protective communication trench. Deep minefield and wire obstacles made Raja a very formidable feature to attack, especially after the enemy had been alerted by the unsuccesful attempt of September 2. On September 5 at 7.30 p.m., the 2 Sikh moved out of its forward location to the forming up place, reaching it in groups where they came under heavy enemy machinegun fire. The attack, which was to be commenced at 4 a.m. on September 6, was being delayed due to enemy shelling and fire. At this juncture, Colonel Khanna decided to attack in coy group rather than await the entire battalion to concentrate with reserves in position. A company under Major Jai Singh surged forward where it came under heavy enemy fire. Nb Sub Darshan Singh, the 100 and 220 yards champion, led one platoon of A company valiantly despite heavy enemy fire till he breathed his last in combat. At this juncture B company under Major K. C. Kalley moved up and came under heavy fire. Major Kalley was seriously wounded. The attack seemed to stall under heavy enemy fire as troops closed on to the wire obstacles. Realising that at 5.35 a.m. daylight would soon catch the attackers in the open, Colonel Khanna leaping out of cover called to all within earshot to follow him. Then dashing across a mined strip to get close as he could to one of the forward bunkers he threw a grenade. As he did so, he was hit by a burst of automatic fire. Inspired by this fearless leadership, the men from all companies followed suit, swarming the enemy position and a hand-to-hand fight ensued. Waves of brave Sikh leapt over the wire obstacles and charged up the steep gradient joining in hand-to-hand combat amid the war cry of “Bole So Nihal Sat Sri Akal”. By the time the leading elements of the companies had fougth their way to the top, what was left of the defenders on Raja had fled, taking their wounded with them. The success signal was given by Major (later Lt-Col) Sukhinder Singh, the adjutant, at 7.10 a.m. on September 6. The battalion remembers
that it gave one raja (the CO) to get another —
“Ek raja ditta ek raja litta”. Colonel Khanna
died shortly after at the aid post despite the battalions
prompt action in evacuating him. He was posthumously
honoured with the Maha Vir Chakra. The other awards won
were one Vir Chakra, one Sena Medal and four
mention-in-despatches. The 2 Sikh was honoured with the
battle honour of Raja Picquet. |
‘Bachpan virodhi’ nominees
blacklisted NEW DELHI, Sept 4 — The South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude has blacklisted “anti-childhood candidates” in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. Mr Kailash Satyarthi, founder and Chairperson of the SAACS told The Tribune here today that candidates who refused to sign pledge-letters placing on record their commitment to eradicate child labour and providing free, compulsory and meaningful education to all children below the age of 14 have been declared as “Bachpan Virodhi Umeedwaar” (anti-childhood candidates). He said the campaign to sensitise political parties and candidates on child labour covered 250 constituencies in 12 states, including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Prominent Congress candidates blacklisted in various parliamentary constituencies in Punjab are: Ms Parneet Kaur from Patiala, Mr Gurminder Singh Kairon from Tarn Taran, Mr Santosh Chaudhary from Phillaur and Mr Raghunandan Bhatia from Amritsar. Others who have been blacklisted are SAD (Badal) candidate from Ferozepore, Mr Jora Singh Mann and BSP candidate Mr Mohan Singh Fariawalla. In Haryana, Mr Ram Chand Binda, BJP candidate from Faridabad has been blacklisted. In the seven
parliamentary constituencies in Delhi, all candidates
except Ms Meira Kumar (Congress) from Karol Bagh and Mr
Jagmohan (BJP) from New Delhi have declined to sign the
pledge-letters. |
Fake PAN card racket busted NEW DELHI, Sept 4 — With the arrest of income tax consultant Jangbir Singh Arora and his associate Ravinder Singh alias Veenu, a Crime Branch team of Delhi Police today claimed to have busted a racket of Permanent Account Number (PAN) card. The PAN card is issued to tax payers by the Income Tax Department. But Jangbir Singh and his associate reportedly issued forged cards to 500 persons, the Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime), Mr S.K. Jain said. Acting on a tip-off, the Crime Branch team conducted a raid in the office of M/s J.S. Arora and Company at Pushp Vihar in South Delhi and seized fake PAN card of Vinod Chand Bhatt, along with 26 other forged cards issued in name of various persons. Besides, stamps, one computer with laser printer and scanner were also seized from their possession. In addition to this, several blank notices, challans duly stamped with the seal of the Income Tax Department were allegedly seized. These documents were acquired with connivance of officials of the Income Tax Department, Mr Jain said. The police has informed
the income tax authorities to keep watch on fake PAN
cards. |
Lust for dowry leads to
murder GREATER NOIDA, Sept 4 — A woman was allegedly poisoned to death for failing to arrange Rs 2 lakh and a car as dowry. Incidentally, the woman was kidnapped and married against the wishes of her parents about five years ago. The incident took place in Kasna village in the Greater Noida area. The young woman, Jyoti was harassed for dowry and allegedly poisoned yesterday. She was rushed to hospital in a serious condition where she died. An FIR was lodged by her
father Mr Harishanker Saini in which he alleged that his
daughter’s in-laws had been harassing her
continuously for bringing insufficient dowry. |
| H |
|
||
| Tributes paid to Dadabhai
Naoroji NEW DELHI: Several parliamentarians on Saturday paid floral tributes at the portrait of Dadabhai Naoroji, the great social and political reformer on the occasion of his 172nd birth anniversary, in the central hall of Parliament. Among the dignitaries who paid tributes were Ms Farida Topno (MP), Mr S.P. Malaviya, Mr R.C. Vikal and Mr S.S. Atwal, ex-MPs and Mr G.C. Malhotra, Secretary-General, Lok Sabha. — UNI Schoolteacher
shot dead Flood situation
in Bihar grim Drivers withdraw
strike Asian film fest
from Sept 13 Award-winning
film costs 12 lakh Legislative
council promised Havildar’s
body found |
 |
 |
| Punjab
| Haryana | Himachal Pradesh | Jammu & Kashmir | Chandigarh | | Editorial | Business | Sport | | Mailbag | Spotlight | World | 50 years of Independence | Weather | | Search | Subscribe | Archive | Suggestion | Home | E-mail | |
