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Shekhar too opposes Sonia
as PM Battlelines drawn for 5th phase |
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Indo-US talks on terrorism NEW DELHI, Sept 17 Ambassador Micheal Sheehan, coordinator in the US Department for Counter Terrorism, today exchanged views with senior Indian officials on threat posed by international terrorism to world peace and discussed measures to coordinate efforts to fight this menace.
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Daring
feat by parachutists HC judge demands justice
Minister plays good samaritan Rural Lucknow may boycott poll Sangma to attend Sonias
meeting Cong repeats charge, BJP says no Martyrdom day on Sept 23 Goa to have own services cadre |
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Shekhar too opposes Sonia as PM NEW DELHI, Sept 17 (UNI) Samajwadi Janata Party (SJP) President and former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar today criticised the BJP and the Congress for their "bad taste campaigning," saying that the experience during the recent campaign has been "very painful." "Major political parties and their senior leaders are engaged in open mudslinging and personal acrimonious accusation," he said during a press conference here and added: "The level of general elections in the country had never touched so low. It was said that they had brushed aside the national and burning issues facing the country." Mr Shekhar described as nonsense the perception that the current election was being fought between two "personalities." Without naming Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee and Mrs Sonia Gandhi, he said: "Even their party does not consider or identify them as personality." The SJP leader indirectly opposed Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi becoming Prime Minister of the country, saying that no country had the tradition of accepting people of foreign origin as head of government. Referring to the Kargil conflict, the former PM said it was the result of "sheer non-performance" of the Vajpayee government. A Kargil-like incursion had never occurred before, he said. "The BJP-led government was at the Centre for the past 13 months and they are solely responsible for this shame of fighting enemy on our own land to liberate our own territory." Mr Shekhar described
Pokhran II nuclear blast a "foolish" step. |
Battlelines drawn for 5th phase NEW DELHI, Sept 17 (PTI) Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, former Union Minister Karan Singh and Janata Dal (U) President Sharad Yadav were among the political heavyweights left in the fray after the last date of withdrawals today for the fifth and final of phase of the Lok Sabha polls for 122 constituencies spread over 11 states on October 30. In Uttar Pradesh, 462 candidates were left in the fray. Mr Vajpayee is seeking re-election from the prestigious Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency where he is pitted against former Union Minister and Congress leader Karan Singh. In Bihar, RJD President Laloo Prasad Yadav and Janata Dal (U) President Sharad Yadav (both Madhepura) are among 135 candidates in the fray. Former Union Home Minister Indrajit Gupta (Midnapore), former Chief Minister Siddhartha Shankar Ray (Calcutta, North-East) are among 310 candidates left in the fray after eight withdrew from the race. Polling in the final phase will be held for 42 seats in West Bengal, 31 in Uttar Pradesh, 16 in Bihar, 14 in Assam, 11 in Orissa, two each in Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura and one each in Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, sikkim and Lakshadweep. Simultaneous Assembly polls will also be held for 56 seats in Arunachal Pradesh, 32 in Sikkim, seven in Andhra Pradesh and five in Karnataka. Arunachal Pradesh Chief
Minister Mukut Mithi and two of his cabinet colleagues
were among four Congress candidates declared unopposed
for the 60-member legislative assembly. |
Daring feat by parachutists NEW DELHI, Sept 17 (PTI) Two Air Force officers today achieved a daring new feat by jumping with a single parachute from a transport aircraft flying at 12,500 feet at IAFs Agra base. Fiftyseven-year-old Air Marshal V.K. Bhatia of IAFs Central Air Command carried out a sky diving jump assisted by Tandem Parachuting instructor Squadron Leader Sanjay Thapar, an IAF spokesman here said. Tandem parachuting, recently introduced in India by Thapar of Parachute Training School in Agra, enables non-jumpers to experience the thrill of free fall parachuting with the help of an instructor. The Air Marshal went through the daring experience of free falling at speeds of 200 kmph for 35 seconds before the parachute was opened. The duo, accompanied by the Parachute Jump Instructors of Akashganga sky diving team during its jump, landed on the air field at the base. "It is the most wonderful experience," Bhatia was quoted as having said. The spokesman said
tandem parachuting could be of help in operational areas
where two personnel instead of one could be dropped by a
single parachute. |
HC judge demands justice JODHPUR, Sept 17 (PTI) In an unprecedented move, a sitting high court judge here has filed a writ petition before the court challenging his transfer from Mumbai to Rajasthan. Justice V.G. Palshikar, who was transferred to the Rajasthan High Court from the Mumbai High Court some five years ago, appeared in person before the Bench, consisting of Justice V.S. Kokje and Justice S.C. Mittal, here yesterday seeking early hearing of his petition challenging his transfer as "arbitrary, malafide and unconstitutional". Chief Justice of India A.S. Anand, four other Supreme Court judges, the Union Law Minister and Union Law Secretary have been named as respondents in the petition, filed under Article 226 of the Constitution. The petition alleged that judges appointed in the 1994 and early 1995 had been subjected to transfer by the respondents, while identically situated persons, appointed in 1995 and 1996, had not been transferred. However, the court posted hearing of the petition to October five observing that the matter was not so urgent as to be heard immediately. In February this year, six judges identically situated with the petitioner were chosen for transfer without there being any distinguishing feature between the two cases. In fact Justice H.L. Gokhale, who has been re-transferred to the Bombay High Court now, was appointed to the Bombay High Court along with the petitioner on the same day, he said. Same is the case with Justice N.N. Mathur of the Rajasthan High Court, he added. Both, he said, had been transferred presumably because their wives were working in the respective states. The petitioner also narrated the instance of Justice Maithili Sharan, who was transferred to the Andhra Pradesh High Court and who claimed transfer to Madhya Pradesh on the ground that his wife was seriously ill from cancer. Thereafter he lost his wife and his request for re-transfer was accepted along with that of Justice Gokhale. Identical is the case of
the petitioner who requested for transfer to the Bombay
High Court during the illness of his wife and also after
her demise. But his representation was rejected which
"spells out total arbitrariness violative of Article
14 of the Constitution", the petition said. |
Karan Singh: BJP distorting facts LUCKNOW, Sept 17 (UNI) Dr Karan Singh, the Congress candidate from the Lucknow parliamentary constituency, today accused the BJP of distorting facts about his role in Jammu and Kashmir and claimed that he had been responsible for bringing the picturesque valley state closer to rest of the country. Dr Karan Singh is facing Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee as the main opponent from this seat for which polling will be held on October 3. Talking to newspersons, the former Union Minister said, "It is an incontrovertible historic fact that when I was the head of the state (Sadar-e-Riasat) from 1947 to 1967, all major steps were taken to bring Jammu and Kashmir closer to the rest of the country". These included conversion of the titles of Sadar-e-Riasat to Governor, Prime Minister to Chief Minister and bringing the state under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the Election Commission and application of numerous laws to Jammu and Kashmir, he explained. Dr Karan Singh alleged that the BJP was guilty of compromising the national interest by distorting facts about Jammu and Kashmir. He also denied his role in tabling the report of the State Autonomy Committee of the National Conference government after the last elections. "I was to head the committee but I soon resigned after having realised that their intention was to make a report that would seek to turn the clock back to 1953 in Jammu and Kashmir", he clarified. Subsequently, the
committee headed by state Cabinet Minister Ghulam
Mohiuddin Shah tabled the report, he said. The BJP should
clarify its own position as the report was tabled during
its regime and the National Conference was a member of
the BJP-led alliance, he added. |
Jamnalal Bajaj Awards announced MUMBAI, Sept 17 (PTI) Noted Gujarati writer Narayan Desai, technology expert Ajoy Kumar Basu and well-known social worker Saraswathi Gora are among the recipients of this years prestigious Jamnalal Bajaj Awards announced here today. Sir Joseph Rotblat of London has been chosen for the "International Award for Promoting Gandhian Values Outside India", Mr Madhur Bajaj, trustee of the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation, told reporters. Desai has been chosen for his outstanding contribution in the field of constructive work, while Basu has been chosen for application of science and technology for rural development. Saraswathi Gora has been selected for the "Uplift and Welfare of Women and Children Award, instituted in the memory of the late Jankidevi Bajaj. The awards, comprising a
citation, a trophy and a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh, would
be presented at a function to be held in November in the
metropolis, he said. |
Minister plays good samaritan CHENNAI, Sept 17 (PTI) A farmers son in Tamil Nadu who got admission to an engineering college but had no money to pay the fees has found a good samaritan Union Petroleum Minister Vazhapadi K. Ramamurthy. Mr Ramamurthy has decided to bear the educational expenses of Madhivanan of Cheyyar village in Tiruvannamalai district till he completes his engineering course. The minister has already sent him a draft for Rs 45,000 towards the admission fee. In a letter to Madhivanan, the Tamizhaga Rajiv Congress leader said, Your educational expenses, till the completion of the engineering course, will be met by the Rajiv Congress Trust, a party press note said here today. The student had got
admission to the electronics and communications course in
a city college and a local daily had published a report
on his financial plight. |
Indo-US talks on terrorism NEW DELHI, Sept 17 (UNI) Ambassador Micheal Sheehan, coordinator in the US Department for Counter Terrorism, today exchanged views with senior Indian officials on threat posed by international terrorism to world peace and discussed measures to coordinate efforts to fight this menace. Mr Sheehan, who formulated and implemented the Clinton administrations counter insurgency policy, met Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Brajesh Mishra and Foreign Secretary K. Raghunath to review the grim security situation in various parts of the world caused by intensification of terrorist activities by several fundamentalist groups. The senior US official
held detailed talks with the officials of Home and
External Affairs Ministries to exchange views on the
growing menace of terrorism. |
Rural Lucknow may boycott poll LUCKNOW, Sept 17 (UNI) The face of urban Lucknow may have changed by virtue of being Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's constituency, but voters in the rural areas of the constituency say that they will boycott the polls in protest against lack of development work. Mahona, about 30 km from the state capital, has about 15,000 voters who have been demanding basic amenities for long. To no avail. The disgruntled voters have now put up banners saying "no development, no vote" at several places. The villagers have constituted an "election boycott committee" comprising persons from various political parties. Mr Kallu Chaudhry of the Bahujan Samaj Party is its president, Mr Umesh Chandra Pandey of the Bharatiya Janata Party, convener and Mohammad Salim of Samajwadi Party joint secretary of the committee. Despite being a tehsil headquarters, Mahona presents a picture of neglect. A junior high school building is on the verge of collapse, threatening the lives of about 300 students. Almost a decade ago, a family welfare centre was established which is now being used as a resting place by cattle in the day and by gamblers at night. While many villages can
claim to have telephone facilities, the communication
revolution is yet to reach this town. |
Sangma to attend Sonias meeting KHARKUTTA (Meghalaya), Sept 17 (UNI) Nationalist Congress Party general secretary and former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno, A. Sangma will attend Congress chief Sonia Gandhis proposed public meeting at Tura on either September 21 or 22. Talking to reporters
yesterday after addressing a public gathering here
bordering Assam, Mr Sangma denied having made any
statement which said his party would not allow any
meeting by Mrs Gandhi at the Tura parliamentary
constituency. |
Sugargate NEW DELHI, Sep 17 The Congress today charged the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, with misleading the nation on facts of the sugar imports from Pakistan undertaken at the height of the Kargil conflict even as the BJP rejected the contention. Challenging Mr Vajpayees statement during a campaign speech in Aligarh yesterday that not a grain of sugar was imported during the Kargil crisis, the Congress spokesman, Mr Kapil Sibal, said The more Mr Vajpayee denies his involvement in Sugargate, the more it looks he is hiding the truth. Referring to published reports, including the Pakistan Railway Ministrys statement, made in that countrys Senate, that sugar exports to India continued even after the outbreak of the Kargil conflict, Mr Sibal questioned, why then is Mr Vajpayee saying things that do not tally with the truth on the ground?. The Pakistan Railway Ministry had told the Senate that a total of 4974 railway wagons carried sugar to India between January and May 18, 1999. Also, Mr Sibal said that according to the Indian Sugar Industry Export Corporation figures, export continued unabated even during the height of the Kargil conflict. Claiming that what Mr Vajpayee was saying was not tallying with the truth, Mr Sibal said Not to tell the truth is an act of political cowardice, Mr Vajpayee should not fool people of this nation merely for electoral gains. This is not expected of a person on whom rests the heavy mantle of leadership... it will impair national credibility. The BJP, however, was of the view that the date of actual import of a commodity placed under the Open General Licence (OGL) was not the same thing as the date of signing of the contract. The BJP spokesman, Mr Arun Jaitley, said it was common knowledge that imports take as much as around six to eight weeks to materialise and the contracts for these imports were signed before the Kargil war broke out. Having signed a contract for import, it was for the exporter to send the goods and the government had nothing to do with the timing of its arrival. The sugar imports from Pakistan were pursuant to the OGL policy initiated by the Congress-led government in 1994, and it was wrong to blame the BJP-led government for it, he said. On the Congress charge that sugar continued to be imported till May 18, Mr Jaitley said, May 18 was not a magic figure and it was possible that past commitments were met during this period. There was nothing illegal about it, he added. He pointed out that
there were 2300 items under the OGL under a SAARC
agreement and this policy was welcomed by every political
party in Parliament. |
Martyrdom day on Sept 23 NEW DELHI, Sept 17 The Haryana Government has decided to observe September 23 as martyrdom day by honouring the families of those soldiers who sacrificed their lives in Kargil during Operation Vijay. The martyrs families will be honoured at a state-level function at Rewari by extending to them a financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh each. More than 90 soldiers
from Haryana had sacrificed their lives during the Kargil
conflict, the highest from any state. |
Goa to have own services cadre PANAJI, Sept 17 (UNI) The Goa Government today decided to have its own all-India services cadre and delink from the Arunachal, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre of IAS, IPS and IFS officers. Announcing this to the
reporters after a Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister
Luizinho Faleiro said, the decision was long overdue, in
fact since 1987 when Goa attained statehood. |
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