Wednesday, September 22, 1999
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Cong to blame, says
Vajpayee 60 pc turnout in repolling in 4
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DSGMC row: Akali get another
chance NEW DELHI, Sept 21 — The Delhi High Court today gave one more opportunity to the two warring Akali factions to settle their dispute over the control of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.
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Teachers flay UGC ban on
recruitment Law panel favours 5-yr term for LS Shobha Subrahmanyan is INS chief BJP failed to protect nation:
Sonia Sonia-led Congress fake: Naidu Amarinder threatens direct action Portfolios allocated to Goa
ministers |
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Cong to blame, says Vajpayee BALAGHAT (MP), Sept 21 (UNI, PTI) — Launching a blistering attack on the Congress, the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, today held it responsible for creating an atmosphere of instability in the country by toppling various non-Congress governments. Addressing an election gathering here, Mr Vajpayee said the Congress had dislodged the BJP government at the Centre in its mad pursuit of power. "We do not have any lust for power,’’ the Prime Minister said adding that the BJP had given a healthy and positive opposition for a period of 40 years. Charting out the achievements of his government, the Prime Minister said while the economy had been brought back on the rails, the country had also made important strides in various sectors of development. Pointing out that majority of people were still not equipped with the basic amenities, Mr Vajpayee said that the Congress, which had been in power for more than 40 years, could not shy away from being responsible for the sorry state of affairs. He said his government had devised several measures to provide the necessary facilities to the people, and make primary education compulsory. Listing other accomplishments, the Prime Minister said his government had set a target of constructing 20 lakh houses. Besides opening new avenues for the unemployed, the small scale sector had also been given a boost. Mr Vajpayee said the Congress ‘has turned the art of toppling governments at the Centre into a business’. He described Congress as a ‘political party that is feeling uncomfortable at being out of power’, while addressing an election meeting for local BJP nominee, Prahlad Patel. The BJP-led coalition government had fallen by only a single vote, that of the Orissa Chief Minister, Mr Girdhar Gomang, he said, adding Mr Gamang was summoned with the sole purpose of bringing down the government. Mr Vajpayee said though the last Lok Sabha was elected for five years, it had to be dissolved as the Congress refused to accept its defeat in the February 1998 parliamentary polls. "The Congress must be taught a lesson and this can be done only by defeating it in the Lok Sabha polls", he said. Ridiculing the Congress for claiming that it alone could provide a stable government at the Centre, Mr Vajpayee said the Congress had no right to talk of stability as it had been responsible for bringing down his government and those of Mr H.D. Deve Gowda and Mr Inder Kumar Gujral. Addressing another election meeting in Bhilai, Mr Vajpayee said the BJP-led coalition had taken up the challenge to form the government at a critical time when foreign exchange reserves were low and inflation was out of control. The Prime Minister alleged that it was because of the all-round success of his government that the Congress had hatched a conspiracy along with AIADMK to bring it down. Mr Vajpayee said his government had lost the vote of confidence by only one vote in the Lok Sabha where parity could have been achieved with the help of the Speaker's vote. "But we did not do this and instead decided to go to the people's court and get the popular verdict to decide which political party was right and which was wrong," he said. Referring to Kargil, he alleged that Pakistan had been prompted to send infiltrators there because of the political instability created by the Congress, which had brought down his government. Mr Vajpayee said the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) stood for de-centralisation of power and promised to create one crore jobs in the next five years. Referring to the bill providing reservation for women in Parliament and state Assemblies, he said it could not be passed due to opposition by the Congress and some other political parties. Mr Vajpayee warned Pakistan to desist from undertaking any further military adventure against India and said the neighbouring country's dream of annexing Kashmir will never come true. Mr Vajpayee said Pakistan had 'lost its mental balance' following its military and diplomatic defeat in Kargil and had steeped up infiltration of mercenaries into Kashmir to kill innocent people. He charged the successive Congress governments with not reclaiming one-third of Kashmir lost in 1948. "In the Bangladesh war, Pakistan had been brought to its knees by India when around 90,000 of its soldiers had surrendered, Mr Vajpayee said adding this advantage had been squandered by the then Congress government. He castigated the Congress for indulging in "false propaganda" over the Kargil conflict. "Earlier, Congress regime, entered into an agreement with Pakistan and surrendered acres of Indian land which was acquired by our soldiers after laying down their lives on the border," the Prime Minister alleged. "Why was the land, encroached by the neighbouring country in previous wars with India not taken back by the then Congress government at the Centre," he asked, adding that in the recent Kargil conflict not even an inch of land was ceded to Pakistan and the infiltrators were successfully flushed out of the Indian territory. Addressing a
largely-attended public meeting at the steel township, of
Bhilai, Mr Vajpayee said the BJP favoured
decentralisation and supported the demand for a separate
Chhattisgarh state. Even in 1994, the BJP had brought a
non-official resolution in the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan
Sabha, he said. Mr Vajpayee said his government had taken
a decision at the cabinet level on formation of the new
state and had planned to bring an act in Parliament after
the passing of the budget. However, even before the
budget could be passed, his government was voted out and
the legislation on Chattisgarh could not be passed, he
said. Apart from Chhattisgarh, he said the BJP was also
hopeful of forming Vananchal and Uttarakhand states so
that the regional imbalance on the economic front could
be set right. |
60 pc turnout in repolling in 4 states NEW DELHI, Sept 21 (PTI) — Repolling held in 399 polling booths in four states passed off peacefully today with an estimated 60 per cent voters exercising their franchise. Repolling was held in 201 polling booths in Bihar, 107 in UP, 84 in Andhra Pradesh and seven in Madhya Pradesh. In Bihar, where repolling was held in the largest number of 201 polling booths, a turnout of about 50 per cent was registered. These booths were in 12 out of 19 Lok Sabha constituencies, including extremist-affected districts of Hazaribagh, Palamau, Chatra and Lodhardhea which saw a series of landmine blasts during the polling on September 18. In Andhra Pradesh, 65 per cent votes were cast during repolling in 84 polling booths in 12 Lok Sabha constituencies. However, repolling in four polling booths of the Manthani Assembly segment was postponed following a landmine blast at Dubbalapadu village in Karimnagar district yesterday claiming lives of four police personnel. About 65 per cent votes were cast in UP where repolling was held in 107 polling booths in 15 of 30 Lok Sabha constituencies. In Madhya Pradesh, 60 per cent voters exercised their franchise in repolling in seven polling stations spread over four Lok Sabha constituencies. Of the seven polling stations where repoll was held, three were in the Satna constituency, two in Shahdol and one each in Damoh and Khajuraho constituencies. Repoll in 59 polling stations in the Rewa constituency would be held tomorrow. The Election Commission
had ordered a repoll in these constituencies following
complaints of electoral fraud and violence in the third
phase of the Lok Sabha elections. |
DSGMC row: Akali get another chance NEW DELHI, Sept 21 (PTI) — The Delhi High Court today gave one more opportunity to the two warring Akali factions to settle their dispute over the control of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC). Mr Justice CM Nayar also issued notice to the Delhi Government on an application by the DSGMC seeking permission to constitute a new body — Sikh Education Council (SEC) — to manage the affairs of various educational institutions run by it. Adjourning the hearing to November 16 on a petition by Delhi Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Avtar Singh Hit, challenging the May 12 election to DSGMC executive, the court said, "the two parties will once again try to find out the solution to the dispute by mutual consultation." Senior advocate RK Anand, appearing for the Akali faction led by Paramjit Singh Sarna who claims himself to be the president of the DSGMC, said his clients were ready to settle the dispute by mutual dialogue but the other side was not coming forward to discuss the issue. However, Mukul Rohtagi,
counsel for Avtar Singh and 25 of his supporters, said
they had sent the written proposal on the points of
dialogue to the other side. |
Teachers flay UGC ban on recruitment NEW DELHI, Sept 21 (UNI) — The Federation of Central Universities Teachers' Associations (FEDCUTA) today came out strongly against the University Grants Commission (UGC) circulars on ban on new recruitment and cut in grants saying these were "anti-academic" measures aimed at destroying the higher education system. Giving the call for a total bandh in central universities on September 23 against the UGC's latest directives, the FEDCUTA President, Prof Kapil Kumar, said these drastic measures would spell doom for academics at the higher level and the students would be the main victims. The August 31 circular
of UGC imposed a 10 per cent cut on teaching and
non-teaching academic positions and a virtual ban on new
recruitment and filling of vacant positions. |
BARC caught on the wrong foot NEW DELHI, Sept 21 (PTI) — The image of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) as a scientific everest which cannot be shaken has been shattered by a paper published in the latest issue of Current Science, India’s leading science journal. The paper has revealed that the BARC had used “wrong” data and “unacceptable” methods of analysis to arrive at fatally erroneous results which it published in several journals and world conferences between 1989 and 1991. The issue pertains to protactinium with atomic mass 231 (PA-231), an element that occurs in fission waste. Using incorrect published data without verification, BARC scientists, according to the science journal, came to the conclusion that PA-231 is a better fuel than uranium-235. The BARC propagated the idea that a football sized PA-231 would go “critical”, a conclusion with major implications for nuclear waste disposal. But this conclusion is totally wrong according to the article published in the journal which says that refined analysis using accurate data has shown that PA-231 cannot become critical even if it is as big as the moon. A senior BARC scientist told over telephone that such fatal errors were committed because of the BARC’s reliance on freely available published data. “The culture of doing original work towards fundamental generation, compilation, and evaluation of basic data is absent in the BARC,” he said. “This is going to land us in difficulties when we go for thorium fuel cycle on a large scale because no free nuclear data is available for thorium or uranium-233,” he said. “Fortunately for us, the integral data for uranium-235 and plutonium-239 and the basic data (publicly available) were good enough to design our nuclear reactors and explosives.” Ironically, the journal exposing the BARC’s mistakes is authored by BARC’s own scientists Mr Srinivasan Ganesan, Mr Umasankari Kannan, Mr P.D. Krishnamani, Mr V.Jagannathan, Mr R.P. Jain and Mr R.Karthikeyan working in the reactor design section. The paper, however, made it clear that “use of wrong nuclear data” and not bad science was responsible for the mistakes in the BARC’s earlier publications. Significantly the work by Mr Ganesan and his colleagues re-evaluating BARC’s earlier work on PA-231, was supported by the International Atomic Energy agency and not the BARC. “It needs courage
to criticise BARC’s work as authorities do not
encourage its staff to involve themselves in any activity
that would show BARC in bad light,” a BARC scientist
said in obvious reference to the victimisation of a
fellow scientist for speaking against India’s
nuclear test. |
Law panel favours 5-yr term for LS NEW DELHI, Sept 20 (UNI) — The Law Commission has recommended sweeping changes in the electoral laws, including the scrapping of explanation-one to Section 77 (1) of the Representation of The People Act to make the electoral system more representative, fair and transparent. The commission in its 170th report on the reforms of electoral laws has suggested the inclusion of a chapter in the Representation of The People Act and regulation of the formation and functioning of political parties particularly strengthening the internal democracy. The commission has also examined in depth the need for introducing the list system based on the German model and made recommendations accordingly. The commission has also suggested measures for ensuring the stability of the government. The commission has stressed the necessity of having one election once in five years for the Lok Sabha as well as state assemblies and made some suggestions in this regard. The commission has recommended that desirability of adopting rule requiring that only a candidate obtaining 50 per cent (plus one) votes be declared elected and the holding of “run off” elections, wherever necessary. The concept of negative vote has also been discussed and recommended for consideration. The law of defections contained in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution has also been revised and it is now proposed that a pre-election front/coalition of political parties should be treated as a political party for the purpose of the Tenth Schedule. The commission has also recommended barring Independent candidates from contesting elections to the Lok Sabha and assemblies. The commission has also suggested that any political party which receives less than 5 per cent of the total valid votes cast in the elections to the Lok Sabha or to a state legislative assembly, shall not be entitled to any seat in the Lok Sabha or legislative assembly, even if it wins any seat(s). The commission has reiterated its proposal to delete explanation one to Section 77(1) of the Representative of People Act, 1951, which has been strongly criticised in several judgements of the Supreme Court and by discerning persons. The commission has also recommended the enactment of provisions, requiring political parties to maintain accounts, have them audited and file them before the Election Commission. On state funding of political parties, the commission has reiterated the recommendations in the Indrajit Gupta Committee report subject to certain changes. Similar provisions are in vogue in several other democratic countries. The commission has recommended that in case of electoral offences and certain other serious offences, the framing of a charge by the court should itself be a ground of disqualification in addition to conviction. Raising of deposits for Independent candidates has been considered unnecessary by the commission as it has suggested to bar the Independent candidates altogether of obtaining 5 per cent of the total valid votes cast to enable them to get seat in the Lok Sabha/state legislative assembly. The commission has proposed an amendment to the relevant provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code, in order to check false complaints. The commission has suggested provisions making it obligatory upon every candidate to declare the asset possessed by him or her or by his or her spouse and dependent relations and the particulars regarding criminal cases pending against him or her in the nomination paper itself in the interest of transparency. Some other important
recommendations cover the use of electronic voting
machine terminating the nomination of Anglo-Indian
members and restrictions on “no-confidence
motion”. |
Shobha Subrahmanyan is INS chief BANGALORE Sept 21 (PTI) — Ms Shobha Subrahmanyan, Managing Director of Ananda Bazar Patrika group of publications, was yesterday elected President of the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) for the year 1999-2000 at its 60th annual general meeting here. She succeeds Mr Mammen Mathew of Malayala Manorama. Ms Subrahmanyan is also Chairperson of United News of India (UNI). Mr Vijay Kumar Chopra (Hind Samachar) was elected the Deputy President; Mr Pratap G. Pawar (Sakal), the Vice-President and Mr Vishwa Bandhu Gupta (Daily Tej) the Honorary Treasurer for 1999-2000, an INS release said. Mr P.K. Lahiri is the Secretary- General of the society, the release said. The other members of the
Executive Committee elected are: Mr Basudev Ray
(Navshakti), Mr Tuhin Kanti Ghosh (Northern India
Patrika), Mr Pravinchandra V. Gandhi (Janmabhoomi), Mr
Mahendra Mohan Gupta (Dainik Jagran), Mr R. Lakshmipathy
(Dinamalar), Mr B.S. Adityan (Vaaraantari Rani), Mr Vivek
Goenka (Indian Express, New Delhi), Mr Vijay Darda
(Lokmat), Mr Mammen Mathew (Malayala Manorama), Mr Girish
Agarwal (Dainik Bhaskar, Bhopal), Mr Ashish Bagga
(Hindustan Times, Patna), Mr S.D. Bhambri (The Tribune),
Ms Shobhana Bhartia (Hindustan Times, New Delhi), Ms
Mohini Bhullar (India Today), Mr M.R. Cama (Bombay
Samachar Dipotsavi Ank), Mr Ramesh Chandra (Navbharat
Times), Mr Abhay Chhajlani (Nai Dunia), Mr Sunil Dang
(Day After), Ms Sakti Dasgupta (Bartaman), Mr J.S. Dardi
(Charhdikala), Mr Pradeep Guha (Filmfare), Mr Ramawatar
Gupta (Sanmarg), Mr C.R. Irani (Statesman), Mr Vineet
Jain (Maharashtra Times), Mr Gulab Kothari (Rajasthan
Patrika), Mr Atul Maheshwari (Amar Ujala), Mr Jacob
Mathew (Vanitha), Mr Paresh Nath (Woman’s Era), Mr
N. Murali (The Hindu), Mr V. Murali (Kalki), Mr Digvijay
Singh (Indian Express, Mumbai), Mr P.K. Roy (Aajkaal), Ms
Indira Rajkhewa (Sentinel), Mr T. Venkatram Reddy (Deccan
Chronicle), Mr Bahubali (S. Shah (Gujarat Samachar), Mr
C.B. Sen (Business World), K.N Shanth Kumar (Deccan
Herald), Mr Manoj K. Sonthalia (Dinamani), Mr Jacob
Thomas (Deepika), Mr I. Venkat (Sitara Film Weekly ) and
Mr M.P. Veerendrakumar (Matrubhumi). |
BJP failed to protect
nation: Sonia NEW DELHI, Sept 21 — The Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, today charged that the BJP Government had failed to safeguard the territorial integrity of the country and described its 18-month rule as “a sad phase in our nation’s life”. In her election speech over Doordarshan tonight, the Congress President questioned as to what the Government was doing when the Intelligence agencies had in August, 1998, brought to its notice the activities of enemy. “Why did the Government ignore these reports? What political compulsion gave “bus diplomacy” priority over India’s territorial integrity?” Mrs Sonia Gandhi said. The Congress President also wanted to know as to why the Government gave a clean chit to the Pakistani leadership and offer enemy a safe passage. She said the nation demands an answer and charged that “it is callous and cowardly to hide its blunder behind the supreme sacrifice of our young soldiers. Our country cannot afford such mis-governance.” On the 18-month rule of the BJP-led Government, she said it was a tale of incompetence and corruption and the people who had promised probity in public life were today submerged in murky deals and scandals. The Congress Chief said the sugar import from Pakistan, the wheat scandal, the telecom scam and defence deals had cost the country “thousands of crores’’ and the nation wants to know the details of these scandals. Referring to the 23-party National Democratic Alliance, she said even today the BJP was going to the people with an alliance and wanted to know if they would stick together. “Will they not, once again, fall under the weight of their own contradictions and take us back to yet another election,’’ she said. Taking on the Government on the attack on the minorities, she said every right thinking Indian has viewed with horror the attack on the minorities and charged that the targeting the minorities was the core of the BJP agenda. While seeking support to
her party, Mrs Sonia Gandhi said the Congress would
address problems of each section and claimed that it was
the only guarantor of stability, unity, prosperity and
social justice. |
Sonia-led Congress fake: Naidu NEW DELHI, Sept 21 — The BJP General Secretary, Mr M.Venkaiah Naidu, today claimed that the party had imbibed the values and spirit of the Congress movement and said the Congress led by Mrs Sonia Gandhi was “fake”. Mr Naidu said it was the main reason behind the disillusionment of people who had represented the Congress legacy in the past and had made them move closer to the BJP. Mahatma Gandhi’s grand-daughter, Sumitra Kulkarni, Lal Bahadur Shastri’s son, Sunil Shastri, and daughter-in-law, Mrs Neera Shastri, Pt Govind Vallabh Pant’s son, Mr K.C.Pant, Dr B.R.Ambedkar’s grandson, Mr Ashok Ambedkar and Mrs Maneka Gandhi are today aligned with the BJP, he added. Mr Nadiu said the disillusionment with the Congress party was so much that almost the whole state unit of Congress in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress had moved over to the BJP ally. Mr Naidu pointed out that three phases of polling, the Congress till now had not raised a single positive issue about itself in its poll campaign and had failed to highlight even a single achievement of the past when it ruled the country for 45 years. On the contrary, he said the BJP had highlighted the achievements of the Vajpayee government during the last 18 months and these included its success in bringing a turn around in Indian economy, diluting caste and social tensions in the society and improving the security scenario of the country. “The National Democratic Alliance today represents India’s federal polity where regional aspirations of the people are combined into national governance. It is led by a leader, who has vast experience of public life, a career spotlessly clean and inspired the nation during this crucial time”, he said. The party spokesperson
said the success of the BJP was evident from the fact
that three rounds of an Exit Poll conducted by DRS had
consistently given a 45 per cent popular vote to the
BJP-led NDA. Only on two previous occasions since 1952
had the 45 per cent figure been crossed by a winning
combination, once in 1957 (47.8 per cent) and on another
occasion in 1984 (48.1 per cent), he added. |
Amarinder threatens direct action NEW DELHI, Sept 21 - The Punjab Pradesh Congress Chief, Mr Amarinder Singh, today threatened to launch a direct agitation to support farmers who, he said were suffering as the central agencies were yet to start procurement. “Last year too, our farmers suffered and although the minimum support price of Rs 490 was announced, today’s price is Rs 410” he said at a press conference here. Mr Amarinder Singh said
he feared there could be unrest among farmers. He had
warned the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal he
added. |
Portfolios allocated to Goa ministers PANAJI, Sept 21 (UNI) — The Goa Chief Minister, Mr Luizinho Faleiro, has allocated portfolios to five of his Cabinet colleagues, retaining Home, Finance and Town and Country Planning Departments with himself. The following are the
details of portfolios allocated here last night: Mr
Subhash Shirodkar: Urban Development, Education. Mr
Suresh Parulekar: Revenue, Cooperation, Factories and
Boilers. Mr Somnath Zuwarkar: Transport, Rural
Development and RDA. Mr Sanjay Bandekar: Agriculture,
Forests, Food and Civil Supplies Art and Culture. Mr
Prakash Velip: Panchayat, Information, Non-Conventional
Energy and Administrative Reforms. |
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| School principal held in
bribery case NEW DELHI: The Principal of a reputed girls’ school in the Capital has been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 2,500 for the admission of a student. D.K. Mainrai, Principal of Lady Irwin Senior Secondary School, was “caught red-handed” and arrested on Friday following a complaint from the child’s father, M.D. Sharma. — PTI Cell phones banned in
Rajasthan House 6 held for
travelling on fake documents Notorious
criminal stoned to death |
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