Sunday, September 26, 1999
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BJP seeks probe against NGOs NEW DELHI, Sept 25 — The BJP today urged the government to order an inquiry against certain non-government organisations which were actively engaged in political propaganda in violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. Vikas Yadav granted bail NEW DELHI, Sept 25 — Vikas Yadav, a close associate of Manu Sharma, prime suspect in the Jessica Lal murder case, was today granted bail by a Delhi court. |
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 Cine star and BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha casting his vote at a booth in Patna on Saturday. — PTI photo |
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PM holds talks on Cauvery waters Andhra violence: probe ordered
Delhi PCOs to be cyber cafes Cong demoralised jawans: PM
DSGMC to open technology institute Experts for law to check torture Sonia’s meetings cancelled Court to frame charges against
Romesh Rain hits life in Calcutta |
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BJP seeks probe against NGOs NEW DELHI, Sept 25 — The BJP today urged the government to order an inquiry against certain non-government organisations (NGOs) which were actively engaged in political propaganda in violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). Party spokesman M. Venkaiah Naidu said under the law the NGOs registered under the FCRA were barred from indulging in political propaganda or any anti-national activity. Referring to a spate of anti-BJP advertisements issued in leading newspapers of the country by several NGOs, Mr Naidu said this malicious propaganda against the party was being carried out with the support of funds being pumped in by foreign countries. This amounted to interference in the electoral process of the country by foreign money power and constituted a threat to the Indian sovereignty, he remarked. Organisations like the Ankur of New Delhi, the Cord of Karnataka, the Kali for Women of New Delhi and the Asmita of Hyderabad were receiving huge amounts of foreign exchange and they were using this for propagation against the BJP, he said. These organisations, he said, were campaigning for the Congress and Left parties. He pointed out that the FCRA prohibits political parties or office-bearers from accepting foreign contributions under Section 4 (1) of the Act and in addition, associations of political nature not being a political party can only accept foreign contribution with prior permission of the central government. Mr Naidu claimed that representatives of 13 NGOs held a meeting in the Capital in August this year and resolved to release press advertisements against the BJP. He urged the government
to bring out a White Paper on the activities of these
organisations and announce the amount received by them
and their source of funding. |
Jessica Lal murder case NEW DELHI, Sept 25 — Vikas Yadav, a close associate of Manu Sharma, prime suspect in the Jessica Lal murder case, was today granted bail by a Delhi court. Vikas Yadav, son of Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh, Mr D. P. Yadav, had been in judicial custody since May this year. He had surrendered before the Delhi police armed with an interim bail order granted by a court. The bail order was got cancelled by the Delhi police following which he was arrested. The murder took place on the night of April 29 at Tamarin Court restaurant-cum-illegal bar at Mehrauli in south Delhi. The restaurant was run by Bina Ramani. The Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr G.P. Thareja, issued the bail order on two basis. The charges against Vikas Yadav were framed under Section 201 IPC (destroying of evidence) which is a bailable offence. The second point was that other accused — Amit Jhingan, Alok Khanna and Amardeep Singh Gill — were released on bail for the same offence. Vikas Yadav was granted bail with a surety of Rs 50,000 and a bond of the same amount. The accused will not be allowed to leave the country before the order of the court. The accused got the bail one week prior to the examination of two witnesses. One of them is a home guard Shravan Kumar, who allegedly saw Vikas Yadav driving away the Manu’s car from the parking lot of the restaurant. The police levelled allegation that Manu Sharma and other accused met at the house of their friend at south Delhi’s Friends Colony and conspired the murder of Jessica Lal before going to the restaurant. All suspects were present in the restaurant when the crime took place. The police alleged that when the crime took place Vikas Yadav could have prevented Manu Sharma, from killing Jessica Lal. The police also submitted a computer printout of the telephone numbers to prove that after the offence the accused talked to each other on cellular phones. The prime accused, Manu
Sharma, is in judicial custody in Tihar Jail. |
PM holds talks on Cauvery waters NEW DELHI, Sept 25 (UNI) — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today held discussions with officials in an effort to break the deadlock following Karnataka's rejection of Centre's proposal to release nine TMC of Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu to save the standing paddy crop in about 10 lakh hectares. A delegation of ministers from Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry led by PWD Minister Durai Murugan met Mr Vajpayee soon after his arrival from Lucknow and explained to him the serious situation in the Thanjavur delta following Karnataka's rejection of the formula proposed by the monitoring committee of the Cauvery valley authority. Immediately after the meeting, which lasted about 40 minutes, the Prime Minister held discussions with his Principal Secretary Brajesh Mishra, Cabinet Secretary Prabhat Kumar and Water Resources Secretary Mr Hasan. Sources said though the Prime Minister assured the Tamil Nadu ministerial delegation that the Centre would take steps to save the standing crop in Tamil Nadu, he did not spell out what he proposed to do in the matter. The ministerial delegation told the Prime Minister that this was the first test case since the constitution of Cauvery valley authority that Karnataka which had agreed in principle to implement the interim award of the tribunal has gone back on it. The situation in the state has become critical since water in its Mettur reservoir would last hardly three more days. The delegation said though Tamil Nadu was not happy about the quantum suggested by the monitoring committee (nine TMC), it would abide by it in view of the present availability of water in the Cauvery delta. Tamil Nadu also
contested Karnataka's claim that the current season was a
distress period, saying that the state still has 93 TMC
of water stored for a future crop. Tamil Nadu on the
other hand wants some water to save the standing crop. |
BBC programmes on Indian poll NEW DELHI, Sept 25 (PTI) — The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) television will be telecasting special programmes on the Indian elections, including a minute-to-minute report from around the country. The BBC will telecast first exit poll from October 3 and its website will be giving update of elections in the country, a BBC release said here. The BBC will also air live programmes and latest information from around the country, it said. Six Internet sites will cater "information hungry" people on the web, including one which would give user a chance to express views and debate on key issues behind the vote, the release said. There is a special
Indian election section on the Hindi service on the net
with address http://www.bbc.co.uk/hindi, the release
said, adding other sites of Urdu, Bengali and Tamil have
also been started. |
Andhra violence: probe ordered HYDERABAD, Sept 25 (PTI) — The City Crime Station (CCS) has been directed to hold an investigation into violent incidents during Ganesh immersion processions at several places in the old city area yesterday even as prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC have been promulgated in the south zone of the city. Andhra Pradesh Home Minister A. Madhava Reddy told reporters that the situation was now peaceful and under control. People who were responsible for the outbreak of the violent incidents had been identified and eight cases registered, he said, adding that no arrest, however, had been made so far. The police had to fire in the air at five places in and around Charminar after lathi charge and bursting of teargas shells failed to disperse the stone-pelting mob, the Home Minister said. Meanwhile, a team of Congress leader, led by CLP Leader P. Janardhan Reddy, visited the injured MLA, Mr Owaisi, at a private hospital and condemned the police lathi charge. The team also demanded
the Home Minister’s resignation and dismissal of the
police officers allegedly involved in the incident
yesterday. |
GVG to retire on Sept 30 NEW DELHI, Sept 25 — The Election Commissioner, Mr G.V.G. Krishnamurty, will be retiring from the Election Commission (EC) on September 30. Putting at rest speculation about a possible extension, Mr Krishnamurty, who was present at today's media briefing recalled his six-year stint in the EC. The Chief Election Commissioner, Dr Mohinder Singh Gill, complimented the supporting role played by Mr Krishnamurty and said both of them shared a relationship which none could know, unless they write memoirs, ‘‘I am going to miss him. He had legal background while I had different experience. Working with him was fun and he had a confident attitude,’’ Dr Gill said adding a personal note. Mr Krishnamurty in his brief address said that democracy was served by institutions and he was happy that he could contribute in carving out a place for the EC. The outgoing EC, who
along with Dr Gill was appointed in 1993 when Mr T. N.
Seshan was the CEC also praised the role of the then CEC
who he said did a good job. |
Delhi PCOs to be cyber cafes NEW DELHI, Sept 25 — Delhi seems to be catching up with the web revolution as the Delhi Government has decided to provide financial assistance for upgrading the public call centres to cyber cafes which will provide Internet services. The Delhi Chief Minister, Ms Sheila Dikshit, today said the State Government would provide financial assistance on easy terms to upgrade the existing PCOs to cyber cafes. In the pilot project started today, each of 100 PCOs would be given loans to a maximum of Rs 2.4 lakh at an interest rate of 13.5 per cent for setting up Internet services. Speaking at a seminar on “transforming PCO operations to cyber communication centres” organised by Assocham here, she said the Government would aim at converting most of the existing 13,000 PCOs into cyber cafes within a couple of years. “We intend to make Delhi a hassle-free and consumer friendly city by providing land records, utility bill payments and other points of government-citizen interface rare and easy,” she said. MTNL Chairman and Managing Director S. Rajagopalan said it would give Internet connection to PCOs at “favourable rates”. Also, the telecom operator would extend bill payment via the Internet to many utilities, he added. Small Industries
Development Bank of India General Manager R. Maini said a
separate scheme would be launched for facilitating
e-commerce. |
Cong demoralised jawans: PM GHAZIPUR (UP), Sept 25 (PTI) — Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee accused the Congress of creating “stumbling blocks” for the government during the Kargil conflict and “demoralising” soldiers through its criticism. Addressing a mammoth election rally at the Ram Lila ground here, Mr Vajpayee lamented that the Congress, as the Opposition party, did not play a “constructive role” during the Kargil conflict, like other opposition parties had done during earlier wars with Pakistan. “But during the Kargil conflict, the Congress concentrated more on creating stumbling blocks (for the government) and went to such an extent in criticism which demoralised our jawans engaged in a serious fight,” the Prime Minister said. DEORIA: Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee on Saturday condemned the Congress for its “low-level” of campaigning in the ongoing elections and said all allegations levelled by it against him were “baseless”. “Congress electioneering is of a very low level and it is indulging in mud-slinging,” he told a well-attended election meeting here. Referring to allegations
levelled against him by the Congress, he said, “My
life is an open book. Whatever charges are being made are
baseless.” |
Helmet radios for jawans NEW DELHI, Sept 25 (UNI) — Indian armed forces are to acquire state-of the-art millimetre-wave (mmw) helmet-mounted radios for secure soldier-to-soldier and unit-to-formation communications on the battlefield. Defence electronics and applications laboratory designed helmet-mountedmillimetre-wave (mmw) radio have been tested for safety by the Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, (DIPAS) and cleared with safety guidelines, according to Asia Defence News International. At the outset DIPAS has stated very categorically that there is no danger of millimetre wave radiation for the head of the wearer of the helmet. The tests have removed the apprehensions expressed by the armed forces and has cleared the way for the deployment of this state-of-the-art indigenously developed equipment. Tests at 17 points within the helmet have revealed that the metal plate in the helmet is an adequate shield between the wearer and the source of the millimetre-wave radiation-the horn antenna. The scientists have set a minimum safety distance of about 1 metre between soldiers to obviate the likelihood of the beam becoming focussed on the eyes of the shorter person because of the fact that a taller person looks down and a shorter person looks upwards when conversing. The scientists at DIPAS have suggested that clear instructions with suitable warning signals should be issued with each equipment to prevent this from happening. The advent of
millimetre-wave technology with the Indian armed forces
will prevent the likelihood of jamming by the enemy thus
ensuring secure communications both among troops on the
forward edge of battle as well as with the rear echelons. |
DSGMC to open technology
institute NEW DELHI, Sept 25 — The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has received approval from the All India Council of Technical Education to establish Guru Tegh Bahadur Institute of Technology in the Capital. The President of DSGMC, talking to newspersons here today, said that the engineering college would be affiliated to Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi. “The university will hold an admission test on October 17 for this college and other engineering colleges in the Capital,” Mr Sarna said. He said the DSGMC was planning to open a law college in Delhi for LLB courses. “This will be set up under the guidance of eminent jurists,” Mr Sarna stated. The DSGMC President stated that classes for students with learning disabilities or other handicaps will be started at GHPS schools at India Gate and Loni Road. “We have already started a special section for such students in GHPS Vasant Vihar,” he said. Mr Sarna said the DSGMC
had also decided to start a academy in Delhi for
preparation of civil services and other competitive
exams. It will be set up under the guidance of former
Chairmen of UPSC, Mr J.S. Chhatwal and Mr Patwant Singh. |
Experts for law to check torture NEW DELHI, Sept 24 (PTI) — A comprehensive legislation to combat torture, particularly in police custody, was suggested by eminent legal experts at an international symposium here today. Addressing the plenary session of the 8th international symposium on ‘Torture: a challenge to the health, legal and Other Professions’, they said government should make provisions for physical and psychological rehabilitation of torture victims. Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer (retd) said a comprehensive law to combat torture should encompass prohibition of torture at all levels of society and provision of adequate compensation to victims of torture and their families. Stating that prohibition of torture should be total, the Attorney General of India, Mr Soli J. Sorabjee, said: “There can be no justification of torture whatsoever, whether it be emergency or war”. The four-day symposium has expressed serious concern over mounting cases of custodial torture and suggested a mass movement to sensitise people. Intellectuals, legal and
medical experts and human rights activists from 70
countries are participating in the symposium organised by
the International Council for Rehabilitation of Torture
Victims (IRCT) and the National Human Rights Commission
(NHRC) in collaboration with the Indian Medical
Association (IMA) and the Indian Law Institute (ILI). |
Sonia’s meetings cancelled RAIGANJ (West Bengal), Sept 25 (PTI) — Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s poll campaign meetings here and at Malda today were cancelled following incessant rains since last night, official sources said here. Many areas in the town were waterlogged and rains were continuing forcing the party to cancel their public meetings, North Dinajpur District Magistrate Prashant told PTI. Elections in the area, scheduled on October 3, is likely to be affected if the rains continued for another day, Mr Prashant said. Pradesh Congress president A.B.A. Ghani Khan Chowdhury is the party candidate at Malda while, its working president Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi is the nominee from Raiganj. Ms Sonia Gandhi’s
scheduled election campaign in West Bengal had already
been cut short. |
Court to frame charges against Romesh NEW DELHI, Sept 25 (PTI) — A city court today ordered framing of charges against Romesh Sharma, alleged frontman of Dubai-based underworld Don Dawood Ibrahim, and six others in the Kunjum Budhiraj murder case in March this year. Additional Sessions
Judge L.D. Mallik in his 21-page order said that
“prime facie” there was sufficient evidence to
frame charges against Romesh Sharma, his nephew Surinder
Mishra, two girls claiming to be adopted sisters,
Tejinder Virdi, alias Dolly, and Jaspreet Virdi, alias
Sonu and three alleged Uttar Pradesh gangsters Hemchand,
Ramesh and Santram. |
Rain hits life in Calcutta CALCUTTA, Sept 25 (PTI) — Train and air services to and from the metropolis were thrown out of gear this morning following yesterday’s torrential rains which hampered the running of long-distance trains and delayed take-off of some international flights. Waterlogging of Howrah
coaching yard delayed the arrival of 8017 Up Purulia
Express and departure of the 8005 Up Sambalpur Express
from Santragachi this morning. |
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| Tea reduces risk of
cancer, stroke CHENNAI: Tea, the most commonly consumed beverage in the world, not only refreshes but also reduces the chances of developing dreaded diseases like cancer, stroke and heart ailments in human beings, according to a leading cancer expert. Dr P.K. Krishnaswamy, Director of diagnostic Services at Manipal Hospital, Bangalore, said tea contains antioxidants called flavindoids which help in neutralising free radicals in human bodies. The free radicals generally cause oxidative damages that contribute to the formation or progression of heart diseases, cancer or stroke, he said. — UNI India to have maximum diabetics Train commuter
nabs miscreant Water level in
Stanley reservoir falling Geological board
meeting on Sept 28 Family medicine
congress from Oct 6 Commemorative
stamp on Arati Gupta Four held for
rioting |
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