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Saturday, December
22, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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Fernandes misled on
defence deals: CPM Coffin issue: no respite for George
Cong to keep vigil
over Centre’s moves |
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Cong ‘adopting’ double standard on POTO
BJP splinter group
merges with Cong Expelled SP MPs threaten to split party BJP to contest 300 seats in UP 4 Kashmiri militants arrested in Gaya New radars to improve surveillance India, Tajikistan to enhance ties
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Fernandes misled on
defence deals: CPM New Delhi, December 21 Addressing newspersons after a “boycott” of the Defence Ministry’s Consultative Committee meeting today by the Opposition MPs, CPM Parliamentary Party leader Somnath Chatterjee said the entire Opposition “has stuck to its position to demand the removal of Fernandes”. “There is no explanation till date by the Prime Minister as to why he exonerated Fernandes whose conduct is being probed by the Venkatswamy Commission on Tehelka tape revelations”, Mr Chatterjee said. Stating that the coffin deal was signed in August, 1999, after the Kargil war had ended and the deliveries were expected in batches after four, six and eight months, the CPM leader said that Fernandes’ justification that the coffins were meant to carry Kargil war victims was “totally misleading and in complete contrast to the well-established procedures”. And over and above, “excess money” to the tune of Rs 1.6 crore was paid while “the coffins and body bags were not in accordance with the specifications”, he alleged adding that “the arbitration was started only recently and till date no effort has been made to get back the excess payment”. “It is one of the clear cases showing the involvement of the topmost level of the Defence Ministry”, Mr Chatterjee observed. One of the key persons in the Price Negotiations Committee of the Defence Ministry, which decided on the coffins purchase deal, was one of the Army officers accused in the Tehelka tapes, the CPM leader alleged. CPM Rajya Sabha MP Nilotpal Basu said the Kresnopol armaments deal, as referred by CAG, was worth Rs 151 crore and alleged that any deal over Rs 100 crore had to be signed by the Defence Minister as per laid down procedures. “So, Fernandes cannot say he never signed any paper”, Mr Basu said. |
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Coffin
issue: no respite for George New Delhi, December 21 Opposition members forming part of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee of the Defence Ministry boycotted the meeting of the committee scheduled for today in protest. The meeting, which discussed the induction of new radars and updating of the old ones, was attended by only seven of the 31 Members of Parliament who make up the committee. Four of the seven MPs who attended were from the BJP, one from the NDA partner National Conference, another from the Telugu Desam Party and an expelled member of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) who is considered close to the BJP. Congress members of the committee Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, Margaret Alva, Shyama Charan Shukla and Gurcharan Singh Galib (all from the Lok Sabha) and Pranab Mukherjee, Suresh Kalmadi, K.V. Krishnan and P.K. Maheshwari (from the Rajya Sabha) were among those who boycotted the meeting. Those who came for the meeting were Vinay Katiyar, Jayshree Banerjee, T.N. Chaturvedi and Kripal Parmar (BJP), Hassan Khan (National Conference), M. Rajaiah (TDP) and Dr Ranjan Prasad Yadav of the RJD. The Opposition had not allowed Mr Fernandes to answer questions in Parliament during the just concluded winter session and booed him when he was introduced by the Prime Minister at the beginning of the session. The criticism against Mr Fernandes’ reduction was further aggravated after a CAG report indicted the Defence Ministry for financial irregularities in the pruchase of supplies during the Kargil conflict, including coffins. Members of the committee from the CPM, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party also stayed away from the meeting. The 31-members of the Consultative Committee are: Lok Sabha-Vinay Katiyar, Nihal Chand, Pusp Jain, Jayshree Banerjee, Rajinder Singh Rana (all BJP), Capt Inder Singh (INLD), S.S. Owaisi (AIMIM), Kumar Akhilesh Singh (Samajwadi Party), C. Krishnan (MDMK), N.N. Krishna Das (CPM), Mansoor Ali Khan (BSP), Hassan Khan (NC), P.R. Dasmunshi, Shyama Charan Shukla, Gurcharan Singh Galib and Margaret Alva (all Congress) and M Rajaiah (TDP); Rajya Sabha - T.N. Chaturvedi, Kripal Parmar, Balwant P. Apte (all BJP), Janeshwar Mishra (Samajwadi Party), S. Agniraja (DMK), Ranjan Prasad Yadav (RJD), Khogen Das (CPI-M), Kala Venkata Rao (TDP), Pranab Mukherjee, Kernendu Bhattacharya, Suresh Kalmadi, K.V. Krishnan and P.K. Maheshwari (all Congress) and S.R. Bommai (JD-S). the committee also has two ex-officio members, Union Ministers O. Rajagopal and Santosh Gangwar. Besides the seven MPs, the meeting chaired by Mr Fernandes was attended by Minister of State for Defence U.V. Krishnam Raju and Minister of State for Defence Production and Supplies Harin
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Cong to keep vigil
over Centre’s moves New Delhi, December 21 Addressing a general body meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party here yesterday, Mrs Gandhi said the party had to keep a vigil over the steps government took to meet the needs of the extraordinary situation. Precious little was revealed by the government in Parliament about what it specifically intended to do, she said. The Congress President also criticised the government for its failure to act against terrorism in spite of the advance intelligence furnished to it. “It was the failure of the Intelligence which led to the tragedy of Kargil. It is again the failure to act upon available intelligence which lies at the root of the attack on Parliament,’’ she said. Opposing the re-induction of Defence Minister George Fernandes and Mr Harin Pathak into the Cabinet, she said it was “inexplicable” that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had taken back persons whom he had himself had asked to leave. “They have not been cleared. Indeed, the judicial process, in some cases, and Commissions of inquiry, in other cases, are far from completing their work,” she said, adding if the Prime Minister had succumbed to internal political pressure then it gave the country no confidence in the ability of his Government to resist unhealthy influences in other areas. |
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Cong ‘adopting’ double standard on POTO New Delhi, December 21 Accusing the Congress of adopting “double standard” with regard to the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO), Mr Pawar told reporters that he had discussions with Law Minister Arun Jaitley on the proposed law and that four out of eight suggestions made by his party had been accepted by the government to prevent its misuse. “As for the remaining four suggestions, Mr Jaitley has assured that rethinking will be done on those,” he said. Expressing his party’s support to the anti-terrorism Bill with necessary amendments, the NCP chief said “the Maharashtra and Karnataka Governments, led by the Congress, have adopted laws to combat organised crime. Why should a different stand be taken? The Bill had been circulated to the states and barring one or two, it was supported by most states.” Asked about his views on the coffin scam as a former Defence Minister, Mr Pawar said “I have not gone into the details of CAG’s report and I have not given a serious thought to it. How do you expect me to comment?”. On the terror strike on Parliament, the NCP leader said the information passed on to the Centre by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chagan Bhujwal was “something different” even though it referred to a possible attack on Parliament. Stating that the attack on Parliament was an attack on democracy, he said the entire country should be united in this hour of crisis and support the government in its action against terrorism. However, he charged that the BJP was trying to create a divide along “communal lines” on the pretext of fighting terrorism. |
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BJP splinter group merges with Cong Raipur, December 21 The merger was announced by the leader of the splinter group, Mr Tarun Chatterjee, amid allegations made by the BJP that the MLAs had been lured away by the Congress. The MLAs had informed Speaker Rajendra Prasad Shukla in the presence of Chief Minister Ajit Jogi yesterday that they had formed a new outfit named the Chhattisgarh Vikas Party (CVP). With the merger, the strength of the congress has risen to 62 in the 90-member Assembly. Addressing a press conference, the splinter group’s general secretary, Mr Sakrajit Nayak, said: “We had a detailed discussion among the party members and also with the Chief Minister last night after which we unanimously decided to join the Congress.” “Keeping in mind the 1986 Anti-Defection Law, we met the Speaker last night at his residence and gave him the detailed proceedings of our meeting,” Mr Nayak said. “Finally the Speaker declared our inclusion in the Congress Legislature Party,” he added.
PTI |
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Expelled SP MPs threaten to split party New Delhi, December 21 Having the blessings of Janata Dal (United) chief and Union Minister Sharad Yadav, who made an appearance at the press conference called by the three, the expelled Samajwadi Party MPs also alleged that Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav was bent upon imposing dynastic rule in the party. Although they did not name Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav and his right hand man Amar Singh, they sought a CBI inquiry into the assets of the Samajwadi Party leaders. Mr Sharad Yadav said: “These MPs are welcome to the JD(U). It will be their homecoming”. The members who had raised the banner of revolt against Mr Yadav’s policies in the party, particularly of promoting his son Akhilesh Yadav, while speaking to the media said they had sought separate seats in the House. They said they were waiting for an opportune moment to split the party. “Three MPs recently expelled from the Samajwadi Party have already written to the Lok Sabha Speaker requesting separate seats. Once we muster support from nine MPs, we shall split the party,” expelled MPs Bhalchandra Yadav and Kunwar Sarvaraj Singh said. Another party MP, Mr Balram Singh Yadav, who was removed from the post of general secretary, though not expelled from the party, was also present. |
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BJP to contest 300 seats in UP New Delhi, December 21 While it has been decided to contest about 300 Assembly seats leaving the rest for its allies and for other electoral adjustments, it has also been decided that a concerted campaign would be launched against the main political rival Samajwadi Party. In coming days and weeks, SP General Secretary Amar Singh is going to be the focus of attack as the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has been directed to investigate the financial dealings of the SP leader, sources said. Mr Amar Singh, who by his proximity to his party President had alienated himself with many of his party Lok Sabha MPs and other party leader, would come under tremendous pressure which would go a long way to weaken both Mr Yadav and his party. A small indication of the BJP plan was available today when four of the SP MPs came out openly against the party. Incidentally, Mr Sharad Yadav had a long meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Rajnath Singh yesterday. The sources said that the strategy was to attack the Samajwadi Party and weaken it morally so that party cadres are no more motivated. If the Samajwadi Party is weakened, then there is every possibility that the BJP would emerge as the single largest party, is the calculation of the BJP’s high command. |
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4 Kashmiri militants arrested in Gaya Patna, December 21 Eyewitnesses say, a bevy of plain clothed men descended from five Maruti cars and a Tata Sumo with arms that were highly sophisticated and did not look like that of state police’s. They also took away the scooter used by them. The local police is also said to have arrested two Kashmiris from Gaya Railway Station yesterday. They have been identified as a 38-year-old Yakub and 20-year-old Shafiq of Soorankot police station in Poonch district of J and K. |
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New radars to improve surveillance New Delhi, December 21 Addressing the consultative committee meeting attached to the Ministry of Defence here today, Defence Minister George Fernandes said the government had already approved the direct acquisition of air-borne warning and control system (AWACS), which would also help in improving the surveillance capabilities of the Indian forces. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has designed and developed surveillance radar for use in naval advanced light helicopter (ALH). The first prototype of this radar is ready. The DRDO has now also reached a level of maturity in providing indigenous design and development in respect of a technologically complex radar system. Maximum association of Indian industries is also being ensured for ground-based relocatable radars. The minister said the DRDO had proven competence in the areas of major radar system including the multifunction phased array radars for ground based applications; surveillance radars for accurate, reliable air-picture generation with transportable radars; surveillance radars on helicopter platform for sea surface, ground surface and aerial targets; basis for state-of-the-art active array radar systems for long-range radars and high power radar transmitters. The DRDO is now in the process of developing indigenous battlefield surveillance radars (BFSR) for use by the artillery. Two proto-types of indigenous BFSR are likely to be ready for trials in the first half of next year. The first proto-type of maritime patrol radar for naval advanced light helicopter (ALH) is also ready. Mr Fernandes pointed out that in view of complex technology for the radar system there had to be a judicious mix of indigenous and imported technology. The private sector would also be gradually associated when it was ready to enter this field with their technological and investment participation. Lauding the achievements of the DRDO, Mr Fernandes said that, DRDO scientists had created an infrastructure and management structure to develop, manage and integrate high-cost and high-technology programmes by pooling national resources and expertise. This had enabled, the country to minimize the effect of sanctions and technology denials, he added. |
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India, Tajikistan to enhance ties New Delhi, December 21 Tajikistan Defence Minister Sherali Khairulloev held wide-ranging talks with his Indian counterpart George Fernandes and decided to have regular exchange of defence delegations and dialogue on issues of security and strategic interest. General Khairulloev, who is in India on a three-day visit, hoped that the meeting would give considerable impetus to defence ties between the two countries. |
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