Wednesday, March 20, 2002, Chandigarh, India
 Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Sekhon forced to retire
New Delhi, March 19
The controversy surrounding Air Marshal Manjit Singh Sekhon, the former Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Air Command who is in the dock for seeking political favours to further his career, took a new turn today. While the government issued a one-line official note saying that he had resigned and his resignation had been accepted, there were reports that Air Marshal Sekhon had compulsorily been retired from service.

Rivalry in IAF surfaces
New Delhi, March 19
Air Marshal Manjit Singh Sekhon’s controversy has clearly brought out the intense rivalry among the Indian Air Force (IAF) officers vying not only for the top positions but trying to hold on to their posts as well.

Sports page: Dinesh Mongia inspires India’s 101-run win Editorial: Games cops play Captain Saurav Ganguly (centre) celebrates with Harbhajan Singh (left) and teammates after Zimbabwe’s batsman Andy Flower was dismissed for one run during their fifth and final one-day international cricket match in Guwahati on Tuesday. India won the match by 101 runs. — Reuters

Ayodhya: Centre not to be party
HC reserves order on plea for day-to-day hearing
Lucknow, March 19
The Allahabad High Court today reserved till tomorrow its order on the Centre’s petition to begin a day-to-day hearing of the Ayodhya case to facilitate a speedy disposal of the matter. The Lucknow Bench of the court did so after hearing arguments from the parties concerned, including the Additional Solicitor-General R.N. Trivedi.

Rein in VHP, say allies
New Delhi, March 19
There is a growing feeling in the BJP-led NDA government that VHP activists and other elements of the Sangh Parivar are going out of control and need to be reined in expeditiously.

Let’s talk, PM tells allies
New Delhi, March 19
In an indirect message to the allies, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today said all contentious issues among the coalition partners of the NDA needed to be sorted out through discussion. 

Pak expels 2 Indian diplomats
New Delhi, March 19
In a typical diplomatic tit for tat, Pakistan today declared two Indian diplomats in the Indian High Commission in Islamabad as persona non grata and asked them to leave the country by March 26, a spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed today.

2 holed-up militants shot
Siege of mosque ends
Srinagar, March 19
Two militants, including the self-syled divisional commander of the Pakistan-based Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM), holed up in a mosque were killed by the troops today, ending a nearly 14-hour-long stand-off in Baramula district of north Kashmir, defence sources said.
In video (28k, 56k)

4 pc DA hike for Central staff
New Delhi, March 19
The government today announced a Rs 1831.20-crore bonanza for its existing and retired employees by way of an increased dearness allowance with effect from January and upgraded pay scales for senior teachers of primary schools.

When Amarinder refused to meet VC
Chandigarh, March 19
Making an interesting revelation, the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, said here today that the Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, Mr Jasbir Singh Ahluwalia, had approached him through an emissary to personally submit his resignation and surrender before him (CM) two days ago.

Pension to kin of war heroes to go Ludhiana, March 19 Hundreds, of kin of the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak war heroes, along with several decorated soldiers in the state, are a disturbed lot following the maturity of a controversial three-decades old order of the Punjab Government that the monthly grant or pension paid to them would be given for 30 years, only. The orders, limiting the value of the sacrifice of Param vir Chakra and Vir Chakra winners to 30 years, were issued by the Chief Secretary Punjab in February 1972.