Monday, December 23, 2002, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

Modi back in saddle
PM attends glittering swearing-in ceremony
Ahmedabad, December 22
Mr Narendra Modi, who steered the BJP to a landslide victory in elections last week, was today sworn in as Gujarat Chief Minister for the second time in a public ceremony attended by thousands of persons, including Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, top BJP leadership, its allies and new-found friend Jayalalithaa.

In video (28k, 56k) Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishan Advani wave with newly sworn-in Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad on Sunday. — Reuters photo

Punjab an ‘orphan’ state: Gujral
Failure to pursue waiving Rs 5800 cr central loan
Jalandhar, December 22
Terming Punjab as an “orphan” state, a former Prime Minister, Mr Inder Kumar Gujral, today accused both the Shiromani Akali Dal chief, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, and the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, of ignoring the interests of the state.

8 die as jeep falls into gorge
Shimla, December 22
Eight persons were killed when a jeep carrying them rolled into a 300-foot-deep gorge at Kemachandroli, 34 km from Chopal, in Shimla district last evening, the police said today.

CRPF band performs on India Gate lawns A jawan of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) plays the bagpipes on the 63rd anniversary of the force in New Delhi on Sunday. — Reuters photo

Rift in Punjab CMO to the fore Chandigarh, December 22 The “doubtful” veracity of the reports appearing in the media about the alleged immoral conduct of certain Punjab ministers in Gujarat notwithstanding, the squabbles between two power groups within the Chief Minister’s Secretariat have now come out in the open.