|
AUGUST 9
Cabinet expansion likely after August 15
The BJP leadership feels that the cabinet expansion will help calm down its crucial allies like the AIADMK, Samata Party and Akali Dal which have threatened to withdraw support to the government for one reason or the other.
Quiet can the Cauvery flow now
The final hurdle in settling the Cauvery issue
was overcome when Karnataka and Tamil Nadu arrived at an agreement on the role and functions of the monitoring committee.
AIADMK rejects Cauvery solution
The AIADMK and its allies said the accord was against Tamil Nadu's interests.
Samajwadi Party announces mass campaign over Srikrishna report
Rajya Sabha MP Raj Babbar said his party will launch a nation-wide awareness campaign for the implementation of the Srikrishna Commission report and prosecution of those indicted. If all these efforts failed to yield results before October 2, then all the elected representatives of the party from the state, including legislators, members of Parliament and corporators would submit their resignation to President K R Narayanan with a request to forward the same to the respective authorities, and approach
the proper legal forum to protect the constitutional and fundamental
rights of the minorities.
CWC calls for Manohar Joshi's resignation
The CWC took strong exception to Joshi's public pronouncement
that his government was rejecting the Srikrishna Commission report
because it favoured one community over another.
Describing it as highly deplorable and unfortunate, the CWC said,
'It is for the first time that any government has
taken a political decision on the basis of religious denomination
in discharging its responsibility.'
Meira Kumar disagrees with Punjab Congress's stand on Udham Singh Nagar
The Congress general secretary has declined to go along with the Punjab Congress in opposing the Centre's decision to include Udham
Singh Nagar in the proposed hill state of Uttaranchal.
Project Seabird finally gets cracking
The Karwar base is expected to increase the navy's reach and
access to the sea lanes of control, which has become imperative in
view of the increased responsibilities of the force following
immense growth in sea-borne trade in recent years and other
activities within the country's Exclusive Economic Zone.
MDMA may prove to be a blessing in disguise for Karunanidhi
According to informed sources, neither the Jain report, nor the SIT
investigation into the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, has found
anything incriminating against Karunanidhi. With the
result, even the MDMA will have little logical legal option
to clear him in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, whatever be
the links the DMK has had earlier with the LTTE.
Kargil under Pak fire again
After a very brief lull, Pakistani troops
have again started artillery and mortal shelling on
Jammu and Kashmir's Kargil sector. The situation in
other sectors is ''quiet.''
Booting Indian scientists from US is bad policy: Pallone
Democratic congressman Frank Pallone has protested
against the revocation of visas to
seven Indian scientists working in
the United States, saying that this action
might affect the free flow of information
between the two countries.
Women lawyers in Madras divided over sexual harassment charges
The 500-odd women lawyers of the Madras high court are deeply
divided over coming out into the open about the alleged sexual harassment of their younger colleagues and gender-based discrimination against them.
THE REDIFF INTERVIEW
'I hate these commissions, they can't understand the difference between judgment and recommendations'
'Look, we wrote the truth as it was. Circumstances at that time warranted it. And why don't you pay attention to what was written in the Urdu Times. Everybody was taking sides and I don't believe that Saamna's language aroused communal hatred. Saamna published the truth and the ground situation then as it were,' Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray told his party's newsaper Saamna.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
Chain reaction: sacked editor to start food joints in UK
Iqbal Wahhab, 35, the former editor of Tandoori, was sacked four months back for criticising British food culture. His entrepreneurial spirit was never too far off and he has bounced back with a vengeance. Today, he is poised to start off his own chain of restaurants, Cinnamon Club, in premium locations in London.
THE REDIFF COLUMNS
Justice denied
'Much in the style of the Austrian ex-corporal in the closing days of the tottering Hindenburg regime, the Shiv Sena chief is spreading the legend that law is what he says it ought to be and order is to let loose his bandicoots, on whomever he does not approve of,' says Ashok Mitra.
Will there be a war?
'There are always some fanatics in every government. They force the country into do or die situations. Both Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Nawaz Sharief are sensible, cool-headed beings. Both value neighbourly relations. And both have got a few ministers in their respective cabinets who are of the extreme view -- but ultimately it is their decision that will matter,' says Rajiv Shukla.
My daughter Mansie
'Our 24-year old daughter was off to the Florida State University for her PhD programme. What was I doing when I was 24? I was clinging on to a job I did not like. Working as a clerk
in an Ahmedabad textile mill at a monthly salary of Rs 150 crippled
my dreams,' says V Gangadhar.
TODAY'S WEATHER
Rough spell in parts of UP, Haryana and Punjab
Heavy rains are likely to occur at isolated places
in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, West Madhya
Pradesh, Gujarat, Konkan, Goa, Marathwada, Vidarbha
and coastal Karnataka during the next 48 hours.
AUGUST 8
Cauvery finally breaks through dam of opposing views
The four chief ministers have agreed in principle to the
Centre's scheme of implementing the
interim award, and
the setting up of an authority and
a monitoring committee to supervise the release of
water to Tamil Nadu.
It is a victory of the people: Karunanidhi
The Tamil Nadu chief minister has described the
outcome of the latest round of Cauvery water talks
as a ''major breakthrough.''
Discussion on Srikrishna report turns Maharashtra house chaotic
Noisy scenes were witnessed in the Maharashtra legislative assembly on Friday morning over certain remarks against Chief Minister Manohar Joshi by Congress member R R Patil in his speech while initiating the six-hour debate on the Srikrishna Commission report.
Thackeray says commissions are a waste of time
I hate commissions, as they make no difference between
recommendations and judgments. Therefore there is no need for
them. Enough is enough, the Sena chief told the media.
Legal experts feel courts could rule on Srikrishna report's acceptance
But, the Maharashtra government's rejection of the Srikrishna Commission report is not illegal, since the Commission of Inquiries Act permits the government to reject any report, partly or wholly.
Srikrishna suggests steps to boost Bombay police's image
The commission observed that while it may be legitimate for
ministers and elected representatives to tour their
constituencies or area under their charge for effective supervision
of riot control and rehabilitation measures, they should be
strictly prohibited from visiting police stations and interfering
with policing.
Pak guns fall silent after eight days and 53 deaths
A defence ministry spokesman said there were no fresh
incidents in any sector since Thursday afternoon.
Swamy moves SC against Jain panel
The Janata Party president described as "illegal" and "unconstitutional", the references about him in the Jain Commission report as an "unreliable witness".
Sonia concerned over 'directionless' rule
However, in Kochi, senior Congress leader Karunakaran
said that his party would not bring down the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre.
Bad debts drive American-Indian to kill family, shoot self
According to authorities, Natarajan Ramachandran had written
about two million dollars in bad cheques in attempts to cover up
mounting debts totalling about ten million dollars, some of which he
is stated to have incurred in gambling losses.
He had been under investigation and had been interviewed several
times by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Women's status worst in north, central India
The 24 most backward districts of the country in terms of the status of women and children are all in north and central India, shows a national survey released by the Central Social Welfare Board. Uttar Pradesh, with 13 of the 24 most backward districts, was on
top of the list, followed by Madhya Pradesh (six), Rajasthan (three)
and Punjab and Haryana (one each).
Midnight vigil for peace planned on border
The Indo-Pak Friendship Society, headed by veteran journalist and Rajya Sabha member Kuldip Nayar, will hold a midnight vigil on the India-Pakistan border near Attari on the night of August 14 and 15 to promote peace and friendship between the two countries.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
Dateline Jaffna
'Life trudges along in Jaffna. There is a public transport of
sorts, a bus service utilising vehicles that must have been condemned in other Asian cities a generation ago. The main thoroughfare resembles a village main road. But what one doesn't encounter is the vitality, the zing that makes or mars cities. This is a city waiting for deliverance. Either from the government, or the Tigers,' says Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
THE REDIFF COLUMN
Report, Yes. Justice, No.
'I don't like to boast, but hell, I'll admit it: my eyes and ears were open. Thackeray's inflammatory rhetoric to his followers, and the actions of his followers, had everything to do with how we all suffered then. Exactly how is a government beholden to Thackeray, so in quaking awe of the man, to punish Thackeray himself?' says Dilip D'Souza.
Jammu and Kashmir: 'ISI conspiring to establish a
greater Islamic Kashmir'
Uttar Pradesh: Kalyan Singh rules out leadership change
TODAY'S WEATHER
Rough weather in Andaman and Nicobar
Heavy rains are likely to occur at isolated places
in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat,
Konkan and Goa, north madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha
during the next 48 hours.
AUGUST 7
Maharashtra rejects Srikrishna report as being 'biased against Hindus'
While presenting the report in the Maharashtra legislative assembly, Chief Minister Manohar Joshi appealed to leaders of opposition groups to uphold the state's tradition of communal
harmony and help maintain peace.
Srikrishna blames Thackeray's inflammatory writings for fanning riots
With regard to the December 1992 riots, the report said there
was no material to show that it was anything other than a
spontaneous reaction of leaderless and incensed Muslim mobs, which
commenced as peaceful protest, but soon degenerated into riots. As far as the January 1993 riots were concerned, the Commission observed that there was no material on record suggesting that even during this phase, any known Muslim individual or organisations were
responsible for the riots.
Enough is enough, no further probe, says Joshi
When asked whether any action would be taken against Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, the Maharashtra chief minister said, ''There was no question of taking any action against him." Rather I will join him in the agitation, he added.
Opposition demands Thackeray's arrest
Leader of opposition in the Maharashtra legislative assembly, Madhukarrao Pichad, and his counterpart in the council,
Chhagan Bhujbal, demanded the chief minister's resignation and the immediate arrest of Bal Thackeray.
Muslim leaders are filled with a sense of betrayal
Muslim leaders in Bombay termed
the rejection of the Srikrishna Commission report by the Maharashtra government, as "unfair".
Meet the judge behind the report...
Justice B N Srikrishna may have headed the most significant judicial assignment of his life when asked to head the commission to probe the Bombay riots and the subsequent serial blasts, but he is not willing to talk about it. Work, for him, means doing one's duty, without regard to the consequences. Is this man 'anti-Hindu' as the Maharashtra implied today? Judge for yourself.
Akali threat may force govt to eat a humble pie
The Shiromani Akali Dal leadership threatened to withdraw support to the Vajpayee government if the BJP leadership goes ahead to include Udham Singh Nagar district of the Terai region in the proposed Uttranchal state.
Second round of Cauvery talks fail to arrive at consensus
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K
Karunanidhi and Karnataka Chief
Minister J H Patel, the main contenders in the vexed
dispute, stuck to their respective stances. A third meeting will take place on Friday.
Karunanidhi urges PM to persuade Karnataka to accept Cauvery authority
Opposing the Karnataka government's suggestions to the
co-ordination commitee to only interpret and render advice for the
implementation of the tribunal award, the Tamil Nadu chief minister said this was not in conformity with Section 6 (A) of the Inter State Water Disputes Act.
There is no threat of war: Swaraj
The information and broadcasting minister has said that India was not heading for a war with Pakistan, despite the escalation in firing along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.
'Unprovoked' Pak firing was intended to stall peace talks: Fernandes
The defence minister also said Pakistan tried to create a sense of alarm by orchestrating the incidents on the border to project J&K as a 'flashpoint'.
Rs 3-million relief package for victims of Pak shelling
More than Rs 800,000 have already been disbursed in Uri sector. This include the ex-gratia payments made to the next of kin of seven out of the 10 killed there, State Finance Minister Mohammad Shafi.
Jammu averages 50 killings a month
Militancy-related incidents have claimed nearly 150 lives in the past
three months in the Jammu region.
HC fixes hawala petitions for final disposal
The court fixed November 10 for the final disposal of the cases.
Lalit Mansingh is India's envoy to UK
After prolonged uncertainty, the government today announced Mansingh's appointment. He replaces Salman Haidar, who had put in his papers after the BJP-led coalition government assumed office.
Bangarappa, Ahmed return to Congress
AICC general secretary Tariq Anwar said party president Sonia Gandhi admitted the former Karnataka chief minister and former Union minister into the party with immediate effect.
Controversial Orissa advocate general quits
Indrajit Ray, whose dismissal has been a major issue for all opposition political parties in the state for being chargesheeted by the CBI in a molestation case, resigned from his post.
Goa govt future uncertain
The Congress has criticised the governor for
allegedly interfering with the speaker's authority in the legislature. In
sight thus appears to be a fierce constitutional battle between two supreme authorities -- the governor and the speaker.
North-East MPs ask Vajpayee to honour his predecessors' promise
They asked the prime minister to release the Rs 73-billion package which former prime ministers H D Deve Gowda and Inder Kumar Gujral promised for the region.
THE REDIFF INTERVIEW
'It is the policemen who
are giving the Sena-BJP a bad name'
'Ask the young Bengali boys here and they will tell you horror stories about how the West Bengal police harass them as well, when they go home during the festival time. How the police join hands with the porters in Howrah and Kharagpur railway stations to loot them. The police. They are a bad lot anywhere in India ...,' Ajit Panja speaks to Pritish Nandy.
THE REDIFF COLUMN
The Prasar Bharati Gill
'S S Gill may have been more of an irritant than a real menace.
But his silly habit of running down the Vajpayee ministry in public
-- very crudely at that -- sealed his fate. The BJP-led government
needed to demonstrate that it is indeed in command, something
a section of the bureaucracy affects to disdain,' says T V R Shenoy.
Kerala: UDF plans last-ditch battle against government
TODAY'S WEATHER
Rough weather in parts of Andamans, Bengal and Bihar
Heavy rains are likely to occur at isolated places in the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Gangetic West Bengal and Bihar
plateau during the next 48 hours.
AUGUST 6
Militants, Pak shelling kill 14 in JK
Unidentified militants gunned down seven Hindu villagers and torched eight houses in Udhampur district even as heavy Pakistan shelling, which is continuing for the seventh day in Uri, Gurez, Karnah, Keran and Tangdar, killed an equal number.
Delhi HC dismisses Quattrochi's plea in Bofors case
The Delhi high court on Wednesday day upheld the Central Bureau of Investigation plea that Bofors agent in India, Ottavio Quattrochi, was the recipient of the ''fraud'' committed in the multi-million Bofors gun deal and dismissed his petition seeking quashing of non-bailable warrants against him. The judgment made it very clear that the Interpol red corner alert notice would continue to be in force and the CBI, which had been continuing efforts to nab Quattrocchi, was free to arrest him.
Advani promises to bring out the truth behind Rajiv's killing
Referring to the various suggestions for follow-up action on the
reports of the Jain Commission that looked into the conspiracy angle
and the Verma Commission that examined the lapses that led to the
assassination, the home minister said he would prefer an executive
investigation.
Jaya demands FIR, chargesheet against Karunanidhi over Jain's 'indictment'
The final report, while referring to the Tamil Nadu chief minister in 13 instances, had pointed out that he had "lied" before the Commission, the AIADMK leader alleged, and added that Karunanidhi had committed an act of "perjury".
Sonia puts one across to Pawar
CPP officials indicated that a few party leaders close to Sonia had been demanding that the party leadership make Pawar accountable for his utterances.
11 Akali MPs petition President against including Udham Singh Nagar in Uttarakhand
Incidentally, the petition does not say anything about Akali
minister Surjit Singh Barnala attending the Union Cabinet meeting
on Monday that decided to include the district
in the proposed hill state.
India planning to buy spares from Bofors, reports Jane's
Official sources in India were quoted by the respected military
magazine as saying that military and ministry of defence officials
were completing negotiations with two Bofors subsidiaries,
Celsiustech in Sweden and AB Celsius in Austria, for spares for the
155 mm towed howitzers.
Congress fears government will buckle and sign CTBT
The Congress said it was against signing the CTBT in the present form and that the government should take Parliament into confidence before deviating from the well-laid policy on this issue.
Maharashtra prepares for Srikrishna aftermath
Police and paramilitary forces deployed in sensitive areas of the state.
Talks better option to resolve Cauvery dispute, says J H Patel
Karnataka leaders say injustice done to state's farmers should be corrected. But they said the state was not against giving water to Tamil Nadu.
Controversy erupts over Solarz's lobbying firm
Stephen Solarz had testified before the senate foreign relations
committee in May on India's recent nuclear tests during
which he wanted the United States to welcome India into the world's
official club of nuclear powers instead of punishing it with
sanctions. But, at that time, he and his
lobbying firm, APCO Associates Inc, were actively bidding to
represent the government of India in Washington.
Farooq returns, finally!
Returning from a two-week holiday in London, the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister held extensive discussions with Prime Minister
Vajpayee and Home Minister Advani on evolving
a strategy to tackle the growing militancy in his state.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
'We need to rejuvenate our democratic process'
'If the presidential system of government is considered impractical or undesirable, then we should introduce radical and undelayed changes in the present parliamentary democracy system itself. Let there be a serious nationwide debate on all the possible alternatives for systemic changes to cleanse our democratic governing system of its present mess,' Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee joins the Constitution debate.
Maharashtra: Two killed in Bombay wall collapse
Uttar Pradesh: BSP will fight assembly polls alone
TODAY'S WEATHER
More rains in Kerala
Heavy rains are likely to occur at isolated places
in sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Konkan,
Goa and Kerala during the next 48 hours.
AUGUST 5
Gunmen mow down 19 in Poonch
Family of militant, including three women and 11
girls, shot dead in Jammu and Kashmir.
'Fernandes's LoC visit sparks firing'
'Whenever the Indian defence minister has gone to any forward position, the Pakistanis have upped the level of firing,' a source in the defence ministry pointed out. He gave the example of the day when Fernandes visited the Siachen Glacier and the earlier visit of Mulayam Singh Yadav who actually had to duck to escape Pakistani firing.
Vajpayee offers to freeze disputes with Pakistan
The prime minister made the offer in the Lok Sabha during his
hour-long reply to a discussion on recent developments affecting
India's foreign policy and on the statement made by him on his
recent visit to Colombo in connection with the SAARC summit.
Gohar calls on US to help settle Kashmir dispute
Briefing American senators, Richard Shelby and Tim Hutchinson, who were on a two-day visit to Pakistan, the Pakistani foreign minister alleged that the Indian nuclear tests had shattered the strategic balance in the region, compelling his country to carry out its own nuclear tests.
US to ask India, Pak to stop 'provocative' actions
Concerned over the artillery exchanges across the Line of Control in Kashmir, the Bill Clinton administration has decided to despatch shortly formal messages to India and Pakistan with a view to preventing the escalation of tension in the volatile region.
India wins Lanka's support for Kashmir position, in return for backing off from Eelam
While the Indian prime minister was in Colombo, a number of Tamil organisations did make an attempt to convince him of the importance of India involving itself, once again, in the island's Tamil ethnic crisis that is far from over.
IAF is in shipshape, won't let Pak planes bother India: Sareen
The chief of air staff, Air Marshal S K Sareen, has said that the Indian Air Force was well prepared to protect the country's skies in the event of an enemy attack.
Advani to call all party meeting to prevent Chamba-like incidents
The Union government proposes to call an all party meeting
shortly, to discuss
the issue of terrorism in various
parts of the country.
Killer militants spotted in Himachal Pradesh
Security forces move in after militants reported to be moving into Kishtawar area of Jammu and Kashmir.
Reports about PM's health baseless: BJP
The prime minister is in good health and has no plans,
whatsoever, about going over to the US for treatment, party
spokesman M Venkaiah Naidu asserted.
Sonia asks partymen to get ready for any development
The Congress president said the government is engaged in a struggle for survival and there has been no governance.
Opposition walks out of LS over Advani's assurance on deportation of Bangladeshis
The home minister said he had taken up the matter relating to the alleged deportation of the Bangladeshis with the Maharashtra government. No person was deported on the ground of religion or language, he added. They were deported only after the metropolitan magistrate had declared them as illegal migrants.
Jethmalani promises to pursue creation of judicial commission
His assurance came after more than 3000 lawyers staged a 'march
to Parliament' on Tuesday to protest against alleged corruption in the judiciary, especially at the lower levels.
Karunanidhi to attend PM's Cauvery meet despite criticism
The Tamil Nadu chief minister said though some parties had criticised him for attending the conference, he would not lose patience and take
the criticism as a "tonic" and an encouragement.
"I will ensure full protection of Tamil Nadu's legitimate
interests as enunciated in the resolution passed in the all-
party meeting as well as the suggestions put forth there," he
added.
Tales of grief and providential escape resound at Bombay's building collapse site
Bombay Mayor Nandu Satam has said a group of experts comprising architects and engineers will study the building collapse and pinpoint responsibility in two weeks' time.
The police, too, are on the lookout for the landlord, and have alerted all police stations, and domestic and international airports to track him down.
Jain panel witness gets threatening calls
In a letter to Advani, Ramesh Dalal said Chandra Swami's associates had telephoned him threatening that he and his family would be killed in a bomb blast unless he withdrew his statement against the tantrik.
Congress team finds great cause for worry in Gujarat
The Congress has said that Gujarat was drifting towards a major communal conflict, with the BJP state government attacking minorities and their institutions.
Kalyan mulls over bringing CM's office under Lok Ayukta
As per the provisions of the UP Lok Ayukta Act 1975, the office
was to be held by a retired judge of the high court who would
be empowered to probe charges of corruption against ministers,
legislators and senior bureaucrats. However, the office of chief
minister was kept out of its jurisdiction and no chief minister
has initiated any move to bring his own
office under the purview of the institution.
Muslims or Hindus, we are all brothers here!
It is business as usual for the Muslims of Pahalgam as the
Amarnath yatra continues. It's they who serve
their Hindu brothers food and water, they who provide them tents
and blankets... And the Hindu pilgrims have no inhibition
about accepting their servings. This is how it has been
for centruries, and this is how it will be!
THE REDIFF COLUMN
Requiem For A True Human
'He was one development economist who came to believe that countries develop when they invest, first and always, in their people. If you want to build
an economically strong, robust nation, the best way by far is to invest in your people. All your people.' Dilip D'Souza remembers Mahbub-Ul-Haq.
TODAY'S WEATHER
Lakshadweep in for more rains
Heavy rains are likely to occur at isolated places
in sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim and Lakshadweep
in the next 48 hours.
AUGUST 4
Militants kill 35 in Himachal Pradesh
Official sources said suspected Kashmiri militants opened indiscriminate fire on sleeping labourers on Sunday night at Mansa village, 30 km inside Himachal Pradesh's border with Jammu and Kashmir, in Chamba district.
Trinamul, AIADMK foil Vajpayee's plans for deputy speakership
Mamata Banerjee took the initiative to bring the leader
of the Opposition Sharad Pawar and the two Congress whips to Speaker Balayogi's chamber. It was there, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madanlal Khurana being present, that the two sides prepared a joint statement announcing deferment of the deputy speaker's election.
Allies show up the chinks in BJP's armour, yet again
Even as the BJP and its allies maintain that the election has been postponed till the winter session of Parliament, political observers feel that the matter had been effectively relegated to cold storage. A senior Congress leader said, "I don't think a consensus will be reached in a hurry on the issue. I think the matter will die a natural death."
Congress flays govt over Jain report
Kapil Sibal told the Rajya Sabha that the government had never cared to take the Commission's observations seriously. He referred to various intercepted messages of the LTTE, which clearly showed their nexus with politicians, officials and bureaucrats of Tamil Nadu.
BJP tells DMK not to over-react to Jain's ATR
BJP general secretary M Venkaiah Naidu strongly refuted the DMK's allegation that the BJP had implicated it in the conspiracy in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination under ''pressure'' from its allies.
''The BJP has nothing to hide or fear. We want the total truth to
come out,'' and the BJP does not bow to any pressure tactics.
LTTE all set to exploit Jain Commission's ATR
The Tigers' spokesman in London, Antony Raja, said, "Since the
Indian government's own inquiry commission has pointed the needle
of suspicion at several Indian politicians, the LTTE cannot be
accused."
Karunanidhi accuses Centre of succumbing to 'mindless pressure' on ATR
The Tamil Nadu chief minister said he had only pity for "the tall BJP leaders who once claimed to have stood for some principles". "They have to stoop to this level because of the bad company they keep," he added.
PM lists out SAARC achievements; Sangma blasts govt in LS
Raising a discussion on the recent developments affecting India's
foreign policy, the former Lok Sabha speaker launched a frontal attack on the government for mishandling foreign policy issues as it was not clear whether the Prime Minister's Office, South Block or Planning Commission's Deputy Chairman Jaswant Singh was in charge of foreign affairs.
Islamabad accuses India of unleashing 'indiscriminate' firing on PoK
Minister for Kashmir Affairs Majid Malik said 43 civilians have been killed since Indian troops started firing on July 29 -- ''with all types of weapons except aircraft and nuclear bombs'' -- all along the LoC.
Five more Kashmiris die in Pak shelling
In North Kashmir, Sunday evening. This has raised the death toll
in the past five days to 30.
TN all-party meeting authorises Karunanidhi to represent state at Cauvery meet
The meeting, which had a marathon six-hour discussion on the
issue, was attended by 41 political parties, including the AIADMK and its allies.
Bombay cops brace themselves for violence
They are taking no chances since the Srikrishna commission report, to be tabled in the assembly this week, on the 1992-93 riots could rile some elements.
SC issues notice to govt on judges's appointment despite pendency of presidential reference
The apex court asked the Union government to reply within 10 days to an interlocutory application concerning the appointment of judges to the Punjab and Haryana high court.
Akash test-fired again
India's most sophisticated medium range surface-to-air missile, Akash, was successfully test-fired from the interim test
range at Chandipur-on-sea, about
15 km from Orissa's Balasore.
Lyngdoh sails through confidence motion
The eight-day-old Congress-United Democratic
Party coalition, the Meghalaya Parliamentary Forum government,
headed by B B Lyngdoh, won the vote of confidence in the
state assembly. The Opposition walked out without voting.
Lok Pal Bill with power to prosecute PM introduced in Lok Sabha
The Bill provides for inquiry into complaints of alleged
commitment of offences punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, against public functionaries, including the prime minister.
Canadian police shut down Sikh temple for peace's sake
The Vancouver police have closed one of Canada's
largest Sikh temples, fearing a clash between moderate and
fundamentalist factions.
THE REDIFF COLUMN
A tale of two PMs
'Our tools of communication are outdated, our officials steeped in Cold War dynamics. The harsh fact about diplomacy is that the media is an important component, a tool to wage battle. Handled well, as Pakistan does, it can become your ally. Otherwise, it may choose to ignore you, even if your case is right,' says Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
THE REDIFF INTERVIEW
'When crime in Mumbai is escalating because of foreigners, the government cannot be an idle spectator'
'It is all opportunistic politics. When it suits you, you cry wolf. When it does not suit you, you will not allow the other man to cry wolf. However, the people cannot be fooled, they know that unscrupulous politicians are trying to make political capital out of a very sensitive issue.' Shiv Sena leader Madhukar Sarpotdar defends the deportation of Bangladeshis.
Andhra Pradesh: Charge-sheet against serial killer in two months
TODAY'S WEATHER
Wet spell to continue in Andamans
Heavy rains are likely to occur at isolated places in
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, sub-Himalayan West
Bengal and Sikkim during the next 48 hours.
Archives
|
