|
DECEMBER 13-14
Jaya wants Raghavan to be next CBI chief
The 1963 batch IPS officer has been sidelined in Tamil Nadu for allegedly slowing down the corruption cases against the AIADMK supremo. But the PM seems inclined to accept him since he is the senior-most of the panel drawn up by the home secretary, personnel secretary, and chief vigilance commissioner.
20 people massacred in Assam
Suspected Bodo militants shot dead at least 20 people and critically injured four at Bathan village in Kokrajhar district.
Advani claims 'a measure of success' against ISI
The home minister said a white paper on the agency's activities in India is likely to be tabled in the current session of Parliament.
Flight of Indians to US soars
A consular official said the Bombay office, which services Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Goa, issued 90,000 visas last year, an increase of 7.02 per cent over the previous year.
Laloo accuses Bhandari of creating instability
Whenever the governor goes to Delhi or even Tirupati to attend to his personal work, he comments on the law-and-order problems of Bihar, the RJD chief said. "He is not acting within the constitutional framework."
SP leader quits in protest against Mulayam's politics
The Samajwadi Party's Uttar Pradesh unit general secretary Shyam Mishra has resigned from the party's primary membership.
Gowda, AICC downplay meeting with Sonia
Former PM Deve Gowda asserted that his meeting with the Congress president was only a courtesy call. His disclaimer came a day after similar views were expressed by AICC officials.
Rain toll reaches 29 in Tamil Nadu
Four more deaths were reported from various districts. Heavy rains are forecast throughout the state in the next 24 hours.
Army called in to fight fire in Kashmir forests
After combating terrorism and Pakistani attempts on the LoC, the army is now fighting fire, literally, in the woods in the northern sector.
Balayogi refuses degree, Jayaprada stays away
With that, the row over honorary doctorates to politicians ended, though the police were deployed in strength for the SV University convocation.
Moopanar asks Centre to abide by SC ruling on Ayodhya
The TMC chief said Vajpayee's plea for sorting out the dispute by talks was not enough. All pending cases relating to Ayodhya should be transferred to the Supreme Court and efforts should be made to secure an early verdict.
Sayeed deserves to be deputy speaker: Jethmalani
The urban development minister, however, added that his views do not matter since he is a Rajya Sabha member.
Slain Sikh publisher's kin in Canada blast police
Members of Tara Singh Hayer's family say they are frustrated, angry, and hurt that police didn't pursue investigations that could have put others behind bars and prevented his murder. Hayer, who stood with the militants two decades ago, eventually turned a moderate and began questioning them.
THE REDIFF INTERVIEW
'People who object to the RSS as a whole should have their heads examined'
"When you are in the opposition, there are no conditions placed on your policies. But the moment you come to power, you have to modify your policies." Union Minister of State for HRD Uma Bharati, on her transformation from a spitfire.
THE REDIFF COLUMNIST
The P N Haksar story
'Indira Gandhi gritted her teeth and decided she needed help; much more than formal help, she needed someone she could rely upon, in toto, one hundred per cent. Parameswar Haksar, friend of Feroze Gandhi, ex-Mayo Hostel, filled the bill. He was summoned from London and installed as secretary to the prime minister,' says Ashok Mitra.
Maharashtra: Manohar Joshi overrules Thane civic body's ouster of honest commissioner
DECEMBER 12
BJP pulls out of deputy speaker's election
Prime Minister Vajpayee called a meeting of his coalition partners in what was seen as a last-ditch attempt to secure their support for the BJP candidate, but had to give in, in the face of unwavering support from some of them for Congress candidate P M Sayeed.
Centre goes to work on Rabri's ouster
For the first time since the BJP-led coalition came to power, Home Minister Advani has convened a meeting of the Inter-State Council on December 19 to discuss Article 356. Home ministry officials said he wants to take his Cabinet colleagues and the chief ministers into confidence before launching a second offensive in Bihar.
Mamata, SP member exchange blows
The Lok Sabha witnessed unprecedented scenes of violence when Trinamul Congress leader Mamata Banerjee caught Samajwadi Party MP Daroga Prasad Saroj by the scruff of his collar in a bid to restrain him from reaching the speaker's podium. At the epicentre of the violence, once again, was the women's quota bill.
Legendary lyricist Kavi Pradeep dies at 84
His immortal song Aye mere watan ke logon had moved Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to tears when it was rendered by Lata Mangeshkar at a function in Delhi to pay tribute to the soldiers who had died fighting the Chinese in 1962.
Third front some way off, say leaders
Amar Roy Pradhan of the Forward Bloc pointed out that despite the like-mindedness of the 11 parties, to describe them as a third front would be injudicious because agreement on "crucial issues and policy matters" is yet to be reached.
BSP won't join third front, says Mayawati
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister claimed that it was her party's magic that won the recent assembly election for the Congress.
Congress okays organisational overhaul
The Congress Working Committee has ratified the recommendations of the K Karunakaran Committee on amending the party constitution.
Goan parties fight over opposition leader
After its fall from power in just three-and-a-half months, the coalition led by Dr Wilfred de Souza is divided over who should be made leader of the opposition in the state assembly.
Maharashtra legislature faces stormy session
The spiralling prices of essential commodities and deteriorating law and order, the controversy over the defection of seven independent MLAs to the Congress, and the rebellion brewing in the Shiv Sena are all expected to figure in the winter session.
IUML in a cleft as Left ignores its overtures
The law is catching up with IUML leader Kunhalikutty following the CPI-M's refusal to admit a 'communal' party into the ruling alliance in Kerala.
HC's remedies for misuse of MPs' quota
The Lok Sabha speaker or the ministries concerned should evolve a mechanism to prevent out-of-turn cooking-gas and telephone allotments by members of Parliament, the Kerala high court suggested.
J H Patel rules out early poll in Karnataka
Though the bickering in the ruling Janata Dal had damaged its image, it had not affected the functioning of the government, he claimed.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
Sushma's fast-track career screeches to a halt
"She has behaved like a guest artiste in a Hindi film," says a disapproving BJP legislator. "What happened to her poll promises in Delhi? It seems her vision was limited only to herself and her mission ended when we lost the election."
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
Convictions of our hearts
'Even as we avoid the battles we cannot win, let us not forget that we cannot win the battles we do not fight. Let's forget the bad stuff for a while, and work on the good instead. Maybe then, one day, we shall change a little part of our nation for the better,' says Ashwin Mahesh.
Fall from grace
'Where does this leave Mulayam Singh Yadav? His friends in the Congress are either out of power or out of favour. The BSP will prefer the Congress as an ally after that party's recent showing. And Sonia Gandhi has taken back the voters that her husband rashly lent Yadav,' writes T V R Shenoy.
THE WEATHER
Rain toll reaches 16 in Tamil Nadu
Twelve more deaths were reported on Friday. Meanwhile, the weather office has forecast heavy showers at isolated places in the state.
DECEMBER 11
Last chance for the third front
The fact that various parties are speaking about uniting, fearing for their very survival, is a step forward. But whether the front's rebirth will be enough to pose a challenge to the BJP and the Congress is far from certain.
Jaya on a 'fishing expedition'
The AIADMK chief 'wants to keep the morale of her MPs high by hinting at a non-existent understanding with the Congress. They are being made to believe that she can pull Vajpayee down at a time of her choosing.'
Sayeed may pip BJP at dy speaker's post
With the open backing of the AIADMK and the Trinamul Congress, two important constituents of the BJP-led coalition, the arithmetic in the Lok Sabha has tilted in favour of the nine-time Congress MP.
Storm in AP over honorary doctorates for Balayogi, Jayaprada
While student organisations are enraged by the S V University proposal, Governor C Rangarajan is learnt to have expressed displeasure at doctorates being conferred on Telugu Desam Party politicians.
Consensus emerging on quota for women
The Congress, BJP & allies, and the Left parties have supported the 33.3 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M L Khurana said.
Gehlot's promises are for keeping
Acting on three major assurances in its election manifesto, the Congress government in Rajasthan has lowered the retirement age of its employees from 60 to 58 and set up commissions for human rights and women.
Sacked UP minister takes his case to Vajpayee
Ravindra Shukla met Vajpayee at his office in Parliament House and gave his version on the Saraswati Vandana row. He also briefed Advani about the episode.
Jhabua gang-rape was blown up to bring government down, claims Fernandes
There have been rapes of nuns before. Nobody made those a big issue. But the Jhabua incident was blown up out of proportion, the defence minister said in Bangalore.
Jaswant faces several challenges in new job
Among other things, he will have to tell the US that while it keeps enriching its nuclear arsenal and inducting ultra-sophisticated missiles, it seeks to influence New Delhi to accept arms control and non-proliferation proposals with no consideration of India's strategic compulsions.
'Some progress' in Indo-US talks: Jaswant
After six rounds of talks, the focus is on four issues, the external affairs minister told the Rajya Sabha.
Progress impossible without human rights -- CJ
Chief Justice of India Dr A S Anand, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptulla and NHRC Chairman Justice M N Venkatachelliah have stressed the need for respect, protection and preservation of human rights.
Supreme Court will hear Fire PIL on Dec 15
The petition was filed by eight film personalities, including Dilip Kumar and Mahesh Bhatt, seeking directions to the authorities concerned to ensure smooth screening of the controversial film.
Three Indian Americans make it as
Rhodes Scholars
Three of the 32 Rhodes Scholarship winners for this year are Indian Americans. The number is significant when you consider that Indian American students constitute less than 1 per cent of all American college students. Last year there were two Indians.
THE REDIFF INTERVIEW
'A neutral mediator for Kashmir is the best thing so that a solution can be found'
"Recognise the Line of Control as the international boundary... Hold a referendum under UN auspices only in the valley on both sides of the LoC... Refer the dispute to a mutually acceptable body for international arbitration." Elder statesman C Subramaniam outlines his solution for a festering problem.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
The dead horse
"The NSC, as it has been grafted, is a misnomer. No one is happy about its design and structure. The most unhappy and least satisfied about the NSC are its principal users, the armed forces," says Major General Ashok Mehta.
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
How to lose friends and antagonise people
'Why should Sapphic sex remain behind closed doors? As citizens, don't lesbians have a right to gaze into a mirror reflecting their circumstances? Today, you attack lesbianism; tomorrow, you'll attack divorce initiated by wives! Is your manhood so fragile to be so threatened by women's desires...?' asks Varsha Bhosle.
Fight in the Family
People claiming to speak for the PM accuse Advani of hobbling him at every step. Advani is being accused of having carved out his own little empire within the government, thus belittling the power and control of the prime minister's office. Capital Buzz. Political gossip from the Delhi durbar.
Jammu & Kashmir: 9 militants, 7 others killed
Maharashtra: Munde has a miraculous escape
The girl who is a boy
'She' has accepted the quirk of fate. But the world around her is not ready.
THE WEATHER
Showers in the South
Heavy rains are likely at isolated places in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Lakshadweep in the next 48 hours.
DECEMBER 10
Sonia utilises birthday to probe colleagues' mind on bidding for power
CWC members Rajesh Pilot and Reddy, whom Sonia had employed to negotiate with the AIADMK on the feasibility of the Congress having an alliance with it, have submitted a negative report to Sonia Gandhi.
Jaya says she is with Vajpayee, despite support for opposition strike...
Affirming that her party would support the insurance bill being
tabled in Parliament on Friday, Jayalalitha said her party, which
stood for stability, had proved wrong constant media prediction that
she would wreck the government.
... But urges BJP not to contest deputy speaker's post
In a statement in Madras, the AIADMK leader said the BJP had earlier unilaterally decided to support the Telugu Desam Party candidate for the post of speaker without consulting the allies, despite the fact that the TDP was neither a member of the BJP-led alliance nor was it willing to join the government. Thus, the TDP candidate had become in effect the BJP's nominee.
Jaya knocks on 10, Janpath's door by dissolving front
'It's now for the Congress to respond, before we take the
next step,' says an AIADMK source, referring to
Jayalalitha's announcement at the Madras airport on Monday
evening. 'Only then can we formally break off from the BJP
and the Vajpayee government, to join hands with the
Congress in any alternative-formation.'
Panel moots reserving 33 pc Congress posts for women, 20 pc for SC/STs and minorities
Other major recommendations of the Karunakaran committee included
expansion of the Congress Working Committee's strength from the
present 21 to 25. It has also recommended an increase in the
strength of the Congress parliamentary board.
Mulayam blames Rao's government for growth of BJP
The Samajwadi Party politician also said the country would soon have a
government for the poor and the downtrodden.
Loktantrik MP says BJP's hidden agenda is still extant
Leaders of various breakaway Congress groups were planning to
meet at the residence of former Union minister Suresh Kalmadi next
Thursday, and those expected to participate include leaders of the Tamil Maanila Congress, Tamizhaga Rajiv Congress,
Trinamul Congress and Loktantrik Congress.
Congress fears political killings in Assam
Opposition leader Sylvius Condpan has alleged that killers would soon begin to target politicians of his side.
Naidu, 'a pickpocket standing near a bus stand?'
That was former Union minister and sidelined Telugu Desam politician Renuka Choudhary. She sees in the Andhra Pradesh chief minister a... well, you-know-who!
India loses 79 fighter planes in four years
Sixtyeight MIGs, one Kiran, six Jaguars and four Sea Harriers have crashed since April 1994, Union Defence Minister George Fernandes has said.
Commission recommends repeal of 1300 central laws
The laws recommended for repeal are 166 central acts (including
11 pre-nationalisation acts and 20 validations acts), 315 amendment
acts, 11 British statutes still in force, 17 war-time permanent
ordinances, 114 central acts relating to state subjects and 700
appropriation acts passed by Parliament
ISRO ghost haunts again
Mariam Rasheeda doubles back on her defamation suit against Kerala Chief Minister E K Nayanar and 11 officials. And two retired judges demand reopening the case.
NCW supports Fire, flays Sena's vandalism
"It is a matter of shame that women's issues whenever they are
highlighted by artists, writers or victims themselves, always
receive such brutal treatment as a consequence of which they are
often silenced for ever,'' the National Council for Women said in a statement.
Celebrities from India, Pakistan plead for a break from the past
The eminent citizens from across the border said resolution of the
problem of Jammu and Kashmir must be sincerely and vigorously sought
in accordance with the interests of the people of both sides of the
Line of Control and in a manner which guarantees broad-based South
Asian cooperation.
Refugee camp in Colombo shines with communal amity despite misery
The group -- Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslims -- is living a hand-
to-mouth existence, but have vowed to stay together. In fact,
their ability to live harmoniously without communal rancour was
the focus of a TV report by Young Asia Television, a local TV
station.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
Sangh Parivar, stand warned!
'Unless they begin to deliver now, the BJP will soon find itself back on the opposition benches. In their disgust with the acrimonious coalition politics, the people might be ready to go back to the same corrupt and criminal Congress that they rejected a few years ago. Vajpayee, Advani and the RSS leaders will be guilty for bringing about such a terrible denouement.' Virendra Kapoor on the BJP's biggest enemy.
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
Lazy, Shiftless, Thieving: But People
'In a kind of detached way, perhaps we all know that gross injustices happen in our country; that our tribals, are too often victims of inhuman behaviour. Here, meeting my first ever Pardhi tribals, detachment turned swiftly to flesh and blood. Here, where pomegranates are paid for in spilled brains, I knew for the first time
what it is to be born a criminal,' says Dilip D'Souza..
The Fire Within
'Bans are a silly idea. Who apart from a small minority among us gives a damn whether lesbianism exists or not? Who cares whether some women prefer women for sex or some men are happier buggering each other! No playwright, no film-maker, no novelist, no politician, however deviant, can corrupt us. So why be afraid of free choice?' says Pritish Nandy..
Bihar: 50 burnt alive in Bihar as bus collides with kerosene tanker
Maharashtra: Postal strike affects services in Bombay
THE WEATHER
Cold wave in Kashmir
Night temperatures, meanwhile, were appreciably below normal in parts of west Rajasthan, south-east Madhya Pradesh, north central Maharashtra and Vidarbha.
DECEMBER 9
New state bills may not see the light of day
The BJP's main worry is whether it should create another state that will be governed by the Congress. Forced by this political compulsion, it is likely that the government will postpone the introduction of the bills in Parliament, home ministry sources said.
...but Khurana says they will
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Lal Khurana assured the Lok Sabha that the bills to create Vananchal, Chhattisgarh and Uttaranchal would be introduced in the house next week.
Mamata to back Congress on dy speaker
Though intense discussions are on for the post, Speaker Balayogi is yet to announce a schedule for the election of his deputy.
Pakistan has no right to hand over parts of PoK to China, says Vajpayee
Addressing a public meeting in Hiranagar, a border town of Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, the PM said all the territory of Jammu and Kashmir, including PoK, "is an inseparable part of India and cannot be snatched by anybody at any cost".
BJP says Jaya's decision to back opposition bandh is 'unique'
Tamil Nadu BJP general secretary L Ganesan described as "unfortunate" the AIADMK chief's announcement that her party would join the national strike against the economic policies of the Vajpayee government on December 11.
Sonia rips into BJP's policies at CPP meet
The AICC president said absence of governance, the confusion and lack of decisiveness of the past several months, have brought the country close to an economic crisis like the one faced in 1991.
Government introduces bill to amend Explosives Act
The Explosive Substances (amendment) Bill, 1998, proposes to put more lethal explosives and other similar explosives or a combination of them and remote-control devices for causing explosion under 'special category explosive substances' and to provide for enhanced punishment.
Reduced sessions bother RS members
Addressing the elders, Prime Minister Vajpayee offered to extend Parliament's winter session beyond Christmas if they so desired. He went a step further and said he was willing to have Parliament sessions on Saturdays too.
Primary education eludes 40 million Indians
UNICEF holds the government's failure to finance the 'Education For All' initiative responsible for this.
The Muslim fundamentalist who was Hindu
A Hindu devotee, who visited the Guruvayoor Srikrishna temple in Kerala, found the cops and temple authorities hot on his heels. His name, you see, sounded Muslim. And the entry of non-Hindus is strictly prohibited in the temple premises...
Gill promises electronic poll in Sikkim
The next election to the state assembly, due in November 1999, will be conducted fully with voting machines, the chief election commissioner promised.
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
Lazy, Shiftless, Thieving: But People
'In a kind of detached way, perhaps we all know that gross injustices happen in our country; that our tribals, are too often victims of inhuman behaviour. Here, meeting my first ever Pardhi tribals, detachment turned swiftly to flesh and blood. Here, where pomegranates are paid for in spilled brains, I knew for the first time
what it is to be born a criminal,' says Dilip D'Souza.
Things Vajpayee should do
'The plan being suggested is such that it can be implemented straightaway. All that is required is a vigilant eye on the headlines in some 15-odd major newspapers so that the ministers in Delhi will come to know of the variety of people's problems and the need for government's action in certain areas on an urgent basis,' says Arvind Lavakare.
Madhya Pradesh: Digvijay distributes all portfolios, keeps five districts
Maharashtra: Cricketers kill rival in Nashik
Mizoram: Lalawia is the new speaker
THE WEATHER
Srinagar under snow
Cold-wave conditions prevailed in Kashmir, Punjab, and parts of north-central Maharashtra.
DECEMBER 8
Sangh Parivar aghast as Vajpayee branches out
The PM is now facing more tremors from within the BJP and RSS than the alliance partners. The RSS fears it is losing its grip on the government. And a strong section of the BJP wants him to obey the Sangh's orders.
RSS's hard line may not sway Vajpayee
BJP officials and workers remain committed to the moderate line championed by the prime minister and adopted by the party when it formed the government with 17 other parties.
Vajpayee articulates stand on two-nation theory
"Kashmir is not merely a piece of land for us, nor is it important to us from only a strategic point of view. Rather Kashmir is one of the best symbols of India's ancient civilisation and modern nationhood. It is the strongest refutation of the communal basis for the two-nation theory," he declared.
TN allies shell-shocked by Cabinet expansion
'Vajpayee has started doing to the allies what Sonia Gandhi's leadership of the Congress has been doing to other anti-BJP parties -- ignore them, without saying so, and dictate terms, without naming them.'
'Attacks on Christians have increased since BJP came to power'
'Hinduism is not a credal religion. But Hindus propagate it. You have the Ramakrishna Mission propagating it in Arunachal Pradesh. It is not correct to blame it all on Christians,' says the outspoken Archbishop of Delhi, Alan de Lastic.
Tamil Nadu under siege
Not knowing from where reports of a bomb blast would come, top administration and police officials in the state capital spent a near-sleepless night... All, together, sending out the message that Tamil Nadu will not be the same again.
December 6 passes off peacefully in Ayodhya
Barring the arrest of 21 Shiv Sena activists, who tried to take out a procession to celebrate what they called 'Victory Day', there was not a murmur.
Congress ridicules Advani's regret
The realisation that the Babri Masjid should not have been demolished came too late and only after the BJP's defeat by the people, Congress spokesperson Girija Vyas said.
Trial process in another Jaya case begins
Summons are to be issued to the witnesses in the case relating to the alleged amassment of wealth to the tune of Rs 666.5 million by the AIADMK chief during her tenure as chief minister.
HC gives CBI four months to complete Tanwar murder probe
A public interest petition alleged that the police were deliberately going slow to shield 'certain people' allegedly involved in the murder of Dr Tanwar, said to be a close friend of Sitaram Kesri.
India, Russia to sign several accords during Primakov's visit
Defence ministry sources in Moscow said an agreement to set up the Kudankulam nuclear power station with two reactors is likely to get the go-ahead.
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
BJP must undergo major changes
'The fact is that the BJP did not know what to do. This was proved in Rajasthan, where it was routed in March 1998. Despite the results and the time available to rectify the situation, nothing credible was done. The Congress, on the other hand, took charge and saved MP,' says Amberish K Diwanji.
Congress must draw inspiration from Nehru's achievements, not Indira's mistakes
'I look forward to a day when a Congress spokesman can say something like this: Yes, the Emergency was a mistake. There were excesses and the people punished Indira Gandhi by driving her out of office. However, she learnt from her mistake and so have we,' says Vir Sanghvi.
Madhya Pradesh: Chhattisgarh gets most berths
Maharashtra: Most criminals have been eliminated, Thackeray assures industrialists
THE WEATHER
Cold wave in central Maharashtra
Cold wave conditions prevailed in north-central Maharashtra. Night temperatures were below normal in Kashmir and parts of Orissa, the plains of west Uttar Pradesh, north Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Kutch, south-central Maharashtra, coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Archives
|
