|
JUNE 14
Ayodhya braces itself for more trouble
Locals, including Muslims, scorn reports of construction activity at the disputed site -- and fervently hope the politicians don't mess up their lives again.
Ram temple cannot be ready before 2001, says architect
And that, only if 2,000 workers slog non-stop, says Chandrakant Sompura, architect and designer of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's proposed Ram temple at Ayodhya.
Advani seeks PM's nod to fight harder in Kashmir
The home minister wants two decisions taken to tone up the fight against insurgency: one, to invoke the draconian Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act that successive governments have shied away from, and two, to allow the forces use the sophisticated weaponry seized from the militants.
Orissa heat wave toll rises to 1,575
Though day temperature dipped at several places following rains, 44 more deaths reported overnight.
Reformist drive spreads among Muslim women in Kerala
The most literate state in the Indian Union leads the nation in the matter of emancipation of Muslim women as well.
Peepal marks an elusive peace on Indo-Pak border
Bang on Zero Line on the contentious Indo-Pak border stands a tree, that both symbolises the futility of man-made divisions as well cocks a snook at the politics of hate.
Port Trust members oppose proposed site for Vikrant
Dr Shanti Patel and S R Kulkarni, former members of the Bombay Port Trust's subcommittee which studied the national
maritime museum on board INS Vikrant, criticised the proposal to site the Vikrant near Radio Club since it was bound
to increase traffic congestion in south Bombay.
Swamy urges Jayalalitha to withdraw support to Vajpayee government
Formation of an alternative, secular government was the need of the hour, said the Janata Party president.
THE NUCLEAR CRISIS
Sanctions will prove counter-productive, warns Pak
''The policy to punish in order to push the (nuclear)
non-proliferation agenda will not succeed,'' Pakistani foreign ministry
spokesman Tariq Altaf told a news conference in Islamabad. Instead, Altaf said the international community should move quickly to resolve the Kashmir dispute.
New Delhi foresaw Pak rejection
Indications are that domestic factors are making Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief desperate, forcing him to show something tangible to his people, at least on the Kashmir front. His dependence on China increases the prime minister's vulnerability.
Vajpayee calls for 'progressive denuclearisation'
The prime minister said India was prepared to convert its moratorium on nuclear tests into a formal commitment after discussions with key interlocutors.
Accord nuke power status to India, Pak: Russian analyst
Georgi Shakhnazarov, who is now a leading member of the ''Gorbachev Foundation'', criticised the Security Council's recent resolution on the tests conducted by
the two countries as being responsible for complicating Indo-Pak relations.
Nine per cent hike in Pak defence outlay
However, after inflation, which officially stands at 8.5 per cent, but unofficially is closer to 13 per cent, the actual defence spending went up only 0.5 per cent.
Nuclear crisis highlights need for alliance with US, says China
Two countries as important as China and America still have a common responsibility to resolve international stability, the Chinese ambassador to the US said.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
'A bomb does not have a faith'
How do Indians and Pakistanis, often working jowl by jowl, react to the nuclear crisis in South Asia? Is their passionate espousal of nationalism less tied to regional politics and more grounded in their present realities? Pallavi Agarwal finds out.
THE REDIFF INTERVIEW
'I am not representing the interests of Hindutva, I am not standing for Hindutva'
"I am not joining any party. Let me make it clear. They have supported my candidature for the Rajya Sabha. That does not mean that I endorse every view of theirs. Secondly, about the demolition of Babri Masjid. That statement was made by Balasaheb Thackeray. Whether the Shiv Sainiks actually demolished Babri masjid or not is still a matter of speculation. He was making a point. In other words, he says that if his people had done it, he would have supported it." Master inquisitor Pritish Nandy, grilled.
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
Who's that man?
What led Yashwant Sinha to present such an inflationary Budget which does nothing to address the fundamental problems facing the national economy?
Well, if BJP sources are to be believed, it is a certain gentleman, a controversial
chartered accountant claiming proximity to Union Home Minister
L K Advani and the RSS, who was behind it. Capital Buzz. Political gossip from the Delhi Durbar.
Friends, finally!
'After a long gap, there is again proper coordination between the Prime
Minister's Office and the Cabinet secretariat. Earlier, especially during P V
Narasimha Rao's time, these two departments used to be at loggerheads.' Rajiv Shukla in his Inside Politics column.
JUNE 13
THE NUCLEAR CRISIS
Pakistan turns down India's offer of talks, makes counter-offer
The main point of disagreement is Kashmir. India proposed that Kashmir be made part of the overall agenda, and not taken up separately. Islamabad has indicated its unwillingness to club Kashmir with other outstanding issues, arguing instead that it wants a separate working session to discuss Kashmir.
G-8 denies loans to India, Pakistan
Taking their lead from US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, the G-8 -- the eight foremost industralised nations in the world -- decided on Friday to deny all non-humanitarian loans to India and Pakistan, in retaliation for the nuclear tests carried out by both countries in May.
US appeal to G-8 countries to stop loans to India will have little effect: MEA
MEA officials, who spoke on condition that their names not be revealed, said Albright's statements on Thursday and Friday indicated that the Clinton
administration is concerned that other countries from the developed world, especially from the G-8 orbit, are taking advantage of the US sanctions against India. The Indian diplomats said the US sanctions have almost imposed a ban on American companies from competing in the information technology, oil exploration and power markets.
Vajpayee predicts India, Pak will kiss and make up soon
Asked whether he foresaw a reconciliation between the two countries
in the next 50 years, the Indian prime minister's
answer was an optimistic "Why not in the next five
years or one year?''
China criticises India's statements at border talks
During the latest low-level border talks,
the Chinese side strongly urged the
Indian side to immediately stop all unwarranted
accusations against Beijing and act concretely to restore relations.
Jaswant Singh rules out India deploying or using N-weapons
In a television interview in Washington, the Planning Commission deputy chairman said, "In today's world they really have a deterrent capability."
Clinton propounds major say for China in all Indo-Pak disputes
The American president cited China's historic relations with India and Pakistan and said
Beijing must be associated with the ''ultimate'' solution of their
problems.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
All Quiet on The Northern Front
Adds Major L, the post commander: "It's nearly a month
after the tests, but the nuclear status hasn't changed
anything for us. It may have made a difference at the
strategic level, but on the ground it has had no effect.
What small arms fire we have had in this area is quiet
normal. Woh tho hota hi rahta hai. Those are
mostly speculative attempts. When you are standing guard in
the night you tend to let loose a few rounds just on the
chance that somebody might be coming your way.
That's only natural." Chindu Sreedharan reports from the Line of Control.
OTHER REPORTS
155 more bodies recovered in Gujarat
With this, the toll in Tuesday's
cyclone-related incidents appear to have crossed 950.
Prime minister defends Advani on Kashmir
The decisions taken by one minister have the approval of the entire Cabinet, says Vajpayee.
Centre will not allow deletion of castes from OBC list, assures Advani
But not before both Houses of Parliament are adjourned over the question of the Uttar Pradesh administration's anti-OBC policies.
Kalpnath, Jain bros let free in hawala case
A Delhi court has discharged the former Union
minister in the Rs 650 million
hawala case.
Madiga agitation in overdrive
The ongoing agitation by the Madiga community in Andhra Pradesh turns increasingly violent as Krishna Madiga's fast enters the seventh day. The government, meanwhile, has approached the high court in a bid to find a speedy solution, even as the problem threatens to snowball into the political arena.
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
Are the untested first-time ministers capable of reading the riot act to a headstrong civil service?
'Yashwant Sinha shielded Gangwar by accepting the moral responsibility for the mess. But his first Budget had already lost its sheen and no amount of remedial action would repair the damage.' T V R Shenoy reveals who was really responsible for the petrol price hike fiasco.
Free Tibet
'I love the India that gave the Tibetans some measure of dignity amidst their collapsing world. I would love even more an India that did it with pride, and not with meekness and stealth. Political settlements and sycophancy do not pass for diplomacy, and free people everywhere can tell the difference,' says Ashwin Mahesh.
TODAY'S WEATHER
Heatwave deaths touch 1,531 in Orissa
Fortythree more deaths were recorded in the state during the past 24 hours. Of this, 17 people died in Dhenkanal, 16 in Cuttack and 10 in Sambalpur.
JUNE 12
THE NUCLEAR CRISIS
Japan will lead Friday's G-8 offensive against tests
The nuclear tests in India and Pakistan have spurred Tokyo into a diplomatic offensive against nuclear proliferation.
India rejects possible G-8 resolution on external mediation
The announcement, regarding its dialogue with Pakistan on Kashmir and other
issues, came a day before the emergency G-8 session on June 12.
India will not bend before sanctions: PM
Vajpayee told the Rajya Sabha that New Delhi had made it clear to other countries that
economic sanctions could not be a tangible solution to the nuclear issue.
India will not sign any treaty under duress: Jaswant Singh
''We cannot subscribe to a treaty when we have a gun placed on our head,'' said the Planning
Commission deputy chairman in New York.
US may respond to India's proposals
US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright also took note of the obvious: that the nuclear tests cannot be undone.
OTHER REPORTS
BJP confident of weathering all the storms
Its government's biggest strength, feels the BJP, is the inner contradictions dogging the Opposition.
Cyclone toll in Gujarat crosses 560, expected to rise
Confusion continued to prevail about the possible number of deaths. While state officials put the figure at 560 in Gujarat and six in Rajasthan, other quarters, including social workers and voluntary organisations, claimed nearly ten times that number had perished.
CBI told to quicken probe into illegal export of titanium alloy to Pakistan
Investigation into the case of pilferage of 1000 kg of the alloy from Bombay should be expedited, said the defence minister.
AIADMK continues with walkouts in Parliament
The party continued with its pressure tactics against the Centre to dismiss the Tamil Nadu government.
RJD walks out of LS
Parliament witnessed scenes for the second consecutive day on Thursday over the Calcutta high court setting aside the proceedings against the CBI's U N Biswas. The official was facing the music for seeking army help to arrest former Bihar chief minister Laloo Prasad Yadav.
Naqvi affirms that nothing unlawful will be allowed in Ayodhya
The minister of state for I&B has reiterated that for the judiciary to sort out the matter.
Return Chandigarh to Punjab, demands Badal
The Punjab chief minister has demanded that other Punjabi-speaking areas be transferred to the state.
Empty flying of 'VIP squadron' costs exchequer Rs 930 m
Worse, most of the flights were not even ordered by VIPs.
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
Hum doobenge, BJP ko saath lekar
'Are nuclear tests something to be "commemorated" and "immortalised"? Did we land on Jupiter? Is it some great scientific breakthrough that nobody else has attempted
or succeeded at? Hell, it isn't even as, er... path-breaking as the Viagra!' Varsha Bhosle condemns the VHP's plans to constuct a Shaktipeeth at Pokhran.
THE REDIFF INTERVIEW
'The failure of the Dravidian movement is responsible for the rise of fundamentalism'
'The DMK is on the defensive. I don't know why. Maybe the power the government at the Centre has is more and hence it is intimidating to the state. Another thing I have noticed is, Karunanidhi does not have the same militancy which he had in the early sixties or the seventies. Now he is much more mellowed. He is more administrative. He feels problems can be solved administratively, which is not true.' Social scientist J Jeyaranjan believes the AIADMK is responsible for the growth of fundamentalism in Tamil Nadu.
TODAY'S WEATHER
Rain over Konkan, Kerala and Karnataka
Heavy showers are likely to occur in South Konkan and Goa, coastal Karnataka and Kerala in the next 48 hours.
JUNE 11
BJP buys peace with Jaya, sells Karunanidhi downstream
AIADMK leaders claimed on Wednesday that the prime minister has assured Jayalalitha that Chief Minister M
Karunanidhi will be dismissed after the ongoing budget session of Parliament.
Karunanidhi unleashing terror, alleges Jaya
The AIADMK general secretary alleged that the chief minister was
trying to instigate the police against her partymen during
their proposed state-wide protest rallies and demonstrations on June
15 and 19 to highlight the plight of farmers and protest against the
DMK regime's "vindictive" attitude towards
Congress, allies may move court over temple construction
The party on Wednesday indicated that it was seriously considering going to court against the ongoing temple construction by the Sangh Parivar at Ayodhya.
Centre extends term of panel probing Babri masjid demolition
The prime minister told the Rajya Sabha that even then home minister Indrajit Gupta did not think it proper to ban the construction activities.
Three Union ministers, one CM chargesheeted in Babri masjid demolition case
The home minister said the court had, however, not yet
framed charges against them and all of them were on bail.
Cyclone claims 376 lives in Gujarat
The initial losses estimated by the state government ran up to
a huge Rs 12 billion, excluding those at the Kandla port
in Kutch district off the Arabian Sea.
Question hour yields way to spat over Hindi
Proceedings in the Lok Sabha were interrupted for around 20 minutes on Wednesday, with Hindi taking the centrestage. The disruption was over a minister's reply in English to a question asked in Hindi.
Women's bill to be tabled in ongoing session: Advani
Leaders of various Opposition parties pledged the backing of their parties, thus almost ensuring its smooth passage.
Army to cut troops by 50,000, Fernandes tells Rajya Sabha
The savings will be rechannelised into
modernisation programmes, said the defence.
Moopanar, five DMK members elected to RS from Tamil Nadu
They will fill the vacancies caused by the retirement of six
Rajya Sabha members belonging to the AIADMK.
CBI files FIR against Jaffer Sharief
The FIR states that the former railway minister illegally took four of his personal staff to London where he underwent a heart surgery in August 1995.
THE REDIFF INTERVIEW
'The statements of BJP leaders have to be taken with a pinch of salt'
Congress spokesman Ajit Jogi says his party is determined not to let December 6, 1992, repeat itself.
THE NUCLEAR CRISIS
India's N-tests anger Israel
Despite an ongoing programme of military and technological co-operation, Israel is furious with India for its recent series of nuclear tests -- mainly because the tests direct the international spotlight squarely on Israel's own nuclear programme.
None of us wants to mediate in Kashmir, says US
Though the P-5 formulation -- emphasising direct talks on Kashmir -- is
in keeping with India's known policy, the attempt at raising the issue at every available international forum does mount a kind of pressure on New Delhi. Kashmir has so far figured at the G-8 and P-5 summits besides the full Security Council
meeting.
India looking forward to Clinton's visit, says PM
Justifying the nuclear tests conducted by India, the prime
minister said the primary reason for the step was the need to
safeguard the country's national security.
Pak scientists tells Jane's they need 60-70 N-warheads for deterrent value
Pakistani scientists believe the country needs
between 60 and 70 nuclear warheads to achieve a credible deterrent
capability against India, reports Jane's Defence Weekly.
Pakistan calls for third party mediation to resolve disputes
Reacting to India's offer of talks, Pakistani Foreign
Minister Ayub Khan said, ''Unless a third party,
maybe the United Nations, the US,
Japan or any other country, is involved with an assurance that
(bilateral) dialogue would lead to solutions, the Indian offer of
dialogue remains useless.''
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
Women are the bane of Vajpayee's life
'So long as Sonia remains unwilling to stake a claim, Vajpayee is safe. Jaya and Mamata could threaten him with withdrawal of support, but so long as there is no opposition formation in place to step into the void, their effort would be futile,' feels Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
Agenda For A Post-Nuclear Vajpayee
'Given the climate we have landed ourselves in, is to build
some trust again. This has at least two dimensions: internal and external.
Within India, a firm message must go out from Vajpayee himself: no signing
in blood, plans for Pokhran temples, celebrating the bombs, that kind of
idiocy,' says Dilip D'Souza.
Football, magnificent football
V Gangadhar celebrates the magic of football.
Maharashtra: Joshi asks Jethmalani to reconsider model rent act
TODAY'S WEATHER
Rains lash the Indian subcontinent
Heavy rains are likely to occur at a few places in north Rajasthan, the Andaman and Nicobar islands, southeast Rajasthan, Gujarat, Konkan and Goa, coastal Karnataka and Kerala during next 48 hours.
JUNE 10
Pressure on Sonia to pull the plug on Vajpayee
A strong faction within the Congress Working Committee is bringing pressure on party president Sonia Gandhi, demanding that she move to secure the fall of the BJP-led government at the Centre.
AIADMK readies final push, may not vote for Budget
With time running out, the AIADMK leadership escalates its push for the dismissal of the DMK government in Tamil Nadu. The threat: a vote against the Union government on the Budget.
70 killed in Gujarat cyclone
A cyclone with wind speed reaching
150-200 kilometres per hour swept through coastal Saurashtra, killing
nearly 70 people, injuring hundreds and immobilising life in many
parts of Gujarat.
Hyderabad toll is 8, high court okays speedy trial for rioters
Police patrolling has been intensified in Hyderabad, which was rocked by communal violence over the weekend, and a flag march was
conducted in the vulnerable and communally hyper-sensitive areas to
infuse confidence among the people. The state government has said
that all communal offences are being investigated by the special
investigation team.
Railways to introduce 24-coach long distance trains
The Lok Sabha approved the railway budget on this assurance from Railway Minister Nitish Kumar.
Maharashtra waives interest on farmers loans
Maharashtra Chief Minister Manohar Joshi said
approximately 2 million farmers in 20,545 villages of Vidarbha and
Marathwada will benefit from the waiver decision. The
total interest amount accruing to the state per year was Rs 420 million, on a loan amount
of Rs 2.8 billion.
Khurana accuses Opposition of extracting political mileage out of Ayodhya
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Lal
Khurana has charged the Opposition, including the Congress, with
trying to keep alive the Ayodhya issue ''to gain political
mileage out of it.''
Nepal accuses India of wrongly occupying Kalapani
Even as an
Indo-Nepal joint working group is currently engaged in resolving the Kalapani
controversy through expert-level discussions, Nepal has revived the long-pending issue within days of the President's visit to that country.
Madras high court allows unqualified medical practitioners
In a significant judgment, the Madras high court
has allowed unqualified medical practitioners in Tamil Nadu
to practise modern medicine with certain conditions, including the
addition of the suffix 'UMP' to the nameplates and letterheads used
by them.
Majestic Vikrant falls to pieces as bureaucracy dithers over its future
She was the high point of India's Bangladesh war in 1971. Almost a generation later, INS Vikrant faces the prospect of being reduced to scrap. And with her, a piece of the nation's history would have been condemned.
CBI files chargesheets against Sheila Kaul, Thungon
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday filed three chargesheets
against former Union ministers Sheila Kaul and P K Thungon for
alleged criminal conspiracy and misuse of official position in the
out-of-turn allotment of government accommodation, shops and
kiosks.
Centre to hold tripartite talks with Mizoram government, Reang refugees
A tripartite meeting between the Mizoram
government, the Centre and the Reang refugee leaders would be held
in Aizawl tomorrow to discuss the repatriation of about 30,000 Reang
tribal refugees sheltered in north Tripura during the past eight
months.
THE NUCLEAR CRISIS
India sends its diplomats far and wide to argue its case
Principal Secretary Brajesh Mishra heads for Moscow, after powwows in Paris and London last week; Planning Commission deputy chairman Jaswant Singh is already selling the Indian p-o-v in New York; and another MEA team is brainstorming the Gulf nations. The objective of all the three is the same: to put across India's rationale in conducting the nuclear tests, and to reinforce its peaceful credentials.
G-8 Plus to discuss nuclear tests on Friday, sans India and Pakistan
The Group of Eight industrial nations and a
few others, commonly known as G-8 Plus, will meet in London on
Friday to discuss the situation arising out of the nuclear tests by
India and Pakistan but without allowing their representatives to be
present there.
Kissinger argues for progressive lifting of sanctions
Former US secretary of state Henry
Kissinger has called for ''progressive'' lifting of nuclear-related
sanctions against India and Pakistan and these two countries, in
turn, should undertake not to spread either nuclear or missile
technology.
India will sign CTBT if P5 guarantees disarmament
As Russia increasingly concerns itself with the Pakistan-China nexus, South Block says that India will sign the CTBT if, and only if, the five nuclear nations guarantee full disarmament.
National Conference decries US hand in J&K affairs
Accusing the United States of 'fishing in troubled waters', the ruling National Conference committed itself to defending the territorial integrity of Kashmir, and resisting all attempts at destabilisation of the region.
Chirac airs differences with US over sanctions
French President Jacques Chirac has publicly
differed with the United States on its policy of slapping nuclear-
related sanctions on India and Pakistan, and instead favoured a
dialogue to persuade the two countries to sign the Comprehensive
Test Ban Treaty.
SAARC summit on July 9-11, all eyes on India and Pakistan
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his Pakistani
counterpart Nawaz Sharief have said they want talks, but no dates
have been set. Both are, however, expected to attend next month's
summit of the seven-nation South Asian Association for Regional
Co-operation in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo.
EU sanctions tempered by Pakistan's fragile economy
EU ministers said as in the case of India, they would
review the advisability of allowing the World Bank and
International Monetary Fund to give loans to Pakistan.
But they stressed that in Pakistan's case such a move would be
made in the light of the economic and financial circumstances in
the country.
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
The Mask of Swadeshi
'Swadeshi cannot strengthen India. It has nothing to do with nationalism or self respect. It is just another ploy to keep alive those who will not,
cannot cope with global competition, who have cheated and misled Indian
consumers for 50 years and made us the laughing stock of the world,' says Pritish Nandy.
Assam: Bodo militants held in Nalbari
Karnataka: Cabinet reshuffle next week
Kerala: Judicial remand of Coimbatore blast accused extended
Maharashtra: Navy rescues fishermen from choppy seas
Orissa: State orders probe into heat wave deaths
Union Territories: Delhi pollution measures draw flak
JUNE 9
THE NUCLEAR CRISIS
Jaswant Singh all set to become Vajpayee's foreign minister
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is said to be seriously considering appointing his key aide and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Jaswant Singh as the new external affairs minister. Although Vajpayee has been holding the external affairs portfolio, ever since India tested the nuclear bombs, the prime minister has been increasingly entrusting the country's delicate diplomatic activity to Singh and Principal Secretary Brajesh Mishra.
EU readies for punitive action against Pakistani tests
Following the Pakistani nuclear tests, the 15 European nations are expected to put their plans for a new
cooperation agreement with Pakistan on ice. They will press for a
delay in World Bank and International Monetary Fund loans to
Pakistan and also ask the European Commission to look at ways of
limiting the country's access to EU-wide tariff concessions.
Vajpayee rejects security council admonishment on J&K
The prime minister tells the Rajya Sabha that New Delhi will never accept internationalisation of the Kashmir issue.
Indo-Pak tension will not derail SAARC summit, says Lanka
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar
said on Sunday that the forthcoming summit of the South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation would be held on
schedule in July, and that the current tension
between India and Pakistan would not derail the biennial regional
summit.
Bomb-drunk Pakistanis wake up to the reality of emergency
The Pakistan People's Party has announced its intention to
challenge the proclamation of emergency in the Supreme Court.
The party's deputy information secretary, Munir Ahmed Khan, told newsmen
in Lahore that emergency was imposed with a mala fide intention and
that the ''government wants to enforce a civil martial law on the
pretext of a new situation to gag the opposition voice.''
Sharief collects assurances of help during Gulf visit
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharief, who undertook a two-day visit to the Gulf to mobilise support for his country in the face of Western sanctions, has been
promised nearly two billion-dollar assistance by Saudi Arabia,
besides supply of oil on credit.
Our nukes are not for aggression, says Sharief
The Pakistani prime minister said tensions in the sub-continent will not subside until all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan, including Kashmir, were resolved.
UNESCO chief asks India, Pakistan to divert resources to development
''As director-general of UNESCO -- an organisation created to
contribute to peace and security by promoting collaboration among
the nation through education, science, culture and communication -- I
cannot but deplore the nuclear tests carried out and the diversion
of resources -- material and intellectual -- to such deadly ends,''
Director-General Federico Mayor has said.
Singhal reiterates resolve to erect temple at Pokhran
Working president of the Vishwa Hindu
Parishad, Ashok Singhal, said on Sunday that there was a proposal to
construct a place of worship at Pokhran by sadhus, and that this would be
discussed at a meeting to be held shortly.
Republican leaders promise a fair probe into technology transfers to China
Both the Senate and House are investigating whether a Loral
report on the 1996 explosion of a Chinese rocket carrying one of
its satellites helped the Chinese improve their military missile
technology. They also are looking into why, as the justice
department was investigating that 1996 incident, President Bill
Clinton's administration granted a waiver for another satellite
launch.
OTHER REPORTS
Congress leads move for adjournment motion over Ram temple
The Congress and other opposition parties are
likely to table an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday over
reports about the ongoing preparations for constructing a
Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya.
Apex court verdict on Ayodhya will be final, says Vajpayee
The prime minister told the Lok Sabha on Monday that no clandestine construction would be permitted at Ayodhya. In a separate letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Vajpayee reiterated his government's commitment to the rule of law, and said no unconstitutional moves would be permitted at the disputed site.
Muslims worried about progress, not mandir, says Naqvi
Arguing that the Muslim community had more important concerns than Ayodhya, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting M A Naqvi blamed the Opposition for trying to make political capital out of the issue.
Advani promises detailed statement on Hyderabad riots
Home Minister L K Advani told the Lok Sabha on Monday that although law and order was a state subject, Parliament always discussed incidents of communal riots, and accordingly he would make a statement on the communal violence in both Hyderabad and in
Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh) on Tuesday.
Curfew relaxed for four hours in riot-hit Hyderabad
The indefinite curfew in the old city of
Hyderabad, which was rocked by communal violence over the weekend,
was relaxed for four hours today.
Hyderabad violence was sparked off by anti-Muslim pamphlets
The police deserve to be blamed for underestimating the magnitude of the situation. They did nothing to find out where the pamphlets emanated from, nor did they took precautionary measures by posting additional forces in all sensitive areas on Friday, when violence first broke out.
Situation in TN 'serious', says Venkaiah Naidu
The BJP general secretary slammed the 'deteriorating law and order situation in Tamil Nadu', while stopping just short of suggesting that it was dire enough to justify the dismissal of the DMK government.
Mid-term polls to Lok Sabha likely, says Karunanidhi
The Tamil Nadu chief minister said his party would seek redress from the Supreme Court, in the event the Centre dismissed the DMK government in the state.
AIADMK MPs walk out of Parliament again
All India Anna DMK members in both houses of Parliament
staged a walkout for the second consecutive day on Monday, demanding
dismissal of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government in Tamil Nadu for its failure to
contain Inter Services Intelligence activities in the state.
Agitation is political, not personal, says Jaya
AIADMK boss Jayalalitha Jayaram blasted Tamil Nadu
Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi for seeking
to give a personal colouration to her party's planned
agitation to highlight the plight of farmers in the state.
Mahajan quits as prime minister's aide
Pramod Mahajan had to resign as political advisor
to the prime minister since continuing in the post
will be construed as an office of
profit and hence liable for disqualification from the Rajya Sabha.
BJP issues whip to MPs over voting on railway budget
The BJP members have been asked to remain in the house for the
remaining session of Parliament, since besides a discussion on the general budget, some
important legislative business is listed on the agenda of the house
for this week.
Vajpayee turns short story writer
Hindi weekly carries tale exhorting modest living.
Samata member forced to apologise in Parliament
A deviation from procedure by a first time Samata Party MP brought the Opposition to its feet, put the Speaker in a tizzy and necessitated an intervention by Home Minister L K Advani before the dust was allowed to settle somewhat.
Pak reels under third blast in three days, government blames RAW
Pakistani Information Minister Mushahid Hussain said evidence has been
found linking India's Research and Analysis Wing, or RAW, to
a spate of bombings.
Lankan censor wreaks havoc on Sunday newspapers
Military man slashes all action-related news, prompting one weekly to brand it ''censorship with a gun''.
Pakistani troops fire mortar shells
Official sources said Pakistani troops fired at least
three mortar shells on Indian positions in
Uri sector on Monday. Pak troops also resorted to firing with automatic weapons from
Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
America is not India's enemy
'To call America an 'enemy' of India is a bit extreme,' says Rajeev Srinivasan. 'The truth is that the US and India share a lot of common interests, but some of their interests diverge, too. In China's case, it seems to be more of a zero-sum game.'
Reality bites
'Karl Inderfurth had the gall to state that China "actually had a constructive role to play" with respect to Kashmir. Tell me, don't you feel like a character in Alice's Wonderland? Or is that Aksai-Chin-land?' asks Varsha Bhosle.
Bihar: JMM strike hits life in south Bihar
Bihar: Medical services grind to a halt following doctors' strike
Jammu & Kashmir: Large arms cache recovered
Maharashtra: Hippo killed in Bombay zoo
Rajasthan: State braces for cyclone
Archives
|
