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Mamata's insistence on railways creates complications for PM
The Trinamool leader, who flew in on Monday morning and had a 40-minute meeting with the prime minister, told reporters later that the two had political discussions.

Thakur quits; blames Ghutka lobby
The Union health and family welfare minister resigned on Sunday evening following persistent reports that he could be removed from the Vajpayee Cabinet in Monday's reshuffle.

Naidu, Jaitley too put in papers
Naidu is tipped to take over as BJP president on Monday and Jaitley will be assigned to help him run the party.

Thakur's supporters ransack BJP's Patna office
They were protesting the possible removal of Thakur from the Union cabinet in Monday's reshuffle.

13 killed, 28 injured in bus accident in Chamoli
Thirteen Sikh pilgrims, including six women, were killed and 28 injured when their bus returning from Hemkund Sahib fell into a ditch in Peny village near Joshimath area on Sunday.

Sahgal can't believe it all happened in Gujarat
The Left Front's presidential candidate, Colonel Lakshmi Sehgal, who visited Ahmedebad to show her solidarity with the riot victims, said she was shocked by what she saw and heard.

Hold J&K polls under President's rule: RSS
Speaking to reporters at the end of a two-day national executive in Kurukshetra, RSS chief spokesman M G Vaidya said this President's rule will create trust and enable those persons who are hesitant to enter the poll fray.

RSS for trifurcation of J&K
Adopting a resolution on the Kashmir affairs for the first time at its national executive meeting, the RSS said Jammu and Kashmir should be divided into three parts - Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.

Deputy PM Advani may have to do a balancing act
The spontaneous celebrations in the RSS on Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani's elevation as the deputy prime minister may be short-lived given his promise to implement the National Democratic Alliance's agenda.

CABINET RESHUFFLE
Advani appointed deputy prime minister
Lal Kishenchand Advani will continue to hold the portfolio of home affairs.

NDA allies welcome Advani's elevation
Samata Party and Janata Dal (United) welcomed the elevation of Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani as the deputy prime minister saying the country will get more political stability.

Advani, a perfect foil to moderate Vajpayee
Born in Karachi in 1927, Lal Kishenchand Advani was drawn into active politics in 1951 when Dr Shyama Prasad Mookerji founded the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, harbinger of the BJP.

Cong slams Advani's appointment as DyPM
Ambika Sonia, political adviser to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, said Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is shifting his ministers 'up and down' so many times that the 'exercise is becoming futile'.

Jana denies reports of resignation
However, the BJP president said, 'I will abide by the prime minister's wishes to induct me into the Union Council of Ministers.'

AYODHYA ISSUE
Shahi Imam rejects Kanchi seer's proposal
Syed Ahmed Bukhari's refusal comes amid speculation that the newly elected president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Maulana Rabay Hasan Nadvi, may agree to the Kanchi seer's proposal for talks on Ayodhya issue.

Singhal brings Ayodhya to Kurukshetra
The presence of VHP chief Ashok Singhal at the crucial RSS meeting in Kurukshetra on Saturday indicated that the Ayodhya tangle would top the agenda.

J&K REPORTS
Parties divided over FDI in J&K dailies
'...we feel that there is a scope for foreign intelligence agencies to invest money in the newspapers in Kashmir and Northeast,' Congress spokesman S Jaipal Reddy said.

Three terrorists killed in Poonch district
They were trying to infiltrate into Mendhar from across the Line of Control.

J&K oppn welcomes PM's statement
Though People's Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti said: 'If there is a step like that (imposition of central rule in J&K), it would be a step in the right direction'.

NEIGHBOURHOOD
Pakistan denies removal of top ISI official
A report in British daily The Guardian on Friday said Major General Ehtesham Zamir, head of the political wing of the agency, had been ordered back to regular army service.

Pak releases photos of bombing suspects
The 11 militants are suspected to have carried out the recent bombings in Karachi, including the attack on the US consulate, and the kidnap-killing of American journalist Daniel Pearl.

DIASPORA
2 Indian Americans among 13 White House fellows
They have been selected by the President's Commission on White House Fellowships to participate in America's most prestigious fellowship programme for leadership development and public service.

OTHER REPORTS
Gupta appointed Delhi Police chief
R S Gupta is a 1968 batch Indian Police Service officer from the Union Territory cadre and is currently Special Commissioner (Administration).

Service headquarters renamed as Integrated Headquarters of Defence
The renaming is not cosmetic, but it reflects the sweeping changes that started about a year back in the Ministry of Defence, Defence Secretary Yogendra Narain said.

Sibal to take over as foreign secretary Monday
He succeeds Chokila Iyer, who retires on Sunday.

Rain related toll mounts to 55 in Gujarat
Four persons were killed when a wall collapsed following heavy rains at Una in Junagadh district on Friday, police said.

INTERVIEW
'We cannot keep democracy on hold'
'I don't recall any election where some allegation about bogus voting has not been made. The important part is that there should be a serious attempt to ensure that the polls are free and fair.' Jammu and Kashmir Governor Girish Chandra Saxena tells Onkar Singh.

June 29, 2002

CABINET RESHUFFLE
Advani appointed deputy prime minister
Lal Kishenchand Advani will continue to hold the portfolio of home affairs.

NDA allies welcome Advani's elevation
Samata Party and Janata Dal (United) welcomed the elevation of Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani as the deputy prime minister saying the country will get more political stability.

Advani, a perfect foil to moderate Vajpayee
Born in Karachi in 1927, Lal Kishenchand Advani was drawn into active politics in 1951 when Dr Shyama Prasad Mookerji founded the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, harbinger of the BJP.

Cong slams Advani's appointment as DyPM
Ambika Sonia, political adviser to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, said Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is shifting his ministers 'up and down' so many times that the 'exercise is becoming futile'.

Jana denies reports of resignation
However, the BJP president said, 'I will abide by the prime minister's wishes to induct me into the Union Council of Ministers.'

AYODHYA ISSUE
Shahi Imam rejects Kanchi seer's proposal
Syed Ahmed Bukhari's refusal comes amid speculation that the newly elected president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Maulana Rabay Hasan Nadvi, may agree to the Kanchi seer's proposal for talks on Ayodhya issue.

Singhal brings Ayodhya to Kurukshetra
The presence of VHP chief Ashok Singhal at the crucial RSS meeting in Kurukshetra on Saturday indicated that the Ayodhya tangle would top the agenda.

J&K REPORTS
Parties divided over FDI in J&K dailies
'...we feel that there is a scope for foreign intelligence agencies to invest money in the newspapers in Kashmir and Northeast,' Congress spokesman S Jaipal Reddy said.

Three terrorists killed in Poonch district
They were trying to infiltrate into Mendhar from across the Line of Control.

J&K oppn welcomes PM's statement
Though People's Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti said: 'If there is a step like that (imposition of central rule in J&K), it would be a step in the right direction'.

NEIGHBOURHOOD
Pakistan denies removal of top ISI official
A report in British daily The Guardian on Friday said Major General Ehtesham Zamir, head of the political wing of the agency, had been ordered back to regular army service.

Pak releases photos of bombing suspects
The 11 militants are suspected to have carried out the recent bombings in Karachi, including the attack on the US consulate, and the kidnap-killing of American journalist Daniel Pearl.

DIASPORA
2 Indian Americans among 13 White House fellows
They have been selected by the President's Commission on White House Fellowships to participate in America's most prestigious fellowship programme for leadership development and public service.

OTHER REPORTS
Gupta appointed Delhi Police chief
R S Gupta is a 1968 batch Indian Police Service officer from the Union Territory cadre and is currently Special Commissioner (Administration).

Service headquarters renamed as Integrated Headquarters of Defence
The renaming is not cosmetic, but it reflects the sweeping changes that started about a year back in the Ministry of Defence, Defence Secretary Yogendra Narain said.

Sibal to take over as foreign secretary Monday
He succeeds Chokila Iyer, who retires on Sunday.

Rain related toll mounts to 55 in Gujarat
Four persons were killed when a wall collapsed following heavy rains at Una in Junagadh district on Friday, police said.

INTERVIEW
'We cannot keep democracy on hold'
'I don't recall any election where some allegation about bogus voting has not been made. The important part is that there should be a serious attempt to ensure that the polls are free and fair.' Jammu and Kashmir Governor Girish Chandra Saxena tells Onkar Singh.

June 28, 2002

TOP REPORTS
Trinamool, PMK to be included in Cabinet: PM
Referring to the July 1 expansion and reshuffle of the Cabinet, Vajpayee said some BJP ministers would be assigned party work.

India acquires Green Pine radar from Israel
The radar is capable of predicting impact points of incoming Tactical Ballistic Missiles enabling early warning of the civil population in endangered areas.

'India overreacted to Time story'
A television programme had portrayed Prime Minister Vajpayee in worse light, some foreign journalists recalled.

G-8 asks Pakistan to end terrorism
It also asked India and Pakistan to get down to serious talks to resolve the Kashmir issue.

RAINS WRECK HAVOC
Heavy rains claim 26 lives in Gujarat
Train and road traffic between Ahmedabad and Mumbai has been disrupted and many areas in central and south Gujarat had to go without electricity as power lines snapped.

Toll in Thane rain goes up to 52
Most of the victims were washed away in flooded nullahs (drainage passages) or drowned.

SPECIAL REPORT
Stranded passengers wait for the elusive train
Heavy rains on June 26 destroyed two bridges near Boisor (Gujarat), stranding thousands of passengers travelling on the Western Railways route.

SLIDE SHOW
Humara train kab aaega?
Thousands of passengers travelling on the Western Railways route are stranded.

TEHELKA CASE
Tejpal denies any dishonest motive
The Tehelka chief said the portal has handed over every bit of material it had on the issue to all the concerned authorities, including the Army Court of Inquiry.

Congress slams govt for 'browbeating' media
Congress spokesman S Jaipal Reddy said the 'ongoing harassment' of the Time correspondent and staffers of tehelka.com and Outlook was an 'unprecedented assault on the freedom of the press'.

RUCKUS OVER PM's REMARKS
Vajpayee clarifies his remarks to Abdullah
The prime minister said the proposal for imposing President's Rule to ensure 'free and fair election' in Jammu and Kashmir was just one of the options available to the government.

'No need to impose central rule before polls'
The J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah's remarks came after Prime Minister Vajpayee said that there was a proposal to impose governor's rule in the state.

NEIGHBOURHOOD
US move for Afghan-Pak pact shot down
Afghan Defence Minister, Marshal Mohammed Fahim in an exclusive interview to rediff.com said he has turned down the US advice as 'terrorists are being accommodated by Pakistan'.

Kashmir is our national interest: Musharraf
The Pakistan president said that the issue had not been buried in his talks with US and other Western leaders.

Musharraf under fire for 'power grab'
The Pakistan president has unveiled proposals that will allow him to sack a civilian prime minister, fire the cabinet and dissolve an elected parliament.

US begins deporting Pakistani prisoners
The deportees on their arrival narrated horrifying tales of harassment during their detention in the US, reports said.

Focus of war on terror may shift to Pakistan
On June 26, Al Qaeda terrorists killed 10 Pakistani soldiers in the North Western Frontier Province.

Musharraf sacks top ISI official: Report
The sacked general was in charge of the April 30 referendum which gave Musharraf five more years in power, media reports said on Friday.

OTHER REPORTS
Terrorist funding channel busted in Kashmir
Four persons have been arrested by the J&K police on charges of providing funds to pro-Pakistan militant outfits Al Umar Mujahideen and Hizbul Mujahideen.

EC to implement SC directive
The Election Commission has said every candidate at the time of filing his/her nomination paper for any election, must furnish full and complete information of criminal cases pending against him/her.

Poor turnout, protests mar PM's Lucknow visit
Shia Muslims protested the 'government's apathy' to their demand for a probe into the 'large scale misappropriation' of land and property belonging to Shia Waqfs.

India, Iran condemn all forms of terrorism
The two countries also reiterated their resolve to strengthen the international consensus, as reflected in the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373.

Nepal king sacrifices animal again
King Gyanendra and Queen Rajya Laxmi offered a goat at the Kalighat temple in Kolkata.

Heritage status to Bodh Gaya temple
The Mahabodhi temple would be the 17th site in India to be accorded heritage status by UNESCO. It will be the first such site in Bihar.

RSS activists slam media for 'distortion'
RSS activists who have assembled in Kurukshetra for its two-day national executive meeting commencing on Saturday also criticised the media for not 'supporting' the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

FROM THE STATES
Sena stirs up a conversion controversy
Shiv Sena leaders in Delhi have dared the police to arrest them after they were booked for re-converting two boys to Hinduism against the wishes of their Muslim mother.

RJD leader involved in a shootout
Former vice-president of Bihar RJD youth wing Nandu Yadav and his relatives opened fire after a verbal duel with a shopkeeper, who has a shop adjacent to Yadav's liquor vend.

More arrests in AP scholarship scam
However, a key accused, D Shankar Rao, his wife Swaroopa Rani, and his close associate D Padma are absconding.

Entire Opposition walks out of Bihar assembly
The walkout was in protest against RJD president Laloo Yadav intruding into Speaker Sadanand Singh's chamber in contravention of established rules and practices.

COLUMN
Kalam and Islam
'In the circumstances Muslim concerns about using Kalam's Islam as a licence for putting a curtain on Gujarat, if not carrying Gujarat to other states, will not appear to be without a basis,' says Najid Hussain.

June 27, 2002

TOP REPORTS
India puts on hold de-escalatory measures
The move follows Pakistan President Musharraf's interview to Newsweek magazine in which he said he had not promised to permanently end cross-border terror.

US freezes assets of two Sikh groups
The Babbar Khalsa and the International Sikh Youth Foundation (ISYF) have been added to a list of 'specially designated global terrorist' entities.

CBI chief denies vendetta in Tehelka raid
P C Sharma said the raids on the Web site's office had served the purpose of furthering the investigation into the poaching case registered against one of its reporters.

Time denies apology, stands by report on PM
An official of the magazine said Managing Editor James Kelley had merely clarified a part relating to External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh and a quote attributed to a foreign diplomat.

Jana offered Cabinet post
However, the BJP president said, 'My personal feeling is there is no necessity for me to join the Cabinet as there are enough talented persons in it'.

INTERVIEW
'Separatists should prove their representative character'
'Those who are boycotting the elections are deceiving the people of Kashmir. They are letting the wolves rule them,' says Hashim Qureshi, leader of the J&K Democratic Liberation Party.

TEHELKA CASE
Tejpal denies 'even a bit of tampering' of tapes
The CEO of Tehelka told the Venkataswami Commission that the news portal's defence expose was purely journalistic in nature.

Tejpal hints at removing Maj Gen Ahluwalia's name
Major General Ahluwalia's name appears along with several other senior army officers for allegedly demanding money from two tehelka.com reporters posing as defence dealers.

CBI calls tehelka photographer for questioning
The investigative agency has called Kumar Badal for questioning in the poaching case that was registered by the Saharanpur police on May 23.

UTTAR PRADESH REPORTS
Mayawati makes a dig at Vajpayee
The Uttar Pradesh chief minister pointed out the poor attendance for the inauguration of two railway projects in Lucknow by the prime minister.

Katiyar's appointment aimed at SP-RKD combine
Mulayam Singh-led Samajwadi Party and Kalyan Singh-led Rashtriya Kranti Dal have come together with an eye at consolidating the 55 per cent votebank of the backward castes.

UPDATE ON AMBANI'S HEATH
Dhirubhai's health still critical: Anil Ambani
The Reliance patriarch's condition remains critical despite all life support systems in place and expert medical consultation, he said.

Kanchi Shankaracharya blesses Ambani
Several religious gurus of the Vaishnava and Swaminarayana sects had come and offered special prayers for the early recovery of 69-year-old patriarch of the Reliance group on Wednesday.

J&K RELATED REPORTS
DeM banned under POTA
Dukhtaran-e-Millat, a women's secessionist group in Jammu and Kashmir, headed by Aisha Indrabi, is accused of hawala funding of terrorist groups.

Landmine blast in Kashmir; 3 armymen killed
In another incident, 28 civilians and three members of the Central Reserve Police Force were injured when unidentified terrorists triggered a grenade blast in Anantnag district.

Geelani's demand for blade, transistor turned down
The former All-Parties Hurriyat Conference chairman's demand for a blade was turned down as it could be used 'to commit suicide', a senior Birsa Munda jail official said.

INDO-PAK STANDOFF
Britain eases India travel warning
On Pakistan, however, the advice remained that Britons should leave 'unless they have a compelling reason to stay and similarly have confidence in their security arrangements'.

No decision on US, UK diplomatic staff
'There has been a revision of the travel advisory. But it is for the private citizens and not for the return of the diplomatic staff,' US embassy spokesman Gordon Gruid said.

Armitage to visit India, Pakistan in August
The visit would be some time before the assembly elections in J&K and the national elections in Pakistan, both of which the US is keenly watching.

NEIGHBOURHOOD
Musharraf gets power to remove PM, cabinet
The government's proposed constitutional amendment package reduces the authority of the prime minister to a near puppet.

Pakistan arrests 378 Al Qaeda terrorists
Those captured included 87 Yemenis and seven French nationals. The rest were from Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Syria, Libya, Morocco and Chechnya, senior defence officials said.

US thanks Pakistan for attacks on Al Qaeda
Ten Pakistani soldiers were killed on Wednesday in a gun battle with suspected Al Qaeda terrorists in the North Western Frontier Province.

No journey back home for Afghan refugees
All that Afghanistan offers them is dust and rubble. The refugees say they would much rather head for the West, where the quality of life is much better.

OTHER REPORTS
Several army corps get new commanders
Sources said the promotions and transfers were routine and had nothing to do with the deployment of forces on the border with Pakistan.

Ayodhya issue will top agenda at RSS meet
Members of the Sangh Parivar are, apparently, unhappy with the Vajpayee government's inability to facilitate construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Kanchi seer receives letter threatening life
The letter was written by supporters of banned Al-Umma outfit, the police said.

Drunk crew piloted Kalam's chopper: Report
The presidential nominee had survived a helicopter crash in Jharkhand last year. An enquiry has pinned the blame on the crew.

NRI-sponsored quota in engineering colleges scrapped
Now, only NRIs and people of Indian origin can apply for a seat in these colleges.

Ram Naik reviews security situation in Assam
Terrorists had attacked a drilling party of ONGC workers in the interior area of Assam on Monday killing six people and seriously injuring one.

NEPAL KING'S VISIT
King sacrifices 5 animals at Kamakhya temple
The People for Animals, a group led by Union Minister Maneka Gandhi, staged a demonstration at the foot of the Nilachall Hill to protest against the sacrifices.

CAUVERY ROW
Jaya won't negotiate with S M Krishna
Pointing out that earlier talks had not yielded any rewards, she demanded that Karnataka release the water allotted to Tamil Nadu by the interim award of the Cauvery water tribunal.

KARNATAKA RESHUFFLE
Krishna drops 5 ministers, inducts 9
The ministers dropped were B B Chimmanakatti, A M Hindasgeri, T B Jayachandra, S R Khashappanavar (all Cabinet rank) and minister of state Veerkumar A Patil.

Senior ministers retain portfolios
Among the others, many were put in charge of new departments. The list of ministers.

REPORTS FROM MAHARASHTRA
Heavy rains in Mumbai affect rail traffic
Almost all trains to and from Mumbai are running late by several hours. The local trains, however, are just 10-15 minutes behind schedule.

Heavy rains claim 40 lives in Thane district
Eleven persons were still reported missing, police sources said on Thursday night.

Deshmukh addresses grievances of DF MLAs
Officials were told to look into the problem of water scarcity in Aurangabad and, where Jalna district is concerned, to opt for small water supply projects instead of big ones.

FROM THE STATES
Special security for ONGC men in Assam
On June 24, five ONGC surveyors were killed in a militant attack in Karbi Anglong district.

12 hurt in blast in Patna-Hatia express
The explosion took place in a second class compartment as the train approached Chandrapura in Jharkhand state.

Gunpowder stocked in Jaigarh Fort destroyed
The erstwhile rulers of Jaipur had stocked the gunpowder. It was considered a safety hazard for the tourists.

COLUMNS
Messrs Musharraf and Arafat
'There will be a limit to how far Israel can go hand in hand with India. Defence? Okay. Offence? Probably not,' says Pinhas Inbari.

A kingdom under siege
'Nepal is facing its worst ever politico-security-economic crisis. Democracy has failed to take root while the monarchy, which took a harsh beating last year, is on the rebound,' says Major General (retd) Ashok K Mehta.

June 26, 2002

TOP REPORTS
No need to quit India, US tells citizens
However, the warning to defer travel plans to India continues.

Cabinet reshuffle around July one: PM
Some ministers are expected to be shifted to the party organisation and vice-versa.

Al Qaeda in Kashmir: Armitage
The US Deputy Secretary of State, in an interview to Financial Times, said the US had snippets of information that suggested that Al Qaeda could be operating in Kashmir.

Al-Qaeda men kill 10 Pakistani soldiers
The Pakistani troops were scouring the tribal areas near Afghanistan for suspected Al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters when they came under fire.

RAM TEMPLE ISSUE
'No need to involve VHP in Ayodhya issue'
Kanchi seer Jayendra Saraswati, who was talking to newsmen after a meeting with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, said, 'We have faith in a court verdict.'

Death threat to Kanchi seer
A letter was received threatening to assassinate Jayendra Saraswati when he attends the kumbabhishekam of Arunachaleshwarar temple in Thiruvannamalai on Thursday.

Seers condemn VHP's threat to defy courts
They said that by asserting that it would not abide by the judicial verdict on the dispute, the VHP was displaying contempt for the Constitution.

RIL CHAIRMAN SUFFERS STROKE
Condition of Dhirubhai 'critical', says son Anil
However, the doctors have conveyed that all the parameters, which are being monitored, are stable," he said.

Doctors from UK, US to attend on Ambani
The Reliance Industries chief suffered a cardiac arrest on Monday evening.

The next 48 hours are critical
Images from Breach Candy hospital.

DEFENCE DEALS SCANDAL
Jaya Jaitly denies having met Tehelka reporter
The former president of the Samata Party told the Venkatawami Commission that the Tehelka had 'super-imposed and tampered' tapes to concoct a story.

CBI raids Tehelka's New Delhi office
The news portal's editor-in-chief said he was not able to attend a crucial sitting of the Venkatswami Commission, which is looking into the defence scandal, because of the raid.

REPORTS FROM KERALA
Mother of all cultural battles in Kerala
Celebrated litterateur and Jnanpith laureate M T Vasudevan Nair has slapped a Rs 1 million defamation suit against artist and literary critic M V Devan for calling him a plagiarist.

Journalists end boycott of assembly proceedings
The boycott was sparked off by the ban on private television channels covering anything other than question hour, that too with certain restrictions.

NEPAL KING'S VISIT
Animal sacrifice controversy hots up
Apart from writing to King Gyanendra to desist from breaking the law, an NGO headed by Union Minister Maneka Gandhi has decided to stage a demonstration.

King Gyanendra meets Kanchi Sankaracharya
The king also performed 'pada puja' at an Adi Sankara temple in South Delhi.

CAUVERY ROW
Release 3 TMC feet of water: PM to Karnataka
Vajpayee said it would help the people of Tamil Nadu to tide over the difficulties being faced due to water shortage.

Tamil Nadu rejects PM's offer
The quantity is not sufficient to launch the mainstay paddy crop, PWD Minister O Panneerselvam said.

OTHER REPORTS
MiG-23 crashes in Punjab; pilot safe
This is the first crash of a MiG-23 this financial year. Last year, three MiG-23s had crashed.

Karnataka ministers resign en masse
The move is aimed at strengthening the hands of Chief Minister S M Krishna.

J&K leaders pass the baton to kin
'We have lost count... it is certain that the disease of grooming sons and daughters in the valley has caught up like plague,' a journalist of a local newspaper said.

'Time' may consider retracting article on PM
An indication to this came on Tuesday when a delegation of Indian Americans met Time Managing Editor James Kelley and confronted him with Vajpayee's medical records.

Congress plans 'BJP hatao' yatra in Gujarat
The party is planning the campaign to counter the alleged propaganda drive of the ruling BJP.

Punish erring Guj officials: Harsh Mandar
'If unpunished, they will become even more blatant', the former IAS officer, who resigned protesting against the reluctance of the state to curb the post-Godhra violence, warned.

Heavy rain stops outstation trains in Mumbai
A number of outstation trains are held up at Virar on the Western line and near Kalyan and Karjat on the Central line.

Parrikar takes on Ministry of Water Resources
The Goa government has accused B N Nawalwala, secretary, Union Ministry of Water Resources, of impropriety for having allowed Karnataka to divert river Mhadei's waters to set up three hydroelectric projects.

SPECIAL
Silent talk
Anita Bora attends a play staged by 16 hearing impaired children and finds the experience rewarding beyond words.

June 25, 2002

GUJARAT RIOTS AND AFTER
3 arrested for Gulbarg Society murders
Some 39 residents of the housing society in Ahmedabad, including former Congress MP Ahsan Jafri, were killed by a riotous mob.

Modi's handiwork, say rights groups
The People's Union of Civil Liberties, Shanti Abhiyan and Medico Friends Circle also accused the Centre of remaining 'silent' during the riots.

AMBANI'S CONDITION
Dhirubhai Ambani suffers stroke
The chairman of Reliance Industries has been admitted to the intensive care unit of the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai.

The next 48 hours are critical
Images from Breach Candy hospital.

THE AYODHYA DISPUTE
VHP demands return of agreement letter
'We are not ready to accept the government's suggestion of maintaining the status quo,' VHP president Ashok Singhal said.

AIBMAC asks Kanchi seer to keep off VHP
'He should not have any presumption that Muslims can be persuaded to surrender their claim over the mosque,' All-India Babri Masjid Action Committee convener Zafaryab Jilani said.

JAMMU & KASHMIR
Militants reject Hurriyat's truce call
The Hizbul Mujahideen ruled out any talk of peace until New Delhi conceded its demand for the right to self-determination in Jammu & Kashmir.

NC condemns VHP call for J&K partition
'It is a futile suggestion which will only compromise the integrity, independence and communal harmony of the country,' the party said.

Opposition targets Omar's 'coronation'
Mehbooba Mufti of the J&K People's Democratic Party alleged that Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah spent Rs 150 million on the function.

Farooq hints at stepping down soon
'The time has come for me to go. I have to take a back seat,' he told a gathering in Srinagar.

INTERVIEW
'Some of us are just born to this'
'You cannot discount what is in your blood. The genes do play a part much as you would like them not to.' Omar Abdullah, president of the National Conference, on taking over from his father.

THE INDIA-PAKISTAN STANDOFF
Pakistan resorts to artillery fire in Ladakh
Troops targeted several forward positions on the Indian side in Batalik, Kaksar and Mashkoh in Kargil district, forcing Indian troops to retaliate.

British envoys to carry forward US diplomacy
Defence Secretary Geoffrey Hoon and Sir David Manning, a key adviser of Prime Minister Tony Blair, will come calling in the first half of July.

Australia revises travel advisory for India
It has asked its nationals to register with Australian missions, monitor developments that might affect their safety and maintain a high level of personal security awareness.

KING GYANENDRA'S VISIT
India to support Nepal fight against Maoists
India reaffirmed its confidence that the constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy would provide the stability necessary for Nepal to prosper.

Fernandes meets king; promises help
The defence minister told Gyanendra that India would provide equipment like helicopters and mine-proof combat vehicles.

Nepal to prevent mischief against India
The king gave this assurance at a meeting with Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani.

Complaint against royal animal sacrifice
The Nepalese king and queen are scheduled to sacrifice a buffalo at Guwahati's Kamakhya temple on Thursday for their family's well-being.

NEIGHBOURHOOD
Fresh crackdown on militant outfits in Pakistan
The police has rounded up more than 100 activists suspected of aiding Al Qaeda and the Taliban in carrying out bomb attacks in the country.

Pakistan to lift ban on political activities
The ban was imposed soon after General Musharraf's coup in October 1999.

Sri Lanka for early return of Tamil refugees
Minister for Rehabilitation and Refugees Jayalath Jayewardene is in Tamil Nadu to ascertain the mood among the Sri Lankan Tamils living in India.

Meeting of experts may boost Sino-India ties
The group was formed in 1994 to provide technical expertise to the more generic India-China joint working group to discuss the boundary issue.

OTHER REPORTS
Cabinet allows 26% FDI in print media
This was announced by Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Bodos serve ultimatum on Centre
'The failure of the talks between the government and us would send a wrong signal to the people,' the Bodoland Liberation Tigers said.

Justice Venkataswami accepts Jaitly's plea
The Samata Party politician wanted the commission to re-screen tapes numbered 73 and 74, claiming that they were 'tampered with'.

'We teach them lessons of humanity... not hate'
The Islamic schools in Delhi are not averse to the government's proposal to register them. Allegations that the madrassas are used for anti-national purposes are baseless, they say.

Delayed monsoon rekindles Cauvery row
Karnataka claims it cannot release the allotted 205 tmc feet of water to Tamil Nadu owing to the low levels in its reservoirs.

'NCP against Cabinet expansion, prefers reshuffle'
NCP president Sharad Pawar refused to comment, however, on moves in the Congress to replace Chief Minister Vilas Deshmukh.

Kalam for national citizen card
The card will help avert the threat of electronic attacks on India's information technology systems through hacking and other methods, he said.

Katiyar, a leader forged in Ayodhya
Observers see in his appointment as the BJP's chief in Uttar Pradesh the possibility of an attempt by the party to use the Ram temple card one last time.

M S Gill to become Fellow of Queen's College
The award is in recognition of his contributions to 'strengthening democratic institutions in India and elsewhere in the Commonwealth'.

WEST ASIA
Bush calls for new Palestinian leadership
The US president said the present leadership of the Palestinians was 'encouraging, not opposing terrorism'.

COLUMNS
'Free and fair' in Jammu and Kashmir
'Free and fair polls in J&K this time has become a star attraction on the national scene. Hidden therein is a much bigger distraction -- distraction from the facts of history and from the constitutional-cum-legal framework governing state elections in J&K,' says Arvind Lavakare.

Transparency? What's that?
The Union Cabinet decides not to implement Supreme Court directive that all candidates in state and parliamentary elections compulsorily furnish their educational and income status. Capital Buzz. Gossip from the Delhi durbar.

June 24, 2002

THE AYODHYA DISPUTE
BJP refuses to condemn VHP stand
But the party said a solution to the dispute could only be found through a dialogue or the courts.

Kanchi seer in Delhi to help find solution
In March, the shankaracharya had held talks with All-India Muslim Personal Law Board members in a bid to resolve the impasse.

AIMPLB not averse to talks with Kanchi seer
The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board said it would abide by the court verdict on Ayodhya.

THE INDIA-PAK STANDOFF
'Musharraf indulging in verbal calisthenics'
'Pakistan has committed itself to fighting terrorism. This is an unambiguous and clear commitment lending itself to no other interpretation,' an external affairs ministry spokesperson said.

Musharraf promised end to terror, insists US
'I've told President Bush nothing is happening across the Line of Control... I'm not going to give you an assurance that for years nothing will happen,' the Pakistan president had told Newsweek magazine.

Infiltration continues: J&K police chief
A K Suri said more than 3,000 militants were waiting to cross over the LoC into Jammu & Kashmir.

Embarrassed Powell speaks to Musharraf
Musharraf told the US secretary of state that he stood by his commitment to permanently end cross-border terrorism [in Jammu and Kashmir].

Kashmir a Palestine in the making: Musharraf
'Kashmir is a festering wound... We must resolve the dispute, this is our stand even now,' the Pakistan president said in an interview to The Independent.

Pakistan's nukes are for defence: Musharraf
The president said Pakistan acquired nuclear weapons not by choice, but due to 'threats and compulsions'.

Pak to take up soldier's killing at the UN
Islamabad alleged that Lance Corporal Naik Maqsood was tied up, interrogated and shot after being dragged from the no-man's land between the India and Pakistan.

Tea and tedium at the Wagah border
Ever since the December 13 attack on Parliament, no one has crossed the Wagah border except for a few foreigners and diplomats of India and Pakistan.

JAMMU & KASHMIR
NC, Farooq tug at the heartstrings
While the National Conference raised the emotive autonomy issue, Dr Abdullah bade a tearful farewell to the delegates.

Farooq, Omar discuss autonomy with PM
Atal Bihari Vajpayee assured them of his willingness to hold discussions with leaders of the state on the demand for devolution of more powers.

5 hurt in attack on J&K minister's house
Law Minister Mushtaq Ahmed Lone was not at home at the time of the attack. Five CRPF personnel guarding the house were injured.

Migrant Pandits say no to Kashmir division
'It cannot happen. You cannot divide the valley on a communal basis and have separate territories marked for Pandits and Muslims,' Tej Vaccher, a migrant in Delhi, said.

THE GUJARAT RIOTS AND AFTER
Charges filed against 21 in Best Bakery case
After persuading 12 persons hiding on the terrace of the bakery to come down, a mob had burnt them alive.

Group clash in Baroda; 4 hurt
Police had to fire teargas shells to disperse the stone-pelting crowd.

OTHER REPORTS
5 of ONGC drilling party killed in ambush
Suspected Dima Halam Daoga militants fired bullets from both sides of the road at Doldoli, near Diphu, Assam, when the group was returning from their work site at Dhansiri.

King Gyanendra given ceremonial welcome
'I look forward to exchanging views and gaining by the depth and scope of several of your prominent and prestigious leaders...' the Nepalese king said.

Vinay Katiyar appointed UP BJP chief
He replaces Kalraj Mishra, who had resigned following the party's debacle in the recent assembly election.

PM to intervene to resolve UP BJP infighting
The quarrelling in the party has delayed the expansion of the Mayawati-led BSP-BJP coalition government.

Perry asked to tell govt before going abroad
But the Time magazine journalist remains free to travel anywhere in India, Perry's lawyer Lalit Bhasin said.

Congress wants beef for Nandankanan zoo
The supply was stopped following the arrest of the main supplier on charges of cow slaughter.

Heavy rains lash Nagpur, adjoining areas
Rainwater entered houses in several low-lying areas in the city, including the bungalow of Municipal Commissioner T Chandrashekhar.

Priyanka Gandhi delivers baby girl
The baby was born at the Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi. This is Priyanka's second child.

INTERVIEW
'Infiltration cannot be totally stopped'
'It is impossible. Everybody is not under Musharraf's control -- or anybody's control, for that matter. Confronting him all the time will help the extremist elements in Pakistan,' former PoK premier Sardar Muhammed Abdul Qayyum Khan tells Chindu Sreedharan.

COLUMNS
Carefully constructed facades
'Visiting the dargah does not make Dr Kalam any more Muslim than your favourite psycho... But, the "secular" climate of this country is such that the character of a public figure is held to be questionable till his religious binding remains ambiguous...' says Varsha Bhosle.

Why not listen to the message instead of shooting the messenger?
'There is a dangerous flip-side to the government's tirade against Time. That, somehow, the prime minister's health is beyond debate. All India sees Mr Vajpayee walking and talking with much effort. Aren't the people entitled to know why?' asks Krishna Prasad.

June 23, 2002

TOP REPORTS
Delhi put on alert against terror attacks
'There is information suggests the likelihood of attacks by terrorists such as hijacking, target some VIPs or attack some important installations', Delhi Police Commissioner Ajay Raj Sharma said.

Young leaders needed to develop India: Kalam
The presidential candidate also said that India should strive to join the ranks of the developed countries in the next two decades.

Nepalese King Gyanendra arrives in New Delhi
The Nepalese King, accompanied by Queen Komal Rajya Laxmi, is heading a high-power delegation that includes the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Purna Bahadur Khadka.

Divide J&K, create enclave for Pandits: VHP
The outfit also demanded a Union territory status for Ladakh and a separate state comprising of Jammu, Kathua, Udhampur, Doda, Poonch and Rajouri.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE SESSION
Omar takes over as NC president
Over 10,000 National Conference delegates elected the minister of state for external as the new president.

CM only if father says so: Omar Abdullah
The newly elected National Conference president also said his first task was to 'go to each and every village and ask the people to vote for National Conference' in the forthcoming state assembly election.

Farooq rakes up J&K autonomy issue
A resolution adopted by the National Conference said Centre's 'unilateral and arbitrary' rejection of the autonomy proposal has sent 'negative signals about the legitimacy of our democratic system'.

Lord Ram belongs to me too: Farooq
The Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said this in response to Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Ashok Singhal's reported comment that Lord Ram 'belonged to Hindus alone'.

Dignified return for Pandits, says Omar
The newly elected president of the National Conference, however, said he cannot give any 'timeframe' because it could cause 'more problems'.

NC appeals to India, Pak to start talks
A National Conference resolution said, 'If the present tension (between India and Pakistan) lead to a nuclear war, then this paradise on earth will suffer unimaginable devastation'.

Militants lob grenades at NC session venue
No loss of life or damage to property was reported as the grenades, which exploded in quick succession, fell short of their target by over 300 metres.

INDO-PAK STANDOFF
No promise of ending terror: Musharraf
'I've told President Bush nothing is happening across the LoC. I'm not going to give you an assurance that for years nothing will happen', the Pak president said in an interview to 'Newsweek'.

PM sees US as facilitator on Kashmir
In an interview to Newsweek magazine the Indian prime minister, however, clarified that the US has not emerged as a third party mediator.

OTHER REPORTS
88 Maoists killed in Nepal
The Nepalese security forces killed 28 rebels in fresh encounters across the country on Sunday, even as the rebel toll in four days of clashes rose to 88.

Police to seek Interpol help to nab JeT chief
A Delhi court had last month declared Masood Azhar, the Jaish-e-Mohammed chief, the outfit's J&K head Ghazi Baba alias Abu Jehadi and one Tariq Ahmed as proclaimed offenders.

Bihar speaker denies rape charge
'The rape charge levelled against me is nothing but a concocted story and well planned conspiracy to settle political scores with me', Sadanand Singh said.

Jaya rejects Krishna's claim on Cauvery
The Tamil Nadu chief minister claimed that Karnataka has increased the storage capacity of its dams and reservoirs.

Arrest Singhal, Togadia: AIMPLB to govt
All India Muslim Personal Law Board secretary Maulana Rahim Qureshi said that the cases against the VHP leaders should be booked under sections 153 and 505 of the Indian Penal Code for making provocative statements.

June 22, 2002

TOP REPORTS
VHP retracts promise to abide by court verdict
'Matters of faith' cannot be decided by the judiciary, it said, referring to the Ayodhya issue.

We will abide by court verdict: AIMPLB
It sought the government's intervention in seeing that 'those who are threatening to violate the Constitution are contained'.

'VHP has discredited itself'
'By challenging the judiciary, VHP has harmed itself and even those who were supporting it would distance themselves from it,' the Babri Masjid Action Committee said.

India may take further de-escalatory steps
Sources told 'rediff.com' that de-escalation may take place along the Punjab, Rajasthan border, but ruled out any thinning of troops along the J&K border.

INDO-PAK STANDOFF
India denies torture charge by Pakistan
Pakistan has accused Indian troops of 'luring and capturing' one of its border guards before torturing and shooting him 'at point-blank range'.

Take more steps to stop infiltration: EU
The EU also wanted India to respond positively to Pakistan's 'further actions' when they take place.

'We are trying to plug terror across LoC'
A US state department spokesman said that infiltration into India from Pakistan had declined considerably.

More work needed to ease tensions: US
The two countries have taken some steps to reduce tensions which, while not definitive, were having a positive effect, Defence Secretary Rumsfeld said.

High-level talks needed: Musharraf
The Pakistani president claimed that the West's intervention had 'internationalised' the Kashmir issue.

Conventional strength deterred war: Musharraf
In an interview to BBC Radio, he denied having said that the possession of nuclear weapons had prevented a war.

India refutes Musharraf's remarks
An MEA spokesperson said that Pakistan had, on a number of occasions, threatened to use nuclear weapons against India.

'India bearing brunt of military build-up'
Musharraf told BBC Radio that the situation still remained explosive and could take a turn for the worse in the event of any major terrorist strike in J&K or elsewhere in India.

VHP MEET
BJP distances itself from VHP's temple stand
'The party favours resolving the issue through court verdict or consensus among parties involved in the dispute,' party spokesman V K Malhotra said.

VHP slams 'suppression' of shiladaan
The outfit's central advisory board meeting in Hardwar also asked the Centre to enact a law to hand over 43 acres of acquired land to the Ram Janambhoomi Nyas.

MUSLIM LAW BOARD MEET
AIMPLB elects new president
Maulana Rabey Nadvi, rector of the prestigious Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulema, Lucknow, fills up the vacancy caused by the demise of president Maulana Mujahidul Islam Qasimi.

Muslim law board wants Shariah protected
Maulana Rabey Hasan Nadvi, head of the Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulema in Lucknow, said without Shariah Muslims would lose their identity.

OTHER REPORTS
Naidu to take Kalam for political road show
A senior TDP leader told rediff.com that the Andhra Pradesh chief minister wants to reinforce his support among the Muslims in the state.

Kalam gets hero's welcome in Hyderabad
Union Minister of State Bandaru Dattatreya and State Home Minister T Devender Goud were among those who received him at the Hyderabad airport.

Mayawati for radical pro-dalit land reforms
The UP Cabinet has decided to take stringent steps against illegal occupants of lands allotted to dalits and backwards.

'Truth Sera' given to Godhra carnage accused
However, none of the seven accused have admitted they had any role in burning the Sabarmati Express, police sources told rediff.com

More than 500 dead in Iran quake: IRNA
The earthquake measured six on the Richter scale and affected eight provinces in northern and western Iran.

FROM THE STATES
NCP withdraws support to SPF in Manipur
The NCP withdrew support to the Congress-led ruling Secular Progressive Front following the defection of all its three legislators to the Congress.

Karnataka not in position to release water: CM
Chief Minister S M Krishna said that the water level in the Krishnarajsagar reservoir was insufficient to meet the requirements of farmers in Mysore and Mandya districts.

No differences with BJP: Mayawati
The Uttar Pradesh chief minister said 'certain elements' were using the media to plant 'twisted' and 'concocted' stories to drive a 'wedge' between her party and the BJP.

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