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TOP REPORTS
Spirit of tolerance must be revived: President
'At this moment when communal disturbances are taking place in parts of our country it is important that we establish peace and harmony among our people,' K R Narayanan said.

Violence continues in Gujarat, curfew in force
Paramilitary forces were deployed at many riot-hit places, including Ahmedabad, Viramgam, Prantij and Himatnagar.

JASWANT'S VISIT TO CHINA
Jaswant's visit to rejuvenate ties
'I expect that the visit will provide us with a new opportunity to bring China-India relations to a new phase of development,' Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan said.

Terrorism to top Jaswant's agenda
The foreign minister's visit is seen as part of intensified efforts by India and China to impart a new momentum in bilateral ties.

China upbeat on ties with India
Jaswant Singh's visit would promote 'friendly cooperation', a Chinese spokesperson said.

POST-RAJYA SABHA POLLS
Congress, BJP crack down on rebel MLAs
The BJP expelled six Karnataka MLAs from the party within hours of the rebel legislators casting their vote against party nominee Taradevi Siddartha.

Dilip Ray working to unite BJD rebels against Patnaik
Political observers say Ray may first split the BJD parliamentary party in New Delhi, then move to unseat Patnaik as chief minister.

GODHRA ATTACK - FALLOUT
PM likely to visit Gujarat on April 4
Vajpayee will visit some of the riot-affected areas and interact with state political leaders, sources said.

Human rights panel holds full meeting
The meeting did not discuss the 400-page report, saying that the members have not been able the read it completely.

Don't celebrate Holi: VHP to Hindus
The call has been made to commemorate those killed in the attack on the Sabarmati Express in Godhra.

JAMMU AND KASHMIR
J&K mosque siege ends, terrorist killed
The terrorist, Mohammed Mudasir, had taken shelter in the mosque at Rudbugh village in Badgam district after exchanging fire with a joint search party of the army and police, sources said.

JKLF leader Yasin Malik hospitalised
Malik was taken into custody after two persons were arrested with $100,000 allegedly meant for him.

MCD ELECTIONS
Verma resigns as BJP vice-president
The former chief minister of Delhi has owned responsibility for his party's dismal performance in the MCD polls.

Congress bags Delhi civic body
It secured a thumping majority while the BJP slipped badly to bag only 16 seats in the 134-member house.

NEIGHBOURHOOD
Afghan quake toll 800-1200: UN
Relief work has been hampered by the damage to the approach roads and the landmines in the area.

Pakistan arrests suspects in church attack
At least 30 people have been held in connection with the attack on March 17, in which two Americans were among five killed.

OTHER REPORTS
Navy in talks with HAL for inducting IJT
Vice-Admiral Gopalachari, deputy chief of naval staff, however, declined to spell out the details, including delivery schedules and the funds being allocated for the new intermediate jet trainers.

India slams Pakistan's comment on POTA
'Let it be abundantly clear that Pakistan has no locus-standi on this matter, which is entirely India's internal affair,' a government spokesperson said.

Assam not to implement POTA: Gogoi
'There were enough laws to deal with terrorists... POTA was not required,' the chief minister said.

BJP issues show-cause notice to B P Singhal
B P Singhal, brother of VHP chief Ashok Singhal, had said that Prime Minister Vajpayee should resign to counter 'frequent bullying' by NDA allies on the Ayodhya issue.

India being consulted on Lankan peace process
India is giving absolute support to the peace process, a member of the Norwegian team, which brokered a truce in the island nation, said.

MoD compensates residents of border areas
Thousands of villagers along the Pakistan border had migrated inwards after India began its biggest military mobilisation since 1971.

5 Indians among 22 dead in Dubai dry docks mishap
Of the seven people as yet unaccounted, four are Indians, a press release issued by the dock authorities said.

Jaya concerned about fiscal health of states
She has requested Prime Minister Vajpayee to call a meeting of chief ministers to address the issue.

US to seek death penalty for Moussaoui
A French citizen of Moroccan descent, Moussaoui is charged with conspiring with Osama bin Laden to carry out the September 11 attacks.

UK monarch endorses Indian recipes
Queen Elizabeth II has written a foreword for Favourite recipes of the Raj, by award-winning Indian chef Tommy Miah, which will raise funds for cancer research.

DIARY
The Singles Club
G O Suresh on the perils of bachelorhood.

INTERVIEW
'Pakistan has to stop encouraging terrorism in J&K'
'Terrorist activities are still taking place both within Pakistan and outside, like in Kashmir. Musharraf cannot control everything.' US Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr, receives the Padma Bhushan for bettering Indo-US relations.

SPECIAL
Never mind the collateral damage
'Most of the local militants have now been replaced by foreign mercenaries,' said a military officer. 'To them civilian casualties do not matter.' The Lost Generation, a series on Kashmir's children, continues.

COLUMNS
An irrelevant fury
'One day these riots will stop. Not just these ones in Gujarat, but most riots -- everywhere in the country. There will come a time when the hoodlums will be culled from the devotees and hauled off to their proper homes in prisons,' says Ashwin Mahesh.

Unworthy selections
'The services seriously need to introspect to determine whether these time-honoured systems have produced the desired results. By now each service has had its quota of problematic and undeserving senior officers,' says Admiral (retd) J G Nadkarni.

They want: ADVANI!
Enough of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, they have now begun to say in the Sangh Parivar... Capital Buzz. Gossip from the Delhi durbar.

March 27, 2002

TOP STORIES
Muslims should reinterpret Islamic terms: RSS
RSS spokesman M G Vaidya said the Sangh was ready to hold a dialogue with the Muslims.

Centre wasted millions during Kargil crisis: CAG
Unnecessary procurement of missiles for Kargil operations resulted in avoidable expenditure of Rs 247.7 million, the CAG said.

RAJYA SABHA POLL
Mallya, Laloo, Shatrughan Sinha get RS berths
Liquor baron Vijay Mallya won as an independent candidate from Karnataka, which also elected three Congress candidates -- B Janardhan Poojary, Prema Cariappa and M V Rajashekharan.

Dilip Ray re-elected to Rajya Sabha
Sushree Devi and Pramila Bohidar of the BJD and Surendra Lath of the BJP were the other three to get elected from Orissa.

GUJARAT SITUATION
Fear continues to reign over Ahmedabad
'It's not that only Muslims are afraid,' said an advertising executive. 'Even Hindus are tense. Both are equally insecure.'

Gujarat government submits report to NHRC
The whole document is divided into three volumes, with the main report and annexure numbering around 135 and 265 pages respectively.

Gujarat HC issues notice to NHRC chairman
A social organisation has accused the NHRC of trespassing into the jurisdiction of the Justice K G Shah Commission of Inquiry instituted by the state government following the carnage at Godhra.

Vajpayee gives Narendra Modi a breather
The Gujarat CM refuted media reports that officials who controlled the riots were transferred.

Arson, stone throwing incidents in Ahmedabad
Curfew was relaxed in some areas to enable people to buy essential commodities.

Advani not to celebrate Holi
Last year too, the home minister did not celebrate the festival following the Gujarat earthquake.

NEIGHBOURHOOD
Pakistan Air Force inducts Chinese jets
It has phased out the 36-year-old American F-6 aircraft.

Pakistan shifts Jaish chief to residence
The government would also pay Rs 10,000 to his family as sustenance allowance, a Pakistan daily, the Dawn, said.

Parliamentary democracy to be upheld: Musharraf
The Pakistan president told a delegation that no move was under consideration to switch to presidential or any other form of government.

Pakistan flayed for not granting visas to Indian scribes
Indian scribes had complained that their visa applications 'languished indefinitely' in Pakistan embassies, The Committee to Protect Journalists said.

Pakistan plans major export of weapons: Report
The Pakistan government plans to boost its exports from the current $2 million per annum to $20 million per year in two years, the Jane's Defence Weekly said.

Pakistan rights body slams government for not rooting out terrorism
It also urged President Pervez Musharraf not to resort to the 'notorious process' of getting elected through a referendum.

LTTE, Lankan govt may begin direct talks in May
Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen is expected to visit Sri Lanka next month to meet LTTE chief V Prabhakaran.

MINISTER IN SEX SCANDAL
Minister denies calling sex chat numbers
CPI-M MP Biplab Dasgupta has accused MoS for Chemicals and Fertilisers Satyabrat Mukherjee of making international calls to sex chat lines.

'Not one, but several calls were made'
Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Satyabrat Mukherjee has been accused of making international calls to known sex chat numbers at the public exchequer's expense.

ANDHRA PRADESH
Andhra to enforce POTA against PWG
DGP Pervaram Ramulu said the Prevention of Terrorism Act would also be used against the supporters of the outlawed People's War Group.

Andhra stubs out smoking from public places
Sale of cigarettes and beedis to minors has also been banned.

Oppn MLAs suspended from AP house
They were protesting against the hike in power tariff.

1 injured in police firing in Hyderabad
The police opened fire in the air in Chanchalguda area to disperse two groups that attacked houses and shops.

J&K RELATED REPORTS
Bandh paralyses life in Kashmir valley
It was called to protest against the arrest of JKLF chief Yasin Malik.

Ghulam Nabi Azad to head J&K Congress
This follows the resignation of Mohammad Shafi Qureshi from the post.

Geelani hospitalised following severe chest pain
The Hurriyat leader is suffering from acute bronchitis and has also undergone a heart surgery.

OTHER REPORTS
Russian security chief to visit India next week
Secretary of Russia's National Security Council General Vladimir Rushailo will visit India on April 2-5 at the invitation of his Indian counterpart Brajesh Mishra for augmenting Indo-Russian interaction in combating international terrorism, diplomatic sources ysaid.

One Indian killed, ten missing in Dubai dry dock accident
The Indian was identified as Alex from Kerala. His body has been kept at a local hospital.

Shilas deposited with government treasury
After the shila daan on March 15, the safety of the stone pillars had become a matter of concern for the Faizabad administration.

President gives away Padma awards
Tabla exponent Zakir Hussain, who got the Padma Bhushan, accepted the award amidst thundering applause at a glittering ceremony in Rashtrapathi Bhavan.

Hindus observe Muharram in Orissa
While about a hundred Hindu families joined the Muharram procession at Jatni in Khurda district, some other families took out processions in western Orissa's Sambalpur town.

India plans to acquire Mirage jets: Report
The IAF is holding preliminary discussions with Dassault Aviation of France in this connection, the Jane's Defence Weekly reported.

India concerned about assistance to Afghanistan
'Our prime minister has announced a grant of $10 million... We are ready to do more,' Kamalesh Sharma, India's ambassador to the UN, told the Security Council.

POTA not to be used in Punjab: Amarinder
'We are not going to use POTA since Punjab is a peaceful state. One thing is very clear. The Congress is totally against POTA,' the chief minister he said.

Din in Maharashtra assembly over Afroz issue
The opposition wanted to know if the government had consulted the advocate general before withdrawing POTO charges against the suspected Al Qaeda terrorist.

Court directs police to file charge sheet against Afroz
The court said that it would decide whether the Prevention of Terrorism Act or Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act needs to be applied on the suspected Al Qaeda terrorist.

Indo-US Parliamentary Forum launched
External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh stressed that the two sides should build on the remarkable degree of confidence in each other.

Officials responsible for Gangapur police firing removed
Sub-divisional Officer Avdesh Singh and Deputy Superintendent of Police Laxminarayan were removed from their posts following police firing on Monday in which three people were killed.

SPECIAL
Life, from an arm's length
A filthy sheet covering his trapped body, Mohammad Hazam lies on the veranda, his huge eyes drinking in the fragment of freedom his little horizon offers. The Lost Generation, a series on the children of Kashmir, continues.

COLUMN
Taxing me to insomnia
'If we default, the IT authorities jump on us like the proverbial lorryload of bricks. But is responsibility a one-way street? Does the state have no responsibilities? Is it not accountable for its misdeeds, its mismanagement?' wonders Prem Panicker.

INTERVIEW
'We should make India a design house in technology'
'Anybody with a large vision and a desire to achieve will find the path full of thorns.' Professor Ashok Jhunjhunwala on the invention that won him a Padma Shree.

March 26, 2002

ANTI-TERROR BILL
POT Bill passed by joint session
In the division pressed by the opposition, there were 425 ayes and 296 nos.

Anti-terror law to be used sparingly: Advani
The home minister said that the government did not have a secret agenda against any community.

Opposition slams passage of POT Bill
'Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is politically intolerant and self-righteousness,' Congress spokesman S Jaipal Reddy said.

PM's moment of reckoning has come: Sonia
The Congress leader said her party did not need lessons in patriotism from the BJP.

Sangh welcomes passage of bill, warns against misuse
RSS spokesman M G Vaidya told reporters that since most states are with the opposition, they should see to it that the law is not misused.

I don't work under anyone's pressure: PM
Vajpayee said this in a spirited intervention during the discussion on the bill.

Over 100 arrests under POTO: Advani
These included 91 arrests in J&K and 18 in Delhi, the home minister said.

Law needed to defeat terrorism: Advani
The home minister said the country had been facing a proxy war for nearly two decades.

Sangh welcomes passage of bill, warns against misuse
RSS spokesman M G Vaidya told reporters that since most states are with the opposition, they should see to it that the law is not misused.

Passage of bill along expected lines: BJP
The opposition, by voting against the bill, had sent out wrong signals outside the country, the party said.

PM makes a slip, refers to Clinton as Lincoln
'During the Kargil war (Abraham) Lincoln called me and said that Pakistan prime minister is here (in the US) and invited me over," Vajpayee said, before quickly correcting himself.

More stringent law needed: Shiv Sena
Union Minister and Shiv Sena member Manohar Joshi said that the passing of the Prevention of Terrorism Bill has become necessary for the security of the country.

Oppn criticises Advani for comment on CMs
Some chief ministers had favoured the anti-terrorism ordinance, the home minister said.

POTO withdrawal in Afroz's case was not govt decision: Bhujbal
Making a statement in the legislative assembly on Tuesday, Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said the decision was taken by the police independently.

J&K RELATED REPORTS
Malik remanded to 7 days' police custody
The JKLF chief was arrested on Monday in connection with hawala deals.

Police raid Hurriyat office in Delhi
The raid took place close on the heels of Hurriyat leader and JKLF chairman Yasin Malik's arrest.

Protests against Malik's arrest; foreign scribe hurt
Pagetti Franco, an Italian photographer, was covering the clashes between JKLF supporters and policemen when he was hit on the head by a teargas shell, sources said.

Katiyar ready to explain stand on Hazratbal relic
However, the BJP top brass is trying to forestall his visit to Srinagar fearing a law and order problem.

SITUATION IN GUJARAT
Vajpayee summons Gujarat CM to Delhi
Violence continued in Gujarat on Tuesday. A 70-year-old woman was burnt alive in Viramgam and a boy was killed in police firing in Ahmedabad.

No let-up in violence
Parts of Ahmedabad and Baroda, and some other towns in the state, continued to be under curfew.

One killed, two hurt in Ahmedabad
Police opened fire at Astodia area to disperse a mob.

Gujarat to file report to NHRC on Wednesday
The commission had described as 'perfunctory' the earlier report filed by the state government.

REPORTS FROM RAJASTHAN
Rajasthan Congress gears up for RS polls
Though the party can comfortably get its candidates elected, it wants to avoid any possibility of cross voting.

Tension prevails in curfew-bound Gangapur
Three persons were killed in police firing on Monday in the Gangapur city of Sawai Madhopur.

Judicial inquiry into Gangapur police firing
It would be conducted by a retired high court judge under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1992.

NEIGHBOURS
1800 people killed in Afghan quake
Reports said that close to 4000 houses were destroyed and 10,000 people displaced due to the earthquake, which measured 5.8 on the Richter scale.

US to train Afghan army
It has discussed with key Afghan Interim Authority leaders the requirements for establishing, training and sustaining a national army.

LTTE in talks with Norway on peace deal
Voice of Tigers, the rebel radio station, said that chief V Pirabhakaran held talks with the Norwegian ambassador to Sri Lanka, Jon Westborg, and Oslo's peace envoy to the island, Erik Solheim.

Musharraf can't debar Benazir, Sharif: Pakistan CEC
'Only the election commission is empowered to decide who can stand for the October election,' Irshad Hassan Khan said.

OTHER REPORTS
Two Lashkar terrorists nabbed in Faizabad
One AK 47 rifle, explosives and detonators were recovered from them.

Police arrest Hindi Saamna reporter
Aditya Dube has been arrested on a charge of trying to create communal enmity through a report in the newspaper.

Maharashtra wants to drop POTO charge against Afroz
Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told designated Judge A P Bhangale that the police had committed a 'mistake' by invoking POTO 'in this case'.

Keep shilas under safe custody: Centre to UP
Principal Secretary (Home) Naresh Dayal said the shilas would soon be shifted from the Dashrath Mahal temple.

Tight security at Charminar, Golconda fort
The Jaish-e-Mohammed has threatened to blow up historical monuments in the country.

VHP denies hand in Orissa assembly attack
VHP leader Giriraj Kishore alleged that the attack was the handiwork of 'pseudo-secularists'.

Allies cannot dictate to BJP: Fernandes
The defence minister and Samata Party leader was referring to apprehensions within the NDA on the close relationship between the BJP and the sangh parivar.

Chandraswami hospitalised in Punjab
The controversial godman had complained of uneasiness and breathing problem.

Indo-Pak situation, Kashmir top priority: US
Considering the developments in Afghanistan, it is very important for India and Pakistan to peacefully resolve the differences involving Kashmir, it said.

Minister using public money to make sexline calls: CPI-M MP
Rajya Sabha member Biplab Dasgupta, in a letter to the prime minister, claimed he had evidence to show that Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Satyabrata Mukherjee made the calls.

Pakistan working hard to help US: Rumsfeld
The defence secretary also said that it is for Pakistani courts to decide on the legality of the referendum that President Musharraf reportedly wants to hold to confirm his rule.

Ministers won't be withdrawn from NDA: DMK chief
Karunanidhi, whose party has snapped ties with the BJP's Tamil Nadu unit, said: 'We have no problems with the BJP's central leadership.'

Threats to TADA judge figures in Maharashtra assembly
Judge P D Kode had received anonymous letters asking him to adopt a 'lenient' approach towards those accused in the serial blast case.

INTERVIEW
'They don't trust each other anymore'
'If the Godhra carnage was gruesome, equally gruesome were the incidents that followed. Perpetrators of crimes were all criminals.' National Human Rights Commission chairperson Justice Jagdish Sharan Verma on the riots in Gujarat.

COLUMN
The legal labyrinth of Ram's Ayodhya
'On November 7, 1989 the special bench had said, 'It is doubtful that some of the questions involved in the suit are soluble by judicial process.' But if the VHP says that, it will be hauled over coals and told to await the verdict on Ayodhya, and abide by it,' says Arvind Lavakare.

March 25, 2002

Punjab Public Service Commission chairman arrested
Ravinderpal Singh Sidhu was arrested on Monday night for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 500,000 from a government official.

YASIN MALIK ARRESTED
JKLF's Yasin Malik booked under POTO
On Sunday, police had seized $100,000 from a woman. The money was allegedly meant for Malik.

Umer Farooq condemns Malik's arrest
The former All Party Hurriyat Conference chairman described the arrest as 'gross misuse of power and a clear case of victimisation.'

JKLF leader denies sending money to Yasin Malik
Altaf Qadri, international spokesman for the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, told reporters in Pak-occupied-Kashmir that the allegations were absolutely false.

INDO-PAK TIES
PM rules out withdrawal of forces from border
At the same time, he also allayed fears that the Indo-Pak tension could trigger a nuclear war.

Musharraf's threat childish, says Fernandes
The Indian defence minister said that Musharraf was living in a 'make believe world' of his own and asked him (Musharraf) not to forget Pakistan's aukat (standing) vis-a-vis India.

J&K RELATED REPORTS
2 Hizb militants among 3 killed in J&K
One of them was a 'logistics commander' of the organisation, named Latief Ahmad Reshi alias Azad.

Abdullah fears influx of Afghan mujahideen in summer
The J&K police had earlier said that wireless intercepts and confessions of arrested militants suggested the ISI was trying to push Taliban forces into the state to boost militancy.

GUJARAT RIOTS
Vajpayee not to celebrate Holi
The prime minister decided to forgo Holi celebrations in view of the continuing Gujarat violence, in which hundreds of people have lost their lives.

Congress demands action against Modi
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had reportedly said that statements made in Parliament was worsening the situation in the state.

Muslims cancel Muharram procession
The situation in six police station areas in Ahmedabad and some towns like Baroda, Bharuch, Himmatnagar and Viramgam continued to be tense.

Committee to oversee relief work in Gujarat
It is to be headed by Governor Sunder Singh Bhandari and will include the chief minister and leader of the opposition in the state assembly.

POT BILL
BJP miffed at Trinamool's decision to abstain
Mamata Banerjee said that her party does not support the Prevention of Terrorism Bill because it would be 'misused' by the West Bengal state government.

Muslim groups want POT Bill defeated
A joint letter sent by All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and All India Milli Council appealed to MPs 'to vote against the draconian, tyrannical and black law, unanimously in the joint session'.

POT Bill's passage is certain: Vajpayee
'The Congress party should realise that its opposition to POTO is not only not in the national interest, but is also not in the interest of the Congress party itself,' he said.

Defiant Trinamool MP Ajit Panja to support POT Bill
Having been suspended from the party, he said that a whip issued to Trinamool MPs would not be binding on him.

Badal promises support to POT bill in joint sitting
The former Punjab chief minister, however, warned that his party would not hesitate to protest against any misuse of its provisions.

OTHER REPORTS
3 killed, 8 injured in police firing in Rajasthan
Police opened fire when some Vishwa Hindu Parishad-Bajrang Dal activists resisted attempts to clear way for a Murharram procession.

Lakshya successfully test-flown
Though the unmanned aerial vehicle was inducted into the country's defence forces in 2000, the latest trial was with a newly developed engine.

NSCN-IM's precondition for official's release
The Naga outfit wants its seized arms and ammunition in exchange for the abducted deputy commissioner of Manipur's Chandel district.

One soldier killed; 2 hurt in Pak firing
Pakistani troops targeted forward posts in Pallanwala and Noushera sectors.

Peaceful Tazia processions held in Ayodhya, Faizabad
In Ayodhya, the processions were taken out from Kasiyana locality till the Sheesh Paigambar mausoleum in Vidyakund locality.

Mumbai blasts: TADA judge receives threats
Designated judge Pramod Kode has been asked to be merciful to the accused, or face the consequences.

PM announces financial package for Himachal
Among other things, the Centre would help the state maintain its annual plan size at Rs 19 billion.

BSF, BDR to hold regular flag meetings
These are expected to reduce border tension and help tackle infiltration.

Review of Quattrocchi's extradition put off
Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi is sought by New Delhi to stand trial in the Bofors payoff case.

BJD rules out supporting Dilip Ray
Party secretary general Damodar Rout said they were not concerned even if Ray's defeat meant the victory of Congress candidate Maurice Kujur.

NEWS FROM PAKISTAN
Discourage Musharraf's plan: US told
The Pakistani president wants to legitimise his rule by holding a referendum.

Pak refuses to allow British forces to land
Hundreds of marines are on board the 'HMS Ocean' in the Arabian Sea, waiting to disembark in Karachi on their way to the Bagram air base in Afghanistan.

Lawlessness, militancy hamper Pak economic recovery: Report
Growth rate has stagnated around 3.5 per cent despite substantial aid packages to reduce its $60 billion external and internal debt.

INTERVIEW
'The PM is hemmed in by half-baked Hindus'
'If the government deviates from the NDA's agreed agenda, including the preservation of the secular fabric, we will not keep quiet.' Janata Dal United MP and NDA ally Devendra Prasad Yadav denounces the Hindutva hardliners.

COLUMNS
Godhra, 'secular' 'progressives' and politics
'Can you imagine what would have happened if, say, black rioters had torched a trainload of white commuters in New York City? The entire country would have been in flames,' says Rajeev Srinivasan.

Maybe we must remember
'In the seamless expressway of injustice and death, Daniel Pearl and Sanjoy Ghose are not even milestones. Not even speedbumps. Just blips. Two more deaths of two more men,' says Dilip D'Souza.

March 24, 2002

TOP STORIES
No de-escalation along borders: PM
Pakistan was under pressure to heed to the chorus against terrorism, Vajpayee said.

DMK snaps ties with BJP in Tamil Nadu
The move comes following the BJP's warming up to the AIADMK.

GUJARAT RIOTS
Three more persons killed in Ahmedabad
Meanwhile, the imam of Ahmedabad said there would be no Muharram procession on Monday.

Two more accused in Godhra carnage held
Irfan Pado and Kasim Biryani were held on Saturday from Signal Fadia area of Godhra town.

OTHER REPORTS
9 Pak soldiers killed in retaliatory action
The Pakistani troops had targeted Indian positions in several areas in Jammu-Poonch sector, sources said.

Surjeet re-elected CPI-M general secretary
The CPI-M leader termed the BJP as the 'enemy number one' of the secular forces in the country.

Police seize $100,000 meant for JKLF chief
The money, which was allegedly meant for Yasin Malik, was found in possession of a woman who was travelling from Jammu to Srinagar.

Taj being guarded against terrorist attack
The Jaish-e-Mohammed has threatened to blow up the monument of love.

MCD polls end peacefully
Polling was brisk in the rural areas of the national capital while it was lull in the urban areas, especially the posh areas of Delhi.

SP trying to install a speaker in UP
The party has been working on the Muslim MLAs of the BSP, telling them that it would be difficult for them to explain their leader Mayawati's growing ties with the BJP to their constituents.

March 23, 2002

President gives away Padma awards
Eminent economist C Rangarajan, leading Hindustani classical vocalist Kishori Amonkar and Attorney General Soli Sorabjee were honoured with Padma Vibhushan.

SP working towards installing a suitable speaker
The party has been working on the Muslim MLAs of the BSP, telling them that it would be difficult for them to explain their leader Mayawati's growing ties with the BJP to their constituents.

POTO IN PARLIAMENT
BJP to convince Trinamool to support POT Bill
Trinamool Congress has decided not to attend the joint session of Parliament on March 26 to approve the Prevention of Terrorism Bill.

POT Bill will be passed: Jaitley
On some states stating that they would not implement the anti-terror bill, even if it is passed in the joint sitting, the law minister said: "There is something called the Constitution of India."

GUJARAT VIOLENCE
Seven private buses set on fire in Baroda
The mob asked all passengers to alight before setting the buses on fire, they police said.

Advani blames Pakistan
The Union home minister said that India would review its approach towards Pakistan only when its demand for handing over 20 terrorists, currently in Pakistan, were met.

NHRC chairman 'disturbed and shocked'
'I cannot even narrate what I have been told by the victims. It is horrible and inhuman. I am really very disturbed over it,' Justice J S Verma said.

One hurt in police firing in Ahmedabad
Indefinite curfew, which was clamped in four police station areas of Kalupur, Dariapur, Karanj and Shahpur for the third time, continued to remain in force on the fourth day on Saturday.

NEWS FROM PAKISTAN
Musharraf warns India
'We will give a befitting reply if anyone challenged the country', the Pakistan president said in an address to the nation on the occasion of Pakistan Day.

Pak refuses to hand over 20 terrorists
United States on Friday had asked Pakistan to hand over the 20 terrorists wanted by India to stand trial.

India has not provided proof: Pakistan to US
The US had asked Pakistan to extradite to India the 20 criminals and terrorists wanted by New Delhi.

JAMMU AND KASHMIR
Two killed, 20 hurt in Srinagar blast
Militants lobbed a grenade at a Border Security Force picket at Habbakadal area of the city, which missed its target and exploded on the road, killing a pedestrian.

Eight hurt in Pak firing in Jammu
Seven of the injured were army personnel, who were hurt by a Pakistani shell at a forward post Nowshera sector of Rajouri district.

OTHER REPORTS
Four arrested for harbouring LeT ultras
A K Mitra, additional director general of police, said that the four arrested person would be prosecuted under the Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance.

20 Maoist rebels killed in Nepal
The rebels have been fighting for a communist republic in Nepal since 1996 and the uprising has so far claimed more than 2,700 lives.

Quicken economic reforms: Experts
US Secretary of Commerce Samuel W Bodman said Indian tariffs 'are high and irrational' and the government protection for intellectual property is 'not what it should be'.

PM should resolve SYL canal issue: Panel
The Standing Committee on Agriculture expressed unhappiness at the centrally funded project, which has been pending since 1990.

Indo-US ties productive: Mansingh
The Indian ambassador to the US, addressing the US-India Trade and Technology Conference in Washington, said that the Indian American community has also come of age.

Nepalese premier leaves for Kolkata
During his stay in New Delhi, Sher Bahadur Dueba met several Indian leaders, including Prime Minister Vajpayee and Union Home Minister Advani.

NDA stronger by 5 MPs as IFDP joins in
P C Thomas, Pappu Yadav, Mohan Delkar, Anwarul Haque and Sukhdev Paswan are the members of the newly formed IFDP.

55 Shia mourners detained in Srinagar
Moharram processions have been banned in the city ever since the start of militancy in J&K.

Jaswant Singh to visit China next week
He will travel on the return flight of Air China's inaugural Beijing-Delhi service on March 28.

NCP accepts Tatkare's resignation
Peasant and Workers' Party, one of the coalition partners in the Democratic Front government in Maharashtra, said that Urban Development Minister Sunil Tatkare of the Nationalist Congress Party, was responsible for the defeat of PWP candidates in Raigad ZP polls.

Orissa officers charged in BPL cards racket
Several Members of Legislative Assembly, Members of Parliament had alleged about the circulation of a large number of fake Below Poverty Line cards in Nabrangpur district in 1997.

India, Bangladesh Discuss Border Issues
Killings of each others' nationals by security forces and illegal entry of citizens from both sides were discussed during the meeting.

Nothing new in Musharraf's remarks: India
The Pakistan president had said that all issues, including the Kashmir dispute, should be settled through talks.

West Bengal govt not to rush through POCA: Bhattacharya
The West Bengal chief minister also criticised the Gujarat government for the recent violence in the state.

March 22, 2002

TOP REPORTS
NDA resolves to get anti-terrorism bill passed
NDA convener Defence Minister George Fernandes said the alliance partners reaffirmed their faith in the common agenda and said it should be implemented with greater vigour.

No takers for 'shilas' in Ayodhya
The chief priest of Bara Sthan, Mahant Devendra Prasad Acharya, said that he wants the 'shilas' removed from the temple.

NHRC inspects `S6' bogie of Sabarmati Express
The commission held in-camera meetings with railway officials about the incident in which 58 passengers were burnt to death.

US orders some diplomats to leave Pakistan
The order comes within days of a bomb attack on a church in Islamabad, which left two Americans dead.

INTERVIEW
'Ayodhya dispute cannot be settled in court, but only in the heart'
'There is no more controversy about whether it is Ram or Babri. It is no longer an issue whether it is Ram's place, but only whose land it is.' The shankaracharya of Kanchi Sri Jayendra Saraswati on Ayodhya and the Hindu faith.

POTO IN PARLIAMENT
Joint session of Parliament on March 26
Prevention of Terrorism Bill was defeated in Rajya Sabha by a margin on 15 votes on Thursday night.

Trinamul not to attend joint session
Trinamul's chief whip in LS, Sudip Bandopadhaya, said his party had stayed away from the debate on the anti-terror law in Parliament and its stand remains unchanged.

Opposition blunders on strategy on POTO
The Opposition realised a bit late that by moving an amendment to the legislation, seeking its reference to a select committee, it could have delayed the joint sitting of the two Houses by six months.

GUJARAT VIOLENCE
Violence in Baroda; curfew in six areas
In Ahmedabad curfew was imposed in the four police station areas of Kalupur, Karanj, Shahpur and Dariapur.

POTO not to be invoked against Godhra accused
`Whether it is those arrested regarding Godhra carnage or in connection with the subsequent violence, action would be taken as per the IPC,' Chief Minister Narendra Modi said.

AYODHYA TANGLE
Contempt charge against PM dismissed
A petition filed before the Supreme Court contended that Atal Bihari Vajpayee had violated the court orders to maintain status quo on the Ayodhya disputed site by allowing shila daan.

Contempt charge against VHP dismissed
A petition filed before the Supreme Court alleged that the outfit's Ram Temple campaign was contemptuous of the court orders asking the maintenance of status quo at the disputed site.

VHP denies raking up asthi kalash issue
Vishwa Hindu Parishad international general secretary Dr Praveen Togadia said that the outfit 'did not even discuss the issue' in the two day convention, which concluded on Friday.

Allies express 'full faith' in Vajpayee
Home Minister Advani told the allies during a meeting of NDA constituents that the VHP would not carry out any asthi yatra.

NEWS FROM PAKISTAN
Sheikh Omar charged with Pearl's murder
The prosecutors also submitted a list of 21 witnesses, including the slain journalist's widow Marianne Pearl, to testify at the trial.

Musharraf to get himself elected: Report
The News said that the Pakistan president is holding meetings with politicians to hold a referendum in May to get himself elected as president.

Hand over terrorists to India: US to Pak
Harry Thomas, director in charge of south Asia at National Security Council, said, 'Our highest priority right now is to keep India and Pakistan from going to war'.

JAMMU AND KASHMIR
Hurriyat poll panel to meet in third country
All Party Hurriyat Conference chairman Abdul Gani Bhat said that India and Pakistan are not willing to issue visas to the members of the commission.

Grenade blasts injure 52 in Kashmir
Fourteen people, including ten terrorists and a woman, were also killed in separate incidents since Thursday night, an official spokesman said.

RSS-CHRISTIANS TALKS
Stop forcible conversions: Sudarshan
The RSS wants Indian churches to be run by Indians and also questioned the need for them to receive donations from abroad.

RSS defends Bangalore resolution
'Minorities must have good relations with the majority for their safety. It is a statement of fact,' RSS chief K C Sudarshan said.

NATASHA CASE
Crime branch takes over case
While a murder case has been registered, the cops have not ruled out the possibility of it being a suicide.

OTHER REPORTS
SC nod for publication of NCERT books
The court accepted the plea of Solicitor General Harish Salve that NCERT be permitted to publish books on non-controversial subjects.

3 cops killed by counterparts
Five other cops were injured in the shootout that took place between police teams from Tripura and Meghalaya.

Olive Ridley turtles make an appearance off Orissa coast
November to March is considered to be the mass nesting season for the turtles.

India to upgrade T-72 tanks: Report
Jane's Defence Weekly said that India signed a $73 million contract with a Polish firm to upgrade the fire control systems of the tanks.

AP govt to hold direct talks with PWG
Home Minister T Devender Goud said all parties in the state had endorsed the government's decision.

Pakistan indulging in maritime movement: Indian Navy
`There has definitely been some movement of submarines and ships... but we are prepared,' Vice Admiral Vinod Pasricha said.

Venkataswami panel gets six-month extension
`We did not seek another extension this time, but the government decided to give the extension for six months,' Justice K Venkataswami said.

COLUMN
Money, money everywhere, not a note to spend
'The Indian catalogue of building defence capability is as erratic as it is risky. And now a new problem has cropped up: the failure to use funds,' says Major General (retd) Ashok K Mehta.

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