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EC ban on VHP rally justified: Vajpayee
He said Godhra was a manifestation of bestiality and should not be used as an election issue.

Hindujas, Bofors indicted in gun deal case
Special Judge Prem Kumar has fixed December 4 as the date for the trial to begin.

US lifts curbs on arms sale to India
Congressional approvals for weapons deals of up to $14 million will not apply to New Delhi.

We made mistakes in India, Pakistan: Straw
In an interview, the British foreign secretary lamented the complacency of publishing the 'boundaries two days after [Indian] independence. Bad story for us, the consequences are still there'.

Government to lift ban on NCSN (I-M)
The move is expected to help in finding a solution to the decades-old Naga problem.

Withdraw allegations against CRA: SC to Jaya
Tamil Nadu's counsel K K Venugopal said the chief minister will soon send a letter to the prime minister withdrawing the insinuations and expressing confidence in the authority.

101 fishermen presumed dead: Bengal minister
The fishermen had set out in 20 trawlers, which capsized in the recent cyclone.

Top Al Qaeda official captured: US Official
The official refused to name the identity of the man, who was arrested last week.

GUJARAT ELECTION
VHP rejects PM's appeal on yatra
It also insisted on invoking the Godhra carnage during the course of the yatra.

VHP should have listened to PM's advice: RSS
The VHP is an autonomous organisation and if it goes ahead with the yatra, it should be ready to face the consequences, RSS spokesman M G Vaidya told AajTak news channel.

BJP supports PM's appeal to abide by EC decision
It would try to ensure that all political and social activities and election processes in the state are conducted in a peaceful, harmonious and fearless atmosphere.

Gujarat election will have no impact on Centre: Advani
Asked to comment on VHP's stand on yatra, Advani said the state government would take appropriate action.

The Gujarat Election: The Full Coverage

JAMMU AND KASHMIR REPORTS
Credibility of government more important than numbers: Mufti
The chief minister said the previous government lost the opportunity it had got in 1996 to 'change the situation'.

US ambassador Blackwill to visit J&K
Sources said his programme is being kept secret in view of threats from various terrorist groups against Americans.

Mann praises Mufti for freeing political prisoners
The Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) leader lashed out at former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra for their failure to release Sikh political prisoners.

'SUICIDE SQUAD' ROW
'Is it a crime to train with dummy swords?'
Lt Col Jayantrao Chitale asserted he had done nothing wrong or illegal in setting up the 'Hindustan suicide squad'.

Suicide squad commandant arrested
The commandant, Sanjeev Atre, led the training of the 29 youths sent to Badlapur recently by the Shiv Sena.

NEIGHBOURHOOD
Ten members of Bhutto's party shift loyalties
President Musharraf is breaking the PPP with coercion and inducements, party leader Raza Rabbani said.

Court dismisses petition against Musharraf
The petition challenged the legality of the Legal Framework Order, which incorporates Musharraf's election as president through a referendum.

Musharraf revives constitution
Thus far, Musharraf had been holding the office of president and enforcing his authority on the basis of the LFO.

Maoists kill 50 security men in Nepal attacks
Twenty-four bodies of Maoists were found, as rebels carried away several other bodies in bamboo baskets, Col Deepak Gurung, spokesman for the Royal Nepal Army, said.

Hu Jintao is China's new Communist Party boss
But his predecessor Jiang Zemin remains chairman of the party's powerful central military commission.

From hydropower engineer to top boss of communist party
Hu Jintao holds the view that India and China should handle their bilateral ties with a long-term perspective and avoid 'undesirable disturbances'.

LTTE wants to form separate state: People's Alliance
The party is concerned about the direction of the peace talks, former Sri Lankan foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar said.

REPORTS FROM TAMIL NADU
Police on the lookout for PMK president
G K Mani had stormed into a committee meeting of a trust, for whose administration the court had appointed a team.

'Burial ritual' at Muthalamman Temple modified
About 130 children who were to make the 'burial offering', were asked to lie on layers of neem leaves. The priests then jumped, or leaped over the child, to ward off evil spirits.

SC orders suspension of Karur LS poll recount
The Madras high court had earlier ordered recounting after losing DMK candidate Palaniswamy alleged irregularities in the counting.

Ex-mayor presents memo to corporation peon
Stalin, who was leading a DMK delegation, said the AIADMK government had barred officials from receiving him.

REPORTS FROM UTTARANCHAL
State BJP expels nine leaders
Usha Negi, Naththi Singh Rautela, Dayal Singh, Prem Dutt Juyal, Suresh Chandra Sharma, Yashpal Singh, Ram Ratan Singh, Gajendra Singh Tomar and Prem Singh Bisht were the expelled leaders.

Two shot dead outside minister's house
Health Minister Tilak Raj Behad was taking a stroll in front of his house in Dehradun when Rajendra Singh alias Bhura and Abhay Kumar alias Happy were shot dead in a suspected case of inter-gang rivalry.

THE NAGAPPA ABDUCTION CASE
Raju Gowda asks Veerappan to set Nagappa free
In a message being relayed on local stations of AIR in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Gowda also asked the brigand to spell out his demands.

Karnataka delegation to meet Jaya
The Tamil Nadu government has agreed to help Karnataka secure Nagappa's release.

OTHER REPORTS
MiGs not to be phased out: Fernandes
The defence minister said a Russian team had not found any fault with the MiGs being used by the IAF.

UP dissidents appeal to RSS leader; BJP softens stand
Former RSS chief Rajendra Singh is believed to have told Ganga Bhakt Singh that he will take up their case with the BJP leadership.

Petition for independent probe into Ansal Plaza case dismissed
The Delhi high court said there was no public interest involved in the petition filed by an advocate.

India should intervene in dispute with US: Iraq
Iraq regards India as a friendly nation, which is also close to the US and thus in a position to play mediator.

50,000 pilgrims take a dip in Pushkar; 4 Kashmiris held
The four were arrested after intelligence agencies said Islamic fundamentalists were planning an attack during the fair in Ajmer.

Testing times for kidney patients in Kerala
They are not able to get kidneys from non-relatives unless it can be established that no money was paid to the donor.

PM has two-hour talks with President
After the two-hour meeting, the two leaders had dinner together.

Jagir Kaur gets anticipatory bail in power theft case
The former SGPC president has already secured an interim stay on her arrest till November 17.

Patnaik may expel suspended BJD legislators
Prabhat Samant Ray, Jagannath Mallik and Kumudini Patnaik are accused of anti-party activities.

CPI-ML faction to honour kin of 1000 Naxalites
The ceremony will take place at the seventh party congress in Patna on November 30.

COLUMN
Holy Cow!
'Perhaps it is time we Hindus ask ourselves whether our reverence for the cow has not crossed all sane limits, and whether it makes sense to continue it,' argues Amberish K Diwanji.

SPECIAL
Chairman Mao goes to war
Claude Arpi argues that Chairman Mao went to war with India to reassert his authority within the China Communist Party and vis-à-vis the Soviets.

IT city or terrorist haven?
Terrorists and criminals have been flocking to Bangalore in recent times, says M D Riti.

November 14, 2002

TOP REPORTS
Arundhati Roy supports accused in Parliament case
The author is now part of the 'All India Defence Committee for SAR Geelani', a group that boasts of such names as academician Rajni Kothari, social worker Aruna Roy and lawyer Nandita Haksar.

Gujarat government refuses permission for yatra
On instructions from the Election Commission, Panchmahal District Collector Manoj Agarwal overturned the permission given by the sub-divisional magistrate of Godhra, from where the yatra was to begin.

VHP to go ahead with yatra
VHP leader Pravin Togadia said, 'I want to tell the entire nation that there will be no violence at all during our yatra.'

India will use nukes if threatened: Kalam
'When two of our neighbours have got nuclear weapons, naturally for India, to protect peace, we have to have it,' the President said.

Fernandes wants ceiling on strength of ministers
The Samata Party president called for a constitutional amendment to ensure that the strength of ministers at the Centre and in the states did not exceed 10 per cent of Parliament or state legislatures.

THE ELECTION IN GUJARAT
EC to despatch 22 special observers
The observers, who will reach Ahmedabad on Friday, were briefed by the commission on Thursday, sources said.

Congress to drop 10-12 MLAs
'All the 63 sitting MLAs of the party will not be re-nominated,' party leader Kamal Nath said.

EC ban on yatra inappropriate: BJP
Party chief Venkaiah Naidu said that in a democracy people must have the right and liberty of speech, to movement and to reach out to people.

VHP plans 'Ramdhun'
The outfit plans to hold these small gatherings in 18,000 villages.

The Election in Gujarat: The Full Coverage

THE IAF'S 'FLYING COFFIN'
MiG trainer crashes near Bagdogra
The aircraft took off from Bagdogra airfield and was on a routine sortie when it caught fire and crashed near the Bhojnarain tea estate.

Fernandes evasive on jet trainer deal
The IAF has lost close to 200 fighter pilots in accidents, most of them involving the antiquated MiG-21s.

PARLIAMENT ATTACK CASE
Defence lawyer points out 'loopholes'
Kannabiram claimed there was no evidence to connect the main accused Showkat Guru and Afzal Guru to the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed, as claimed by the prosecution.

The Attack on Parliament: The Full Coverage

THE VISIT OF BILL GATES
Eight-foot-high condom greets Bill Gates in Hyderabad
It was made of rexine at a cost of Rs 9,000 and showcased the state's commitment towards the promotion of AIDS awareness.

Gates administers polio vaccine to five kids
The Microsoft chief also kicked off the second phase of the Hepatitis B Vaccine programme funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Andhra Pradesh.

REPORTS FROM UP
Congress has BJP in a tight spot
It has extended support to a candidate put up by BJP dissidents for a by-election to the state legislative council.

Speaker puts dissident BSP legislator on notice
The BSP legislature party had moved a petition on Wednesday asking the speaker to disqualify Yadav for speaking against the government.

DIASPORA
Hyderabadi family of six killed in Wyoming
They were travelling from their home in Fridley, Minnesota, to examine prospects of starting a new life in California. The accident took place on November 6.

NRI industrialist survives assassination in Moscow
Assassins shot at Sudheer Gupta's (Amtel Group) driver through the tinted glasses of his car in what police termed as a case of 'mistaken identity'.

Ashoka-AIF fellowships for entrepreneurs
Twelve leading social entrepreneurs in India whose work spans the subcontinent, from Nagaland to Tamil Nadu, have been selected.

NEIGHBOURHOOD
Religious parties harden stand on Musharraf
Parliament is the sovereign body and supremacy of any individual and any other institution will not be accepted, they told the president.

It is a people's war in Nepal: Maoist leader
'The Nepal government categorised the Maoist movement as `terrorism because they want to get rid of us,' Krishna Bahadur Mahara told CNN in an interview.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Jiang, 5 top Chinese leaders step down
The Communist Party's landmark 16th Congress also unanimously approved the proposal to open membership to formerly reviled entrepreneurs.

Poor quality of Laden tapes hampers analysis
High and low frequencies identifying the voice may have been wiped out during telephony, say experts.

Arabs welcome Iraq's assent to UN inspectors
The decision was taken to protect the country and the region from threats of war, Iraqi diplomats said.

OTHER REPORTS
Are terrorists bad only when US is victim, asks Sinha
The war against terrorism is being fought with standards that are open to question, the external affairs minister told the Washington Times.

NHRC justifies stand in Ansal Plaza case
The commission said its decision to ask the Delhi police to submit a report on the alleged encounter in which two Pakistani militants were killed was in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

Bofors case: Charges to be framed against Hindujas
Special Judge Prem Kumar ordered framing of charges under Section 120B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating) and Section 5(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Mumbai blast accused arrested in Porbandar
Mian had been absconding since the incident in 1993.

Nagappa abduction: Karnataka seeks appointment with Jaya
On Wednesday, Karnataka Chief Secretary A Ravindra contacted his counterpart in Tamil Nadu over the phone and initiated informal discussions on possible ways to end the hostage crisis.

Andhra for Rs 18.6 billion drought relief from Centre
An assembly resolution urged the sanction of financial assistance, subsidy, provision of fodder, waiver of interest on farm loans, rescheduling of loans and sanction of fresh loans.

My suicide squad is secular: Lt Col Chitale
'I have Muslims and Christians also in this suicide squad,' the ex-serviceman said responding to reports that he was inspired by Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's call for 'Hindu suicide squads'.

Kalam gives children his success mantra
Any curriculum that does not nurture the human mind should be changed, the President said.

Manipur State Congress merges with BJP
MSC president T Chauba Singh had quit the NDA at the height of the political crisis in the state.

Mesco scam: CBI raids premises of officials in Orissa
It was alleged that state-run IPICOL released money lent by the government without verifying the share certificates and violating the rules of the steel bond, RBI and finance ministry directives.

Row in Kerala Syrian Church takes political turn
The Orthodox faction has approached the CPI-M to help protect its churches and properties from the rival Patriarch faction.

39 fishermen killed in cyclone in West Bengal
Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya said five trawlers from Midnapore (East) district capsized with 13 fishermen, while an identical number of fishing boats from South 24 Pargana district sank with 26 on board.

Sonia Gandhi desperate for power: Jaya
The Tamil Nadu chief minister said she had not been called for campaigning against the Congress in Gujarat.

Nation pays homage to Pandit Nehru
Senior Indian politicians and hundreds of people thronged the late prime minister's memorial, Shantivan.

Centre calls meeting to resolve Mandovi river issue
Karnataka wants to divert the river. But 80 per cent of its water flows through Maharashtra and Goa before joining the Arabian Sea.

Jharkhand celebrates second birthday on Friday
The Samata Party and the Janata Dal-United have decided to boycott the celebrations.

Kerala forgery case accused claims hand in ISRO espionage case
Thaniniram reporter R Jayachandran claimed to have participated in forging an intelligence document emboldened by his success in the ISRO espionage case.

INTERVIEW
'In Hinduism, dalits are not treated like human beings'
R Thirumalvalavan, head of the Dalit Panthers of India, on Tamil Nadu's anti-conversion ordinance.

DIARY
Every problem has an equal and neat solution
Raju Dantuluri on the secret of weighing machines.

SPECIAL
A garden of touch and smell
Shobha Warrier witnesses visually handicapped children feel no hindrance in a garden made especially for them in Chennai.

COLUMNS
If Saddam turns Gandhian
What if he, after ensuring everything is clean, throws open Iraq to UN inspection? T V R Shenoy paints a potential scenario.

Borrowing to stay poor
'Much of the grinding destitution of the nation is sustained by a cycle of usurious lending and subsequent bonded labor that is simply illegal, and this must change,' says Ashwin Mahesh.

November 13, 2002

Election Commission bans religious rallies in Gujarat
The commission said the proposed VHP yatra scheduled for November 17 should not be allowed.

'Indian forces were ready for raids in Pakistan'
The army and air force conducted drills during Operation Parakram to prepare for raids into Pakistani territory to destroy terrorist camps.

US asks citizens to keep off Pushkhar fair
It claims possession of intelligence inputs about a possible terrorist attack.

Over 600 fishermen missing in Bay of Bengal
At least 51 of them are feared drowned because their trawlers have reportedly capsized in the sea.

If BJP loses it would be by hit-wicket: Advani
The deputy prime minister said he was not worried about the resurgence of the Congress.

REPORTS FROM GUJARAT
VHP to defy yatra ban; BJP plays it safe
VHP leader Giriraj Kishore said, 'It is an infringement of our fundamental right. Lyngdoh's actions show his anti-Hindu bias... we have decided to defy the ban order and court arrest.'

Sangh Parivar discusses EC's ban
Narendra Modi, Keshubhai Patel and others discussed the strategy to be adopted in the light of the EC's decision to ban religious rallies.

Modi defers finalisation of candidates' list
There are reports that his rival within the party, Keshubhai Patel, is demanding a lot of seats for his supporters.

REPORTS FROM J&K
Mufti to release more political prisoners
The chief minister said, 'Democracy is a battle of ideas. Let them come out and put forth their point of view and we will put ours.'

Militants will bite the hand that feeds them: BJP to Mufti
The attitude of JKLF chairman Yasin Malik following his release from jail revealed that the militants would not change even if they were treated considerately, the party said.

Pakistani shelling kills army jawan, injures two
Kargil, Drass, Batalick Yaldor, Kasoori and Richmar sectors also saw artillery exchanges between Indian and Pakistani troops.

Security forces seize 153 kg of RDX
Militants wanted to trigger massive blasts in south Kashmir using the RDX, police sources said.

POLITICAL CRISIS IN UP
BJP wants speaker to debar rebels from voting
The party wants Keshrinath Tripathi to debar ten dissident legislators from voting in the November 18 bypoll for a legislative council seat.

BJP may disqualify dissident MLCs
The party has, however, not revealed the names of the legislative council members whose membership could be in danger.

JOLT FOR BJP IN KARNATAKA
Ten BJP MLAs meet Sonia, entry into Congress cleared
Eight BJP legislators had voted with the Congress in the Rajya Sabha polls, resulting in the election of industrialist Vijay Mallya.

Congress MLAs oppose induction of BJP MLAs
They say the inclusion of the BJP MLAs may dent the secular image of the Congress, but are ready to accept the party high command's decision.

DIASPORA
Parliamentarian of Indian-origin exchanges barbs with Prince Philip
Asked what he did before becoming MP, Parmjit Dhanda explained politely. The Prince said, 'You did not do anything then.' The young MP shot back: 'What did you do before becoming the Duke of Edinburgh?'

REPORTS FROM TAMIL NADU
Court orders police to register FIR against Karunanidhi
The DMK chief had reportedly made derogatory remarks against the majority community while addressing a rally against the law banning forcible conversions.

Dalits threaten to convert on land allotment issue
They claim to have been allotted 2 cents of land from the state government, including funds to build houses, but barring a notice, nothing has been done to evict the 'occupiers' of the land.

Five ministers join Cabinet
Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has simultaneously dropped three ministers.

Madras high court stays temple notification by Centre
An October 21 notification of the Archaeological Survey of India proposed to declare the Arunachaleswarar temple in Tiruvannamalai as a national heritage.

Farm leaders offer themselves for whiplashing
They offered themselves for a public whiplashing at the hands of community voters for campaigning for Finance Minister C Ponnaiyan in last year's assembly polls.

OTHER REPORTS
Congress pans VHP's decision to observe 'Vijay Diwas'
'It is a matter of grave concern that the VHP has joined the BJP in its communal and divisive campaign,' the party said.

Armed Maoist shot dead in the heart of Kathmandu
Soldiers of the Royal Nepal Army killed the militant seconds after he had hurled a bomb inside the premises of Raj Parishad Standing Committee chairman Keshar Jung Rayamajhi.

Police submits mall shootout report to NHRC
NHRC Chairman Justice J S Verma said the panel would consider the report before giving its views on the Ansal Plaza shootout.

SGPC to demand religious punishment for Amarinder Singh
The punishment for the Punjab chief minister is being sought for allowing the police into the Golden Temple complex.

Another arrest warrant against Abu Salem
The Mumbai underworld don is imprisoned in Lisbon on charges of illegal stay. The police is seeking his extradition.

Salman's car meets with an accident
Near the Nashik railway station, the actor's driver braked hard due to some obstacle on the road and a car coming from behind hit the actor's vehicle.

Five held in connection with lynching of Dalits
Five Dalits were lynched in Haryana, for reportedly skinning alive a cow. In protest against the arrest, the residents of Sura and neighbouring villages blocked roads.

Centre to ask TN, Karnataka to form plan for Nagappa's release
Deputy Prime Minister Advani, who met Nagappa's family, said he would 'vigorously pursue' the matter with chief ministers of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

US treasury secretary to visit India
Paul O'Neill will visit Afghanistan and Pakistan before coming to Delhi, where he will attend the G-20 session.

Sushil Modi urges Rabri to end Bihar farmers' stir
Farmers of Gaya, Jehanabad and Nalanda districts have threatened to commit suicide to protest against the diversion of a river.

Musharraf ready to compromise with MMA
The Islamist alliance wants the Pakistan president to quit as army chief and contest a proper election.

India wants greater scientific ties with EU
Union HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi said India has achieved international standards in science and technology.

Accused in forgery case in Kerala surrenders
The case relates to fabrication of an intelligence document linking Tourism Minister K V Thomas to a Rs 3.4-billion hawala scandal.

India, Croatia pledge partnership in fight against terror
President Stejpan Mesic, accompanied by several ministers and 20 top businessmen, is on a five-day trip to India.

SPECIAL
The conference that left everyone cold
The climate change conference in New Delhi achieved little, save for a 'Fossil of the Day Award', says Ramesh Menon.

COLUMN
We don't need a Putin!
'Given our social and political structures, what is stormed, who is put at risk, and who rescued, becomes an issue of power,' says Praful Bidwai.

November 12, 2002

EC asks for report on VHP yatra
The commission's directive to the government comes in the backdrop of concerns over possible threat from the yatra to the peace in the state.

Badal man re-elected SGPC chief | Images
Kirpal Singh Badungar admitted that his margin of victory had come down from last year.

THE SGPC ELECTION
Amarinder worse than Aurangzeb: Badal
The former chief minister of Punjab said the defeat of the rival candidate put up by former SGPC chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra should bring the 'intoxicated' chief minister back to his sense.

Tight security marks election
All markets within 500 metres of the Golden Temple were closed and visitors allowed enter only after frisking.

GUJARAT ELECTION
Lyngdoh adopting double standards: VHP
The outfit also dismissed reports that it wanted to contest 30 seats on BJP tickets.

Congress shielding Godhra accused: Modi
He said the Congress was dividing the people of Gujarat on communal lines.

Modi calls for a public debate over his speeches
'I am prepared to have a public debate with Sonia Gandhi in the presence of prominent editors of various newspapers and magazines,' the chief minister said.

Congress has turned down request for tie-up: Mulayam
The Samajwadi Party is left with no option but to go it alone in Gujarat, he said.

Laloo accuses Modi of inciting communal tension
The RJD chief called on all secular parties to unite and support the Congress in defeating the BJP in Gujarat.

Tension continues at Dasad
People threw stones and fired gunshots following confusion after a dog ran around the Gogh Maharaj temple.

REPORTS FROM J&K
I was framed: Yasin Malik
The JKLF chief was arrested when two activists of the outfit were arrested with $100,000 allegedly meant for him.

Government committed to give healing touch: Mufti
The chief minister said dialogue, not bullets, is the solution to any problem.

Marginal drop in infiltration: Fernandes
'But there is no material change insofar as border tension is concerned,' the defence minister told rediff.com

Two militants killed in encounter
The two opened fire when confronted by a search party in Kupwara.

POLITICAL CRISIS IN UP
Assembly speaker issues notices to BJP rebels
The notices were issued in response to a petition moved by BJP leader Lalji Tandon.

Mayawati seeks police records of all MLAs
Some of the ministers in the government have more than 24 cases against them.

REPORTS FROM KERALA
Gates to support e-literacy project
The project, aimed at making Kerala the first e-literate state in India by 2005, is scheduled to be launched by President Kalam on November 18.

Starvation stares at thousands of plantation workers
Around 15,000 workers lost jobs as half a dozen estates and 14 tea factories in the hilly district of Idukki closed.

REPORTS FROM PAKISTAN
US warns of difficulties if MMA forms government
The Bush administration conveyed this message to the Musharraf government through its special emissary -- Director, Policy Planning, State Department, Richard Haass -- who visited Islamabad early in November.

Polls were not under amended constitution: SC
The court held that the October 10 elections were conducted under the Conduct of Election Order 2002.

OTHER REPORTS
Security personnel suspended for lapses in Laloo's security
Arvind, 50, had sneaked into Laloo's residence late on Friday night and entered his bedroom.

Two die in West Bengal cyclone
Six southern districts experienced heavy to moderate rains and strong gales with the Sagardip Island under South 24 Parganas district bearing the brunt of the storm.

Cyclone threat near coastal Orissa dissipates
The coastal districts will, however, witness heavy to moderate rainfall in the next 12 hours, the Bhubaneswar meteorological centre said.

Witness to Ansal Plaza shootout moves NHRC
Dr Hari Krishna demanded an investigation by the panel to ascertain the facts of the encounter.

No plan to scrap all MiGs: IAF chief
S Krishnaswamy said only the MiG-21FL will be phased out.

SC for scrutiny of petrol pump allotments on political grounds
The court fixed December 11 for the final hearing of the bunch of petitions challenging the government's decision to cancel the allotments.

Three Pakistani fishing boats with 41 crew captured
The Coast Guard found them fishing about 30km inside the Indian economic zone.

Gandhi sites to get facelift for tourism
Tourism Minister Jagmohan said the government would develop places associated with the Mahatma, Swami Vivekananda and Adi Sankara to showcase the country's heritage.

Thailand seeks confirmation of Bay of Bengal firing incident
An official at the Thai embassy said it was not clear whether the fishermen who had fired upon Indian trawlers on Monday were Thai or not.

Vajpayee to launch power transmission project
The PM will inaugurate the 400-kilovolt Pusauli centre through a videoconference, which would improve power transmission in the central and northern regions of Bihar.

35 killed, 200 injured or missing in US storms
Tennessee was the hardest hit, with more than 16 persons killed and 55 injured. More storms of lesser severity are expected.

Chennai court reserves order in TANSI case
The Small Causes court was hearing a petition filed by Sasikala Natarajan, seeking to lift the attachment on the TANSI property.

Conference of democracies opposes censorship
Governments need a watchdog and the fourth estate fulfils this role, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha said.

Nagappa's family meets Vajpayee
The prime minister has assured the son and son-in-law of the abducted former minister that he would talk to the chief ministers of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

INTERVIEW
'Few are neutral about Modi'
BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley on the party's support for Narendra Modi and the forthcoming Gujarat election.

DIARY
Heard the buzz?
Vira Thachar on the Mosquito Brigade.

SPECIAL
When darkness fell...
Excerpts from PMO Diary-I: Prelude to the Emergency, by B N Tandon.

COLUMNS
Down the drain
'Rs 5 million is a heck of a lot of money to waste, don't you agree?' Capital Buzz. Gossip from the Delhi durbar.

Hollow promises
'The government must disband its defence empire or at least relax its monopoly and stranglehold on this vital sector,' says Admiral (retired) J G Nadkarni.

November 11, 2002

THE GUJARAT ELECTION
Kashmir was deadly, Gujarat is nasty: Lyngdoh
There was an inherent difference in the kind of killings in the two states, the CEC said, adding, 'certain thing encompasses a society in ways that is not healthy.'

8000 polling stations sensitive in Gujarat: DGP
K Chakravarty said the figure would be updated in consultation with the Election Commission.

Modi blames Congress for Godhra incident
'The Congressmen will never be able to recognise the pride of Gujarat till they remove their Italian spectacles,' the chief minister said.

Congress takes Modi to task at campaign launch
Though it was a low-key launch, Gujarat Congress chief Shankarsinh Vaghela made up for it with his fiery speech.

VHP wants to contest 30 seats in Gujarat
VHP sources claim that the outfit has helped in strengthening the agenda of Hindutva in the state in the wake of the Godhra carnage.

Violence in some areas, six killed
Two people were killed and four injured when miscreants opened fire near Gogh Maharaj temple in Dasad village, police said.

REPORTS FROM J&K
JKLF leader Yasin Malik released
Malik, who was lodged in Kot Balwal jail in Jammu, was brought to Srinagar by flight, JKLF spokesman Mohammad Ashraf said.

Released JKLF ultras welcome steps by the Mufti
Showkat Bakshi, one of the ultras, said, 'There has been a perceivable change in the situation after the new government took over.'

Seven CRPF jawans killed in IED blast in Jammu
In another incident, militants gunned down National Conference activist Ghulam Nabi near his house in Dalal Mohalla in Jammu.

Laden and Mullah Omar calling shots in Kashmir, Chechnya: Putin
'These guys kill hundreds and thousands of innocent people not just for their pleasure, but they make political demands also,' the Russian president said.

POLITICAL CRISIS IN UP
Amar Singh arrested in Lucknow
The Samajwadi Party leader was arrested on an apprehension of breach of peace when leading a protest march against the BSP-BJP government.

Samajwadi Party's protest ends in a flop
The only event of note was the arrest of Amar Singh.

Venkaiah Naidu calls for action against dissidents
The BJP president said the dissidents had crossed all limits despite the party leadership's attempts to talk to them.

Nanda's nomination for Rajya Sabha rejected
The papers were rejected on the ground that his residential address in UP was found to be bogus.

THE SGPC ELECTIONS
Amritsar is a town under siege
Not leaving anything to chance, police entered the SGPC complex again on Monday and put tall barriers on the road that separates the complex from the Golden Temple.

Sukhbir Singh Badal demands Amarinder's resignation
The former Union minister alleged the Punjab chief minister had sent police into the Golden Temple on Sunday.

HC grants stay on ex-SGPC chief Jagir Kaur's arrest
Union Chemical and Fertilizers Minister S S Dhindsa has described the decision as a 'slap on the face' of Amarinder Singh.

SGPC leader Badungar decries arrest warrant against Kaur
Outgoing president of the SGPC, Kirpal Singh Badungar, said Amarinder's government was treating Jagir Kaur like a 'proclaimed offender'.

Congress says it has nothing to do with SGPC polls
'The Congress is a secular party and has never contested SGPC or any elections related to any community,' party leader Ambika Soni said.

Police did not enter Darbar Sahab: Amarinder
The government is duty bound to maintain peace, law and order in the wake of disturbing reports of threats and counter-threats from different factions, the chief minister said.

REPORTS FROM NEIGHBOURHOOD
Musharraf cancels Cabinet-NSC joint meeting
Instead, the president began holding direct talks with leaders of various political parties.

Three-day strike hits life in Kathmandu
Maoist rebels have called the strike to protest against the king's decision to sack the elected government of Sher Bahadur Deuba.

OTHER REPORTS
16 elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha
After some hiccups over the wild card entry of arms dealer Suresh Nanda, all 11 candidates from Uttar Pradesh were elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha.

Bill Gates to launch Hepatitis B immunisation programme in AP
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is funding the partnership project with Andhra Pradesh to the tune of $25 million.

Police get autopsies of Ansal Plaza 'terrorists'
They later handed over the bodies to the Delhi Wakf Board for the last rites.

Ten Karnataka MLAs to join Congress
While two of them belong to the BJP, the rest are former Congressmen who were expelled from the party.

Canada urges India to sign CTBT, NPT
It also offered to mediate between India and Pakistan.

IT sector should embrace social inclusion: Jaya
The Tamil Nadu chief minister said, 'The globalisation of the nineties, while integrating the world, has also caused social deprivation in many countries.'

Fishermen say Thai trawlers still in Indian waters
But West Bengal's minister for Sunderbans development said a search by BSF and Coast Guard personnel revealed nothing.

Chhat festival concludes peacefully in Bihar
In Patna, over 2,00,000 people offered prayers on the ghats of the Ganga river.

Ramadoss kick-starts border row with Kerala
The mountainous terrain dividing Tamil Nadu and Kerala had come in the way of a clear demarcation at the time of the linguistic reorganisation of states in 1956, the PMK chief said.

Seven Naxalites killed in Andhra Pradesh
Suryam, an important functionary of the Communist Party of United States of India (Janashakti Veeranna), was among those killed, a police spokesman said.

MBT president Mohammed Amanullah Khan dies of heart attack
Khan had launched Majlis Bachao Tahreek after differences with Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen president Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi in April 1993 over the Babri Masjid issue. He was a member of the AP legislative assembly for five terms from 1978 to 1999.

Tornadoes in US kill 35 people
Tennessee was one of the hardest-hit states, with cars flipped over and houses reduced to rubble.

Cyclone threat to south coastal Andhra recedes
The Meteorological department has issued the de-warning for Nellore, Prakasam, Guntur and Krishna districts.

SLIDE SHOWS
Bill Gates joins the fight
The Microsoft chairman pumps in $100 million to fight the spread AIDS in India.

The SGPC's annual jamboree
The SGPC election, which is usually a staid affair, has all the makings of a political potboiler this time. Some pictures.

SPECIALS
The inventor
M D Riti profiles Dr Shaam Sundar, who has a penchant for amazing inventions.

Remembering the war: Fleeing Tezpur
P Bhattacharjee recalls the panic that set in when the Chinese were marching down to the Assam plains.

COLUMN
Apna hi sikka khota
`If terrorists aren't instantly processed and dispatched to a suitable place, why blame the security forces for doing what the people want them to do?' says Varsha Bhosle.

November 10, 2002

TOP REPORTS
Keshubhai Patel to share dais with Modi in Surat
BJP spokesman Arun Jaitley told reporters in Ahmedabad that besides Modi and Patel, Union Textiles Minister Kanshiram Rana will also be there with other important leaders.

Security beefed up in Godhra for Modi's yatra
Security has been tightened for the ninth phase of Chief Minister Narendra Modi's Gaurav Yatra, which will cover the troubled Godhra town.

BSF fails to locate intruders in Bay of Bengal
Despite a day-long search in the Bay of Bengal, Indian security forces on Sunday failed to locate the foreign trawlers that had allegedly attacked a group of Indian fishermen on Saturday.

UP rebels to hold talks with Advani
The BJP high command, however, continues to talk tough against the rebels who had proposed the candidature of arms dealer Suresh Nanda for a Rajya Sabha bypoll in the state.

Arrest warrant against former SGPC chief
The arrest warrant against Bibi Jagir Kaur assumes significance in view of the SGPC elections scheduled for November 12.

Dhindsa calls Amarinder's actions dictatorial
The Union minister said the Punjab chief minister ordered the arrest of several thousands of Akali workers just days before the SGPC election, scheduled for November 12.

Man in Laloo's bedroom gives ex-CM the scare of his life
All police personnel on duty at Laloo's wife and Chief Minister Rabri Devi's residence in Patna on Friday night have been suspended.

Chhath celebrated with religious fervour in Bihar
Millions of Hindus across Bihar offered prayers to the Sun God on Sunday on river banks to mark the Chhath puja.

New survey buoys Congress in Gujarat
Party chief Sonia Gandhi is leaving nothing to chance as she prepares to kick off one of the most crucial election campaigns of her short political career.

DELHI MALL SHOOTOUT
Delhi shootout witness alleges intimidation
Krishna, who was unreachable for several days, at a press conference reiterated his claim that the police had shot dead two unarmed men at Ansal Plaza.

Delhi police issues notice to witness
Deputy Commissioner of Police (special cell) Ashok Chand said, 'He was scheduled to appear before us but he did not turn up. That is when we decided to serve him a notice'.

Pakistan refuses to take the bodies
Pakistan's Charge d' Affaires Jaleel Abbas Jilani termed the mall shootout as a 'fake encounter' saying his country does not accept the evidence 'invented' by the Delhi police.

Priyanka better bet than Rahul: Congressmen
'We saw the fire in her... party leaders have virtually petitioned Madam [Sonia Gandhi] to allow Priyanka to enter active politics...' a Congress member said.

REPORTS FROM J&K
No plan to offer ceasefire: Fernandes
The Mufti, soon after taking over as chief minister, had suggested that the Centre declare a unilateral ceasefire in the state.

Mufti gives more 'power' to people
At a great financial risk he has asked the power department to reduce load-shedding. It will cost the J&K exchequer between Rs 3000 to Rs 5000 crores annually to get power from the northern grid.

Norway lauds polls; wants violence to end
Foreign Minister Jan Peterson, after meeting Deputy Prime Minister Advani and National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra, said issues relating to Pakistan and Afghanistan also came up for discussion.

CONGRESS CHIEF MINISTERS' CONCLAVE
Centre ignoring Congress-ruled states: Sonia
On reports that her son Rahul Gandhi will become the head of the Seva Dal, the Congress president said both her children were grown up enough to take their own decisions.

Congress slams Centre's foreign policy
Party leader Natwar Singh said India must reinvent the Non-Aligned Movement.

REPORTS FROM BIHAR
Bus service between Nepal and Bihar to start soon
According to Bihar Transport Minister Awadh Bihari Choudhary, the service will commence after an agreement is drawn up between India and Nepal.

CPI-ML congress to be held in Patna
The meet would chalk out the political agenda for the next five years in an effort to spread the party's influence across the country.

Police to conduct public survey to improve image
Director General of Police R R Prasad said the survey will be conducted by the force and not any private agency.

Reporting AIDS/HIV cases mandatory in Bihar
The identity of the patients will be kept secret.

OTHER REPORTS
Gandhians from the land of Big Mac
Dr George Willoughboy and his wife Lillian, in India to receive the Jamnalal Bajaj International Award, believe the Mahatma continues to live in India of Godhra and Naroda Patiya.

Jayalalithaa drops three ministers, inducts five
With this, the strength of the Cabinet has gone up to 30.

JPP withdraws support to NDA government
Alleging that Jharkhand has become a 'cesspool of corruption', the Jharkhand People's Party also announced a mass movement against the state's BJP-led government.

Shourie given charge of commerce ministry
Indications are that the Vajpayee government may dump the DMK in favour of AIADMK.

MDMK may move SC on Vaiko's detention
'We are considering the option, but Vaiko will not be applying for bail,' MDMK chairman L Ganesan said after meeting Vaiko in prison.

Governor urged not to give nod to TN anti-conversions bill
Minorities and dalits called on P S Ramamohan Rao to explain the difficulties that might be faced by their communities if the bill was given the go ahead.

Explosives seized in Bangalore, five held
Karnataka Home Minister Mallikarjun Kharge said at least one of the accused was trained in handling explosives by People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam in Tamil Nadu in 1985.

Canada may upgrade Chandigarh liaison office
'We have an option either to upgrade it [the liaison office] to consulate or consulate-general,' Canadian Minister for Natural Resources Herb Dhaliwal said.

Elderly Bhutanese refugees ask Vajpayee for help
India has attempted to remain neutral over the refugee issue, saying that it should be resolved through bilateral negotiations between Nepal and Bhutan.

Sinha absolves Left Front government on child deaths
The Union health minister said that the deaths were mainly due to demand-supply mismatch of oxygen cylinders and not due to the negligence of the doctors.

Forgery case: MLA Shobhana seeks CBI probe
Her demand is said to be at the instance of Congress leader K Karunakaran, who is reportedly trying to put Chief Minister A K Antony in a spot over his police policy.

CBI raids houses of railway, state officials in Orissa
The raid was part of an operation spread across eight states in connection with the Railway Recruitment Board scam.

Tamil Nadu legislator S Mani Nadar dies after prolonged illness
The 67-year-old 'TMC group' legislator represented the Sathankulam constituency in southern Tuticorin district.

Minor administrative reshuffle in Orissa
Former state home secretary Tusharkanti Mishra has been appointed principal secretary in the food and civil supply department.

Bihar bans use of private boats during Chhat festival
The ban has been imposed to avoid a repeat of the Nariyal ghat tragedy near Patna in 1995 in which 66 people drowned in a boat mishap.

SLIDE SHOW
The Bajaj Awards 2002
In its 25th year, the Jamnalal Bajaj Awards were presented in Mumbai on Saturday. Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat was the chief guest.

The week's images
Of encounters, awards and business...

SPECIALS
Remembering a War: The silver lining
Col (retd) Anil Athale believes the 1962 war resulted in a surge of patriotism and nationalism that dramatically changed the course of the nation.

Distorting history, Part 2
The textbooks in West Bengal reek of biases, reports M Chhaya.

INTERVIEW
'We paid a heavy price to elect a new government'
'One hundred and thirty people belonging to the army, paramilitary forces and state police lost their lives during the three-month period,' says Jammu and Kashmir Girish Chandra Saxena.

COLUMNS
In search of discredit
'Exalted as the Gills and Jaitleys are, common sense is not something they have in abundance. Or they would have known that questions are like the Hydra. You cut off one, you raise dozens more,' says Dilip D'Souza.

India, the Kashmiri colony
'There has to be an end to this free ride. With the new PDP-Congress coalition government in power in J&K, there is a golden opportunity to rethink this unequal situation,' says Rajeev Srinivasan.

November 9, 2002

TOP REPORTS
Delhi shootout witness alleges intimidation
Krishna, who was unreachable for several days, at a press conference reiterated his claim that the police had shot dead two unarmed men at Ansal Plaza.

Delhi police issues notice to witness
Deputy Commissioner of Police (special cell) Ashok Chand said, 'He was scheduled to appear before us but he did not turn up. That is when we decided to serve him a notice'.

Priyanka better bet than Rahul: Congressmen
'We saw the fire in her... party leaders have virtually petitioned Madam [Sonia Gandhi] to allow Priyanka to enter active politics...' a Congress member said.

REPORTS FROM J&K
No plan to offer ceasefire: Fernandes
The Mufti, soon after taking over as chief minister, had suggested that the Centre declare a unilateral ceasefire in the state.

Mufti gives more 'power' to people
At a great financial risk he has asked the power department to reduce load-shedding. It will cost the J&K exchequer between Rs 3000 to Rs 5000 crores annually to get power from the northern grid.

Norway lauds polls; wants violence to end
Foreign Minister Jan Peterson, after meeting Deputy Prime Minister Advani and National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra, said issues relating to Pakistan and Afghanistan also came up for discussion.

CONGRESS CHIEF MINISTERS' CONCLAVE
Centre ignoring Congress-ruled states: Sonia
On reports that her son Rahul Gandhi will become the head of the Seva Dal, the Congress president said both her children were grown up enough to take their own decisions.

Congress slams Centre's foreign policy
Party leader Natwar Singh said India must reinvent the Non-Aligned Movement.

UP POLITICAL CRISIS
Rebel Rajya Sabha nominee 'intimidated' in UP; withdraws
Delhi-based arms dealer Suresh Nanda, who was allegedly roughed up by Congress and BJP workers, was supported by dissident BJP legislators and independents.

Some BJP leaders surprised over action against dissidents
They feel the action could not have come without the tacit approval of some senior party leaders.

REPORTS FROM BIHAR
Bus service between Nepal and Bihar to start soon
According to Bihar Transport Minister Awadh Bihari Choudhary, the service will commence after an agreement is drawn up between India and Nepal.

CPI-ML congress to be held in Patna
The meet would chalk out the political agenda for the next five years in an effort to spread the party's influence across the country.

Police to conduct public survey to improve image
Director General of Police R R Prasad said the survey will be conducted by the force and not any private agency.

Reporting AIDS/HIV cases mandatory in Bihar
The identity of the patients will be kept secret.

OTHER REPORTS
Gandhians from the land of Big Mac
Dr George Willoughboy and his wife Lillian, in India to receive the Jamnalal Bajaj International Award, believe the Mahatma continues to live in India of Godhra and Naroda Patiya.

Jayalalithaa drops three ministers, inducts five
With this, the strength of the Cabinet has gone up to 30.

JPP withdraws support to NDA government
Alleging that Jharkhand has become a 'cesspool of corruption', the Jharkhand People's Party also announced a mass movement against the state's BJP-led government.

Shourie given charge of commerce ministry
Indications are that the Vajpayee government may dump the DMK in favour of AIADMK.

MDMK may move SC on Vaiko's detention
'We are considering the option, but Vaiko will not be applying for bail,' MDMK chairman L Ganesan said after meeting Vaiko in prison.

Governor urged not to give nod to TN anti-conversions bill
Minorities and dalits called on P S Ramamohan Rao to explain the difficulties that might be faced by their communities if the bill was given the go ahead.

Explosives seized in Bangalore, five held
Karnataka Home Minister Mallikarjun Kharge said at least one of the accused was trained in handling explosives by People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam in Tamil Nadu in 1985.

Canada may upgrade Chandigarh liaison office
'We have an option either to upgrade it [the liaison office] to consulate or consulate-general,' Canadian Minister for Natural Resources Herb Dhaliwal said.

Elderly Bhutanese refugees ask Vajpayee for help
India has attempted to remain neutral over the refugee issue, saying that it should be resolved through bilateral negotiations between Nepal and Bhutan.

Sinha absolves Left Front government on child deaths
The Union health minister said that the deaths were mainly due to demand-supply mismatch of oxygen cylinders and not due to the negligence of the doctors.

Forgery case: MLA Shobhana seeks CBI probe
Her demand is said to be at the instance of Congress leader K Karunakaran, who is reportedly trying to put Chief Minister A K Antony in a spot over his police policy.

CBI raids houses of railway, state officials in Orissa
The raid was part of an operation spread across eight states in connection with the Railway Recruitment Board scam.

Tamil Nadu legislator S Mani Nadar dies after prolonged illness
The 67-year-old 'TMC group' legislator represented the Sathankulam constituency in southern Tuticorin district.

Minor administrative reshuffle in Orissa
Former state home secretary Tusharkanti Mishra has been appointed principal secretary in the food and civil supply department.

Bihar bans use of private boats during Chhat festival
The ban has been imposed to avoid a repeat of the Nariyal ghat tragedy near Patna in 1995 in which 66 people drowned in a boat mishap.

SLIDE SHOW
The Bajaj Awards 2002
In its 25th year, the Jamnalal Bajaj Awards were presented in Mumbai on Saturday. Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat was the chief guest.

The week's images
Of encounters, awards and business...

SPECIAL
Distorting history, Part 2
The textbooks in West Bengal reek of biases, reports M Chhaya.

INTERVIEW
'We paid a heavy price to elect a new government'
'One hundred and thirty people belonging to the army, paramilitary forces and state police lost their lives during the three-month period,' says Jammu and Kashmir Girish Chandra Saxena.

COLUMNS
In search of discredit
'Exalted as the Gills and Jaitleys are, common sense is not something they have in abundance. Or they would have known that questions are like the Hydra. You cut off one, you raise dozens more,' says Dilip D'Souza.

India, the Kashmiri colony
'There has to be an end to this free ride. With the new PDP-Congress coalition government in power in J&K, there is a golden opportunity to rethink this unequal situation,' says Rajeev Srinivasan.

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