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NOVEMBER 22
Muslims, UP government in no mood for compromise
Maulana Kalbe Sadiq made it clear: "We love India, but we cannot worship her."
Advani against compulsion on Vande Mataram
The Union home minister said the people should be allowed to accept the song on their own.
Vajpayee willing to discuss J&K with Pakistan
The PM said India is ready to discuss any issue with an open mind for the sake of good relations with its neighbours.
BSF, Rangers agree to cease fire on border
The understanding was reached at a meeting with the Pakistani Rangers in Lahore this week.
MLA, top cop escape terrorist attacks
J&K Democratic Freedom Party chief Shabir Shah was arrested in Srinagar for demonstrating against a youth's death, allegedly in BSF custody.
US unearths 'largest human smuggling ring'
Up to 300 Indians were smuggled in every month, for more than $20,000 each, or about 7,200 illegal aliens in the last three years. Two of the three ringleaders, all Indians, have been arrested.
Vajpayee, Advani gun down Thackeray's views
The prime minister assured that the Pakistani cricket team would face no problems if it comes to India.
THE ELECTIONS
The communal divide is complete in Bharuch
The Muslims have internalised the traumatic aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition and careened back to the Congress, en bloc.
Hung house may see Congress scurrying for Rajasthan rebels
"If we don't take their backing, the BJP will seek the support of the rebels to form the government," said a party source in Jaipur.
Fear stalks Morena
Carbine-wielding cops guard the candidates; the people guard their replies.
Few women in the fray in Delhi...
The Congress has done better, with 10 women candidates. The BJP has fielded only five.
...Yet their touch is evident
The campaigns that are drawing the most interest involve women candidates.
Delhi: Election Commission wants borders sealed
Madhya Pradesh: Rebels pose serious threat to Congress, BJP in Chhattisgarh
Rajasthan: Congress accuses Shekhawat of 'cajoling' his rival to retire
Rajasthan: Polls for 3 seats countermanded
THE REDIFF ELECTION SPECIALS
In Jodhpur, the die is caste
Both the BJP and Congress candidates are Bishnois. And Punia is a Jat. In the villages, the talk is that Punia has threatened their pradhans with muscle, if votes cannot come his way the regular way. And the Bishnois are closing ranks, spoiling for a fight.
44.7 million voters. 56,234 polling booths. Rs 320 million. Organising an election in India's largest state
'The sheer size makes it difficult. So many far-flung areas, highly sensitive areas... dacoit areas... Seven states border Madhya Pradesh... Infiltration of undesirable elements makes maintaining law and order difficult... AP and Maharashtra are not having elections, so all the more reason for these elements to infiltrate.'
The battle for Malwa
As Chhattisgarh with its 90 seats is poised to form a new state, the Malwa region, which will account for 30 per cent of the remaining 230 seats, has become very significant.
Neck and neck in Madhya Pradesh
"It does not matter what happened in the Lok Sabha election. At the last minute, the Congress has the capability to pull through," says a Bhopal journalist.
THE REDIFF ELECTION INTERVIEW
"You can't be sure what'll happen in politics. There are so many manipulators"
"The real issue in this election is the price rise. Not Chhattisgarh. The people are more concerned with what they eat everyday, and what price they have to pay for it. Not Chhattisgarh," says former MP chief minister Shyama Charan Shukla.
"I asked voters at my meetings whether they consider me to be an outsider. And thousands of people said no"
"There were other issues responsible for Jaswant Singhji's defeat. He was not in touch with the rural people. Also, the Congress used caste politics and money power." Narpat Singh Rajvi, Shekhawat's son-in-law, is confident of retaining Chittor.
OTHER REPORTS
Govt move to cut promotions shocks scientists
"The government has succumbed to the IAS lobby which has ensured that science and scientists cannot flourish in this country," a senior scientist at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research said.
PM blasts Congress for spreading falsehood
Vajpayee also accused the Congress of attempting to create instability in the country.
Court permits Rao to go abroad for treatment
The ex-PM is a diabetic with ischaemic heart disease and is to undergo left carotid endarterectomy.
Pallone wants US to reconsider blacklist
"Unfortunately, the decision to relax sanctions was accompanied by a move to support lending by international financial institutions for Pakistan, but not India... [in effect] expressing disfavour towards India," the Democratic congressman said.
THE REDIFF SPECIAL
Goan politicians roam around parties like tourists on the beach
The Congress has four MLAs who have defected once, three who have defected twice, and one who has a record for defecting thrice. Chief Minister de Souza's GRC has four one-time defectors and two 'double defectors'.
THE REDIFF COLUMNIST
US pressures on India will not work
"If American companies either make money in South Asia or, because of US foreign policy, lose out to competitors from elsewhere, they have the power to twist and turn State Department policies to their business ends. While this is of assistance to both countries, it does little to resolve either their mutual problems or their troubled relations with the US," says Mani Shankar Aiyar.
THE WEATHER
Rains continue in the southern parts
Rain or thundershowers are likely to occur at many places in the Andamans, at a few places in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Lakshadweep, and at isolated places in Andhra Pradesh and interior Karnataka.
NOVEMBER 20
National Security Council set up
Its first task will be to undertake the strategic defence review, which has assumed greater importance after the Pokhran tests. As part of this exercise, the NSC will have to design a command and control system for India's nuclear capability.
Muslims, UP government head for clash
The Personal Law Board has told Muslims to withdraw their wards from government schools in the state in protest against the order compelling students to sing Vande Mataram and Saraswati Vandana.
Goa government on the verge of collapse
Four members of Dr Wilfred de Souza's breakaway Congress faction have decided to return to the parent party, reducing his coalition government to a minority.
THE ELECTIONS
PM admits price rise may hurt BJP
Vajpayee said he has now convened a meeting of all chief ministers to discuss the matter and solicit suggestions to arrest inflation.
'84 riots are the biggest hurdle for Congress
Sikhs play a crucial role in Delhi. They can determine the results in at least 12 Punjabi-dominated seats and influence the outcome in several others.
'With the assembly election, there have been no more round-ups of Bangladeshis'
The police say they have too many other things to do. Political analysts wonder if the BJP now sees the immigrants as a potential vote bank -- they are traditionally prone to vote for the party in power.
Onion prices fall by half in Rajasthan
This comes as welcome relief for beleaguered CM Shekhawat, but observers are unsure whether it is good enough to see the BJP through this time.
'Bhairon Singh Shekhawat has ruined my life'
Furious at the government's apathy to the delayed results, Rajasthan University students have begun campaigning against the chief minister.
Disabled citizens may find it hard to vote
Lack of accessibility to polling booths, harassment and general apathy make voting hard for the handicapped.
Shadow CM threatens Kirti Azad's 2nd innings
Delhi Congress president Shiela Dixit's main plank in Gole Market is the price rise and the BJP's 'misrule'.
Bihar: Suraj Mandal urges people to defeat RJD in Koderma
THE REDIFF ELECTION INTERVIEWS
'Sonia Gandhi has inaugurated a new era -- corruption by proxy'
"There are 24 ministers in Madhya Pradesh under the dark shadow of the Lok Ayukta. Soniaji hasn't given them tickets, but has given tickets to their families. In MP, there has been no decentralisation of power, but a decentralisation of corruption. Khao aur khane do," says BJP leader Narendra Modi.
'The BJP cadres are demoralised!'
"People are fed up with Bhairon Singh Shekhawat's government. They want a change, and rebels cannot give them an alternative. Today, the people believe only the Congress party can provide good governance in the state," says veteran Congressman Nawal Kishore Sharma.
OTHER REPORTS
Guard killed in attempt on former Union minister's family in Kashmir
A security guard of Mohammad Maqbool Dar was killed while Dar's son, daughter, and son-in-law were hurt in an explosion at Bragpora in southern Anantnag.
Modernisation of Chinese forces hold a lesson for India: Roychowdhury
"Strength respects strength," the former army chief said, suggesting that though talks with China have been progressing reasonably well, diplomacy has to be backed with military strength.
Summons likely against Salman, Aishwarya
The actors have been accused of not co-operating with an investigation into the killing of two chinkaras while they were shooting in Kutch.
Minister announces two more tiger reserves
Suresh Prabhu says plans are also afoot to establish a wildlife trade control bureau to control poaching.
High court slams notices as Delhi refuses to cremate children
The show-cause notices ordered the government to reply by Friday as to why the bodies were not being accepted for cremation. What is worse, said a petition, tragedy-hit families are forced to sink their beloved in the Yamuna by attaching heavy boulders.
US blacklisting of Indian entities won't hit space programme: experts
Scientists at the four space organisations in Kerala hope to take the new embargo as a challenge, as on earlier occasions. "We developed cryogenic technology when Russia succumbed to US pressure in 1993 and denied it to India. The present embargo will also provide a thrust to those areas that are likely to be adversely affected."
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
Pulp friction
'Not a word, not a question about the contribution of Hindu rulers defending their native land. You see, in this "secular" country, the RSS bogey is all it takes to suspect the lives and achievements of Maharana Pratap and Shivaji...' Varsha Bhosle on the controversy about rewriting history.
One Day in November 1984
'In the 14 years since the massacre -- for me, the worst crime in our 51 years -- the Congress strongmen have not faced anything approximating punishment for their deeds. Whether under Rajiv, Rao, Kesri or Sonia, the Congress itself has shown no inclination to punish them. Not even to the laughable extent of ostracising them from the party,' says Dilip D'Souza.
Andhra Pradesh: Jaya gives Fatima Bi Rs 100,000
Maharashtra: Munde wants TADA-like law to maintain law and order in Bombay
THE WEATHER
Rain continues in the Andamans
Rain or thundershowers are likely at most places in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, at many places in coastal Karnataka, at a few places in Tamil Nadu, south interior Karnataka, Kerala and Lakshadweep, and at isolated places in coastal Orissa, south Konkan, Goa, south-central Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and north interior Karnataka.
NOVEMBER 19
THE ELECTIONS
Casteism, criminals to the fore in Delhi poll
Police records say 120 of the 815 candidates have more than three criminal cases registered against them. While 44 are independents, the BJP, Congress, Samajwadi Party, Samata Party and Janata Dal have together fielded the other 76.
All the development in Rajasthan may not save Shekhawat
The Congress has seized upon the rise in crime, along with that of food prices, to berate the BJP. Another factor is that while development has taken place, it is seen as having benefited outsiders.
BJP pulls out all the stops in Bharuch
According to party sources, 20 ministers from the Keshubhai Patel government and 60 legislators have descended on the constituency since the Election Commission notified the Lok Sabha by-election.
Advani defends Vajpayee's performance
The prime minister's handling of the government in the last eight months has demonstrated that he has the "ability, integrity and capability to lead a country like India," said the Union home minister.
Madhya Pradesh: Kota witnesses battle for supremacy in Chhattisgarh
Punjab: Spoilers Mann, BSP could decide Adampur contest
THE REDIFF ELECTION INTERVIEWS
'The price rise as an issue has only affected 23 constituencies in Rajasthan'
BJP ideologue K N Govindacharya explains why he is optimistic of winning at least 100 seats in the 200-member state assembly.
'The people are sick and tired, they may not even come out to vote...'
"The people are very angry, I can sense it. They voted for Vajpayee with hope, and they are disappointed." Chhotubhai Vasava, Gujarat's foremost tribal leader, speaks out!
OTHER REPORTS
Dr Joshi's special admission scheme for central schools quashed
"The scheme has built up high hopes amongst the workers or associates of a particular political party and they have started thinking that their children or wards can have back-door entry into KVS by approaching those who have been conferred the privilege of recommending admissions," a division bench of the Delhi high court observed.
Yeltsin cancels visit to India
No reasons were cited, fuelling speculation about the Russian president's health. Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov will deputise for him.
Alarming rise in killings spreads terror in Guwahati
A fear psychosis has gripped the people even as the Assam government replaced the city police chief. "These are not regular crimes. It is insurgency-related violence in which either United Liberation Front of Asom men killed the surrendered ULFA activists or the SULFA retaliated," said a senior police official.
De facto split in Biju Janata Dal
In a dramatic development, BJD president Naveen Patnaik suspended political affairs committee chairman Bijay Mahapatra and MPs Tathagat Satpathy and Prabhat Samantray for anti-party activities.
Ah, Taj!
Nights in Agra will once again be redolent of romance with the Centre on the verge of passing the Uttar Pradesh government's plan to reopen the famed Taj Mahal for nocturnal viewing.
Deve Gowda's SOS to Vajpayee
The former PM has sought the immediate communication to the Karnataka government of the presidential assent to the contentious Mysore Palace Acquisition Bill.
'Ploy' to destroy me, says Jaya as TNEB threatens to sue for defamation
Electricity Minister Arcot N Veerasamy said the decision was taken as the AIADMK leader did not retract her allegation that the board had availed of loans from the IMF by mortgaging its assets to clear wage arrears.
More N-tests unnecessary, says Raja Ramanna
Scientists already have the information necessary for the peaceful use of nuclear power, the former Atomic Energy Commission chief said.
Pakistan producing plutonium: report
This could help the country build hydrogen, plutonium and neutron bombs in future, a news report in The Nation said.
Ocean satellites to be launched soon
India will scan the oceans with the launch next March of Oceansat (P-4), an indigenously developed satellite to study the seas around the country.
Leonid showers miss satellites, bore stargazers
The meteoroids did not do any damage or affect communications. In fact, they weren't even visible.
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
The Right to be Heard
'Nishant Bhardwaj did what many of us feel like doing at times but lack the courage to. He poured kerosene on himself and lit a match. No, not for himself, but so that thousands of others like him may be treated with greater respect in future. So that the leaders of the nation figure out how frustrated our students are,' says Pritish Nandy.
The Lady Doth Protest Too Much
'I wonder if indeed the US is a just society. The history of the nation is suffused with acts of appalling cruelty against those who are different from the dominant mainstream population. It would behove Americans to revisit their own failings before lecturing others,' says Rajeev Srinivasan.
Andhra Pradesh: Naidu in Worldlink's 'dream cabinet'
Jammu and Kashmir: Blast, violence claim 17 lives
Kerala: No ban on arrack, avers Nayanar
Sikkim: Chamling warns of "greater Nepal" conspiracy
Tamil Nadu: HC quashes order detaining Hindu Munnani activists
THE WEATHER
Rains continue in the Andamans
Rain or thundershowers are likely to occur at most places in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, at many places in Lakshadweep, at a few places in coastal Karnataka and Kerala, and at isolated places in West Bengal, Sikkim, Orissa, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, east Madhya Pradesh, south Konkan and Goa.
NOVEMBER 18
THE ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS
VHP leader campaigns for rebels, gives BJP the jitters
Former MP B L Sharma 'Prem' claims he is campaigning against all candidates with criminal antecedents, but BJP politicians say he is out to seek revenge for his own ouster from Parliament.
Sikh Forum blasts Congress, ready to campaign for BJP
Though Sonia Gandhi has expressed unhappiness over the killings, "this is not enough", forum president Lt Gen J S Aurora said. "None of the Congress leaders has really apologised for the happenings."
Rebels may scuttle Congress chances
"The rebels have assumed a serious proportion, so much so that in some constituencies, they are our main rivals," says Rajinder Singh Kaushal, Rajasthan BJP president.
Khurana blames media for 'distorting' facts
The statement about anti-social elements being encouraged in the party did not refer to his rival Sahib Singh, the Union minister said.
Shekhawat has a fight ahead in Bali
Congress MP Mitha Lal Jain may prove a tough hurdle to surmount before the Rajasthan chief minister wins his tenth assembly election.
Patwa looking for fourth win in Bhojpur
But the narrow margin last time and charges that the BJP's CM aspirant in Madhya Pradesh does not care for the voters could prove to be his undoing.
Madhya Pradesh: A narrow margin separates Congress, BJP
THE REDIFF ELECTION SPECIAL
Congress poised to sweep Rajasthan: survey
"The BJP could be in for a humbling experience as it could lose nearly a third of the seats it won in 1993. The Congress will poll 44 per cent of the popular vote, a gain of 5.7 percentage points over 1993," says Dr N Bhaskara Rao.
OTHER REPORTS
Evidence to frame charges against 9 urea scam accused: judge
Additional Sessions Judge V B Gupta has fixed December 1 for framing charges against Prakash Chandra Yadav, son of former chemicals and fertilisers minister Ramlakhan Singh Yadav, and B Sanjeeva Rao, relative of former prime minister Narasimha Rao, among others.
JMM leader denied anticipatory bail in murder
Former MP Shibu Soren is an accused in the abduction and murder of his own secretary, Shashi Nath Jha, who is believed to have known of the JMM bribery scandal and sought his own cut.
India, big brother in South Asia, has to go the extra mile: US expert
India-born Shirin Tahir-Kheli said senior Indian and Pakistani politicians should direct the dialogue between the two countries and contribute positively if the talks are to be productive.
Seven killed, 50 injured in J&K blasts
The first explosion occurred in Surankote at about 0820 hours. The dead have been identified as Rehman Joo, Mohammed Bashir, Bashir Ahmed and Mohammed Sharief.
Major Indo-Russian defence deal next month
The agreement, to be signed during President Boris Yeltsin's visit, was finalised last week when a high-level Indian team led by Defence Secretary Ajit Kumar visited Moscow.
Technology must not become a pawn in the geo-politics game: Kalam
Science and technology are part of a global arena in the age of the World Trade Organisation and should not be disturbed by denial regimes, the Father of the Indian Missile said.
Ramamurthy denies underhand deals with arrested exec
But the petroleum minister admitted knowing V Balasubramanian, explaining that he was a senior executive of a large corporate house and would have known many politicians.
There were 10,000 men to attack the island...
India has conducted its biggest military exercise of the decade. Code-named Triamph '98, the exercise involved officers and men of the army, navy, air force and coast guard.
Naidu refuses to send CBI on wild meat chase
The Andhra Pradesh chief minister rejected the Congress demand for a CBI inquiry into the controversial dinner where the meat of protected animals was allegedly served.
Landslides paralyse Trivandrum-Nagercoil link
Three Southern Railway workers were buried alive at Idichakkaplamoodu on Sunday night while clearing the debris of an earlier landslide. Train services have been suspended for about three weeks.
Jinnah cries for distributors
And people associated with the film believe that time is running out.
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
Has the goal of a State of Palestine been advanced?
'If Wye does not lead very shortly to final status negotiations, the PLO will have to take to civil disobedience, and Hamas and others to more violent forms of response. The Israelis do not seem to understand that the sooner Gaza and the West Bank secede, brighter are the long-term prospects of sustaining a Jewish state in Israel.' Mani Shankar Aiyar on the Middle East.
'The time has come for the BJP to pledge itself to the old cricketing doctrine -- that calculated and studied attack is the best form of defence'
'The coming election may or may not turn out to be a referendum on the performance of the Vajpayee-led government. But it will certainly be a barometer of the extent to which the BJP's old image has been dented or destroyed by the urban, mainly English, press.' Arvind Lavakare begins a new column.
Goa: Weird ties spell stability
Kerala: Antony to fight if Nayanar gulps liquor ban
Maharashtra: Thackeray says law and order in Bombay is the best
Orissa: 11 school kids killed, 50 injured in truck mishap
Orissa: Five MLAs expelled from BJD
THE WEATHER
Andamans to see more rains
Rain or thundershowers are likely at many places in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and east Madhya Pradesh, and at a few places in Gangetic West Bengal, Orissa, the Bihar plateau, west Madhya Pradesh, and Lakshadweep.
NOVEMBER 17
India scores a victory at the UN
The resolution moved by India in the First Committee on Disarmament, calling for steps to reduce the risk of accidental use of nuclear weapons and a review of the doctrine of hair-trigger alert, was carried by 68 votes to 44, with 12 abstentions.
Non-Hindu students flay plan to Indianise education
"Does that mean we are not Indians if we do not learn the Vedas, the Upanishads and Sanskrit," asked one student.
THE ELECTIONS
Congress has a tough task in Delhi
The spectre of rebel candidates fighting the official nominees in as many as 15 constituencies haunts the party. And the Sikhs, the community that matters most in Delhi, remain indifferent to it.
Vajpayee, Sonia slug it out
The PM blamed the 'misrule' of the Congress for the problems the people are facing today. The Congress president retaliated by calling Vajpayee a weak prime minister who is trying to shift the blame to hide his own weakness.
BSP denies 'alliance' with Congress in MP
The party seems to be keeping its options open. It has refrained from fielding anyone against Chief Minister Digvijay Singh as well as Sunderlal Patwa (Bhojpur) and Vikram Verma (Dhar), both aspirants for the CM's post if the BJP comes to power.
OTHER REPORTS
Arms cache seized in Bombay
This is the biggest haul in recent times. Preliminary inquiries revealed that the consignment was part of the arms and explosives brought in for the 1993 bomb blasts.
Mamata blasts Congress for ties with CPI-M
The Trinamul Congress leader said they would not succeed in 'toppling' the BJP-led government as they lack numerical strength in the Lok Sabha.
HC tells Romesh Sharma to file separate pleas for quashing FIRs
A division bench comprising Justices Devinder Gupta and N G Nandi said it could not hear the Dawood aide's pleas in one petition as they relate to distinct offences and are on separate grounds.
Dissidence in the Biju Janata Dal worsens
Several party politicians are likely to boycott the first meeting of the ad-hoc state executive committee since Naveen Patnaik is refusing to postpone it.
Indo-Pak talks were not a failure: PM
Vajpayee pointed out that the Pakistanis have agreed to bilateral talks on all issues but Kashmir.
India, Pakistan will discuss all bilateral issues soon: Aziz
"There is a possibility that the next round of talks will be held in Islamabad,'' the Pakistani foreign minister said.
C Subramaniam advocates mediation
The elder statesman pointed out that Article 51-D of the Constitution imposes an obligation on the Union government to settle international disputes -- like the Kashmir issue -- by arbitration.
Only tripartite talks can resolve Kashmir dispute: Jamaat-e-Islami
"We will give all possible co-operation to find a peaceful solution," Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, chief of the Jamaat, said.
Vajpayee misled the country: Congress
Contrary to the BJP's claim, the repeated rounds of discussions between American Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott and Jaswant Singh achieved nothing, spokesman Mani Shankar Aiyar claimed.
Move to curb experiments on animals irks scientists
The Union government's move to control such experiments in research organisations could stunt the growth of science, they say.
Pak leader moots referendum on Shariat bill
With passage of the bill in the Senate becoming increasingly difficult, Pakistan Muslim League vice-president Ejaz-ul-Haq has suggested that the government hold a referendum on the issue.
THE REDIFF SPECIALS
In defence of bureaucrats
Servicemen have two choices. They can continue to sit in their ivory towers, nurse their egos and thump the table. Alternatively they can make up their minds to make the system work by co-operating and a little give-and-take. Admiral (retd) J G Nadkarni on the war between servicemen and bureaucrats.
Congress will get a clear majority in Delhi polls: survey
Sixteen per cent of those who voted for the BJP said they would vote for its rival this time.
THE REDIFF COLUMNISTS
Question of survival
'Within Congress circles they believe that Sonia Gandhi is now ready to take the plunge if the assembly elections go her way. At present, the conventional wisdom is that the Congress will win Rajasthan. Despite Digvijay Singh's brave rhetoric, the party is reconciled to losing Madhya Pradesh. Nobody cares very much about Mizoram. So Delhi becomes the crucial test of the Congress's popularity -- or of the BJP's unpopularity,' says Vir Sanghvi.
Andhra Pradesh: Storm in assembly over deer feast
Andhra Pradesh: Cyclonic storm claims 2 lives
Maharashtra: Congress does well in council poll
Maharashtra: Bombay police to seek extradition of Dawood's brother
Tamil Nadu: Karunanidhi threatens to sue Jaya for defamation
Tamil Nadu: Tamil made compulsory from nursery to the 8th standard
THE WEATHER
Wet spell continues in the Andamans
Heavy rains are likely at isolated places in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Orissa, east Madhya Pradesh and coastal Andhra Pradesh during the next 48 hours.
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