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TOP REPORTS
Omar Abdullah to resign as minister
The minister of state for external affairs said it had become difficult to 'continue' in the Union council of ministers.

Pakistan must be held accountable: PM
India will intensify efforts to remind the international coalition against terrorism that it must redeem its pledge to defeat terror, Vajpayee said.

India has a right to pre-emptive strikes: Jaswant
Finance Minister Jaswant Singh said the right to self-defence in mandated by Article 51 of the United Nations charter.

JAMMU & KASHMIR ELECTION
NC confident of victory in Anantnag
Mehboob Beg, the NC nominee, enjoys a lot of goodwill in the constituency. Another factor helping the NC is that Liaquat Ali, Beg's opponent, is a militant-turned-counterinsurgent.

Mehbooba faces tough fight on road to the legislature
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's daughter is being projected as a potential chief minister. But she first has to get past Rafi Mir of the National Conference in Pahalgam.

Confident Itoo awaits verdict from Noorabad
The Jammu and Kashmir Minister of State for Tourism has escaped four attempts, in the last three weeks, by militants to kill her.

Tight security for third phase
Polling for 26 seats spread across four districts -- Anantnag, Pulwama, Kathua and Udhampur -- will be held at 2,045 booths with over 17.81 lakh voters deciding the fate of 226 contestants.

All set for third phase of assembly election on Tuesday
The phase will see voting in 27 constituencies in four districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Kathua and Udhampur.

Despondent Tral just wants to sleep peacefully
Tral goes to the polls on Tuesday in the third phase of the Jammu & Kashmir assembly election. Yet, election fever is conspicuous by its absence in this town.

Terrorists attack NC candidate's motorcade
Terrorists opened fire on the motorcade of Food and Supplies Minister B A Nengroo, an NC candidate from Pulwama, at Kailen village on Sunday night.

Bid to blow up polling stations in Anantnag foiled
Improvised explosive devices were detected by security forces at two places in Anantnag district and defused by experts.
The Jammu & Kashmir Assembly Election: Full Coverage

INTERVIEW
'I am sure we can control Lashkar and Jaish'
'If people tomorrow see any party sabotaging the peace process, they will rise against them,'feels Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

SALMAN KHAN CASE
Bhujbal orders high-level probe into Salman case
Joint Commissioner of Police (law and order) Javed Ahmed will conduct the probe and submit his report within a week.

'Salman is a rich man, he can get away.'
The two persons who were seriously injured when Salman Khan's car ran over them say they are not interested in pursuing a case against the actor.

BANGALORE SHOOTOUT
Terrorists killed in Bangalore had links with Al Qaeda
Pictures of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden were recovered from a house the terrorists had stayed in. Police also recovered maps of several southern states with with detailed markings and notes scribbled around them.

SPECIAL
Shootout at Ramaiah Layout
Imam Ali and his group had little clue of the noose tightening around them as the Bangalore police moved in, says M D Riti.

REPORTS FROM BIHAR
Arrest warrant against cricketer-turned-BJP MP Kirti Azad
A Darbhanga court has issued a warrant against cricketer-turned-politician for ransacking a local electricity board office and assaulting a Bihar electricity board engineer.

NDA allies, RJD support call for Bihar bandh
The Left parties have called for the bandh on October 1 to protest against the Centre's decision to close down the Hindustan Fertilisers factory in Barauni district.

Rail zone in Bihar after 36 years
The East Central Railway zone will become operational on October 1.

OTHER REPORTS
Supreme Court asks Tamil Nadu to cooperate on Cauvery issue
The court asked the state to allow the Cauvery Monitoring Committee to inspect the water level at the Mettur reservoir.

Cauvery river protection panel welcomes SC order
The court has asked the Cauvery Monitoring Committee to visit dams in Tamil Nadu and report the findings to Prime Minister Vajpayee by October 3.

Court rejects contempt plea against R K Sharma
The Delhi police sought initiation of contempt proceedings against the senior IPS officer for allegedly misleading the court that his family was not allowed to meet him in custody.

Congress legislator accused in forged document case
The case has turned out to be one of the most sensational in Kerala with all the trappings of political intrigue.

Minor administrative reshuffle in Orissa
Director of Vigilance Bipin Behari Mishra has been promoted and made Director General of the Central Industrial Security Force.

Nine arrested in Chennai for betting on cricket
The betting was on the ICC Champions Trophy games in Colombo.

Naxals attack police station, blast forest check post in AP
The attacks took place in Mannanur. A police spokesman said there were no casualties.

Gujarat temple attack affects Gaya mela attendance
Till Monday, nearly 300,000 pilgrims had arrived in Gaya to offer 'pindadaan'. This is half the number expected by the pandas, whose entire livelihood depends on these pilgrims.

Congressmen court arrest over Indira memorial land
Senior Congress politicians flayed Mayawati for the forced merger of the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan land into the adjoining Rs 1.2 billion Ambedkar Park, her dream project.

Modi to get rousing welcome in Abu Road
The Gujarat chief minister will be taken round the town in a 'shobha yatra' for which more than a hundred arches are being erected.

Russia to start delivering AWACS chopper to India
The Kamov K-31 helicopters are fitted with 'Oko' (Eye) radar.

SPECIAL
'Maharaj was politically naive'
'Had he been a little more crafty he would have become prime minister.' Rajiv Shukla remembers the late Madhavrao Scindia.

COLUMNS
The Akshardham aftermath
'Is there a single "public" in India whose opinion needs to be built against terrorism?! The BJP-led government shrinks and demurs like a virgin bride!! And they have the nerve to blame the Indian people for their own ineptitude and spinelessness!' says Varsha Bhosle.

Let us not punish ourselves any more
'If we fight extremism with extremism, what will remain will only be extremism. Let us not allow that,' says Najid Hussain.

Your views:
'...losers, and a nation of cowards'

September 29, 2002

TOP REPORTS
Cops gun down five suspected terrorists in Bangalore
Police suspect gang leader Imam Ali of masterminding the bombing of the RSS headquarters in Madras in 1993 in which 14 persons were killed.

Swaminarayan temple opened to public for prayers
At a special prayer session, presided over by Pramukh Swami Shastrinarayan Swarupdas, devotees paid homage to those who fell to terrorist bullets on September 24.

JAMMU & KASHMIR ELECTION
Militants target polling booth in Pulwama district
Meanwhile, officials brought from UP for poll duty complained to the Pulwama district magistrate about the 'insensitivity' of the district administration to their needs.

1 killed, 13 injured in attack on police party in J&K
The cops were conducting security checks before a National Conference rally in Tral in Pulwama district when they were attacked.
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Election: Full Coverage

OTHER REPORTS
Cauvery stir disrupts trains services in Bangalore
Farmers agitating against the release of Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu have disrupted rail and road traffic in the state for the past four weeks.

Abu Salem's passport: Postal department employee held in AP
Gokari Saheb (43) had handed over the envelopes containing the passports of Salem and two others to a travel agent, Hamid.

TDP leader gunned down in Cuddapah district
The outlawed People's War group of Naxalites is suspected to be behind the murder.

September 28, 2002

TOP REPORTS
Stampede at Lucknow rail station; 16 killed
The incident occurred when the thousands who had attended Chief Minister Mayawati's rally in the afternoon headed for the railway station after it was over.

Lashkar responsible for temple attack: Advani
He left no one in doubt that he believes Pakistan is behind the incident.

EC shackles special forces of J&K police
Following allegations of their partisan role in the ongoing state assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir, the Election Commission on Saturday ordered confinement of J&K police's elite anti-terrorism units -- the Special Operations Group and the Special Task Force -- to their barracks.

R K Sharma remanded to 10 days' police custody
Sharma had earlier undergone a medical examination in the Ambala civil hospital as per a court order.

Salman Khan's jeep runs over pavement dwellers, one dead
The incident occurred on Hill Road junction in Bandra, Mumbai. The actor fled from the scene of the crime.

JAMMU & KASHMIR ELECTION
Anantnag hamlet holds aloft the flag of secularism
Hutmura, near Pahalgam, is one of the few villages in the state where Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs continue to live together in harmony.

4 killed, NCP candidate hurt in landmine blast
Candidate Khaleeda Mushtaq's father was among those killed when their vehicle went over the landmine in Anantnag district.

Woman minister faces a tough battle in Anantnag
Tourism Minister Sakina Itoo accuses the opposition of having a hand in the numerous attacks on her and her house.

Tral, Shopian in thrall to militants
The fear of militant strikes may affect the voter turnout in the two constituencies, though the candidates are mustering courage to campaign.

Five militants, CRPF constable among 12 killed
In an exchange of fire at Sonar Kali in Budgam, two unidentified militants and a CRPF constable, Girdhari Lal, were killed and another security personnel was injured.

Student killed in road accident, violent protests in Srinagar
A CRPF vehicle allegedly hit a scooter at Haft Chinar in Srinagar, killing the student and injuring two others.
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Election: Full Coverage

OTHER REPORTS
Delhi police get transit remand of R K Sharma
However, Sharma's lawyers have sought a medical examination before he is transferred to the custody of the Delhi police.

Who cares about Nuru Behra?
Early on Saturday morning, the Bollywood star had allegedly run over four people killing Nuru alias Behra and injuring three others, two of them seriously.

Bandh cripples normal life in Manipur
The United Committee Manipur had called the strike to protest against the government's failure to provide security along the Imphal-Dimapur NH 39 and Imphal-Jiribam NH 53.

Major admits to extramarital affair in 1980s
Former British prime minister John Major has admitted to a four-year extramarital affair with Edwina Currie, one of the most flamboyant politicians of her era, in the Margaret Thatcher government.

Pakistan government wants nothing to do with 'Miss Pakistan'
The government asked its mission in Japan to advice the organisers to stop Neelan Noorani (21) from displaying the country's name.

INTERVIEW
'It bears the ISI's stamp'
'One such indicator comes from the fact that the markings on the AK-47s had been scratched to avoid detection of the source of supply,' says supercop K P S Gill.

COLUMN
And the games played on
'Following the massacre of over forty brother and sister Indians in Akshardham, we found two ways to grieve for them. What do you think would they have wanted to be remembered like that?' asks Dilip D'Souza.

September 27, 2002

TOP REPORTS
Akshardham attack fallout of Gujarat riots: Musharraf
The Pakistan president also suggested that the Research and Analysis Wing could be involved in the killing of seven Christians in Karachi on Wednesday.

Nations can resort to pre-emptive strikes: US
But it advises restraint to India despite Pakistan continuing cross border terrorism.

'Waging war without Congress nod illegal'
An invasion solely on the president's orders could be justified only by an excessively expansive notion of presidential authority, one unsupported by the US Constitution, the New York Bar Association said.

Bush promises Pakistan $1 billion in debt relief
'We offer our assistance to Pakistan's efforts to reinitiate dialogue with neighboring India,' Bush said.

Shivani Case: Ravi Kant Sharma surrenders in Ambala
The senior IPS officer is the prime suspect in the murder of Indian Express reporter Shivani Bhatnagar.

Lucknow decked up for Mayawati's rally
Deputy Prime Minister Advani will attend the rally, which has been called to protest against Mulayam Singh Yadav's comment against the Ambedkar memorial project.

TEMPLE ATTACK
Impose President's rule in Gujarat for temple attack: Congress
The Congress claimed the terrorist attack on Akshardham temple took place as the security forces were 'busy making arrangements' for Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's Gaurav Yatra.

Akshardham temple attackers identified
Police also detained the owner and driver of the car in which the two terrorists came to the temple.

Fallen commando deserves Param Vir Chakra: Villagers
'My son died as he lived, ever ready to protect the threatened,' said Subedar Gokul Singh, himself a retired soldier.
Slide Show: Farewell to a Hero

Are we a soft state?
The attack on the Akshardham temple is the latest in a series of atrocities committed against India. Are we a soft target? Tell us your views.

The Attack on Akshardham Temple: Full Coverage

COLUMN
This battle will be won
'If Gandhinagar proved one thing it is that the Indian nation has now come of age. The country has shown that it is made of far sterner stuff than one suspected,' says Admiral J G Nadkarni (retired).

JAMMU & KASHMIR ELECTION
Bid on NC candidate's life; 10 killed in J&K
A self-styled commander of the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Showkat Ahmad War, was among those killed.

EC orders repoll in 9 booths in Poonch, Jammu, Budgam
Three booths in Surankote, three in Mendhar, two in Budgam and one in Gandhinagar segment, will have a repoll following reports of violence, rigging, and faulty voting machines.

Helicopters to drop polling staff, material at 46 booths in Doda
Of the 534 polling stations in the district, 243 are classified as hypersensitive and the remaining 291 as sensitive. Forty-six booths are located in inaccessible areas.

Congress threatens to pull out of polls
The party has urged the Election Commission to take corrective measures to prevent 'malpractices' in the remaining two phases of the election.

CPI-M's Tarigami on firm ground in Kashmir
Yousuf Tarigami, who is contesting from Kulgam in Anantnag district, has reason to smile. People in his constituency say they will vote for him, as he has served them well.

BJP won't tie up with NC: I D Swami
The Union minister said that the BJP's image has already taken a beating because of its association with Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah's National Conference.
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Election: Full Coverage

INTERVIEW
'Terrorism will have to be killed by all of us together'
Lieutenant General V G Patankar, commander of security forces in J&K, on the army's role in the state election.

CAUVERY DISPUTE
Krishna unhappy with TN boycott of Cauvery team
The Karnataka chief minister said the Cauvery Monitoring Committee could submit its report to the Supreme Court only after visiting the Mettur dam to assess the water storage level there.

Rail roko agitation by Karnataka farmers on September 29
On Thursday, some farmers ransacked offices of the irrigation and agriculture departments in Mysore and manhandled officials.
The Cauvery River Dispute: Full Coverage

REPORTS FROM TAMIL NADU
Sonia sends confusing signals to TN unit
E V K S Elangovan, who had rejuvenated the party unit by taking on Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, has been replaced by S Balakrishnan, a former TMC leader.

Queen's Award presented to TN police officers
Inspector General of Police K Radhakrishnan and Deputy Inspector General of Police Prateep Philip won the award for 'Innovation in Police Training and Development 2002'.

Tansi case: Jaya's fate hangs on Supreme Court verdict
The court verdict could decide whether J Jayalalithaa will continue to hold the office of the chief ministership of Tamil Nadu.

REPORTS FROM KARNATAKA
Send Mani as emissary to Veerappan, demands JD-U
Karnataka JD-U president C Byre Gowda accused the state government led by S M Krishna of neglecting the Nagappa case.

Karnataka seeks new tribunal on sharing Krishna waters
Karnataka complained to the Centre that Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra had built large-scale projects to use the surplus waters, putting its farmers' interests at risk.

DEFENCE REPORTS
All set for Indo-US naval exercises in Kochi
Malabar Exercise IV will see nearly 5000 personnel from both the navies are taking part in it.

Su-30 MKI aircraft inducted into IAF
The Su-30 MKI is the aircraft that other combat jets are measured against. Barring the F-22, which is not yet operational, no other fighter in the world is considered better.

OTHER REPORTS
Delhi police has framed me: R K Sharma
'At every stage till today Delhi Police pressurised me and my family to the maximum,' the prime accused in the Shivani Bhatnagar case said.

Delhi cops move court for Sharma's custody
It has sought a production warrant against him. The application is expected to be taken up on Saturday.

Three Abu Salem associates arrested in Delhi
They were in the national capital to target two businessmen, DCP (Special Cell) Ashok Chand said.

Thirteen Naxalites surrender in Andhra
'If they [Naxalites] come and surrender in the morning, they will be set at liberty by the evening. They can go to whichever place they want. The police will not detain them.' DGP Pervaram Ramulu said.

One killed as part of building collapses in Mumbai
Four people were injured when a part of Bharat Bhawan collapsed.

Goa high court asks Centre to fix uniform fishing ban
An uniform ban on fishing will reduce confrontation among Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Goa, besides allowing fish to breed.

Punjab, Haryana farmers unhappy with paddy prices
They are unhappy with the decision of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs to freeze the Minimum Support Price for paddy at last year's level.

SLIDE SHOW
The Week's Images
Protests against the dastardly terrorist attack on Akshardham, violence in the Kashmir valley, a famous Indian victory and more...

DEAR REDIFF
Learn from them!

September 26, 2002

SPECIAL
The silent heroes of Akshardham
The death toll in the Akshardham carnage would have been much higher but for a few men who made all the difference, reports Josy Joseph.

TOP REPORTS
US pressure on Pakistan not working: PM
Vajpayee asserted that India will have to fight the menace on its own.

Bal Thackeray threatens to quit NDA
The Shiv Sena chief accused Vajpayee of not taking any effective action against terrorists.

GUJARAT TEMPLE ATTACK
Panel to probe attack on Akshardham temple
Gujarat Chief Minister Modi has announced a compensation of Rs 1 million to the next of kin of the three security personnel killed in the attack.

BJP to organise 'Anti-Terrorist Day' on October 1
BJP president Venkaiah Naidu appealed to the people 'speak in one against the menace of terrorism'.

Indian students in Boston condemn massacre
In a statement the students said, 'Only by remaining steadfastly united can we, the people of India, foil the designs of the perpetrators of violence.'
The Attack on Akshardham Temple: Full Coverage

COLUMN
Passivity does not a nation protect
'Akshardham is the FIRST fidayeen attack aimed at the massacre of Indian civilians outside Jammu & Kashmir. And, there will be more...' says Varsha Bhosle.

SLIDE SHOW
Commandos to the rescue
The NSG commandos ensured a quick end to the siege of the Akshardham temple complex.

BHARAT BANDH
K P S Gill slams parties for 'politics of bandh'
The former security adviser to the Gujarat government said the time has come to put down terrorism with an 'iron hand'.

Partial response to bandh call in Delhi
Public transport is functioning normally but many preferred to stay back at home.

Near total bandh in Mumbai
In some places, bandh supporters placed obstacles on the tracks to prevent movement of local trains.

Bandh peaceful in southern states, Goa
There was some tension in Tiruppur town of Coimbatore district, as miscreants stoned a few shops belonging to the minority community.

Two stabbed in Surat; city quiet
Barring these two stray incidents of stabbing, the overall situation in the city and its outskirts was under control, sources said.

Bandh near total in Gujarat
Schools, colleges and private establishments were closed but attendance was picking up in state government offices. The ruling BJP is not supporting the bandh.

Bandh successful and peaceful in UP
Going by the response to the VHP's bandh call, it seemed people in the state were one in condemning the terrorist attack in Gandhinagar.

Bandh affects Orissa and Assam, Bihar normal
Rail and road services, shops, establishments and schools remained closed in Orissa and Assam. In Bihar only the private schools remained closed as a precautionary measure.

JAMMU & KASHMIR ELECTION
Sheikh Abdullah's associate quits NC
Ghulam Rasool Kochak alleged that the party had betrayed the people.

Centre will talk to all groups in J&K: I D Swami
'Dialogue will be started with all concerned, even with those who unfortunately did not participate in the elections,' the minister of state for home said.

Full EC team to visit J&K on Friday
The three election commissioners will review the arrangements for the third phase of polls scheduled for October 1.

Militants Attack the House of NC Candidate
The attack took place on the house of Aishya Nishat, the NC candidate from Wachi constituency, at Zainapora in Pulwama district.

PDP Threatens to Pull Out Over Rigging -
Desperate Farooq bent on rigging third phase, says party.
The Jammu & Kashmir Assembly Election: Full Coverage

CAUVERY DISPUTE
Refusal to allow reservoirs inspected may isolate Tamil Nadu
Karnataka has allowed the Cauvery Monitoring Committee team to inspect its four reservoirs storing Cauvery waters before the Cauvery River Authority meeting scheduled for September 30.

Cauvery panel team visits Karnataka reservoirs
The Cauvery Monitoring Committee will submit its report to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

UK REPORTS
Ethnic Indian to advice Tony Blair on business policy
Dr Arnab Banerji (46), a leading donor to the ruling Labour Party, was previously working with the Foreign and Colonial Group, which manages investment funds amounting to $100 billion.

British MPs revolt against Blair's Iraq policy
A backbench revolt by 64 MPs, many of them from the ruling Labour Party, has taken the gloss off Prime Minister Tony Blair's threat to take on Saddam Hussein.

OTHER REPORTS
Mumbai-born Rohinton Mistry shortlisted for Booker Prize
The 50-year-old writer has been shortlisted for his book, Family Matters, a domestic saga set in the Mumbai Parsi community of his upbringing.

India objects to selective British reference to firm
'If Iraq has rebuilt its missile infrastructure after the Gulf war, it cannot be without a vast network of procurement essentially from industrial countries,' the external affairs ministry said.

CBI directed to hand over documents demanded by Hindujas
The court also asked the CBI to make available to the accused certain papers received from Austria and assured that it would not let them feel handicapped for want of documents.

Tamil Nadu goes without power
This followed snapping of high tension lines between Sriperumputhur, near Chennai, and Cuddappah in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

Justice Srikrishna, 2 others to be elevated to SC
The government has finalised the names of justices Srikrishna, S B Sinha and Arun Kumar on the basis of the recommendation of the collegium of judges of the Supreme Court.

Stay on serial Ramkhilavan CM 'n' Family extended
A petitioner has claimed that its telecast would hurt the sentiments of the people of Bihar.

Indo-US naval exercise commences
The operation, named Exercise Malabar, is designed to increase the interoperability between the two navies.

DIARY
Mahadeva's Broom

September 25, 2002

TOP REPORTS
2 Terrorists killed; temple siege ends, toll 28
The National Security Guards commandos had earlier killed two militants in the morning.

Letter reveals obscure Tehreek-e-Kasas was behind attack
The letter also claimed that the attack was in retaliation to the killings that followed the Godhra carnage on February 27.

Finally free after Kafkaesque ordeal, Indian is on his way home
After spending months in US jails, waiting to have his name cleared of terrorism charges, Mohammed Azmath's journey back to India is being expedited at unusual speed.

Economist Sendhil Mullainathan wins rare US honor
The 29-year-old associate professor at MIT was named a MacArthur fellow, the youngest of the 24 fellows who will receive the $500,000 'genius grant.

Supporters of Nagappa contact Veerappan
Sources told 'rediff.com' that the forest brigand has demanded Rs 100 million as ransom and Kollathur Mani to be sent to him as an emissary.

GUJARAT TEMPLE ATTACK
Temple attack well thought out conspiracy: PM
After visiting the Akshardham temple in Gandhi, Vajpayee said all intelligence agencies have been directed to probe the attack.

It is a continuing war: Advani
The Deputy prime minister said the temple attack designed at disrupting J&K assembly polls have failed.

Attack on temple an outrage against humanity: BJP
'The terrorists have deliberately selected a target which represents not only religiosity but also a great cultural heritage', BJP chief spokesman Arun Jaitley said.

Invade Pak to destroy its terror network: VHP
On the eve of a nationwide bandh to condemn the Akshardham attack, VHP general secretary Praveen Togadia said: "Either the ruling class must gather courage to face the jihadi challenge or the Hindu samaj itself will find a permanent solution to it."

Pakistan denies involvement in temple attack
'We feel that those behind this terrorist attack and those trying to drag Pakistan into it are working to heighten tensions in the region,' a government statement said.

Terrorists had entered temple complex ready for a long haul
Their haversacks were full of dry fruits and chocolates. Those who had attacked Parliament on December 13, 2001, had the same modus operandi.

Army deployed in senstive areas of Gujarat
A brigade comprising over 3,000 personnel would be deployed as a 'precautionary' measure, an army spokesman said on Wednesday.

Gujarat unit's hasty strike call puts Congress in a fix
The party is finding it difficult to explain the urgent call for a state-wide bandh by its Gujarat unit even as the central leadership called for unity among all parties.

Tight security marks Congress-sponsored bandh
No untoward incident has been reported so far and vehicular traffic was normal though schools and shops remained closed, official sources said.

Places of worship put on alert nationwide
Among others places, security was tightened at the Venkateswara temple in Andhra and places of worship in Ayodhya, Varanasi and Mathura.

BJP leadership to assess Gandhinagar situation
An emergency meeting of central office-bearers of the party, to be attended by Deputy Prime Minister Advani, will be held in Gurgaon, Haryana.

Three commandos killed in temple operation
One was from the National Security Guards and others from the Gujarat police. Seven were injured.

NSG commando Suresh Yadav's body brought from Gujarat
The 41-year-old subedar was killed by terrorists during the flushing out operations at the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar.

The night in Brigadier Seethapathy's own words
Through the long night the NSG commandos played a game of cat and mouse with the two terrorists. It wasn't the first time Brigadier Seethapathy and his comrades were at such a game.

BJP postpones 4th phase of Gujarat Gaurav Yatra
The yatra was postponed in view of the attack on the Akshardham temple on Tuesday.

PM, Sonia to visit Akshardham temple
The prime minister has earlier decided to cut short his official visit to the Maldives following the attack on the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar.

VIPs make a beeline for Gandhinagar
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has cut short his visit to the Maldives and will visit the temple and meet the victims in hospitals in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.

Pramukh Swami Maharaj appeals for peace
The Pramukh Swami Maharaj said, in a statment, 'The death of the innocent people is painful and heart-rending.'

Swaminarayan sect appeals for peace
Doctor Swami, one of the seniormost leaders of the sect, told rediff.com during a visit to the temple that the attack on the "centre of peace and harmony" should not provoke people.

New Jersey Governor condemns Akshardham attack
James McGreevey requested New Jerseyans to keep the victims and families in their prayers.

Attack has crossed all limits: Thackeray
The Shiv Sena chief has called for a nationwide bandh on Thursday and also for unity among Hindutva forces.

Only essential services will be excluded from bandh: Shiv Sena
The fire brigade, milk vans, newspaper vendors and chemists will be exempted, senior Sena leader Subhash Desai said.
The Gujarat Temple Attack: Full Coverage

SPECIAL
Men in black
The Akshardham siege ended when National Security Guards killed the terrorists. George Iype profiles the secretive Black Cats.

COLUMN
Are we serious about fighting terrorism?
'India will continue to be targeted by terrorists. Not because we are numero uno on their list, but simply because we are a soft State and society!' feels Colonel (retired) Anil Athale

SLIDE SHOWS
The Attack on Akshardham
On Tuesday evening terrorists attacked one of the holiest temples of Swaminarayan sect and killed 29 devotees. Security forces killed the terrorists after a long operation. Some images from the scene.

Prayers in the US
Members of the Swaminarayan sect in the US woke up on Tuesday to the news of a terrorist attack on one of their most important temples.

J&K ELECTION
Srinagar residents keep poll officials waiting, waiting...
A front page cartoon in the Srinagar Times showing a poll official crying out for human company in an empty booth, perhaps, summed up the state of affairs.

Swami sent to J&K to review security arrangements
The Minister of State for Home Affairs will have a series of meetings with the state police and paramilitary officials.

Four army personnel, two militants killed in Kashmir
The encounter occurred when an army column surrounded Wagoora village following information about the presence of militants there.

Urban-rural divide marks poll in central Kashmir
While Srinagar largely boycotted the process, rural Kashmir witnessed brisk polling.
The Jammu & Kashmir Election: Full Coverage

INTERVIEW
'National Conference is a bottleneck for peace'
Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party Mufti Mohammad Sayeed is confident that the Farooq Abdullah government has run its full course in Jammu and Kashmir.

CAUVERY ROW
Cauvery team visits Mysore on fact-finding mission
The team headed by Water Resources Secretary A K Goswami visited the Krishnaraja Sagara dam in Mysore to assess the water level and storage facilities.

Rajakumar leads cine artists' protest rally
Barring a few incidents of stone throwing, which damaged three buses belonging to the Bangalore Motor Transport Corporation, and some private vehicles, the rally was peaceful.
The Cauvery River Water Dispute

OTHER REPORTS
Three Indians get death penalty in Dubai for drug peddling
The Dubai police had nabbed Hamid Soofi Mohiyuddin, Sulaiman Rahman Ibrahim and Sebastian Kurian in a sting operation in May, a report said.

Iraqi envoy trashes British allegations
Salah al-Mukhtar said Prime Minister Tony Blair was just trying to fabricate an excuse for the US to wage war on Baghdad.

Six working for Christian charity killed in Pakistan
The victims were working for Idara Amn-O-Insaaf. They were shot in the head after being tied to their chairs.

Bus catches fire in Andhra; thirteen killed
Police suspect one of the passengers may have been carrying inflammable material, which may have caught fire.

Fire in TN cracker unit; eight killed
The incident occurred near Kovilpatti town. The local units of two communist parties have demanded compensation for the families of the dead and injured.

Jaya confidante offers to surrender TANSI land
Sasikala Natarajan said her offer was not related to the outcome of the relevant case before the Madras high court or the case pending in the Supreme Court.

MLA injured in Orissa assembly pandemonium
Manas Ranjan Mallik was protesting against the central government's decision to privatise NALCO, when ruling Biju Janata Dal and opposition members clashed.

First reporter to meet Veerappan still in prison
Sivasubramaniam is in jail on charges of supplying arms and ammunitions to Veerappan, though his family and his editor Gopal say he was abducted and framed.

Parliament attack accused denies contact with terrorists
Mohammed Afzal, a Jaish-e-Mohammed militant and a key accused in the attack on Parliament, also denied the last contact the attackers made with him.

CBI team leaves for Lisbon
The two-member team left on Tuesday evening with some documents that are expected to help convince the Portuguese authorities about Salem's involvement in the 1993 Bombay blasts.

Manipur cut off from rest of country
Local transporters have decided to suspend bus services on the Imphal-Jiribam National Highway 53 as a mark of protest against frequent incidents of harassment of passengers.

Sikh comes across oldest copy of Guru Granth Sahib
Jeevan Singh Deol, a research fellow at St John's College, Cambridge, is in charge of a project to catalogue Punjabi manuscripts for the British Library.

COLUMNS
Setback to secularism
'Concerned citizens-must launch a renewed agitation against NCERT and its vile textbooks, persistently chasing them in Parliament. Too much is at stake-not least, the future of whole generations, and of Secular India itself,' says Praful Bidwai.

Kerala's cup of woes
'If matters don't improve soon, or at least stop becoming worse, Kerala will soon have a new tag --- 'Bihar of the South'!' warns T V R Shenoy.

Dear Rediff
Suggestions, and a Salute

September 24, 2002

TOP REPORTS
Exchange of fire continues, NSG makes no headway
The holed up militants are attacking the NSG commandos with grenades and petrol bombs.

Gunmen storm Gandhinagar temple, 30 killed, 100 hurt
The suspected terrorists, believed to be four in number, first threw grenades in the complex and then started firing indiscriminately.

Modi contradicts home secretary on hostages
J Nityanand had said that the terrorists have taken 25 devotees hostage.

Gujarat government releases names of those killed in temple attack
The Gujarat government late on Tuesday night released the names of those killed in the terrorist attack on the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar.

J&K Polls: 42 per cent vote in second phase
But the 10 constituencies in Srinagar, a stronghold of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, which had called for a boycott, recorded just 11 per cent voting.

THE GUJARAT TEMPLE ATTACK
NSG commandos rush to Gandhinagar
Forty commandos, led by Brigader Raj Seetapathi, left from Delhi for the Gujarat capital by a special plane.

Rescue operation suspended temporarily, six policemen hurt
Gujarat Home Secretary J Nityanand said: "We are now awaiting the arrival of the elite National Security Guards commandos from New Delhi."

Darkness hampers rescue operations in Gandhinagar
NSG commandos are being eagerly awaited to bolster operations against the terrorists in the Akshardham temple complex.

Advani appeals to people to maintain amity
The deputy prime minister said the attack on the Akshardham temple was to divert attention from the polls in J&K, which had gone in India's favour.

Advani speaks to President, PM
Sources in the prime minister's office in Delhi said the prime minister is keeping a close watch on the situation and is in constant touch with Advani.

Temple attack aimed at destroying India's secular fabric: Kalam
The President said the attack will make India more resolute in its fight against terrorism.

Vajpayee says his government will crush terrorism
The prime minister said all necessary steps were being taken to flush the terrorists out of Gandhinagar's Swaminarayan Temple complex.

Govt has taken all necessary steps: Modi
The Gujarat chief minister appealed to the people to have faith in the strength of the government and cooperate with it to handle the situation [arising out of the attack on Akshardham temple].

Attack shows Pak frustration, says BJP
Party spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Pakistan has carried out the attack after being frustrated by the successful polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

Minorities commission condemns terrorist attack
The Movement for Empowerment of Muslim Indians appealed to the people not to play into the hands of the evil forces.

Muslims roundly condemn attack on Swaminarayan temple
They termed the killing of innocent people as anti-Islamic and the incident an attack on humanity.

Provide security to minorities: K P S Gill to Gujarat government
The supercop said intercepts of wireless communication had indicated the possibility of a terrorist strike in Gujarat.

Gujarat Congress calls for bandh on Wednesday
The party said that the attack on the Akshardham temple had exposed the hollow claims made by Deputy Prime Minister Advani on efforts being made to curb cross-border terrorism.

High alert in Delhi, AP, TN, West Bengal and Maharashtra
Security has been beefed up around religious places and VIP areas.

Akshardham attack coincides with Rocca visit
The only difference from the previous militant strikes coinciding with American officials' visit was that this time the attack occurred in Gujarat instead of Jammu and Kashmir.

All parties condemn attack on temple
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, and CPI-M leader Somnath Chatterjee cautioned that failure to keep the peace would serve the terrorists' purpose.

Prayers in US for quick resolution of temple crisis
Rajkot resident Ketan Koria had gone to the temple on the suggestion of his Ahmedabad-based uncle whom he had come to visit.

BAPS executive meeting discusses attack
The head of the Swaminarayan sect Pramukh Swami Maharaj has asked the people to maintain peace.

A temple visit that went horribly wrong
Rajkot resident Ketan Koria had gone to the temple on the suggestion of his Ahmedabad-based uncle whom he had come to visit.

US, Britain, Pakistan condemn attack on Akshardham
'This was a particularly deadly attack and the president condemns it,' White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said.
The Gujarat Temple Attack: Full Coverage

J&K ELECTION
58 per cent polling in Jammu division
The polling was heavy in the border areas with Chhamb district registering the highest 70 per cent polling. Marh with 68 per cent came in second.

Srinagar gives a thumbs down to Election 2002
The dead look the town wore on Tuesday was a kind of a blunt message to the state authorities -- all's not well with Election 2002, not at least in Srinagar.

Acting chief of JKLF detained along with supporters
Javed Mir was picked up from outside the JKLF headquarters in Srinagar when he attempted to take out an anti-poll rally.

Gogji Bagh siege comes to an end
Superintendent of Police (south Srinagar) Mukesh Kumar clarified that the three cops were trapped inside the house, and not held hostage by the militants as presumed earlier.

Candidate campaigns on TV on poll day
In the message, aired by Siti Cable, Hansraj Dogra, an independent candidate form Jammu West, was seen pleading with people to vote for him.

Srinagar voters show no enthusiasm
Two hours after polling began, only 10 voters, including Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, had exercised their franchise in the Burn Hall School polling booth.

Militants attack polling station in Budgam district
Militants also attacked the residences of two candidates and brutally murdered a relative of another in Baramulla district.

Azad demands repolling in eight Srinagar constituencies
The constituencies are Hazratbal, Zadibal, Eidgah, Khanyar, Habbakadal, Amirakadal, Sonwar and Batmaloo.

Pak firing forces shifting of polling booths
The affected border villages are Galar, Pen and Fakirachaka near Samba town in Jammu district.
The Jammu & Kashmir Election: Full Coverage

INTERVIEW
'People realise their vote can make a difference'
'Elections not only elect the next government, they also elect the next Opposition. So the ruling combination and Opposition play an important role in shaping future developments in the state,' says J&K Governor Girish Chandra Saxena.

COLUMN
Now for some governance please
'In J&K there is a crying need, a craving, not for autonomy but for a clean, sensitive and forward-looking government,' says Arvind Lavakare.

NEWS SPECIALS
Envoy in Tibet
Even as China's leadership prepares for changes, Beijing has allowed the Dalai Lama's envoys to visit Tibet. Claude Arpi looks at what might lie in store.

Only Indian in Miss America Contest Doesn't Make It...
'When you prepare so much, there's a let down,' says Shoha Parekh. 'But there's a bigger plan for me. My life takes a different turn every few months. I will look for the next phase.'

OTHER REPORTS
Narendra Modi should have gently criticised minorities: VHP
'Content is right, but the manner should have been more gentle,' the outfit's spokesman said when asked to comment on Narendra Modi's remarks that the minorities did not practise family planning.

VHP to oppose ban move by Maharashtra govt
The state is considering banning the Bajrang Dal and the VHP in view of the communal violence in Gujarat.

CBI probes Abu Salem's passport case
The Regional Passport Office, Hyderabad, blames the kurnool district administration and the postal authorities for lapses.

Balakrishnan named new TN Congress chief
But outgoing chief E V K S Elangovan will continue to exercise control over the day-to-day affairs in his new role of working president.

5 girls charred to death, 29 injured in Tuticorin
The fire broke out due to friction when a gunny bag containing inflammable chemicals was being ragged out for drying in a private match factory.

Indian firms helped Iraqi missile programme: Blair
The British prime minister said Iraq has the capability to deploy some of its deadliest weapons in under an hour from the order and is just a year or two away from building a nuclear bomb.

Firearms seized, 3 BJP leaders held in Gujarat
The police came across the arms when they were investigating the murder of a Congress leader.

Case filed against Gujarat CM Narendra Modi in Patna court
Naim Akhtar of Patna said that Modi's statements against Muslims during the Gujarat Gaurav Yatra encourages hatred between Hindus and Muslims.

Pakistani woman's visa extended
Her husband, an Indian, had been arrested in the US after the September 11 terrorist attacks, but was recently cleared of charges of being associated with terrorists.

Shivani case: Delhi police files caveat against Sharma in SC
The crime branch filed the caveat following Sharma's failure to surrender despite his anticipatory bail plea being rejected by the Delhi high court.

ULFA leader Anup Chetia sentenced for 7 years
A trial court in Dhaka convicted the ULFA general secretary and two aides for illegal possession of a satellite phone. Chetia is already serving a six-year term for other crimes.

Transport strike to isolate Manipur
A local transport committee decided to suspend bus services along the only remaining road link with the rest of India following an assault on three passengers by NSCN ultras.

Goa government employees to work on Gandhi Jayanti
A new circular makes it mandatory for all employees to attend office for two hours on October 2 and clean up their workplace in keeping with Gandhiji's principles.

Trishul missile test-fired successfully
The country's most sophisticated short-range missile was test-fired from the Interim Test Range at Chandipur-on-sea, about 15 km from Balasore.

Peace continues to elude violence-weary Nepal
Hostilities between the Maoists and government forces is taking a heavy toll, on the population and the economy.

COLUMN
No, it wasn't a mistake
'We live in an age of competitive victimhood: your suffering is nothing compared to mine... For the suffering is then used to justify any excesses the group itself perpetrates,' says Dilip D'Souza.

September 23, 2002

J&K ELECTION
Advani equates ISI with Taliban, Al Qaeda
The successful conduct of polls would enable India to score a victory over Pakistan-sponsored proxy war, the deputy prime minister said.

No post-poll alliance with National Conference: BJP
The BJP spokesman, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, claimed that the NC had treated his party 'shabbily'.

BJP in favour of regional councils for Jammu, Ladakh
Party president Venkaiah Naidu ruled out the demand of the RSS to trifurcate the state.

PDP gaining from discontent with NC
Six years of hard work are coming to a climax for Mehbooba Mufti and her party hopes to win at least 20 of the 87 seats in the state assembly.

NC may find it tough to retain Akhnoor
Bahujan Samaj Party candidate Gafoor Ahmed is seeking to settle old scores with Govind Ram Sharma of the National Conference, and has launched a massive campaign against him.

NC will be routed in polls: M M Sayeed
The leader of the J&K People's Democratic Party denied allegations that his party was organising attacks on National Conference candidate Sakina Itoo.

Second phase may decide National Conference's fate
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah said his party would prefer to sit in the opposition if it did not get a majority, than try to cobble up a coalition.

National Conference floats its hopes on Dal lake
Party chief Omar Abdullah led a boat rally in the Dal Lake in Srinagar where the Hurriyat has called for a poll boycott.

Jammu administration all set for polls
'We are not tense at all. We have made the required arrangements to hold free and fair polls in Jammu,' Chief Electoral Officer Rohit Kansal told rediff.com.

All set for second phase of polling
Over 2.1 million voters will decide the fate of 263 candidates, including NC president and chief ministerial candidate Omar Abdullah.

Fear stalks Srinagar -- the centrepiece of J&K election
But there is hope. Peoples Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti sees a churning in the Jammu and Kashmir capital. "People are tired of militancy. They are looking for alternatives," she said.

Tense Srinagar awaits polling day
'We will ensure the security of both the voters and the candidates. We are confident that the elections will pass without any major incident,' said K Rajendra, the Inspector General Police, Kashmir.

Water will motivate Hizb chief's village to vote
Residents complain that at times, they go without a bath for days at a stretch. They see the election as payback time.

Rajnath Singh predicts coalition govt in J&K
The BJP's general secretary in charge of J&K said no government could be formed in the state without the help of his party.

Hurriyat may accept greater autonomy for Kashmir: Mirwaiz
'Kashmir is not a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan, but a human problem...,' the Hurriyat leader told the Washington Times in an interview.

Policeman killed in raid on militant hideout
The militants took two police officers and a radioman hostage, but the latter managed to escape.

Jawan killed, another injured in Doda
A massive combing operation had been launched to trace the militants.
The Jammu & Kashmir Assembly Election: Full Coverage

SPECIAL
On Dal Lake, his mask is his only shield
Basharat Peer reports on Kashmiri boatmen campaigning under the shadow of death in Srinagar's most beautiful lake.

CAUVERY WATERS ROW
Cauvery row: Rajakumar to lead protest march
But farmers in Mandya district were angry that the matinee idol had been silent over the issue. They burnt effigies of the Rajakumar and pelted stones at cinema halls.

Tamil Nadu to boycott Cauvery panel meet
The Tamil Nadu chief minister said her state would be committing contempt of the Supreme Court if it attended the Cauvery Monitoring Committee Meeting scheduled for September 29.

Contempt petition: SC issues notice to Krishna
The Karnataka chief minister has been asked to explain his stand on Tamil Nadu's allegations about non-release of Cauvery waters.

Karnataka farmers form 'suicide squads'
They would maintain a day-and-night vigil over the dams in the state and commit suicide if any water was released to Tamil Nadu, farmers' leaders warned.
The Nagappa Abduction: Full Coverage

OTHER REPORTS
Uttar Pradesh blast toll rises to 16
The police ruled out a terrorist hand in the blast saying the explosion was caused by a whole lot of crude crackers being carried by the three-wheeler in which the blast took place.

Ex-serviceman, who sold AK-47 to Veerappan, arrested
Pandurangan is a native of Perambaloor and a suspected Tamil national extremist.

2 UP journalists held in murder case
Ajay Shukla, a sacked crime reporter, was booked for the murder of a parking lot contractor while Bishwadeep Ghosh, a Kanpur-based correspondent, was held for dumping the body in a well.

4 Bajrang Dal members held for assaulting preacher
Superintendent of Police Rajesh Chandra said the men also attacked some South Koreans at a prayer meeting, suspecting them to be missionaries.

Three officials accused of helping Abu Salem produced in court
Assistant Sub-Inspector S Sattar, passport section clerk Srinivas and mandal revenue inspector Mohammed Yasin were arrested for helping gangster Abu Salem and his two wives get false passports.

Congress to fight for return of Indira memorial land
The party plans to stage a 'massive protest' in Lucknow on September 30 against the Mayawati government's decision to cancel allotment of the land.

Goa governor Fazal appointed Maharashtra governor
Kedarnath Sahni, the governor of Sikkim, will take over as the 11th governor of Goa.

AP gets first woman chief secretary
Sathi Nair (59), a senior IAS officer of the 1966 batch, replaces K Swaminathan who has been appointed chairman of the AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation.

TN cop wins prestigious international award
IGP (Vigilance and Anti-Corruption) K Radhakrishnan has won the 'International Community Policing Award 2002' instituted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).

Muslim law board demands reconstruction of mosques in Gujarat
A delegation of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board will soon call on President Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Vajpayee to request for central government help.

Gaurav Yatra undertaken with eye on Gujarat polls: BJP
Party president Naidu on Monday denied allegations that the yatra had led to tensions in some parts of Gujarat.

Wolf's visit aimed at consolidating Indo-US strategic ties
United States Assistant Secretary for Non-proliferation John Wolf would be meeting top MEA officials on September 24.

Bacteria theft sparks bio-terrorism fears
Two vials of a genetically altered bacterium that causes encephalitis in pigs were stolen from a Michigan State University research laboratory.

CIA inducts special forces for Iraq
This will allow the Pentagon to officially deny the presence of US military forces in the country.

Schroeder's coalition wins German election
The ruling coalition won 306 of the 603 seats in the Bundestag, or lower house of parliament.

INTERVIEW
'The issue of Sonia's foreign origin is over'
'In order to save this country, we need the Congress, and the Congress needs very good leadership, and that we see only in Sonia Gandhi,' says E V K S Elangovan, president of the Tamil Nadu Congress.

COLUMN
Back to the future
'Indeed, the NGOs, "secularists," etc, have founded an entire industry based on laying all the evils at the door of Hindutva,' says Varsha Bhosle.

DEAR REDIFF
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