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INTERVIEW
'AIDS is not increasing at the speed it was earlier'
'In 1991 it was called a ghastly, deadly disease. Now it is a chronic, manageable disorder.' AIDS activist Dr I S Gilada assesses the health crisis the government continues to deny.

TOP REPORTS
Advani dares Pakistan to fourth war
Kick-starting the BJP's election campaign in Gujarat, he said killing of civilians by attacking temples is unacceptable.

Government ready to let NSCN-IM leaders spend X'mas in India
Isak Chisi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah had expressed a desire to celebrate the festival in Nagaland, during their talks with Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga.

Manipur not to drop cases against NSCN-IM
'There is no question of the state government considering any move to lift the ban on the underground group,' Chief Minister Ibobi Singh said.

Veerappan's deadline ends, but Mani still not free
While the bandit insists on Mani as emissary, the latter has been unable to secure bail in all the cases in which he has been named.

Bus mishap in Doda; 32 killed
The bus skidded off a bridge and fell into the Chenab River. Twenty-seven people were rescued.

GUJARAT ELECTION
BJP confident of bagging Ellis Bridge seat
The fight is primarily is between Bhawin Sheth, a BJP corporator and a Haren Pandya loyalist, and Congress party's Pradeep Roowalla.

Modi is bound to win Maninagar: Riot victims
But his rival, Yatin Ojha of the Congress, doesn't think so. He says he will start a 'letter campaign' that will change everything.

Pandya meets Vajpayee, Advani; agrees to campaign
It was his first interaction with the two top BJP leaders after he withdrew from the Gujarat poll fray.

BJP dares Cong to issue Godhra white paper
The BJP president held the Congress responsible for separatist activities in Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Assam, and Jammu and Kashmir.

NAGAPPA ABDUCTION
Mani granted conditional bail
The Karnataka high court had earlier this week granted him conditional bail in three cases. The government has also withdrawn all cases against Mani.

Senior Karnataka police officer sues Dinakar
Dinakar had accused IGP Jayaprakash of carrying Rs 5 crore in ransom to Veerappan to secure Kannada film star Rajakumar's release.

OTHER REPORTS
Vajpayee rules out resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue
The prime minister, however, said that if Pakistan stops cross-border terrorism, the two countries could even cooperate in the economic field.

UP speaker reserves order on BJP dissidents
Kesri Nath Tripathi was caught in a fix after the dissidents questioned the maintainability of the petition seeking their disqualification.

Warrant issued against Raja Bhaiya in murder case
The Uttar Pradesh police also registered a fresh case of dacoity against the independent legislator.

Vacant judges' posts to be filled up March: Jana
The Union law minister promised that henceforth a new judge will be appointed the day an old one retires.

22 injured in militant blasts in Kashmir
An improvised explosive device exploded near Victory Crossing in downtown Srinagar while miltants hurled a hand grenade at a security force vehicle in Awantipore.

Kenyan attacks: 6 Pakistanis held
Six others, including an American citizen, have been held in connection with the attacks, which left 16 people dead in Mombasa.

Centre to help rebuild J&K economy: Beig
J&K finance minister Muzaffar Hussain Beig said he also briefed Deputy Prime Minister Advani about various central projects in the state that are lagging for various reasons.

BSF to bolster security along Indo-Bangla border
This comes after reports that Bangladesh has become a nerve centre for the ISI's activities.

Priyanka's Amethi visit rattled Mayawati: Congress
'Priyanka's visit has shaken a lot of sleeping consciences in the state,' spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said.

Vajpayee to receive birthday gift
The people of Lucknow will give him a kilometre-long greeting card on December 25.

Discontent brewing in BJP's Rajasthan unit
Former deputy chief minister Hari Shankar Bhabhara ruled out the possibility of projecting state BJP president Vasundhararaje Scindia as chief minister.

Kerala panel finds nearly 700 laws redundant
The committee headed by Law Minister K M Mani has proposed 16 new laws and sought amendments to nine, besides the unification of 30 others.

'Islamic laws' to govern Pakistani province
'We cannot allow VCRs and tape recorders in passenger vehicles in our province,' the chief minister of the North West Frontier Province, Akram Durrani, said.

COLUMNS
Heel Modi!
'Given that the BJP leadership sets great store by obedience, loyalty and the like, Modi's defiance is bound to extract its pound of flesh -- as soon as the election is over.' Capital Buzz. Gossip from the Delhi durbar.

The Implication Being
'A horrible crime can be explained -- maybe not explained away, but explained -- by claiming that the criminals were actually killing Muslims,' says Dilip D'Souza.

SPECIAL
Fighting the terror of AIDS
An American institution and a Chennai hospital have tied up to fight AIDS in Tamil Nadu where 1.8 million of India's four million HIV/AIDS patients reside, says Shobha Warrier.

SLIDE SHOW
The Week's Images
'Feast of Christ' procession, a neighbour comes calling, MPs pose for a group photo, and more.

November 29, 2002

TOP REPORTS
Rapists should be shot: Fernandes
The defence minister said he supported the idea of capital punishment suggested by Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, adding that it should be similar to the Chinese system.

Pakistan stoking communal passion in India: Sonia
The Congress party president also said terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir are acting in pursuance of Islamabad's foreign policy.

India, Russia to sign Delhi Declaration during Putin visit
The declaration would stress on cooperation in combating terrorism besides covering a wide gamut of security and political issues.

Ayodhya cases to be tried at Rae Bareily: SC
With this, the court put to rest all questions as to which court had the juridiction over the sensitive Ayodhya cases, including those against Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani and other VVIPs.

Relief camp cards valid for identity: Election Commission
The other alternatives include property documents, student identity cards, railway and bus passes, passport, driving licence, permanent account number card.

CONTROVERSY OVER SAARC SUMMIT
Pak says ball in India's court for SAARC summit
Reacting to Pakistan's remark, Minister of State for External Affairs Digvijay Singh said they should take action on the issues raised by India like the need for an immediate halt to cross-border terrorism.

No Preconditions for attending SAARC meet: Pakistan
India wants its neighbour to implement "ideas" agreed to at the SAARC ministerial level meeting in Kathmandu.

GUJARAT ELECTION
Gujarat poll will decide India's future: Shahi Imam
'This election would decide the whether law would prevail... or the followers of lawlessness and suppressors of the Constitution would rule', Maulana Syed Ahmed Bukhari said.

BJP plans major offensive in Gujarat
On Saturday, 22 leaders, including Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, will descend on the state and address a total of 32 meetings.

Fear prevails in Dasaj ahead of Gujarat poll
The Muslims in the area have refused to vote if the booths are in Hindu areas and are demanding separate booth for themselves.

Complete Coverage: Gujarat Election

REPORTS FROM JAMMU & KASHMIR
'J&K government boosting the morale of separatists'
The BJP has made terrorism an issue in the Gujarat elections and this has not been lost on the Congress, a part of the ruling coalition in J&K.

Freed militants not held again: J&K police
`It is our constant effort to get an upper hand over terrorists... But sometimes they do manage to spring surprises,' J&K police chief A K Suri told rediff.com

OTHER REPORTS
How could trial continue in Bofors case, asks Supreme Court
The judges expressed surprise at the continuance of the trial of the Hinduja brothers despite a petition before it challenging the Delhi high court's quashing of the charge sheets against them.

Jaya unwell; CRA meeting deferred
But Prime Minister Vajpayee met Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna on Friday afternoon.

Minister asks Veerappan not to harm Nagappa
Karnataka Minister of State for Agro-food Processing Raju Gowda said the government was making efforts to send Tamil activist Kolathur Mani as emissary.

SC reserves verdict on plea against Kalam's election
The petition said that the appointment violated the rule framed by Parliament making it mandatory for candidates to have 50 proposers and 50 seconders.

Al Qaeda hand suspected in Kenya attack
One of the three terrorists behind the attack has been identified as Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah. The name matches that of an Al Qaeda terrorist sought by the FBI.

Aviation still on hit-list of terrorists: Expert
Professor Paul Wilkinson of St Andrews University said the attacks in Kenya were similar to the ones carried out by the Al Qaeda in the past.

BJP removes dissident UP chief whip
Raghuraj Prasad Upadhyaya has replaced Bharat Tripathi as the party's chief whip, sources said.

MMA man elected chief minister of NWFP
Punjab, the biggest of Pakistan's four provinces, is the only one where the PML-Q has formed a secure government.

Prisoner's wife seeks right to motherhood
Kalpana Daniel wants the right to cohabit with her husband, who is currently in jail, for the purpose of conceiving a baby.

COLUMNS
Heel Modi!
'Given the BJP leadership sets great store on obedience, loyalty and suchlike, Modi's defiance is bound to extract its pound of flesh -- as soon as the election is over.' Capital Buzz. Political gossip from the Delhi durbar.

The Implication Being
'A horrible crime can be explained -- maybe not explained away, but explained - by claiming that the criminals were actually killing Muslims,' says Dilip D'Souza.

Wakeup call from Mombasa
The Stinger attack on an Israeli plane in the Kenyan city, says B Raman, was bin Laden gunning for the global economy -- and through it, that of the West.

SPECIAL
Fighting the terror of AIDS
An American institution and a Chennai hospital have tied up to fight AIDS in Tamil Nadu where 1.8 million of India's four million HIV/AIDS patients reside, says Shobha Warrier

SLIDE SHOW
The Week's Images
`Feast of Christ' procession, a neighbour comes calling, MPs pose for a group photo and more.

November 28, 2002

TOP REPORTS
Rocket attack on Radio Kashmir building in Srinagar
Police said the rocket was fired from a nearby locality and hit the front side of the building.

Jhajjar lynching case: Shiv Sena leader surrenders
With this, the number of persons arrested in the case has risen to 17.

New PM to continue Kashmir policy: Musharraf
`Kashmir is an international dispute that requires the immediate attention of United Nations and other world powers,' the Pakistan president said.

Rao wanted mosque built at Ayodhya: D B Roy
D B Roy was the Senior Superintendent of Police of Faizabad district when the disputed structure at Ayodhya was demolished on December 6, 1992.

BJP to take 'full advantage' of militants' release issue
By harping on this issue the BJP hopes to consolidate the Hindu votes in the communally polarised Gujarat, which goes to polls on December 12.

GUJARAT ELECTION
Congress not to raise Godhra issue during Gujarat election
In its manifesto, the party accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of shattering the economy and faith of the people in the state.

Keshubhai projects Modi as chief minister
`There is no need to change the chief minister every time,' the senior BJP leader said.

'Giant-killer' Ojha ready to take on Modi
In 1998, when he was in the BJP, Yatin Ojha had defeated the then deputy chief minister Narhari Amin in Sabarmati.

Sonia's Gujarat campaign to start on Dec 3
The Congress president will address a public meeting in Saurashtra and Vadodara on the same day.

Attack on corporator an internal fight: BJP
The attack will not affect the party's poll prospects, party spokesman Nalin Bhat said.

Congress, BJP left in fray for Mehsana Lok Sabha seat
BJP's Punjaji Thakor and Congress' Mohanlal Patel are the only candidates left in the fray after the papers of Chandansinh Rajput were rejected during scrutiny.

REPORTS FROM JAMMU & KASHMIR
Congress for screening panel to decide release of militants
State Congress president Ghulam Nabi Azad, however, insisted that the committee would not screen the release of political prisoners.

Congress misled nation on release of prisoners: BJP
BJP spokesman V K Malhotra also condemned the Congress for defending Mehbooba Mufti's statement that India should not interfere in Jammu and Kashmir

Militants torture, kill one in Poonch
Terrorists from the banned Lashkar-e-Tayiba carved their names with a knife on the body of a civilian before killing him in the border town of Mendhar.

No talks with Arun Jaitley: Sayeed
'The Government of India and not Arun Jaitley will talk to us', the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said.

REPORTS FROM ANDHRA PRADESH
Drought leading to exodus from Telangana: Cong
Congress leader Shashidhar Reddy demanded immediate steps to prevent forcible migration of labourers by providing them employment under the Food for Work programme.

Gates Foundation to launch AIDS project in AP
Andhra Pradesh ranks second in the number of HIV-positive cases in India after Maharashtra.

Tight security in Hyderabad for Jummat-ul-Vida prayers
Additional personnel are being mobilised from outside the city to ensure peace during the next one week.

Naxalites kill one cop, injure another in Andhra Pradesh
The outlawed People's War Group Naxalites fired on the policemen when they were walking down a street in Sileru town in Andhra Pradesh.

Muslim outfits want probe into killings of terrorists in AP
Last week police had killed two youths who were allegedly behind the bomb blast near the Sai Baba temple on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

NAGAPPA ABDUCTION
Mani will be arrested if he comes to TN: officials
The Tamil activist is an accused in five cases, including the (Kannada actor) Rajakumar abduction case, in the state.

HC grants bail to Mani in three cases
On Friday another bail application will come up for hearing in a lower court in Mysore.

OTHER REPORTS
Even Cong-BJP coalition is possible: Advani
Attacking the Congress for practicing 'politics of untouchability', Advani said ten years ago no party was willing to touch the BJP with even a bargepole.

Back accusations with evidence, Bangladesh tells India
The neighbouring country denies being the hub of ISI and Al Qaeda activities against India.

US will brook no interference in Afghanistan: Khalilzad
The Bush Administration's point man also warned Afghanistan's other neighbours not to compete for influence by backing or arming one faction or another.

'Osama bin Laden is in excellent health'
'He was walking; he was healthy,' Pakistani Doctor Amir Aziz was quoted as saying.

NCP ministers', MLAs' resignations to be rejected: Bhujbal
The members are protesting against the state government's failure in providing assistance to cotton, orange and grain producers of the region.

Ansal Plaza encounter 'witness' appears before police
The Delhi high court had directed Krishna to appear before the police to record his statement after rejecting his plea for an independent inquiry into the Ansal Plaza shootout.

ULFA calls for 'humane' solution to conflict
The Centre's decision to lift the ban on the NSCN (I-M) has spurred the ULFA to seek a 'humane and democratic' solution to the 'Indo-Assam conflict'.

Raids on three former ministers of Tamil Nadu
They were G S Anbazhagan, K N Nehru and I Periaswamy of the DMK.

Tamil Nadu Congress to have 'jumbo team'
The new set-up will have 18 vice-presidents, 23 general secretaries, 36 secretaries and 36 organising secretaries, besides a 440-member general council.

Students allegedly gangrape teacher in Agra
The incident is believed to have happened a few days ago, but police pleaded helplessness in initiating action for want of a complaint.

How a chemistry postgraduate turned a into gangster
The story Om Prakash Singh can rival any of the countless plots dished out by Bollywood.

China will not become another Soviet Union: CPI-M
In an article in the latest edition of CPI-M mouthpiece, 'Chintha', Achutanandan has said bourgeois media propaganda about China trying to embrace capitalism was aimed at confusing the people.

24 million people killed by AIDS: Report
The AIDS Epidemic Update 2002 reveals that globally 42 million people are HIV positive.

Intensify efforts to link major rivers: Sonia to PM
She also asked Vajpayee to consult the Congress and opposition parties before implementing the project.

Opposition stages walkout in Lok Sabha over UP crisis
Replying to a debate, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani expressed constitutional limitations on issuing directives to state Governor Vishnukant Shastri to convene a special session of the assembly.

CPI-ML to resist American imperialism
The party said it would cooperate with communist parties of south Asia.

Buddhadev Bhattacharjee to meet striking lawyers
The lawyers are on strike to protest against the West Bengal government's decision to hike court fees.

COLUMN
Decline of the Mumbai police
'Nothing in the police reaction suggests regret or recognition of the irony that they are turning on ordinary folk when they find it increasingly difficult to catch thugs, rapists, pickpockets, extortionists and criminals,' says Sucheta Dalal.

SPECIALS
Kerala village puts lawyers out of jobs
The residents of India's first litigation free village resolve their disputes amicably, finds out George Iype.

Godhra and the Kashmir Connection
Investigations into the Godhra killings have revealed a Kashmir angle. However, many questions remain unanswered, writes Sheela Bhatt.

INTERVIEW
'We have to resist American imperialism'
'They will tell you it would be liberal, and that it would be very democratic. I have not heard of someone being democratically autocratic before. This is the threat we face today,' feels former Commonwealth secretary general Sir Shridath Ramphal.

DIARY
The tale of my tailor
A good tailor, says Shilpa Athalye, is rare. But one who stitches your necklines as deep as you want is rarer still.

November 27, 2002

'Tough for PM to attend SAARC summit'
In the absence of any 'substance' to the summit, it is 'very difficult' Vajpayee to attend it, National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra said.

Centre may declare Ayodhya 'no fly' zone
'With religious places turning into targets of terrorist outfits, we have to intensify the security in and around Ayodhya,' an intelligence official told rediff.com.

Pakistani mission in Dhaka is ISI nerve centre: Sinha
`Some Al Qaeda elements have taken shelter in Bangladesh... the media has reported several such instances and our own sources have confirmed many of these reports,' the external affairs minister told the Lok Sabha.

LTTE chief Prabhakaran ready to accept autonomy
The LTTE chief, however, said any failure to fulfil the demand for regional autonomy may compel the Tamils to secede.

GUJARAT ELECTION
BJP will not hesitate to raise Godhra issue: Advani
The deputy prime minister also asked the opposition parties to tone down their "intemperate attacks" on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Keshubhai to flag off BJP campaign on November 28
The poll manifesto has been given final touches and will be declared on December 1, party leader Arun Jaitley said.

Pandya supporters attack BJP corporator
Chairs were thrown at Amit Shah and he was attacked with sharp-edged weapons at a party function in Ahmedabad.

Two dissident Congress MLAs suspended from party
Another nine Congressmen, including four MLAs, have filed nomination papers as independents on being denied party tickets.

ACCIDENTS INVOLVING MiG 21 FIGHTERS
'I am not making my men fly coffins'
Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal S Krishnasamy said it is wrong to associate all air accidents involving MIG-21s with their so-called lack of battle-worthiness.

Govt denies purchase of second-hand spares for MiG-21s
Defence Minister George Fernandes said the IAF did purchase some reconditioned engines for the MiG-21s, but only after a thorough scrutiny by experts.

REPORTS FROM J&K
'No differences with Centre over J&K situation'
Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said security agencies had been instructed to tackle militants, but warned against excesses in the fight against militancy.

Congress insists Centre was consulted on release of militants
A spokesperson asserted that the Jammu and Kashmir government has proof of this, though Deputy Prime Minister Advani rejects the claim.

Reconsider releasing militants: Farooq Abdullah
There is no use of releasing militants if the people don't feel secure after their release, the former chief minister said.

OTHER REPORTS
Vajpayee's position as PM very secure: Brajesh Mishra
Vajpayee's principal secretary told the BBC that his job was to 'implement the policies that he (the prime minister) tells me to implement'.

US to expeditiously process border sensors for India: Blackwill
The Bush administration has also approved the sale of General Electric engines and advanced avionics for India's indigenous Light Combat Aircraft, the US ambassador said.

India must focus on five core areas: Kalam
These are agriculture and food processing, education and health care, infrastructure sectors, IT and communications, and self-reliance in core technologies, the President said.

Hindi poet 'Suman' passes away
Born in a village in Unnao district of UP in 1915, Suman, who had been honoured with the Padmashri and Padmabhushan, held a number of important posts during his illustrious life.

'Suman's appeal transcended regional barriers'
The renowned Hindi poet excelled in the field of progressive Hindi poetry. A tribute.

Pearl, Bangladeshi scribe honoured in NY
On November 26 the Committee for Protection of Journalism's annual International Press Freedom awards were presented in New York.

George is only a political colleague: Jaya Jaitly
The Samata Party leader said her relationship with Fernandes was never questioned by thousands of party workers and trade union activists they have worked with all along.

Nepali ex-soldiers awarded compensation by UK court
They had served the British government during the Second World War and suffered when they had been taken as prisoners-of-war by the Japanese.

Lady Mountbatten's tiara on sale
The platinum tiara, made by a French jeweller in 1910, is estimated to be worth about £150,000.

US WAR AGAINST TERROR
Kissinger to head 9/11 investigation commission
The commission would investigate the US government's failure in preventing the September 11 terrorist attacks on America.

FROM THE STATES
Priyanka to continue 'good work' in Amethi
She will visit her mother's parliamentary constituency in February next year, party leader in UP Arun Kumar Singh Munna told rediff.com

Delhi HC rejects Krishna's plea in Ansal Plaza case
The Delhi high court, while rejecting his plea for an independent inquiry, directed him to appear before the police to record his statement.

Gas leak near Ahmedabad affects 800
Anand District Collector R B Dave said that Oleum gas started leaking from a tanker parked outside a chemical factory on Monday evening.

Karnataka security adviser threatens to sue ex-DGP
Srinivasalu is planning to move to court over alleged defamatory charges leveled by Dinakar in his book on Rajkumar abduction.

Threat of storm in Orissa, West Bengal subsides
The cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal has moved in the northeast direction.

Playing national anthem will invite disrespect: Theatre owners
Maharashtra government will soon ask theatre owners to play the national anthem after very show.

Kerala fixes admission quota for unaided professional colleges
The government has fixed the merit and management quota for admissions at 50 per cent each.

NEIGHBOURHOOD
MQM to sit in opposition in Pakistan parliament
The sudden move by the 17-member strong party has put a question mark on the survival of the newly formed civilian government headed by Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali.

SPECIAL
Remembering a war: Lest we forget...
Instead of running scared, we could have forced a crushing defeat on the People's Liberation Army in the foothills of Assam, says Wing Commander (retd) R V Parasnis.

INTERVIEW
'We are all Africans under the skin'
Dr Spencer Wells on the new genetic evidence that shows that all human beings have descended from a single man who lived in Africa some 60,000 years ago.

COLUMN
Three tragedies with one act
'Three institutions have been damaged by a single decision,' says T V R Shenoy.

DIARY
Oh, people!
Prashant Pimpalekar just loves people - rather, classifying them.

November 26, 2002

TOP REPORTS
Government lifts ban on NSCN (I-M)
Minister of State for Home I D Swami said the decision followed NSCN leaders -- Thuingaleng Muivah and Isak Swu -- agreeing to come to India for peace talks.

Centre summons Mufti Mohammed Sayeed
A decision in this regard was taken after a meeting between Prime Minister Vajpayee and his deputy Advani.

US warns Pakistan against deals with N Korea
Secretary of State Colin Powell said any cooperation with North Korea in the nuclear field would be 'inappropriate and have consequences', including imposition of sanctions.

'BJP, RSS wanted to teach Pandya a lesson'
The BJP, after consultations with the RSS, had decided long ago not to give a ticket to Haren Pandya, a senior BJP leader said.

Advani favours death sentence for rapists
`I would like to get the point of view of political parties and state governments in this regard,' he told the Lok Sabha.

Samata Party joins opposition chorus on Mayawati govt
The party, a key constituent of the BJP-led ruling NDA at the Centre, has demanded a trial of strength in the UP assembly.

REPORTS FROM JAMMU & KASHMIR
Witnesses recollect temple terror
Even as a 'lean and thin terrorist wearing a blue sweater' lobbed grenades and fired indiscriminately, visitors to the Raghunath temple displayed extraordinary valour and presence of mind.

Jammu limps back to normalcy
While schools and colleges remained closed, the local markets opened and public transport resumed in the city, which suffered a terror attack on the Raghunath temple on Sunday.

Raghunath temple to reopen on Wednesday
The chief priest of the temple is in favour of having a temple defence committee, like villages of Kashmir have their own defence committees.

Blast in Kupwara, 3 killed
In a separate incident, militants gunned down three members of a family at village Watterhal in Budgam district, police sources said.

Central agencies consulted on release of militants: Azad
He charged the BJP with making an 'unnecessary hue and cry', and added that the release of detainees was 'not anything new'.

PRESIDENT IN ANDHRA PRADESH
Harness technology to bring medicare to rural areas: Kalam
Kalam said that mobile medicare units would facilitate treatment of complex and simple diseases in remote locations.

Kalam gets rousing welcome in Hyderabad
Andhra Pradesh Governor Dr C Rangarajan, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, ministers, top officials and other dignitaries were present to receive the President at Begumpet airport.

OTHER REPORTS
Saffron brigade disrupts seminar on communalism in Vadodara
However, participants, several of them women, refused to be cowed down by the intimidatory tactics.

Jaya Jaitly accuses Tehelka, Cong of sabotaging probe
Addressing a news conference in New Delhi on Tuesday, Jaitly claimed that a Times of India report accusing the government of sabotaging the inquiry was incorrect.

HC notices to defence minister, others on MiG mishaps
A petition filed in the Rajasthan high court says the aircraft violate Article 21 of the Constitution, which upholds the right to live.

Guwahati bar association objects to judge's posting
Justice Amar Bir Singh Gill, who was with the Punjab and Haryana high court before being transferred to Guwahati, is one of the three judges involved in the Punjab Public Service Commission recruitment scandal.

Kerala forgery case: Congress MLA questioned
This is the first time Shobhana George has been questioned in depth after being released on bail on October 4.

25 reportedly lose vision after operation in Ludhiana
Most of the victims are in their sixties and seven of them were confirmed blind by the doctors of the Jagraon civil hospital

11 take oath as Rajya Sabha members
Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhawat welcomed the new members and said the House was looking forward to their participation.

Muslim area in Patna tense after cleric's murder
Zafri, brother of a prominent leader of a Muslim organisation, had his throat slit with a sharp weapon.

DNA test to resolve paternity dispute in Bihar
A Muslim couple from Begusarai and a Hindu couple from Nepal have staked claim to a nine-year-old boy.

CPI-ML felicitates veterans at party congress
CPI-ML politburo member Swadesh Bhattacharya honoured their 'contribution to the revolutionary peasant movement in Bihar in the last three decades'.

CPI-ML to replicate Bihar's anti-saffron model in Gujarat
General secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said, `The saffron brigade today is displaying a new level of aggression, the AK-47 of the Vajpayee-Joshi-Advani vintage giving way to the AK-56 of the Modi-Togadia-Singhal variety.'

Actor-filmmaker Raja Bundela surrenders
He has been accused of 'stage-managing' an assault on himself on November 17.

Goa plans educational scheme for special children
The scheme plans to provide financial assistance, pre-school training as well as special training during schooling, counselling of parents and special training for the teachers.

NEIGHBOURHOOD
Afghanistan frees 87 Pak prisoners who allegedly fought for Taliban
Released under a deal negotiated by the UAE and supervised by the Red Cross, they were handed over to the Pakistani embassy in Kabul.

SPECIAL
Where East meets West
Suleman Din visits Turkey, and comes away amazed and amused.

COLUMNS
Our elite's fetish for human rights
'Of what kind is this milk of human kindness in India that expects its policemen to somehow get rid of terrorism without waving even a fly swatter?' says Arvind Lavakare.

Licence to kill
'The State can frame as many laws as it requires for fighting terrorism. But it has to stay within the limits of the law. It can't become a law unto itself,' says Kuldip Nayar.

DIARY
Goodbyes hurt
Vaibhavi Gondil is terrified of farewells.

November 25, 2002

TEMPLE ATTACK IN JAMMU
Centre was not consulted on release of militants: Advani
The Congress party had claimed that the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had released several militants only after consulting the Centre.

Hurriyat, Pakistan condemn temple attack
The Hurriyat Conference said the root cause of violence needed to be addressed, while Pakistan said such acts were intended to escalate tension in the area.

Terrorists want communal divide in J&K: Advani
The chief minister has convened a meeting of prominent citizens in Jammu to seek the people's cooperation in fighting terrorism in the state, Advani said.

Militants were foreigners: Sayeed
In a statement in the state legislature, the chief minister said Pakistan-based militant outfit Lashkar-e-Tayiba has claimed responsibility for the attack.

No lowering of guard against terrorism: Sayeed
The Jammu and Kashmir chief minister clarified that the 'healing touch' did not mean a soft policy towards militancy.

After temple terror, George, Sonia visit Jammu
'Those who criticise the new J&K government should remember that the militants were released after the clearance of the central intelligence agencies,' Sonia Gandhi said.

No going soft on terrorism: Beig
The Jammu and Kashmir finance minister sought to explain the attack on the Raghunath and Shiv temples in Jammu as an act of desperation by the terrorists.

Cops gun down another militant near Shiv temple
The militant had opened several rounds of fire from near the temple in the Panjbakhtar area on Monday morning.

No security lapse on part of CRPF: Swami
The minister of state for home affairs praised the state police and the Central Reserve Police Force commandos for tackling the situation without the help of the National Security Guards.

Siege of temples end, 12 killed
Security forces killed a lone militant in the Raghunath temple and two more in the smaller Shiv temple nearby.

OTHER J&K REPORTS
Amnesty welcomes J&K govt's rights programme
The Congress-PDP government's common minimum programme promises a review of the existing security laws and cases of detainees held without trial for a long time.

BSF seizes explosives, ammunition in Tral
`The consignment was meant for Mujahideen and JeM militants, who were planning to target VIPs, convoys of security forces and for explosions at crowded places for creating terror among the public,' a BSF spokesman said.

GUJARAT ELECTION
Modi to face six others for Maninagar seat
Two more Bharatiya Janata Party candidates, the Samajwadi Party and the National Congress Party have also fielded their candidates from this constituency, including one independent candidate.

BJP fields Bhavin Sheth from Ellisbridge
Sheth is a councillor in the Ahmedabad civic body.

Congress releases last list
The Congress now has its candidates in all but one seat in the state. The lone seat has been given to its ally -- the Communist Party of India.

BJP manifesto focuses on 'cultural nationalism'
Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajendrasinh Rana said terrorism 'can be successfully countered by cultural nationalism'.
The Gujarat Election: Full Coverage

NEIGHBOURHOOD
Pakistan denies supplying nuclear materials to North Korea
The New York Times said that Pakistan supplied nuclear materials and technology to North Korea in exchange for ballistic missile technology.

New Pakistan govt seeks better ties with India
Foreign Minister Mian Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri says enhancing ties with Islamic countries and cementing relations with the United States and the European Union are priorities.

Over 50 Maoists killed in Nepal
The rebels were on their way to attack Besishahar 250kms from Kathmandu, when they encountered security forces at the border of Gorkha and Lamjung districts.

Plan to kill Karzai, Fahim foiled
A 22-year-old Iraqi Kurd with a large amount of explosives strapped around his body was arrested in Kabul.

OTHER REPORTS
I am deeply hurt by the allegations: Venkataswami
'As has been made clear, this was not the first time a judge heading one commission was assigned another task', he said at a press conference in New Delhi.

Centre to lift ban on NSCN-IM
The move is expected to clear the way for top NSCN-IM leaders Isak Chisi Swu and Th Muivah to visit New Delhi for talks.

Bus accident in MP, 27 killed
Sources said the front tyre burst and the bus overturned over some boulders near the road.

Naxals blast railway station, three culverts in AP
The ultras had also called for a Guntur bandh, which evoked little response.

Cyclonic storm may hit Orissa coast
The state government has alerted concerned district administrative officials, Orissa Disaster Mitigation Authority managing director Arabinda Behera said.

92 countries sign ballistic missile code of conduct
The International Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation aims to prevent proliferation of ballistic missiles.

Saudi envoy may have unwittingly helped terrorists
Prince Bandar and his wife Princess Haifa thought they were helping some people in distress, according to a report in Time.

REPORTS FROM TAMIL NADU
PMK president Mani surrenders
He has been remanded to judicial custody till December 5, following the rejection of his anticipatory bail application.

TN police gun down Naxal, nab 22
The police retaliated when Naxalites trapped in a mango grove in Chinnakanakampatti village fired on them.

REPORTS FROM KERALA
Country liquor ban was a mistake, admits Antony
The Kerala chief minister accused certain politicians of being hand-in-glove with the liquor barons and questioned the integrity of the anti-alcohol brigade.

Kerala government makes employees sell lottery tickets
The government intends to mobilise Rs 100 million through the state-run lottery to fill up the empty chief minister's relief fund.

COLUMN
Hindutva vs Sanity
'If the BJP loses in Gujarat, after raising the stakes sky high, it will experience the rudest shock of its political life after the 1999 Lok Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh. Indeed, that loss will be even more damaging,' says Praful Bidwai.

INTERVIEW
'It was wrong to pay so much money to Veerappan'
Former director general of police C Dinakar on the inside story of the release of actor Rajakumar from the clutches of forest brigand Veerappan.

SPECIAL
DNA and a new rabies vaccine?
Scientists in Bangalore have produced a new and inexpensive vaccine to fight rabies, writes M D Riti.

DIARY
What's oxymoron?
Look around, says Sebastian Mani, and you will see the answer.

CAPITAL BUZZ
Behave, MP!
In which Mayawati brings a Samajwadi Party MP to heel. Capital Buzz. Gossip from the Delhi Durbar.

November 24, 2002

TOP REPORTS
Attack on Raghunath temple; 10 killed
Security forces shot dead the lone militant, who managed to get inside the temple.

Haren Pandya decides not to contest Gujarat polls
The former revenue minister from Gujarat told rediff.com: 'Since only Ellisbridge seat was remaining, I thought it fit to withdraw from the race.'

Advani to make statement in Parliament on Jammu attack
`I have asked for details of the incident from the state government,' he said in New Delhi.

Violence cannot stall dialogue process: Mufti
'Enough blood has been spilled in the past 13 years and now is the time to have a serious and meaningful dialogue to address the problem,' the J&K chief minister said.

GUJARAT ELECTION
BJP announces fifth list
The party on Sunday announced candidates from Varamnagar (Vajju Bhai Dadia) Bhilodia (Upendra Trivedi) and Sayaji Ganj (Jithubhai Sukhedia).

Congress releases 3rd list
It has not announced a candidate for Ellisbridge constituency, which is represented by the BJP's Haren Pandya.

OTHER REPORTS
Government decides to accept Venkataswami's resignation
This was decided at a high-level 90-minute meeting presided by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

India calls for tough sanctions on Pakistan
'If the international community wants, Pakistan will give up its acts of terrorism against India in no time,' External Affairs Yashwant Sinha said in an interview to BBC World.

Nigerian paper sacks author of Miss World article
Meanwhile, the toll in the riots crossed 200 on Sunday.

Lashkar terrorist killed in Andhra
Aziz was one of the two accused in Thursday's bomb blast case near Sai Baba temple on the outskirts of Hyderabad, in which one woman was killed.

COLUMNS
Where there's no will to reform, there's extinction
'Everything that made Hinduism survive centuries of aggression is waning fast. Where there's no will to learn, to reform and to adapt, there is extinction --- and no species has escaped that law of nature,' says Varsha Bhosle.

Towards a brutal nation
'If there is one thing the terrorists have succeeded in bringing about, it is the gradual transformation of India from a civilised, law abiding society into a brutal, violent population,' asserts Admiral (retired) J G Nadkarni.

Pseudo begets pseudo
'If these "Hindutva" people cannot even be open about what they do, if they themselves have so little respect for their "Hindutva" as to camouflage it behind words like "relief" and "development", what is this ideology after all?' wonders Dilip D'Souza.

INTERVIEW
'We do not want Gujarat to become Kashmir'
Pravin Togadia, international secretary general of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, on his definition of Hindutva and the VHP's role in the run-up to the Gujarat election.

SPECIAL
A millennia-old tussle:
Rajeev Srinivasan traces the rivalry between the Asian giants, which started long before 1962.

SLIDE SHOW
Ministers of the Economy
G-20 Finance and Central Bank Deputies arrived in New Delhi for a two-day conference on Friday. A slide show...

November 23, 2002

Venkataswami resigns as Tehelka commission chairman
The resignation came in the wake of the criticism by the Opposition in Parliament over his acceptance of a government job when he was probing the Tehelka expose.

Blast on Srinagar-Jammu highway; nine killed
Militants detonated an IED near Lower Munda when two vehicles carrying army personnel were passing through.

Centre supporting communal forces: Sonia Gandhi
'There is a need to boldly face such forces and prevent them from succeeding in their conspiracy,' the Congress chief said.

GUJARAT ELECTION
Pandya's name missing from the fourth list too
With 11 nominees announced in the fourth list, only four seats are still open in the 182-constituency state.

NCP announces first list of 69 candidates
The list includes names of 14 candidates from reserved constituencies.

NCP demands Modi's arrest under POTA
Party general secretary Tariq Anwar said that the riots in Gujarat were a conspiracy of the RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal.

COLUMNS
Where there's no will to reform, there's extinction
'Everything that made Hinduism survive centuries of aggression is waning fast. Where there's no will to learn, to reform and to adapt, there is extinction --- and no species has escaped that law of nature,' says Varsha Bhosle.

Towards a brutal nation
'If there is one thing the terrorists have succeeded in bringing about, it is the gradual transformation of India from a civilised, law abiding society into a brutal, violent population,' asserts Admiral (retired) J G Nadkarni.

Pseudo begets pseudo
'If these "Hindutva" people cannot even be open about what they do, if they themselves have so little respect for their "Hindutva" as to camouflage it behind words like "relief" and "development", what is this ideology after all?' wonders Dilip D'Souza.

INTERVIEW
'We do not want Gujarat to become Kashmir'
Pravin Togadia, international secretary general of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, on his definition of Hindutva and the VHP's role in the run-up to the Gujarat election.

NAGAPPA ABDUCTION
Karnataka to withdraw cases against Mani
Law Minister D B Chandre Gowda said the relevant courts would be informed about the government's decision in a day or two.

Opposition parties want Mani as emissary
They also asked the government to withdraw cases against the Tamil activist.

BOOK KICKS UP A STORM
Karunanidhi denies Dinkar's charge on ransom to Veerappan
He attributed the former director general's charges to 'possible differences with Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna'.

Karnataka slams Dinakar
It said the charges, made in Dinakar's book Veerappan's Prize Catch: Rajakumar, were a pack of lies.

REPORTS FROM J&K
Ram Jethmalani slams Yasin Malik
He asked the people to decide whether he was their friend or was destroying them.

Accountability Commission Bill introduced in assembly
The bill envisages establishment of an institution of accountability commission for inquiring into allegations and grievances against public men, including chief minister.

Minister escapes militant attack
Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed's motorcade was attacked near Hiller Kokernag in Anantnag district.

OTHER REPORTS
'Priyanka's visit will perk up UP Congress'
A party general secretary described Priyanka Gandhi's surprise visit to Amethi as a 'positive development'.

Accused in Delhi rape case remanded to police custody
The police argued before the court that his remand was essential to recover the jeans that he was wearing at the time of the alleged crime for forensic tests.

Court frames charges in Nitish Katara case
The police charge sheet accused Vikas and Vishal Yadav of abducting Nitish from a marriage party and murdering him in February 2002, for being friendly with their sister.

Police shoot down Andhra blast suspect
Mohammed Azeem, 32, was shot dead at Parvatapur village between Uppal and Ghatkesar in the Rangareddy district near Hyderabad.

House of Shiv Sena leader Narayan Rane torched
Shiv Sena activists and NCP workers clashed in Kankavli town of Sindhudurg district following the killing of an NCP leader.

Jamali sworn in as Pakistani prime minister
Besides the 14 cabinet ministers and seven ministers of state, Musharraf administered the oath of office to four advisers to the prime minister.

Govt flayed for instituting award in Indira Gandhi's name
The Shiromani Akali Dal, Amritsar, criticised the government for instituting the Indira Gandhi international award for peace, disarmament and development.

Made Gowda suspends Cauvery agitation till November 29
The Cauvery River Committee will meet on November 29 to decide on the quantum of water to be released by Karnataka to Tamil Nadu.

Miss World pageant to be held in London now
Widespread violence in Kaduna, Nigeria, over a newspaper article on the Miss World pageant had left about 100 dead and over 500 injured.

Internet romance ends up in court
A couple that met in a chat room tied the knot, but the bride's father filed a habeas corpus petition against the groom.

Goa dispels UK's concerns about safety
The UK had classified the state as an unsafe destination following two isolated incidents of rape of British women on Goan beaches.

Jaipur royal family finally has an heir
The erstwhile ruler of Jaipur adopted an heir at a ceremony, which was attended by age-old rival, the erstwhile ruler Mewar.

FBI probing Saudi link to September 11 attackers
A draft report by a joint US congressional committee accuses the FBI and CIA of 'not aggressively pursuing' leads linking the hijackers to Saudi Arabia.

SPECIAL
A millennia-old tussle:
Rajeev Srinivasan traces the rivalry between the Asian giants, which started long before 1962.

SLIDE SHOW
Ministers of the Economy
G-20 Finance and Central Bank Deputies arrived in New Delhi for a two-day conference on Friday. A slide show...

November 22, 2002

'Pak intrusions did occur during Operation Parakram'
The intrusions took place on the LoC at the height of 'Operation Parakram' when India had deployed troops along the Indo-Pak border following a terrorist attack on Parliament.

Narendra Modi hospitalised
The Gujarat chief minister was admitted to Gandhinagar Civil Hospital after complaining of chest pain and body ache.

'Hindu' does not refer to any religion: Advani
The deputy prime minister is under attack from Sangh Parivar outfits and the Shiv Sena for stating that India can never become a Hindu rashtra (nation).

Oppn protests against Venkataswami's new job
The retired judge probing allegations of irregularities in defence deals was in May appointed as chairman of the Authority on Advance Ruling on Customs and Excise.

We are not duping NRIs, US firms: IDRF
Eleven NRIs had released a report accusing the IDRF of being a frontal organisation for the Sangh Parivar for funnelling millions of dollars every year to be used by 'violent, sectarian Hindu supremacist organisations'.

GUJARAT ELECTION
Modi liable for prosecution for genocide: Citizens Tribunal
The tribunal of eminent citizens, headed by Justice (retired) Krishna Iyer, held Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Sangh Parivar outfits directly responsible for the post-Godhra violence.

Ignore tribunal's findings: Gujarat govt
The state government said the tribunal did not have the authority to probe the Godhra carnage or the communal violence that followed.

'Indictment by tribunal will not affect BJP's prospects'
Minister of State for Home Gordhan Zadaphia predicted a `definite division' of votes along communal lines during the forthcoming assembly elections.

Gujarat police quite professional now: Lyngdoh
The Commission is satisfied with the arrangements being made for Gujarat election, the chief election commissioner said.

'Pandya was offered a Cabinet berth'
A top BJP leader told rediff.com that the former Gujarat revenue minister and Chief Minister Narendra Modi's arch-rival refused to accept the berth on the advice of Keshubhai Patel.

'Juhi not campaigning for BJP'
The star was reportedly taken aback at reports that she would canvas for BJP candidates at the forthcoming Gujarat Assembly polls

Gujarat Election: Complete Coverage

J&K RELATED REPORTS
Jethmalani meets separatist leader Shabir Shah
'The solution to the [Kashmir] problem has to be somewhere in the middle of the strong postures taken by the Government of India and the separatist leaders', the chairman of the Kashmir Committee said.

Militants attack CRPF camp in Srinagar
The two fidayeen militants were killed by the Central Reserve Police Force soldiers after a fierce encounter.

'Kashmir shouldn't be a flash point'
The former secretary general of the Commonwealth, Sir Shridath Rampal, said the Western countries will push for mediation if Kashmir becomes a flash point.

Al-Umar chief Zargar reportedly detained in PoK
Mushtaq Zargar alias Latram is one of the three militants released in exchange for passengers of the Indian Airlines plane IC 814 hijacked in 1999.

SLIDE SHOW
Week's images
Polo championship, winter session of Parliament, Guru Nanak's birth anniversary celebrations and more...

OTHER REPORTS
Krishna paid Rs 200 million to Veerappan: Former top cop
Former director general of Karnataka police C Dinakar in his book, Veerappan's Prize Catch: Rajkumar, also claims that the matinee idol's wife Parvathamma paid Rs 1 crore [Rs 10 million] to the forest brigand.

Karnataka seeks legal advice for Mani's release
Chief Minister Krishna also convened the Cabinet and an all-party meeting to discuss the Nagappa discussion issue.

SC transfers nine petrol pump cases to itself
The decision was taken to examine the validity of the Centre's order cancelling all petroleum product dealerships since January 2000.

Delhi police arrests four in connection with rape of medical student
One of them was Rahul, who had gone to court on Thursday alleging that the police was threatening to implicate him in the case.

HC bans use of Ashok Chakra in company holograms
The Delhi high court passed the order on a Public Interest Litigation seeking to restrain private companies from using national symbols for commercial gain.

Supreme Court defers hearing on contempt case against Karnataka
The court expressed the hope that the Cauvery River Authority will take a final decision on the issue of the allocation of the river water between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in its November 25 meeting.

Admiral Gorshkov deal given final touches
A military delegation from India and Russia also discussed ways to speed up the licensed production of SU-30 MKI fighter planes.

Miss World article sparks off riots in Nigeria, 100 killed
More than 200 people have been injured following the riots triggered off by an article questioning the Islamic condemnation of the pageant to be held in Nigeria this year.

FROM THE STATES
Priyanka Gandhi comes to dalit man's rescue
She helped Shambhu Nath lodge an FIR under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act after the cops in Amethi refused to entertain his complaint.

Fresh case filed against Raja Bhaiya
The UP police has recovered incriminating documents against him from the house of one of his supporters.

D P Yadav named in murder case
Yadav alias DP is a member of Parliament from Uttar Pradesh and the president of the Rashtriya Parivartan Dal.

Mahatma's grandson to deliver lecture at University of Leicester
Arun Gandhi will be joined by speakers from the Hindu and Islamic faiths for the conference on religious fundamentalism in South Asia and how this is affecting India.

Jaya seeks protection for Tamils in Karnataka
She referred to the attack on M Bhaktavatsalam, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam legislator representing the Kolar constituency in Karnataka.

People's War apologises for Andhra Pradesh bus blast
The rebel group faxed a letter to the local dailies terming the attack as a 'miscalculation'.

Red alert sounded in Hyderabad after bomb blast
Andhra Pradesh Home Minister T Devender Goud said the blast near a temple appeared to be the handiwork of an 'organised gang bent upon creating trouble'.

MLAs to 'visit' Kerala CM over police policy
A K Antony refuses to meet the Congress faction protesting against his policy that leaves no room for politicians to 'interfere' with law and order.

US treasury secretary all praise for Naidu's Hitec AP
Paul O'Neill spent eight hours in Hyderabad learning about Andhra Pradesh's progress in such diverse areas as empowerment of women, e-governance and AIDS control.

SPECIAL
Divide and convert; divide and rule
Michel Danino, author of The Invasion That Never Was, visits the North-East and comes away troubled by the work of the missionaries...

COLUMNS
Terrorism's enduring threat
'It is important for the States countering terrorism to keep the focus on terrorism as a scourge and on the human tragedies in the form of large civilian casualties perpetrated by the terrorists,' says B Raman.

Who's asking you?
'At the heart of nearly every public interest issue today lies a simple truth --- unaccountability begins with deliberate disregard for input from the citizenry,' says Ashwin Mahesh.

DIARY
Sudama, a Gorkha and a one-ton truck
Colonel Neeraj Bali on an infantry officer's woes.

November 21, 2002

The conspiracy of silence in Gujarat
Nobody is talking about the near-collapse of Gujarat's co-operative sector even as the state prepares for a crucial election. It turns out, nobody really wants to.

TOP REPORTS
BJP releases 3rd list; Pandya's fate in balance
'Pandya has not yet figured in the list since his Ellisbridge seat is still being discussed,' party spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said while releasing the list, which had 12 names.

Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali elected Pakistani PM
Jamali, a PML-Q candidate and Musharraf loyalist, defeated Maulana Fazlur Rehman of the MMA and Shah Mehmood Qureshi of the PPP.

One dead, five injured in explosion near Hyderabad
The explosive was concealed in a scooter parked near the Sai Baba temple in Saroornagar area.

EU urges India, Pakistan to restart dialogue
India and Pakistan should use the SAARC summit in Islamabad to sort out contentious issues, the European Commission's ambassador said.

India preparing for un-manned lunar mission
ISRO chief Dr Kasturirangan said experts would meet in Bangalore in December to discuss a report on the proposed mission.

JKLF to boycott Kashmir Committee
The JKLF issued a terse statement against Ram Jethmalani, who heads the Kashmir Committee, warning the Hurriyat conference to see through the 'the ulterior motives' of the Committee.

GUJARAT ELECTION
Pandya will be a test case for Modi
If Haren Pandya is denied the ticket from Ellisbridge, it will mean that Modi is now in a position to overrule Delhi too, a party insider said.

'We will not desist from Lyngdoh bashing'
BJP spokesman V K Malhotra asked: Does the chief election commission alone enjoy the privilege of criticising others?

BJP to rake up Godhra only if Congress does so
It is now the turn of the Congress to make a similar commitment and ensure that the atmosphere is not vitiated, BJP treasurer Ramdas Aggarwal said.

Dissidents worry Congress, BJP
Supporters of former minister Haren Pandya took out a rally in Gandhinagar protesting against the non-inclusion of his name in the list.

The Gujarat Election: Full Coverage

REPORTS FROM J&K
Incarceration prompted Malik's outburst: Jethmalani
JKLF chief Yasin Malik has expressed reservations about the Hurriyat Conference holding talks with the Kashmir Committee.

We must reach out to the alienated: J&K governor
`A historic opportunity is knocking at our doors and we don't want to miss it...' G C Saxena said in his address to the assembly.

Srinagar court issues fresh summons against Katiyar
The court has summoned the UP BJP chief for his reported remarks on the holy relic in the Hazratbal shrine.

Tara Chand elected assembly speaker
The Congress leader was the only contender for the post.

NEIGHBOURHOOD
30 killed as quake hits northern Pakistan
Up to 8,000 people living in the Astore valley, an area between the Indus river and the town of Astore, were affected by the quake, officials said.

Pak will retaliate if anyone casts evil eye: Jamali
'Pakistan has no enmity with anyone and wants to have good relations with everyone,' the prime minister-elect said without naming India.

SAARC summit may be put off
The summit, to be held in Pakistan in January, may be postponed if India and Bhutan fail to confirm their participation by end of this week, Pakistan daily Dawn said.

NAGAPPA ABDUCTION CASE
Veerappan sets 12-day deadline for release of Mani
In a fifth cassette, the bandit has said that he would kill Nagappa if his demand is not met.

Fair trial if Veerappan surrenders: Krishna
The Karnataka chief minister also said his government would consider the brigand's case humanely.

OTHER REPORTS
India capable of dealing with terrorism: Sinha
Making a distinction between terrorists in India and other parts of the world is a 'grievous error', External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha said.

Keep our security concerns in mind, India to US
The US has conveyed that it is not considering the sale of defence equipment to Pakistan, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha said.

US seeks help of 50 countries for war again Iraq
President Bush also laid out his vision for turning NATO into an organisation to fight terrorism, but some members are wary of surrendering all control to the US.

Vladimir Putin to visit India
The Russian president will be in New Delhi from December 3-5.

Sonia to address Oxford Islamic Centre on November 29
The Congress president will deliver a lecture on 'Conflict and Peaceful Coexistence'.

Indian job racket victims stranded in Malaysia
The workers, who paid up to Rs 150,000 to agents against the promise of better jobs abroad, are now left with nothing.

BJP MPs unhappy with Trinamool's proposed entry into NDA
They fear Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee would again rake up the controversial issue of Eastern Railway's bifurcation.

FROM THE STATES
Court stays takeover of land for Indira memorial in UP
The land had been taken over by the UP government to be used for the controversial Ambedkar Park project.

Kerala may control admissions in minority colleges
A subcommittee of the state Cabinet has suggested that the managements of professional colleges retain 50 per cent of the seats on merit.

Probe ordered into MP bus mishap; toll 22
The kin of the deceased will be given Rs 10,000 each while the injured will get Rs 2,000 each as an ex-gratia payment.

3 suspected terrorists in judicial custody in Rajasthan
They are suspected of plotting to carry out a terrorist attack during the annual Pushkar mela.

Huge condom creates flutter in AP assembly
BJP leader Indrasena Reddy said it hurt the dignity and decorum of the House. But Chief Minister Naidu and his colleagues did not agree.

Patna HC extends Laloo's bail by 3 months
The high court has directed the CBI judge hearing a case of dispriportionate assets against the former chief minister to wrap up the case in three months.

CBI court refuses RJD legislator bail
R K Rana, one of the main accused in the multi-million-rupee fodder scam in Bihar, had applied for bail in connection with a FERA case.

SPECIAL
Out of Africa and into India
M D Riti meets Dr R Spencer Wells, who has genetically traced the journey of the first human beings, and discovers that the first Indian was an African.

COLUMN
The bizarre saga of the AJT
'Nearly 150 aircraft and 60 pilots have been lost for want of an advanced jet trainer. Something fishy is going on even 17 years after the Indian Air Force sought the AJT,' says Major General (retd) Ashok K Mehta.

November 20, 2002

TOP REPORTS
Samajwadi, BSP MPs clash in Lok Sabha
Devendra Singh Yadav (SP) manhandled Rashid Alvi (BSP) when the latter alleged that the SP was full of criminals, while commenting on the recent developments in Uttar Pradesh.

Linking of major rivers top priority: PM
The aim is to find a lasting solution to recurring drought, he told the Lok Sabha.

PM to lead BJP's campaign in Gujarat
There will also be no dearth of glamour. Dream girl of yesteryears Hema Malini and actress Juhi Chawla will urge the people to vote for the BJP, sources said.

US firms, NRIs being duped into 'funding hatred': Study
The study accuses the India Development and Relief Fund, a Maryland-based charity, of being a frontal organisation for the Sangh Parivar.

Lashkar founder released, vows jihad in Kashmir will continue
Hafeez Mohammed Saeed was on Tuesday released after five months of house arrest in the wake of a crackdown on the terrorist outfit.

IN PARLIAMENT
Sonia Gandhi slams Centre on drought situation
'There are limits to what the states can do without adequate support from the Centre', the Congress party president said.

Four arrested for moving suspiciously around Parliament
The main gates were sealed and the three-tier security was activated following the tip-off.

Advani failed to disapprove of BJP, VHP's attack on EC: Sonia
The Congress president accused the BJP and VHP of disrupting peace and hampering progress.

Sonia questions rationale for troop mobilisation
She has demanded a comprehensive statement in Parliament explaining the mobilisation.

GUJARAT ASSEMBLY POLL
Pandya's name not in second list too
The Bharatiya Janata Party's second list of candidates for the Gujarat assembly election comprises 11 names. Party spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the names for the remaining seats would be announced shortly.

'Jihadi terrorism' to be issue in Gujarat: BJP
The Congress has based its campaign on communalism and the violence-related incidents, the party said.

'Modi will bag top post if BJP wins'
A top leader told rediff.com that the Gujarat chief minister, with the active backing of the Sangh Parivar, has cornered the maximum number of seats for his favourites, while former chief minister Keshubhai Patel has been left out in the cold.

NAXALITES ON THE RAMPAGE
Naxalites blast railway station in AP
A group of 30 to 40 Naxalites blasted the Tummalacheruvu railway station on the Bibinagar-Nadikudi section of South Central Railway after forcing the railway staff to vacate the building.

Naxalites kill eight cops in Jharkhand
Police sources said the Naxalites detonated a landmine near Lamarnaka, about 16km from the Betla National Park on the Daltonganj-Mahuadand Road.

OTHER REPORTS
AJT deal: Fernandes pleads helplessness
The defence minister hinted that reasons other than price and US equipment on the Hawks may be delaying the induction of the much-needed Advance Jet Trainer into the IAF.

Russian minister Klebanov arrives on Thursday
The visit is part of preparations for the summit-level talks between Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Vajpayee during the Russian president's visit in December.

Soldiers accused of spying for ISI
Several sensitive documents on Indian defence installations were recovered in a raid on the suspected spy's home.

Vajpayee, others felicitate Shekhawat
The vice-president took over as chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

1984 anti-Sikh riots probe report likely by March 31
'All necessary evidence relating to the riots have been recorded and the written submissions have been given by parties concerned', Justice Nanavati, heading the commission probing the riots, said.

Dr Ashok Khosla honoured with UNEP award
The award, which carries a money component of $200,000, was presented to the Indian environmentalist for his pioneering work on sustainable development.

Karwar naval base to be ready by 2005
The base is being built at an estimated cost of Rs 1295 crore, Western Naval Command chief Vice-Admiral Vinod Pasricha said.

FROM THE STATES
Bus catches fire in MP; 30 feared killed
The incident occurred in Tindori district, 40 km away from Jabalpur. Police and civil officials have rushed to the spot.

Congress draws flak for abstaining from UP council poll
Defeated candidate Yashwant Singh said the Congress was responsible for the victory of the ruling BSP-BJP-RLD coalition's nominee, Munna Singh.

Pan-Tamil militants target power tower
The police found a handwritten message near the tower in the name of an organisation calling itself Tamil Nadu Cauvery Retrieval Force asking Karnataka to release Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu, and urging the latter to stop power supply to Karnataka.

Terrorists were planning strike on Pushkar: police
Four more persons, believed to be accomplices of the three suspects who were arrested on Friday, have also been detained for interrogation.

Seven CRPF soldiers killed in Manipur ambush
The insurgents belonged to the Manipur People's Army, the armed wing of separatist United National Liberation Front.

Police charge actor Bundela with staging attack
The actor was allegedly assaulted after the media show of his film.

Goa may relax ban on loud music after 10 pm
The Centre had issued guidelines in this regard under the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules 2000. Subsequently, the Supreme Court had imposed a nationwide ban.

Ageing Palani deity in midst of controversy
It is believed that some people are in favour of replacing the over-5000-year-old idol in the temple in southern Tamil Nadu with one made of gold.

Lingayat seers want Kolathur Mani freed on bail
They urged the Karnataka government to do everything possible to secure the release of Nagappa from the clutches of Veerappan.

Police bust railway reservation racket in Bihar
Fictitious letterheads, Rs 10,000 in cash, and other documents were found in the raid on a travel agency in Patna.

Railways to cut 7,000 trees in Bihar
After a survey from Jhajha to Mughalsarai sections, it was found that nearly 7000 trees posed a threat to the movement of train.

Hindu prisoners in Bihar observe roza
The Beur jail inmates want to send a message of love and tolerance to the people fighting in the name of religion.

Hand over reins to Hegde: JD-U leaders tell Sharad Yadav
Ram Kumar Yadav, Ramashish Yadav, and Ejaj Ahmad accused Sharad Yadav of not giving enough time to the JD(U).

Tara Chand likely to be J&K assembly speaker
No other MLA has filed nomination papers so far.

NRI, sons booked for cheating
The three had promised to send the complainant to Canada for a sum of Rs 400,000, say police sources.

NEIGHBOURHOOD
I didn't succumb to Indian pressure: Musharraf
Outlining his foreign policy achievements, Musharraf said his government had upheld the honour and dignity of Pakistan and highlighted the Kashmir issue at all international fora.

PML-Q candidate likely to be Pakistan's prime minister
The PML-Q has emerged as the single largest party in the October 10 elections with 118 seats.

LTTE supporters ask EPDP to leave Jaffna by yearend
This development is likely to attract political attention in Colombo, as it contradicts LTTE chief negotiator Anton Balasingham's claim of political pluralism in the north and east of the island.

UN shocked at sexual abuses in Bhutanese refugee camps
What has stunned the officials the most are reports of aid workers and security personnel involved in such cases abuse of refugee women and girls as young as seven years in camps in eastern Nepal.

SPECIAL
Miniatures from Mewa
The Asian Arts exhibition in London showcases amazing Rajasthani paintings, says Shyam Bhatia.

COLUMN
Musharraf, devil, and the deep sea
'It is a tough call for Pervez Musharraf: should he attract American wrath today, or that of his homegrown militants tomorrow?' says T V R Shenoy.

DIARY
Zip, Zap & Grounded
Ashu, on the pleasures of static driving.

November 19, 2002

Narendra Modi to contest from Maninagar
The list of 144 candidates contains 82 sitting MLAs, two former MPs and three former MLAs. Twelve sitting MLAs have been denied tickets.

VHP, Bajrang Dal slam Advani's remark
'We do not want certificates from any Advani or Atal,' Bajrang Dal's Prakash Sharma said.

We have taught Muslims a lesson: Singhal
The VHP leader said the Babri mosque had to be demolished to teach Muslims a lession. He also justified the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat.

'Godhra riots similar to 1984 anti-Sikh riots'
Justice Nanavati, who is looking into the Gujarat violence, said this. He is expected to start recording evidence of the Sabarmati Express passengers from November 20.

GUJARAT ASSEMBLY POLL
Vajpayee to campaign for BJP in Gujarat
Deputy Prime Minister Advani and party president Venkaiah Naidu will also campaign.

Keshubhai says no to ticket for son
He is angry because Narendra Modi and his followers find more representation in the BJP's first list of candidates, a party leader said.

JD (U) releases list for Gujarat polls
Most of the 25 seats the party is contesting are in the tribal areas of Surat, Bharuch, Baroda, Panchmahal, Chota Udaipur and Bhavnagar.
Gujarat Assembly Polls: Full Coverage

NEIGHBOURHOOD
'Pakistan must close down terror camps'
Baroness Shirley Williams, leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords, said not closing down such camps will mean double standards on part of Pakistan in the war against terrorism.

PML-Q nominee is Pakistan parliament speaker
Chaudhary Amir Hussain received 167 votes, followed by Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal's Liaqat Baluch, who polled 80.

Pakistan army commanders express confidence in Musharraf
The mainstream and religious parties, however, have refused to recognise the April referendum of Musharraf.

LTTE has breached truce: Sea monitors
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission will lodge a complaint with the LTTE leadership.

OTHER REPORTS
Delay in AJT purchase: Fernandes pleads helplessness
The defence minister hinted that reasons other than price and US equipment on the Hawks may be delaying the induction of the much-needed Advance Jet Trainer into the IAF.

Congress demands dismissal of Mayawati government
A Congress delegation led by Pramod Tiwari called on UP Governor Vishnukant Shastri to convene a special session of the assembly.

Biju Janata Dal heads for a split
'Naveen Patnaik does not have the support of even the other four MPs... They will switch over to us very soon,' a rebel told rediff.com

Most AP bus blast victims were tribals: Naidu
The incident was ghastly, the chief minister said adding it was the PWG's 'mindless violence against innocent people'.

Two killed, seven hurt in Baramulla blast
One BSF sub-inspector was among those killed in the IED blast.

Two children die as school wall collapses
Two injured are undergoing treatment in a hospital at Basudevpur, Orissa.

Four ISI agents arrested in Murshidabad
They were arrested in two separate raids in Durlabhapara and Kuchiamora villages under Jalangi and Domkul police stations respectively.

'Karnataka farmers to lose Rs 1,500 crore'
With only 17tmcft of water left in the Krishna Raja Sagar reservoir, 1.08 hectare of standing crops needs to be irrigated for another six months, the Cauvery River Protection Committee said.

Chennai court orders release of TANSI properties
Acting on a petition from Sasikala Natarajan, Small Causes Court Judge S R Singaravelan, however, laid down certain conditions in a 'speaking order'.

Pappu Yadav not missing: Delhi police
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) P Kamraj said the Delhi police 'believed' Yadav was very much in the capital.

Attack on Bundela was stage-managed: friend
Following reports about his involvement in the case, Assistant Conservator of forest K K Sharma told reporters his side of the story.

Abu Salem, wife, girlfriend declared absconders
A court in Bhopal issued this verdict in a case of forgery.

Closed-circuit TVs installed in Akshardham complex
The temple management has also doubled the height of the boundary wall from five feet, Swami Amritvadan said.

Shed differences in the name of religion, caste: Kalam
The President said this was the message India got from Professor Sadako Ogata of Japan, who was awarded the 2001 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development.

Hindutva is not a dirty word: Joshi
The Union human resources minister, during a stopover at London on the way to a UNESCO sponsored education conference in Nigeria, described Hindutva as an 'all-inclusive concept'.

India plans to achieve 'Education for all' by 2010
'Under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan programme launched last year, we aim to cover about 200 million children in the age group of 6 to 14 years,' Murli Manohar Joshi said.

Over a million take dip in Ganga on Kartik Purnima
The day is regarded as one of the holiest in the Hindu calendar.

No power should enforce its will on Iraq: Vajpayee
He said that if Iraq has 'any weapons that endanger humanity, it should give them up on its own'.

SPECIAL
When Bhutto did Musharraf in
A letter from Benazir Bhutto kept Pakistan suspended from the Commonwealth despite the elections there, writes Shyam Bhatia.

COLUMNS
Just the beginning
The Mufti-led government in J&K needs to traverse a long way before it finds its feet. But the initial sympathetic chord it has struck with the people is significant, says Mohammad Sayeed Malik.

13 Kumaon's Last Stand: Chushul, November 18, 1962
'Why have we let these brave men die, unwept, unmourned, and unsung? Just as we let thousands of soldiers die in Kashmir, in Kargil, everywhere, they are mere cannon fodder,' says Rajeev Srinivasan.

DIARY
Crossing the same ocean
Lakshmy Parameswaran encounters an all-Indian American.

November 18, 2002

Naxalites blow up Andhra bus; 25 killed
Fifteen people were injured in the blast, which took place near Chintagudem village in Warangal district.

India can never be a Hindu state: Advani
'BJP and other related organisations should see that the elections in Gujarat are free and fair,' the deputy prime minister said.

Pakistani court orders release of LeT ex-chief
Hafiz Mohammed Saeed was placed under house arrest in Lahore on October 31 after five months in custody.

GUJARAT ASSEMBLY POLLS
Godhra will not be an election issue: Modi
The BJP will seek votes on its past performance, the caretaker chief minister said.

Opposition takes BJP to task
They accused the BJP and Sangh Parivar outfits like the VHP of trying to foment trouble on the eve of the polls.

EC issues notification for polls
The last date for filing nominations is November 25 and papers will be scrutinised the next day.

Congress releases first list of candidates
The list of 108 candidates includes 47 legislators, one MP and seven women.

TDP backs Election Commission
'The Election Commission, as a constitutional authority, has full powers to take such a decision in order to ensure smooth elections,' the party said.

NEIGHBOURHOOD
China backs Musharraf's re-election
Chinese President Jiang Zemin said, 'Re-election has demonstrated the trust and support for him from the Pakistani people.'

MMA says talks with PML-Q have failed
An MMA release said the talks fell through following Musharraf's refusal to scrap extension of his presidential term.

Interpol issues red-corner notices against Maoist leaders
But the notices are not mandatory for Interpol member countries, since there are no cases pending against the leaders in Nepalese courts.

22 rebels, 4 soldiers killed in Nepal
Meanwhile, 77 bodies of rebels were recovered in Khalanga, scene of a fierce attack by the Maoists on Thursday night.

King Gyanendra expands Chand-led cabinet
With the new additions, the total number of ministers has reached 22, seven among them being assistant ministers.

DELHI RAPE CASE
Delhi police clueless about medical student's rape
What has agitated the students of the Maulana Azad Medical College has been the failure of the police to record the statement of the victim three days after the rape.

NCW admits women unsafe on Delhi campuses
Police should enhance security in campuses, the commission said.

OTHER REPORTS
BJP-BSP candidate wins crucial UP Legislative Council bypoll
Munna Singh defeated Yashwant Singh, fielded by BJP rebels and supported by the Samajwadi Party and other key opposition groups, by a margin of just 11 votes.

BSF, Bangladesh Rifles agree on jetty status quo
Bangladeshi soldiers had fired on a BSF output in Samshernagar area in West Bengal to prevent the construction of the jetty on the Icchamati river.

HC defers hearing on Krishna's petition in Ansal Plaza case
The court also directed that records of a relevant public interest petition, dismissed last week, be placed before it.

HC notice on bail for Nedumaran
Nedumaran and Suba Veerapandian have challenged the Prevention of Terrorism Act in the apex court.

BJD elects Arjun Sethi as Parliamentary Party leader
The Naveen Patnaik-led BJD is in the throes of a crisis with the expulsion of MPs Jagannath Mullick, Prabhat Samantaray and Kumudini Patnaik.

Dalit woman paraded half-naked over land dispute in Bihar
Some people wanted to teach a lesson to Bharati Devi and her family for not giving away their claim over a piece of land.

Two under-custody Bihar MLAs, one MP abscond
They absconded along with a 21-personnel police escort party, while undergoing treatment in Delhi.

Rebel MLAs split GNLF
GNLF legislator from Darjeeling D K Pradhan and former GNLF legislator from Kalimpong, N Moktan, have engineered the split.

Blast in AP Nuclear Fuel Complex harmless: Official
NFC Deputy Chief Executive (Safety) S M Rao said, 'It is the kind of an accident that is common in any chemical plant. There is nothing serious about it.'

Haryana will open casinos: Chautala
Despite criticism from some quarters, the Haryana chief minister said the revenue generated could be used for social welfare schemes.

Dream, think and act: Kalam to students
The President began his Kerala tour with the inauguration of what is believed to be the biggest library complex in south India.

Kalam enjoys coming home to Sarabhai Centre
He caused several tense moments for his security personnel while mingling with ex-colleagues and friends at the centre.

Trinamool ready to join NDA government
Party chief Mamata Banerjee on Monday decided to sit with the Treasury benches during the winter session of Parliament.

American orthopaedics to train Bihar medicos
They will train doctors on a revolutionary knee-joint replacement technique, pioneered in Israel.

Bihar plans to introduce spiritual courses in schools
The course will help children retain physical and mental health and inculcate moral values, Primary Education Minister Ram Chandra said.

World beauties rush to aid of woman in Nigeria
Miss World contestants have threatened to boycott the pageant because it is being held in Nigeria, a country where a woman has been sentenced to death by stoning for allegedly committing adultery.

US concludes Laden tape is real
But it gives little clue to Laden's location and his health, officials said.

COLUMNS
Encounters, real and fake
'The posture --- that you are either with the VHP-BJP or against the Indian nation --- is rooted in unspeakable arrogance. It equates crass Hindutva with genuine patriotism,' says Praful Bidwai.

The naked face of casteism
'I'd like to know the "dignity" in manually cleaning out --- without gloves, masks, overshoes, protective overalls --- hundreds of dry latrines daily,' says Varsha Bhosle.

DIARY
The buck stops here
Nikita Agarwal doesn't like excuses -- either you were responsible, or you weren't.

November 17, 2002

Gujarat may raise the heat during winter session of Parliament
The opposition is expected to take the government to task on the recent attacks on constitutional bodies by Sangh Parivar outfits.

Togadia, other VHP leaders arrested
This was after they decided to proceed to Godhra to start their proposed padshahi yatra defying an Election Commission ban.

Yatra will now take shape of public meetings: VHP
It refused to criticise the Narendra Modi government for stopping the yatra saying it was compelled to do so by the Election Commission.

Centre confirms starvation deaths in Rajasthan
But claims it does not intend to make the central fact-finding team's report public to avoid politicising the issue.

Council bypoll has Mayawati government on tenterhooks
On Sunday, about two dozen BJP MLAs stayed away from a meeting convened by senior minister Lalji Tandon giving fresh cause for concern.

OTHER REPORTS
Film actor Raja Bundela beaten up in Bhopal
Some alleged 'Bajrang Sena' activists were unhappy with the depiction of priests in Bundela's movie Pratha.

Bihar villagers punish widow for remarrying
She was allegedly dragged out of her house, physically assaulted and paraded after being tonsured, in West Champaran district.

7 militants killed in J&K, infiltration bid foiled
Three Pakistani militants were killed and two security personnel injured in an exchange of fire as troops foiled an infiltration bid in Nowshera area of Machil sector, police said.

Abdullahs to create history in Parliament
They will be the first father-son duo to sit in Parliament simultaneously.

5 killed, 25 injured as train hits bus at railway crossing
The bus was passing through an unmanned level crossing in Anantapur district when the 252 Guntakal-Chitradurg passenger train rammed into it.

Five Naxalites killed in Andhra Pradesh
The incident occurred when police personnel came across a group of Naxalites conducting some training exercises in the forest in Warangal district.

TN government will not host Iftar this year
Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa said the decision was taken in view of the recent drought in the state.

Investigating officer ticked off for avoiding court
Additional Superintendent of Police (Chamarajnagar district) Ganapathi failed to appear before a Kollegal judge with the status report on the Nagappa abduction case.

INTERVIEWS
In search of extra-terrestrials
Respected scientist Dr Jayant Narlikar explains why he believes that an experiment conducted by his team may have found evidence of life outside Earth.

'Amarinder Singh is worse than Aurangzeb'
'He has now seen the consequences of being tough with the Akali Dal,' says former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal.

COLUMNS
If Sonia knows what's good for Congress...
...she will bury her prime ministerial ambitions 10 fathoms deep. Capital Buzz. Gossip from the Delhi Durbar.

I analyze a lump
'Fifty five years after Independence, we have built a place whose defining national characteristic may soon be hatred,' says Dilip D'Souza.

November 16, 2002

TOP REPORTS
Togadia barred from entering Godhra
Panchmahal District Magistrate Manoj Agrawal also denied the Vishwa Hindu Parishad the permission to take out a yatra.

Trinamool Congress decides to remain with NDA
Party chief Mamata Banerjee said her party had decided to stay on with the NDA after getting a 'positive response' from the ruling coalition over the issue of the Eastern Railway bifurcation.

Jaya withdraws remarks against PM, CRA
The Tamil Nadu chief minister said she had the greatest respect for the prime minister and the CRA.

Avoid ad-hoc release of detainees: PM to Sayeed
The prime minister said the Jammu and Kashmir government should appoint a committee to screen cases against people under detention.

'But prisoners released with Centre's nod'
A J&K minister has expressed surprise over Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's advice to exercise caution while releasing prisoners.

GUJARAT ELECTION
PM asks parties not to incite communal passions
Panchmahal District Magistrate Manoj Agrawal also denied the Vishwa Hindu Parishad the permission to take out a yatra.

Yatra plans irreversible: VHP
The outfit also charged Chief Election Commissioner J M Lyngdoh of "acting at the Vatican's behest."

Congressmen allege nepotism in nominations
Relatives of senior politicians are getting more tickets as compared to grassroots workers, they complain.

Congress clears names of 140 candidates
The party has authorised Sonia Gandhi to take the final decision on the names of the remaining 42 candidates.

India Today poll predicts majority for BJP
The survey concluded that 'there was a sharp dichotomy between how events in Gujarat are perceived outside the state and how Gujaratis view them'.

NEIGHBOURHOOD
Musharraf sworn-in president for another five years
Earlier, the Pakistani president had issued the `Removal of Difficulty Order' decree, reviving the constitution, and said he would act as the chief executive till the new prime minister takes oath of office.

EU diplomats stay out of Musharraf's swearing-in ceremony
Their move appeared hardly surprising considering the strong stand taken by the EU against Musharraf's referendum early this year.

3 Maoists killed in overnight fighting in Nepal
Search operations are still on in and around Jumla to locate the bodies of soldiers and rebels.

REPORTS FROM ORISSA
Three suspended BJD legislators expelled
Prabhat Samant Ray, Jagannath Mallik and Kumudini Patnaik have been expelled for six years for anti-party activities.

Naveen Patnaik trying to split BJD: Expelled MP
Jagannath Mallik also claimed that he party constitution did not give the Orissa chief minister, who is also the chief of the Biju Janata Dal, to expel Members of Parliament.

Unregulated tourism threatens dolphins in Chilika
Tourist boats with long propellers have been mainly responsible for the death of at least of the eleven dolphins killed in 2001-02.

OTHER REPORTS
PM undecided on SAARC summit participation
Three trawlers with about 24 fishermen on board returned to Digha and another with six fishermen returned to Namkhana in South 24 Parganas district.

30 fishermen return from Bay of Bengal
Three trawlers with about 24 fishermen on board were reported to have returned to Digha and another with six fishermen returned to Namkhana in South 24 Parganas district.

BSF, Bangladesh Rifles exchange gunfire
Border Security Force officials said Bangladesh Rifles' soldiers fired on a BSF output in Samshernagar area of West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district.

Sonia Gandhi decides not to host Iftar party
The Congress president said the drought situation in several states and the recent violence in Gujarat prompted her to forego the Iftar party.

Indo-US technology cooperation to get a boost
The two countries are planning to intensify interactions in the coming months.

Vaiko challenges Section 21 of POTA
The MDMK leader from Tamil Nadu has been detained under POTA for allegedly expressing support to the cause of the LTTE, which is banned in India.

Take inspections seriously and disarm: Blix to Iraq
Iraq's cooperation will decide if there will be a war, says the UN chief weapons inspector.

President Bush greets Sikhs on Guru Nanak's birth anniversary
Meanwhile, a jatha of 46 pilgrims left from Amritsar to participate in the birth anniversary celebrations at the Gurudwara Nankana Sahib in Lahore in Pakistan.

Lack of emissaries hampering efforts to free Nagappa: Krishna
As of now, Karnataka is believed to be requesting Tamil Nadu to ease its nab-Veerappan operations to facilitate the free movement of emissaries.

Permission given to supply food, medicines to Nagappa: Emissary
'We should try our best to get Nagappa released from Veerappan's hold as early as possible', Ponnachi Mahadevaswamy said.

Bail plea of three accused in MPSC scam rejected
Judge P N Deshmukh observed that there is sufficient evidence against Sunil Daspute, Manisha Nichat and Pramod Kadam, co-accused in the multi-crore scam.

Salman exempted from court appearance in hit-and-run case
The actor's lawyer H S Anand urged exemption on the ground that he was busy and prosecutor Varsha Doshi did not object to his plea.

UP bypoll: Ruling coalition eyes Congress MLAs
The bypoll, in which Munna Singh Chauhan and dissident legislators' candidate Yashwant Singh are locked in a battle, is seen as a virtual trial of strength for the Mayawati government.

INTERVIEWS
In search of extra-terrestrials
Respected scientist Dr Jayant Narlikar explains why he believes that an experiment conducted by his team may have found evidence of life outside Earth.

'Amarinder Singh is worse than Aurangzeb'
'He has now seen the consequences of being tough with the Akali Dal,' says former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal.

COLUMNS
If Sonia knows what's good for Congress...
...she will bury her prime ministerial ambitions 10 fathoms deep. Capital Buzz. Gossip from the Delhi Durbar.

I analyze a lump
'Fifty five years after Independence, we have built a place whose defining national characteristic may soon be hatred,' says Dilip D'Souza.

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