The government asserted that strict action would be taken against all the officials if it was proved that the 'excuse' of Kargil crisis had been taken to make arms purchases with the motive of 'personal benefits'.
'George Fernandes is a decent and sober leader. He also proved to be a good defence minister. But what he hid and what\n\nmade headlines through Talbott's book has hurt our national self-respect,' said the outfit's mouthpiece Panchjanya.
Inaugurating Aero India 2003, Defence Minister George Fernandes said India is creating a defence industrial base capable of producing world-class equipment at highly competitive prices.
Govt handed files pertaining to dealings with the South African armament major Denel to the Central Bureau of Investigation to find out whether there was any maladfide intent in the purchase.
After nearly a year's investigation of four major defence deals, the CBI on Tuesday conducted searches at nearly four dozen places in five states against arms dealers involved in the purchases made during George Fernandes' tenure.
Defence ministry sources said George Fernandes gave the assurance to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
General Michael Walker will on Friday make his second visit to the LoC, this time from the Indian side.
'George was a politician with a difference. He had the ability to stand alone, take a position, however extreme, and sustain that position,' remembers Arun Jaitley.
He has said vacating the glacier by India would mean inviting Pakistan to 'come in without any botheration'.
Recalling the veteran socialist's association with the city, Communist Party of India leader Prakash Reddy said that Fernandes had in 1967 emerged as the "giant killer" by defeating Patil, who was then called the "uncrowned king of Bombay" and represented the Bombay South Lok Sabha seat.
'My fight against the dictatorship was born out of the conviction that evil should be fought, but it never entitled killing or what the prosecution say 'criminal force'
"People in his birth place, Mangalore, and also those in Bengaluru have been requesting to bury part of his remains in the two cities."
"I had the opportunity to telephone my old friend George Fernandes and told him I had heard about the problem he had," he said.
Former colleagues recall the veteran political leader as a visionary with strong ground connect.
Denel was blacklisted after the CBI started a probe into reports that the company had paid commissions to middlemen to clinch a deal for selling anti-material rifles to India.
The Padma Vibhushan for this year has been awarded to a total of seven prominent personalities, while 16 have been given the Padma Bhushan, 118 have been given the Padma Shri on the 71st Republic Day this year, they said.
The National Democratic Alliance on Monday night threatened to stall Parliament proceedings to press for the withdrawal of the second affidavit filed against Fernandes.
The assassination bids on Musharraf were nothing but manifestation of that country's terrorism promotion activity, he said.\n\n
Beijing Olympic bronze medallist Sushil Kumar on Monday got engaged to Savi, daughter of his coach Satpal Singh, at a private ceremony in New Delhi attended by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
Defence Minister George Fernandes said China wanted peace with India.
The defence minister recalled that Musharraf had retracted a similar statement made earlier following international condemnation.
He also said there are leaders who stand firm in their ideology but their number is gradually declining.
"We have a nuclear doctrine and a Nuclear and Strategic Force Command chain in position. So we stand by the no-first-use policy," Fernandes told newsmen when asked to comment on calls by some experts to give up the no-first-use policy.
The defence minister also said that Pakistan 'has a habit of lying' when it comes to the Kashmir issue.
The defence minister asked the Pakistani leadership not to talk about using nuclear weapons and get into the idea of committing suicide.
'Outlook'claims that Justice Phukan, his wife and some lawyers of the Tehelka Commission were provided a specially chartered VVIP aircraft of the IAF to travel to Shirdi, Pune, Ahmednagar and Mumbai during the probe.
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