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16 TIMES NATION | CROSS CONNECTION
** THE TIMES OF INDIA, MUMBAI
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010
2 Majors part of Karachi Project on wanted list
AFP, PTI
Khalistani Ultras Peace with
Differences between two
Too Figure In Pakistan not
India’s Dossiers possible: RSS
sides as wide as ever
Vishwa Mohan | TNN Thiruvananthapuram:
From Page 1
David Headley’s handlers, as well as Khalistan el-
Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sa- ements currently based in Pakistan. LeT chief
New Delhi: India has asked Pakistan ngh chief Mohan Bhagwat on A
part from the fact that the two countries are
talking to each other again, the differences be- Hafiz Saeed came in for specific discussion, and
to hand over two serving officers of Thursday said that Indo-Pak tween them remained as wide as ever. The Indian Rao referred to the February 5 rallies by Saeed
the Pakistan army along with 26/11 talks won’t succeed in establi- side said 85% of the talk time was taken up by ter- ‘‘which openly incited terrorist violence against
plotters like Hafiz Mohammad Saeed shing peace until Pakistan rorism, while the Pakistani side said the talks “ex- India.... It was emphasized that India could not but
and members of Indian Mujahideen changes its “antagonistic ap- tensively” discussed Kashmir. It also insisted on take a serious note of such actions’’. Pakistan said
holed up in Pakistan, leading jihadi proach’’ towards India. He raising the issue of alleged Indian interference in their laws did not allow for prosecution for such
terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri and Khalis- was speaking to the media Balochistan and sharing of Indus waters. Bashir speeches, but Rao maintained that Saeed could
tani fugitives being sheltered by ISI. here a day after the RSS held pressed for resumption of the composite dialogue have been booked under Pakistan’s anti-terrorism
Major Iqbal and Major Samir Ali, its biggest ever show in the process and said several times that talks shouldn’t act. India is particularly angry with Bashir’s for-
both serving with the Pakistan army, country in Kollam district remain hostage to any ‘‘one issue’’. mulation of the information on Saeed
are prominent names in the three with more than one lakh vol- The clear dissonance does not as ‘‘literature’’ which does not have
dossiers India passed on to Pakistan unteers present. augur well for any meaningful en- any legal basis. ‘‘We got a brief pa-
on Thursday. Both have been identi- gagement. While Indian foreign per from India on Saeed but it was
fied as part of the Karachi Project—
a joint venture of the Pakistan army
‘BJP will not allow
secretary Nirupama Rao took an more of literature than evidence. JuD
expansive view of the talks, saying is listed under the UN 1267 Al Qaida
and the Lashkar and involving the
LeT’s proxies in India notoriously fa-
Pakistanis in J&K’
India had gone in with an ‘‘open and Taliban Sanctions Committee
mind’’, and described them as ‘‘con- and its assets remain frozen,’’ said
mous as the Indian Mujahideen. Jammu: BJP chief Nitin Gadkari structive and candid’’, Bashir, while Bashir. Indian sources later said the
Major Iqbal was also involved in the has warned the conceding that the talks were ‘‘use-
The Indian side said
dossier was ‘‘not brief ’’ and definitely
26/11 plot, though it is not clear Centre against ful’’ shot out, ‘‘we don’t like being
whether he is the ‘Major General’ who,
85% of the talk time
constituted evidence. Clearly, the road
implementing sermoned on terrorism’’. ahead on India-Pakistan ties is more
according to Kasab, the lone surviving the proposed Government sources later said, was taken up by rocky than India imagined.
26/11 gunman, trained the Mumbai at- surrender policy. while India was not ‘‘lecturing’’,
terrorism, while
Asked if Pakistan can treat Saeed’s
tackers. Major Iqbal had been named He said the BJP Pakistan had to move on terror for
also by David Coleman Headley, the
Salman Bashir-led
public threats to launch more 26/11-
would launch a the relationship to move forward. type attacks as evidence against him,
American jihadi. Headley told his FBI country-wide agitation if the The Indian side also raised the is-
Pakistani side said the
Bashir merely said that he didn’t have
handlers that Major Iqbal gave him UPA decides to bring back sue of the beheading of two Sikhs talks ‘extensively’ the legal background required to an-
“those who have killed hundreds by Taliban in west Pakistan.
discussed Kashmir
swer it. The two sides were clearly not
It is for the first time that
of people”. “No one dare bring As expected, India focused on ter- on the same page when it came to de-
India has, in its three dossiers,
back Pakistani people to Jammu rorism and Pakistan on Kashmir. That India was scribing the core issue for the talks. Rao, while brief-
and Kashmir. We will not allow prepared for. However, Bashir’s subsequent bel- ing reporters, tried to play down the Kashmir issue.
given Pakistan evidence of
this,” Gadkari said here. AGENCIES ligerence put an entirely different complexion on ‘‘The issue came up briefly, along expected lines. We
the role of its serving army
things, leaving the Indian government furious. Hav- reiterated our national position on the issue,’’ said
officers in the ISI-scripted
FIRM STAND: Foreign secretary Nirupama Rao (top) greets her Pakistani Asked if he thought the sit- ing weathered criticism in India about restarting Rao. This, however, was brushed aside by Bashir lat-
terror campaign against India
counterpart Salman Bashir before the meeting at Hyderabad House in uation was ripe for India and dialogue with Pakistan at this time, Bashir’s public er when he clearly expressed reservations over what
New Delhi on Thursday. The Indian side during the bilateral talks (below) Pakistan to talk, Bhagwat sa- contention that Pakistan was ‘‘not desperate’’ for a Rao had said. ‘‘It remains the core issue and we drew
id, “The situation doesn’t mat- dialogue may make it difficult for the UPA govern- India’s attention to that. One cannot be dismissive of
$25,000 when he was sent to India to do Project, are being sheltered in Pak- exclusively on him. ter much. The mindset matt- ment to sell increased engagement. However, sources this issue,’’ he said, adding that Pakistan will con-
the recce for the Lashkar’s terror plots. istan, and their trainers, who include The separate dossier on Kashmiri ers. India is for universal pe- said India had initiated talks at a time of its own tinue to politically and morally support the ‘‘move-
It is the first time that India Major Iqbal and Major Samir Ali. —one of the front-ranking jihadis who ace. So we are ready to talk. choosing and would pursue it in its national inter- ment’’ in the state.
has given Pakistan evidence of the Those who feature on it are Karachi survived a drone attack and who has But from Pakistan’s side (I est. Sources said, in September 2009, when the for- Apart from terror, India raised the issue of in-
involvement of its serving army Project coordinator Amir Raza Khan, been a source of inspiration for doubt) whether that mindset eign secretaries last met in New York, Pakistan was filtration and truce violations. Pakistan took up
officers in the ISI-scripted terror the two Bhatkal brothers (Riyaz and Headley—gave details of his past cas- is there. Because... since its insistent on a dialogue. But in the subsequent Balochistan with India and conveyed concerns over
campaign against India. The two of- Iqbal) and their co-villager from Kar- es as well as current activities. His birth, Pakistan has shown an- months, with Pakistan’s increased ‘‘utility’’ to the what he claimed was information that India was
ficers are part of the 33 named by In- nataka Yaseen, Mufti Sufiyan, Rasul custody has been sought for a case dat- tagonism towards us. This at- US’s war in Afghanistan, Islamabad now seems to trying to fuel trouble in the region. Rao, however,
dia in the three dossiers submitted to Parti, Abu Aimaan and Azam Cheema. ing to 1994 when he along with Omar titude must change. Else, talks believe that it does not really need to bend over back- said the Indian side had told Pakistan that Delhi
Pakistan’s foreign secretary Salman The Khalistani terrorists have been Sheikh kidnapped a foreign tourist will never be fruitful.’’ wards to accommodate Indian concerns. That, said had no intention to interfere in any other coun-
Bashir here on Thursday. put on the dossier amid strong indi- from New Delhi. Kashmiri managed On the RSS’s equations wi- sources, became very clear in the grandstanding by try’s affairs. Pakistan also raised Sir Creek, Siachen
One dossier, which is on 26/11 ac- cations that the ISI was pressuring to evade the Delhi police when they th new BJP president Nitin the Pakistani delegation after the talks. and water issues. There was no announcement of
cused and suspects, includes Hafiz them to revive terror activities in In- raided their hideout in Ghaziabad to Gadkari and their expectati- While the composite dialogue is still a while any meet in the near future with Rao only stating
Saeed and other leading Lashkar ji- dia. Recent arrests of Khalistani ter- rescue the tourist. Omar Sheikh was ons from him, Bhagwat said, away, India will watch out for the actions that Pak- that Bashir had told her that he would like her to
hadis Sajid Mir, Muzammil, Abu Ka- rorists in Punjab are a pointer that arrested, only to be freed as part of “It doesn’t matter if Gadkari istan takes in the weeks to come. India handed over visit Pakistan. ‘‘In line with our graduated and
hafa, Abu Hamza and Mohammad Us- the cells are being activated. the swap deal to secure the release of has RSS’s support or not. three dossiers to Pakistan—one of these deals with step-by-step approach, our aims were modest; we
man, who are still absconding. Ilyas Kashmiri, the mentor of passengers of IC-814 Indian Airlines What matters is that he must individuals involved in the Mumbai attacks; the had a useful discussion, during which I spelt out
The second one concerns the IM Omar Sheikh who killed American plane that had been hijacked by the ji- have the full support of his two others comprise information on HuJI and forthrightly our concerns on terrorism emanat-
terrorists who, as part of the Karachi journalist Daniel Pearl, has a dossier hadi terrorists. party and the people.’’ AGENCIES Brigade 313 commander Ilyas Kashmiri, one of ing from Pakistan against India,’’ said Rao. TNN
Sukna accused
INDIA DIGEST
pulls out plea
Pawar faces oppn fire on price rise
on court-martial
Manoj Chhabra
Oppn Seeks JPC Probe
yawning gap in farmgate and kitchen The BJP leader led the non-UPA charge
prices and the need to “do something” to as the opposition united to take on the treas-
New Delhi: With the armed contain this mismatch. He wondered what ury benches in a debate which grew
forces tribunal (AFT) order- On ‘Import Scams’
shriller
the farmers were getting given the rates by the minute. With the Congress’s Sanjay
ing the re-opening of the court in the mandis. Nirupam short on gravitas after Swaraj, it
of inquiry (CoI) into the Suk- TIMES NEWS NETWORK With Swaraj delivering her first major was not until Mukherjee intervened that
na land scam, one of the four speech as leader of opposition, there were the government recovered some ground.
accused generals in the case, New Delhi: The government felt the heat shades of her previous clashes with Con- The BJP leader ran down the promise of
Lt Gen P K Rath, on Thursday over price rise on Thursday with the op- gress president Sonia Gandhi when the food security made in the President’s joint
withdrew his petition against position squarely targetting agriculture BJP leader pointed out that address, saying the Centre did
A Jaguar takes off from the Jaisalmer
initiation of a court-martial minister Sharad Pawar for not responding there had been only one dis- not have a correct headcount
air base during the Vayu Shakti 2010
against him. to rising food inflation with the BJP and cussion on price rise in the of poor nor a strategy to
exercise on Thursday. On the sea front,
Lt Gen Rath’s lawyer said the Left demanding a joint parliamentary NDA tenure and that too on So- strengthen the PDS to inspire
the navy’s western and eastern fleets
the former 33 Corps com- committee to probe import “scams”. nia’s initiative. This immedi- confidence in its claim. Niru-
have converged in the Bay of Bengal for
mander was withdrawing The NCP chief, who has had to contend ately saw Sonia conferring with pam, fielded to retrieve the
one of the largest maritime exercises
the petition as the AFT with sniping from the Congress as well, parliamentary affairs minister ground, said rising prices were
on Monday ordered the CoI’s had to face the full range of opposition Pawan Bansal, indicating a cer- a reality but Swaraj’s claims
reconvening to allow Lt Gen fire with leader of opposition Sushma tain sense of vulnerability on Agriculture were “dangerous half truths”.
Court allows 45 witnesses’
(retd) Avadhesh Prakash Swaraj alleging scams in import of rice, inflation. Swaraj said price rise
minister Sharad
SP chief Mulayam Singh Ya-
recall in Jaya assets case
to cross-examine six witness- wheat, sugar and dal. Pawar found him- was on account of four scams dav used the occasion to try and
es in the case. “During the CoI self on the defensive as in his reply to the through export-import orders
Pawar was on
“wean” Pawar away from the In a setback to former Tamil Nadu chief
and cross-examination, we will discussion in the Lok Sabha, he argued that did not cater to domestic
the defensive in
UPA, telling him that Congress minister J Jayalalithaa, the special court in
also get the opportunity to the “worst was over”. Though Pawar BJP leader Rajnath Singh tries to shield production and needs, cutting- the House as had sent out a message to its Bangalore on Thursday allowed
present our side. So, we will placed his response in the context of the himself from stones during a clash with ly borrowing a line from actor
he could only
cadre to the village-level that re-examination of 45 witnesses who had
wait for the outcome of the CoI PM’s assurance to a meeting of chief min- policemen at a demonstration against price Dharmendra who explained his he was responsible for price turned hostile in the illegal wealth case.
and then take a further deci- isters that the price rise situation would rise in Lucknow on Thursday. Nearly profession in a movie as ‘Idhar
say the ‘worst
rise. “I demand that govern-
sion,’’ he said. improve, the bid to deflect the fire did not 35 persons, including senior leaders ka maal udhar, udhar ka maal is over’ ment give a timeline by which ‘Relook German couple’s adoption plea’: SC
The AFT principal bench of work. In the Rajya Sabha, too, BJP’s Arun like Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, were injured idhar’. While sarcastically call- it would rein in prices,” he said. asked the Central Adoption Resources Agency
Justice A K Mathur (retd) and Jaitley and CPM’s Brinda Karat tore into ing Pawar ‘cheeni ke samrat’, Swaraj said In the Rajya Sabha, Jaitley said, “Govern- (CARA) of the Union government to consider
Lt Gen S S Dhillon (retd), has the government. Jaitley said UPA-2 had the time may not yet be appropriate. “We while farmers had lost and consumers ment’s inability to control inflation has be- grant of adoption rights as a ‘special case’ to
held that Lt Gen Prakash, who run out of ideas and Karat alleged it was are here not for seven months but five were paying high prices, sugar mills had come an indirect tax on the consumer.” the German couple for their twin kids born
retired on January 31 as the bogged down in manipulative policies. years,” Mukherjee said. made profits for generations to come. She Joining the BJP, CPM leader Brinda Karat through a surrogate Indian mother.
military secretary, should be The entire opposition walked out in Jaitley referred to a TOI report on the underlined the government’s failure to said, “The government is not ready to ac-
allowed to cross-examine the the Lok Sabha during Pawar’s reply. Ear- difference between mandi and retail prices curb prices by pointing out that the House cept its failure but only engaging in blame- MHA makes no attempt to call Maoists:
six witnesses “in order to meet lier, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee to highlight the government’s failure. The was seeing its ninth discussion on the is- game. You will have to make a policy shift.” The home ministry on Thursday did not
the principles of natural jus- hinted that though the government was point was taken by the finance minister sue in five years against just one during She called for a white paper to “expose this respond to the Maoists’ truce offer as it is
tice’’ as he had not got the op- committed to bring a Food Security Act, in the Lok Sabha where he admitted to the six years of NDA rule. and make someone accountable”. waiting for the ultras to take the first step and
portunity for it during the CoI. give a written assurance on abjuring violence.
As per the earlier army
headquarters decision, Lt Gen
Prakash and Lt Gen Rath
were to face a court-martial,
Sajjan goes into hiding, Women’s bill may be
Footwear thrown at judge: Enraged at
remarks that she was repeatedly making
mistakes while taking dictation, a woman
while ‘administrative action’ stenographer allegedly threw her footwear
would be taken against Lt
Gen Ramesh Halgali and Maj
Gen P C Sen. TNN
his PSO suspended
tabled in this session
at a judge in Andhra’s Kurnool on Thursday.
Nike, Puma summoned for shoe designs:
New Delhi: The women’s reservation gress, BJP and the Left who support the The National Commission for Minorities has
Spell out stance:
New Delhi: Delhi police “The constable was sus- bill can be placed for consideration and bill, the other MPs in the Rajya Sabha summoned country heads of shoe brands Nike
have suspended a personal pended after an inquiry. He passing in the form that it was intro- include seven of the AIADMK, 12 of the and Puma for printing Allah in Arabic on shoe
T-panel to parties
security officer of former made a wrong diary entry at duced in the Rajya Sabha in 2008 and BSP and four of the DMK—sufficient soles. The NCM also summoned a Delhi-based
Congress MP Sajjan Kumar the security wing on Febru- for this reason it is likely to be placed for a two-thirds majority. In the Lok publisher for depicting Jesus Christ with a beer
Hyderabad: The game may for making a false diary en- ary 19,’’ the JCP said. Niro- for consideration in the Upper House Sabha, the government can count on can in one hand and a cigarette in the other.
be up for the Congress, TDP try on the leader’s where- ha was reportedly posted first. The government needs 158 votes the support of 19 Trinamool MPs, 18
and MIM on the Telangana is- abouts which, the police with Kumar since May 2009. to meet the two-thirds mark in the Ra- from the DMK and nine from the Somali pirates seize ship with Indians:
sue following Justice B N claim, helped Kumar give his On Tuesday, the CBI in- jya Sabha. The Congress, BJP and the AIADMK. BJP’s Arun Jaitley welcomed Somali pirates earlier this week hijacked
Srikrishna’s assertion on escorts the slip and go into
HC order on Kumar
formed the court that they Left add up to 137 MPs in the House, a the move, saying his party would sup- Abdul Razak, a small cargo ship with a crew
Thursday in New Delhi that hiding on February 19. This weren’t able to arrest Kumar little short of the requisite figure. It is port the proposed legislation in Par- of nine Indians, near the Gulf of Aden, an
all eight political parties is the first admission by the
bail petition today
as he could not be located, here that some clever floor manage- liament. Expressing her party’s back- NGO monitoring maritime activity said.
should nominate representa- police that the Jat strong- prompting the judge to slam ment would be necessary. ing for the proposed legislation, CPM
tives to spell out their stances. man, who has two non-bail-
T
he Delhi HC will on Friday
the agency for “not being se- Once cleared by the Upper House, the leader Brinda Karat said, “We are glad Maoists gun down cop in Bengal: Maoists
After a full meeting of the able warrants and a court
pronounce its order on the
rious’’ about apprehending bill is as good as through because in the the bill has got the cabinet nod.’’ gunned down the Sarenga police officer
Justice B N Srikrishna com- summon against him over
anticipatory bail plea of
him. The CBI had on Janu- Lok Sabha the three blocs virtually have Sources said the bill could be placed in in charge in Bankura when he was rushing
mittee, constituted to look into anti-Sikh riots cases, has
Congress leader Sajjan Kumar
ary 13 chargesheeted Kumar the requisite numbers. The government Parliament this session itself as sug- to rescue a CPM leader from a rebel attack.
the situation in AP, on Thurs- gone “missing’’ after shak-
against whom a non-bailable
in two separate cases of al- also has the option of holding a joint gested by President Pratibha Patil in
day, its chairman said: “We ing off his security.
warrant has been issued in
legedly making provocative session as the NDA had done to pass the her address to the joint sitting of Par- Girl pupil asked to strip for speaking Telugu:
have sought the opinion of Constable Ram Niroha,
connection with the 1984 anti-
speeches which led to the anti-terror POTA bill. The government liament. The UPA move is powered by An English teacher asked a Class III girl to
eight recognised political par- posted as PSO of the Z+ cat-
Sikh riots. A single judge
killing of 12 persons in 1984 managers will also be counting on the the keen interest of Sonia Gandhi in remove her shirt for talking in Telugu in an
ties in the state. Every party egory protectee, had on Feb-
bench will deliver the decision
following Indira Gandhi’s as- support of the DMK, some smaller the bill. She has batted strongly for it English medium school in Vijayawada. The
should officially nominate a ruary 19 made a diary entry
amid reports that Kumar has
sassination. groups and independents as well as on and has expressed her despair over the teacher has been suspended.
person who will spell out the which said Kumar had left
gone “missing” for one week.
Kumar’s lawyer had ear- the possibility of the BJD not opposing aggressive opposition in Parliament.
official stand of that party on his Madipur home in his lier told the court that he was the bill outright, to get its numbers. DMK If it does become law, it will be a fit- Nanded Class XII student kills self: A Class
the division of the state.’’ brother’s car. “Police, how- Delhi police security wing not running away but was spokesman said T K Elangovan said, ting tribute from the Congress to the XII student of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule School
Till now, the Congress and ever, have reason to believe that Kumar had gone miss- just exploring all available “Let the bill be passed first, we will see year-long centenary celebrations of In- in Nanded jumped before a train in Gokunda
the TDP were planning to that Kumar went in his ing. Sources said an internal statutory remedies. His broth- quota within quota later.’’ ternational Women’s Day this year. Giv- and died fearing he would fail in his exams. He
have leaders from both the re- lawyer’s vehicle. We haven’t inquiry was conducted last er Ramesh Kumar is an MP Even the AIADMK supports en the huge political point, the BJP and had fared badly in English and Marathi papers.
gions depose before the com- been able to trace him week after which the consta- from South Delhi. “It seems women’s reservation “in principle’’, the Left are unlikely to be found want-
mittee and submit their since,’’ JCP (security) S ble was suspended from serv- Kumar has gone under- while Bihar chief minister Nitish Ku- ing. It is not clear if smaller regional 2 die after AP hillock caves in: Two labourers
respective views and leave Nithiyanandan told TOI. ice. A probe is on to establish ground to evade arrest,’’ a mar does not share the intensity of the parties will oppose it outright as even were killed and at least 15 feared trapped
it to the commission to draw Niroha later informed the the veracity of his claims. senior police official said. TNN opposition of his JD-U colleague Sharad if parties like Mayawati’s BSP support when a hillock caved in at a granite quarry
its conclusion. TNN Yadav. Other than those of the Con- the bill, it will go through. TNN in AP’s Prakasam district.
*TOICTM260210/ /16/K/1**TOICTM260210/ /16/Y/1**TOICTM260210/ /16/M/1**TOICTM260210/ /16/C/1*
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CMYK
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