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Jammu shutdown against massacre of Hindus
Jammu, July 15 (ANI): Jammu observed a general strike on Monday to protest against the killing of 28 Hindus by unidentified gunmen during the weekend. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) called for the strike in six districts which make up the Jammu region. Saturday's attack by gunmen disguised as Hindu holy men threatens to stoke fresh tension between India and Pakistan, barely two months after a militant attack on an Indian army camp took the nuclear-armed neighbours to the brink of war. That attack, also on the outskirts of Jammu, killed 34 people. All businesses, schools, offices and public transport were shut to protest against the killing of the migrant labourers, who lived in a slum on the edge of Jammu city. Activists took to city streets shouting slogans against the state chief minister Farooq Abdullah demanding his resignation and the imposition of President's Rule in the state. "This shutdown has been called condemning the recent killings and against the police for its inadequacy in solving these cases and there is no proper combing of areas. We demand that there should be combing in every district in Jammu," said Ram Naresh, an activist. Police in Jammu, a city of 800,000 people, said they would be out in full force to prevent any trouble during the strike. Strike calls in the past, usually called by Kashmiri separatist groups, have witnessed incidents of stone-throwing and burning of tyres on roads to enforce a shutdown. No militant group has claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack and New Delhi has refused to pin blame for the incident. But police in Jammu said the attack could be the work of Pakistan-based Muslim militant outfits fighting Indian rule in the disputed Himalayan region. Kashmir is at the centre of standoff between India and Pakistan, who have fought two of their three wars since independence from Britain in 1947 over the region. Pakistan, which has pledged to stop militants crossing into Kashmir, condemned the killings and said the attack was aimed at destabilising South Asia.(ANI) Rail traffic disrupted in Bihar
Hajipur (Bihar), July 15 (ANI): Rail services came to a standstill in Bihar on Monday following a 12-hour shutdown against the ruling coalition's decision to send a railway ministry proposal to bifurcate eastern railways back to the cabinet for more discussions. Rail traffic passing through Hajipur town in north Bihar was disrupted as supporters of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) squatted on the tracks and damaged them. Bus services to the town were also affected as activists put up blockades and smashed window panes of vehicles passing by. Shops and major business establishments downed their shutters, educational institutions remained closed and road traffic remained thin. Activists also took out a protest march shouting slogans against Mamata Banerjee, chief of the Trinamool Congress, an ally of National Democratic Alliance, for opposing the bifurcation. "We are against the federal government's decision to review its decision about making Hajipur alongwith Malda, the headquarters of the new zone. This is for the first time since independence that Bihar was to be given such a big responsibility and if we are deprived of it due to Mamata Banerjee and the zonal centre is shifted to West Bengal then residents of Hajipur and Bihar will not keep quiet," said an activist. The Railway Ministry has proposed division of Eastern Railways into two zones, one based at Malda in Calcutta and the other in Hajipur in Bihar. It says the creation of smaller zones will increase efficiency and operational functioning of railways. The issue has threatened to snowball into a major controversy with West Bengal's ruling and opposition parties joining hands to oppose the bifurcation of eastern railways, presently headquartered in Kolkata. The state's political parties say the proposal will harm the economic interests of West Bengal. The Railways has also announced creation of six more new zones, including trifurcation of South-Eastern Railway headquartered in Kolkata.(ANI) Jaya, Vaiko cast vote in Prez poll
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to top Chennai, July 15 (ANI): Jayaram Jayalalitha, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, and Vaiko, MDMK leader booked under POTA for making pro-LTTE speeches, cast their vote for the Presidential election on Monday. Fromer Chief Minister M Karunanidhi also exercised his franchise. Vaiko, who is currently lodged in jail, got a special permission from Madras High Court to cast his vote.(ANI)
Pakistan denies hand in massacre Go to top Islamabad, July 15 (ANI): Pakistan on Monday rejected Indian charges it was inspiring the sort of violence in Kashmir that saw 28 Hindus killed at the weekend, and repeated its demand for international monitoring of the disputed region. Foreign Ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan said the attackers seemed to be seeking to stoke tensions, which have reduced after U.S.-led peace efforts last month and Islamabad's assurances to block militant infiltration into Kashmir. "We had condemned the killing of the civilians and this horrendous attack has been undertaken in order to increase tension in the region," Khan said. In the raid, five attackers, two disguised in the saffron robes of Hindu holy men, lobbed grenades and fired on a crowd watching a cricket match between India and England, on TV. The killers then barged into nearby huts, shooting wildly. Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha said on Saturday new militant intrusions had taken place and ruled out talks with Pakistan until it stopped the infiltration. Khan said the charge was baseless and that Pakistan had given "a categoric assurance" no infiltration was taking place. He repeated Pakistan's proposal for an expansion of an existing U.N. military observers' group in Kashmir to monitor both sides of the frontier. "We can not do more than that we abhor terrorism in all its form and manifestations. We have taken very firm and resolute action against terrorism and this has been lauded by the international community," he added. India's parliament adjourned on Monday without hearing an expected government announcement on its response to the massacre by unidentified gunmen. No one has claimed responsibility, but Indian police suspect Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, one of two blamed by India for an attack on parliament last December.(ANI)
Polling ends for Prez election, result on July 18
Go to top New Delhi, July 15 (ANI): Polling for the 12th Presidential election ended in Parliament House and state assemblies on Monday. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, his Cabinet colleagues and Leader of the Opposition Sonia Gandhi cast their votes during the day-long polling in Parliament House. Missile man APJ Abdul Kalam is the NDA nominee for the top post, while INA veteran Capt Lakshmi Sehgal has been fielded by the Left parties. The ballot box in Parliament House was sealed at 5 p.m. at the end of the voting. A total of 776 MPs and 4,120 MLAs comprise the electoral college for the Presidential poll. Counting of votes will take place on July 18 and the result will be announced the same day.(ANI)
Pak says it won't allow India river diversion Go to top Islamabad, July 15 (ANI): Pakistan has refused to allow even a minor diversion of Neelum river by India because that could jeopardize the development of Rs 87 billion Neelum-Jhelum power system in PoK. Informed sources told Dawn that New Delhi had requested Islamabad to allow it diversion of Neelum waters in Kashmir for power generation. It had assured that there would be no storage and the diverted water would be re-routed into the Neelum through Wullar Barrage. Riaz Ahmad Khan, chief engineering advisor and Chairman, Federal Flood Commission, said that once Pakistan started construction of the project, India could not divert the river waters under the Indus Waters Treaty, 1960. Pakistan had presented its point of view on the subject during the permanent Indus Commission meeting over a month ago as it believed the diversion would definitely affect the Neelum-Jhelum project because of the close vicinity. Through a communication a few days ago, New Delhi was once again reminded not to start diversion work. Sources said that diversion by India would not reduce the overall water level in the Neelum on the Pakistani side of the LoC but this would affect the river flow. Under the treaty, India could not change the river flow of Neelum river even for power generation that could effect any Pakistani power project. But if there is no power project in Pakistan that could be affected, India could diver the river for run-of-the- river project but without any storage.(ANI) |