I'm
ready to shake hands with LTTE: Kumaratunga
Colombo:
Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has said
that she is ready to shake hands with the Liberation Tigers
of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and its chief Prabhakaran in this
time of tragedy. In an exclusive interview to TV channel,
Kumaratunga reiterated her government's willingness for
fresh peace efforts with the LTTE. "I am willing to shake
hands with any LTTE member if they wish to. The problem
was that they were not willing to. So if they are willing
to shake hands and go further, I have always been willing,"
she said when asked whether her shaking hands with two LTTE
cadres in Amparai hinted at a new beginning in the peace
process. Asked if she was willing to shake hands with LTTE
supremo Prabhakaran, she said, "Why not? For the sake of
the country, I am willing to do a lot". She denied the Tamil
Tigers' charge that the Sri Lankan government aid has not
reached their area. "No, that is not true. I have spoken
to UN representatives who have gone into LTTE areas and
they have expressed satisfaction with the relief work. We
have sent massive amounts of aid into the north and east,"
she said. "We are working to give them the maximum amount
of relief that we can and in the reconstruction process
we will not make any difference between the north, east
and the south. The LTTE, at the moment, is very willing
to cooperate and let the government carry on the process,"
Kumaratunga said.
DIG
among several injured in Srinagar IED blast (Go
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Srinagar: A senior police
officer and his two guards were among several injured in
a powerful blast, which rocked Anantnag district of Jammu
and Kashmir this evening. Deputy Inspector General of Police,
South Kashmir, Ravinder Kotwal and his two guards were injured
in the explosion caused by militants around 5.10, reports
said. The souces said several pedestrians were also injured
in the explosion which took place near police station Sadder
and a security camp at Naibasti. Kotwal was moving in his
bullet-proof vehicle from his office to Nai Basti area when
the blast took place. He was slightly injured and was rushed
to Srinagar for treatment. The exact cause of the blast
was not known immediately, but the intensity of the blast
suggested that an improvised explosive device (IED) was
used, the sources said.
PM
to inaugurate Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Mumbai (Go
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New
Delhi: In the light of the tsunami tragedy and the government's
pre-occupation with relief and rehabilitation, it has been
decided to scale down the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2005 (PBD
2005) meet in Mumbai next week. The PBD 2005 will be restricted
to business sessions, cutting out all celebratory events,
including entertainment and official banquets. According
to a press release, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has agreed
to allow a scaled down PBD 2005 to be held, after initially
considering its cancellation, because many of the several
hundred delegates to the conference shave already arrived
in India and have registered for participation. However,
the Prime Minister has directed the Ministry for Overseas
Indian Affairs, the nodal Ministry organizing the event,
to cancel all celebratory events including entertainment,
lunch and dinner programmes. The PBD 2005 will only have
business-oriented sessions. It will also discuss ways in
which overseas Indians can contribute to relief and rehabilitation
efforts in a sustained manner. The Prime Minister will inaugurate
the meet on 7th January, 2005 in Mumbai. Because of his
commitment to inaugurate the PBD 2005, the Prime Minister
has requested the External Affairs Minister, i Natwar Singh
to represent him at the ASEAN Leaders' Meeting on the Aftermath
of Earthquake and Tsunami, scheduled for 6th January, 2005
at Jakarta. After participating in the meeting, Natwar Singh
will also fly to Colombo to discuss relief and rehabilitation
issues with the Government of Sri Lanka.
Another
doctor kidnapped in Bihar (Go
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Patna:
On the eve of new year's day, unidentified gunmen today
kidnapped a physician from Bihar's Purnea district. Dr U
K Raja, a prominent orthopaedic surgeon of Madhepura, was
kidnapped today in the district today. Dr Raja was kidnapped
when he was proceeding to Purnea from Madhepura with his
family members. Motorcycle-borne gunmen intercepted his
car near Mirchabari in Purnea. The kidnappers were travelling
on two motorcycles. They forced Raja to board a two-wheeler
and sped away. The kidnapped doctor was posted at the Sadar
Hospital in Purnea, he was also practising in Madhepura.
However, the kidnappers left his family members and driver
unharmed. The police have filed a case and efforts are being
made to rescue the doctor. The incident comes only few weeks
after a noted surgeon of Patna, Dr NK Agarwal was shot dead
on November 12 by unidentified gunmen. Dr Agarwal's death
triggered a week-long state-wide strike by the Indian Medical
Association in protest against 'attack on doctors'.
Patna
police files an FIR against Mayawati (Go
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Patna:
After filing FIRs against Railway Minister Lalu Prasad
and JD (U) leader George Fernandes, an FIR has also been
filed against Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief and former
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati for violating the
Model Code of Conduct in the run-up to next month's assembly
elections in Bihar. The FIR was filed after she was found
using a red beacon light atop her car and travelling with
a cavalcade of more than three vehicles while proceeding
to the Gandhi Maidan in Patna to kick off her party's election
campaign in the state on Friday. "The cases were registered
under Bihar Motor Vehicles Act, 1977 and Representation
of the People Act, 1951", said the senior city police superintendent
N H Khan. RJD chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and
NDA convenor George Fernandes were accused of violating
the Model Code of Conduct on December 20 and 25 respectively
for distributing money allegedly to 'lure voters'.
