Paswan expels rebel MLAs; Cinema blast to scuttle UPA anniversary: Shivraj Patil; CDs of 'Joh Bole So Nihal' selling like hotcakes in Punjab; Top NSCN-IM leader defects to rival faction; Mumbai cops to get incentives to cut flab; Over fifty people killed, injured in Baghdad car blast; Thousands march for restoration of democracy in Nepal; Mobiles go basic sans the gizmos; Veselin Topalov triumph leaves Anand to second place; Indian Panchatantra dazzles British audience; 'Nazi' Spielberg in the eye of a storm; Paris Hilton fined for feeding pigeons in London; Muscle suit helped Christensen bulk up for 'Star Wars'; 'Revenge of the Sith' sends box office records tumbling; Kylie to get memorable birthday bash; Is Imran Khan romancing Goldie Hawn?; Kylie not marrying her beau; Jackson sells Neverland for 19.5 million pounds; French woman claims she has Diana's kidney; Destiny's Child addicted to chocolates; India Travel Times, Indian News, Tourism, Hotels, Airlines, Tour, Travel, Ayurveda, Yoga, Festival, Hindu, Taj Mahal, Kathakali, Dance,

Home Contact Us Dateline New Delhi, Monday, May 23, 2005

Paswan expels rebel MLAs

New Delhi: Union Fertilizer and Chemical Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Monday said all rebel MLAs of his party would be expelled. "All rebel MLAs (who favoured an NDA Government led by Nitish Kumar) will be expelled from the party," Paswan told newsmen here Earlier, LJP president refusing to accept the blame being heaped on him by RJD Chief Lalu Prasad for dissolution of the Bihar Assembly, sought to turn tables at his friend-turned-foe and attributed the development to his "rigid" stand. "It was because of the rigid stand of Lalu that none other than Rabri Devi will be the Chief Minister and also because of NDA's demand for chief ministership to JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar that the House had to be dissolved," Paswan told reporters here. He said though he was not welcoming the dissolution, yet he felt there was no other option before the Governor under the prevailing circumstances. The LJP leader ridiculed Prasad's remark that he was "adamant" saying "I was agreeable to any Muslim candidate from any party to head the Government but Prasad insisted on his wife. I had even agreed for someone from RJD. Now who is rigid is for anybody to guess." He said the House had to dissolved as Prasad was not comfortable out of power "just like fish out of water" and dissolution of the Assembly was the best option for him. "NDA added fuel to the fire by indulging in horsetrading and targeting my MLAs," he said.

Cinema blast to scuttle UPA anniversary: Shivraj Patil (Go To Top)

New Delhi: Home Minister Shivraj Patil said on Monday (May 23) that the cinema hall blasts in New Delhi could have been timed to coincide with the first anniversary of UPA government. Though no outfit has claimed responsibility for the blasts, which ripped through Liberty and Satyam cinema halls, which were showing the controversial film "Jo Bole So Nihal", considered offensive by some Sikhs. The blasts killed one person and injured dozens on Sunday (May 22) evening. "Yesterday was a day on which the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government was formed and that has its own significance," said Patil after a meeting of the Union Cabinet late night at Prime Minister's residence. Patil said police in the capital have been asked to be "extra careful and more vigilant overall to avoid such kind of incidents." Meanwhile, police have erected barricades on Delhi's roads and put railway stations and airports on alert across the country. "Preliminary investigations have been made but to say that a hi- tech operation had been carried out is too soon," K.K Paul, Delhi Police Commissioner, said. Meanwhile as police hunted the bombers, a small blast early on Monday wounded one person in east Delhi. Delhi Police said a device hidden in a purse exploded beside a road on Monday but believed it had no connection with the cinema blasts. Following the outcry, the film, released this month, was withdrawn from theatres across Punjab and Haryana. Some more cinema halls and distributors recalled the film after Sunday's blasts. Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee (SGPC) had sought an immediate ban on the film, which was released across India last week. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh visited the injured at Ram Manohar Lohia hospital in Central Delhi this morning.

CDs of 'Joh Bole So Nihal' selling like hotcakes in Punjab (Go To Top)
by Ravinder Singh Robin

Amritsar: Last night's bomb blasts in New Delhi's two cinema halls screening "Jo Bole So Nihal" have, in fact, increased the sale of CDs of the film. The film's CDs are selling like hotcakes, and at a premium. Normally, a film's VCD is available in the market at Rs 20, but those of "Jo Bole......." are available at an hourly rent ranging between Rs 50 and 100. People are keen to watch the film to see for themselves as to which scenes, dialogues or slogans created so much controversy for the film and even led to bombings in two cinema halls. Tough the master-print of the movie is yet to be sold in the market, thousands of pirated CDs of the film are readily available at VCD libraries across the state. The films' CDs stock has gone underground overnight, but demand has actually increased tremendously. There are others who wonder as to why the Sikh bodies didn't launch agitation before the film's release even as its promos were being shown by various TV channels day and night. Parminder Singh, a CD shop owner, feels that except for the title of the film there is nothing which could be considered as objectionable to any religion. Another CD-shop owner Pawan Kumar said that he had seen the movie and did not find anything controversial in it except the name, which was a religious slogan. He suggested that after making the necessary changes the film should be released to meet the demands of public. The film VCDs' vendors believe in the maxim - "Risk always adds to the Profit".

Top NSCN-IM leader defects to rival faction (Go To Top)

Dimapur: In one of the biggest setbacks in recent time for the NSCN (Isak-Muivah), senior minister A. Z Jami has joined rival outfit, the NSCN (Khaplang). Jami, who was one time Deputy Prime Minister of the outfit and heading the all important Ministry of Information and Publicity in the NSCN (IM), threw a feast at Mon town on Saturday to announce his formal entry into the Khaplang group. In a one page statement to the media, he confirmed his resignation from the NSCN (IM) and said he had joined the Khaplang group on Friday (May 20). "The reason I resigned is that I don't see any reason why my sacrifices and the sufferings of my entire family during the fifty years of my humble service for the nation be ended in the Naga integration", he stated while pointing out that the sacrifice made by the people during the three quarters of the century was not for integration only. "Yes, integration of Nagas areas in an idea to be cherished and appreciated. But the issue of integration is more or less administrative matter", Jami said.

Jami who hails from Chudi village in Wokha region also raised the issue that the political solution of the Nagas of Manipur could not be negotiated by the Nagas of Nagaland and vice versa. "That will be a cardinal error", he stated. Jami who till recently was Secretary, Steering Committee, the highest policy making body of the NSCN (IM) said any political solution on the lines of Kashmir with Naga integration would be a failure. "That will become another 16 point agreement of 1960 or Shillong accord of 1975. Such agreement will certainly invite another revolution. So let us make the history straight. If we cannot achieve sovereignty in our time, we shall leave it to our sons and daughters. We shall not make political mistake," he warned. The former NSCN (IM) minister also came down heavily on the present peace process alleging that there was no transparency in the political talk between the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) leadership. "Even most of the top ranking NSCN (IM) leaders do not know what the leadership is negotiating", he wondered. Jami said the mass based civil groups and their leaders did not specify any political status nor did they spell out any terms and conditions during the recent Naga consultation meetings. "The Naga leaders in the meeting only gave blind support to the so call peace process. So what will you say if the NSCN (IM) leadership brings another Shillong Accord with your mandate?" he asked. Meanwhile there are unconfirmed reports on the circumstances leading to the resignation of Jami. Jami was reportedly upset over the manner in which 'authorities' at Council Headquarters, Hebron had ignored his view point in a internal dispute over the appointment of CAO of Lotha region. Reliable sources revealed that the senior Jami and one M. Kikon, member of the Steering Committee had several heated arguments over the CAO appointment issue.

According to details available the Jami along with his body guards raided the residence of Kikon at Bori Lengri some months back and even made an attempt on the latter's life. But Kikon was reportedly away at the time. Meanwhile NSCN (I-M) spokesman K. Chawang confirmed that former had defected to NSCN (K) over differences of issue related to the Lotha region with his fellow colleague from the same tribe, M. Kikon. Chawang also said that growing differences between the two senior leaders from the Lotha region, had prompted Jami to make an attempt on the life of M. Kikon recently which forced the organization to set up an internal inquiry committee to probe the matter. He also dismissed Jami's statement that the integration issue was the reason for his resignation. "Jami was well aware that integration was just one of the issues in the ongoing talks with New Delhi," Chawang countered.

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