New Delhi: Indian will release 101 Pakistani civilians prisoners and 51 fishermen on September 12, the same day when Pakistan will be releasing 371 Indian fishermen and 64 civil prisoners lodged in different jails of Pakistan, said K P Singh, Special Secretary, Ministry of Home, in a press briefing here today. The Centre has also agreed to provide consular access from September 12 to 27 to all Pakistani civil prisoners who are undergoing sentence or are under trial and lodged in different jails in India. The civilian prisoners are those who have completed their sentences. The Pakistan High Commission in Delhi has issued their travel documents. These actions are being taken in pursuance of the decision taken at the second round of the Home Secretary level talks between the two countries on Terrorism and Drug Trafficking, held in New Delhi last month. During the talks, both sides had agreed to implement the decision arrived at by the foreign Secretaries in December 2004 on prisoners issue. They had reiterated their commitment to provide immediate notification of arrest made by either side. An agreement was also met to provide consular access to all person within three months of arrest, and release prisoners immediately after completion of sentence and nationality verification.

Manmohan invites Musharraf for dinner in New York  (Go To Top)
by I. Rammohan Rao

     New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has invited Pakistan resident Pervez Musharraf for dinner on September 14 during his visit to New York to attend the 60th session of the U.N.General Assembly. Briefing the media about the upcoming visit, Foreign Secretrary Shyam Saran said that Dr. Singh would also have bilateral meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Hu Jintao and South African President Thambo Mbeki. Saran confirmed that President Musharraf has "graciously" accepted the invitation to dinner, and added that during that event the two leaders would in all probability discuss a number of issues of bilateral importance. Saran also said that the Prime Minister would be making a special presentation on behalf of India at the UNGA on September 14. He would also use his visit to interact with the Indian-American community and American CEOs in New York. A meeting with U.S.President George W Bush was also scheduled on the sidelines of the session, he said. There would also be a review of economic indicators of development and an assessment of how far the developing countries had moved forward in trying to achieve their goals, the foreign secretary said, adding that this year's session could also see the launch of the Millineum Development Fund as was suggested during the session last year.

Heavy rains lash Mumbai again after 45 days  (Go To Top)
by Susheel Parikh

     Mumbai: Heavy rains lashed Mumbai on Friday after a gap of 45 days, inundating several areas and disrupting suburban train services. The northern suburbs of the city were badly hit by rains that started in the afternoon, according to police sources. More than a dozen intersections in the city and suburbs witnessed traffic jams due to waterlogging. Water logging in at least three sections of western and central railway has slowed down the suburban railway traffic, the sources said. Mumbai police control room authorities confirmed reports of waterloggingat Andheri, Khar and Milan subways, Sahar-Bahar junction, Vile Parle junction, Coldvita lane in MIDC (all in western suburbs), Ghatkopar-Narayannagar junction, Kurla depot- Wadia junction and Sion circle (eastern suburbs), Hindmata junction and Bharatmata junction in central Mumbai. According to Government Railway Police (GRP) sources, waterlogging was reported at Sion-Matunga and Masjid sections of central railway, and Bandra-Khar section of Western Railway. Western Railway sources said the suburban train traffic was normal, while Central Railway sources said that trains were plying at slow speed in the section. Heavy rains last lashed the city and most parts of Maharashtra between July 26 and August 10. The record rainfall resulted in the deaths of about 1,000 people, forcing both the Central and state governments to release almost a million dollars for relief and rehabilitation efforts.

Mumbai Dance Bar president arrested  (Go To Top)

     Mumbai: Mumbai Dance Bar Association President Manjit Singh Sethi was arrested by the city's police outside the Cooper Hospital on Friday, where the body of dancer Meena was kept in morgue, for indulging in slogan shouting and unlawful assembly. Police said Sethi and some other members of the association had gone to Cooper Hospital to claim Meena's body. Meena had committed suicide due to financial problems brought on by a Maharashtra Government decision last month to close down all dance bars in the state. Sethi and his supporters started raising slogans against the Government, demanding jobs for bar girls. He also claimed that jobless bar girls were committing suicide as they had no other alternative. Goregaon Police have taken the custody of Sethi from Juhu Police and he was then taken to Borivali to be produced before the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) for questioning. The ban on bar dancers came into effect on August 15. Over 50,000 girls were reportedly working in 600-odd dance bars in Maharashtra prior to the ban.

Vajpayee, Advani meet over Khurana expulsion issue  (Go To Top)
by Maya Singh

     New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party President LK Advani met former Prime Minister and senior party leader Atal Behari Vajpayee on Friday and is reported to have discussed issues relating to the formal expulsion of former Delhi chief minister Madan Lal Khurana. Advani, who returned from Jodhpur on Thursday night, met Vajpayee in a bid to sort out the latest crisis in the party. The meeting assumed significance as it came a day after Vajpayee had said that it was unfortunate for the party to have expel Khurana. He maintained that the former chief minister of Delhi should have at least been given a hearing. Khurana also met Vajpayee today, suggesting that moves were on for a patch-up formula. After an hour-long meeting with Vajpayee, Khurana appeared to have softened his stand a bit.

     Speaking to reporters after his meeting, Khurana said he was ready to work in the party as a pujari, as he had always been. He also sought Vajpayee's intervention for a meeting between him and Advani to iron out their differences. Khurana said that he wanted to come back to the BJP, saying he was ready to hold a meeting with party President L K Advani and Vajpayee to discuss the matter at length. "I have been serving the party for last 45 years like a committed devotee, and I still want to continue my service," he said. Khurana further showed full faith in Vajpayee and hoped things would soon get back on track with Vajpayee's support. He termed Vajpayee as "Krishna" and himself as "Arjuna." "I am fighting for my principles, and I request Vajpayeeji to help me as he is like Lord Krishna for me and I am fighting like Arjuna" Meanwhile, senior party leaders M.Venkaiah Naidu and Jaswant Singh have also met Vajpayee after holding a meeting with Advani at his residence. Former party vice-president Pyarelal Khandelwal was also reported to have attended the meeting.

     Vajpayee yesterday termed Khurana's expulsion from the BJP as 'unfortunate' and said that that he should been given another opportunity for clarification. Another senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi has also came out in support of Khurana, saying the party should follow what the experienced Vajpayee has expressed. "Vajpayee has spoken out of experience and I feel if the party follows what he has said, it will be good for the party. I also believe in what he has said," he said. In view of the developments of the past 24 hours, Advani was expected to meet Vajpayee today, to discuss the Khurana controversy. Yesterday, Khurana had accused party President Advani of showing dictatorial attitude, and had called the BJP a "private limited company." On September 6, the decision to expel Khurana was taken in a meeting of BJP Disciplinary Action Committee (DAC), headed by former Petroleum Minister, Ram Naik, which was also attended by Professor O.P.Kohli and Sheesha Giri Rao. Earlier on August 22, the BJP veteran leader was served the show- cause notice seeking his explanation for his attack on party president L.K. Advani. Khurana. Khurana had written a letter to Advani demanding the removal of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. He had asked the party president to clear the taint the party had suffered due to the Gujarat riots. There is a view now that the decision taken against Khurana has been hasty, and needs to be discussed at the 'appropriate party forum.'

CBI to probe Gohana violence (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today took over the enquiry of the Gohana arson occurred on August 31 in Sonipat district of Haryana. The CBI would investigate every incident reported to have linked with the incident, including the Baljit Siwach murder case (which reportedly triggered the arson incident) and the Panchkula rioting which took place on September two, when a statewide bandh was called to protest against the burning of over 50 Dalit houses in Gohana. According to the report, the CBI had deputed two teams to probe into the Gohana and the Panchkula incidents. Earlier on September five, the Haryana Government had sought for a CBI enquiry into the arson incident as well as the murder case that triggered it. On August 31, over fifty Dalit houses were torched in Balmiki Basti of Gohana town following an alleged involvement of a Dalit person in the murder of an upper-caste person on August 27.