Former
CBI chief backs Mitrokhin Archive II
Ranchi/New
Delhi: The KGB controversy, courtesy the 'Mitrokhin
Archive II', which claims that the Russian spy agency had
cash funded the Indira Gandhi regime refuses to die down.
Former chief of the CBI Joginder Singh has said that since
Mitrokhin's (KGB spy) allegations were based on reports
from India, there might be some truth in them. "Mitrokhin's
allegation is based on the reports from India. There has
to be some element of truth in them," said Joginder Singh.
Earlier, the recently published 'Mitrokhin Archive II' had
said that the KGB had during the 1970's, penetrated all
levels of the Indian government. The archive, based on KGB's
own secret files said, that KGB operations in India during
that period were its largest in the world outside the Soviet
bloc, and the agency had even created a new department to
handle it. The ruling Congress party, has however, rejected
all the allegations. Congress party spokesperson Abhishek
Manu Singhvi, rubbished Joginder Singh's statement, saying
a former CBI chief had no right to comment without enough
proof to back it. "I have not heard of anything in this
matter except the press report. I would like to repeat whatever
has been said about the KGB controversy. Until, a former
CBI chief has the required proof, he does not have the right
to say that the KGB report is true," said Singhvi.
The
opposition BJP, has on the other hand, pressurized the government
to conduct an enquiry into the allegations. The book is
the second volume detailing the Cold War activities of the
KGB, based on top-secret agency files stolen more than two
decades ago by archivist Vasili Mitrokhin and handed over
in 1992 when he defected to Britain. The book says that
suitcases of money were regularly taken into Indira Gandhi's
house to fund the Congress party, and in the 1977 poll,
which she lost, nine party candidates were KGB agents. It
further said that when Indira returned to power in 1980,
the KGB proceeded to influence the Indian government policies
by fuelling her paranoia of CIA plots through disinformation
tactics backed by forged documents leaked to the press.
When Indira's son Rajiv took over from her after her assassination
in 1984, the KGB continued to both court and scare him through
lavish receptions and more tales of CIA plots, adding, that
the relationship only foundered when Rajiv lost power in
1989, and the Soviet Union itself started to disintegrate.
Bihar
Governor Buta Singh issues poll notification (Go
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Patna:
Bihar Governor Buta Singh on Friday issued the notification
for the first phase of polling in the State Assembly elections
in which 61 constituencies will vote on October 18. Twelve
districts, namely Patna, Rohtas, Kaimur, Buxar, Bhojpur,
Aurangabad, Jehanabad, Gaya, Arwal, Nawada, Jamui and Banka
will go to polls in the first phase. The notification for
the other three phases, which would be held on October 26,
November 13 and 19, would be issued on September 28, October
19 and 26. Counting of votes in all the constituencies will
be taken up on November 22, and date before which election
process shall be completed will be November 23. Holding
the elections in four phases was decided by the Election
Commission in the wake of security of voters, candidates,
polling personnel and to ensure enough Electronic Voting
Machines (EVM). Meanwhile, this time the Assembly Elections
are going to showcase a triangular fight between National
Democratic Alliance and United Progressive Alliances two
factions. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), a key member of
the ruling coalition in the Centre, has ruled Bihar for
15 years before State polls in February ended its stint
in power.
In
the month of March, following a week-long impasse over Government
formation in Bihar in the wake of the polls throwing up
a hung Assembly, Governor Buta Singh had recommended to
the Centre the imposition of President's rule in the state.
The recommendation came within hours of the Governor had
meeting with the Lok Janshakti Party leader Ramvilas Paswan,
whose 29 members of Legislative Assembly held the key to
government formation. The Governor recommended President's
rule after Paswan stuck to his stand of not supporting either
the Rashtriya Janata Dal or the National Democratic Alliance,
the two main contenders for power. Since neither the RJD-led
alliance nor the NDA had come forward with the support of
122 MLAs required for majority, the Governor recommended
imposition of President's rule under Article 356 of the
Constitution to end the political uncertainty. On March
7, 2005 the President A P J Abdul Kalam gave his assent
to the imposition of President's rule in Bihar.
Bihar
private schools shut down over student's kidnapping (Go
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by Ajay Kumar
Patna:
Private schools in Bihar observed a shutdown on Friday
in protest against the kidnapping of student, who has been
missing for the past four days. Seven-year-old Golu Gaurav
was abducted by armed gunmen on his way to school earlier
this week and kidnappers have demanded a hefty ransom from
his businessman father, who resides in Patna. The Bihar
Public Schools and Welfare Association (BPSWA) have lashed
out at the police for not being able to find Golu and called
all their students to pray for his safe release. "All the
private schools in the city are protesting against the kidnapping
of Golu. It's been four days since he is missing, and no
one has any information," said Syed Shamel Ahmed, Vice Chairman
of BPSWA. Ahmed said private school students have been protesting
the kidnappings, saying they are now afraid to go to schools.
Police say they have interrogated a few suspects on the
basis of their alleged involvement in earlier incidents,
but could not elicit any concrete information from them.
One of the country's most lawless and unruly states, Bihar
is known for its high crime rate and kidnapping where extortion
cartels, who operate as hugely powerful kingpins - literally
untouched by law, are fast spreading to other states where
traders and businessmen are the soft targets. Businessmen
allege a nexus between kidnappers, local politicians and
the state police. But police deny the charges and instead
blame the rising crime rate on irresponsible citizens who
prefer to give ransom to kidnappers thus encouraging criminals.
Bihar and the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh state, at the bottom
of human development index, figure high on the crime graph.
The state would go on four-phased polls in October-November
to elect a new government, after the elections held earlier
this year were inconclusive.
11
killed in Gujarat rain, rail service hit in Andhra (Go
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Gandhinagar:
Heavy rains over the past two days in several parts
of the State has caused eleven deaths in different districts,
while normal lives of others have been severely disrupted.
Three persons were killed in Surat, three in Bavala, two
in Navsari, two in Dangs and one in Narmada following heavy
rains in these districts, official sources said. Rains have
also affected the railway service, and trains to Maharashtra
were reported to be moving slowly, increasing troubles of
thousands of commuters further. According to flood control
officials, heavy rain, accompanied by strong winds, has
lashed many parts of the State, leading to evacuation of
people from 29 villages. People of Vadodara, Panchmahals
and Bharuch districts were shifted to safer places by the
rescue teams as flood had submerged these places. Meanwhile,
meteorological department has predicted that heavy rains
would continue to lash the State even on Saturday. On the
other hand, incessant rains in Andhra Pradesh continues
to trouble the people. An express train was stuck on Wednesday
in Dornakal, a small village in Warangal district, after
a railway track was breached due to rains. Earlier on Wednesday,
rain had damaged the track between Warangal and Vijaywada
causing 19 hours of anxious wait for the passengers of Tamil
Nadu Express, which had left from Chennai for New Delhi
on Monday. Hundreds of trucks and other vehicles were stranded
on a key highway linking eastern India with the south of
the country and the airport in the port city of Visakhapatnam
was closed as its runway was partially waterlogged. State
authorities said about 100,000 people were homeless after
heavy rains caused flooding in coastal districts, with strong
winds uprooting thousands of trees and electricity poles.
Over 1,000 people were reported to be missing and hundreds
of fishermen were unaccounted for in Bangladesh after a
severe storm in the Bay of Bengal. Storms and cyclones that
form in the Bay of Bengal in September and October slam
into India's eastern coast and neighbouring Bangladesh almost
annually.
