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Bofors probe: Manmohan slams Vajpayee

          Ahmedabad: Former Finance Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday criticised Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for "unduly influencing" the Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) in the latest Bofors allegations against party president Sonia Gandhi. Singh slammed the Prime Minister for announcing that CBI will look into the allegations, even after the Delhi High Court had absolved late Rajiv Gandhi of all charges in the case. "Why didn't the CBI question Sonia Gandhi in the 15 years of investigation? The Congress has not been in power for the last six years so there is no chance of us influencing the probe," Singh said. Commenting on the media report alleging Sonia Gandhi's involvement in the case, Singh said, "There appears to have been efforts to plant such a story".

Threats over remarks on Shivaji (Go To Top)

         Washington: A book on Shivaji written by an American professor has stirred a hornets' nest in Maharashtra as it allegedly contains some "derogatory" remarks about the revered Maratha King. According to a report in the Daily Times, Prof Jim Laine has mentioned in his book - Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India - that Shivaji's parents remained separated for most of their married life, though the officially approved accounts make no mention of that. "There seems to be an unwillingness to think about the fact that his parents lived apart for 30 years," Prof. Laine wrote adding: "When Shivaji opened his eyes on the world, he was nurtured by a mother who had been deserted by her husband."

          The American author has also written that Shivaji's guardian, Dadaji Konddev, was actually his `biological' father. According to the report, soon after the book was translated into Marathi, which was subsequently banned by the Maharashtra government on 15 January, Prof. Laine began receiving e-mails and phone calls asking that he apologise for what he had written. According to the paper, he has received two death threats and a number of threatening messages. A report against him was recently lodged with the St Paul police, Pune, the report said adding that while not concerned about his personal safety, Prof Laine is worried about the future of scholarships in India. "Unfortunately because of the turmoil (the book) has caused, there is no attention being given to the substantive question. What are some of the unthinkable thoughts carefully held at bay by the narrators who have shaped the Shivaji legend into a familiar tale?" he was quoted as saying.

          The book has been viewed most negatively in Maharashtra. In January, there was a riot outside the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune where the American professor had conducted some of his research. Members of the mob tarred the face of one of Prof Laine's colleagues, whom he had thanked in the preface of the book for their assistance. According to Prof Laine, "The riot was not spontaneous combustion. It was a carefully orchestrated event for political purpose." He said the outrage against the book has been intensified by members of the various political factions who are trying to win the support of Maharashtra voters in this year's national elections.

Kumaratunga names Cabinet, JVP boycotts swearing-in (Go To Top)

          Colombo: President Chandrika Kumaratunga on Saturday inducted 31 into her new Cabinet but the swearing-in was marred by a boycott of the ceremony by her main coalition partner, the Marxist Janata Vimukti Peramuna (JVP). The ceremony was originally scheduled at 2.00 p.m. but was put off several times as the JVP did not show up at the event that was originally scheduled to be shown live on national television. The broadcast was also cancelled. The JVP, or People's Liberation Front, had wanted additional subjects given to them, but the president won't oblige. Kumaratunga gave the key foreign ministry to her international affairs advisor, Lakshman Kadirgamar who lost a battle for the premiership to Mahinda Rajapakse.

Thousands of Lankans flee as fighting erupts (Go To Top)

          Batticaloa (Sri Lanka): Thousands of Sri Lankans have fled after rival factions of Tamil Tiger rebels exchanged mortar fire in the country's east in the worst fighting since a two-year truce halted the island's civil war. The fighting, which does not involve government troops, has killed at least nine people and complicates efforts by a new government to revive a stalled peace process with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

          Pro-rebel media said 300 fighters loyal to breakaway eastern commander Karuna had surrendered. "About eight fighters were reported killed on both sides," the Tamilnet Web site said. "The infantry formations...were spearheaded by crack commando units of the LTTE and were backed by heavy artillery fire." It said eight wounded had also been brought to hospital in Batticaloa, the stronghold of Karuna, who is reported to have the support of more than 6,000 of the LTTE's 15,000 fighters. The ninth person killed was an ambulance driver who died when his vehicle hit a landmine, local officials said.

          Television footage from Batticaloa showed that several of the wounded soldiers looked young. The LTTE, previously known for its strict discipline, has a history of showing no tolerance of internal challenges, and says Karuna left to evade charges he had stolen money from the rebels. The split also overshadowed a parliamentary election won last week by the party of President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who has taken a much harder stance on dealing with the rebels than outgoing Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. He signed the ceasefire with the Tigers in February 2002, although further peace talks broke down a year later. Kumaratunga said she wants to restart the talks, but that is unlikely while factional fighting persists between the rebels.