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BJP to continue boycott of tainted ministers

         New Delhi: The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today said that it would continue its agitation over the inclusion of tainted ministers in the government. "Tainted ministers issue will never be on the backburner unless they are dismissed and they are removed from the cabinet. On that issue we have already taken a decision that we will boycott the tainted ministers. That was done in the last session itself. Shibu Soren's case was an isolated case in which we had gone to the peak. But as regard the tainted ministers, our boycott will continue till they are dismissed and removed from the cabinet," Sushma Swaraj, spokesperson of the BJP, told reporters after a party meeting. The BJP has now trained its guns on the Minister of State for Agriculture Mohammad Taslimuddin, who has been charged with attempted murder. Taslimuddin was earlier dropped from the cabinet of Prime Minister H D Devegowda in 1996 as several criminal cases were pending against him. On the continuing unrest in Manipur, Swaraj said the opposition was waiting to see how the government dealt with the crisis before deciding what to do. "Today Home Minister Shivraj Patil is making a statement on Manipur. We will seek clarifications and then we will see whether we want a discussion or not," Swaraj said. Violent protests have rocked the remote state since a woman was killed last month by troops using the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (ADSPA), 1958. The Manipur government recently withdrew the act from Imphal and some nearby areas.

No change in situation in Manipur: Govt (Go To Top)

          New Delhi: Manipur continued to be tense even after an anti-terror law was partially scrapped from some areas, the government said on Tuesday. Unrest in the insurgency-racked state mounted since Thangjam Manorama, 30, was killed last month allegedly by troops who said she was a suspected rebel trying to flee. The Manipur government withdrew the the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Imphal and some nearby areas last week, as demanded by the residents. The disputed law give security forces sweeping powers to arrest or shoot suspected rebels. Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal read out a statement from Home Minister in Lok Sabha. "Armed forces have started proceedings against those who are alleged to have been responsible for the incident. The state government has also instituted a judicial inquiry into the matter. There has been no change in the situation even after the act was withdrawn from the city of Imphal. The central government is watching the situation, it will take appropriate action to meet the situation," said Minister of State for Home Sri Prakash Jaiswal in a prepared statement. Over 20 armed groups operate in the state. They have accused the central government of neglecting the local economy and want more freedom for the state.

Nathpa Jhakri project starts operation (Go To Top)

          Rampur (Himachal Pradesh): Two units of the 1500 MW Nathpa Jhakri Hydel Project, which were shut down following fresh fears of flash floods, today resumed power generation after over a week. It is understood that following a high level meeting attended by officials from the Union Power Ministry and Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd (SJVNL), the decision to restart the project for power generation was taken. Reports indicate that the apparent threat posed to the Rs. 8,500 crore project by the artificial lake in Tibet was also discussed at length with the possibility of even shutting down the operation if the water level at the project rose rapidly in the event of a lake burst. Early on Saturday, three units of the project, which had started power generation for a few hours, were shut down following the Centre's in view of the threat perception from the artificial lake.

Pak cinema halls turn into brothels (Go To Top)

          Karachi: Some cinema halls in Pakistan have apparently been turned into brothels, as their owners continue to suffer from poor ticket sales and a delay on the part of the Pakistan government to approve the entry of popular films from India. This was visible late on Monday, when Karachi police arrested over 130 people, including 30 sex workers from a cinema house located on the city's M.A. Jinnah Road. According to The News, the raid on the cinema hall was ordered by Sindh's Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui during a matinee show. Police said that the women in particular were found in compromising positions, besides indulging in other unethical acts. Akbar, the owner of cinema house, his son Sami, Tariq and Javed, the two managers along with technical and other staff were also arrested. Initial investigations revealed that these immoral activities had been going on for several months under the alleged patronisation of the area police. Fayyaz Ahmed Khan Leghari, the DIG Operations (Karachi) was quoted as saying that the police chief of the area has been suspended and demoted. A departmental inquiry has also been instituted against him.

Rebels kill journalist in Nepal (Go To Top)

          Kathmandu: A Nepali journalist has been killed by Maoist rebels weeks after being kidnapped. The Maoists posted a notice at Dekendra Thapa's Narayan village in Dailekh district, about 500 kilometers west of Kathmandu, saying they had killed the journalist for spying on the rebel group. Thapa, who worked for the state-run Radio Nepal was seized by the rebels in June, local officials said.