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Militants step up attacks, J and K minister shot dead
Srinagar, Sept 11 (ANI): In their attempt to thwart elections in Jammu and Kashmir, militants on Wednesday killed state Law Minister Mushtaq Ahmed Lone and six others at a rally in Kupwara. Elswhere, seven people were gunned down at a bus stop in Surankot in Poonch district. A burqa-clad militant, sitting in the ladies enclosure at the rally, lobbed a grenade towards the dais from where Lone was addressing the audience. Simultaneously, the militant's other accomplices resorted to random firing in which the law and parliamentary affairs minister, his five security guards and a civilian were killed. A seriously injured Lone, who was seeking re-elections, was rushed to nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead. Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba outfit has claimed that its group Abul-Qasim, formed to sabotage the Jammu and Kashmir elections, had killed Lone. "The attack was carried out by our Abul-Qasim group, comprising local Kashmiri militants," Mohammad Shakeel, a LeT spokesman told the Kashmir Press Service, a local news agency. A 15-year-old Kashmiri boy, Abu Vikas, carried out the attack with the help of other members of the group, the spokesman said, adding Abul-Qasim was recently formed to sabotage the elections as polls were no solution to the Kashmir problem. Earlier, a little-known militant outfit 'Al-Arifeen Squad' had claimed responsibility for the attack. Lone was the second candidate gunned down by militants in the run-up to the elections within a week. On September 6, militants shot dead an independent candidate Sheikh Abdul Rehman along with his two nephews and a driver in Handwara constituency of Kupwara district. Meanwhile, Tariq Mohiuddin, the Congress candidate from Khansahib constituency, escaped unhurt when militants attacked his motorcade at Khipora village in Budgam district. A group of militants attacked the house of Chowdhary Sadiq Hussain late on Tuesday night and abducted his grandson, sources said, adding they later set the house on fire. Sadiq, a former member of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Board, was away from his residence in Mendhar, Poonch district.(ANI) 88 bodies fished out, many still trapped inside coaches
Rafiganj/New Delhi, Sept 11 (ANI): Rescue workers on Wednesday have pulled 88 bodies from the mangled remains of an express train that jumped the tracks near Rafiganj, 210 km south of Patna. Rescuers at the accident site were continuing to comb the wreckage but held out little hope of finding anyone alive after Monday's crash as the train, carrying 605 people, crashed while crossing a bridge. Railway officials said more than 200 people were injured. Many people are still trapped inside the mangled coaches of the train. The high-speed train bound for New Delhi from Kolkata veered off the rails on an old bridge over a river near Rafiganj on Monday. Railway officials say they suspect sabotage, possibly by Maoist rebels active in the area. Meanwhile, in New Delhi, Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani summoned Railway Minister Nitish Kumar alongwith Chairman of the Railway Board and other senior railway officials. Kumar said while talking to reporters after the meeting that it was decided that no one would speculate on the cause of the accident until the completion of a railway inquiry. "From now on it has been decided officially that nobody from the railwy board, neither me nor any railways ministry official will speculate the cause of the rail accident," Kumar said. Earlier on Tuesday, Kumar had said prima facie it appeared to be a case of sabotage. "I had said on prima facie, when I had just reached there I had made the statement that fish plates were found removed and we can not rule out sabotage. That was what we felt after reaching the accident site. Commissioner railway safety has reached the spot and whatever he finds out in his investigation report that will be acceptable to all of us. So we will await the commissioner safety's report," he added. Five coaches piled on top of each other after one side of the bridge collapsed into the river whose muddy waters were ankle- deep. Officials said a probe had been ordered into the crash. The Rajdhani Express is a deluxe train which links New Delhi to major cities across the country. It has no crowding as it is air-conditioned and more expensive than regular services.(ANI) Disaster funds not properly utilised: George
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to top New Delhi, Sept 11 (ANI): A seminar on 'Disaster Management and the Armed Forces - A National Effort', was organised in New Delhi today by the Army Headquarters and Institution of Engineers. Defence Minister George Fernandes was also present and he brought the attention to the danger that the people face because of the Himalayan range. He said that it is a young range that is gradually crumbling and this can soon lead to a natural calamity.He said, "When we are spending time to discuss natural calamities, it will be wiser to apply our minds to the Himalayas as well." He showed his concern over the Disaster Management Fund which has not been utilized to its fullest. "The Disaster Management Fund should be used to prevent the floods, to the advantage of the nation which can also save many lives.Bihar is a classic example where floods are an annual feature for centuries.But today it is possible to prevent the floods and divert the water for better use.But the failure is obvious, post independence." Army Chief, Gen Padmanabhan also gave his views on the issue. "I think we need to develop a sense of historic memory.Every disaster should be studied, re-studied, looked at and co-related to what's going on, not just in that area but all over where similar disasters could strike.Every life has its value." At the same time, he also criticised the attitude of state governments towards disaster relief, today opposed prolonged deployment of Army for such tasks and their use for menial jobs. The Army Chief said a disaster management plan in co-ordination with all ministries and departments was pending for final approval with the Home Ministry. The plan envisaged among other things provisions, state-of-the- art equipments to clear debris, specialised equipments which would be classified under different heads for specialised units to be earmarked for drought, cyclone, floods etc and stationed at Jammu, Chandigarh, Tezpur, Pune and Secunderabad among other places, he said. In January this year, the Army has properly codified a 'Blue Book' manual incorporating anticipatory measures and steps to be taken during and post-disasters. (ANI)
5,000 trees to be cut for BSP rally in Lucknow Go to top Lucknow, Sept. 11 (ANI): As many as 5,000 trees are being cut for a Bahujan Samaj Party rally scheduled to be held at the famous Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Maidan here on September 28. Orders in this regard were issued by the "all powerful" UP Chief Minister, Ms. Mayawati. Preparations are in full swing at the 50-acre land for the mammoth rally even as the ground is being levelled and trees chopped. Ironically, this is happening only a few months after the chief minister herself made an appeal to protect trees of forest land under Operation Green. The land being cleared has 30 to 40 years' old banyan, mango, peepal and sheeham trees. While explaining the entire process of forest cleaning, the Junior Engineer at the Lucknow Nagar Nigam, Surender Singh, said, "The workers of the Nagar Nigam and engineers are working on it. The PWD is getting a 300-metre road ready for the rally. The LDA is in-charge of the inside development. The drains on the other side are too being cleaned." He further said, "We are going to cut down all the trees and other small shrubs. The Nagar Nigam is going to level the land." About a hundred labourers are on the job. One of them said each individual cuts at least 25 to 30 trees per day. According to the forest policy of the Indian sub-continent, 30 per cent of Asia should be under tree cover to maintain the ecological balance. Uttar Pradesh is said to be having the lowest ecological balance in the country. Whoever wants a forest land to be cleared must have the written permission of the Forest Department, but Ms. Mayawati has reportedly gone all the way without any such formal sanction. (ANI)
New York, Sept 11 (ANI): Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee begins his visit to New York on Wednesday when he is expected to meet Afghan President Hamid Karzai. According to Indian officials, Karzai is likely to brief Vajpayee about the recent attack on him and the reconstruction process in Afghanistan. Terrorism is likely to be the focus of discussions between the two. India is attaching great importance to the events in Afghanistan. This can be seen by Vajpayee's programme here in New York. Karzai will be one of the first leaders to meet Vajpayee on day one of his visit to New York. Apart from this, Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha too will be attending a UN-sponsored meeting on Afghanistan later this week. Officials say this meeting will focus on the reconstruction process and the developments which are unfolding in this war- ravaged country. Analysts are of the opinion that India is participating in the "great game" which is unfolding in Afghanistan. Officials claimed that India's presence at this UN meeting on Afghanistan signifies that the world community acknowledges India's role in Afghanistan--post September 11. Later in the evening Vajpayee will be participating in the commemorative function being hosted by the Mayor of New York at the Battery Park for the victims of the September 11 tragedy. Vajpayee is also expected to meet the families of Indian victims of the September 11 tragedy. On Thursday Vajpayee will be meeting US President George W Bush. According to officials, all aspects of bilateral issues will dominate the talks --- from military to economic cooperation. Vajpayee is also likely to tell Bush about Pakistan's continuous support to militants in Kashmir. He is expected to impress on Bush that the US must tell Pakistan to stop interfering in the upcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The agenda for the Vajpayee/Bush meeting has already been set by Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha after his 2-day visit to Washington where he met all top US leaders. Vajpayee will also be meeting the Jewish community tomorrow (Thursday). This is probably the first time an Indian leader will be doing so. India, it seems, has realised the importance of the Jews in the American society. All in all, a packed schedule awaits Vajpayee here in New York. He is slated to address the 57th session of the UN General Assembly on September 13.(ANI)
US observes 9/11 anniversary Go to top Washington, Sept 11 (ANI): Heads bow, voices go quiet. At the Pentagon outside Washington, in a field in Pennsylvania, at Ground Zero in New York, and in many other parts of the United States and the world, commemorative moments of silence are being observed at the times at which hijacked jetliners slammed into terrorists' targets a year ago. The first moment was observed at 8:46 a.m. ET, the second at 9:03 a.m.-the times at which planes hit the towers of the World Trade Center. A third was observed at 9:37 a.m., when the hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon outside Washington. A fourth came at 10:06 a.m., the time at which United Airlines Flight 93 plowed into a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. At the Pentagon, a commemorative ceremony was opened by the U.S. Marine Corps Band and the unfurling of a huge American flag that was draped over the damaged part of the military complex last year. President Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld attended that service With an invocation by an Army chaplain, the service titled "United in Freedom" began at 9:30 a.m. to remember the 184 people killed in the terrorist attack on the Pentagon. President George Bush and his wife, Laura, were the last to take the podium, moments before the prayer. "We ask you to bless us as we gather in this sacred place as the reality of our pain and loss have become all too apparent.... We will not let those who died fade from our memory," said Chaplain Gaylord Gunhus. At 9:37 a.m. the exact time that American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon, ceremony attendants drew silent again to recognize the moment tragedy began unfolding along the complex's west wall. President Bush o reminded America that the war on terror will, and must continue. Speaking of the victims, Bush said, "Though they died in tragedy, they did not die in vain. Their loss has moved a nation to action.... What happened to our nation on a September day set in motion the first great struggle in a new century."(ANI) |