KT NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, Feb.
12: The Congress has petitioned the Election Commission to provide a level-playing field to all political parties by stopping the government's mega advertisements in print and electronic media to promote the ruling NDA's poll prospects.
It urged the Commission to examine the misuse of the public money for the advertisement campaign unleashed by the government and take a decision on it using its inherent powers.
A 5-member delegation led by Congress treasurer Motilal Vora also complained to the Election Commission that the government has reduced Doordarshan and its newly created channels to function like an agency of the ruling NDA, directly telecasting the election speeches of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, the BJP President and Chief Ministers of NDA.
"Other political party leaders are not given time," the delegation complained.
The delegation, which also included General Secretary Oscar Fernandes and Rajya Sabha members H R Bhardwaj, R K Anand and Ranji Thomas, also urged the Eletion Committion on Wednesday to announce the election schedule only after the electoral rolls are properly verified and published.
"The caretaker government (of Vajpayee) is putting pressure on the government employees involved in the preparaton of voters list to rush through it and do it to their satisfaction which will not be in the interest of free and fair elections to this country," the delegation told the Commission.
Kapil Sibal blasts Jailley on Bofors issue KT NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI , Feb.
12: The Congress on Thursday sought to blunt the accusing finger raised at Congress President Sonia Gandhi by citing involvement of her friend and Italian businessman Quattrochi in the Bofors kickback scandal.
Its lawyer spokesman Kapil Sibal pulled out the Delhi High Court judgment exhonerating late Rajiv Gandhi to point out that the judge has dismissed as "what a conjecture" the CBI charge of involvement of Quattrochi, Win Chaddha and Hinduja Brothers.
The judge has also stated in the judgment that came last month that just because someone knew Quattrochi "has no basis for evidence" of that person's involvement, Sibal told reporters at the AICC press briefing.
Blasting Law Minister Arun Jaitley for trying to cast aspersions on late Rajiv Gandhi despite the clear-cut High Court judgment that there is absolutely no case against him in the eye of the law, Sibal regreted that Jaitley was trying to send signals to the CBI to carry on the witch-hunting by taking the case to the Supreme Court.
Sibal said the Law Minister should better read what his Additional Solicitor General Mukul Rohatgi had told the High Court when asked if the CBI had any evidence to show that the Bofors bribe money had gone to any public servants.
Rohatgi's reply was "none." 'India , Pak agree on J&K as core issue' Islamabad , Feb.
12 (NNN): Pakistan and India have agreed in principle to treat Kashmir as 'the core issue' when both sides resume composite dialogue process from February 16, the Nation quoting official sources reported here on Thursday.
A report in the paper quoted these sources as saying: "It has always been Pakistan 's principled stance that Kashmir is the core issue between Pakistan and India and it must be resolved to normalise ties in real sense between the neighbouring states.
It is important that now India has also acceded to this fact." President Musharraf hinted at the withdrawal from UN resolutions on Kashmir while suggesting step-by-step approach towards durable resolution to the core issue.
He said that both the sides should exhibit flexibility to reach the solution that was mutually acceptable.
Sources said that both the states have agreed that Kashmir issue should be placed at the top of dialogue that would be an ongoing process with each and every step being taken by the two countries with maximum possible caution so as to avert the talks collapse as it happened in Agra the highest point so far.
The bilateral talks between Pakistan and India would be meaningful only if these were targeted at the durable resolution of Kashmir and now India seems to be accepting this obvious and undeniable fact, sources said.
They said that the two sides, during the course of talks would review 97 model of foreign secretaries level parleys, 98 model of Lahore parleys as well as the Agra talks.
Sources said the talks would be also aimed at chalking out the structure of future parleys.
They added that revival of working groups on various issues that were formed in the past also included in the structure of talks.
Moreover, they said that the timeline would also be sorted out for the future talks during the three-day deliberations at joint secretaries and foreign secretaries level being held in Islamabad .
"Both the sides would try to evolve talks mechanism for the sustainable dialogue for which each and every relevant aspect would be taken up for deliberations.
Moreover, they would also suggest the level of talks for future negotiations," they said.
When asked about the possible impact of parliamentary polls in India on the bilateral talks between Islamabad and New Delhi, the sources said that it would be premature to comment on that, let the Indian delegation come over here and enter into the dialogue process and then we would see what they had in their minds.
British diplomat meets Shabir KT NEWS SERVICE SRINAGAR , Feb 12: The first political secretary of British High Commission Sarah Lampart today called on senior separatist leader and chairman of Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) Shabir Ahmad Shah at his residence here today.
Giving the historical background of the ongoing freedom struggle, the chairman of DFP said that the freedom struggle is indigenous in nature as it has been launched by Kashmiris themselves in 1931 and the struggle has passed through many a stages since then.
"It was first prime minister of India Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru who promised that the Kashmiri people would be given the right to self determination at the time of partition in 1947" said Shah while talking with the visiting dignitary.
But it is unfortunate that India is back tracking from the promises already made and no stone is being left unturned in suppressing the indigenous freedom movement of Kashmiris.
Shah also thanked the people who have been offering some kind of support to the Kashmiri freedom struggle.
Commenting on the peace steps initiated both by India and Pakistan , Shah said that it is all due to the efforts of United States of America , Britain and other European countries that India and Pakistan have been forced to come to the negotiating table.
He added that no peace process can be long lasting unless the Kashmir issue is not solved.
"The Kashmiris are the principal party to the Kashmir issue and without their participation in the talks will not lead to any concrete stage in resolving the Kashmir issue" added the chairman of the DFP.
He added that by involving the separatist leadership in the dialogue process India can project itself as a model of human rights all over the world.
Shah also made it clear that until the atrocities are carried on the common people each and every peace step initiated by India would be seen with suspicion.
He added that incidents like Chitti Banday are causing harm in properly realizing the ground situation that is prevalent in the valley this time.
Feb 11 strike should act as eye opener KT NEWS SERVICE SRINAGAR , Feb 12: JKLF (Sarai Bala) has said that the strike on February 11 should act as an eye opener for those people who give the impression in the outside world that the freedom struggle launched by the Kashmiris is dying with every passing day.
In a statement issued to the press, the spokesman of JKLF has said that successful strike on February 11 has shown to the world that Kashmiris continue to yearn for the right to self determination which has been duly recognized by the Indian leaders at the time of partition in 1947.
The spokesman of JKLF further added that a long lasting solution to the Kashmir issue is in the form of giving the people of the state the right to self determination for which Kashmiris have offered sacrifices and the sacrifice of Mohammad Maqbool Bhat is pristine in this regard.
Meanwhile, the district Baramulla unit of JKLF have expressed its concern over the activities of some people who are betraying with the blood of 'martyrs'.
Hurriet-G flays continued Human Rights violations KT NEWS SERVICE SRINAGAR , Feb 12: Hurriet Conference (G) has expressed its disappointment over the silence maintained by the human rights organizations working all over the world over the human rights abuses which are going on in the state on regular basis.
The spokesman of the conglomerate has said that the recent killing of civilians at Bandipora is a clear example in this regard and added that the killings have exposed government of India on the international arena.
He also said that the claims made by the government of India that India is a big democracy are hollow as the people are being subjected to torture and ill treatment by the forces in every nook and corner of the state.
"The killings at Bandipora has shaken the people living across the length and breadth of the state and it is a part of the planned process launched by the security forces stationed in the valley to carry a genocide of the Kashmiri people" added the spokesman of the conglomerate.
Meanwhile, a delegation of conglomerate led by Mohammad Yousuf Mir today visited Jablipora Bijbehara and addressed a public gathering there.
The speakers in their speeches said that India is only interested in the land of state and it has got no concern whatsoever with the well being of the people living in the state.
The conglomerate has appealed the people to hold peaceful demonstrations on February 13th against the human rights abuses in the state.
BJP to start poll campaign in Jammu , Srinagar on Feb 16 KT NEWS SERVICE SRINAGAR , Feb 12: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president M.Vankiah Naidu and Gujarat chief minister Narender Modi will kick off election campaign of their party from Jammu and Kashmir on February 16 and 18.
While Naidu will hold public rally in Srinagar on February 18, Modi will kick off the campaign from Jammu where he will address a public rally at Zanana Park .
Naidu will be the first BJP president to hold public rally in Srinagar in the last 13 years of turmoil.
Party leaders expect nearly 10,000 people in the public rally which will be first of its kind in the militancy ridden Kashmir The BJP state unit has mobilized all its resources in Kashmir to make the first public rally of its chief successful.
State secretary of BJP Sardar Charanjit Singh Khalsa said Naidu's rally will be symbolic in a sense that BJP president will kick off election campaign from north as the Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has kicked off the campaign from Kanyakumari in south.
"Naidu's rally in Kashmir will mark the first public appearance of any BJP chief in valley.
By holding this rally we want to convey that from north to south and from east to west, India is one.
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee kicked off the party campaign from Kanya Kumari in south and Naidu will start the campaign from Kashmir ", Khalsa said.
The state BJP is holding workers meet in Kashmir on Monday to give final touches to the arrangements.
"We want to make this rally successful.
We have convened the meeting of our executive body in Srinagar in which we will discuss all the issues threadbare.
We are expecting 10,000 to 15,000 people to participate in the rally.
For that we have made elaborate arrangements", said Khalasa.
After holding the rally here, BJP chief is likely to fly to Jammu where he will hold an intellectual meet in Abhinav Theater.
Apart from bringing Naidu to campaign here, BJP State unit has roped-in Gujarat chief minister Narinder Modi to campaign for the party in the state.
Modi will tentatively arrive in Jammu on February 16.
He will hold public rally in Zanana Park Jammu where he will formally kick off the party election campaign.
It will be Modi's first public appearance in Jammu and Kashmir after becoing chief minister of Gujarat .
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