Now, BJP focuses on Uttar Pradesh for Lok Sabha polls

New Delhi (PTI): Focusing its efforts to the Lok Sabha polls after the state assembly elections, the BJP has decided to conduct a survey to ascertain the popularity of its probable candidates and sitting MPs of Uttar Pradesh, which has the highest number of seats in the Lower House--80.

"Without having a strategy for Uttar Pradesh, the party may have difficulty in coming to power at the Centre," Senior BJP leader and Lok Sabha member Sumitra Mahajan said commenting on the proposed survey.

The BJP has eight MPs from Uttar Pradesh in the current Lok Sabha.

Mahajan said the saffron party would field candidates with good public image and laudable track records of work in the next general elections.

"The BJP had a mixed experience after the result of recent Assembly polls. We saw that some of our sitting MLAs lost, whereas, those who had done good work have won," Mahajan told PTI.

Another senior leader of the party said, "We are taking the services of private agencies to conduct a survey in Uttar Pradesh to get the direct feedback from the people on our candidates. Based on which, we will decide who to give tickets," a senior party leader said.

To ensure majority in the Lok Sabha and victory for party candidates, BJP is giving special attention to Uttar Pradesh and decided to give tickets to the candidates after assessing the report of the survey, Mahajan said.

Ashok Todi's bail prayer taken up by High Court

Kolkata (PTI): The Calcutta High Courton Friday took up the bail prayer of Ashok Todi for hearing after the judges of a division bench had on Monday differed on the issue of granting bail to the industrialist who is accused of abetting the suicide of his son in-law Rizwanur Rahman.

Lawyers for Rizwanur's mother Kishwar Jahan and Todi argued their case against and for the bail prayer before Justice D P Sengupta, who adjourned the matter till Tuesday for further hearing. While Jahan's counsel Kalyan Banerjee submitted that as Ashok Todi was the main accused and had earlier intimidated Rizwanur through different means, he should not be granted bail at this stage.

Todi's counsel Joymalya Bagchi claimed before the single bench judge that the investigating agency CBI had not felt the need for taking him into custody even during investigation and there could be no need for his custody now that the chargesheet has been submitted.

He also submitted that Todi was an industrialist and would not flee and had used the legal options all along since he was accused of abetting Riwanur's suicide. The CBI counsel would make his submission before the court on Tuesday, following which the court may take a decision on the bail prayer.

The division bench comprising Justice Amit Talukdar and Justice P S Banerjee had differed on the issue, with the former being in favour of granting bail, while the latter was disinclined.

Security strengthened around IMA

Dehradun (PTI): The Indian Military Academy (IMA) here has virtually been turned into a fortress in view of the passing out parade on Saturday following security threats to the institution.

Security has been tightened around the institute and heavy deployment of personnel made in the adjoining villages, official sources said.

District Magistrate Amit Negi took stock of security preparedness and ordered checking of vehicles entering the area.

Aerial surveys are also being conducted, the sources said.

Director General of Police Subhash Joshi told PTI that all efforts are being made to avoid any untoward incident.

CEC voices concern over use of money, muscle power in polls

Chandigarh (PTI): Expressing concern over increasing use of money and muscle power in electoral process, Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswamion Friday emphasised the need for strengthening the Election Commission bodies of states.

"Office of the state commissioners should be strengthened, if required. After retirement an Election Commissioner should not hold any office," the CEC suggested during the 10th All India Conference of State Election Commissions (SECs) held here.

Emphasising the significant role being played by the SECs, Gopalaswami said the commissioners should be given a uniform status across the country. "There should be a provision to select them by a cross section of the society without any partisan attitude," he said.

He suggested that a High Court Judge should be appointed as the Election Commissioner. He said the Election Commission and SEC have some common problems which would be discussed soon to find solutions.

The CEC said that it is high time to have seamless electoral rolls with progression from wards to Parliamentary constituencies. "Negotiations are on with the Census Commission for Census Block which will not change from one census to another," he added.

Haryana Governor Dr A R Kidwai asked the state commissioners to further strengthen the election system in the country.

Chairman of the Standing Committee of SECs and Maharashtra state commissioner Nand Lal said that the 13th Finance Commission has been approached to provide funds to purchase voting machines.

Chidambaram prefers budget airline this time to travel

New Delhi (PTI): P. Chidambaram preferred to take a commercial flight for the third time while on an official tour to Chennai after becoming the Home Minister unlike his predecessor Shivraj Patil who flew only in special aircraft.

Chidambaram took a budget airline rather than flying first class, for which he is entitled, to inaugurate Bharat Kalachar Mahotsav in the Tamil Nadu capital. And, the Home Minister travelled without any of his personal assistants.

After taking over the charge of the Home Ministry, Chidambaram flew out of Delhi for the first time to Mumbai on December 5 for an assessment of the situation following the terrors trikes on November 26.

On December 8, the Home Minister went to Kolkata to review the law and order scenario in West Bengal. On both the occasions, he took commercial flights, sources said.

Shivraj Patil, during his four and half years tenure as Home Minister rarely travelled in a commercial plane for official work, sources said.

Patil used BSF aircraft -- mostly an Embraer -- which is at the disposal of the Home Ministry.

"Taking a special plane involves a reasonable cost which Chidambaram is avoiding. Besides, the tradition of a big team of senior officials and staff accompanying the Home Minister was also dispensed with by the new Minister," a Home Ministry official said.

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BSP expands influence but has a long way to go

New Delhi (IANS): After its spectacular victory in Uttar Pradesh in 2007, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is expanding its influence in northern and central India, data from the just ended State elections show.

In what is being described as a creditable showing, the BSP has finally opened its account in Delhi's 70-member Assembly with the election of two of its candidates in the November 29 polls.

Similarly, the number of BSP legislators in Madhya Pradesh has risen from two in 2003 to seven. In Rajasthan, India's largest State areawise, the BSP strength in the Assembly has gone up from two in 2003 to six now.

In Chhattisgarh, the BSP has won two seats -- the same as five years ago.

Everywhere, BSP leaders and election officials say, the party has increased its vote percentage, indicating a slow and steady growth of what has been called by many as India's fastest growing political outfit.

This is good news for the BSP and its leader Mayawati, who last year stunned everyone by leading it to a single-party victory in Uttar Pradesh -- a feat that had eluded all other parties for a long time.

Although the BSP was founded to promote the cause of the Dalits and it still counts them as its core support base, Mayawati -- who does not hide her Prime Ministerial ambitions -- has since begun to court all other social groups, including the Hindu upper castes she once openly despised.

In these elections, the BSP cornered a whopping 12 per cent of votes in Delhi, stunning the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which have always viewed the capital as their fiefdom.

In Rajasthan, the BSP's vote percentage leaped from 3.9 per cent in 2003 to 7.8 per cent now, in Madhya Pradesh from 7.26 per cent to 11 per cent and in Chhattisgarh from 4.45 per cent to 6.11 per cent this time.

In these four States, BSP candidates also finished second in as many as 33 constituencies -- 10 in Rajasthan, 17 in Madhya Pradesh, one in Chhattisgarh and five in Delhi.

Congress and BJP politicians admit they are worried even though the BSP has no role to play in government formation in any of the four States.

"The results clearly indicate the BSP has widened its base in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Rajasthan," BSP leader Swamy Prasad Maurya told IANS in Lucknow.

Most political analysts feel that if the BSP continues to grow at this rate, slowly but steadily, it is bound to become a major political player in northern and central India.

Sudha Pai, a professor of political science at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, however pointed out that the BSP has a long way to go before it can become a dominating factor in the region -- barring Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous State which it has ruled since May 2007.

Pai pointed out that the BSP has been able put up a good performance only in States where identity politics matter -- and regions seen as an extension of Uttar Pradesh.

"Although the BSP's base has expanded, it didn't do as well as it was expected to in Delhi because issues of development were seen by voters as more important."

"The BSP has a long way to go before becoming the deciding factor beyond the territorial boundaries of Uttar Pradesh," Pai told IANS.

The victory of the Congress in Rajasthan is also seen by many as a clear sign that the bulk of Dalits remain with that party despite the BSP's growing clout.

Other analysts pointed out that many BSP candidates won mainly because of their individual standing.

Congress and BJP leaders are taking the BSP threat seriously.

A BJP veteran told IANS that the assessment of his party was that the BSP would harm the Congress by weaning away Dalit votes in Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. But the BSP ended up also taking away chunks of upper caste Hindu voters who may have otherwise chosen the BJP, he added.

One reason for this is the BSP's decision to field a large number of non-Dalit candidates, including those from upper castes.

Congress general secretary M. Veerappa Moily told IANS: "This time we were concentrating more on the BJP. In future we will have to have a strategy to counter the BSP as well."

'Pak. epicentre of terror, don't expect much from U.N. '

New Delhi (IANS): Terming Pakistan the "epicentre" of terrorism, Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani on Thursday cautioned the government against relying completely on the U.N. Security Council to bring the perpetrators of the "terror war" in Mumbai to justice.

"We are trying to pressurise Pakistan by moving the UNSC. But we should not forget our experience in terms of Kashmir. We should take whatever action we can take on our own strength, as this is our problem. We should not expect too much from the UNSC," Advani said in a statement in the Lok Sabha. "The world says that South Asia is in the eye of the storm on terrorism. Let us realise and say it candidly that the epicentre of the terror is Pakistan. We moved UNSC but we haven't named Pakistan. I don't know why."

Addressing the house after Home Minister P. Chidambaram, the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Prime Ministerial candidate said the November 26 attack on India's financial capital was a "terror war" that was the fallout of "cross border terrorism".

"It is not just terror, it is cross-border terrorism, a word which Pakistan's former President General Parvez Musharraf refused to accept during (the 2001) Agra Summit. He instead termed the terrorism in Kashmir as the fight for liberation," said Advani, who was deputy home minister in the BJP-led government then.

He said Pakistan's crackdown of terrorist groups was hogwash.

"We should not be fooled by the crackdown operation of Pakistan against terrorist groups," Advani said.

Assuring the government of the opposition's support in all "stern decisions" aimed at rooting out terrorism, Advani also pointed fingers towards Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI for perpetrating terror in the country.

"Pakistan President (Asif Ali) Zardari has accepted that non-state actors on Pakistan soil are fomenting terrorism. ISI itself is a non-state actor because it is not under the elected Pakistan government and is answerable only to the army," he added.

He said the November 26-29 Mumbai terror siege which killed 172 people was an attack on the "economic progress" and the "peaceful coexistence of multi-religions" in India.

Postal employees on strike from December 17

Sonepat, (PTI): On the call of the All India Dak Karamchari Sangh, the postal employees will go on an indefinite strike across the country from December 17 next in protest against the "non-acceptance" of their just and legitimate demands by the Central government.

S S Mahadevarya, national gereral secretary of the Sangh told mediapersons here today that the employees will take out torch-light processions on the evening of December 16 next to press their demands and express their solidarity and unity of the Sangh.

The main demands, among other things, include the regularisation of the services of all the adhoc employees and enforcement of the pension scheme.

He also said that the postal employees will also hold rallies and demonstrations in front of their post offices every day.

He also declared that the agitation of the employees will continue until all the demands of the Sangh are accepted by the Central government.

Bird flu wreaks havoc in Assam, spreads to new areas

Guwahati (IANS): The deadly bird flu virus is spreading to new areas in the northeastern state of Assam although over 200,000 poultry have been culled in the past two weeks, officials said Thursday.

"Already about 200,000 poultry has been culled in the past two weeks since the outbreak of the bird flu virus," Parthajyoti Gogoi, a central health ministry official, told IANS.

"It is a matter of worry with the virus now spreading to new areas and hence a maximum health alert has been sounded. Teams of doctors and paramedics are taking precautionary measures so that humans are not affected," Gogoi added.

"Bird flu has struck six of the 27 districts in Assam so far. An estimated 150,000 more poultry have been ordered to be killed," a veterinary official said.

The districts hit by bird flu are Kamrup (Metro), Kamrup (Rural), Dibrugarh, Nalbari, Barpeta and Chirang. Culling is being carried out in about 200 villages in the six districts.

The poultry targeted includes ducks and chickens. Authorities have imposed a ban on sale of poultry and poultry products in most parts of Assam after the bird flu outbreak.

"About 100 Rapid Response Teams comprising about seven personnel, including a veterinarian, are engaged in the culling drive. The operation is expected to continue for about a week to 10 days until the entire area is depopulated of the estimated 150,000 poultry," the veterinary official said.

The central health ministry confirmed the outbreak of bird flu after laboratory tests found strains of the deadly H5N1 avian influenza.

Assam's veterinary and animal husbandry department has sounded an alert and is maintaining strict surveillance on farms in the state, with veterinarians carrying out checks on all poultry. A central health ministry team is also assisting the local authorities in the culling operations.

The World Health Organization fears that the H5N1 strain could mutate into a form easily transmitted between humans and spark a pandemic.

Maoist terror reigns along Jharkhand national highway

Ranchi (IANS): Maoist rebels have struck fear in the hearts of people residing along the national highway linking Jharkhand capital Ranchi to steel city Jamshedpur by murdering at least 10 security personnel and a politician in the area in the last 10 months.

The latest in a series of attacks along National Highway 33 by members of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) was an ambush of five Special Task Force (STF) personnel near the Rahe police picket of Ranchi's Bundu block last week.

On July 9, Janata Dal-United (JD-U) legislator Ramesh Singh Munda, along with four other people, was killed in a school in Bundu while he was speaking at a function.

On June 30, five security personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police, were killed on the highway in the Tamar block.

In May, Maoist rebels hijacked an ICICI bank delivery van and looted Rs.50 million near Tamar.

"We are afraid of travelling on the Ranchi-Jamshedpur national highway after six in the evening. It is only safe to use it in the day time," said N.N. Singh, a Jamshedpur resident who works in Ranchi.

Villagers in the Bundu and Tamar blocks do not venture out of their homes after sunset except to attend meetings and plays organised by the Maoists to garner support.

"We are living in fear. It is a very difficult situation. Both the Bundu and Tamar blocks are under the grip of the Maoists. Everyone is scared to speak against the rebels given the fact that they have killed many security personnel and even a politician," said Baikunth Mahto, a resident of Bundu.

Police officials said they suspect the role of Kundan Pahan, a Maoist commander active in the Bundu and Tamar areas, in the four incidents. They blamed the geography of the area and intelligence failure for not having been able to nab Pahan.

"The Bundu and Tamar areas have thick jungles and lie on the border with West Bengal. Maoists often hide in the jungles or sneak into the neighbouring state," a police official said.

"It is a long battle. Last month, police killed a senior Maoist commander closely associated with Kundan Pahan in the area," said police spokesperson S.N. Pradhan.

Mumbai attack to dominate Security Council meet on Tuesday

United Nations (IANS): Meeting in the wake of the Mumbai outrage, members of the powerful Security Council are expected to call for a strong and united stand on international terrorism.

In fact the horrific attack in Mumbai by terrorists, who are said to have come from Pakistan, is expected to dominate the proceedings of the Security Council on Tuesday morning (New York time) that is holding its monthly thematic debate on "Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorists."

"The subject is accurate and timely because of the tragic events in Mumbai that has shown us the scourge the terrorism on the international scale," said Ambassador Neven Jurica of Croatia, which holds Security Council presidency for the month of December.

Croatia is also chairman of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee.

UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon is expected to attend the debate. India would be represented by Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed.

"The main goal of this debate is to revitalize and strengthen international solidarity in combating terrorism - one of the major threats to international peace and security -including the strengthening of the UN leading role in global counter-terrorism efforts," Jurica said.

Observing that fighting terrorism requires a flexible multi-dimensional approach, Jurcia said: "We believe the Security Council needs to send a strong message confirming our determination and unity in our fight against terrorism."

At the end of the debate, the Security Council is expected to issue a presidential statement calling, among other things, reaffirmation of international solidarity in combating terrorism and using more energetic counterterrorism efforts by member states.

Earlier Croatia, had in a letter to the members of the 15-member Security Council, strongly condemned international terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

"We must send a strong message confirming our determination and unity in the fight against terrorism under the umbrella of the United Nations, which plays a central role in its suppression. Equally important, terrorism must once and for all be dissociated from any nation, religion or belief, civilization or culture," the Croatian ambassador said.

Pak not to hand over Mumbai suspects to India: Qureshi

Islamabad (PTI): Pakistan on Tuesday said any of its citizens found to be linked to the Mumbai terror attacks will not be handed over to India, but tried under the country's own laws.

"The arrest being made are for our own investigations. Even if allegations are proved against any suspect he will not be handed over to India," Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Tuesday.

Qureshi's remarks come as a Pakistan army confirmed that some key LeT terrorists had been rounded up during the crackdown on the banned organisation's camps on the outskirts of the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir capital of Muzaffarabad.

The military spokesman had said the operations against banned groups would continue and more arrests are expected.

Qureshi told reporters after offering Eid prayers in his hometown of Multan that though Pakistan will fully cooperate with India in investigating the Mumbai attacks, any Pakistani individual found to be linked or involved in the incident will be tried only in a Pakistani court.

If necessary, he said, he would visit India to clarify Islamabad's position to New Delhi.

His comments echoed a decision made by the cabinet yesterday to take action against any persons or groups involved in the Mumbai attacks only "within the ambit of Pakistani law".

The meeting of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, also pledged to act on all information provided by India regarding the attacks. It also renewed Pakistan's offer to cooperate in probing the incident by setting up a joint investigative commission.

India and the US have said Pakistan-based elements were responsible for planning and carrying out the attacks.

Lashker-e-Taiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhwi, reportedly detained during a crackdown launched by Pakistani troops on Sunday, is suspected to be the mastermind of the Nov 26 Mumbai attacks.

Pakistan has also rejected India's demand to hand over Jaish-e-Mohammed founder Maulana Masood Azhar and two India underworld dons and the 1993 Bombay blasts accused Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon.

Masood, who was released in Kandahar in exchange for the hijacked Indian airlines passengers in 1999, has reportedly been placed under restrictions in his hometown of Bahawalpur.

India had demanded that the three be handed over in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.

Polls result delayed as EC introduces provision of re-checking

New Delhi (PTI): Unlike previous elections, the results of this year polls were bit delayed thanks to the random re-checking of EVMs, a provision introduced by the Election Commission to ensure fool-proof counting.

Counting of votes registered in EVM machines usually does not take more than four hours for an assembly seat. However, the counting continued for six hours in many constituencies in Delhi.

"It is because, the EC has introduced the provision of random checking. The poll observer makes random checking of two EVMs after every round of counting. So the process is delayed," Bhupinder Singh, a Returning Officer at N P Middle School where the counting was conducted for the New Delhi seat, told PTI.

This provision has been introduced to ensure fool-proof counting, he said.

"It is a sort of double checking. After the random check, the votes are compiled and round-wise results are announced," he said.

What added to the delay is that the ballot papers were sent by post. This year, there were more number of ballot papers which were counted manually," he said.

The counting of ballot papers was conducted before the officials started counting votes from EVMs.

Mumbai terror strikes hit LoC bus services

Jammu (PTI): Mumbai terror attacks have hit the cross-LoC bus services with no member of the divided families from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) travelling to Jammu and Kashmir.

"No PoK resident travelled to J-K on weekly Poonch- Rawalakote cross-border bus service via Chakan-da-Bagh crossing point today," a senior district official told PTI.

He said the current Indo-Pak tension in the wake of Mumbai terror strikes could be the reason for the fall in the number of visitors from PoK.

Earlier, it had gone up till 129, he said.

"No PoK resident travelled to Jammu and Kashmir today and the 34 Indians who came from there were returning back after their stay with relatives across the border," the official said.

Gujarat ATS continues to grill two men from Mumbai

Ahmedabad (PTI): The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Monday continued to grill the two men from Mumbai who were apprehended from the Jamnagar district on Saturday after police found their movement suspicious.

The two men, who were handed over to the ATS by the Jamnagar police are employees of a software company in Mumbai and were in Khambaliya taluka of Jamnagar to survey the region for developing Global Positioning System based software for their clients.

"We are still interrogating them. The investigation is on," state ATS chief Ajay Tomar told PTI, adding, "I cannot comment more on the issue."

The duo, who had come to Khambaliya town in a taxi registered in Mumbai, were stopped for questoning by the local police on Decmber 6 late night after they found their movement suspicious.

They were apprehended by the Jamnagar police which has increased patrolling in wake of the Mumbai terror attacks.

On searching the vehicle, police found a Global Positioning System (GPS) device, a laptop and maps of various places in Saurashtra region.

Meanwhile, the business in Probander was back to normal after almost two weeks of being under the scanner of various security agencies who had traced the boat used by terrorist to the small fishing town off the Saurashtra coast.

Sources in Porbander said that fishermen have started fishing in the sea after being checked by agencies like the Navy, Coast Guards and the local police, who have also issued fresh set of guidelines for the local fishermen.

Congress rejoicing in victory, BJP says Rajasthan, Delhi a setback

Ahmedabad (PTI): The Gujarat Congress on Monday rejoiced the party's electoral victory in Rajasthan, Delhi and Mizoram Assemblies describing the outcome as "victory for the forces who are fighting terrorism and communalism."

There has been no formal reaction from Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on the electoral outcomes of five states, so far.

Talking to the reporters, Congress spokesperson Arjun Modhvadia, said that the Congress has won assembly polls in three states while it has substantially improved its tally in Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh.

"The people have given their verdict in favour of the Congress, which has been fighting terrorism without politicising it," he said, alleging, "the BJP had fought these assembly polls on the issue of terrorism and it has lost which means people have rejected its claims on the issue."

"The BJP is used to playing politics on the dead bodies. They have done it in 2002 in Gujarat and tried to do it this time also in other states but they have failed," he said.

He also criticised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for "playing politics on the issue of terrorism".

He said that Modi had campaigned in Rajasthan and Delhi extensively and had delivered poisonous speeches and despite that the BJP has lost.

State BJP President Purushottam Rupala described the results in Rajasthan and Delhi as "setback" for the party.

Arrested terrorist admits to be a Pakistani: Mumbai police

Mumbai (PTI): All the 10 terrorists, suspected to have been involved in the Mumbai attacks, were trained by ex-army personnel even as the lone arrested terrorist has admitted to being a Pakistani, the police on Tuesday said.

Ajmal Amin Kamal, the only terrorist of the group of ten caught alive, has admitted he is a Pakistani and hailed from the Punjab province of Pakistan, Mumbai Police Commissioner Hasan Gafoor said.

"The group of ten had come from Karachi by ship, flew an SOS flag in international waters and then hijacked a trawler which they used to come near Mumbai's shores," Gafoor said.

The group of ten had been trained by former army personnel, some for over a year, Gafoor said, refusing to comment on the nationality of the army personnel.

When asked if there was any evidence of Pakistan's involvement in the attacks, Gafoor said, "At the moment investigations are on and if we have proof we shall present it."

He said there was no evidence of local persons involved in the attacks.

After landing in Mumbai, the terrorists broke into five pairs and went to their assigned places in taxis. The police have also said the two blasts which took place in taxis on November 26 night were due to bombs placed by the terrorists.

"Every group had a bomb with them and two of them had kept them in taxis, one which exploded in Vile Parle and the other which exploded in Dockyard Road," Gafoor said.

Achuthanandan's remarks regrettable: CPI(M)

New Delhi (PTI): The CPI(M) on Tuesday described as "regrettable" Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan's remarks made during his visit to the Bangalore residence of the slain NSG commando, Sandeep Unnikrishnan.

"Certain remarks of V S Achuthanandan are regrettable. I have spoken to him over the phone on the matter," party General Secretary Prakash Karat said in a statement from Rajasthan.

Karat said Achuthanandan had "assured that he had no other intention but to go to the home of Sandeep Unnikrishnan, who was brutally killed by terrorists in Mumbai, to pay homage and condole the family."

The Kerala Chief Minister had ignited a controversy after being "snubbed" by the angry father of the NSG officer, when he went to Bangalore to offer his condolences.

'No delay in troop despatch, aircrafts were on the ready'

New Delhi (IANS): About 800 National Security Guard (NSG) commandos and other troops were ferried in five shuttles to Mumbai in an IL-76 transport aircraft belonging to the Aviation Research Centre and there was no time lost in transporting them on November 26-27 after the city was attacked by terrorists, it was authoritatively learnt.

Air Marshal (retd.) Ashok Goel, former head of the aviation wing of ARC, told IANS that each ferrying operation took about seven hours, considering that the commandos had to come from Manesar, their headquarters in Haryana to the ARC base at Palam, about 50 km away.

He said the process of airlifting troops follows a set procedure that includes about 45 minutes of boarding and loading time, 30 minutes of take-off and landing, about two and a half hours of flying time and about two hours to get from the airport in Mumbai to the site of the terror attack in south Mumbai.

"Contrary to press reports, there was no delay in transporting the troops. Nor was there any delay in finding any aircraft as reported," said Goel.

He said IL-76 transport aircraft were ready at their base and in all about 800 troops were airlifted to Mumbai in the first few hours after the government ordered troops to be sent to Mumbai.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh subsequently announced that NSG hubs would also be set up in the other metropolitan cities to reduce the response time in despatch of troops in such emergencies.

Pakistan must cooperate in terror probe: Rice

London (IANS): The United States has told Pakistan it expects nothing short of complete cooperation in the investigations into last week's macabre terror attacks in India's Mumbai city, Pakistan's Online news agency reported Tuesday.

"What we are emphasizing to the Pakistani government is the need to follow the evidence wherever it leads," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Monday.

Rice said during a stopover here: "I don’t want to jump to any conclusions myself on this, but I do think that this is a time for complete, absolute, total transparency and cooperation and that’s what we expect."

Rice is cutting short a European trip to visit India Wednesday.

India has blamed "elements" from Pakistan for the coordinated terrorist attacks at various places of Mumbai that killed at least 183 people and injured more than 300.

Pakistan has denied the accusations and demanded evidence.

Rice is likely to pay a visit to Islamabad after her trip to India, diplomatic sources said.

Though there is no official announcement either by Washington or Islamabad, the diplomats said that Rice will be visiting Pakistan after speaking to the Indian leadership on the terror attacks.