Page 8 - The Hindu 2 March 2019 Ad Free

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10 NEWS SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 2019
DELHI THE HINDU
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AAP­Congress alliance on the cards?
FROM PAGE ONE PM and PR

Indian fighter pilot inseparable,
Central leadership all for an alliance in Delhi, but State unit pushes back against any adjustment says Rahul
freed, returns home
Sandeep Phukan
Jaideep Deo Bhanj State for the upcoming Lok du that senior leader P.C. Press Trust of India
Sabha election. “We held a
Chacko, who is the All India
Dhule
As a precautionary mea­ Minister Amarinder Singh NEW DELHI discussion about the tie­up Congress Committee (AICC) Congress president Rahul
sure, the daily retreat cere­ welcomed the release of The Congress and the Aam and most of the leaders were in­charge for Delhi, has had Gandhi on Friday targeted
mony on the Attari­Wagah Wg. Cdr. Varthaman and Aadmi Party (AAP) could against it. We will convey our two rounds of meeting with Prime Minister Narendra
border, conducted by the urged Pakistan to admit to, work out an alliance for the decision to the party high Ms. Dikshit on how to take it Modi, saying he can’t leave
Border Security Force (BSF) and release, the Prisoners of seven Lok Sabha seats of Del­ command,” Ms. Dikshit said. forward. Mr. Chacko is learnt aside his public relations
was closed for the public. War (PoWs) still in its captiv­ hi as early as next week if the Speaking after the meet­ to have suggested that the exercise “even for five
On Wednesday, IAF fight­ ity from the 1971 war. central leadership of the ing, Congress working presi­ two parties have a “seat ad­ minutes.”
er jets intercepted Pakistan In Gurdaspur, talking to former can “convince” the dent Rajesh Lilothia said the justment” in Delhi alone, de­ Addressing a rally in
Air Force jets as they en­ journalists, the Chief Minis­ Delhi unit of the party. Congress was very strong in linking it from Punjab and Dhule district of north
tered Indian air space and ter also urged the Centre to If the deal is sealed, each Delhi and that the Congress Haryana. Maharashtra, Mr. Gandhi
attempted to bomb military take up the issue with Isla­ party could contest three workers were against a tie­up Congress president Rahul said: “Our Prime Minister
installations. mabad. “I wholeheartedly seats and support a common with a party that showed no Gandhi has left the issue to tells the media that India is
Wg. Cdr. Varthaman was welcome Abhinandan Var­ candidate for another. seriousness about working be decided by the State unit united after the Pulwama
in a formation of Mig­21s thaman back home. Though Names that are being dis­ for the people of Delhi. but conveyed that the main terror attacks, but imme­
which intercepted them and I would have loved to go and cussed include BJP rebels “In elections, you win political tactic is to ensure diately targets the Con­
engaged in a dog fight with receive him, I did not do so Shatrughan Sinha and Yash­ some and you lose some. We the BJP’s defeat. While Delhi gress.” “India’s Prime Mi­
an F­16 in which he shot it in view of the existing De­ want Sinha as the common Pradesh Congress Commit­ DPCC chief and former have been in power for 15 Chief Minister Arvind Kejri­ nister can’t leave aside his
and was shot down too and fence protocols. Hope to see candidate. tee (DPCC) could turn out to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit years at a stretch and the wal had publicly stated that public relations [exercise]
crashed in PoK. you soon officer!,” tweeted Surveys and polls done by be tricky as it rejected such openly took a hard line and Congress is regaining he was tired of asking for a even for five minutes. That
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Capt. Singh. both the parties indicate that an offer on Friday because of rejected an alliance with the strength in the State. We tie­up, the Congress officially is the difference between
if the AAP and the Congress the stiff resistance from the AAP. After a meeting attend­ took a decision to reject any denied any discussion was him and us,” he said.
contest separately in Delhi, workers. They maintain that ed by senior Delhi Congress proposal from the AAP for a held. Ms. Dikshit said that The Congress leader ac­
At OIC meet, India the BJP could sweep the Lok the Congress could win the leaders at Ms. Dikshit’s resi­ tie­up,” he said. she did not know on what ba­ cused Mr. Modi of misusing
Lok Sabha polls on its own
dence, it was decided not to
Sabha polls.
But a source familiar with
solemn occasions to target
sis Mr. Kejriwal had made the
But convincing the Delhi without an alliance. tie up with the AAP in the the discussions told The Hin- statement. the Congress.
flays terror funding
Rahul seeks to tune up campaign blitz
The speech by the Indian multi­layered ties with
Minister was overshadowed India.
by the current tension bet­ Laying out the Indian atti­
ween India and Pakistan. tude to solve the terrorism
As Ms. Swaraj delivered problem, Ms. Swaraj said, “I Seeks more options; to meet publicity committee today for more themes
her address that touched would like to say that this
upon the rich relations bet­ menace could not be fought Sandeep Phukan
ween India and various Is­ only through military, intel­ New Delhi
lamic countries, a chair ligence or diplomatic The Congress’s media cam­
meant for Pakistan Foreign means.” paign for the 2019 Lok Sabha
Minister Shah Mahmood Ms. Swaraj said the fight polls could get delayed as
Qureshi remained empty as against terrorism and extre­ party chief Rahul Gandhi has
he had cancelled the trip to mism does not amount to a asked for more options after
Abu Dhabi. clash of cultures and instead CEC Sunil Arora with Election Commissioners Ashok Lavasa, reviewing a few campaign
In a strong statement, the described it as a fight bet­ left, and Sushil Chandra in Lucknow on Friday. * RAJEEV BHATT themes to take on the BJP.
Pakistan Foreign Minister ween ideas. She presented A source familiar with the
protested the OIC’s decision India’s pluralism and diver­ Border tensions won’t developments told The Hin-
to grant a “guest of honour” sity as a source of strength du that he would meet a few
status to India. Mr. Qureshi’s and said Indian Muslims are leaders of the publicity com­
letter argued India had no a “microcosm” of India’s delay polls, says Arora mittee — tasked with design­
“legal or moral grounds” to larger diverse culture. ing the campaign — on Satur­
be present at the meeting. “They speak Tamil and day for a second time in two
Telugu, Malayalam and Ma­ days.
Emphasises ties rathi, Bangla and Bhojpuri ‘EC is capable of holding polls on time’ On Thursday, Mr. Gandhi
Ms. Swaraj named countries or any of the numerous lan­ asked them to come up with
like Saudi Arabia and Ban­ guages of India. They have Special correspondent ic voting machines, Mr. Aro­ more options in terms of
gladesh for the support ex­ diverse culinary tastes, my­ LUCKNOW ra said the country had themes to take on the NDA
tended for building ties with riad choices of traditional The tensions between India made “EVMs into a football, government.
OIC. attire, and they maintain and Pakistan will not delay wittingly, unwittingly”. Charged up: Congress workers at Rahul Gandhi’s rally in Mumbai on Friday. * VIVEK BENDRE
The Minister also named strong cultural and linguis­ the Lok Sabha election, the “If result is X, EVM is fine, Not satisfied
#398299
Afghanistan, Indonesia, tic heritage of the regions Election Commission clari­ if result is Y, then EVM is He is learnt to have ex­ headed by Anand Sharma, government. But opinion Chhattisgarh Assembly
Brunei, Egypt, Iran, Tunisia they loved and have lived fied on Friday. malfunctioning,” said Mr. pressed his dissatisfaction was ready with themes such within the party is divided elections.
and the African and Central for generations,” Ms. Swaraj Asked about the possibili­ Arora without naming any with a jingle that was an as vada (promise) versus on which agency is best suit­
Asian members of the OIC said, elaborating on India’s ty of any delay, Chief Elec­ party. adaptation of the Chak De dhoka (betrayal) to highlight ed to helm the 2019 cam­ Dividing tasks
for maintaining historic and vast Muslim community. tion Commissioner Sunil Ar­ Uttar Pradesh has 80 Lok song from the eponymous “the gap between what paign. The companies finally cho­
ora told presspersons that Sabha seats. Shah Rukh Khan film and Prime Minister Narendra Leo Burnett successfully sen would conceptualise and
the EC was “capable” of Mr. Arora said that slogans such as “Sachi Sar- Modi promised before 2014 handled the Congress’s cam­ exclusively handle the par­
Oppn. doubting armed holding polls “on time”. among the challenges in kar, Achi Sarkar” (truthful and how he didn’t deliver in paign in 2004 when aam ty’s campaigns in print, elec­
tronic, digital and social me­
aadmi (common man) was
government, good govern­
the past five years.”
conducting polls in the
Mr. Arora was here to re­
view the preparation for the State, the EC paid “special ment). the focus of the campaign. dia and also outdoor
forces, helping Pak: PM polls. He, however, did not emphasis” to addressing was not entirely satisfied Four firms selected UPA rule, Percept handled campaigns.
“The Congress president
But in 2013, during the
divulge information about
From 13 advertising compa­
communal flashpoints, cas­
But unlike the 2014 elec­
the likely date of issuing the teist overtones, or intra­ with the creative aspects of nies, the Congress had se­ the Bharat Nirman campaign tions, where Dentsu India
Addressing the well­attend­ while UPA­I and II govern­ notification, saying it would community law and order the slogans and campaign. lected four firms — Percept, in the run­up to the 2014 Lok handled a major chunk of
ed function, the Prime Mi­ ments did not bother about be announced in a press problems. So he has asked for more op­ Crayon, Leo Burnett and De­ Sabha polls. the Congress’s ₹500­crore
nister hailed Wing Com­ the nation’s security even af­ conference by norms. He said that by a new not­ tions but that could push sign Boxed — based on their More recently, Design media campaign, the party
mander Abhinandan ter bomb blasts were or­ On questions being raised ification, candidates would back the entire campaign by presentation and past asso­ Boxed handled the party’s is keen on dividing the res­
Varthaman, saying every In­ chestrated across the coun­ by the Opposition parties in now also have to give details a few days,” said the source. ciation with the Congress successful campaign in the ponsibility among multiple
dian was proud of him. “Ev­ try claiming hundreds of Uttar Pradesh over electron­ of their properties abroad. The publicity committee, campaigns as well as the UPA Punjab, Rajasthan and agencies.
ery Indian is proud that the innocent lives. When the
brave Wing Commander Ab­ IAF wanted to carry out sur­
hinandan belongs to Tamil gical strikes, no permission Delhi team
Nadu,” he said. was given, Mr. Modi Quota ordinance will benefit 5 security personnel
Mr. Modi urged Opposi­ claimed. On the contrary, led searches
tion parties, “Don’t weaken when the Uri and Pulwama
attacks happened, the ‘New
India for your political mi­ India’ under National De­ 36 lakh in J&K, says Centre killed in Kashmir in ICICI case
leage... Your politics can
wait but not the nation’s se­ mocratic Alliance regime
curity.” Accusing the Oppo­ gave a fitting response, he Civilian killed in clashes in Kupwara Special Correspondent
sition parties of weakening said. Help for border residents and those from weaker sections NEW DELHI
the country, he said, “They Tamil Nadu Chief Minis­ The Enforcement Directo­
are the same people whose ter Edappadi K. Palaniswa­ SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT nistry official said. rate on Friday carried out
statements are being happi­ mi and Deputy Chief Minis­ NEW DELHI J&K Governor Satyapal searches at Mumbai and
ly quoted in Parliament of ter O. Panneerselvam The Home Ministry has said Malik had told The Hindu Aurungabad in Maharash­
Pakistan and in the radio of shared the dais with Mr. Mo­ the Union Cabinet’s ordi­ earlier that the ordinance in tra in connection with the
Pakistan. I want to ask them di. The Prime Minister’s nance on reservation in Jam­ no way affected the rights of ICICI Bank­Videocon credit
— do you support our armed speech in English was tran­ mu and Kashmir cleared on the people of the State nor fraud case. “A team of offi­
forces or suspect them.” slated into Tamil by BJP na­ Thursday will benefit tinker with Article 35­A, cials from Delhi led the op­
He alleged that the erst­ tional secretary H. Raja. around 36 lakh people in the which provided special eration in coordination
State. rights and privileges to per­ with their local counter­
The Cabinet on Thursday manent residents of J&K. parts,” said an official.
JeM chief in Pakistan, approved the Jammu and nor had the power to recom­ lier registered a money
An official said the Gover­
The Directorate had ear­
Reservation
Kashmir
(Amendment) Ordinance to mend such amendment as laundering case against
says Foreign Minister extend reservation in jobs, per Clause 1 (d) of Article High alert: Soldiers standing guard during a lockdown in former managing director
Srinagar on Friday.
and chief executive officer
370.
education and promotions
* AP
to people living along the In­ The economically weaker “Benefit of promotion to of ICICI Bank, Chanda
sections constitute 12.5 lakh
Asked if he doubted the ter­ and that includes India,” he ternational Border in Jam­ of the population in J&K. * AP Scheduled Castes and Sche­ Press Trust of India After one such interval, Kochhar and her husband
ror allegations against Azhar added. mu. duled Tribes, which in­ Srinagar the militants opened indis­ Deepak Kochhar, Videocon
and JeM, Mr. Qureshi said: Mr. Qureshi said he The Cabinet also cleared nomically weaker sections cludes Gujjars and Bakar­ A CRPF officer and four oth­ criminate fire on the ad­ Group chief Venugopal
“It’s not a question of me hoped there’s no war bet­ an ordinance to implement constitute 12.5 lakh of the wals, has been made er security personnel were vancing team of security Dhoot and others, on the
doubting. There is a legal ween the two countries. “It the 10% reservation for can­ 1.25 crore population in Jam­ available to J&K. After 77 killed in an encounter with personnel, the officials said. basis of an FIR lodged by
process and you have to sa­ would be mutual suicide.” didates belonging to the eco­ mu and Kashmir. years, the 77th Constitution militants in Kupwara district the CBI, to probe the mo­
tisfy the legal process.” Meanwhile, former Pakis­ nomically weaker sections The new reservation will Amendment of 1995 has now of Jammu and Kashmir on Four injured ney trail.
He said the focus of his tan Foreign Affairs Minister in the State. be in addition to existing qu­ been applied to J&K,” the of­ Friday. A civilian was killed Of the nine security person­ According to the CBI,
government was on fixing Khawaja Muhammad Asif By the census, the eco­ otas in the State, a senior Mi­ ficial said. in clashes near the site, offi­ nel injured in the firing, a the bank had sanctioned
Pakistan’s economic pro­ said Pakistan had to intros­ cials said. CRPF inspector and a ja­ six high­value loans to va­
blems and improving gover­ pect and convince the world They said the security wan, two Army personnel rious Videocon Group
nance in the country. that it had nothing to do forces launched a cordon­ and a policeman later died, firms between June 2009
“We want to see peace with terrorism. Hizb was backed by JeI: Centre and­search operation in the they said. and October 2011. As on
and reconciliation in Af­ “Now there is a need for Babagund area following in­ Clashes between a group April 26, 2012, the out­
ghanistan. The western introspection and we need formation about presence of of youngsters and security standing against these ac­
front is consuming us. After to satisfy the world that we Special Correspondent A senior Home Ministry 1990 by the MHA which con­ militants. A gunfight started personnel took place near counts were adjusted as
a very long time in Pakistan, have no relation with terro­ New Delhi official said the JeI had been tinued till December, 1993. after the militants opened the encounter site, the offi­ another term loan of ₹1,730
there is a government which rism. We have successfully A day after it banned the providing all kinds of sup­ “JeI is the main organisa­ fire. cials said. crore sanctioned under re­
has the complete support of fought a war against terror. Jammu and Kashmir­based port to the HM in terms of tion responsible for propa­ A youth, identified as Wa­ finance of domestic debt.
the Pakistan armed forces – Those who were the West’s group Jamaat­e­Islami (JeI) recruits, funding, shelter, gation of separatist and radi­ Cat­and­mouse game seem Ahmad Mir, suffered The accounts were de­
the civil and the political assets in the past and as a under the anti­terror law, and logistics. “In a way, the cal ideology in the Kashmir There was lull in firing sev­ severe injuries and was clared non­performing as­
leadership is on the same consequence were our as­ the Centre said the organisa­ HM is a militant wing of JeI Valley,” said the official. “Jel eral times during the day, rushed to a hospital where sets in June 2017. The CBI
page. The policy of this go­ sets as well have now be­ tion was responsible for the (J&K),” the official said. has been pursuing the agen­ but militants would resume the doctors declared him alleged that as quid pro
vernment is that we will not come a liability for us,” he formation of Hizbul Mujahi­ The organisation was da of setting up an indepen­ firing as soon as the security “brought dead”, they said. quo, Mr. Dhoot had invest­
allow our soil to be used by told a joint session of Parlia­ deen (HM), the largest terro­ banned twice in the past — in dent theocratic Islamic state forces advanced towards The operation was still ed ₹64 crore in Mr. Koch­
any organisation or any in­ ment, referring to the Af­ rist organisation active in 1975 for two years by the J&K by destabilising the govern­ the house where they were under way at the time of go­ har’s company Nupower
dividual against anyone, ghan jihad of the 1980s. the State. government and in April ment,” said the official. hiding, the officials said. ing to press. Renewables Limited (NRL).
CM A ND-NDE
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