NEW DELHI: Breaking his decade-long silence, former foreign minister Jaswant Singh sought to embarrass L K Advani by saying that he "covered" up for him when he said that the former home minister was not aware that he was going to Kandahar with three terrorists during the 1999 hijack episode.
He also said that Advani was aware of the decision to release the terrorists in exchange for freedom of over 160 hostages kept in the Indian Airlines plane that was hijacked.
"Yes, he did," Singh, who was expelled two days ago from the BJP, told NDTV when asked whether Advani knew that Singh was going to Kandahar with three terrorists.
There has been a controversy on the issue with Advani claiming a few years ago that he was not not in the know of Jaswant Singh going on a plane with three dreaded terrorists to Kandahar.
Singh was asked why he said during the election campaign that Advani did not not know that he was going to Kandahar with the terrorists and whether he covered up for Advani.
"I'm sorry I did," he said when pointedly told that this was a serious thing he was saying that he covered up for Advani.
Singh said he did not reveal this during the campaign. "I tried to cover it. I treated it as part of my continuing sense of commitment and loyalty," he said.
Azad lashes out at 'bloody' state govts
NEW DELHI: Health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad hit out at "bloody" state governments for not doing enough to contain the spread of the H1N1 virus,causing incensed state ministers to castigate him for his "unparliamentary language".
"Bloody, hum yahan par 20-24 ghante kaam karte hai aur aap aish karte ho (Bloody, we are working 20 to 24 hours. And you people are enjoying yourselves)," Azad said at a meeting of state health ministers here.
Stunned silence followed the outburst, but Azad was unfazed and continued to scold the gathering.
"You must wake up. Hum teen mahiney se aap ko jhel rahe hai (For the past three months, we are tolerating you people)," said the health minister after completing his written speech.
"In fact, you should chase me rather than I chasing you. There is a limit to everything."
When told that his language had angered some minister, Azad said: "It is between us."
Reacting angrily to Azad's remark, Gujarat Health Minister Jaynarayan Vyas said: "This is the wrong language and not befitting a union minister. He is behaving like a headmaster and this is not the procedure in a federal system." ( Watch Video )
"We all know that there is a pandemic in the country. And the state and centre must cooperate...'Bloody' is an unparliamentary word. This is not fair on his (Azad) part," Vyas, who came out of the meeting hall after the health minister's address, told reporters.
Madhya Pradesh Health Minister Anup Mishra told IANS: "The central and state governments must cooperate. The language was not right. I believe controlling the pandemic is a joint responsibility. No one can shift the blame."
Azad also blamed the state governments for not giving due attention to health.
"Some states are doing good but majority of states have not done well (on controlling swine flu). Health is a state matter, and so each state is duty bound to protect the lives of their people," Azad said.
He said states must shed their lethargy and do everything to control and contain the spread of the virus.
"I would request the state governments to spend more to improve the healthcare sector, but I am afraid if they are chickening out. Whatever I provide will not benefit much."
At present, India spends 1.41% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health but more efforts are required on the parts of central and state government to mobilise resources.
Azad also announced that the government has given permission to 20 private laboratories to conduct swine flu tests and reiterated that there was no need to panic as the spread of the virus was being controlled.
So far, India has reported over 2,400 H1NI positive cases of which at least 36 have died.
"We have increased government testing laboratories from 18 to 23 and have also allowed 20 private laboratories to conduct the swine flu test," the health minister said.
Minister of State for health Dinesh Trivedi said the government was open to have more testing labs, provided they have infrastructure and quality. "More the merrier. But there will be no compromise on quality."
Haryana assembly dissolved, elections in Oct
CHANDIGARH: Seeking early polls, the Congress government in Haryana led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Friday recommended the dissolution of the state assembly nearly 6 months before the expiry of its term, in Chandigarh. (TOI Photo)
state assembly nearly six months before the expiry of its term.
Government sources said the decision was taken at a cabinet meeting held here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Hooda.
The cabinet's recommendation has been sent to Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia.
Elections to the 90-member assembly are likely to be held in October along with assembly polls in Maharashtra.
The term of the present assembly and the government was to end in March 2010.
The ruling Congress in the state emerged confident to seek early polls after winning nine out of 10 Lok Sabha seats in the April-May general elections.
Looking confident, Hooda told reporters after the meeting: "The cabinet has unanimously recommended immediate dissolution of the assembly to the Haryana governor. We have done it because it was the wish of the people and also of the opposition (in Haryana)."
Taking a dig at the leader of the opposition, Hooda added "it was also due to the love of Om Prakash Chautala", president of the state's main oppositon Indian National Lok Dal (INLD).
The general elections saw the Congress leading in nearly 60 assembly segments. INLD led in only seven segments while its alliance partner, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led in seven others.
The Congress has 62 legislators, excluding the assembly speaker, in the current assembly. Six seats in the assembly are vacant presently due to resignations. One minister, Kartar Devi of the Congress, died last week following prolonged illness.
The INLD has eight legislators in the outgoing house while there are 10 independents.
Advani will continue to lead BJP: Rajnath
Shimla:After a three-day brainstorming session, BJP chief Rajnath Singh on Friday said L K Advani will continue to lead the party and gave clear signals that dissent and indiscipline will not be tolerated.
He said the 'chintan baithak' discussed the Lok Sabha poll debacle but no one was held "accountable or responsible" for the defeat.
"If someone is to be held accountable, I take responsibility for the defeat," Singh told a press conference at the end of conclave of top party leaders.
At the outset even before the press conference began, he was asked whether Advani will continue to lead the party.
"Yes, he will continue to lead the party," he replied.
Asked about RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat favouring younger leadership in the party, Singh said the BJP has been inducting fresh blood for a long time. "We have been doing it all the time."
Asked if it was a snub to RSS chief, he just laughed away the suggestion.
On ideological deviation against the backdrop Jaswant Singh episode, he said "the political ideology and thought on the basis of which the party was found, we will stick to it now and continue to do so in future. Our ideology is non-negotiable."
To a question about criticism aired in public by leaders like Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie and whether action would be taken against them, Singh said, "What I have done, you have seen it...There will be no compromise on indiscipline."
Singh was apparently referring to the action taken against Jaswant Singh and the insistence on Vasundhara Raje to step down from the post of Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly.
Indian Business News
Govt debunks ADAG claims; campaign 'unfortunate'
New Delhi: Dubbing as ‘most unfortunate’ the advertisement campaign against it by the Anil Ambani group, the Government hit back, saying the propaganda was unleashed on a sub-judice matter.
Countering the claims made by Anil Ambani group that the Government stood to lose because of the Petroleum Ministry's connivance with Mukesh Ambani-led RIL on the gas issue, an official statement said the Centre would earn Rs 84,000 crore from KG-D6 gas fields and not just Rs 500 crore as projected in the campaign.
RBI curtails use of third-party ATMs
Mumbai: The Reserve Bank, which made third party ATM transactions free from April, has said not more than Rs 10,000 can be withdrawn each time they are used and limited the number of such transactions to five a month.
The apex bank has sent a communication in this regard to Indian Banks' Association (IBA) and this is expected to be implemented shortly, IBA Chairman K Ramakrishnan said.
"The Reserve Bank has agreed to put a cap of Rs 10,000 per withdrawal in such (third party) transactions. Also, the number of such transactions will be limited to five times a month," Ramakrishnan said.
IBA, which is the industry lobby of Indian banks, had submitted its recommendations to the central bank last month citing the financial burden faced by banks on account of huge number of third party usage and small-ticket withdrawals.
Since April 1, RBI had declared third party ATM usage, including cash withdrawals and account enquiries, free for all customers and said that banks can charge Rs 18-20 per month from other banks in case of third party ATM transaction.
With the number of third party transactions surging post-April, banks approached the Reserve Bank through IBA to revisit the current norms and make necessary modifications.
RBI Executive Director, G Gopalakrishna said on the sidelines of a summit that the Reserve Bank has received suggestions from IBA on the matter, which has been examined by the central bank.
Though IBA had also recommended a minimum limit of Rs 1,000 on third party ATM withdrawals, this was rejected by the Reserve Bank to protect the interest of small withdrawer.
Indian Sports News|Sports News
IPL wants players to furnish 2-yr NOCs from home boards
Mumbai: As a measure of its commitment to safeguard international cricket, the Indian Premier League has decided that all IPL players, including retired cricketers, should provide a No Objection Certificate from their home Board for a two-year period.
The IPL will also not allow a cricketer to play in the cash-rich Twenty20 League if he skips participating in an approved Future Tours Programme event and instead opts to play for a franchise in the League.
A communication to this effect from IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi has been sent to all the cricket boards last night, a media release said on Friday.
The world's premier Twenty20 League has also set a deadline of August 25 for all its franchises, eight in number currently, to disclose all the contracts they have signed with all the players.
"The IPL would update the player registry and publish a finalised list of registered players with the league on August 27", the release said.
The IPL has also advised its franchises not to use agents for hiring new players and instead deal directly with the cricketers in the wake of problems faced by the cricket boards because of some agents misguiding players and the franchises with detrimental effects on global cricket, the release said.
The IPL has also announced it would not recognise any player contracts which were not as per the prescribed guidelines of the IPL.
The IPL has taken this stance based on complaints received from multiple quarters about individual franchisees tweaking the terms of conditions of signing-up young and new players as per their convenience and were not part of the prescribed contract templates provided by the league, it clarified.
Association blames shuttlers for China Masters fiasco
New Delhi: The blame game has started between the players and administrators after the Indian shuttlers were denied participation in the China Masters for missing the deadline of submitting their entry.
The Indian contingent, including last year's semifinalist Saina Nehwal, was left to cool their heel after the Badminton Association of India (BAI) sent their entry on August 12, a day after the August 11 deadline, and the organisers refused to oblige them.
While the BAI insists the fault is on the shuttlers' part since they forgot to remind the federation, players like V Diju laid the blame squarely on the administrators.
"We had informed the BAI around 3-4 months back that we want to participate in all the Super Series this year but the Association forgot to sent the entries for the China Masters on time. It is clearly a mistake on their part," said Diju.
"I am really disappointed because our ranking will go down after missing this event. Now it becomes difficult for us to qualify for the World Super Series Masters, for which we would have to do really well in the next two competitions," Diju said.
BAI president VK Verma, however, maintained that the onus was on the players to inform the association.
"The players competing in any tournament are supposed to send us their entries by email to Girish Natu, who is responsible for sending the entries to the BWF. In this case, Girish and coach Pullela Gopichand confirmed to me that the players themselves sent the entries one day late, that is on August 12," Verma said.
Nehru Cup: India in must-win situation against Kyrgyzstan
New Delhi: Injury-plagued India face a litmus test of character to stay on course for their title defence in the Nehru Cup international football tournament when they take on Kyrgyzstan in a crucial round-robin match in New Delhi on Saturday.
India began their campaign with a 0-1 loss to Lebanon and Bob Houghton's boys need no less than a win in tomorrow's fixture at Ambedkar Stadium under floodlights.
A draw against Kyrgyzstan, ranked four places down India at 160th in the FIFA chart, may still not send Bhaichung Bhutia-led side out of the five-team competition but the hosts fate would then hang on other teams hand as they play Sri Lanka on August 25 and Syria on August 28.
The rub of the green might not have favoured India against Lebanon but now Houghton and his boys will have to shrug off whatever psychological after-effects of that match or else face criticism after having an expensive six-week foreign training tour of Dubai and Spain.
Houghton's reasoning that the heavy grass on the pitch gave the physically superior Lebanese an advantage might carry some weight but what he did not say at the post-match press conference was that none of his boys rose to the occasion on that day.
It was not that the Indians did not have their chances. They had enough of them to walk away with full points but they could not utilise the opportunities that came their way while the Lebanese did not have any clear chance than the set piece from which they scored.
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