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VOL: 2 ISSUE 48March 03, 2009
Lahore attack: 6 SL cricketersinjured; none critical
Lahore, March 03:
 Terror struckcricket on Tuesday whenthe Sri Lankan cricketteam, which is in Lahore toplay the second Test wasattacked upon by a gang ofhighly trained terrorists,injuring at least six players,though none were criticallywounded.The Sri LankanSports Minister, LokukeGamini, has confirmed tothe reporters that six of theplayers were injured andtaken to hospital. Theinjured players are: ThilanSamaraweera, TharangaParanavitana, KumarSangakkara, AjanthaMendis, MahelaJayawardene and ThilanThushara. Also, EhsaanRaza, the fourth umpire ofthe match, who was in theteam bus is said to becritical.However, PunjabGovernor, SalmaanTahseer, claimed that noSri Lankan player wascritically injured in theattack and all are safe atthe moment.The news wasalso confirmed by SanathJayasuriya, who spoke to aTV channel from Sri Lanka,said that he had spoken toKumar Sangakkara, whoinformed him that thoughthere were few injuries,everybody was safe.Father of theoutgoing team skipperMahela Jayawardene saidhis son had just called hiswife from Lahore to saythat he too had sufferedminor injuries in his legduring the attack that hadshocked the nation.
Tour Cancelled
The Sri Lankancricket board hascancelled the tour withimmediate effect and aconfirmation came fromPresident Rajpakse’soffice that the Sri Lankanteam had indeed beencalled back by thegovernment it saw noway to continue with thetour.Meanwhile, TheInternational CricketCouncil (ICC) has calledin an emergency meetingin Colombo to assess thesituation and take stock.How It HappenedAs per initialreports the attackhappened outside theGaddafi stadium whenthe team was passingthrough the Libertyroundabout. A group ofgunmen (Reportedly 12in number), armed withautomatic weapons,were waiting there in awhite car, then resortedto indiscriminate firing atthe convoy and even firedrocket launchers.Sevenpolicemen have lost theirlives while two other arereportedly injured.Some of theslain policemen havebeen identified: ZafarKhan, Mudassar, TipuSultan and TanvirAhmed.StrikingSimilarities with MumbaiAttacksThe authoritiesare suspecting it as ahandiwork of onePakistan’s many activeterror groups. PunjabGovernor, SalmaanTahseer, while confirmingthe incident claimed thatthe attackers were highlytrained and boreresemblance to theMumbai terror attacks inthe way it was executed.In the meanwhile, thePakistan police havereleased the sketches ofthe assailants and it hasbeen confirmed that theyhad automatic weapons.Incidentally,media reports claimedthat the police knew of aplan to attack the teamand hence the routetaken by the convoytoday was kept a secretbut it seems that theterrorists had betterinformation.A witness toldreporters he believed twopolice commandos werekilled along with a regularpoliceman and a trafficwarden. ShopkeeperAhmed Ali said the twopolice commandos hadbeen driving behind theteam bus when theywere hit."It was a veryheavy firing and I heardat least two explosions atthe time," said a witnesswho had been on his wayto cover the Test matchbetween Pakistan andSri Lanka.Pakistan onlyinvited the Sri Lankateam to tour after India'steam pulled out withsecurity concernsfollowing the militantattacks on the Indian cityof Mumbai in November.
-Agencies
Monday through Friday
 
Times Chennai E-PaperMarch 03, 2009Page 2
Chennai, March 03:
Alleging thatsome forces were trying tocreate a rift in theCongress-DMK alliance,Tamil Nadu Chief Ministerand DMK President MKaruananidhi on Tuesdaycalled upon partymen totake a pledge to preservethe alliance and strive towork for its victory in theMay 13 Lok Sabhaelections.The DMKleader's call to strengthenthe alliance comes a dayafter AICC SecretaryGhulam Nabi Azad, who isin charge of Tamil Nadu,asserted that theCongress-DMK alliancewill continue for the May13 Lok Sabha elections.Referring to areport in a Tamil Daily thatsome Congress DistrictSecretaries and Stateoffice-bearers had told MrAzad in yesterday'smeeting that the highcommand should consideralliance with AIADMK as itwould be natural, MrKarunanidhi said, ''We donot know who had said likethat, but those leadersshould recall MsJayalalithaa's personalattack against CongressPresident and UPAChairperson SoniaGandhi during the 2004Lok Sabha elections.He said aftermeeting leaders ofvarious political partiesand especiallythose in theCongress, MrAzad, whocalled on himlast evening,had declaredthat the victoryalliance ofCongress-DMK wouldcontinue forthe Lok Sabhaelections.However, aTamil Dailycarried a report thatsome Congress leadershave told Mr Azad thatthey were againstCongress-DMK alliance,he said. If at all someCongress leaders haveexpressed such a view,they should recall theAIADMK leader's attackagainst Ms Gandhi inchoicest epithets duringthe 2004 Lok sabha pollcampaign.Accusing the daily oftrying to confuse theDMK cadres, MrKarunanidhi exhortedpartymen to ignore suchdisinformationcampaign, destroy theforces, which tried todestablise the allianceand work for its victory.Mr Karunanidhisaid ever since theCongress-led UPAGovernment came topower at the Centre in2004, the DMK, which isa constituent of thealliance, accordedunstinted support to theGovernment, followingthe dharma of allianceand coalition. Somepeople and a section ofthe media did not like theunity between the twoparties and were bentupon breaking thealliance, right from theday one, he said, addingafter making indirectmoves to wean away theCongress to its side, theAIADMK leader hadeven openly invited theCongress to join handswith her, willing to ditchthe Left parties.''Who will go tothem after having seenthe trouble the AIADMKgave to former PrimeMinister A B Vajpayeeduring 1998-99,'' hesaid.''That was whyCongress leaderVeerappa Moily hadasserted that theCongress-DMK alliancewas firm, after MsJayalalithaa extendedan open invitation to theCongress to renew itsties,'' he added.Even afterrealising that the partieswere firm in the alliance,some people expecteddifferences between theCongress and the DMKon the Sri Lankan Tamilsissue and tried to createa rift.However, boththe parties took auniform stand on theLankan Tamils issue andthey shared a commonview that the Tamils inthe island nation shouldbe protected, he said.
-Agencies
MK asks partymen to work foralliance victory in LS polls
Chennai, March 03:
 This year TheResidency Towers hasdrawn up numerousevents to celebrate“International Women’sDay” in style and at veryattractive prices.
Main Street 
A spectacular buffet atboth lunch & dinner,showcasing the signaturedishes of The ResidencyTowers. And to honorthis day ….an exclusiveoffer for our lady guests – one buffet with ourcompliments for everyfive buffets. Plus recipecards and theentertaining duo ofHeather & Ashley.
The Crown 
Enjoy candle lit alfrescodining and greatmusic….and for all theladies, a selectcomplimentary dessert .
Bike & Barrel 
Lady D.J. Sana to spintracks by leading femaleartistes. Complimentary“house” cocktail for ourlady guests, raffle &receipe cards -8pmonwards.
-Staff reporter
Celebrations Galore for Women’s Dayat Residency Towers
New Delhi, March 03 :
Tamil Nadulawyers on Tuesday toldthe Supreme Court thatthey would not call offtheir strike till appropriateaction was taken againstthe police officialsresponsible for attack onthem in the Madras HighCourt on February 19.The MadrasHigh Court AdvocateAssociation counseltoday told the apex courtbench comprising ChiefJustice K G Balakrishnanand Justices PSathasivam and J MPanchal that they wereprepared to work onSaturdays and Sundaysto make up for the loss oflitigants in the state.The plea ofsenior counsel K KVenugopal appearing forthe Supreme Court BarAssociation forresumption of workforthwith in the interest ofthe litigants in Tamil Naduhad no effect on the Statelawyers who weredetermined to continuewith their strike tillappropriate action wastaken against the policeofficials responsible forthe attack.The apex courttoday adjourned tillMarch 6 the hearing ofthe case.Earlier SolicitorGeneral G E Vahanvatidefended the policeofficials and blamed thelawyers for the clashbetween the police andlawyers.It evoked sharpreaction from thoseappearing for Tamil Nadulawyers who alleged thatthe Solicitor General wasdiscriminating against thelawyers.All are awaitingfor the report of retired judge of Supreme CourtJustice B N Srikrishna whohas been appointed by theapex court to conduct a judicial enquiry to fix theresponsibility against thosewho were behind the clashwhich virtually paralysedcourts in Tamil Nadu andPuducherry.Justice Srikrishnahas been requested by thecourt to submit his reportwithin two weeks.
- Agencies
Strike to continue: Tamil Nadulawyers tell Supreme Court
 
Page 3
 
Times Chennai E-PaperMarch 03, 2009
National
Amethi, March 03:
 A day after theannouncement of GeneralElections, Priyanka GandhiVadra Tuesday arrived inthis Uttar Pradesh town tospend the day in herCongress MP brotherRahul Gandhi's politicalconstituency where she willmeet party workers andpeople.Though there wasno announcement of anyformal launch of the party'selection campaign fromhere, the arrival of thecharismatic fourthgeneration Gandhi is seenas significant in the light ofthe announcement ofgeneral elections thatbegin next month.Priyanka, whoflew down in a charteredaircraft from Delhi to theFursatganj flying academyairstrip in Rae Bareli,drove straight toGauriganj, where she willattend the closingceremony of a CongressSewa Dal camp.She is to travelthrough villages of theAmethi parliamentaryconstituency and hold ameeting of seniorCongress leaders atMunshiganj.Huge crowdsgathered all along hernearly 80 km drive tocatch a glimpse ofPriyanka, who is quite arage among the locals."She reminds us of hergrandmother IndiraGandhi, whose charismashe seems to haveinherited," remarked 70-year-old Shushila Devi,who had walked some 8km to take a look atPriyanka.The Congressparty's workers feelPriyanka could make allthe difference, not only inAmethi andneighbouring Rae Bareli- her mother SoniaGandhi's constituency -but also all across UttarPradesh, which sends 80members to the nationalparliament."PriyankaGandhi could really dothe magic that is requiredto revive the Congressparty in UP. I don't knowwhy she remainsconfined only to Amethiand Rae Bareli,"wondered a seniorCongress leader, whopreferred anonymity.
-Agencies
Priyanka Gandhi arrives in brotherRahul's political turf 
New Delhi, March 03:
 In line with thetradition of naming newwarships of the sametype on decommissionedones, India's firstIndigenous AircraftCarrier (IAC) being builtat Kochi may be namedafter the legendary INSVikrant which the Navyoperated successfullyduring the 1971 Indo-Pakwar."It is a traditionin the Navy to name newwarships of the sametype on decommissionedwarships. The idea is nowarship ever dies. Thenew warship continuesthe legacy and is alwaysreferred to as acontinuation of thedecommissionedwarship. In accordancewith tradition, the IAC, inall likelihood, will benamed INS Vikrant,"Navy officers said hereon Monday. However,they said, it was toopremature, as the IACbuilding has just begunand it may take a whilebefore a decision on itsname is taken."First a list ofnames are suggestedand then the President ofIndia, who is the SupremeCommander of the ArmedForces, takes a decisionand approves the name.The decision is likely tocome just before itscommissioning in 2015,"he said. The IAC is alsobeing designed from thevery beginning as India'sfirst warship that willprovide separateaccommodation facilitiesfor women naval personnelwho may sail on warshipsonce the governmentdecides to allow them to doso.
India’s indigenous aircraft carriermay be named INS Vikrant
New York, March 03:
TheUS-based owner ofMahatma Gandhimemorabilia, up for auctionhere this week, has offeredto "donate" the rarecollection to India if itagrees to spend fivepercent of its grossdomestic product (GDP)on the poor.James Otis ownsfive personal belongings ofGandhi -- his metal-rimmed glasses, pocketwatch, a pair of sandals,and a plate and bowl --which India is underintense pressure to acquireon the grounds they arepart of its national heritage."... if the (Indian)government decides toallocate five percent of theGDP to or announcessome major scheme for thepoor, who're very near tothe heart of Gandhi orannounces some otherscheme which wouldbenefitthem, I will evendonate these items," hesaid.Otis said that hehas added two moreitems of Gandhiji to thefive already beingauctioned. These includehis blood report from thethen Irwin hospital inDelhi and a signedtelegram he sent tostudents participating in anon- violent struggle atthat time.In fact, hisstatement came in thewake of several Indian-American leadersincluding hotelier SantSingh Chatwalannouncing theirintention to bid for therare collection and, ifsuccessful, hand it overto the Indian government.However, it wasnot clear whether Otiswould be able to get outof the contract withauctioneers who getcommission on the saleproceeds, but he claimedthat an arrangementcould be worked out withthem.Neither theAntiquorum Auctioneers'spokesperson wasavailable for commentnor an email sent elicitany response.The auctioneershad earlier valuedGandhi's belongings ataround USD 20,000 to30,000 but thecontroversy could raisethe price much higher.
-Bureau Report
Govt may get Gandhi's rare assets
Sonepat, March 03:
The BJP willannounce on March 9 thenames of its candidateswho will contest theupcoming Lok Sabhaelections from Haryana,President ofthe party'sstate unit, Atam ParkashManchanda, toldreporters here onTuesday.He said thatalthough the BJP iscontesting the electionsin the state in alliancewith the Indian NationalLok Dal (INLD), the twoparties are yet to reach adecision about sharing ofseats.Manchandasaid that the sate BJPcore committee whichmet here yesterday, hasrecommended thenames of its candidatesfor six Lok Sabha seats,namely, Ambala,Faridabad, Sonepat,Gurgaon, Rohtak andKarnal.The party'sCentral ParliamentaryBoard will announce thenames after its meetingin New Delhi on March 9to discuss therecommendations andfinalise the list ofcandidates, he said.Therecommended names areRattan Lal Kataria(Ambala), Ram ChanderBainda (Faridabad),Kishan Singh Sangwan(Sonepat), former MPSudha Yadav and SudeshYadav, wife of former UnionMinister Hukam DeoNarain Yadav (Gurgaon),Captain Abhmanyu andO.P.Dhakar (Rohtak),former Union Minister ofState for Home Affairs,I.D.Swami, Atam ParkashManchanda and Niti SenBhatia (Karnal).
-Agencies
BJP to announce Haryana LScandidates on March 9
Ranchi, March 03:
 Unhappy with theUnited ProgressiveAlliance (UPA) over notgetting support to form analternative government inthe state, the JharkhandMukti Morcha (JMM) saidTuesday it will form a thirdfront with smaller parties tofight the Lok Sabhaelections in Jharkhand."We are in favourof forming a third front withsupport of the Left andsmaller parties of thestate," Dulal Bhuiya,national general secretaryof JMM, told IANSTuesday. "We will try tobring the Left parties likethe CPI, CPI-M, ForwardBloc and smaller partiesunder one platform to forma third front. The front willfight against the NDA(National DemocraticAlliance) and the UPA."Asked aboutaligning with the UPA,Bhuiya shot back:"Where does the UPAexist in Jharkhand? TheUPA partners cannotdecide on a minor issue,then how can we be partof UPA?" The JMM isunhappy with theCongress and RashtriyaJanata Dal (RJD) for notsupporting it to form analternative government inthe state."The JMM is thesingle largest party of theUPA with 17 legislators,and the Congress andRJD have nine and sevenrespectively. Despitebeing the single largestparty of UPA we were notsupported to form thegovernment," he said.JMM chief Shibu Sorenquit as chief minister onJan 12 after losing a keyassembly by-election heneeded to win to remainin the post. The JMMprojected threelegislators as possiblesuccessors, but theywere rejected by theCongress and RJD.Jharkhand is underpresident's rule since Jan19 and the stateassembly has been keptunder suspension.In the 2004 LokSabha elections, theCongress and JMM hadformed an alliance to fightthe elections. Thealliance swept theelections in the state. TheUPA, including RJD,bagged 13 of the 14 LokSabha seats. The BJPwon one seat.Political expertsfeel that if the JMMsucceeds in forming athird front then it couldgive a tough time to boththe NDA and UPA in thestate. At present the JMMhas four MPs fromJharkhand.
JMM to form separate front tofight polls in Jharkhand
 
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