From: gnreddy@cbnewsf.att.com (G.Narotham Reddy)
Subject: India - Justice Manmohan Singh Liberhan To Probe into Ayodhya Riots
Organization: AT&T
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 92 23:23:21 GMT


Source   : The CGI
Date     : Dec 16, 1992
Country  : India

Headlines

* 2500 Rendered Homeless: Power Poles Collapse in Calcutta
* One man inquity commission to look into Ayodhya incidents
* Lok Sabha passes resolution on Mosque demolition, adjourns
* Facility to import foreign cars (for NRIs)
* Prime Minister justifies dismissal of three BJP governments
* 'I did not have any regrets' - Kalyan Singh
* Severn top militants killed in J&K

                             * * * * *

* 2500 Rendered Homeless: Power Poles Collapse in Calcutta

Calcutta - Dec 16: About 2500 people were rendered homeless and
several power transmission poles collapsed when a large area adjoining
a colliery at Kajora in Burdwan district subsided Tuesday, according
to official sources.
	Vocational training minister of West Bengal Bansagopal
Chowdhary who hails from this district, told that the subsidence had
caused extensive damage to the entire power transmission system of the
Damodar valley corporation at Bisalgarh.
	The minister said that despite repeated reminders following a
subsidence at Madhusdanpur on Sep 28 last in which 1500 people were
rendered homeless, the center had not come out with any positive
program to contain the recurrence of subsidence in the colliery belt in
the district.

* One man inquiry commission to look into Ayodhya incidents

New Delhi - Dec 16: The government on Wednesday appointed justice
Manmohan Singh Liberhan as one-man inquiry commission to go into the
incidents at Ayodhya on Dec 16.
	An official spokesman said here that the five terms of
reference for the commission include:

      A. Of events leading to and all the facts and circumstances
         relating to the occurances at the Babri complex.

      B. Role played by the Chief Minister, members of the council of
         ministers, officials of Uttar Pradesh, and by the individuals
         concerned, organization, agencies in connections with the destruction
         of the Ramjanmabhooomi/Babri Mosque at Ayodhya.

      C. The deficiencies in the security measures and other
         arrangements as prescribed or operated in practice by the U.P
         government which might have contributed to the events that took place
	 in the complex.

      D. The sequence of events leading to and all facts and
         circumstances relating to the assault on media persons at Ayodhya on
         Dec 6.

The commission of inquiry will have its headquarters at Lucknow, the capital 
of Uttar Pradesh. Justice Liberhan is a sitting judge of the Punjab and
Haryana High Court.

* Lok Sabha passes resolution on Mosque demolition, adjourns

New Delhi - Dec 16: Amidst unprecedented uproar scenes, the Lok Sabha
Wednesday adopted a government resolution condemning the desecration
and demolition of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya before adjourning for
the day without any transaction.
	A four hour adjournment earlier failed to pacify the
unrelenting BJP members who demanded the presence of their arrested
leader L.K.Advani in the house.
	As the house reassembles at 16:00 hours, speaker Shivraj Patil
asked the government to lay papers on the table of the house, but the
agitated BJP members stormed into the well of the house, shouting
slogans "No Advani", "No House."
	As some of them menacingly advanced toward the Prime Minister,
several ruling party members immediately threw a protective cordon
around the Premier.
	The BJP members also demanded resignation of the Prime
Minister for what they called the "murder of democracy," for the
dismissal of the three BJP governments in Madhya Pradesh, Rajashtan
and Himachal Pradesh.

* Facility to import foreign cars

New Delhi - Dec 16: The commerce ministry today said the facility to
import one passenger car would be available to Indians or foreign
nations of Indian origin only if the car is imported into India within
six months of their arrival for permanent settlement.
	An official press note said as per the decision announced on
June 26 such nationals are eligible to import one passenger car the
engine size not exceeding four cylinders and not exceeding 1600 cc -
whether it's old or new.
	Alternatively, import of a passenger car is permitted
provided the car has been in the use of the importer for more than a
year prior to his return to India.
	It has now been decided that in the case of this category of
importers, the car should be imported into India within six months of
the arrival of the importer in India for permanent settlement.
	The ministry also stated that Doordarshan, All India Radio and
National Film Development Corp have been deleted from the list of
importers eligible to import cinemaphotographic feature films and
video films.

* Rao justifies dismissal of three BJP governments

New Delhi - Dec 16: Prime Minister Narasimha Rao Wednesday justified
the dismissal of the three BJP-ruled state governments, while the
center's action drew flak from senior BJP leaders.
	The center, move dismissing the the governments of M.P,
Rajashtan and Himachal Pradesh was supported by leaders of left front
and West Bengal Chief Minister, Jyoti Basu.
	The move came after the banning of five communal organizations
in the wake of the demolition of the Babri Mosque at Ayodhya on Dec 6.
	Rao told a group of merchants that the dismissal of the
governments has "provided relief to the people," in those states. "We
have dismissed the governments otherwise we would not able to do what
we wanted to," he said. "In a few days, the situation will be fully
under control."
	BJP President Dr.Murali Manohar Joshi said in Agra, that the
dismissal of the BJP governments was "unconstitutional and murder of
democracy." 
	BJP's M.Ps demanded the resignation of Rao government and
dissolution of the Lok Sabha.
	BJP is the largest opposition party in the lower house. They
in a memorandum, protested against the dismissal of the three
governments and the ban on the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh, 
Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal. 
	The RSS said that the dismissal would lead Narasimha Rao
government to "face the electorate" soon. In  a statement, RSS joint
general secretary Prof. Rajendra Singh, said the center had "very
flimsy grounds"  to have dismissed the state governments.
	Meanwhile, BJP organized several state "bundhs" in protest
against the dismissal of three (BJP) state governments.
	The BJP organized demonstrations and meetings in different
parts of southern state of Kerala. Shops did not open for business at
some places in Thiruvananthapuram.
	Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Sunderlal Patwa said
in Bhopal, that the dismissas of his government was "uncalled for" and
added that it did not "augur well for the nation."
	former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Shanta Kumar challenged
the center to hold elections in the country on the Ayodhya issue. He
said the major hurdles in construction of lord Rama temple at Ayodhya
had been removed and the Union Government which was the last hurdle
would also be removed in the elections.
	Chief Minister of Bihar, Laloo Prasad Yadav, demanded the
disqualification of BJP MPs and members of Legislative Assemblies as
it was "the only logical step in view of the ban on communal
organizations and dismissal of BJP ruled governments."

* I did not have any regrets - Kalyan Singh

Lucknow - Dec 16: "I do not have any regrets and repentance for the
happenings in Ayodhya on Dec 6 and the disturbances that followed
afterwards as the demolition of the disputed structure was spontaneous
outburst of pent up Hindu sentiments," former Chief Minister of Uttar
Pradesh, Kalyan Singh said Wednesday.
	Addressing a press conference here, he said "my government
could not protect the disputed structure and I paid the price by
tendering my ministry's resignation at 17:15 hours on Dec 6."
	Stoutly opposing the center's move for rebuilding a mosque at
the sanctum sanctorum, he said "we shall fight such a move tooth and
nail."

* Severn top militants killed in J&K

Srinager - Dec 16: Thirteen people, including seven top militants were
killed and 30 subversives nabbed by the security forces in the valley
of northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.
	B.S Bedi, Director General of the state police told PTI
Wednesday that seven militants were killed during the late night
operations.
	Giving details of the incidents, he said six militants
including the military advisor-cum-acting chief of Al-Umer Commandoes
Riyaz Ahmed Khan alias 'Bita Khan' and top militant of outlawed Hizbul
Mujahideen were killed during search operations in downtown Srinager.
	Another militant, a self styled commander of a militant outfit
was killed during the operation at Haran forests near Ganderbal on the
outskirts of Srinager, he added.
	
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