Pak has not taken any action on 26/11, Chidambaram tells US

Friday September 11, 2009, Washington
                                                              Home Minister P Chidambaram did some plain speaking on Pakistan when he met US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington on Thursday.

He told Clinton that Pakistan simply has not taken any action against the perpetrators of 26/11, and that Hafiz Saeed, who is believed to be the mastermind, is still roaming free despite the evidence provided by New Delhi in the several dossiers given to Islamabad.

Chidambaram, who wraps up his four-day visit to the United States on Saturday, has also told US officials that infiltration from Pakistan has increased since May this year.

"I did brief her on the state of the trial of Ajmal Kasab in India. I also mentioned about the no progress in Pakistan even in respect of the 5-6 people they have arrested. And that Hafiz Saeed remains a free man I think that is enough. I think the US understands the way India has approached the post 26/11 situation and how Pakistan has approached the situation. I think it is enough to draw attention to the difference and leave it there."

And speaking out for the first time on the Gujarat affidavit controversy, the home minister said there was nothing wrong with it. Chidambaram said it was only meant to be an intelligence input, not conclusive proof of guilt, much less a reason for killing anyone in cold blood.

The home ministry's affidavit does not weaken the Congress government's attack on the government of Gujarat in the Ishrat case, he said.

"What is wrong with the affidavit? To the best of my knowledge the affidavit says that intelligence inputs were shared with the Gujarat government. That affidavit must be read in context. You cannot read into it what it does not say. I think it is self-evident that intelligence inputs are not evidence, much less conclusive proof. They are just inputs. They are hared with governments on a regular basis. That is not evidence or conclusive proof. It gives leads to investigations further enquiry. If a state government acts as though intelligence inputs are evidence or conclusive proof, I am sorry for that government. Certainly no one suggested that based on an intelligence input you should kill someone. I think too much is being attributed to that affidavit if it is meant to defend the government of Gujarat against the excesses that may have been committed by its police I am sorry for the government of Gujarat and the manner in which it runs its police administration."

On infiltration, Chidambaram said, "The numbers are now running to about 50-60 a month. I think and a number of people that we apprehend are also very high so our assessment is that the level of infiltration has increased since the month of may 2009. We remain vigilant. I have already said both in Parliament and at the chief ministers' conference that the security threat emanating from militants operating on Pakistani soil has not diminished. That is our official position. Since the threat level has not diminished. We continue to remain on guard and continue to be on vigil.

Ishrat case: Intelligence not enough proof for killing people, says PC

WASHINGTON: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday attacked the BJP government in Gujarat on the affidavit in the controversial Ishrat

Jahan encounter case, saying Central intelligence inputs cannot be used as conclusive proof for killing people.

"If a state government acts as though intelligence inputs are evidence or conclusive proof, I am sorry for that state government... Certainly no one suggested that based on an intelligence input you should kill someone," he told a press conference here joining issues with the Gujarat government over the central government affidavit in the state High Court relating to the encounter killing of Ishrat and three of her companions in June 2004.

"I think too much is being attributed to that affidavit if it is meant to defend the government of Gujarat against the excesses that may have been committed by its police. I am sorry for the government of Gujarat and the manner in which it runs its police administration," he said.

"What did the affidavit say?," he asked and added: "To the best of my knowledge the affidavit says that intelligence inputs were shared with the Gujarat government."

On Monday, a report of the investigation conducted by magistrate S P Tamang said Ishrat and three others were gunned down in fake encounter by police officers for selfish motives.

However, Gujarat government rejected the report saying the Union Government's affidavit clearly stated that Ishrat and the other three were LeT operatives and were planning terror strikes in Gujarat.

That affidavit must be read in the context, Chidambaram said when asked about the controversy on the affidavit filed by the Center in the Gujarat High Court in the Ishrat Jahan and the other three encounter case.

"You cannot read into it what it does not say. I think it is self-evident that intelligence inputs are not evidence, much less conclusive proof. They are just inputs. They are shared with governments on a regular basis. That is not evidence. That is not conclusive proof," he argued.

The four persons, claimed to have been killed by the police in an encounter on the outskirts of the city on June 15, 2004 were Ishrat, Javed Ghulam Sheikh alias Pranesh Kumar Pillai, Amjad Ali alias Rajkumar Akbar Ali Rana and Jisan Johar Abdul Gani. Gujarat Police had also claimed that the four persons were on a mission to kill Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Heavy rains continue to lash Delhi

NEW DELHI: Overnight rains kept the mercury at a comfortable level in the capital today but waterlogging and traffic jams in various parts of the city made commuting tough for people.

The city received 38.2 mm of rains from midnight till 8.30 am today. Yesterday, the city received 112.9 mm of showers with the weatherman attributing the rains to a cyclonic circulation over Pakistan and Rajasthan.

According to MeT Office, the maximum temperature was recorded at 26.4 degree Celsius, a drop of about eight degrees, while the minimum was a little higher at 24 degree Celsius against yesterday's 23.3 degrees.

As traffic lights failed at various crossings, motorists and pedestrians faced a tough time. There were reports of traffic jams in parts of East Delhi, South Delhi and Northeast Delhi besides roads leading to the airport.

Yesterday, the city reported 32 incidents of falling of trees resulting in major traffic snarls. Six incidents of wall collapse were also reported.

5 students killed in stampede in Delhi; CM orders probe

Five children were killed and 27 injured on Thursday in a stampede in a flooded government school in the Capital. Thirty-one of the victims were girls. The stampede was sparked by rumours that electric current had leaked into the water that had flooded the school, police said.
The incident took place in a government-run school in Khajuri Khas in northeast Delhi in the morning.
The heavy rain from Wednesday evening had left the school premises flooded and when the children were inside a rumour went around that the ankle-deep water was charged with electricity. The children panicked and started running helter-skelter, leading to a stampede on a staircase, a police official said.
Confirming the number of dead and injured, Joint Commissioner of Police Dharmendra Kumar said the injured have been admitted to the Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital.

The Principal had asked the students to vacate the school building, causing panic among the kids. This led to a stampede in which five schoolgirls were killed and 27 injured. Shiela Dikshit visited the injured kids who have been admitted to Delhi's GTB hospital. She has ordered an independent enquiry into the stampede.

Kirsten sets sights on No. 1 ranking

India's coach Gary Kirsten has said being the best in the world is high on the team's list of targets for the next eight months. India go into the Compaq Cup on the back of five consecutive bilateral ODI series wins and a clean sweep in Sri Lanka will catapult them to the top of the ICC one-day rankings.

Kirsten has reason to be optimistic as three of those five recent series wins have come against their two opponents in the tri-series - Sri Lanka and New Zealand. India have defeated Sri Lanka away twice in the past two years and also won the ODI series in New Zealand earlier this year.

"We have set our goals," Kirsten said, ahead of the team's departure for Sri Lanka. "One of them is to be the best cricket team in the world. We are headed that way and we are very excited. We know we have to perform well as we continue the quest to be the best. We won the last two series in Sri Lanka and we are confident. But we think ahead and don't harp on the results of the past. 

"We have got a good batting line-up which is quite flexible in the middle. We would like to mix it up during the series. We have got a very good run in one-day cricket. We have got good depth in the side and the younger players have proved themselves."

Kirsten said the team would have to deal with the "huge" loss of not having explosive opener Virender Sehwag, who is still recovering from a shoulder injury. However, he was non-committal about who would partner Gautam Gambhir at the top of the order.

"We are not sure about the combination," he said. "We will decide on the day of the game. But obviously missing Sehwag is huge. He is a high quality player and any team would love to have him in the mix. But we have got a lot of depth in the team."

Kirsten was also excited about Rahul Dravid's return to the team after close to two years. "It's great to have him. With the sort of experience he brings, it's going to help the team. It's great."

The players enjoyed a welcome break after a gruelling first half of the year and Kirsten said having the BCCI Corporate Trophy just before the tri-series would ensure the players don't turn up rusty in Sri Lanka.

"I think it was great to have a six-week break followed by the Corporate Trophy," Kirsten said. "It gave the players games before a big series. We might have been a bit rusty but the Corporate Trophy has helped."

He added on arrival in Colombo that the team still needed sufficient practice under lights. "The period of success we've had in the past, we attribute to our preparation," he said. "The guys have played some cricket, but we felt we had just two days before the first game, and we needed two days of practice. It was good to get out, and good to practice under lights. We know conditions can be a little different under lights."

India play their first game of the Compaq Cup against New Zealand on Friday, and take on Sri Lanka on Saturday. The final is scheduled for Monday.