OID‰‰†‰KOID‰‰†‰OID‰‰†‰MOID‰‰†‰C New Delhi, Thursday,January 16, 2003 Capital 24 pages* Invitation Price Rs. 1.50 International India Times Sport UN inspectors search Azad likely to be Agassi breezes into Saddam’s palace as replaced as chief round three at the Bush bent on early war of Kashmir PCC Australian Open Page 11 Page 5 Page 17 WIN WITH THE TIMES Sanjay Sekhri Established 1838 Deshmukh Bennett, Coleman & Co., Ltd. Personal feelings don’t make for good politics, legal decisions, or business deals. fights it out — Roger Joseph Christopher Zelazny NEWS DIGEST in Mumbai Petrol, diesel prices up: State- owned oil companies on Wednesday TIMES NEWS NETWORK and even heads of corporate increased the prices of petrol and houses have complained to diesel by around 40 paise per litre. Mumbai: The TINA (there is the Congress high command no alternative) factor on New role for Shourie: The gov- about the non-performance Wednesday stared the three of the Deshmukh govern- ernment is consider- AICC observers in the face. ing appointing disin- ment. ‘‘The decision to effect Despatched by Congress a change in Maharashtra vestment minister president Sonia Gandhi, the Arun Shourie as the was not taken overnight. official negotiator for observers are here to assess The situation has been the Naga peace the potency of Vilasrao Desh- deteriorating ever since the talks, home ministry mukh’s leadership. zilla parishad elections last sources said. P7 A number of Congress year,” he said. Jawans from the Gorkha Rifles march at the Army Day Parade at Parade Ground in New Delhi on Wednesday. (No troop cut on border: Vij — page 7) MLAs cautioned the ob- Chavan alleged, ‘‘Desh- Anthrax scare: The US Postal servers, Vayalar Ravi, Service said it is conducting precau- mukh has not taken any is- Pranab Mukherjee and Ghu- sue seriously so far.How long tionary testing for anthrax after a lam Nabi Azad, that the re- test on mail at the Federal Reserve can you continue to blame moval of Deshmukh may indicated its potential presence. P11 the the erstwhile Sena-BJP Party time at Mayawati’s birthday complicate the situation for government for the bank- TRAI’s move: Telecom regulator the party rather than help it. ruptcy of the state? ’’ TRAI is sending showcause notices TIMES NEWS NETWORK & PTI braved the biting cold to make it to which is now ready. People can The Deshmukh camp also Nonetheless, the Desh- to cell firms for selectively blocking the function. In fact, the entire now visit the park,’’ she declared. played the TINA card to the mukh camp maintains that Tata Tele’s WLL-M calls via BSNL/ Lucknow: Unfazed by the Opposi- Why collect cash state machinery seemed to have Later in the evening, Mayawati hilt, saying that none of the 70 per cent of the legislators MTNL to their GSM networks. P13 tion’s charge of coercive fund col- Kanshi Ram says turned out to make the party a flew to New Delhi and cut a aspirants for chief minister- oppose any change in lection for her birthday bash, Ut- roaring success. Despite the chill, 51-kg four-tiered cake at the Talka- ship, including Sushilkumar leadership. tar Pradesh chief minister The party collected Rs 40 harried officials were seen furtive- tora Stadium. Shinde, Rohidas Patil, Ranjit The anti-Deshmukh lobby Mayawati on Wednesday declared lakh in 1989, won 2 LS and ly mopping their brows. The orchestra played “Happy Deshmukh and Shivraj Patil, is also not sitting idle. Led by that the Bahujan Samaj Party 15 Assembly seats Keeping with the blue and white birthday to you” when she blew will be able to lead the Rohidas Patil and Ranjit (BSP) will always celebrate her Maya’s last birthday theme of party was the two-tiered the candles and cut the artistically eight-party Democratic Deshmukh, the lobby was birthday as a ‘fund raising day’. blue and white birthday cake. The designed cake. Once again, it was Front (DF) coalition. trying to wean away a group Addressing party workers at the Rs 403 lakh raised, reason cake was cut and shared with BSP truly a birthday party,with colour- They said the AICC would of 12 Independents who were La Martiniere College grounds BSP is in power in UP chief Kanshi Ram, Lalji Tandon ful baloons, flowers and foot-tap- unwittingly make matters tilting towards Deshmukh. here, Mayawati, who turned 47, This year’s charge and P L Punia. ping music. easier for the Opposition The Independents’ support is thanked party workers for the For the less fortunate who didn’t A cultural show was also held to Shiv Sena-BJP alliance by crucial for the survival of the fund collection. The state government get a share of the cake, laddoos entertain the guests, and they only creating political instability. DF government. She declared that her birthday allegedly withdrew were being distributed in front of made it out of the stadium after a But Prithviraj Chavan, a The AICC observers are celebrations were being organised Rs 1.35 cr from the State the pandal. sumptous dinner. Congress MP known for his expected to consult the party by the government, which the Op- Contingency Fund A huge model of the Ambedkar Mayawati’s arch rival and proximity to 10, Janpath, high command and seek position parties had taken serious Smarak has also been set up. In- Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam launched a frontal attack on guidelines for conducting the exception to. party workers waited in the osten- side, an exhibition of photographs Singh Yadav on Wednesday ac- Deshmukh. Congress legislature party The day was also being celebrat- tatious palace-shaped pandal, was on, displaying the achieve- cused her of squandering the gov- He told newspersons that meeting, likely to be held on ed as swabhiman diwas (self re- which was festooned with flowers. ments of the chief minister. ernment’s money and misusing there had been a ‘‘litany of Thursday. spect day) in Lucknow. The city Jingles blared, eulogising the work Mayawati also dedicated the the official machinery for her complaints about the poor Comment: Political decisions PEOPLE POWER was painted in the theme colours of the chief minister. Ambedkar Park to the public. ‘‘I birthday celebration. performance of Deshmukh are like nettles, they have to Speak your mind—loud and free. of blue and white. Mayawati arrived fashionably had a dream of building a grand Picture on page 5 for quite sometime’’. be grasped hard and fast so Question of the week: The bureaucrats, politicians and late, waving at the guests who had memorial for Dr B R Ambedkar, See Edit: Laddoos of Maya He said senior partymen that they sting the least. Should junk food be banned from school/college canteens? What should be on the menu? Bachchan Jr, Call today at 23492136 ( between 12 noon and 1pm ) You can fax us on 2332 3346 / 2371 5832 e-mail: [email protected]. Your response, along with your name, will be published in Brokers set to trade Karisma split SUNDAY TIMES OF INDIA January 19, 2003 confirmed in foreign shares TIMES NEWS NETWORK YOU SAID IT by Laxman By Prabhakar Sinha Exchange and the NASDAQ. With the Mumbai: Sources close to the family of Bollywood ac- TIMES NEWS NETWORK code of their foreign partners, these tress Karisma Kapoor have brokers would enable Indian in- New Delhi: Broking houses are busy confirmed the breakup of vestors to trade using the Internet. putting in place systems to enable in- her engagement with fellow Sanjay Sachdeva, managing direc- vestors to trade in shares of foreign star Abhishek Bachchan. tor of IDBI Principal said: ‘‘This will companies. Once the norms are in Neetu Singh, former ac- offer a new opportunity to Indian bro- place, individual investors will soon tress and Karisma’s aunt, is kers.’’ In fact, some large broking be able to buy and sell shares like among those who confirmed firm like JM Financial and DSP Unilever and Pfizer via the Internet. the split to TNN. But Neetu Brokers and fund managers, how- have already tied up with foreign isn’t willing to say what led ever, do not expect a rush of deals. partners like Morgan Stanley and to the split. Neetu is the wife This is because the rupee is appreci- Merrill Lynch. of Rishi Kapoor, who is the ating and the right time to buy dollars Detailed guidelines defining the younger brother of Karish- will be when the rupee has reached limit for individual investors and new ma’s father Randhir Kapoor. its peak. This will maximise the re- foreign exchange norms are still About four months after turn on shares. People in the market awaited. Once these are in place, bro- the couple was engaged, the expect little to happen for the next few kers say it will take them all of two news of the break-up came as months.In addition, global stock mar- days to get trading underway. a shock for the family.‘‘Don’t That’s a lie! ...No, not directly! I att- kets are down and slipping. However, there are sceptics. DSE ask me too much. I don’t acked your leadership indirectly! I Last week, the government allowed broker Sanjay Kaul felt that there know what went wrong. But too am aware of party discipline! Indian citizens to invest in foreign may notbe much interest in the they have split. Yes, it is very companies that have at least 10 per scheme initially. Reason: an sad,’’ said Neetu. cent stake in a listed Indian company. appreciating Rupee makes return on The couple’s engagement indiatimes.com POLL According to estimates, there are investment in foreign companies was formally announced at unattractive.