œND‰‰†‰KœND‰‰†‰œND‰‰†‰MœND‰‰†‰C OF INDIA ENTER THE FORGIVING DRAGON EVE? SPECIAL REPORT ALL THAT MATTERS New Delhi June 15, 2003, Capital • 44 pages including Men & Women & Classifieds + 8 pages of Delhi Times Price Rs. 2.75 Photo: Neeraj Paul/ Imaging: Neelabh Night-out SNAPSHOTS Venkaiah AFP turns into a makes peace nightmare for with Vajpayee young couple By Smita Gupta TIMES NEWS NETWORK TIMES NEWS NETWORK New Delhi: A late Friday New Delhi: BJP president M Venka- night dinner turned into a iah Naidu made another effort to nightmare for an estate-own- make peace with Prime Minister Vaj- er and his wife. Three men payee when he met him for an hour at stopped them near Sirifort, 7, Race Course Road on Friday eve- injured the man and ning to brief him on party matters. snatched their Hyundai Ac- Usually, the PM is consulted on cent (UA-06A-8911). The as- major organisational issues, and sailants drove off with the Deputy PM L K Advani — currently couple’s friend inside the car. abroad — is kept abreast on a more She was let off after the as- regular basis. Naidu’s detailed dis- sailants robbed her of Rs cussion with Vajpayee — which cov- 10,000. A few hours before the ered the agenda for next week’s chin- car-jacking incident, the as- tan baithak, recent party meetings in sailants had stolen a Maruti the North-East and elsewhere in the car (DL-2CE-3878) from De- run-up to the assembly polls this year, fence Colony. and the general elections in 2004 — is The incident happened therefore, significant. It is being seen when Ashish and Namrata A customer browses in a shop where Hillary Clinton’s book titled ‘‘Living as a way of involving the PM in or- Gupta and their friend Neena History’’ is on display in Bangalore. The ganisational issues. were returning home after book which has sold 200,000 copies In this context, the meeting on FUTURE SHOCK: The backdrop of the Taj Mahal may look like this if the UP government executes its Heritage Corridor project. having dinner at a restaurant nationwide on its first day in US Thursday between HRD minister at Ansal Plaza. A police offi- bookstores according to its publisher, Murli Manohar Joshi and principal cer said Ashish had reached is also in great demand in India. secretary to the PM, Brajesh Mishra Delhi on Friday from Ka- may presage an ‘‘informal’’ arrange- shipur, Uttaranchal, where ment through which the latter will be Ah Taj! Are you ready for this... he stays. His wife arrived a Pak won’t freeze N-programme: Pakistan will neither roll back nor freeze in touch with the party. few days ago to be with her By Rashme Sehgal allow tourists to visit these monuments going to be put to ahead with their plan to build its nuclear weapons programme, the Sources close to Naidu said the BJP parents in Hauz Khas. It was TIMES NEWS NETWORK country’s state-run news agency quoted president expressed his deep sense of monuments without entering such use?” he asks. the Corridor, they should half past midnight when a ‘‘hurt’’ at the allegations levelled Agra. The mall is a part of Nalini Thakur, HoD, Con- have held a nation-wide com- truck obstructed their way at the information minister as saying. ‘‘We New Delhi: Imagine a shop- against him by party colleagues, in- that project. servation, School of Planning petition to allow the best Balbir Saxena Marg. Namra- are a declared nuclear power, so there is ping mall as the backdrop of cluding Joshi, in the aftermath of his The Central Pollution Con- and Architecture, concurs: known architects in the coun- ta recalls: ‘‘My husband took no question of freezing it,’’ Sheikh Rashid the Taj Mahal instead of the Ahmed said, adding Pakistan would ‘‘not twin leader statement. trol Board has sent an angry ‘‘The Taj is a world heritage try to participate. a right turn from the T-junc- picturesque Yamuna. Is this tolerate’’ any pressure to stop its nuclear Vajpayee, sources said, told him memo to the Ministry of En- site and is governed by the The UP government has tion near Sirifort Road. But an architectural nightmare? programme. that some of these remarks should vironment warning them of UNESCO convention which simply handed the project to a the way was blocked because No, this could soon be the serious consequences if at- clearly spells out the need for Delhi-based company called of a truck parked there.’’ Sampras may retire: US legend Pete not have been aired. However, he ugly reality. The UP govern- tempts are made to interfere a proper management plan Consulting Architects Plan- Sampras, whose pres- should put the episode behind him Thinking the vehicle had ment has started the con- with the flow of the Yamuna. prepared by specialists. How ent break from tennis and continue to prepare the party for ners Services. Sources within broken down, Ashish re- the polls. The PM added he would say struction of the Heritage Cor- ‘‘The filling up of the river can they start work without NPCC allege that CAPS has versed his car and bumped seems an undeclared ridor on the banks of the Ya- retirement, said on Sat- something publicly to restore Naidu’s bed will affect the natural understanding the basics of already received an advance into a Maruti car in which muna, behind the monument. urday that he will make prestige at an ‘‘appropriate’’ time. flow of the river river hydrology? of Rs 1.6 crore of the total Rs three young men were seat- a decision on his future Sources close to Vajpayee stressed The UP government has de- as well as the The Archaeolog- 4.25 crore being paid for exe- ed. While Ashish and Namra- at the end of this year. that Naidu’s job was not in danger. cided to fill up the river bed natural flood ical Survey of cuting this project. The NPCC ta got off to check their car, Sampras has not Apparently,some party functionaries behind the Taj in order to plain,’’ warns B SUNDAY India should is also reported to have paid the men came out. played an ATP event have impressed on the PM that re- build a shopping complex, the Sengupta, mem- have ensured Rs 17 crore to a Delhi-based ‘‘One of them suddenly since winning the US placing Naidu would tarnish the im- work for which has already ber secretary, SPECIAL that all depart- construction company Ish- fired. Ashish ducked and the open title last September. age of the party,which already took a begun. The Central and the CPCB, in a letter ments accepted vakoo (India) Pvt. Ltd for re- bullet brushed past him. The State government have sanc- dated April 2. this plan before 7 LeT militants killed: Seven top beating last week due to the leader- moving the sand. other two asked us for our Pakistani militants belonging to Lashkar- ship controversy. Further, Naidu al- tioned Rs 175 crore for the The construction work be- it was implemented.’’ Defending the work NPCC car keys,’’ Namrata added. e-Taiba were gunned down by security ready had two predecessors: Bangaru construction of the Taj Her- gan last November under the Defending the UP govern- chairman SC Bali says, “All Ashish and Namrata got no forces in an encounter on Saturday in Laxman and K Jana Krishnamurthy. itage Corridor, even as envi- aegis of the National Project ment’s decision, RK Sharma, our drawings have been ap- time to warn Neena. Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, Yet another change would make the ronmental conservationists Construction Corporation principal secretary, environ- proved by IIT Roorkee.’’ The The men drove away with according to official sources. party look indecisive. are decrying the ‘scandalous’ (NPCC) without any environ- ment said, ‘‘The Supreme six-member Roorkhee team Neena, leaving their Maruti This was Naidu’s first one-to-one nature of the project. mental assessment of its im- Court had directed us to re- have in their notings declared behind. Neena requested the Moore Knighted: James Bond star meeting with the PM after his late The state government’s ‘‘the plans supplied (to them) assailants to let her go. ‘‘She Roger Moore was awarded a knighthood pact on the Taj. Says M C move all the shops from the grandiose project to link by Queen Elizabeth II in her birthday hon- evening meeting soon after the di- Mehta, activist lawyer: “This front of the Taj. We were only are smudged...no monuments was finally dropped near ours list published on Saturday. However, asastrous felicitation ceremony,when Agra’s important monuments is a huge scam. After all, what trying to relocate them.’’ Sen- can be made out on them.’’ Shahpur Jat after paying the the 75-year-old was not knighted for his the PM had taken a swipe at the DPM, — Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Ram does a mall consist of other gupta’s letter has also pin- A PIL has been filed in the money,’’ Namrata said. acting ability, but for his tireless work for leaving the latter deeply embarrassed Bagh, Etmatuddula and Chin- than restaurants, discos, pointed that in case the gov- Supreme Court against the The car was found, parked the children’s charity Unicef for which he and the party president uncertain ni-Ka-Roza — is supposed to cabarets? Are our historic ernment did decide to go construction work. opposite the Red Fort on has been a goodwill ambassador for the about his own future.