Newsreel: 16.02.03

A three-member bench headed by Justice M B Shah unanimously declares as ‘unconstitutional’ Section 33B of the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act 2002, which had been projected by the Government as an electoral reform brought about through an all-party consensus.

• RACING against time to meet the Allahabad High Court direction of completing excavation at the disputed site at Ayodhya within a month, a 14-member team of the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) — along with two members from the Tojo-Vikas geo-mapping firm — begins excavation. Meanwhile, the Allahabad High Court directs the Faizabad commissioner, the team from the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) and agencies preparing to excavate the disputed Ayodhya site not to brief the media on the progress of the dig.

• HEEDING to the ‘‘call of his brahma’’ (inner voice), Finance Minister Jaswant Singh announces in the Lok Sabha the withdrawal of hike in fertiliser prices proposed in the Budget he presented just under a fortnight ago. Singh was reportedly under tremendous pressure from the BJP leadership to roll the hike back and extend the Budget’s ‘feel-good’ effect to the farmers.

On his February-28 Budget speech, Singh had announced an increase in prices of urea, DAP and MOP by Rs 12, Rs 10 and Rs 10 per bag of 50 kg. The rollback is estimated to result in an additional outgo of Rs 700 crore in the next fiscal.

• Outraged over the ill-treatment of 270 Indian IT professionals in Malaysia, who were rounded up, handcuffed and taken to questioning on suspicion that they were illegal migrants, New Delhi decides to re-examine some of the decisions pending under its civil aviation bilateral treaty with Kuala Lumpur.

Even as the Kuala Lumpur Police orders an enquiry into the detention of Indians, Delhi keeps the heat on by expressing its inability to host the Malaysian Food minister scheduled to arrive this month end.

• Jharkhand Chief Minister Babulal Marandi loses his majority and government as seven ministers, in a neatly executed coup, join hands with the Opposition to vote on a cut motion on a fiscal bill in the assembly. The rebels, belonging to BJP’s allies, and the Opposition — with a backing of 42 out of 79 — elected Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari as their leader. Though Marandi held on to his chair contesting the adoption of the motion, his exit seems inevitable. Namdhari, who belongs to the Janata Dal (U), demands Marandi’s resignation after announcing that the cut motion had been carried through through a voice vote.

• WITH the US adamant on its stand that it will go ahead alone to forcefully ‘disarm’ Iraq, if that is what it takes, the international diplomatic community loses all hope of a peaceful resolution of the crisis. Despite some last-minute strains with staunch ally UK, White House says part of last bit of Iraq diplomacy is on to defuse the crisis.

French President Jaques Chirac says ready to work with Britain to disarm Iraq but rejects any talk of ultimatum. The US has so far deployed around 225,000 military personnel in the Gulf region.

• India continues their grand run towards a World Cup win. Australia and Kenya have also left the other teams behind in their march towards the penultimate stage. Australia, in the process, increasing their unbeaten streak to 14 matches, and Sandeep Patil-trained Kenyans creating a world record. India did exceptionally well in the Super Sixes, making the semis after thrashing Kenya and Sri Lanka. The match against New Zealand, however, lands India on the ground. India, on a winning streak since the defeat against Australia in the prelims, will take on Kenya in the semis. With an Australia vs India final looming large, the Men in Blue looks set, in tune, and ready to conquer.