HEAD LINE:

• No change, 26/11 perpetrators must face Indian justice: Pranab (IE)
• Reducing inequality, inequity a challenge: Manmohan Singh (HINDU)
• Sanjay Dutt clears the air, says will contest polls on SP ticket (TOI)

LEAD:

A day after external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee asked Pakistan to communicate with India through "existing diplomatic channels" rather than the media, Pakistan formally conveyed to India the steps it claimed to have taken to investigate the Mumbai attacks, including the setting up of a probe panel and arrests of Jamaat-ud-Dawa activists. In Islamabad, Pakistani foreign secretary Salman Bashir briefed Indian high commissioner Satyabrata Pal about the "series of actions" started by Pakistan, as well as other measures it was taking to implement the UN Security Council sanctions on JuD. Significantly, Pakistan said its first steps were in response to India's dossier the same document that it had earlier trashed. The panel announced by Pakistan to probe the 26/11 attacks is headed by additional director-general of its Federal Investigation Agency, Javed Iqbal, and includes counter-terrorism experts Khalid Qureshi and Liaquat Ali Khan. The committee has been asked to complete the probe "as soon as possible" and will, if required, coordinate with Indian agencies investigating 26/11. A Pakistan foreign office spokesperson was quoted as saying, "The foreign secretary has conveyed today (Friday) to the Indian high commissioner in Islamabad the sequence and series of actions initiated by the govt of Pakistan in pursuance of its international obligations as well as those relating to the Mumbai terrorist attacks."(TOI)

• Mumbai: Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt quelled all speculation about his entry into politics on Friday night. "Yes, I am contesting elections from Lucknow," he told reporters at his Bandra residence. Flanked by SP leader Amar Singh, Dutt expressed hope that the conviction in the 1993 Mumbai serial blast case would not affect his candidacy. "If the court can allow Navjot Singh Sidhu to serve the people why not me," he asked adding he had been acquitted of charges under Tada and had been convicted only for possessing arms. The actor said he hadn't discussed his political plans with sister and MP Priya Dutt. He also spoke about controversy over rift in his family over his joining Samajwadi Party. "For me politics is secondary, family always comes first. If Priya asks me I will campaign for her. The quotes attributed to Priya in the media have been denied by her. Even if she has said anything I forgive her," said Dutt. On his decision to join SP, Dutt said, "Samajwadi Party offered me the ticket first."(TOI)
• In an apparent bid to drive a wedge in the BJP, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh met former vice-president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat whose intention to contest the Lok Sabha polls was seen as a direct challenge to L.K. Advani's projection as prime ministerial candidate. There was no word on what transpired in the 30minute one-on-one meeting between the two leaders on Friday. But the interaction took place in the backdrop of the NCP's moves to persuade the Congress and other UPA allies to promote Shekhawat's candidature and add to the confusion in the BJP. While Sharad Pawar is known to be close to Shekhawat, NCP's Praful Patel and spokesman D.P. Tripathy who had officially welcomed Shekhawat's candidature were reportedly in touch with Congress president's political secretary Ahmed Patel and Singh on the issue. The Congress is believed to have agreed with the politics behind the move but was hesitant because of Shekhawat's association with the BJP. The UPA had earlier rejected his claims for the presidential office. The Shekhawat-Digvijay meeting came a day after the BJP leader had said he would not contest against Advani for the PM's post. (HT)
• New Delhi: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram's detailed note to all CMs explaining the scope and application of three important legislations enacted by the Centre in the wake of Mumbai Terror attacks has left some key objections raised by the states unaddressed. In his letter sent to the CMs on January 13, Chidambaram had included three annexures, one each for explaining the NIA Bill, the UAPA amendment Bill and the CrPC amendment Bill, all of which were passed by Parliament last month. The letter was sent as a follow-up to discussions held during a CMs' conference earlier this month, during which quite a few states had voiced their apprehensions on these legislations, particularly regarding the establishment of the National Investigation Agency. (IE)
• The communist Party of India (Maoist) has reportedly expelled its best known leader in Orissa, Sabyasachi Panda, for his alleged role in fuelling riots in Kandhamal district last August-September. Fax messages to this effect were sent to media organisations on Friday by 'Saket', who claimed to be speaking on behalf of the central committee of the underground party. Some posters and leaflets have also appeared in Naxal-affected districts of the state announcing the expulsion. Panda had, in a television interview at an undisclosed location, taken responsibility for the killing of Swami Laxmananda Saraswati, a controversial figure, who had been running an ashram in Kandhamal district for four decades. Though revered by local Hindus, he was accused by Christians of encouraging conversion' of Christian tribals to Hinduism. Local Hindu organisations reacted violently to his death, sparking off riots in which at least 25 people were killed and over 15,000 forced to flee their homes. The message said that although the Maoists had decided to fight 'Hindu fascism', the killing of Laxmananda was not authorised. "The killing resulted in widespread riots which affected the livelihood of many poor people. Before killing the swami, the religious and caste equations in the area were not taken into consideration. As a result, many people became critical of the role of CPI-Maoist in fuelling the communal riots," the message said. (HT)
• LUCKNOW: The Congress has demanded a white paper on the money collected through donations by Uttar Pradesh CM Mayawati on her birthday on Thursday. Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president, Rita Bahuguna Joshi told journalists here on Friday that the CM should disclose the sources from where the money was collected. Referring to Ms. Mayawati's assertion at a press conference on Thursday that the Opposition campaign led to a two-fold increase in the donations, she said it was difficult to believe that so much cash would have been collected in a fair manner. She alleged that the money was either collected by extortion or black money made white. She said the public had the right to know whether the money had gone to the party fund or transferred to Ms. Mayawati's personal account. Stating that the condition of Uttar Pradesh was precarious, she said 15 lakh signatures collected in a 15-day campaign was submitted to Governor T.V. Rajeswar. These reflected people's anger against the Mayawati govt. (HINDU)

MANMOHAN SINGH & GOVT

PM Manmohan Singh on Friday asked the gram sabhas to share greater responsibility in formulating plans and shaping the country's growth and reducing inequity and inequality. Inaugurating the first conference of chairpersons of district planning committees (DPCs), Dr. Singh said that only through inclusive governance could the country achieve inclusive growth. The aspiration of "a large, young and restless nation" to collectively guide the nation's destiny was to develop a strong local govt system. "Each one of you has a crucial role in building a thoughtful vision for your district through a participative and inclusive process. The most important issue before us is to meet the challenge of reducing inequity and inequality," he said. There was need to meet the core development needs that were essential for human growth. These include combating of disease, eliminating malnutrition, providing safe drinking water and good quality universal education, providing people with skills and employment opportunities and preserving the environment. (HINDU)

BJP

The BJP has termed the three-day visit of British Foreign Secretary David Miliband as "one of the biggest diplomatic disasters" faced by the country in recent years. "At the end of his visit, we were having nothing but some pro-Rahul Gandhi and pro-Pakistan comments. The nation stood as one when the Govt said that it was taking diplomatic initiatives to corner the Pakistan govt. The entire effort of the last 52 days has, however, come to a naught by this visit," said BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley here on Friday. The BJP leader said that "by not criticising Terror but talking about the root cause theory instead," Miliband has endorsed not only the Pakistani stand, but that of the al-Qaeda as well. "Miliband has taken the stand taken by former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf in Agra, a stand which India opposed," the BJP leader added. The BJP also tore apart the UPA Govt "for agreeing to the trial of the Mumbai accused in Pakistan". "We have a strange situation where the target of investigations will now become investigators," he said.(IE)

CONGRESS

A day after it dropped Satyavrat Chaturvedi as one of the party spokespersons, Congress on Friday was at pains to counter the growing perception that the decision was dictated by SP. Chaturvedi had asked SP leader Amar Singh to go for a "check-up from neck up", an advice given twice in a short span despite Congress-SP tango, triggering resentment in the Samajwadi camp. AICC spokesman Abhishek Singhvi tried hard to deny a link between Amar Singh's protest and Chaturvedi's benching. But the effort failed to convince many. Rather, coming against the backdrop of Centre's acrobatics in the Supreme Court to get the CBI junk its declared intention to prosecute SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, the action against Chaturvedi has only fuelled the perception of Congress's acquiescence in SP's strongarm bargaining tactics. That Chaturvedi has ceased being a spokesperson is a fact. But the belief that the decision to remove him was taken at SP's instance has invested it with far greater significance. The perception is finding ready resonance in an atmosphere where the Centre is seen as excessively anxious to let Mulayam off the hook in disregard of the fears of BJP making "the misuse of CBI" an issue. The fears appeared to be coming true when BJP leader Arun Jaitley taunted the Congress by saying, "What has Congress brought itself down to its spokesman cannot speak, CBI cannot investigate and the JPC is compelled to ignore basic evidence and come out with a managed report." (TOI)

• AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi has exhorted people to give up the practice of touching feet and start shaking hands instead. His advice to a group of women at Simara village in Amethi on Thursday came in the presence of British Foreign Secretary David Miliband who was on a two-day visit to Rahul's parliamentary constituency. At the end of over an hour long interaction with a self-help group (SHG), as the two dignitaries got up to leave, women rushed to touch Rahul's feet. "Ab yeh pair chhoona band karo, ab haath milao (stop touching feet; shake hands now)," Rahul told them. Appreciating the candid advice of the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family, Congress sources said his remarks were made in the context of women's empowerment. After attaining a certain measure of economic independence and empowerment, there is no need to touch anybody's feet as a mark of deference, they said. "He was not questioning any Indian tradition. He was trying to make women realise their power and potential," said a senior Congress leader.

LEFT PARTIES

STATES

J&K

Governor Syed Sibtey Razi has submitted a report to the Home Ministry on Friday on the political stalemate in Jharkhand, stating that under present circumstances, no political party can form a stable govt in Jharkhand. In its report, the Governor is learnt to have informed the Centre that no political party or their alliance had staked the claim for forming the govt in five days since the Shibu Soren-led dispensation resigned. The report is being as the first step towards the impo sition of President's Rule in the state. Before sending the report, the Governor consulted leader of the various political parties and constitutional experts to find a solution to the political stalemate. With the BJP on agitation demanding dissolu tion of the Assembly, and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leaders failing to come out with a consensus candidate for the chief minister, chances for the state being pushed under the Central rule have only got better. In case of the Central rule, to be promulgated after the Presidential nod, the Assembly might be put under suspension until a political party or coalition came out with the proposal to form the govt. Meanwhile, the Governor's report on the state of political affairs and subsequent constitutional crisis has dealt a serious blow to the JMM and Independent legislators, who were relying on the central leaders to sort out the leadership issue. (HT)

KERALA

In a major embarrassment to the party, Kannur CPM MP A P Abdullakkutty on Friday again praised Gujarat CM Narendra Modi's investor-friendly policies. Replying to the showcause notice issued by the CPM Kannur district committee, the MP said the Gujarat CM's development model was worth emulating. He, however, said he was opposed to the BJP leader's communal politics. The young MP, known for his radical views, said he was only following the example set by CPM stalwarts like E M S Namboodiripad, who said politics should not hinder economic development. Even Joseph Stalin was all praise for America's economic boom, the MP said. Abdullakutti's remarks have put the party in a tight spot. With Lok Sabha polls due in April-May, CPM can hardly afford to expel the MP who has considerable support within the Muslim community in Kannur, even though the party has tied up with PDP led by Abdul Nasser Madani, an accused who was later acquitted in the Coimbatore blasts case.(TOI)

MAHARASHTRA

In a move that could hurt relations between the Shiv Sena and BJP, the former on Friday warned the B S Yeddyurappa-led BJP Govt in Karnataka over what it said was the injustice being meted out to Marathi speakers in Belgaum and the Marathi-speaking border areas of Karnataka. "You feel Mumbai is Mysore. Because here lakhs of your Kannada speakers are living happily," said an editorial in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna, referring to the Karnataka CM's statement made at a recent event in Mumbai. "Then why don't you apply the same rule in the border areas like Belgaum? Why are you crushing the Marathi speakers there? Do you know what will happen if you do not stop this injustice? Then Maharashtra will take you on. Let us see what happens," it added, referring to the Karnataka Govt's move to lathicharge Marathi speakers protesting the move to hold the legislature session in Belgaum. (IE)

ORISSA

The Congress activists in the city on Friday protested against the proposed Gajapati Plaza project of the Berhampur Development Authority (BDA). The proposed signing of MoU between the BDA and the officials of the 'Forum Projects' of Kolkata for the Gajapati Plaza project scheduled to be held on Friday was also deferred. The BDA chairperson, Sarat Ranjan Patnaik however, said that signing of MoU was deferred not due to the agitation of Congress activists. According to him it was deferred as some intricacies of the deal had to be sorted out. The Congress activists took out a rally and held demonstration in front of the BDA office against the project. They also handed over a memorandum against the project addressed to the Governor at the office of the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), southern division. The Congress activists alleged that the site for Gajapati Plaza was a pond, which was filled up for a market complex project to be taken up by the BDA. (HINDU)

UTTAR PRADESH

Call her Hunterwali if you will, or Fearless Mayawati, she will soon be seen on the silver screen tackling goondas and criminals allegedly close to her political enemy, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav. Uttar Pradesh CM Mayawati, under fire for a host of reasons including collapsing law and order, seems to have hit upon a novel method to shore up her depleting popularity. So, what better way to connect with the people than through films? As many as eight short films have been produced by a private company at the cost of around Rs 2 crore that show Mayawati as a "kind and just" ruler, one with a "vision" a sort of superwoman who punishes criminals both in her party and in the Opposition. The aim, tells a source, is to counter the campaign launched by the Opposition against her after names of some of her party MLAs and minister figured in criminal cases, the most infamous being BSP MLA from Auraiya, Shekhar Tiwari, accused of murdering PWD executive engineer in ML Gupta.(TOI)

EDITORIAL

India can't afford to go easy on Pak: There are many reasons why India's stand on expectations from Pakistan after the Mumbai terrorist attacks should be clear-headed, clear-sighted, consistent and determined. The most important of them is that the people of India are owed something by the govt they have elected. Essentially, that is an assurance of security, the confidence that the best that India's resources and influence can obtain will be placed at the service of our people to ensure that the fabric of life will not be continually shattered through the machinations of a malign foreign govt or any of its agencies. All of Pakistan is not to blame for the Mumbai outrage. There are sizeable constituencies in that country who would like to put an end to terrorism and terrorist outfits operating from their soil as a means of bringing peace to Pakistan itself, to our region, and the world. But the Pakistan armed forces and the ISI are not among them. Nor for that matter is the present civilian regime, for it is too weak to assert itself even if it desired to free itself from Army control. In effect, those that matter in Islamabad continue to harbour an animus toward this country, whatever their protestations in the light of diplomatic compulsions. (AA)