‘ Ceasefire violations provocative’
Union defence minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday stated that ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the LoC and International Border were “serious and provocative” and created an environment “not very conducive” for a relationship between the two sides.
“Incursions ( ceasefire violations) at both the Line of Control and the International Border are serious and they are provocative. These incidents are creating an environment which is not very conducive for relationship between the two countries,” Mr Jaitley said. Commenting on the spate of ceasefire violations along the LoC and the international border by Pakistan, the minister said there was hope that the “situation would be better” after discussions between the director- generals of military operations Lt. Gen. PR Kumar and his Pakistani counterpart.
Mr Jaitley said both the Army and the BSF at the LoC and IB respectively are fully alert and responding effectively to every situation emerging there. Against the backdrop of frequent ceasefire violations and Pakistani high commissioner’s meeting with separatist Kashmiri lead- ers, India had called off the foreign secretarylevel talks with it scheduled for August 25. PM Narendra Modi had on Friday laid ground rules for future talks, saying that “any meaningful bilateral dialogue necessarily requires an environment that is free from terrorism and violence”. There have been 24 cease- fire violations by Pakistan in August. Two villagers have been killed and 17 others, including 4 BSF jawans, suffered injuries in such incidents.
Meanwhile, Mr Jaitley stated that norms related to blacklisting of weapon manufacturing firms facing corruption charges have been eased partially as these were affecting country’s security preparedness. “The issue has been discussed at the defence ministry. There are a large number of firms which have been blacklisted. Now that upholds consideration of probity but narrows our buying options which can affect our security preparedness,” he said. The Central Bureau of Investigation ( CBI) is all set to question Trinamul Congress MLA and state transport minister Madan Mitra and the party’s actorturned Rajya Sabha MP Mithun Chakraborty in the multi- crore Saradha chit fund scam next week.
Mr Mitra will be served a summon to appear in person at the CBI office in Salt Lake, according to sources.
On Friday the CBI questioned his former confidential assistant Bapi Karim about Mr Mitra’s role and found evidence of the minister’s links with Saradha Group. Besides, Saradha owner Sudipta Sen’s top aide Debjani Mukherjee told the investigators that she had seen the minister frequenting the company’s corporate office at Midland Park in Salt Lake, sources revealed.
Asked if the Central agency summons him, Mr Mitra on Saturday said, “I will welcome them and offer my cooperation. But I will take that decision after discussing it with the party. Whatever I will do, I will do it but only after consulting the party. I will do what the party will instruct me to do. The CBI probe is on the wrong track as the innocent people are being harassed. The CBI is failing to reach the real culprits.”
Indicating the role of the BJP government at the Centre in steering the probe in the “wrong direction for political gains” he rebutted Mr Karim’s claim that he had handed a cheque of ` 1 crore as dona- tion from Mr Sen over to the Maharaj of Lakshminarayan Temple at a function in Bishnupur of South 24 Parganas.
“Mr Karim has not been in touch with me for the last three years. So he did not give the correct information. He made the comments without knowing it. I attended the function on the invitation of the temple’s Maharaj. Later I learnt that not even ten paise was donated by Mr Sen,” Mr Mitra added.
Admitting of sharing the dais with Mr Sen at another programme at Netaji Indoor Stadium he claimed, “I wanted to know from Mr Sen why he was not paying salary to his employees. He reasoned of a turmoil in his business. Then I offered to help him to run his business abiding by the law.”
Unlike Mr Mitra, the CBI will however send a team to Mumbai to quiz Mr Chakraborty who was the brand ambassador of a Bengali news channel owned by Saradha Group and has already faced questioning by the Enforcement Directorate.