KABUL - Taliban-led insurgents killed at least 11 people across Afghanistan in a renewed springtime offensive on Sunday despite a huge security clampdown, hours after the United Nations pleaded for all sides to avoid civilian casualties.
The hardline Islamists have warned civilians to stay away from public gatherings, military bases and convoys, as well as government offices, because those sites would be the target of a wave of attacks beginning on Sunday.
Both sides of the conflict have vowed to protect civilians -- the civilian toll hit record levels in 2010 -- but more than half of those killed on Sunday were ordinary Afghans.
"Our mission is to make sure that civilians and Afghan people are not affected by now 11 years of conflict," Staffan de Mistura, the U.N. chief in Afghanistan, told Reuters television in his heavily guarded compound in the capital, Kabul.
"What we are worried about, and I think every Afghan is worried about, is whether the Afghan people and the Afghan civilians will be again the victims of a long conflict," de Mistura said.
The vast majority of civilian casualties in Afghanistan are caused by insurgents, figures from the United Nations and other rights groups show, although there are still many caused by foreign hunting militants with air strikes and night raids.
The increasingly sophisticated Taliban communication network quickly sought to counter de Mistura's comments. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said foreign forces must also protect civilians and stop their "rising atrocities".
CHILD BOMBER
The new wave of attacks began early on Sunday with what appeared to be a startling and rare tactic -- the use of a child bomber in the dangerous southeastern province of Paktika.
The bomber, wearing a vest packed with explosives, killed four civilians and wounded 12, a government spokesman said. A statement from the governor's office in Paktika, near the Pakistan border, said the bomber was 12 years old.
In neighbouring Ghazni, two police and two civilians were killed in a gunfight after insurgents opened fire on a passing police vehicle in the province's main city, police said. A bomb planted on a bicycle near Ghazni police headquarters wounded 13.
In the volatile south, the governor of Kandahar province, the birthplace of the Taliban, ordered thousands of security forces onto high alert, with police and Afghan soldiers manning checkpoints on every roundabout in Kandahar city.
Gunmen on a motorbike killed an Afghan soldier in Kandahar. In Logar, south of Kabul, two members of a community police unit were killed by a roadside bomb, police officials said.
Senior military commanders have been expecting a spike in violence with the start of the spring and summer "fighting season", although the usual winter lull was not seen as U.S-led forces pressed their attacks against insurgents, particularly in the Taliban's southern heartland.
Quelling violence has taken on even greater importance this year, with a gradual withdrawal of foreign combat troops set to begin in July as part of a handover to Afghan security forces. That withdrawal is set to be completed by the end of 2014.
Senior military officials say recent intelligence reports indicate the fresh campaign of violence will last about a week and be mounted by the Taliban, supported by the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani network and other insurgents.
Security has been increased at military bases and government offices across the country, while in Kabul extra police have been stationed at checkpoints known as "the ring of steel".
The Taliban said on Saturday the targets of their attacks would be foreign forces, high-ranking officials of President Hamid Karzai's government, as well companies working for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
Washington and ISAF commanders believe they have made inroads against a growing insurgency since 30,000 extra U.S. troops were sent to Afghanistan last year.
Attacks across Afghanistan hit record levels in 2010, with civilian and military casualties the worst since U.S-backed Afghan forces toppled the Taliban government in late 2001.
The United Nations has relocated some of its staff in Afghanistan after receiving what it said were credible threats of increased attacks in several locations around the country.
The United Nations has been targeted several times. Seven foreign staff were killed last month when protesters overran a U.N. compound in the north.
De Mistura said indiscriminate use of bombs by the Taliban in cities and elsewhere had caused huge numbers of civilian casualties, while air strikes by the NATO-led force had also caused many deaths.
The number of civilians killed in Afghanistan in 2010 rose 15 percent from the previous year to 2,777, according to U.N figures, with insurgents responsible for about three-quarters of those. "Afghan civilians have paid the price of war for too long," de Mistura said.
Adarsh scam: Ashok Chavan to be questioned by CBI soon
Mumbai, May 1 : After quizzing of several accused in the infamous Adarsh scam, it will be the turn of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan soon to face some questions from the CBI which plans to wrap up probe into the Housing Society case.
The CBI, which has been spending considerable time in scrutinising the documents and records of the housing society, has questioned at length other accused including Adarsh society''s general secretary R C Thakur, retired brigadier M M Wanchoo and Congress leader K L Gidwani.
They were called first to gather as much information about the case before Chavan and senior IAS officer Jairaj Phatak were called for questioning.
Phatak, a 1978 batch IAS officer of Maharashtra cadre, was the then Commissioner of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and was chairing the high-rise committee.
According to the CBI, Chavan, during his tenure as Revenue Minister, became part of the criminal conspiracy along with Thakur, Wanchoo and Gidwani after he proposed to the trio to pass a letter recommending inclusion of civilians in the Adarsh society which was initially meant for Kargil war widows and victims.
CBI alleged Chavan abused his official position with an ulterior motive of getting flats for his relatives.
When contacted, Chavan told PTI that "I have not been summoned yet. I am sure it is a normal process."
The former chief minister also refuted reports that his mother-in-law Bhagwati Sharma had taken Rs 65 lakh loan from former joint commissioner of police (traffic), Sanjay Barve.
"It is 100 per cent bogus news planted in media by some political rival. Neither I nor any of my relatives have taken money from the police official," Chavan said.
CBI, which was handed over the probe by the Defence Ministry, is conducting investigations on war-footing to finish investigations by May 31.
"We had kept a tentative deadline of May 31 to finish probe. But it seems like it would overshoot as several investigating officers are either busy preparing documents to be submitted to the inquiry commission, set up to probe the scam, or are busy preparing for the numerous petitions filed in Bombay High Court," CBI officials said. .
Bad weather hampers search for missing chopper
Itanagar, May 1: Bad weather Sunday forced the Indian Air Force (IAF) to suspend search for the helicopter with Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu as Indian and Bhutanese soldiers fanned out in the hilly terrain to trace the chopper that went missing Saturday morning.
The IAF had initially planned to press two MI-17 helicopters from Tawang near the China border, but only one could take off.
'Only one MI 17 helicopter managed to make two sorties from Tawang but returned due to bad weather,' Ranjeeb Sahoo, IAF spokesman at the Eastern Air Command headquarters in Shillong, told IANS.
Two Cheetah helicopters were also supposed to take off from Tezpur in Assam but were held up due to bad weather.
'We are ready to go as and when the sky is clear,' Sahoo said.
Meanwhile, Bhutanese troops searched the rough terrain for any sign of the Pawan Hans chopper that went missing Saturday with the chief minister and four others.
'We have launched an operation by deploying troops and locals to track the Indian helicopter in our territory,' S. Duba, deputy commissioner of Trashiyangtse district in Bhutan that adjoins Tawang, told IANS by phone.
Two satellites from the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) have taken imageries of the area.
'We hope to get their report by the evening. This could provide us vital clues,' adviser to the chief minister Kiren Rijiju told IANS.
The Pawan Hans AS350 B-3 helicopter lost contact with ground control after taking off from Tawang at 9.50 a.m. Saturday.
The last communication was at 10.15 a.m. as it flew over the Sela Pass along the Chinese border, perched at an altitude of 13,700 feet.
'We are hoping against hope to get some news about the helicopter and its occupants. Prayers are being held in all the Buddhist monasteries for some good news,' Congress legislator from Tawang Tsewang Dhondup told IANS.
Dhondup's younger sister Yeshmi Lamu is the lone woman occupant in the helicopter.
'She was in the helicopter for some medical checkup in Itanagar,' he said.
Besides Khandu and Lamu, the others on board included crew members Captain J.S. Babbar and Captain K.S. Malick and Khandu's security officer Yeshi Choddak.
Meanwhile, two central ministers, Mukul Wasnik and V. Narayanasamy, have arrived in Itanagar to oversee the search operations following a directive from the prime minister.
'Everybody is praying for the chief minister and the others,' civil rights leader Baman Felix said.
He wanted to know why the Arunachal Pradesh governor made 'an irresponsible statement' Saturday that the chopper had safely landed -- news that turned out to be false.
The misleading statement was attributed both to Governor Gen (retd) J.J. Singh and state chief secretary.
There were also reports of the chopper landing somewhere in eastern Bhutan, adjoining Tawang district. Bhutan denied this.
The helicopter carrying Khandu was a single-engine chopper. In case of an engine failure, there are slim chances of the helicopter making a safe landing.
'We have not been able to contact our pilots,' a Pawan Hans official said in Guwahati.
The incident comes just days after another Pawan Hans helicopter crashed in Tawang April 19, killing 17 people and injuring six.
The Pawan Hans Helicopter Services Ltd (PHHL) has been operating five helicopters across Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura and daily Guwahati-Tawang services for nine years. It is one of the major lifelines of the landlocked Arunachal Pradesh.
Kate is my rock, says Prince William
Melbourne, May 1 : Prince William has declared that his new wife Kate is 'his rock' in a speech to guests during the intimate evening reception after the wedding.
Behind closed doors William, now the Duke of Cambridge, dropped his guard among 300 close friends and family to reveal the true debt he owes to Kate, reports the Herald Sun.
His words reflected how she provides him with the security and normality that he has always craved, according to The (London) Sunday Times.
After the wedding confirmed Kate as a star set to transform and revive the monarchy, the couple spent the night in the Belgian suite at Buckingham Palace, usually reserved for visiting heads of state.
On Saturday, they left the palace in a helicopter piloted by William's colleagues from RAF Valley, where he is stationed on Anglesey.
Joint operations resumed to locate missing chopper
Itanagar, May 1 : The Army, SSB, ITBP and the state police resumed their joint operation this morning to locate a missing chopper carrying Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and four others.
While inclement weather is preventing the two IAF choppers being positioned at Tezpur and Guwahati to carry out search and rescue operations, ground search is on along the India-Bhutan border in the state, sources at the CMO and police headquarters here told PTI.
Search teams from neighbouring Bhutan have also launched rescue operation in seven districts of that country, sources said.
The four-seater single-engine Pawan Hans helicopter AS-B350-B-3 went missing after 20 minutes of its take off from Tawang at 9.56 am yesterday with five on board including crew members Captain J S Babbar, Captain T S Mamik, Khandu''s security officer Yeshi Choddak and Yeshi Lhamu, sister of Tawang MLA Tsewang Dhondup.
The chopper was to land at Itanagar at about 11.30 am. The Guwahati air traffic control had reportedly received the last radio communication from the chopper near Sela Pass area, 20 minutes after take off from Tawang.
The state government has set up a crisis management cell with principal secretary to CM Yeshi Tsering, civil aviation commissioner Hage Khoda, home secretary A K Srivastav, IGP SBK Singh, DIGP (West) Robin Hibu, DIG (Intelligence) Anil Shukla, City DC Pawan Kumar Sain and SP Apang Tamut as its members.
The committee will be monitoring the situation under the overall guidance and supervision of Chief Secretary Tabam Bam.
Conflicting reports emerged throughout the day yesterday over the disappearance of the chopper with initial reports claiming that the chopper had landed safely at Eastern Bhutan. However, later in the evening there were denials from all concerned saying the helicopter had not been located and search operation was on.
To locate the chopper, the Army and Air Force had launched search operations yesterday, but was called off in the evening due to poor visibility.
Gaddafi's son, three grandchildren killed in NATO air strike
Tripoli, May 1: Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and his wife survived a NATO air strike at their residence in Tripoli, but his youngest son Saif al-Arab Gaddafi as well as three grandchildren were killed in the missile attack Saturday that badly smashed the house, an official said.
The raid, which occurred around 8.00 p.m. local time (1800 GMT) Saturday, hit Gaddafi's home in the Bab al-Azizya residential area in western Tripoli.
The Libyan leader and his wife were present in the house when it was attacked but they are safe, Government spokesman Mossa Ibrahim said.
Ibrahim took a group of journalists to the site of of the house, Xinhua reported.
The air strike on Gaddafi's house also killed several of his friends and neighbours, RIA Novosti quoted the Libyan state run agency as saying, citing a statement from the government.
The three-storey building was hit by three missiles. It was partially destroyed, with the roof completely caved in at some parts, leaving mangled rods of reinforcing steel hanging down among splintered chunks of concrete, Xinhua said.
While two of the missiles had exploded, the third was seen lying in one of the rooms of the building.
Spokesman Ibrahim described it as an attempt to kill their leader Gaddafi.
'This was a direct act to assassinate the Libyan leader, a violation of international law which has no legal or political justifications,' he said.
'We ask the world to look into this carefully because what we have now is the law of the jungle,' said Ibrahim.
'How is this helping in the protection of civilians? Mr Saif al-Arab, 29, was a civilian, a student... He was playing and talking to his father and mother and his nieces and nephews and other visitors when he was attacked and killed for no crime he committed.'
Meanwhile, a BBC report said NATO confirmed the air strike, without denying or confirming the reported deaths.
A NATO spokesman said the strike had hit a 'known command and control building in the Bab al-Azizya neighbourhood'.
'All NATO's targets are military in nature... We do not target individuals,' said Lieutenant-General Charles Bouchard.
On Saturday, the Libyan leader had presented a ceasefire proposal and urged the parties concerned to follow it. He also wanted the NATO forces to stop their attacks.
A total of 14 of the 28 NATO countries are taking part in the operation Unified Protector in Libya, which includes air strikes, a no-fly zone and naval enforcement of an arms embargo.
The UN Security Council adopted a resolution imposing a no-fly zone over Libya March 17, paving the way for a military operation against Gaddafi which began two days later.
The command of the operation was shifted from a US-led international coalition to NATO in late March.
Bihar holds fourth phase of panchayat polls
Patna, April 30:Voting for the fourth phase of Bihar panchayat polls began Saturday amidst tight security with no reports of violence, officials said.
Polling started at 7 a.m. and voters, particularly women and youths, were seen queueing up at booths despite a boycott call by Maoists.
Additional Director General of Police Rajwardhan Sharma said that polling was underway peacefully and no violence had been reported yet.
He said that security forces, including para military personnel, have been deployed at polling booths to ensure free and fair polls.
'Strict action would be taken against those found trying disturb the poll process,' he said.
An official in the state election commission said voting is taking place in 62 blocks, 19 of which are Maoist affected, in 37 districts to elect 27,928 village council members. There are 93,560 candidates in the fray in this round.
Till date, nearly 3.89 lakh 'troublemakers and habitual offenders' have signed bonds promising not to disrupt the panchayat polls in Bihar, police said.
Early this month, the state election commission made it clear that if a candidate is attacked or intimidated in the panchayat polls, his rival will be named in the police report.
The first round of Bihar's 10-phase panchayat polls April 20 saw a police Officer and a woman voter being killed in a Maoist attack in Jamui district. Around half a dozen people were injured in clashes between rival groups in various parts of the state, officials said.
The second and third rounds also witnessed sporadic incidents of violence.
The Maoists have issued a poll boycott call and threatened to disrupt the elections.
Elections in Bihar were once known for violence and booth capturing. In the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, 74 people were killed in poll-related violence. About 20 people were killed in the 2004 general elections and 158 during the 2001 panchayat elections.
The 10-phased polls for 2,62,000 panchayat posts will end May 28.
Royal newly-weds kiss, cheered by a million fans
LONDON -
One million well-wishers watched military bands in black bearskin hats and household cavalrymen in shining breastplates escorting the beaming couple in a 1902 open-topped state landau carriage after the ceremony.
Queen Elizabeth's grandson and his bride then appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in central London where they sealed their union with two kisses before a jubilant, cheering crowd who waved flags and banners.
"The monarchy is like our Hollywood, the movies, for us," said Californian Diane Weltz, who flew in especially.
Middleton, who wore a laced ivory-coloured dress with a train for the ceremony, became the first "commoner" to marry a prince close to the throne in more than 350 years.
"I am glad the weather held off. We had a great day," she said in her first public comments after the wedding.
The 29-year-old, whose mother's family has coal mining roots, has brought a sense of modernity to the monarchy and helped restore popularity to an institution tarnished by the death of William's hugely popular mother Princess Diana in 1997.
Charles Spencer, Diana's brother who famously excoriated the royals at her funeral in the same abbey, told the BBC the wedding was "very moving", before adding: "The only downside on a perfect day was Diana not being there."
Fans from Asia to the United States camped overnight outside the abbey to catch a glimpse of the future king and queen, whose marriage has fuelled a feel-good factor that briefly lifted Britain from its economic gloom.
More than 8,000 journalists descended on London and the ceremony was streamed live on YouTube, ensuring what experts expect will be one of the biggest global audiences ever.
SEALED WITH KISSES
The crowd entered into the festive spirit on a day when threatened rain failed to materialise by wearing national flags, masks of the couple and even fake wedding dresses and tiaras.
"It should have been me!" shouted nurse Jo Newman, 27, dressed as a bride and clutching a bouquet of plastic roses.
Hundreds of police officers, some armed, dotted the royal routes in a major security operation. They made 55 arrests in London, mostly for minor offences.
A sea of supporters cheered as the couple sealed their marriage with one sheepish kiss, then another.
World War Two and modern warplanes flew over the waving royals before they went inside for a champagne reception for 650 guests in the palace's 19 opulent state rooms.
It was a day that mixed royal pomp with splashes of informality.
The couple made a surprise appearance in an open-top vintage Aston Martin owned by the prince's father with the licence plate "JU5T WED", trailing balloons to travel the short journey to St. James's Palace in a light-hearted and crowd-pleasing gesture.
They returned to Buckingham Palace for a more intimate party for 300 close friends and family. Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip left the younger crowd to dance into the early hours, media reported.
The exuberance of royal fans was not shared throughout Britain. For some, the biggest royal wedding since Diana married Charles in 1981 was something to forget, reflecting divided opinion about the monarchy.
In the economically depressed northern city of Bradford, businessman Waheed Yunus said: "It's two young people getting married. It's as simple as that. It happens throughout the whole world every single day.
"There are much more pressing issues. There are much more important things going on in the world."
A series of scandals involving senior royals, Britain's economic problems and Diana's death after her divorce from Prince Charles led many to question the future of the monarchy.
Middleton's background, 28-year-old William's appeal, the enduring adoration for his mother and a media-savvy royal press team have restored their standing with the public.
A Daily Mail survey showed 51 percent of people believed the wedding would strengthen the monarchy in Britain, compared with 65 percent who said the marriage between Prince Charles and divorcee Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005 would weaken it.
However, while Queen Elizabeth, 85, exercises limited power, and is largely a symbolic figurehead in Britain and its former colonies, critics question the privileges she and her family enjoy, particularly at a time when the economy is weak.
The monarchy officially costs the British taxpayer about 40 million pounds ($67 million) a year, while anti-royalists put the figure at closer to 180 million pounds.
DRESS DESIGNER UNVEILED
Middleton's dress, the subject of fevered speculation for months in the fashion press, was a traditional ivory silk and satin outfit with a lace applique and flowing train.
It was designed by Sarah Burton of the Alexander McQueen label, named after the British designer who committed suicide. Burton also made her strapless evening gown.
For the wedding, the bride wore a tiara loaned by the queen and the diamond and sapphire engagement ring that belonged to Diana, who was divorced from Prince Charles in 1996, a year before her death in a car crash in Paris aged just 36.
The royals' cool reaction to Diana's death contrasted with an outpouring of public grief and marked a low point for the family.
Some questioned whether the institution, a vestige of imperial glory, had outlived its unifying role in a modern state divided by partisan politics and regional separatism.
About 5,500 street parties were held throughout Britain for the royal wedding, in keeping with tradition, and celebrations were held from Beijing and Sydney to New York and Dubai.
Bells pealed and trumpets blared as 1,900 guests earlier poured into the historic abbey, coronation site for the monarchy since William the Conqueror was crowned in 1066.
The queen, other royals, Prime Minister David Cameron, David and Victoria Beckham, the footballer-pop star couple, and singer Elton John were among famous guests at the abbey.
They joined 50 heads of state as well as friends, charity workers and war veterans who know the prince from his military career in what commentators said was a more progressive snapshot of modern Britain than previous royal weddings.
After the abbey had emptied, a cassocked member of staff was caught on camera cartwheeling down the red carpeted aisle.
"It was a moment of exuberance. Like everyone else he was so pleased it had gone well," said an abbey spokeswoman.
Middleton has been given the title Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cambridge, and the queen made her grandson William the Duke of Cambridge to mark the marriage.
William could face a long wait for the throne. His grandmother Queen Elizabeth shows little sign of slowing down at 85 and his father Charles is a fit and active 62-year-old.
MIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi injured in firing
Hyderabad, April 30 : Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) leader and Andhra Pradesh legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi was critically injured Saturday in firing by unidentified persons, police said here.
He was rushed to Owaisi Hospital in Santosh Nagar.
Another MIM legislator Ahmed Balala was also injured when he tried to save Owaisi.
The incident took place when Owaisi was visiting his Chandrayangutta assembly constituency in the old city of Hyderabad.
According to eye witnesses, four to five persons attacked Owaisi with knives when he was getting into his vehicle after attending a meeting in Barkas neighbourhood. As an injured Owaisi tried to take the steering wheel, the attackers opened fire on him.
His party colleague and legislator Balala rushed to Owaisi's rescue. Balala and the driver also sustained bullet injuries.
Owaisi's security guards returned fire injuring three assailants, witnesses said.
MIM sources told IANS that four to five persons belonging to the gang of a land grabber Mohammed Pehlwan attacked Owaisi.
Pehlwan had a dispute with Owaisi over some land, which the legislator had handed over to authorities for building houses for the poor, the sources said.
Akbaruddin Owaisi is the younger brother of MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, Lok Sabha member from Hyderabad.
The younger Owaisi is the leader of MIM in the state assembly. The party has seven legislators in the 294-member house.
PM asks CBI to probe cases without fear
New Delhi, Apr 30 : Asserting that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) should set higher standards for probing cases and bring guilty to book irrespective of their positions, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on Saturday asked the probe agency to investigate corruption cases without any fear or favour in a speedy manner.
The Prime Minister, who inaugurated the CBI Headquarters here, said: "CBI should act without fear or favour and bring all those to books who are guilty irrespective of their positions. Whoever transgresses the law of the land, however mighty, has to be brought to book."
Dr Singh further said the handling of high-profile cases constitutes a litmus test for CBI officers.
"The CBI investigation should be without vendetta, witch hunt and harassment of innocent. The CBI has set benchmark for other investigating agencies in the country to emulate, but there is room for improvement," he said lauding the role of the investigating agency.
"Our government is committed to provide manpower, finances and technology that this premier investigating agency requires," he added.
Further describing the new CBI building as a state-of-the-art and green building, Dr. Singh said: "I am sure that this new building will provide all of you a congenial and comfortable habitat."
Chopper with Arunachal chief minister missing
Itanagar, April 30 : A Pawan Hans chopper with Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu went missing Saturday after taking off from Tawang, triggering a massive search, Arunachal MP Takam Sanjay said.
Sanjay told IANS that the four-seater B-3 chopper lost communication with the ground after crossing the Tezpur airbase in Assam.
It took off from Tawang at 9.50 a.m. and was to land at the Raj Bhavan in Itanagar, which has a helipad.
'We are in touch with the defence ministry and civil aviation authorities,' Sanjay said.
In New Delhi, Home Secretary G.K. Pillai said search parties had left by road from Itanagar.
Saturday's disappearance follows the April 19 crash of a Pawan Hans helicopter in Tawang, killing 17 people, including three crew members.
The Pawan Hans that went missing Saturday took off from the same helipad in Tawang, bordering China, from where the helicopter that crashed 12 days ago had taken off.
After that crash, the Arunachal Pradesh government had told the civil aviation ministry to stop the the services of Pawan Hans helicopters, saying they were not airworthy.
The government had said the choppers were poorly maintained and ageing.
Pranab rubbishes demand for judicial probe in Purulia armsdrop
Kolkata, Apr 30 : Senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee today ridiculed the demand for a judicial inquiry by West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and his party into the "political conspiracy" behind the arms drop in Purulia 16 years ago.
In an obvious reference to the Purulia arms drop case accused Kim Davy, Mukherjee, the union finance minster, said, "An accused is levelling allegation and a hue and cry is being raised on that basis. Judical inquiry is demanded. Were they sleeping all these years?" he told reporters here before leaving for campaigning in Midnapore.
Noting that CBI had investigated the case and submitted its report, he said that the incident had taken place on the midnight of December 17-18, 1995 and after that there was a non-Congress government in Delhi for eight years.
"Indrajit Gupta of CPI, who hailed from Bengal was union home minister for two years. L K Advani was union home minister for six years. Three (assembly) elections were held in Bengal since then. This allegation was never raised," he said.
In a statement yesterday, Bhattacharjee said that a political conspiracy had been exposed in the media behind the arms drop 16 years ago and demanded a judicial probe.
CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat had also made a similar demand and said the inquiry should be conducted by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court.
