Centre sceptical of Trinamool's claim
The Centre finds itself constrained to take a rather sceptical view of the Trinamool Congress' claim that CPI(M) activists had torched more than a dozen people to death in Chotoangra village of West Bengal. The Union Government has not been able to get any confirmation of the deaths.

Ayodhya talks proposal runs aground
Attempts to initiate a `Hindu-Muslim dialogue' on the Babri Masjid dispute ran aground today with the main players modifying their statements. While the main appellant in the Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, Haji Mohammad Hashim Ansari, denied that there was any proposal for talks with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad or any other organisation to resolve the Ayodhya dispute, the senior VHP leader, Acharya Giriraj Kishore, said he would not attend the meeting of Hindu and Muslim leaders at Lucknow on January 13.

Vajpayee rejects Nitish resignation
The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, tonight rejected the resignation of the Union Agriculture Minister, Mr. Nitish Kumar, from the Cabinet.

SC rejects plea of blast case accused
The Supreme Court has rejected the special leave petition of Essa Abdul Razak Memon against the order of Designated Court, Mumbai refusing bail to him in the Mumbai serial bomb blast case.

Sikhs' role in nation-building praised
Stating that he felt ``ashamed'' at the thought of the ``ill-treatment'' and ``injustice'' meted out to Sikhs, the Union Home Minister, Mr. L. K. Advani, today wondered how society could behave in such a manner towards a community that had played an exemplary role in nation-building.