Kashmir policy confusing: Sonia
There is a marked change in the Congress' stand on the Vajpayee Government's handling of the situation in Kashmir. For the first time since the ceasefire initiative, the Congress president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, today criticised the Government on the issue. ``Utter confusion prevails, and the Government is unclear about its own policy,'' she told a Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) general body meeting here.

India protests intrusion by Pak. aircraft
India today protested the intrusion of its airspace by two Pakistani reconnaissance aircraft while the Foreign Office indicated that a formal complaint would soon be lodged at the diplomatic level.

Governor had warned against Central rule in U.P.: Rao
Explaining why the Centre did not impose President's rule in Uttar Pradesh, the former Prime Minister, Mr. P.V. Narasimha Rao, today told the Liberhan Commission that the Governor had warned it that such a move ``will result in largescale violence not only in U.P. but also in some other States''.

Indrajit Gupta passes away
The veteran CPI leader and longest serving parliamentarian, Mr. Indrajit Gupta, died of cancer at his residence here early this morning after having been in a coma for the last two days.

TN: Cong. 'pessimistic'
The seat-sharing talks between the Congress and the AIADMK have run into rough weather. The AIADMK chief, Ms. Jayalalitha's refusal to part with an adequate number of seats to the Congress and her uncompromising attitude on the question of the PMK appear to have cast a shadow over the alliance.