Process of granting access to Headley is moving forward: lawyer

Yoshita Singh, Press Trust Of India
Chicago, May 30, 2010

The lawyer of David Headley, accused of helping LeT terrorists to execute the Mumbai attacks, has said the process of granting access to Indian authorities to the Pakistani-American is "moving forward" and there is no change in the intention to cooperate with them.
"The process (of providing Indian investigators access to Headley) is moving forward. There is no change in our intention to cooperate with Indian authorities" and provide access, Headley's lawyer John Theis told PTI in Chicago.
These remarks came as Indian investigators on Sunday leave for US to interrogate 59-year-old Headley.
Theis, however, said he would not comment on any specific details of such an access and "would not be able to share specific information at this point" as to when and for how long the team from India can question Headley.
Randall Samborn, spokesperson for the US Attorney's office here, declined to comment when and how the access would take place.
A four-member team of Indian investigators will interrogate Headley, who has pleaded guilty to his role in the Mumbai attacks and in turn has avoided the death penalty and extradition to India.
Sources in India said three officers of National Investigation Agency (NIA) and a law officer would travel to Chicago, where Headley is held in the federal lock-up Metropolitan Correctional Centre and are expected to interrogate Headley next week.
The team is being sent following a communication from the US Justice Department that all concerned officials and the lawyer of Headley will be available during the visit of the Indian team to facilitate their access to Headley.

K.Venugopal
Why is America dilly-dallying in allowing India to interrogate Headley? The reason is that America is not actually fighting terrorism per se but strategizing its geo-political interests. In this strategizing it may well have some secret understanding with Pakistan that it (America) would help in its Kashmir front if Pakistan helped in the Afghanistan front. The Mumbai attack may well have been something America foresaw as part of Pakistan's Kashmir strategy and Headley may be privy to a coalescence of strategic interests between America and Pakistan. This may explain the reason why America is hesitant to allow India to interrogate Headley. It fears that India might get hands on evidence of America’s “strategic implicitly” in the Mumbai attack.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/Process-of-granting-access-to-Headley-is-moving-forward/551454/H1-Article1-550708.aspx

Smug Rathore's smile wiped out, gets jail

25/05/2010

Chandigarh: The Sessions Court today sentenced former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore to one-and-a-half years in jail in the Ruchika Girhotra molestation case.
He will not get parole while in jail. Rathore was challenging his conviction by a CBI court for molesting Ruchika, who later committed suicide.
He was earlier sentenced to six months in prison. Subash Girhotra has expressed his satisfaction at the verdict but was miffed with the court for not charging Rathore with the abetment to suicide charge.
"We are happy that justice has been done," Subash said while coming out of the court.
The verdict could not be delivered earlier as the typing work was not over. Additional District and Sessions Judge Gurbir Singh, who heard the arguments continuously on day-to-day basis for eight days, had said the judgment will be pronounced May 25 . He said the typing was not yet over since the judgement was a long one.
The order of the court came after Rathore, a former director general of police (DGP) in Haryana, filed a plea January this year challenging his conviction December last year by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court here for molesting 15-year-old Ruchika Aug 12, 1990.
Rathore was sentenced to six months' rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs.1,000 by the CBI special court. However, he was immediately granted bail.
Ruchika's father S.C. Girhotra, who was present in the court Thursday, said that he was not disappointed at the judgment being deferred.
"We are not disappointed. It is just a matter of 4-5 days.
Justice will be done. Rathore will be punished. There is nothing wrong in the judgment delay. Such things happen in courts. Maybe, the judge wanted more time to write the judgment which should be a long one," he told IANS.

Anand Parkash, main complainant in this case, said: "We are expecting maximum jail-term for Rathore. He deserves no mercy from any quarter and we have full belief in Indian judiciary."
Anand Parkash's daughter Aradhana, who has now migrated to Australia, was the only eyewitness in this case.
The CBI had opposed Rathore's plea and had sought an enhancement of his sentence from six months to the maximum of two years after his conviction.
TV grab of 29-year-old Utsav Sharma, who had inflicted knife injuries on Rathore.
The CBI special court had held Rathore guilty December last year for molesting Ruchika, a budding tennis player, in Panchkula town nearly two decades ago.
Ruchika committed suicide three years later in Panchkula town, adjoining Chandigarh, following her and her family's continuous harassment by Rathore, a powerful police officer in Haryana.

Source: India Syndicate & IANS

K.Venugopal
#1
Tuesday, 25 May 2010 16:07:31
The fellow appears to have got away lightly. Using the monstrous powers of being the Chief of Police of a state, he outraged the modesty of a young innocent defenseless girl student. Shouldn't there have been something like an exemplary punishment so that no one wielding power would dare to think that they can get away with anything because of their position?

http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3939509&page=0

BJP finally pulls the plug on Soren govt

24/05/2010
Ranchi: Frustrated over the JMM backtracking on its power-sharing deal in Jharkhand, the BJP has withdrawn its support to the Shibu Soren government today.
On Sunday, State BJP spokesperson Sanjay Seth said, "The BJP will withdraw support to the JMM government tomorrow." A defiant Soren asserted during the weekend that he would continue as Chief Minister of Jharkhand and was in touch with the Congress.
A BJP delegation led by Jharkhand Deputy Chief Minister Raghuvar Das would meet Governor M O H Farook at 11.30 am and hand over the letter of withdrawal of support to the JMM government, Seth said.
Ahead of their meeting, former BJP president Rajnath Singh will hold discussions with Arjun Munda, the chief ministerial candidate, and Das.
The BJP parliamentary board had on April 28 decided to withdraw support to the JMM government after Soren voted against the party-sponsored cut motion against the UPA government in the Lok Sabha a day earlier.
However, the decision was put on hold when JMM Legislature Party leader and Soren's son Hemant wrote a letter to BJP chief Nitin Gadkari, pledging support to a BJP-led government.
But the JMM backtracked and demanded rotational power sharing with each party leading the government for 28 months.
This was agreed to by the BJP on the understanding that Soren would quit as Chief Minister by May 25 after which Munda would head the new coalition government.
Source: PTI

K.Venugopal
#1
Monday, 24 May 2010 13:10:24
I think it is high time that BJP realized that it would not do it good to bank on the strength of others. Its own strength, even if weak, should be more important. It can hope to build its strength and come to power, but banking on the whims and fancies of others will only deplete its strength and credibility.

http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3935071&pgnew=true&_p=c5758450-c8ae-4c13-ae6c-c7b88996e885&_nwpt=1#uc2Lstc5758450-c8ae-4c13-ae6c-c7b88996e885

RSS is against caste-based census: Bhaiyyaji Joshi

Updated on Sunday, May 23, 2010, 18:45 IST

Nagpur: Rashtriya Swayayamsewak Sangh (RSS) has opposed the idea of caste-based census during the ongoing national census programme.

"The RSS is following the principles of late dalit leader Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Right from the beginning, RSS is in favour of a casteless society and any attempt to dilute it will hurt the sentiments of people," RSS general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi told a press conference here today.

RSS has been striving to build a casteless society, he added.
Joshi said government should fix some criteria for giving reservation to other backward communities (OBCs). "There should not be any hurry and government should initiate a national debate on it. There needs to be a dialogue with various social groups in this regard," he said.

When his attention was drawn towards BJP's demand for inclusion of a provision of 'OBC category' in the national census records to identify OBC population, Joshi evaded a direct reply saying it was for the BJP to decide.

"There is no provision for identifying and separating the illegal migrants in the country while preparing the National Population Register (NPR). This will prove to be a threat to the national security and integrity," he said.

Preparation of a multi-utility identity card on the basis of NPR will be incorrect, he said. "Therefore, RSS demands that identity cards be issued only after verification of nationality and the nationality provision should be the basis for NPR," Joshi said.

PTI

Caste based census will lead to strengthening caste consciousness even to the extent of caste wars. The RSS has to be congratulated for taking a stand against caste based census. Where are the secularists, who at least on this issue should be on the same platform as the RSS? The truth is, just as caste has been turned into an anti Hindu phenomenon, secularism in India has become an anti-Hindu phenomenon. In fact, casteist leaders like Laloo, Mulayam and Mayavati are the biggest upholders of secularism!

http://www.zeenews.com/news628697.html

Khaps adamant on their demand, threaten stir

Updated on Sunday, May 23, 2010, 20:49 IST
Jind (Haryana): Khap Panchayats or caste councils, notorious for their diktats prohibiting marriages within same sub-castes, Sunday threatened to launch a stir if their demand for amending the Hindu Marriage Act was not met by June 19.

A congregation of Khaps here also threatened social boycott of MPs and MLAs if their demand was not fulfilled within the stipulated time.

The meeting, attended by over 300 Khap representatives from Haryana, UP and Delhi, resolved to slap a token fine of "one anna" (equivalent to six paise) on the lawmakers besides launching a non-cooperation movement.
Maintaining marriages within the same "gotra" are against social norms, the self-styled community councils reiterated their demand for amending the Hindu Marriage Act to prevent wedlocks within the same clan.

Satibir Shastri, vice-president of the Haryana Arya Pritinidhi Sabha, presided over the meeting attended by BKU president Mahendra Singh Tikait.

Tikait stressed the need for unity among the Khaps, the so-called custodian of medieval customs, for achieving their goal.

Caste panchayats in Haryana had launched a campaign against the same gotra weddings after a Karnal court on March 30 awarded death penalty to five people.

The court also sentenced two others, including a Khap leader, to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of a couple who had married despite having a common sub-caste.
Another Khap diktat

Meanwhile, police have been deployed in Bajehda village in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh after a Khap panchayat allegedly ordered to kill a couple, who want to marry in the same cast against the local practices.

The couple, said to be Rekha and Sudhir, have fled the village following the community panchayat's diktat. However, no complaint was lodged with police about their disappearance.

SSP Raghubir Lal said security would be given to the lovers if they seek protection from police. He has warned the Khap panchayat under Massoori police station area, against the order.

The couple belong to the same caste and gotra and their affair is opposed on grounds of customs in the area. Police in plain clothes are deployed in the village.

PTI

Are all Hindus bound under the Hindu Marriage Act? If so, how can a decision be taken on the demand of only the Khap panchayat without consulting other Hindus? Therefore, like the Khap panchayat got together to put their view on marriage within the gotra, a gathering inclusive of all the schools of thought of Hindus, including the Khaps, should gather to discuss the matter and come to a consensus. It would seem that as of now, only the Vishva Hindu Parishad has the reach and credibility to call for such a Hindu gathering.

http://www.zeenews.com/news628734.html

Ram statues will replace Mayawati's in UP, says Varun

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/ram-statues-will-replace-mayawatis-in-up-says-varun-26807.php?cp

Varun Gandhi is once again in a rabble-rousing mood. And this time, his target is Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati.

Speaking at a function on Wednesday, Varun said he will uproot Mayawati's infamous statues and build Ram temples in their place.

"Main poori zimmedari se kah raha hoon ki 2012 ke chunav ke baad up bjp president shahi ji ke netritv mein Lucknow mein mayawati ki jitni moortiyan hain unko hata kar bhagwan ram ki moortiyan lagayeinge (I assure you that after the 2012 elections, we'll uproot all the statues built by Mayawati in Lucknow and replace them with Lord Ram's)," Varun said.

This typical Varun statement left the BJP a little uncomfortable. Yet, the party leadership tried to tone it down.

"Unhone yeh sujhav diya tha, unka yeh apna vichar hai. Putle ko hataya jaana yeh bahut chota kaam hai aur BJP ek badi party hai, uski badi soch hai. Hum toh Ram janam bhoomi sthaan par hee mandir dekhna chahte hain (This is his own opinion. The BJP is a big party, it has a bigger thought. Our agenda is to build Ram temple at Ram Janma Bhoomi)," said Surya Pratap Shahi, BJP president, Uttar Pradesh.

In February this year, at a rally in Bulandshahar, Varun compared Sharad Pawar to Ravana and Mayawati to Surpnakha -- Ravana's sister. In March, at a rally in Saharanpur, Varun promised he would send Mayawati to jail for having sent him to jail after his anti-Muslim speech.

Then on May 2, at a rally in Jaunpur, he said Mayawati was fat.

Though the party officially distances itself from his comments each time, they are also benefiting from his overt Hindutva and rude comments on Mayawati. The party recently chose him to revive the party's flailing fortunes in UP.

With a change of leadership at the state, the BJP is now also on a warpath to put the party back in the race for the 2012 elections. But with the young Varun putting his foot in the mouth almost every time he opens it, they may want to tone down his role in the party. The Congress' downsizing of Rita Bahuguna role in UP can be a handy lesson.

If idols are symbols, then Mayavati's idols represent a fragmented Indian polity and fragmentation will eventually destroy the Indian society. Therefore Varun Gandhi's declaration that he would ensure replacement of Mayavati's idols with that of Shri Ram is a declaration that a holistic Indian polity, as symbolized by the personality of Bhagavan Shri Ramachandra, would replace Mayavati’s fragmented polity. Varun Gandhi must be projected as the next UP Chief Minister and Indian nationalism must be whipped up to save the heartland of Hindustan.

http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/ram-statues-will-replace-mayawatis-in-up-says-varun-26807.php

Answer Rati Chaudhary's questions

Q. Pakistan blocking Facebook, youtube..what do you think?
06:58 PM, May 21, 2010

As a state created in the name of Islam, they have to be seen as great defenders of the faith. That they are at war with other defenders of the same faith in their own country at the instigation of America is another matter.

http://ibnlive.in.com/blaze/ratichaudhary/answer/1627.html?from=blaze

Man seeks cops' help to save wife, 2 sons from sex swami Nithyananda’s Ashram

Posted On: 21-May-2010 21:55:58 By: R Venkat
Tirunelveli: Incarcerated fake god man, Swami Nithyananda, was facing yet another charge of keeping captive the wife and two sons of a fruit vendor at an undisclosed ashram.
Sahaya George (40), hailing from Samadhanapuram in Palayamkottai, today lodged a complaint with City Police Commissioner Abhay Kumar Singh saying his wife S Arockiya Vimala (33) and two sons S Arun Prakash (13) and S Ajay Andrew (11) were being kept captive in an undisclosed ashram of Swami Nithyananda and sought the police help to rescue them.
In his complaint, George said his wife suffered acute stomach pain two years ago and was taken to an acupuncture doctor, Osho Mani at Udayarpalayam near Athur in Salem District for treatment.


The police, having so far not obtained any complaints from any "victims" of Swami's "sexapades" are frantically trying to cook up some victims and George, obviously a Christian, must have become handy for them to use against the Swami.

http://www.mynews.in/News/Man_seeks_cops'_help_to_save_wife,_2_sons_from_sex_swami_Nithyananda%E2%80%99s_Ashram_N56739.html

Narendra Modi shouts, corners Montek Singh

21/05/2010

New Delhi: Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia never anticipated that this would happen at the annual Plan discussion for Gujarat. Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asked him if it was proper for Plan panel member Syeda Hameed to join some Muslim residents in Juhapura, Ahmedabad who were protesting what they called discriminatory state policies.

The Plan discussion took a backseat as decibel levels of the Modi-Hameed spat began climbing. Hameed raised the issue of Muslim children being denied education in Juhapura, claiming there was no school there.
Armed with data, Modi told the Plan panel that there were six schools in the locality. Plus he questioned the very presence there of Hameed, asking Ahluwalia to explain how a Plan panel member could be part of a public protest.
In a letter to Modi on May 18, Ahluwalia had expressed concern over the poor enrolment of Muslim school children in primary and upper primary schools. Emphasising the need to universalise enrolment, he pointed out that the "differences across communities" needed to be overcome.

According to Ahluwalia, Muslim population in Gujarat was 9.1 per cent but enrolment data showed that only 4.7 per cent of primary school children and 4.8 per cent of upper primary school children were Muslims. "This disparity needs to be eliminated," he stated in his letter.
He also referred to the Dangs area which is relatively backward and tribal dominated. "We would like to learn what special developmental efforts the state government is doing in this regard."
Source: The Indian Express

K.Venugopal
#1
Friday, 21 May 2010 11:03:26
Thank God we have at least one Narendra Modi to question an impropriety, even if it involved a Muslim. Congress, which first appeased Muslims by truncating the national song Vande Mataram, then appeased them by truncating the nation itself. After "independence", they are continuing the appeasement every which way, including giving them priority in economic development. Hinduism itself is a tradition of minorities of various persuasions and it is to Hinduism’s credit that it has taken all along without much friction. Islam, on the other hand, is a monolith majority in 59 countries and many rich countries among them are pouring in funds for the "minority" Muslims in India. A government should have a sense of proportion. This out of proportion appeasing of a community because of vote bank politics is harmful to the nation, to say the least. May Narendra Modi become the Prime Minister and India be fortunate enough to have a leadership with a sense of proportion.

http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3928858&page=0

Facebook faces ire over face of Prophet Muhammad

20/05/2010

Pakistan blocked social networking site Facebook temporarily after a court order over a page that allegedly asked users to submit images of the Prophet.

Pakistani students gather to demonstrate against a Facebook page amid anger over a page on the social networking site which encourages users to post images of Islam's Prophet Muhammad, in Karachi. Photo Courtesy: AP
Lahore: Pakistan's government ordered Internet service providers to block Facebook on Wednesday amid anger over a page that encourages users to post images of Islam's Prophet Muhammad.

The page on the social networking site has generated criticism in Pakistan and elsewhere because Islam prohibits any images of the Prophet. The government took action after a group of Islamic lawyers won a court order Wednesday requiring officials to block Facebook until May 31.

By Wednesday evening, access to the site was sporadic, apparently because Internet providers were implementing the order. The Facebook page at the center of the dispute -"Everybody Draw Mohammed Day!" - encourages users to post images of the Prophet on May 20 to protest threats made by a radical Muslim group against the creators of South Park for depicting the Prophet.
"We are not trying to slander the average Muslim," said the information section of the Facebook page, which was still accessible Wednesday morning.

"We simply want to show the extremists that threaten to harm people because of their Prophet depictions that we're not afraid of them. That they can't take away our right to freedom of speech by trying to scare us into silence."
Minister of religious affairs, Hamid Saeed Kazmi, said the ban was only a temporary solution and suggested the government organise a meet of Muslim countries to figure out how to stop publication of the Prophet's images.
Source: AP

K.Venugopal
#1
Thursday, 20 May 2010 12:58:36
Pictures of Mohammad were disallowed because Islam does not accept idol worship and it did not want Mohammad to be transformed into an idol. However, in practice, calligraphy is widely displayed in place of idols! Moreover, Islam, in saying that Allah is not linked with His creation, has inadvertently placed Allah outside us. If we are the subject, Allah becomes the object. In Hinduism, the subject and object (God) are eventually considered to be one. But in Islam, because they can never be considered as one, Islam is destined to be an idol worshiping religion because Allah as object is outside us just like an idol. Only Hinduism in its higher plane of Advaita transcends the need for idol worship.

http://news.in.msn.com/international/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3924166&page=0

Man wins millions, now a garbage man again

A Briton, who won 9.7 million pounds in a lottery and blew it all up on drugs, women and wild parties, wants to again start working as a bin man.

Mikey Carroll has again applied for the 200 pounds a week job that he resigned from after winning the lottery eight years ago.

"I don't feel embarrassed or ashamed. I want to start straight away," The Sun quoted him as saying.

The 26-year-old spent all his fortune on drugs, women, wild parties, liquor, gambling and expensive cars. He had even boasted about sleeping with up to four sex workers a day at his eight-bedroom home. He was later imprisoned for five months for possessing cocaine.

"I'm not going to have the high life I used to - the drugs, drink and cars, but it doesn't matter. I'm happier now," he said.

So what if he blew up the money? An experience is an experience and nothing can take away the experience he had. He says he has no regrets. This is what is important. So long as he has no regrets and is looking forward to facing life on new (or old?) terms, the man is a winner all through.

Mosque at Ground Zero? Plan angers NY

18/05/2010

New York: An ambitious plan to build a mosque right next to New York’s Ground Zero is prompting hope — and anger — in a city that has been scarred by terrorism.
There's little to see now at the site, an abandoned clothing store two blocks from the former World Trade Center where nearly 3,000 people died on September 11, 2001.
But Feisal Abdul Rauf, a New York imam and a leader of the project, says the planned multi-storey Islamic center will transform both the drab lower Manhattan street and the way Americans have looked on Muslims since 9/11.
Boasting a mosque with sports facilities, a theater and possibly day care, the center would be open to all visitors to demonstrate that Muslims are part of their community, not some separate element.
"There's nothing like this that we know of in the United States," Rauf said. "This will be a community center for everyone, not just for Muslims, but non-Muslims."
The Islamic center is part of Rauf's program, called the Cordoba Initiative, meant to build bridges between the West and the Muslim world.
But because of the proposed mosque's location, just around the corner from the gaping Ground Zero hole, Rauf's call for peace is seen by some as a battle cry.
"The outrage continues," says website www.nomosquesatgroundzero.wordpress.com under a close-up of the collapsing Twin Towers.
Accusing the Cordoba Initiative of trying to "sneak it through," the protest site says the center will "cast a rude shadow over Ground Zero."
Others compare the idea to building a German cultural center at Auschwitz.
"Spitting in the Face of Everyone Murdered on 9/11," writes Blitz, a self-described "anti-jihadist newspaper."
Source: AFP

K.Venugopal
#1
Tuesday, 18 May 2010 17:49:58
Mr. (Mu)barak Hussain Obama may not be averse to the idea of a mosque not just near ground zero but at ground zero itself. It appears he believes the best way of winning over the Islamic world is by appeasing them (not unlike our Congress tradition in India). Muslims of course are not bothered about American sensitivities at ground zero. They are sensitive only if it is about building non-Islamic religious places in their holy land of Saudi Arabia.

http://news.in.msn.com/international/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3917852&pgnew=true&_p=0baa524d-831a-4832-bf53-547f825c89d3&_nwpt=1#uc2Lst0baa524d-831a-4832-bf53-547f825c89d3

Comment: Is the Cong fooling the public over Afzal Guru?

When Parliament was attacked on December 13, 2001, the Congress and all political parties described it as an attack on democracy. Ten years later, the Congress dismisses an important letter on the punishment to be given to Mohd Afzal Guru as `routine’ and tucks it into some dog-eared file.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs sends a letter to the Delhi Government on April 27 asking the government headed by Shiela Dikshit to furnish its views on the mercy petition of Afzal Guru. The letter gets buried and the MHA sends a reminder. Again no reply. And the Home Ministry of the Delhi Government is under Shiela Dikshit herself!
The MHA letter was rather strongly worded, but the Delhi Chief Minster chose to sit over the file. In fact, the Delhi Government has been sitting on Guru's file since September 2006!
This is not the first time that Sheila Dikshit is getting a letter from the MHA located a few blocks away from her office. A similar notice was sent in April last year. At that time, Dikshit had said she would study the matter after the elections and take appropriate action. But, a year after the Lok Sabha elections, Dikshit has not decided on the matter.
It was in August 2005 that the President sought the MHA's views. The MHA, in turn, sought the opinion of the Delhi Government as the comments of the government of the state where the crime has been committed are sought before deciding a mercy petition. That is where Afzal Guru is stuck - on the table of Shiela Dikshit.

In fact, at one point of time Afzal Guru was so frustrated over the political battle and the delay in showing him mercy that he wanted to be hanged.
So who is fooling the public? The MHA or the Delhi Government or both?
So, is the Congress going soft on terrorists just for petty vote bank politics? One Congress leader sits over an important letter on Afzal Guru, another senior leader - Digvijay Singh -- visits Azamgarh, the hotbed of terrorists and give the Batla House encounter in Delhi a new spin.
Probably Shiela Dikshit does not want to take any action on the letter before the Commonwealth Games. If Guru is hanged now, there may be a backlash and this is the last thing that the Delhi Govt wants before the Games. One minor backlash and the Games would be `up for a toss'.
The BJP is right when it says that the clean chit to two suspected Indian accomplices of 26/11 convict Ajmal Kasab and the delay in hanging Parliament attack culprit Afzal Guru was fast giving India the reputation of being soft on home-grown terrorists.

"Is the Delhi government pro-terror or does it think Afzal Guru was a tourist or a nationalist and feels he is not guilty. If yes, then it should openly say so. We want a clarification from the Prime Minister on the manner in which Afzal is being given relief", BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said.
The main opposition maintained that the people were closely watching this appeasement politics of the Congress-led government, according to a PTI report.
Rudy alleged the action of the government in the whole issue was becoming questionable.
BJP also alleged that the Indian government was giving a softer treatment to home-grown terrorists unlike Kasab who was given a death sentence.

After Ajmal Kasab's conviction and with the prosecution failing to provide evidence against his two Indian accomplices Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin Ahmed,there is a world-wide belief that Indian laws are different for those who are Indian terrorists and those who come from outside, Rudy said.
Just look at how `soft' the Delhi government is: The letter addressed to the Delhi government says: "It may seem that a considerable time has since passed but comments of the Delhi government are still awaited despite reminders."
The letter is addressed to G S Patnaik, the Home Secretary. It would be naive to say that the Home Secretary did not put up such an important letter to his boss, Shiela Dikshit.
If the Delhi Chief Minister is unaware of a letter on a terrorist who has been found guilty of attacking Parliament, she had better give an explanation.
Patnaik did what a typical bureaucrat would - protect his boss. "The Chief Minister was not aware of the latest. We informed her today about the letter from MHA," Patanaik was quoted in The Indian Express.

"I have not received any letter (from the MHA). Maybe the Home Department (of the Delhi government) received it," said Dikshit. Maybe? This is no routine letter on the weather or traffic jams in Delhi. This was a letter on a terrorist who attacked the symbol of democracy.
The reminder from the MHA came just a week before a Mumbai court sentenced Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab to death for the 26/11 attacks.
The letter had a sense of urgency as Kasab cannot be hanged before Afzal Guru. Questions are bound to arise on why.
"We are aware questions may be asked on what we are doing about the Afzal Guru case once the file pertaining to Kasab's death sentence lands with us if somebody files a mercy plea," a senior MHA functionary was quoted in The Indian Express.
Source: R Shankar, India Syndicate

K.Venugopal
#1
Tuesday, 18 May 2010 17:24:31
It would be wrong to say that the Congress is fooling the public. They are committed to their vote banks, which consists of the minorities and Hindus fragmented into various castes. So long as the Hindu constituency is not consolidated, the Congress can afford to take all sorts of anti-national decisions because only the Hindu constituency is programmed to respond to issues of national interest. If political parties of the secular and casteist varieties are to cease to be a danger to national integrity, the Hindu constituency must get consolidated.

http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3914559&page=0

Is there a difference between Naxals and terrorists?

Posted by IBNLive at 07:42 PM, May 17, 2010 Updated at 07:48 PM, May 17, 2010 in IBNPolitics
Maoist rebels blew up a bus in a forested stretch of Chhattisgarh on Monday, injuring at least 12 people including six policemen.

Naxals are terrorists and the only policy towards terrorists of whatever hue should be to wipe them off.

http://ibnlive.in.com/conversations/thanks.html

Tharoor to get 'engaged’ to Sunanda next month

18/05/2010
Bangalore: Free of all the IPL controversies and affairs concerning the world, former Union Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor has now found time for some 'internal affairs’ – to get formally engaged to Suananda Pushkar. This will be his third innings in married life.

Sources said that the engagement is to take place in the sprawling and luxurious Golden Palms Resort on the outskirts of Bangalore. The marriage is likely to take place later, probably around Onam - the harvest festival of Kerala.
The resort is owned by film maker Sanjay Khan who, according to local media reports, invited Tharoor and Suananda over.
The engagement is to take place on June 27, Sunday. Sources in the spa confirmed that the resort has been "fully booked" for June 26 and 27, but refused to comment on who had booked it or for what purpose.

Strangely though, tweet-happy Tharoor has so far not announced his engagement plans on the social micro blogging site.
But according to media reports, it has been booked for the Tharoor engagement and that the list of guests would be handed over only on June 23-24. Sources also confirmed that nobody, apart from those on the guest list sent by Tharoor, would be allowed into the resort on the two days. "This is an internal affair," a source said tongue in cheek, obviously referring to the external affairs portfolio that Tharoor once held before the IPL storm over Suananda blew him off the seat in Delhi.
It was Sunanda Pushkar's 'sweat equity' that sent IPL 3 into a tailspin. Tharoor had to step down and Suananda had to give up her equity.
Sunanda, who works as a director (sales) at Dubai-based real estate company, had been keeping Tharoor company for long. It was the IPL and her Rs 70 crore equity in Rendezvous Sports World, one of the owners of the Kochi franchise, that brought her to the fore.
Lalit Modi had tweeted that she had got the equity free.

Sources said that Tharoor would any day be getting a formal divorce from his second wife Christa Giles, a Canadian citizen who used to be a co-worker of Shashi Tharoor at the United Nations.

Sources also said that it was Sanjay Khan and his wife Zarine who invited Shashi and Sunanda to get engaged at the Golden Palms. Tharoor and Sunanda reportedly spent some time at the Golden Palms recently and loved the place.
Sunanda Pushkar belongs to a family from Bomai, 8 km from Sopore in the Kashmir Valley.
Pushkar's father, Lt Col (retd) P N Dass said that the family migrated to Jammu in 1990 after militants torched their home in the Valley. He said Pushkar's first husband was a Kashmiri man who worked for a hotel in Delhi. Following a divorce, Pushkar went to Dubai, where she married again. Her second husband died in an accident in Delhi, he said.

Pushkar, a graduate of Government College for Women, Srinagar, has two brothers, one of whom works for a bank; the other is in the Army. Her father retired from the Army in 1983.
Hailing from the Tharoor family in Palakkad, Kerala, Shashi Tharoor was born in London. His first wife was journalist wife, Tillotma and has twin sons, Ishaan and Kanishk. He later married Christa Giles, a Canadian, who worked with him in the UN. Now he is involved in a messy divorce with Giles.
Source: India Syndicate

K.Venugopal
#1
Tuesday, 18 May 2010 11:39:12
Good for Mr. Shashi Tharoor and best wishes to him and his lovely bride-to-be. It reminds us of the fortune that may have been theirs had not a certain Lalit Modi blown the whistle. Whatever. But I do hope this ace diplomat will see the cause of the Kashmiri Pandits sympathetically - Indians who have been made refugees in their own country.

http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3914557&page=0

Gadkari's slur raises storm within and outside BJP, NDA

Neena Vyas
The use of abusive language by Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari against two strong backward caste leaders of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh could not have come at a more inopportune time for the BJP which is struggling to revive its base in the Hindi heartland.
With one sentence Mr. Gadkari may have undone what the BJP spent decades doing in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh – trying to get rid of the tag of ‘Brahmin Jain Party.' From the 1990s — when K.N. Govindacharya cautioned the party to change its ‘chaal, charitra aur chehra' (behaviour, character and face) and recommended “social engineering” — the party ensured the rise of tall backward caste leaders. It was Kalyan Singh in U.P., Uma Bharati in Madhya Pradesh and Sushil Modi in Bihar. Later it was Shivraj Singh Chauhan in Madhya Pradesh and Narendra Modi in Gujarat.
In one stroke now, Mr. Gadkari's comment at a rally in Chandigarh on Wednesday – “Lalu Prasad and Mulayam Singh Yadav who roared like lions have kneeled before the Central Bureau of Investigation and are now like … ” – has invited politicians from across the political spectrum to comment on the “new low” in the use of “indecent language” by politicians.
Although Mr. Gadkari was quick to retract his comment – he did so in Chandigarh on Thursday saying he was withdrawing the words if they had hurt anyone — no one was ready to buy his half-hearted apology, not even his own party men.
“Those of us who have interacted with him frequently were not surprised by his language. He often uses rough language,” said one party member who ought to know. Former U.P. president and senior leader Kalraj Mishra acknowledged publicly that he could have used better language, although his party spokesperson, Nirmala Sitharaman, tried to put a lid over the controversy saying “the chapter is closed” as the “respected” party president had himself retracted.
The issue threatens to become much bigger. In Patna, Mr. Prasad has seized upon it. He has called a meeting of party workers on Friday where a decision on “taking the issue to the people” is expected. The RJD is raring to make this a mass issue to consolidate its backward-caste support base.
The SP has said it would consult legal experts to come to a conclusion whether a PIL should be filed against Mr. Gadkari for the slur which it alleges has casteist overtones.
One of the main allies of the BJP, the Janata Dal (United), is the most pained, since Bihar's Assembly elections are later this year. “In a democracy political opponents can present their case in the strongest possible way, without crossing the necessary limits of decent language. Such words should not have been used, but, thankfully, he has retracted,” said JD(U) president Sharad Yadav.
The JD (U) is hoping the issue will die a natural death, like so many others. It is also hoping that the RJD will not be able to make this a rallying point for the numerically strong OBCs. But how exactly it will play out in the dusty lanes of rural north India remains to be seen.
One more danger party leaders see in the Gadkari remark is that RJD could use it to stoke the Marathi ‘manoos'-Bihari contradiction that manifested itself in violent incidents in Mumbai streets thanks to Raj Thackeray's MNS and the Shiv Sena, a staunch ally of the BJP. If the two issues do get linked, the BJP may have to pay a heavy political price in Bihar.
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar was quick to denounce Mr. Gadkari's remarks. “No civilised person should use such words…whether a national level or state level leader…people will not accept such language.”
Mr. Gadkari's blunder has come when the party is still grappling with the fallout of a hasty decision by the BJP Parliamentary Board on withdrawal of support from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha after its support to the government against the cut motion of the Opposition.
Party leaders recognise and admit that the JMM is not part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. As a separate party it had every right to vote the way it wanted to. After all, the JD(U) voted differently on the women's reservation bill, and the Shiv Sena, the BJP's oldest ally, parted ways with it on the vote in the presidential election, preferring to vote for Pratibha Patil against the BJP-supported Bhairon Singh Shekhawat. Why the fuss over the JMM vote, some party leaders have wondered, while others see in this the play of the BJP's internal politics.
Mr. Gadkari took over as party president late December last year. A reluctant party accepted what was forced on it by the RSS leadership. But now that the honeymoon period is over and serious mistakes made by him are there for all to see, rumblings have begun to be heard. Those could get louder in the months to come.

Is it not a fact that Laloo and Mulayalam roared like a lion that they would vote against the government and when the government blackmailed them about cases against them, they became obedient lap dogs and voted for the government? Gadkari is a bold leader who has no hesitation in telling the truth, however bitter it is. It is better to use biting language and be honest than use sweet language and be dishonest. We need more leaders like Gadkari.

http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article429251.ece

Modi files 12,000-page reply to BCCI's showcause notice

Updated on Saturday, May 15, 2010, 20:26 IST
Mumbai: Suspended IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi today responded to the first showcause notice served to him for alleged financial irregularities with a staggering 12,000-page reply which was carried into the BCCI headquarters in six large cartons.

Modi, who had got an extension of five days from May 10 deadline, submitted his reply through his lawyers, who brought in the papers in four cars amidst the media frenzy at the Cricket Centre, the Board's headquarters.

BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty received the papers and documents on behalf of the Board. Modi's lawyer Memmood S Abdi said the reply comprised of 12,000 pages but did not elaborate the content.

According to sources close to Modi, the suspended IPL Commissioner has refuted all the five charges levelled against him by the BCCI.

The voluminous reply will now put the ball in BCCI's court as they first have to scrutinise the papers and then decide the future course of action after consulting their own lawyers.

A source said that Modi's reply has run into several thousand pages as it contained detailed response to all the charges and were supported with documents and brochures.
Modi was suspended on April 26, soon after the conclusion of the IPL-III final in Navi Mumbai by BCCI which sent him a show cause notice asking him to reply to a slew of charges relating to the conduct of the high-profile Twenty20 league.

Modi is accused of indulging in murky financial deals without the knowledge of the IPL Governing Council, bid-rigging and taking kickbacks from the TV rights and internet deals.
Modi's problems were compounded when he was slapped with a second show cause notice by the Board for allegedly trying to provoke English counties to revolt against their parent body, the ECB, and start a parallel Twenty20 league.

Now the board's three-man disciplinary committee, comprising President Shashank Manohar and two vice-presidents - Arun Jaitley and Chirayu Amin, will take a decision on the matter. The panel is expected to meet in mid-June to decide on the issue.

PTI

Lalit Modi must not only be reinstated as IPL Chairman, he must be made in-charge of all sports in India and even the sports minister. All the others enjoyed the loaves of office without benefiting the players and the game in general. If Lalit Modi did not blow the whistle on Shashi Tharoor, nobody would have moved against him because everybody was benefiting. But Sonia Gandhi's blue-eyed boy was touched and the BCCCI, the Income-tax Department, Financial Times and much of the media crawled when asked to bend by the Congress. India and Indian affairs have to be run by capable people and not boot-licking-lapdogs that can be blacked mailed into submission.

http://www.zeenews.com/news626839.html

J'khand: Hubby stitches wife's pvt parts with wire

Updated on Friday, May 14, 2010, 16:57 IST

Ranchi: In a hair-raising incident, a husband stitched the private parts of his wife with wire in Jharkhand's Dhanbad city after her request to visit her parents enraged him, police said Friday.

The woman, Sabitri, is in critical condition after being operated at a Dhanbad hospital, doctors said. The man, Sannimar Munda, is on the run.
Munda became angry when Sabitri said Wednesday that she wanted to go to her parents' home and charged her with having an extra-marital relationship, Dhanbad Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajiv Ranjan said.

Their quarrel took a vicious turn when Munda tied his 21-year-old wife's hands and legs and stitched her private parts with "iron wire", Ranjan said. After committing the ghastly act, he locked her up in a room.

But Sabitri escaped and reached her parents' home Thursday. Her parents went to the police and lodged a complaint against Sannimar.
The woman was operated Thursday at the Patliputra Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) in Dhanbad. Her condition is serious and she has been kept under observation, doctors said.

"In my medical career of more than 30 years, I have not seen such a ghastly act," said Pratibha Roy, a doctor who operated on Sabitri. Police are looking for Sannimar.

-IANS

Evil is becoming more imaginative.

http://www.zeenews.com/news626696.html

Ramesh reprimanded for China remarks, but likely to stay

NDTV Correspondent, Thursday May 13, 2010, New Delhi

Hours after he met Home Minister P Chidambaram as a peace offering, sources in Jairam Ramesh's party say that while he has been reprimanded, he will not be asked to exit the government for now.

Ramesh has, instead, been told by the Congress high command to stop speaking out of turn, and to "stay within party limits."

In China last week, Ramesh, who is the Environment Minister, said Chinese companies looking to enter India were being met with "alarmist" and "paranoid" policies of the Home Ministry.

An unhappy Chidambaram wrote to the Prime Minister about Ramesh's remarks. Ramesh was reprimanded by the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi for speaking out of turn. The Congress also publicly censured him.

Ramesh met Chidambaram on Wednesday evening for ten minutes in what was seen as a make-good attempt.

What has some speculating about his role in the Cabinet is that Ramesh's term in the Rajya Sabha expires in June. He has to be re-nominated as an MP to stay on as a minister. Also, the government is expected to reshuffle the Cabinet after its one-year anniversary later this month.

The BJP has asked for Ramesh to be fired, attacking him for working as a lobbyist. The Opposition justifies that allegation because Ramesh's remarks in China were made in the context of the attempts of a Chinese company, Huawei, that wants to import and install telecom equipment in India.

In addition to comments that could be seen as pushing the agenda of one corporate, Ramesh left the government in the embarrassing position of having its policies criticized abroad, a practice avoided even by Opposition leaders.

Going abroad and berating your country is not a serious offence for UPA. Feting anti-Indian Kashmiris, holding-up the hanging of Afzal Mohammad, refusal to use all firepower available against the Maoists and reinducting through the back door Shashi Tharoor who sought to make a pile through his girl-friend - all of a piece when you have a foreigner like Sonia Gandhi running affairs. Who is bothered about the nation as long as the Family is thriving?

http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/ramesh-reprimanded-for-china-remarks-but-likely-to-stay-25203.php?page=1#postcommentarea

Gadkari says sorry, but he can't buy peace

Agencies
Posted on May 13, 2010 at 12:32 Updated May 13, 2010 at 13:19

Chandigarh/ Patna/ New Delhi: BJP president Nitin Gadkari's won’t be getting away with an apology to senior politicians Lalu Prasad and Mulayam Singh Yadav for his offensive remarks against them.
Gadkari had likened Prasad, chief of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, and Yadav, who leads the Samajwadi Party, to "dogs who lick the feet of the Congress" at a public rally in Chandigarh on Wednesday night. He later issued an apology, saying he didn't mean to be offensive.

On Thursday, he said he had been misunderstood. "I regret the comment made yesterday (Wednesday) and take back my words. I have a lot of respect for Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Prasad," Gadkari said at a press conference in Chandigarh. "The comment created a wrong impression."
"Meri baat ki bhavna alag thi (The intention behind my remark was different)," he said.
Yadav and Prasad’s parties were unimpressed. The SP on Thursday held a press conference at Chandigarh and said Gadkari was unfit for national politics.
“We condemn the language used for our party leader. Gadkari's indecent language shows that he is an ill mannered person. I am surprised to see him reach this level of politics,” said SP leader Ramgopal Yadav.
RJD leaders are furious too. They plan a campaign against Gadkari and were also mulling court action against him for abusing Prasad. Party sources said a meeting of workers and leaders had been called on Friday to discuss the issue.
"We will discuss suing Gadkari at Friday's meeting," said a senior leader. Other programmes have been firmed up.
"RJD will burn effigies of Nitin Gadkari in Patna and across Bihar on Thursday to protest his abusive remarks against Lalu Prasad," said RJD senior leader Ram Kirpal Yadav.
The Congress on Thursday said Gadkari’s derogatory language proved he didn’t have the “stature” of a national politician. "It is highly derogatory language but we are not surprised. Soon after Gadkari was made BJP president, it was said that his stature was not of a national politician. He is justifying this impression with this kind of language," said party spokesman Shakeel Ahmed.
At the rally, Gadkari accused Singh and Prasad of betraying the Opposition on the recent cut motions in Parliament. "Bade dakarte the sher jaise, aur kutte ke jaise ban kar Sonia-ji aur Congress ke ghar par talve chatne lage (these leaders were roaring like lions but later bowed like dogs to lick the feet of Sonia and the Congress)," he said referring to the Congress president.
Gadkari later claimed that he was "just using a phrase in the speech to make a point".
(With inputs from PTI, IANS and CNN-IBN correspondents.)

Laloo and Mulayalam, to save their skin, sought to succumb and kowtow Sonia Gandhi to vote against their declared stand. Fear transformed them from lions to lap dogs. Apt phraseology from Nitin Gadkari. Lapdog to denote the likes of Laloo should go down in the dictionary as slumdog is in the dictionary to denote a poor fellow.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/gadkari-says-sorry-but-he-cant-buy-peace/115236-37-64.html?from=tn

Lalu rejects Gadkari’s apology, vows to teach him a lesson

Updated on Thursday, May 13, 2010, 14:14 IST

Zeenews Bureau

New Delhi: Outraged at BJP president Nitin Gadkari's offensive remarks against him and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav on Thursday rejected the BJP leader’s subsequent apology and vowed to teach him a lesson in decency.

“I don’t believe in empty apologies. These days it has become a fashion among politicians to criticise their rivals and then tender an apology. We don’t believe in such things. We have taken a serious note of his comments which are very derogatory, ridiculous and cheap,” the RJD chief said.

In a rally in Chandigarh, yesterday, Gadkari accused Mulayam Singh and Lalu Prasad of betraying the Opposition on the recent cut motions in Parliament and said: "Bade dakarte the sher jaise, aur kutte ke jaise ban kar Sonia-ji aur Congress ke ghar par talve chatne lage' (these leaders were roaring like lions but later bowed like dogs to lick the feet of Sonia and the Congress)."

Lalu said, “Gadkari needlessly used shameful words. Called us dogs who lick feet. Previous BJP chiefs, including LK Advani, would have never used such shameful words even as they severely criticised us. We are taking it seriously.”

Rejecting the apology tendered by BJP chief, Lalu said, “We will teach them (BJP) a lesson. There is resentment among the party activists over this but we don’t want to use unparliamentary language as he (Gadkari) did.”

Gadkari had, soon after making the remark, said he would take back his words.

"I take my words back if this has hurt anyone. I have not called them dogs personally. It was only a phrase. It should not be misunderstood. I was talking of their role," Gadkari said.

“I was just using a phrase in the speech to make a point. I take my words back if this has hurt anyone. I have not called them dogs personally. It was only a phrase. It should not be misunderstood. I was talking of their role.”

The Congress also said the BJP president used highly derogatory language.

"It is highly derogatory language. But we are not surprised... Soon after Gadkari was made BJP president, it was said that his stature was not of a national politician. He is justifying this impression with this kind of language," party spokesman Shakeel Ahmed said.

Another party spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan termed Gadkari's remarks as "shocking and outrageous", saying he should apologize to the nation for bringing politics to such a low.

http://www.zeenews.com/news626341.html

My caste is Indian, declares Amitabh Bachchan

Updated on Wednesday, May 12, 2010, 13:20 IST

Mumbai: While the debate over caste census intensifies with most parties rooting for it, Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan is clear where he stands on the controversial issue. If ever asked to mention his caste, he says categorically, he would be ready with the answer- Indian.
Census enumerators came calling on the Bachchan household, prompting Amitabh to express his views on the issue of caste census.

"Wary of the sensitivity that this has raised recently by politicians, they keep away from it. They reason that they would wait for some government decision on this. I tell them irrespective of what the system decides, my answer is ready - caste, Indian," he wrote on his blog bigb.bigadda.com.

Big B says that his father, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, a noted Hindi poet and litterateur, never believed in caste system.

"My Father never believed in caste and neither do any of us. He married a Sikh (Teji Bachchan), I married a Bengali (Jaya Bhaduri), my brother a Sindhi (Ramola), my daughter (Shweta) a Punjabi (Nikhil Nanda), my son (Abhishek) a Mangalorean (Aishwarya Rai)... in his autobiography he (Harivansh Rai) had expressed that future generations of his family should marry into different parts of the country. So far that tradition has been kept alive!!"

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said the government will soon take a decision on caste-based census in the country.

Amitabh recounts the morning the enumerators came to his house.

"From the morning a consensus on the census. Officials from the BMC, the Bombay Municipal Corporation, troop into Prateeksha to detail in on information that shall for the first time in India develop for every citizen the UID - a Unique Identity Card.

"All kinds of information is sought name, place, age, dependents, place of birth, house, residence years and on. I wait for them to come to the crucial controversial one - caste. They don’t."

Deputy leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Gopinath Munde, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Janata Dal-United (JD-U) president Sharad Yadav are amongst those demanding that caste be registered during the census exercise.

IANS

Amitabh Bachchan's stand on caste is a valid one. We have fragmented ourselves to no end. Such fragmentation has also led to fissiparous tendencies. If India is to be invincible in strength and progress, we have to have just one identity and it should be the Indian identity. The census should not even ask for religious identity, let alone caste.

http://www.zeenews.com/news626051.html

Dhoni blames IPL parties for T20 World Cup debacle

Updated on Wednesday, May 12, 2010, 10:36 IST
Zeecric Bureau

St Lucia: After being eliminated from the third edition of T20 World Cup, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni blamed post-match IPL parties for the debacle.

“The IPL parties after the every match took a toll on the Indian players,” said a visibly upset MS Dhoni while addressing the post match press conference here on Tuesday.

He also said that it’s up to the players how they respect their bodies during the hectic IPL schedule.

“It’s up to the individual player how they respect their bodies and balance the parties with their performance,” said the India skipper.

He also said his side failed to play to its potential.

India needed to win by at least 20 runs against Sri Lanka but lost the Super Eights match by five wickets to crash out of the elite ICC event.

India looked set for big score as they were 90 for one in 10 overs after electing to bat and could score just 163 for five and ended up losing all second round matches.

"I think execution of plans from their bowlers was very good, even with set batsmen we couldn't score freely. Overall, batting is our strength and we should have done better.”

"We didn't perform to our potential. The last 4-5 overs that they bowled really restricted us. We need to improve in quite a few areas," Dhoni said after the match.

Sri Lanka enhanced their chances of making the semifinals with this win and captain Kumar Sangakkara had nothing but praise for his bowlers.
"At the end, we were chasing at least 144. Even I thought India would make a very big score, but the guys came back really well at the back end to cut off the runs and to pick up wickets as well," he said.

"Dilshan really got the momentum back after the early wickets, and we have always talked about how good our young players are, and they showed that today. Whatever happens after this, we can rest assured we have done the best we can."

Angelo Mathews, adjudged Man-of-the-Match for his crucial 46-run knock said, "I had to give a good performance with the bat, I'm glad I did it at the right time."

Now he is blaming the parties. But he himself partied hard and was very much part of the idea. He did not protest at that time. So he has only himself to blame.

http://www.zeenews.com/news626026.html

Modi gets four evidences of ‘wrongdoings’ from BCCI

Updated on Tuesday, May 11, 2010, 16:38 IST

Mumbai: Suspended IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi on Tuesday received four documentary ‘proofs’ of his alleged wrongdoings from the BCCI, which said it could not offer other evidences since those were of verbal nature.

Modi’s lawyer Mehmood S Abdi told reporters after receiving the documents from the BCCI headquarters that out of 10 references in the show cause notice, for which the suspended IPL chief wanted documentary proof, only four were given while the rest, it has been told, were by nature of oral communications only.

“We had asked for some documents from the Board. We needed documentary support for at least 10 references made in the show cause notice out of which four have been provided to us today,” Abdi said.

“Board secretary (N Srinivasan) has written in an email to Mr Modi that other references made in the show cause notice for which we wanted documentary support were oral transactions or verbal communications and there is no documentary proof for those,” Modi’s counsel said.
Modi had asked for documents from the BCCI for mounting his defence against the first show cause notice that has charged him with financial irregularities and bid-rigging in IPL.

Abdi said the four documents handed over to him included an agreement, two letters, one email and a copy of shareholding pattern of an IPL franchisee.

It was learned that the letters and emails pertained to Nimbus communications who are the BCCI’s broadcast right holders for international and domestic cricket organised in India.

Abdi also said that Modi, on his part, had handed over all the documents that were asked for by the BCCI following the voluminous second lot that he had delivered to the Board on Monday.

“So far they have not asked for anything more. In fact only last evening I had given them the second lot of documents which, from our side, is full and final. Still if the BCCI want anything more from us we are ready to give,” he said.

Modi, who was suspended by the BCCI on April 26, has been given an extra five days by the BCCI to reply to the charges that includes alleged irregularities in broadcast and internet deals.

The new deadline for Modi is May 15.

Queried about Modi’s future course, Abdi said, “Let’s go through the documents what we have got right now and then we will decide. As of now, yes, we are ready to file by 15th.”

“This development has given a very interesting twist to the story. This much I can say,” he added.

PTI


At no time was Lalit Modi culpable of any wrong doing that BCCI also would not have been culpable of. Lalit Modi was set up by BCCI and BCCI was responsible for Lalit Modi. Instead of standing up for him or themselves resigning, they chose to appease Congress vengeance over exposure of Shashi Tharoor and sought to offer Lalit Modi's head on a platter. All the while Arun Jaitley was sitting quietly like Bhishma Pitamaha. Better was expected from him. Even the august Economic Times sold their newspaper to publish unfounded allegations against Lalit Modi in the name of the Income Tax Department. Compare all the old politicians who have been heading various sports committees who do not want to leave it even when told to do so and measure their contribution to the sports of their choosing to the contribution of Lalit Modi to cricket. If nothing, he has shaken the world of cricket like never before. Not only IPL, I think Lalit Modi should be made the made the chief of all sports activities in India – and Minister of Sports, to top that.

http://www.zeenews.com/news625824.html

Don't hang Afzal out of turn: Omar Abdullah

Posted on May 11, 2010 at 16:48

Jammu: The law should "take its own course" in the hanging of Afzal Guru, the mastermind of the 2001 attack on the Indian parliament, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Tuesday.
"Let the law take its own course. He has gone in for an appeal and his name figures at number 30, let's first talk about 29 who are in line before him," Abdullah told reporters in Nagrota, 13 km from here, after addressing a rally of ex-servicemen.
"Why bring his name all the time and give a hype to it... simply because his name is too glamorous?" he asked the reporter who had posed a question.
Afzal Guru, a resident of Sopore in the Kashmir Valley, was found guilty of plotting the terror attack on the Indian parliament on December 13, 2001. The Supreme Court upheld his death sentence in October 2006.
Afzal Guru, whose mercy petition is pending before President Pratibha Patil, was again in the spotlight after a Mumbai court last week sentenced Pakistani national Ajmal Amir Kasab to death for his role in the November 2008 terror attack in Mumbai.
Kashmiri leaders fear that Afzal Guru's hanging could destabilise the situation in the valley.

Why can't all awaiting death row be hanged on the same day or within a few days? Omar Abdullah in saying that Afzal is at number 30, is making it seem that it will be a long long time before Afzal is hanged. The law should be forthwith be amended to ensure that those cleared for hanging should be hanged within less than 48 hours. Then this carp about trying to keep Afzal alive any which way would end.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/dont-hang-afzal-out-of-turn-omar-abdullah/115073-3.html?from=rhs

BJP says it will rule Jharkhand, Soren plays rotation card

Updated on Saturday, May 08, 2010, 22:05 IST
New Delhi/Ranchi: The political crisis in Jharkhand took a new turn Saturday after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said it will rule the state with the backing of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), but the latter announced unilaterally that both parties will govern by rotation.

After days of political uncertainty and close-door parleys, the BJP announced in New Delhi that it had decided to form a new government in Ranchi with the legislative backing of the JMM and the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU).
A stunned BJP had withdrawn support to the JMM April 28, a day after the latter's leader and Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren voted against the BJP-sponsored cut motions in the Lok Sabha.

BJP leader Ananth Kumar said in New Delhi that the BJP, JMM and AJSU had unanimously agreed that the BJP would head the new National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Jharkhand for the remaining four-and-a-half year term of the state assembly.

The JMM pretended to go with it. But once he returned to Ranchi, Shibu Soren surprised everyone by saying that the JMM and the BJP would rule the state by rotation.

"I will quit in two to four days. The BJP and the JMM will rule the state in rotation," Soren told journalists at the Ranchi airport after returning from New Delhi.

The BJP was taken aback.

Speaking to agency in New Delhi soon afterwards, BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi voiced surprise over Soren's announcement. "That has not been discussed," he said.

But still he sounded optimistic: "Things are moving in a positive direction... Our priority is to give Jharkhand a stable government."

Earlier, Soren's son Hemant and AJSU president Sudesh Mahto, a deputy chief minister, met BJP president Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi to end the turmoil in the state that has seen seven governments in nine years.
Our state has been in crisis for nine years... We have decided to form the new government, and the new chief minister will be decided by the BJP. It is their decision," Hemant Soren said later.

Mahto added: "We have decided to form a new government led by the BJP."

The decision, he said, was taken to let the NDA coalition complete its full term. "Other terms and conditions are yet to be decided. We will form a common minimum programme."

In no time, Shibu Soren made his unilateral move.

In the 82-member Jharkhand assembly, the JMM and BJP have 18 members each and the AJSU five.

The Congress has 14 members, the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) of former chief minister Babulal Marandi has 11, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has five and the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) two.

The others are mainly Independents.

The new government will be the third BJP-led one in Jharkhand, where shaky coalitions have been the norm since the state was carved out of Bihar in November 2000.

No party has been able to get a clear cut majority in any election.

Babulal Marandi was the first BJP chief minister. He took office with support from the JD-U and the then Samata Party.

The Marandi government lasted till March 2003, when dissent forced him to quit. He was replaced by party colleague Arjun Munda. Today, Marandi is a sworn enemy of the BJP and is allied to the Congress.


Of the 5 years term, since 1 year is over and was ruled by JMM, BJP should rule for two and a half years of the remaining 4 years and the last one and a half years should be ruled by JMM. I think this would be a fair arrangement. And it would be to BJP's advantage to rule the remaining years first.

http://www.zeenews.com/news625182.html

Govt nod to caste based census: Sources

Updated on Friday, May 07, 2010, 17:22 IST

Zeenews Bureau

New Delhi: Amid demands for a caste based census, sources in the central government revealed that the cabinet had decided to go ahead with it.

A senior cabinet member reportedly revealed to a TV channel that go-ahead will be given to caste based census.

“Only OBC will be included as SC/ST and General columns are already there in the register,” the source said.
Data will not be used for analysis and will merely be included in the exercise. This will be the first time after independence that a caste based census will be held in India.

Last such census was held in 1931. BJMP Gopinath Munde also confirmed that that the govt had in most probability approved caste based census. He welcomed the move, saying it will be used to better target the various welfare schemes.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had todat assured the Lok Sabha today that government would take a decision shortly in the matter.

"I am aware of the views of the members of Parliament belonging to all sections. I assure you that the Cabinet will take a decision shortly," Singh said in a brief statement.

The Prime Minister's statement mollified agitated Opposition members who had forced adjournment of the House after Home Minister P Chidambarm virtually ruled out inclusion of caste in the exercise.

The debate on the issue had seen members cutting across party lines favouring caste based census.

Replying to the debate, Chidambaram insisted that the main aim of the exercise was headcount and listed difficulties in including caste in the list.

However, he sought to assure members that their views on the issue would be a "valuable guide" to the government, which was seized of the matter.

After the earlier adjournment, four prominent OBC leaders, including Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Prasad met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in a bid to persuade the government to go in for a caste based census.

BJP deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gopinath Munde and JD-U chief Sharad Yadav were also present at the meeting, so also Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Bansal and Chidambaram.

The issue of caste based census had also figured in the meeting of the Union Cabinet earlier this week with ministers putting forth pros and cons of the issue.

In his reply, Chidambaram said that the Registrar General has pointed out a number of logistic and practical difficulties in canvassing the question of caste while conducting the census.

"The enumerator is not an investigator or verifier," Chidambaram said, adding that 21 lakh enumerators - mostly primary school teachers - had no training or expertise to classify the answer as OBC or otherwise.

"There is a central list of OBCs and state-specific lists of OBCs. Some states do not have a list of OBCs while some states have a list of OBCs and a sub-set called MBCs," he said.

Quoting the Registrar General, the Home Minister said issues regarding methodology, avoiding phonetic and spelling errors, stage of canvassing of caste, maintaining integrity of enumeration and doing an accurate headcount of population will arise.

He maintained that as per the wish of the members the enumerator should record whatever answer the respondent gives to the question "What is your caste?"

"At this point, it is simply collection of information. .....Government will certainly keep in mind the views of honourable members," he said.

However, this failed to satisfy several members. SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, RJD leader Lalu Prasad, BSP leader Dara Singh Chauhan, JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav and several BJP members expressed resentment.

Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee walked up to Chidambaram and asked him to be more specific. Though Chidambaram made an effort, the agitating members were not satisfied and forced an adjournment of the House.

-PTI inputs

Instead of helping caste considerations to wither away, the politicians (what else can be expected of this "caste"?) are helping to strengthen it. The caste census will help strengthen caste identities. It would have been better if the census had stopped classifying Indians even in the name of religion. But trust our politicians to aid regression instead of progress.

http://www.zeenews.com/news624990.html

Gas row: Anil Ambani accepts SC verdict, rules out review petition

Updated on Friday, May 07, 2010, 15:45 IST

Zeebiz Bureau

New Delhi: Reliance-Ani Dhirubhai Ambani Group (R-ADAG) chairman Anil Ambani Friday said he accepted the Supreme Court verdict that rejected cheap gas to group firm RNRL from Mukesh Ambani-led RIL, and ruled out filing review petition against the judgement.

“We respect the judgement of the Supreme; we note that SC has safeguarded interest of over 25 lakh RNRL shareholders by giving guidelines for gas supply agreement,” Anil Ambani said in a conference call hours after the apex court delivered its verdict over the four-year long gas row between the billionaire brothers.

"RNRL looks forward to an expeditious and successful renegotiation with RIL within the stipulated period of six weeks to secure gas supply for the group's power plants in line with the Supreme Court order," Ambani said.
In the dispute, where RNRL sought gas at a concessional price of USD 2.34 per mmBtu as against the government approved USD 4.20 per mmBtu, the Supreme Court said the government has the last word on pricing and usage.

It also asked RIL and RNRL to renegotiate gas supply terms within six weeks.

"RNRL has currently no plans to file a review petition in the Supreme Court," Ambani said.

Anil Ambani, who left the court without taking any questions from reporters after the judgement was pronounced, said the court has safeguarded the interests of 25 lakh shareholders of RNRL by issuing guidelines for expeditious finalisation of gas supply agreement.

"By a majority judgement, the Supreme Court has upheld RNRL's case that the company petition filed by RNRL as maintainable and has upheld the powers of the court to modify the scheme and make it workable," he said.

Ambani said the apex court has also acknowledged that the June 18, 2005 MoU was basis for the business reorganisation of RIL.

"The court has also directed that suitable arrangements for gas supply should not only be suitable to RIL but also the shareholders of RNRL, whose interests have to be fully protected," he said.

RNRL is seeking 28 mmscmd of gas from RIL's KG-D6 fields for group firm Reliance Power's proposed power plant in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh.

Anil Ambani further said Reliance Power, a R-ADAG company, is committed to emerging as the largest power producer in the country.

With agency inputs


If the family agreement, the worth of which the Supreme Court has not invalidated, has agreed to a lower price for gas, then why does the Government come into the picture with a higher price? At a lower price the public at large would be the gainers while the producer does not loose out, only the margin of profit is reduced. Therefore the Government is being tyrannical in imposing a higher price only to increase its margin of profit - profit which ideally would have gone into the developmental kitty of the country but in reality is likely to be apportioned by corrupt bureaucrats and politicians. Anil Ambani must file a review petition challenging the Government’s arbitrary price hike on gas at a time when the nation is already reeling under price hikes in all segments of the economy.

http://www.zeenews.com/news624960.html

'Kasab conviction without anti-terror law'

Updated on Thursday, May 06, 2010, 20:56 IST

New Delhi: Rejecting BJP's demand for a specific anti-terror law, Home Minister P Chidambaram today said conviction of Ajmal Kasab in Mumbai attack case proved that present laws were adequate to deal with the menace.

However, the government is open to "revisit" the laws if necessary.

Replying to a debate in the Rajya Sabha on the functioning of his ministry, Chidambaram said conviction of Kasab, lone surviving terrorist involved in Mumbai attack in 2008, was not on the basis of his confession but evidence.
In this context, he said, the amended Unlawful Activities (Preventions) Act (UAPA) proved adequate for the prosecution and there was no need for separate provisions, as suggested by the BJP.

"For the present, laws are adequate. They have broad support of all sections...Let's try these acts. If necessary, we can always revisit them," he said.

The absence of the provisions in the UAPA, as suggested by the BJP, did not prevent success of Kasab's trial, the Home Minister said.

The main Opposition had wanted provisions like admissibility of confession before a police officer, detention without trial of an accused for 180 days and denial of bail by judge if prosecution opposes it.

Chidamabaram said while he has respect for the views of the BJP, a large sections of the society, particularly minorities and SCs/STs had rejected these ideas as they feared their misuse against them.

Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley said though Kasab's conviction was a landmark event, he was disappointed because there were several other accused in the case living in Pakistan and the US from where not much cooperation is forthcoming.

He said BJP had serious reservations whether the present laws were enough to face the terror challenge. After such an enormous crime like the Mumbai attack, "is the Home Minister willing to introspect whether the present legal infrastructure is adequate?"


Mr. Chidambaram, wearing his secular credentials on his sleeves, was no doubt assuring the Muslims his commitment to them when he brought up the subject of POTA. But maybe he should ponder on whether it is due to lack of POTA that the two jihadis who aided Kasab were let off by the court.

http://www.zeenews.com/news624766.html

Nepal protest: Hindu vigilantes attack Maoists

Updated on Thursday, May 06, 2010, 13:31 IST

Kathmandu: More than a dozen Maoist leaders were hurt and two vehicles torched along the Nepal-India border Thursday as Hindu vigilantes attacked Maoist protesters enforcing an indefinite closure and security forces joined the fray.
Dozens of young men, flourishing bamboo sticks and wearing red bandanas around their heads, said to be belonging to a Hindu religious organisation, the Vishwa Hindu Yuva Sangathan, bore down on Maoist supporters. They were shown ruthlessly demolishing a camp set up for the protesters in Birgunj, Nepal's major industrial town in Parsa district, adjoining India's Bihar district.

According to preliminary reports, the young men were taking part in an anti-Maoist strike rally and trying to force shopkeepers into opening shops, closed since May 2, when they were opposed by Maoist protesters.

The group then attacked the Maoist protesters and ran amok, knocking down the tables set up to cook food for the protesters, throwing the food on the ground and carting away cooking gas cylinders and cooking oil.

Some then used the oil to douse two cars belonging to two Maoist Members of Parliament and set them on fire.

Kantipur Television, an independent television station, said security forces jumped into the fray, ruthlessly beating up the unarmed Maoist protesters, hitting more than a dozen, including women, on their heads.

The town was tense with the local administration calling an emergency meeting amidst fears that curfew could be imposed.

The Maoists have been claiming that the ruling parties had been hiring goons from India across the border to infiltrate their protests, which they say are peaceful.

However, despite the claim, there has been sporadic violence nationwide with anti-Maoists protests beginning to erupt.

In the capital as well as outer districts, people, claiming not to be affiliated to any political parties, were marching in protest against the indefinite Maoist strike that entered the fifth day Thursday without any sign of letting up.

On Wednesday, anti-strike protesters, led by the ruling party's youth wing, Youth Force, clashed with Maoists in Bhaktapur city. Maoists said vigilantes fired during the scuffle and bullets were found in the area.

The Youth Force said a 20-year-old supporter was killed during another skirmish in Makwanpur district when he was hit by bricks, allegedly thrown by Maoist protesters.

Anti-Maoist protests were also reported in remote Parbat district after the former rebels reportedly attacked a member of the ruling Nepali Congress party in his own residence and beat up his family members, including his grandparents.

IANS

Somewhere, in some corner, Hindus, identifying themselves as Hindus (rare in itself), have taken to violence. Is this a precursor to Hindus no longer putting up with all sorts of nonsense under all sorts of labels against them?

http://www.zeenews.com/news624648.html

Karnataka minister 'rapes' friend's wife, quits

03/05/2010
Bangalore: A Karnataka minister on Sunday quit following a newspaper report accusing him of sexually assaulting his friend's wife in his home district of Shimoga. A criminal case was filed later in the evening by the victim, police said.

The case was filed against former food and civil supplies minister Haratalu Halappa by Chandravathy, 33, wife of Venkatesh Murthy of Shimoga, about 270 km from here.
On Sunday morning, a local Kannada newspaper carried graphic details of the rape, but did not name the minister. However, by 9 am Halappa faxed his resignation to Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa who was in Guarat.
Later in the day, TV channels showed a half naked man (allegedly the minister) in a bermuda trying to force himself on a woman. Another clipping showed the woman sitting on a bed wailing and abusing a man, which, the TV channels said, was the minister.
But it is a mystery as to why the rape issue took five months to surface. The timing is also suspect as the sgtate goes to polls for the gram panchayat seats.
"We have received a complaint from Chandravathy charging Halappa of sexually assaulting her. We have registered a non-cognisable (NC) case against the accused on the basis of the complaint," Assistant Sub Inspector T. Shivarudraiah told IANS.
Prior to lodging the complaint, the couple met state Director General of Police (DGP) Ajay Kumar Singh with their lawyer to file the case against Halappa, who resigned earlier in the day after a local Kannada daily published a news story without naming the accused that he had sexually assaulted the victim.
Murthy, a friend of Halappa and a financier, told reporters outside the DGP office that he did not file the complaint at Shimoga, as he was not sure whether the local police would have entertained it had the incident not been reported in the media and also because Halappa and Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa hail from the same town.
"We do not trust the local police (in Shimoga). That's why we came all the way to Bangalore to lodge the complaint with the DGP," Murthy, 42, told reporters.
Governor H.R. Bhardwaj accepted Halappa's resignation later in the day after it was passed on by the chief minister.
Though Halappa, who represents Shorab assembly segment in Shimoga district, denied the assault charge, terming it as a political conspiracy plotted by his detractors within the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the dramatic release of video clips and tapped conversations between Murthy and Halappa to news channels had embarrassed the state government.
According to the complaint, the incident occurred on the night of Nov 26-27, 2009, when Halappa went to Murthy's house for dinner and stayed back for the night.
"In the middle of the night, Halappa, who was sleeping on the first floor, came down and told me that he was suffering from chest pain and asked me to rush to the government guest house where he had kept his medicine in the baggage. When I returned after a while, I was shocked to see Halappa semi-nude and my wife squatted on the bed wailing," Murthy said in the complaint.

When Chandravathy told her husband that Halappa attempted to outrage her modesty, Murthy thrashed the then minister.
Halappa shot to fame as he defeated former state chief minister S. Bangarappa's sons Madhu Bangarappa and Kumar Bangarappa in the May 2008 assembly polls from Shorab. While Kumar Bangarappa contested on the Congress ticket, Madhu fought as a Samajwadi Party candidate, as senior Bangarappa was then in that party.
Incidentally, Halappa is the brother in-law of Bangarappa.
After Halappa accused Bangarappa of masterminding the incident, the latter told reporters that his brother in-law's behaviour with women was questionable from the beginning.
"When he worked with me, I had received several complaints about his behaviuor with women. But I never though he would stoop to such a level. Why should I conspire against him? He is a political minnow," Bangarappa maintained.
Meanwhile, Yeddyurappa descrbed Halappa as a `pious man'.
Source: IANS and India Syndicate

K.Venugopal
#1
Monday, 03 May 2010 13:19:48
If the incident is true (and prima facie, it appears true), it is clear that power tends to corrupt. This person was considered a gentlemen, the report says (that is, till power got into his head). I think some chemical should be invented which, like the 'truth serum', if injected into prospective candidates for jobs of power, would reveal if that candidate is likely to be corrupted by power. There is really no saying which gentle folk and in which way power would corrupt, most being corrupt financially. The rare one (maybe not so rare) gets his libido corrupted. Meanwhile this not so honourable Minister must be sent to the gallows for betrayal of the worst kind. And BJP can, like a one minute silence, have a one minute hanging of their heads in shame to express their misfortune in having had such a scoundrel in their midst.

http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3881338&page=0

Sri Sri Ravi Shanker on Ramadhan

In a book written by Sri Sri Ravi Shanker, on which Dr. Zakir Naik finds faults, Sri Sri Ravi Shanker contends that the meaning of Ramadhan can be understood in a Sanskrit context as meaning Rama = God, Dhan = dhyan = meditation and therefore the word could mean meditating upon or worship of God. Actually, the Arabic meaning also alludes to this because the Islamic holy month of Ramadhan is all about the month where special prayers are offered to Allah. The literal meaning of Ramdhan in Arabic today may mean “that which is derived from the heat of the sun” and the month was named Ramadhan because when the Islamic calendar began this month coincided with the hottest month and therefore the month was named Ramadhan. But there is one thing we miss. Subsequent to the birth of Islam and the dominance of Arabia by Islam and therefore the Arabic language by Islam, it is not beyond imagination that the Arabic language itself got circumscribed by the parameters of Islam. If we go back to Arabic before the birth of Islam, the language would have allowed meanings to be derived from its words that are not limited by Islamic requirements, particularly as Arabic would have had connections with Sanskrit then.

No hand in Ajmer blast: RSS

Updated on Saturday, May 01, 2010, 15:39 IST

Zeenews Bureau

New Delhi: RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav on Saturday rubbished the Congress’ claim of his organisation’s involvement in the 2007 Ajmer blast, calling it a ploy to malign the Sangh’s image.

“It is an attempt by the ruling party to tarnish our image, by leveling false and unfounded allegations,” he said.

Accusing RSS of having a dubious past, from its role in Maharma Gandhi’s killing to Malegaon blast, Congress has demanded a probe into Abhinav Bharat and RSS links in Ajmer blast case.


Earlier in the day, in a breakthrough development, the Rajasthan Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested a second suspect in the case

"Chandrashekhar, who is suspected to be a key member of the terror module involved in the blast in which three persons were killed, was arrested yesterday from Shajapur," ATS sources said today.

He is believed to have links with Hindu outfits, sources said, adding he will be produced before a local court in Ajmer.

The arrest comes just two days after another suspect, Devendra Gupta was nabbed by the Rajasthan ATS on Wednesday night when he had gone to meet his ailing mother, sources said.

Gupta is allegedly linked with Hindu outfit Abhinav Bharat Sangathan and is suspected to be involved in the blast inside the Dargah of Khawaja Moinuddin Chishty at Ajmer in October 2007, sources said.


Officials are also probing Gupta's alleged link with Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, a key suspect in the Malegaon blast case.

They said Gupta was staying in Jharkhand and had come to Ajmer on Wednesday. A SIM card recovered from the blast site helped police trace him, they said.

"This man has been an active RSS member for years and has been involved with several Hindu groups. The various groups who all were involved or not with this blast will become clearer after our investigation," said Home Minister of Rajasthan, Shanti Dhariwal.

Under surveillance for several months, Gupta was finally caught when he came to visit his family in Ajmer. His family claims, Gupta left home as a young boy to study in Indore where his brother lived. Later, he moved to Jharkhand where even his family admits he was linked to the RSS.


Bomb blasts set off by Hindus in places of Muslim congregation must be seen as retaliation against innumerable bomb blasts by Muslims all over India and targeted at Hindus. The Government of India, with its policy of appeasing Muslims, has not come down with an iron hand against Islamic terrorism. Therefore the responsibility for any retaliation lies with Muslim terrorists and the Government of India. While no ordinary citizen should be allowed to take law into their hands, the failure of the Government to do their duty would have unfortunate repercussions.

http://www.zeenews.com/news623401.html