Tuesday, June 29, 2010

New Delhi named among top four world cities


Updated on Tuesday, June 29, 2010, 17:04 IST

Singapore: New Delhi was Tuesday named among the top four global cities at the inaugural Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize here with Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit appreciated for her "charismatic and determined leadership" for improving the living environment of the India's capital.

Dikshit's efforts in promoting a "liveable city" were the basis of naming the Indian capital along with Melbourne of Australia, Curitiba of Brazil and the prize winner Bilbao.

This was announced here at the World Cities Summit 2010. A total of 72 city nominations were received from 32 countries for the prize.

"Sheila Dikshit was shortlisted for her charismatic and determined leadership in improving the living environment of New Delhi. Inspite of limited resources and limited control over the planning process, Dikshit had managed to muster the masses to implement several project-based initiatives that led to an improvement in the quality of life," a statement from the Lee Kuan Yew World city prize committee said.

"She also managed to increase the green cover in Delhi from 26 km in 1997 to nearly 300 km to-date, and was the key proponent in converting all public transport to the use of CNG fuel. This has led to a marked improvement in the air quality of the city," it added.

Elaborating on Dikshit's efforts in turning New Delhi green, her special secretary Keshav Chandra highlighted the success of CNG (compressed natural gas) busses in the public transportation system and the socio community-based Bhagidari Citizen-Government partnership, which has grown to 2,300 groups managing daily issues within their community and vicinity.

Speaking as a representative of the Chief Minister, Chandra also listed out the success in power sector reform in the capital city, saying power losses have been reduced to 18 per cent these days from 52 per cent in 2002.

"We are targeting to reduce power transmission losses to 12 per cent within the next one year," he said.

Dikshit has also been noted for her green efforts and having had 1.1 million saplings planted through the city as well as her school level efforts in having students teach their parents to do away with plastic bags.

Forested areas around New Delhi has increased to 300 sq km in 2009 from a mere 26 sq km in 1998, said Chandra in a presentation on managing the 16.3 million people capital city, which is joined by 500,000 migrants every year.

Among new challenging projects is the cleaning of the Yamuna River for New Delhi and Dikshit, the main investment for which include a Rs 32,000 crore integrated sewage treatment plant, he said. The World Cities Summit is being held June 28 to July 1.

PTI

When I saw the heading that Delhi was one of the top four cities of the world, I thought Delhi was finally in the company of New York, London and Paris. But look who its got for company up there - Melbourne (doesn't Sydney beat it in Australia itself?), Curitiba(?) and Bilbao(??). What a let down.

http://www.zeenews.com/news637398.html

Monday, June 28, 2010

Miscreants bring school children to tears

In Indore, in a shameful incident, miscreants targeted school children to push their political agenda. A group of about 40 children being taken to Bhopal on a study tour were stopped allegedly by RSS workers who claimed these children were being taken for conversion to Christianity. The children between 8 and 12 years old were brought to tears as these men shouting slogans first stopped the bus and then boarded it. What added to the misery of the children was that they were from Orissa and had difficulty understanding what was being asked of them.

An enquiry must be ordered into whether the children were actually in the process of being converted. If some Hindu activists had attempted to find out the position based on hearsay by stopping the bus, they cannot be called miscreants because they are responding desperately to allegations of conversations. While activists should get the law to act upon solid information that conversions are being attempted, such knee jerk reactions only bring a bad name to the activists. In any case, conversions cannot be treated lightly. The Hindu society should be prepared to turn violent against conversions if necessary as it is a life and death issue for the Hindus.

http://www.timesnow.tv/videoshow/4348435.cms

Rahul Gandhi's phone stolen at IGI; found later

Updated on Monday, June 28, 2010, 15:17 IST
New Delhi: The mobile phone of Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi was stolen from his checked-in baggage at the Delhi Airport last week, after he arrived here from London.

The handset was, however, found a couple of days later from a baggage handler working at the IGI, airport sources said.

Rahul noticed that his handset was missing from his bag after he returned home from the airport and informed the officials of the Special Protection Group, which guards him.

The SPG then contacted the CISF, which in turn started a quiet investigation and reviewed the close-circuit TV footage, the sources said.

The technical surveillance carried out by the CISF helped them detect the lost mobile phone.

The CISF personnel identified two baggage handlers as suspects and questioned them. One of them accepted that he had stolen the phone from the baggage and handed it over to the security personnel, the sources said.

No case was lodged in the incident as it would have brought the matter into limelight, they said, adding that the instrument contained personal and official numbers and other information related to Gandhi.

The sources, however, refused to give details about the flight Gandhi took or the date and time he arrived here from London citing security reasons.

They said such incidents were now occurring frequently at the IGI Airport and steps were being taken to contain them.

"We have taken the matter seriously. We have spoken to the airport authorities and the airlines regarding background checks before recruiting baggage handlers," the sources said.

PTI

The fellow who stole the handset is likely to have taken other stuff also from Rahul's bag and worse, from many other bags and he may have been doing this for some time till he was caught. Because the passenger happened to be Rahul Gandhi, the pilferer is going to have his goose cooked. Many passengers under similar circumstances, particularly tourists, would have felt launching a complaint to be rather formidable and may have even have thought they may not have packed the gadget stolen. So this baggage handler must not only be terminated from his job, but must cool his heels in prison as a lesson for other would-be pilferers.

http://www.zeenews.com/news637124.html

Will the Thackeray cousins do an Ambani act?

28/06/2010
Mumbai: Ever since Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray’s nephew Raj broke away from the party in 2006 to form the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Raj and his bete noire Uddhav, who is the executive president of the Sena, have been sworn political enemies. The mutual hatred has intensified after the MNS acted as the spoiler for the Sena-BJP alliance, thereby enabling the Congress to better its prospects in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections held last year. The MNS failed to win any Lok Sabha seat, but made an impressive debut in the Assembly by winning 13 seats.

And then came a surprise: the MNS decided to support the Sena in the Ambernath Municipal Council in Thane district, facilitating the victory of Sena nominee Sunil Chaudhari as the president of the council. Subsequently, when Uddhav, who is also a photographer, released a book of aerial pictures of forts in Maharashtra clicked by him, Raj praised his cousin's photographic skills.
The MNS-Sena solidarity in Ambernath and Raj's remarks led to speculation about the possibility of the warring cousins uniting for the next civic polls in Mumbai due in 2012.
A group of former Shiv Sainiks led by Satish Valanju, a businessman from Worli, organised a formal meeting on May 15 to make an emotional appeal to the estranged cousins to unite for the Marathi Manoos. The group put up banners and hoardings in Mumbai as a part of its campaign and is planning to organise a public meeting of 'like-minded' people at Shivaji Park.
The group made a second attempt on June 20 -- a day after the Sena celebrated its 44th foundation day -- by organising yet another meeting. The movement is yet to gain momentum and also yet to be patronised by a prominent leader from either the Shiv Sena or the MNS.
"We are reflecting the sentiments of the Marathi Manoos," Valanju said. "The fight between Raj and Uddhav indirectly benefits the Congress and the sufferer is the Marathi Manoos. People feel that the brothers should unite for the Marathi cause," he added.
Sources, however, say that it is unlikely that the brothers would unite, at least until the civic polls in Mumbai. The Sena is preparing to fortify itself for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections and Thackeray Senior has moved centrestage in the party after the debacle in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections last year.
"There has been no move from our side to approach Raj on the issue," a senior Sena leader said. "We don't think the two parties will unite. If at all there is an understanding for the BMC, it will be after the elections, not before that and it will all depend on the political situation emerging after the polls."
The Sena's group leader in the Assembly Subhash Desai said, "The group led by Valanju is acting on its own, it does not have our party's support. And Balasaheb Thackeray has said in the past that if someone has left the Shiv Sena and wants to come back, he should take the initiative."
The MNS members dismissed the unity efforts as wishful thinking of some sentimental people. "Why would we do that?" an MNS leader said. "We are emerging as a powerful political party in Maharashtra. We would like to continue on our own and grow in the state."
Sources indicate that the chances of either Uddhav inviting Raj back into the Sena fold, or Raj taking the initiative to return are very slim.

Raj, who has shattered the Shiv Sena's monopoly on issues like 'jobs for locals' and 'protection of Marathi language and culture', would want to manifest his strength in the BMC on his own. Like Sharad Pawar, who broke away from the Congress to form the NCP, Raj, too, would like to preserve his own identity. And just like it is believed that Pawar may return to the Congress if made the prime minister, Raj may return only if he is at the helm of affairs. Political observers feel that possibility is almost impossible, as Uddhav would not work under Raj and vice-versa.
Besides, the coterie around Raj and Uddhav would not welcome the idea, as they would lose clout. Thackeray Senior could work out a formula, but since he has been supporting his son Uddhav all along, he may not like Raj to become dominant.
The possibility, according to sources, is that in the event of a fractured mandate in the BMC, the Shiv Sena may back the MNS or vice-versa (as they did in Ambernath), to prevent the Congress from wresting power.
However, it may not mean a merger of the parties.
Meanwhile, the unity efforts have triggered interest from unexpected quarters. Former Shiv Sena leader and now the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Chhagan Bhujbal, who had defected to the Congress in 1991 on the pretext of the Shiv Sena opposing the Mandal Commission recommendations in the state, has said that Raj and Uddhav Thackeray should unite.
Source: The Indian Express

K.Venugopal
#1
Monday, 28 June 2010 15:29:27
The possibility of Uddhav and Raj working together in the Shiv Sena is dim because it would in effect have to involve Raj getting back to the Shiv Sena and working under Uddhav. He would be seen as the one who compromised, unless of course he gets the top post in Shiv Sena (if Bal Thackeray feels that the Shiv Sena faces a rout in the upcoming BMC polls, he may consider asking Uddhav to step aside for Raj). Therefore the best that can be hoped for as things now stand is that there may be some undeclared electoral adjustments and after the results come in, they may work together in a Shiv Sena-MNS front.


http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4082821&page=0

Friday, June 25, 2010

Sushil Modi joins Nitish's 'Vishwash Yatra'


Updated on Friday, June 25, 2010, 12:14 IST

Patna: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi joined Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's 'Vishwash Yatra' on Friday, indicating an end to the rift between their parties.

Nitish Kumar and Modi left for Aurangabad district as part of the programme ahead of assembly elections in October. The two are also slated to visit Gaya district later today, party leaders said.

The tension between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal-United (JD-U), which together rule Bihar, ballooned after Nitish Kumar returned the Rs 5 crore aid given by Gujarat's BJP government after the 2008 floods in Bihar.

On June 20, Sushil Modi stayed away from a similar Vishwash Yatra. The chief minister then cancelled a march scheduled later that day in Patna.

Nitish Kumar was miffed over advertisements featuring him and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and referring to the aid provided by Gujarat after the 2008 floods.

IANS

BJP appears to be having as its primary goal the winning of elections, almost any which way. Probably the rationale of a political party vanishes if it does not win elections. But the BJP should not forget that it is not an ordinary political party. It was born out of the stream of RSS nationalistic consciousness. I think it should be speaking boldly about nationalism and the underlying Hindu vision that makes Indian nationalism a reality. It has to educate the electorate and even if it looses some elections meanwhile, its innate strength can only grow and be beneficial for the nation. Therefore BJP should not play second-fiddle to "secular" politicians like Nithish Kumar who only want Muslim votes in their kitty.

http://www.zeenews.com/news636441.html

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Another honour killing? Teenaged lovers found hanging

24/06/2010
Fatehabad: In yet another suspected honour killing, highly decomposed bodies of two teenaged lovers were found on Thursday hanging in an abandoned house on Rattia road in Fatehabad district.

Police arrest Ankit Chaudhary, Mandeep Nagar and Nakul alias Nikku, accused in suspected honour killings in Delhi, in Ghaziabad on Thursday. (Report on Page 2) PTI Photo
The boy and the girl, who have not been identified yet, were found hanging from the hook of a ceiling fan, police said.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Shiv Charan said the angle of honour killing could not be ruled out as both were found hanging from the same hook and there was a possibility that their bodies were hanged after murdering them.
The house where the bodies of these youngsters were found was closed for a long time. Prior to the year 2000, this house was used as an office of a regional party, Charan said.
The DSP said police suspect that the lovers either committed suicide together or were murdered and their bodies hanged. Dogs had eaten away the lower portions of their bodies. The stench led to the incident coming to light. A forensic team was probing the case, police said.
In another case, in Ghaziabad, three men on the run after murdering a couple and a young woman in a suspected case of honour killing were arrested Thursday from Garhmukteshwar in Uttar Pradesh, police said.
The three - Mandeep Nagar, Ankit Chaudhary and Nakul Khari - were held during checking in Garhmukteswar area, about 90 km from Delhi, Senior Superintendent of Police Raghubir Lal said. When a police team asked the trio travelling in a Hyundai I10 to stop, they tried to flee.
The three are residents of Wazirpur village in Ashok Vihar in Delhi.
They were fleeing after the triple murder of Kuldeep and Monica and Shobha June 20 in Ashok Vihar. They were reportedly monitoring the situation through television channels and newspapers. They hired a friend's car and went to Dehradun from where they moved to Masoori and then went to Rishikesh.
Delhi Police had declared cash rewards of Rs.50,000 on each of them. While Monica was Ankit's sister, Shobha was the sibling of Mandeep. Khushbu, the younger sister of Shobha, had started modelling. She later eloped and married a person named Ravi Kumar from Jammu and Kashmir at an Arya Samaj temple.
Shobha also proposed modelling but her family, particularly her brother Mandeep rejected the idea. He shot at and killed Shobha, the SSP said.
Monica had married Kuldeep about four years back. Mandeep called Kuldeep on his mobile and when he arrived, Ankit fired three times on him.
They then went to Monica's house and fired at her twice. They went to Rishikesh after committing the crimes and threw the pistol in the Ganga river, the police official said. "We are handing them over to Delhi Police which would conduct further interrogation on them," Lal said.
Ankit when produced before the media denied murdering his sister. "I only took a friend's car after the murder. But I did not kill my sister. I got scared when my name was shown in the channels and papers everywhere so I was running for a safer place," Ankit said.
Meanwhile, the uncle and cousin of Mandeep were taken into preventive custody for making provocative statements justifying the three murders.
"We have taken them into preventive custody under Sections 107 (security for keeping peace in the other case) and 151 (arrest to prevent the commission of a cognizable offence) of the Cr PC (Criminal Procedure Code)," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) N.S. Bundela.
According to the police, this was necessary as statements by the two justifying the crimes may instigate others, leading to other such crimes.
Talking to reporters Wednesday, accused Mandeep Nagar's uncle Dharmaveer Nagar and his cousin Nitin justified the killing of Monica, her husband Kuldeep and Monica's cousin Shobha.
"This (killing) is not at all wrong. What is wrong in it? Murder is wrong but this (killing) is socially the best thing that has been done," Mandeep's uncle had said.
Monica and Kuldeep belonged to different castes and their families did not approve of their marriage, while Shobha had helped her sister elope with a man belonging to another caste.
Source: IANS

K.Venugopal
#1
Friday, 25 June 2010 10:32:42
Such "honour killing" cases should invite the death penalty and should come up before special fast track courts who should close the case in not more than, say, 1 month. Since the perpetrators plead guilty and even gloat over their act, there is no reason to delay punishments in such cases. There should also be a provision for couples who fear that they would face the wrath of "honour killers" to register their marriage in a police station and name the persons who might set out for their lives. Those so named should be immediately picked up should the unfortunate happen.


jaysharma010184#21
Friday, 25 June 2010 03:50:11
I am wondering if Muslims are allowed to follow their personal laws, then why Hindus do not have the same rights in India? Hinduism strated when there were no papers or books or courts. Thye established their own way of life that includes not marrying in same gotra which is spritual liniency and disciple of same Guru are considered brothers n sisters. I fail to understand why parents should be penalised for their efforts to teach discipline their children and why Panchayats should be demonised for keeping discipline in the society. Those who have lost their honour, who got cut their nose, who sided with foreign invaders and adopted their values of slavery have no right to impose nose cutting ceremonies on those who still take pride in their nation, their culture, their traditions. If muslims are allowed to live their lives as per their perosnal laws and traditions why Hindus should be denied same rights?


Dear Jaysharma, I agree that every citizen must have the right to follow his or her personal laws. Some of these laws may be at variance with the laws set out under the Indian constitution. No Indian should be denied the right and freedom to choose between his personal law and the law laid down under the Indian constitution. If you and your partner wish to go by gotra rules of your personal law, you have all the freedom to do so. But if your brother and his partner do not wish to be covered by their personal law, they would automatically be covered by the law under the Indian constitution. Then no one in the name of honour or Khap panchayat would have the right to touch them.

to understand full technicalities of gothra, varna, rushi, tapas, sampradaya ,yug dharma and such other simple looking words, a deeper study, an intense tapas is required. just like i cannot understand the nuclear structure of an atom with my matriculate level knowledge , i need to do further studies to understand
gothra is related to a lineage of a rishi, like bharadhwaj, etc , into which, the initiated acquire the gothra name, denoting the belonging, carrying out the sadhana prescribed by that rishi for evolving , for getting relief from bondages in this life, to live a life of freedom and ultimate moksha, and getting rid of the birth death

K.Venugopal#1
Friday, 25 June 2010 11:13:04
Dear vigil.lance, The common man may not under the structure of the atom, but it is not difficult for anyone to understand the consequences if a nuclear bomb should fall on them. Similarly, the intricacies of gotra may be complex, but anyone in love knows the logical conclusion such love has to take. The knowledge of atom should not give anyone the right to use a nuclear bomb. The knowledge of gotra should not give anyone the right to deny love.


http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4065387&page=0

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

East or West, Manmohan is the best

By Prajith Nakarnimana/India Syndicate, 22/06/2010

If education is the criteria, we Indians have the best leader in the world. Of the rulers of nine countries listed here, Dr Manmohan Singh is the most educated. And we doubt if there is any top leader who has more credentials than our very own Singh.

President Nicolas Sarkozy, France

Sarkozy failed his sixth grade! He was then sent to a private Catholic school, where he was reportedly a mediocre student. He graduated in Private Law from the Université Paris X Nanterre and later did a DEA degree in Business Law. He again failed, when he joined the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris because of his lack of command over English. He was, however, a good lawyer specialising in business and family law.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran


Ahmadinejad ranked 132nd out of 4 lakh students in the 1976 entrance examination, and enrolled in the Iran University of Science and Technology to study civil engineering. He took his PhD (1997) in transportation engineering and planning from Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Italy

After his secondary school at Salesian college, Berlusconi studied law at the Università Statale in Milan. Graduating in 1961, his thesis was on the legal aspects of advertising. A bass player, he wrote football club AC Milan's anthem later.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Russia

Putin was more a sportsman than a student. He took to Sambo and Judo in sixth grade, and they have kept him in good shape even at age 58. Putin is a graduate in International Law from the Leningrad State University.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka

Rajapaksa attended Richmond College, Nalanda College Colombo, Thurstan College and Sri Lanka Law College. He has done a few cameo roles in Sinhalese movies and had a stint as library assistant at Vidyodaya University. He took oaths as an attorney-at-law in November 1977, and has practiced except from 1994 to 2001 when he was a minister.

President Barack Obama, US

In 1979 Obama went to Occidental College, in 1981 he transferred to Columbia University where he majored in political science with a specialisation in international relations and graduated with a BA in 1983. In 1988 Obama went to Harvard Law School where he became editor of the Harvard Law Review. He graduated with a Juris Doctor magna cum laude in 1991. In the same year, he became a Visiting Law and Government Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School. He became a professor at University of Chicago Law School teaching constitutional law the next year.

President Hu Jintao, China

Hu was good at singing and dancing and excelled in school. He attended the prestigious Qinghua University in Beijing, where he studied hydroelectric engineering. He is said to have photographic memory. A fellow student, Liu Yongqing, later became Hu's wife.

President Hugo Chávez, Venezuela

Chávez enrolled at the Venezuelan Academy of Military Sciences when he was 17. After graduating in 1975 as a sub-lieutenant with a Military Arts and Science degree, Chávez served the military for several months. He then pursued political science at the Simón Bolívar University, but dropped out. He was good at baseball and softball and was part of the team in the Venezuelan National Baseball Championships in 1969. Chávez also writes poems and stories.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, India

Singh stood first in BA (Hons), Economics, Punjab University, Chandigarh, 1952; stood first in MA (Economics), Panjab University, Chandigarh, 1954; won the Wright's Prize for distinguished performance at St John's College, Cambridge, 1955 and 1957; was a Wrenbury scholar, University of Cambridge, 1957; did DPhil from Oxford (PhD thesis was on India's export competitiveness) and was conferred DLitt (Honoris Causa).

Source: India Syndicate

K.Venugopal#1
Tuesday, 22 June 2010 22:49:16
Manmohan Singh is also probably the only world leader who plays second-fiddle to his party chief.

http://education.in.msn.com/news/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4055877&page=0

Will US finally extradite Warren Anderson?

22 Jun 2010, 1117 hrs IST
A day after the Group of Ministers on the Bhopal Gas disaster recommended seeking the extradition of former Union Carbide chairman Warren Anderson, the US state department has said they will look into the matter and give any extradition request "full consideration".

With the Bhopal report on the PM's table, the case for Warren Anderson's extradition has resurfaced.

Responding to a question, US State Department Spokesperson PJ Crowley said today that if India put in an official request, the US administration would carefully review the case and consider the mattter in detail.

"As I've said many times from the podium, those requests are confidential, but if we do receive one, we will give it every consideration," said Crowley.

Former Deputy Chief of Mission at the US embassy Gordon Streeb has recently revealed that the Congress government at the Centre in 1984 assured the US government that it would allow Warren Anderson to travel to India and his safe return. He claims the then Indian foreign secretary had assured him no action would be taken against UCIL chief at that time.

When asked whether the US State Department intervened in the days following the Bhopal gas leak seeking the release of Anderson when he was arrested, Crowley said he did not know the details of Streeb's claims.

"I do not know what the former DCM, who I think is now a private citizen, what he told the media," said Crowley.

Despite the continuing silence of the US State Department, there have been voices in America raised in favour of extradition of Anderson. Influential New Jersey Congressman Frank Pallone had said on June 9 that former Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson deserves to be extradited from the US and stand trial in India in connection with the Bhopal gas tragedy case.

"Warren Anderson absolutely deserves to be extradited from the US and punished for the full extent of his crimes. As chairman of Union Carbide at the time of the Bhopal gas disaster, Anderson was ultimately responsible for his company's actions," said Pallone, who is a powerful member of the India Caucus in the Congress.

In 2003, under intense pressure, the then NDA government had sent a request for Anderson's extradition to the US government, which was turned down.

"The government of the US has carefully considered the government of India's request for Warren Anderson and has concluded that the request of the government of India cannot be executed, as it does not meet the requirements of Article 2(1) and 9(3) of the Extradition Treaty."

The US decision was conveyed by the ministry of external affairs to the CBI on July 2, 2004.

Before any talk of extradition of Anderson, the question that should be asked is why Anderson actually came to India? Since the phrase 'safe passage' has been used by a top Indian official of that time, it should be obvious that the person who sought safe passage, Anderson in this case, was laying down a condition to someone who wanted him to come down. Anderson would not have been keen on coming down to India to be arrested for liability in the accident. Whoever wanted him to come down promised him a safe passage because unless he came down a deal could not be cut. He was subsequently arrested by Arjun Singh, who was not in the loop of things and had to bailed out and flown out through special arrangements to keep the promise of safe passage. That the deal was indeed cut is borne out from the out-of-court deal entered into with Union Carbide. Who were the beneficiaries of the deal? This is what is to be answered.

http://www.timesnow.tv/Will-US-finally-extradite-Warren-Anderson/articleshow/4347970.cms

NYC suspect pleads guilty; warns of war

Updated on Tuesday, June 22, 2010, 11:01 IST
New York: Calling himself a Muslim soldier, a defiant Pakistan-born U.S. citizen pleaded guilty Monday to carrying out the failed Times Square car bombing and left a sinister warning that unless the U.S. leaves Muslim lands alone, "we will be attacking U.S."

Faisal Shahzad entered the plea in U.S. District Court in Manhattan just days after a federal grand jury indicted him on 10 terrorism and weapons counts, some of which carry mandatory life sentences. He pleaded guilty to them all.

Widely circulated snapshots of Shahzad — a U.S.-trained financial analyst and married father of two — show him with a neatly trimmed beard, all smiles and looking carefree behind sunglasses or with his American wife. When led into court Monday, he had on a white skull cap and prisoner's uniform, his beard shaggy and his demeanor serious.

U.S. District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum challenged Shahzad repeatedly with questions such as whether he looked at the people in Times Square, especially the children, to see who they were or whether he really built the bomb by himself. He repeatedly insisted he acted without help from others in the U.S. and built the bomb "all by myself."

"One has to understand where I'm coming from," Shahzad said calmly. "I consider myself ... a Muslim soldier."

The 30-year-old described his effort to set off a bomb in an SUV he parked in Times Square on May 1, saying he chose the warm Saturday night because it would be crowded with people he could injure or kill. He said he conspired with the Pakistan Taliban, which provided more than $15,000 to fund his operation and five days of explosives training late last year and early this year, just months after he became a U.S. citizen.

He explained that he packed his vehicle with three separate bomb components, hoping to set off a fertilizer-fueled bomb packed in a gun cabinet, a set of propane tanks and gas canisters rigged with fireworks to explode into a fireball. He also revealed he was carrying a folding assault rifle for "self-defense."

Shahzad said he lit a fuse and waited 2 1/2 to five minutes for the bomb to erupt.

"I was waiting to hear a sound but I didn't hear a sound. ... So I walked to Grand Central and went home," he said. The judge repeatedly interrupted Shahzad, including when he said his plot was to retaliate against the U.S. and the forces of up to 50 other countries that had "attacked the Muslim lands."

Cedarbaum said: "But not the people who were walking in Times Square that night. Did you look around to see who they were?" "Well, the people select the government," Shahzad said. "We consider them all the same. The drones, when they hit ... "

Cedarbaum interrupted again: "Including the children?"

Shahzad answered: "Well, the drone hits in Afghanistan and Iraq, they don't see children, they don't see anybody. They kill women, children, they kill everybody. It's a war, and in war, they kill people. They're killing all Muslims."

Later, he added: "I am part of the answer to the U.S. terrorizing the Muslim nations and the Muslim people. And, on behalf of that, I'm avenging the attack. Living in the United States, Americans only care about their own people, but they don't care about the people elsewhere in the world when they die."

Cedarbaum asked him if he understood some charges carried mandatory life sentences and that he might spend the rest of his life in prison. He said he did. At one point, she asked him if he was sure he wanted to plead guilty.

He said he wanted "to plead guilty and 100 times more" to let the U.S. know that if it did not get out of Iraq and Afghanistan, halt drone attacks and stop meddling in Muslim lands, "we will be attacking U.S."

Sentencing was scheduled for Oct. 5.

The Bridgeport, Conn., resident was arrested trying to leave the country May 3, two days after the bomb failed to ignite near a Broadway theater. Authorities said Shahzad immediately cooperated, delaying his initial court appearance for two weeks as he spilled details of a plot meant to sow terror in the world-famous Times Square when it was packed with thousands of potential victims.

The bomb apparently sputtered, emitting smoke that attracted the attention of an alert street vendor, who notified police, setting in motion a rapid evacuation of blocks of a city still healing from the shock of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

According to the indictment issued last week, Shahzad received a total of $12,000 prior to the attack from the Pakistani Taliban through cash drop-offs in Massachusetts and Long Island.

Attorney General Eric Holder said after the plea: "Faisal Shahzad plotted and launched an attack that could have led to serious loss of life, and today the American criminal justice system ensured that he will pay the price for his actions."

FBI New York Acting Assistant Director-in-Charge George Venizelos called the plea "right on the mark" and praised the work of "ordinary citizens who alerted law enforcement of suspicious activity."

Shahzad was accused in the indictment of receiving explosives training in Waziristan, Pakistan, during a five-week trip to that country. He returned to the United States in February. The indictment said he received $5,000 in cash on Feb. 25 from a co-conspirator in Pakistan and $7,000 more on April 10, allegedly sent at the co-conspirator's direction. Shahzad confirmed the payments in court Monday and said the Pakistan Taliban also gave him more than $4,000 when he left training camp, where he spent 40 days.

Shahzad, born in Pakistan, moved to the United States when he was 18.

Pakistan has arrested at least 11 people since the attempted attack. An intelligence official has alleged two of them played a role in the plot. No one has been charged.

Three men in Massachusetts and Maine suspected of supplying money to Shahzad have been detained on immigration charges; one was recently transferred to New York.

Federal authorities have said they believe money was channeled through an underground money transfer network known as "hawala," but they have said they doubt anyone in the U.S. who provided money knew what it was for.

Bureau Report

While America must ponder if it has a role in making many Muslims hate it, what with its policy of finding the whole world fair game in its quest for commercial domination, Muslims must also ponder if its problems have not been born from its quest of living in two worlds simultaneously - the Islamic world of the middle ages and the modern world. A middle-ages mindset in the modern world would lead to difficulties of co-existence. This is precisely the problem that the Muslim world faces, a problem of its own making.

http://www.zeenews.com/news635644.html

Saturday, June 19, 2010

No more arrests yet in sex-orgy businessman's case

Updated on Thursday, June 17, 2010, 23:00 IST

Gandhinagar: Police are on the lookout for relatives and business partner of a man, who allegedly forced his wife into having group sex with them for over four years - even causing her to have a miscarriage, a police officer said on Thursday.

Kuldeepak Arora, a Delhi-based exporter, was arrested by the Delhi Police from the Delhi International Airport after a look-out notice for him was issued by police in Surat - the hometown of his wife and where she had finally lodged a complaint.


She alleged that fear had kept her a mute victim to the ordeal going on for the last four years, Kamrej Police Station Inspector S.K. Wala told IANS.

Wala, who is the investigating officer, said Arora was last week brought before a Surat court, which remanded him to nine days police custody. The police remand expires Friday. Arora had also moved a bail application, which will be heard the same day.


No further arrests have been made as police is still searching for his family members including his two brothers, their wives and a business partner, who have been named in the complaint, he said.

Wala said police have evidence of the orgies that the woman was being forced in, adding she even had a miscarriage due to the ordeal.

-IANS


It would seem that the wife must have consented to the orgy because she had not complained for 4 years. She must have fallen out with her husband now and hence decided to expose him. Is "orgy" amongst consenting adults forbidden?

http://www.zeenews.com/news634805.html

Nitish snubs Modi, returns Rs 5 cr Kosi flood aid

Updated on Saturday, June 19, 2010, 11:41 IST
Zeenews Bureau

Patna: The ugly war between Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar is still not over, with the latter on Saturday returning the Gujarat government's aid to Bihar during the Kosi floods of 2008.

Modi’s government had donated Rs 5 crore to the Nitish government after the devastating Kosi floods.


The move came in the wake of the controversy which erupted after the Gujarat government, in an advertisement, claimed it had donated liberally to Bihar after the Kosi floods.

The publication of Kumar’s photograph with that of Narendra Modi in another advertisement published in Bihar dailies had added fuel to the fire.

Speaking to a television channel, Bihar Disaster management Minister Devesh Thakur said, “We felt… the whole issue was in compliance with our secular image so we returned the money.”

Further, clarifying his government’s stand, Thakur said, “We feel minorities should feel safe and secure in the state. Modi has an image of being anti-secular, so we don’t want this to affect our party.”


When asked about the BJP-JD(U) alliance, the minister said his party doesn’t have any problem with continuing its relationship with the national party.

The Nitish-Modi spat had come out in open when the Bihar CM had termed as "uncivilised" Gujarat government's claim through newspaper advertisements that it donated liberally to Bihar after the 2008 Kosi floods.

Kumar also took strong exception to the use of his photograph with that of Narendra Modi in another advertisement published in local dailies and said he would take legal action against those responsible for it.

"The Gujarat government's claim (on flood relief) is uncivilised and against Indian culture. Nobody claims of bestowing favours on those who face tragedy caused by natural calamities," Kumar, who heads the JD(U)-BJP coalition government in Bihar, had told reporters.

"I have no knowledge about the agency advertising my photograph along with that of Modi as published in newspapers today. Nor was my office consulted... I will explore and take all possible legal action against those responsible for this unethical and illegal act," the chief minister had said.

Kumar had, however, clarified that such developments would not impact the alliance between the two parties.

His comments came at a time when the two parties are preparing for the Assembly Elections in the state due later this year. Kumar has kept Modi at an arm's length apparently to woo Muslim voters.

He had specifically asked the BJP not to use Modi, who had received flak for the 2002 Gujarat riots, in its campaign in the state during the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.

A section of BJP leadership felt the advertisements were brought out by those opposed to the JD(U)-BJP alliance.


What a shame - just to ensure Muslim votes. The Hindus of Bihar (if they can get to consider themselves that) should teach Nitish a lesson at the polls.

http://www.zeenews.com/news635093.html

Friday, June 18, 2010

Allegations of deal with Anderson outrageous: Congress

Press Trust Of India
Washington, June 18, 2010
First Published: 09:24 IST(18/6/2010)
Last Updated: 14:58 IST(18/6/2010)

Congress has termed as "outrageous" and "ridiculous" the allegations that Rajiv Gandhi government had assured "safe passage" to Union Carbide Chief Warren Anderson before he came to India in the aftermath of the deadly 1984 Bhopal gas leakage that killed thousands.
"There is absolutely no evidence of any kind whatsoever direct or indirect to support this completely outrageous and ridiculous allegation," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said at a press conference in Washington DC.
Earlier, the then Foreign Secretary MK Rasgotra gave a new twist to the raging controversy over the Bhopal gas tragedy by disclosing that the Home Ministry, under PV Narasimha Rao, had assured "safe passage" to Anderson before he came to India in the aftermath of the gas leakage.
"The allegation is purely political," Singhvi claimed when asked about the statements coming from Rasgotra and the then Deputy Chief de Mission at the US Embassy in New Delhi, Gordon Streeb, that the then Union Government had assured safe passage to Anderson during his trip to India.
"The Prime Minister of India does not deal with what every police constable does. There is absolutely no connectivity. "I would ask you a simple question: Why this gentleman is saying this for the first time after 25 years? Could he not find any other time to make this allegation? And why are those political parties picking up these on themes on the basis of allegations being made now. If there was slightest of evidence, these allegations would have been made earlier," Singhvi said.
"There is now as you know a GOM. All those things deserves to be looked into... but certainly there is no place for such outrageous allegations. Because there is no basis, except that it creates a certain amount of political sensationalism and mockery by certain vested interest."
"All is not lost, because there are procedures by which A, a review petition can be filed before the Supreme Court to consider reviewing a judgement passed by it years ago. B, the process of perusing that criminal proceedings in which he was declared a proclaimed offender can be restarted," the Congress spokesman said.
K.Venugopal 0 minutes ago

Circumstantial evidence is enough prove that a "safe passage" promise was inevitable. Why did Anderson want to come to India after the largest gas leak in history, without even considering the health hazard he would personally put himself to? He obviously wanted to come to India to stitch a deal which would reduce Union Carbide's liability and the Government of India, under Rajiv Gandhi, was keen to strike a deal. The out-of-court paltry settlement is proof that such a deal was struck. No doubt the beneficiaries of the Bhopal deal are the legal heirs of Rajiv Gandhi, who are also the beneficiaries of the Bofors deal.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Allegations-of-deal-with-Anderson-outrageous/H1-Article1-559411.aspx

Allegations of deal with Anderson outrageous: Congress

PTI, Jun 18, 2010, 11.58am IST
WASHINGTON: Congress party on Friday termed as "outrageous" the allegations that erstwhile Rajiv Gandhi government had assured "safe passage" to Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson before he came to India following the deadly Bhopal gas leakage that killed thousands.

"There is absolutely no evidence of any kind whatsoever direct or indirect to support this completely outrageous and ridiculous allegation," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said at a press conference here.

Earlier, the then foreign secretary M K Rasgotra gave a new twist to the raging controversy over the Bhopal gas tragedy by disclosing that the home ministry, under P V Narasimha Rao, had assured "safe passage" to Anderson before he came to India in the aftermath of the gas leakage in 1984.

"The allegation is purely political," Singhvi claimed when asked about the statements coming from Rasgotra and the then Deputy Chief de Mission at the US Embassy in New Delhi, Gordon Streeb, that the then Union government had assured safe passage to Anderson during his trip to India.

"The Prime Minister of India does not deal with what every police constable does. There is absolutely no connectivity... Why this gentleman is saying this for the first time after 25 years? Could he not find any other time to make this allegation? And why are those political parties picking up these on themes on the basis of allegations being made now. If there was slightest of evidence, these allegations would have been made earlier," Singhvi said.

"There is now as you know a GOM. All those things deserve to be looked into... but certainly there is no place for such outrageous allegations. Because there is no basis, except that it creates a certain amount of political sensationalism and mockery by certain vested interest.

"All is not lost, because there are procedures by which A, a review petition can be filed before the Supreme Court to consider reviewing a judgement passed by it years ago. B, the process of perusing that criminal proceedings in which he was declared a proclaimed offender can be restarted," the Congress spokesman said.

Responding to a question, Singhvi said there is no connection between the Bhopal tragedy and the Nuclear Liability Bill pending in the Parliament.

"I do not see any reason to connect the two (Bhopal issue and nuclear liability bill). Because the proposed civil nuclear liability bill is specifically restricted and operative in respect to suppliers and operators of nuclear parts. Nobody is suggesting that the Bhopal site involved a nuclear plant. Even if it is passed in whatever form, it (Nuclear Liability Bill) would have nothing to do with non-nuclear plant sites," he said.

Singhvi is leading an all-party delegation of Members of Parliament to attend the annual India-Yale Parliamentary Leadership Programme.

Circumstantial evidence indicates that there must have been a "safe passage" promise, because it was senior government officials who escorted Anderson out of Bhopal after his bail. The more important question that has not been raised so far is, why did Anderson decide to come to India after a gas leak of unprecedented proportions? Was it to give moral support to the victims? Or was it to cut a deal with the powers that be to dilute Union Carbide's liability in the case? Was it this deal which later saw the Government of India settle for a paltry out-of-court settlement? Had Bhopal money filled the Swiss Bank account of Rajiv Gandhi and family even before Bofors money did? Anderson might sing if extradited. Or maybe we are forgetting Keshub Mahindra, his Indian partner. He must be privy to the whole thing. Keshub Mahindra must be arrested and questioned. The greatest scandal of post-independent India must be unraveled.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Allegations-of-deal-with-Anderson-outrageous-Congress/articleshow/6062272.cms

Ridiculous to link Rajiv Gandhi, Anderson safe passage: Cong

Congress party on Friday, termed as "outrageous" the allegations that erstwhile Rajiv Gandhi Government had assured "safe passage" to Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson before he came to India following the deadly Bhopal gas leakage that killed thousands.
"There is absolutely no evidence of any kind whatsoever direct or indirect to support this completely outrageous and ridiculous allegation," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said at a press conference here.
Earlier, the then Foreign Secretary M K Rasgotra gave a new twist to the raging controversy over the Bhopal gas tragedy by disclosing that the Home Ministry, under P V Narasimha Rao, had assured "safe passage" to Anderson before he came to India in the aftermath of the gas leakage in 1984.
"The allegation is purely political," Singhvi claimed when asked about the statements coming from Rasgotra and the then Deputy Chief de Mission at the US Embassy in New Delhi, Gordon Streeb, that the then Union Government had assured safe passage to Anderson during his trip to India.

"The Prime Minister of India does not deal with what every police constable does. There is absolutely no connectivity... Why this gentleman is saying this for the first time after 25 years? Could he not find any other time to make this allegation? And why are those political parties picking up these on themes on the basis of allegations being made now. If there was slightest of evidence, these allegations would have been made earlier," Singhvi said.
"There is now as you know a GOM. All those things deserves to be looked into... but certainly there is no place for such outrageous allegations. Because there is no basis, except that it creates a certain amount of political sensationalism and mockery by certain vested interest.
"All is not lost, because there are procedures by which A, a review petition can be filed before the Supreme Court to consider reviewing a judgment passed by it years ago. B, the process of perusing that criminal proceedings in which he was declared a proclaimed offender can be restarted," the Congress spokesman said.
Responding to a question, Singhvi said there is no connection between the Bhopal tragedy and the Nuclear Liability Bill pending in the Parliament.
"I do not see any reason to connect the two (Bhopal issue and Nuclear Liability Bill). Because the proposed civil nuclear liability bill is specifically restricted and operative in respect to suppliers and operators of nuclear parts. Nobody is suggesting that the Bhopal site involved a nuclear plant. Even if it is passed in whatever form, it (Nuclear Liability Bill) would have nothing to do with non-nuclear plant sites," he said.
Singhvi is leading an all-party delegation of Members Parliament to attend the annual India-Yale Parliamentary Leadership Programme.

What is this "safe passage" that is being talked about? Is it not tantamount to invalidating the rule of law that is incumbent on Indian soil? For what purpose did Anderson elicit this assurance and come to India? To enter into a secret-deal with his Indian partner Mahindra Keshub to wriggle out of Union Carbide's liability? Was the Union Government privy to this secret deal? Was it this deal that led to the paltry out-of-court settlement? Were Indian interests sold out? Did Anderson come to India to fix a price for the sale of Indian interests? Was the Congress politicians beneficiaries of the sell out? Details of this sordid drama must be exposed.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ridiculous-to-link-rajiv-gandhi-anderson-safe-passage-cong/635518/0

'Dr Zakir Naik barred from entering UK'

Updated on Friday, June 18, 2010, 13:21 IST

London: Britain has banned a radical Indian preacher, who claimed that "every Muslim should be a terrorist," from entering the country, a paper reported Friday, citing the interior minister.

Zakir Naik, a 44-year-old television preacher, had been due to give a series of lectures in London and northern England, but new Home Secretary Theresa May has decided to bar him. Theresa told this to the Daily Telegraph.


"I have excluded Dr Naik from the UK," said May, cited by the paper. "Numerous comments made by Dr Naik are evidence to me of his unacceptable behaviour.

"Coming to the UK is a privilege not a right and I am not willing to allow those who might not be conducive to the public good to enter the UK."


May, a Conservative politician who became home secretary in the new government last month, has the power to exclude or deport an individual if she believes their presence in Britain could be dangerous.

Naik had been filmed on a website making inflammatory comments, interior ministry sources told the newspaper.

According to the Telegraph, in a web posting from 2006, he said: "Beware of Muslims saying Osama bin Laden is right or wrong. I reject them... we don't know.

"But if you ask my view, if given the truth, if he is fighting the enemies of Islam, I am for him. I don't know what he's doing. I'm not in touch with him. I don't know him personally. I read the newspaper.

"If he is terrorising the terrorists, if he is terrorising America the terrorist, the biggest terrorist, every Muslim should be a terrorist."

Bureau Report

UK, being a democratic country, ought not to have banned Dr. Zakir Naik merely because of the views he holds. So long as Zakir Naik does not call for violence (which I do not think he has) he is well within his right to hold the views he does, including considering America the greatest terrorist. I would give him the benefit of doubt regarding his justifying Muslims attacking the greatest terrorist as a moral stand as opposed to actual masterminding of physical violence. He could be booked if parts of his speeches in UK are provocative or a call to violence. By banning him, UK has missed the opportunity of confronting him face to face and challenging his half-baked opinions.

http://www.zeenews.com/news634870.html

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Anderson was assured 'safe passage' by Rajiv Gandhi Govt

18/06/2010

New Delhi: Union Carbide Chief Warren Anderson had been assured a "safe passage" before he came to India in the aftermath of the deadly 1984 gas leakage incident, the then Foreign Secretary M K Rasgotra disclosed here on Thursday.

The then chairman of Union Carbide Warren Anderson wanted to come to India to 'see' the tragedy in Bhopal and offer condolences. But he wanted an assurance that he would not be arrested. This assurance came from the Rajiv Gandhi government.
Anderson had requested a "safe passage" through the US Embassy, Rasgotra told in an interview to a news channel. According to the channel, Rasgotra said the then Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi was subsequently told about granting Anderson a safe passage, to which he did not object.
"He (Gordon Streeb, the then deputy chief of the US mission here) said Anderson wanted to come here. There was a tragic situation and he wanted to see things himself, wanted to offer his condolences but he would come only if granted safe passage," Rasgotra said.

The Arjun Singh government initially arrested Anderson without knowing of the 'assurances' given by the Rajiv Gandhi government.

"I said, I cannot assure of safe passage. I would have to consult concerned authorities and I will get back to you.....I got in touch with the Home Ministry and I got in touch with the Cabinet Secretary. I told them what Streeb had asked for and I waited for the instructions," the former diplomat said.
Rasgotra also maintained that he got the instructions the "same day". Terming the request for safe passage by Anderson as "understandable", Rasgotra also described his arrest as "wrong."

It was the home ministry under P V Narasimha Rao that took the decision to give an assurance to Anderson. The question being asked now is: Was Rajiv Gandhi aware of this.

"It was quite understandable request. This man wanted to come, express his condolences and sorrow. I thought it was quite understandable and if he wanted to come, we should let him come.......He was given safe passage and the arrest was wrong. And the authorities, I think, realised that was a bad thing to do and they released him," he said.
Asked if the then chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Arjun Singh was unaware of the safe passage which resulted in Anderson's brief arrest in Bhopal, Rasgotra said "Did Arjun Singh really arrest him or the administrative authorities or police arrested. I cannot say."
Source: The Indian Express

K.Venugopal
#1
Friday, 18 June 2010 10:39:53
It was absolutely a sell-out to have assured Anderson a safe passage. Any bureaucrat or politician worth his salt had no right to say anything beyond maintaining that the law would take its own course. Is there any provision in the constitution that assures anyone a safe passage beyond the orbit of law? And why was Anderson's visit in the first place important? He probably came to tell his partner Keshub Mahindra to destroy certain documents so that Union Carbide is not compromised. Maybe it was his visit and secret deal with Keshub Mahindra which enabled Union Carbide to get away with a paltry out-of-court settlement. Those who sold out the interests of the Indian people should be thoroughly exposed.


http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4032732&page=0

Nityananda courts new trouble, may face jail again


Updated on Thursday, June 17, 2010, 00:22 IST
Bangalore: Self-styled godman Nityananda Swami has courted fresh trouble for allegedly using kerosene meant for poor families during his meditation for 'penance' and may face a seven-year jail term if convicted.

Nityananda, out on bail on June 12 after remaining in jail for 53 days on rape and other criminal charges, resorted to the 'pancha tapasya' by meditating in his Bidadi ashram in neighbouring Ramanagara district. While meditating, Nityananda sat and prayed with a fire set around him.

Officials of Food and Civil Supplies department today seized 180 litres of blue kerosene stored at the ashram. "This is an offence under the Essential Commodities Act," Commissioner H R Srinivasa told PTI here.

Blue kerosene available under public distribution system is only meant for BPL ration card holders and above poverty line ones without LPG connection, he said.

"Cases have now been booked against him at Bidadi police station under section six and seven of the Essential Commodities Act," Srinivasa said. If convicted, Nityananda faces a maximum punishment of seven years of rigorous imprisonment with penalty.

Meanwhile, Nityananda's ashram sought to distance itself from the episode of usage of blue kerosene.

"There have been some remarks in media about the use of kerosene oil during the Pancha Tapas Yoga and unfortunately, some people are using this as a reason to harass the ashramites and stop the ashram's spiritual activities," it said in a statement.

A source in the Nityananda's ashram Dhyanapeetham, however, said they have decided to use camphor during the meditation from tomorrow and not kerosene.

The seizure came in the wake of photographs showing disciples pouring blue kerosene for a ring of fire within which Nityananda sat in meditation.

Nityananda was arrested in Himachal Pradesh on April 21 after eluding police who were on the lookout following a private TV channel in Chennai telecasting a purported video footage of the godman in a compromising position with a Tamil actress in March.

-PTI

This is a ridiculous charge meant only to harass the Swami. There is no doubt that there are anti-Hindu forces in the Government departments. The BJP government should enquire into this. It is common knowledge that many who get their BPL ration sell it in the open market for additional income, particularly those who have access to firewood. Since kerosene is available in the open market and any citizen has the right to buy it, there is hardly likely to be a case against the ashram. The law is meant to curb those ration shops owners who sell stock meant for the BPL families in the open market.

http://www.zeenews.com/news634561.html

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Church backs principal in La Mart boy's suicide case


The Church of North India (CNI)'s Kolkata Diocese, which runs La Martinere School for Boys here, today claimed the caning of Rouvanjit Rawla by the Principal had no connection with the student's suicide.
"Taking into account all that has happened, we would request the media not to link the caning of Rouvanjit with his suicide," executive member of the CNI Synod and Diocesese of Kolkata Suman Biswas said from Delhi.
Biswas said that after Rouvanjit was caned by Principal Sunirmal Chakravarthy on February 8, he went home as a normal child and even told his vice principal in a 'laughing spirit' that he could not be detained as the principal had already punished him for the offence.
Rouvajit did not come to school for three days after the caning and arrived on the fourth day with some stink bombs, Biswas said. "If he was so much in deep anguish, pain and humiliation after his caning, do you think he would have played this kind of trick again in the class?"
He said Rouvanjit's post-mortem report, as quoted in a section of the media today, did not link the suicide with the caning.
While apologising for the caning of Rouvanjit by the school principal, Biswas said it was done as a disciplinary action and not intended to hurt him physically.
He said corporal punishment, however, would not be practised in any of the 32 educational institutions run by the CNI Kolkata diocese.
He alleged some people were trying to use the incident for their own benefit but declined to identify them. "I would ask these people to leave their personal considerations and stand behind the bereaved family of Rouvanjit."
CNI Bishop of Kolkata Rev Ashok Biswas was not available for comment as he was abroad.


I think the media has blown up this issue out of proportion. While the death of a young student, whatever the cause, is a tragedy - death by suicide is beyond imagination. Caning must have been going on in the institution since its inception but this is the first suicide attributed to caning. A deeper probe from the point of view of the poor boy's temperament must be conducted if we wish to post-mortem the event at all. Of late the media seems to be after scalps of the famous and mighty and are sensationalizing incidents so that they can take the story forward as they wish. More maturity is called for from all sides.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/church-backs-principal/634657/#postComment

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Mumbai in a tailspin as rains inundate many areas

16/06/2010
Mumbai: Parts of India’s financial capital came to a grinding halt on Wednesday morning as the South West monsoon unleashed its fury, inundating many areas including Dadar, Parel, Lalbaug and Hindmata.

Two women hold the hands of a child while walking in a heavy shower in Mumbai on Tuesday. PTI Photo
Traffic came to a halt as the roads got flooded leading to a huge pile up of cars and buses ahead of the rush hour. Office goers were badly hit. Trains services in many sections were running late.
Long distance train services too have been hit and flights were running one hour late. Many who were to catch a morning flight were stranded on the roads leading to the airport.

Dark clouds overshadow the sky in Mumbai on Tuesday. PTI Photo
The Met department has issued a warning of high tide around noon and people have been warned not to go near the sea side. Fishermen too have been warned against going to the seas.
It may be recalled that last weed two students got drowned at Juhu due to high tide.

People have been warned not to go the sea shore as high tide is expected by noon.
Meanwhile, eight people were crushed to death in sleep when a wall collapsed in Mumbai's Thane area early Wednesday, police said.
The boundary wall of Dosti Constructions in Vartak Nagar suburb of Dyaneshwar Nagar area suddenly collapsed on the hutments adjacent to the wall, trapping the people who were fast asleep.

People have been warned not to go the sea shore as high tide is expected by noon.
Relief operations were underway by the police and fire brigade officials to rescue the people trapped in the debris.
As per preliminary information, the wall is believed to have collapsed owing to heavy rains lashing Mumbai in the past two days.
So far, there have been 40 rain-related deaths across the state in the past one week.
Source: India Syndicate and IANS

K.Venugopal
#1
Wednesday, 16 June 2010 11:30:21
To use the word "tailspin" to describe the situation in Mumbai following this morning's rain is pure exaggeration. It was normal rain and during the monsoon such rains cause some hiccups. The trains had not stopped, only was running 15 minutes delayed. It is not as if the city had spun out of control. That needs to wait for really big rains. So please save your colourful words for another rainy day.

http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4022292&page=0

Monday, June 14, 2010

Gadkari now BJP's chief worry

Poornima Joshi
New Delhi, June 12, 2010
In the six months since he took over as BJP chief, Nitin Gadkari has been in the news for all the wrong reasons - from going into a swoon and mouthing expletives to bursting into song of the Bollywood variety.
As the BJP chief flies to Patna to chair the party's two-day national executive meeting that starts on Saturday, the RSS's decision to pick him over others is already under the scanner.
While his counterparts - Sushma Swaraj in the Lok Sabha and Arun Jaitley in the Rajya Sabha - are held in high regard by the party cadre as well as political rivals, Gadkari's mention merely invokes sniggers and private jokes across party lines. From his bizarre mannerisms and the near absence of social and political etiquette to the BJP's president's handling of crucial political issues, each action has evoked a negative reaction within the party.
The controversial decisions he has taken include the selection of candidates for the Rajya Sabha, the mess he presided over in Jharkhand and the formation of a new team of office-bearers.
Then there is his distasteful spiel about Lalu Prasad and Mulayam Singh Yadav at a public rally in Chandigarh last month. "Bade daharte the sher jaise. Ab kutte ke jaise ban kar Soniaji aur Congress ke ghar par talve chatne lage (Lalu and Mulayam were roaring like lions before the cut motion in Parliament, but now they are licking Sonia and Congress's feet like dogs)," the BJP president had said at a public rally.
The remark is still a cause of discomfiture for top party leaders even as it attracted an equally unsavoury response from Lalu.
"No BJP president has ever been engaged in such an obnoxious exchange. But if you abuse someone, he will respond. I don't know why we had to install a provincial nobody at the top," a BJP insider said. Those who were left out when the BJP president constituted his team of officebearers are actually relieved now that they do not have to take the blame for Gadkari's political misadventures.
"I was actually quite upset at not being included in the team. After having won the elections and working for years, one expects rewards. But now I am quite relieved. I do not get attacked for the central team's mistakes every time I go to my home state," a BJP Lok Sabha MP said.
Gadkari's team includes 121 new members of the BJP national executive. It has been widely criticised for the absence of grassroots workers, strategists and political thinkers. In fact, the difference between what the BJP has been reduced to now and the impressive line- up in the party's heyday - its top leaders then included Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L. K. Advani followed by a GenNext comprising K. N. Govindacharya, Pramod Mahajan, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Narendra Modi - is too stark to remain unnoticed.
While Vajpayee and Advani are figureheads in the BJP's top decision- making bodies such as the parliamentary board and the national executive, the RSS has desired a complete demarcation in the party organisation headed by Gadkari and its parliamentary wing helmed by Swaraj and Jaitley.
So, minus Swaraj and Jaitley, the BJP's organisation is left saddled with a president and general secretaries who do not have a national profile. The only exceptions are Vasundhara Raje and Ravi Shankar Prasad. Ananth Kumar is the senior most general secretary, followed by the likes of Thawarchand Gehlot, Vijay Goel, Arjun Munda, Narendra Singh Tomar, Jagat Prakash Nadda, Dharmendra Pradhan, Ram Lal, V. Satish and Saudan Singh.
Gadkari's second biggest mistake was committed in Jharkhand - an exercise termed the " theatre of the absurd" by party elder Murli Manohar Joshi. It all started when chief minister Shibu Soren refused to follow the BJP's diktat on the cut motion against UPA on April 27 and the saffron party threatened to withdraw support to the JMM- led government.
For almost a month afterwards, the BJP pursued the idea of forming the government with its own candidate as the CM, while Shibu and his son Hemant played truant.
The drama continued till May 25 when the BJP was forced to withdraw support, leading to President's Rule in the tribal state. " It is entirely the party president's fault. We have been humiliated in Jharkhand," a disgusted state leader said.
The latest among his controversial decisions is the selection of candidates for the Rajya Sabha. There has been a huge uproar and even public protests against the nomination of Ram Jethmalani, the 86- year- old lawyer who contested against Vajpayee, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate in the 2004 general elections. Jethmalani is currently camping in Rajasthan to ensure his election on May 17. H OWEVER, the state unit is outraged over his candidature, with its leader Vasundhara Raje conveying to the central party in no uncertain terms that she cannot ensure the support of all MLAs for Jethmalani. "I could have helped Hema Malini win, but I cannot vouch for support to Jethmalani," Raje is believed to have told central leaders.
Besides, RSS faithful and former editor of the Sangh mouthpiece Organiser Seshadri Chari has written a letter to Gadkari objecting to the entire process of selection. He has specifically referred to his contemporary Tarun Vijay, who is the former editor of the Organiser's Hindi version Panchjanya.
"We thought we had reached rock bottom with Rajnath Singh, but with the new president, we are plumbing new depths. One can only pray that the decline will be arrested before the next elections," a BJP MP said, succinctly summarising the situation.

Gadkari is working to rustle up the cadre while Modi is being projected as the person to lead the party in the next election. Since organizational work is RSS's forte, Gadkari will succeed in this front. The question is if anything will happen between now and the next elections to dent Modi's image. If his image keeps growing, BJP will win the next elections on the strength of Modi's charisma and Gadkari's organizational finesse.

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/101232/gadkari-now-bjps-chief-worry.html

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Modi drags Sonia into Carbide conspiracy

13 Jun 2010, 1805 hrs IST
Just as the government tried to put a lid on the Bhopal gas tragedy case, Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, calls on Congress president Sonia Gandhi to break her silence on the issue.

Borrowing a leaf out of Sonia Gandhi's lexicon, Narendra Modi dared the Congress President to clarify her stand on the Bhopal gas verdict and allegations that the Centre let off Union Carbide Chief Warren Anderson.

Modi asked the Congress President Sonia Gandhi who was the real 'maut ka saudaagar' invoking a refrain used by Sonia Gandhi to describe Modi in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.

Modi dragging Sonia Gandhi's name in the conspiracy said, "Madam Soniaji, the country wants to know. Break your silence and tell the country who was the merchant of death who is responsible for the thousands of lives in Bhopal. Soniaji speak up and tell the country what exactly happened?. Such a huge tragedy happened. And they are just passing the blame on each other."

Spokesperson of the Congress, Jayanti Natarjan, reacting on Modi dragging the name of Sonai Gandhi into the Bhopal gas tragedy issue said, "Modi practises a morally and intellectually bankrupt and low politics. There is no need for him to drag Sonia Gandhi's name into it. He practises a divisive and disruptive politics. GoM is looking into the matter."

It was in December 2007 that Congress President Sonia Gandhi had accused the Gujarat government for failing to check terrorism during the BJP tenure.

Sonia Gandhi earlier speaking on BJP leaders and Gujarat said, "BJP leaders talk about tackling terrorism, but isn't it true that under their leadership attacks have happened from Jammu's Raghunath Mandir to Akshardham. Not only this, under their foreign minister, terrorists have been freed from Indian jails and sent to Afghanistan? The truth is that Gujarat Government comprises of dishonest and corrupt leaders who are merchants of death."

BJP asks Cong to come clean on Anderson issue

Pressure mounts on Congress leader and the then chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Arjun Singh to break his silence on allowing Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson to flee the country as senior Congress leaders dismissed any role of Rajiv Gandhi in it.

Arjun Singh, who was Madhya Pradesh chief minister in 1984 when the Bhopal Gas tragedy shook the state, maintained a stoic silence, refusing to speak to the media.

Arjun Singh was Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh when poisonous methyl isocyanate leaked from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984 killing over 15,000 people and maiming several others.

Battling charges over escape of Warren Anderson days after the Bhopal tragedy, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today sought to give a new spin on the issue, saying Arjun Singh took the decision on then Union Carbide CEO's exit keeping in view the law and order situation.

With the Congress on the backfoot, the BJP asked it to come clean on its role in allegedly providing safe passage to then Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson after the Bhopal gas disaster in 1984 and demanded that it apologise to the nation.

The BJP demanded that the Congress disclose the individual's name who had ordered the release of Anderson from police custody in Bhopal on December 7, 1984 and facilitated his travel to Delhi by a state plane.

A Bhopal court has on June 8 convicted ex-Union Carbide India Chairman Keshub Mahindra and six others and sentenced them to two years imprisonment, nearly 26 years after world's worst industrial disaster left over 15,000 dead.

The state government has constituted a five-member committee under the chairmanship of Additional Solicitor General Vivek Tankha to look into the trial court judgement and examine all legal aspects including any fresh evidence.

The people of Bhopal have been suffering due to leakage of lethal Methyl iso-cyanate (MIC) gas from the Union Carbide plant in December 1984.

In the aftermath of Indira Gandhi's assassination, the anti-Sikh riots and Rajiv's taking over as PM came the Bhopal tragedy. And a general election was just ahead. Arjun Singh, meanwhile, did the obvious in arresting Anderson but the chap obtained bail. The point is, after obtaining bail, it was the same Arjun Singh who facilitated his departure to Delhi. It was not as if Anderson had to make his own arrangements after the bail. The bail application was not opposed by the government. This indicates that after his arrest, Arjun Singh received instructions to take measures to release Anderson. Such an instruction could not have come from anyone else than Rajiv Gandhi. America did not, obviously, want one of its senior corporate heads languishing in an Indian jail and would have contacted Rajiv for his intervention. Rajiv must have seen it as an opportunity to be in the good books of America and set in motion the freedom of Anderson. The man who justified the attacks on Sikhs which caused the death of thousands with his comment, "When a big tree falls, the ground around shakes" also gave the call to free a man responsible for the death of thousands in Bhopal. Rajiv Gandhi, it is now becoming clear, was a "Maut-ki-Saudagar".

http://www.timesnow.tv/articleshow/4347335.cms

I viewed Dantewada killings as tragic: Arundhati


Author activist Arundhati Roy has said that she viewed the death of 76 CRPF personnel in Dantewada as "tragic", rejecting suggestions that she had saluted the "people of Dantewada" after these killings by Maoists.
Taking exception to a report from Mumbai based on her speech at a public meeting organised on June 2 by the Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights (CPDR), the writer said in a communication, "I have made it quite clear that I viewed the death of the CRPF men as tragic, and that I thought they were pawns in a war of the rich against the poor.
"What I said at the meeting in Mumbai was that I was contemptuous of the hollow condemnation industry the media has created and that as the war went on and the violence spiraled, it was becoming impossible to extract any kind of morality from the atrocities committed by both sides."
Roy said "I made it clear that I was not not there to defend the killing of ordinary people by anybody, neither the Maoists nor the government. My reaction to the killing of the CRPF men as well as to other recent incidents of violence by the Maoists are a matter of public record."
The earlier report had quoted Roy as having said that she would continue to back the Maoist armed struggle even if she was put behind bars and that "it ought to be an armed movement".
Denying that she had said anything like "it ought to be an armed movement", Roy said her exact words were "I think it is much more interesting to interrogate the resistance to which we belong.
"I am on this side of the line. I am very clear about that. I don't care, pick me up, put me in jail. I am on this side of the line. But on this side of the line, we must turnaround and ask our comrades questions."

Arundhati Roy may lay her sympathies wherever she wishes. It is her democratic right. But does democracy flow from the barrel of a gun? How long would she or anyone else have their democratic rights if forces like the Maoists succeed in their revolution? Those who come to power by the gun will rule by the gun and poor tribals, whose cause they claim to be fighting for, do not have the culture of the gun (except those trained by the Maoists) and therefore it will be an all out rule not of the tribals but by those who wield the gun. The guns of a democratic state like India are not used to bring in gun culture but ensure that there is no gun culture so that democracy can flow through the buttons of a voting machine. Arundhati's equating the gun culture of the Maoists with the gun culture of the state is misleading. The surgeon's knife and the murderer's knives, though both are knives, are not alike.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/i-viewed-dantewada-killings-as-tragic-arundhati/633187/0

BJP having reservations on support to caste census?


With internal differences persisting and RSS taking a strong line against it, BJP on Saturday appeared to be having reservations on its support to inclusion of caste in census.
"We believe in a strong nation. We have put forth our view in Parliament...Why you are asking us when the stand of the central government is itself not clear," party general secretary Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here.
Answering a volley of questions seeking clarity on the party's stand on the ticklish issue, Prasad's refrain was, "we believe in a strong nation. We have put forth our view in Parliament".
He was briefing reporters on the presidential address of party chief Nitin Gadkari to the BJP National Executive which began here.
At the fag end of the Budget session of Parliament, the Lok Sabha had witnessed a debate on the issue of inclusion of caste in census and several BJP leaders including its deputy leader Gopinath Munde had favoured such an inclusion to further the cause of social justice and empowerment.
The Yadav trio -- Lalu Prasad, Mulayam Singh and Sharad Yadav -- were in the forefront of the demand for such an inclusion following which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured a decision in the light of the discussion.
However, there was no mention of the issue in Gadkari's presidential address.
Senior leaders like Murli Manohar Joshi had expressed reservations on inclusion of caste in census. Joshi, who was of the view that inclusion of caste would "disintegrate" the society, had said he would raise the issue at the National
Executive.
The former HRD Minister had insisted that caste census would not solve any problem and it was not the right thing to do, particularly when the country is facing several other problems.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had also expressed the Sangh's opposition to the move.
Earlier in the day, senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar sought to dispel reports of differences in BJP on the issue, saying that there is no confusion in the party.
"There is no confusion on the issue of inclusion of caste in census within BJP. It is for Congress to explain its position on the issue," he said, adding Congress was "rather confused" over it.
The issue has also seen division in the Union Cabinet. The Prime Minister has recently constituted a Group of Ministers headed by Pranab Mukheree to look into the matter.

It appears that when the strongest protagonists of Hinduism are against caste census, those who see Hindu identity as communal want caste reservations, obviously to destroy Hindu identity. The nation should follow the ideology of the RSS, who teach that Hindu identity means identifying with the interests of the Indian nation. RSS ideology is nationalism. Hindu religions have always flourished in India and it will continue to flourish. It does not need anybody’s help. Truth is its own support. But nationalism is something we have to work towards. Otherwise there will be more Pakistans.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bjp-having-reservations-on-support-to-caste-census/632968/0

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Nitish Kumar snubs BJP leaders for ad, cancels dinner

Agencies Tags : Narendra Modi, Nitish Kumar Posted: Sat Jun 12 2010, 19:35 hrs Patna:

In a clear snub to its coalition partner, an angry Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar cancelled a dinner for the top brass of the BJP in disapproval of an advertisement featuring him with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and another on Gujarat's aid during the floods two years ago.
There was bad blood between the two sides, which run a coalition government for the last nearly five years, after Kumar attacked those who released an advertisement featuring him with Modi, about whom he was always uncomfortable as a political ally.
The JD(U) leader, who has an eye on Muslim votes, has fashioned himself as a secular leader and in the past had avoided sharing any dias with Modi in Bihar.

All secular politicians are concerned about what Muslims think of them. They must be seen to be supportive of Islamic sensitivities. Nobody cares for the Hindus and their votes because Hindu votes are divided. Unless Hindus demand that politicians respect their sensitivities too, Hindus will be taken for granted and Hindu identity will soon be of no value. The Hindus will then be on the way to becoming a minority in India. Hindus must wake up before it is too late.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/nitish-kumar-snubs-bjp-leaders-for-ad-cancels-dinner/632997/#postComment

Miffed at ad, Nitish cancels dinner for BJP leaders


NDTV Correspondent, Updated: June 12, 2010 18:27 IST, New Delhi

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has cancelled a dinner he was hosting in a few hours from now for the BJP's national executive at his residence in Patna. He is furious about an advertisement that shows him holding hands with Gujarat Chief minister Narendra Modi.

The advertisement has appeared in several newspapers, as Narendra Modi visits the state for the first time after Nitish Kumar became Chief Minister to attend the BJP's national executive.

When asked about the reason behind dinner being cancelled, Nitish Kumar said, "Chodiye naa..." He tried to avoid cameras.

Modi and Nitish were suppose to come face- to-face at a dinner hosted by Nitish at the chief minister's residence, fueling speculation that Nitish does not want to be seen with Modi on a public or political platform.

The controversy started when the BJP's two-day national executive kicked off in Patna today. One advertisement showed welcoming Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to Bihar, and also shows Modi and Nitish holding hands. The advertisement has upset Nitish Kumar, who is not too happy about being shown to be so close to Modi, since it might upset his Muslim votebank. He has said his photograph has been used without his permission and he could even take legal action.

Commenting on the incident, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said, "If my photograph has been used in the advertisement. I have no information on it, my office does not know about it, no consent has been taken for it. So whatever legal action is possible we will take."

It's not the first time Nitish Kumar has expressed his discomfort about sharing a platform with the Gujarat Chief Minister. Just before the general elections, Nitish had said there was no need for Modi to campaign in Bihar, but just days later the two shared the dais at a rally in Ludhiana. (Read: The tale of two chief ministers -- Modi blitz on Nitish land)

Election in Bihar is just months away and just in case the BJP uses Modi for campaigning, it may not go down well with its ally the JD(U) that's trying to consolidate the 15 per cent Muslim vote in its favour.

All senior party leaders arrived in the city for the brainstorming meet where they will discuss the strategy for the forthcoming Assembly polls in Bihar.

Even a person like Nitish Kumar, who can confidently go to the electorate on the basis of his track record in the matter of peace and progress he brought about during his rule, needs to particularly appease the Muslims. To what level has India fallen that an advertisement showing an actual photograph of Modi and Nitish Kumar holding hands has become taboo so that Muslims are not hurt? Indian secularism has become bizarre.

http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/advertisement-shows-nitish-modi-holding-hands-31284.php

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Inside angle: Arjun released Anderson at Rajiv's behest

By R Shankar, India Syndicate, 11/06/2010

New Delhi/Bhopal: Filling in some crucial blanks in the Warren Anderson affair after senior Congress leaders made certain references to US pressure and the Centre’s involvement, the only surviving Secretary-level officer from those present at the Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary’s all-critical meeting on December 7, 1984 on Thursday confirmed that the orders did come from then Chief Minister Arjun Singh, but added that he was acting at the behest of then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Arjun Singh was the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh when the Bhopal gas tragedy occurred in 1984. It was he who arranged a state police car to rush Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson to the Bhopal airport and gave him a state plane to fly him to Delhi.
R C Jain, who was Agriculture Secretary in the MP government at the time of the gas leak incident, disclosed this while sharing his account for the first time after the controversy erupted afresh following the Bhopal case verdict.
"Although Mr Arjun Singh had given directions to the Chief Secretary, he was acting under the directions of Rajiv Gandhi who, in turn, was under pressure from the highest levels in the US government," Jain told The Indian Express. Arjun Singh has so far not spoken on what led to the release of Anderson.

Arjun Singh, now 80, received instructions from Delhi to free Anderson. Who called him up? From the urgency seen in Bhopal, it looks like the call came from the highest authority – the Prime Minister’s Office. Rajiv Gandhi was then the PM.
Jain was part of the core group formed immediately after the tragedy, which met each morning at 10 am in then Chief Secretary Brahma Swaroop's office. Others in the group included Additional Chief Secretary M S Singh Deo and Environment Secretary A N Verma.
Within half-an-hour of the start of the meeting on December 7, 1984, Jain recalls that Bhopal District Magistrate Moti Singh and Superintendent of Police Swaraj Puri rushed in to inform that they had arrested Anderson who had arrived by an Indian Airlines flight in the morning.

It was a mysterious call from Delhi that freed Anderson who flew to Delhi, had tea with the then president Giani Zail Singh and then fled from India, never to return. Was Rajiv Gandhi involved?
The two also apparently said they had informed Arjun Singh who had left for a political rally somewhere in western Madhya Pradesh. When contacted, Moti Singh claimed that the instructions for the arrest had also come from the CM. But this was not known to Swaroop, who heard about it for the first time on December 7 morning in the presence of his three senior colleagues.
According to Jain, Swaroop asked the DM and SP to continue with the requisite legal proceedings after Puri said that Anderson had been lodged in a Union Carbide guest house on Shyamla Hills.

The Bhopal gas tragedy was the worst industrial mishap in the world. Yet, the government of India did not deal with it in all seriousness.
After an hour, as the core committee continued with its meeting, Arjun Singh called up Swaroop from the place he was holding a rally. According to what Swaroop shared with his colleagues later, Rajiv Gandhi was also present at that rally. But at that time, the CM told Swaroop that while the arrest showed good initiative, Anderson had to be released at the earliest. Swaroop conveyed it was impossible to do so but, as he told his colleagues later, the CM's orders were to "find a way to do so".
Again, the DM and the SP were called to the meeting and were asked to find a way to release Anderson. They first expressed inability to do so and, therefore, the Law Secretary was called in. He too argued that this was not possible after the police had pressed charges against Anderson.

The Bhopal tragedy killed over 15000 people and injured thousands.
Around 1 pm, Arjun Singh again called up the Chief Secretary for an update. And here again, according to what Swaroop shared with his colleagues soon after the conversation, the CM was insistent and said he had to give a "compliance report to Rajiv Gandhi". Later, Swaroop informed the core group members that Singh had even told him to arrange for a state government plane to transport him to Delhi upon release.

At that stage, the SP took the DM away and both discussed the matter. They returned and informed the group that they had found a way to carry out Singh's orders. Thereafter, the orders were carried out. Additional Secretary M S Singh Deo, who was considered close to Arjun Singh, is said to have met the CM the next day after he returned from the rally. It was he who then disclosed to his colleagues that Rajiv Gandhi had told Singh after US President Ronald Reagan had personally intervened in the matter.

Moti Singh, on his part, still maintains that he was not aware on whose instructions the Chief Secretary gave the orders. "Around 2 pm, I got a call from Chief Secretary Brahma Swaroop asking us to reach his office where we were told to release Anderson. I am not sure whose orders the Chief Secretary was following."

He claimed the Chief Secretary always "used to play safe" and would have done so only after taking a legal opinion. "He always used to play safe and would not have liked his decision being questioned."

According to him, Arjun Singh had met him in the morning before leaving for the rally and had given the green signal for the arrest. Asked about the allegation levelled by Roop Swaroop, a relative of the deceased Chief Secretary, that the DM was an Arjun Singh man and was trying to save him, Moti Singh said: "It was Arjun Singh who ordered the arrest in the first place."
Meanwhile, then Director Aviation R C Sodhi said a state government plane could never have left without the CM's clearance. He said he had received a call from the CM's secretariat asking for the plane to be kept ready. Hasan Ali, who piloted the plane, said it took him an hour and 35 minutes to reach Delhi where an Ambassador car came to the tarmac to receive the passenger. He claimed that he was never told about the identity of the passenger he was to fly.
Source: The Indian Express

K.Venugopal
#1
Friday, 11 June 2010 10:32:52
Rajiv Gandhi let Anderson go without facing the Indian courts. Many years later, Sonia Gandhi let Quattrocchi go without facing the Indian courts!