Nasheman

India's largest selling Urdu weekly, now also in English

You are here: Home / Archives for Nasheman

AAP protests, demands Bandaru Dattatreya’s resignation and arrest

by

Bandaru Dattatreya

New Delhi: The AAP on Tuesday protested over the suicide by a Dalit research scholar and demanded the resignation and arrest of union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and the vice chancellor of the University of Hyderabad.

Over 300 supporters of the Aam Aadmi Party’s Delhi unit and its student wing, Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti, besides party leader Ashutosh and MLAs Sandeep Kumar and Rakhi Birla, gathered at the Jantar Mantar here.

“We demand the immediate resignation and arrest of union minister Bandaru Dattatreya for driving a Dalit student to suicide in Hyderabad,” AAP spokesperson Sanjay Singh said at a press conference here.

He demanded that Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani’s role in the matter should also be investigated.

He said the party would launch a nationwide protest on January 21 against the alleged persecution of Dalit students that forced one of them to commit suicide.

“The Dalits have faced persecution after the Narendra Modi government came to power at the Centre. There are several instances, including those in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Haryana, where Dalits were targeted, persecuted and even murdered,” he added.

Ashutosh, while referring to the Dadri lynching, attacked the NDA government saying, “This government is neither for the minorities nor for the Dalits.”

“Today in this country, in the name of Hindutva ideology, there is no space left for any kind of protest. Baba Bhimrao Ambedkar in 1949 had warned the country about the RSS saying that they are a big threat to the nation.

“Today, we promise to follow the words of Ambedkar… We all will have to prepare ourselves to face a long fight against this Hindutva ideology party,” Ashutosh said at the protest at Jantar Mantar.

He also demanded Smriti Irani’s resignation saying, “The PM continues to shield ministers who ostracize Dalits. The PM should sack Bandaru Dattatreya, and Smriti Irani’s role should be probed.”

Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula was found hanging from the ceiling of a room in the New Research Scholars’ Hostel of the University of Hyderabad on Sunday. He was one of the five Dalit students suspended and expelled from the hostel and was staging a protest on the campus for the past 15 days.

Protests escalated in Hyderabad and cities across the country including in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Chennai.

Student organisations including the All India Students Association (AISA), Students Federation of India (SFI) and CYSS and the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) held protests at Jantar Mantar and at the HRD ministry in the capital demanding the sacking of the ministers and strong action against the vice chancellor.

As many as 115 students were detained on Monday after a violent protest outside the HRD ministry.

Dattatreya and the vice chancellor were named in the FIR over the death, which triggered massive protests and demands for their removal from their posts.

Dattatreya had written a letter to Irani, seeking action against their “anti-national acts”.

The HRD ministry on Monday constituted a two-member fact finding team to look into the incident.

(Agencies)

Dalit student’s suicide ‘murder of democracy’: Kejriwal

by

Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday described the suicide of the Hyderabad Dalit student as “murder of democracy, social justice and equality”.

“It’s not suicide. It’s murder. It’s murder of democracy, social justice and equality. (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi ji should sack ministers and apologise to the nation,” Kejriwal said in a tweet.

“(The) Modi government (is) constitutionally duty bound to uplift Dalits. Instead, Modi ji’s ministers got five Dalit students ostracised and suspended.”

Rohith Vemula, a second-year research scholar of science, technology and society studies department at the University of Hyderabad, was found hanging from the ceiling of a room in the New Research Scholars’ Hostel late on Sunday.

He was one of the five Dalit students suspended and expelled from the hostel for staging a protest on the campus for the past 15 days.

(Agencies)

Smriti Irani’s five letters to Hyderabad Varsity in spotlight

by

smriti irani

Hyderabad: Following the death of Hyderabad Central University Research Scholar Rohith Vemula, six letters are in the spotlight, five of which have been written by Minister for Education Smriti Irani, asking answer from the University as to what action has been taken in connection to complaint by Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya.

The letters were written in September, October and November.

On Sunday, Rohith was found hanging in the hostel from where he was banned two weeks ago. He and four other students were accused of attacking an activist of the BJP’s student wing Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in August.

Though the university initially said that there was no evidence of the attack, four months later it suspended the five students and ordered them to stay away from the hostel and the cafeteria.

It is said that BJP Parliamentarian from Secunderabad Bandaru Dattatreya had written a letter to Education Minister Smriti Irani alleging that the university had become a “den of casteist, extremist and anti-national politics”. He had also complained that the university had not acted against the attackers of the ABVP activist, Nandanam Susheel Kumar.

“Comments on VIP reference of Bandaru Dattatreya, MoS for Labour and Employment,” said the email dated 3 September.

Four more letters were sent to the university on September 24, on October 6 and 20, and on November 19.

The letters, almost identical in content, cited Mr Dattatreya’s letter and said “comments/facts had not been received so far”, indicating that the university had not responded to calls for action against the students.

Smriti Irani’s ministry then wrote an email and four letters to the university, attaching Mr Dattatreya’s complaint and asking what action had been taken.

It was on December 21 that the university reversed its earlier decision and took action against the students.

Smriti Irani has denied any interference. “All are familiar that administrative control is with the university and not with the government,” the minister said.

(Agencies)

SDPI stages protest outside MHRD over Dalit scholar’s death

by

SDPI

New Delhi: Social Democratic Party of India activists thronged outside the office of the Human Resource and Development (HRD) Ministry, in the national capital expressing ire over the unfortunate incident of a Dalit scholar’s alleged suicide in the University Campus.

It’s not a suicide but an institutional killing with the involvement of the BJP leaders, the university administration and the ABVP goons, said Mohammed Shafi during the protest. He further said it the Union Minister for Labour Bandaru Dattatreya, BJP MLC Ramachandra Rao and other BJP leaders and university administration are responsible for the Dalit students’ boycott and the subsequent circumstances forcing the Dalit scholar’s death. The matter becomes evident that letters on this matter were sent to the university by MHRD, said Shafi.

Mohammed Shafi demanded from the government that the student’s family must be compensated immediately and that the suspension of the Dalit students be revoked forthwith with an initiation of an independent and impartial inquiry into the alleged suicide of Rohit Vemula.

SDPI Delhi State President Aslam Ahmed said, it seems that the aspiring scholars have paid the price for raising voice against injustice meted out to the minority and backward communities, as they were part of several struggles including that of opposing the death sentence to Yaqub Memon and screening a documentary “Muzaffarnagar Baqi Hai”. The BJP MP, the union minister and all others should be booked for their role in creating a havoc in the Dalit students’ lives resulted by the ban, said Aslam.

The police disbursed the protesters by using water cannons as they tried to cross the barricades.

M Rafiq Jabbar Mulla, Irfan Ahmed, IA Khan, VakilJohree, MuslehuddinMirza, and huge number of Cadres and Members of the party participated in the protest demonstration led by Party’s National General Secretary Mohammed Shafi.

(Agencies)

Dalit student’s death:Protest escalates, Rahul visits campus

by

rahul gandhi rohith vemula

Hyderabad: Protests escalated today over the alleged suicide by a dalit research scholar with activists of a local outfit demonstrating outside the residence of Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, who has been accused in the case, demanding his immediate resignation.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi visited the University of Hyderabad and interacted with students over the issue even as several students in campuses outside the state came out of classes in solidarity with their counterparts here.

The activists of TJYF (Telengana Jagruti Youth Front), a cultural outfit headed by TRS MP Kalvakuntla Kavitha, raised slogans outside the house of Dattatreya at Ram Nagar here and blamed him for the death of PhD scholar Rohit Vemula, who was found hanging in his hostel room on Sunday, triggering angry reactions.

Holding placards, the protestors demanded that the minister should resign immediately.

“Thirty seven of the protesters were taken into preventive custody when they held a dharna near the Union Minister’s house,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Zone) V B Kamalasan Reddy said.

They were later let off.

On the university campus, scores of students, who intensified their protests, demanded that Dattatreya, BJP MLC Ramchander Rao, university’s Vice Chancellor P Appa Rao and two ABVP leaders, against whom cases were registered for abetting suicide of Rohit, be jailed.

Raising slogans like “We want justice”, they held Dattatreya and others responsible for Rohit’s death and took out a rally on the campus.

Resignation of the Vice Chancellor, immediate revocation of suspension of the four students by the university, employment to a member of Rohit’s family, an ex-gratia of Rs 50 lakh were among the other demands made by the agitators.

Rohit was among the five research scholars who were suspended by the university in August last year and also one of the accused in the case of assault on a student leader.

(Agencies)

Delhi govt requests Bollywood actors not to endorse Pan Masala

by

ajay-devgan-vimal-pan-masala

New Delhi: The Delhi government has written to Bollywood actors Ajay Devgan, Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Govinda, Arbaaz Khan and Sunny Leone, urging them not to endorse pan masala products as they contain areca nuts, a potential cancer-causing agent.

The Delhi government has also asked the actors to join its anti-tobacco campaign to save the lives of lakhs of people who die due to oral cancer every year.

“You are often seen on TV and other media advertising pan masala products. Even if these pan masalas do not contain tobacco or nicotine, they surely contain areca nuts (supari) and now there are a lot of scientific evidences which prove that supari causes cancer.

“Moreover, some of these pan masala advertisements are surrogate advertisements of tobacco products which the manufacturing companies try to promote,” said Dr S K Arora, Additional Director (Health), Delhi government, in his letters.

Arora said tobacco use among Indian women is showing an increasing trend as compared to the rest of the world and that these advertisements, apart from e-cigarettes and hookah smoking, are playing a major role in it.

“You are the role model for youngsters, they watch you and your lifestyle and habits and try to adopt it. These advertisements attract the vulnerable population, especially, children and females very strategically and are directly and indirectly responsible for the increasing trends of tobacco use among youngsters and females in India.

“I humbly request you to not participate in pan masala or any other similar advertisements which are harming our society especially the younger generations. Rather, I request you to join us in anti-tobacco campaign to save lakhs of preventable deaths,” Arora said in the letter.

According to experts, areca nuts, the main ingredient in pan masala, is in the league of caffeine, tobacco and alcohol when it comes to addictive properties and also lead to a high number of cases of submucous fibrosis, which can easily turn cancerous.

The Delhi government has already lodged FIRs against a few tobacco companies over surrogate tobacco advertisements.

The government, which is keen to making Delhi tobacco free, has also launched a series of initiatives including observing dry day for tobacco on the last day of every month and tobacco-free Delhi initiative in health, education, transport and police departments.
It regularly conducts various awareness and enforcement drives so that violations under Tobacco Control Act can be minimised.

The Delhi government has already banned sale, purchase and storage of chewable tobacco products but has not been able to implement it because of court cases filed by some tobacco manufacturers which are still pending. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for February 18.

According to data issued by the National Cancer Registry Programme of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), there are 1,300 cancer deaths daily and close to 5 lakh every year.

Tobacco use alone accounts for about 40 per cent of all cancers, 90 per cent of oral cancers and 30 per cent of tuberculosis in India.

About 275 million Indians (35 per cent of adult population and 14.1 per cent of children aged 13-15 years) are tobacco users, mainly smokeless tobacco, according to a paper by Paul E Goss of Harvard Medical School, Boston, and others.

(Agencies)

Dera Saccha Sauda leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim arrested

by

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh

Chandigarh: A few days after the Kiku Sharda aka Palak was arrested for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of his followers, Dera Saccha Sauda leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim is facing similar charges himself.

As per a report in Mail Today, All India Hindu Student Federation, in a complaint to Mohali Police, has accused Ram Rahim of hurting religious sentiments by dressing up as Lord Vishnu.

In a video that has gone viral Ram Rahim can be seen descending from the sky as Lord Vishnu. Student leaders are not amused with the act and have sought that the police lodge a FIR against the self-styled guru.

However, the police are yet to file an FIR against the Sirsa-based guru, who also commands sizeable influence in the doaba region of Punjab.

Hindu leaders now plan to approach DGP of Punjab Police with their grievance. Hey have also threatened to move the court if the police fails to take action against Ram Rahim.

This is the second time Gurmeet Ram Rahim is facing such a charge. He had earlier invited the ire of the Sikh community by gressing up like tenth Sikh guru Gobind Singh, a charge he has denied.

(Agencies)

BCCI imposes life ban on Chandila; Hiken banned for 5 years

by

Ajit Chandila

Mumbai: Haryana off-spinner Ajit Chandila was slapped with a life ban for his involvement in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal, while Mumbai batsman Hiken Shah was handed a five-year suspension for making a corrupt approach to a fellow player as the BCCI disciplinary committee sealed their fate after a meeting here today.

However, the committee, headed by BCCI President Shashan Manohar and comprising Jyotiraditya Scindia and Niranjan Shah,deferred a decision on Chandila’s co-accused Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf till February 12, giving him a final deadline of February 9 to file his reply.

The 32-year-old Chandila, an off-spinner who was found guilty of spot-fixing during his stint with Rajasthan Royals, was handed a tougher punshiment for violating the codes pertaining to accepting bribes, fixing, underperfoming, trying to induce a fellow player and betting.

“He is held guilty of misconduct and corruption within the Articles 2.1.1; Article 2.1.2; Article 2.1.3; Article 2.1.4; Article 2.2.2; Article 2.2.3; Article 2.4.1 of the BCCI Anti Corruption Code.

Ajit Chandila is banned for Life from playing or representing cricket in any form or to be associated in any way with the activities of the Board or its Affiliates,” BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur said in a statement.

“The endeavour of BCCI is to clean cricket and any kind of malpractices will be dealt with severely,” Thakur later said at a promotional event. Batsman Shah, on the other hand, was found guilty of making a corrupt approach to a fellow Mumbai player in the domestic circuit.

“He is held guilty of committing breach of Articles 2.1.1; Article 2.1.2 and Article 2.1.4 of the BCCI Anti Corruption Code. Hiken Shah is banned for five years from playing or representing cricket in any form or to be associated in any way with the activities of the Board or its Affiliates,” the BCCI Secretary said.

The hearing of Rauf was scheduled for today but he did not appear in person and sent a reply stating that “no fair enquiry has been conducted in his matter and hence a de novo enquiry be held by appointing another enquiry officer.” The request was rejected by the Disciplinary Committee.

“The Committee gave him a final opportunity to submit his written statement if any, and produce documents on which he proposes to rely on before February 9, 2016. The date of the hearing and the final order has been scheduled for February 12, 2016 at Cricket Centre, Mumbai,” the BCCI said.

Chandila and Shah had appeared in person before the Committee on December 24 last and were given time till January 4 to file a written response to the charges against them.

The panel met again on January 5 when Shah appeared in person, made an oral submission and a written reply to the findings of the enquiry against him.

(PTI)

Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya booked over Dalit student’s suicide

by

Bandaru Dattatreya

Hyderabad: Police in Hyderabad on Monday booked union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and three others for abetment of suicide and also for violations of the SC/ST Atrocities Act following the suicide of a Dalit research scholar of the University of Hyderabad.

University vice chancellor Appa Rao and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) leaders Sushil Kumar and Vishnu have also been booked.

The cases under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code and also the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (prevention of atrocities) Act were filed in Gachibowli police station under Cyberabad police commissionerate limits.

Gachibowli inspector J. Ramesh Kumar said that the cases were booked on a complaint by Prashant, a student.

“An investigating officer will conduct the investigations,” the officer said when asked what action would be taken.

The complainant blamed Dattetreya for the suicide as he had written a letter to union Minister for Human Resource Development Smriti Irani, which led to suspension of Dalit students.

Dattetreya, who is union minister of state for labour (Independent Charge), had demanded action against “anti-national” and “anti-social” elements on the campus.

Rohith Vemula, a second-year research scholar of science, technology and society studies department, was found hanging from the ceiling of a room in New Research Scholars’ hostel on Sunday night.

He was one of the five Dalit students suspended and expelled from the hostel. They were staging protest on the campus for the past 15 days.

Student groups alleged Rohith was in depression due the social boycott which he and other students were subjected to.

The police officer said they registered a case under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Code with regard to the student’s suicide. “We will take further action after receiving post-mortem examination report,” the inspector said.

(Agencies)

Dalit research scholar, suspended after ABVP’s complaint, kills self

by

Rohith Vemula

Hyderabad: A Dalit research scholar of the University of Hyderabad (UoH), allegedly hanged himself to death 15 days after he was expelled from his hostel along with four other researchers in the wake of a complaint by Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishand (ABVP) activists.

Rohith Vemula, and four other Dalit students of Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) had been on a sleep-in strike in the open on the campus ever since their expulsion. On Sunday morning, following his 15th nightout, the student had strayed away from the protestors’ camp and spent his day in one of the rooms of New Research Scholar’s hostel. At 7.30 pm on Sunday, he was found hanging in the same room. He hanged himself using the blue banner of ASA, a student outfit which has been fighting for Dalit rights on the campus.

Suicide note

In the five-page suicide note recovered from the room Rohith had mentioned how he always “looked at the stars and dreamt of being a writer” and an established academic. The research scholar hailed from Guntur district. “His mother is a daily wage labourer with an agricultural background. His JRF fund also used to support his family,” a student leader said.

The victim was a second year research scholar of the science, technology and society studies department and also a University Grants Commission’s Junior Research Fellowship holder. The student is survived by his mother and a younger brother. In his suicide note, the student had also pointed out that for the past six months he had not got his JRF funds.

University Vice-Chancellor P. Appa Rao expressed shock at the incident. Cyberabad police who had to rush to the campus following protests, however, did not comment on whether any case would be booked. Scores of students of the varsity laid siege to the hostel even as the Gachibowli police had to be rushed to the spot.

As per the university orders, five students, including Vemula, were denied entry into the hostel and permission to gather together following a scuffle between two students organisations —ABVP and ASA that took place on August 3, 2015.

It may be recalled that a scuffle broke out after ASA staged a protest at the university against ABVP’s attack on screening of the documentary, Muzzafarnagar Baqi Hai, at Delhi University. Tension mounted on the campus with agitated students preventing the police from shifting the body to the hospital. A case under section 174 of CrPC was registered in Gachibowli police station. As a precautionary measure, additional police forces were positioned on and around the campus.

KNOW US

GET INVOLVED

PROMOTE

Archives