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No difference between Indian and Pakistan if we grant bail to Aseemanand: Opposition

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Swami Aseemanand

Srinagar/New Delhi: The decision not to oppose the bail granted to Swami Assemanand chargesheeted in 2007 Samjhauta blast case was slammed by opposition parties today with NC leader Omar Abdullah asking how this was different from Pakistan justifying bail for Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi.

“How is the Indian justification of bail for #Aseemanand any different from the Pakistani justification of bail for #Lakhvi?,” Omar, the leader of National Conference and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, wrote on micro blogging site Twitter.

The Parliament was informed by the Government yesterday that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has decided not to oppose the conditional bail granted to Assemanand as it did not find any grounds for it.

Lakhvi, a LeT terrorist and the Mumbai attack mastermind, was granted bail by an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan early this year, in a decision that was slammed by India.

The NIA decision was also slammed by the CPI-M. “He(Aseemanand) is accused in the Samjhauta train Blast case. It was a major terrorist attack in our country. After the coming of this(NDA) government, the various terrorist cases in which Hindutva extremists are involved, attempts are being made to end all cases like that. And the attempt to not appeal against the bail is also an indication to that,” CPI-M leader Prakash Karat said.

Posing as census officials BJP workers try to steal voter ID cards; arrested

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bjp-census-muslim-voters

Bengaluru: In an alarming incident, five members of women’s wing of Bharatiya Janata Party were caught while trying to steal voter ID cards after they visited house posing as census officials in the city.

The development comes amidst ongoing preparations by political parties for impending BBMP elections. All the five BJP activists were taken into custody by the police on Wednesday.

The residents of Siddapura (ward number 144) have lodged complaint against the women accusing them of trying to con them into parting with their voting cards. However, the accused maintained they were only campaigning for the civic polls scheduled for August 22.

“Five women came into my house around 5pm and told me they were from the census department. They asked me to show them my voting card. When I showed them the card, they said it was no longer valid and tried to take it away,” Shamsunissa (62) told media persons.

There was some tension in the area after hundreds surrounded the women workers, but police escorted them to the safety of a jeep. Shamsunissa said that just when she was questioning the women, dozens of men from her locality barged into the house shouting “chor-chor” (thief).

“The men asked the women for their ID cards and there was confusion. After a few minutes, the women started crying and confessed that they were BJP workers,” she said.

Tabrez Suhail (32), one of the men who barged into Shamsunissa’s house, was quoted as saying by a newspaper: “We were following these women for around an hour. They would go to the Muslim houses where the women were alone and ask for their voter cards claiming they were census officials. We knew that no census is being conducted right now and got suspicious.”

The BJP women took down names and phone numbers in cases where people refused to part with their voter cards, he alleged.

However, a senior official of the Siddapura police station said on condition of anonymity that no voter cards were recovered from the women. He said a case has been registered against the women and that sectoral magistrate has been asked to monitor the elections.

R Khaleemullah, from the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), who visited the spot, said, “Names of Muslims, other minorities and SCs had gone missing from the electoral rolls during the last Assembly and Lok Sabha polls as well.”

Many groups had alleged then that the BJP was paying people to part with their voters cards. “This is the first time we have caught them red handed,” he said.

(Agencies)

JD(U), RJD, Congress formally announce alliance for Bihar poll

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JDU RJD

Patna: Displaying a picture of unity, JD(U), RJD and Congress today announced formation of a grand secular alliance and seat sharing among the three parties for the coming Bihar elections.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced coming into being of the grand secular alliance and seat sharing among the three parties in presence of RJD President Lalu Prasad and Congress General Secretary and in-charge of Bihar affairs C P Joshi at a joint press conference.

As part of the tie-up, JD(U) and RJD would contest 100 seats each while Congress would fight in 40 seats. In the 243-member Bihar Assembly, the alliance was yet to announce who would contest in the rest three seats.

Nitish Kumar told reporters that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has been with them in the recent election for Legislative Council 24 seats and they would like it to be with them in the Bihar poll. Kumar indicated the three seats would be given to Sharad Pawar’s NCP if they join the combine.

In reply to a question that Samajwadi Party whose leader Mulayam Singh Yadav is heading Janata Parivar, had not got any seat, Prasad answered “he is my Samdhi (relative) and if need be I will accommodate him.”

Kumar said the grand secular alliance would have a Common Minimum Programme and all constituents would hold joint campaign for the crucial state election in September-October. “The first rally of the grand secular alliance would be held in Patna on August 30,” Kumar and Lalu Prasad said.

The RJD President indicated that the decision to fight on 100 seats only was a compromise for a cause.

“Inspite of all difference his party has come to the conclusion that to keep the communal and fascist forces away, it has to move ahead by accommodating others,” Prasad told reporters.

Congress General Secretary and former Union minister C P Joshi said his party has entered the secular alliance as a constituent because it thinks “today Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the biggest threat to the country.”

Asked if Congress President Sonia Gandhi or Vice President Rahul Gandhi would be present during August 30 rally or in future programme of the alliance, Joshi was evasive.

“These are part of strategy which we will let the media know through separate press conference later on,” Joshi accompanied by state Congress President Ashok Choudhary said.

With secular alliance facing several doubtful questions on possibility of return of ‘jungle raj’ (euphemism to describe RJD’s 15 year rule marked by bad law and order), Prasad volunteered to answer majority of the uncomfortable questions all the while taking potshots at BJP.

All the three constituents of the grand secular alliance have scaled down from the number of seats they had contested in last Bihar election in 2010, though not together.

JD(U), which was in alliance with BJP in 2010 poll, had contested on 141 seats and won 115. BJP, which had contested in 102 seats with Nitish Kumar, had cornered 91 seats.

RJD had fielded candidates in 168 seats and managed to win only 22. Congress had gone in the 2010 poll alone and could win only four seats.

In 2014 Parliamentary election, RJD, Congress and NCP had contested together and managed to win seven seats together out of a total of 40 seats. JD(U) which had gone in general election with Left parties was decimated and managed to win only two seats.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi have been reluctant to share dais in the last Parliamentary elections with Lalu Prasad, who has been convicted by a Ranchi CBI Court in a fodder scam case and has been debarred to fight elections.

When grilled by the mediapersons as to why he was not answering whether Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi would share dais with other grand secular alliance leaders, Joshi reiterated that it was part of strategy of the party which would be announced later on.

With flash bulbs popping frequently, Prasad in a bid to silence BJP, said, “today they must have got answer to all the questions they have been posing to show cracks in his coming together with Nitish Kumar in a bid to confuse voters and scare away upper castes from us.”

Taking a potshot at BJP, the RJD President said, “demolition of Babri mosque and Gujarat riots were examples of ‘mangal raj’ and when I gave voice to poor during RJD rule it is dubbed as ‘jungle raj’.”

He said a few “well wishers” of Nitish Kumar also posed to him every now and then about guarantee that ‘jungle raj’ would not return and how we two would remain together. “Those peoples are ‘nadaan’ (innocents). You will see how we will continue to bond together in future,” Prasad said. “BJP is trying to spread doubts about us but they will not succeed. We are together and remain together,” he said.

(PTI)

China stages biggest currency devaluation in 20 yrs to revive exports

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Chinese one yuan coins and 100 yuan banknotes are seen in this picture illustration taken in Beijing December 30, 2010. A gradual and modest appreciation of yuan is good for China's economy, a senior Chinese central bank official said in comments published on Thursday. REUTERS/Petar Kujundzic (CHINA - Tags: BUSINESS) - RTXW3AD

Chinese one yuan coins and 100 yuan banknotes are seen in this picture illustration taken in Beijing December 30, 2010. A gradual and modest appreciation of yuan is good for China’s economy, a senior Chinese central bank official said in comments published on Thursday. REUTERS/Petar Kujundzic (CHINA – Tags: BUSINESS) – RTXW3AD

by RT

The central bank of China has cut its daily reference rate by 1.9 percent, making its biggest downward adjustment since 1994. The People’s Bank insists Tuesday’s measures are a one-off aimed at reviving faltering exports.

The bank’s announcement prompted the yuan exchange rate to tumble against the US dollar. As of 8:15am GMT on Tuesday, the yuan (renminbi) was trading at 6.33 to the dollar, 1.9 percent lower than Monday.

Over the weekend, Beijing said July exports dropped 8.3 percent, compared to a year before. The weaker the yuan, the bigger revenues exporters get from their foreign sales.

The tough move may also indicate that Beijing is allowing the market more freedom to determine the yuan rate.

“The People’s Bank of China has astutely combined a move to weaken the yuan with a shift to a more market-determined exchange rate,” Eswar Prasad, a Cornell University professor and former China representative of the IMF told the Wall Street Journal.

Becky Liu, a Hong Kong-based senior strategist for Standard Chartered, said the bank’s move was “big… and bolder” than predicted.

“The new fixing will be quoted based on the previous day’s closing, which is a real market level. The band will become the real band. This is a big step, and bolder than we expected,” she told Bloomberg News.

Tuesday’s devaluation comes a decade after Beijing’s key decision to replace the hard peg against the US dollar by a link to a basket of currencies. The exchange rate was simultaneously set within a band of around 8.11 to the US dollar, marking a 2.1 percent move from an 8.28 yuan exchange rate in place before 2005. In those 10 years, the yuan has risen 33 percent, becoming one of the world’s most-traded currencies, while Beijing has staked out its position as the world’s second-biggest economy.

The adjustment could complicate Beijing’s goal of making the yuan the world’s leading currency. On the other hand, becoming more market-oriented is a solid step towards greater openness.

Sex claims against WikiLeaks founder Assange to expire

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Three out of four charges to reach their five-year expiry date next week as his lawyer calls for probe to be dropped.

Assange (right) has always denied the sexual assault allegations against him [AP]

Assange (right) has always denied the sexual assault allegations against him [AP]

by Al Jazeera

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is set to be cleared of three sexual assault allegations made in Sweden within days, as a five-year statute of limitations against the charges expires.

Three of the charges of sexual molestation involving two women he met during a visit to Sweden five years ago will expire on August 13 and August 18.

The statute of limitations on a fourth and more serious allegation of rape is not set to expire for another five years.

Never charged

Assange, who has been holed up at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for more than three years, has never been charged with any offence and has denied all of the allegations.

His lawyer, Thomas Olsson, told Swedish Television last week that it was “lamentable that it’s taken such a long time to wind up this case” and called on Swedish prosecutors to close the investigation.

However, he said it was unlikely that the closing of the case itself would be enough to prompt Assange to leave the embassy, where he has sought asylum since June 2012, as he remained concerned over being extradited to the US to face charges over WikiLeaks’ publication of classified US military and diplomatic documents.

“The reason he is at the embassy is his concern over being extradited to the US and prosecuted there because of the very serious accusations the US made about WikiLeaks publications and because of personal threats made by people in public office,” Olsson said.

“So long as that threat remains – and it’s a threat of global scope – he can’t leave the embassy.”

On Wednesday the Financial Times reported that Ecuador had agreed to hold talks with Sweden about questioning Assange, a move which could end a years-long stand-off.

Swedish officials said Ecuador had wanted Sweden to sign a bilateral agreement on judicial cooperation regarding Assange’s case before allowing Swedish prosecutors to question him. Sweden described the demand as unreasonable.

Assange’s lawyer Olsson said Assange’s lawyers had for several years requested prosecutors to come and interrogate Assange “but had not had a reply”.

“What people forget is that Julian Assange voluntarily attended the first interrogation and answered the questions he was asked,” Olsson said.

“Then the investigation was closed and a new prosecutor arrived on the scene to open it again.”

Bradley Manning, a US army soldier, in 2013 was sentenced in a military court to a maximum term of 35 years’ jail for passing on thousands of classified military documents to WikiLeaks for publication.

India reach 128/2 after bowling out Sri Lanka for 183

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REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

Galle: India posted 128/2 at stumps in reply to hosts Sri Lanka’s 183 in the first innings on Day One of the first Test match at the Galle International Cricket Stadium here on Wednesday.

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was the inspiration behind India’s impressive performance, claiming a six-wicket haul to bowl out the hosts.

Ashwin (6/46) alongside leg-spinner Amit Mishra (2/21) flummoxed the Sri Lankan batsmen to bowl them out in just 49.4 overs in the second session of the day’s play.

In reply, Shikhar Dhawan (53) and skipper Virat Kohli (45) remained unbeaten to help the visitors reach 128/2 in 34 overs at the end of the day’s play.

(IANS)

Rupee crashes to nearly 2 year low, down 48 paise

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Rupee

Mumbai: Staying on a downward trajectory for the fifth straight session, the rupee lost another 48 paise against the US dollar to 64.67, its weakest level since September 2013, due to appreciation of the dollar overseas after China devalued the yuan for the second straight day.

Forex dealers said increased demand for the greenback from importers after China lowered the yuan value continued to put pressure on the rupee.

Furthermore, a lower opening of the domestic equity market played spoilsport, they said.

The rupee had plunged 32 paise to close at nearly a 2-month low of 64.19 per dollar in yesterday’s trade on persistent demand for the American currency from banks and importers on the back of a higher greenback overseas.

Meanwhile, the benchmark BSE Sensex was down 120.70 points, or 0.43 per cent, at 27,745.39 in early trade today.

(PTI)

Malegaon terror attack: PIL in SC accuses Modi govt of influencing trial

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Supreme Court

New Delhi: Accusing the NDA government of trying to interfere with the functioning of the prosecutor in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case by exerting “pressure” on her to “go soft” on the accused, an activist today moved the Supreme Court seeking a fair trial “as the executive is attempting to influence the judicial system”.

The PIL filed by Harsh Mander alleged that National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials had pressured erstwhile Special Public Prosecutor in the case Rohini Salian to “go soft” on the accused “presumably” under instructions from their “political masters”.

The petition, filed through senior counsel Indira Jaising, has alleged that Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which is the controlling Ministry of NIA, “have been allegedly trying to influence/pressurize an honest Public Prosecutor to go soft on the accused persons”.

The petitioner has sought the apex court’s intervention to ensure a fair trial as there were reasons to “credibly fear” that “executive is attempting to influence the judicial system to cave in to the pressure exerted by it in all matters, including affording protection to right wing extremists who sympathize with its ideology”.

Salian, who was SPP in the case, had recently stirred a controversy when she alleged an NIA officer had told her to “go soft” on the accused, a charge denied by the anti-terror agency. She also claimed the same officer had told her that she would be replaced. Salian is no longer on NIA’s panel of lawyers.

“That the factual conspectus afore-stated goes a long way in showing that the government of the day has tried to interfere with the functioning of special public prosecutor, treating the post as if it is under the Government in utter disregard to the principle laid down by this Court…,” the PIL said.

It sought a direction to the Centre to appoint a SPP to conduct “fair” trial and constitute a Special Investigating Team of CBI to probe alleged actions of NIA officials who allegedly pressured Salian. The PIL said pressure exerted on Salian by NIA officials seriously compromised a fair and transparent trial in the case.

“If there is credible reason to fear that public prosecutors are made to succumb to the wishes of their political masters, it is submitted that public faith in the entire edifice on which the free, fair and transparent trial is based would crumble,” it said.

Referring to Salian’s interview to media, the plea alleged that she had made “startling revelations” regarding “hidden hands allegedly nudging the judicial system to free the accused in the 2008 Malegaon case.”

The petition said the case involves people from “right wing extremist fringes of the society whom the present day Government is allegedly seeking to shield by diluting their stance in the prosecution of the case.”

It claimed the government was trying to soften their stance “which inevitablely would result in favouring of the accused, who belong to the majority community and thus strike a blow to the secular ethos of the Constitution and its mandate of protecting the interests of vulnerable minority.”

“This is a case where the systematic victimization based on pre-existing prejudices is writ large and ultimately the fair conduct of the trial would be a very important factor in order to restore the confidence of the minority who have been demoralized to a great extent,” the PIL said.

It said that SPP’s hallmark of being independent from government influence has been “severely compromised” in the case as was obvious from Salian’s statement.

“This is also supported by the fact the NIA since it has taken over the investigation from the Maharashtra ATS has not added any new evidence in the present matter despite strong evidence being available to it,” it claimed.

It said unless the apex court steps in, the victims of the Malegaon blasts cannot expect justice in the current scenario due to the “brazen illegalities” allegedly committed by the government.

The high-profile accused in the case include Lt Col S P Purohit and Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur. The 4,000-page charge sheet had alleged that Malegaon was selected for the blasts because of its sizeable Muslim population. It named Pragya Singh Thakur, Purohit and another accused, Swami Dayanand Pandey, as the key conspirators.

The charge sheet had alleged it was Pandey who had instructed Purohit to arrange for RDX, while Pragya owned the motorcycle which was used in the blast.

Ajay Rahirkar, another accused, allegedly organised funds for the terror act, while conspiracy meetings were held at Bhonsala Military School in Nasik, according to the charge sheet. Rakesh Dhawde, Ramesh Upadhyay, Shyamlal Sahu, Shivnarain Kalsangra, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, Jagdish Mhatre and Sameer Kulkarni were the other accused. The blast on September 29, 2008 had left four dead and nearly 80 injured.

(PTI)

HC rejects Asaduddin Owaisi’s Bengaluru rally plea ahead of BBMP polls

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Asaduddin Owaisi

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has said the returning officer will have to take inputs from the city police before granting permission to the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) to organise a rally ahead of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike elections.

Justice A.S. Bopanna on Tuesday issued the direction while rejecting AIMIM’s plea for a direction to the authorities to grant permission for its public rally that was scheduled for August 11 at Chota Maidan in Shivajinagar.

A jurisdictional returning officer on August 6 had granted permission to AIMIM to hold the rally at Chota Maidan between noon and 10 p.m. on August 11 on the condition that it should obtain permission from the city police.

The police, however, refused permission on the grounds of participation of AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, who was earlier this year barred from entering the city. The retuning officer, on August 10 passed a fresh order cancelling the conditional permission granted earlier.

Observing that the view of the police on law and order and threat perceptions would be important for the returning officer to decide on granting permission, the court said AIMIM could seek permission from the returning officer, the police under the Karnataka Police Act and from the owners of any other venue.

(Agencies)

St. Germain High School hockey tournament in floodlight

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St. Germain High School hockey

Bengaluru: St. Germain High School, one of the prestigious schools in Bengaluru are having their annual OBA hockey tournament, sponsored by Bank of Baroda.

The tournament has been in inception since 1999 by the OBA of St. Germain High School under the able leadership of the then president Leo Devdas, under who the sports foundation committee was formed and has continued the tournament with the support from the Karnataka State Hockey Association.

The tournament started in 1999 was a huge success and was sponsored by Dr. Thomas Chandy. The tournament, is open to all schools in Bengaluru and many prestigious schools have been taking part in the tournament.

This year, the OBA committee headed by Mani Maran are organizing the hockey tournament. Speaking to Nasheman.in Mr. Maran said that we want to promote school hockey in a big way and we will be having the finals in floodlights. He said this is the first time in India a school hockey tournament final is being played in floodlights.

Rolling trophies for winners & runner ups will be given and certificates to all participating players. Speaking to Nasheman.in, Mr. Krishnamurthy honorary secretary of KSHA said that hockey should be protected and requested the media to highlight hockey and advised students to join the free hockey academy.

The finals will be played on Wednesday 12th August in KSHA stadium starting from 4.30 PM.

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