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Modi government pressurizing me to go 'soft' on Hindutva terrorists: Rohini Salian

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Rohini Salian

Mumbai: In a shocking revelation, Rohini Salian, Special Public Prosecutor in the case related to the 2008 Malegaon terror attack carried out by Hindutva extremists during Ramadan, has said that over the past one year, since “the new government came to power,” she has been under pressure from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to go “soft” saffron terrorists involved in this case.

Ms Salian, who hails from Mangaluru, told a reputed Indian English daily that immediately after Narendra Modi-led government came to power she received a call from one of the officers of the NIA — the agency investigating all the alleged Hindu extremist cases — asking to come over to speak with her.

“He didn’t want to talk over the phone. He came and said to me that there is a message that I should go soft,” she revealed.

Matters came to a head this month, on June 12, she said, when just before one of the regular hearings in the case in the Sessions Court, she was told by the same NIA officer that “higher-ups” did not want her to appear in the court for the State of Maharashtra and that another advocate would attend the proceedings.

Ms Salian, 68, a leading prosecutor who has handled important cases like the J J shootout, Borivili double murder, the Bharat Shah case and the Mulund blasts amongst others, said: “The meaning (of that message from the officer) is very clear — don’t get us favourable orders.”

She said she wants the NIA to officially denotify her from the case to which she was appointed in 2008, “so that I am free to take up other cases, against the NIA, if need be”. The Malegaon blast, on September 29, 2008, claimed four lives and injured 79 while another blast at the same time in Modasa in Gujarat killed one. Initially, Muslims were seen as suspects in the case but it was under Hemant Karkare of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) that investigations led to Hindu extremists based in Indore.

Investigations revealed the blasts were allegedly the handiwork of extremist Hindu organisations. Twelve people were arrested in the case, including Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Colonel Prasad Shrikant Purohit. Of the 12, four are on bail.

That probe — later given over to the NIA that was constituted after the 26/11 terror attack in which Karkare was killed — led to a relook at other cases: Malegaon blasts of 2006 (31 killed, 312 injured); 2007 Ajmer blast (3 killed, 15 injured); 2007 Mecca Masjid blast in Hyderabad (9 killed, 58 injured); and 2007 Samjhauta Express attack (68 killed, 13 injured). The probe found many common accused in these cases.

Salian said that the Supreme Court has now decreed that the case should be tried in a special court with a specially appointed judge to see to the matter. “So in a way it’s all back to square one,” said Salian.

On April 15, the Supreme Court held that the Malegaon accused cannot be charged under MCOCA since there was no evidence as on date. Opening the doors for their release on bail, it further said that the trial court should decide their bail plea on merit and without applicability of MCOCA, preferably within one month. This, Salian said, now leaves it open for the accused to once again appeal for bail in the court under changed circumstances.

“A day before June 12, when the case came up again for regular hearing (in the trial court), the same officer who had come to my office came up to me and said there are instructions from higher-ups, someone else will appear instead of you. I said I was expecting this and, good, you have told me this, so please settle my bills…I also said that now they should now denotify me so that I can appear against the NIA in other matters — not this one — in the future. He must have conveyed it to the higher-ups and I am waiting for their action. I have not heard from anyone since then,” said Salian.

“The meaning (of the message from the government) is very clear — don’t get us favourable orders. Unfavourable orders are invited — that goes against the society,” said a perturbed Salian. When asked how she saw the case proceeding further, Salian said, “For a layman or a fresh prosecutor it’s very difficult — one cannot do anything. Maybe they want to loosen it and ultimately lose the case because they can’t withdraw it.”

(Agencies)

India post 317/6 in third ODI vs Bangladesh

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shikhar-dhawan

Mirpur: Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza won the toss and elected to field first against India in the third and final ODI of the series here at Sher-e-Bangla Stadium on Wednesday.

India have dropped Ravindra Jadeja and Bhuvneshwar Kumar and brought in Stuart Binny and Umesh Yadav. Bangladesh were forced to make a change as Taskin Ahmed is not fit due to a side strain. Arafat Sunny is playing.

Bangladesh have already sealed the series with a 2-0 lead. Mustafizur Rahman has been their hero, claiming a world record 11 wickets in 2 matches.

France says US spying on presidents is 'unacceptable'

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Office of President Hollande says “it will not tolerate” acts by a foreign government that threaten France’s security.

French President Francois Hollande called a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the latest WikiLeaks report of US spying [EPA]

French President Francois Hollande called a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the latest WikiLeaks report of US spying [EPA]

by Al Jazeera

The French government has denounced as “unacceptable” reports that the US wiretapped current leader Francois Hollande and former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Jacques Chirac.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the office of the French president said it “will not tolerate any acts, which jeopardise its safety and the protection of its interest.”

“Commitments were made by the US authorities,” the Elysee Palace said in a statement, referring to promises by the US in late 2013 not to spy on France’s leaders. “They must be remembered and strictly respected.”

The statement followed a meeting of France’s defence council called by President Hollande in response to the release of the documents by WikiLeaks on Tuesday.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has also summoned the US ambassador to France, Jane Hartley for a Wednesday afternoon meeting to discuss the report.

Opposition leader Marine Le Pen also said the wiretapping incidents prove that the US is not an ally of France, and called for suspension of trade talks with Washington DC.

French newspaper Liberation and the Mediapart website reported on Tuesday that the spying spanned 2006 to 2012, quoting documents classed as “Top Secret” which include five reports from the US National Security Agency based on intercepted communications.

The most recent document is dated May 22, 2012, just days before Hollande took office, and reveals that the French leader “approved holding secret meetings in Paris to discuss the eurozone crisis, particularly the consequences of a Greek exit from the eurozone”.

Another document dated 2008 was titled “Sarkozy sees himself as only one who can resolve world financial crisis”.

Spy scheme reviewed

Ever since documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden showed in 2013 that the NSA had been eavesdropping on the mobile phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, it had been understood that the US had been using the digital spying agency to intercept the conversations of allied politicians.

Still, the new revelations are bound to cause diplomatic embarrassment for the US, even though it is not uncommon that allies spy on each other.

Hollande said last year that he discussed his concerns about NSA surveillance with President Barack Obama during a visit to the US, and they patched up their differences.

After the Merkel disclosures, Obama ordered a review of NSA spying on allies, after officials suggested that senior White House officials had not approved many operations that were largely on auto-pilot. After the review, American officials said Obama had ordered a halt to spying on the leaders of allied countries, if not their aides.

Neither Hollande’s office nor Washington would comment on the new leaks. Contacted Tuesday by AFP, Hollande’s aide said: “We will see what it is about.”

US State Department spokesman John Kirby meanwhile said: “We do not comment on the veracity or content of leaked documents.”

WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson said he was confident the documents were authentic, noting that WikiLeaks previous mass disclosures have proven to be accurate.

The release appeared to be timed to coincide with a vote in the French Parliament on a bill allowing broad new surveillance powers, in particular to counter terrorist threats.

Pentagon rewrites ‘Law of War’ declaring ‘belligerent’ journalists as legitimate targets

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The Pentagon (AFP Photo)

The Pentagon (AFP Photo)

by RT

The Pentagon has released a book of instructions on the “law of war,” detailing acceptable ways of killing the enemy. The manual also states that journalists can be labeled “unprivileged belligerents,” an obscure term that replaced “enemy combatant.”

The 1,176-page “Department of Defense Law of War Manual” explains that shooting, exploding, bombing, stabbing, or cutting the enemy are acceptable ways of getting the job done, but the use of poison or asphyxiating gases is not allowed.

Surprise attacks and killing retreating troops have also been given the green light.

But the lengthy manual doesn’t only talk about protocol for those on the frontline. It also has an extensive section on journalists – including the fact that they can be labeled terrorists.

“In general, journalists are civilians. However, journalists may be members of the armed forces, persons authorized to accompany the armed forces, or unprivileged belligerents,” the manual states.

The term “unprivileged belligerents” replaces the Bush-era term “unlawful enemy combatant.”

When asked what this means, professor of Journalism at Georgetown Chris Chambers told RT that he doesn’t know, “because the Geneva Convention, other tenets of international law, and even United States law – federal courts have spoken on this – doesn’t have this thing on ‘unprivileged belligerents’.”

This means that embedded journalists, who are officially sanctioned by the military and attached to a unit, will be favored by an even greater degree than before. “It gives them license to attack or even murder journalists that they don’t particularly like but aren’t on the other side,” Chambers said.

Even the Obama Administration’s definition of “enemy combatant” was vague enough, basically meaning any male of a military age who “happens to be there,” Chambers added.

The manual also deals with drones, stating that there is “no prohibition in the law of war on the use of remotely piloted aircraft (also called “unmanned aerial vehicles”).” Such weapons may offer certain advantages over the weapons systems. It states that drones can be designated as military aircraft if used by a country’s military.

The book includes a foreword from the General Counsel of the Department of Defense, Stephen Preston, who states that “the law of war is part of who we are.” He goes on to say that the manual will“help us remember the hard-learned lessons from the past.”

The manual is the Pentagon’s first all-in-one legal guide for the four military branches. Previously, each sector was tasked with writing their own guidelines for engagement, which presumably did not list journalists as potential traitors.

The Pentagon did not specify the exact circumstances under which a journalist might be declared an unprivileged belligerent, but Chambers says he is sure “their legal department is going over it, as is the National Press Club and the Society of Professional Journalists.”

Court takes cognizance of complaint against Smriti Irani

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Smriti Irani

New Delhi: In fresh trouble for HRD Minister Smriti Irani, a Delhi court today took cognizance of a complaint filed against her for allegedly giving false information about her educational qualification.

Metropolitan Magistrate Akash Jain took cognizance of the complaint and fixed the matter for recording of pre-summoning evidence on August 28.

“It is held that the present complaint case is filed under limitation (of time). Cognizance is taken. The matter be now fixed for pre-summoning evidence on August 28,” the magistrate said.

The complaint was filed by freelance writer Ahmer Khan, who alleged that Irani, in her three affidavits before the Election Commission (EC) while filing nominations for her candidature for Lok Sabha as well as Rajya Sabha polls, had purportedly given different details about her educational qualification.

The court had on June 1 reserved the order on the plea after hearing arguments on the aspect of limitation and whether cognizance of the complaint could be taken or not.

Senior advocate K K Manan, appearing for Khan, had told the court that in her affidavit for April 2004 Lok Sabha polls, Irani had said that she completed her BA in 1996 from Delhi University (School of Correspondence) whereas in another affidavit of July 11, 2011 for contesting Rajya Sabha election from Gujarat, she said her highest educational qualification was B.Com part I from the School of Correspondence, DU.

The complaint alleged that in the affidavit filed for nomination of April 16, 2014 Lok Sabha polls from Amethi constituency in Uttar Pradesh, Irani said she had completed Bachelor of Commerce Part-I from School of Open Learning, DU.

“It is evident from the contents of the affidavits filed by Smriti Z Irani that at best only one of the depositions by her on oath in respect of her educational qualifications is correct,” the complaint alleged.

“The aforesaid affidavits of Smriti Irani, apart from the ostensibly false and discrepant statements in respect of her educational qualifications, also appear to contain false/ discrepant statements in respect of immovable properties owned by her and other details set out by her,” it claimed.

“The aforesaid facts and circumstances reveal commission of offences by accused under section 125A of Representation of People Act, 1951, besides any other offences that may attract other penal provisions as an outcome of an additional investigation,” the plea alleged.

(PTI)

Journalist Praful Bidwai passes away

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Praful Bidwai. Photo: S. Gopakumar.

Praful Bidwai. Photo: S. Gopakumar.

New Delhi: Veteran journalist, author and anti-nuclear activist Praful Bidwai has died at the age of 64 during a visit to the Netherlands.

Bidwai died in Amsterdam on Tuesday evening due to a cardiac arrest, family friend Pamela Philipose told media.

Bidwai was a fellow at Transnational Institute at Amsterdam, an organisation of international scholar-activists.

He was a regular contributor to magazines and newspapers, besides being a leading anti-nuclear activist.

He also wrote a number of books, including the 1999 New Nukes: India, Pakistan and Global Nuclear Disarmament.

His latest book on the crisis in the Indian Left was due to be released later this year.

After working as a senior editor for the Times of India for a number of years, Bidwai became a freelance commentator, writing for publications in India and abroad.

He was a staunch critic of the Narendra Modi-led ruling NDA government and in an article in UK-based The Guardian earlier this year he wrote that Modi’s “grandiose schemes – including large-scale urban sanitation, cleaning up the Ganges, interlinking rivers or creating ‘smart cities’ – smacks of gimmickry and empty sloganeering”.

Bidwai had been a Professorial Fellow at the Centre for Social Development, New Delhi, and also a Senior Fellow at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. He had also served as a member of the Indian Council for Social Science Research, the Central Advisory Board on Education, and the National Book Trust.

He was a long-time Fellow of the Transnational Institute, the Amsterdam-based organisation of international scholar-activists including Susan George and Walden Bello.

A bachelor, he is survived by two sisters.

(Agencies)

Muslim students forced to drink ‘Nilavembu’ during Ramadan in Trichy school

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Nilavembu

Chennai: A communal tension prevailed at Holy Redeemer Higher Secondary School in Trichy in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday after the teachers forced the Muslim students observing the Ramadan fast to drink nilavembu extract.

Nilavembu extract is provided to school children in Trichy as it will improve their immunity and protect them from diseases like dengue. It is an initiative of the Trichy City Corporation.

On Tuesday the management and teachers of Holy Redeemer reportedly asked the Muslim students to break their fast and consume Nilavembu in the school. When the Muslim students refused to drink, the teachers allegedly warned them and forced to drink the extract.

Following the incident, around 100 Muslim families assembled on the school campus and raised slogans at the management. The school is situated on the premises of a church and run by a Christian organization.

Soon some members of the Christian community reached the spot and shouted slogans against Muslims. As tension prevailed, police personnel were deployed in the area.

The issue was solved at a peace meeting attended by deputy commissioner of police Saroj Kumar Thakur, district Jamaat Organisation secretary Mohammed Sharif and school correspondent Fr Amalraj S, among others.

“We have given them assurance that the extract would not be administered to Muslim children during the fast period,” Fr Amalraj said.

DK Ravi committed suicide; No conspiracy behind his death: AIIMS doctors

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D-K-Ravi

New Delhi: It’s almost official now. Doddakoppalu Kariyappa Ravi, aka DK Ravi, a 2009 batch Karnataka cadre IAS officer, “committed suicide” and there was no conspiracy behind his death. A panel of AIIMS doctors, formed by the CBI to help in the probe, has told the agency that “it’s a case of suicide”.

The AIIMS panel gave its opinion after studying the post-mortem report, circumstances of the death and investigation details shared by the CBI. The opinion tallies with forensic reports of two laboratories – FSL Bengaluru and FSL Hyderabad. “AIIMS doctors recently gave their written conclusion saying it is a case of suicide by hanging,” a source said. The autopsy had given the reason for death as “suffocation” due to hanging.

However, since the case led to a public outcry and major political controversy in Karnataka, the CBI is waiting for one last opinion – of its own laboratory, CFSL Delhi — to conclude the investigation. It will also examine a few more persons in Karnataka soon before filing its ‘final report’ in July.

Earlier, there were rumours that Ravi’s land deals or job-related worries could be behind his death. Top sources, however, clarified that there was no conspiracy behind his death.

The agency’s probe into the call details of Ravi with several important persons in the state did not suggest any criminal conspiracy, sources said. “There is no evidence of abetment to suicide or murder of Ravi,” a CBI officer said.

Also, the questioning of fellow IAS officers, friends, colleagues, several local politicians and officials in commercial tax (enforcement), Karnataka, where Ravi was posted as additional commissioner at the time of his death, did not reveal any conspiracy or motive to kill him.

The CBI has been probing Ravi’s “unnatural death” since April 13 after the state government handed over the probe to it. The officer was found dead in his Bengaluru flat on March 16.

(Agencies)

Belittling the Vice President of India: Another fascist agenda

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hamid ansari

by Subhash Gatade

Ram Madhav, the first official spokesperson of RSS (later removed or discharged from this role) and these days ‘loaned’ to BJP as a ‘senior leader’ engaged in what an analyst called double delete asana on International Yoga Day. The first of this kind of ‘asana’ – unheard before – was rather necessitated by the impetuosity with which the net savvy leader twitted about ‘absence of Vice President Hamid Ansari’ from the celebrations and the ‘blackout of the programme by Rajya Sabha TV which is chaired by him’ and later twitted ‘an apology about the confusion’ and within no time deleted both the tweets.

By evening it was clear that not only the Rajya Sabha TV had provided a live coverage of the programme but also provided clarifications about honourable Vice President’s absence. It was revealed that he was not invited for the programme by the concerned minister. In fact his office had to issue a press release to the effect because of the insinuations which were being spread targeting him and perhaps also tell the likes of Ram Madhav that there is something called protocol which the Vice President has to follow.

One does not know whether it would be possible for Mr Ram Madhav to comprehend such nuances of democratic procedures because for him such details are of no consequence. In fact if he was really concerned about absence of Vice President of India in the said programme, he could have easily phoned his office and made further enquiries. But as we know he just wanted to underline his absence from such a programme of ‘national glory’ when India was supposedly ‘leading the world’. It was an indirect way to further the illiberal and exclusivist agenda he has been exposed to since younger days.

We know that this is not for the first time that the honourable Vice President has been targeted in such a lowly manner and a campaign of calumny and insinuation has been launched against him. During President Obama’s visit also a similar controversy was raked up by the same elements when national anthem was being played during Republic Day celebrations at Rajpath. A photo of the programme was widely shared on social media wherein the President of India was seen to be saluting the national flag whereas Vice President Hamid Ansari and many other dignitaries were seen merely standing.

“Why didn’t Hamid Ansari salute the national flag?” This question seemed to be top most on the minds of the self-proclaimed defenders of patriotism then. In fact, home minister Rajnath Singh and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj didn’t salute the flag either, but as expected their patriotism was not questioned. Many hate tweets were hurled at the Vice President then ranging from “Jihadi sympathiser”, “anti-India”, “traitor”, few of them even demanded that he be impeached also.

Looking at the raked up controversy the Vice President’s office had to issue a press release then which underlined what is the protocol in such case. It said that when the national anthem is played, the Principal Dignitary and persons in uniform take the salute. Those in civil dress stand in attention. During the Republic Day Parade, the President of India, as Supreme Commander, takes the salute. As per protocol, the Vice President is required to stand in attention.

Both these cases where a concerted attempt was made to denigrate the office of the Vice President brings into sharp focus the modus operandi of the RSS and its affiliated organisations. They have no qualms in spreading falsehoods, stigmatising communities, breaking procedures, targeting institutions. With each passing day one is witnessing that their voices are becoming shriller and adamant.

The only option before every sane voice in this country at present is to remain constantly vigilant so that their machinations to further their majoritarian agenda receive challenge at every juncture

Perhaps it high time to remember the famous lines of Dr. Rahat Indori (which found mention in an appeal circulated by NRIndians Forum :

Jo aaj saahib-e-masnad hai kal nahi honge
Kiraayedar hain zaati makaan thodi hai
Sabhi ka khoon hai shaamil yahan ki mitti me
Kisi ke baap ka Hindustan thodi hai

(Those who are holding reins of power today would not be there tomorrow
They are on rent and it is not their own house
Everybody’s blood is immersed in this land
India does not belong to a particular individual)

Subhash Gatade is the author of Pahad Se Uncha Aadmi (2010) Godse’s Children: Hindutva Terror in India,(2011) and The Saffron Condition: The Politics of Repression and Exclusion in Neoliberal India(2011). He is also the Convener of New Socialist Initiative (NSI) Email : subhash.gatade@gmail.com

Land scam: Three more FIRs filed against Yeddyurappa

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Yeddyurappa

Bengaluru: Three more First Information Reports (FIR) have been filed by Lokayukta police against BJP National vice-president B S Yeddyurappa and others in connection with illegal denotification of land in Bengaluru city here on Monday.

With this, the number of FIRs registered against the former chief minister in connection with the case pointed out in a CAG report has risen to 10 in the past one week.

According to Lokayukta police, in the first case, Yeddyurappa was booked for denotifying land in September 2010. The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) had acquired 2.36 acres in survey no.104 in Uttarahalli village. Yeddyurappa denotified this land in response to the application filed by original owners, against the advise of then additional chief secretary.

In the second FIR, Yeddyurappa was booked for denotification of 5.10 acres in Jnanabharathi Layout.

In the third case, Yeddyurappa was held for denotification of land acquired for Arkavathy Layout. Yeddyurappa was accused of denotifying 7.35 acres in response to representation from a group of people for this when he was the CM.

(Agencies)

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