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Anil Kumar Sinha appointed new CBI Director

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Anil Kumar Sinha

New Delhi: Senior IPS officer Anil Kumar Sinha on Tuesday night was appointed the new CBI Director to succeed Ranjit Sinha who retired in a glare of controversy with the Supreme Court directing him to recuse from 2G spectrum scam case probe.

Sinha, a 1979 batch IPS officer of Bihar cadrde, was the Special Director in CBI.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared the name of Anil Kumar Sinha who was among the candidates shortlisted by the searh committee earier this evening.

The term of Sinha will be for two years from the date he takes charge, an official notification said. Earlier in the day, Modi held discussions with the Chief Justice of India and leader of the main Opposition in Lok Sabha on selecting a new CBI head.

The panel discussed the names of about 40 officers shortlisted by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), sources said.

Ranjit Sinha retired today after a tumultuous tenure of two years at the helm of affairs in CBI that ended on a controversial note.

Sinha’s tenure as CBI chief saw highs like busting of some big bribery cases involving a Railway Board member, Chairman and Managing Director of a public sector bank, Chief Executive Officer of Censor Board among others.

The lows were mainly the criticism he faced from the Supreme Court which asked him to withdraw from 2G probe, criticism from a special court for shoddy probe in coal scam cases, sharing of status report in coal with the then Law Minister Ashwani Kumar after which the agency earned the sobriquet of “caged parrot” from the apex court.

I carried out the encounter of Ishrat Jahan on the orders given by my superior, DG Vanzara testified before CBI court

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Photo: Hindustan Times

Photo: Hindustan Times

Ahmedabad: Accused in many fake-encounters, Gujarat IPS officer DG Vanzara has spilled the beans on Friday when he testified before a special CBI court here that he carried out the encounter of Mumbai college student Ishrat Jahan on the orders given by his superior on the basis of inputs received from Intelligence Bureau (IB).

Vanzara, who has been in jail for more than seven years, made his submission through his lawyer during hearing on his bail plea. His lawyer VD Gajjar told the CBI court that the IB, in an affidavit before the Supreme Court in August, had clearly mentioned that the four persons killed in the encounter were terror suspects and the claim was supported by a statement of David Headly, a 26/11 plotter. However, the CBI charge sheet contradicts Vanzara’s claim as the inputs about the terror suspects coming to Gujarat were given to then Ahmedabad Police Commissioner KR Kaushik not to Vanzara. The inputs were forwarded to Vanzara, then a DIG, through his superior Kaushik, he said.

His counsel argued that Vanzara was not aware about IB’s inputs and he only executed the operation on the instructions of his superior but the CBI did not make Kaushik an accused in the encounter case.

He further asked the court that in the FIR, CBI relied upon statements of some police inspectors, who said they took part in the encounter on the orders of their superiors. Vanzara also did the same, then why was he “framed” while his superiors were not named accused by the agency. He also questioned why IB officers were let off the hook?

“CBI had not made four IB officials linked to the case (Rajendra Kumar, Tarun Mittal, MK Sinha and Rajiv Wankhede) accused and only Gujarat Police officers were named in the charge sheet”.

In its defence, CBI lawyer LD Tiwari said the agency had not received sanction from the Union Home Ministry, as required under Section 197 of CrPC, to proceed against the IB officers.

It is to be noted here that under the Section 197 of CrPC, no public servant can be prosecuted for an alleged offence committed during discharge of official duty without the government’s nod. Contending this, Vanzara counsel Gajjar said CBI did not opt for any such permission before naming Vanzara or any other Gujarat Police officer in the charge sheet. The court, after hearing the submissions, adjourned the matter to December 5.

It is to be recalled that Ishrat (19), a college girl from Mumbra near Mumbai, and along with three men – Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai, Amjadali Akbarali Rana and Zeeshan Johar – were shot dead allegedly by Gujarat Police near here on June 15, 2004 on suspicion that they were on a terror mission.

On the order of the Supreme Court, CBI did the probe of the encounter and found that it was cold-blooded murder in which over a dozen policemen, including IPS officers, were charged with murder and criminal conspiracy and Vanzara is one of them who got bail in another fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife. Vanzara’s submission, who was considered as a blue-eyed police officer in the then Modi-led Gujarat, may stir up hornets’ nest.

Strike cripples banking in Karnataka

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Strike banking Karnataka

Bengaluru: Banking transactions across Karnataka were crippled Tuesday as about 35,000 employees of all banks across the state went on a day-long relay strike to press for their many demands, including wage revision.

“The relay strike was a total success, as all officers and employees of state-run, private and regional rural banks kept away from work in protest against the adamant attitude of the Indian Banks Association (IBA) in considering our legitimate demands,” All India Bank Officers’ Federation (AIBOF) president Y. Sudarshan told IANS here.

The relay strike, which will continue over the next three days zone-wise across the country, was also observed in other southern states.

It will be observed across the north zone Wednesday, in the east and northeastern regions Thursday, and in the western region Friday.

“As efforts to avert the relay strike Monday between the IBA and the United Forum of Bank Unions (UBFU) failed despite the mediation of the deputy labour commissioner (central) in Mumbai, we had no option but to go ahead with the strike zone-wise for four days to draw the government’s attention to prevail upon IBA to meet our genuine demands,” Sudarshan said.

Though people with debit and credit cards were able to draw cash from the automated teller machines (ATMs), all other transactions were affected.

“Our five-year wage revision is due since Nov 1, 2012. We have asked for 25 percent hike in wages keeping in view the high cost of living and inflation since then. The IBA, however, is refusing to give more than 11 percent hike, which is far less than 17.5 percent hike given Oct 31, 2007, for five years,” he said.

Asserting that their major demands were legitimate, as the responsibility, accountability and risk of all employees, especially officers, has gone up substantially, Sudarshan said the unions had agreed to accept 23 percent wage revision after the IBA conveyed that the banks were not in a position to offer beyond 11 percent due to rising non-performing assets (NPAs).

“It is not our fault if NPAs of all banks have gone up. The IBA cannot blame us, as NPAs have increased due to default by hundreds of large corporates in repaying their loans or advances. Our demands are in conformity with the settlement the IBA had with our forum (UBFU) in 2010,” he said.

The other major demands of the unions are upgradation of pension benefits, especially family pension, as retired employees do not get the benefit of wage revision, regulate working hours for officers and declare five-day banking, which is applicable to employees of the Reserve Bank of India, central government and industries in the organised sector.

Over 1.5 lakh employees of all banks across Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Telangana also struck work, seeking early settlement of their demands.

The UBFU decided to launch the four-day relay strike across the country for the first time at a meeting in Bengaluru in October.

The UFBU represents nine unions of over a million officers and employees in state-run, private and regional rural banks across the country.

“The IBA is determined to cause inconvenience to the public and fill its coffers by deducting salary of our striking employees who are the lowest paid section. IBA’s indifference to our demands is apparent, as the strike notice was given 40 days ago and a nationwide strike was held Nov 11,” All India Bank Employees Confederation (AIBEC) general secretary A.K. Krishna Murthy told IANS here.

(IANS)

AAP to file criminal case against BJP: Kejriwal

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Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: The Aam Admi Party (AAP) would file a criminal case against the BJP for levelling baseless allegations against its source of funding, party chief Arvind Kejriwal said Tuesday

“Media has widely covered arbitrary and baseless allegations by BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) against our funding. We are filing criminal defamation against BJP,” Kejriwal tweeted.

Earlier Monday, BJP had demanded a probe into AAP’s funding, with one of its parliamentarians Ramesh Bidhuri saying that its delegation would complain to the union finance minister.

Kejriwal tweeted: “I have been challenging BJP and cong (Congress) to disclose their list of donors (the way we do). Wud (Would) media give similar coverage to us?”

The former chief minister accused the BJP of terrorizing AAP donors.

He tweeted: “For the first time, a political party trying transparent funding n disclosing its list of donors. BJP trying to terrorize our donors. Fair?”

For the upcoming Delhi assembly elections, the Aam Aadmi Party has been raising funds by hosting lunches and dinners. At Sunday’s luncheon in the capital, over Rs.50 lakh was collected.

The AAP’s source of funding has been questioned earlier as well with the United Progressive Alliance also ordering a probe into its funding.

(IANS)

Amid protests and clashes, Kashmir sees 71% voter turnout in second phase of elections

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Photo: Javed Dar, Authintmail

Photo: Javed Dar, Authintmail

by Jehangir Ali, Authint Mail

Srinagar: Amid protests and clashes in parts of Indian administered Kashmir, the second phase of the state assembly elections Tuesday recorded over 71 percent voter turnout.

Polling was held in 18 constituencies with a voter population of over 1.5 million which sealed the fate of prominent political figures including separatist turned pro-India politician Sajad Gani Lone who was contesting from Handwara where 71 percent voter turnout was recorded.

As polling was going on smoothly in some parts, clashes erupted in many places of Kashmir region including Kulgam where anti-election protesters threw stones at the forces who were deployed there for peaceful conduct of the elections, resulting in injuries to few CRPF men.

Some villages in Kulgam including Bogam, Khudwani, Kaimoh and Redwani witnessed a complete boycott of elections with few votes polled at many polling centres.

The voters there alleged they were harassed by government forces and coerced into voting.

Out of 4,521 eligible voters, just one vote was cast at six polling stations of Bugam and Parnivah falling in Kulgam in the first three hours of polling.

The overall voter turnout in Kulgam was 55.4 percent.

Gulabgarh assembly segment in Jammu recorded the highest turnout of 80.73 percent in the second phase of assembly elections in the region.

Peoples Democratic Party president, Mehbooba Mufti said the massive polling has established that the people of Kashmir have seen through the game of dividing their votes.

“The fact that the overwhelming majority of the people came out to vote is an indication that their mission to bring about a change is taking shape on the ground,” she said while addressing meetings in Khansahib assembly constituency in Budgam region where polling will be held on December 9.

Homeshalibugh, a Jama’at-i-Islami stronghold, recorded the lowest voter turnout in second phase with a dismal 36.5 percent votes polled at end of the polling day.

In the twin Kunan and Poshpora villages of Kupwara where security forces allegedly mass-raped the womenfolk, voters protested outside the polling centres by waving black flags against the holding of elections.

In the frontier Kupwara region, where polling was held on five constituencies, there was a festivity in the air with long queues of men and woman, braving winter chill, lined up outside the polling booths since morning to cast their votes.

“I am voting for Peoples Conference. Our area has been neglected for many years by governments. Now we want someone from here to represent us,” Abdul Rashid, a voter in Handwara, told Authint Mail.

In Jammu region where polling was conducted on nine constituencies, there was an overall turnout of 76 percent with 80 percent voting recorded in Gool Arnas constituency.

Activists of PDP and Congress clashed at a polling station in Mendhar assembly constituency (72 percent) where at least one person was injured.

The second phase of elections was held amid increase in violence in the region with a ruling NC sarpanch shot dead and another hurt.

A grenade was hurled at a CRPF camp in summer capital Srinagar a day ahead of the elections.

The third phase of election will be held on December 9.

An Expansive Swirling Snow Drawing Atop a Frozen Lake

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snow-Sonja-Hinrichsen

by Christopher Jobson, Colossal

Early last year, artist Sonja Hinrichsen (previously) and some 60 volunteers wearing snowshoes trekked out onto the frozen Catamount Lake in Colorado to trample miles of swirling and twisting patterns into the deep snow. Titled Snow Drawings at Catamount Lake, the work was a continuation of her community-based snow drawing projects that bring together local volunteers to transform snowy landscapes into temporary artworks based on parameters provided by Hinrichsen. From her statement about the project:

It is important to me that participants experience the elements of nature while they help me transform their own familiar snow landscape into a piece of art. I hope that the aerial photographs that I take right after completion of each piece can demonstrate also to a larger audience how the landscape is transformed into a piece of art through a system of designs. This changes our perception of the landscape and accentuates the beauty and magic of the natural environment, and thus inspires awe and appreciation for art as well as for nature. I deem this important – especially as modern society becomes increasingly disconnected from the natural world.

Hinrichsen most recently completed a snow drawing project that traced the original flow of the Yampa River in Routt County, Colorado and has upcoming projects scheduled in Illinois and the French Alps.

Amid uproar, minister regrets 'haramzadon' remark

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Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti

New Delhi: Cornered by the opposition and isolated within the BJP, central minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti Tuesday expressed regrets for using abusive language at a rally here.

The minister read out near identical statements in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha after opposition parties ganged up against her and demanded that she be sacked from the Narendra Modi government.

The government distanced itself against her remarks.

The minister reportedly said at a public meeting here: “Aapko tay karna hai ki Dilli mein sarkar Ramzadon ki banegi ya haramzadon ki.” (You have to decide if you want a government in Delhi to be led by the children of Lord Ram or illegitimate children).

As soon as parliament met, opposition members were on their feet against the comments by the minister of state for food processing industries who was elected to the Lok Sabha from Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh.

In the Rajya Sabha, both the zero hour and question hour were lost to noisy protests. The house was finally adjourned till 2 p.m.

Some MPs slammed Prime Minister Modi for not coming to parliament.

“The minister has abused the people of India,” thundered Congress leader Ashwani Kumar.

BSP leader Mayawati said the minister’s comments were against the spirit of the constitution. “The minister must resign,” she said.

Barring Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Bharatiya Janata Party members remained silent during the din.

Naqvi told the Rajya Sabha that Congress ministers too had used foul language in the past.

Under all round attack, the minister said in the Rajya Sabha: “I regret if my words hurt anyone’s feelings… I am ready to apologize if the members want.”

But the opposition was not satisfied.

Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav said: “This has become a regular feature. Every day someone speaks against the constitution. The minister has admitted her crime in the house.”

Members from the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Left united against the minister.

Finance Minister and house leader Arun Jaitley appealed for calm.

“The minister made a statement yesterday (Monday) which is not acceptable,” he said. “She has expressed regret and even apologized.

“As far as the proceedings are concerned, when the offence is made outside the house, law will take its course. Anything happening outside is not the business of this house,” he said.

In the Lok Sabha too, Sadhvi Jyoti said: “I didn’t have any ill intention. But whatever words that I spoke, I express my deep regret and I accept what I said.”

Following the statement, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan cautioned all members to be mindful of their speech.

The Rajya Sabha was repeatedly adjourned, and finally until 2 p.m. The Lok Sabha was briefly adjourned during question hour. But the opposition insisted that the minister be sacked.

(IANS)

China bans public practice of Islam in Xinjiang province

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Xinjiang province

by CII Broadcasting

China‘s Xinjiang region (East Turkestan) has banned the practise of religion in government buildings and will fine those who use the Internet to ‘undermine national unity’, in a package of new regulations.

The rules, passed by the standing committee of Xinjiang’s parliament on Friday, stipulate penalties of between 5,000 and 30,000 yuan ($4,884) for individuals who use the Internet, mobile phones or digital publishing to undermine national unity, social stability or incite ethnic hatred.

Equipment used in the offences also can be confiscated, the official Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday.

The regulations, which come into effect Jan. 1, also prohibit people from distributing and viewing videos about ‘radical’ religious subjects in or outside religious venues, and requires religious leaders to report such activities to the local authorities and police, the China Daily reported at the weekend.

“An increasing number of problems involving religious affairs have emerged in Xinjiang,” said Ma Mingcheng, deputy director of the Xinjiang People’s Congress and director of its legislative affairs committee, according to the Chinese newspaper.

People will not be allowed to practice religion in government offices, public schools, businesses or institutions. Religious activities will have to take place in registered venues, the report said.

They also are prohibited from wearing or forcing others to wear clothes or logos associated with religion, although the types of clothes and logos aren’t specified, the newspaper said.

Xinjiang, home to the Muslim Uighur people, has been beset by violence for years, blamed by the government on “extremists who want an independent state called East Turkestan.”

Rights groups and exiles say the problem is more to do with Beijing‘s harsh restrictions on the Uighur people’s religious and cultural customs and doubt the existence of a cohesive group fighting the government.

Last week, 15 people were killed in the latest bout of unrest in Xinjiang.

The energy-rich region sits strategically on the borders of Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Putin, blocked by Europe, turns to Turkey for Gas Pipeline

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin.(RIA Novosti / Alexey Druzhinin)

President of Russia Vladimir Putin.(RIA Novosti / Alexey Druzhinin)

by Juan Cole

The Russian annexation of Crimea and heavy interference in the Ukraine has had a significant consequence for its hydrocarbon industry. President Vladimir Putin has been forced to cancel a planned natural gas pipeline that would bring the fuel to southern Europe, because of European Union pressure for boycotting Russia. Moscow will not suffer very much economically, however, since it can sell as much natural gas to Turkey as it had been planning to sell to southern Europe, though perhaps at a bigger discount (Turkey has 75 people and is the world’s 17th largest economy. Greece has 11 million people and a small economy.)

The Ukraine crisis was in some ways provoked by aggressive expansionism by the EU and NATO into former Russian spheres of influence, in contradiction to promises made by the West to Premier Mikhail Gorbachev in the early 1990s. But be that as it may, Russia’s unilateral annexation of the Crimea and heavy interference in eastern Ukraine is inconsistent with international law.

Turkey plans to grow its economy substantially in the coming decade and is energy hungry, lacking much in the way of gas or oil itself, though it has coal. Slightly discounted Russian natural gas seems a good deal to Ankara. Moreover, Turkey has been rudely rebuffed in its bid to join the European Union, and this deal with Russia is a way for the Turks to remind the Europeans that if the EU had wanted Turkey to join its consensus, it could have admitted Turkey. As things now stand, Ankara is a free agent, and glories in its independence. Russian natural gas also has advantages for Turkey at the moment over Iranian natural gas, since the US has been pressuring countries not to deal with Iran or to allow bank transfers of money from Iran.

The significant political differences between Turkey and Russia on the Crimean Tartars and on Bashar al-Assad in Syria appear to have proved no bar to these economic deals.

Environmentally, burning natural gas is bad, but it isn’t nearly as bad as burning coal; some consider it half as carbon-intensive as coal, but that idea probably underestimates the methane emitted in drilling for gas. And, Turkey has big plans for coal. A Greenpeace study [pdf] observes:

“According to the World Resources Institute, Turkey plans 50 coal-fired power plants with a total installed capacity of 37,000 MW. This will rank Turkey first among OECD countries investing in new installed coal capacity and fourth globally, behind only China, India and Russia. Some projections suggest up to 86 new coal plant projects, when accounting for those that are in the process of permitting and those that have failed the application process.

In 2011, Turkey’s overall energy mix was comprised of 31% coal, 32% natural gas, and 27% petrol, with the remaining 10% composed of hydropower, wood/biofuels and wind. The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resource’s energy vision for 2023 predicts a near doubling of total energy sources, with the only significant difference that use of gas would decrease in relative terms to 23% and the use of coal would increase to 37%. In absolute terms this would mean a 2.3-fold increase of coal use in just 12 years.”

A person can only hope that the diversion of Russian natural gas to Turkey will forestall the building of some of those 50 or 85 coal plants, which are an environmental catastrophe waiting to happen. Why sunny and windy Turkey doesn’t initiate a crash program of renewables is a huge mystery, since then their fuel would be free and their economy would really take off.

My advice to Greece and other southern European countries that Putin has just by-passed for natural gas is to turn to renewables rather than seeking to replace Russian gas with Qatari. Italy gets 7% of its electricity from solar. Greece so far has little wind or solar power, its main renewable source for electricity being hydroelectric. About half of its electricity comes from dirty lignite coal. A quarter is from gas. Greece has enormous solar and wind potential but its government hasn’t promoted it. Putin wants to maneuver Turkey into reselling Russian gas to southern Europe, so as to sidestep sanctions. But if Turkey and Greece initiated a crash program of renewables they would save money and remove themselves from the geopolitical cross fire.

'Devastating': Suspension of food assistance threatens 1.7 million Syrians with hunger

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‘This couldn’t come at a worse time’

Street art by Syrian refugees in Iraq. Mural reads: "Hope gives wings to humanity." (Photo: Samantha Robison/ European Commission DG ECHO/flickr/cc)

Street art by Syrian refugees in Iraq. Mural reads: “Hope gives wings to humanity.” (Photo: Samantha Robison/ European Commission DG ECHO/flickr/cc)

by Andrea Germanos, Common Dreams

“This couldn’t come at a worse time,” stated UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres.

Guterres’s comment is in response to the UN World Food Programme’s announcement Monday that it was suspending its food assistance to Syrian refugees as a result of a “funding crisis.”

The suspension of the program means that many of the over 1.7 million Syrian refugees in neighboring countries that had depended on the program’s food vouchers to buy food will now go hungry, the WFP states.

The suspension “will endanger the health and safety of these refugees and will potentially cause further tensions, instability and insecurity in the neighboring host countries,” stated WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin.

Many of the refugees are in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt, and already faced lack of access to necessary hygiene, clothing, shelter, and more.

With the cold winter season about to hit, these refugees may find themselves further on the brink, the agencies warn.

“Winter is already an extremely difficult period for Syrian refugees, but the suspension of food assistance at this critical juncture is going to be devastating,” Guterres’s statement continued.

The conflict that has gripped the country since 2011 has created over 3 million refugees—roughly half the country’s population. The UN refugee office has called it “the biggest humanitarian emergency of our era.”

As Common Dreams reported last month,

According to [Raed Jarrar, expert on Middle East politics and Policy Impact Coordinator for the American Friends Service Committee], a “real solution” to the refugee crisis does not lie in the “charitable” responses proposed by the UN, but in a long-term political and social response which engages and empowers people who are directly impacted by the violence. “The solutions for the displaced people is not resettlement or to keep them in limbo where they live,” argues Jarrar. “The real solution is to create the conditions at home to allow for a voluntary repatriation and deal with the root causes that displace them. That is the most important thing to focus on with this humanitarian crisis.”

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