The India-China boundary issue should not be “hyped up” and the two sides must abide by the agreements to maintain the peace and tranquillity along the border areas, the Chinese Foreign Ministry asserted on Monday. The ministry skirted a direct response to a report that China has lodged a strong protest with New Delhi, alleging “transgression” by the Indian troops in the strategically sensitive Asaphila area along Arunachal Pradesh. The Indian side has dismissed Beijing’s complaint.

“As for the situation on the India-China border, I am not aware of the detailed information,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing when asked about the report. Pending the resolution of the issue, we hope the two sides can abide by the agreements and instead of hyping up the relevant issue”, Geng said, adding that peace and tranquillity should be upheld in the border areas.

He, however, reiterated China’s repeated stand that Beijing never recognised Arunachal Pradesh, which it claims as part of southern Tibet. “China’s position on the India-China border is consistent and clear-cut. The Chinese government never recognised the so-called Arunachal Pradesh,” Geng said.

“China and India are engaged in consultation and negotiation to resolve border issues and pursue a fair and just solution that can be accepted by both sides,” he said. Both the countries have Special Representative talks mechanism to resolve the boundary issue. The two countries so far have held 20 rounds of talks to resolve the boundary dispute and worked out different mechanisms to keep peace along the 3,488 km long Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Asked about the recent visit of Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou to New Delhi on April 6 and reports of several Indian top ministers visiting China this month, Geng said, “China and India have a sound momentum of exchanges and close cooperation. It is not strange to have such kind of cooperation.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to due to visit China in June to take part in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, (SCO) summit to be held in the Chinese city of Qingdao.

The 12-hour hartal called by various Dalit outfits in Kerala to protest the “dilution” of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act today, witnessed sporadic incidents of stone pelting and roads blocks by pro-hartal activists.

Protestors forcefully closed shops and resorted to road blocks in many parts of the state. Incidents of stone throwing at Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses were reported from different places including Kollam and Alappuzha.

In Thrissur, the driver of a KSRTC bus was injured in stone pelting, police said. The strike call evoked partial response as some shops and business establishments remained open while state and central government offices functioned as usual.

Private buses operated services in some parts of the state. Few autorickshaws and taxis were seen plying on the roads. The Kerala University postponed the exams scheduled for the day, in view of the state-wide hartal.

Earlier in the day, at least 20 Dalit activists including Gothara Maha Sabha leader M Geethanandan were arrested for attempting to block traffic at the High Court junction in Kochi.

Geethanandan, who is also the Convener of Kerala’s Dalit Action Council, and some its activists were arrested, police said.

Condemning his preventive arrest, Geethanandan said it was a “prejudiced action” on the part of the police to silence the Dalits.

Around 30 Dalit organisations are observing the hartal to protest the alleged dilution of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by the Supreme Court.

They also condemned the police action against the Dalit agitators during the ‘Bharat bandh’ observed in various northern states on April 2.

They claimed that Supreme Court had on March 20 “diluted” the provisions of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, ruling that government servants should not be arrested without prior sanction and private citizens, too, be arrested only after an inquiry under the law.

In the state capital, a group of Dalit activists took out a march to the Secretariat and staged a dharna. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Ramesh Chennithala said the Congress-led UDF Opposition has extended support to the hartal.

Senior Congress leader A K Antony criticised the arrest of Dalit leaders in connection with the agitation and said Congress would not support any move to “dilute” the rights of SC and ST communities.

J&K CM also sought frequent engagement at top political level between India and Pak to arrive on an amicable solution of Kashmir imbroglio.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s help towards finding ways to end bloodshed in the state and growing alienation among its youth.

Mehbooba Mufti during her meeting with the Prime Minister in New Delhi on Monday also sought frequent engagement at top political level between India and Pakistan to arrive on an amicable solution of Kashmir imbroglio.

She called for a similar rendezvous between the two countries’ military authorities to put an end to border skirmishes “which bring with them enormous amount of miseries” for the people living in close proximity of the divide line.

This comes days after the Chief Minister had made a passionate appeal to the country’s political leadership that it should while cutting across party lines listen to the “voices of pain” from Jammu and Kashmir and support the people of the state in getting out of “vicious cycle of violence and uncertainty”.

The Chief Minister during her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi apprised him about the overall obtaining situation in her state in the wake of recent turbulence triggered by the killing of 13 Hizb-ul-Mujahedin militants and five civilians in security forces stepped up counterinsurgency measures.

An official spokesperson in Jammu said that Mehbooba Mufti urged the Prime Minister “to find ways and means to end the cycle of violence in the state by addressing the element of alienation among youth”.

She reiterated that the people of the state who have suffered immensely during the turmoil of past three decades look up to the country’s political leadership to support them in getting out of this cycle of uncertainty and deaths.

Mehbooba Mufti also asked for peaceful engagement with all stakeholders in this regard and sought more frequent meetings at the highest levels between India and Pakistan besides favouring the idea that the top military leadership of the two countries should stay in touch with each other to minimise the level of tension across the borders as frequent skirmishes have resulted into huge suffering to tens of thousands of people living in villages in close proximity to the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in J&K.

The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister also pleaded for taking the cross-LoC movement to next higher level by working on opening more historic routes across the de facto border and movement of more people to build public confidence in the peaceful engagements.

She also pleaded for working for opening Sharda Peth, ancient seat of learning of Kashmiri Pandits near Muzaffarabad and developing it like Nalanda and Takshila.

The Chief Minister had on Friday she that said it was high time for the entire country to support the people of J&K in getting out of the “vicious cycle of killings and uncertainty”.

Mehbooba Mufti said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as the most powerful political executive of the country can lead this peace project by responding to the need of putting a stop to the bloodshed in the State which has been going on for almost three decades now.”

She had said that peace, reconciliation and dialogue form the core of ‘Agenda of the Alliance’ reached out between her Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and that it was the belief in Prime Minister Modi’s “leadership abilities and his political clout” that the people of the State are looking up to for the resumption of the same (dialogue).

The Chief Minister had further said, “Our state and the whole region expect the Prime Minister to revive the spirit of former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s, initiative and also expect the other shades of political opinion in the country to avoid falling into the trap of old partisan politics and instead support such an initiative.” This, she had hoped, would get the State out of the uncertainties and herald into an era of progress and development.

Referring to the Prime Minister’s assertion that the Kashmir problem “will not be solved by bullets or abuses but only with embracing the people) made during his Independence Day speech, the Chief Minister had hoped the same to be translated into reality by everyone in the country dealing with the affairs of the state. From media to administration, strategic community and the security forces, everyone will have to be part of this national effort”, she had said.

The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister added, “It is high time that enough hope is generated to persuade young men from going on a violent path by creating their stakes in peace and life rather than in death and rebellion.”

She had asserted that a successful peace process in J&K alone can fulfill the objectives of democracy and justice in the country. “India”, she said, “can truly don the moral leadership of the region by increasing the level of satisfaction of the people of the State by winning their trust and hearts and minds.”

The apex court also directed the authorities in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to maintain peace in the states.

The Central government was reprimanded by the Supreme Court today for ignoring its orders on the Cauvery River, which ask for more water to be given to Karnataka and has upset Tamil Nadu.

Judges of the apex court on Monday suggested that the Centre is acting in guile; “the Centre knows what the scheme means”, the judges said, as they ordered the governments of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to ensure peace in their states till the court finalises the scheme for implementation of its judgment.

The Centre was asked to file its draft scheme by May 3 in pursuance of its judgment in the Cauvery water dispute case.

The distribution of water between neighbouring southern states has been a contentious issue for decades and has turned politically volatile ahead of the assembly elections in Karnataka which will vote on May 12.

The Centre had argued for more time to work out the modalities of water-sharing, citing the Karnataka election.

The apex court said it considered the CWDT (Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal) award and decided the water share for states, which has to be complied with.

Upset Tamil Nadu leaders including actors-turned-politicians Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan have expressed their disappointment over the delay in the setting up of the Cauvery Management Board by the government, as directed by the Supreme Court.

After spending two nights in Jodhpur Central Jail, actor Salman Khan was granted bail by Jodhpur Court in 1998 blackbuck poaching case.
The court granted bail to the actor on two bonds of Rs 50,000 each.

Salman Khan is likely to be out of Jodhpur Central Jail by 7.30 pm.

“The bail order must reach the jail authorities only after that will Salman Khan be released today. The bail bond takes about 20 minutes to fill out. The verification process takes about an hour after which he can be released. He could be released at about 7.30 pm,” said senior lawyer Bharat Bhusan Sharma.

An major development took place on late Friday evening. The name of the judge, hearing Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s bail plea in connection with Black Buck poaching case name cropped up in the list of 87 judges, who have been transferred by the Jodhpur (Rajasthan) High Court.

Salman Khan has been lodged in Jodhpur Central Jail since April 5, following the verdict was pronounced with regards to the Black Buck poaching case. The actor has been awarded five years of rigorous imprisonment by the court of Dev Kumar Khatri for killing two Black Bucks, a species on the verge of extinction. Significantly, Saif Ali Khan, Neelam Kothari, Sonali Bendra and Tabu, have been acquitted by the court. These four had also been co-accused in this case.

On Thursday itself, Salman’s counsels put forward the bail plea at the court of District & Sessions Judge, Ravindra Kumar Joshi. However, after Friday’s hearing, Joshi had reserved the order for Saturday. Surprisingly, on Friday evening itself the Rajasthan High Court issued a list of 87 judges to be transferred. Ravindra Joshi’s name includes the list. The transfer include ‑ some on request too. The judge hearing Salman Khan’s bail plea had not asked for a transfer.

However, since this move involves mass transfer and posting, it is being considered a routine one.

Law experts are of the opinion that now it depends on the present judge, if he would want to pronounce the judgment or leave it for his successor.

Desiya Thenninthiya Nathigal Inaippu Vivasayigal Sangam (National South Indian River Interlinking Agriculturist Association) members, headed by its state president P Ayyakannu, covered themselves in sand – up to their necks – on the Cauvery riverbed in Trichy on Friday protesting that the central government form a Cauvery Management Board promptly.

A sum of 25 individuals from the affiliation took an interest in the novel dissent. They acted like dead bodies, wearing garlands. The dissidents affirmed that the BJP-drove central government had been acting against interest of the farmers in Tamil Nadu. They requested that the Center respect the Supreme Court’s request by constituting the Cauvery Management Board instantly. This would enable agriculturists in the state to get the due offer of water from Karnataka, they included.

The protest that started at 10.30 am today ended at around twelve when police compellingly expelled them from the riverbed.

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday requested a notice to the manager of Kannada weekly ‘Hello there Bangalore’ Ravi Belagere, over a petition documented by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) for cancellation of his bail.

The CCB had documented a charge sheet blaming Belagere for hiring a sharpshooter to execute his partner, Sunil Heggaravalli. Justice Srinivas Harish Kumar, who issued the notice, requested Belagere to document objections to the petition and adjourned the hearing.

The CCB’s petition argued that Belagere had submitted old medical records, not the ones identifying with his present health condition, to get bail from the lower court

A prisoner, who has been convicted in a murder case, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in the Parappana Agrahara Jail here, prison officials said.

Thirty-one-year old Masthi Kumar from Shivamogga was found hanging using his clothes in the cell, officials said, adding he was lodged in the jail 10 months ago.

A probe has been initiated, the officials added.