New Delhi: Opposition Congress, SP and BSP today forced a brief adjournment of proceedings in Rajya Sabha over alleged tampering of electronic voting machines (EVM) to favour the ruling BJP.

Opposition members trooped into the Well of the House calling the government a “cheat”, forcing Deputy Chairman P J Kurien to adjourn the proceedings for about 7 minutes.

The Government vehemently denied the charge, saying if anybody has a problem, they should go to the Election Commission as Parliament is not the forum to agitate. Congress and SP members gave as many as four notices under rule 267 seeking suspension of business to take up the issue, which the treasury benches vehemently opposed.

Mayawati (BSP) called the ruling party “beiman” (cheat), a comment that led to pandemonium in the House with Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi saying the BSP supremo had “insulted the people of the country” and insulted democracy.

Opposition members protested saying the barb was directed at BJP and not to the people, but the protests from treasury benches led Kurien to say he would expunge such remarks from the records.

Angry exchanges were also witnessed between Naqvi and Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad. Naqvi said the general elections in 2004 and 2009 and the assembly elections in Bihar, Punjab and Delhi where the BJP lost, were all conducted using EVMs and the Congress did not seem to have any objections then.

Azad shot back saying the governments under Congress rule did not tamper with EVMs and its only now that such practices have crept in. When the House met for the day, Digvijaya Singh (Cong) said the testing of EVMs for a by-election in Madhya Pradesh had a few days back had shown manipulations wherein vote would be credited to BJP irrespective of the candidate for whom it has been cast.

He demanded that ballot papers be used for the upcoming by-elections and elections henceforth. HRD Minister Prakash Javedkar countered him saying the Election Commission has made it clear there can be no manipulation of EVMs and if the opposition had any problem they should go to it and not waste Parliament’s time.

While Ramgopal Yadav (SP) alleged the EVMs are being deliberately programmed to favour the BJP, Mayawati said mass irregularities were committed in the recently concluded assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

BSP, she said, has gone to the court against the use of EVMs. She went on to call it “murder of democracy” and demanded the use of ballot papers in future elections.

Her party’s Satish Misra said this was a government of EVMs and the ministers protesting were “EVM ministers.” The treasury benches protested these remarks as an insult to the people and democracy.

Kurien said he has not allowed notices under rule 267 but allowed those who had given such notices to make brief submission on the issue. “I am not allowing discussion under 267,” he said. “If you want discussion, there are other ways.”

Stating that “a cheat will be called a cheat”, Naresh Agrawal (SP) said chips used in EVMs are being programmed to favour the BJP. Kurien said the Election Commission has clarified that this is not possible.

Leader of the Opposition said free and fair elections are the foundation of Indian democracy but unfortunately for the first time, doubts have been cast over EVMs. Azad alleged that a “thief” does not rob the entire house but does it only selectively so as not to get caught. And in this case, the EVMs were manipulated in the largest state Uttar Pradesh.
He demanded that by-elections in Madhya Pradesh and the coming assembly polls in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh be conducted using ballot papers. Naqvi again said the aspersions cast are not against the government but against the Election Commission and the people of the country.

“If victory has a glamour, defeat should have grace,” he said, a comment which infuriated the opposition who trooped into the Well of the House shouting slogans.

Kurien asked opposition members to take up the issue with the Election Commission. “This is an issue to be taken up with Election Commission,” he said. “Election Commission is to examine if EVM is functioning properly or not. Chair cannot do anything.”

As opposition members shouted slogans, he said, “I have to inform you that this is an issue to be taken up with Election Commission not with Chair” before adjourning the proceedings till 1130 hours.

(PTI)

Alwar: In a video that is being widely circulated, a mob assaults men who were transporting cows in Rajasthan’s Alwar. One man is seen slumped on the road, unconscious. Pehlu Khan, 55, died in hospital yesterday, two days after the brutal beating. 10 people have been arrested, say the police.

Pehlu Khan, who was from Haryana, and his four associates were attacked even after they reportedly produced documents to show they had bought the cows from a “Pashu Mela” or livestock fair in Jaipur. They were dragged out of their pick-up truck.

In the video apparently filmed by locals, the mob is seen chasing and beating up the group in the middle of the highway. Pehlu Khan’s companions are still in hospital.

The self-appointed cow vigilantes appeared to have a free run; a police officer seems to defend them and blame the victims.

“Police got information that some people are smuggling cows from Jaipur and are headed to Delhi. Behrod police caught some trucks and some trucks escaped, these trucks were forced stopped by public and the drivers were beaten by the public,” said a senior police officer, Paras Jain, claiming that 10 people have been arrested for murder.

One local police officer, Ramesh Chand Sinsinwar, has been quoted in reports as saying that the cow vigilantes are linked to rightwing hardliners and had stopped several vehicles on Saturday, “to check for cow smugglers”.

Last month, a mob attacked a hotel in Jaipur, alleging that it was selling beef. The staff was thrashed in the presence of policemen, who allegedly didn’t stop them.

(Agencies)

Ajmer: The spiritual head of Ajmer dargah, who had supported a ban on the sale of beef, was on Wednesday “sacked” by his brother.

On Monday, Syed Zainul Abedin had also urged the government to ban the slaughter of all bovine animals to promote communal harmony in the country.

However, his support has not gone down well with his brother who on Wednesday “sacked” him for the “blasphemous” support and declared him a “non-Muslim”.

Syed Allauddin Alimi claimed he had the support of the family in sacking Abedin and anointing himself as the new “deewan”, spiritual chief, of the Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti mausoleum in Ajmer — one of the most famous Muslim shrines visited by millions of devotees from across the sub-continent every year.

However, his brother Allauddin Alimi’s claim has not been recognised by the dargah committee.

Abedin said Alimi’s move has no legal sanctity as per the Durgah Khawaja Saheb Act, 1955 and he will seek a legal opinion on the matter.

The post is hereditary and belongs to heirs of the 12th-13th-century Sufi priest. Deewan has no control over the management of the shrine but gets a monthly remuneration from the management committee, which is appointed by the government.

“I am the new deewan. I have the support of the entire (Chishti) clan,” Alimi told news agency, alleging that Abedin was an “apostate because he had spoken in violation of the Islamic law”.

“I am not interested in salary. He (Abedin) can have the money. Buy I won`t allow him to enter the shrine now. Whatever he has said is blasphemous.”

When Abedin was performing some rituals at the sanctum sanctorum in the dargah last evening, Alimi occupied the ‘Gaddi’ of Deewan at Khanqah in the dargah premises and declared himself as the new Deewan or Sajjadanashin.

Khanqah is the holy place where the saint used to sit and preach. It is now the place where the Sajjadanashin, a descendant of the Saint, sits during religious ceremonies.

“After I read my brother’s statement in newspapers, I discussed with some Muftis who verbally told me that he has now become a non-Muslim due to his statement against the Quran. Thus, he has no right and authority to remain the Sajjadanashin.”

“I then called an urgent meeting of the family and went to the Khanqah and declared myself as the new Sajjadanashin on the seat of the Deewan,” Alimi said.

Abedin, however, said, “My younger brother has no right to declare himself as the Sajjadanashin. He is neither empowered nor eligible for this act which is totally illegal and illegitimate and I’m seeking a legal opinion for taking action against him.”

CEO of the government-appointed Dargah committee, MA Khan, said Abedin continues to be the Sajjadanashin as per the provisions of the Durgah Khawaja Saheb Act, 1955.

“This is a dispute between two brothers and the Sajjadanashin cannot be sacked or removed by such a move,” the CEO, who recently took charge, said.

Chairman of the Dargah committee Sheikh Alim said as per the provisions of the Act when the post falls vacant, the dargah committee notifies the vacancy after approval of the Governor and the new Sajjadanashin is appointed with his permission.

Muzaffar Bharti, the head of the hereditary staff who conduct the religious ceremonies of the Sajjadanashin in the dargah, said Alimi’s claim does not hold water and he has no moral authority to take over the post.

“Abedin performed Kul ki Rasm at the sanctum sanatorium followed by Dastarbandi (turban tying) at the Khanqah last evening. He is the Deewan of the Dargah as per the law at present and he cannot be sacked in this manner,” Bharti said.

Wahid Chisty, the secretary of Anjuman Committee (body of Khadims or clerics), also supported Khan, saying the legal procedure cannot be mocked by anyone in such a manner.

Abedin had been the deewan of the shrine since after the Supreme Court 1987 order, ruling him as the most direct and eldest descendant of the Sufi priest.

He sparked a controversy on Monday by asking Muslims in India to stay away from the slaughter of “bovine animals” and to stop consuming beef for communal harmony in the country.

He read his message during the 805th annual function at the shrine that was also attended by religious heads of various shrines from different parts of the country.

Abedin also announced that he and his family members “will never eat beef now”.

“The government should widely impose a ban on slaughtering of all bovine animals and sale of beef. This is one of the prominent reasons for communal hatred in India. Muslims should become an example by taking a resolution to not consume beef in the interest of communal harmony in the country,” he had said.

He had also welcomed the Gujarat government’s move to enact a law with the provision of life sentence for those found guilty of cow slaughter, saying that the central government should declare cow as the national animal if the government wants to protect it.

“Cow is the symbol of religious belief. Not only the government, but it is also the duty of every follower of the religion to protect them,” he had said.

On the practice of ‘triple talaq’, he had said that it is not only irrelevant today but against the sentiments of the Quran.

He said that while practising justified divorce, the side of the woman should be considered equally and detailed dialogue with her should also take place.

(Agencies)

Pic: Dr Mazhar Nawaz, Chairman, Aryan Education Academy, Mr Hamza Hussain Additional SP with Author Mr Vijay Kumar, IPS

Shri G Prameshwar, Hon Home Minister of Karnataka Released the book ‘ Veerappan Chasing The Brigand” written by Vijay Kumar at J W Marriott on 31 March 2017.

Almost 13 years after his elimination, the story of the killing of forest brigand Veerappan is being chronicled, none other than by the person who led the ‘Operation Cocoon’.

At the launch of book ‘ Veerappan – Chasing The Brigand’ by Retired IPS officer K Vijay Kumar said, Veerappan, who had ruled 6,000 sq km forest in three Southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala for more than two decades, poached over 200 elephants, smuggled ivory worth hundreds of crore of rupees and killed more than 180 people, mostly police and forest officials.

Shri Vijay Kumar said “It is a first-hand experience book. My aim is to give a clear and correct picture on how Veerapan was killed,” My book is a real story. I have not revealed the names of a few persons due to security reasons. Otherwise, every details of the operation are being chronicled,”

As per reports, the ‘Operation Cocoon’ was planned for ten months during which STF personnel infiltrated as hawkers, masons and local service staff in the villages where Veerappan was roaming. The day he was killed, October 18, 2004, Veerapan was planning to take a medical treatment for his eye in South Arcot. Veerapan was first escorted out of the forest to the ambulance stationed at Papirappati village in Dharmapuri district, which was a police vehicle, by one of the policeman who earlier infiltrated his gang. A group of STF members was stationed in the village, a few security men were hiding in security tankers in the road and others were hiding in the bushes.

The driver of the ambulance, who was also a policeman, made an escape. As per police report, Veerappan and his gang were first warned and then asked to surrender, which was denied and the gang started firing at the STF personnel.

The STF retaliated by firing grenades and gun fire. Veerappan was killed on the spot, while his gangmen died on the ambulance taking them to the government hospital.

Dr Mazhar Nawaz, Chairman, Aryan Education Academy, Mr Hamza Hussain, Additional SP congratulated Mr Vijay Kumar for writing interesting & Inspiring book. The Book launch function was attended by Eminent police officers, politicians and educationists of the city.