Chennai: AIADMK Rajya Sabha MP V. Maitreyan on Saturday urged the President and the central government to take “severe action” against party General Secretary V.K. Sasikala for her “threatening” statement against the state Governor.

“She has threatened the Tamil Nadu Governor, a constitutional authority. We urge the President of India, Prime Minister, Home Minister to take severe action against her for threatening the state Governor,” Maitreyan, who has joined the Panneerselvam camp, told IANS.

He added that Sasikala is trying to create law and order problem in the state and action should be taken against her.

Maitreyan said some more state ministers are expected to join hands with Panneerselvam.

Speaking to party cadres on Saturday, Sasikala said she believes in democracy and justice and maintaining patience.

“Only to some extent we can be patient. After that we all together would do what needs to be done,” she said.

Her remarks came after she sought an appointment with Governor Rao along with all legislators supporting her.

Sasikala has already submitted documents electing her as the leader of legislature party and staked her claim to form the government.

However, the Governor has not called her to form the government.

Panneerselvam revolted against Sasikala on Tuesday night alleging that he was forced to resign as Chief Minister to pave the way for Sasikala to occupy that chair.

Subsequently a state minister, five legislators, one sitting MP, party old-timers, former legislators and others have started expressing their support to Panneerselvam.

The ruling AIADMK now has two clear divisions — one led by Sasikala and the other under Panneerselvam.

(PTI)

(AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Lucknow: Around 30 per cent votes were today polled till noon in 73 Assembly constituencies in the first of the seven-phase UP polls being seen as a litmus test for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nearly three-year rule.

The outcome of the polls in which the SP and Congress have come together in the state for the first time are expected to be the bellwether for the next Lok Sabha polls.

The BJP is hoping to return to power in the state after 13 years while Mayawati’s BSP, which fared the worst the last time around, hopes to stage a comeback. The polling has so far been peaceful in the 15 districts of western Uttar Pradesh, some of which are sensitive.

“Polling is going on peacefully amidst tight security arrangements and till noon around 30 per cent votes have been cast,” an official said. A total of 2.60 crore voters, including over 1.17 crore women and 1,508 belonging to third gender category are eligible to cast their ballot to decide the fate of 839 candidates.

The first phase of polling will decide the electoral fortunes of Pankaj Singh (Noida seat), son of Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress Legislature Party leader Pradeep Mathur (Mathura) against whom BJP spokesman Srikant Sharma is in fray, Mriganka Singh (Kairana), daughter of BJP MP Hukum Singh and controversial BJP MLAs Sangeet Som and Suresh Rana – Sardhan and Thanabhawan respectively.

Former BJP state president Lakshmikant Bajpai (Meerut), RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s son-in-law Rahul Singh (SP) from Sikandarabad, and Sandeep Singh, grandson of Rajasthan Govenor Kalyan Singh from Atrauli are among other key figures in this phase.

The districts where polling is on in this phase are Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Mathura, Hathras, Agra, Firozabad, Etah and Kasganj.

In the 73 constituencies where polling is being held today, SP and BSP had bagged 24 seats each, BJP 11, Rashtriya Lok Dal headed by Ajit Singh nine and Congress five in the 2012 polls.

(PTI)

Meerut: Controversial BJP leader Sangeet Som’s brother Gangan Som was today detained by police for carrying a pistol inside a polling booth here.

Gagan reached the polling booth in Sardhana Assembly seat at 9 AM. The security personnel deployed there frisked him and found a pistol in his possession. He was immediately detained, police said.

Officials said that as per the poll code, those possessing licensed weapons are required to deposit them with the police. The permission to keep arms is granted in special cases only.

Sangeet is the sitting MLA from Sardhana and had shot to limelight for his controversial speeches during the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.

(Agencies)

Lucknow: Seeking to win over 300 of the 403 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday jointly released ten commitments on which their alliance will work on coming to power.

The two leaders at a press conference released the commitments, which include major promises made by the two parties to the people of the State in their manifestos.

The list of commitments include distribution of free smartphones to youth, employment guarantee through skill development to 20 lakh youths, loan waiver to farmers, cheap power and proper remuneration for crops.

It also commits to provide Rs 1,000 monthly pension to one crore poor families and one time food at Rs 10 to urban poor, 33 per cent reservation to women in government jobs and 50 per cent reservation in panchayat and local bodies elections besides power, road and water to every village in five years.

Free cycles to all girl students of class IX to XII and meritorious students, free homes to over 10 lakh poor Dalit and backward families, four lane roads connecting all districts and metro in six main cities also figure in the list.

For the minorities and backwards, it promises representation in ratio to their population in all the welfare schemes as also police modernisation for making it more effective and phased expansion of dial 100 scheme.

These commitments include the promises made by Rahul Gandhi during his State-wide Kisan Yatra, such as loan waiver to farmers and reduction of power tariff for them — a long time demand of Congress.

“At least Samajwadi people practically give shape to what they say but some others only do mann ki baat but kaam ki baat nahi karte (they speak of mind but do not speak about work)… they do not say in rallies and in districts what are the achievements of their government,” Mr. Yadav said.

“(They say) two families have entered into an alliance… I will say that two youths have come together it is an the alliance of SP and Congress…,” he stressed in response to a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comment in this regard.

“These are ten steps to development worked out by the two parties on which Congress and SP will work on coming to power in future,” Mr. Yadav added.

(Agencies)

Lucknow: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won all three MLC seats in Kanpur, Gorakhpur, and Bareilly.

While the polling for the first phase of Assembly Elections 2017 was underway in Uttar Pradesh, the results of the Legislative Council have given the BJP a reason to cheer up.

The polling for the same was held on February 03. Allahabad and Kanpur also went for Teachers MLC elections.

The three seats won by BJP are graduate MLC seats.

BJP’s Arun Pathak defeated Congress’ Manvendra Swaroop by 9,154 votes in Kanpur graduate constituency.

From Gorakhpur-Faizabad graduate constituency, BJP’s Devendra Singh, who was earlier in Samajwadi Party, trounced Sanjayan Tripathi.

Bharatiya Janta Party candidate Jaipal Singh ‘Vyasth’ has retained the Bareilly-Moradabad Graduate seat of the Legislative Council.

Meanwhile, today, polling was held in 73 Assembly constituencies in the first of the seven-phase UP polls being seen as a litmus test for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nearly three-year rule.

The outcome of the polls in which the SP and Congress have come together in the state for the first time are expected to be the bellwether for the next Lok Sabha polls.

The BJP is hoping to return to power in the state after 13 years while Mayawati’s BSP, which fared the worst the last time around, hopes to stage a comeback.

The polling has so far been peaceful in the 15 districts of western Uttar Pradesh, some of which are sensitive.

(Agencies)

Washington: Religious tolerance has deteriorated and religious freedom violations have increased in India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s regime, a report by an independent bipartisan American body has claimed.

The report, titled ‘Constitutional and Legal Challenges Faced by Religious Minorities in India’ and sponsored by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), said the religious minority communities and Dalits face discrimination and persecution in India where hate crimes, social boycotts and forced conversion have escalated dramatically since 2014.

“Under Congress Party and BJP-led governments, religious minority communities and Dalits, both have faced discrimination and persecution due to a combination of overly broad or ill-defined laws, an inefficient criminal justice system, and a lack of jurisprudential consistency. In particular, since 2014, hate crimes, social boycotts, assaults, and forced conversion have escalated dramatically,” said the report.

“Since the BJP assumed power, religious minority communities have been subject to derogatory comments by BJP politicians and numerous violent attacks and forced conversions by affiliated Hindu nationalist groups such as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Sangh Parivar, and Vishva Hindu Parishad,” it said.

The USCIRF-sponsored report is written by Iqtidat Karamat Cheema, who is director for UK-based Institute for Leadership and Community Development. The report further says there are constitutional provisions and state and national laws in India that do not comply with international standards of freedom of religion or belief, including Article 18 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The report suggested that the US government should put religious freedom and human rights at the heart of all trade, aid and diplomatic interactions with India.

“India is a religiously diverse and democratic society with a Constitution that provides legal equality for its citizens irrespective of their religion and prohibits religion-based discrimination,” said USCIRF chair Thomas J. Reese.

“However, the reality is far different… India’s pluralistic tradition faces serious challenges in a number of its states.”

“During the past few years, religious tolerance has deteriorated and religious freedom violations have increased in some areas of India. To reverse this negative trajectory, the Indian and state governments must align theirs laws with both the country’s constitutional commitments and international human rights standards,” he said.

The report stated that India faces serious challenges to both its pluralistic traditions and its religious minorities. “Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, and Jains generally are fearful of what the future portends. Dalits also are increasingly being attacked and harassed”.

“The Indian government-at both the national and state levels-often ignores its constitutional commitments to protect the rights of religious minorities. National and state laws are used to violate the religious freedom of minority communities; however, very little is known about the laws,” it said.

It stated that the states of Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Odisha, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan tend to have the greatest number of incidents of religiously-motivated attacks and communal violence, as well as the largest religious minority populations.

Quoting India’s Home Ministry figures, it said that in 2015, India experienced a 17% increase in communal violence, when compared to the previous year. In 2015, there were 751 reported incidents of communal violence, up from 644 in 2014.

The report recommended the US government to urge the Indian government to push its states that have adopted anti-conversion laws to repeal or amend them to conform to international norms.

It further urged the Indian government to immediately lift its sanctions against non-governmental organisations working for the welfare of the minorities in India.

“Identify Hindutva groups that raise funds from US citizens and support hate campaigns in India. Such groups should be banned from operating in the United States if they are found to spread hatred against religious minorities in India,” it said.

The report further stated that Indian government should reform the anti-conversion laws and appreciate that “both conversion and reconversion by use of force, fraud, or allurement are equally bad and infringe upon a person’s freedom of conscience”.

It said that India should not impose Hindu personal status laws on Sikh, Buddhist, and Jain communities, but instead provide them with a provision of personal status laws as per their distinct religious beliefs and practices.

It recommended that India adopt the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

“Operationalise the term ‘minority’ in its federal laws and comply with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious, and Linguistic Minorities.

“Drop Explanation II in Article 25 of its constitution and recognize Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism as distinct religions with their own separate religious identities.

Lastly, it said that India should also not impose Hindu personal status laws on Sikh, Buddhist, and Jain communities, but instead provide them with a provision of personal status laws as per their distinct religious beliefs and practices.

(IANS)