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Bengaluru: VHP to hold live telecast of Praveen Togadia's speech

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Praveen Togadia

Bengaluru: A day after Karnataka High Court rejected VHP’s plea for a stay on the police order banning its leader Praveen Togadia’s entry into the city on grounds of law and order, the saffron outfit has made all arrangements to live telecast his speech through video-conferencing at the ‘Hindu Virat Samavesha’ to be held here tomorrow.

“Togadia has already reached Karnataka borders and will enter the state today or tomorrow. There is a stay on his entry into Bengaluru city, but there isn’t on his giving speech through video-conferencing mechanism,” VHP’s State Public Relations Officer Manjunath Swamy told reporters here.

Justice Abdul Nazir had on Saturday turned down the interim prayer by Karnataka VHP Organising Secretary Keshav Hegde for staying the police commissioner’s order banning Togadia’s entry into the city from February 5 to 11.

City Police Commissioner MN Reddi had earlier this week imposed the ban on the ground that Togadia’s “provocative and inflammatory” speeches would have “grave” consequences and likelihood of breach of peace.

Swamy said they have invited some television channels to live telecast Togadia’s speech arranged outside Bengaluru for tomorrow’s event here.

On City Police Commissioner MN Reddi’s remark that the live telecast even from outside Bengaluru will amount to an offence, Swamy said, “It will not amount to an offence. The Police Commissioner can tell many things. Even I am an advocate and tell you that it will not amount to an offence. If it is done, then it will be an anti-democratic act.” Reddi told reporters that any speech made by Togadia through video-conferencing will amount to offence.

“It will amount to an offence. We will do everything to issue a ban order on Togadia using video-conferencing mechanism to deliver speech,” he said.

VHP had challenged the police commissioner’s prohibitory orders on Togadia’s entry into the city in the High Court with the interim prayer for a stay on the ban.

While declining the interim plea, the Judge, however, said the writ petition filed by Hegde was maintainable and adjourned the matter without mentioning the next date of hearing.

(PTI)

Delhi polls: President refrains from voting

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Republic Day Pranab Mukherjee

New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee Saturday visited the polling station in Rashtrapati Bhavan but refrained from casting his vote for the Delhi assembly election.

“Mukherjee visited the model polling station in Rashtrapati Bhavan Saturday morning,” the Twitter account of the Rashtrapati Bhavan said.

The president, however, did not cast his vote for the Delhi assembly polls, said an official.

Rashtrapati Bhavan official told IANS: “The president will not cast his vote and he did not vote in the general election either.”

Sources from the Rashtrapati Bhavan said Mukherjee decided not to vote in the general election as he felt that as the president he should not take side of any political party.

President’s daughter and Congress candidate from Greater Kailash assembly constituency Sharmistha Mukherjee cast her vote.

“I am very confident I will win. I have been working in my constituency and have received very warm response,” she said.

Voting for the 70-member Delhi assembly began across the national capital at 8 a.m. Saturday.

(IANS)

HD Kumaraswamy releases 490-page Book on Arkavathy

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Kumaraswamy-Book-Arkavathy

Bengaluru: JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy on Friday intensified his attack on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the Arkavathy Layout land denotification row.

The former chief minister released a 490-page book- Arkavathy Karmakaanda- which presents details of denotification of over 700 acres in the Arkavathy Layout by the Siddaramaiah regime.

He ridiculed Siddaramaiah’s claim that he would have faced contempt proceedings if he had not denotified land in Arkavathy Layout as per six parameters set by both the High Court and Supreme Court. He pointed out that the court had neither used the word “Re-do” nor set any parameters.

Kumaraswamy admitted that his own party MLAs didn’t support its release. He also said he won’t submit the book to the Justice HS Kempanna Commission, which is probing allegations of denotification from 2003 to 2014. “I will neither approach the commission nor any court. I will upload its contents on the JD(S) party website and go before the people’s court,” he said.

Kumaraswamy said he came out with the book fearing that he would not get enough time on the floor of the House to discuss the issue.

(Agencies)

Protest in Bengaluru against 'Attacks' on Churches

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church-attack-bangalore

Bengaluru: Nuns, priests and archbishops chanted Hail Mary on the streets of Bengaluru on Friday, as thousands of Christians took out a procession in the city against the recent attacks on churches in Delhi.

The rally began at the St. John’s College of Nursing just off the busy Hosur Road and saw the protesters marching, carrying banners.

Participants spoke of the need to be allowed to practice their religion with freedom and called for attacks on churches to stop.

The Archbishop of Bengaluru, Rev Bernard Moras, along with other Archbishops from around the country brought up the rear of the procession.

“Hardly a day has passed off in recent months without reports of attacks on Christians, Churches and Christian institutions from across the nation,” said a statement by the archbishops.

“The police manhandling of peaceful gathering of even women, children, nuns and priests at the gate of the Sacred Heart Cathedral in the heart of New Delhi on February 5, 2015 raises questions whether constitutional guarantees are not applicable to the Christian community,” the statement added.

Yesterday, a large number of policemen cracked down on a protest in Delhi against attacks on churches, and dragged activists, including priests, into buses.

The protest outside the Sacred Heart cathedral in the heart of the city was “unlawful”, said the police, who were seen pulling women and even children, leaving bags and shoes scattered on the road.

Christian groups had organized a silent march to highlight what they called lack of serious action in recent attacks on churches. They said they would march to Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s residence.

There have been five attacks on churches since December. Some Christian groups suspect a pattern of orchestrated attacks, and say the police are undermining them.

(Agencies)

Gang-rape video shared on WhatsApp. Help trace these men

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If you have information about these men, please email activist Sunitha Krishnan at sunitha_2002@yahoo.com.

If you have information about these men, please email activist Sunitha Krishnan at sunitha_2002@yahoo.com.

by Uma Sudhir & Gargi Rawat

Hyderabad/NDTV: In separate videos being shared on popular messaging service WhatsApp, two women are filmed being gang-raped. Some of the six rapists are seen smiling for a cellphone camera during the horrific assaults.

The videos, believed to be six months old, were discovered by Sunitha Krishnan, a women’s rights activist who runs an NGO in Hyderabad. She uploaded the images onto YouTube yesterday, asking viewers to help identify the rapists. The footage has been removed today by YouTube, stating that “it violates terms of service.”

“Ten seconds into the video, I was overcome. I had to stop as I needed to throw up,” she told NDTV. She said an acquaintance alerted her to the videos after receiving them on WhatsApp.

Ms Krishnan was gang-raped by eight men when she was 15. “People don’t come forward when it comes to helping in getting the perpetrators arrested,” she said. Determined to try and change that, she asked her husband, a film-maker, to edit the video to protect the rape victim’s identity and highlight the faces of the men who assaulted her.

The activist said her car was stoned this morning, minutes after she appeared on NDTV to announce her #ShameTheRapistCampaign.

“If you know of anybody who has received any such videos, inform me at sunitha_2002@yahoo.com,” she writes on her Facebook page.  “I don’t know how many people saw these videos and remained silent. WE WILL NOT.”

Ms Krishnan hopes to meet Maneka Gandhi, Union Minister for Women and Child Welfare, as well as top officials in the Union Home Ministry to seek their intervention in locating and punishing the rapists.

The National Commission of Women said that it will seek the urgent intervention of the Hyderabad police.  “We have been saying that there should be a mechanism in place where such incidents of cyber-crime can be curbed. The circulation needs to be stopped and the men should be brought to shame,” said the panel’s Shamina Shafiq.

The New York Times slams Modi’s dangerous silence on communal attacks in India

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Modi-protest-us

New York: After U.S. President Barack Obama raised the issue of religious intolerance in India, The New York Times (NYT) published a very strong editorial criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for what it calls his “dangerous silence” on a series of communal events in the country.

The editorial, by the NYT editorial board, lists recent attacks on churches and reports of Ghar Vapsi or conversion and marks out the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) for its proposed conversions programme in Ayodhya in March this year, saying the group “was playing with fire.” “Mr. Modi’s continued silence before such troubling intolerance increasingly gives the impression that he either cannot or does not wish to control the fringe elements of the Hindu nationalist right,” the NYT editorial surmised.

New York Times editorial: ‘Modi’s Dangerous Silence’

Full text of the Editorial published in the New York Times on February 6, 2015:

What will it take for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak out about the mounting violence against India’s religious minorities? Attacks at Christian places of worship have prompted no response from the man elected to represent and to protect all of India’s citizens. Nor has he addressed the mass conversion to Hinduism of Christians and Muslims who have been coerced or promised money. Mr. Modi’s continued silence before such troubling intolerance increasingly gives the impression that he either cannot or does not wish to control the fringe elements of the Hindu nationalist right.

Recently, a number of Christian churches in India have been burned and ransacked. Last December, St. Sebastian’s Church in East Delhi was engulfed in fire. Its pastor reported a strong smell of kerosene after the blaze was put out. On Monday, St. Alphonsa’s Church in New Delhi was vandalised. Ceremonial vessels were taken, yet collection boxes full of cash were untouched. Alarmed by the attacks, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India has urged the government to uphold the secular nature of India and to assure its Christians they are “protected and secure” in their own country.

There is also concern about the mass conversions. Last December, about 200 Muslims were converted to Hinduism in Agra. In January, up to 100 Christians in West Bengal “reconverted” to Hinduism. Hard-line Hindu nationalist groups, like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), make no secret of their support for a “homecoming” campaign designed to “return” non-Hindus to the fold. More than 80 per cent of Indians are Hindu, but Pravin Togadia of the VHP says his organisation’s goal is a country that is 100 per cent Hindu. The only way to achieve that is to deny religious minorities their faith.

The VHP is reportedly planning a mass conversion of 3,000 Muslims in Ayodhya this month. The destruction of the Babri Mosque there in 1992 by Hindu militants touched off riots between Hindus and Muslims across India that left more than 2,000 people dead. The VHP knows it is playing with fire.

Mr. Modi has promised an ambitious agenda for India’s development. But, as President Obama observed in a speech in New Delhi last month: “India will succeed so long as it is not splintered along the lines of religious faith.” Mr. Modi needs to break his deafening silence on religious intolerance.

Polling begins for 70 assembly seats in Delhi

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delhi_polls

New Delhi: Polling began this morning for the 70-member Delhi Assembly polls in which AAP and BJP appeared to be the main contenders.

The voting began at 8 AM at over 12,000 polling stations, of which 714 have been identified as “critical” and 191 “highly critical”.

A total of over 1.33 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise. A total of 673 candidates are in the fray in the contest.

Over 64,000 police personnel had been deployed across the city to ensure free and fair polls.

The BJP, which is out of power in Delhi for the last 16 years, made a gamble by bringing in former Team Anna member Kiran Bedi into the party and made her its Chief Ministerial candidate which is said to have triggered discontent among the party leaders and rank and file.

The BJP strategy has been countered by Kejriwal-led AAP which has put up a spirited campaign in a bid to stop the Narendra Modi juggernaut that has been on a roll ever since the Lok Sabha election victory in May last year.

The Congress, which had ruled Delhi for 15 years till December, 2013 has been projected way behind AAP and BJP in pre-poll surveys. Some opinion polls have given AAP a clear majority while a few have predicted BJP’s win.

The Burari constituency in North Delhi has a maximum of 18 candidates while the Ambedkar Nagar seat in South Delhi has the lowest number of contenders at four.

The Matia Mahal constituency has the largest number of electorate at 3.47 lakh while Chandni Chowk the lowest at 1.13 lakh.

(PTI)

Bukhari's new diktat to Muslims: Vote for AAP in Delhi. Party rejects support

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A file photo of Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Imam of the Jama Masjid.

A file photo of Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Imam of the Jama Masjid.

New Delhi: With less than a day left for Delhi to go to polls, Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari of Jama Masjid has asked Muslims to support the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party in the Delhi Assembly elections.

He appealed Muslims to vote for AAP candidates and help in forming a secular government in Delhi.

AAP however, has rejected Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari’s support for the Delhi polls. AAP says, “We don’t agree with his ideology, people of all religions support us.”

The imam catapults himself in the news during each election by offering support to parties which are either in power or who have popular support.

In 2004, Bukhari had launched a surrogate campaign for the then BJP leader and PM A B Vajpayee. During the Lok Sabha polls, AICC president Sonia Gandhi met Bukhari, triggering a political row. The religious leader then announced his support to the Congress, the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and the Rashtriya Janata Dal in Bihar.

Vikas Yadav, cousin get 30 years without parole for murdering Nitish Katara

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katara-murder-case

New Delhi: Rejecting a plea for death penalty, Delhi High Court today enhanced the sentence for Vikas Yadav and his cousin Vishal from life imprisonment to 25 years without remission for the murder of Nitish Katara and five more years for destruction of evidence in the case.

A special bench of justices Gita Mittal and J R Midha also imposed a penalty of Rs 50 lakh each on Vikas, son of UP politician D P Yadav, and his cousin Vishal for the murder.

The court also increased the jail term of another convict Sukhdev Pehelwan to 25 years, saying all of them will have to undergo rigorous imprisonment without any remission behind bars except for the additional five years.

The judges turned down the plea moved by Nitish’s mother Neelam Katara and Delhi police seeking gallows for the three convicts.

Neelam Katara, who was present during the pronouncement of the order on sentence, later expressed disappointment over rejection of the plea for death penalty but was happy with the enhancement of the sentence.

“I will appeal against the order in the Supreme Court,” she said, adding that she does not require the compensation amount awarded by the court as she feels that no numerical value can be put on the life of her son.

The court, in its over 700-page judgement said that the time spent by Vikas in hospital (October 10, 2011 to November 4, 2011) shall not be counted as period already undergone by him in jail.

It also asked the Centre and the state government to conduct an inquiry into the convicts’ visits to the hospital during their stay in jail.

Vikas, his cousin Vishal Yadav and Sukhdev Pehelwan are serving life term for abducting and killing Katara, a business executive and the son of a railway officer, on the night of February 16-17, 2002, as they opposed the victim’s affair with Bharti, daughter of D P Yadav.

(IANS)

Through AAP, Delhi’s vast underclass speaks up

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Economic indicators reveal Delhi’s vast and growing inequalities, especially on parameters that the AAP frequently highlights: water, electricity, jobs and living conditions.

AAP

by Devanik Saha, IndiaSpend.com

Delhi’s people are India’s richest. They use the best, most extensive network of roads, and they have one of the highest rates of vehicle ownership in India. The number of companies serving and investing in their economy is growing.

On the face of it, Delhi, the world’s second-most populous city, is one of India’s booming economies. Its 25 million people—according to the United Nations’ department of economic and social affairs, which counts suburbs in other states; the 2011 Census records 16.8 million—are India’s most pampered.

Delhi (82% Hindus, 11.7% Muslim) is an aspirational, hard-working city, built on the collective commercial ethos of Punjabi refugees who streamed in after Independence.

In other words, it appears to be fertile electoral territory for Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which he has re-crafted to represent Indian aspirations for a better life.

So, why is the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)—as the latest opinion polls indicate—set to either defeat the BJP or run it close?

First, a quick glance at some of Delhi’s positive economic indicators:

  1. Dilliwallas have more money than other Indians

Source: Press Information Bureau

  1. Delhi has India’s highest density of roads per 1000 sq km

Source: Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation

  1. Dilliwallas are among India’s top three vehicle owners (topped only by Goa and Chandigarh)

Source: Data.gov.in

  1. Companies are flocking to Delhi and their investments are rising

Source: Delhi Statistical Abstract

  1. Delhiites are among India’s most educated people

Source: Census 2011

The underclass finds a political voice

But Delhi also has a vast, striving and frustrated underclass, which now appears to be firmly in the AAP camp.

This report explained how 10.2 million people (60% of the population) earn less than Rs 13,500 per month.

A further examination of economic indicators by IndiaSpend reveals Delhi’s vast and growing inequalities, especially on parameters that the AAP frequently highlights: water, electricity, jobs and living conditions.

Here is what our analysis reveals:

Water: Providing 700 litres of free water to every household is one of AAP’s pet promises. There is a wide disparity in water-supply across income groups, the data reveal. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, released in April 2013, stated that 24.8% of Delhi’s households (around 32.5 lakh people) do not receive piped water. Each person gets, on average, 3.82 litres a day, 36 litres less than the minimum 40 suggested by the World Health Organisation.

Electricity: High electricity prices, a favourite AAP topic, are a major concern for many Dilliwalas. The data reveal that locally generated electricity has decreased 49%, while electricity purchased from other states has surged 51.8% over the past five years. This reportexplains how power cuts occur, in spite of distribution companies having surplus power.

Source: Delhi Statistical Abstract

Jobs: Rising unemployment is a big worry among Delhi’s underclass. Statistics reveal that the unemployment rate has increased, with female unemployment doubling over six years.

Source: Delhi Statistical Abstract

Slums: Nearly 15% of Delhi’s households officially live in slums, according to the 2011 Census. This is lower than in other cities such as Mumbai (41.3%) and Chennai (28.5%), but this figure does not include Delhi’s vast, unauthorised colonies, home to one in three Dilliwalas. Unauthorised colonies are not officially categorised as slums but suffer from their infirmities: cramped, unsanitary living, water and electricity shortages.

Source: Census 2011

Image Credit: AamAadmiParty.org

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