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Three Bodo militants arrested for Assam killings

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NIA on Thursday said the three accused were arrested from Kohima on January 14-15 night.

NIA on Thursday said the three accused were arrested from Kohima on January 14-15 night.

Guwahati: The NIA Thursday said it had arrested three Bodo militants from Nagaland for their alleged involvement in the massacre of adivasis in Assam.

A statement from the National Investigation Agency said the operation against the anti-talk faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) was carried out along with Nagaland Police Wednesday.

The three NDFB leaders – Ajoi Basumatary alias B. Buhum (32), Dilip Basumatary alias Baisa alias Lambu (40) and Khamrei Basumatary alias Udla (35) – were arrested from Kohima in Nagaland.

The killings in Sonitpur district Dec 23 were carried out under the direction and leadership of Ajoi Basumatary, the NIA said.

Dilip Basumatary “is also a dreaded terrorist responsible for coordination activities of the NDFB in the reserved forest areas of Assam along the India-Bhutan and Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border”, it said.

The statement said he was also “actively involved in the conspiracy” behind the recent killings in Assam.

The NIA said Khamrei Basumatary was involved in the killings in Kokrajhar Dec 23, and also in Baksa district in May last year.

Seven mobile phones and documents related to the NDFB were seized from them.

The army’s Red Horns division had Wednesday arrested a senior NDFB leader from Goalpara district.

The security forces had recently launched a series of operations against the NDFB, and the NIA had registered four cases over the recent violence. NIA Director General Sharad Kumar also visited the violence affected areas.

Over 30 Bodo militants have so far been arrested in the last 10 days during the intensified operation along the Bhutan border in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts.

The NDFB killed over 75 people in three districts – Kokrajhar, Sonitpur and Chirang – Dec 23. The violence also displaced over two lakh people across the three districts and Udalguri. Some of the violence-hit areas are part of the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD).

(IANS)

Media behaving like prosecution, judge, jury: Shashi Tharoor

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SHASHI THAROOR

New Delhi: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has hit out at a section of the media for hounding him over the murder of his wife Sunanda Pushkar, saying some anchors were behaving like “prosecution, judge and jury”.

“I been advised not to take any legal action against the media by my lawyers,” Tharoor told CNN-IBN in an interview.

The Congress MP said he enjoys certain rights as a citizen of India and he does not need any special privileges.

“Some anchors are behaving like prosecution, judge and jury. We will take stock of the situation when the time comes. I am not seeking any rights than that I already have as citizen of India,” Tharoor told the news channel.

“Those who are violating all these laws… Who are these people who have the right to know? Why should I cooperate with the media and not with the police investigation?” he asked.

Karnataka: Congress leader Janardhan Poojary takes on Modi govt over ‘anti-farmer’ land ordinance

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B-Janardhana-Poojary

Mangaluru: Criticizing the Narendra Modi-led NDA government for passing the latest ordinance to amend the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, former union minister and veteran Congress leader B Janardhan Poojary said that the BJP government was set on ruining the nation’s economy and lives of farmers by bringing the ordinance.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, he said that the former UPA government had brought an amendment to the Land Acquisition Act to prevent farmers from committing suicide. About 75 percent of people in the country, including farmers, live in rural areas. All the provisions in the ordinance related to rehabilitation and compensation are anti-farmer, he lashed against the NDA government for the ordinance which would harm the interests of the farmers.

Mr Poojary also criticised the Labour ordinance passed by the union government for depriving lakhs of labourers of benefits from the industries they worked for. The government is more keen on protecting the interests of the corporates. The BJP government will face a setback if they choose to go against the interests of the people, he warned, adding that the Congress had also suffered defeat when they failed in doing so.

He said it was the responsibility of Prime Minister to protect the interests of the people. There is a need for the BJP to contemplate on delivering the promises made by the party in its manifesto, he said.

When asked about the launch of a new Hindutva organisation formed by a Congress member in Puttur, Mr Poojary said that the organisation went against the secular principles of Congress party. Such activities can be called anti-party, he added.

Former IPS officer Kiran Bedi joins BJP, likely to contest against Kejriwal

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Kiran Bedi

New Delhi: Former IPS officer and anti-corruption activist Kiran Bedi on Thursday joined the BJP at a function held at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi.

Praising Bedi for her role as an IPS officer, BJP chief Amit Shah said: “I welcome her on behalf of the party and I believe that her joining the party will strengthen the Delhi unit especially ahead of the polls.”

Shah also announced that Bedi would contest the elections but stopped short of announcing her as the CM candidate saying it was the parliamentary board that decides the CM.

“Leave it to the parliamentary board, let them decide who will be the CM,” he said.

Along with Bedi, ex-AAP leader Shazia Ilmi as well as former Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Prada are also expected to join the party today.

While Jaya Prada in an interview to a news channel confirmed that she is in talks with the party, Shazia Ilmi sought time before taking a final decision.

Shazia Ilmi, however, made it clear that she will campaign against AAP and will work “to expose AAP for what it is.”

Human Rights groups condemn the "arbitrary & illegal prevention of Greenpeace campaigner’s visit to London"

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Priya Pillai, Campaigner Greenpeace India.

Priya Pillai, Campaigner Greenpeace India.

New Delhi: The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has criticised the immigration officials for refusing to allow Greenpeace campaigner Priya Pillai to fly to London. It described their action as “arbitrary, highhanded and illegal.”

In a statement on January 13, PUCL said she had a valid business visa and all her travel papers were in order. There was thus no acceptable reason for preventing her from travelling to London as she was neither a convicted person nor was there any judicial restraint order prohibiting her travel abroad.

“PUCL strongly condemns the arbitrary, highhanded and illegal action of the immigration officials of the Government of India at the New Delhi airport refusing to permit Ms. Priya Pillai, senior Campaigner of Greenpeace, to board her flight to London on 11th January, 2015. Worse still was the vindictive act of the immigration officials stamping Ms. Priya Pillai’s passport as `OFFLOADED’ thereby effectively ensuring that she cannot leave India until and unless the Government of India revokes the unannounced ban on her travel.

Ms. Priya had valid business visa and all her travel papers were in order. There is thus no acceptable reason for preventing Ms. Priya from travelling to London as she is neither a convicted person nor is there any judicial restraint order prohibiting her travel abroad.

The Peoples Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) stated, “what is ominous is that the Home Ministry has purportedly stated that there is “no rule which allows restraining a citizen from travelling abroad….(because) he/she would express views in conflict with government’s policies.” (TOI, 13/01/2015)]. So if this is the case who ordered the ‘lookout circular’, and at whose behest? These are questions which remain unanswered. If, as the news reports suggest, that the ‘lookout circular’ was issued by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) which has no executive authority to issue them, or by the Foreigners division of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) without the knowledge of the Home Secretary then, this action against Ms. Pillai who had a valid visa shows how arbitrariness has come to define the working of agencies and divisions of MHA, tasked with ‘internal security’.”

Both the organisations demanded that the Government of India immediately revoke its decision to ban foreign travel by Ms. Priya Pillai, strike out the stamp in her passport of being “Off loaded” thereby enabling her to travel abroad if all her travel papers are in order.

They also called upon the Government of India to stop “hounding and targeting rights activists for coercive or police action and instead create a conducive, non-adversarial, intimidation-free environment enabling people to share, discuss and debate in a democratic spirit crucial issues of development projects and programmes.”

The Ministry of Home Affairs has reportedly stated that they had no information about any travel restrictions on Ms. Pillai, while the immigration officials said they were acting on orders from the Government of India. PUCL said it was unlikely that such a drastic decision would be taken without instructions from the highest level.

Congress attacks government on recommendation of RSS men for history panel

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“Three RSS men on the ICHR. Hope India’s new history book does not stretch back to when Brahmin Sadhus had pet dinosaurs,” party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said on Twitter. Photo: M. Srinath

“Three RSS men on the ICHR. Hope India’s new history book does not stretch back to when Brahmin Sadhus had pet dinosaurs,” party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said on Twitter. Photo: M. Srinath

New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday took a dig at the NDA government over reports that ICHR chief Sudershan Rao has recommended three historians with RSS background for its next panel saying he hopes that history books in future will not say that “Brahmin Sadhus had pet dinosaurs”.

“Three RSS men on the ICHR. Hope India’s new history book does not stretch back to when Brahmin Sadhus had pet dinosaurs,” party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said on Twitter. Reports had it that with the term of Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR) current panel ending on December 22 last year, Rao has recommended among 18 panelists, three historians who are office bearers of RSS’s Akhil Bharatiya Itihas Sankalan Yojana (ABISY).

These ABISY historians are Narayan Rao, national vice president of the Sangh history wing, Ishwar Sharan Vishwakarma, all-India general secretary, and Nikhilesh Guha, head of the Bengal chapter, the report said. The HRD ministry is the final clearance authority for ICHR appointments. The recommendations of the ICHR are with the ministry, the report had said.

In his other tweets also, Singhvi had taken potshots at the government.

“BJP sent a show cause notice to Sakshi Maharaj but he won’t respond till 3 more are sent. Meanwhile he is itching to make 3 more statements,” Singhvi said reacting to the notice sent to the BJP MP by his party President Amit Shah. He also took a dig at Swachch Bharat Campaign of the government.

“Wl modiji propose Obama as an ambassador for swach Bharat. That Wl certainly not clean Bharat bt generate much desired adequate publicity,” he said.

(PTI)

Seven die of swine flu in Rajasthan, 19 test positive

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Representational Image. Photo: REUTERS/Arko Datta

Representational Image. Photo: REUTERS/Arko Datta

Jaipur: Seven people have died and 19 tested positive for swine flu in Rajasthan this year, forcing the state government to put its health department on alert, an official said Wednesday.

The deaths have been reported from Banswara, Barmer, Tonk, Kota and Jaipur areas, while the positive cases have been reported from Jaipur, Sikar, Tonk, Kota among other districts, an official told IANS.

“We have decided to do a survey of at least 50 houses near the house where a positive case of swine flu has been reported,” a senior medical department official said.

“We are requesting all the patients suffering from cold, fever, cough or running nose to come to hospital for a check-up. We do not want to take any chances,” he added.

The official said that after the sudden spurt in swine flu cases since the beginning of this year, the state health department has been geared to face any eventuality.

Health Minister Rajendra Rathore has directed all district hospitals to collect samples of suspected swine flu patients and send them to government-run medical colleges for tests.

Health officials have also been asked to keep stock of medicines used for the treatment of H1N1 influenza.

(IANS)

Congress launches 'Bharatiya Hindu Parishad' to counter VHP

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BHARATIYA HINDU PARISHAD

Puttur: Under the leadership of Congress leaders, a pro Hindu outfit, ‘Bharatiya Hindu Parishad’ was inaugurated here on Wednesday January 14, even as debate in favour of and against creating such an organization rages on within the party. It is said that similar initiatives are being undertaken at various cities and towns by the party, reportedly at the behest of All India Congress Committee vice president, Rahul Gandhi, who has realized that his party has been facing a reversal of fortunes because of losing patronage of Hindus.

The said organization has been created under the leadership of block Congress president, A Hemanath Shetty. During the open debate on the desirability of giving birth to an outfit exclusively to cater to Hindu vote bank, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, Dr G Parameshwar, and former union minister, B Janardhana Poojary, had stoutly opposed the move, as they feel that it is opposed to the secular principles to which the party is committed. Udupi district in-charge minister, Vinay Kumar Sorake, also clarified when questioned by press persons in Udupi on Wednesday that his party does not need such organizations, as it protects interests of people from all the religions.

Bharatiya Hindu Parishad, which took birth on Wednesday, has pledged support to the construction of the temple dedicated to Rama at Ayodhya, and is opposed to religious conversions. It wants to undertake study about why religious conversions take place.

Tamil writer Perumal Murugan announces himself 'dead' after being forced to withdraw novel

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One Part Woman, the English translation of Perumal Murugan's Madorubhagan, translated by Aniruddhan Vasudevan, Penguin Books. Photo Credit: Kalachavadu

One Part Woman, the English translation of Perumal Murugan’s Madorubhagan, translated by Aniruddhan Vasudevan, Penguin Books. Photo Credit: Kalachavadu

New Delhi: Tamil writer Perumal Murugan recently took to social media to announce his ‘death’. He said that the writer part of him has died and only the teacher in him will live on.

On his Facebook page the much loved author wrote:

Perumal Murugan, the writer is dead. He is not God, so he is not going to resurrect. He does not believe in reincarnation either.

Various organisations, caste outfits in his home town Thiruchengodu, around 410 km from here, protested against his novel ‘Madorubhagan’, whose story revolves around the problems faced by a childless peasant couple and the woman’s attempt to get pregnant following a tradition of consensual sex with a stranger. He was forced to withdraw the book and unconditionally apologise for it.

The author posted about his right to freedom of expression and said in the Facebook post that he now wants to withdraw all his previous books and compensate the publishers for their loss.

In his post he thanked his friends, students and publishers for standing by him so far. But, he has urged that he should not be invited to any literary event from now on.

Many imminent personalities have criticised the Tamil Nadu government for failing to protect the ‘Freedom of Expression’ of the author.

Murugan is a Tamil professor at the Government Arts College in Namakkal and written four novels, three collections of short stories and three anthologies of poetry.

(Agencies)

SC sets aside order staying Salman Khan's conviction in blackbuck case

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Salman Khan

New Delhi: In a setback to filmstar Salman Khan, Supreme Court Wednesday set aside the Rajasthan High Court order staying his conviction in the blackbuck hunting case.

An apex court bench headed by Justice S.J. Mukhopadhyay remanded the matter back to the high court for fresh consideration.

Pronouncing the verdict, Justice Mukhopadhyay said the filmstar could tell the court that he would suffer irreversible damage if his conviction is not stayed and he is eventually acquitted.

The court said that the Rajasthan government at the same time could argue that no irreversible damage which cannot be undone would be caused if his conviction is not stayed.

The Rajasthan High Court had stayed Salman’s conviction on his plea that it was coming in his way to get visa to travel to England.

Salman’s sentence has already been stayed by the high court.

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