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Archives for May 2015

Haryana: 15 houses burnt, 5 injured due to communal clash in Faridabad

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Faridabad-Riots

Faridabad: At least five persons were injured and around 15 houses gutted after a clash erupted between two communities over construction of a religious structure in Atali village in Faridabad, following which the district administration has beefed up security.

At least five persons were injured and about 15 houses burnt on Tuesday night when people from the two communities clashed over construction of the religious structure adjacent to the other community’s religious site, SHO In-charge Inspector Preetpal said.

The trouble began on Tuesday when the roof of the religious structure was being laid, he said.

A group of people from the other community started pelting stones and turned violent with equal retaliation from the other side, he said.

The group poured kerosene on the houses of those belonging to the community and set them on fire. The people fled from their houses, he said.

Section 144 was imposed in the village, he said, adding that twenty people have been booked under various sections of the IPC and Arms Act.

The police are on a strict vigil to avoid any untoward situation, the inspector said.

The SHO of Police Station Chainsa has been suspended for not handling the situation well.

Police force from six nearby districts was called to control the situation, an official said, adding that flag march was also conducted by the police.

Haryana Commissioner of Police Subhash Yadav, Sub Divisional Magistrate Priyanka Soni, DCP Bhupinder Singh, and other senior police and administration officials visited the village to review the situation, an official said.

Local MLA Moolchand Sharma said a meeting was organised in the SDM’s office today in which people from both the communities participated and the matter was resolved.

The government will compensate those affected and action will be taken against the accused, the MLA added.

(PTI)

Senior FIFA officials indicted on corruption charges

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US indicts 14 people as Swiss authorities announce criminal investigation into 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids.

FIFA

by Al Jazeera

Swiss authorities have arrested seven leading FIFA officials in Zurich on racketeering and bribery charges brought by the United States and announced they have opened a criminal case in connection with the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The arrested officials are among 14 people named in a 47-count indictment that was unsealed in federal court in New York City on Wednesday.

Among those charged in the indictment are FIFA Vice President Jeffrey Webb and Jack Warner – the current and former presidents of CONCACAF (the continental confederation under FIFA headquartered in the US).

The 14 officials and executives were charged with a bribery and kickback scheme that spanned a 24-year period.

The Justice Department revealed that four individuals and two companies have already pleaded guilty, in a case that has rocked football’s world governing body.

“It spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks,” US Attorney General Loretta Lynch said.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter was not among the men arrested, FIFA spokesperson Walter de Gregorio confirmed. The governing body’s officials are in Switzerland for the congress as its gets ready to elect  its next president.

“The General Secretary and President have not been arrested,” de Gregorio said in a press conference. “FIFA welcomes this process as it initiated it last November, lodging a legal complaint with the federal attorney.”

“The 2018 and 2022 World Cups will be played in Russia and Qatar. One thing [arrests] has nothing to do with the other and the election will take place as planned.”

The US Department of Justice released a statement confirming the intensity of the investigation, saying that the bribes in question mounted to “well over $150m”.

“The defendants also include US and South American sports marketing executives who are alleged to have systematically paid and agreed to pay well over $150m in bribes and kickbacks to obtain lucrative media and marketing rights to international soccer tournaments,” the statement said.

“The indictment alleges corruption that is rampant, systemic and deep-rooted, both abroad and here in the United States,” added US Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

World Cup investigation

Separate to the US indictment, the Swiss Office of the Attorney General (OAG) issued a statement saying it has “opened criminal proceedings against persons unknown on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and of money laundering in connection with the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 Football World Cups”.

The OAG said it has seized data and documents from FIFA’s IT systems on Wednesday as part of its investigation.

“It is suspected that irregularities occurred in the allocation of the FIFA World Cups of 2018 and 2022,” the OAG statement said.

“The OAG and the Swiss Federal Criminal Police will be questioning 10 persons who took part in voting on the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups as members of the Executive Committee in 2010.”

The US is expected to seek extradition of the officials who have been arrested.

Elections still on

FIFA called the arrest a “difficult moment” but said it would not derail President Sepp Blatter’s bid to win a fifth term in an election on Friday.

“It is certainly a difficult moment for us,” added De Gregorio.

“There was never such an idea to postpone the congress nor the election, one thing has nothing to do with the other.”

He said that Blatter was “not dancing in his office” following the arrests but remained “calm” and was prepared to cooperate fully with investigators.

Monks join hundreds in Myanmar anti-Rohingya rally

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Yangon protesters decry international “bullying” as persecuted Rohingya migrants flee for other Southeast Asian nations

About 400 people, including 40 monks, gathered to show their support for the anti-Rohingya campaign [EPA]

About 400 people, including 40 monks, gathered to show their support for the anti-Rohingya campaign [EPA]

by Manny Maung, Al Jazeera

Yangon: Hundreds of demonstrators, including Buddhist monks, have marched in Yangon against what they say is “bullying” by the international community about Myanmar’s stance on the Rohingya ethnic minority group.

Thousands of Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar in recent months claiming fear of persecution, and many are still languishing at sea as they wait to seek asylum in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.

A spokeswoman for Wednesday’s protest, held by nationalist and religious groups, insisted the humanitarian crisis was not caused by Myanmar.

“These people are not from Myanmar,” Sandy Thin Mar Oo said, yelling through a loudspeaker to the protesters who gathered before marching the streets.

In an impassioned speech, she called for the United Nations and the international community to stop blaming Myanmar as the sole perpetrators of the unfolding human tragedy.

“Don’t blame Myanmar alone,” she said, encouraging the crowd to yell slogans after her. “Don’t bully Myanmar.”

Spiralling crisis

Human rights groups and the UN have warned of a spiralling humanitarian crisis and have urged Myanmar to provide better conditions for the Rohingya, who are considered by the Myanmar government as illegal migrants from Bangladesh.

About 400 people, including 40 monks, gathered to show their support for the anti-Rohingya campaign on Wednesday.

Protesters donned T-shirts emblazoned with the captions, “Boat people are not from Myanmar” and “Myanmar should not take the blame for boat people problem”.

U Win Hlan Tha, a monk who attended the rally, said he wanted to show his support of “real” Myanmar people.

“These people are not really us and the international media has got it all wrong,” he said. “What they have to understand is that we are never going to let them in because they have never been one of us.”

Protesters donned T-shirts emblazoned with the captions, ‘Boat people are not from Myanmar’ [AP]

Bystanders watched quietly as protesters led a short march through a section of a Yangon suburb where many Muslim residents reside.

Asked what they thought of the campaign, most declined to comment. But others said they fully supported the protesters and their message to the international community.

“We had never even heard of the word ‘Rohingya’ before the riots in Sittwe in 2012,” said one bystander who declined to be named.

“For once, I don’t think the government is lying to Myanmar people,” he said.

Religious tensions are simmering in Myanmar, where at least 240 people have been killed since communal conflict was sparked between Muslim and Buddhist groups in 2012.

Asia director of Human Rights Watch, Brad Adams, said neighbouring ASEAN countries needed to do more for the Rohingya, who had fallen prey to human traffickers because of their desperate situation in Myanmar.

“Just as important, there will be no long-term solution unless [Myanmar] ends its rights-abusing and discriminatory policies toward the Rohinga and joins other countries in taking action against smugglers and traffickers who abuse and prey on them,” he added.

Lottery scam: Siddaramaiah accuses HD Kumaraswamy of derailing investigation process

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Photo: IE

Photo: IE

Bengaluru: The lottery scam in Karnataka including police officials is becoming a cause for political war in state.

Following the allegations by JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy that the Congress government at the state is suporting the tainted police officials involved in the lottery scam, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday retaliated saying that HD Kumaraswamy is trying to derail the  lottery scam investigation.

Addressing the media here, CM stated that baseless allegations were hurled at him and the government by the JD (S) Supremo Deve Gowda and his son HD Kumaraswamy.

“When Janardhana Reddy accused Kumaraswamy of accepting a bribe of Rs 150 crore from the mining lobby, why Deve Gowda did not advise his son  to hand over the case to the CBI?” questioned Siddaramaiah.

JD(S) leader has blamed the Congress government and Home Minister KJ George of being involved in the scam without any evidence, stated CM Siddaramaiah.

AAP tears into Centre's notification, right to impeach LG sought

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AAP

New Delhi: A resolution against the Centre’s decree giving Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung the final say in transfers and postings of bureaucrats was moved on Tuesday in the Delhi assembly while an AAP lawmaker demanded that state legislatures should have the power to impeach governors.

Buoyed by the Delhi High Court’s observation that the lt. governor must act on the advice of the council of ministers, Aam Aadmi Party legislators took turns to criticise the Narendra Modi government’s order giving Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung the final say in matters pertaining to services, police, law and order.

The May 21 notification had also stripped Delhi’s Anti Corruption Branch of its power to act against central government employees.

On the first day of the two-day special session of the assembly called by the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government to discuss the home ministry’s notification, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia moved the resolution, saying the Centre had encroached upon the rights of the Delhi assembly.

“It (notification) is encroachment on the rights of the legislative assembly of Delhi. They (central government) have tried to dilute the spirit of the Constitution,” Sisodia told the assembly.

He said the BJP-led government at the Centre was “unconstitutionally trying to impose President’s Rule in Delhi”.

“This government has taken corruption head-on and achieved unprecedented success. The Centre is trying to thwart Delhi government’s attempts,” Sisodia added.

Taking the tussle with Jung a notch higher, AAP legislator Adarsh Shashtri demanded that a resolution be passed in the assembly to amend the Constitution to enable state legislatures to impeach governors and Lt. Governors.

“We should pass a resolution asking parliament to review the recommendations of the Sarkaria Commission and the articles 155 and 156 of the Constitution to allow state legislatures to have the power to impeach governors and Lt. Governors,” Shastri said.

AAP lawmaker Somnath Bharti moved a private member’s resolution against the union home ministry’s notification. The house will take up the resolution on Wednesday and it is likely to be passed.

The resolution moved by Bharti contended that the May 21 central notification was “contrary to and violative of the provisions of the Constitution of India”.

“This house finds this act of the ministry of home affairs as an attempt on the part of the central government to encroach upon the legislative powers of this august house conferred by the Constitution.”

The notification was issued following the ongoing tussle between the AAP government and Lt. Governor Jung over the appointment and transfer of bureaucrats. Both also approached President Pranab Mukherjee to seek his intervention for a resolution of the issue.

Meanwhile, BJP member O.P. Sharma was marshalled out of the assembly after he made critical remarks against Speaker Ram Niwas Goel.

(Agencies)

Woman denied home for being a Muslim

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Misbah Quadri

Mumbai: A 25-year-old woman professional was allegedly refused a flat by a builder as she belongs to the minority community, days after an MBA graduate was denied job by a diamond export firm on similar ground here.

An activist has taken up the matter with the National Commission for Minorities seeking a probe into the builder’s “discriminatory policy.”

Misbah Quadri, who works with a Public Relations agency, had been living in an apartment at Kandivali in the western suburbs of Mumbai since the time she shifted to the city from Gujarat a year back.

Recently, she tried to move to a flat in Wadala area but met with the shocking response from the builder of the apartment.

“After a lot of searching, I finally found a house at Wadala and paid a deposit of Rs 24,000 through a broker. A night before I was to move in, I got a call from the broker, warning me not to shift there as it is the builder’s policy to not have Muslim tenants. I tried to reason with him but he did not oblige,” Quadri told PTI.

She claimed that the broker asked her to sign a “no-objection certificate” declaring that if she faced any harassment from her neighbours because of her religion, the builder, the owner and the broker “would not be legally responsible.”

“I had to move into the flat though I did not agree with the terms because the notice period with my previous flat had expired and there was nowhere I could go. After a week, the broker called me again and asked me to leave. I had no option then but to leave the flat. Presently I am staying at a paying guest accommodation in Bandra,” she said.

Quadri claimed that when she approached the representative of the builder who has an office in the same building, she was told that it was a policy of theirs to not give homes on rent to Muslims.

“He also said that maybe 5-6 years down the line they may start renting flats to Muslims,” she said.

Meanwhile, activist Shehzad Poonawala, in a petition filed before the National Minorities Commission, has prayed that an inquiry be conducted into the allegation to ascertain whether the builder has a discriminatory policy against a religious community, which involves violation of the constitutional provisions.

He also sought legal action against the builder and the broker and urged the Commission to direct the Central government to call for a meeting of all stake-holders including real estate brokers, developers, state governments, activists, Home Ministry, Social Justice Ministry, Urban Housing Ministry and so on and issue strict legislative and statutory guidelines against discrimination of minorities.

Poonawala also suggested promulgation of a “Fair Housing Law” or guidelines on illegal discrimination against any community in matters concerning housing.

(PTI)

Court allows Greenpeace to operate two domestic accounts

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greenpeace

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday allowed NGO Greenpeace India to operate two of its domestic accounts to accept fresh domestic contribution which it can use for its day-to-day functioning.

The high court bench of Justice Rajiv Shakdher also allowed Greenpeace to encash its fixed deposits and utilise the funds for running the organisation.

The court said it was giving the interim relief to the NGO so that it can continue to work at the moment. The court clarified that the NGO cannot utilise the amount frozen by the government.

The court was hearing a plea of Greenpeace India to de-freeze its international and national bank accounts, which were blocked following a home ministry directive last month.

(IANS)

Manmohan Singh breaks silence, denies involvement in scams

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manmohan-singh

New Delhi: After being targeted for his involvement in scams during the UPA government’s tenure, former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh finally broke his silence today and denied all the allegations.

Dr Manmohan Singh stated that he didn’t use public office for his personal growth and benefit.

“I have not used public office to enrich myself, family or friends,” Dr Singh said accusing the BJP of harping on corruption to divert people’s attention to non-issues.

Dr Singh’s assertion comes a day after Pradeep Baijal, the former head of the country’s telecom regulator, said that Dr Singh asked him not to obstruct policies that were being implemented to allow a massive scam in the allocation of mobile network licenses in 2009.

The Modi government is stressing on corruption to divert the nation’s attention to non-issues, he added.

Proudly claiming about India’s growth during the UPA regime, the then Prime Minister said that India was the second fastest growing economy under Congress rule.

(Agencies)

I eat beef, can somebody stop me? BJP leader Kiren Rijiju gives it back to Naqvi

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Kiren Rijiju

New Delhi: In yet another blow to Sangh Parivar and Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who had stated that those who eat beef should go to Pakistan, his colleague in the Narendra Modi-led government has now slammed him for his “unpalatable” comment.

“I eat beef, I’m from Arunachal Pradesh, can somebody stop me? So let us not be touchy about somebody’s practices,” said Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju during a visit to Aizawl on Tuesday. “This is a democratic country. Sometimes, some statements are made which are not palatable.”

“If a Mizo Christian says that this is the land of Jesus, why should someone have a problem in Punjab or Haryana? We have to honour the sentiments of each place and each location,” said Rijiju, who is considered as the most influential BJP leader in North East India.

“If Maharashtra is Hindu majority, or if Gujarat is Hindu majority, Madhya Pradesh is Hindu majority, if they are to make laws which are conducive to the Hindu faith, let them be. But in our place, in our state where we are majority, where we feel whatever steps we take, you know, laws which are conducive to our beliefs, it should be. So they also should not have a problem with the way we live, and we also should not have a problem with the way they live,” he added.

“This country is a multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-communal country. We must respect each other’s practices. There cannot be any force on anybody about your practices, your faith. So if anybody makes a statement which is forcing or imposing your belief, your faith, your practices on another community, another believer, it is not good,” Rijiju said.

Rijiju also spoke on the issue of illegal immigration from Bangladesh to some North-Eastern states.

“I am not going to make a political point here but since it has been happening for a long time, it is a problem, a challenge for us. It’s an issue for us and we are giving a lot of emphasis to deal with that,” Rijiju said. “But I think that with the land boundary agreement, Bangladesh will come close to us in understanding and ensuring that our border forces and their forces, both sides must cooperate.”

“People who flee their homeland are broadly put in two categories, One is they come out deliberately to disturb people of other regions by taking away their jobs, by way of involvement in criminal activities. Illegal migration, this is a menace,” he said.
“Then the other group are refugees who are religiously persecuted, who are forced out. There is a humanitarian angle. If we are forced out of our homeland, it is a human issue,” the MoS said in response to a question about migration of Chakmas, a community from Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts, to parts of Mizoram, Tripura, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

“For me, for the government, religious background is not a consideration. It is basically under what circumstances they have been either driven out or they have deliberately come over. So we have to categorise on that part. Having said that, if they are not our citizens, our efforts will always be to push them back into their country,” Rijiju said.

Lottery scam: Karnataka government ready for CBI probe "whenever necessary': K J George

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K J George

Bengaluru: Karnataka government is ready to hand over to CBI, “whenever necessary,” probe into alleged illegal lottery busines in the state, as a fall out of which a senior IPS officer has been suspended, Home Minister KJ George said on Monday.

“We are ready. Whenever necessary we will give it to CBI (for conducting an enquiry into the single digit illegal lottery scam),” Home Minister KJ George told reporters here.

Alok Kumar, Additional Commissioner of Police (West Bengaluru), was suspended on May 23 for his alleged illegal contact with Pari Rajan, said to be the kingpin in the scam, and for intefering in the investigation process. Rajan is already in police custody.

George said the government was also ready for the Enforcement Directorate probe if the central agency felt there was something fishy about the money trail, George said.

“As far as Enforcement Directorate probe is concerned, there is no need for the government to seek permission or make any recommendation. If they feel there is money trail is there, they can take over the case without our permission.”

Flaying the Opposition’s demand for CBI inquiry, he said while this government was ready for the probe, the opposition parties during their rule did not hand over a single case to the central investigation agency.

“Why this love for CBI now? Don’t they have any faith in our investigation agencies? This is very unfair,” he said.

Asked whether Governor, Vajubhai Vala had sought a report on the scam, George said, “If the Governor asks for it we will send it. We have nothing to hide. Everything is an open book.”

On how many more police officers’ names had been included in the CID report, George said, “As far as numbers are concerned, I have no idea about it.”

George said the report has recommended action against only one IPS officer Alok Kumar.

“The report had recommended action against one IPS officer, and we have suspended him. He is the second officer though. Earlier based on an IG report we had suspended one Dharnesh, a police official,” he said.

(Agencies)

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