Archives for 2017

New Delhi: Union minister Arun Jaitley today filed a fresh civil defamation suit of Rs 10 crore against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal whose lawyer allegedly used an objectionable word against him in court last week.

Jaitley, who holds the twin portfolios of Finance and Defence, filed the fresh suit after Kejriwal’s counsel Ram Jethmalani allegedly abused him in open court during the proceedings of another defamation suit he had filed against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and five other party leaders.

The noted lawyer, during the cross-examination of the union minister on May 15 and May 17 in the Delhi High Court, had used certain words which were objected to by Jaitley.

Advocate Manik Dogra, who is representing Jaitley, said they had filed a fresh civil defamation suit against Kejriwal as he, through his counsel, had used abusive language in the open court, which was also recorded in the order sheet. This warrants filing of a separate defamation suit, he added.

Jaitley had filed a civil defamation suit earlier seeking Rs 10 crore in damages from Kejriwal and five other AAP leaders — Raghav Chadha, Kumar Vishwas, Ashutosh, Sanjay Singh and Deepak Bajpai — for accusing him of financial irregularities in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) of which he was president from 2000 to 2013.

Jaitley had denied all the allegations levelled against him by the AAP leaders. Besides the civil defamation suit, Jaitley had also filed a separate criminal defamation case in the trial court against the AAP leaders.

(PTI)

Ahmedabad: The 2002 Gujarat carnage, one of the worst instances of communal violence since Independence will now not be referred to as ‘anti-Muslim riots’ in the NCERT textbooks. It will be instead referred to as the “Gujarat riots” henceforth.

According to a national English daily, the decision was taken at a review meeting where representatives of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the National Council of Educational Research And Training (NCERT) were present. The change is to be made in a 2007 class 12 textbook which was published during the UPA’s tenure.

According to the estimates of Gujarat government, nearly 800 Muslims and more than 250 Hindus were killed in the violence in February-March, 2002. However, it is believed that the government gave wrong figures by decreasing the number of Muslim victims. Thousands of Muslim women were raped and properties belonging to Muslims were looted and destroyed by the violent mob during the alleged government sponsored riot.

The violence was sparked by the death of 57 Hindu pilgrims who were burnt alive in a train compartment at a station in Godhra. Though the Sangh Parivar blames the local Muslims for the tragedy, many studies have claimed that it was an ‘inside job.’

The NCERT’s move could rile the minority community that bore the brunt of the weeks-long violence. Over the past three years, changes in textbooks have been a controversial issue. Several BJP-ruled states, including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Maharashtra, tweaked schoolbooks in a way that triggered opposition allegations that these governments were trying to saffronise education.

The NCERT – the government’s think thank on school education — termed the move a routine to keep textbooks updated.

“Points raised by CBSE have already been taken up by NCERT. Changes will be made and it will be reflected once the book is reprinted by the end of the year,” a senior NCERT official told HT seeking anonymity.

“This review is an ongoing process and before every reprint we do incorporate new acceptable feedback and also update the information. This year we are doing it in a more planned and comprehensive manner.”

The official also said the NCERT is carrying out a review of all textbooks to ensure that the latest developments are included.

A chapter titled “Politics in India since Independence” (page 187) in the Class XII political science textbook has a passage under the heading “Anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat”.

“In February-March 2002, large-scale violence against Muslims took place in Gujarat …. A bogey of a train that was returning from Ayodhya and was full of karsevaks was set on fire… Suspecting the hands of Muslims in setting fire to the bogey, large-scale violence against Muslims began in many parts of Gujarat…” the passage reads.

It also talks about the National Human Rights Commission criticising the Gujarat government’s role in failing to control violence and provide relief to victims. Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat at that time.

Sources said the meeting decided to change only the subtitle, as of now. HT has a copy of the minutes of the meeting.

Besides NCERT and CBSE representatives, teachers of some private schools also attended the review meeting on May 11 in Delhi. The CBSE reviewed the book on its own and sent a report to the NCERT following which the meeting was called, the sources added.

In a separate development on May 13, the NCERT also decided to replace the map of East and South East Asia in the same textbook that showed ‘Aksai Chin’, an area in Kashmir under China’s control, as a disputed area.

(Agencies)

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh police today registered a murder case in the death of a Karnataka-cadre IAS officer here, hours after his family members met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and demanded a CBI probe.

“An FIR has been registered in Hazratganj police station against unidentified persons in IAS officer Anurag Tiwari’s case under IPC section 302 (murder). The complaint was lodged by his brother Mayanak,” Circle Officer, Hazratganj, Avanish Kumar Mishra told PTI.

Earlier, the family members of the officer met the chief minister and pressed for a CBI probe.

“We are not satisfied with the police probe. We have requested the CM to recommend a CBI probe,” Mayank told reporters.

Tiwari, 36, was found dead on May 17, his birthday, under mysterious circumstances near a guest house, where he was staying, in the high-security Hazratganj area here.

His family had alleged foul play. He was posted as commissioner in the department of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs in Bengaluru.

“My son was very honest. Corrupt officers did not like him. They must have somehow got him murdered,” Tiwari’s father B N Tiwari had alleged in Bahraich, his native place.

(Agencies)

Chennai: Members of a fringe pro-Tamil outfit on Monday burnt an effigy of actor Rajinikanth, opposing his entry into politics.

With the ‘Tamizhar Munnetra Padai’ planning to picket the actor’s house at Poes Garden, security was stepped up there.

The slogan-raising activists burnt an effigy of the actor at the busy Cathedral Road, police said, adding that scores of members of the outfit were detained.

The activists raised slogans against Rajinikanth’s possible entry into politics, an issue which has gained steam following his hints last week that he could take the plunge.

The actor’s Kannada origins are often a focal point of discussion in Tamil Nadu, with pro-Tamil groups raising the pitch whenever the Cauvery river water sharing dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka escalates.

Intense speculation has ruled the grapevine for the past couple of days about the Tamil superstar’s entry into politics after Rajinikanth, in an interaction with fans, said that he is a “Pachchai Thamizhan” and asked them to be prepared for “war”. Last week, the superstar said he would join politics if ‘God wants me to’.

A number of BJP leaders have warmed up to the idea of Rajinikanth joining the party. Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan had welcomed the star to join the BJP, and the party’s Tamil Nadu chief Tamilisai Sounderajan had on Sunday said that BJP would be strengthened if Rajinikanth joined the party.

BJP chief Amit Shah had also expressed his approval of the Superstar joining the saffron party. According to reports, Amit Shah said to a news channel, “Every good person is welcome to join politics,” but added that only Rajini could decide when to enter politics.

But Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday also said he was not aware of any possible meeting between actor Rajinikanth and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

”Rajinikanth is a great actor. Modi is a great leader. If he wants to meet the Prime Minister, there is no problem”, Naidu told reporters in Bengaluru.

But Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief S Thirunavukkarasar said that he believes that Rajinikanth, who is his friend since 35-40 years, will float his own party.

(Agencies)

Dr. Zakir Naik has denied media reports that claimed that he had been granted Saudi citizenship to evade arrest by Interpol.

Dr. Naik has rubbished the reports saying that, “It (news if Saudi citizenship) is false, unless Allah wills. This is how the media even prints gossip as facts.”

According to Middle East Monitor, Dr. Naik had been granted citizenship in Saudi Arabia, by King Salman.

Dr. Naik is wanted in India after a Facebook post surfaced, of one of the attackers involved in the Dhaka terror attack last year, in which he had shared Dr. Naik’s speech.

Last month, India approached the Interpol to issue a ‘Red Corner Notice’ against Dr. Naik. A Red Corner Notice ensures that Dr. Naik will be declared an international fugitive and can be arrested by any law enforcing agency.

Dr. Naik is believed to be living either in Saudi Arabia or the UAE, while moving between Malaysia and Indonesia, according to intelligence agencies.

(Agencies)