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Rahul seeks removal of Hegde as Union Minister

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Nasheman News : Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday sought the removal of Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde over his controversial remarks concerning religion and women, saying he was an embarrassment to every Indian.

“This man is an embarrassment to every Indian. He’s unfit to be a Union Minister and deserves to be sacked,” Gandhi tweeted. 

Hegde, Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, during a public event in Kodagu district of Karnataka on Sunday said that “any hand that touches a Hindu girl should not exist”. 

“We should be aware of what is happening around us. Regardless of caste and religion, any hand that touches a Hindu girl should not exist,” the Minister had said.

On Monday, Hegde was also locked in a Twitter war with Karnataka Congress President Dinesh Gundu Rao over their achievements and contributions.

Responding to Hegde’s tweet that he knew Rao as “a guy who ran behind a Muslim lady”, the latter retorted that it was sad to see the Central minister stoop to such “low levels as to bring in personal issues”.

Gundu Rao, a Congress lawmaker, is married to Tabu Rao.

Priyanka’s entry will strengthen Congress: Yashwant Sinha

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Nasheman News : Former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha said here on Monday the entry of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra into active politics will strengthen the Congress and that she has already made an impact.

“From all the reports that I am getting, it appears that she (Priyanka) has already had an impact on the electorate. She is not yet active but when she becomes active, the impact of her personality would be even greater,” Sinha said in response to a query at a media interaction here.

He said that the Congress party would be “strengthened” by Priyanka’s entry, but whether a stronger Congress would eat into the SP-BSP votes or into the Bharatiya Janata Party’s votes, is “still to be seen”.

Javadekar dares Rahul, Kumaraswamy to take action against Siddaramaiah

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Nasheman News :The BJP on Monday hit out at former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over his indecent behaviour with a woman in the state and dared Congress president Rahul Gandhi and State Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy to take action against him.

“Rahul Gandhi must first tell the people about what he will do with Siddaramaiah. He is a former Chief Minister, it is visible how he misbehaved with a woman,” Union Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters at the party headquarters here. 

“The way in which he has insulted a woman shows how the Congress looks at women,” he said. 

“They only know how to respect women in the family and not others. This is Congress mantra. They have learnt nothing from the Tandoor case,” he said. 

The BJP leader also said that the Karnataka Chief Minister now faces a test as to what action he will take against Siddaramaiah. 

“It will be interesting to see if he shows any courage to take action against Siddaramaiah,” he said. 

Javadekar was responding to a question about Rahul Gandhi demanding the resignation of Hegde over his controversial comments at a public event that any hand that touches a Hindu girl “should not exist”. 

Hitting out at the Congress chief, Javadekar said that instead of asking for the BJP Minister’s resignation, Gandhi should take action against his own former Chief Minister.

Malaysia unveils five-year plan to fight corruption

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Plan focuses on procurement, contracts and requires politicians to publicly declare their assets.

A new government under Mahathir Mohamad took power in Malaysia last year and is implementing a five year plan to tackle corruption. [Issei Kato/Reuters]

Malaysia has unveiled an ambitious five-year plan to clamp down on corruption in government, months after a multi-billion-dollar graft scandal brought down the previous administration.

The plan, launched by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Tuesday, would involve sweeping changes to the appointment process for key posts, require legislators and ministers to publicly declare their assets, and introduce new laws to regulate political funding and lobbying.

Voters rejected Mahathir’s predecessor Najib Razak in an election in May last year, amid widespread public disgust over allegations that about $4.5bn has been stolen from 1MDB, a state fund set up by the former prime minister.

Najib, his wife and several high-ranking officials of his former administration are now facing dozens of criminal charges related to 1MDB and other government entities. All of them have pleaded not guilty.

Mahathir said Malaysia requires “all kinds of strategies, laws and restrictions” to curb corruption.

“This plan is a strong statement from the current government that we will track down and prosecute past offenders, while current and future offenders will be facing harsher action,” the prime minister said in a speech to launch the new approach to fighting graft.

The plan’s measures would target the government’s procurement process, law enforcement, the judiciary, politics and business, he added.

1MDB case

Officials studied the 1MDB case closely to design the new anti-corruption plan, said Abu Kassim Mohamed, the director-general of the Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Centre, which drafted the anti-graft measures.

“When you have a top leader of the country allegedly involved in misconduct on such a mega scale, that has an impact on the public,” Abu Kassim told Reuters news agency on Monday.

Authorities in Malaysia and the United States allege that Jho Low, a financier with ties to Najib’s family, diverted funds from 1MDB and that about $1bn of it was eventually deposited into Najib’s personal bank accounts.

In July last year, Malaysian police seized designer handbags, luxury watches, jewellery and cash estimated at $273m from high-end properties linked to the former prime minister. 

It took three days, six cash counting machines and 22 officials from the central bank to count the cash, the then head of Malaysia’s commercial crime division, Amar Singh, said at the time.

Both Najib and Low, who is being sought by police, have denied wrongdoing.

The Malaysian government has also filed criminal charges against the US investment bank Goldman Sachs over 1MDB.

Its anti-graft plan addresses high-risk practices such as the selling of government contracts to third parties, and the appointment of political operatives to the board of state-linked companies, Abu Kassim said.

It also aims to strengthen the independence of investigating bodies such as the audit department and the anti-corruption commission, he added.

Political financing

New rules on political funding could affect opposition parties, particularly the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the party Mahathir led until 2003. Najib was head of the party for almost a decade before last year’s election defeat.

Having controlled every ruling coalition since independence six decades ago, UMNO had established a system of patronage to ensure support from the country’s majority ethnic Malays.

UMNO and PAS, a Malay Islamist party also in opposition, reportedly received funds from 1MDB when Najib was in power.

Malaysia was ranked 62 out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index published by Transparency International last year.

SC nod sought for releasing land to Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, others

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[Nasheman news] New DelhiThe Centre on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court seeking its nod for giving a part of the 67 acres of undisputed land to the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas and other original owners.

The top court was moved for the modification of its March 31, 2003 order, directing the observance of status quo on the acquired 67 acres of undisputed land.

The Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, which has right over 42 acres of this 67 acres, had moved the government seeking return of those 42 acres.

Ex-Himachal CM Virbhadra has swine flu

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[Nasheman news] Shimla Congress leader and six-time former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh was diagnosed positive for swine flu, doctors said on Tuesday. His condition is stable.

He was admitted to the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital in Shimla on Sunday with congestion and breathing trouble. Late on Monday, he was diagnosed with the H1N1 virus.

Forty-four people have so far tested positive for swine flu in the state.

Eighteen patients were reported in Kangra district, followed by 12 in Shimla. Nine lost their lives due to the virus, officials said.

Cold Tuesday morning in Delhi

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[Nasheman news] New Delhi It was a cold Tuesday morning in the national capital with the minimum temperature recorded at 5.4 degrees Celsius, three notches below the season’s average, the weather office said.

“There was shallow fog in the morning and there will be haze throughout the day,” an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said. 

The maximum temperature is likely to hover around 19 degrees Celsius.

At least 16 Delhi-bound trains were delayed on Tuesday morning due to fog.

At 8.30 a.m., humidity was recorded at 91 per cent while visibility was at 1,000 metres. 

Monday’s maximum and minimum temperature was recorded four notches below the average at 18.9 degrees Celsius and 5.5 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Kovind, Modi pay homage to Fernandes

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[Nasheman news] New DelhiPresident Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi along with many others from across political lines paid homage to former Union Minister George Fernandes, who died on Tuesday after prolonged illness.

Modi called the 88-year-old long-time socialist a “fiery trade union leader”, who resisted the Emergency “tooth and nail”, while Kovind described him as a “champion of democracy”.

The President said he was distressed to learn of Fernandes’ death, who served India in many capacities, including as the Railway and Defence Minister. 

“He epitomised simple living and high thinking. And was a champion of democracy, during the Emergency and beyond. We will all miss him,” the President’s office tweeted.

Modi said the former Minister represented the best of India’s political leadership. 

“Frank and fearless, forthright and farsighted, he made a valuable contribution to our country. He was among the most effective voices for the rights of the poor and marginalised,” he said in a tweet. “Saddened by his passing away.”

The Prime Minister said the former Samata Party leader fought for justice, and could humble the mightiest of politicians at the hustings; a visionary Railway Minister and a great Defence Minister who made India safe and strong.

He said Fernandes never deviated from his political ideology during his long years in public life.

“He resisted the Emergency tooth and nail. His simplicity and humility were noteworthy. My thoughts are with his family, friends and lakhs of people grieving. May his soul rest in peace,” Modi said.

On Facebook, Gandhi said: “I am sorry to hear about the passing away of former Parliamentarian and Union Minister, George Fernandesji. My condolences to his family and friends in this time of grief.” 

With the demise of Fernandes, India has lost a stalwart of its socialist movement, said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Twitter.

“He led many labour movements and fought against the injustice towards them… May his soul rest in peace,” he said.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is the Janata Dal-United chief and has worked closely with Fernandes for three decades, described his death as the “loss of the tallest socialist leader”. 

All official programmes of the Bihar Chief Minister were cancelled for the day. 

Former JD-U chief Sharad Yadav remembered Fernandes as “a rare leader, who fought for working people for years”. 

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee tweeted that she was “very saddened” at Fernandes passing away and recalled him as the “much admired trade unionist”, whom she had known for decades. 

Other senior JD-U leaders K.C. Tayagi, party state president Vashist Narain Singh and former Minister Shayam Razak also condoled the death.

Fernandes was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, and had been out of the public eye. He was been bedridden for more than eight years, family sources said.

Fernandes rose to political prominence when he led the Bombay Taxi Unions Association and defeated S.K. Patil, a Congress heavy-weight in the 1967 general election. 

A fire-brand and hardworking Fernandes, only 37 then, campaigned tirelessly, covering large swathes of the constituency with his workers getting a 48.5 per cent of the votes.

Fernandes later joined the Janata Dal. He served as Railway Minister in the V.P. Singh government from 1989 to 1990. He was instrumental in setting up the Konkan Railway project, connecting Mangalore and Bombay.

In 1994, Fernandes formed the Samata Party, which later allied with the Bharatiya Janata Party. 

He was appointed convenor of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and served as the Defence Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government for two terms, between 1998 and 2004. 

His term was eventful as it witnessed the Kargil War and the Pokhran test. 

Ex-Union Minister George Fernandes dead at 88 (Lead)

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[Nasheman news] New Delhi Former Defence Minister George Fernandes, long-time socialist and a trade unionist, who fought the Congress all his life died on Tuesday after prolonged illness. He was 88.

Fernandes, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, has been out of the public eye and has been bedridden for more than eight years, family sources said.

He had a cold and cough and was taken to the Max Hospital in Saket by his wife, Liela Fernandes, earlier in the day, when doctors said that the veteran leader was already dead.

His son, who lives in New York, is expected back in a day or two, after which the funeral will take place, the sources said.

Fernandes, a long-time socialist, rose to political prominence when he led the Bombay Taxi Unions Association and defeated “uncrowned king of Bombay” S.K. Patil, a Congress heavy-weight in the 1967 general election.

A fire-brand and hardworking Fernandes, only 37 then, campaigned tirelessly, covering large swathes of the constituency with his workers. And when the results were declared, he unseated the ‘king’ with 48.5 per cent of the votes.

Fernandes later joined the Janata Dal. He served as Railway Minister in the V.P. Singh government from 1989 to 1990. He was instrumental in setting up the Konkan Railway project, connecting Mangalore and Bombay.

In 1994, Fernandes formed the Samata Party, which later allied with the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was appointed convenor of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and served as the Defence Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government for two terms, between 1998 and 2004. 

His term was eventful as it witnessed the Kargil War and Pokhran test. 

Facebook to launch transparency tools for electoral ads in India

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[Nasheman news] New Delhi Facebook will launch transparency tools for electoral ads in India next month to help prevent foreign interference and make political and issue advertising on its platform more transparent.

Advertisers will need to be authorised to purchase political ads and the social networking giant will give people more information about ads related to politics and issues.

“We will create a publicly searchable library of these ads for up to seven years. The library will include information on the range of the ads’ budget, number of people they reached and demographics of who saw the ad, including age, gender and location,” Samidh Chakrabarti, Director of Product Management, Civic Engagement at Facebook, said in a blog post on Monday.

Facebook said it is planning to set up two new regional operations centres, focused on election integrity, located in its Dublin and Singapore offices.

“This will allow our global teams to better work across regions in the run-up to elections.A

“These teams will add a layer of defence against fake news, hate speech and voter suppression, and will work cross-functionally with our threat intelligence, data science, engineering, research, community operations, legal and other teams,” explained Katie Harbath, Global Politics and Government Outreach Director at Facebook.

The company said it will continue to expand its third-party fact-checking programme which covers content in 16 languages.

“We have rolled out the ability for fact-checkers to review photos and videos in addition to article links, because we know multimedia-based misinformation is making up a greater share of false news,” said Facebook.

The company said it will organise a series of workshops over the next six months in Singapore, Delhi, Nairobi, Berlin, New York, Mexico City and others, inviting experts and organisations who work issues such as free expression, technology and democracy, procedural fairness and human rights.

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