Archives for March 2022

Basavaraj Bommai

Bengaluru: Terming the resolution adopted by the Tamil Nadu Assembly condemning the decision of Karnataka to proceed with the Mekedatu project across Cauvery as illegal, Chief Minister of the State Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said his government was committed to implement the project.

In a series of tweets, he called the decision of Tamil Nadu to oppose the project as political and accused that State of not having faith in the federal system.

“The resolution adopted today in the Tamil Nadu Assembly against the Mekedatu project is illegal. This is an anti-people resolution wherein a State is trying to infringe upon the rights of another. This resolution shows that Tamil Nadu doesn’t believe in a federal system,” Bommai tweeted.

Stating that the people and the government of Karnataka condemn the resolution, he said, “We are firm on our decision to implement the Mekedatu project across river Cauvery that takes birth in our State.”

“Karnataka has the right over the remaining water after giving Tamil Nadu 177.25 tmc as per the Cauvery tribunal order. The government is taking necessary steps to take up the Mekedatu project irrespective of the political decision of Tamil Nadu,” he said.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly today adopted a unanimous resolution condemning the Karnataka government for its unilateral decision to proceed with the Mekedatu project and prevail upon the Centre to reject the proposal.

Karnataka’s DPR of the project is before the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA), also the matter is before the Environment Ministry for clearance.

The State budget, presented by Bommai recently, provided a grant of Rs 1,000 crore in this year for implementation of the project.

The Mekedatu multi-purpose (drinking and power) project involves building a balancing reservoir near Kanakapura in Ramanagara district.

The estimated Rs 9,000-crore project once completed is aimed at ensuring drinking water to Bengaluru and neighbouring areas (4.75 TMC) and it can also generate 400 MW of power.

Karnataka has maintained that the project within its territory would benefit both States as the surplus water stored can be managed between the two during times of distress, and its implementation would in no way affect the interests of the farming communities in Tamil Nadu, as there would be no impact on its share of water.

But, the neighbouring State is of the view that the project would impound and divert the uncontrolled water flow due to Tamil Nadu from Kabini sub-basin, the catchment area below Krishnarajasagara, and also from Simsha, Arkavathy and Suvarnavathi sub-basins besides other small streams.

New Delhi: How long will you keep him , the Supreme Court Monday asked the Centre after it sought two weeks to take a call on the status of a Pakistani national who has been languishing in a detention centre here for seven years as Islamabad refuses to accept him as its citizen.

A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Surya Kant granted two weeks to Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj to seek instruction whether 62-year-old Mohammad Qamar can be released to enable him to apply for Indian citizenship as his five-children are Indian citizens.

At the outset, senior advocate Sanjay Parikh appearing for Qamar said the government is saying that the order of top court for release of foreigners lodged in detention centres is with respect to Bangladeshi nationals and not those from Pakistan.

How can such a distinction be made? We are only seeking enforcement of this court’s order, Parikh said.

Nataraj submitted, How can a Pakistani citizen claim equal rights as an Indian citizen. He has no right to do so .

The bench said, The question is how long you can keep him. You seek instruction as to what could be done. We are giving you two weeks’ time .

On Feb 28, the top court had asked the Centre to take a call on his release for a brief period to enable him to apply for Indian citizenship.

It had said that Qamar has served his sentence of three years and six months and after that he has been lodged in a detention centre since 2015, awaiting his deportation.

At the time when Pakistan has refused to accept him as its citizen, how long can you keep a person inside? the top court had asked the Centre.

Qamar was arrested on August 8, 2011 from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, and was held guilty by a court here for overstaying his visa. He was sentenced to three years and six months in jail and a fine of Rs 500.

Having completed his sentence on February 6, 2015, Qamar, father of five, was sent to the detention centre at Lampur in Narela here on February 7, 2015 for deportation to Pakistan. However, the Pakistani government did not accept his deportation and he is still languishing at the detention centre.

According to his daughter and son, who have moved the top court through advocate Srishti Agnihotri, their father Qamar alias Mohammad Kamil was born in India in 1959.

He (Qamar) had gone with his mother from India to Pakistan as a child of around 7-8 years in 1967-1968 on a visa to meet his relatives there. However, his mother died there, and he remained in Pakistan in the care of his relatives , the plea of habeas corpus filed in the top court said.

It said that Qamar, on attaining adulthood, came back to India on a Pakistani passport in around 1989-1990 and got married to Shehnaaj Begum, an Indian citizen, in Meerut.

Out of this wedlock, five children were born , the plea said, adding that Qamar has no documentary proof to show that he had gone with his mother to Pakistan around 1967-68 and his mother died there and therefore, his story has not been believed.

Nevertheless, the undisputed fact is that he came to India around 1989-90 on a passport of Pakistan and did not renew his visa due to lack of education and, subsequently, got married here, it said.

In Meerut, he was doing menial jobs and residing there along with his family, who all have Aadhaar cards issued by UIDAI, the plea said.

Initially, Qamar filed a plea before the Delhi High Court in 2017, praying for his release so that he can stay with his family.

During the arguments, his counsel had submitted that Qamar would apply for Indian citizenship in accordance with law and also make a representation to the respective authorities giving particulars of all the family members who would stand security in case he is released from the detention centre.

The High Court, in its order dated March 9, 2017, disposed of his plea directing that his representation be considered as per law.

Qamar’s son, as per the order of the High Court, made a representation to civil authority on August 11, 2017, under the provisions of the Foreigners Act to allow his father to reside with his family and take proper steps for registering him as an Indian citizen and also for getting proper medical treatment for his illness.

The plea said that meanwhile, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the top court on April 13, 2020 passed an order in the suo motu petition where it directed the Centre to release foreigner detainees who have been under detention for two years or more on certain terms on furnishing a bond in the sum of Rs. 5,000 with two sureties of the like sum of Indian citizens.

Once again, Qamar’ children moved the High Court seeking relief on the grounds of orders of the top court, where the Centre submitted that it was prepared to take a humanitarian approach for releasing the father of the petitioners, but Uttar Pradesh was not willing to do the same.

It had put on record the UP government’s reply which said that Qamar is divorced and therefore, there is no justifiable ground for him to live in India and his release from the detention centre is not recommended.

Thereafter, the High Court said that the petitioners should approach the top court for relief.

Pramod Sawant

Panaji: As he prepares to start a fresh innings as the Goa Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant has turned a new page in the state’s political history after leading the BJP to a victory in the Assembly polls, a development that shows the saffron party has come out of the shadow of its tall leader late Manohar Parrikar.

On Monday evening, Sawant, who considered Parrikar as his mentor, was unanimously elected the leader of BJP legislature party in Goa, clearing the way for him to take over as the chief minister for a second term.

The BJP, in power in Goa since 2012, is starting its third straight term in office.

The BJP under Sawant overcame anti-incumbency and resignations by some key figures, including Parrikar’s son, over ticket allocation, and put up its second best performance ever – winning 20 seats in the 40-member Assembly in multi-cornered fights in the February 14 polls.

Sawant, who took over as chief minister for the first time in March 2019, brought the BJP tantalizingly close to the simple majority mark of 21, defying pre-poll predictions of a hung Assembly.

He has now been rewarded with a second term in office by the BJP leadership with support for his incoming government coming from two MLAs of the regional outfit MGP and three Independent legislators.

The BJP’s best performance till date had been 21 seats won by it in 2012 when Parrikar dominated Goa’s political scene.

The 48-year-old politician is a three-time MLA from Sankhalim in North Goa. He was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly when the BJP formed its government under the leadership of Parrikar in 2017.

He was sworn in as the chief minister for the first time in March 2019 after the death of Parrikar.

The Ayurveda medical practitioner is considered close to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and was pictured participating in an RSS event during his first term as the chief minister.

Sawant was at the helm when the coastal state faced the COVID-19 pandemic along with other parts of the country.

Sawant’s electoral career began in 2008 when he was fielded from the Sankhalim (then Pale) Assembly segment by the BJP, but he lost to Congress candidate Pratap Gauns.

However, he managed to win the seat in 2012 when the BJP contested the elections under the leadership of Parrikar. That was the only time when the BJP won a majority on its own in the Assembly.

He got re-elected in 2017 from Sankhalim and went on to become the Assembly Speaker before being chosen by the BJP, at the age of 46, to succeed Parrikar as the CM.

In the 2022 polls, Sawant was elected with a margin of 666 votes against his nearest rival Dharmesh Saglani of the Congress.

His wife, Sulakshana, is also an active BJP worker and associated with the party’s women’s wing in Goa.

Parmesh S Jain

The East Division police of Banaswadi police arrested a 27-year-old real estate broker who in turned indulged in gun selling racket and recovered two country made pistols and 4 live rounds of ammunition from him.

The accused has been identified as,Shakeel Ahmed.

Senior officer told media persons,The Banaswadi police inspector, Sathish HS, received a credible information from their reliable inputs that some person is involved in smuggling gun and selling it to gangsters and rowdy elements.

Based on reliable inputs a special team was pressed into action to nab the gun seller the team was in search of gun seller on 19th morning when the crime team was on rounds their inputs passed a information that some person is moving suspiciously near Banaswadi railway station road.

Immediately inspector and team rushed to the spot and surrounded the area and when they approached to the suspect the team questioned him to whom he was waiting the team noticed some suspicious behaviour in him and frisked him and during frisking the team found two country made pistol in his possession with four live rounds of ammunition.

During investigation the accused was identified as,Shakeel who confessed that he was sourcing weapons from his contacts in Amaravathi in Maharastra and selling it to his clients who are gangsters and rowdies.

A detailed investigation by the team it was revealed that the accused was arrested last year for similar offence in Sampigehalli police station limits, but after coming out on bail, he continued to do his activities he added.

Finally Bengaluru police commissioner,Kamal Pant has appreciated Addl CP East,A Subramanyeswara Rao,DCP East,Dr Bheemashankar S Guled,ACP,Ningappa B Sakkiri, PI,Sathish HS,PSIs,as,Nagaraj Nedalgi,Shahjahan Sannidhi,ASI,Prakash and crime staff as,Balaji,Renuka Nayak,Anand,Santhosh Rathod,Atheef Hussain and Vinod has been appreciated for successfully nabbing the gun seller and recovering two country made pistol and four rounds of live ammunition from him a special reward will be given to the team he added.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday praised India for following an “independent foreign policy” even while being part of Quad and importing crude oil from Russia despite American sanctions. He said his foreign policy would also favour the people of Pakistan.

Khan, a fierce critic of the ruling NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, spoke highly of India’s foreign policy.

Addressing a public rally in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, he told his supporters that he would like to praise the neighbouring country India as it was having an “independent foreign policy”.

Khan said that India, which is a part of the Quad grouping, has imported crude oil from Russia despite American sanctions on Moscow.

The Quad grouping has the US, India, Japan and Australia as its members.

The US-led Western countries have imposed crippling economic sanctions on Russia for its military offensive in Ukraine which was ordered by President Vladimir Putin on February 24.

Prime Minister Khan said that his foreign policy would also favour the people of Pakistan.

“I haven’t bowed before anyone and will not let my nation bow either,” said Khan, who is rallying public support ahead of a no-confidence vote against him in Parliament.

Breaking from the tradition of not openly discussing complicated matters relating to foreign relations in public rallies, Khan mentioned that he had said “absolutely no” to the European Union (EU) envoys seeking Pakistan’s support against Russia in the Russia-Ukraine conflict because “they broke protocol by making the request”.

He said that Pakistan would have gained nothing by complying with the EU’s request.

“We became part of America’s war against terror in Afghanistan and lost 80,000 people and USD 100 billion,” he said.

It is for the second time he spoke against a statement by the EU and other Western countries asking Pakistan earlier this month to condemn the Russian intervention in Ukraine.

In his previous address, Khan had also asked the EU if it would make a similar demand to India.

In another endorsement for New Delhi’s stand vis-a-vis the conflict, Australia on Sunday said the Quad member countries has accepted India’s position on the Russian attack on Ukraine.

The crisis in Ukraine is expected to figure in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s virtual summit with his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison on Monday.

Unlike other Quad countries — the US, Japan and Australia — India has not condemned the Russian invasion and has stressed conflict resolution through dialogue and diplomacy.

“The Quad countries have accepted India’s position. We understand that each country has a bilateral relationship and it is clear from the comments of the MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) and Prime Minister Modi himself that he has used his contacts to call for the end of the conflict and no country will be unhappy with that,” Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O’Farrell told reporters when asked about the disquiet in the West over India’s refusal to condemn the Russian invasion.

Pakistan’s National Assembly will convene on Friday to take up a no-trust motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, who offered a deal to his dissent lawmakers on Sunday in an effort to overcome his toughest political test since assuming office in 2018.

Around 100 lawmakers from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) submitted the no-confidence motion before the National Assembly Secretariat on March 8, alleging that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government led by Khan was responsible for the economic crisis and the spiralling inflation in the country.

On Sunday, the NA Secretariat issued a notification, clearing the dust regarding the key session which the opposition had demanded to be convened by March 21 as per the legal requirements.

“The session will convene at 11 am on Friday and will be the 41st session of the current National Assembly,” according to the notification.

Speaker Asad Qaiser summoned the session under the power given to him by Article 54 (3) and 254 of the Constitution of Pakistan.

The opposition has been saying that the session should be summoned within 14 days but Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said at a press conference it can be delayed due to extraordinary circumstances.

The delay, in this case, is due to the high-profile 48th summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) starting from March 22 at the Parliament House.

Initially, the opposition had threatened to stage a sit-in if the session was not called on time.

However, the joint opposition toned down its stance by stressing that Pakistan’s political turmoil will not be allowed to affect the event in any way.

The lower house will deliberate on the opposition’s no-confidence resolution against Prime Minister Khan on March 25.

Once the motion is formally taken up by the house, the voting should be done between three to seven days.

Khan, 69, is heading a coalition government and he can be removed if some of the partners decide to switch sides.

In the 342-member National Assembly, the Opposition needs 172 votes to remove Khan, the cricketer-turned-politician.

The PTI has 155 members in the House and needs at least 172 lawmakers on its side to remain in the government.

The party has the support of 23 members belonging to at least six political parties.

Nearly two dozen dissident lawmakers of the ruling party recently came out in the open ahead of voting on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Khan, with the government accusing opposition parties of horse-trading.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Khan on Sunday offered an olive branch to rebel lawmakers of his party saying he was ready to forgive them like a ‘compassionate father’ if they returned to the party fold.

“I will forgive you if you come back. We all commit mistakes. I am like a father who forgives his children and I will pardon you as well and no action will be taken against you,” he said while addressing a public rally in Malakand district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

At the same time, he warned that those not heeding to his words should be ready to face a “social boycott’.

“Return to the party’s fold or face social boycott,” he warned the rebel PTI lawmakers.

Before offering the olive branch, Khan accused them of selling their conscience and told the rebel lawmakers that they will be forever known as people who “sold their conscience” and it will be difficult for them to attend social events like marriages.

“Even it will be difficult for them to arrange marriages of their kids,” he said.

In another development, supporters of rival parties were protesting against or in favour of various PTI lawmakers who announced to go against Khan.

Dawn reported that the PTI supporters gathered outside the house of rebel lawmaker Malik Ahmed Hassan Dehar in Multan to protest against him, while workers of the opposition Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) staged a rally outside the residence of another PTI dissident Noor Alam Khan in Peshawar to give moral support to him and his family.

Similar rallies were also held at other places like Lahore after Khan defended the peaceful right of his party activists against the ‘turncoats’.

On Saturday, the ruling party issued show-cause notices to its dissident lawmakers for alleged defection and sought an explanation from them by March 26 as to why they may not be declared defectors and disqualified as a member of the National Assembly.

Both government and opposition politicians have been working overtime to tilt the balance in their favour.

The PPP held the meeting of its core committee, followed by the meeting of its leaders with PML-N and JUI-F leaders at a lunch hosted by PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif.

Khan also consulted his core group about the latest situation.

He has told his supporters that the no-trust move would fail.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Sunday warned the opposition leaders not to disrupt the OIC meeting here as he termed it a matter of national security, amid opposition threat to block the high-profile conference.

“I declare here that no one can dare to create any sort of hurdle in the holding of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) conference because it is an issue of security of Pakistan,” Rashid said at a press conference.

The minister asserted that up to 15,000 security personnel of police and the paramilitary forces would be deployed to provide security to the delegates of Muslim countries coming to participate in the conference.

The two-day event at the Parliament will have representatives of more than 50 countries in attendance.

“Those due to attend the conference are our guests and the Pakistan Army has taken up the task of providing security to them,” he said earlier, adding that the government would “take care” of the opposition with ease and no one could dare create an obstacle in the way of the meeting.

Initially, the opposition had threatened to stage a sit-in if the national assembly session was not called on time to take up a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

However, the joint opposition toned down its stance on Sunday stressing that Pakistan’s political turmoil will not be allowed to affect the event in any way.

“The opposition pledges to do its utmost to create an atmosphere in which the distinguished guests will be able to carry out their activities with full attention, dedication and determination,” said a joint statement issued by opposition parties.

National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser on Sunday announced to convene the assembly session on March 25 to take up the no-trust motion against Prime Minister Khan.

Around 100 lawmakers from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) submitted the no-confidence motion before the National Assembly Secretariat on March 8, alleging that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government led by Prime Minister Khan was responsible for the economic crisis and the spiralling inflation in the country.

Opposition leaders threat to disrupt the OIC meeting created panic among the Islamabad-based ambassadors of the Muslim countries, according to Rashid.

“I received calls from at least 22 ambassadors and I told everyone that come what the conference would be held as per schedule,” he said at the press conference.

The OIC is a 57-member grouping of Muslim majority nations, including Pakistan.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said the OIC session will coincide with 75th-anniversary celebrations of Pakistan’s Independence Day.

The 48th summit of the OIC-CFM will be held on March 22 and 23 under the theme: “Building Partnerships for Unity, Justice, and Development.

Pakistan said on Sunday that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi would attend the conference of foreign ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) here.

Pakistan is hosting the 48th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the OIC here on March 22-23, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

Foreign Ministers and high-level dignitaries from OIC Member and Observer States are attending the CFM.

They will also witness the Pakistan Day Parade on March 23 as Guests of Honour.

“State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi of the People’s Republic of China will attend as a Special Guest,” said the FO.

Senior officials from non-OIC countries, senior representatives from the United Nations system, regional and international organisations, including the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council will also participate in the conference.

Prime Minister Imran Khan will deliver the keynote address at the Inaugural Session on March 22.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will chair the CFM.

The FO said that the CFM assumes special significance given the backdrop of opportunities and challenges before the Muslim world in the political, security, social and economic spheres.

Apart from an appraisal of the global and regional landscapes, the CFM will inter alia reaffirm the long-standing solidarity and support of its membership with the people of Palestine; reiterate its resolve to combat rising Islamophobia; and discuss strategies to counter the effects of climate change, vaccine inequity and erosion in progress towards SDGs.

The Ministerial meeting will take stock of the decisions taken at the 17th Extraordinary Session of the OIC-CFM held in Islamabad in December 2021 to address the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

The Islamabad Ministerial will consider and adopt over 100 resolutions on a broad range of issues, including peace and security; economic development; cultural and scientific cooperation; and humanitarian, legal, administrative and financial matters.

The thematic focus of the Ministerial Conference is on ‘Partnering for Unity, Justice and Development’.