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Jayalalithaa's bail plea rejected

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jayalalithaa

Bangalore: In a huge blow to the AIADMK, the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday denied bail to former Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa in the Rs 66.65 crore disproportionate assets case.

Denying bail to the convicted leader, the court said there wasn’t sufficient ground for awarding bail to her.

“The High Court has correctly rejected the bail for Jayalalithaa,” Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy, who has been leading the campaign against her, said.

Supporters of the AIADMK had earlier begun celebrations in Tamil Nadu after the prosecution in the case told the court that it had no objections to conditional bail to the AIADMK chief. Swamy said he was “surprised when I heard that the prosecution had agreed for a conditional bail for Jayalalithaa”. “The Karnataka government has something to explain on this,” he said.

Jayalalithaa has already spent ten days in the Bangalore jail where she was lodged immediately after her conviction on 27 September.

Ahead of the hearing, posters were spotted in Chennai with purported threats to kidnap natives of Karnataka staying in Chennai. The posters, reportedly from local AIADMK leader KC Vijay, carried the threat to hold the Kannadigas captive until Jayalalithaa is granted bail, Hindustan Times reported.

Jayalalithaa has been in jail ever since a special court in Bangalore sentenced her to four years imprisonment in September under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PoCA). She was also slapped a fine of Rs 100 crore in connection with the Rs 66.65 crore disproportionate assets case.

AIFRTE condemns Rajasthan government for closure of government Schools

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Closure of government educational institutions most adversely affects children of disadvantaged sections, says AIFRTE. Photo: Daily Mail.

Closure of government educational institutions most adversely affects children of disadvantaged sections, says AIFRTE. Photo: Daily Mail.

Jaipur: The All India Forum for Right to Education (AIFRTE) has condemned the move of Rajasthan government to close 17,000 government schools in the state under garb of merger and rationalisation.

According to AIFRTE, “the justification offered by the state government that the step is being taken due to low enrollment of students in these schools is misleading and cynical.”

They said the move, “betrays complete apathy of the present regime to actual conditions of government schools and their students coming mostly from disadvantaged sections.”

AIFRTE allege the enrollment in government schools has come down due to the fact that students and their parents/guardians are forced to migrate to profit-mongering and often low-grade private schools because the government school system has been systematically downgraded by the state government over the last two decades and more by a series of anti-education and anti-child policies.

The move of Rajasthan government the Forum say, “is not in benefit of the students or the government schools at all but only in benefit of the profit-hungry private school sector.”

“Closure of government educational institutions most adversely affects children of disadvantaged sections including girls, Dalits, minorities and the disabled. Instead of rectifying the misconceived policy framework, that is increasingly jeopardizing the educational rights of these already disadvantaged sections, the state government is altogether abdicating its Constitutional obligation of providing equitable and fully-free education to every child without discrimination and in doing so it is also violating the Right to Education Act, 2009.”

According to AIFRTE, what is happening in Rajasthan is not an isolated phenomenon. “Government schools are facing a systematic policy assault across the country. In name of merger, rationalisation and other such pretentions, governments schools are being closed or auctioned to private players in Maharashtra (more than 13,000 schools), Karnataka (more than 15,000 schools), Andhra Pradesh (more than 7000 schools), Uttarakhand (more than 2200 schools), New Delhi (55 schools), Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and many other states. Closure of government schools across the country on such a vast scale is an outcome of a long-drawn withdrawal and policy-led negligence by successive governments (at the centre and states).”

“The crisis of government school system has been particularly exacerbated by the diktats of ‘Structural Adjustment Policy’ imposed by World Bank since economic reforms of 1990s. In the last nearly two and half decades, government school system has been systematically starved of funds, teachers, and infrastructure except a handful of Central Schools, Navodaya Vidyalayas and elite schools run by state-governments. This has been done with a clear intent of discrediting and ultimately destroying the government school system altogether so that an unbridled market for private schools is established. It is ironical that instead of reversing this trend and strengthening the government school system, the much hyped but misconceived Right to Education Act, 2009 has only sped up this decline by legitimising multi-layered school system and profit-oriented private schools.”

AIFRTE has appealed all pro-people organisations, activists and individuals to join hand against the alleged assault on government schools, and have also demanded the Rajasthan government to.

  1. Immediately withdraw its alleged anti-education decision.
  2. Upgrade all existing government schools of the state, minimum to the standards of Central Schools (in terms of educational infrastructure and other norms) within a time-bound schedule.
  3. Ensure that no child in the state is deprived of education on any ground whatsoever or is forced to pay money in any form for getting education either in government or in private school.

Popular Front of India condemns airing of RSS chief’s speech on Doordarshan

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PFI

Bangalore: Popular Front of India (PFI) today joined the chorus of individuals and organisations to condemn the telecast of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s annual address on Doordarshan. It called, the airing of the speech, a “dishonorable day” to the country.

Referring to RSS, as a “fascist” organization, it alleged that the Modi government is “controlled by the RSS and the government is trying all tactics to promote the ideology of RSS.”

PFI further alleged the speech was broadcasted only to present RSS and its chief as the leader of all Hindus, who they say, has always tried to position itself as the symbol and representative of Hinduism.

“Since the day of assuming power the Modi government has failed to deliver its promises of being a government for all Indians. The propagation of RSS and its leaders from the platform of government owned channel shatters the tall claims made by prime minister to protect pluralism during his Independence Day speech,” PFI said.

“We ask the government to stop promoting the Sangh ideology and understand its responsibility and prove itself to be unbiased government,” O.M.A Salaam, General Secretary of Popular Front of India demanded.

For the first time, Doordarshan airs RSS chief's Vijaya Dashami address

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Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

New Delhi:  An annual address to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) by the chief of the organisation, was telecast live by national broadcaster Doordarshan this morning for the first time, provoking strong reactions from political opponents and some commentators.

RSS is a Hindu nationalist group, which is the ideological parent of the ruling BJP. The annual Vijaya Dashami or Dussehra speech by its chief articulates the organization’s vision and agenda for its 4.5 million volunteers, who played a pivotal role in the electoral victory of Narendra Modi in May.

“DD is run by public money. So how is government using it to broadcast RSS Chief’s speech? Very unfortunate,” said Rashid Alvi of the Congress. Historian and writer Ramchandra Guha said on Twitter, “Heads of religious organizations: Hindu, Muslim, Christian, must not be patronized by state TV. They are free to run their private channels.”

Congress leader Salman Khurshid said that the decision was unacceptable, adding that the Congress refused to accept the RSS as ‘above board’ in the national discourse of India.

“What they (the RSS) want and what they believe in is not in tune with the values of this country”, he said in comments to the media.

The CPI-M also said it was an instance of the “public broadcaster being misused by the Modi government”.

In his speech, the RSS cheif lauded Narendra Modi government for its initiatives, which have led to positive signs’ on several fronts in less than six months of its tenure, while expressing the hope that the momentum is maintained in a determined and well organised’ manner.

In the usual right-wing rhetoric, he talked about a `serious surge in jihadi activities’ in southern parts especially Tamil Nadu and Kerala going on to blame the state government for not making effective policy interventions to curb them. However, he was silent on the violence perpetrated by individuals and organisations ideologically affiliated to his own organisation.

Doordarshan’s decision has sparked a massive reaction on Twitter with those for and against it clashing on the social network.

Mr. Modi preaches a clean India, but his record on Waste Management and pollution in Gujarat is dirty

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Modi_Swachh_Bharat

– by Rohit Prajapati, SACW

Mr. Modi must read ‘Report of the Task Force on Waste to Energy (In the context of Integrated MSW Management)’ and ‘Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index’ (CEPI) Report of 2009, 2011 & 2013 of CPCB

Mr. Modi launched the “Swachh Bharat Mission” on 2 October 2014 and in his message on his website, he says, “A clean India is the best tribute we can pay to Bapu when we celebrate his 150th birth anniversary in 2019. […] Today, I appeal to everyone, particularly political and religious leadership, mayors, sarpanchs and captains of industry to plan and wholeheartedly engage in the task of cleaning your homes, work places, villages, cities and surroundings.”[1]

I want to remind Mr. Modi that earlier as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Mr. Narendra Modi had also launched similar campaign ’Nirmal Gujarat – 2007’[2] and made tall claims during that campaign. But reality is best seen in Ahmedabad at illegal solid waste dumping site, the ‘Gyaspur-Pirana Dumping Site’ – a Waste Mountain near Sabarmati River adjacent to the main road.

Mr. Modi should know the basic facts as revealed in the ‘Report of the Task Force on Waste to Energy’ dated 12 May 2014 by the Planning Commission of India. This report states “As per CPCB report 2012 – 13 municipal areas in the country generate 1,33,760 metric tonnes per day of MSW, of which only 91,152 TPD waste is collected and 25,884 TPD treated.”[3]

The report further states “Further, if the current 62 million tonnes annual generation of MSW continues to be dumped without treatment; it will need 3,40,000 cubic meter of landfill space everyday (1240 hectare per year). Considering the projected waste generation of 165 million tonnes by 2031, the requirement of land for setting up landfill for 20 years (considering 10 meter high waste pile) could be as high as 66 thousand hectares of precious land, which our country cannot afford to waste.”[4]

Mr. Modi, things are not as simple as you say. This waste generation figure covers only 31.15% population of India. Considering the waste generation figures of all of India, these figures will be even more daunting. The Planning Commission (which Mr. Modi wishes to abolish) of India’s report further states “A study, of the status of implementation of the MSW Rules 2000 by the mandated deadline by the States, was carried out in class 1 cities of the country. It revealed that in 128 cities except for street sweeping and transportation, compliance was less than 50% and in respect of disposal compliance was a dismal 1.4 %.”[5] What about the government’s major roll in policy making for the reduction of waste and implementation of ‘The Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules 2000’? Your track record in the implementation of these rules in the Gujarat is worst.

The consistent follow up by the pollution-affected people, people’s organisations and NGOs regarding the increasing pollution levels in the industrial areas of India forced the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the State Pollution Control Board in 1989 to initiate the process of indexing the critically polluted areas. At that time 24 industrial areas, including Vapi, Ankleshwar, Ludhiana, were declared ‘critically polluted’. In 2009 the CPCB and IIT-Delhi, in consistence with the demands of the people’s organisation’s working on environmental issues decided to use a new method of ‘indexing the pollution levels’ of these areas, which is now known as the ‘Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index’ (CEPI). The CEPI includes air, water, land pollution and health risks to the people living in the area. However, our demand has been to include the health of the workers, productivity of land and quality of food / agriculture produce in the index since the presence of high levels of chemicals and heavy metals in food produce has severe health implications. This is affecting not only people living around the industrial area but anyone consuming it – hence not restricting the impact to the particular industrial area.

In December 2009 the CEPI of 88 polluted industrial clusters was measured; it was then that the CPCB and the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) of Government of India were forced to declare 43 of those as ‘critically polluted clusters’ and another 32 industrial areas as ‘severely polluted clusters’.[6] Following this study the MoEF on 13 January 2010 was forced to issue a moratorium (prohibition on opening new industries and/or increasing the production capacity of the existing industries) on the 43 critically polluted areas. Similar reports were prepared by CPCB in 2011 and 2013 but these reports are completely ignored by past government and also by Modi Government.

As the very first step after assuming power as the PM, Instead of improving the environment of these 88 industrial clusters and taking the remedial measure in these area for clean up after moving to the Capital, Mr. Modi Government instead started lifting of the moratorium of industrial cluster like Ghaziabad (UP), Indore (M.P.), Jharsuguda (Orissa), Ludhiana (Punjab), Panipat (Haryana), Patancheru – Bollaram (A.P.), Singrauli (UP & MP) and Vapi (Gujarat) as a first order of business on 10 June 2014. Mr. Modi, Vapi’s track records demand more ‘stringent action’ against the polluting industries of Vapi & concerned officers of Gujarat Pollution Control Board and definitely not lifting of moratorium from Vapi.[7] The murky politics and economics of ‘GDP growth’ continue to prevail over the cause of ‘life and livelihood’ of ordinary people and ‘environment & conservation.

In 2009, the Ankleswar’s industrial area, with 88.50 CEPI, topped the list of ‘critically polluted areas’ of India.

In 2011 and 2013, Vapi industrial area, with CEPI of 85.31, topped this list.

Thus Gujarat is able to top in 2009 in ‘critically polluted areas’ in India and continues to maintain its position in 2011 & 2013.

The Government of Gujarat deliberately ignored to comment or engages ever on these issues.

Mr. Modi what about the clean up of these industrial clusters of India? Do you have any plan to clean up this CRITICALLY and SEVERELY POLLUTED INDUSTRIAL CLUSTERS OF INDIA?

[1] http://inbministry.blogspot.in/p/canvas.html

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2iXFAIOtVo

[3] Report of the Task Force on Waste to Energy (Volume II) (In the context of Integrated MSW Management) –http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/genrep/rep_wte1205.pdf

[4] Report of the Task Force on Waste to Energy (Volume II) (In the context of Integrated MSW Management) –http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/genrep/rep_wte1205.pdf

[5] Report of the Task Force on Waste to Energy (Volume II) (In the context of Integrated MSW Management) –http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/genrep/rep_wte1205.pdf

[6] As per the agreed upon measures, industrial areas with a CEPI of 70 and above are considered ‘critically polluted’ areas while those with a CEPI between 60-70 are considered ‘severely polluted’ areas. In our opinion, those industrial areas with CEPI between 40-60 ought to be labelled as ‘polluted areas’.

[7] The Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar decision to lift the moratorium of 8 critically polluted clusters of the country is inexplicable. The ministry took the decision on June 10 2014 but announced it publicly on July 24 2014 – Rohit Prajapati – http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/industrys-behest

Vadodara’s BJP leader Manish Wagh arrested in connection with burning of Hindu houses

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A member of Rapid Action Force fires a tear gas shell to disperse a mob in Vadodara (Photo: Reuters)

A member of Rapid Action Force fires a tear gas shell to disperse a mob in Vadodara (Photo: Reuters)

Vadodara: Navgujarat Samay which is Times Of India group’s Gujarati daily has reported in its October 1st issue that Manish Wagh, BJP Baroda’s Ward Pramukh (Chief), has been arrested in connection with burning of several houses of Hindu families in the Navapura area of Baroda. Along with Manish Wagh, 36 other officer bearers of BJP were also arrested in this connection. It is also reported that besides the aforementioned arrests, a few Muslim rioters were also arrested.

It is also reported that Manish Wagh’s arrest has led to several doubts regarding the entire modus-operandi of Baroda riots.

The four days of violence that continued unabated here last week was allegedly triggered by an image posted on Facebook. Muslim groups said the image was offensive to Islam. However, according to some media reports, prior events, marked by inflammatory statements in the run-up to the Navaratri festival, prepared the ground for a volatile communal situation.

Residents of Yakutpura – one of the worst affected neighbourhoods in the city — have alleged police complicity in the violence. In the Taiwada area, where the police conducted raids at night, residents claimed that a team of police personnel arrived with nearly 30 men in plain clothes, whose faces were covered with a cloth. They accused the police of assaulting women and setting a motorbike on fire.

Throughout September, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad gave several statements in the media saying that Muslims would not be allowed at ‘Garba’ events. The Hindutva outfit planned to launch a campaign against ‘love jihad’ and beef consumption during Navaratri.

The violence which has left with the stabbing of two, and loss of properties of many others, coincides with Mr. Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States. In his first ever international interview since assuming office, Modi, when questioned about the patriotism of Indian Muslims, told that, “Indian Muslims will live for India and die for India.” However, since assuming office, he has done nothing with regards to containing the raging communal violence in the country, perpetrated by elements part of and affiliated to his party.

With inputs from Truth of Gujarat and The Hindu.

U.S citizens court indicts Modi for Gujarat Pogrom

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The Citizens’ Court in session at Lafayette Park in front of the White House, Washington DC.

The Citizens’ Court in session at Lafayette Park in front of the White House, Washington DC.

– by Kaleem Kawaja

Washington, D.C: The US-based Sikh Foundation for Justice (SFJ) in coordination with the American Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee (AGPC), Tuesday held a citizens’ court in Lafayette Park, a small park in front of the White House to indict PM Narendra Modi for the human rights violations in 2002 in Gujarat. The hour-long trial was conducted following US legal procedures. SFJ organized a grand jury of 24 citizens comprising of people of various colors, white, black and Indian etc.

The proceedings began at 1:30 PM on Tuesday (Sept 30) when PM Modi was actually in the White House building, that is right in front of the citizens’ court and ended at 2:30 PM.

The prosecutor read out the charges against Modi and said that the charge sheet was handed over to an official of the Indian embassy in Washington DC a few days ago, and that Mr Modi has been given an opportunity to defend himself. But he has chosen not to attend even though right at this time he is in the White House building, just a couple of hundred yards away. The charges included abetting murder of more than 2000 Muslims, raping of a large number of Muslim women, destruction of their houses in February and March 2002.

The charge sheet filed in the Citizens’ court listed crimes of genocide; first degree murders; rapes and sexual assaults; torture; tempering with the witnesses, victims and informants; and obstruction of criminal investigations. The woman judge then turned the matter over to the grand jury and asked them to give their opinion by writing on pieces of paper in front of them.

The judge then polled the grand jury members and with their concurrence announced that Mr Modi has been indicted of all the charges leveled against him by the prosecutor.

The judge was a white American woman lawyer. An effigy of Mr Modi stood in the dock on the left side of the bench. The prosecutor was an Indian-American lawyer. The court was set up in the Lafayette park and it looked like a proper trial. The audience of about one thousand people consisting of men and women of all races and colors, but mostly Sikhs, stood behind the prosecutor’s desk in the park. Lots of TV cameras and media people were in attendance.

Explaining the reasons for the convening Citizens’ Court, attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal adviser to SFJ stated that starting from 1984 political leaders in India have a long history of organizing massacres of religious minorities with impunity.

Pannun said that on the one hand, the Citizens’ Court indicted Indian judicial system for its failure to convict a known human rights violator and on the other hand, it highlighted the plight and concerns of religious minorities in India, particularly victims of 2002 Muslims massacre.

Pannun said that on the one hand, the Citizens’ Court indicted Indian judicial system for its failure to convict a known human rights violator and on the other hand, it highlighted the plight and concerns of religious minorities in India, particularly victims of 2002 Muslims massacre.

Kaleem Kawaja, is an Indian Muslim scientist and community activist. He lives in the US.

Relief remains elusive for Jayalalithaa, bail hearing postponed to Oct 7

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jayalalithaa

Bangalore:  AIADMK Chief and former Tamil Nadu chief minister has to wait for another week, before her bail plea would be heard by a vacation bench of the Karnataka High Court here. The court on Wednesday deferred the hearing on her bail petition to October 7.

The 66 years old former actress turned politician had appealed for bail on Tuesday, and the matter was to be heard today. But following a plea by the prosecution that they did not have time to prepare a counter argument, the hearing has been adjourned to next week.

The High Court is on Dasara holidays from 29 September to 6 October and the petition will be taken up on the 7 October by a normal bench.

The High Court had considered to hear her plea, after her lawyers had appealed that her case should be treated as an exception as the continued incarceration was causing law and order problems in Tamil Nadu. They also argued that the VVIP politician’s health was unstable.

Tamil film workers fast

Film stars and industry workers fasted in show of support to their ‘beloved’ leader yesterday. Some 3,000 directors, actors, producers and others takook part in the hunger strike. Theaters across Tamil Nadu were closed, and no filming took place, in a state that eats and sleeps on movies.

“We decided not to have any film shootings, editing, dubbing or movie screenings across Tamil Nadu from 9.00am to 5.00pm today,” said Diamond Babu, a public relations officer in the Tamil-language film industry.

“We still consider her as chief minister. We only wish & pray that she (Jayalalithaa) gets bail, I wish she’s shifted back to Tamil Nadu. The punishment we feel is harsh, it is vindictive,” leading south Indian actor R. Sarathkumar told the media.

Jayalalithaa was charged in 1997, when police seized assets including 28kg of gold, 750 pairs of shoes and more than 10,000 saris in a raid on her home in Chennai.

Prosecutors said her assets, which reportedly included two 404-hectare (1,000-acre) estates in the lush tropical state she ran, were vastly disproportionate to her earnings during her first term as chief minister.

No immediate relief for Jaya, bail plea adjourned to Oct 6

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jayalalithaa

Bangalore: AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa will have to remain in jail till October 6 with the Karnataka High Court adjourning her plea seeking bail and challenging her conviction in the disproportionate assets case.

As the matter came up, G Bhavani Singh, who was the Special Public Prosecutor in the Special Court on the disproportionate assets case, told the judge that he had not yet received any official notification appointing him as the SPP for the criminal appeal filed in the High Court.

Singh sought more time, at which point vacation bench judge Justice Rathnakala posted the matter for hearing on October 6.

In her petitions seeking immediate bail and challenging her sentence, Jayalalithaa has maintained that the charges of amassing wealth against her were false and that she had acquired property through legal means.

Jayalalitha has also contended that the trial court has overlooked several judgements and has not considered the binding nature of various income tax orders and decisions of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, which had accepted the income and the level of expenditure pleaded by her.

The former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s aide Sasikala, her relatives V N Sudhakaran, disowned foster son of the former Chief Minister, and Ilavarasi have also moved the High Court seeking bail and challenging their conviction.

In the verdict that cost Jayalalithaa the Chief Minister’s job and disqualified her from being an MLA, the judge had also slapped a staggering fine of Rs 100 crore on her and Rs 10 crore each on the three other accused persons.

In her appeal, Jayalalithaa pleaded for suspension of the conviction and the sentence and also refused to pay the Rs 100 crore fine imposed on her.

The hearing came up before the vacation bench as the High Court is on Dasara holidays from September 29 to October 6.

(PTI)

Eleven Congresspersons urge Obama to discuss protection of religious minorities with PM Modi

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Increase in violence against Christians and Muslims cited as concern, while Congressional panel holds a briefing on 1984 anti-Sikh pogrom.

Modi-protest-us

Washington D.C: Coalition Against Genocide (CAG), a broad alliance dedicated to justice and accountability for the Gujarat pogroms of 2002 and to defending India’s secular tradition, has welcomed a letter to President Obama by eleven members of Congress, urging him to discuss “religions inclusion and the protection of religious minorities in India,” during his meeting with Prime Minister Modi on Monday, September 28.

The letter draws the President’s attention to the fact that “there has been an increase in violence against Muslims and Christians in the first hundred days of Prime Minister Modi’s term,” and that such violence “echoes the deadly 2002 riots in Gujarat, which happened while Prime Minister Modi was chief minister of the region.”

In a separate development, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission will hold a briefing on the 1984 anti-Sikh massacres in Delhi, in which over 3,000 Sikhs were killed and thousands more injured. Titled “Thirty Years of Impunity: The November 1984 anti-Sikh Pogroms in India,” the hearing will be held onSeptember 30, 2014, and will discuss “India’s failure to prosecute the architects of the pogroms.”

The lawmakers’ letter to President Obama also comes on the heels of massive protests outside Madison Square Garden organized by the Alliance for Justice and Accountability, during Mr. Modi’s speech to Indian Americans. These developments reflect continued concerns in the US and across the world, about the state of human rights and religious freedom in India.

In addition to the 11 member letter by Congress released today, Congressman Mike Honda had earlier written to Secretary of State John Kerry, urging him to support the inclusion of human rights and religious freedom in the US-India Strategic Dialogues where Mr. Modi is to meet with the President today. Quoting the US Commission for International Religious Freedom 2014 Annual Report, Rep. Honda had noted the increase in religiously motivated violence in India. Acknowledging that some positive steps had been taken towards religious minorities, the letter noted that “periodic outbreaks of large-scale communal violence continue to threaten the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable religious minorities in India; especially impacting women and girls.”

“All of us who cherish India’s traditionally inclusive society, understand the level of concern about the threats to secularism and pluralism in India, ” said Dr. Raja Swamy, a CAG spokesperson. “The first 100 days of Mr. Modi’s tenure as PM have shown that such concern is justified and has gained added urgency, ” added Dr. Swamy.

Reflecting the growing intolerance, both in India as well as the diaspora, reports indicate veteran journalist Rajdeep Sardesai was assaulted by a mob of Modi supporters outside Madison Square Garden on Sunday, September 28. The provocation was Mr. Sardesai’s willingness to pay attention to a protester who wished to express his views, and clarify reasons for protesting.

“India can be a strong democracy only when dissent is given its space, and the freedom of the press is respected,” said Dr. Shaik Ubaid, another CAG spokesperson.

CAG appeals to President Obama to respond to the concerns expressed by the eleven Congresspersons as well as Rep. Honda, and to accept their recommendation on his imminent meeting with PM Modi. Without international attention on the growing intolerance in India, millions of Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Dalits and other minorities will continue to see a steady erosion of their religious freedom and civil liberties.

CAG is a broad-based coalition representing a diverse cross section of the religious and political spectrum of the Indian diaspora, including Hindu and other faith-based organizations. The coalition is committed to democracy, pluralism and to the preservation of the idea of India.

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