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Kerala opposition slams Vijayan government over unruly police

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The Kerala opposition slammed the Pinarayi Vijayan government in the Assembly on Monday over “losing control” over the state police as they have “become a bunch of unruly hooligans and turned rabid”.

Seeking leave for an adjournment motion on this topic, former Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan presented cases that took place in the past two weeks involving unruly police officer.

“Earlier this month, in Alappuzha, two civilians were killed by a police vehicle when officers were chasing a traffic violator. In another incident, a police officer punched a retired railway official when he had stopped his car for the Kerala Governor to pass through. Then, a video went viral on social media which showed a police officer hurling abuses,” said Radhakrishnan.

He added that Vijayan and the state police chief Loknath Behera were purposely absent from the House proceedings so that Minister for Culture A.K. Balan was saddled with the responsibility for replying on behalf of the government.

Balan said: “Yes we know of what has happened and it will take time as some officials are still under the hangover of the Congress-led UDF rule.

“While we have suspended five police officers, it will not end with that… No erring officials will get any protection.”

Unhappy with the reply, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala pointed out that the people’s police have now turned to be people’s tormentors.

“Vijayan appears to have lost control of the police… For the minister to reply, just reading out the version of the police won’t help,” Chennithala said before leading the opposition out of the House.

Rahul Gandhi and Congress apart, triple anti-incumbency looms as major threat to Narendra Modi’s return in 2019

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BJP is hopeful of bettering its 2014 Lok Sabha performance in 2019. It has formed governments in 13 states which have held elections after May 2014 and retained two states. Along with its allies, the party now rules 20 states which send 63 percent of total MPs to the Lower House. Narendra Modi’s approval ratings remain high and he enjoys a lead of over 30 percent versus Rahul Gandhi in India Today Mood of the Nation Survey.

However, all is not hunky dory for the party. BJP has lost four Lok Sabha by-polls held in 2018, all in the Hindi heartland. The Opposition has smelled blood and Congress is leading discussions to form a grand alliance. Whereas, regional parties like TMC and TRS have initiated a discussion to form a Federal Front. Amidst this background, a number of commentators have started questioning BJP’s ability to repeat its historic performance in 2019.

PM Narendra Modi with Hazrat Syed Muhammad Ashraf Ashrafi at the opening ceremony of the World Islamic Sufi Conference in New Delhi.


These alliances, formed purely on an anti-Modi plank, may not worry the prime minister at this stage too much.

While it is no mean feat to lead a majority government at the Centre, having chief ministers in two-third states and 274 MPs in Lok Sabha — the highest tally of any party since 1984 — could act as a double-edged sword. In addition to this, BJP now has 35 percent of all India MLAs and controls many municipalities across the country. This heightens the risk of BJP facing triple anti-incumbency in 2019. It is the biggest threat to Modi making a comeback in 2019 in my opinion.

Smriti takes dig at Rahul amid data breach allegations

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Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani on Monday took a swipe at Congress President Rahul Gandhi amid allegations that his party had shared user data with a Singapore-based firm from its official app “WithINC” that has now disappeared from the Google Play Store.

Irani tweeted to Gandhi, asking him if his team had misunderstood his demand to get Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “NaMo” app deleted and instead removed “WithINC” from the Google store.

“Ye kya Rahul Gandhi ji. It seems your team is doing the opposite of what you asked for. Instead of deleting NaMoApp, they have deleted the Congress App itself,” Irani said, posting screen shots of the play store that shows the Congress app is not available.

She asked the Congress chief if he would care to answer “why Congress sends data to Singapore servers which can be accessed by any Tom, Dick and Analytica”, referring to the British firm that was at the centre of a storm for illegally accessing Facebook user data for political purposes.

The minister’s remarks came after the Congress described the allegations of its involvement in the data breach baseless.

The Congress said the “WithINC” app was being used for social media updates alone since transitioning the membership to the website.

“This morning, we were forced to remove the app from the Playstore as the wrong URL was being circulated and people were being misled. The “WithINC” app is a membership app and has not been in use for over five months since we moved membership to http://www.inc.in from 16th Nov 2017,” the party said in a series of tweets.

Amid allegations and counter allegations, Gandhi also accused Modi of misusing his position to build a personal database with the data of millions of Indians via the NaMoApp promoted by the government.

“If as PM, he wants to use tech to communicate with India, no problem. But use the official PMO APP for it. This data belongs to India, not Modi,” Gandhi said hitting out at Modi and the BJP after the ruling party accused the Congress of sharing users’ data with a Singapore-based firm.

Caught between devil & deep-sea, BJP is a greater evil: Bhushan

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By David Bodapati

Lack of transparency in electoral funding and donations to political parties is destroying the moral fabric and values in India, said Prashant Bhushan and urged for a cashless funding for political parties. Deploring the unprecedented assault on the values and democratic institutions of India by the ruling government, anti-corruption crusader Prashant Bhushan gave a clarion call to the foot soldiers of Swaraj Abhiyan and other movements interested in social justice, equality and democracy to connect and engage with the people at grassroot level to end corruption and wage a relentless war against its many vicious facets in electoral politics.

Eminent Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan, who is also the president of Swaraj Abhiyan, a social movement and a political forum to restore the rights of the citizens of India, spoke at length about the `Politcal Corruption and Dangers to Democracy’, a talk organised by Swaraj Abhiyan and Jana Sangrama Parishat here on Sunday.

Later addressing the Media, he said: “In Karnataka things have come to a passe. DK Shivakumar and the likes of Kheni have joined Congress, which ignored the corruption cases against them. The BJP has Mr Yediyurappa, as their face in Karnataka as CM candidate and leader of the election campaign despite indictment in many cases by Lok Ayukta and CBI. The parties have all been partners in crime, but the people are stuck.”

“Though it is a choice between the deveil and the deep sea, BJP is a far greater evil in Karnataka,” he exhorted commanding all democratic forces to join in advocating for transparent, corruption-free governance ahead of the Assembly Elections. He pooh-poohed the tainted Reedy brothers joining the BJP campaign despite their bleak and black record in the mining looting that went on for years in the State.

“All the democratic institutions are being destroyed. Central Vigilence commission, Central Bureau of Investigation, Media, et al. Bringing the allegedly corrupt and those with tainted history as saviours of corruption has eroded the existence of the watchdogs of corruption,” he added. For a long time the CVC three-member team was largely vacant. After a petition was filed in the SC that the vacancies were not filled, members with questionable integrity were nominated. Likewise, the Special Director of the CBI appointed by the BJP government had an ongoing investigation against himself, he revealed citing the appointment of Rakesh Asthana, an 84 batch IPS officer from Gujarat, who himself was under the scanner of CBI.

The respected lawyer, who along with Yogender Yadav is spearheading Swaraj India, the new political outfit advocating for clean and honest politics, also exposed the BJP governments finance bill last year which nullified the limit of 7.5 percent of profit of corporates that can be funded to political parties. “When we are talking about transparency in funding to political parties, the Electoral Bonds have become an instrument of changing black money to white. They are bearer bonds with no name or serial number,” he said quoting a Rafael deal that priced the machines three time over. “Bonds are given to a party and they cash it. And no one knows where the money came from, even if it is a clear kickbacks on the deals.” Is the government that promised to bring back the Black Money, actually promoting Black Money, the Kala Dhan, he questioned!

The Bengaluru based Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is replaced by a bogus one-year old Ambani firm `Reliance Defence’ for the Rafale deal and they protect the corruption by invoking a `secrecy agreement’ with the French government, which appears ridiculous for me when you are talking about the public money laundering to the tune of 10,000 crores of rupees. “I have written a book on Bofors, compared to Rafale it’s chicken-feed,” the legal expert felt.

The celebrated public figure known for his no-nonsense and honest approach broached several other topics like proprtional representation, Lokpal, Santosh Hegde’s report in Karnataka, unending scams of Nirav Modi, Choksi and Mallya, and patiently replied to the questions of the Media, who flocked to the hall attended by over 200 audience.

Hiremat of Jana Sangrama Parishat, who spoke about the corruption and need to cleanse the political system in Karnataka, chaired the meeting. Nisha Gulur, a transgender leader from Swaraj Abhiyan and a founder member of Swaraj India anchored the programme in Kannada.

Pratima Nayak, State Committee member of Swaraj India, film actor Kishore and others from Swaraj Abhiyan and Jana Sangrama Parishat were also present.

Mr Bhushan left for the Youth4Jobs programme in the city after a quick and well-attended press conference.

Swaraj Abhiyan’s political wing, the Swaraj India, recently launched the all India farmers MSP Satyagraha agitation from Yadgir with Yogender Yadav launching the combined movement for farmers. The party is expected to announce its manifesto and the first list of 7 to 10 candidates in a few days for the Karnataka Assembly elections including the support to a couple of independent candidates after the loss of their respected farmers’ leader Puttanaiah. The former Sarvodaya Party leader and farmers voice was the only sitting MLA of Swaraj India in Karnataka before he passed away.

SC seeks Centre’s response on challenge to polygamy, nikah nama

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Seven months after declaring instant triple talaq unconstitutional, the Supreme Court (SC) today agreed to examine the constitutional validity of polygamy and ‘nikah halala’ in the Muslim community.

The SC noted that the five-judge bench which examined instant triple talaq – and pronounced their order in August last year – had kept open the issues of polygamy and ‘nikah halala’.
The SC today issued notices to the Centre and the Law Commission asking them to make their stand clear on a batch of petitions asking the two practices be abolished. Polygamy is the practice of being married to more than one woman. Nikah-halala is a practice intended to curb divorce. Under it, a man cannot remarry his former wife without her having her go through the process of marrying someone else, consummating that marriage, getting divorced and observing a separation period called Iddat.
One petitioner, a Hyderabad-based lawyer, has contended that while Muslim law allows a man to have multiple wives by way of the temporary marriages or polygamy, the same permission is not extended to women and therefore the law violates the fundamental rights of Muslim women.
Another petition, filed by a Delhi-based woman, has said that by virtue of the Muslim Personal Law, section 494 of IPC (marrying again during lifetime of husband or wife) was rendered inapplicable to Muslims and no married woman from the community has the avenue to file a complaint against her husband for the offence of bigamy.
In a historic decision last August, a five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court by 3:2 majority struck down triple talaq, or instant divorce, as unconstitutional. While then Chief Justice J S Khehar and justice S Abdul Nazeer held triple talaq to be part of fundamental right to religion of Muslims and said it was not unconstitutional, Justices Kurian Joseph, R F Nariman and U U Lalit said triple talaq violated the fundamental right of Muslim women as they are subjected to arbitrary irrevocable divorce through this practice.

Big Boss Modi likes to spy on Indians: Rahul

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Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the “Big Boss who likes to spy” and accused him of recording audio, video and tracking user location through GPS from his mobile app.

“Modi’s NaMo App secretly records audio, video, contacts of your friends and family and even tracks your location via GPS (Geo-positioning System). He’s the Big Boss who likes to spy on Indians,” Gandhi tweeted.

“Now he wants data on our children. 13 lakh NCC (National Cadet Core) cadets are being forced to download the app,” he said, urging the people to delete the Namo App from their smartphones.

The Congress chief’s remarks comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) earlier on Monday accused him of sharing users data with a Singapore-based firm.

Earlier, the BJP had accused the Congress of compromising national security by roping in London-based political data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica to run its 2019 election campaign. The firm is allegedly involved in social media data manipulation.

ISIS operative Yasmin Zahid gets 7-year jail term:Missing Keralites case

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National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Kochi on Saturday sentenced woman ISIS recruiter, Yasmin Mohammed Zahid, to seven years rigorous imprisonment in Kerala’s ISIS case of missing persons who travelled to Afghanistan.

Zahid was arrested from the New Delhi International Airport on July 30, 2016 when she was trying to leave for Kabul along with her minor child.

According to NIA, she was planning to join her co-conspirator and the first accused Abdul Rashid in the territory under the control of ISIS in Afghanistan.

In a major revelation in 2016, Yasmin had informed that 22 Keralites, including six women and three children had left India and had reached the bastion of ISIS terror operations in Afghanistan.

Yasmin told interrogators that she had got married to one Abdul Rashid (30) in May in a nikah-ceremony solemnised over phone in which co-accused Shihas acted as the ‘wali’ (guardian) of the bride, while other co-accused Ashfak and Yahya acted as witnesses.

She also claimed that Rashid had radicalised nearly 40 youths from Kerala.

Last year, the NIA had told an Ernakulam court that Zahid had participated in religious classes conducted by Abdul Rashid and his wife Ayisha in which the main topic was ‘Hijra’, ‘Jihad’ and ISIS.

First accused Abdul Rashid used to send money to the account of Zahid and she used to collect the money using the ATM card. Using that fund Zahid arranged visa and air tickets for Kabul.

Hailing from Saudi Arabia, Yasmin came to Kerala five years ago with her husband Syed Ahmad. She took a job at Peace International School in Malappuram.

Afghanistan: Deadly car bombing near Helmand stadium

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Car bomb explosion near stadium hosting wrestling match kills at least 14 and wounds 40, health official says.

At least 14 people have been killed and dozens wounded in a car bomb explosion near a sports facility in southern Afghanistan, a health official has said.

Omar Zwak, spokesperson for the governor of Helmand province, said Friday’s blast in the city of Lashkar Gah took place close to the Ghazi Muhammad Ayoub Khan stadium, where a wrestling match was taking place.

Aminuallah Abed, chief of the provincial public health department, said that 40 people who were wounded were receiving treatment at a local hospital.

The death toll is expected to rise, with hospital sources telling Al Jazeera that a number of wounded people were in serious condition.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The Italian NGO Emergency said that they had heard the sound of the explosion from their surgical centre.

“35 wounded already taken to our hospital, another four were dead on arrival,” the NGO said in a Twitter post.

Al Jazeera’s Abdullah Shahood, reporting from the capital, Kabul, said a “suicide car bomber detonated his explosives just outside the stadium’s entrance.”

“A number of security officials who were possibly watching the match were among the casualties,” he added.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack, saying in a statement that “the enemies of Afghanistan cannot prevent the celebration of traditional, religious and cultural events in the country.”

The explosion comes just two days after a suicide bomber detonated himself near Kabul University in the Afghan capital, killing 29 people and wounding 52 others.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) claimed responsibility for that attack.

(Aljazeera)

Lalu sentenced to 7 years each on two counts in Fodder Scan

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A special CBI court in Ranchi today sentenced RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav to 7 years in prison in Dumka treasury case. The case is related to fraudulent withdrawals of Rs 3.13 crore from December 1995 to January 1996 from the Dumka treasury, was completed on March 5.

Lalu Prasad Yadav has been serving a jail term in Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Central Jail since December last year after his conviction in two other fodder scam cases. He was shifted to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences
(RIMS)on Wednesday after he complained of chest pain.

Earlier in the week, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s wife Rabri Devi, said,” We will follow Court’s order & won’t leave Bihar & go anywhere else however we are also going to appeal in the Court.”

Lalu Yadav was first convicted in a fodder scam case in 2013 and was awarded five years’ imprisonment while the conviction in the second case came in December last year.

BJP tally in Rajya Sabha goes to 69, Cong tally goes down to 50 from the present 54

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The BJP has made a significant gain of 11 additional seats while the Congress made an overall loss of four in the biennial elections to 58 Rajya Sabha seats, consolidating the saffron party’s position in the House and leaving its main rival far behind.

Its 28 candidates emerged victorious in the polls held yesterday against 17 retiring members, while the Congress won only 10 seats while 14 of its members will retire next week.

A calculation of tallies shows that the BJP’s strength in the 245-member House will go from the existing 58 to 69 and that of the Congress will fall from 54 to 50 when the new MPs take oath next week.

However, a majority in the Council of States will continue to elude the BJP-led NDA.

It recently suffered a setback when the Telugu Desam Party, its ally of four years, decided to break ties. The TDP has six members in the House.

However, NDA managers are upbeat following the loss in numbers of most vocal opposition parties like the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, which won only one seat while its six members are retiring.

BJP sources said treasury benches will now be more comfortably placed in the House as regional parties like the AIADMK, TRS, which has gained three more seats, YSR Congress and the BJD, all of whom are outside the NDA, have been more open to supporting the government’s legislative agenda.

The Modi government’s bills have often been stalled in the House, where it has lacked a majority, by a united opposition after it managed to pass them in the Lok Sabha, where it enjoys a strong majority.

BJP’s winning spree in state Assembly polls has resulted in a steady rise in its numbers in the House, whose members are elected by assemblies, while the loss of power of the Congress in many states has led to a fall in its numerical strength.

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