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Communal clashes erupts in Madhya Pradesh during ‘vjiay juloos’

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vjiay juloos

Indore: An indefinite curfew has been clamped in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone city after overnight clashes between two communities during a religious procession injured over two dozen people including police personnel.

 

Police lobbed tear gas shells and canned rioters after several houses and vehicles were set ablaze during the violence on Thursday night during the ‘vijay juloos’ (victory procession) which followed the Dussehra celebrations.

The Hindu festivities coincided with the Muharram procession of the Muslims this year.

Sources said differences over the same route taken by members of the two communities triggered the clashes, shattering a fragile peace in the midst of a surcharged atmosphere in many parts of the country.

The Khargone additional superintend of police (ASP) and three other security personnel were injured when rioters pelted stones during the clashes which spread to several localities of the city.

“Extra police forces have been deployed to prevent any untoward incident in the future,” said Dilip Arya, the Khargone deputy inspector general of police.

Police said that the clashes started when some people allegedly pelted stones on the ‘victory procession’ near a popular cinema hall in the heart of the city. This turned into full-fledged clashes as the other group retaliated.

The violence spread to several other localities — Sanjay Nagar, Tevedi, Goshala Marg, Talaab Chauk – where houses and vehicles were set ablaze.  Police said that several families of a community fled their homes as the arson spread.

(Agencies)

Kejriwal visits turmoil-hit Punjab, condemns sacrilege acts

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Arvind Kejriwal Golden Temple

Amritsar: Terming as painful the alleged incidents of desecration of holy books, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said it was a “willful act” to disturb Punjab as he prayed at the Golden Temple here for “return of peace” in the state.

It “is unfortunate and painful. It seems it is a willful act by somebody who wanted to disturb peace in the state,” Kejriwal told reporters here after he arrived on his first visit to Punjab since becoming the Chief Minister in February and was set to meet families of two Sikhs killed in police firing during anti-desecration protests at Faridkot.

The AAP leader condemned the police action, saying it was wrong to use force against people who were protesting peacefully against acts of sacrilege.

Kejriwal said it was the responsibility of Punjab government to arrest the real culprits behind the incidents of desecration of holy books, saying no innocent person should be slapped with “false cases”.

He refused to answer more queries, saying he was here to pray for peace in Punjab.

“Golden Temple has great spiritual power and I prayed before the Almighty for early peace and normalcy to get rid of current turmoil in Punjab,” he said after paying obeisance at the Sikh shrine.

His visit to Punjab assumes significance as AAP is eying the 2017 Assembly polls and has re-structured its unit in the state, where it won its four seats in the last Lok Sabaha elections. The fledgling AAP recently suspended two of the MPs for “anti-party” activities.

While paying obeisance at the Sanctum Sanctorum of the Golden Temple, Kejriwal preferred to go inside along with other devotees, ignoring the VIP passage.Thereafter, he also paid obeisance in front of Akal Takht (the highest Sikh Temporal Seat).

Earlier before entering Golden Temple, he was he was honoured with Siropa (robe of honour) and presented a set of Sikh religious books at the information centre.
However, he did not register his visit in the visitors’ book of the shrine.

After paying obeisance, he went to Kotkapura by road to meet families of two persons who were killed in police firing.

Alleged incidents of sacrilege took place at seven villages in the state in the recent past plunging the state into turmoil with Sikh protesters blocking highways and other key roads.

Police have so far arrested six persons, mostly working in Sikh shrines, in connection with the sacrilege incidents.

Punjab police has alleged “foreign hand” behind the incidents of sacrilege even as the Centre has sought a report from the Punjab government on the matter.

(Agencies)

Singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya accused of molesting woman

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Abhijeet Bhattacharya

Mumbai: A 34-year-old woman from Versova has accused playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya of ‘touching her inappropriately’ and ‘abusing and threatening’ her during a concert of singer Kailash Kher during the Durga Puja celebrations.

Mumbai Police have registered a case of molestation against the singer.

The incident apparently took place at 10 pm on October 23 at a Durga Puja pandal in Lokhandwala which the singer co-founded in 1996. The woman was later escorted out of the pandal by lady security guards following which she went to the police station and lodged a complaint. A case of molestation has been registered at the Oshiwara Police Station. However, the cops say that they will record statements of witnesses before taking any action.

Abhijeet has denied the charges and says he only had an argument with the woman since she was blocking everyone’s view and he had asked for her to be seated.

Abhijeet Bhattacharya was the popular voice for Bollywood actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar in the 1990s. He continued to sing for films like Dhadkan, Chalte Chalte and Om Shanti Om in the past few years, but his voice has been less heard in films now. His last non-film album was Tere Bina in 2003.

(Agencies)

AAP files police complaint against V K Singh over dog remark

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ashutosh

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party today filed a police complaint against Union minister V K Singh over his controversial “dog” remark on the Dalit killing in Faridabad and demanded that an FIR be registered against him under the SC/ST Act.

Party legislators Saurabh Bhardwaj, Vishesh Ravi, Rakhi Birla, Hajarilal Chauhan and spokesperson Ashutosh met police officials at Central Delhi’s Prasad Nagar police station in this regard. “The police told us that they will first inquire into the complaint,” Bhardwaj said.

Ashutosh alleged that Singh’s remarks amounted to a violation of the SC/ST Act and said that the police “assured” the delegation of conducting an investigation into the matter that has snowballed into a major political row.

“The police told us that they need to take permission from the higher-ups as filing any case under the SC/ST Act requires approval from a DCP-rank officer,” Ashutosh said, adding that Singh’s status as a minister should not “affect it”.

He also rubbished the minister’s clarification as an after-thought in view of the Bihar polls. Singh had insisted a controversy has been created out of “unconnected sentences”.

“BJP and RSS are inherently anti-Dalit and anti-minorities and that’s why such statements are being issued,” Ashutosh said.

(Agencies)

Sahitya Akademi condemns killing of writers after activists stage protest

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Sahitya Akademi

New Delhi: The Sahitya Akademi on Friday condemned the killing of writers and urged those writers who had returned their awards in protest against its silence to take them back.

The appeal followed a meeting of the Akademi’s Executive Board, Krishnaswamy Nachimuthu, an Akademi member and a Tamil scholar, told the media here.

Writers march in protest

With black gags and arm bands, writers and their supporters held a solidarity march here ahead of the Sahitya Akademi emergency meeting to discuss the returning of awards by eminent authors in protest against “rising intolerance” in the backdrop MM Kalburgi’s killing.

Writers from different languages converged for the silent march carrying huge banners from Sri Ram Centre at Safdar Hashmi Marg to the Sahitya Akademi building, where they submitted a memorandum to the Akademi demanding that it pass a resolution pledging to take stern steps to safeguard the freedom of speech and right to dissent of the writers.

At least 35 writers from across the country had over the past few weeks announced their decision to return their Sahitya Akademi awards and stepped down from official Akademi positions to protest the “rising intolerance” in the country.

Akademi chairman Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari accepted the memorandum and said “it will be considered” in the meeting.

“The executive council of the Akademi should pass a resolution that it will take stern steps to safeguard the freedom of speech and right to dissent of the writers,” the memorandum said.

The protesters has also criticised Tiwari’s recent statements in which he dubbed as “illogical” the act of several writers returning their awards. They also called for a written apology from Tiwari against statements he had made about Akademi award winning writers having made gains from their award royalties.

“A delegation of 13 Hindi-Urdu writers had met the representatives of the Akademi on September 16 to demand for a ‘shok sabha’ but the Akademi denied to do so,” the memorandum said. The writers said if the Akademi does not conduct a condolence meet for Kalburgi in Delhi, they will demand Tiwari’s resignation.

The protest march was convened by five groups – Janvadi Lekhak Sangh, Pragatisheel Lekhak Sangh, Jansanskriti Manch, Dalit Lekhak Sangh and Sahitya Sanvad.

Eminent writers Keki N Daruwala, Geeta Hariharan, Anuradha Kapoor (former director National School of Drama), Shekhar Joshi and Javed Ali among others were part of the protest.

Called the getting together of writers as historic step in the literary history of the country, the protesters called for the Akademi to condemn in strong terms the killings of Kannada writer Kalburgi and other writers and rationalists and assure the writers that the Akademi would in these times of distress ensure the right to freedom of speech and expression.

“Tiwari has lost the trust of the writers. If Tiwari does not apologise and conduct a condolence meet for Kalburgi in Delhi, we will demand his resignation,” a statement by the writers said.

(Agencies)

Young Dalit writer attacked for criticizing caste system

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Dalit writer Huchangi Prasad, who was attacked in Davangere.

Dalit writer Huchangi Prasad, who was attacked in Davangere.

Davanagere: In a fresh case of upper caste atrocity against lower caste Hindus, a young Dalit writer was attacked by a group of Hindutva activists for his writings against the caste system perceived to be “anti-Hindu” at Davanagere in Central Karnataka.

The Thursday’s attack comes barely three months after the shooting of writer M.M. Kalburgi – barely 100 km away – and at a time when numerous writers across the country have raised their voice against rising intolerance.

According to the complaint filed by 23-year-old Huchangi Prasad, a journalism student at Davanagere University who had published a ‘controversial’ book a year ago, an unidentified man came to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe hostel at the university in the early hours, claiming that Mr. Prasad’s mother had been hospitalised following a heart attack.

Apparently in “shock”, the student followed the man who promised to take him to the hospital. Midway, in an isolated corner of APMC Yard, a group of eight to ten people ambushed him.

“They surrounded me and started to push me around. They said my writings were anti-Hindu as I talked about the caste system. They even put kumkum all over my face. They pulled out a knife and said they will cut my fingers off so I can never write again,” Mr. Prasad told The Hindu.

He pushed his way through the group and ran into the nearby woods, where he hid. Hours later, when sure that the group had left, he fled to the hostel. He later filed a police complaint.

Following the attack, police have registered a case against “unknown persons” under attempt to murder (IPC 307) and under sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

The student had published his first book in April 2014 and had since then faced threats. The book comprised prose and poetry revolving around treatment of Dalits in the country.

At the book launch, Kannada writer K.S. Bhagwan — who has recently received threats — spoke inviting the ire of right-wing organisations who had filed a complaint for provocative speech at the local police station. Mr. Prasad had been threatened since then.

(Agencies)

Delhi’s AAP government supersedes Waqf Board, strips it of powers

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arvind-kejriwal

New Delhi: The AAP Govt has “superseded” the Delhi Waqf Board, transferring all its powers and duties to the Secretary (Revenue) in the city administration.

“In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 99(I) of the Waqf Act, 1995, the Government of NCT of Delhi hereby supersedes the Delhi Waqf Board with immediate effect for a period of six months,” said a notification issued by Revenue Secretary A Ambarasu on October 10, 2015.

Rana Parween Siddiqui, Chairperson of the Board, said she has “filed an appeal in the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of the notification. The court will hear the case on October 30.”

The notification has also stipulated that “in accordance with Section 99(2)(b) of the Waqf Act, 1995, all the powers and duties of the Board under the provisions of the Act will be exercised and performed by the Secretary (Revenue) Government of NCT of Delhi.”

“I received the notification on October 15 and stopped going to Waqf Board office,” said Rana who has also filed a writ petition in the High Court for notification of her election as Chairperson of Delhi Waqf Board by the Delhi Government.

Rana was elected as Chairperson of the Delhi Waqf Board in a meeting of members of the Board on January 20.

“There are a total of seven members of Delhi Waqf Board. At the time of my election, there were only six members out of whom four elected me as Chairperson of the Board,” she said.

However, her election was not notified by Delhi Government, against which she filed the petition in Delhi High Court.

The court in its order on April 29 had directed the respondent Delhi Government to maintain status quo vis a vis position of the Chairperson till further hearing.

“The notification issued by the government superseding Delhi Waqf Board despite the status quo order by the High Court is a clear case of contempt of court. I will move a separate application in the court regarding this, ” she added.

(Agencies)

Complainant to withdraw assault-case against Amit Mishra

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Indian cricketer Amit Mishra snapped during the preparatory camp for the forthcoming series against South Africa at National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru on September 23, 2015. Photo: G.P. Sampath Kumar

Indian cricketer Amit Mishra snapped during the preparatory camp for the forthcoming series against South Africa at National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru on September 23, 2015. Photo: G.P. Sampath Kumar

In a relief to Indian cricketer Amit Mishra, the woman who had filed a police complaint against him for an alleged assault, has decided to withdraw the case.

“Two days after lodging the complaint, I approached the police station and told them that I have in principle decided to withdraw the case,” the complainant told.

“I am waiting for Mishra to appear in the police station. We both will amicably withdraw the case. We were friends. We fought, and continue to remain friends here after,” she said.

Mishra was in Bengaluru last month for India’s pre-tour training camp when he had met the woman.

The police had asked Mishra to appear before them in a week’s time. Mishra was booked under the Indian Penal Code sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 328 (causing hurt with intent to commit an offence).

She clarified that that she has not taken the step under pressure.

“There was no pressure from any quarters, including the BCCI. I am surprised how the media picked up the case, which I have decided to withdraw,” she said.

(PTI)

Siddaramaiah hands over ex-gratia amount of Rs 30 lakh to PSI Jagadish’s family

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SI Jagadish

Bengaluru: An ex-gratia amount of Rs 30 lakh was handed over by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to the family of the slain police sub-inspector Jagadish on the occasion of the Police Martyrs’ Day in the city on Wednesday.

Siddaramaiah and Home Minister K.J George paid homage to PSI Jagadish and other martyred cops while participating in the annual Police Martyrs’ Day held at car grounds.

While handing the ex-gratia cheque to Jagadish’s wife Ramya and his father Srinivasaiah the Chief Minister has also said that the family would be entitled to receive further Rs. 20 lakh as part of the group insurance of police personnel.

Siddaramaiah has assured that he would personally make sure that the family receives all its dues including a monthly allowance to Ramya apart from drawing the salary of Jagadish till his natural date of retirement.

Srinivasaiah, Jagadish’s father was happy that his son’s culprits were booked by law, however, he expressed his anger saying that they do not deserve to live and should be awarded death sentence.

Jagadish (34) was stabbed to death on October 16 allegedly by burglars whom he was chasing at Nelamangala town in Bengaluru Rural district. The State police in coordination with the Maharashtra police nabbed two of the culprits accused in the case from Nagpur on Monday.

CM Siddaramaiah while complimenting the police teams for their efforts had announced cash award of Rs 5 lacs each yesterday for both the police teams.

(Agencies)

Urdu poet Munawwar Rana to meet Modi soon over writers returning awards

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Munawwar Rana

Lucknow: Urdu poet Munawwar Rana, who has returned his Sahitya Akademi award would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon.

“I got a call from PMO on Tuesday with a request to meet him the next day. As I was in Gwalior I said that it was not possible and the date and time should be fixed for some other day…On this I was told that it will take some time,” Mr. Rana said on Thursday.

Mr. Rana, a big name in contemporary Urdu poetry said that whenever Prime Minister would call him he would meet him and narrate his grief over the present scenario and would explain the reason behind his decision of returning award.

“I will meet the PM as a poet with reference to Ganga-Jamuna tehzeeb of the country. My intention is to live the life which I was born with,” he said.

On being asked if he will meet PM along with other litterateurs, he said, “Somebody goes with me or not is his or her personal choice, but if Modi calls me I will definitely meet him.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Rana evaded the question of accepting his award again if Prime Minister would request.

Mr. Rana had recently announced to give up his Sahitya Akademi award dramatically during a live TV debate over the killing of Kannada writer M M Kalburgi and lynching of a man in Dadri for allegedly consuming beef.

The Rae Bareli-born writer conferred the Sahitya Akademi award by the Modi government in 2014 for his book Shahdaba.

(PTI)

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