Nasheman

India's largest selling Urdu weekly, now also in English

You are here: Home / Archives for News & Politics

Patriotic fervour, freedom spirit mark Independence Day in Karnataka

by

Siddaramiah

Bengaluru: Patriotic fervour and the spirit of freedom and nationalism marked the 69th Independence Day celebrations in Karnataka on Saturday.

Chief Minister Siddaramiah unfurled the tri-colour and sang the national anthem along with about 10,000 people who gathered at the Field Marshal Manekshaw Parade Ground in the city centre for the grand occasion.

Earlier, a military helicopter hovered over the sprawling ground showering red rose petals around the podium, exciting the gathering and evoking applause.

Standing on an open jeep, the chief minister drove around for guard of honour and received salute from contingents of the three services (army, navy and air force), state police, home guards and fire forces at the podium.

After Siddaramaiah addressed the gathering in Kannada, battalions of the three services, state reserve police, home guards, NCC and Bharat Scouts and Guides, contingents of about 3,000 boys and girls from city school sand music bands treated the audience with a two-hour long impressive march past and historical and cultural shows, with patriotic songs renting the air.

Martial arts and daring feats and acrobatics on motorcycles by the military as well as the state police teams kept the crowds spellbound.

Later, the chief minister presented medals and awards to police officers and distributed prizes to the participating organisations. Reports from across the state said the national flag was hoisted in the respective districts by state cabinet ministers and deputy commissioners.

In Mangaluru, about 350 km away from here, about 500 students held a 350-metre long national flag in a long line that spilled into the main street from their school playground.

(Agencies)

 

Poison of communal frenzy have no place in India: Modi

by

Modi

New Delhi: In a marathon address to the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort, PM today underlined India’s unity and diversity and said the poison of casteism and communal frenzy have no place in the country.

Modi, in his second Independence Day address, focussed largely on the issue of corruption and asserted that the steps taken by his government over the last 15 months to deal with the “termite” had started yielding results.

Responding to opposition criticism that nothing is happening on the problem of black money, he said “some people love to spread pessimism” as he informed that about Rs 6500 cr of undeclared money has been disclosed during the compliance window provided by the government.

He spoke about a number of initiatives to end corruption and bring transparency and proposed doing away with the practice interviews for small jobs, contending that this becomes a route for corruption.

During the 85-minute address, he talked about the much-anticipated ‘One-Rank, One-Pension’, saying the government has “in-principle accepted” it and he was hopeful of a positive outcome of the ongoing discussions which are in the “last stage”.

He mentioned the announcements made during his first Independence Day address last year and said many of them had been implemented in a time-bound manner.

The government programmes are focussed on welfare of the poor and other under privileged sections while ensuring reduction in inflation and efforts to boost growth to double digit, he said.

While talking about efforts for development, Modi made a strong pitch for communal harmony and peace. “The world keeps signing praise about India’s diversity and greatness. Like diversity, the country also has simplicity and unity, which are our capital.

These have been nurtured over the centuries. This capital has to be preserved,” he said.

“Be it the poison of casteism or the frenzy of communalism, these have no place in the country and should not be allowed to grow. These ills have to be eradicated through the nectar of development,” he said.

Modi said if the unity of India is destroyed, then the “dreams” of the people will also be shattered as the country looking forward to development and progress.

Talking about the issue of corruption which he described as “termite”, the Prime Minister vowed to free the country from this evil “braving all kinds of attacks” on him as he asserted that there is not an allegation of even Re one corruption against his 15-month-old government.

“There is a lot of talk in our country about corruption. It is like a sick person giving suggestions to others on how to remain healthy, there are people who are themselves corrupt, who give suggestions on how to deal with corruption,” he said.

“Giving suggestions to each other is also an art. I want to give an account today…We have not shown our commitment to fight corruption by addressing press conferences. We are working on the ground. We have shown results,” he said.

He said the “termite” had spread but nobody took any action against it over the last 60 years. “There is a requirement of applying injection per square metre for a long time to deal with this termite,” Modi said.

Responding to criticism, he said, “some people love to spread pessimism. It is like an addiction. They cannot get sleep without it. For them, there is no meaning for programmes and initiatives. They keep on saying that nothing is happening, nothing is visible.”

Though he did not name anybody, his remarks assume significance as Rahul Gandhi had only last week in Parliament questioned what had been done on dealing with black money.

Mentioning the new Act made on black money, he said people have been complaining that it is “too tough” a law. “We have received messages that the law is too tough and it should be diluted,” he said, without naming anybody.

Likening it to treating a serious ailment which requires administering strong medicines, he said, “there can be side-effects but the ailment has to be cured.”

He said through the new law, while efforts are being made to bring back black money already stashed abroad, it has at least ensured that nobody dares to take tainted money out of the country.

He said through the compliance window provided by the government, around Rs 6500 crore of undeclared money has already been disclosed. “Is it not fighting corruption?”

(Agencies)

Wholesale inflation falls to historic low of (-) 4.05%

by

REUTERS/Vivek Prakash/Files

REUTERS/Vivek Prakash/Files

New Delhi: Deflationary trends continued for the ninth month in a row in July with wholesale inflation plunging to a historic low of (-)4.05 per cent on cheaper vegetable and fuel, which may prompt RBI to cut interest rate ahead of the September 29 policy meet.

The WPI number follows retail inflation (CPI) data, which had slipped to a record low of 3.78 per cent in July. The overall wholesale price index-based (WPI) inflation was (-)2.40 per cent in June, government data showed today. It has been in the negative zone since November 2014. A year ago in July 2014, inflation was 5.41 per cent.

During the month, pulses, milk, edible oil, egg, meat and fish turned dearer. RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan after the monetary policy announcement on August 4 had said the central bank may cut interest rate even out of the policy cycle depending on how macroeconomic indicators play out.

“We are waiting for information. There was more need to move fast in the early stages of the turnaround. We will take all information into account and decide whether at times it warrants moving in between policy cycle or it does not,” he had said after the policy meet.

RBI mostly tracks the consumer price inflation for its policy decision, and its next review is due on September 29.

(PTI)

I will not go back from Bengaluru: Asaduddin Owaisi

by

Asaduddin Owaisi

Bengaluru: Ahead of the BBMP polls scheduled to be held on Saturday, Aug 22, AIMIM supremo Asaduddin Owaisi hit out at the state Congress government for ‘deliberately’ trying to impose restrictions on his entry to Bengaluru city and impeaching his constitutional rights to free movement.

Owaisi said that as a member of parliament, he has constitutional rights to enter any place in the country, and Congress has no rights to stop him entering the city.

He said he and his party are here to stay, and will not go back from Bengaluru. He announced his party’s intention to participate in the next assembly elections in the state.

Earlier on Tuesday Justice A.S. Bopanna had issued the direction while rejecting AIMIM’s plea for a direction to the authorities to grant permission for its public rally that was scheduled for August 11 at Chota Maidan in Shivajinagar.

Delay in getting appointment with Modi upsets Siddaramaiah

by

siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said he was disappointed that the appointment he had sought with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss various issues, including implementation of the Kalasa-Banduri project and drought condition prevailing in the State, had received no response.

Speaking after holding a meeting with elected representatives and various organisations from Dharwad and Belagavi, who have been spearheading a movement seeking the implementation of the Kalasa Banduri irrigation project, said, in a federal system the Centre needs to respond positively towards the problems faced by the states.

Siddaramaiah said his office had written to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) 15 days ago seeking time with Modi. However, the State is yet to receive a reply, he said. Recently, Water Resources Minister M B Patil had visited New Delhi seeking that the meeting be held before the conclusion of the current parliament session (August 13). Siddaramaiah said he was not politicising the issue but sought that the PMO finalise the meeting at the earliest.

All-party meet on Aug 23

The chief minister said that an all-party meeting will be convened on August 23 to discuss the implementation of the Kalasa-Banduri project. Floor leaders of political parties in both the Houses of the State Legislature and MPs would be invited to the meeting to be held in Bengaluru. He urged the organisations, which have been protesting for the last 15 days demanding the early execution of the Kalasa Banduri project, to withdraw their agitation.

The project seeks to improve drinking water supply to the districts of Belagavi, Dharwad and Gadag. It involves building barrages across Kalasa and Banduri, two tributaries of the Mahadayi river, to divert 7.56 tmc of water to the Malaprabha river. Goa has raised objections resulting in the project not taking off.

(Agencies)

RSS capturing educational institutions: Rahul Gandhi

by

Rahul-Gandhi

New Delhi: Launching a scathing attack on the Modi government over the lingering strike in FTII, Rahul Gandhi today alleged educational institutions were being “captured” by the RSS and only those “singing praises” of the Prime Minister and BJP are being “placed on top”.

Gandhi, who led a Congress delegation to President Pranab Mukherjee to protest the appointment of actor Gajendra Chauhan as chairman of FTII, said creativity was being “crushed” by the desire of the RSS to “control” the education system.

“The people who are placed on top of them (the students) do not have the merit to be placed on top. The only merit they have is that they have sung praises of the Prime Minister, the BJP and believe in the ideology of the RSS,” the Congress vice president told reporters.

Holding that Chauhan lacks merit to govern the institute, Gandhi said the message the government was trying to convey was that “leave behind your capability and merit and pay your obeisance to Modiji and RSS and come to this institution.

“This is a wrong message to the students”, he said.

Rahul who had earlier visited Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) campus in Pune to express solidarity with the students who want Chauhan removed, said the delegation articulated the fact that India’s soft power as reflected in institutions like FTII is being crushed by RSS which wants to control the country’s education system.

“They have already destroyed the education system in Madhya Pradesh with the Vyapam scam. We are not going to allow them to destroy these institutions,” he said.

“The capturing of educational institutions by the RSS is a political issue. I am not politicising it. The BJP is politicising it.

“Every institution that has been developed over the last 50-60 years on merit is being destroyed. This is a political issue not a social issue,” the Congress Vice President said.

Gandhi was accompanied to Rashtrapati Bhawan by Congress leaders Mani Shankar Aiyar, Manish Tewari, Kumari Selja, Raj Babbar among others.

“We briefed the president on the FTII matter and I want to send the message mainly to the students of this country and in particular to the boys and girls of FTII that what they are fighting for is a very very important thing,” he said.

Students’ agitation at FTII is going on for over two months after government announced the appointment of Chauhan as head of its governing council.

The students have been boycotting classes since June 12, demanding Chauhan’s removal, maintaining that he lacks “academic credentials, vision and stature” to head the premier institute.

While the students have been able to garner support from many Bollywood bigwigs, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has refused to withdraw Chauhan’s appointment, asking the agitators to return to academic activity or face action including rustication.

Congress sources said he would lead a delegation to President Pranab Mukherjee to seek his intervention over the ongoing students stir against the appointment of actor Gajendra Chauhan as chairman of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).

“I don’t know what qualities the government sees in him (Chauhan). It is thrusting mediocrity on the country. We will not allow it,” said Rahul who had earlier also visited FTII to support the demand of the students who want Chauhan to be removed.

“The capturing of educational institutions by the RSS is a political issue. I am not politicising it. The BJP is politicising it.

“Every institution that has been developed over the last 50-60 years on merit is being destroyed. This is a political issue not a social issue,” the Congress Vice President said.

Rahul will meet the President seeking his intervention for resolving the issue related to FTII, the party sources said.

Students agitation at FTII is going on for nearly two months after government announced the appointment of Chauhan as head of its governing council.

The students have been boycotting classes since June 12, demanding Chauhan’s removal, maintaining that he lacks “academic credentials, vision and stature” to head the premier institute.

While the students have been able to garner support from many Bollywood bigwigs too, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has refused to withdraw Chauhan’s appointment, asking the students to return to academic activity or face action including rustication.

(Agencies)

Monsoon Session a washout, Parliament adjourned sine die

by

Parliament

New Delhi: A passionate plea for forging consensus on running of the House as well as on wider national policies was made by retiring members of Rajya Sabha today, as the Monsoon Session was completely washed out due to continued Opposition protests.

The Upper House was adjourned since die at noon after it bade farewell to P Kannan (Cong) and nominated members Ashok Ganguly and H K Dua who complete their six years terms in October and November – the intervening period between Monsoon and the Winter Sessions.

Rajya Sabha was adjourned for half an hour till noon after Ganguly and Dua made farewell speeches and the listed papers were laid on the table, as the House completed its limited agenda.

When it reassembled at noon, the House was adjourned sine die by Chairman Hamid Ansari.

Earlier as the House met for the day, Ansari mentioned that Kannan, who represented Puducherry, will retire on October 6 while nominated members Ganguly and Dua will complete their six year term on November 17.

The trio, he said, had contributed significantly to the deliberations of the House with their active participation. “They have definitely enhanced dignity and prestige of this House,” he said adding that Rajya Sabha will cherish their association.

In his farewell speech, Dua said he had seen ups and downs in his six year tenure with his participation in debates on price rise, nuclear liability bill and Maoist violence being the high points, but an instance of tearing of bills was a sad moment.

He said disturbances and disruptions, first during the UPA rule and now under NDA government, “bring bad name to Parliament.” Observing that cynicism was developing among the people, he said “Government has to be more responsive to Opposition and the Opposition has to be more responsible. … What is needed is not acrimony… what is missing is tolerance and listening capacity.”

“Tolerance level is low. Dissent is not acceptable to anyone”, Dua said, adding that the need of the hour was evolving consensus on wider national policies like terrorism and nuclear programme.

“There is a need for consensus on running of Parliament,” he said adding the government and Opposition need to sit together to draw out “how to run House better.” In his speech, Ganguly thanked members for warm friendship and embracing him as one of them and said “unfailing bonhomie in the Central Hall (of Parliament) cutting across party lines is most reassuring feature of our unity among diversity.” he said.

Dua also termed the passage of the the bill on the Indo-Bangla Land Boundary Agreement passed in the last session as a “golden moment”, while the impeachment motion to remove a Kolkata High Court judge was also a high point.

Members thumped their desks to bid farewell to the retiring members who also thanked leaders of various political parties as well as the Chair for their support and cooperation. Kannan was not present in the House. Interestingly, soon after the listed papers were laid, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said, “we can adjourn till 12 noon for a change on peaceful note.”

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said adjournment of Parliament on the last day of the session must be on a peaceful note. Kurien then adjourned the House till 1200 hours.

(PTI)

No difference between Indian and Pakistan if we grant bail to Aseemanand: Opposition

by

Swami Aseemanand

Srinagar/New Delhi: The decision not to oppose the bail granted to Swami Assemanand chargesheeted in 2007 Samjhauta blast case was slammed by opposition parties today with NC leader Omar Abdullah asking how this was different from Pakistan justifying bail for Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi.

“How is the Indian justification of bail for #Aseemanand any different from the Pakistani justification of bail for #Lakhvi?,” Omar, the leader of National Conference and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, wrote on micro blogging site Twitter.

The Parliament was informed by the Government yesterday that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has decided not to oppose the conditional bail granted to Assemanand as it did not find any grounds for it.

Lakhvi, a LeT terrorist and the Mumbai attack mastermind, was granted bail by an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan early this year, in a decision that was slammed by India.

The NIA decision was also slammed by the CPI-M. “He(Aseemanand) is accused in the Samjhauta train Blast case. It was a major terrorist attack in our country. After the coming of this(NDA) government, the various terrorist cases in which Hindutva extremists are involved, attempts are being made to end all cases like that. And the attempt to not appeal against the bail is also an indication to that,” CPI-M leader Prakash Karat said.

Posing as census officials BJP workers try to steal voter ID cards; arrested

by

bjp-census-muslim-voters

Bengaluru: In an alarming incident, five members of women’s wing of Bharatiya Janata Party were caught while trying to steal voter ID cards after they visited house posing as census officials in the city.

The development comes amidst ongoing preparations by political parties for impending BBMP elections. All the five BJP activists were taken into custody by the police on Wednesday.

The residents of Siddapura (ward number 144) have lodged complaint against the women accusing them of trying to con them into parting with their voting cards. However, the accused maintained they were only campaigning for the civic polls scheduled for August 22.

“Five women came into my house around 5pm and told me they were from the census department. They asked me to show them my voting card. When I showed them the card, they said it was no longer valid and tried to take it away,” Shamsunissa (62) told media persons.

There was some tension in the area after hundreds surrounded the women workers, but police escorted them to the safety of a jeep. Shamsunissa said that just when she was questioning the women, dozens of men from her locality barged into the house shouting “chor-chor” (thief).

“The men asked the women for their ID cards and there was confusion. After a few minutes, the women started crying and confessed that they were BJP workers,” she said.

Tabrez Suhail (32), one of the men who barged into Shamsunissa’s house, was quoted as saying by a newspaper: “We were following these women for around an hour. They would go to the Muslim houses where the women were alone and ask for their voter cards claiming they were census officials. We knew that no census is being conducted right now and got suspicious.”

The BJP women took down names and phone numbers in cases where people refused to part with their voter cards, he alleged.

However, a senior official of the Siddapura police station said on condition of anonymity that no voter cards were recovered from the women. He said a case has been registered against the women and that sectoral magistrate has been asked to monitor the elections.

R Khaleemullah, from the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), who visited the spot, said, “Names of Muslims, other minorities and SCs had gone missing from the electoral rolls during the last Assembly and Lok Sabha polls as well.”

Many groups had alleged then that the BJP was paying people to part with their voters cards. “This is the first time we have caught them red handed,” he said.

(Agencies)

JD(U), RJD, Congress formally announce alliance for Bihar poll

by

JDU RJD

Patna: Displaying a picture of unity, JD(U), RJD and Congress today announced formation of a grand secular alliance and seat sharing among the three parties for the coming Bihar elections.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced coming into being of the grand secular alliance and seat sharing among the three parties in presence of RJD President Lalu Prasad and Congress General Secretary and in-charge of Bihar affairs C P Joshi at a joint press conference.

As part of the tie-up, JD(U) and RJD would contest 100 seats each while Congress would fight in 40 seats. In the 243-member Bihar Assembly, the alliance was yet to announce who would contest in the rest three seats.

Nitish Kumar told reporters that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has been with them in the recent election for Legislative Council 24 seats and they would like it to be with them in the Bihar poll. Kumar indicated the three seats would be given to Sharad Pawar’s NCP if they join the combine.

In reply to a question that Samajwadi Party whose leader Mulayam Singh Yadav is heading Janata Parivar, had not got any seat, Prasad answered “he is my Samdhi (relative) and if need be I will accommodate him.”

Kumar said the grand secular alliance would have a Common Minimum Programme and all constituents would hold joint campaign for the crucial state election in September-October. “The first rally of the grand secular alliance would be held in Patna on August 30,” Kumar and Lalu Prasad said.

The RJD President indicated that the decision to fight on 100 seats only was a compromise for a cause.

“Inspite of all difference his party has come to the conclusion that to keep the communal and fascist forces away, it has to move ahead by accommodating others,” Prasad told reporters.

Congress General Secretary and former Union minister C P Joshi said his party has entered the secular alliance as a constituent because it thinks “today Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the biggest threat to the country.”

Asked if Congress President Sonia Gandhi or Vice President Rahul Gandhi would be present during August 30 rally or in future programme of the alliance, Joshi was evasive.

“These are part of strategy which we will let the media know through separate press conference later on,” Joshi accompanied by state Congress President Ashok Choudhary said.

With secular alliance facing several doubtful questions on possibility of return of ‘jungle raj’ (euphemism to describe RJD’s 15 year rule marked by bad law and order), Prasad volunteered to answer majority of the uncomfortable questions all the while taking potshots at BJP.

All the three constituents of the grand secular alliance have scaled down from the number of seats they had contested in last Bihar election in 2010, though not together.

JD(U), which was in alliance with BJP in 2010 poll, had contested on 141 seats and won 115. BJP, which had contested in 102 seats with Nitish Kumar, had cornered 91 seats.

RJD had fielded candidates in 168 seats and managed to win only 22. Congress had gone in the 2010 poll alone and could win only four seats.

In 2014 Parliamentary election, RJD, Congress and NCP had contested together and managed to win seven seats together out of a total of 40 seats. JD(U) which had gone in general election with Left parties was decimated and managed to win only two seats.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi have been reluctant to share dais in the last Parliamentary elections with Lalu Prasad, who has been convicted by a Ranchi CBI Court in a fodder scam case and has been debarred to fight elections.

When grilled by the mediapersons as to why he was not answering whether Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi would share dais with other grand secular alliance leaders, Joshi reiterated that it was part of strategy of the party which would be announced later on.

With flash bulbs popping frequently, Prasad in a bid to silence BJP, said, “today they must have got answer to all the questions they have been posing to show cracks in his coming together with Nitish Kumar in a bid to confuse voters and scare away upper castes from us.”

Taking a potshot at BJP, the RJD President said, “demolition of Babri mosque and Gujarat riots were examples of ‘mangal raj’ and when I gave voice to poor during RJD rule it is dubbed as ‘jungle raj’.”

He said a few “well wishers” of Nitish Kumar also posed to him every now and then about guarantee that ‘jungle raj’ would not return and how we two would remain together. “Those peoples are ‘nadaan’ (innocents). You will see how we will continue to bond together in future,” Prasad said. “BJP is trying to spread doubts about us but they will not succeed. We are together and remain together,” he said.

(PTI)

KNOW US

GET INVOLVED

PROMOTE

Archives