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Haryana govt to give Cabinet Minister status to Ramdev

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Baba Ramdev

Chandigarh: The Haryana government today decided to give “status equivalent to Cabinet Minister” to Ramdev, who has been appointed as the state’s brand ambassador to promote yoga and ayurveda.

“Ramdev, Brand Ambassador for promotion of yoga and ayurveda in Haryana, will be given status equivalent to Cabinet Minister,” Haryana’s Health and Sports Minister, Anil Vij tweeted today.

Vij had earlier said a herbal forest would be developed in the state where plants of thousands of species of ayurvedic herbs would be grown under the supervision of Ramdev.

The emphasis on yoga and ayurveda would lead to an amalgamation of tradition and modernity and inclusion of yoga in the school syllabus would turn Haryana into a model state based on Indian values and traditions, Vij had said.

Yoga would be made a compulsory subject in Haryana’s schools for which ‘yogshalas’ will be constructed in all the towns and about 6,500 villages of the state under the guidance of Ramdev, he said.

Notably, last month, Haryana Assembly had witnessed uproarious scenes as the BJP government came under sharp attack from opposition Congress for allegedly “going out of way to please Ramdev by making him the brand ambassador” for promotion of yoga and ayurveda in the state.

(PTI)

Four policemen die as Maoists trigger blast in Chhattisgarh

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dandewada

Dantewada: Four policemen were killed and seven injured on Monday when Maoists triggered a massive explosion in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, police said.

The terror strike took place just hours after a trooper was killed when armed Maoists attacked a BSF camp in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district.

In the latest attack, four Chhattisgarh Armed Forces (CAF) personnel were killed and seven others were wounded in the deafening blast that targeted their anti-landmine vehicle.

The attack took place at Cholnar camp of the CAF in Dantewada district, some 400 km south of state capital Raipur.

“It’s a massive blast. I guess it could be about 50 kg IED (Improvised Explosive Device) used to trigger a blast near a bridge. The anti-landmine vehicle was shaken up by the blast and 4 CAF jawans succumbed to injuries,” Kamal Lochan Kashyap, superintendent of police, Dantewada, told reporters at the attack site.

The policemen were returning back to the Cholnar camp after area domination drive. The injured policemen were rushed to NMDC Ltd-owned hospital at Bacheli.

Chhattisgarh has witnessed a string of attacks since April 11.

(Agencies)

Indian growth engine re-energised: Modi

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narendra-modi-angela-merkel

Hannover: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said his government had “re-energised” the Indian growth engine and that the country wants to become a manufacturing hub to serve its domestic market as well as exports.

“We have re-energised the Indian growth engine. The credibility of our economy has been restored. India is once again poised for rapid growth and development. It is the only emerging economy where growth rate is rising. The prospects are even better,” Modi said in an Op-Ed piece in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

He said that “Make in India” requires urgent creation of new infrastructure. “The substantial enhancement in financing in the federal budget for highways, railways and energy is a step in this direction. Work has begun on the development of Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor.”

Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Germany, said that through “our ‘Act East’ and ‘Link West’ policy, India has the potential of becoming the middle ground for East and West as a manufacturing hub that serves both our vast domestic market and becomes a base for global exports and general well-being”.

He said: “My government has pledged a stable and transparent tax regime, reducing corporate taxes and implementing a single Goods and Services Tax in 2016.”

The prime minister said he visualised India as a “key engine of global growth”.

Modi said: “Our democratic principles and practices are guarantors of stability. We have a free media and an independent judiciary that allows all opinions to be aired without fear.”

The prime minister said that India believed in “Rahein Saath Badhe Saath” (stay together-grow together).

“There is no other way forward. Mankind’s progress in this century depends on cooperation and collaboration. Conflict is unthinkable. So is poverty which (Mahatma) Gandhi called the worst form of violence,” he said.

The Indian prime minister, who is in Germany as part of his three-nation sojourn, said: “Our focus is not merely economic growth but an inclusive development.”

Observing that international support and collaboration are equally critical to achieving India’s objectives, he said: “I have therefore sought to build a foreign policy which is an integral part of our national development strategy.”

“My interactions with leaders of United States, Russia, France, Japan and China have all aimed at creating enduring partnerships with shared stakes in global development and well-being.”

(IANS)

Chittoor encounter case: Two survivors to appear before NHRC

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Chittoor_encounter

New Delhi: The two survivors, who escaped the fierce exchange of fire between Andhra Police and alleged woodcutters in Chittoor district last week, are likely to appear before the National Human Rights Commission in Delhi on Monday, April 13.

According to reports, the two eyewitnesses boarded the evening flight to Delhi from Chennai to meet the NHRC. However, the third survivor, due to lack ID documents, could not travel.

The third survivor, Illango, had claimed that he was pulled out of a bus along with other villagers near Tiruttani by Andhra police before being detained.

Meanwhile, Andhra Police in Nellore has arrested 63 Tamil smugglers suspected to b part of the 20-member group killed in Seshachalam forest, as per ANI.

National Human Rights Commission on Thursday issued a notice to Telangana government seeking

a report over the killing of five under-trials, who were allegedly associated with SIMI and other radical groups, in police custody.

“Prima facie, it appears that this is an instance of blatant use of disproportionate force resulting in loss of lives of 5 undertrials who were in judicial custody and gross violation of human rights”, NHRC said in a statement.

The Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Telengana, calling for reports within two weeks.

It will further take up the matter in its camp sitting to be held at Hyderabad on April 23.

The notices were issued after the Commission took suo motu cognizance of media reports that Telengana police have shot dead five undertrials alleged to be associated with SIMI and other radical outfits when they were being brought by them to Hyderabad in connection with a court case on April 7.

According to media reports, the incident took place when the vehicle carrying the undertrials crossed Warangal district border and reached the outskirts of Tangupuru village in Aler Mandal of Nalgonda district.

“One of the undertrials asked the police to halt the vehicle for a toilet break. While getting back to the van, he allegedly snatched an INSAS rifle from a policeman and fired two bullets at a Sub-Inspector sitting in the front row, who ducked and escaped. Sensing danger, other Constables immediately opened fire resulting in the instant death of five undertrials,” the statement said.

The Commission has also observed that from the news report, it transpires that at the time of the incident, at least four of the undertrials were inside the van guarded by the accompanying policemen.

(Agencies)

Karnataka state government drops ordinance on BBMP

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Vidhana Soudha

Bengaluru: Following a meeting with various ministers from Bengaluru, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has decided to drop it’s controversial ordinance for constituting three new municipal bodies in Bengaluru in place of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

According to the media reports the ministerial panel has decided not to re-submit the controversial ordinance to the Governor but have decided to convince the court.

The ordinance sought to constitute three new local bodies in Bengaluru to replace the BBMP by amending the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act.

The opposition parties including BJP and JD(S) opposed the bill stating the ordinance was aimed at delaying the polls to the civic body.

It is said that the Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala denied giving consent to the ordinance keeping in mind the upcoming BBMP elections.

A single judge bench of Karnataka High Court had ordered to hold BBMP polls before May 30. Now the government has filed a writ appeal against the order before a divisional bench.

(Agencies)

Police launch search operations to hunt down convict who walked out of jail

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Parappana Agrahara

Bengaluru: Search operations were launched by the police to hunt down the 29-year-old murder convict who walked out of the highly secured Bangalore Central Prison at Parappana Agrahara on Friday after eluding security personnel.

Manjunath, housed in the D2 barracks, walked out of the prison by posing as a visitor.

Based on the complaint filed by the Prisons Department, the South division police have formed a team to arrest Manjunath. Police suspect that he could have escaped to Chitradurga, his home town.

Police have also questioned Manjunath’s relatives. “We have some clues on his whereabouts and are tracking him,” said Rohini Katoch Sepat, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast d ivision).

Suspecting the involvement of insiders, a police officer said that another convict, Anand Kumar, who attacked a policeman in NIMHANS on Saturday, had procured a knife and chilli powder from inside the prison.

(Agencies)

Hindu Mahasabha leader calls for forced sterilisation of Muslims, Christians to restrict growing population

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Hindu_Mahasabha

Jind: A leader of Hindu Mahasabha on Saturday stoked a controversy saying Muslims and Christians must undergo sterilisation to restrict their growing population which was posing a threat to Hindus.

“The population of Muslims and Christians is growing day by day. To rein in this, Centre will have to impose emergency, and Muslims and Christians will have to be forced to undergo sterilisation so that they can’t increase their numbers,” vice president of All India Hindu Mahasabha, Sadhvi Deva Thakur said.

She also exhorted Hindus to have more children and increase their population so as to have an effect on the world. In another controversial remark, she said idols of Hindu gods and goddesses should be placed in mosques and churches.

(PTI)

No voting right if people do not go for family planning: Sakshi Maharaj

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Sakshi Maharaj

Unnao: Known for making controversial statements, BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj has demanded that a strict law for family planning be brought in for all to check population growth and those who do not follow it should be stripped of their voting right.

“When Hindus go for sterilisation, Muslims should also opt for it. There should be one law for everyone. There will be no appeasement of any section in our regime,” he said on the sidelines of a function here.

“I don’t say Muslims and Christians should be sterilised. But there should be family planning and a uniform law for all. When we talk of four-child issue, there is a lot of hue and cry, and when they have 40 children from four wives no one says anything,” the saffron-robed MP said last evening.

Stressing that population growth was a major challenge before the country, he said the issue has to be addressed through family planning.

“There should be family planning. When the country gained independence, the population was only 30 crore. Today it is 130 crore. Who is responsible for it?…There should be one law for everyone be it Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs or Christians.

“Whether for one, two, three or four kids… unless we have a common law for everyone, the country will not benefit…So both the government and the opposition should come together to bring a strict law and those who do not follow it should be stripped of their voting right,” the 59-year-old MP from Unnao said.

“You cannot discriminate between women of different communities,” he said.

His remarks come after Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut in an editorial demanded scrapping of voting rights of Muslims, saying they are used as vote bank.

“Balasaheb had once said withdraw Muslims voting rights. Owaisi brothers are doing politics of Muslim votes. They are threat to the nation,” wrote Raut in the party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.

Asked about Raut’s statement, Sakshi Maharaj said he had not gone through his statement.

Sakshi was earlier at the centre of a controversy when he asked Hindu women to have at least four children, sparking condemnation from the opposition which alleged that the ruling party was trying to polarise the atmosphere.

BJP on its part had distanced itself from the remarks of Maharaj, who was also served a show cause notice, and urged its workers and public representatives to refrain from making such comments.

Sakshi had also drawn flak for describing Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse as a “patriot” and was forced to apologise in Parliament.

(PTI)

Owaisi hits out at Sena, seeks action against 'Saamana' editor

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asaduddin-owaisi

Hyderabad: Hitting out at Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut for demanding revocation of voting rights of Muslims, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi today said the BJP cannot dissociate itself from his statement and asked it to take action against him.

“He (Raut) has no right whatsoever to seek such a revocation of any Indian. He has no right whatsoever, leave aside Muslims,” Owaisi told PTI here.

“The real agenda of fascist Hindu forces is being exposed now. Their ideology is to promote hatred. Shiv Sena is not just an ally of BJP, but they are sharing power. Now does the ruling party (BJP) share the same views?” the MP from Hyderabad sought to know.

“They (BJP) cannot disassociate saying it’s an individual opinion and he (Raut) is a fringe element. They should take action. He is not a fringe element. He is the main element. When PM (Narendra Modi) speaks at a UN forum (during his ongoing foreign visit), their ally speaks like this,” he said.

Owaisi said the comments of Raut, the editor of Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, are also an embarrassment to union ministers Najma Heptulla and Muqtar Abbas Naqvi as their voting rights are also sought to be revoked if one goes by Raut’s argument.

Shiv Sena had yesterday courted controversy by demanding scrapping of voting rights of Muslims, saying the community has often been used for vote bank politics, evoking sharp reactions from several political parties which accused it of trying to inflame passions and divide people.

“Vote bank politics is being played in the name of fighting against the injustice meted out to Muslims. Their educational and health status is being used politically. This politics was once played by the Congress and now every other person calls himself secular,” an editorial in ‘Saamana’ yesterday said.

Under attack, the Sena later sought to downplay the issue, contending that the party is against “appeasement politics”.

(PTI)

Shiv Sena urges to withdraw Muslims' voting right, Congress terms it 'unconstitutional'

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sanjay-raut

Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader and Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut has stirred a hornet’s nest by his article in party’s mouthpiece, Saamana, in which he has written that Muslims’ voting rights should be withdrawn to put an end to vote bank politics.

The Sena leader has also called All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leaders, Asaduddin and Akbaruddin Owaisi, a threat to the nation.

“Balasaheb had once said to withdraw Muslims voting rights. Owaisi brothers are doing politics of Muslim votes. They are threat to the nation,” wrote Raut.

When asked about his opinion in Saamana, Raut told ANI: “Even after independence, the politics over vote-bank does not seem to end,” adding, “Country once faced partition on the basis of religion. After that, we thought things would settle and Hindu and Muslim would be one. However, that did not happen. The Muslim population continued to grow and new Muslim leaders emerged.”

Meanwhile, slamming the Shiv Sena for its statement, the Congress demanded serious action against it.

“It is unconstitutional, it calls for serious action. Motive is to communalise the whole atmosphere,” Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit told ANI.

Earlier, while hitting out at AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for demanding reservation for Muslims in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena had said that if the minority leader wants his demands to be met on religious grounds, then he should go to Pakistan and try his antics there.

Terming Owaisi’s speeches “hateful”, the Sena said that the Devendra Fadnavis government should file a case against him and start legal proceedings.

“(Asaduddin) Owaisi is insisting that Muslims should get reservation akin to the Marathas. Such insistence had caused the separation of Pakistan from India. Hatred for Hindus compelled a section of Muslims to take control over Pakistan. Hence Owaisi may try and get his demands based on religious grounds fulfilled in Pakistan,” said an edit piece in the Sena mouthpiece, ‘Saamana’.

It added that the minority community will have to respect India as their motherland.

“They (minority community) will have to respect the Uniform Civil Code and stop demanding the continuation of Article 370 for Kashmir. Asking for reservations while continuing with religious rants will not work,” it said.

“Owaisi says ‘Muslims have suffered a lot and hence I speak up for them’. But will he give a count of the sufferings of Hindus due to the terrorist activities of extremist Muslims? If extremists start communal violence and terrorist activities after listening to his speeches… Owaisi’s speeches should be termed as hateful and action should be taken against him,” the Sena said.

Addressing a public gathering in Nagpur on Saturday night, Owaisi, the 45-year-old Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad, had demanded reservation for backward Muslims in government jobs and educational institutes in Maharashtra.

Claiming that “injustice” has been done to Muslims in Maharashtra, Owaisi had blamed the more than 50 years of Congress rule at the Centre and the Congress-NCP and Shiv Sena -BJP governments in the state for the prevailing backwardness of minority community members.

(Agencies)

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