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Four reasons why Vajpayee doesn't deserve Bharat Ratna

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The award is given in recognition of exceptional service rendered without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex. Our former prime minister doesn’t fulfil this criteria.

vajpayee

by MD Hussain Rahmani, DailyO

President Pranab Mukherjee has announced India’s highest civilian awards for former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and freedom fighter and scholar Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (posthumously). In the latter case, the present regime is extending its drive to appropriate historical icons.

As always, the first reactions came on Twitter. Noted historian Ramchandra Guha tweeted, “Giving Vajpayee a Bharat Ratna is fine, but one should not award it to people dead or long dead. Awarding Malaviya is a mistake. If Malaviya, why not give Tagore, Phule, Tilak, Gokhale, Vivekananda, Akbar, Shivaji, Guru Nanak, Kabir, Ashoka, Bharat Ratnas too?”

However, in my view, conferring the Bharat Ratna to Vajpayee raises more important questions. Here are four strong reasons of mine that weaken Vajpayee’s case for the prestigious award:

1. Bharat Ratna only for being a prime minister: While Bharat Ratna is an award for life-time service, it is only Vajpayee’s prime ministerial tenure that is being considered as exceptional and unblemished. Even as PM, some of his decisions were highly controversial. One was the famous surrender to the IC-814 hijackers and releasing dreaded terrorist Masood Azhar in return for the safety of the hostages. After the release, Azhar’s outfit, Jaish-e-Mohammed, carried out several attacks on our country, including the attack on Parliament in 2001.

2. Architect of Babri Masjid demolition: Listen to his speech that he delivered on December 5, 1992 in Ayodhya. He is openly calling for the demolition of the disputed structure. Was it without distinction of race or religion? What happened after the demolition will always haunt us as it severely dented India’s pluralist nature and ethos.

3. Even his role during India’s freedom struggle has always been in question: His controversial confessional statement before a magistrate during the Quit India Movement in 1942 indicted two freedom fighters. This aspect of his life was even raised by some of his detractors in Parliament after he became PM in 1998.

4. Vajpayee’s communal rant: Contrary to his image as a moderate statesman, he spewed venom against the Muslim community during his speech at the BJP conclave in Goa, barely a few months after the 2002 Gujarat riots. This is what he said: “Wherever Muslims live, they don’t like to live in co-existence with others; they don’t like to mingle with others; and instead of propagating their ideas in a peaceful manner, they want to spread their faith by resorting to terror and threats.”

Do these comments reflect someone who deserves a Bharat Ratna?

Congress leaders want CBI probe into past cases involving BJP, JD(S)

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Photo: IE

Photo: IE

Bengaluru: The Congress legislators on Wednesday unanimously urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to hand over to the CBI for investigation certain issues and cases that have occurred during the BJP and JD(S) rule in the past.

A list of 11 issues and cases, including the accusation of receiving Rs 150 crore kickback from mine owners against JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy, rape case against H Halappa, the Padmapriya suicide case and the BBMP fake bill scam, was circulated at the Congress Legislature Party meeting chaired by Siddaramaiah at the Vidhana Soudha.

Another list of three cases that were handed over for CBI probe in the last two years by the Siddaramaiah government was also circulated. These are the Soujanya murder case, irregularities in the Ramanagar-Channapatna Urban Development Authority and Mandya Urban Development Authority.

Many legislators, including Energy Minister D K Shivakumar, chief whip P M Ashok, P M Narendraswamy, Pramod Madwaraj and A Manju, said the government should pay back the Opposition in the same coin, by ordering a CBI probe into the cases of the past.
Shivakumar said the ruling party should effectively counter the Opposition by raising issues and cases of the past. Manju said the BJP and the JD(S) had politicised the IAS officer Ravi’s case. The issues that have been listed are fit for CBI investigation. But the BJP and the JD(S) governments in the past had refused to hand them over to the federal investigating agency despite the Opposition demand, he said.

Earlier, Siddaramaiah explained the circumstance that forced his government to hand over the Ravi case to the CBI. Opposition parties, the BJP and the JD(S), targeted the government, he said.

The chief minister, however, did not react to the demand from the legislators to hand over the list of 11 cases to the CBI.

Some legislators also took exception to the ministers for not properly defending the chief minister in the Ravi case. Some ministers behaved as if they did not belong to this government. They were least bothered about the issue and made no effort to counter the Opposition. Some ministers give prominence only to the Opposition party leaders and neglect the ruling party MLAs. Action should be taken against such ministers, Ashok is learnt to have said.

Rajarajeshwarinagar MLA Munirathna demanded that the government recommend a CBI probe into the accusation that he had kept hundreds of BBMP files at his residence. The Lokayukta had subsequently raided his residence.

The chief minister turned down the demand for increasing the legislators’ annual area development fund to Rs five crore from Rs two crore.

(Agencies)

AFSPA can't be revoked in Kashmir on political considerations, says BJP's Jitendra Singh

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Protest-AFSPA

Srinagar: Asserting that Pakistan is not ready to mend its ways, Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh on Saturday maintained that Centre was following zero-tolerance towards terrorism and said any decisions of AFSPA cannot be taken on the political considerations.

“I think, this is also an occasion for us to do some re-thinking and rise above the political lines and learn that any decisions regarding sensitive issues, like for example Armed Forces Special Powers, to maintain it or withdraw it, to continue it or discontinue it, has to be essentially based on the wisdom and inputs of the security agencies, instead of getting tempted to political considerations,” said Singh, who is a minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office.

He hit out at Pakistan for for failure to mend ways to foment trouble in Jammu and Kashmir.

“It is certainly evident that Pakistan is not ready to mend its ways but as the Prime Minister has already stated even on the floor of the House that India, under the present government, follows the policy of zero-tolerance towards terrorism and we are committed to that,” Singh said.

“The Centre is fully-equipped to deal with such a situation”, Singh said, who rushed from New Delhi to visit the injured in the terrorists attack for the second time in as many days, at GMC hospital in Jammu. Singh, who condemned these terror attacks, said that Centre and the present set up in New Delhi is fully equipped to deal any kind of situation.

“I wish to pay my homage to the brave soldiers who lost their lives yesterday and are also fighting out today,” he added.

Union Minister appealed to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to see if the amount of compensation to the family members of the martyred soldiers could be increased. The state Health Minister Choudhary Lal Singh, Choudhary Lal Singh, today said that it was not proper to start the process of lifting AFSPA in the state at a time when militant attacks are on the rise.

“How is it possible (to lift AFSPA) when situation has worsened even in the otherwise peaceful districts of Kathua and Samba,” he said. He said that time has come to give them a befitting reply.

Blaming security forces for the lapses, he said adding “how is it possible the infiltration has taken place along International Border”.

The State Chief of Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and MLA, Ravinder Raina also hit out those demanding revocation AFSPA, saying “these twin attacks are eye opener for those who are advocating the revocation of AFSPA. it should not be lifted at all”.

(PTI)

Documenting hate and communal violence under the Modi regime

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Photos: Gufran Khan

Photos: Gufran Khan

by John Dayal

The rape of a 70 year old Nun in West Bengal in an attack on a convent and school in February 2015 sent shock waves throughout India, and the world. “Protect not just Cows, but human beings also,” said Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference. At least 43 deaths in over 600 cases of violence, 149 targeting Christians and the rest Muslims, have taken place in 2014 in India till March this year, marking 300 days of the National Development Alliance government of Mr. Narendra Modi. The number of dead is other than the 108 killed in Assam in attacks by armed tribal political groups on Muslims. Desecration and destruction of churches, assault on pastors, illegal police detention of church workers, and denial of Constitutional rights of Freedom of Faith aggravate the coercion and terror unleashed in campaigns of Ghar Wapsi and cries of Love Jihad. Since May 2014, there has been a marked shift in public discourse. There has been a relentless foregrounding of communal identities, a ceaseless attempt to create a divide between ‘us’ and ‘them’. The BJP leaders guaranteed to abuse, ridicule and threaten minorities. Hate statements by Union and state ministers, threats by Members of Parliament, state politicians, and cadres in saffron caps or Khaki shorts resonate through the landscape. But most cases go unreported, unrecorded by police.

The Prime Minister refuses to reprimand his Cabinet colleagues, restrain the members of his party members or silence the Sangh Parivar which claims to have propelled him to power in New Delhi. Mr. Modi calls for a ten-year moratorium on communal and caste violence. His government soon declares Christmas to be a “Good Governance Day” in honour of the BJP leader and former Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee. There are fears at a severe whittling down of the 15 Point Programme for Minorities, a lifeline for many severely economic backward communities, and specially their youth seeking higher education and professional training. Anyway, Mr. Modi’s “assurance” to religious minorities is challenged and countered by Mr. Mohan Bhagwat, the head of the powerful Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, who asserts, repeatedly, that every Indian is a Hindu, and minorities will have to learn their place in
the country.Speaking at the 50th Anniversary of foundation of its religious wing, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Mr. Mohan Bhagwat, the RSS Sarsanghchalak bluntly stated that “Hindutva is the identity of India and it has the capacity to swallow other identities. We just need to restore those capacities.” In Cuttack, he asserted that India is a Hindu state and “citizens of Hindustan should be known as Hindus”. Sadhvi Prachi, a central minister, Members of Parliament Sakshi Maharaj and Adityanath are among those urging measures to check Muslims, including encouraging Hindu women to have from four to ten children each. In Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and other states, the terror, physical violence and social ostracizing of Dalit and Tribal Christians, in particular, continues.

The 300 days have also seen an assault on democratic structures, the education and knowledge system, Human Rights organizations and Rights Defenders and coercive action using the Intelligence Bureau and the systems if the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act and the Passport laws to crack down on NGOs working in areas of empowerment of the marginalized sections of society, including Dalits, Tribals, Fishermen and women, and issues of environment, climate, forests, land and water rights. This report is focused on issues of communally targeted violence and the politics of hate and divisiveness that emanates from a thesis of religious nationalism.

PDF - 1.6 Mb300 DAYS Documenting Hate and Communal Violence under the Modi Regime
(With inputs from Kiren Shaheen, Liris Thomas, Mansi Sharma, Shabnam Hashmi, Shahnaz Husain, Tehmina Arora, and Vijayesh Lal)

BJP to quit J&K govt if Kashmir issue not solved: Amit Shah

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Amit-Shah

Ahmedabad: Amidst raging controversy on Jammu and Kashmir government’s alleged ‘pro-separatist’ moves, BJP chief Amit Shah said that his party would not compromise on national interest and could end its alliance with PDP, if “Kashmir issue” is not solved.

“People of this country have blessed us like Lord Shiva and given us very big responsibility. BJP will never compromise on national interest, merely to remain in power in Jammu and Kashmir,” Shah said, addressing BJP workers in his assembly constituency Naranpura yesterday.

“The government (in J&K) has been formed only to solve Kashmir issue and I have full trust that we will find a solution to this issue. If it (solution of Kashmir issue) does not come about, then nobody can stop our party workers from leaving the coalition government,” Shah said.

Shah also said that BJP workers should go to the people to spread the message that the party would not compromise on national interest.

However, BJP’s spokesperson Harshad Patel in Gujarat said that Shah merely said that national interest is the party’s priority and he never categorically said anything about breaking the BJP’s alliance with the PDP.

“He (Amit Shah) merely said that national interest is our priority and BJP will not allow any anti-national activities on the soil of Jammu and Kashmir,” Patel said.

BJP has been facing the ire of opposition parties due to its alliance with PDP with the J&K Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s recent decision to release separatist leader Masarrat Alam, only adding to its woes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also clarified before the Lok Sabha that Alam’s release is not acceptable and that the government won’t tolerate any compromise on the nation’s integrity.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had also echoed the sentiments saying that his government’s top priority was national security and not continuance of the government in the state.

(PTI)

DK Ravi death case: BJP demands suspension of M N Reddi

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Bangalore City Police Commissioner, M N Reddi. File Photo.

Bangalore City Police Commissioner, M N Reddi. File Photo.

Bengaluru: The opposition party at the state is up in arms against City Police Commissioner M N Reddi for his statement that Ravi had committed suicide.

Leader of Opposition in the Council K S Eshwarappa has questioned the Commissioner as to how he could arrive at the conclusion even before the post mortem or forensic examination reports were out.

Demanding the resignation of Reddi or suspension of the top cop, Eshwarappa wondered if Reddi was making the statement at the government’s behest and further questioned if a murder was being hushed up.

The Commissioner came under attack by Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar and BJP leader R Ashok.

However, Congress leaders in the Council and in the Assembly came to the rescue of Reddi stating that the Commissioner had clearly said that ‘Prima facie’ it appears to be a suicide and did not conclude that it was a case of suicide.

(Agencies)

Modi government may spy on officials, parties, media: Congress

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congress

Ranchi: Congress today demanded a probe into the alleged snooping on party vice-president Rahul Gandhi as it claimed that the next targets could be persons from the bureaucracy, political parties and media.

“We demand a judicial commission or a Parliamentary committee to probe the surveillance on Rahul Gandhi as it is aimed at suppressing democracy,” AICC spokesman Ajay Kumar said at a press conference here.

Next, he claimed, the snooping could be on government officials, political parties and media.

Even former Delhi police commissioners Ved Marwah and B K Gupta denied that any such procedures had been there, Kumar said.

On the controversy surrounding absence of Gandhi Jayanti from the list of holidays in Goa, Kumar refused to accept Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar’s logic that dropping of October 2 from the list could be an act of mischief or a typing mistake.

“The BJP has a habit to set off balloons to see public reaction. It denies the action if the reaction is strong and it goes ahead with its action if everything is quiet,” alleged Kumar, a former IPS officer.

Slamming the Narendra Modi government on the amendment to Land Acquisition Act, he said, “The BJP government is for only one per cent of the population, protecting the super rich. It is not bothered about farmers and the poor.”

If the bill was passed, he claimed, even houses in cities would go in the name of creating infrastructure.

(Agencies)

Mosques not religious place, can be destroyed any time, says Subramanian Swamy. Criminal case filed

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Subramanian Swamy (Photo credit: Jagran)

Subramanian Swamy (Photo credit: Jagran)

Guwahati: BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has sparked off a massive controversy by saying that mosque is not a religious place but is merely a building that can be demolished any time.

Swamy made these controversial statements in a programme at Guwahati. Swamy’s comments have attracted condemnation from all political parties. Even Assam BJP has disassociated themselves from Swamy’s remark.

According to HT, Swamy gave the “example” of mosques demolished for construction of roads in Saudi Arabia. The controversial leader said, “A mosque is not a religious place. It is just a building. It can be demolished any time. If anyone disagrees with me on this, I am ready to have a debate on the issue. I got this information from people of Saudi Arabia”. He stoked another controversy by claiming all Indian Muslims were Hindus. He repeated the controversial comments again on Saturday.

Police have now registered a case registered an FIR under IPC sections 120 (B) [criminal conspiracy] and 153 (A) [promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion] against Swamy following a formal complaint by Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS).

KMSS has urged Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to ban Swamy’s entry into the state. HT has quoted Tarun Gogoi as saying, “BJP will have to pay a heavy price for hurting Assamese sentiments”.

The state BJP is in backfoot as Swamy’s comments have evoked sharp reaction from all quarters. Assam BJP president Siddhartha Bhattacharyya has branded Swamy’s comment as his personal opinion. He said that they will send the footage to Central leadership.

Several minority organisations have also demanded strict action against Swamy. It’s not the first time Swamy has made a controversial statement though. From Sashi Tharoor to Sonia Gandhi, Swamy has targeted one and all.

(Agencies)

No snooping on Rahul, it is 'transparent profiling': Jaitley

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Rahul-Gandhi

New Delhi: Government today countered the Congress charges of snooping on Rahul Gandhi saying it was making a “mountain out of what is not even a molehill” as information collection was part of a transparent security profiling used on 526 VIPs, including Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Ministers.

Responding to charges of snooping and spying on political opponents by Opposition Congress and SP in Rajya Sabha, Leader of the House Arun Jaitley said the police has been collecting such information since 1987 on VIPs operating out of Lutyens Delhi through a profoma form as part of security profiling.

The proforma, which was revised in 1999, has been used to profile former prime ministers H D Dewa Gowda, I K Gujral, Manmohan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The same was also used to profile Congress President Sonia Gandhi in October 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, the Finance Minister said.

Pranab Mukherjee, before becoming the President, was profiled in 2001, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2012, while senior BJP leaders L K Advani and Sushma Swaraj, Ahmed Patel of Congress, CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury and Sharad Yadav of JD-U were also profiled, he said.

“526 persons have been profiled using the present form,” he said, adding this was part of “transparent, security profiling and not associated with any kind of snooping or sypying.”

“It is not that it has been started in the last 8 months,” he said and proposed to sit with Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad to go through the 526 forms filled during the previous UPA rule.

On the proforma seeking information on shoe size, colour of eyes and other such information, Jaitley said former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was identified by his shoes after his assassination.

Security needs and profiling should be left to security experts and “we should not attempt to become one”, he said, adding “the issue raised is making mountain of what is not even a molehill.”

Jaitley said the practice of security profiling started in 1987 under Congress rule.

Maintaining that he had given a notice under Rule 267 to suspend business so as to take up the issue, Azad said in his 35 year career, including as a top security protectee, he had not seen such a proforma for security profiling.

Rahul Gandhi, he said, has been a SPG protectee right since his father Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister and it was beyond comprehension why Delhi Police was only now collecting such information like his shoe size, colour of hair, habits, his associates, friends and aides.

After an Assistant Sub-Inspector of Special Branch of Delhi Police visited Rahul Gandhi’s 12 Tughlaq Lane Residence on March 2, two senior officers had again visited his place on March 14 to gather information on his aides, Azad said.

Charging the government with snooping and spying on political opponents, he said the government was “resorting to threats, coersion and pressure to quell political dissent”.

“If you raise voice, the Central Government can use any measure,” he said demanding that Home Minister Rajnath Singh should come to the House and explain.

Last year there were reports of NDA government minister’s telephone being tapped, he said, adding since BJP assumed power in May 2014, religious and political freedom have been curbed. “The Delhi Police action is against privacy and against democracy,” Azad said.

K C Tyagi (JD-U) said the security profiling has “never been heard of” and demanded a discussion on invasion of privacy as well as corporate and political espionage.

Naresh Agarwal (SP) alleged that one lakh telephones were being tapped everyday without requisite permission and warned that the privacy of individuals should not be challenged.

(PTI)

Amit Shah reconstitutes BJP's national executive, drops Smriti Irani, Najma Heptulla

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Amit-Shah

New Delhi: BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday reconstituted the party’s national executive which has 111 members, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior party leader LK Advani.

The list has 27 special invitees, including chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states.

HRD minister Smriti Irani and minority affairs minister Najma Heptulla are among the prominent faces whom BJP chief Amit Shah dropped from party’s national executive announced on Thursday.

The list announced on Thursday also did not include names of senior party spokesmen Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, a former union minister, and Sudhanshu Trivedi, a close aide of home minister Rajnath Singh.

Sultanpur MP Varun Gandhi, whom Shah dropped as the national general secretary, has been retained in the top panel that also includes the likes of Yogi Adityanath and Sadhvi Nirajna Jyoti.

Subramanian Swami, has been accommodated too.

Apart from 40 special invitees, all leaders of the party in state assemblies and councils and state presidents will also be invitees to the national executive, a party release said.

(Agencies)

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