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26/11 Accused Still Direct Terror Activities From Jail: Report
22 April 2015

Pakistan-based terror group LeT's technology chief Zarrar Shah and his fellow militants continue to direct terrorist activity from behind bars under ISI's watch, setting up in jail a control room like the one in Karachi to oversee the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, a report said.
A report in Frontline titled 'The Hidden Intelligence Breakdowns Behind the Mumbai Attacks' says six years after the 26/11 attacks that brought Mumbai and India to a standstill, the masterminds are still "at large in Pakistan protected by the ISI, an intelligence service that is nominally a US ally."
While Pakistan had arrested a few Lashkar bosses, their trial remains stalled and in the "latest display of impunity", two weeks ago Pakistani authorities released on bail Zaki ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the military chief of Lashkar.
"Even the defendants behind bars are still a threat. Shah, Lashkar's technology and communications chief, and his fellow militants continue to direct terrorist activity from the prison," the report quoted current and former Western and Indian counterterror officials as saying.
"They’re able to continue operating unfettered there," former State Department intelligence analyst Tricia Bacon said in the report.
"The control room that they once had in Karachi to oversee the Mumbai attacks they essentially now have in the prison in the middle of the military capital in Pakistan (Rawalpindi)," Bacon said.
The report is an update of the documentary 'American Terrorist' on LeT operative David Coleman Headley, who had scouted targets across Mumbai that were then attacked by 10 Pakistani terrorists during the three-day siege on Mumbai.
The new report details the story of Headley's eventual capture as well as the secret surveillance of Mumbai plotters that took place before and during the attack.
"That's another reason why Headley's story is still relevant. Justice has not been done," the report said.

Robert Vadra slams Centre over airport privileges to MPs, other VIPs
22 April 2015

New Delhi: Claiming that special privileges he enjoyed at airports were not given to him with his consent, Robert Vadra has hit out at the Centre over facilities like free access to airport terminal building enjoyed by MPs and other VIPs.
"Watched on electronic media discussions again about my name on a list for special privileges at Airports in India. I am glad that this formality has been removed, as this was created without my consent, by the security agencies, only to be followed when I would be travelling with SPG protectees. My existing security (personnel) are not allowed inside airports," Vadra said on Facebook.
Vadra said since he was not an SPG protectee, his children and he have always travelled like ordinary passengers, following all rules and norms of security checks, from removing of coats, belts, clearing bags, etc like they would follow at any airport, world over.
The issue of exemption of Vadra from frisking and checking at airport has been raised many times.
Without naming Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, he took a swipe at him. Vadra said, “But the same Minister and so called (important people in the ruling government) clearly admit to breaking all security norms and talk of complete entitlement, of all privileges. Hypocrisy of the highest limits," he said.
Vadra's reaction came a day after Government told Lok Sabha that MPs and other VIPs will continue to enjoy facilities like being served tea, coffee and water free of charge at airports besides free access to the terminal building as there was no move to scrap these privileges.
Enumerating the facilities extended to the MPs, Minister Raju said the personal staff of the MPs get airport entry pass -- one in New Delhi and another for an airport nearest to their constituencies.
Besides, an airport official is designated as Protocol Officer to ensure that these these facilities and courtesies are extended to MPs, Raju said, adding the protocol is to be followed by all concerned, including private airports and airlines.
Meanwhile, a news report quoting civil aviation ministry officials claimed that Vadra’s names remains on the list of those exempted from security checks. He is entitled to the privilege when he travels with SPG protectees like wife Priyanka, mother-in-law Sonia and brother-in-law Rahul.

Another 26/11 Mission Averted? Indian Navy Intercepts Pakistani Boat With Rs 600 Crore Drugs
21 April 2015

More than 200 kg of heroin worth nearly Rs 600 crores was seized from the boat. Eight Pakistani nationals who were on board the boat have been taken into custody.
A huge consignment of narcotics has been found from a suspected Pakistani boat which was intercepted by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard off the coast of Porbandar in Gujarat. More than 200 kg of heroin worth nearly Rs 600 crores was seized from the boat.
Eight Pakistani nationals who were on board the boat have been taken into custody. Investigations are underway over who was supposed to receive the narcotics consignment.
Two Indian fishing trawlers have also been intercepted by the coast guard because it was found to be near the Pakistani boat.
The incident comes just months after a Pakistani fishing boat said to be carrying explosives, was intercepted by the Indian Coast Guard before it was blown off. an incident that comes a month after sixth anniversary of the Mumbai terror attack.
The incident, which occurred on the intervening night of December 31, 2014, and January 1 some 365-km off the Porbander coast, was being regarded in some quarters as being reminiscent of the 2008 Mumbai terror strike.

Bollywood make-up artists’ group inducts first woman after SC rap
21 April 2015

NEW DELHI: Charu Khurana, who worked her magic on the faces of top film stars and politicians, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama, finally broke into Bollywood's exclusive male club of make-up artists, emerging as the first woman to be registered by the Cine Costume Make-Up Artist & Hair Dressers' Association (CCMAA) after a long legal battle.
The 6-year-long legal battle for demolishing the gender barrier came to an end with CCMAA on Monday telling a bench of Justices Dipak Misra and P C Pant that it had registered Khurana to pursue her profession in Bollywood.
The association was forced to pave the way for female make-up artists after the Supreme Court had in November last year put an end to a 59-year old practice in Bollywood that barred women.
Advocate Jyotika Kalra, appearing for Khurana, told the bench that the Association had even barred her for three years from taking personal assignment, hampering her work as she was being hired by many people and organizations.
Kalra said Khurana was hired by CNN channel to do make-up on Obama before an interview when the President was in India in January. She also placed the photograph of Khurana with Obama to substantiate her claim.
She said the bar on taking personal assignment be done away with as she had been fighting the case for the last six years and should have enrolled herself in 2009 if female artists were allowed.
The bench, after hearing her arguments, said it would deal with the issue and asked her to file a separate application on it.
Holding that harassment of women in the 21st century is "inconceivable and impermissible", the apex court last year struck down the provision restricting entry of women make-up artists and hair dressers into the film industry. It asked the film industry across the country including regional cinema hubs in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala to ensure equal opportunity for women.
Even after SC's verdict, the association had expressed reluctance to register Khurana as make-up artists on one ground or the other. But it had to act after the court threatened to initiate contempt proceedings against its office bearers.
The court had slammed CCMAA for behaving like an emperor and granted a last opportunity on April 13 to enroll her in the association within a week.

Nehru was paranoid about Netaji even after his disappearance, shows IB memos & letters
20 April 2015

The Nehru administration had snooped on many a communication between the kin of Subhas Chandra Bose. Intelligence Bureau memos and letters in dna's possession show that the snooping was not just limited to mails between the Bose family. Letters written by women who had kept Subhas Bose company in Europe were intercepted.
In addition, letters written to Bose's nephew Amiya Bose by his political associates and friends were detained, copied and sent to the Home Ministry. dna had earlier pointed out how Intelligence Bureau (IB) sleuths were stationed at the Elgin Road post office in Calcutta in a bid to open letters addressed to Amiya who at the time was staying at Woodburn road in Bengal's capital city.
At times, the writers of these letters engendered so much suspicion in the Nehru establishment that prompt background checks were carried out on these individuals. Handwritten notes were then dispatched to the Home Ministry as sleuths waited for further instructions on how to proceed against people in touch with the Bose family.
When Nehru Govt Sniffed Netaji in China
An IB memo (no:12586 TP. 605) dated July 30, 1949 shows that sleuths intercepted a letter addressed to Bose's nephew Amiya Bose at the Elgin Road post office. A copy of the letter was made and promptly sent to the Assistant Director of the IB at the Home Ministry in Delhi. The letter was allowed to be delivered to Amiya.
The letter was written by a Chinese national Chou Hsiang Kuang. Kuang was a scholar at Delhi University and a good friend of Amiya. Bose had helped one of Kuang's friends secure admission at the Jaipur Medical College. Amiya in previous letters to Kuang had asked him to help find out if Subhas Bose was somewhere in China. The letter by Kuang to Bose dated July 22, 1949 reads: "I am so sorry I could not write to you earlier… As regards Netaji, I am still remembering what that appeared in the Central Daily News. It indicated that he was being kept at a camp somewhere in Manchuria."
This was not the first letter of the Chinese scholar to Amiya that was intercepted. An IB memo (no: 5010 CP. 893) shows another letter was intercepted on March 9, 1948, less than a year after India's independence. It reads: "I regret I could not find out about the news on Netaji that was published in a Chinese newspaper in Nanking sometime ago. I still believe that he (Netaji) is alive."
It is quite ironical that the Nehru government was snooping on Kuang's letters to find clues about the whereabouts of Subhas Bose. In May 1949, Kuang was appointed a lecturer in Chinese at the School of Foreign Languages under India's Ministry of Defence.
The Mysterious 'Spy of Netaji' in First Kashmir War
Barely a month before India and Pakistan declared a formal ceasefire on January 2, 1949 to end the First Kashmir War, IB sleuths at the Elgin Road post office intercepted a letter from a man whose name was given but not address. The IB memo (no: 31942/CP. 893) shows that a letter from a man named Morad Khan, addressed to Amiya, was intercepted on November 16, 1949 in Calcutta. A copy was made and the letter was allowed to be delivered.
Interestingly, the interception was authorised by the Nehru administration through a government order (no: 1735 P.S) on September 20, 1948. This interception was ordered barely a month after a resolution containing terms of the ceasefire, including a plebiscite on Kashmir was laid out in the United Nations. Nehru had supported a plebiscite to decide on the status of Kashmir many times after the conflict began.
The letter (translated from Bengali by the IB) begins with 'Netaji Zindabad'. From the letter it becomes apparent that Morad Khan was a man with deep knowledge of the discussions going on in Pakistan after India gained a decisive edge over it in the conflict. He wrote the letter to Amiya while he was in Calcutta.
The letter reads: "I am to come and go without a passport. It is risky and expensive. I had been to Lahore and went to Quetta and Rawalpindi because Europeans are holding big meetings there nowadays. They have discussed Nehru's talks with Atlee and Liaquat Ali. Now the British officers are thinking of how to win the plebiscite in Kashmir.
"They will not agree to the judgment if they are defeated and a temporary war will break out again. All these are tricks of the British. Ofcourse we will try till the end that the votes are not in favour of Pakistan. We shall not allow Kashmir to go into their hands. Secret propaganda has already been started. Correspondence is going on (between Pakistan) and America. I could not secure the copies of those correspondences only for my foolishness."
Morad Khan's letter goes on to talk about an American spy in India by the name of 'Mr Fredrick'. Khan warns Amiya that the 'American spy' is trying to foment trouble in India, especially in Bengal. The letter reads: "He (Fredrick) is surely behind the fire at the Calcutta Telephone Exchange. He has the support of the British monkeys and the Indian Communist Party. Occasionally he used to visit the Spencers restaurant in Calcutta opposite the Government House. He left for England on the same day when Nehru left. All the bloody Europeans also pay money to their India operatives like Ranaday, Bhattacharji, Chaudhri and others to create trouble. Amiya babu, be careful of these bastards. I heard they will blow a railway line somewhere."

India keeping close eye on China-Pak military cooperation: Navy Chief
20 April 2015

The Navy chief, Admiral Robin Dhowan has said that India is keeping a close eye on the growing military cooperation between Pakistan and China.
In an interview to a New Delhi-based newspaper, he said the navy is keeping the Indian Ocean under tight surveillance.
The navy chief's comment comes in the wake of Chinese President's visit to Pakistan.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, who arrived in Pakistan today on his first visit, is expected to sign deal for buying eight diesel-electric submarines and strengthening Islamabad’s current fleet of five French submarines.
The visit is also aimed at hammering out 46 billion US dollars deal in projects linking the old allies, a figure that far exceeds US spending in Pakistan.
The infrastructure and energy projects are aimed at establishing a Pakistan-China Economic Corridor between Pakistan's southern Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea and China's western Xinjiang region.
The corridor will run through Pakistan's poor Baluchistan province, long plagued by a separatist insurgency, criminal gangs and Islamist militants.
In his talks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Chinese President is also expected to discuss cooperation on Afghanistan and China's fears that Muslim separatists from Xinjiang are linking up with Pakistani militants.

Narendra Modi returns home after 3-nation tour
18 April 2015

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to the Capital early Saturday after a three-nation tour of France, Germany and Canada during which a number of key agreements were signed, including the supply of 36 Rafale fighter jets by France and uranium from Canada.
Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Satish Upadhyay along with party MLAs and other senior leaders were present at the technical Air Force base in Palam to welcome him. The prime minister’s aircraft made a brief stopover in Frankfurt for refuelling before heading for New Delhi from Vancouver.
“A special thanks to @pmharper - a fine host, a wonderful human being and a very dear friend,” Modi had tweeted before his departure from Vancouver yesterday. “I leave Canada with immense satisfaction. This visit will further enhance India-Canada ties. A big thanks to the people of Canada,” he said in another tweet before heading home.
The thrust of Modi’s trip was on attracting investments and technology for development of India through the ‘Make in India’ initiative. During his Germany visit, Modi inaugurated the Hannover Fair of which India was a partner country with a theme of ‘Make in India’.
France was the first destination of his nine-day tour. During his stay in Paris, Modi held talks with President Francois Hollande and met business leaders. An agreement was signed under which India will buy 36 Rafale fighter jets in flyaway condition from France and a decision was made to move ahead with the stalled Jaitapur nuclear project in Maharashtra.
He then headed to Germany where he held talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and announced that a mechanism will be established to facilitate investment and business from Germany as the two countries agreed to broaden bilateral economic cooperation.
Modi’s final destination was Canada where besides meeting business leaders and making stops at Toronto and Vancouver he held talks with his Canadian counterpart Stephen Harper in Ottawa after which Canada agreed to supply 3,000 metric tonnes of uranium to India from this year under a $254 million five-year deal to power Indian atomic reactors.

BJP led govt needs to control ‘extreme-Hindutva’ elements: Adi Godrej
18 April 2015

Expressing concern over incidents like attacks on churches, industry leader Adi Godrej today said the government needs to control extreme ‘Hindutva’ elements as continuation of such cases can dampen investor sentiments and “create disturbances”.
Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi and some ministers of the government have already condemned such incidents, spread of such attacks could ‘create disturbances’, the Godrej Group Chairman said.
“I think the government needs to control these elements which try to be ‘over-Hindutva’ in their approach,” Godrej told.
He further said: “Already some ministers have condemned it. The Prime Minister has also said so. I think that needs to be contained because if that kind of movement spreads it can create disturbances.”
Asked if such instances could hurt investor sentiments in India, Godrej said: “Well I don’t think it has dampened the sentiment as of now but if such things continue, it would.”
Stating that there is a very strong perception of the economy recovering, he said, “A lot of steps have already been taken in terms of reforms, in terms of objectives and I expect economic growth will pick up very soon.”
Godrej also presented a differing view to business leaders, including HDFC Chairman Deepak Parekh, Marico Group’s Harsh Mariwala and the new CII President Sumit Mazumder, who have talked about a need for the new government’s reform measures to start reflecting on the ground.
“We at the CII annual meeting few days ago, had a very positive feel about the economy,” he said.

Protesters at Vancouver gurdwara mark endnote for PM Narendra Modi's visit
17 April 2015

Slogan-shouting and placard-waving protesters greeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday at Canada's oldest gurdwara in Vancouver and a temple, the only sore points during a three-nation tour which resulted in ground-breaking agreements across several vital sectors.
The protests outside the Ross Street gurdwara and also the Laxminarayan temple in Surrey saw people from different communities raising issues ranging from secularism to the 2002 Gujarat riots.
The 500-odd protestors, some armed with bullhorns, claimed to represent various Indian religious groups, and held up placards relating to the 2002 Gujarat riots, which took place when Modi was the chief minister of the state. Slogans like "Modi, Go Back" rent the air though the protest was peaceful amidst heavy police deployment and road blocks.
Some among the protesters were objecting to the presence of Canadian PM Stephen Harper for a new anti-terror law that gives sweeping powers to the police and security agencies. Modi prayed at the gurdwara and also remembered the 1914 Komagata Maru incident when Canada did not let in hundreds of Sikhs, a community acknowledged as a major contributor to the country's economy today.
"The Sikh community has worked hard and has earned the respect of the people of Canada. India is respected in Canada and this is due to your efforts. Wherever we are, let us do things that bring pride to our nation," Modi said while addressing devotees at the Khalsa Diwan gurdwara.
Later, Modi and Harper were gifted Sikh ceremonial swords by the gurdwara committee. "This is a very significant visit. Modi is the third Indian prime minister to come here, after Jawaharlal Nehru in 1949 and Indira Gandhi in 1973," Khalsa Diwan society president Sohan Singh Deo said.
Modi's trip to Canada is the first bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister in 42 years. Later, the two leaders went to the Laxminarayan temple, where the number of the protestors grew as Surrey has a sizable South Asian population.
The protests evoked sharp response from supporters of Modi who chanted "Modi, Modi" while waving flags of India and Canada. The Prime Minister also prayed at the temple, with the priest applying tika on his forehead.
"I bring greetings from 1.2 billion Indians to the 1.2 million Indians living in Canada. In India, the Supreme Court gave a superb definition for Hinduism: they said that it is not a religion but a way of life: how to live in synchrony with nature," the Prime Minister said.
The official Twitter account of the Prime Minister's Office said he also bowed in remembrance to the 1914 Komagata Maru incident, where hundreds of Sikh passengers were not allowed to alight on Canadian soil due to their Asian origin.
The Komagata Maru was a Japanese steamship, which was sailing from Hong Kong to Vancouver with 376 passengers from Punjab on board, a majority of whom were Sikhs. Only 24 were admitted to Canada, while the rest were forced to return to India. Modi wrapped up his engagements in Canada with a state banquet hosted by the Canadian Prime Minister.
Talking business
Earlier, top executives at Canada's largest banks, insurers and pension funds sounded bullish over investing in India after meeting Modi who held a roundtable with the heads of major Canadian financial institutions in Toronto.
Modi said he understood the need for consistency in regulation and that India has learnt from its past missteps. The message resonated with Canadian business heads, some of whose firms have already lined up, or raised funds to invest in India.
"It's great to see a leader who's focused on reducing red tape, reducing roadblocks, and encouraging development," said Dean Connor, chief executive of insurer Sun Life Financial Inc that has had a presence in India for over 15 years.
Connor, noting that Modi clearly expressed that his government would not pursue retrospective application of tax rules, which has been a problematic issue for investors in the past.
Scotiabank CEO Brian Porter felt India had "great growth potential" and have been "encouraged by the significant reforms Prime Minister Modi has achieved less than one year after taking office."

India, China run by forceful leaders today: TIME magazine
17 April 2015

Both India and China are today run by "forceful leaders" eager to put their "stamp on history", with Prime Minister Narendra Modi working to lead from the front after Manmohan Singh's decade of "increasingly listless rule", according.
Modi was named by TIME among the 100 most influential people in the world in its annual list yesterday, with US President Barack Obama penning a flattering profile of him.
The publication said among the lessons that can be drawn from the '2015 TIME 100 list' is that Asia has a crop of strong leaders after years of being run by not-so-dynamic politicians.
"China and India may be two of the most dynamic countries in the world, but for years their leaders were anything but," TIME said, adding that from 2002 to 2012 China was run by the "colourless and cautious" President Hu Jintao, though most decisions were made not by him alone but through consensus among the top tier of the Communist Party. In India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh presided over a decade of "increasingly listless rule", ending in 2014 when he left office at the age of 81.
"But today, both China and India are run by forceful leaders eager to put their stamp on history," it said. TIME referred to Modi's rock-star reception at the Madison Square Garden during his visit to the US last year, saying not many world leaders can get the kind of audience he commanded at the iconic city arena.
Unlike many of his predecessors, Modi has "worked to lead from the front, and he's already carved out an impressive international profile - not too many other international leaders can pack Madison Square Garden for a speech, as Modi did last September".
Obama notes that Modi has "laid out an ambitious vision to reduce extreme poverty, improve education, empower women and girls and unleash India's true economic potential".
TIME said that Chinese President Xi Jinping "is even more powerful" and more determined to exert direct control of his country. In the 'TIME 100', former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd writes that Xi is now "likely to be China's most powerful leader since Mao".
"That's not always a good thing. While Xi is carrying out reforms that are needed to make China's economy more sustainable, he's also ruthlessly cracked down on civil society and challenged the US for global leadership," said the magazine.

10,000 Indo-Canadians throng Narendra Modi's 'rockstar' show
16 April 2015

Toronto: Just as the organizers had advertised, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public interaction with the Indian diaspora at Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto on Wednesday had all the trappings of a rockstar concert as Bollywood singer Sukhwinder Singh, Shiamak Davar troupe and other groups set the tone for the evening.
The nearly 10,000-strong audience interrupted Modi repeatedly during his hour-long speech with shouts of "Modi, Modi..." as the prime minister spoke about the changes sweeping India.
Speaking in Hindi in the presence of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his cabinet colleagues, Modi repeatedly stressed, "Sarkar naahi badli, jan manas badla hai dus mahine main (It is not that the government has changed, but it's people's thinking that has changed during the last 10 months)".
In the new atmosphere, Modi said, people were responding with enthusiasm to new ideas whether it was his Clean India Mission, or bank accounts for the poor or gas subsidy. Modi said celebrities joined the Clean India Mission on their own, poor people deposited Rs.14,000 crore in their newly opened accounts and rich people are giving up their gas subsidy so that the poor can be helped. "Modi has done nothing...it is the common man in India who has changed," the prime minister said. There were rounds of cheers every time he took a dig at the previous regime.
But the prime minister drew the biggest applause when he said his mission is "Skill India while theirs was Scam India". People cheered him when the PM, while referring to his mission to clean India and root out corruption, said in Hindi, "Jinhone gandgi karni thee, woh kar ke chale gaye. Lekin hum safai kar ke jayenge (Those who created scams and dirt have now gone, we will clean up the mess".
Modi said his government was working on his four-pronged dream symbolizing the four colours in the Indian flag - saffron, white, green and blue (the colour of the Ashok Chakra in the flag). "Saffron means energy (revolution, white means the second white (nilk) revolution, green means the second green revolution and blue means clear blue sky through new manufacturing process which don't impact the environment," Modi said.
The prime minister wondered why the likes of Google and Microsoft cannot be created in India when Indian IT specialists are playing an important role in these tech giants. "We have undertaken to promote innovation in India through the Atal Innovation Mission and skill development through our Skill India mission," he said.
Modi said the two biggest achievements of his visits to France and Canada were the signing of a deal in France for manufacturing nuclear reactors in India and the supply of uranium from Canada. "These two agreements will help India become a big contributor to clean energy in the world." Modi, on the last leg of his three-nation tour, thanked his Canadian counterpart for his hospitality. "Today, we started a new era of cooperation between our two countries and it will last very long. Canada has all the resources India needs."
Lauding the Indian diaspora in Canada, Modi urged them to contribute to their ancestral land. The OCI and PIO cards have been merged and the new OCI card will be for life and available to people of Indian origin up to their fourth generation, the prime minister said. Earlier, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper introduced Modi to the gathering. "Under your leadership, Canada feels closer to India than any time before," Harper said.
"We had extended a hand of friendship (to Modi) long before others," the Canadian leader said, referring to Canada's participation in the annual Vibrant Gujarat summit launched by Modi as chief minister in 2003.

Rajnath speaks to J-K CM Mufti, asks him to take strict action against Masarat, Geelani
16 April 2015

The Centre has asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to take strictest possible steps against those involved in anti-national actions during a rally by hardline separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Masarat Alam on the outskirts of Srinagar.
After a gap of five years, the Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday allowed Geelani to hold the rally where his supporters, including Masarat Alam — released from jail last month — raised pro-Pakistan slogans and others waved Pakistani flags.
Union home minister Rajnath Singh spoke to chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on Wednesday night and made it clear that the issue of national security cannot be compromised. The chief minister briefed Singh about what happened at the rally and the situation there, official sources said.
Singh told Sayeed that "any step which can be termed as anti-national cannot be tolerated," they said.
The home minister directed that "strictest possible action should be taken against those involved in it."
Alam, who was released soon after PDP-BJP government came to power in the state, led the march from the Srinagar Airport to Geelani's residence at Hyderpora.
This was Geelani's first public rally after the 2010 summer agitation in Srinagar in which over 100 youths were killed. Alam was a key player in the entire agitation and used to issue a weekly schedule for strikes.
Besides the Hurriyat flags, some supporters were also seen carrying Pakistani flags as they chanted pro-Pakistan and pro-freedom slogans.

SC asks trial court to consider bail plea of Malegaon blast accused, decide on MACOCA charge
15 April 2015

Mumbai: In a partial relief for the Malegaon blast case accused, the Supreme Court has asked the trial court to reconsider their bail application.
The trial court will now be hearing the bail pleas again.
The trial court has also been asked to decide if the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act can be applied against all the accused.
Sadhvi Pragya along with twelve others, including Lt Col Purohit, is accused of triggering a blast in Malegaon in 2008, killing six persons and injuring 100 others.
"MACOCA is applicable on Dawde and his bail been denied. Bail applications of other accused will be reconsidered on merits.
The case will be expedited," Additional Solicitor General in Malegaon case Anil Singh said.

Raja misled Manmohan Singh, tweaked cut-off dates on 2G spectrum: CBI to court
15 April 2015

NEW DELHI: The CBI argued before a Special Court that former Telecom Minister A Raja had "misled" the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on policy matters pertaining to allocation of 2G spectrum.
Commencing final arguments in the case, Special Public Prosecutor Anand Grover said that Raja, in conspiracy with other accused, had advanced the cut-off date to favour accused firms in allocation of 2G licences.
Grover argued that Raja had granted spectrum to "ineligible" companies like Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd (STPL) and Unitech Wireless (Tamil Nadu) Ltd.
He said that the first-come-first-serve (FCFS) policy was changed to favour some of the accused and Raja even rejected the proposal of the then Law Minister who had proposed that some of the key policy issues be referred to the Empowered Group of Ministers.
Referring to the letters written by Raja on November 2, 2007 to the then Prime Minister, Grover said, "He (Raja), infact, misled him (Manmohan Singh) on FCFS and cut-off date."
"Curious things happened in DoT ( Department of Telecommunication) which showed that this (change in FCFS policy) was deliberately done to favour the accused," the prosecutor said.
Grover also argued that Raja had changed the cut-off date for receiving applications by the companies for grant of 2G licences to favour accused firms particularly Unitech Wireless (Tamil Nadu) Ltd.
On the issue of grant of licence to ineligible companies, the agency said that accused firm Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd was ineligible on the date of application for grant of radio waves as it was "actually owned by Tiger Traders Pvt Ltd through Reliance ADAG".
The final arguments in the case would continue on May 25, the next date of hearing. The case pertains to the 2G spectrum allocation in which Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and 15 others including some top corporate executives are facing trial.
The recording of evidence in the case had started on November 11, 2011, after the court had framed charges against the 17 accused named in the first two charge sheets filed by the agency.
In its charge sheet, CBI had alleged that there was a loss of Rs 30,984 crore to the exchequer in allocation of 122 licences for 2G spectrum which were scrapped by the Supreme Court on February 2, 2012.

B R Ambedkar birth anniversary: Five stories you should read today
14 April 2015

On B R Ambedkar’s 124th birth anniversary, here is a compilation of five best stories of the day. Opinion: B R Ambedkar for our time
“A fruitful understanding of Ambedkar and Nehru may be the need of the hour. In the light of the recent controversies over secularism, socialism and democracy, the commonalities between Ambedkar and Nehru must be brought into focus.”
At his alma mater, B R Ambedkar’s name finds no place in list of ‘illustrious’ alumnistrong
“Elphinstone college at Fort, of which Ambedkar was an alumnus, somehow misses his name in the list of ‘illustrious Elphinstonians’ on a plaque of alumni between 1856-1956. Besides a flex banner announcing his birth anniversary — a new addition, according to the watchmen — the college has no visible memory of Ambedkar ever having been there.”
Congress never did B R Ambedkar justice, why recall him now, asks his grandson
“Why did the Congress forget to celebrate Ambedkar’s 100th anniversary? Today, the Congress is battling for survival. Their affection for Ambedkar is to regain the support of Dalits and consolidate their vote-bank. But people are no longer going to be fooled by such gimmicks.”
Congress puts off mega event on Ambedkar Jayanti
“Congress wanted to launch the celebrations in a big way, but Rahul’s unavailability forced it to redraw the schedule. Sources said the Congress vice-president was expected to return on Monday, but it now appears that he may return on Wednesday.”
Google tributes doodle to B R Ambedkar for 125th birth anniversary
“The doodle which shows an image of Babasaheb is a tribute to the Father of the Indian constitution who was a front face in the Indian freedom movement and an ardent social reformer who stood for Dalit rights and women’s empowerment.”

Modi will personally look into declassification of Netaji files
14 April 2015

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured family members of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose that he will personally examine the case for the declassification of the Netaji files.
The prime minister gave this assurance to Surya Bose, the eldest son of Amiya Nath Bose, at the Hotel Adlon in Berlin. Bose, the president of the Indo-German Association in Hamburg, had a half-hour meeting with Prime Minister Modi after a reception in Berlin late on Monday night where he presented a proposal on behalf of the Netaji family requesting the PM to release all the classified 'Netaji Files' held by the government.
"Prime Minister Modi was extremely positive and has promised to personally look into the declassification of the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose documents," Bose told Mail Today. Previous statements on the government's inability to declassify the Netaji files had been made without his knowledge, the PM told Bose.
The meeting with Prime Minister Modi, who is the German leg of his three-nation tour, comes in the wake of sensational revelations by India Today and Mail Today that the Intelligence Bureau (IB) snooped on the Bose family for 20 years.
The Bose family letter, a copy of which is with Mail Today, states that in view of the revelations, it had become 'even more important to declassify all files pertaining to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose'. Declassifying the files, family members believe, could help solve the mystery of Netaji's disappearance.
"The people of India and his admirers and followers worldwide would like to know the truth about what happened to Netaji on and after 18 August 1945, but also any other information that may throw further light on the Indian freedom struggle and its aftermath," the letter states. Right to Information (RTI) appeals have revealed that the Prime Minister's Office holds 39 secret files relating to Netaji.
The Ministry of Home Affairs claimed in December that the release of the Netaji-related records may prejudicially affect 'relations with a foreign country'. In February this year, the PMO responded to an RTI application stating that the PM had no discretionary powers to declassify the Netaji files. The PM's assurance in Berlin, the first by a head of government in recent years, has sparked new hope among the Bose family who have pushed for a declassification of all documents.
The proposal from the Bose family, whose co-signatories include Surya Bose's younger siblings Madhuri Bose and Chandra Kumar Bose, also asks for distortions in books on India's freedom struggle to be rectified and the role of freedom fighters like those of the Gadar Party, Rash Behari Bose, Chandrasekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh to be documented. The Bose family letter also asks for a bust of Netaji to be placed in the premises of India House, the Indian High Commission in London.
The family also reiterated the demand for a Special Investigation Team to be constituted under a leading Supreme Court judge. The SIT would include professionals from the IB, CBI, MEA, historians and researchers. The family has also asked for Netaji's birthday, January 23 to be declared 'Desh Prem Divas'.

Adarsh Housing scam: Supreme Court to hear Ashok Chavan's plea on April 24
13 April 2015

Senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan on Monday moved Supreme Court against Bombay High Court order in Adarsh housing scam case.
Meanwhile, Supreme Court agreed to hear Chavan's plea on April 24, and asked the Maharashtra government to take adjournment before the trial court in the case.
Earlier, in a blow to Chavan, the Bombay High Court on March 3, dismissed his appeal to recall an earlier order refusing to delete his name from the multi-crore Adarsh Housing Society scam case.
Justice M L Tahaliyani had refused to grant any relief to the senior Congress leader. Chavan had filed a petition in December last year seeking to recall an order passed by Justice Tahaliyani refusing CBI the permission to drop his name from the Adarsh case.
The order refusing to recall his earlier ruling implies that Chavan will now face prosecution under the Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly misusing his official position to grant favours to the Adarsh society. Chavan had earlier pleaded that certain observations in the order were on the points which had not been argued and he had not got the opportunity to address these.
The CBI had first approached the trial court seeking to drop Chavan's name as an accused on the ground that the Governor had refused to sanction his prosecution. As the CBI court rejected it, the agency moved the HC.
However, Justice Tahaliyani had dismissed CBI's application last November after observing that the Governor had refused sanction for prosecution for conspiracy charge under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), but he can still be prosecuted under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The charge sheet not only alleges conspiracy but also refers to Chavan's individual acts when he was the Revenue Minister and later the Chief Minister, the judge said.
"...Charges levelled against Chavan for the alleged individual acts cannot go away only because the Governor has refused to grant sanction for prosecuting him for conspiracy and cheating," Justice Tahaliyani had said.
According to CBI, Chavan suggested inclusion of civilian members in the Adarsh society -- meant only for defence personnel -- to get flats for his own relatives.

We have re-energised Indian growth engine, says Modi
13 April 2015

Pledging a stable and transparent tax regime, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday wooed global investors, saying development is “not a mere political agenda” but an “article of faith” and sought international support to achieve the objectives crucial for growth.
“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,” Mr. Modi said.
“It is the only emerging economy where growth rate is rising. The prospects are even better,” he wrote in an op-ed in the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Mr. Modi said his government has earnestly taken up the challenge of development and economic transformation of India.
“For us, development is not a mere political agenda; it is an article of faith,” 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,” he said.
Mr. Modi, who along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday inaugurated the Hannover Fair in which India is a partner country, said generating jobs for India’s youth is a key to harnessing India’s demographic advantage.
“This can be achieved only when we significantly and quickly ramp up our manufacturing capabilities. To meet this objective my government has unveiled the ‘Make in India’ initiative. This is a win-win for all,” he said.
“With 65 per cent of our population below the age of 35, the possibilities that India’s growth presents for global economic prosperity are immense,” he said.
“I visualise India as a key engine of global growth. 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. We believe in rahein saath badhe saath (stay together-grow together).”
“International support and collaboration is equally critical to achieving our objectives. I have therefore sought to build a foreign policy, which is an integral part of our national development strategy.
“My interactions with leaders of USA, Russia, France, Japan and China have all aimed at creating enduring partnerships with shared stakes in global development and well-being,” he said.

Swamy takes on Narendra Modi, calls new Rafale jet deal between India, France a 'case of arbitrariness'
11 April 2015

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets in fly-away condition under a new deal with France has come will severe criticism from a prominent member of his own party.
After meeting French President Francois Hollande in Paris on Friday, Modi announced that Indian Air Force will get 36 Rafale jets which is apart from the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) agreement for 126 more planes.
But senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy termed the new Rafale fighter jet deal between India and France a case of arbitrariness. Swamy is yet to decide on what action to take over Modi government's decision to purchase 36 aircraft from France.
Swamy said, "I have not yet decided on whether to approach the court. I am waiting for papers on the new Rafael deal. It prima facie appears to be a case of arbitrariness." Swamy requested Modi not to go ahead with the Rafale deal, which was negotiated by the previous UPA government, and said the performance of the French jet "turned out to be worst of all the aircraft" in Libya and Egypt.
"There are two major issues with the Rafale aircraft deal which would embarrass the BJP government. The first is that Rafale is less fuel efficient aircraft and lacking in essential performance characteristic that no country in the world has agreed to buy these aircraft," Swamy said in a statement.
"If the Prime Minister for some other 'compulsion' decides to go ahead with the deal, I will have no option but to approach the court in PIL to get it set aside," he said. Sources said that Finance Minister Arun Jaitley crafted the new arrangement between India and France during his brief spell as the defence minister earlier.
IAF selected the Rafael fighter under the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal after a close competition which also saw Eurofighter Typhoon, Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, Mikoyan MiG-35 and Saab JAS 39 Gripen in the race. While Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, Mikoyan MiG-35 and Saab JAS 39 Gripen were eliminated very early, Dassault Rafale edged out the Eurofighter Typhoon in the final negotiation.
At present the IAf has just 34 fighter squadrons against the ideal 45 squadrons required to take on the threat from both Pakistan and China simultaneously. The ageing MiG-21 and MiG-27 planes are being phased out which will see the IAF strength depleting by at least eight more squadrons.
Under the MMRCA terms, India is to get only 18 Rafale directly while the rest 108 fighters will be manufactured by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. But the final deal between India and France is stuck over who would be responsible for the manufacturers' guarantee on 108 jets which could be built HAL. India wants Rafale maker Dassault Aviation to take full responsibility which the latter has till now not agreed to.

Nehru spied Netaji's kin? Congress calls it sinister leak, BJP says its in party's DNA
11 April 2015

The country had three Congress Prime Ministers during these 20 years - Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi.
This report has kicked off a massive controversy and opened a can of worms for the already troubled Congress which has been pushed to the wall by the Narendra Modi-led BJP. The grand-old-party of India is facing criticism from all corners has termed it a 'sinister conspiracy to malign its image'.
BJP attacks Cong over snooping on Netaji's family
The BJP-led NDA government was quick to react to the media reports and said snooping in Congress' DNA.
BJP leader and Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said,"The BJP today is definitely taking a stand that this is really surprising and shocking. Already on the dimension of snooping, research that has come out, I certainly feel that till 2010-11 snooping has become a part of Congress' DNA...We express our concern." Subramanian Swamy said, "The documents indicated the "paranoia" that Bose instilled in Nehru. The government should declassify all Bose documents."
Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu said, "Subhas Chandra Bose was a darling of the masses and this news that he and his family were spied on during those early years of independence is shocking and very, very serious. It needs to be investigated."
Congress slams 'sinister propaganda of selective leaks and half truths'
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said that the Prime Minister and the Home Minister must explain why only 'notings on file' of the two declassified files have been released while withholding the 'correspondence portion' of the same. Abhishek Singhvi said, "A systematic and sinister propaganda of selective leaks and half truths has been unleashed by the current BJP government to malign national icons who reshaped India's destiny, rewrote its history and made it a great nation today."
"Since the Intelligence Bureau (IB) reports directly to the Home Minister, why is BJP trying to malign the great Home Ministers and veteran freedom fighters like Vallabhbhai Patel, C Rajagopalachari, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Govind Ballabh Pant, Gulzarilal Nanda and others?," Singhvi alleged.
Questioning the credibility of selective leaks, another Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said, "What was the RSS' contribution to the freedom struggle? Those files should also be declassified. RSS was also snooped upon by the British as well as Indian intelligence. It was banned after Mahatma Gandhi's killing." Manish Tewary of Congress said, "Nehru laid the foundation of liberalism in the country and would never be involved in any kind of surveillance on a political colleague or his family. It is completely absurd and preposterous."
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh, hit out at BJP, claiming the story had been "planted" by the Modi government. "I strongly condemn this allegation. It is absolutely false and fabricated. IB reports are secret documents. Will the Government of India come out with a clarification, would it take necessary action under the Official Secrets Act?" he said.
Netaji's family demands judicial probe into snooping
Expressing shock over reported revelations a prominent member of the clan on Friday demanded a judicial probe on the issue and that the Narendra Modi government should declassify the secret files related to Netaji, and the clan. "It is shocking. It is not an issue involving merely the family, but the entire nation, because several members of the family from Sarat Chandra Bose to Amiya Nath Bose as also Sisir Kumar Bose were prominent freedom fighters," Chandra Kumar Bose told media persons. "While it was understandable that the British government would snoop on the family because of its fight against imperialism, that the central government in post-independence India could do it, that is too shocking," he said.
Mystery about Netaji's death
Mystery looms over Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's sudden disappearance in 1945. News came that he passed away in a plane crash in Taiwan but there is no proof regarding this widely accepted theory.
Justice Manoj Mukherjee led Committee was appointed in 1999 to inquire into the controversy surrounding the death of Subhas Chandra Bose.
The report debunked the theory about Netaji's death in the plane crash in Taiwan in 1945. It said that there was no record of any plane crash and no record of any charred body in any hospital in Taiwan.
This was not the first committee formed to investigate the murder mystery. Two other committees Shah Nawaz Committee, Khosla Commission were also formed by former Prime Ministers Jawahar Lal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, respectively.
The Khosla Commission created by the government of Indira Gandhi reported that all the documents relating to Subhas Chandra Bose were either missing or destroyed.
There are beliefs that the founder of the Azad Hind Fauj lived in independent India.

Declassified IB files claim Jawaharlal Nehru spied on Netaji Bose's kin for 20 years
10 April 2015

In what could come as an embarassment to the Congress, two declassified Intelligence Bureau (IB) files have reportedly revealed that the government under India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru spied on the family of Subhas Chandra Bose for nearly 20 years.
Report said that surveillance on Bose's family took place between 1948 and 1968, during which Nehru was the Prime Minister.
"The files show the IB resumed British-era surveillance on the two Bose family homes in Calcutta: 1 Woodburn Park and 38/2 Elgin Road. Apart from intercepting and copying letters written by Bose's family members, agency sleuths shadowed them on their domestic and foreign travels," said the report.
Surveillance was also reportedly conducted on Bose's nephew siblings Sisir Kumar Bose and Amiya Nath Bose.
BJP national spokesperson MJ Akbar was quoted in the report as alleging that the spying was done because Congress was scared of Bose's return and felt he was the only leader who could mobilise the opposition against the Congress in the 1957 polls.
While Bose's only daughter, 73-year-old Anita Bose-Pfaff, said she was not too surprised to hear about the surveillance, Chandra Kumar Bose, Netaji's grand-nephew, told CNN-IBN that a judicial inquiry should be conducted into this issue. "That is the least that India can do today for him (Bose)," he said.
The revelations from these declassified IB files come after the Prime Minister's Office in February had said that the PM has no power to declassify secret files relating to the disappearance of Subhas Chandra Bose. “There are no mentions in Manual of Office Procedure or Public Records Rules, 1997, regarding any discretionary power vested in PM to de-classify records,” the PMO had said.
The government was responding to an RTI application to the PMO by Sreejith Panickar, an IT professional based in Thiruvananthapuram, who had asked the government, "Does the Prime Minister have any prerogative to issue an order to declassify the files and send them to the National Archives?"
Last year, when Delhi-based RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal had appealed to the PMO to disclose records relating to Bose, it had had refused arguing that the “disclosure would prejudicially affect relation with foreign countries."
While under house arrest by the British in then Calcutta, Netaji had escaped in 1941 to seek international support for his efforts to free India and formed the Indian National Army with the help of the Japanese. He went missing in 1945 and since then little has been known about his whereabouts.

Union Home Secretary L C Goyal visits international border, reviews security situation in J&K
10 April 2015

JAMMU: Union Home Secretary L C Goyal today visited forward areas along International Border (IB) and reviewed security and border situation situation here in the backdrop of terror strikes by militants.
Goyal also held meeting with Governor N N Vohra and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and discussed matters relating to the security and law-and-order scenario in the State. Goyal arrived with a team of senior Home Ministry officials this morning, and they straight way left for the Octerio Border Out Post (BoP) along IB in R S Pura sector of Jammu district, senior officials said.
During the visit, Goyal was given a presentation by the IG, BSF, Rakesh Sharma about threat perception from across the border, ceasefire violations, security grid and counter- infiltration measures, they said.
They also raised demands regarding the modern weapon system and other issue, for which Goyal assured them to expedite. Goyal also asked civil authorities to expedite the matter relating to the land compensation and farming across the fencing by the farmers.
Union Home Secretary later chaired a high level security meeting here in which top Army commanders and officers of BSF, CRPF, Police, Intelligence Agencies and civil authorities participated.
The GOC 16 corps, Lt Gen K H Singh, 9-Corps Commander Lt Gen Rajev Bakshi, 16 Infantry Division, Maj Gen Dushyan Singh and GOC, 29 Infantry division besides Special DG CRPF, R C Dayal, DGP K Rajendra Kumar, Home secretary B R Sharma, I of BSF, Police, CRPF and top officers of IB and other agencies took part in the meeting.
Union Home Secretary during the meeting has expressed concern over attacks by terrorists in the areas randomly and called for measures to check it. He also lauded the security forces for the jobs.

Katju joins 'presstitutes' row, says most media persons fall in the category
9 April 2015

New Delhi: Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju on Thursday joined the row over media persons being called 'presstitutes' and said a majority of them fall in the same category.
Stating he does not agree with remarks made by Minister of State for External Affairs and former Army Chief VK Singh, who originally used the word 'presstitutes'', Katju wrote on his blog page, and Twitter and Facebook accounts: “I would not agree with Gen VK Singh if he meant that all media people are 'presstitutes'.
There are some very upright media persons I know, e.g. P Sainath. But, these are exceptions. The vast majority of media persons would certainly fall in the category mentioned by Gen Singh, as my experience in the Press Council taught me. What else do paid news, Radia tapes, etc denote?”
Singh, who is currently in Djibouti to oversee evacuation of Indians from Yemen, had on Tuesday compared the rescue operation from the war-torn country with his visit to the Pakistani mission recently, saying the evacuation was "less exciting". However, he later made snide remarks against a TV channel for playing up his comparison remarks.
"Friends what do you expect from presstitutes," he said in a tweet late Tuesday night, adding that last time the TV anchor thought there was 'O' in place of 'E'. The Congress had demanded immediate sacking of Singh for his remarks against newsmen.
The BJP, however, distanced itself from the controversial tweet of Singh, saying Twitter is personal and not a party forum and the meaning of the tweet can best be explained by the person concerned.
VK Singh’s remarks elicited sharp reactions also from a media body.

PM Modi says there can't be one law for Mukesh Ambani and one for common man
9 April 2015

PM Narendra Modi, in his first ever interview to Indian media after becoming PM, said laws can't be different for Reliance Industries' chairman Mukesh Ambani and for common man.
"Our job is to run a policy-driven government. 'Red tape nahin hona chahiye. Ab red tape nahin hona chahiye matlab Mukesh Ambani ke liye red tape na ho aur ek common man ke liye red tape ho, waisa nahin chal sakta' (red tape should not be there does not mean it shouldn't be there for Mukesh Ambani, but be there for a common man; that won't do)", PM Modi said in an exclusive interview to Hindustan Times.
The prime minister even said his 10-month-old government had restored India's global credibility in terms of its politics, governance and economy, replacing the "policy paralysis" during the UPA regime with "dynamism", PTI reported.
"In what situation did the people bring us to power? And what is the situation now? Is there a policy paralysis anymore? No. Is there a transparency issue? No. Is there stagnancy in governance? No. Instead, there is dynamism," he said.
On issues relating to judiciary, Modi said there have been instances where its initiative has resulted in a "good outcome" and there have been instances when it has resulted in "pain".
"I would not like to analyse the judiciary, the experts should look at it," he said three days after he said that judiciary should guard against 'five-star activists' and it was not as fearless as it used to be were--remarks that kicked up a controversy.
"We have taken a series of measures which have restored faith in our capacity to deliver with transparency, efficiency and speed. We are looking at the interests of the poor of the country and their empowerment," Modi said.
"Good governance with good intentions is the hallmark of our government. Implementation with integrity is our core passion."
Modi said the conclusion of the coal and spectrum auctions established that transparency was possible if there was political will while the distribution of the LPG subsidy through direct bank transfers was an example of the government's strategy to help the poor.
The direction of his government, the prime minister said, was reflected in this year's budget, a futuristic plan for the railways and the pooling of gas for stranded power plants and for fertiliser plants, all of which underscored a "firm commitment towards a prosperous and powerful India."
On Indo-Pak relations, Modi said India is open to dialogue with Pakistan on all outstanding issues but in an environment free from terrorism and violence.
Modi also said that peace can only thrive when the climate is right. "We remain open to bilateral dialogue with Pakistan on all outstanding issues in an environment free from terrorism and violence," he said.

Want donated WagonR back: Upset AAP supporter to Arvind Kejriwal
8 April 2015

Upset over the ongoing turmoil in the party, an AAP supporter, who had donated a Blue Wagon R to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in January 2013, on Wednesday made a demand that it be returned.
Kundan Sharma, a software engineer, who expressed his disappointment over the removal of party leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, said his tweet demanding the car back was a ploy to catch attention of the party chief.
"#IDemandMyDonationBackFromAAP: My blue WAGONR,my Bike&lacs of rupees that I donated2AAP."
"We deserve what we accept for. Bigger dream of clean politics was sacrificed from winning Delhi. No one will dare to clean politics for next three decades," Sharma tweeted.
When contacted Sharma denied he actually wanted the car or his money back, but said it was a tactic to seek attention and also vent out his frustration over the turmoil in the party.
He said he was upset with the way Bhushan and Yadav were ousted from the party.
"Why were Yadav and Bhushan ousted without a probe by party's Lokpal. I supported AAP not to form government in Delhi, but the aim was to provide an alternate form of government," he said.
The blue Wagon R car gave Kejriwal his image of being a people's chief minister. During his 49-day stint and even after that, Kejriwal used the car. He later gave it to Naveen Jaihind, AAP leader from Haryana, who used it for campaigning for Lok Sabha polls in Rohtak.
"I am not that cheap to ask for the car or money back," Sharma said, adding that he adopted attention-seeking tactics to reach Kejriwal.
"I could not reach Arvind despite several efforts. By raising the issue of the car, which gave Kejriwal a true janta CM face, I thought I could catch his attention," Sharma said. He, however, refused to give details of the donation made by him, but said that his wife and father donated money and he had even donated his Hero Honda Passion bike.
Responding to Sharma's demand, AAP leader Ashutosh tweeted, "For the first time I am hearing someone is asking to return a donated item.

TN versus AP feud bubbles up over killing of 20 red sanders 'smugglers'
8 April 2015

Hyderabad: The encounter killing of 20 woodcutters, mostly coolies, in Seshachalam forest, the hill range consisting of the sacred Seven Hills of Tirumala, near Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday morning has snowballed into an inter-state political controversy. Even the National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Andhra Pradesh government on this issue.
The "triumphant" officials of the state suddenly found themselves in an awkward situation after an avalanche of criticism followed quickly from multiple quarters on the encounter and the Tamil Nadu Government demanded an impartial inquiry. The blood-soaked foothill of the temporal abode of Lord Venkateswara is located at Eethagunta and Cheekateegalakona in Chandragiri, the native mandal of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
The encounter occurred when a special police party was conducting combing operations in the forest. The redsanders ‘smugglers’ allegedly attacked them with stones. The police retaliated by opening fire, killing 20 of them.
A majority of the 20 coolies, purportedly hired by redsanders smugglers, killed by Redsanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force belonged to Tamil Nadu. This has angered political parties in Tamil Nadu, even as activist VS Krishna and others too have raised doubts over the encounter, describing it as fake.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Pannerselvan demanded a “credible and speedy” inquiry into the encounter killings so that the truth would be established and responsibility for “possible human rights violation” fixed. He expressed his dismay and “distress” to know that most of those killed in the encounter with the Andhra Pradesh police belonged to Tiruvannamalai and Vellore districts Tamil Nadu.
He wrote to his AP counterpart N Chandrababu Naidu seeking to know if the Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Force (RSASTF) maintained “adequate restraint” during the operation. He urged Naidu that adequate compensation be paid to their kin and also action be initiated against those responsible for the killing, if human rights violation was established in the probe.
Earlier, DMK president and former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had said that despite such incident taking place over the past few months, both state governments did not discuss and take adequate steps and now 20 lives were lost. He said that both states should take steps to avoid such occurrences.
The NHRC issued notices to the DGP and the Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh calling for report "explaining the act of police and forest officials within two weeks.” The NHRC will take up the matter for hearing in Hyderabad on 23 April, 2015. Deputy Inspector-General of RSASTF M Kantha Rao said that the individual criminal antecedents of the slain “smugglers” would be verified soon.
Meanwhile, Additional Director-General of Police (Law and order) RP Thakur justified the encounter saying that it was an act of retaliation. The security men confronted them and asked them to surrender, he said. Meanwhile, Director-General of Police JV Ramudu called on Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and briefed him. The Chief Minister held an emergency meeting on the incident with his colleagues and briefed the Governor ESL Narasimhan about the incident.
Redsanders has been a major source of disturbance in the Seshachalam forest for several years. One of the main accused, Gangi Reddy, in the attempt on the life of Chandrababu Naidu in October 2003, is also accused of largescale redsanders smuggling. Currently, Gangi Reddy is in Mauritius prison following a red-corner notice issued by interpol and his arrest. The Andhra Pradesh police are trying to get extradite him to India to try him under all the charges he is facing.
Redsanders smugglers attacked forest officials on 16 December, 2013 killing two and injuring three. The fierce battle between theforest officials and the smugglers has been a bloody phenomenon in this part of the country.

Supreme Court refers pleas challenging NJAC Act to larger bench
7 April 2015

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday referred to a larger bench a batch of petitions challenging constitutional validity of the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act meant to replace over a two decade-old collegium system of judges appointing judges.
A three-judge bench of justices AR Dave, J Chelameswar and Madan B Lokur, which had reserved its verdict on maintainability of these pleas, said "we refer these petitions to a larger bench".
The bench also said that it is not passing any order on interim relief sought by the petitioner and said that these arguments can be raised before the larger bench. The Supreme Court Advocates on Record Association (SCAORA) and other petitioners had sought stay on the operation of NJAC Act.
The bench had reserved its judgement on March 24, after Attorney General (AG) Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Centre, wrapped up his rejoinder arguments saying that the pleas be dismissed as they were "premature" and "academic" in nature. Those opposing the new law on appointment of judges for higher judiciary submitted that the issue should be referred to a Constitution Bench of five judges.
Referring to various case laws, the AG had argued that the power of Parliament to make law is "plenary" and hence, the methodology adopted by the legislature in clearing the law on the floor of the House cannot be "tested" by the court.
Rohtagi had made the submission after noted jurists like FS Nariman and Anil Divan and some others had contended that as per constitutional scheme, the NJAC Act should not have been passed ahead of enabling constitutional amendment.
"Where was the authority to pass the NJAC Act," Nariman had asked and added that the Act should have been passed after the constitutional amendment. However, Rohatgi submitted that "only end product can be examined by the courts and it is irrelevant that this Act was passed earlier and that Act was passed later".
"Only an Act, after notification, can be tested in the court of law and not the procedures adopted by Parliament," the Attorney General had submitted. The apex court had said it could proceed on the merits of the matter only after deciding whether the petitions challenging the validity of the Constitutional Amendment Act and the NJAC Act were maintainable or not.
Petitioners SCAORA and Bar Association of India (BAI), represented by Nariman and Anil Divan respectively, had opposed the two Acts and sought that direction be passed to maintain status quo, saying the entire process would otherwise become irreversible. However, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) had strongly favoured the government on laws on appointment of judges in higher judiciary, saying there has been "unanimity" that the present mechanism has "serious pitfalls".
"There is unanimity in the view that there are serious pitfalls in the collegium system," SCBA president and senior advocate Dushyant Dave had submitted. He had said that the pleas challenging the validity of the Constitutional Amendment Act and the NJAC Act were "premature" as they have not been notified.
"You cannot test a law on the premise that it may be abused in future," Dave had told the bench.

Jammu and Kashmir CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed meets PM Modi
7 April 2015

NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to brief him about the situation in the state.
This is the first official meeting of Sayeed with the Prime Minister since he became Chief Minister on March 1 and comes in the backdrop of reports of cabinet expansion in which his party PDP may get a berth.
This was followed by a meeting between Sayeed and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
During the meeting with the Home Minister, Sayeed briefed him about the law and order situation in the state especially the recent attacks on police forces.
Three policemen were gunned down yesterday in Shopian district by suspected terrorists of Lashker-e-Taiba.
Sayeed, who arrived last night, is scheduled to meet all prominent cabinet ministers to discuss issues pertaining to development of Jammu and Kashmir.

PM Modi launches air quality index, wants change in people's lifestyle to protect environment
6 April 2015

Launching the first national air quality index in New Delhi on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India's contribution to the pollution level in the world was one of the lowest and urged the countrymen to change their lifestyle in order to help protect the environment.
Speaking at the inauguration of a two-day conference of state environment and forest ministers, PM Modi expressed hope that the conference will prove to be a platform to hold detailed discussions which might be formulated in policies in future. "We are trying to think of ways of reducing carbon emissions, but we are not thinking of changing our lifestyle. Unless we bring a change in our lifestyle, we will not be able to save the environment," said Modi.
The PM's comments came a day after a forecast by System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), a body under the ministry of earth science, predicted that air quality in the Capital will sharply deteriorate next week because of a dust storm due to hit the city and Mumbai on Monday. A World Health Organization (WHO) study of 1,600 cities released in May found New Delhi had the world's dirtiest air with an annual average of 153 micrograms of small particulates, known as PM2.5, per cubic metre.
Thirteen of the dirtiest 20 cities worldwide were in India, the WHO said. India rejected the report. Speaking at the event, Modi claimed that India's contribution to the pollution level in the world is one of the lowest and urged Indians to change the world's attitude that the country doesn't care about environment.
"We have been brought up in a nation where environment protection is connected with human sentiments and nature is considered next to god," said Modi. He said Indians must be sensitive towards the nature and environment so that the world has a lesser chance of raising questions about India's contribution in tackling global warming.
"Until we actually bring a change in our lifestyles, all the other efforts will go in vain." The PM said recycling and reusing have long been practised in India and have not been borrowed from outside. "We must think of traditional methods to tackle environmental issues. There can be green solutions in our age-old traditions."
Attacking the opposition over its stance on the controversial land acquisition bill, the PM said that there have been efforts to mislead people on tribal and forest land. "There is not a word about tribals and forest dwellers in the land bill. Such campaign must end," said Modi. Without naming the Congress, Modi hit out saying, "I think misleading the society is a small matter to you and it is a part of your political ideals but it harms the nation."
"This practice of misleading people of nation must end. There can be debate based on facts and there can be difference of opinion." "Some people think development and environment are opposite. This thought is wrong. Both environment protection and development can go hand in hand." The PM said that India was moving in the direction of solar and wind energy but there is a need to stress upon solid waste management as well.
"Urban bodies need to focus on solid waste management with programmes to generate wealth from waste. To create wealth out of waste is a big venture these days, we need to focus on waste management," he said. Modi said India wants to protect the environment by using nuclear energy but there are countries which have denied it access to it. "But the people who lecture us on environment don't give us nuclear fuel. These are double standards, said Modi.
Talking about his campaign to clean the Ganges, Modi said issue of Clean Ganga is as much about those living on the banks of the Ganga in the various states.= "If we take a pledge that towns situated on banks of Ganga will not pollute the river, you yourself will witness the change." The new index, launched as part of Modi's 'Clean India Mission', will provide one consolidated number after tracking eight pollutants and will use colour coding to describe associated health impacts.
Currently, India's air quality status is reported through "voluminous data", the government said. This makes it difficult for people to understand particle names such as PM2.5 or PM10. Air pollution killed about seven million people in 2012, making it the world's single biggest environmental health risk, the WHO, a United Nations agency, said in March.

Voyeurism case: Fabindia manager gets anticipatory bail
6 April 2015

A district court in Mapusa town in Goa on Monday granted anticipatory bail to Fabindia's Candolim store manager Chaitrali Sawant in connection with the voyeurism case.
The voyeurism case was filed against the outlet's staff after Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani, who visited the Fabindia store at Candolim on Friday, alleged that it had a CCTV camera focusing at the trial room.
Sawant, who had been untraceable after the incident, moved the court for anticipatory bail through her lawyer on Saturday. The court, while granting the bail, asked Sawant to be present before the investigating officers for two days (today and tomorrow) as part of the probe in the case.
Judge Desmond D'Costa, in his order, said that all the sections applied in the case are bailable, expect section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of IPC. He observed that IPC section 354 does not apply to her as she was not present in the store when the incident happened.
Defence lawyer Raju Poulekar said that the custodial interrogation of Sawant was not required as she was not present at the spot when the incident happened. However, public prosecutor Anuradha Talaulikar argued that it is a very serious offence against women and custodial interrogation is necessitated. Meanwhile, BJP MLA from Goa Michael Lobo, who had filed the complaint, today said that the company should issue a public apology over the incident.
"The Fabindia bosses should own responsibility for the incident and issue public apology as the incident has happened in their outlet," Lobo said. "I fully agree that bosses cannot keep a check on each of the CCTV cameras, but it is evident that some of the employees have played mischief. Fabindia cannot disown responsibility of the entire incident," he said. When asked about the probe into the incident he said, "I am happy with the investigation."
After Irani alleged that the Fabindia store at Candolim had a CCTV camera focusing at the trial room, four employees of the outlet -- Paresh Bhagat, Raju Payanche, Prashant Naik and Karim Lakhani -- were arrested and booked under IPC sections 354C (voyeurism), 509 (intrusion into privacy) and IT Act's section 66E (capturing, publishing image of private area of any person without his/her consent).
However, they were later granted bail by a local court which said that police had made out no grounds for custodial interrogation. Fabindia has also denied that it had placed hidden cameras in any of its stores. According to a statement issued by Fabindia earlier, the camera in question at Candolim store was part of the surveillance system and was installed in the shopping area.

Second batch of 664 Indians rescued from Yemen return home
4 April 2015

Thiruvananthapuram/Mumbai: A second batch of 664 Indians from war-torn Yemen have safely returned home on late Friday night. While two Indian Air Force planes carrying 334 people landed in Mumbai, a special Air India flight with 330 Indians reached the Kochi airport post midnight.
So far, more than 1,000 Indians are back from Yemen but many still remain stranded. They were part of evacuees who were brought to Djibouti from Sanaa earlier in the day today.
The two Air Force C-17 Globemasters which landed in Mumbai carried among others, 306 evacuees -- 251 men, 38 women, 17 children -- rescued by Navy vessel INS Sumitra. In Kochi, the evacuees, including nurses and workers, were welcomed at the airport by Kerala Minister for Diaspora K C Joseph along with state government officials.
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said, "The Centre must reach out to the Red Cross and service organisations for help. The Central government and MEA are working out evacuation strategies. Yemen evacuation is more difficult than Libya and Iraq. People from small pockets can be helped by peace organisations."
One of the evacuees said, "It is a terrible situation in Yemen. The bombings drove us out. We could not live in Yemen anymore, so we had to leave. We are thankful to the government and the Indian Navy."
On Thursday, 358 Indians evacuated from the Yemen were brought home by two IAF planes. The first plane carrying 168 people, mostly nurses from Kerala, had landed at Kochi airport, while the second plane carrying 190 Indian nationals had landed in Mumbai.
Yemen has been witnessing fierce battle between Saudi-led coalition and Shiite rebels, who have battled their way into the heart of the country's main southern city Aden where fighting raged in the former stronghold of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi who has fled overseas.

God, history won't forgive you: Bhushan slams Kejriwal as AAP govt completes 49 days
4 April 2015

Days after he and Yogendra Yadav were expelled from the party's top decision-making fora, rebel AAP leader Prashant Bhushan on Friday fired a fresh salvo at Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of turning AAP a "high command-oriented" party and betraying trust of lakhs of supporters. In an open letter to Kejriwal, Bhushan said "God and history will not forgive what you are doing to the party."
Bhushan and Yadav were expelled from AAP's national executive on March 28 for "anti-party activities". "After winning the Delhi elections with such a thumping majority, when you have such good fortune, you should be showing your best qualities to the people of this country. But unfortunately, your worst qualities have emerged now," Bhushan said.
"The removal of the Lokpal, us and others who questioned the manner of our removal, reminds one of Stalin's purge of dissenters in the Communist party of Russia. You should read Orwell's Animal Farm to see the parallels between Stalin's Russia and what is happening in our party today. God and history will not forgive what you are doing to the party," Bhushan said. The party founded with a dream of "clean and principled" politics may well turn into a "nightmare", he said.
Bhushan also said it would be wrong on Kejriwal's party to think that people will forget about the "betrayal" if he delivered on good governance. "Even traditional political parties like Congress, BJP have done some governance. But the dream that we started with for clean and principled politics and corruption-free governance was much much bigger," he said.
Bhushan said "the fear that I have, is that after how you have behaved and the character traits that you have showed, this dream of clean and principled politics that the Aam Aadmi party was founded on may well turn into a nightmare". In the letter, Bhushan also accused Kejriwal of making "false and inflammatory" allegations against him, his father Shanti Bhushan and Yadav at the National Council (NC) meeting on March 28 and inciting the MLAs and some others present there.
Bhushan and Yadav were expelled by NC meeting from national executive. "Such was the ferocity of the mob of these MLAs and others as they rushed towards my father, that he felt that he may not get out of this alive," he claimed.
"What has happened subsequent to the 28th, however, has taken the farce to a level where it seems as if a Stalinist purge is taking place in the party. The party's internal Lokpal, a person of immense stature and independence, has beenremoved unconstitutionally, merely because he expressed his wish to attend the National Council meeting and was seen to be fair," Bhushan said.
"Other members of the National Executive are being suspended, again unconstitutionally," he said. In the letter, Bhushan elaborated on reasons for widening rift with Kejriwal and said the differences started after the Lok Sabha elections. He said after the Lok Sabha elections, Kejriwal felt that the party was "finished" and could only be revived if it were able to form the government again in Delhi.
Bhushan said despite strong opposition from the party leaders, Kejriwal started efforts to get Congress' support to form government which was one of the major reasons of the rift. "Instead of abiding by the majority decision, you said that while that may be the majority view, as the Convenor of the party, you have the right to take the final decision, and that you would go ahead with seeking Congress' support," he said.
Talking about the AVAM or Aam Aadmi Volunteer Action Manch, which had accused the AAP of receiving funds from shady companies, Bhushan said the group of volunteers wanted their voices heard in the party. He alleged that there was conspiracy to crush the "rebellion" of the volunteers who felt that they were being used only like "slave labour". He alleged fabricated SMS was used to defame AVAM.
In the letter, Bhushan also slammed Kejriwal for not following laid down norms in candidate selection for Delhi polls. "I had said that rather than winning by these kinds of candidates and means, it's better to go with honourable candidates and run the risk of a possible loss. Because winning with these kinds of candidates and means destroys the founding principles of the party in the short run, and will destroy the party itself in the long run," he said.
Bhushan further said,"Your coterie have also accused my father, my sister and myself of trying to capture the party. Arvind, you know very well that none of us have even wanted any executive positions or tickets for ourselves or any friends or family members."

Indians not allowed to fish in Lankan waters, says Sri Lankan President Sirisena
3 April 2015

Dismissing opposition's claim that his government has given fishing rights to Indians, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has said he has issued clear instructions to the navy to seize boats that violate the country's territorial waters.
"We have not allowed fishing in our waters for the Indians. I have given clear instructions to navy to arrest boats or trawlers that violate our water limits," Sirisena told a gathering of fishing industry and political representatives last night.
Opposition group National Freedom Front had alleged that the government had given fishing rights to Indians in Sri Lankan waters as an appeasement policy towards India. Responding to the claim, Sirisena said, "I discussed at length the fishing issue between our two countries during my visit to India (in February).
I want to resolve this issue without hurting our long standing bilateral relations with India. We have asked the Indians to stop bottom trawling," Sirisena said.
The President said he was looking forward to a constructive role by the Tamil-ruled northern provincial council to resolve the dispute. "I hope they can exercise their legislative powers to tackle the issue even by consulting the Indian High Commissioner (Ambassador)," Sirisena said.
The two countries held fishermen-level talks in Chennai last month. The Indian fishermen had reportedly called for 83 days per year for three years to fish in the Palk Strait, the narrow sea strip separating the two countries.
The Indian groups had assured they will fish five nautical miles off the Sri Lankan coast. However, there was no official communique on the talks.

PM Modi to expand Cabinet: Mehbooba Mufti in, Najma Heptullah out
3 April 2015

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to expand his ministry next week by promoting at least three Ministers of State as Cabinet ministers and dropping Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptullah, who is likely to be made the governor of a state.
Mehbooba Mufti, chief of the Peoples Democratic Party which has formed a coalition government with the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir, is expected to join the Modi Cabinet, which sources said may be expanded on April 8. The party is currently holding its annual National Executive meeting in Bangalore.
Among the ministers likely to be promoted are MoS for Minority and Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, MoS for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (Independent Charge) Rajiv Pratap Rudy and MoS for Railways, Manoj Sinha. MoS for Finance Jayanth Sinha may be given additional charge of the corporate affairs.
While Maharashtra ally Shiv Sena has been demanding more seats in the Cabinet, sources said that it is likely that Shiv Sena nominee Anil Desai, who was left out of the Cabinet reshuffle and expansion the last time, may be made an MoS with independent charge.
Party insiders said PM Modi might use the reshuffle to send out a strong message to the non-performing NDA ministers. In his first expansion of the Cabinet in November, Modi had inducted 21 new faces. The Cabinet as of now has 26 Union ministers, 13 Ministers of State with independent charge and 26 other MoS, apart from the PM.

PDP-BJP appear to be in disagreement over Jammu and Kashmir flood control measures: Congress
2 April 2015

The Congress on Thursday said the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Jammu and Kashmir was not sure and at times in disagreement over the measures being taken to control the spread of flood waters in the state.
"The ruling coalition in Jammu and Kashmir does not agree with the actions they themselves are taking. The PDP is taking some action, the BJP is resending on that, and the opposition is utterly in the darkness.
So, if terrorist activities are intensifying, to an extent, the Jammu and Kashmir government is also responsible," said Congress leader PC Chacko.
"It (the flood relief measures) should be above politics and an all party effort, and everybody should be involved, and there has to be a clear cut strategy on that," he added. Chacko said the state government and the Centre are not taking the opposition into confidence on the issue.
Earlier in the day, three people were injured in a fierce gun battle that broke out between security forces and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Hardushoora village.
According to reports, the Indian Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police had cordoned off an area in the village in Tangmarg District after receiving inputs about the presence of two terrorists.

Difficult for me to react on remarks of people with narrow mentality: Sonia on Giriraj Singh
2 April 2015

New Delhi: Refusing to react on the racist barb against her by Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Giriraj Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi has simply called him a person with "narrow mentality". "It's difficult for me to react on remarks of such people having such a narrow mentality. I cannot comment on such remarks," said Sonia while refusing to elaborate.
Known for making controversial and bizarre statements, Giriraj had claimed that the white colour of Sonia Gandhi's skin made her the Congress President. "If Rajiv Gandhi had married a Nigerian and if she wasn't white skinned, would Congress accept her as a leader" Singh, the BJP Lok Sabha MP from Bihar's Nawada constituency, had said on Wednesday in Hajipur, a few kilometres from Patna.
Even after expressing regret over his comment, Singh received a lot of criticism from various sections of the society. A group of Congress workers on Thursday staged a protest against Singh outside a residential complex where he lives, seeking his resignation over his remark on Gandhi. Shobha Oza, president of the Congress women's wing, slammed the minister saying, "It is unacceptable for a minister to use such language. We won't accept anything short of
Giriraj's resignation."
Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law took to social media to express his disgust. "Is this the way we speak about a lady, who has undergone hardships all through her life and has lost her loved ones for the nation," Vadra said.
The comment received a lot of flak from the Congress party which immediately demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Strongly condemn sexist and racist remarks made by minister Giriraj Singh referring to Sonia Gandhi. Does the Prime Minister support him?" said a disapproving RPN Singh.
Another rival of the BJP, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPIM), too castigated Giriraj Singh for his racist comments. "He is a serial offender. The PM has a duty to publicly correct this situation. What is the PM's Mann ki Baat on this? His silence reflects encouragement," said CPIM leader Brinda Karat.
Singh had stoked controversy during the Lok Sabha election campaign when he said that those who opposed Narendra should go to Pakistan while addressing a rally in Jharkhand's Deoghar district on April 19, 2014. Three FIRs were lodged against him at Deogarh, Bokaro and Patna for his hate speeches. In another instance, Singh had again sparked a row by asking why all terrorists belonged to one community.

Evacuation From Yemen: India Gets Permission to Dock Ships at Aden
1 April 2015

NEW DELHI: India has received permission to dock its vessels at Yemen's Aden harbor to evacuate nearly 4000 Indians who are stranded in the war-torn nation.
Already, naval off-shore patrol vessel INS Sumitra has entered the Aden harbour. Besides, INS Mumbai and INS Tarkash are enroute to Djibouti.
Two warships and two passenger liners are to rendezvous in the Arabian sea and move as a composite group to Djibouti. Air India has also stationed two 180-seater Airbus A320 planes in Muscat for the evacuation.
The evacuation operation has been codenamed "Operation Raahat". India plans to get its nationals by sea to neighbouring Djibouti, from where they will be brought back by air.
This morning, Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh flew to Djibouti to oversee the evacuation efforts. India has stationed five diplomats in Djibouti to help with the evacuation. On Monday, India had shifted 400 Indians from Aden to Djibouti.
Later in the night, Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and assured full assistance in the safe evacuation of the stranded Indians. Recounting the "strong and close relations" between the two nations, the Saudi monarch assured PM Modi of his "full attention" to the safety of Indians.
As the Saudi Arabia-led aerial bombing campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen entered the sixth day on Tuesday, many countries in south-east Asia, including Pakistan and China, have rushed their officials, aircraft and ships to evacuate their nationals.
The airstrikes are aimed at forcing Houthi rebels to hand power back to President Abed Rabbu Mansour Hadi. At least 40 people were killed on Monday and 200 others were wounded in an air strike at al-Mazraq camp in north Yemen.

Statutory warning: One million tobacco deaths in India every year, yet politicians in denial
1 April 2015

One million of the tobacco deaths occur in India, yet the Union health ministry has postponed its decision to introduce new graphic health warnings that cover 85% of tobacco packages on both sides beginning April 1 based on the decision of a Parliamentary Committee report that is chaired a BJP MP who wants Indian surveys to prove tobacco causes cancer before public health measures to reduce tobacco use are implemented.
The decision was based on the recommendation of a parliamentary committee headed by BJP Ahmednagar MP Dilip Kumar Gandhi, who said here were no studies out of India to show that tobacco use caused cancer and other diseases. Along with Karnataka and Andhra, Maharashtra is one of the major tobacco-growing states in India. Currently, graphic photographs of oral and throat cancers will occupy 65% of tobacco packages — such as cigarette packs — while 15% of the surface will be used for text warnings.
The photos had been shortlisted for the new warnings last year have now been junked. The new warning labels -- with pictures of mouth and throat cancers- -were to cover all kinds of tobacco packages, including imported cigarettes and chewing tobacco.
The graphic picture were to cover 60% of the package, and the text warning will be 25%, the Union Ministry of health and Family Welfare had notified in October last year. The warnings were to be in English and/or the language the brand is sold under, said the notification issued on October 15, 2014. The decision to increase the size of pack warning labels , along with increasing the legal age of buying and using tobacco, was part of India’s efforts to lower tobacco use.
Never too late to quit
If you are a tobacco user, the odds are stacked against you. Tobacco kills half of its users, with smoking and smokeless tobacco killing nearly 6 million people worldwide – one death every 6 seconds – each year, says the World Health Organization (WHO).
This mean one person dies every six seconds due to tobacco use, which accounts for one in 10 adult deaths. Up to half of current users will eventually die of a tobacco-related disease, estimates the WHO.
Sure, everyone knows that smoking is bad for health. Few people, however, realise the many different ways it causes irreversible damage to your body and mind. Toxins from tobacco go everywhere the blood flows, so no part of the body is spared.
Cigarette smoke contains over 4,800 chemicals, 69 of which are known to cause cancer. Apart from cancers, smoking is also a major risk factor in chronic bronchitis, heart disease and stroke; and other conditions and disorders such as slowed healing of wounds, infertility, and peptic ulcer disease.
Unchecked, tobacco-related deaths from cancers, heart disease, lung diseases and stroke, among others, is expected to increase to over 8 million annually by 2030, 1.5 million of them in India.

J&K floods: Forecast of heavy rain in next 24 hours, minister appeals to remain vigilant
31 March 2015

Srinagar: The flood threat in Kashmir Valley on Tuesday reduced with improved weather and receding water level in major rivers lessened the danger of damage by floods in the state. So far, 18 people have been killed by floods in Jammu and Kashmir in the last three days.
11:35 am: Jhelum flowing at 16.45 feet at Sangam in south Kashmir, down over six feet compared to 22.80 feet 24 hours earlier, a police official said.
11:30 am: Naqvi says Armed forces are carrying out relief operations efficiently and there is no need to panic. The BJP leader further said that central and state government are working in tandem to provide relief to the affected people.
11:10 am: Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi will submit a report on J&K floods to PM Narendra Modi today afternoon. PM Modi yesterday rushed Naqvi to Kashmir for on-the-spot assessment of the flood situation and to coordinate with state authorities for whatever help is required.
11:00 am: Huge uproar witnessed in J&K Assembly over floods, National Conference stages walkout.
10:40 am: Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju speaks to news agency ANI, says the flood situation in Jammu and Kashmir is under control and added that paramilitary forces will also be sent to the state if required.
9:45 am: Director General of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) OP Singh has said that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir has improved significantly and added that six more teams will be sent with sufficient boats to the state as a precautionary step.
"Situation has improved significantly. There has been no rainfall since the last 24 hours and the water level has receded. Two NDRF teams are already working there and we are sending six more teams with sufficient boats. It has been a challenge, but we can't compare it to last year's floods," says Singh.
8:30 am: Massive operations have been launched by the state irrigation and fire department in Srinagar to pump out water.
8:00 am: The water level of Jhelum river, which had touched the flood levels at Sangam and Ram Munshi Bagh, is showing a declining or static trend.
7:30 am: In a relief for the J&K people, no fresh rainfall was reported on Monday night.
The process to evacuate affected people was underway as eight teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were rushed to Kashmir. Armed forces, along with four helicopters, have been placed in readiness for deployment at a short notice after local authorities declared a flood situation in the Valley.
Promising all help, the central government granted Rs 200 crore as immediate relief as Prime Minister Narendra Modi rushed minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to Kashmir for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation and coordinate with state authorities with regard to the requirements. In Srinagar, a worried Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed on Monday visited the water-logged city centre Lal Chowk and interacted with traders and common people.
He assured the traders that the government would take up on priority basis providing relief to businessmen who suffered in 2014. Sayeed announced Rs 25 crore from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for the worst hit Kashmir Valley and Rs 10 crore for Jammu region. Over 280 people had died and tens of thousands left homeless and property worth hundreds of crores damaged in unprecedented floods in the state in September last year.
More than 320 families have been moved to safer places in Kashmir valley as water level in river Jhelum was still above the flood level. Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi visited the Kashmir Valley and promised government assistance to people to tide over the crisis. Two teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deputed and four other teams are on stand-by.

Security details leak at G20, India to 'take action'
31 March 2015

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is among 31 world leaders whose personal details were inadvertently compromised at the G20 summit held in Australia last year, a media report said on Monday.
An email error by an employee of Australian immigration department accidentally sent the passport numbers, visa details and other personal identifiers of the heads of government attending the G20 Leaders' Summit in Brisbane last November to the organisers of the Asian Cup football tournament, the Guardian reported.
A senior government official on Monday said that India will take necessary action in the matter.
This action will include replacing PM Narendra Modi's passport which was one of the details that were leaked.
Besides Modi, US President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Indonesian President Joko Widodo and British Prime Minister David Cameron were among those whose details were exposed, the report said.

Will provide relief to victims affected by floods, says Kashmir CM Mufti Sayeed
30 March 2015

Many feared dead in Budgam due to house collapse Many people are feared dead due to the house collapse which took place in Budgam. Rescue operations are currently underway. A National Crisis Management Committee meeting is expected to be held shortly to discuss the Kashmir floods and assess the situation. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi also said that a report on the situation will be presented to the Prime Minister Modi by today evening. Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmad said, "If any state needs assistance from Centre, it’s the duty of the government to extend all possible help."
All schools shut for two days as Kashmir govt declares flood in state All schools in the Valley have been closed for two days as the Jammu and Kashmir state government declared flood in the state. "The government today decided to shut all schools up to class 12 for today and tomorrow in the wake of flood alert," Director Education, Kashmir, Showkat Beigh, told PTI. He said all Board of School Examinations scheduled for Monday and Tuesday have also been postponed. Meanwhile, University of Kashmir has also postponed its annual examinations for two days. Elderly persons and children have also been asked to shift to specially set up camps.
Will provide compensation to all victims, says CM Sayeed Jammu and Kashmir CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, in his first public statement on the floods, assured people that he will provide compensation to all the victims affected. "We will compensate all the victims affected due to the floods...With our efforts, the situation will soon return to normal," Sayeed said. "I sincerely hope the situation will improve from today."
Modi sends high-level team to Kashmir PM Narendra Modi has sent a high level team of officials, including MoS for Minority Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, to Kashmir to assess the situation, say reports. "PM Modi expressed deep concern and is monitoring the situation. We are committed towards providing required assistance," Naqvi said. "PM directed us to visit affected areas, take stock of situation and assess the damage done," he added.
The Jhelum river on Monday crossed the danger level in Srinagar and Sangam area of South Kashmir with heavy rains lashing most parts of the state which sounded an alert asking people to move to safer places. A senior official said water level of river Jhelum at 6 am at Sangam (South Kashmir) and Ram Munshi Bagh (Srinagar city) has touched 22.4 feet and 18.8 feet respectively. Danger level at Sangam is 21 feet and at Ram Munshi Bagh it is 18 feet.
People living on the banks of the river Jhelum have been asked to remain alert and advised to move to safer places. Old persons and children have also been asked to shift to specially set up camps, a government spokesman has said.

Madan Mohan Malaviya awarded Bharat Ratna by President Pranab Mukherjee
30 March 2015

New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee conferred the country's highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna to freedom fighter Madan Mohan Malaviya posthumously on Monday.
The family of the noted educationist was present in the Rashtrapati Bhavan to receive the award.
The President also awarded Padma Vibhushan to political leaders LK Advani, Parkash Singh Badal and lawyer Harish Salve.
The government had announced the decision to award Bharat Ratna to Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya and to Atal Bihari Vajpayee on December 24 last year.
Born in on December 25, 1861, Pandit Malaviya was catapulted into the political arena immediately after his first moving speech at the second Congress session held in Kolkata in 1886. He was President of INC in 1909 and 1918.
His main achievement was the establishment of the Banaras Hindu University.
Malaviya is also remembered for his stellar role in the Independence movement and his espousal of Hindu nationalism.
He was one of the initial leaders of the right-wing Hindu Mahasabha.

Bharat Ratna Vajpayee's ancestral village celebrates
28 March 2015

After former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was conferred with Bharat Ratna on Friday, the country's highest civilian award, his ancestral village Bateshwar burst into celebrations.
The villagers in Bah tehsil of Agra district offered prayers and distributed sweets on Friday evening as President Pranab Mukherjee,
in a rare departure from protocol, drove to Vajpayee's residence on Krishna Menon Marg in New Delhi to confer the honour on him.
Considered the moderate face of BJP, Vajpayee, who was Prime Minister from 1998 to 2004,
has been credited with taking bold initiatives for forging good ties with Pakistan which included the historic bus journey to Lahore in 1999 when he signed the landmark Lahore Declaration with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif with both sides pledging to push for peace and security.
Vajpayee, a statesman who endeared himself to people across the political spectrum, is ailing and has been out of public life for about eight years.

Government considering airlifting of Indians stranded in Yemen
28 March 2015

Thiruvananthapuram: The central government was considering the possibility of airlifting stranded Indians including Keralites from strife-torn Yemen, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has informed Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
Swaraj has informed the state that two ships have been sent to Yemen to rescue the Indians, including Malayalees, who have been stranded in that country.
But the ships would take five days to reach its destination. In such a situation, the possibility of airlifting the people are also being discussed, for which the Saudi Government has been approached, the Union Minister said, according to an official release issued.
Chandy also spoke with several families of Keralites in Yemen over phone yesterday. Passports of most of them were being detained. The Indian Embassy in Yemen has intervened in this matter, the release said.
"If they don't get their passports, exit pass will be issued to them and will be brought back to India. They will be given another passport. Embassy has also intervened in the matter related with release of salary," the release said. Quoting Chandy, the release also said all Malayalee families in Yemen were safe.

PM Modi appeals to well off people to give up subsidised LPG
27 March 2015

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday appealed to the well off people to give up subsidised cooking gas, and expressed his government's resolve to reduce dependence on energy imports by 10 per cent by 2022.
Sharing oil companies' plans to increase piped cooking gas connection to one crore households from 27 lakh currently in the next four years, Modi said the decision to surrender LPG subsidy by 2.8 lakh consumers would result in a savings of Rs 100 crore.
"I had made a small mention about giving up LPG subsidy. As many as 2.80 lakh people has responded positively and this will lead to a saving of at least Rs 100 crore. This Rs 100 crore can be utilised for the welfare of poor", Modi said while speaking at the 'Urja Sangam'.
Since the government started the new scheme of direct benefit transfer (DBT) for cooking gas, several persons opted out of the subsidy scheme. Modi said that 12 crore bank accounts opened under the Jan Dhan scheme are being used for transferring subsidies directly to the consumers which has helped in plugging the leakages and effectively fighting corruption.
"To fight corruption, if institutional mechanism, transparent mechanism, policy driven system can be put in place then we can prevent leakages. And this has been proved by cash transfer," the Prime Minister said.
Referring to India's 77 per cent dependence on energy imports, Modi said the effort should be to reduce it by 10 per cent by 2022, when India will celebrate 75 years of Independence.
"We can reduce this import by at least 10 per cent in 2022. This 10 per cent we will produce ourselves and this should be our dream. If we become successful in reducing import by 10 per cent in 2022, by achieving 10 per cent growth in domestic production, then I can assure you that by 2030 we can reduce this import to 50 per cent," he added.

Dornier crash: Navy calls off search, body of second missing officer found
27 March 2015

The search operation which began after the Navy Dornier crashed into sea 25 miles off Goa coast has been called off with the recovery of the body of Lt Abhinay Nagori from the fuselage.
The body of Lt Kiran Shekhawat, the observer officer on-board, was located by divers on Thursday in the wreckage. Shekhawat is the first lady officer of Navy to have died in a service aircraft crash.
The Dornier, Do-228, belonging to the Indian Navy Aviation Squadron 310, took off from INS Hansa in Goa at 6.30 pm on Tuesday evening on a training mission. It lost contact at 10.08 pm, 25 nautical miles off Goa coast. Commander Joshi, the in-charge of the aircraft, has 4,000 hours of flying experience.
This is the first ever accident involving a Dornier wherein the “aircraft has been lost”. Acquired in late 1990s from the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), 36 Dornier aircraft are operated by the Navy. The Navy has constituted a fact-finding committee to ascertain the cause of the incident.

Anna Hazare wants 'open debate' with PM Modi on Land Bill
26 March 2015

Pune: Social activist Anna Hazare, currently campaigning against the NDA government's amended Land Acquisition Bill, Thursday asked for an "open debate" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the controversial clauses of the proposed law.
In response to a query about Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's willingness to debate the Bill with those opposed to it, Hazare said, "Gadkari's homework is weak. We are ready to have an open debate with the Prime Minister on camera to discuss the issue threadbare."
"Let the people watch this debate and see the facts for themselves," he told reporters at his native Ralegan Siddhi village in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district.
Gadkari had earlier said that the government was willing to debate all aspects of the Bill, which is awaiting clearance in the Rajya Sabha.
A united and aggressive opposition, led by the Congress, is blocking the Bill's passage in Rajya Sabha and had submitted a memorandum to President Pranab Mukherjee last week, terming the Land Bill as "anti-farmer."
Gadkari, while claiming that the opposition parties were criticising the Bill for "political reasons," had invited all leaders of major parties as well as Hazare for an open debate on any platform to discuss the nuances of the proposed law.

Vikas Swarup to replace Syed Akbaruddin as MEA spokesperson?
26 March 2015

New Delhi: Vikas Swarup, the author of Oscar award winning 'Slumdog Millionaire', is most likely to succeed Syed Akbaruddin as Foreign Ministry spokesperson, according to reports.
Media reports on Thursday claimed that Vikas Swarup is likely to take over on April 18. The appointment order was issued by the Narendra Modi government late on March 25, reports said. Swarup is expected to take charge as the MEA spokesperson after PM Narendra Modi's Europe-Canada tour.
Akbaruddin, a 1985 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is considered an expert on West Asia issues in India and has served in various capacities in that region including being Consul General at Jeddah from 2000 to 2004.
He was the director at Foreign Secretary's Office of the Ministry from 2004 to 2005. He has rich experience in nuclear-related issues and was on deputation at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna for four years.
Better known as Akbar, he returned to India in 2011. On December 7, 2011 he was named as the new spokesperson of the MEA. He had a month-long overlapping stint with the then Joint Secretary of the External Publicity Division of the MEA, and official spokesperson, Vishnu Prakash. Akbaruddin formally took over as the new JS (XP) on 7 January 2012.
Swarup, who is a 1986 batch IFS officer, was born in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh to a family of lawyers. He did his schooling at Boys' High School & College, Allahabad and pursued further studies at Allahabad University in Psychology, History and Philosophy.
Swarup is best known as the author of “Q&A”, a debut novel that was a runaway success and an international bestseller that was translated into 43 languages. It was subsequently made into the Hollywood film “Slumdog Millionnaire”. The film was released in January 2009 and won eight of the ten Oscars it was nominated for, the largest number of Oscars won by any film since The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King which won 11 Oscars in 2004.
Swarup’s subsequent novels “Six Suspects” and “The Accidental Apprentice” also proved to be runaway hits.