IMC-USA Weekly News Digest – April 19th, 2010

by iamcadmin on April 18, 2010

In this issue

News Headlines

Opinions & Editorials

Book Review

News Headlines

German team expresses concern over human rights in
state (Apr 9, 2010, Indian Express)

Expressing serious concern over ‘alienation’ of minorities in the
state, an unofficial delegation of parliamentarians from ruling and
opposition parties of Germany said on Thursday that their country wanted
to have good relations with India and Gujarat but not at the cost of
human rights. The delegation comprised Ute Granold, MP of the ruling
Christian Democrat Union; Pascal Kober, MP of the opposition Free
Democrat Party; Jan Bittner, chairman of the CDU parliamentary group;
and Otmar Oehring, director of MISSO, a human rights NGO.

Addressing
a select group of mediapersons here, the delegation members said that
Chief Minister Narendra Modi could not be allowed in any of the member
countries of the European Union declaring him as persona non grata. “The
position with regard to Modi cannot be changed as of now because too
many things happened in 2002. Many questions are being asked about his
role in the riots. Eight years have passed and a probe about his role is
in progress and hence Modi can’t be allowed in the European Union
countries, including Germany. It is unacceptable,” said a delegation
member.

The delegation will submit its report to the German
parliamentary committee on human rights situation in Orissa and Gujarat.
The delegation members said it was the duty of the parliament and
assemblies to try to improve relations between religious groups but
several groups have reported that this was not happening in Gujarat.
Regarding German investment in Gujarat, a member said: “Gujarat seems to
be doing quite well economically but our understanding is that economic
development cannot be at the cost of human rights.” The two things,
they said, should go together and not in isolation. According to the
delegation, developments in the state pertaining to human rights issues
could have a bearing on future relations between Germany and India.

http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/602233/

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Gujarat CM behind Lalit Modis anti-Kochi drive
(Apr 15, 2010, Indian Express)

The controversy surrounding IPL Kochi franchise took yet another
political turn on Thursday as Lalit Modi was accused of working under
the pressure of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for taking away the
bid to Ahmedabad. Shashi Tharoor, the man at the centre of the
controversy facing allegations of securing sweat equity for his friend
Sunanda Pushkar from the Kochi team owners, expressed his readiness to
make a statement in Parliament after a second meeting in two days with
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Kochi franchise spokesman
Satyajit Gaikwad today brought Narendra Modi in the line of fire, saying
the whole world knew about his nexus with Lalit Modi and he put
pressure on the IPL Commissioner to bring a team to Ahmedabad. “We were
told that we won’t be allowed to work. The Adani group and Narendra Modi
had a stake in the Ahmedabad IPL bid. After we won the bid, our
investors spoke to (former BCCI chief) Sharad Pawar and asked him which
city to choose. He said ‘you can take your pick’, so we decided to take
Kochi,” the franchise’ Gaekwad told reporters here. “The inaugural IPL
bidding happened when Vasundhra Raje Scindia was Rajasthan’s Chief
minister. Vasundhra and Narendra Modi may have put pressure on Lalit
(Modi) to bring a team to Ahmedabad. There is politics involved,” he
added.

The Gujarat government rebutted the allegations, saying
they were baseless and Chief Minister Modi had nothing to do with the
controversy. State Home Minister Amit Shah told reporters that some
promoters had met the Chief Minister but that meeting does not decide
the bidding process where the highest quote becomes successful. Gujarat
will welcome any team for holding matchesin the state, he said. But
Gaikwad was supported in his attack on Modi by former Gujarat Cricket
Association chief Narhari Amin who said both the Modis were pushing for
Ahmedabad. Gaikwad also demanded that Lalit Modi disclose the ownership
details of all the IPL teams now that he has revealed the details of the
Kochi team. “I ask the government to reveal the ownership details of
other IPL teams under the corporate law. Government should investigate.
We are clean and we have nothing to hide”, he said.

Meanwhile,
Tharoor had a second meeting with Mukherjee and Defence Minister A K
Antony in Parliament House. Asked whether he will be making any
statement in Parliament on the issue, Tharoor said that nobody has so
far directed him to do so. At the same time, he indicated that he is
open to it. He, however steered clear of questions on whether the
meeting was to finalise the draft of the statement he may make as also
if he is meeting Congress President Sonia Gandhi or if he has sought any
appointment from her in this regard.

Tharoor, who was closeted
in a meeting with the two leaders for close to 30 minutes today, had
also met them last night. The two leaders had met Gandhi yesterday.
Opposition parties have demanded Tharoor’s resignation in the wake of
the controversy. CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat said that government should
investigate the matter and the minister should step down immediately.
Tharoor strongly denied allegations that he had misused his office for
any personal gains or for securing any gains to his friend Pushkar.
Commenting on the controversy, Sports Minister M S Gill said “it is just
not cricket”. “Accountability should be there. Democracy applies
everywhere. Democracy is like a sunflower which seeks sunshine.
Therefore all institutions should work accordingly,” he said.

http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/606833/

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Gujarat governor returns Narendra Modis mandatory
voting bill (Apr 17, 2010, Hindustan Times)

In a setback to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, state Governor
Kamla has returned a bill seeking to make voting mandatory in the state
on the ground that the legislation violates the Constitution and
objecting to punishment clause for those choosing not to vote. The bill
was passed by Gujarat assembly in December 2009.

Gujarat Assembly
Speaker Ashok Bhatt said the bill has been returned by the Governor a
few days back. Sources in the state Assembly secretariat said the
Governor has raised two main objections while returning the bill. “The
main objection cited by the Governor is that the bill violates
constitutional provision which does not allow voting to be made
mandatory and that no punishment can be meted out for not participating
in the exercise of voting,” a senior official in the Assembly
secretariat said.

Moreover, the Governor also noted that the
mandatory voting bill be separated from the bill seeking 50 per cent
reservation for women in local bodies election. The Gujarat government
had clubbed together the two bills putting opposition Congress in a
dilemma as it had favoured the reservation for women bill but was
opposed to the mandatory voting bill.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print/532627.aspx

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Sohrab case: CBI may quiz ex-Gujarat minister (Apr
12, 2010, Times of India)

CBI may soon record the statement of a former Gujarat minister and a
senior BJP leader in connection with the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake
encounter case. CBI sleuths had recently grilled a Porbandar-based fish
wholesaler. This was in connection with a Toyota Quallis car used by
officials of the Anti-Terrorist Squad of Gujarat to go to Hyderabad in
2005 to abduct Sohrabuddin and his wife, Kauserbi. Ironically, CID
(crime) officials who earlier investigated the case had recorded the
statement of this man. But, the CID sleuths had failed to make much
headway in the case.

Recently, the Supreme Court made scathing
criticism of the CID’s investigation in this matter and asked CBI to
take over the probe. CBI officials recently nabbed the Porbandar fish
trader and recorded his statement. “The fish wholesaler says that though
the SUV belongs to him, in 2005 it was being used by a former minister
and senior BJP leader. The vehicle, he claimed, was almost always
stationed in Gandhinagar,” said CBI officials. “Now we will have to
question the former minister in this connection,” said CBI sources.

CBI
recorded another important statement in connection with a mystery that
still shrouds a particular aspect of this case – the pistol that was
found with Sohrabuddin after he was gunned down by Rajasthan and Gujarat
police in 2005. CBI officials had summoned a police informer and
once-accomplice of Sohrabuddin in this connection. But, the summons did
not get a reply. “Last week, we got a tip-off that the man would be
there to attend a hearing in sessions court at Bhadra. We picked him up
from outside the court premises and have questioned him over a period of
three days. He has revealed some key information in connection with the
case,” said CBI officials.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5785551.cms

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Goa bomb blast: NIA quizzes Sanatan Sanstha chief
(Apr 11, 2010, Times of India)

Almost six months after the Goa bomb blast, National Investigation
Agency (NIA) questioned the chief of the right-wing group linked to the
explosion in which two persons were killed, and also raided his ashram.
Jayant Athavale, chief of Sanatan Sanstha, was quizzed yesterday by
sleuths of the Central agency at his residence in Ramnathi Ashram, 30km
from here. “A NIA team quizzed Sanatan Sanstha’s founder Dr Jayant
Athavale in his residential quarter,” Sanatan Prabhat, the outfit’s
mouthpiece, said.

NIA officials were not available for comment.
Sources said the NIA team was accompanied by Dhananjay Ashtekar, one of
the four accused arrested in the case. Sanstha’s Managing Trustee
Virendra Marathe was also quizzed. The agency personnel also raided the
ashram and seized a few items, including CDs. The ashram’s server was
checked by computer experts, who accompanied the team during the raid on
Saturday, they said.

The Sanstha came under police scanner after
the blast in Margao on October 16, 2009. Investigations led to the
arrest of four persons, all owing allegiance to the outfit. Police had
claimed to have dug out a conspiracy to execute serial bomb blasts in
the state. The investigation was handed over to NIA as the conspiracy
was spread across two other states – Maharashtra and Karnataka. The
outfit has denied any role in the blast.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5785061.cms

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As Rammohan begins probe, Naxals fire at security
guards (Apr 18, 2010, The Hindu)

Naxals dressed in a CRPF uniform fired at the security guards of the
former BSF Director-General, E.N. Rammohan, who started his probe into
the April 6 massacre of 76 personnel by Maoists in Dantewada district.

“As
they were securing the area, there was a gunfight with Maoists at a
distance from a spot which Mr. Rammohan was supposed to visit,”
Superintendent of Police Amresh Mishra told PTI.

Official sources
said the Naxals first fired a few random shots at the personnel posted
for the security of Mr. Rammohan at Chintalnar. No one was injured.

http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/18/stories/2010041863651200.htm

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Ruckus at Christian meet: 22 Bajrang men held, BJP
men booked (Apr 16, 2010, Times of India)

Nearly 22 Bajrang Dal workers were arrested when they were prevented
by police from entering into a meeting of Christian Community (Changai
Sabha) following which they created ruckus. The incident occurred last
night when police prevented Bajrang Dal workers from entering a meeting
of the Chirstian community (Changai Sabha) at local Mulna Stadium
following which they created ruckus, police said today.

Police
used mild force to prevent them from entering into the stadium and later
arrested 22 Bajrang Dal workers from the spot for disrupting peace,
police said. Later, police also cane-charged BJP workers along with few
saffron outfit men who entered the nearby BJP office during the ruckus
following which they also have a clash with police and pelted stones at
the force.

Meanwhile, taking the incident seriously, BJP workers,
led by party MP, K D Deshmukh and MLA, Ramesh Bhatere, staged a sit-in
at the police station in protest against the police action. The party
workers also indulged in violence at many places in the city including
at the railway station following which police registered a case against
23 identified and 50 unidentified persons.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5821671.cms

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Muslim groups allege torture of blasts accused
(Apr 11, 2010, The Hindu)

Muslim groups in Rajasthan have alleged that over a dozen persons
accused of carrying out and conspiring in the May 2008 serial blasts in
Jaipur were being kept at the Central Jail here without basic amenities
in violation of the Jail Manual and forced to make fresh confession
despite the completion of investigation. A five-member delegation of
Muslim groups met Jail Superintendent Otta Ram Rohin here earlier this
week to register their protest against the treatment being meted out to
the inmates even though their alleged role in the blasts is yet to be
established and the trial in the main case is yet to start.

One of
the accused has complained that the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS)
officials, being given access to the inmates in the jail, are compelling
them to put signatures on plain papers. The ATS has already filed
charge-sheets against all the accused in the court.

The delegation
members, representing the Jamat-e-Islami Hind and the Association for
Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), pointed out that confining the
accused in small and inadequately ventilated cells without electric fan
in the present hot climate amounted to their

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