IMC-USA Weekly News Digest – December 7th, 2009

by iamcadmin on December 6, 2009

In this issue

Announcements

Communal Harmony

News Headlines

Opinions & Editorials

Announcements

Indian American Muslim group demands immediate civil and criminal action against all accused in the Liberhan Report

Washington D.C.,
December 6, 2009

Indian Muslim Council-USA (http://www.imc-usa.org/),
an advocacy group dedicated towards safeguarding India’s pluralist and
tolerant ethos, demands the Indian government to bring the criminals to
justice involved in the demolition of the 16th century Babri Mosque in
the city of Ayodhya in the State of Uttar Pradesh, India as identified
in the Report of the Liberhan Ayodhya Commission of Inquiry that was
released recently.

Indian Muslim Council-USA further demands that the Indian government
honor the promise given by the former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao to
re-build the mosque on its original site.

On December 6th, 1992 defying the orders of the Supreme Court of
India and their own promise to the nation, the Hindutva fascist forces
demolished the historic Babri Mosque in northern Indian state of Uttar
Pradesh. This 16th century Muslim place of worship was destroyed by a
frenzied mob of kar-sevaks in spite of assurances from the Hindutva
Leaders and the State Administration officials that only symbolic
prayers will be performed and that the structure of the Babri Mosque
will be safe.

The Liberhan Commission appointed by the
Indian government to investigate the destruction of the Babri Mosque
submitted the report earlier this year that took more than 16 years of
proceedings and recording statements of politicians, bureaucrats and
police officials. Led by Indian Supreme Court Judge M S Liberhan the
commission key identified individuals and organizations who played a
direct role in planning what the commission termed as a "joint common
enterprise" that lead to the destruction of the Babri Mosque.

"The Liberhan report is another testimony to the sad state of
communal affairs in India and a clear verdict on deep seated resistance
towards speaking the truth" said Rasheed Ahmed National President of
IMC-USA. Ahmed further stated that "It took 17 years to document the
two obvious facts, first that the demolition of the Babri Masjid was a
premeditated criminal act by Hindutva leaders and second that BJP is
simply a means for RSS to impose fascist regime in India"

Liberhan Commission named 68 individuals as the leading planners and
participants directly or indirectly involved in the destruction of the
Babri Mosque. Most of the perpetrators listed in the Commission report
are associated with Hindutva-fascist groups such as the RSS, VHP and
Bajrang Dal, all of whom are closely allied with the political
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP, in alliance with several other
parties, was in power from 1998 to 2004. These religious extremist
groups garner significant support from Non-Resident Indians living in
the United States.

Dr. Hyder Khan, National Vice President
of IMC-USA said that "I am hopeful that current leadership in India
will take moral and bold decisions to check the criminalization of
politics through regional tribunals as proposed by the Liberhan
Commission and not allow the Hindutva extremist groups propagate
intolerant agenda and sectarianism"

After 17 years the Muslims of India who still feel aggrieved at the
criminal destruction of the mosque demand that Indian Government
immediately initiate criminal and civil action against all accused in
the Liberhan Report and that all politicians, individuals, and
organizations involved in the crime are prosecuted to the full extent
of the law.

Indian Muslim Council-USA is the largest advocacy organization of
Indian Muslims in the United States with 10 chapters across the nation.

Contact:
Dr. Hyder Khan
Tel: 1-800-839-7270
E-Mail: info@imc-usa.org

References::

Complete Liberhan Commission Report
http://imc-usa.org/reports/liberhan.comission.report.inquiring.destruction.babri.masjid.ayodhya.dec.6th.1992.htm

For History, Chronology of events including pictures and video related to Babri Masjid demolition
http://babrimasjid.info/

Babri Masjid demolition was planned: Liberhan
http://www.hindu.com/2009/11/25/stories/2009112558130100.htm

Kalyan govt executed demolition plan: Liberhan Commission
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5265687.cms

Searing indictment of RSS, BJP, but action to be taken: nothing
http://www.hindu.com/2009/11/25/stories/2009112560941000.htm

Liberhan Commission submits Babri Masjid demolition report to PM
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print.aspx?Id=adcbd5f4-88fd-4ced-b50b-83fbe32e1f37

Vajpayee, Advani brought India to brink of communal discord
http://www.centralchronicle.com/viewnews.asp?articleID=20190

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Communal Harmony

Hindu-Muslim march to promote peace on Babri demolition day (Dec 4, 2009, Indian Express)

Several Hindu and Muslim groups have decided to take out a march on
the 17th anniversary of demolition of Babri Masjid on December 6 to
promote peace and communal harmony, even as many political parties will
be observing the day as "dhikkar" and "kalank" diwas. "With a message
of peace and communal harmony we will start Karwan-e-Aman from Ayodhya
to Ajmer Shareef on December 6 to promote Hindu Muslim unity and
secularism in the country," national president of All India United
Muslim Morcha (AIUMM) M A Siddiqui said.

The march would be
taken out jointly by organisations like AIUMM, Asha Pariwar, an
organisation of Magsaysay awardee Sandeep Pandey, Ayodhya Ki Awaaz,
Vishwa Yuva Sadbhawana Parishad and Mumbai-based Centre for Study of
Society and Secularism, he said. "The basic objective behind organising
the march is to give a message to the people that this is the right
time to move ahead and think about bigger issues like development,"
Siddiqui said.

He said the march which will start from Ayodhya
on December 6 and would reach Lucknow the same day, where a social
harmony conference will be organised. "Later in the day a candle
procession will be taken out against communalism," he said. The march
will culminate at Ajmer Shareef on December 12, where an all religion
prayer will be organised. "At Ajmer Shareef, we will pray for peace and
unity in the country and offer ‘chadar’ at dargah," Siddiqui said.

The
newly formed front also demanded from the Centre to hold hearing on
Ayodhya issue on lines of fast track court. "An early decision should
be given on this issue and it should be complied by all the parties
involved," he said. Politics of religion and hatred should be put to an
end and this could be done by a decision of the court on the sensitive
Ayodhya dispute, he said.

"Raking up the issue only for
political gain is not justified as it poses a serious threat to unity
and harmony of the country. It should be put to an end," the AIUMM
president demanded. While Samajwadi Party had announced to observe
"Kala diwas", some Hindu organisations will be observing "Shaurya" on
December 6.

http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/549974/

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Communal harmony rules on Bakr-Eid (Nov 29, 2009, Times of India)

The occasion of Eid-ul-Zuha on Saturday brought with it message of
communal harmony with people from every community greeting Muslims
after the morning namaz in Shahjahani Masjid at the dargah of Khwaja
Garib Nawaz Chishti. A large crowd thronged the Dargah Bazaar with
people busy buying new clothes and gifts.

The Jannati Darwaza
in the dargah of Khwaja Garib Nawaz Chishti was opened for the devotees
for a day. Thousands of devotees queued up since early morning. "When
the people came out from the dargah, we greeted them. It was like we
were also a part of their celebrations," said Ramesh Patni, secretary
of Dhan Mandi of Dargah Bazaar Association.

"I got idi’ from my
grandfather and want to buy some ornaments for myself and my mother,"
said Shana Bano of Langar Khana Gali. The khadim community could be
seen greeting each other wearing white sherwanis and pyjamas. In the
Idgah of Sabzi Mandi social and political leaders greeted the Muslims.
"It is really a moment of joy when Muslims include us in their
festivals" said Daljeet Singh, a BJP leader.

The devotees
brought their goats for Qurbani’ (sacrifice. "I feel sad that my Gattu
(goat) will be sacrificed. I cared for him as my own son for several
months," said Sayra Begum of Anderkot. In the evening there was a feast
and people from different communities along with their Muslim friends
enjoyed the dinner. "The speciality of the day is that the meat
preparation is delicious and Ajmer has its own taste. Every year, I
wait for this day to have a special treat of non-veg," said Rajesh
Kumar, a businessman in Naya Bazaar.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5280457.cms

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News Headlines

Muslim leaders seek stern action (Dec 6, 2009, Indian Express)

Muslim leaders have demanded "stern action" against those named in
the Liberhan Commission report besides implementation of the report of
the Srikrishna Commission set up following the 1992-’93 riots in
Mumbai. "Stern action should be taken against those who have been named
by the Liberhan Commission," said Congress spokesperson and former
minister Husain Dalwai on the eve of the Babri demolition anniversary.

Attacking
senior BJP leaders named in the report for claiming that they were not
involved in the demolition, Dalwai alleged that the Ram Janmabhoomi
movement was organised to demolish the mosque. "It is necessary to
implement the Srikrishna Commission report," said Dalwai, adding that
police officers against whom strictures had been passed by the
commission had been promoted later. He said the issue needed to be
settled and the communal divide in the country needed to be bridged by
erecting a temple and a masjid at the site in Ayodhya.

Samajwadi
Party (SP) MLA Abu Asim Azmi termed the statements of the government
regarding the Liberhan and Srikrishna Commission reports as an "eye
wash" and said justice needed to delivered speedily. "What action has
been taken after it?" questioned Azmi, pointing to the report of the
commission set up under Justice Manmohan Singh Liberhan submitting its
report 17 years after it had been set up. He also sought that the
masjid be rebuilt at the same spot.

Accusing the government of
lacking "will power," Azmi, who was arrested for allegedly booking
tickets for people involved in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts that
occurred after the demolitions, but subsequently discharged by the apex
court, said the masterminds behind the demolition needed to be
punished. "Those who masterminded the demolition of the Babri Masjid
have not been punished," said Azmi, pointing out that such incidents
led to "outside forces" trying to brainwash youth from the minority
community that they would not get justice in the country.

Former
Congress minister Anis Ahmed too pointed out that the Liberhan report
had held BJP leaders responsible for the demolition, and called for
action against those indicted. "The guilty should be punished," he
said, ruing that people only got empty assurances in return.

http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/550555/

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Babri anniversary passes off peacefully amid tight security (Dec 6, 2009, Times of India)

The 17th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition on Sunday passed
off peacefully amid tight security with various groups demanding that
recommendations of the Liberhan Commission report be implemented while
others raised questions over the findings. Under directions from the
Union home ministry, Uttar Pradesh and other state governments beefed
up security and Ayodhya-Faizabad area was converted into a virtual
fortress.

While the VHP observed the day as "Shourya Diwas
(valour day)", Samajwadi Party marked it as "Kala Diwas (black day)".
All India Babri Masjid Action Committee held special prayers for peace
and harmony. In Ayodhya, Central forces along with 500 personnel of
PAC, 200 jawans of Rapid Action Force, bomb detection squads and
anti-sabotage teams were deployed. CCTV cameras were in operation at
the disputed site with the authorities banning public gatherings and
security forces keeping a close vigil on the Saryu river in Ayodhya,
officials said.

There was no untoward incident in Ayodhya, they
said. The authorities were extra careful this time as the atmosphere
has become surcharged with the Liberhan report indicting senior BJP
leaders including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L K Advani and Murli Manohar
Joshi in connection with the demolition. The report, tabled in
Parliament, however, exonerated then Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao.

The
report was in focus at various functions and demonstrations held in
Delhi, with All India Babri Masjid Rebuilding Committee (AIBMRC) and
the Popular Front of India, a confederation of Muslim groups, demanding
legal action against those indicted by the commission and scrapping of
the recognition of BJP by the EC.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5307921.cms

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Two-year jail for 6 in Bhagalpur riots case (Dec 2, 2009, The Hindu)

A court in Bihar sentenced six persons accused in a case of murder
during the 1989 communal riots in Bhagalpur to two years’ rigorous
imprisonment after convicting them of involvement in the crime, court
sources said Tuesday.

Bhagalpur Additional District and Sessions
judge Anil Kumar Pandey acquitted the six of charges of murdering a
Muslim man during the riots but found them guilty of involvement in the
crime.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/12/02/stories/2009120258690300.htm

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Goa bombers had 3 successful dry runs, botched up actual strike (Dec 6, 2009, Indian Express)

Less than two months before they allegedly set out to explode bombs
at Diwali celebrations in Goa on October 16, the Sanatan Sanstha
members – who were killed when one of the bombs went off prematurely -
and their accomplices are believed to have conducted at least three
successful trial runs in Goa and Maharashtra. Goa Police have disclosed
this in their application to a local court opposing the bail plea of
Dilip Mangaonkar, the fourth man in their custody in connection with
the blast. Mangaonkar has been named as a conspirator and is alleged to
have been present during the trial runs.

The application says
that two trials were held on August 25 and 26 on a hillock in Talaulim
in Ponda taluka in South Goa where Mangaonkar was present. "There were
eight people during the trial run including Malgounda Patil and Yogesh
Naik, who died in the Margao blast," a senior police officer said.
"Engineering student Dhananjay Ashtekar and Vinay Talekar, who planted
the bomb in a truck in Sancaole, was also present." A third trial was
conducted a month later in Malgounda’s home district of Sangli in
Western Maharashtra, investigators said. "The trial was conducted in a
forest area in Sangli district near the Maharashtra-Karnataka border.
Ashtekar was present here as well," the officer said.

Malgounda
Patil and Yogesh Naik, members of extremist Hindu outfit Sanatan
Sanstha, were killed when a bomb they were alleged to be carrying to
plant in Margao went off prematurely. While two unexploded bombs were
found from near the site of the blast in Margao, one more was found and
defused at a Diwali event in Sancaole town, 20 km from Margao.
Malgounda Patil died within hours of the blast and Yogesh Naik
succumbed to his injuries days later. Goa police subsequently arrested
28-year-old Vinay Talekar, who had an MBA in Human Resources and was
working with a local five-star hotel, and an accomplice Vinayak Patil.
Further investigations also led to the arrest of Dhananjay Ashtekar,
who was studying engineering in Kolhapur, and Dilip Mangaonkar. While
Talekar and Vinayak Patil have been accused of planting the Sancaole
bomb, Ashtekar is suspected of helping assemble the explosives.

Investigators
said that Ashtekar is believed to have come into contact with Malgounda
in June when he came to Goa with some friends and went to the Sanatan
headquarters in Ramnathi in Ponda taluka as he was a Sanatan member.
They said Ashtekar helped Sanatan in some web designing work during his
stay at the ashram and came under the influence of Malgounda, who is
accused of being the brain behind the conspiracy. Prithviraj Hajare,
the editor of Sanatan Prabhat, the outfit’s mouthpiece, said he was
unaware of Ashtekar’s visit to Ramnathi or his involvement in the
alleged conspiracy. Sanatan has said that it had nothing to do with the
bomb blast and would co-operate in the probe.

http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/550536/

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Pay up or lose your property, HC tells Shiv Sena vandals (Dec 1, 2009, Indian Express)

The Bombay High Court, hearing a petition of Shiv Sena leader
Sitaram Dalvi expressing inability to pay the compensation for damage
caused to Hotel Intercontinental when a group of men he had led turned
violent in January, on Monday observed that the amount could be
realised by attaching Sena property.

Dalvi, who had led a
morcha of Bharatiya Kamgar Sena (BKS) men to the hotel at Sahar in
protest against sacking of some employees, had said that he had no
money to pay. Under the amended Bombay Police Act, the collector had
earlier issued a showcause notice in March and a subsequent notice on
October 10 asking Dalvi to pay the amount within 15 days.

Division
Bench of Justice J N Patel and Justice Amjad Sayed observed that Dalvi
could pay the amount, Rs 7.8 lakh from the BKS fund. "You should know
who you are leading in a morcha. You will be responsible for whatever
these people commit," Justice Patel said. The court said Dalvi could
have settled the workers’ issue by due process of the law. "You don’t
believe in law and take law into your hands," Justice Patel said,
adding, "We can ask the collector to attach Shiv Sena’s property." The
court said the amount has to be paid.

Dalvi’s lawyer had said
he had already paid Rs 2 lakh but was finding it difficult to pay the
remaining sum. When Dalvi’s lawyer said there were 41 others against
whom an FIR was filed following the morcha on January 21, the court
observed that Dalvi could ask them to share the amount, as it was a
case of common intent. Today it’s Shiv Sena, tomorrow it might be the
Congress or the NCP or some other new Sena, the court observed.

Additional
Public Prosecutor F R Shaikh had opposed the petition stating no relief
can be granted in terms of compensation. The hotel doors, lobby and the
kitchen were damaged. Sahar police had filed an FIR for unlawful
assembly, forcibly entering the hotel and threatening workers who
wanted to resume duty. "He will have to reply if they can pay the
amount. The court will hear the case on January 11," Shaikh said.

http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/548186/

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BJP hooligans run riot in Kolkata (Dec 1, 2009, Times of India)

Saffron hoodlums ran riot in the city on Monday, burning buses,
smashing car windscreens and attacking IT offices in Rajarhat to
enforce a 12-hour BJP bandh that no one took seriously. The vandalism
in parts of central and north Kolkata and Howrah and on VIP Road went
unchecked as the administration looked on.

The saffron brigade
had its plan well laid out. They started early to spread panic and to
ensure that people stayed at home. Shortly after 6 am, two government
buses were set ablaze – one at Kankurgachhi and the other outside
Howrah station. Elsewhere in the city, a number of state buses were
damaged. The arterial VIP Road was blocked, affecting traffic to and
from the airport.

The next target was the IT hub of Salt Lake’s
Sector V and Rajarhat. Armed with lathis and iron rods, bandh
supporters banged on the gates of IT complexes, smashed glass doors and
asked techies to go home. Not a single policeman could be spotted
anywhere.

While Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee
claimed that the state administration had "aided" the bandh supporters,
many said that they had seen dissident Trinamool and Congress workers
carry BJP flags and disrupt the flow of traffic at various places. Some
claimed to have seen CPM workers as well.

State BJP president
Rahul Sinha denied these allegations. "All the bandh supporters were
BJP workers. Nearly 3,000 of them were arrested. There have been some
excesses, particularly in places like Sector V. We are looking into the
matter. Action will be taken against those who got involved in
violence," Sinha said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5286426.cms

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Hiroshima-like memorial planned for Bhopal tragedy victims (Dec 1, 2009, Rediff)

The premises of the defunct Union Carbide factory will be opened for
the public from January, 25 years after the gas leak from it killed and
maimed thousands of people, a senior minister said on Tuesday. "The
Union Carbide factory premises will be thrown open for the public in
January. The date of opening has not been finalised yet. The state also
has plans to build a Hiroshima-like memorial there depicting the
detailed account of the disaster," Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and
Rehabilitation Minister Babulal Gaur said.

However, he added that
people will not be allowed to enter the factory unit which once
manufactured pesticides, adding that the visitors would be able to see
it from a distance. "The Madhya Pradesh high court gave permission to
open the factory premises last week, but given the code of conduct in
place for the forthcoming civic elections, we have decided to open it
from January," said Gaur.

The state has plans to construct a
boundary wall around the factory to keep off encroachers, he added.
Gaur, a former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, said the state government
has sought Rs 116 crore from the Centre to build a memorial for the
victims in the factory premises, spread over an area of 67 acres. He
said that the state wants to build a memorial of international
standards, akin to the one in Hiroshima in Japan depicting the detailed
account of one of the worst industrial disasters in history.

http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/dec/01/hiroshima-like-memorial-planned-for-bhopal-tragedy-victims.htm

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Telangana protest hits Hyderabad (Dec 6, 2009, Times of India)

The 48-hour shutdown called by the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS)
demanding a separate state of Telangana in Andhra Pradesh crippled
normal life in Hyderabad and nine other districts of the region Sunday
as party chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao’s fast-unto-death entered the
eighth day. Tension prevailed in the region as policemen were deployed
in huge numbers to prevent violence during the shut down, which began
Saturday midnight. Thousands of passengers were stranded as the Andhra
Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) suspended all bus
services within the region and services to other regions passing
through Telangana.

Shops, business establishments, cinema
theatres and petrol bunks remained closed in Hyderabad and other parts
of Telangana, causing severe inconvenience to the public. Motorists had
a harrowing time as several petrol bunks downed shutters even before
the shutdown began while hundreds of vehicles were lined up at some
bunks till midnight here. There was a scramble at ATMs as people rushed
to withdraw money before the shutdown. The ATMs of several banks ran
out of cash. In Hyderabad and elsewhere life came to a complete halt as
the day is also being observed as "black day" and Muslim organisations
have given a call for a shutdown to mark the anniversary of the
demolition of Babri Masjid. Police have banned the assembly of five or
more people in the state capital. The Telangana shutdown is the second
called by TRS since the arrest of Chandrasekhara Rao a week ago.

The
day-long shutdown on Monday last had paralysed life in the region and
was marred by sporadic incidents of violence. With protesters targeting
public and private property over the last few days, police have gone on
high alert to prevent violence during the shutdown. TRS workers
Saturday went on the rampage here attacking shops and buses near
Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), where KCR, as TRS
president is popularly known, is continuing his fast-unto-death. With
rumours that KCR slipped into coma triggering Saturday’s violence, NIMS
authorities were briefing the media about KCR’s condition regularly.
They said early Sunday that KCR was in the intensive care unit but was
out of danger. KCR, who is in judicial custody, continued his fast for
the eighth day Sunday. Rejecting Chief Minister K. Rosaiah’s fresh
appeal to call off the fast, the TRS chief said he would not break the
fast unless the government gives categorical assurance on carving out a
separate state.

A group of ministers belonging to Telangana
region Sunday called on KCR at NIMS. He, however, refused to talk to
them saying he would speak to only those who can take a decision on the
issue. With TRS cadres and students mounting pressure on public
representatives of the Congress party by laying siege to their houses,
the central leadership of the party is also coming under pressure to
take a clear stand on Telangana. KCR was arrested on Nov 29 by the
police near Karimnagar town when he was heading to Siddipet town in
Medak district for launching fast unto death. He was taken to Khammam
town, where a court sent him to jail for 14 days. The TRS chief
launched the fast in jail and was shifted to a government-run hospital
in the town the next day. He, however, broke the fast the same day
after three people committed suicide protesting his arrest. Angry
reaction by the sympathisers of Telangana movement forced KCR to resume
the fast on Tuesday. He was shifted to Hyderabad early Thursday.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5307169.cms

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Madhu Koda arrested in Rs 2,000-cr scam (Nov 30, 2009, Rediff)

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda was on Monday arrested by
the state Vigilance Commission, nearly two months after a case was
registered against him in a multi-crore hawala scam. "We have reached
at a stage when his arrest was necessary. We had taken the arrest
warrant from the competent court," said Inspector General of Police,
Vigilance, M V Rao. Thirty-eight-year-old Koda, who is being jointly
investigated by the vigilance commission, Income Tax department and
Enforcement Directorate, was arrested from the Chaibasa district of the
state. Koda had repeatedly avoided appearing before the Enforcement
Directorate and the state vigilance commission in connection with the
disproportionate asset and the Prevention of Money Laundering case
against him and his close associates.

Sources in the ED said
the Directorate would also join the questioning of the former CM.
During raids on his premises, the IT department had claimed to has
found evidence of hawala transactions and illegal investments running
into more than Rs 2,000 crore. The Enforcement Directorate had
registered a case against him on October 10. On October 9, the ED had
charged Koda and his former Cabinet colleagues under the Prevention of
Money Laundering Act for allegedly amassing assets worth several
hundred crores. Koda, an independent member of Lok Sabha and a UPA
supporter, has been charged with having business interests of diverse
kinds including in cement, steel, auto, power, agriculture and tourism.
Apparently, the former Jharkhand chief minister had put his net assets
at nearly Rs one crore at the time of the Lok Sabha polls. In 2005,
Koda had movable assets worth Rs 13 lakh, and by 2009, they rose to
over Rs 94 lakh. His immovable assets also doubled to over Rs four lakh
during this period.

These disclosures were made by Koda himself
- first in the affidavit he filed with the Election Commission at the
time of contesting the assembly elections in 2005 and then earlier this
year when he fought the Lok Sabha polls. Koda won on both the occasions
- from Jagannathpur in 2005 and Singhbhum this year as an Independent
candidate. According to the affidavits, his cash holding of about Rs
30,000 in 2005 also rose to Rs 13.6 lakh in 2009. He also purchased
shares in blue chip companies like Tata Steel, Reliance Petroleum and
SBI, the EC website says. Koda, who earlier this month said he was a
"poor tribal", has total assets worth over Rs 98 lakh, as per his
disclosure with the Election Commission. The assets include bank
deposits, bonds, shares, other savings, two cars (Bolero and Indigo),
jewellery and land. He disclosed his bank deposits with three branches
of SBI and one branch each of Allahabad Bank and Bank of India in
Jharkhand.

The companies where he owns shares included
Allahabad Bank, Reliance Petroleum (which has now been merged with
Reliance Industries), SBI and Tata Steel. In comparison, he had
disclosed shareholding in only one concern – Allahabad Bank in 2005.
Most of these assets are in Koda’s name, while some of the cash
deposits, jewellery and land, are in the names of his wife Geeta and
daughter Darshani Nagi. Koda, who rose from a labourer in iron-ore
mines to the chief minister’s chair, is now being quizzed for allegedly
being part of a massive corruption scandal. It is also alleged that
some companies in which Koda and his eight associates had invested the
money were actually a front for Naxal groups.

http://news.rediff.com/report/2009/nov/30/madhu-koda-arrested-in-rs-2000-cr-scam.htm

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Govt rejects SC collegiums move to elevate Dinakaran (Dec 5, 2009, Deccan Herald)

Ending weeks of uncertainty, the Central government has rejected the
Supreme Court collegium’s move to elevate Karnataka High Court Chief
Justice P D Dinakaran as a judge of the apex court in the wake of
allegations of land grabbing against him and his family. Sources in the
Law Ministry said that the file recommending the elevation has been
returned to the Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan with a request
to the collegium to reconsider the decision.

Balakrishnan had
written to the Law Ministry seeking delinking of the name of Dinakaran
from a list of High Court Chief Justices, recommended for elevation to
Supreme Court. Sources claim that the Law Ministry’s decision to return
the file came after it found that various probes including those
conducted by the Intelligence Bureau and District Collector of
Tiruvallur were enough to deny Dinakaran elevation to the Supreme
Court. Government felt that there was no need for any more probe into
the issue as requested by the Chief Justice.

A report by Survey
of India is yet to be forwarded to the SC Collegium, the sources said.
Dinakaran is facing allegations of land grabbing in Kaverirajapuram in
Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu, a charge denied by him. Law Minister
Veerappa Moily, when contacted for his comments on the development,
said, "I would not like to comment on an issue which deals with the
appointment of judges to the higher judiciary. It is not appropriate
(to say anything).

The Law Ministry sent its report to Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh, who is understood to have agreed with its
perception and wanted the collegium to reconsider its recommendation.
In August this year, the collegium had recommended the name of
Dinakaran along with Chief Justices of four other High Courts. While
Dinakaran’s name was kept on hold while four others were elevated to
the Supreme Court recently. It is learnt that the Prime Minister’s
Office had also referred to the Law Ministry the media campaign on the
issue.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/39590/govt-rejects-sc-collegiums-move.html

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Opinions and Editorials

The Big Babri Sham – By Saba Naqvi (Nov 30, 2009, Outlook)

The entire Liberhan issue is about scoring political points and
certainly not about holding any one accountable. Just glance at the ATR
accompanying the report and it’s clear that the good justice appears to
have decided to give the nation a sermon on secular values that is
really so much hogwash. We can all read the constitution of India to
reaffirm secular values. Liberhans indulges in the sort of ramblings
about secularism and generalities about Hindus and Muslims that one may
expect from the ageing neighbourhood bore who wants to hold forth on
the state of the nation.

This report will never have too much
credibility for far too many reasons. First the extra-ordinary long
time M.S. Liberhans took at public expense will always taint the
credibility of the report. There are glaring procedural lapses such as
the failure to question individuals like Atal Behari Vajpayee and K.N.
Govindacharya, who was then the RSS point-man in the BJP and is also
mentioned in the list of 68 accused. Surely the judge can’t claim he
was pressed for time? What is also damning in my view is that when he
did finally submit the report at a time when the Congress is clearly on
the ascendant, Liberhan gave a clean chit to former prime minister
Narasimha Rao and failed to even mention the Congress leadership that
ordered the opening of the locks at the Babri shrine.

The
politics that will be played with the Babri issue is also now fairly
obvious. The Congress clearly hopes to extract mileage from the report
in its bid to win back Muslim votes in Uttar Pradesh, a project that is
meeting with some success. Party sources say that at a more "opportune
time" (closer to elections in UP) it is very possible that some sort of
gesture will be made towards the Muslim community – perhaps
supplementary charges against BJP/VHP/RSS leaders, the cases speeded up
or even a special court set up. A Congress MP from UP told me last
week: "it was important for us that the Congress leadership be cleared
and we can only take advantage of the report now that the BJP is on the
backfoot."

The party of the gods can shout Jai Shri Ram, but the
Babri matter is now most certainly a dead weight around its neck. All
the MPs and strategists actually engaged in the business of winning
elections know there are no votes to be gained from issues like
Ayodhya. Indeed, the young voter is quite repulsed by the sort of
identity issues the party is perennially trapped in. Yet winning
elections is not the sole compulsion that drives BJP leaders; they must
also please the RSS masters at Nagpur and continue to pay lip service
to Hindutva. They are currently in a most unenviable position. Veterans
like L.K. Advani will continue to tie themselves in knots on the issue
as he will pledge commitment to a Ram temple one day and the next day
speak of "the saddest day

Related posts:

  1. IMC-USA Weekly News Digest – December 21st, 2009
  2. IMC-USA Weekly News Digest – December 28th, 2009
  3. IMC-USA Weekly News Digest – December 14th, 2009
  4. IAMC Weekly News Digest – December 6th, 2010
  5. IAMC Weekly News Digest – December 20th, 2010

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