Indian American Muslim group demands denouncement
of communal ideology or resignation from GHMC Mayor

Indian American Muslim group demands denouncement of communal
ideology or resignation from GHMC Mayor

Washington D.C.,
March 19, 2010

Indian Muslim Council-USA (IMC-USA: http://www.imc-usa.org ) an advocacy
group dedicated towards safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant
ethos, has communicated to the Mayor of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal
Corporation, Banda Karthika Reddy, that she publically denounce
communally motivated ideologies of organizations such as the VHP or
resign from the Mayoral post. IMC-USA has also communicated to the All
India Congress Committee President Madame Sonia Gandhi, Chief Minister
of Andhra Pradesh K Rosaiah, and Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee
President D. Srinivas that they take immediate disciplinary action
against B. Karthika Reddy seeking profound clarification on her
participation in the three day meeting of the All-India Dharma Prachara
Samiti of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) at Gujarati Seva Samaj Bhavan
on March 13th.

Mayor B. Karthika Reddy was present on the
stage with VHP International Secretary- Praveen Togadia at the women’s
session organized on Saturday where Togadia attacked Islam as a religion
that teaches Jihad. It should be noted that Praveen Togadia recently
made communally fueled comments stating that, "India should be declared a
‘Hindu Nation.’"

According to reports, the meeting
discussed programs to create public awareness and launch an agitation
over the temple issue in Ayodhya. Also during the three day event, VHP
International secretary Dineshji attacked the UPA Government at the
Center, led by the the Congress, and called upon state units of the VHP
to be prepared for another battle on "Ram Janmabhoomi." In addition,
Mayor B. Karthika Reddy reportedly remarked that `Hindustan Hindu Desh
Hai’ (India is a Hindu country) and hailed VHP as a disciplined
organization which respects all religions.

The GHMC is an
urban planning agency that oversees Hyderabad, the capital and largest
city in Andhra Pradesh. Muslims constitute about 40% of the population,
making Hyderabad’s Muslim community the largest in Andhra Pradesh. The
partaking of GHMC Mayor B. Karthika Reddy in a function which had such
open communal overtones is not a responsible action for a person in her
position and is unwarranted albeit it being a women’s related event.
Furthermore, her current apology is insufficient and is surprising that a
person in the post of Mayor, was neither of aware of Togadia’s
participation nor that such a large meeting was a VHP organized event.

The
Constitution of India guarantees Freedom of Expression in Article 19
but offers reasonable restrictions further clarified in clause 2 of
article 19 and sections 504 and 505 of the Indian Penal Code on
utterances deliberately tending to hurt the religious feelings of any
class in order to maintain public order. The All India Congress
Committee which prides itself to be the upholders of India’s pluralist
and secular culture is advised to take immediate disciplinary action
against B. Karthika Reddy calling for her public denouncement of
communal ideologies or resignation from the Mayoral post.

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

Contact Info:

Phone/fax: 1-800-839-7270
Email: media@imc-usa.org

Related Links:

3-day
VHP meet begins

MIM
seeks Mayor’s resignation

Hyderabad
Mayor earns MIM’s wrath

Pro-VHP
statement lands Mayor in trouble

Hyderabad
mayor Karthika Reddy apologizes to MIM party

Declare India
a Hindu nation, says Togadia

[Back
to Top]

Pressure on CM Modi to appear before SIT in Gulburg
riots case (Mar 20, 2010, Times of India)

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has not so far responded to the
summons issued by the Special Investigation team to appear before it on
Sunday in connection with the 2002 post-Godhra riots even as his office
remained tight-lipped over the matter. "There is no response from Modi
as yet," SIT chief R K Raghavan said.

A government official,
meanwhile, said, "Nobody knows what is in his (Modi’s) mind. It is very
difficult to read somebody’s thoughts. He is holding all the cards close
to his chest which he will reveal only at the right moment". Modi was
summoned to appear before the probe panel following allegations by Zakia
Jaffery, widow of former MP Ehsan Jaffery, killed in the Gulburg
Society riots.

The Supreme Court had on April 27 last year asked
the SIT to inquire into Zakia’s complaint where she alleged that Modi
and 62 others, including his cabinet colleagues, police officials and
senior bureaucrats aided and abetted the riots which left over 1,000
people dead. The former MP was killed along with 69 others by a mob at
Gulburg society in February 2002 following which Zakia lodged a
complaint on June 8, 2006.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5706352.cms

SEE
ALSO:

• Congress slams Modi for not appearing before riots panel (Mar 21,
  2010, Hindustan Times)
  http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print/521656.aspx
  
• Gulberg riot: Summoning of Modi relevant, says ex-CM (Mar
  19, 2010, Indian Express)
  http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/592911/
  
• SIT Will Find Out Truth Despite Modis Non-Cooperation:
  Pilot (Mar 21, 2010, Outlook)
  http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?677432
  
• Nalin Bhatt tells the truth (Mar 14, 2010, The Hindu)
  http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article244476.ece
  

[Back to Top]

Witness of Godhra carnage died 7 years before
incident (Mar 20, 2010, The Hindu)

The lawyers representing accused of Godhra train carnage have alleged
in the court that one of the witnesses who testified before
investigating officer then had died seven years before the 2002
incident. The fact came to light after the court issued summons to one
Malaji Odaji Marwadi, who had testified on recovery of weapons from some
of the accused in the case in 2002. The Special Investigation Team
(SIT) investigating the case tried to trace Marwadi, a resident of
Bambhroli village of Godhra taluka in Panchmahal district.

But
when SIT could not find him the prosecution filed a report before
designated Judge P.R. Patel hearing the case, stating that Marwadi could
not be traced and there was a possibility that he might have died
during the course of trail. However, defence lawyers Yusuf Charkha and
others obtained records from the Godhra Municipality and brought it to
the notice of the court that Marwadi had not died during the course of
trial.

"The municipality records showed that Marwadi, who was one
of the witnesses for recovery of weapons from accused had died in 1995,
seven years before the Godhra train burning incident and we have put
the records before the court," Mr. Charkha told PTI. Marwadi’s statement
was recorded by Deputy Superintendent of Police P.K.C. Bawa, a former
investigating officer in the case. Mr. Bawa is yet to testify before the
special court.

Fifty nine persons, mostly kar sevaks where
killed on February 27, 2002, when S6 coach of the Sabarmati Express was
burnt near Godhra railway station. Over 100 persons who have been
accused in the case are lodged in the Sabarmati Jail here. The trial in
the case had begun last year almost seven years after the incident only
after directions of the Supreme Court which had formed the SIT to
further investigate the case along with eight other post?Godhra riot
cases.

http://beta.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article260447.ece

SEE
ALSO:

• Gulberg: SIT summons BJP legislator (Mar 15, 2010, Indian Express)
  http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/590711/
• Gujarat
  riots probe in crisis as resignations pile up (Mar 14, 2010, Times of
  India)
  http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5681270.cms
• Pregnant
  Kausarbanu died of burns, says doctor (Mar 18, 2010, Indian Express)
  http://www.indianexpress.com/story-print/592299/
• Gujarat
  riots case: SC to hear plea recalling its order (Mar 15, 2010, Times of
  India)
  http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5686378.cms

[Back to
Top]

Bullets, impact of force caused death: autopsy
(Mar 19, 2010, Indian Express)

Two suspected Indian Mujahideen men killed in the Batla House
encounter in September 2008 died of gunshot wounds and also from the
impact of ‘blunt force’, their postmortem reports have revealed. Terror
suspects Mohammed Atif Amin and Mohammed Sajid died in an encounter at
the Batla House in Jamia Nagar on September 19, 2008, five days after
the serial blasts in the Capital. Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma of the
Delhi Police’s Special Cell, who led the encounter team, also died in
the shootout.

The postmortem reports, accessed from RTI activist
and Jamia Millia Islamia student Afroz Alam Sahil, show most injuries
were from gunshots while some were caused by force – either from an
object or from crashing on a surface. The reports say there were
multiple abrasions. "Amin’s report states he died due to shock and
hemorrhage as a result of multiple injuries," Afroz Alam Sahil told
Newsline. There were 21 injuries on Amin’s body, all sustained before
death. Sixteen were bullet wounds and five from forceful impacts or
abrasions. The report describes one as caused by "a blunt force impact
by object or surface

Related posts:

1. IMC-USA Weekly News Digest – February 22nd, 2010
2. IMC-USA Weekly News Digest – March 8th, 2010
3. IMC-USA Weekly News Digest – November 22nd, 2010
4. IMC-USA Weekly News Digest – March 15th, 2010
5. IMC-USA Weekly News Digest – March 1st, 2010