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Jan 17th, 2011 - 07:39:23 |
Shoaib Khan
Seer ‘confession’ reveals Hindu terror hand
New Delhi, Jan 7, DHNS:
Deccan Herald, 11 January, 2011.
A string of terror blasts in Malegaon, Ajmer, Hyderabad and on the Samjhauta Express in Haryana over the last few years were engineered by members belonging to a radical Hindu fringe, a so-called confession by an RSS leader before a magistrate has revealed.
The statement of the RSS leader, Swami Aseemananda alias Naba Kumar Sarkar, made in the course of investigations by the CBI and the National Investigating Agency (NIA), has raised the possibility of another source of terrorism the country, involving Hindu extremists.
Reacting to the alleged revelations, the Congress on Friday demanded strong action against the RSS, with party spokesman Shakeel Ahmed saying: “We want the UPA to act strongly against orgnisations whose activists are taking part in terror acts and anti-national activities”.
On its part, the RSS damned the CBI for selectively leaking Aseemananda’s putative confession. “This deliberate leaking of document confirms further the alleged interest of agencies is not to probe cases but malign the reputation of organisations and individuals,” RSS National Executive member Ram Madhav said. Accusing the CBI of proving itself as the “Congress Bureau of Investigation”, Madhav said the confessional statement was “all contradictory and there is no credible evidence”.
According to Aseemananda’s statement, the bomb blasts triggered in Maharashtra’s Malegaon in 2006 and 2008, on the Samjhauta Express in Haryana in 2007, at Ajmer Sharif in Rajasthan, and at the Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad the same year were the handiwork of a loose extremist Hindu group of which he was a member.
Aseemananda, who worked out of Gujarat, is alleged to have told investigators of his meetings with expelled RSS leader from Madhya Pradesh Pradesh Sunil Joshi, an alleged kingpin of the serial blasts. Joshi was mysteriously murdered outside his house in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, in 2007.
The seer was arrested on November 19, 2010, following a CBI raid on his hideout in Haridwar. Aseemananda was nabbed place after he went underground following the arrest of Saadhvi Pragya Singh and Colonel (retd) Purohit — members of the alleged extermist Hindu group Abhinav Bharat — in October 2008.
Jun 20th, 2010 - 06:20:39 |
Shoaib Khan
Canadian House admits motion to call 1984 Sikh riots ‘genocide’
The motion was reportedly signed by 10,000 people
By PTI
Posted On Sunday, June 13, 2010
Toronto: A motion by an Indo-Canadian MP asking the Canadian government to declare the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as ‘genocide’ was tabled in the country’s parliament late on Thursday.
Sukh Dhaliwal, MP for Newton-North Delta on the suburbs of Vancouver, was joined by Andrew Kania, MP from the Punjabi-dominant constituency of Brampton West on the outskirts of Toronto, in presenting the motion.
“On behalf of Canadians, I am here presenting a petition on the tragic events of 1984 in India,’’ said Dhaliwal, adding that “many Canadians across the country are marking this solemn occasion”. Reading the motion, reportedly signed by 10,000 people, Dhaliwal said, “The petitioners call on the government of Canada to recognise that an organised campaign of violence, rape and killings took place in India in November of 1984 against the Sikh community, resulting in the deaths of thousands.’’
He said the Canadian government should “call upon the government of India to take measures to bring all persons responsible for the organised campaign of violence to justice. This includes criminal proceedings against the responsible persons following the due process of law’’. Concluding the motion, he said, “Finally, (Canada should) recognise that this organised killing resulting in deaths of thousands is genocide as per UN convention on the prevention and punishment of the kind of genocide.’’
Both the MPs who moved the motion belong to the main opposition Liberal Party whose leader Michael Ignatieff has distanced himself from the motion. Critics have described the motion as an attempt to embarrass Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who is coming here for the G-20 summit later this month.
Jun 8th, 2010 - 03:11:28 |
Shoaib Khan
Canada bars Lt-Gen over J&K 'record'
Times of India, TNN, May 27, 2010
NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH: The Canadian government's moralistic bug resurfaced on Wednesday with authorities refusing a visa to a retired lieutenant-general on the ground that the officer served in Kashmir and there were human rights violations by the Army in the Valley.
A highly decorated officer, Lt-Gen Amrik Bahia also held the post of director general of military operations (DGMO) before his retirement. He was appointed member of the Chandigarh bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal in June 2009.
It was for the second time in a week that a member of the security forces was denied a visa by Canada on such grounds. Last week, Fateh Singh Pandher, a retired BSF constable from Ludhiana, said he was denied a visa by the Canadian government for his association with what Toronto considers a "notoriously violent" force. Canada also refused to grant a visa to a senior IB officer but later relented after the Indian government protested. The Intelligence Bureau officer was assigned to travel to Toronto in connection with the Prime Minister's trip there next month.
Lt-Gen Bahia had applied at the Canadian Embassy in February for a tourist visa to attend a social function in Canada. He was scheduled to attend the function last week. However, in May, he was told by the Canadian authorities that his application had been rejected. Sources said he was denied visa on the basis of reports from some international human rights organization alleging human rights violations in J&K by armed forces personnel.
According to Lt-Gen Bahia, the rejection letter said his service as an army officer in Jammu and Kashmir was the reason for the denial. "This is an absurd ground. I have brought the issue to the notice of authorities as it is very disgusting for the members of forces," he added.
Commissioned into the Kumaon Regiment in 1967, Lt-Gen Bahia had commanded a Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and an Infantry Division in Jammu and Kashmir. He had also served in Bhutan, in addition to instructional stints at the College of Combat, Infantry School.
The denial of visas over the last two years to several officers, including three serving brigadiers, has angered the home ministry which has warned that India would also "retaliate" by denying visas to Canadian officials who go to Afghanistan via this country.
Two brigadiers were denied visas in 2008 and another in 2009. Retired Lt-General R N Bhatia was also refused a visa in 2008 on similar grounds.
Sources said these instances had been happening for a year or so and more were likely to come out. "We are expecting more cases to come to light," a source said, adding that MEA had taken up the issue with Canadian authorities. "The issuance of a visa is the prerogative of the host government. However while giving the reason for visa denial, Canada has questioned the role of security forces and security agencies in dealing with domestic security situations. This is what the government has taken strong exception to," a source said.
S S Sidhu, a retired IB officer, was denied a visa on March 26 this year, with the Canadian High Commission saying that he belonged to the "inadmissible" category of persons. The rejection letter said he could not be given a visa as he had served in an organization like IB and that led to apprehension that he could "engage in an act of espionage or subversion", or "violence that would or might endanger the lives or safety of persons in Canada."
Sidhu told news agencies it was a "disgusting reply from a friendly country like Canada and an insult to India". He said was going to see the new house of his daughter.
In view of these cases, the home ministry has written to the external affairs ministry, asking it to take up the issue strongly with the Canadian High Commission. The home ministry wants the high commission to apologize, withdraw the comments and take action against the officers responsible for such behaviour. Canada, meanwhile said it had the highest regard for Indian armed forces.
Foreign secretary Nirupama Rao on Tuesday had said that the matter had been taken up with Canadian authorities. "We take this matter very seriously. We have expressed concern and we continue to take this seriously," Rao said.
Jun 8th, 2010 - 03:00:10 |
Shoaib Khan
Violence spreads to Kolhapur
The Hindu
Tuesday, 8 Spetember, 2009.
MUMBAI: A potent communal situation in the twin cities of Miraj-Sangli in Maharashtra’s Sangli district over the past few days led to fresh violence on Monday. Curfew continues to be in force in parts of Sangli and Kolhapur districts.
By Monday, the communal spark in Miraj had spread to Ichalkaranji city in Kolhapur, which saw stray incidents of violence, and curfew was clamped there.
It all started in Miraj, where an arch, sporting a poster depicting the slaying of Afzhal Khan at the hands of Shivaji Maharaj was erected on September 2, a day before Ganesh visarjan.
While one group demanded the removal of the poster, another wanted it retained. People also refused to immerse Ganesh idols until the administration conceded their demand on the poster. “Later, they demanded permission for it to be displayed in the visarjan procession,” Krishna Prasad, Sangli Superintendent of Police, told The Hindu.
The situation festered, and stone throwing and arson took place in Miraj. In a few instances, some persons threw pieces of beef and placed piglets near temples and mosques respectively, Mr. Prasad said.
As the two groups clashed, the police had to resort to lathi charge and teargas. Mr. Prasad said around 300 arrests had been made on charges of rioting and damage to property.
No casualties were reported in the riot, though there were unconfirmed reports of one death. On Monday, peace prevailed in Miraj when curfew was lifted for an hour.
In Mumbai, a skirmish occurred at the airport as Bharatiya Janata Party national secretary Gopinath Munde was stopped from boarding a flight to Kolhapur on the orders of Collector Laxmikant Deshmukh. He sat in protest in the lounge.
The order, under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, “directed authorities not to give a boarding pass to Mr. Munde, and the police was told to serve a notice to him,” Mr. Deshmukh told The Hindu.
Mr. Munde’s supporters created a ruckus and prohibited bona fide passengers from entering the airport.
Himanshu Roy, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Mumbai, told The Hindu that the protesters were trying to break into the airport. They also shouted slogans against Brijesh Bahadur Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (airport zone), after he intervened. The police lathicharged the crowd and the situation eased. Mr. Deshmukh said the Kolhapur administration decided to restrain all political leaders from entering the affected area, lest the large gatherings generated by their visits “add to the tension and harm the law and order.” He said minor incidents of stone throwing occurred in Ichalkaranji, Shirur and Kolhapur city.
BJP MLA Madhu Chavan and MLC Prakash Shende were also asked to stay out of Kolhapur. In Sangli, BJP MLAs Chandrakant Patil and Suresh Khade were arrested Later, they were freed on bail.
Director-General of Police S.S. Virk said some Congress ministers had also been asked not to come to Miraj. He said most parties sought to draw political mileage from the situation and so the restraint was necessary. “We are requesting them [political leaders] to stay away, but if they don’t listen, then we will resort to legal action.”
Jan 26th, 2010 - 10:00:33 |
Shoaib Khan
Amnesty International USA
Action for Human Rights. Hope for Humanity.
Report 2009.
India Human Rights
Human Rights Concerns India's dynamic society and political system are juxtaposed by multiple serious human rights concerns. Among the gravest are unlawful killings, excessive use of police force, torture, violence against women, discrimination against Dalits, and severe and pervasive poverty. In many areas governmental mechanisms fail to protect civil and political rights and do not ensure justice for victims of human rights abuses.
Bomb attacks, including attacks by non-state actors, and armed conflict in various parts of the country kill hundreds of people a year. Civilians are often killed as police battle growing Maoist insurgencies in central and eastern states. High levels of violence continue among both security forces and armed opposition groups in the northeastern states of Assam, Tripura and Manipur.
About 300 million people, a quarter of the population, remain living in poverty. Communities in a number of states, including West Bengal, Orissa, Chattisgarh, Madya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu continue to protest as their livelihoods are threatened by irrigation, mining, and business projects. Unlawful methods are often used to deal with such protests, and impunity for abuses is common.
In Jammu and Kashmir impunity for torture, deaths in custody, and unlawful killings continue for both state and non-state actors. In Gujurat, years after the violence of 2002 in which thousands of Muslims were attacked and more than 2,000 killed, justice continues to elude most victims.
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