Ahmedabad: The victims of 2002 Gujarat communal riots along with an NGO have moved an application before the designated court so that it could ask the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to complete investigation in the riot cases and submit the Action Taken Report (ATR) before the court.

The application alleges that they had earlier in 2009 moved an application before the SIT, the team constituted by the apex court to investigate riot cases, seeking further investigation.

The application filed by Salim Shaikh, a Naroda Gaam riot incident victim and Amrish Patel, convener, Jan Sangharsh Manch, have sought further investigation into the larger conspiracy behind the riots. The application stated that the SIT has not done anything on this aspect and have not yet submitted any report on investigation since the last two years.

They had sought further investigation on the grounds of call record details. They had asked the SIT to probe the role of police officials with regards to their negligence in controlling the riots. In the application to the agency they also wanted the SIT to find out if the cops had connived with the accused and also explore the larger conspiracy behind the riots.

They have alleged that officials of the SIT as well the counsel representing the SIT made a statement under oath that the investigation is in process and they are looking into all the aspect of the case.

However, in the application, Shaikh and Patel have raised the question as why the agency did not bother to submit a report or chargesheet before the court despite the fact that two years have passed since they first made a representation to the SIT.

In the application, the two have thus prayed to the court to direct the SIT to submit its report or chargesheet in the case and also ask the SIT to submit the action taken report before the designated court in the riot cases.

Lucknow: Over the last three days, Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister has dashed off a letter per day to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. On Saturday, it was for granting reservations to Muslims, the next day another one followed insisting on providing quotas for the poor upper castes and on Monday Mayawati sent out another letter demanding Other Backward Class (OBC) reservation for Jats, who form a decisive vote bank in western UP.

Opposition leaders have slammed Mayawati for playing petty politics on cast and communal lines.

Playing the minority card, Mayawati has urged the Central government to provide reservation to minorities, especially Muslims, proportionate to their population. Her move comes soon after Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid hinted that the centre might be considering such a move itself.

Khurshid recently said the centre is contemplating reservations for Muslims by bringing some changes in the existing law. The minister also said reservations to Muslims would be given on the lines of what Andhra Pradesh had done earlier. “We will follow the Andhra Pradesh model closely,” he said.

Khurshid’s comments are being seen as an attempt to woo about 20% Muslim population in Uttar Pradesh, where elections are scheduled to be held next year. Khurshid has said the OBC Commission would conduct a survey to decide the percentage of reservation to be given to Muslims.

On Sunday, Mayawati shot off a letter to the Prime Minister asking for education and job quotas for the poor among upper castes. The move is clearly designed to lure the upper castes to the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Though the BSP got a sizeable section of the upper caste vote, especially Brahmins, in the 2007 Assembly election, this votebank has dwindled over the years.

New Delhi:  The all-party meeting to resolve the Lokpal Bill issue ended today without a consensus being reached. After meeting for a whopping three hours, leaders of all major political parties formally asked the prime minister to urge Anna Hazare to end his hunger strike against corruption.

A little before that meeting ended, Anna vowed that would not happen. The 74-year-old activist took the stage at his camp at Ramlila Maidan, where even on a weekday, around 15,000 people were waiting to hear him. “I am not weak, I can go another nine days (without food),” he declared.

However, the frail condition of the Gandhian is what is bearing down on the government as it hunts desperately for a compromise with Anna and his associates on the Lokpal Bill, meant to combat corruption among public servants through a new independent agency.

The agenda of the all-party meeting this evening was for the government to find a joint political argument to convince Anna to end his fast. After wide criticism of its vertiginous handling of Anna, the government is also anxious to end its political isolation. The Prime Minister told opposition leaders he seeks “their guidance on the way forward.”

As the parties were debating Anna’s demand for a Lokpal Bill vetted by his team to be passed in this session of Parliament, Anna said “We will continue our fight…corrupt traitors are destroying our country.” As he tried to sit down, he refused assistance.

Dr Manhoman Singh said: “Broadly their position is that (a) the Government should withdraw the Bill introduced in Parliament (b) the Jan Lokpal Bill should be introduced with some changes in Parliament within four days and (c) this bill should be discussed and passed during this session of Parliament by extending it if necessary…. If a written commitment can be given with timelines, then the representatives said they can hopefully persuade Annaji to stop his fast.”

The deadlines set by Team Anna have fazed the government. This Parliament session ends on September 8. BJP leader Arun Jaitley said before heading to the PM’s meeting that it’s not the deadline but the content of the Bill that must be a priority.

The Lokpal Bill provides for the creation of an anti-corruption agency that will be empowered to handle cases of official graft. Team Anna and the government had both prepared vastly disparate versions of the bill. They’re now hammering out a compromise, point by point. Most differences have been resolved. The government, for example, has accepted that corruption charges against the Prime Minister can be investigated while he or she is still in office. Two sticking points prevent a truce. Anna believes that all bureaucrats must be covered by the Lokpal or ombudsman committee. The government says this is not possible, because it would mean providing 20,000 officers to the Lokpal to investigate junior bureaucrats. Team Anna also wants the Lokpal Act to apply not just at the centre, but in states as well. The government, however, wants states to develop their own versions of the bill.

Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who is a key mediator, said a solution may be delivered tonight. He said that “Both sides are being flexible. I think there will be good news soon.”

The prime minister wrote to Anna last evening, expressing concern over the activist’s frail health, and offering that Anna’s Lokpal Bill could be studied by the Parliamentary Standing Committee that already has the government’s draft. However, Team Anna wants their Lokpal Bill to be debated directly by Parliament, which would entail bypassing any deliberations at the committee level.

Mumbai: The financial capital of the country once again jolted with serial this evening. Three explosions took – two in South Mumbai at Opera House and in Zaveri Bazar and one at Dadar West in central Mumbai. The Maharashtra Home Ministry has confirmed a terrorist attack, and Mumbai is on high alert.

All blasts took place in crowded places. Eyewitnesses said about 15 to 20 people have taken to hospital in Zaveri Bazar. Reports said six people had died in the Dadar blast, four in the Zaveri Bazaar blast.

As per the latest report, 60 people have suffered injuries.

One explosion occurred in south Mumbai’s Zaveri Bazaar, near the famous Mumbadevi temple, in which some people were injured, said Mumbai Police spokesperson Nisar Tamboli. The bustling market also has a number of jewellery shops.

The other blast,  in a car at a bus stop in Dadar West, has been confirmed. A police officer said there might have been an explosive in a meter box behind a hoarding at Khau gali, a street filled with eateries at Zaveri Bazaar.

Early reports said a police control room had received a call claiming that there were serial blasts in Mumbai.

According to an eyewitness the fire has been brought under control in Zaveri Bazar.Security alerts have been issued in Delhi post the blasts in Mumbai.

A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has rushed to Mumbai from Delhi to investigate and collect forensic evidence. The police have appealed for calm.

State Home Minister said that it is too early to say that it is a terror strike and who is behind this; however, the Union Home Ministry has confirmed that it is a terror attack.

New Delhi: Increasing the difficulty for the government after the Baba Ramdev scare, Anna Hazare has also announced today that he will Ramdev’s planned hunger strike against black money. He said that they would jointly challenge the UPA government and the Congress party.

Hazare said that he would not allow the government to weaken the anti-corruption agitation.

“I will join Baba Ramdev on June 5. The fight is against corruption. I will talk to Baba on how to go forward on the fight against corruption. The government has tried to cheat us. The government had assured us that they would look into our demand,” he said.

“I will support Baba Ramdev so that the government does not do what it did when we were fighting. We will fight together against corruption,” he added.
Anna Hazare also said that there is no divide in the civil society ove rthe Lokpal bill.

“There is no two views on Lokpal bill between us and Baba,” he said.

Meanwhile, the UPA’s outreach to Baba Ramdev continues. Ministers are expected to meet Ramdev on Thursday as well.
The Cabinet too is expected to discuss the Ramdev issue. significantly the Congress Core Committee will also meet today. Baba Ramdev though is firm on going ahead with his fast, starting Saturday.

The meetings come even as the party indicated it was miffed with the government’s red carpet rolled out to the Yoga guru at the airport on Wednesday – he was received by four Union Ministers and the cabinet secretary.

The party is also worried about the fact that the RSS has come out in support of Baba’s protest.

New Delhi: The Peace Party strongly condemned the singling of Muslim families in the police violence in Bhatta-Parsaul Villages in Gautambudhnagar area, involving state land acquisition row.Earlier a petition for CBI inquiry by 8 farmers alleging police atrocities was dismissed by Supreme Court.

The Mayawati government is trying to  revive the Yamuna Expressway Project in its effort to fulfill the promise of linking 160km  Delhi’s suburb Noida with historical  city Agra cutting the travel time to just 100 minutes . Projected as the showpiece of the party, a Rs.50 crore stamp duty was waived and has been termed by Mulayam Singh as the biggest land scam in the state involving Rs.2,500 crores.The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority  lists 334 villages in Gautambudh Nagar that will be affected by the project. Farmers have protested against the reselling of their fertile land by the Yamuna Authority to private developers at exhorbitant prices as compared to the compensation they received.

A statement released by the party highlighted large scale atrocities committed on the poor innocent villagers. Muslim families were particularly targeted and beaten up, who make 15% of the population in the area. Many of the reports were confirmed by the fact finding committee of the party that not even women were spared. Many of the villagers affected were not involved in agitation against the land acquisition.

The party has released a list of 17 persons with bullet injuries and multiple fractures. They are, Zahid s/o Naseer Khan, Jameela w/o Naseer Khan, Praveen s/o Insaf Ali, Hameedan w/o Mahtab, Bano w/o Kale Khan, Nazma w/o Bhure Khan, Bundo Khan s/o Sadiq, Haseena w/o Bundo Khan, Harun s/o Ahsan Ali, Sitara D/o Zahid, Shaukin s/o Bare khan, Naeem s/o Shaukir, Ikram s/o Aliid, Nargis w/o Salmu,Salmu s/o Munshi Khan, Rubina w/o Idrish, Shaira w/o Yaqub

Dozens of persons have gone missing without any trace while 6 persons were identified as jailed. They are, Alimuddin s/o Babu Khan, Bhura s/o Alimuddin, Shaukin s/o Ahsan Ali, Shaukat Ali s/o Bundo Khan, Akhtar s/o Bundo Khan and Naushad s/o Kale Khan.

The poor farmers, many of them, daily wagers, have faced severe problems since the day of incident following the cordoning of the area by the police. They are unable to earn daily, rations are running low and many families are on the brink of starvation.The party appealed for immediate relief for the families affected and a stop to high handedness of the police action.

The party has appealed for a CBI inquiry from the center and alerted the National Commission for Minorities as well as National Commission on Women to initiate action against officials and policemen involved in the brutal episode. It also demanded State compensation and an apology for the inhuman severe action of the police on the villagers.

The Peace Party, with a base among Eastern Uttar Pradesh Muslims was formed in 2009 and aims to expand it’s reach into the western region of the state. It will join with smaller parties  to contest the Assembly Elections set for 2012 in UP.

New Delhi: In an untoward incident, human rights activist Swami Agnivesh, who was accompanying the anti-corruption bill crusader Anna Hazare to a visit to Gujarat on Thursday, was slapped by a Mahant.

The incident took place before the start of a public meeting to be addressed by Hazare. While meeting people, Swami Agnivesh tried to greet Mahant Nityanand Das, the chief of a temple near Nadiad, while the latter slapped him. Placing a cotton-thread garland round the Swami’s neck, Nityanand pulled his turban and slapped him. In the process, Agnivesh lost his spectacles.

Nityanand, who was arrested by the police, told journalists before leaving the venue that his anger against Swami Agnivesh was for his comments about the holy Amarnath shrine of Lord Shiva.

Swami Agnivesh, on the sidelines of a recent peace conference in Srinagar, had allegedly commented that the ice lingam of Amarnath was “artificially made,” and that the annual “Amarnath yatra” was a “religious deception.”

Nityanand had earlier announced a “reward” of Rs 51,000 for anyone who would dare to hurl a shoe at Swami Agnivesh in public. He said he had nothing against Hazare and totally supported his crusade against corruption, “but I cannot take the Swami’s comments against a holy shrine of the Hindus.”

While being taken away, the mahant of Shree Kadi temple in Mahutaj district, Kheda justified his action, “Fight whatever you want to against corruption, but how dare you speak about Baba Amarnath.”

Nityanand said that he supported Anna’s fight against corruption. “I have nothing against Anna. But, why did the Swami speak bad of Baba Amarnath. Why are the sanyasis silent?”

He explained, “When he (Swami Agnivesh) was in Kashmir, having biryani with Gilani, he said, Baba Amarnath yatra is a fraud among Hindu community. The faith of 5 crore Hindus has been crushed. There are many such Swami Agniveshs and we shall beat them all up.”

The mahant even said that “I would have killed him if I could lay my hands on him. Whoever speaks bad of Baba Amarnath will be treated the same way.” Soon after he was detained by the Karanj police, Agnivesh took the microphone and publicly announced that his attacker should be allowed to go and no action taken against him.

Human right activists strongly condemned the incident. “We condemn the attack on Swami Agnivesh.” Said Father Cedric Prakash, a human right activist and convener of Prashant, a voluntary organisation.

Also read: Activists Condemn Attack on Swami Agnivesh

New Delhi: Just a month ahead of the assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, Congress party and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) have locked horns over the sharing of seat. It seems that dispute might cause collapse of the seven-year-old alliance between the two parties because the alliance partners cannot agree on the seat sharing for the state’s 234 seats.

Sources told the BeyondHeadlines (BH) that DMK’s TR Baalu plans to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to let them know that DMK can withdraw its support to the UPA govt. But it is not clear so far that when Baalu will meet the Congress leadership. However, the BH has learnt that Home Minister P Chidambaram is flying to Chennai this evening.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Presenting Bouquet to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi (file photo)

Both parties held three rounds of discussions on seat sharing for the upcoming assembly elections, which scheduled to be held on April 13, but no positive outcome came forward. The Congress party wants to contest on more seats than it contested in the last elections and if the alliance manages to get mandate, it desires to be given government portfolios. In the last assembly election, it had contested on 48 seats.

DMK has offered the Congress party 60 seats, but the latter wants 63 seats, which according to DMK chief M Karunanidhi, is “unfair.”

Karunanidhi had said in a statement in Chennai that according to the formula, both parties agreed the Congress party would be given 51 seats. “But we offered them 60 seats. Is it right to demand 63 seats? Is it fair to expect us to okay constituencies they choose? DMK’s high-level meet on Saturday will take an appropriate decision,” he said.

Ghulam Nabi Azad, in charge of the Tamil Nadu elections, has said: “Talks are still going on. We hope that they do not break ties.”

With all the controversy that the partners have been mired in in the last few months, coupled with the traditional antiincumbency challenge, this will not be an easy election to fight. It does not help that the past few weeks have been tough on the Congress-DMK relationship with the CBI’s investigation into the 2G scam extending to some of the DMK’s senior-most leaders, including Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi. A Raja, the DMK leader who was Telecom Minister till November and was forced to resign much to the DMK’s chagrin, is now in jail.

People will use their franchise in the sate on April 13, and the counting of votes will be conducted on May 13.