Give us a clear majority: Modi

RATLAM,INDIA:The BJP prime ministerial candidate appealed to youth to give BJP 300 seats for a secure future Vowing to let no ‘Hand’ — the Congress symbol — near the union exchequer, Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi asked supporters in Ratlam on Wednesday to give a clear majority to “the only party whose goal is development and to change people’s lives.” Mr. Modi lauded the voters of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh for voting his party to power for a third time.

“If Bantadhar (spoilsport, a slur on former CM Digvijaya Singh) had remained in MP, then what would have been the plight of your lives? The same spoilsport politics that made MP a BIMARU (backward) state has also destroyed India. MP finished off the spoilsport. Now it is your task to finish off the spoilsport in Delhi,” he said.

He added that during Rajiv Gandhi’s regime the Congress controlled all forms of government from “panchayats to parliament” and there was no sign of the BJP. “He (Gandhi) had then said that for every rupee sent from Delhi, only 15 paise reach villages. Which Hand scrubbed the rupee into 15 paise... I shall not let any Hand come near the treasury in Delhi,” he said.

Mr. Modi asked voters below 28 years of age to ensure his party getting a clear majority. “This is the most important age of your lives,” he said comparing the life period of 18 to 28 years to one’s intermediate exams. “If there is a useless government at the centre then your lives will be destroyed... The elders will ensure a BJP victory for sure, but you need to see to it that we get 300 seats to form a strong government.”

Reject Modi's ambition, religious fanaticism: Sonia

KANYAKUMARI,INDIA:Stepping up her attack against BJP and Narendra Modi, Sonia Gandhi today said they represented a dangerous combination of religious fanaticism, power and money and asked the country to reject the "ambition of that individual".

Addressing her maiden election rally in Tamil Nadu, the Congress President said the BJP seeks to divide the country on communal lines and harmony is under threat from them. "We have to fight the forces that want to divide India. (Courtesy Press Trust of India)

Manmohan didn't put wife's name in RS affidavit: BJP

DELHI:BJP on Saturday claimed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had not mentioned his wife's name in the affidavit submitted along with nomination he filed as a Rajya Sabha candidate, as the party sought to blunt Congress' attack on Narendra Modi over his marital status.
"This is Manmohan Singh's affidavit that was put before the Rajya Sabha.He has not put his wife's name in that affidavit. Why should we talk about such issues?" BJP spokesman Ravishankar Prasad told a press meet in Ahmedabad while waving a copy of what he claimed was the PM's affidavit.
Prasad did not say the affidavit was from which year, but Gujarat BJP leaders claimed it was filed in 2013 when Singh was re-elected to the Upper House of Parliament.
"This country has been following a tradition that personal issues are not raised in public. His (Modi's) elder brother made a statement that he had left his home and family life to serve the country," he said.
Prasad was answering a volley of questions related to Modi's affidavit, submitted along with nomination paper filed from Vadodara Lok Sabha constituency, where for the first time he revealed he is married.

India test fires Brahmos supersonic cruise missile

DEHLI:India on Monday successfully test-fired 290 km range Brahmos supersonic cruise missile at Pokharan in Rajasthan.

Jointly developed by India and Russia, the Brhamos is capable of carrying a conventional warhead of 300 kg.

The Brahmos is a supersonic cruise missile and can be used against ship and land targets.

India is readying several versions of the missile which includes land attack, anti-ship and submarine-launched versions.

The Brhamos is capable of carrying a conventional warhead of 300 kg. (Photo Courtesy: DRDO website)

Being Christian is not a crime: RoulaGhani

Kabul: In an interview with Foreign Policy Mrs. RouylaGhani stated her views about Afghanistan’s political future and her husband’s programs for the country’s development.

In answer to first question about her husband’s main program she said:

“Dr. Ashraf Ghani has a very intellectual approach to his country’s affairs and believes in cooperation with all countries in the world for Political and economic reconstruction in Afghanistan. He believes that there is no reason to cut relations with any country in the world and just setting up a relationship with them is important. Dr. Ashraf Ghani believes that both Palestine and Israel should Simultaneously have representation in Kabul and there is no political obstacle in the way.”

She added: “although I couldn’t live in Afghanistan during my marriage, I am familiar with Afghans’ behaviors and, as the country’s first lady; I can easily communicate with the public, especially women.”

In response to the question of whether you, as a Christian, would have any problem in playing the role of presidential spouse in a country with more than 99 percent of Muslims, she said: “being Christian is not a crime; however, my mother is a Jew. I believe that Afghan women have converted to Islam under pressure, because there have not been another way. If you describe Christianity for them, no doubt, more than half of them will be converted to this religion. During past ten years, I have indirectly supported the works of some Evangelical Christian groups in the central, northern regions as well as Kabul.

If I am present in presidential palace, surely I will expand this job. Because Afghan people should know that Christianity isn’t what Mullahs have told them. Women's freedom will be so sweet on its own that will solve the issue of my Christianity.

China 'will not stop increasing' military spending: Media

BEIJING (AFP): Chinese state-run media backed the country s military spending Thursday, after the government announced a 12.2 percent increase in its defense budget for 2014.

The plans should not be regarded as evidence of a mounting "China threat", newspapers said, arguing that Beijing s steady raises in the defense budget were rooted in a desire for peace rather than conflict.

Beijing is embroiled in a series of territorial disputes with Japan and other neighbors, and has pursued its claims more assertively in recent years.

China announced Wednesday, on the opening day of its Communist-controlled National People s Congress (NPC), that it plans to spend 808.23 billion yuan ($132 billion) on the People s Liberation Army for 2014, in the latest double-digit increase.

That figure is still far short of the $633 billion defense budget for 2014 approved by the United States, the global leader in military spending.

But analysts believe China s actual defense expenditure is significantly higher than publicized.

"China will not stop increasing its military spending," the state-run Global Times wrote in an editorial Thursday. "It is believed the best scale for it in the long run is keeping it at half or two-thirds of that of the US."

This year s official rise is the largest since 2011, and in its editorial the China Daily newspaper said China was "only making up for what it has neglected to do in the past".

"The current increase is both imperative and legitimate, because China now has broader interests to defend," the paper wrote. "At the same time, more security threats are sprouting up in its immediate neighborhood."

Beijing s growing military expenditures and capabilities have raised worries in Asia and the US, and Japan s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters Wednesday that its lack of transparency on spending "has become a matter of concern for the international community, including Japan".

China s official Xinhua news agency dismissed those concerns in a bylined commentary Thursday, arguing that "it is Washington and Tokyo, instead of Beijing, that should explain to the world their military postures and intentions".

Just In Taliban, govt negotiators meet PM, more influential people should be included in committees: Samiul Haq One of the members of govt committee will go to Waziristan: Irfan Siddiqi India withdraws treason case against Indian Held Kashmir students Islamabad F-8 court incident: Judge Rafaqat Awan was killed by his own guard’s firing, claims Ch Nisar Ali Khan Tharparkar famine turns extreme, takes lives of 32 children in one month Lahore: Mother, who killed her kids, alongwith her spouse sent on physical remand for two days Army should not become part of govt-Taliban talks, says Khursheed Shah COAS Raheel Sharif summons Corps Commanders' Conference on Friday Kashmiri students expelled from Indian university

MEERUT: A university in Uttar Pradesh has expelled as many as 67 Kashmiri students (130 according to some reports) for celebrating Pakistan's victory against India in a thrilling Asia Cup cricket match between the archrivals on Sunday, prompting the management to take ‘action’.
The university initially decided to suspend only the offending students but following a ‘three-tier’ inquiry, it was decided to suspend as many as 67 students because they didn’t reveal the names of the few offenders.
The university rejected the reports of violent clashes between locals and Kashmiris and claimed that the students were dropped at railway station under strict security.
The university is called Swami Vivekanand Subharti University (SVSU) and its vice chancellor Dr Manzoor Ahmad was quoted by an Indian paper saying "he was taken aback by such an unacceptable gesture of a few students".
He went on to say the university cannot accept such behaviour from any student in the university.
The match was being screened at one of university’s hostels where both local and Kashmiri students were watching the nemesis gig. The site became troubled when a few Kashmiris reportedly clapped every time a wicket of Indian player would fall.
According to Manzoor Ahmad, he was told that students later cherished Pakistan’s victory and even shouted Pakistan Zindabad.
The students were suspended for not apologizing, the VC claimed.
Hundreds of male and female students from Indian occupied Kashmir are enrolled at the university in various courses.
The matter is reportedly being probed by additional city magistrate upon recommendation from district magistrate and that the findings will come in a few weeks.
Parents of the suspended students told the media that many students were attacked and manhandled by the locals. Kashmiri students even reported vandalism in their hostel wards.

India commutes death sentence for Rajiv Gandhi Killers

 

NEW DELHI (AFP) - India s Supreme Court spared three killers of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi from the hangman s noose, citing delays in the case 23 years after his assassination by a Tamil suicide bomber.

The top court headed by Chief Justice P. Sathasivam handed the three lives in prison on the grounds that successive Indian presidents had taken 11 years to decide their pleas for mercy against execution.

"We implore the government to render advice in a reasonable amount of time for taking a decision on mercy pleas," Sathasivam told the court in announcing the judgment.

A lawyer for the three men -- Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan, all known by single names -- hailed the judgment as "humane," adding that they were now living in hope of one day being released from prison.

"There is hope that the convicts will walk out of jail. The remission will be decided by the state government of Tamil Nadu," Yug Chaudhary outside the court.

"It is time that the death penatlty is abolished in this country," he added.

The decision comes after the Supreme Court issued a landmark judgment last month that places new restrictions on executing prisoners in the world s biggest democracy.

The top court then commuted the death sentences of 15 convicts, ruling that "inordinate and inexplicable" delays in carrying out a death sentence were grounds for commuting a sentence.

The three at the centre of Tuesday s ruling were members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a Sri Lankan-based separatist movement, which was wiped out by Sri Lankan forces in 2009.

The men were convicted of plotting the May 21, 1991 murder of Gandhi by a female suicide bomber, but their appeal to the president in 2000 for clemency was only rejected in 2011.

The Chennai High Court in the country s south then stayed their executions, pending another round of appeals from lawyers and state politicians who opposed their hanging.

The lengthy delay contrasts sharply with the execution of Kashmiri Muslim separatist Mohammed Afzal Guru last year over a deadly raid on the Indian parliament in 2001 that left 10 people dead.

Successive governments in India have long been wary of upsetting the large Tamil population in the south where the trio s case has become a cause celebre.

India had an eight-year unofficial moratorium on carrying out the death penalty from 2004 to 2012, with only three people executed in the last decade. The delays have led to a buildup of more than 400 prisoners on death row.

- Murder seen as retaliation -

Gandhi had become India s youngest ever prime minister after his mother, former premier Indira Gandhi, was assassinated in October 1984. He ruled until losing an election five years later.

His widow Sonia is the president of the ruling Congress party and his son Rahul is the frontman for the party s campaign in elections due by May.

The shredded clothes and the shoes that Rajiv was wearing when he was killed while on an election tour in the south of the country remain on display in a museum in the Indian capital.

Gandhi s killing was seen as retaliation for a 1987 Indian government pact with the Sri Lankan government to disarm the guerrillas, who had been trained and armed by New Delhi in the early 1980s.

After that pact, the LTTE fought Indian troops deployed to Sri Lanka by Rajiv Gandhi s government to supervise the accord. India withdrew its troops after 32 months in which it lost 1,200 soldiers at the hands of the rebels.

A relative of one of the killers, Perarivalan, reacted with joy to the news, saying "for the full family it is an emotional moment."

"Perarivalan ... when you see him, he is a totally good human being," his aunt Nilaypapiya told NDTV in the southern city of Chennai.

Amnesty International said Tuesday s decision piles pressure on the government to abolish the death penalty altogether.

"India must now do away with the death penalty -- a cruel, inconsistent and irreversible form of punishment that has no proven deterrent effect on crime," senior researcher Divya Iyer said in a statement.

Aam Aadmi Party declares first list of LS candidates

DELHI:The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday announced the first list of 20 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls. Prominent among them are social activist Medha Patkar, Anjali Damania, Yogendra Yadav and Kumar Vishwas.

Party spokesperson Ashutosh will contest from Chandni Chowk, the constituency of law minister Kapil Sibal, Mukul Tripathi will be contesting against external affairs minister Salman Khurshid from Farukkhabad in Uttar Pradesh, and Kumar Vishwas will be pitted against Rahul Gandhi in Amethi constituency, also in Uttar Pradesh.

"Today we have announced the names of 20 candidates. The selection of all these candidates has been done on the basis of their work for the society," AAP leader Manish Sisodia said at a press conference.

Other prominent persons include Anjali Damania who would contest from Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nitin Gadkari's stronghold Nagpur, Yogendra Yadav from Gurgaon, lawyer HS Phoolka from Ludhiana, the constituency of information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari, and Subhash Ware who will fight against Suresh Kalmadi in Pune.

Nepal:18 killed in plane crash

BHAIRAHWA:All 18 persons on board a Nepal Airlines plane are believed to have been killed when a small twin otter aircraft reportedly crashed during a routine flight in Nepal's Arghakhanchi district on Sunday.
The twin otter, belonging to the state-owned Nepal Airlines and carrying 15 passengers, including a foreigner, besides three crew members, crashed in Arghakhanchi district in western Nepal, said an official at the Tribhuvan International Airport here.
Airport official Bimalesh Karna told IANS that due to thick fog and torrential rain, rescuers were facing difficulty in reaching the crash site. Nepal is witnessing torrential rain since Saturday which in turn has rendered visibility poor.
The ill-fated plane was heading from Pokhara, a popular tourist destination, to the mid-western Nepali town of Jumla, said Nepal Airlines .The plane went missing shortly after take-off from Pokhara and its last contact was with Bhairahwa airport from where it had originally begun its flight.
Initial reports suggested that flames were seen at the crash site, enabling officials to locate the wreckage.
The crash site is located in the jungle, making a rescue bid difficult in inclement weather.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said in a statement that the aircraft lost contact at 1.13 p.m. while flying from Pokhara to Jumla.
Nepal Army spokesperson confirmed that the plane had crashed and added that one army helicopter was also involved in the search operation.
A politician of Jumla district belonging to the ruling Nepali Congress party, a female journalist, a bank manager, a Nepal Army major based in Jumla district and a doctor besides a Danish national were listed among the passengers.
The plane made a stopover at the popular tourist destination of Pokhara—the kickoff point for climbing expeditions to the 8,091-metre Mt Annapurna—and was reported missing shortly after taking off from there.
In 2012, there were two plane crashes in Nepal. In September 2012, 19 people were killed. In another crash in May that year, a plane crashed, killing 15 people.

President's rule in Delhi recommended

NEW DELHI: Delhi LG Najeeb Jung has sent a report to the Union home ministry recommending imposition of President's rule in the state while keeping the assembly under suspended animation.
This is contrary to outgoing chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's call for immediate dissolution of the Delhi assembly and holding of fresh polls in the state.
Keeping the assembly under suspended animation would leave the window open for exploring alternatives for government formation in the future. Besides, it fulfils the guideline laid down in the S R Bommai judgment of the Supreme Court that the assembly should be placed under suspended animation until Parliament ratifies the Presidential proclamation imposing President's rule.
A direct fallout of Jung's recommendation for placing Delhi assembly under suspended animation is that the Delhi polls may be delinked from the Lok Sabha poll. This is expected to deny AAP the advantage of reaping rich electoral dividends in simultaneous polls.
President's rule can be imposed in a state for six months at a stretch. In case the Union Cabinet clears President' rule and the Proclamation is issued in the next couple of days, there is a possibility of the government getting the Proclamation ratified in the ongoing session itself.

Dehli CM Kejriwal quits

DEHLI:Delhi’s firebrand Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced his resignation Friday to protest the blocking of an anti-corruption bill, fewer than 50 days after taking power in the Indian capital.

“My cabinet has decided that we are quitting. Here is my resignation letter,” Kejriwal told supporters of his fledgling Aam Aadmi (“Common Man”) Party in the capital, brandishing a white sheet of paper.

“Straight after this, I am going to the Lieutenant Governor’s office to hand in my resignation,” he added, as his followers cheered.

The upstart Aam Aadmi party sent shockwaves through India’s political establishment late last year when it scored a series of stunning successes during local elections in Delhi.

But Kejriwal’s decision to resign little more than seven weeks after taking power in the city of 17 million throws his party’s fortunes into uncertainty.

Kejriwal’s announcement came shortly after local legislators effectively shot down his efforts to bring in anti-corruption legislation — the key plank of his manifesto in December’s state elections.

The Congress party, which had been allied to Aam Aadmi, decided not to back Kejriwal in Friday’s vote, claiming the measure was unconstitutional.

In his speech to supporters on Friday, the 45-year-old blamed Congress for his decision to resign, accusing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s party of reneging on an earlier promise to back the bill.

“Congress had promised us, in writing, that they would support the bill but when we tried to present it before the assembly today both they and the BJP came together to block it,” Kejriwal said.

“This is the first time in India’s history that both the BJP and Congress have come together ... They have exposed themselves and shown their true face.”

Kejriwal, who had been the head of a minority administration since taking power on December 28, asked Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung in his resignation letter to immediately dissolve the Delhi assembly and organise fresh elections.

“The Council of Ministers met this evening and decided to tender its resignation,” said the letter, a copy which was obtained by AFP.

“The Council also recommends dissolution of the Delhi Assembly and immediate conduct of elections to the Delhi Legislative Assembly.”

DELHI:Kerjriwal’s party won 28 seats in Delhi’s 70 member assembly and came to power with the help of the Congress party, which governs at national level.

However, fresh elections in the capital are unlikely and the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which won 32 seats in the Delhi election, could try and form an alternative administration.

Kejriwal’s resignation will leave him free to campaign for his party ahead of national elections which are expected by May.

The BJP is expected to win the national polls, although it will need support from smaller parties to clinch victory.

Although he only formed his party a year ago, its remarkable showing in the Delhi election shocked the country’s political establishment.

Congress, which has been badly damaged by a series of corruption scandals at national level, saw its number of seats slashed from 43 to just eight.

Aam Aadmi has said it plans to contest the national elections although analysts say it is unlikely to win much support outside the major cities such as Delhi and Mumbai due to its lack of infrastructure and funding.

The BJP also refused to endorse the anti-corruption bill before the Delhi assembly on procedural grounds.

During his administration’s brief time in office, Kejriwal unveiled a series of headline-grabbing initiatives, including a graft hotline aimed at stemming the rampant corruption of police and bureaucrats.

After shunning the usual official car and instead taking the subway to his swearing-in ceremony, Kejriwal then slashed electricity costs and announced free water supplies.

But while his elevation to one of the most important political posts in India was initially widely welcomed as a much-needed shock to the system, the former tax inspector has since come in for criticism over a series of stand-offs with the authorities.The self-styled “anarchist” staged a sit-in on the pavement close to the national parliament last month, triggering chaos in the city centre, as part of a push to be given greater powers of control over the police.

 

 

Anantnag Journalist Association condemns attack on Photo Journalist

ANANTNAG(Indian Held Kashmir):Anantnag Working Journalist Association condemned the brutal attack on Photo Journalist Sajad Ahmad Dar, on Thursday by some policemen in Pinjora Shopian when he was covering the gunfight between security forces and militants in the area.

Association said that a group of policemen caught the Photo Journalist and thrashed him brutally during which he sustained serious injuries in lift arm. Violent policemen also damaged cameras of photo Journalist Sajad Ahmad who is sole bread and butter earner for his family.

Association while condemning this brutal action of police has demanded a through probe into the incident and has appealed international organization protecting media men all over the world especially human rights organizations to take serious note of the incident as the atrocities on journalists in Kashmir are rising day by day.

Modi will break the country:Lalu Prasad

DEHLI:With a plea, a stern put-down, a reminder of old loyalties and reassurance of friendship, Bihar’s former CM and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad told potential electoral partners Congress and Ram Vilas Paswan to be pragmatic and work together to ‘stop Narendra Modi’. His message comes at a time when seat-sharing talks between the three parties have hit a rough patch. In an  exclusively interview to HT about alliance talks, and his dynamics with the Gandhi family.

“Modi will break the country. The 1947 calendar will repeat itself. He is a very serious threat.” “Secular forces must come together so that votes do not get divided. My mind was open to the left too. But there is a contradiction there — left parties can’t come where Congress is present.”  “I prefer Congress because it is an all-India party,” Prasad said.

Other RJD sources told HT that out of 40 seats, Prasad is keen to fight on at least 24. Congress has privately told RJD it wants 15 seats.Paswan has asked for 12 seats, while Nationalist Congress Party has demanded two.

Prasad placed these demands in context. “We have to look at winnability and candidate. The point is how much will you win.” “Caste politics is everywhere but in Bihar, we practice it more. That calculation is also important.”

Other RJD sources were more direct, mocking Congress for ‘punching above its weight’. But Congress sources said Prasad was being too ‘rigid’ and if they accepted his terms, top Congress leaders would be left without seats.

One Congress state-level leader said, “The aim is to ensure Muslim vote consolidates behind this alliance. Along with support of Yadavs and Paswans, and some upper-castes, we can present a strong counter to BJP.”

When asked about whether he felt the Congress first-family was in crisis, Prasad, said, “I always stand by people in crisis. Congress is getting unnecessarily criticised.” Did he feel Congress was in crisis because of Rahul’s failures? “I will not comment on that at all,” said Prasad.

'Anarchist' Delhi chief minister calls off sit-in protest

NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday called off his sit-in protest demanding police reforms that has seen him run the city from a pavement for the last two days.

Kejriwal told a crowd that two policemen he wanted suspended for misconduct would be sent on leave, but he failed to secure his main demand that the city's police force be put under his government's control.

He said that the lieutenant-governor of Delhi, an appointee of the central government, had appealed to him to end his protest, which turned violent on Tuesday.

“After the lieutenant governor's appeal, we all have decided to end our protest here today,” Kejriwal told a crowd of cheering supporters after dark on Tuesday.

“I'm very happy today. Today the people of Delhi have won. I want to congratulate the people of Delhi,” he added.

Kejriwal, an anti-corruption campaigner who swept to power last month, declared himself an “anarchist” on Monday and called a mass demonstration to disrupt Republic Day celebrations at the weekend.

Overnight, the 44-year-old slept outside on a pavement under a thick blanket, awakening to rains and strong winds.

His central demand was that the Delhi police, widely viewed as corrupt and inefficient, be transferred to his state government's control from the national home ministry.

As with other demands in the past by different chief ministers, the central government refused to agree because of Delhi's status as the national capital.

Kejriwal says the police, the focus of public fury after the fatal gang-rape of a student in December 2012, have failed to prevent crimes against women.

“We are committed to ensuring the security for women in Delhi. If any woman in Delhi is attacked, we will not sit quiet, we will raise our voice,” he said Tuesday night.

Critics immediately branded his move a U-turn as Kejriwal had originally demanded the suspension of some five officials in total over recent crimes, according to the Press Trust of India.

“A climb down for CM (chief minister) of Delhi!” Kiran Bedi, a former high-ranking police officer and previously an anti-graft colleague of Kejriwal, tweeted.

Arun Jaitley, a senior leader of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, called it a “theatre of absurd”.

Clashes broke out Tuesday between riot police armed with batons and dozens of supporters of Kejriwal when they were prevented from joining his sit-in protest.

Aides brought him files for the administration of the city of 17 million people as he sat with other members of the cabinet at the protest site, near the high-security area that houses the parliament and the presidency building.

He had warned earlier Tuesday that he would escalate the demonstration and was prepared to sit indefinitely.

Thanks to barricaded roads leading to the protest that caused traffic chaos and forced the closure of nearby subway stations, #AAPdrama and “Arvind Kejriwal” turned into top trending Twitter topics in India.

Kejriwal was sworn in as chief minister of the city of 17 million last month after his new Aam Aadmi (Common Man) Party made sensational gains in state elections against India's two biggest parties.

He plans to shake up national elections due before May by once again taking on the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP.

But after enjoying overwhelmingly positive media coverage and support from the poor and middle-class, there are signs his latest campaign has backfired and the honeymoon is over.

“Anarchist CM Plunges Delhi Into Chaos,” read the front-page of the Hindu newspaper Tuesday morning, while the Economic Times headlined “Kejriwal Reduces Govt to a Chaotic Street Play”.

Kejriwal, a former tax official, rejected criticism that he was failing to govern responsibly, and was instead relying on grassroots tactics.

“Some people say I'm not working, that the Delhi government is not working. We are here to support women's safety which is an important issue,” he said during the day.

Bangladeshi Police detains 3 BNP leader

DHAKA:Bangladeshi Police detained BNP Vice-Chairman Selima Rahman, Nazimuddin Alam and Fazlul Haque Milon from their residence on Tuesday , UNB reported.

According to detail, A team of Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police picked up the BNP leader from her house.She was arrested within an hour after she held a press conference at her residence from where she announced that the opposition’s ongoing 48-hour hartal be extended by 12 hours until 6pm Wednesday.

Other two leaders,, Nazimuddin Alam and Fazlul Haque Milon were picked up from Baridhara area in the capital.
Meanwhile, detective branch of police on Tuesday arrested Bangladesh Bar Council vice chairman and also BNP chairperson’s adviser Khandaker Mahbub Hossain from Jatiya press club premises.

India expands nuclear weapons site: think tank

WASHINGTON (AFP) - India has expanded a secretive site that could be used to enrich more uranium for nuclear weapons, a US think tank said Wednesday, citing satellite imagery.

The Institute for Science and International Security, a private group opposed to nuclear proliferation, said that India appeared to be finishing a second gas centrifuge facility at its Rare Materials Plant near the southern city of Mysore.

"This new facility could significantly increase India s ability to produce highly enriched uranium for military purposes, including more powerful nuclear weapons," the institute said in a report that analyzed an image taken in April.

The institute said that India started building a second centrifuge plant near Mysore in 2010, but it was unclear whether it was a replacement for the first facility at the site or a supplement.

If it is a new facility, "India could have more than doubled its enrichment capacity, if the original building continues to function as an enrichment plant," it said.

India closely guards its nuclear sites and says little about them publicly. In the past, India has complained about footage of sensitive infrastructure taken by commercial satellite services such as Google Earth.

Indian officials have reportedly said that highly enriched uranium from Mysore would fuel its new nuclear-powered submarines. India s nuclear weapons program has traditionally been based on plutonium, not uranium.

India carried out nuclear tests in 1998, and historic rival Pakistan quickly followed suit. India s program is not subject to international restrictions or inspections as it is one of the few nations, along with Israel, North Korea and Pakistan, to reject the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which New Delhi says is discriminatory.

However, India s international isolation ended through a 2008 cooperation deal with the United States, where both President George W. Bush and his successor Barack Obama have agreed that the world s largest democracy is a responsible nuclear power.

NATO Foreign Ministerial to focus on Afghanistan.

BRUSSELS: The Foreign Ministers will start off their North Atlantic Council meeting with a discussion on the objectives and agenda for next year’s Summit in the United Kingdom. That Summit is expected to focus on Afghanistan, partnerships and improving military capabilities. Foreign Ministers will continue their Tuesday meeting with a discussion on ways to strengthen partnerships NATO has with countries around the world.

Wednesday’s meetings will start with a session of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in attendance. The meeting will be an opportunity for the 29 Foreign Ministers to exchange views on Syria, Afghanistan, missile defence and transparency. The NRC is also expected to review practical cooperation and ways to further it in 2014. The NRC will be followed by a meeting of foreign ministers from NATO and partner countries which contribute to the ISAF mission. The acting Afghan Foreign Minister Zarar Ahmad Osmani and the Afghan Interior Minister Umar Daudzai are expected to attend as is the UN Secretary General’s Special representative Jan Kubis. The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton has also been invited as has the Japanese Ambassador responsible for NATO issues. The Afghan Interior Minister will brief the meeting on security preparations for next year’s presidential elections. The meeting will also discuss progress in the ISAF mission.

The two-day ministerial will wrap up with a meeting of the NATO-Georgia Commission, where NATO Foreign Ministers will sit down with their Georgian counterpart, Ms. Maia Panjikidze, to discuss the

Sri Lanka shuts war-time propaganda centre

COLOMBO (AFP) - Sri Lanka said Monday it was shutting down its propaganda centre which distributed information to the media during the separatist war, four years after the end of the conflict.

"The ministry of defence has decided to disband the centre," spokesman for the president, Mohan Samaranayake, said, without giving a reason or any details.

The Media Centre for National Security was set up in 2006 and released information about the military s final campaign which crushed rebels fighting for a separate homeland for ethnic minority Tamils in 2009.

More recently, the centre has functioned as the publicity wing of the ministry of defence.

The move comes after Sri Lanka began last month compiling a death toll from the war, after allegations of mass killings of civilians, saying it had "nothing to hide."

The start of the "census" comes after the dispute over the scale of the killings in the final phases of the conflict dominated a Commonwealth summit hosted by Sri Lanka in November.

UN bodies have said as many as 40,000 civilians may have died in the final push -- a claim repeatedly rejected by President Mahinda Rajapakse and his mainly ethnic Sinhalese regime.

More than 100,000 people are believed to have been killed during the course of the decades-long war, according to UN figures.

The war ended when Tamil Tiger rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was killed in a stronghold in the island s northeast.

Indian security forces enjoyed legal cover for the violation of human rights: Ali Raza Syed

BEUSSELS: Imran Chouhdary;   A glorious example of persistence in struggle.

The institutionalization of an event, anywhere in the world, is never a small job. It is rarely achieved and when achieved, it is profoundly celebrated and jealously guarded. The European Parliament is even harder to achieve such status for an event. It is a place where best minds of the world, with huge amount of resources, compete for the influence on the people and forums that impact the fate of the humanity at large.

 

The annual Kashmir-EU Week in the European Parliament, however, is the achievement of International Council for Human Development (ICHD), which deserves double compliments as it is done with volunteer efforts of a small team of activists, writers, politicians, researchers and social leaders. With no institutional resources available, it is not less than a miracle in political terms. But then, this small team is pursuing a cause, which is so undeniably just and so justified in the light of all the norms of ethics and democratic values or human rights, justice, freedoms and equality.

 

In fact, this is the strength of the cause and the passion to change that helped assembling activists from all across the world. Indeed, this is the cause that attracted some of the most respected and influential Members of the European Parliament, Tunne  KELAM    ,      László  TŐKÉS  ,     Timothy KIRKHOPE ,    Baroness Sarah  LUDFORD,         MartinCALLANAN ,    Phil   BENNION,   Amelia   ANDERSDOTTER,     Edward     McMILLAN-SCOTT, to endorse it and become the permanent strength of the ICHD team. Above all, it is Sajjad Haider Karim, the host of the event; the fourth of its kind in the European Parliament.

 

He voiced pride and satisfaction when he said that the Kashmir-EU Week has become institutionalized and now, it is beyond any individual or personality. A key figure in the European Union, he could understand the worth of its claims. He knew that many organizations with huge funding and governmental support are not able to enjoy such a reputed achievement. He said this being a part of an unprecedented panel addressing an unprecedented seminar.

 

The president of Azad Jamu and Kashmir, as chief guest, the presence of the ambassador of Pakistan to Belgium, the online address by Yasin Malik and Pervaiz Imroze, deliberations by Ali Raza Syed (ichd) and Farooq Siddiqui (wkda), moderation by Marjan Lucas and presentation by Jean Lambert (MEP) Laura Schuurmans and Shujaat Bukhari made the seminar of the week an unprecedented event in recent years.

 

 

Welcoming the guest, Ali Raza Syed paid rich tribute to Sajjad Haider Karim, Marjan Lucas and other friends who had been working tirelessly for the promotion of Kashmir cause. He thanked the guests especially the president of AJK, Sardar Farooq, Minister Farzana Yaqoob, Ms. Laura Schuurman, Shujaat Bukhari and Zouhour Wani. He mentioned the recently launched report titled, Impunity to the Perpetrators while saying that the report gave documentary proof of how Indian security forces enjoyed legal cover for the violation of human rights. He said ICHD had already achieved 430,000 signatures on its One-Million Signature Campaign.

 

Sajjad Karim Haider (MEP), welcomed the participants as the host of the event and said that the event had already become a respected and known event in the EU parliament. He said that highlighting Kashmir cause was primary to his duties and passions as a politician from UK. He mentioned the EU Pakistan trade relations greatly enhanced some days ago but, he said that there was no substantive improvement on the issue of Kashmir. He lamented the fact that even high profile leaders of the EU Commission failed to mention the horrendous hr abuses being committed by the Indian state in IHK. He advised the Kashmiri Diaspora that they should exert their political pressure on the politician seeking to fight the EU election next May (2014). He congratulated for the successful five years of organizing Kashmir-EU Week in EU parliament, which has been truly institutionalized.

 

Jean Lambert (MEP) agreed with Sajjad Karim that the EU parliament should give maximum focus on the question of Kashmir that the people of Kashmir have right to be heart for devising their future themselves. She mentioned numerous documentations that showed the atrocities committed on the people. She favored the demand of demilitarization, end of illegal detention and disappearance. She said that the future of the Kashmir should be reached by the people of the Kashmir. She said that people should be allowed to speak their minds freely. Talking about trade agreement between EU, India and Pakistan, she said that trade should be enhanced between India and Pakistan to enhance the good relationship between the two countries, which is a must to reach the political settlement.

 

Laura Schuurman said that introduced her report on her recently launched report on Kashmir. She said that the Kashmir issue normally was seen through the angels of bilateral relations between Indian and Pakistan, Human disasters and abuses but there are geo-strategic implications as well that effect Afghanistan and China, which are as concerned with the Kashmir issue. She said that Kashmiris were victims of great atrocities by the Indian state forces. She said that the people should be included in the process of dialogues and peace building efforts. She said that the peace in Afghanistan could not be achieved without resolution of Kashmir issue. She mentioned the East Teamor while saying that Kashmir issue could also be solved by the help of international community. She talked about the growing influence of China on the international issues. She mentioned the terrorist attack on China, which alleged the Islamic organizations. She said that if China could be criticized for its hr abused why India was not being criticizing for the same crimes in Kashmir.

 

Shujaat Bukhari said that they had succeeded in building a positive atmosphere but recently there was again deadlock between Indian state and people of Kashmir. He mentioned the process between Musharaf and Vajpae saying that many humanitarian issues were taken care of. For example, he said that 23000 people traveled on the bust that was started between two sides. He mentioned the LOC trade as well as a positive step. He pointed out the increasing tension between India and Pakistan in recent months. He agreed to the speakers that the hr situation in IHK was very grave. He said that the process for the resolution of Kashmir could not work in isolation as it should include internal and external dimensions. He said confidence building measures by both India and Pakistan were very important and Kashmiris always supported political dialogue. He said that the good relations between India and Pakistan were very important for Kashmiris as they were victims of their mutual tensions. He said that role of EU and other international forums could not be over emphasized. He said that unfortunately Kashmir campaigned had been linked to the International terrorist network after 9/11, which needed to be tackled.

 

On video link;

 

Yasmin Malik said that the historical perspective of Kashmir dispute is very well known. He said EU described Kashmir as the beautiful prison but after the trade deal with India, they stopped even talking about the Kashmir. He said after 2008, the people of Kashmir showed the trend towards non-violence movement but unfortunately Indian state responded with violence and killed hundreds of innocent people. He said the international community was showing criminal silence over such issues. He said that the business interests dominated the concerns over human rights violations. He asked the international community what kind of image it wanted to give to the Kashmir youth since they were betrayed by the international community after they were lured in throwing the arms and pursuing the non-violent democratic movement. He said they were disappointed as International community did not play any responsible role in Kashmir. He appealed the international community to support Kashmiris right to self determination according to the wishes of the people of Kashmir.

 

Pervaiz Imroze, renowned human rights activist of IHK, said that such conferences in Europe were highly important for the civil society of Kashmir. He said India claimed to be the biggest democracy of the world but it was treating Kashmiris with complete impunity to the 700,000 security forces victimizing innocent people. He said forces could kill, rape and disappear the innocent people with complete legal impunity. He mentioned the issue of mass graves and more than 8000 disappearances. He mentioned that Indians were refusing to conduct the DNA tests because there was connection between disappearances and mass graves and extrajudicial killings. He said militarization was affecting every aspect of the life. He talked about draconian laws such as Public Safety Act that have detained thousands of people against the norms of fair legal process. Talking about the recently launched report, he said that the government should prosecute the perpetrators but it was refusing to do so. He said that the global civil society should come forward to help the Kashmiris. He said apart from few voices of conscience, the majority of the civil society of India was silent over the crimes of their state in Kashmir. He said that international humanitarian intervention was much needed for the solution of Kashmir.

 

Zouhour Want, advocate from USA, talked about the black laws such as PSA. As a lawyer, he explained how such laws were against all the basic norms and principles of the fair trial. He said those laws facilitated state atrocities while rendering courts only puppets forums. He said almost every aspect of said laws was extrajudicial. He said PSA was a tool used for successive detention of the innocent people while giving no right to compensation. He said that 8000 to 20000 people had been detained under this law. He also explained the dark aspects of AFSPA; another black law enforced in IHK. He mentioned that these laws were against the Indian constitution and the Convention on the Civil and Political Rights. He said AFSPA was termed as “license to kill” and PSA was called “Law against law” by the international human rights organizations.

 

President AJK, Sardar Yaqoob appreciated Sajjad Karim and Ali Raza Syed for their great services for the cause of Kashmir. He said India should also understand that earliest solution of this issue was in the best interest of everybody. He hope that the tireless efforts shall bring fruit and international community shall come up with the just solution. He assured that his government was fully concentrated upon the issue of Kashmir.

 

AJK minister for social affair, Farzana Yaqoob said she wanted to give voice to the faceless women and children who were rendered half widows and half orphans since they don’t know about their husbands/fathers for so long as they are disappeared by the Indian state forces. She said PSA reminded her of Guantanamo Bay since it was totally against the notion of legality and justice. She mentioned Malala Yusafzai as saying that thousands of Kashmiri girls were raped and killed but nobody was ready to listen and acknowledge their sufferings. He appealed to the International community to wake up and keep on talking against the human rights abuses such as mass graves. She said the demand of plebiscite was not more than the demand of free and fair elections to let Kashmiris chose amongst India, Pakistan or freedom.

 

Altaf Wani said EU played vital role in shaping up economic, social and political landscape of the world but unfortunately human rights abuses such as Kashmir were ignored by EU. He said all the hr organizations had demanded the repeal of PSA and AFSPA but India refused to do so. He lamented the fact that no international forum criticized India. He mentioned the role of international human rights council that was silent on the Kashmir issue. He said solution of Kashmir issue was a prerequisite for the peace in Afghanistan and other parts of the world.

 

Ambassador of Pakistan to Belgium, Munnawar Saeed Bhatti congratulated Sajjad Karim and Ali Raza Syed for organizing such a grant event of Kashmir EU Week. He said that Kashmir was indeed the paradise on the face of the earth but this paradise was in chains and its inhabitants were suffering the inhuman treatment by the brutal Indian forces. He said both India and Pakistan had committed plebiscite for the Kashmiris but Indians refused to abide by the promises. He mentioned South Asia as one fifth of the human population, which is home to people with poverty, homelessness, illiteracy and hunger but this region is also the biggest importer of the arms. He hoped that the South Asian states shall revert back to sanity and shall work jointly towards peaceful solution of Kashmir issue. He explained the efforts of the present government to restart the peace dialogues with India. He said that international community including EU will have to play their role in South Asia. He said both India and Pakistan should resolve this issue on durable basis in the interest of their people and the entire world.

 

Concluding the seminar, Farooq Siddiqui said that it zqs astonishing to see that India resorted to violence and brutality despite having great humanist saints in their rich historic traditions. He mentioned the chain of lies and deceptions by the Indian leaders such as Manmohan Singh. He said Kashmiris should have self reliance for their struggle for Kashmir. He said there was a sense of hope during 2003-2008 that something good shall come out of the dialogues between India and Pakistan. He asked how the biggest democracy could deploy 700,000 army men in a small valley while spending huge capitals on arms. He mentioned the possible election of Narendar Moodi as prime minister of India saying that there was something wrong with that democracy.

 

The exhibition of peaceful cultural depth of Europe

The exhibition portrayed the cultural depth and innate intercultural and interfaith harmony of the culture of the Kashmir. The scenic beauty of Kashmir creates the feelings that the land itself must be an abode for the inner peace and outer cohesion. So is the case with Kashmir. The paradise on earth, Kashmir portrays the depth of mysticism that preached love and harmony amongst all the cultural, racial, ethnic and religious identities. The exhibition showed the reality that the struggle of the Kashmris is the struggle by a peace loving and peaceful nation.

 

While speaking to the inauguration ceremony of the exhibition, Sajjad Haider Karim welcomed the visitors on behalf of his party and European Union. He said they will continue promoting the Kashmir cause at all the levels of politics and culture.

 

Sardar Yaqoob, president AJK, said that it was an honor for him to inaugurate the exhibition showing the rich culture of Kashmir. He said that Kashmiris were very peaceful and peace loving people and no human rights problem existed in AJK. He hope that soon people from both sides of the Kashmir will meet each other since all the Kashmiri were united on one point agenda of freedom.

 

Mr. Timothy, MEP, said that he spoke to many Kashmiri diaspora groups recently to discuss the future of Kashmir. He said he visited Pakistan and everybody there wanted right to self determination for Kashmiris. He said bothINdia and Pakistan will have to work for the peace while plqying their positive role for demilitarizing the area. He said that Kashmir had a great economic strength that should be capitalize by both the countries. He said that the world community should ensure that in the long run the people of Kashmir should have their right to self determination.

 

Farzana Yaqoob, minister for social welfare of AJK said international community qnd regional powers should accept our demands. She said that international community should help them to protect their rich and pro peace arts and culture.

 

Farooq Siddiqui, president WKDA, said this exhibition enhanced the awareness about the rich culture of Kashmir. He said Kashmiris understood the national interests of India and Pakistan but it should not be pursued at the cost of the interests of Kishmiris. He said it was not democracy to hold a nation by force.