Indian Secularism engenders fissiparous tendencies

[Saab]

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Have the ruling cronies started their war against opposition ruled states?

Yesterday it was Bangalore, today it is Ahmedabad, which is next?

17 BOMB BLASTS ROCK AHMEDABAD, 29 DEAD

CNN-IBN

Ahmedabad/New Delhi: A day after India’s IT city Bangalore was hit by nine low-intensity blasts, 17 similar explosions rocked Ahmedabad on Saturday evening, killing 28 people and injuring over 100 others.
All bombs were reportedly planted on bicycles and went off within span of 70 minutes of each other - between 1830 hrs IST and 1940 hrs IST - in various parts of the city.
Most of the blasts were reported from eastern Ahmedabad, in the upper-middle-class dominated areas of Bapu Nagar, Amraiwadi, Sarangpur, Jawahar Nagar, Narol Circle, Sarkhej, Isanpur and Haksar.
Most of these are crowded, congested areas, located within 10 km of each other.
Mapping the explosions
The first bomb exploded at a bus stand Mani Nagar area around 1835 hrs (IST). A black coloured Hero Honda Splendor motorcycle was found abandoned near the blast site in Mani Nagar, which is also the constituency of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
There was a second blast, also in Mani Nagar, inside the premises of LG Hospital. The bomb was reportedly placed under a red car, which caught fire as the bomb went off.
There was another blast in the premises of Vadilal Sarabhai Hospital.
Two blasts were reported soon after from Sarkhej. While the first was in a city transport bus, the other was reported from Sangam theatre.
Immediately after there were two blasts in Bapu Nagar - one outside the railway station, the other inside a bus.
Some of the blasts took place in communally sensitive areas of the city, apparently aimed at creating panic but not really at causing causalities.
Gujarat on alert
The civic authorities immediately suspended the services all state-run transport buses plying in the city. Mangled remains of a bus, cycles and motorcycles and splattered blood were seen at the site of the blasts.
Gujarat has been put on high alert and security has been heightened across the state, particularly in state capital Gandhinagar.
Special police teams have been deployed at vulnerable places, Gujarat Home Minister Amit Shah told journalists.
Initial intelligence inputs suggest a couple of bombs were reported to have been placed in tiffin boxes, in a modus operandi similar to the explosions outside a Lucknow court last year.
The scene outside civil hospital was chaotic with people thronging the hospital even as ambulances with sirens were seen driving between them.
Forensic personnel could be seen scurrying through the blasts' scenes even as policemen tried to maintain a cordon.
Terror mail
Minutes before the blasts, the Intelligence Bureau and various media houses received an e-mail from a little known group that called itself the Indian Mujahideen, warning of a possible attack.
This is the same "outfit" that claimed reponsibility for the blasts in Uttar Pradesh in 2007 and the Jaipur blasts in May 2008.
The group had e-mailed video clips to two Delhi-based media organisations of a bicycle which it said was purportedly packed with explosives used in the blasts.
Investigators say the Indian Mujahideen could be a home-grown terrorist outfit that could be aided by foreign hands.
Reactions, condemnations pour in
Union Minister of State for Home Sri Prakash Jaiswal said, "The blasts seem to be along the lines of yesterdays Bangalore blasts. It is a conspiracy to unsettle the country. All metros are on a high alert. Coordinator of the United Christian Forum for Human Rights Father Cederic Prakash also appealed for calm.
"I sympathise with those affected. Every single member of civil society should maintain peace and communal harmony," Prakash says.
The serial bomb blasts in Ahmedabad come just a day after a series of blasts rocked Karanataka capital Bangalore. In Bangalore, too, nine low-intensity blasts had taken place on Friday afternoon killing two people and injuring six others

 

[Saab]

Jaipur, Bangaluru, Ahmedabad... next Bhopal? Patna?

 

[Ramaa]

I suspect the govt. has a hand in this to cause a communal flareup in which their shameful employ of corruption to win the vote can be hidden and drowned. Oh! my God! We are in the grip of demons!

Where is the honest hariharan1972 who denounced us as Hindu fundamentalists? I wish he can say something too.

 

[Saab]

Bangalore blasts remind cops of failure in Hyderabad probe

Saturday, 26 July , 2008, 10:48

Hyderabad: The serial blasts in Bangalore may bring back to focus the probe into three bomb explosions that rocked the Andhra Pradesh capital last year killing over 50 people. The investigators into the terror acts are yet to make any breakthrough.

Investigations into eight terror blasts in Bangalore Friday, which killed a woman and injured seven people, could be crucial for the ongoing probe here as the same terrorist groups are believed to be involved in recent attacks in both cities.


Investigating agencies could not go beyond blaming some terror groups based in Pakistan and Bangladesh for the Hyderabad terror acts and picking up a few suspects. They admitted that not a single terrorist directly involved in the blasts was arrested and they also could not file a charge sheet in the cases.


Nine people were killed in a bomb blast at the historic Mecca Masjid on May 18 last year while twin blasts at a public park and a famous eatery on August 25 claimed 43 lives.


State Home Minister K Jana Reddy himself went on record that not a single person was arrested in connection with the three blasts. He told the State Assembly recently that 97 people suspected of carrying out Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) activities were picked up for questioning but 42 of them were let off subsequently. The remaining, including some Bangladeshis, were detained for passport related crimes.


The investigating agencies suspect Bangladesh-based Harkatul Jehad-e-Islami (HUJI) and other terror groups backed by Pakistan's ISI were behind the blasts but no one knows for sure who was the mastermind and who planted the bombs.


The police suspect HUJI's south India Commander Shahid alias Bilal to be the mastermind. He is believed to be based in Pakistan. His brother Majid and local contacts were arrested immediately after the blasts but no progress could be made in identifying those directly involved. Majid, who allegedly helped in procuring a SIM card used in the mobile phone to carry out the mosque blast, was released from jail early this month.


Though police appeared to have made some breakthrough with the arrest of a few suspects involved in smuggling RDX from Bangladesh to Hyderabad, the investigations later reached a dead-end as every arrested person had a limited role. Police officials said the terror group entrusted with tasks of smuggling, transportation of explosives, manufacture, planting and carrying out blasts to different people, making it difficult for the investigating agencies to piece together the information and identify the real culprits.


Shahid was also suspected to be the mastermind behind the terror attack on Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc), Bangalore in 2005. Some people arrested in Karnataka since 2005 were suspected to have links with Shahid.


In January this year, Karnataka police arrested Raziuddin Nasir, suspected to be involved in the Hyderabad blasts. Nasir alias Mohammed Ghouse, 21, a resident of Saeedabad neighbourhood here, was arrested in Davangere in Karnataka.


He is the son of the cleric Moulana Naseeruddin, who is currently in a Gujarat jail facing trial in the murder of former Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya.


Police claimed that Nasir was a Pakistan-trained terror operative and was booked for conspiracy to wage war against the country for his alleged association with the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). His role in the three bomb blasts and a conspiracy to blow up the office of Andhra Pradesh police chief here is still being probed.


The State Home Minister said police teams would visit Bangalore to probe any possible link with the Hyderabad blasts. Jana Reddy, however, said it would be wrong to link every terror group with Hyderabad. "Terror attacks could take place anywhere. Foreign terrorist groups are behind these blasts and hence it is not proper to link any attack to Hyderabad," he said.


It was on May 18 last year that this city was rocked by a massive blast during Friday prayers at the 17th century mosque, a few yards from Charminar, the symbol of Hyderabad. Subsequent police firing on protesters near the mosque killed five more people.


Though the State Government had ordered a probe by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the bomb blast at Mecca Masjid, the investigators are yet to pinpoint those involved. The CBI is yet to file a charge sheet in the case.


http://sify. com/news/ fullstory. php?id=14724439

 

[Brahmanyan]

Indian Secularism engenders fissiparous tendencis

Dear Sri Saab,

This is with reference to the detailed account posted by your good self on Bangalore Blasts. As one living in Bangalore for the past 43 years I should say the Police and other Government agencies have handled the situation very efficiently this time after the bomb blasts in Bangalore last Friday. As per the available evidence three blasts took place around the area where I live, and one bomb found on Saturday near the crowded Forum Mall, was diffused by the forensic people. My grand daughters returned from their schools safely as also my DIL from her office. Though my son had to drive his car on a circuitous route due to heavy rush there were no untoward incidents on the way. The entire credit should go to the Police force who kept this big City relatively in a peaceful condition especially at the busy evening time. I do not wish comment further on the issue. But I am sure the investigations will succeed in bringing the culprit to book.

Regards,
Brahmanyan.

 

[KRS]

I suspect the govt. has a hand in this to cause a communal flareup in which their shameful employ of corruption to win the vote can be hidden and drowned. Oh! my God! We are in the grip of demons!

Where is the honest hariharan1972 who denounced us as Hindu fundamentalists? I wish he can say something too.

Folks,

This type of thinking is exactly of a fundamentalist nature.

As I have been saying, I live abroad and so do not have any bone to pick with or favour either the ruling party or the opposition in India.

Sri Ramaa Ji's conclusions based on certain allegations by persons who are also corrupt and extending it to the current bombings is not only wrong but also damaging to this Forum.

His assumption that the present government would kill it's own citizens to draw attention away from the corruption charges regarding the confidence vote shows the mind set that does not recognize any logic.

Logic dictates that it would be much easier for the opposition to have planned such explosions to discredit the present government.

The point is that we would never know, till the completion of a honest investigation and each one of us can not be blamed if we think that such investigations in India, regardless of who is in power, end up being sham.

Again, there is a deliberate effort to demonize the Congress and all Indian muslims here by certain posters here. And so, such terrorist explosions are used to create hatred towards certain segments of the society, with out taking in to account what is good for India in the long run.

Yes, we know that a part of the Muslim community in India does identify with the wrong ideals of islamic fundamentalism but we can not and should not paint the whole community of 200 million Indian muslims who are our neighbours as terrorists. This is madness.

This is why we need to be careful about how we treat these incidents.

Sri Ramma Ji, I still declare the likes of you and Sri Saab Ji, who are intent on destrying what true secularism offers, who still cling on to the ideas of exacting revenge on both the Muslims and the English for their past 'sins', are the Hindu fundamentalists, who have no idea about what you are unleashing.

You neither understand the basic principles of our great religion nor do you understand the workings of a modern nation - state. You know only one thing. And that is pure unadulterated hate towards anything else other than what you perceive to be a Brahminical view of Hinduism, which by itself is wrong and flawed.

Regards,
KRS

 

[Ramaa]

I repeat:

I suspect the govt. has a hand in this to cause a communal flareup in which their shameful employ of corruption to win the vote can be hidden and drowned. Oh! my God! We are in the grip of demons!

Let's ignore the alien intruder into our affairs! I have given my solemn promise to the Admin not to engage him.

Ramaa

 

[Saab]

Dear Brahmanyam,

I feel quite relieved to know that your family members were unhurt in the serial blast. Many in Hyderabad, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Delhi and so many other places have not been that lucky.

I was in Coimbatore when the first serial bombing started in Tamilnadu. We all were so scared to venture into the street for a few days.

Regards,

 

[KRS]

I repeat:

Let's ignore the alien intruder into our affairs! I have given my solemn promise to the Admin not to engage him.

Ramaa

Hey Sri Ramaa Ji,

You are more alien to our values and culture than what you imply about me.

I have no problem in engaging you, because I want the folks to know how illogical your ideas are about what you stated!

I will never ignore your statements that are based on pathological third person 'voices'.

I would strongly suggest that you visit Kilpauk one of these days.

I pray for your well being.

Regards,
KRS

 

[Ramaa]

Dear Admin,

Your intervention in removing these insane insults posted against me would be much appreciated.

I seek the help of compatriots in this.

Ramaa

 

[KRS]

Dear Admin,

Please go through all the postings first before administering!

I hope the 'compatriots' respond. So one can clearly understand what this person is talking about in terms of the current affairs!

Regards,
KRS

 

[Saab]

Land row: Curfew imposed in Jammu again
Sunday July 27 2008 12:48 IST IANS

​

JAMMU: Fearing more violence, authorities re-imposed curfew in Jammu district Sunday morning, a day after violent protests over the Amarnath land transfer revocation revisited the city injuring 50 people, the police said.

The police said the authorities feared a violent outbreak during a tribute paying ceremony Saturday for Kuldip Kumar Dogra who allegedly committed suicide here Wednesday in protest against the land row.

The city was under curfew Thursday but the restrictions were lifted Friday even as a shutdown called by the Amarnath Yatra Sangarsh Samiti (AYSS) continued.

The AYSS, a conglomerate of some Hindu groups spearheading the agitation, said its activists would hold a tribute paying ceremony for Dogra, hailed as "a martyr" for the "cause of the land restoration" to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB).

AYSS chairman Leela Karan said "tens of thousands of people" were expected to take part in the ceremony.

A police officer said: "We had reports that the mob would turn violent during the tribute ceremony (for Dogra). To avert this, it was decided to re-impose curfew (in Jammu)."

Dogra's death re-ignited protests in Jammu. His cremation fuelled the agitation as some people, claiming to be eyewitnesses, alleged that the police Wednesday night tried to cremate Dogra's body by throwing kerosene and liquor on his pyre, instead of using the traditional ghee or butter to light the pyre.

The half burnt body was later taken away by the people to be cremated with "honour and as per the traditional rituals", said the eyewitnesses.

Jammu has been reeling under a spell of shutdowns and curfews since July 1 when the government cancelled its May 26 order of diverting nearly 40 hectares of forest land to the SASB.

The shrine board manages the annual Himalayan pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir, at an altitude of 3,888 metres, dedicated to lord Shiva, one of the Hindu trinity.

The government was forced to cancel the order following massive protests in the Kashmir Valley, which were triggered by fear and widespread perception that the land would be used for settling non-locals to change the Muslim-majority character of the valley.

The government's reversal of the decision helped the Valley protests die down but Jammu erupted.

Saturday witnessed fresh violence that saw government vehicles being torched, pitched battles between protesters and police and massive anti-government demonstrations. "More than 50 people are injured, at least a dozen of them policemen (during the Saturday clashes)," according to a police official.

 

[Saab]

Blast in Jharkhand bus stand, six injured
Sunday July 27 2008 11:46 IST IANS

​

RANCHI: At least six people were injured when a bomb exploded at a bus stand in Jharkhand's Godda district early Sunday, police said.

The low intensity bomb blast took place at around 6 a.m. at the bus stand. The wounded have been admitted to the Sadar Hospital in Godda town, a police official told IANS over telephone from Godda, about 500 km from Ranchi.

"It seems the bomb was kept in a bag. The intensity of the explosion was low and that is why no deaths have been reported," the official said.

Police have initially ruled out the involvement of any terrorist group.

 

[Saab]

ULFA recruiting cadres to raise a battalion
Sunday July 27 2008 11:27 IST Syed Zarir Hussain | IANS

​

GUWAHATI: The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) has undertaken a massive recruitment drive, a month after it suffered a revolt with two potent striking units declaring a unilateral ceasefire.

A police spokesman said ULFA militants were wooing youths in the age group of 18 to 24.

“We have reports of a large number of youths going missing in recent weeks from various parts of eastern Assam. We suspect these boys and girls may have been recruited by ULFA,” a police official said.

The fresh recruitment drive comes in the wake of the Alpha and Charlie companies of ULFA's 28th battalion declaring a unilateral ceasefire last month after accusing their leadership of failing to address major issues facing the state.

The 28th battalion was considered the most potent striking unit of the ULFA.

“There is a vacuum now after the ceasefire by the A and C companies of the ULFA's 28th battalion. Hence the rebel leadership is desperately trying to reorganise itself and enrol new cadres,” the official said.

“They are mostly targeting unemployed youths from rural areas. Some are recruited forcibly while some are lured with money.”

The ceasefire by the 28th battalion has come as a major setback for the ULFA with their presence in eastern Assam's Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Sivasagar and Jorhat districts diminishing considerably.

"The unilateral ceasefire has definitely come as a major setback for the ULFA. In fact, the truce has taken the teeth away from the ULFA," Lt Gen B.S. Jaswal, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Four Corps, told IANS.

Jaswal is also the operational head of the Unified Command Structure engaged in a massive anti-insurgency operation against the ULFA and other rebel groups in Assam.

“There is a selective recruitment going on although the ULFA has completely lost all public support,” the army commander said.

Stung by the ceasefire decision, the ULFA is now contemplating raising a battalion to make up for the loss.

"The ULFA is definitely trying to raise a battalion, but with the Alpha and Charlie companies (gone), it would be difficult for any new battalion to get a space in this kind of a situation," he said.

Intelligence reports indicate that the ULFA was facing problems in getting weapons and explosives after the ceasefire.

“With their main unit in a ceasefire mode and security forces tightening their noose, ULFA's supply route for weapons is choked and so is their financial position,” a military intelligence official said.

Intelligence reports further said the there could be about 200-odd ULFA cadres of the Bravo company of the 28th battalion active in bases inside Myanmar or parts of Arunachal Pradesh and in eastern Assam.

“Now the focus of the operations is on the 27th, 109, and 709 battalions in central and lower (western) Assam areas. The ULFA is totally shattered in upper (eastern) Assam after the ceasefire," the GOC said.

 

[Saab]

Ahmedabad serial blasts: Suspected bomb found in Amraiwadi
Sunday July 27 2008 12:53 IST PTI

​

AHMEDABAD: A day after terror struck the city, police called in the bomb squad today to check a suspected bomb in a garbage can at the Amraiwadi area here. "We are waiting for the bomb squad to arrive. A suspected bomb was found in the garbage can near the Amraiwadi police line," Police Inspector of Amraiwadi police station, K M Jadeja said.

"We are keeping the crowd from coming near the area. Once the bomb squad is here, it will look into the matter," Jadeja added.

Terror struck Ahmedabad when 16 serial blasts rocked the city yesterday killing over 38 people and injuring 100, sending waves of panic across the country. The blasts occurred a day after multiple explosions ripped through the city of Bangalore.

The synchronised explosions rocked the Gujarat capital in a space of 90 minutes in the eastern and western areas after the first blast hit Maninagar at 6.45 pm occurred in 14 places.

There were two blasts each in Maninagar--the constituency of Chief Minister Narendra Modi and in Sarkej targeting a state transport CNG bus and Sangam theatre.

 

[Saab]

Terrorists' 'war against India' will not succeed: Modi
Sunday July 27 2008 00:25 IST IANS

​

AHMEDABAD: Terrorists who are waging a "war against India" will not succeed, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi declared here Saturday and appealed to the people to stay calm after a series of bomb blasts here killed 29 (now has risen to 45) people.

"The enemies of the nation have today stained with blood the soil of Mahatma Gandhi's Gujarat. Terrorists have continued their war against India," Modi said after a late night meeting with top police officials.

He said there were a total of 16 coordinated blasts in Ahemdabad, killing 45 people and injuring many scores.

"Killing innocent people is not only a crime but is a form of enmity with the humanity. All those who believe in humanity should prepare themselves for a long war - while maintaining peace," he said.

"I have spoken to the prime minister (Manmohan Singh) and the home minister (Shivraj Patil). There is a similar pattern in all recent terrorst attacks (in the country). There must be a mastermind operating behind them all," he added.

Asserting that those responsible for the blasts will be punished, Modi urged the people of Gujarat to answer them by "quickening the pace of Gujarat's economic development".

 

[Saab]

The selective applicaton of the law to suit the corrupt Govt.!

MPs may escape disqualification
Saturday July 26 2008 07:26 IST K P Sai Kiran | ENS

​

NEW DELHI: Will the MPs who broke the anti-defection law during the trust vote manage to ward off disqualification from the Lok Sabha for the remainder of the term? Some experts feel they might.

Usually, cases of defection are referred to the privileges committee by the Speaker for examination. Sebastian Paul, member of the Lok Sabha privileges committee, feels that the usual delays in deciding the defection cases might have emboldened the members to defy the party whip during the trust vote.

“This time, many have cross-voted in the belief that they could drag the proceedings till their term expires,” he told Express on Friday. Paul said hearings by the privileges committee often get delayed when the MPs concerned cite personal reasons to seek extensions. “Taking into consideration the law of natural justice and the offender’s right to be heard, we postpone the hearing when they seek extension citing personal reasons”, he said.

The Anti-Defection Law, listed in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, calls for the disqualification of members voting against their party whip unless at least two-thirds of the party MPs are willing for a merger with another party.

Two cases which were referred to the privileges committee more than a year ago- of Beni Prasad Varma who quit the Samajwadi Party and Kuldip Bishnoi who originally belonged to the Congress- are still to be decided.

“The law has not been effective. The basic reason is the lengthy procedure for the disqualification,’’ says former Lok Sabha Secretary General Subhash C Kashyap.

“Only a few of the suggestions of the Constitution Commission have been implemented, that too half-heartedly. One main suggestion was that the vote of the person who defects, should be considered invalid,” said Kashyap. But the main political parties have different views.

“I agree that there has to be an amendment to the Anti-Defection Law to make it effective. But it is the privilege of every person that he should be heard before any decision is passed through the procedure of law,” said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said the essence of democracy is voting according to preference. “The thought for such a law arose when many MPs were seen misusing the principle for selfish motives,” he said.

 

[Saab]

Two cars with explosives found in Surat
Sunday July 27 2008 20:25 IST PTI

​

SURAT: A live bomb was defused near a hospital and two cars stuffed with explosives were found in and on the outskirts of the city on Sunday, sparking a high security alert in the diamond city.

Police have seized a car laden with explosives from Punagam area on the outskirts of Surat city, police inspector M R Chavda said.

The car, bearing the number plate GJ-6-CD 3569, was found laden with explosives in Punagam area and police have recovered powder materials, gelatin sticks and shrapnels from the car, Chavda said.

Later, the police located another car with explosives at Heerabagh locality of the city, Surat Police Commissioner R M S Brar said.

Earlier, the police found a live bomb near a hospital from new Citylight area of the city after some residents informed the police about it, they said.

A wooden box containing white powder, wires, a battery and shrapnels, was taken into custody by the Bomb Disposal Squad late last night, police added.

The box was found abandoned near Nupur hospital in the New Citylight area, they added. The bomb was later defused.

The substance found from the box has been sent to the forensic science laboratory for testing, police added.

Vadodara Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said the registration number of the car found at Punegam village was fake as the number belongs to a scooty.

 

[Saab]

Army conducts flag marches, death toll touches 45
Sunday July 27 2008 20:29 IST PTI

​

AHMEDABAD: Army on Sunday staged flag marches in communally-sensitive Ahmedabad where the death toll in synchronised bomb blasts rose to 45 as several states went into high alert in the wake of terror strikes in the city and IT hub Bangalore.

An activist of outlawed militant outfit SIMI, identified as Abdul Halim, was arrested from the walled city here in connection with the Ahmedabad blasts, police said.

Halim, who was also wanted in connection with the post Godhara riots, had gone into hiding after the 2002 events.

Police defused a live bomb found lying in a garbage can in Amraiwadi area in Ahmedabad where army columns conducted flag marches in vulnerable areas to instill confidence among its shaken residents.

In New Delhi, Home Minister Shivraj Patil chaired a high-level meeting to review the security scenario in the country and assured all possible help to the Narendra Modi government in its hour of crisis.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is likely to visit Ahmedabad tomorrow, was briefed by Patil, National Security Adviser M K Narayanan and top officials of the Home Ministry on the security situation in the country.

In Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra Police's Anti-Terrorism Squad raided an apartment in the Palm Beach Road area and seized a computer in connection with the probe into the e-mail sent to TV channels purportedly by a little-known 'Indian Mujahideen' threatening more blasts in the country.

With seven more people dying overnight, the death count in the serial blasts in Ahmedabad rose to 45 today, Gujarat Health Minister Jainarayan Vyas said.

The number of injured was 145, he said after a Cabinet meeting presided over by the Chief Minister.

Several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, sounded red alerts heighting vigil in sensitive areas.

 

[Saab]

Independent probe into 'cash for vote' scam demanded
Monday July 28 2008 00:03 IST IANS

​

NEW DELHI: Around 500 people including Right to Information (RTI) activists and various civil society groups' representatives Sunday held protests here, demanding an independent enquiry into the charges by three MPs that they were offered bribes ahead of Tuesday's trust vote in parliament.

They also demanded that tapes of a sting operation that is said to have captured political leaders offering bribes to the MPs should be made public.

"Around 500 people from several states were part of the protest. Nearly 75 RTI applications were collected which would be filed Monday to the Lok Sabha speaker (Somnath Chatterjee), asking for a copy of tapes of the sting operation," said Manish Sisodia, an RTI activist who works with NGO Kabir.

During the trust vote debate in parliament July 22, three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs had flashed wads of currency notes alleging that the Congress and the Samajwadi Party leaders had given them the money as bribe to abstain during the voting.

"We hope that the speaker will not reject our application citing the exemption clause as larger public interest overrides all exemptions," Sisodia added.

Magsaysay award winner and RTI activist Arvind Kejriwal and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan were also part of the protest.

 

[Saab]

Eight kg explosives seized from Karnataka town
Sunday July 27 2008 22:28 IST IANS

​

BANGALORE: About eight kg of explosives, similar to the ones used in Friday's serial blasts in Bangalore, have been seized from Chennapatna town where a blast had taken place Thursday, the police said.

"The material seized, about seven to eight kg, prima facie appears similar to the ones used in the Bangalore blasts," Inspector General of Police Kamal Pant told IANS Sunday evening.

Ammonium nitrate, nuts and blots, and cement chips were found to have been used in Friday's blasts with timer devices. One woman was killed and seven people were injured in the eight blasts.

"The July 24 explosion in Chennapatna was a minor one and there had been no damage. We were investigating the incident and found a container with explosives in Chennapatna town," Pant said.

Asked whether the Chennapatna incidence was a sort of rehearsal for the Bangalore blasts, he said it was too early to come to any conclusion. "We are investigating all angles."

Karnataka Home Minister V. S. Acharya said: "Yes, explosives have been seized from Chennapatna. Our DGP (director general of police R. Sri Kumar) visited Chennapatna for inspection. I am awaiting further details."

Chennapatna, famous for its wooden toys, is 70 km from here on the Bangalore-Mysore highway. All tourists to Mysore taking the highway stop at Chennapatna to buy toys as souvenir.

Eight bombs went off in eastern and south western parts of Bangalore in a span of an hour Friday afternoon.

The police have not detained any one in connection with the blast. They say they have various leads but no definite clues yet.

Sri Kumar has said local modules were used to carry out the Friday attack.

On Saturday, one live bomb was found in upscale Koramangala, close to one of the sites of Friday blasts, and was defused.

Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has announced a reward of Rs. 100,000 to the bomb disposal squad for successfully defusing the bomb.

 

[Saab]

BJP launches nationwide campaign
Staff Reporter
NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday launched a seven-day nationwide “bhanda phod” campaign to expose the “dubious means” used by the Congress-led UPA government to win the trust vote in Parliament.
Addressing a gathering here, senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said rallies would be held in different parts of the country from July 27 to August 2 to protest against the “MP purchase” case. She said the UPA government had bought the trust vote. “It was not a political but a suitcase victory and defeat of democracy,” she said.


Ms. Swaraj said after the Left parties withdrew support, the government entered into a secret pact with the Samajwadi Party that had earlier vehemently opposed the nuclear deal. “Suddenly the deal became of national interest to the Samajwadi Party,” she said, adding that then a list of MPs whose seats were lost due to delimitation was prepared and they were contacted.


The BJP leader alleged that 32 party MPs had conceded that they were contacted. Ms. Swaraj praised three of the party MPs who when offered money for either abstaining or voting for the government decided to expose it. She also narrated the sequence of events leading up to the alleged advance payment of Rs.1 crore to the MPs.


The operation was captured by a hidden camera by a television channel that had promised to telecast it soon after the issue was raised in Parliament. But that did not happen, said Ms. Swaraj, adding that the three MPs then showed the cash in the well of the House.


Ms. Swaraj said the entire episode had shown that the Prime Minister did it all to save his seat. He put the government at stake for his inclination towards the U.S., she said, adding that the BJP also wanted to negotiate with the U.S. but on equal terms.


She demanded that the CD comprising details of the sting operation be made public and urged Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to refer the matter related to Rajya Sabha MPs to the Ethics Committee of the House of Elders for necessary action.



http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/28/stories/2008072854301200.htm

 

[Saab]

http://publication.samachar.com/pub_article.php?id=2365484
BJP-ruled states incur wrath of terrorists
July 27, 2008

NEW DELHI: The deadly serial bomb blasts on consecutive days in Bangalore and Ahmedabad have shown that the terrorists are confident of striking at will. But what's the message they are trying to send?Strategic analysis expert B Raman says that the blasts seem to be directed against the BJP-ruled states."The next series of blasts could possibly be carried out in Madhya Pradesh. It is no coincidence that SIMI cadres were arrested in Indore and Ujjain recently," he says.

Earlier blasts this year were carried out in Rajasthan and Karnataka, both BJP-ruled states.Five minutes before Saturday's blasts, a television channel received an email from a terror group claiming to be Indian Mujahideen.In the past one year, this group has owned responsibility for several other strikes. They seem to nurse a grudge against the country's criminal justice system.
"The innocent Muslims arrested in the (Mumbai) bomb blast case are being tried for years and years," it says.

There is no reference to Kashmir in the email.

According to Ajai Sahni, executive director, Institute for Conflict Management, the blasts do not reflect any dramatic augmentation in the strike capacity of the terrorists.

"We must not forget that the terrorists have only been able to hit at soft targets since the Parliament attack in 2001. And every soft target cannot be secured." However, he adds: "If the Bangalore and Ahmedabad blasts are co-related, then it reflects a greater central coordination."
Sahni is of the view that the material damage wrecked by terrorism is limited. "But the psychological impact is much more. And this is what needs to be controlled," he says.

He feels there is an urgen t need to shore up the national security apparatus also points out the roadblocks in the way.

"India's police to population ratio is one of the lowest in the world, barring the poorer African countries. There is a high deficit of personnel in intelligence gathering. The IB has barely 3,500 field officers. We need to address these shortcomings," Sahni says.

Security expert Prakash Singh, however, feels that the successive blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad show the overconfidence of the terrorists.
"They have no fear of being detected, arrested or prosecuted," he says.
Affirms PR Chari, research professor, Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies, "The blasts were a demonstration of their capabilities and a terse reminder of the state's helplessness."

 

[Saab]

Tamil Nadu cops foil Aug 15 terror bid, arrest one

Press Trust Of India

Chennai: Tamil Nadu police on Sunday claimed to have foiled plots to plant bombs across the state, specifically in Chennai and Tirunelveli, before August 15, and arrested one person in connection with the alleged conspiracy.

Police said one Ali Abdullah -- a convict lodged in the Puzhal prison near here in connection with eight different cases of murder and blasts -- had masterminded the plots in the jail.

Police arrested one Abdul Gaffur, who is employed in Chennai, and recovered from him materials used for making an IED.

He was picked up from a relative's house at Pettai in Tirunelveli following specific information.

A report from Madurai said the famous Sri Meenakshi Amman temple in the city has been provided with three-tier security following a warning from the Central intelligence agencies that it could be a target of terrorists.
According to police sources, terrorists - after the blasts in Bangalore and Ahemdabad - planned to attack cities in Tamil Nadu and Madurai Sri Meenakshi temple was believed to be on the top of their list.

The Union Home Ministry and the Intelligence Bureau had also asked the Tamil Nadu police to beef up the security at Sri Meenakshi temple, they said.

Police also suspected that two of the terrorists who escaped from Manali near Chennai, Daubid and Abudhagir, could target places of worship. The sources said the Lashkar-e-Toiba had also planned to attack places of worship in Tamil Nadu.

A 60-member police team had been formed for security duty inside Meenakshi temple and they would monitor the temple complex round the clock, police sources said.

Another 50 police personnel were put on security duty near Adi Street nearby. Only small bags with pooja items would be allowed inside the temple and vehicles would not be allowed in Chitrai street.
All the vehicles would be checked at the ten newly formed check-posts, police sources added.

The sources said that security for the famous Sri Palani Dhanyuthapaniswamy temple, Rameswaram Sri Ramanathaswamy temple and Srirangam Sri Ranganathaswamy temple had also been beefed up.
Additional policemen had been deployed at all the entry points of the temples.

 

[Saab]

Nepali Maoists spotted in Orissa

PTI | July 28, 2008 | 11:38 IST

Nepali Maoists have infiltrated into India with the locals spotting
such cadres in Orissa's Malkangari district bordering Chhattisgarh
where 53 securitymen and two civilians were killed in the last three
weeks.

"We have received information about infiltration by Nepali Maoists,
but nothing can be confirmed unless they are nabbed," a senior
intelligence officer said, adding that Nepal sometime ago had
indicated to India that a section of Maoists could cross over.

While 38 personnel, including 36 commandos of the elite Greyhound
Force of Andhra Pradesh, were killed while sailing through the
Balimela reservoir on June 29, 17 other Orissa police personnel died
in a landmine blast triggered by suspected ultras on July 16.

"Though Malkangiri is identified as the hot-bed of Maoist activities,
never before have such a large number of people been killed by
ultras," Director General of Police Gopal Chandra Nanda said.

Worried over the increase in Maoist violence in Malkangiri district
where 86 persons have been killed so far this year, Orissa Chief
Minister Naveen Patnaik has asked the DGP to make a detailed report on
the reason behind the incidents.

Though the Orissa police were yet to find the reason behind the sudden
rise in the Maoist violence in the state, two to three rebels from
Nepal were spotted by locals in Malkangiri.

Nanda told PTI that he had no knowledge about the presence of Nepali
Maoists in Orissa.

Nepalese Maoist leader Prachanda's decision to embrace democracy had
enraged many cadres in the Himalayan nation who could have infiltrated
into Orissa and other states, the sources said.

With the Maoist movement aiming at establishing a red corridor from
Pashupatinath in Nepal to Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, the cadres could
have jumped the boundary after Prachanda gained power in the Himalayan
state, they felt.

Officers engaged in anti-Maoist operation were of the view that
Maoists in India used to get moral as well as logistic support from
their counterparts for long.

The existence of Nepali Maoists in Orissa was evident from the
recovery of at least six CDs from Mandrabaju area of Gajapati district
some time ago.

"The recovery of Nepali language CDs could be an indication to
establish links between Maoists here and in Nepal," said Gajapti
district SP S N Sinha.

This apart, a suspected Maoist identified as Sanjay Thappa was seen on
the Orissa-Jharkhand border nearly two years ago.

South-Western Range Deputy Inspector General Sanjeev Panda who oversaw
anti-Maoist operations in Malkangiri, Koraput and some other sensitive
districts, suspected the hand of Maoists trained outside India behind
both the incidents at Balimela and MV-126.

"One needs to be highly skilled to trigger landmines containing a huge
quantity of explosives as was done in MV-126," Panda said.

The intensity of the explosion was so strong that an anti-landmine
vehicle got damaged completely.

While Maoists operating in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattishgarh
were taking help of experts from other places, perhaps from Nepal, the
Orissa government has changed its strategy to counter the menace.

"Besides launching an exclusive drive for appointing 5,000 officers
and constables to work in Maoist-infested districts, we will recruit
special police from local youths," Patnaik said.

It was also decided to engage 1,500 ex-defence personnel as special
police in the anti-Maoist battle.

According to the decision, the special police would be given the
Orissa police uniforms and trained to tackle the Maoists in forests
and remote areas.

"We will take local youths who know the terrain and forests in their
areas," the DGP said, adding that the government would relax physical
standard for tribals because of their short height.

"The special police will assist the local police," said the DGP.

But with intelligence gathering considered as vital, Orissa has taken
little steps in this direction.

"We need more people for information gathering than chasing Maoists in
forests," said a senior officer.

Officers working in the field felt unless the government augmented the
intelligence network by engaging more people, it would be difficult to
tackle maoists who had informers in different strata of society.

"Maoists could kill 55 people in two ambush attacks as they have
developed intelligence network even in forests and urban pockets,"
said a former DGP.

http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/jul/28orissa.htm