Prime accused held in diplomat attack case arrested

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 30, 2016 (PTI)

A day after former diplomat T P Sreenivasan was manhandled by SFI activists near here, the prime accused, who slapped him, was arrested here today.
City Police commissioner S Sparjan Kumar said the prime accused, Students Federation of India(SFI) leader J S Sarath, who was absconding soon after the incident, was arrested from a tea shop here this evening.

He was arrested under various charges including IPC sections 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 341 (wrongfully restraining any person), he said.

Police also initiated disciplinary action against five policemen, who were on duty at the venue of the Global Education Meet at Kovalam, where the incident occurred.

The "erring" policemen would be sent for intensive refresher training as part of the departmental action.

"Two sub-inspectors and three constables will be sent for intensive refresher training at Kerala Police Academy in Thrissur. An oral inquiry has also been ordered into the incident," a top police official said.

There were allegations that police had remained mute spectators while Sreenivasan, who is also the Vice Chairman and Executive Head of Kerala State Higher Education Council, was attacked.


Meanwhile, CPI(M) veteran and opposition leader V S Achuthanandan, today demanded strict action against the SFI activists who attacked the former diplomat.

CPI(M) politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan also said that the agitators had crossed the limit and the party cannot approve these kind of personal attacks.

The party's district secretary Kadakampally Surendran had apologised yesterday itself for the misbehaviour of agitators belonging to SFI, the student wing of CPI-M.

SFI activists had attacked Sreenivasan during their protest against the "commercialisation of higher education" near the venue.

Sreenivasan was the former Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, Vienna, and Ambassador to Austria and Slovenia.

TMC hails Kamduni verdict as achievement of administration

Kolkata, Jan 30, 2016 (PTI)

The ruling Trinamool Congress today hailed the judgement in the Kamduni gangrape and murder case as a big achievement of the state administration while the opposition Left Front and Congress questioned the 'delay' and acquittal of two accused respectively.

"It is a big achievement of the administration," TMC leader Mukul Roy said. "We are happy with the judgement. Those who have committed the crime, the judicial system has punished them. We are happy that the culprits have been punished," TMC leader and state Urban Development minister Firhad Hakim said.

Three persons, convicted in the brutal Kamduni gangrape and murder of a 21-year-old college student over two years back, were today sentenced to death by a city court while three others got life imprisonment.

Additional Sessions Judge Sanchita Sarkar handed out capital sentence to Aminul Ali, Saiful Ali and Ansar Ali, while Imanul Islam, Aminul Islam and Bhola Naskar were sentenced to life imprisonment for the gangrape and murder of the young woman on June 7, 2013. 

The Opposition, however, questioned why it took so "long" for the police to place the charge sheet and why it "failed" to get evidence against the two who were acquitted by the court.

"What took so long for the police to book those criminals? If police had acted impartially then the two who were acquitted could also have been booked," a Left Front leader said.

WBPCC President Adhir Chowdhury too welcomed the judgement but questioned the role of police in the probe which led to acquittal of two other accused. 

Rohith's suicide not linked to hostel expulsion: BJP leader

Indore, Jan 30, 2016 (PTI)

Terming the expulsion of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula from Hyderabad University hostel as a "small incident", BJP leader Kailash Vijaywargiya today said he doubts whether this alone led to suicide by the "courageous youth".

"The suicide of Vemula is unfortunate. He was a courageous youth who had a zeal to swim against the tide. Though a probe is on in his death, I don't believe he committed suicide just because of a small incident of his expulsion from the hostel," the BJP General Secretary said.

"I don't think he took the extreme step because he was perturbed over his expulsion," he told reporters here.

"I think those people who are responsible for his suicide are the ones who are agitating to defame Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government. Once the probe is complete, these people would get exposed," Vijaywargiya maintained.

The 26-year-old scholar committed suicide early last week, a fortnight after he and four other researchers were expelled from the university hostel in connection with an alleged case of assault.

Asked about Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi taking part in the agitation over Rohith's death, Vijaywargiya said, "Politics should not be done on the issue. Our political rivals are unable to digest that under Modi's leadership, the country's stature is rising in the world and therefore they are indulging in such acts."

Referring to the issue of making public documents related to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, he said, "the earlier Congress-led governments were unable to fulfil this old demand. However, Modi fulfilled the promise he had made to Netaji's family members and because of this his great grandson joined BJP."

The BJP leader, in-charge of poll-bound West Bengal, said the Modi government has made these documents public in national interest so that people know the historical facts related to the legendary freedom fighter.

On the issue of quota, he said "we are of the opinion that society's weaker sections should get the benefit of reservation as before." 

Centre has released Rs 128 cr for minorities: Heptulla

Guwahati, Jan 30, 2016 (PTI)

Union Minority Affairs Minister Najma A Heptulla today said the Centre released Rs 128 crore last week to Assam for implementing various schemes of development of minorities.

"Last week, we released Rs 128 crore to Assam. Although Assam did not give the utilisation certificates earlier, but we pro-actively pursued the matter as it would be lapsed if not used before March 31," Heptulla said at a press conference.

She said the money would be used for projects related to development of minorities in the state.

Meanwhile, Heptulla today chaired a meeting to review the projects for development of minorities in North East.

"I regret to say that apart from Assam, no minister from any other NE state attended the meeting," she added.

Heptulla examined the progress of 11th and 12th Five Year Plan of North Eastern states and evaluated the progress of schemes like Multi-sectoral Development Programme, Prime Minister's New 15 Point Programme, Scholarships, National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation, Maulana Azad National Academy for Skills, Waqf Matters and National Waqf Development Corporation.

The Minister declared that henceforth all welfare schemes for the minorities will be based on the 2011 census.

"In this regard, the Ministry of Minority Affairs has made a comprehensive survey of the population of minorities up to the block level so that fund distribution for minorities reaches the target audience," she added.

At the review meeting, Heptulla asked the states to come up with proposals based on the needs and demands of the market and said the final focus should be on employment generation of individuals at the micro-level. 

Modi govt may meet same fate as that of Indira's: Yashwant

Dona Paula (Goa), Jan 30, 2016 (PTI)

Veteran BJP leader Yashwant Sinha today tore into Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government, saying there is no dialogue and they may meet the same fate as the Indira Gandhi-led Congress which was drubbed in the elections after Emergency.

Sinha, who along with some other BJP veterans has been marginalised in the party, was speaking at a panel discussion at the 'Difficult Dialogues' conference here, where CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury also spoke.

"There is absolutely no scope of no dialogue... This is the great strength of Indian democracy. There will be aberrations here and there, there might be concerns about the present situation. But the great Indian society will take care of it and consign to dust those who do not believe in dialogue in India," Sinha said.

"The people of India will consign him to the dust, you just have to wait for the next elections," Sinha, who was finance minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, said without naming Modi.

Alluding to the general elections in 1977 when Congress was ousted from power, he said such a neglect (of dialogue) will make the government last "19 months", the same duration as the Emergency.

We all know how the people of India reacted to the Emergency which was the "most concerted democratic effort in our country to still the voice of dissent", he said.

Replying to intervention from Yechury on need to ensure that dialogue in the society doesn't get stifled, he said, "I would only say that the stifler is in for serious trouble."

The veteran BJP leader also rued the fact that Opposition was not letting Parliament function. Without naming, he took a potshot at a Congress leader, who he said never raised concerns on the GST Bill in the standing committee meetings but later raised objections.

Under Vajpayee, the NDA government was able to pass several important legislations with the help of dialogue (with opposition), Sinha said.

His onslaught comes on the same day when another BJP leader, actor-MP Shatrughan Sinha, said that veteran leaders Vajpayee, L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi "deserve much more than what they have been given".

"Currently these leaders including me are trapped between oppression and respect," Shatrughan said in Pune.

Differently-abled woman flyer alleges Air India made her 'crawl'

New Delhi, Jan 30 , 2016, (PTI)

A differently-abled woman flyer has alleged she had to "crawl" to the passenger coach after deboarding an Air India plane as the carrier failed to arrange a wheel chair for her due to "security" reasons, a charge denied by the airline.

The government-run airline claimed a wheel chair was provided to the passenger at aircraft doorstep itself.

The incident took place yesterday when Anita Ghai, a Delhi University associate professor, landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) here by Alliance Air (Air India's regional arm) from Dehradun and requested for a wheel chair.

"I boarded this flight with four of my colleagues. Despite my repeated request, the (air) hostess did not cognize my requirement for a wheel chair after reaching. The flight reached at 7:30 PM. I waited patiently with one of my friends," she said.

"At 8:15 PM, we realise that there was no chance of (getting) a wheel chair. The (passenger) coach came at 8.30 PM after repeated requests from the flight commander. Since security reasons are critical they made me crawl to go to the coach," she alleged.

"We strongly deny the statement...We at Air India give utmost importance to passenger's safety and comfort," an Air India statement said.

The flight which operated on ATR aircraft landed in Delhi from Dehradun. Since it was parked at a distant bay it took some time to bring the wheel chair, the airline said.

"Since passengers were getting down from the aircraft, our support staff actively helped the passenger to come out of the plane and the wheelchair was provided at the doorstep," Air India said. "We deeply regret any inconvenience caused to the passenger," it added. 

Diplomats set facts right over 'Airlift'

NEW DELHI: Jan 31, 2016, DHNS

Akshay Kumar starrer “Airlift” and the row over it brought the focus back on the real airlift of 1,76,000 Indians from the war-zones of Kuwait in August 1990 – a massive evacuation, which was no less dramatic than the film.

The real-life diplomats involved with the evacuation of Indians from Kuwait after invasion by Iraq in fact had to do much more than what the film directed by Raja Krishna Menon portrayed them doing. 

They not only had to ensure cooperation from Saddam Hussain’s administration in Baghdad and coordinate with Jordanian government while evacuating people from the airport in Amman, but also had to deal with expatriates, who just wanted to jump the queues, and placate the Air India crew, who were initially reluctant to work beyond duty hours.  

“Airlift” drew flak from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) as well as serving and retired diplomats, who pointed out that the film missed out on facts and not adequately portray the efforts made by the government during the evacuation that was still considered one of the largest in the history. 

The diplomats are upset as the film sought to portray businessman Ranjit Katiyal, the character played by Akshay Kumar, as the one who made the evacuation possible. What also irked them is that the film portrays the character of MEA joint secretary Sanjeev Kohli as the one, who was initially reluctant to act proactively to bring home thousands of Indians who were stranded in Kuwait.

The real-life evacuation, however, had K P Fabian, who was then the joint secretary heading the Gulf Division in the MEA, playing the lead role in coordinating New Delhi’s response to the crisis, including Fabian, who accompanied the then External Affairs Minister I K Gujral to Iraq to obtain Saddam Hussain’s permission for repatriation of Indians from Kuwait. 

They then reached Kuwait, where they had to meet Indians, who were anxious to leave the war-torn country soon. Gujral stood up on the bonnet of a car, addressed the Indians and reassured them of all assistance from the government.

In an interview to Indian Foreign Affairs Journal in 2011, Fabian recalled that when it was decided that first batch of evacuees would return in the same aircraft that Gujral and his entourage had flown in, some expats from Punjab met Gujral and persuaded him to promise preference in selecting the few who could return home immediately.