HINDUTVA – 2011 (January to December 2011)

Compiled By Human Rights Documentation∗

Indian Social Institute, Lodi Road, New Delhi – 110 003, (India) From a swami to kingpin of 'Hindutva terror' Swami Aseemanand is the latest big name in the "Hindutva" terror web blamed for a series of blasts; starting with Samjhauta Express in 2007 to the ones at shrines in Hyderabad, Ajmer and Malegaon. The 58-year-old, whose real name is Jatin Chatterjee, is best known for reconverting tribals in the remote Dangs area of Gujarat from Christianity to Hinduism. But as the anti-terrorist squad and then the National Investigation Agency (NIA) dug deeper, they found that Aseemanand was more than just a preacher. Investigators believe that the "bomb-for-bomb" policy of the extremist Hindu groups was formulated at Shabridham in the Dangs during the Shabri Kumbh held from February 11 to 13, 2006. The Shabri Kumbh, a mela was the brainchild of Aseemanand who came to the Dangs in 1995. In fact, the success of the fair helped BJP win the Dangs assembly seat for the first time in 2007. Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Sunil Joshi, Ramji Kalsangra, Lokesh Sharma and Sandeep Dange were some at the saffron activists who participated in the 2006 Shabri Kumbh. The investigators are now trying to put together the story of how the conspirators managed to not only create a terror network but also acquired skills to make sophisticated bombs within just a year. Aseemanand's case cropped up soon after the arrest of Sadhvi Pragya Thakur in the Malegaon blast case. He was using a mobile phone registered in the name of his driver Sunil Dahod. Many calls were made from this phone to Sadhvi Pragya Thakur. The Maharashtra ATS questioned Dahod in November 2008 to track Aseemanand but he escaped. He was finally arrested by the CBI in Haridwar on November 19 last year. The 80-page chargesheet filed by CBI said Aseemanand held a meeting within 10 days of the bomb explosion at Sankatmochan temple in Varanasi in March 2006 with his supporters. On Monday, the NIA told the court that the Samjhauta blast was hatched in the Dangs district of Gujarat and at Chittaranjan in West Bengal. Aseemanand first landed in the Dangs as a member of the Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram, an RSS front organisation. Before that, he was active in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Born and brought up in West Bengal, Aseemanand completed his masters in physics from West Bengal's Burdwan University and joined the Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram in 1978. Aseemanand's reconversion drive spread to the neighbouring tribal areas of Valsad, Navsari and Surat of Gujarat and Nandurbar of Maharashtra. He started reconversion of Christian tribals to Hinduism with a bath at the hot water spring at Unai temple. He gained a fair amount of popularity during this time. After around two years of stay in the Dangs, Aseemanand managed to create strong feelings among Hindu tribals which led to anti-Christian riots in December 1998 in various parts of the backward area. Then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and leader of opposition Sonia Gandhi had then visited the Dangs. Following the riots, Aseemananad went underground for a year. (TOI, 05/01/2011) Co-conspirators saw RSS man as ISI mole NEW DELHI: RSS leader Indresh Kumar may be under CBI scanner for his suspected role in "saffron" terror but he might have been seen as an apostate by the Abhinav Bharat crew with Lt Col Srikant Purohit, held for the Malegaon blast, seeing the Sangh man as an "ISI agent". In his confession in the Mecca Masjid case, Swami Aseemanand, who claims to know a lot about a number of bomb blasts allegedly carried out by Hindu extremists in 2006-08, has said Purohit saw Indresh as a renegade who had crossed over to the other side. Aseemanand has recalled that Purohit had "also" once told him that "Indreshji is an ISI agent" and he (Purohit) had documents with him about this — indicating that others might have earlier told the Swami about the RSS man's Pakistan links. He, however, added, "...Col Purohit had never shown him those documents". Purohit — who had worked with Military Intelligence for many years — is currently in jail. Indresh had earlier attracted sharp criticism from Purohit and other radicals for his attempt to woo Muslims in Jammu & Kashmir. The RSS leader's bid to flag off Muslims on yatras — a scheme that went largely unnoticed — had incensed some of the Abhinav Bharat members. The Swami in his statement has also claimed that Sunil Joshi (the operational man who was allegedly

∗ This is a collection of previously published news and views from the print as well as the electronic media, whose reference marked at the end of each news items. Department of Documentation and Library (DDL) of the Indian Social Institute, New Delhi neither claims to the veracity of the facts in the news nor subscribes to the views expressed.

killed by his own men) had told him that two Muslim boys along with him (Joshi) and others carried out the blast in Ajmer (in October 2007). "When I asked Sunil Joshi as to how did he get Muslim boys, he told me that Indreshji had given it to him," claimed Aseemanand in his confession, made before metropolitan magistrate Deepak Dabas here last month in connection with the Mecca Masjid blast case of the CBI. The Swami, born as Naba Kumar Sarkar, while referring to these two Muslim boys said he warned Joshi that if he was caught then Indresh's name would also be exposed. This was why Joshi had a threat on his life from Indresh. Aseemanand claimed that he also told Joshi that by using Muslim boys he would end up being targetted by Islamic extremists too. (TOI, 09/01/2011) Hindu link to blasts ignored at the outset? NEW DELHI: Convinced that Islamic terrorists were responsible for major acts of terror, investigators ignored leads or possible lines of investigation into incidents like blasts at Malegaon, Mecca Masjid, Samjhauta Express and Ajmer. The emerging evidence that the Hindu group that carried out some of these blasts was much more entrenched than earlier anticipated has strengthened calls for a fresh look at investigations into some recent terror strikes. A recently retired intelligence official said there were "several vital clues that should have prompted us to be far broader in our approach towards those blasts." He added, "We were swept away by the overriding opinion in the (security) establishment that only Islamic groups could carry out the sophisticated blasts we saw in Samjhauta and Mecca Masjid." Such inputs were ignored not just in cases that are now being seen as the handiwork of the Abhinav Bharat network. For example, "in the initial days, after the twin-blasts in Jama Masjid (on April 14, 2006) we had intercepted a suspicious phone call to an RSS member. But we chose to ignore it," he said. A senior official pointed out that the "environment was so overwhelming" in its belief that only Muslim extremists could carry out terror attacks that "we didn't even have proper discussions on other possibilities". After the Malegaon blast of 2006 while a section in the intelligence community raised the possibility of a Hindu group being responsible, a broader sweep of likely suspects did not take place. At the time the saffron angle was based on two factors — doubts over a Muslim group targeting a mosque, and the blast in Nanded in April 2006 in which two RSS members were killed and four others injured. Though the Shab-e-Baraat attack could have been the work of Muslim groups who saw such rituals as an impure influence, the possibility of a Hindu connection was not examined. "The same arguments (that Muslims wouldn't target a mosque) were made after Mecca Masjid, Ajmer Sharif and Jama Masjid blasts too, but were overruled," the officer said. Another officer, who has been involved in counter-terror measures for years, said the Muslim groups were routinely blamed and "fantastic stories were being created". Many innocents were framed. "So as we went along we had no credible leads to follow. Today we are shooting in the dark to a great extent when it comes to credible leads," he said. (TOI, 09/01/2011) “Ajmer blast carried out to deter Hindus from visit ing dargah” Swami Aseemanand, a key figure in the Hindutva terror network, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from Haridwar, Uttarakhand, in November last, has confessed to having strongly favoured tit-for-tat in cases of bomb blasts. He chose the Ajmer Sharif dargah as a target to deter Hindus from going there. In his statement recorded before a magistrate in Delhi, he said: “I told everybody, bomb ka jawab bomb se dena chahiye' [bombs should be answered with bombs]. I told everyone, since 80 per cent of Malegaons are Muslims, we should explode the bomb in Malegaon. Since Hindus throng the Ajmer Sharif dargah, we thought a bomb blast in Ajmer would deter Hindus from going there.” The Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad was chosen because the Nizam of Hyderabad wanted to opt for Pakistan during the Partition. And Samjhauta Express was chosen because it was mostly used by Pakistanis, according to Tehelka news magazine, which has also uploaded the statement on its website. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader's statement is legally admissible evidence, crucial for the investigators probing the terror bombings targeting Muslims at religious and other places. He also admitted to having planned terror attacks in Malegaon, on the Mecca Masjid and the Samjhauta Express. In his confession, recorded under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code before Metropolitan Magistrate Deepak Dabas at the Tis Hazari Courts on December 18 last, the arrested RSS leader confessed that he and other Hindu activists were involved in bombings at Muslim religious places because they wanted to answer every Islamist terror act with a “bomb for bomb” policy. Names key conspirators His 42-page confession, recorded in Hindi, has been reported in Tehelka's latest cover story, “In the Words of a Zealot.” He has named senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar, the murdered RSS pracharak Sunil Joshi, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and senior RSS pracharaks Sandeep Dange and Ramji Kalsangra, among others, as key conspirators in the terror blasts. According to Swami Aseemanand, Mr. Kumar, who was recently questioned by the CBI, had financed several of the blasts, while Joshi and his team executed many of them. He said the terror conspiracy was hatched over several

meetings at which he was present, with the Hindutva leaders. According to the Swami, the Islamist terror strikes on Sankatmochan temple in Varanasi and Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar triggered their conspiracy. The magazine says that Aseemanand, of the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram in Gujarat's Dang district, told the Metropolitan Magistrate that in a 2006 meeting with other Hindu radicals, including murdered RSS leader Sunil Joshi and Pragya Singh Thakur, it was he who propagated the policy of ‘bomb for bomb.' Joshi, alleged to be the key conspirator in the Ajmer dargah blast, was shot dead in Madhya Pradesh in 2007. He is suspected to have been killed by his own men to cover up the terror act, the Rajasthan Police has claimed. The Swami, whose real name is Jatin Chatterjee, hails from Hooghly district in West Bengal and is a post-graduate in Botany. He started working full time from 1977 for Adivasi Kalyan Ashram of the RSS in Bankura, Purulia and Birbhum districts of West Bengal till 1981. He also worked from 1988 to 1993 at the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands before shifting to Chhattisgarh that year. In 1995, he was asked to go to the Dangs, which later became his permanent base. Aseemanand also confessed to having motivated a bunch of RSS pracharaks and other Hindu radicals to carry out the terror strikes to target Muslims. His confession is the first direct evidence of the involvement of Hindutva extremists in the 2006 Malegaon blasts and the Samjhauta Express blasts even though there have been accusations of their involvement in the Mecca Masjid and Ajmer blasts. Aseemanand admitted that they organised the terror acts as “the Muslim terrorists started attacking Hindu temples in 2002. This caused great concern and anger in me. I used to share my concerns about the growing menace of Islamic terrorism.” He said he first got in touch with Joshi and Thakur in 2003. It was the terror attack on the Sankatmochan temple in March 2006 that became the real flashpoint for them. “In March 2006, Pragya Thakur, Sunil Joshi, Bharat Riteshwar and I decided to give a befitting reply to the Sankatmochan blasts,” Aseemanand told the Magistrate. Aseemanand is known for having worked to reconvert people in tribal areas. He also ran the Shabari Dham Ashram and has a long list of followers, many of whom have been questioned by the CBI. (Hindu, 11/01/2011) Secret out: Gadkari lone Sangh defender New Delhi, Jan. 11: Nitin Gadkari was the only BJP leader who spoke out for the RSS on “Hindutva terror” this evening. The party’s other senior leaders stayed away from an event held at the BJP headquarters to express “solidarity” with the Sangh that is facing its most trying times since it was last banned in 1992 after the Babri Masjid demolition. The occasion was the release of a book, Secrets of RSS: Demystifying the Sangh, by Ratan Sharda, a long-time swayamsevak from Mumbai. Rajya Sabha Opposition leader Arun Jaitley was supposed to release the book with Gadkari, according to the invite. A placard with Jaitley’s name was placed on the stage. As the BJP president took his seat, he told the organisers to wait a while for Jaitley before starting the proceedings. When he did not show up, the event began. Asked to explain Jaitley’s absence, Gadkari told journalists: “I understand that he was tied up at another event. Let me find out what happened.” BJP general secretary and chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad who an hour ago had briefed the media on his president’s first year in office made himself scarce. Barring Nirmala Sitharaman, no other spokesperson or office-bearer was present. The presence of Indresh Kumar, the convener of the Sangh’s Muslim Rashtriya Manch, who has been named in the Mecca Masjid and Ajmer blasts, was interpreted as a “big embarrassment”. The RSS office-bearer was seated in the audience. No BJP or Sangh member went out of his way to greet him. When Indresh was about to speak to TV reporters, he was quickly whisked away by a BJP staffer, who said Gadkari wanted to have tea with him. The unstated boycott of the book launch was part of the BJP’s strategy to stay aloof from the terror-tainted Sangh. The tactic was evolved for personal and political reasons. First, L.K. Advani and his “loyalists” never got over the snubs the senior leader got from the Sangh after his 2005 Pakistan misadventure. More than the rebuffs to Advani, they were affronted with the Sangh’s decision to overlook their claims to the BJP president’s post in 2009 and instead root for a state leader. Second, sources said, the BJP was clear that its immediate priority was to expand the NDA and add more allies. “The last thing we need is the communal tag with the terror label to boot. If we go overboard backing the Sangh at this juncture, nobody will touch us,” a BJP official said. Third, the investigations into the 2007 blasts have confirmed, piece by piece, the role of the Sangh functionaries although it is still unclear if the conspiracies were actually planned with the knowledge and consent of its top brass. “If we go out on a limb supporting the Sangh and the probe by some chance implicates it more deeply, we will have to hide our faces,” a source said. Gadkari was defensive when he spoke about the RSS. After applauding the Sangh’s role in education, social service and health, he made a distinction between the RSS and outfits such as Abhinav Bharat, accused of planning the Malegaon blast. “I myself have heard the phone conversations of (Hemant) Karkare retrieved from his laptop. These people (Aseemanand and the others) were planning to kill Sangh leaders. They named Indresh, alleging that he had got money from the ISI,” Gadkari said. Yesterday, RSS chief Mohanrao Bhagwat, addressing a meeting in Surat,

conceded there were members in the Sangh with “radical” views but they have been told to leave since their “extremism” was “unacceptable”. (Telegraph, 12/01/2011) Aseemanand sticks to Hindutva plotters' hand in Sam jhauta blast PANCHKULA/NEW DELHI: Radical Hindu sadhu Aseemanand on Saturday stuck to his confession that Hindutva radicals were behind the bomb attack on the SamjhautaExpress in 2007. In a statement before a Panchkula magistrate, Aseemanand, aka Naba Kumar Sarkar, named absconding Hindutva militants Ramji Kalsangra and Sandeep Dange as the key plotters in the terror attack. The statement recorded under 164 Cr PC by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the Samjhauta blast has evidentiary value. It disproves the allegation levelled by Aseemanand's lawyer Manvir Rathee that his first "confession" had actually been extracted from him under duress. Sources in the NIA said the confession on Saturday practically rules out the involvement of other groups. Initial investigation into the attack had also looked into the possibility of involvement of jehadi groups, with the US even naming Arif Qasmani --a rich Pakistani citizen linked with terror groups -- as one of the plotters. Aseemanand has been arrested for bomb attacks that Hindutva radicals carried out on mosques to retaliate against the spate of jehadi terror strikes by Indian Mujahideen and other Islamic groups as part of what he calls "Bomb-for Bomb" plan. Aseemanand first spoke of the involvement of Hindutva hardliners in the Samjhauta attack in the confession he made before a Delhi magistrate in December. The confession on December 18 was recorded by the CBI in connection with its probe into the Malegaon blast in 2008. The attack on the Samjhauta Express killed 68 persons, mostly Pakistani citizens returning home after visiting their Indian relatives. (TOI, 16/01/2011) ABVP protest greets Binayak Sen at Raipur Rights activist Binayak Sen was greeted by a crowd shouting “Go Back,” “Traitor” and “Mercenary” as he landed at the Raipur airport late on Sunday night. But when he arrived at the Chhattisgarh High Court on Monday morning, the country's foremost criminal lawyer Ram Jethmalani turned up to defend him. In the run-up to the latest hearing in the high-profile case, student members of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and assorted members of the public held brief anti-Binayak Sen protests that were quickly dispersed by the police. “The leader of the mob appears to be a practising lawyer of this court,” said Mr. Jethmalani in his preliminary remarks in his defence of Dr. Sen. “I don't feel very welcome here. They [lawyers] haven't even asked me to visit the bar room.” In the morning, the police threw a thick blanket of security around the High Court here. Policemen barricaded the gates even as a police videographer captured footage of all those who arrived for the hearing. Senior officers consulted handwritten lists circulated by the intelligence department to ensure that no one entered the courtroom under false identities. This correspondent, for instance, was described as ‘journalist (bearded)' in an intelligence handout. A group of observers from the European Union shielded their eyes from the blazing sun as policemen and court officers struggled to get them passes to attend the hearing. Television cameras hovered close by as local lawyers questioned the propriety of sending a team of international observers to witness a trial. “We never ask to observe hearings abroad,” said a lawyer who wished to remain unnamed. Within court number 6's pinewood panelled walls, a phalanx of lawyers hurried to get seats a full hour before the hearing began; family members of the accused and the press squeezed into the visitors' gallery before spilling out into the aisles. (Hindu, 25/01/2011) 'RSS leader paid for Samjhauta blast' NEW DELHI: One of the accused in the murder of Sunil Joshi — mastermind of a number of terror attacks involving Hindu radicals during 2006-08 — has also told the investigating agencies about the alleged role of RSS leader Indresh Kumar in giving money for carrying out the blast in the Samjhauta Express train. Vasudev Parmar, who was arrested by the Madhya Pradesh police in December last year for allegedly killing Joshi, claimed to have told his interrogators that though the group had contacted a number of RSS leaders for help, it was Indresh who supported them by providing Rs 70,000 for the entire operation to bomb the Pakistan-bound train. Besides Parmar who hails from Dewas in Madhya Pradesh, Anand Raj Kataria of Indore and Harshad Solanki of Gujarat were also arrested in connection with the Joshi murder case. Solanki, an absconder from the 2002 Best Bakery case of Vadodara, was arrested by the Rajasthan police. Sources in the investigating agencies said that Parmar had also given a detailed account of the meetings held to plan the Samjhauta blast. Parmar is the second accused who has spoken about Indresh's role in the train blast that had taken place at Deewana near Panipat in Haryana in February 2007. Earlier, another accused Swami Aseemanand — who has already been chargesheeted by the CBI for his role in Hyderabad's Mecca Masjid blast — in his confessional statement before a court

in Delhi spoke at length about Indresh's direct and indirect role in one or the other blast carried out by Hindu radicals during 2006-08. Asked about Aseemanand's claim about Indresh's involvement in financing a number of bomb blasts, a top official in an investigating agency said: "So far, we don't have any corroborative evidence to point at Indresh's criminality, but the RSS leader continues to be on our radar." About Indresh, the Swami who was arrested by CBI from Haridwar in November last year also claimed that the RSS leader had, in fact, once told him that he should better concentrate on his work among tribals as the "bomb-for-bomb" operation was not meant for him. "Indreshji told me that this responsibility (bomb-for-bomb) has been given to Sunil and whatever help Sunil needs would be provided by him," claimed Aseemanand in his confession before the court. Aseemanand, however, also gave a new twist to the entire script stating that Indresh had an ISI link. In his confessional statement, he said that Lt Col Srikant Purohit had once told him that "Indreshji is an ISI agent" and he (Purohit) had all the documents with him about it. He, however, said that Col Purohit had never shown him those documents. Purohit — who had worked with Military Intelligence for many years — is currently in jail in connection with his role in the 2008 Malegaon blast. (TOI, 25/01/2011) Army’s report says Purohit plotted to kill RSS lead er Indresh A Military Intelligence report of the Army on disgraced officer Lt Colonel Prasad Srikant Purohit — now in jail for his alleged role in the Malegaon 2008 blast and links with Hindu extremists — reveals that his organisation, Abhinav Bharat, had plotted to kill senior RSS leader Indresh. Its reason: Indresh, Purohit suspected, was the “mole of the ISI” (Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence) in the Sangh Parivar and had received fake Indian currency to the tune of Rs 21 crore from the Pak agency. Indresh’s name also figures in statements made by some of the accused in a string of terror attacks on Muslim targets, including Malegaon, Mecca Masjid and the Samjhauta Express. Indresh has denied any role and said the government has been playing politics with the investigation. The plot to kill Indresh was revealed by Purohit in his interrogation in connection with the September 29, 2008 Malegaon blast, according to the MI report which has been obtained by The Indian Express. Incidentally, the MI report on Purohit says: “Malegaon bomb blast coincided with birthday celebrations of Col Purohit’s younger son. It may not be a mere coincidence.” Purohit was jointly questioned by the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) then headed by Hemant Karkare, the Intelligence Bureau and Military Intelligence-9 on October 29-30, 2008. The MI report says Abhinav Bharat was Purohit’s brainchild, set up to counter ISI activities in India with “financial assistance” from wealthy RSS supporters. The report says that a Pune-based rich, “staunch” RSS supporter, Shyam Apte, was roped in to finance the plot to kill “ISI agent” Indresh with a fraud Sharda Peeth Shankaracharya alias Dayanand Pandey jumping onto the bandwagon to make money. “Ajay Rahilkar aka Raja handled the financial affairs (of Abhinav Bharat) as directed by Col Purohit. One Shyam Apte (70 years), a committed worker of RSS was the main provider of funds. Rahilkar has disclosed payment of Rs 3.20 lakh to Rakesh Dhavde (the arms supplier of Abhinav Bharat) to buy arms as directed by Purohit. This has been separately confirmed by Dhavde and Col Purohit, who stated that these weapons were being procured on directions of Shankaracharya who tasked Col Purohit to eliminate one Indresh Kumar, a senior RSS functionary based in Delhi. Indresh Kumar was allegedly an agent of ISI and along with one Subedar Singh was also involved in pumping of fake Indian currency,” says the interrogation report. While Purohit claimed that it was “Shankaracharya” who asked him to “eliminate” Indresh, Shyam Apte told the Maharashtra ATS that it was Purohit who told him that during a special assignment in Nepal, entrusted to him by Director General Military Intelligence, he unearthed the involvement of Indresh in ISI activities. Purohit then reportedly claimed that Army headquarters didn’t act on his report and frustrated at this, he (Purohit) approached Apte to help kill Indresh as he was “the enemy of the country and Hindu dharma.” The report underlines the fact that Sadhvi Pragya Singh also said that when she discussed the issue of the “proposed elimination” of Indresh, who was like a father to Pragya, the “Shankaracharya conveyed that it was Purohit who had requested him to accommodate two commandos (at his Faridabad ashram) in Delhi.” The report says: “Shankaracharya told Pragya that he refused to accommodate the two commandos of Colonel Purohit as they had been sent to eliminate Indresh Kumar.” The plan to assassinate Indresh was activated during Purohit’s visit to Delhi from Panchmarhi during January 26-29, 2008. According to the report, Purohit stayed at the Shankaracharya Ashram in Faridabad and introduced Major (Retd) Ramesh Upadhyay, Bharat Bhai and Sameer Kulkarni to Dayanand Pandey. According to Purohit, it was during this meeting that the Shankaracharya asked him to procure weapons for killing Indresh. According to the report, it was during Abhinav Bharat’s first public meeting in Bhopal on April 11-12, 2008 that Purohit managed to bring the Shankaracharya and Swami Aseemanand on a common platform. “Presence of Sadhvi, Ramji Kalsangra and Sandeep Dange at the function also demonstrated his proximity to the core group who had undertaken anti-Islamic acts in the recent past. The officer initially denied his presence at the meeting but on confrontation with Sadhvi

admitted to his illegal presence. He also admitted handing over a 9 mm pistol to one Aloke, close associate of Shankaracharya, at Bhopal Railway Station to kill Indreshji in Delhi,” the MI report said. (IE, 28/01/2011) Kulkarni was in Dewas on day Joshi was killed: repo rt The Military Intelligence report on Lt Colonel Prasad Srikant Purohit has revealed that Abhinav Bharat’s “covert operations” in-charge Sameer Kulkarni was in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, on December 29, 2007 — the same day that former RSS pracharak and Ajmer blast accused Sunil Joshi was shot dead. Kulkarni, code-named Chanakya by Purohit, was associated with the “core group” that executed the IED blast in Ajmer on October 11, 2007. According to the MI report, Ajay Rahilkar aka Raja, financial controller of Abhinav Bharat, disclosed to the joint interrogation team that after receiving a call from Swami Aseemanand aka Naba Sarkar, Purohit told him that one of their organisation members, Sunil Joshi, had been killed. “Purohit also added that Sunil Joshi had carried out the Ajmer blasts. When confronted in the presence of Rahilkar, Purohit admitted to have received such a call. Aseemanand requested him to find out details of the incidents,” says the report. The report, a copy of which is with The Indian Express, adds: “Sameer Kulkarni, Chanakya of Abhinav Bharat, who was present in Dewas on that day, conveyed to Purohit that local elements of Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) had killed Sunil Joshi. However, Purohit Kulkarni was in Dewas on day Sunil Joshi was killed: report could not explain the presence of Sameer on the very day of the incident at Dewas.” Sameer Kulkarni has been described in the report as “ known arsonist” who murdered two Christians in Orissa in August 2008. The report states that while Purohit informed Swami Aseemanand that the murder of Sunil Joshi was the handiwork of Islamists, he told Ajay Rahilkar that “killing of Sunil Joshi was the handiwork of our own people.” Aseemanand was interested in finding out the reasons for Joshi’s murder as he had paid money from the Abhinav Bharat kitty to conduct the Ajmersharif and Mecca Masjid blasts. The MI report states that during 2007-2008, the group had Rs 18 lakh in their kitty, out of which Rs 4 lakh was given to Aseemanand to buy a vehicle, and a percentage of the collection was given for his use. According to his confession before the CBI court on December 18, 2010, he was informed about the crime by Bharat Bhai. Aseemanand records in his confession that he called up Purohit to inform him that “one of our boys who was responsible for Ajmer blasts” had been murdered. “I asked Col Purohit that as he was from intelligence he should find out who murdered Sunil Joshi. Col Purohit informed later that Sunil Joshi had himself committed murders and it appeared that his killing was an act of revenge,” Aseemanand stated in writing. (IE, 31/01/2011) Not just Muslims, Purohit team went after Christian s too: Report Not just Muslims, Lt Colonel Prasad Srikant Purohit and his Abhinav Bharat also targeted Christians in several locations including Kandhamal in Orissa, North Karnataka, Pune, Jabalpur and Bhopal. And that Malegaon blast accused and Purohit’s key aide Sameer Kulkarni was allegedly behind the killing of two Christians in Orissa in August 2008. This revelation comes in the Military Intelligence (MI) report of the Army based on the interrogation of Purohit, himself one of the prime accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast and a key link in the Hindu extremist network. The report, a copy of which is with The Indian Express, said that Malegaon blast co-accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh confronted Purohit during his joint interrogation by MI, the Maharashtra ATS and the Intelligence Bureau at a safe house in Khandala on October 30, 2008. “She mentioned that the Army officer had met her on October 5, 2008, and confessed to have orchestrated the Malegoan blast, killing of two persons in Orissa in August 2008 and arson in North Karnataka. The officer admitted to having made such statements to Sadhvi Pragya but attributed these outbursts to his boasting about the Malegaon incident. But, later, during the same confrontation he admitted that this outfit had killed two persons in Orissa through Sameer Kulkarni, a full-time activist of Abhinav Bharat,” the MI report stated. Sameer Kulkarni was called Chanakya by Purohit, a generic name given to those part of the military wing of Abhinav Bharat. “Responsible for covert operations, the RSS activist was instrumental in breaking influential RSS and VHP workers towards Abhinav Bharat. He is known to be associated with the core group who had undertaken the IED blast in Ajmer in 2007. In March 2008, he accompanied Ramji Kalsangra and Sandeep Dange to Purohit’s residence in Panchmarhi. Police records confirmed his involvement in anti-Christian riots in Pune, Jabalpur and Bhopal. Lt Col Purohit admitted that on behalf of Abhinav Bharat, Sameer killed two Christians in Orissa in August 2008. This act indicated that Lt Col Purohit wanted to establish an organisation with aggressive anti-Christian stance,” the MI report said. That Abhinav Bharat had become the hub of ultra right Hindu forces is evident from the fact that extremist organisations like Sreeram Sena and Hindustan Rashtriya Sena wanted Purohit’s organisation to merge with their outfits. “During December 22, 2007-January 2, 2008, Lt Col Purohit participated in a meeting called by Swami Aseemanand at Anil Mahajan’s house in Pune. The meeting was attended by Vilas Pawar of Sreeram Sena, Karnataka, Pramod Muttalik of Hindustan

Rashtriya Sena, Bharat Rateshwar aka Bharat Bhai of Gujarat, Dr Seetharamaiah of Andhra Pradesh, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Ajay Rahirkar. During the meeting, Swami Aseemanand made an attempt to merge Abhinav Bharat with existing organisations but consensus could not be reached,” the report stated. (IE, 31/01/2011) SIT: Modi tried to dilute seriousness of riots situ ation The Gujarat government overlooked “ghastly and violent attacks” on Muslims in the aftermath of the 2002 Godhra carnage, and Chief Minister Narendra Modi “tried to water down” the seriousness of the situation by contending that “every action has an equal and opposite reaction.” This and several other key findings pertaining to the role of Mr. Modi and his government in the anti-Muslim pogrom are contained in the 600-page report submitted to the Supreme Court by the R.K. Raghavan-headed Special Investigation Team. The report was scooped by Tehelka magazine in its latest issue. The pogrom had followed the February 27, 2002 killings of Hindu pilgrims in Godhra. Mr. Modi was among those who testified before the Court-appointed SIT. The SIT's inquiry officer noted in the report: “His [Mr. Modi's] implied justification of the killings of innocent members of the minority community read together with an absence of strong condemnation of the violence that followed Godhra suggest(s) a partisan stance at a critical juncture when the State had been badly disturbed by communal violence.” For his part, Mr. Raghavan recorded that the State government had placed two ministers — Ashok Bhatt and IK Jadeja — in the Ahmedabad city police control room and the State police control room during the riots. The ministers had “no definite charter,” fuelling speculation that “they had been placed to interfere in police work and give wrongful decisions to the field officers.” Further, “the fact that he [Mr. Modi] was the Cabinet Minister for Home would heighten the suspicion that this decision had his blessings.” However, Mr. Raghavan concluded that of the 32 allegations probed by the SIT, only a few could “in fact be substantiated,” adding that “the substantiated allegations did not throw up material that would justify further action under the law.” One of the significant findings of the SIT was that the Chief Minister did hold a meeting with the State Director General of Police, the Chief Secretary and other senior officers on the night of February 27, 2002. The Chief Minister held the meeting at his residence after returning from Godhra. In her complaint to the Supreme Court, Zakia Jafri, widow of Congress leader Ahsan Jafri — who with dozens of other Muslims was hacked to death during the riots — had alleged that at this meeting, Mr. Modi asked his officers to allow Hindus to freely vent their anger against Muslims. However, the SIT, which summoned the officers, pleaded its inability to establish whether Mr. Modi had given such instructions at the meeting. The inquiry officer gave the following reasons for not being able to do this. 1. Some of the public servants who had retired earlier, claimed loss of memory as they did not want any controversy. 2. Some others, who had recently retired and who had been provided with good post-retirement assignments, felt obliged to the State government and the Chief Minister, and therefore their testimony lacked credibility. 3. The serving public servants, who had been empanelled for higher posts, did not want to come into conflict with the politicians in power and incur their wrath. Among the SIT's other findings: Mr. Modi displayed “a discriminatory attitude by not visiting the riot-affected areas in Ahmedabad where a large number of Muslims were killed, though he went to Godhra on the same day.” The Modi government appointed Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated advocates as public prosecutors in the riots cases. The government did not stop the illegal bandh called by the VHP on February 28, 2002. Police officers who took a neutral stand during the riots and prevented massacres were transferred. (Hindu, 04/02/2011) Protests as taxpayer money is diverted for RSS ‘rec onversion’ programme in M.P. The Bharatiya Janata Party government in Madhya Pradesh has diverted massive public resources to spruce up physical infrastructure ahead of a major Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) programme in the State this weekend. The three-day ‘Maa Narmada Saamaajik Kumbh' is being organised by the Dharm Jagaran Vibhag (Religious Revival Department) of the RSS from February 10 to 12. The RSS hopes to mobilise tribals in large numbers from all over the country. According to Home Department officials who spoke to The Hindu on condition of anonymity, the State government has allotted a whopping Rs.250 crore to the Mandla district administration for developing new roads, repairing existing ones, and ensuring uninterrupted drinking water, electricity and health services during the kumbh in this backward tribal-dominated region. Though he disputed this figure, Mandla Collector K.K. Khare acknowledged that the State administration was pitching in to ensure that the RSS event went off smoothly. The total funds allotted to various departments in the context of the kumbh were Rs.38 crore, he told The Hindu. The RSS programme has raised concerns among minority communities and representatives of tribal people, who see it as a religious conversion event. And some in the administration are also worried. Reconversion events such as the ghar vapsi (return to the home-religion)

were “certain to be held during the three-day kumbh” and might cause tensions, an official said. The RSS itself will be spending Rs.6 crore on food, Rs.2 crore on tents, and about Rs.1.5 crore on stationery and promotional items such as religious lockets for distribution among the Adivasis. Police sources said the RSS had made arrangements for 3,000 buses to bring in tribals and Hindu devotees from all over the country to Mandla. The tribal Gondwana Ganatantra Party (GGP) and Christian religious leaders have expressed concern over the event and have approached the State government for security arrangements. “The kumbh, which has no place in tribal cultures, is being used by the RSS to bring tribals under the fold of organised religion. Moreover, we have proof that part of it is being financed with money meant for tribal welfare,” GGP general secretary Amaan Singh Porte told The Hindu. Two public interest litigations filed in the Madhya Pradesh High Court have alleged that massive public money has been diverted for the event by the ruling BJP government, and have requested the court to stop the kumbh from being held. “In the name of a social event, RSS activists have been delivering hate speeches, distributing inflammatory pamphlets and calling for reconversion of tribals in the region,” said Father Anand Muthungal, spokesperson of the Madhya Pradesh Catholic Church. However, Inspector-General (Balaghat range) C.B. Muniraju said tight security arrangements had been put in place and there was no need for worry. “We are watching people and all sensitive areas, including minority areas, closely. A force of 4,000 constables, four SPs, eight Additional SPs, 30 DSPs, and 150 inspectors and sub-inspectors have been deployed as part of the security arrangements,” he said, adding: “There is no communal angle to this event and I am sure everything will go on smoothly.” According to local news reports, propagandist pamphlets about the activities of missionaries and posters bearing pictures of Mother Teresa and B.R. Ambedkar with inflammatory messages were being distributed among tribals and Dalits by activists volunteering for the event. The event is a follow-up of the Shabri Mahakumbh held in the tribal-dominated Dangs district of Gujarat in 2006 under the leadership of controversial religious leader Swami Aseemanand, who was recently connected to the Samjhauta Express blasts. The meet forms part of a series of such “social congregations” planned to be held over the decade by the RSS along the tribal belt running from the West to the East, as was publicly stated during the Gujarat event. (Hindu, 08/02/2011) Warning note against conversions at MP govt meet fo r tribals Though it is meant to dissolve caste boundaries, the three-day congregation of tribals organised by the BJP government on the banks of Narmada began on a warning note for missionaries on Thursday with some sants asking the crowds to ensure that they were made to leave the country. Senior leaders of the RSS, which has fully backed the event called “Ma Narmada Samajik Kumbh”, were cautious but the religious leaders vent their anger on foreigners who, they said, took to conversion in the guise of offering ‘seva’. The majority community was asked to pool in money and food to ensure that no Hindu was left hungry, and hence vulnerable to conversion. The minority community had expressed fear that its members would be targeted, especially after the event is over, because the hate campaign unleashed ahead of it would start taking root later. VHP international general secretary Pravin Togadia called for a new law to deny Scheduled Tribes the benefit of reservation if they changed their faith. He said this would automatically stop conversions to Christianity. The largest applause was reserved for Togadia when he said Ram Temple would be built over 67-acre land in Ayodhya and no shrine in the name of Babar would be allowed to come up. Ha Ham Hindu Hain (yes, we are Hindus), a Hindi translation of a Marathi book, was released on the occasion by leaders that included RSS leaders Mohan Bhagwat and Suresh Soni, MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and a host of sants. Bhagwat began by saying sufficient advice had been given by leaders who spoke before him (on how to tackle conversion) but did not elaborate. (IE, 11/2/2011) Bajrang Dal leader joins JD(S) After having attacked the Sangh Parivar for its alleged role in the 2008 Church attacks in Karnataka, the JD(S) on Sunday admitted into its fold a Sangh Parivar leader reportedly involved in that violence. Former convener of Bajrang Dal, Mahendra Kumar joined the party along with his supporters here. As anticipated, Mahendra Kumar, once a staunch Sangh Parivar activist, has taken shelter in the JD(S) as his name allegedly figures in church attack cases. Kumar said he was joining the party to "weaken communal forces and to strengthen secular forces". He said, "I am today shedding the shackles of communalism to strive for communal harmony, for which the JD(S) is working. I tender my apologies for Christians. Muslims are also patriots." Mahendra Kumar, who was divested as the convener of Bajrang Dal after he owned responsibility for the 2008 church attack in parts of Mangalore and Chikmagalur, and was even jailed for some time, lashed out at the BJP, which he accused as a "party that is creating wedge between castes and communities for its survival". (Pioneer, 21/02/2011)

NIA likely to take over all Hindu terror-related ca ses The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is likely to take over all seven cases relating to Hindu terror groups being probed by police in different States and the Central Bureau of Investigation. Though the Home Ministry had decided to hand over all the seven cases to the NIA, a draft notification to this effect, sent by it last week to the Law Ministry, is likely to be approved soon. Well-placed sources in the Home Ministry said a formal notification would be issued soon. While the September 2006 Malegaon blast in which 38 were killed is being probed by the CBI, the February 2007 Samjhauta Express blast that claimed the lives of 67 passengers is being investigated by the NIA. The NIA is also probing the Modasa bomb blast of September 2008. While the Rajasthan police are looking into the Ajmer Sharif blast of October 2007 in which three persons were killed, the Madhya Pradesh police are probing RSS pracharak Sunil Joshi murder case of December 2007. Yet another case of a blast in Malegaon in September 2008, in which five persons were killed, is being probed by the Mumbai police. The Mecca Masjid bomb blast of May 2007 in Hyderabad is being investigated by the CBI. Though the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh government is said to be reluctant to hand over the probe into Joshi's murder, the Home Ministry is keen that a unified probe by the NIA be carried out in all cases where the alleged involvement of right-wing terror groups was suspected. The Madhya Pradesh police recently chargesheeted some accused, including Sadhvi Pragnya Singh Thakur — already lodged in jail for her alleged involvement in the 2008 Malegaon blasts — in the Joshi murder case. The NIA Act empowers the Centre to unilaterally hand over any terror case to the agency and does not require the State government's consent. However, Madhya Pradesh has contended that there is no “terror angle” in the Joshi case. The decision to hand over the cases to the NIA was taken after security agencies expressed concern that the accused could use differences in the multiple probe at the trial stage to dilute charges against them. RSS activist Sunil Joshi was shot dead at Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, in December 2007. Samjhauta blast accused Swami Aseemanand, who is in jail, in his confessional statement named Joshi as one of the key conspirators in the right-wing terror network. The BJP has criticised the move to bring all cases under the NIA. Party spokesman Prakash Javadekar said: “If it is the government thinking, then this is the most absurd and most communal decision … because you cannot colour terror. Terror is terror and should be dealt with like terror.” (Hindu, 23/03/2011) A decade in battle for facts of Gujarat riots Will Sanjiv Bhatt, the IIT-educated Gujarat cadre Indian Police Service officer, be the exorcist whom the Gujaratis have been frantically searching for all these years to liberate the ghosts of post-Godhra riots which continue to tip toe into their dreams every now and then, waking them up frightened? Will his evidence persuade "Justice" to rip her blindfold and stare into the eyes of those 'modern day Neros' who in 2002 looked the other way when men took to frenzied manslaughter and used religion to divide 'us' into "we" and "they"? Very doubtful. No, one does not doubt Bhatt. But 'trust' and 'truth' are scarce commodities in post-Godhra Gujarat. Something akin to the post-9/11 situation in the US. Ex-police chief K Chakravarthy Bhatt has already contradicted Bhatt. Now its Bhatt's words against Chakravarthy's. In post-2002 Gujarat, for every fact, there is a counter. For every witness, a contradiction. Mired in the litigation-filled guilt finding mission, millions have lost their childhood innocence, youthful joy and thepeace of mind to the mindless communal riots. We will not know whether Bhatt was pinched by his conscience to come out with "facts" that he had kept under wraps for nine years. Zahira Habibullah Sheikh was not so conscience stricken. As a 19-year-old, she witnessed her family-owned Best Bakery at Hanuman Tekri, Vadodara, set on fire on March 1, 2002. Fourteen died. Twelve belonged to her family. All were charred to death. She survived and filed an FIR to tell a blood-curdling tale. There was no escaping death, but a choice -- armed mob or fire. Bakery inmates chose fire. Social activists saw her as the star witness against the modern day Neros. Doe-eyed Zahira was unaware of a star witness's responsibility. She basked in instant stardom of being on every TV screen. Hawks closed in on her. Just a year later, on March 23, 2003, she remembered little of what she had repeated a hundred times before the TV cameras. All accused were acquitted. Activists cried foul. They rushed to the Supreme Court to give justice a fresh chance. On April 12, 2004, the SC ordered re-trial and rapped Gujarat's Narendra Modi government hard on the knuckles [Zahira Habubullah Sheikh vs State of Gujarat 2004 (4) SCC 158]. In disgust, it said, "The modern day 'Neros' were looking elsewhere when Best Bakery and innocent children and helpless women were burning, and were probably deliberating how the perpetrators of the crime can be saved or protected." Zahira was back on TV recollecting the incident and recounting why she turned hostile during the trial. The hawks came back. She had no protection. Talons of the system had dug hard into her. She was desperately flapping her wings to escape, escape from the nightmare, poverty and wanting to live. She was convicted for telling lies for money. She counter-charged of being used by vested interests in the new lucrative business called riots. On March 8, 2006, the Supreme Court convicted her

for committing contempt of court. A star witness cannot tell a lie. Did Zahira understand why she was sentenced to one year imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000 when the high and mighty tell bigger lies day in and day out and get away with applause? Famous English jurist Jeremy Bentham had said "witnesses are the eyes and ears of justice". Witnesses -- Zahira and Bhatt -- are human beings too. Zahira weathered away or succumbed, no one will know. She lost everything in the Best Bakery fire, her family and fortune. She gained stardom but it tricked the young girl and she got swayed. She is now lost among a million Gujaratis who, like her, must be having doubts in the efficacy of the judicial system. For, it faulted her but not others. Bhatt will be different. It might have taken him nine years to break his silence. Being an IPS officer, we expect him to stand his ground and tell the truth for the sake of Gujarat. Ex-DGP Chakravarthy too must tell the truth and nothing else. They say truth alone prevails, or triumphs. It has not in 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Will it in the 2002 riots? (TOI, 02/05/2011) Trouble brews at Eflu over beef in menu HYDERABAD: The beef row on English and Foreign Languages University (Eflu) campus intensified on Monday. While Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists maintained that they would attack anyone who cooks beef on campus, a large group of students lead by Dalit Adivasi Bahujan Minority Students' Association (DABMSA) and Telangana Students' Association, said that they will continue the agitation till beef gets accepted in the hostel food guide. Trouble started on campus on April 30 when dalit students of the university who tried to conduct a " beef festival" were allegedly beaten up by ABVP activists who also reportedly desecrated the food. On Monday, beef supporters initiated a "food bandh" on campus, closing down the hostel messes, canteens and stores demanding inclusion of beef dishes in the mess menu. The students said that no food will be available on campus if their demands were not met. The campus remained tense on Monday with several student groups holding meetings with university authorities demanding immediate action on those who indulged in vandalism on campus. Considering the sensitivity of the situation, police personnel from Osmania University police station were deputed at Eflu campus. "We have started a non-cooperation and have been on a hunger strike since Sunday night till our demands are met. We have decided to continue with the agitation till our demands are met," said L Rajesh, a member DABMSA. DASMA demanded that the university authorities should issue a statement saying that the students have the right to hold similar food festivals on campus. Meanwhile, the issue drew attention of student groups of other Universities including Osmania University (OU) and University of Hyderabad (UoH). Dalit Students' Union (DSU) of UoH campus has joined DABMSA in the protest by bring out posters in support. "University as an institution of learning should protect the interests of dalit students also and prevent a cultural negation that has been going on in the country since long," a DSU poster read. Some social and human rights activists are also expected to extend support to students. "We are expecting that a public interest litigation (PIL) will be filed by Karthik Navayan, an activist to get a court order supporting the inclusion of beef in the hostel menu," said a member of DABMSA. Meanwhile, ABVP students against whom complaints were filed by DABMSA at OU police station said that includingbeef in the mess menu with the permission of university administration is out of question. "There are Hindu students whose beliefs would be hurt by such an act. We are accountable to them and hence we are against the festival," said a member of the ABVP body on campus. Meanwhile, the university authorities said that they have set up an enquiry committee to look into the incident. "Once the enquiry committee ascertains facts about the incident we will look into the demands of students," said Nagamallika Gudipaty, dean, school of communication and spokesperson Eflu. (TOI, 03/05/2011) Ram temple not on poll agenda: Gadkari JAIPUR: Days after BJP chief Nitin Gadkari raised the Ram temple pitch in UP's Faizabad, he did an about-turn in Jaipur on Tuesday, saying the construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya was not on party's poll agenda. In a clear attempt to whip up religious sentiments in UP, where Assembly polls are due next year, the BJP chief had on April 27 told frenzied party activists that he wanted to house the displaced Ram Lalla deity in a magnificent temple, beyond the Panch Kosi Parikrama Marg. But on Tuesday, Gadkari was more circumspect. "Ram Mandir is not on the BJP agenda. It's a symbol of our honour, history and culture," Gadkari said in response to a query at a press conference in Jaipur. He stressed the issue of Ram temple was above politics and was more about the country's pride. "The Allahabad High Court judgment has already clarified about the Ram's birthplace. So we want a magnificent Ram temple to be built at Ayodhya with support from all religions," the party chief said at the conclusion of his two-day visit to Rajasthan. The party urged the Congress-led UPA government to act tough against terrorism and not use national issues to create vote banks. The BJP chief said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should clarify his government's stand on Pakistan-supported terrorism, especially when he and home minister P Chidambaram have issued contradictory statements. "Soon after Osama was killed, the home minister

said Pakistan was a sanctuary for terrorists, while the Prime Minister said the world community should fight terrorism with the cooperation of Pakistan," the BJP chief said, demanding the Centre to clear its stand on Pak-supported terrorism. The saffron party wanted to know if the Central government was willing to strike on the Mumbai terror accused hiding in Pakistan, just like the US has done. "The Mumbai attackers like Dawood Ibrahim are freely roaming in Pakistan. Will our government bring them to justice?" Gadkari (TOI, 04/05/2011) BJP, RSS men behind Joshi's murder: Digvijay Singh BHOPAL: Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh on Sunday alleged that senior leaders of both the BJP and RSS were involved in the killing of former Sangh Parcharak Sunil Joshi, a charge dismissed by the Madhya Pradesh government. He said the MP police had made out a "weak case" in the murder of Joshi, who was a key accused behind many acts of terror, including the 2007 Ajmer dargah blast. "Joshi's murder was planned. First, the MP police had closed the investigation in the Joshi murder case but it was forced to reopen it following the Rajasthan ATS's damning revelations," Singh said. Reacting to Singh's allegations, MP cabinet spokesman Narottam Mishra said "no one takes the Congress leader seriously". Mishra, who is also the state law and legislative affairs minister, said Singh "has fallen in the habit of giving such irrelevant statements". The senior Congress leader said the MP police had spoiled the case and did a "match fixing" over its investigations. He said if the state government has to come out clean, it should ask the National Investigation Agency to carry out a probe. (TOI, 09/05/2011) Supreme Court issues notice to Modi, Gujarat The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and the State government on a petition filed by IAS officer Pradeep N. Sharma, seeking a CBI probe into the five cases pending against him and transfer of these cases for trial outside Gujarat. A Bench of Justices Aftab Alam and R.M. Lodha issued the notice after hearing senior counsel Colin Gonsalves, appearing for Mr. Sharma, and senior counsel M.N. Krishnamani for Mr. Modi. Mr. Gonsalves said Mr. Sharma was targeted from January 2010 and five cases were registered against him. While charge sheet was filed in one case, in four cases investigation was still on. Mr. Krishnamani referred to personal allegations, insinuations and innuendos made in the petition and said these were intended to malign the Chief Minister. “These are reckless and frivolous allegations, which should be withdrawn or deleted,” he argued. Justice Lodha told Mr. Gonsalves, “Character assassination is not permitted. Are you relying on these allegations? You can't do that. These are serious allegations.” The Bench, in its order, recorded an undertaking from Mr. Gonsalves “that he does not wish to retain the averment made in “page F of the synopsis in its present form and the elaboration of that statement as contained in paragraphs ‘15 to 25' of the Writ Petition.” The order said: “In this connection, he [Mr. Gonsalves] states that he will file a supplementary petition making suitable amendments to those averments, which tend to give unintended and wrong information in their present form. Mr. Gonsalves added that neither he nor the petitioner had any intent to make the faintest allegation of any personal impropriety against the Chief Minister.” In his petition, Mr. Sharma alleged that Mr. Modi directed his ire at him because his brother, Kuldip Sharma, who happened to be the senior-most IPS officer in Gujarat, was instrumental as head of the State CID in cracking the Sohrabuddin-Kausarbi killing case, among other cases. He said he was being harassed to settle personal scores with his brother and the State machinery was being abused by Mr. Modi and the former Minister of State for Home, Amit Shah. His counsel said the harassment started after the Chief Minister apprehended that a video on his (Mr. Modi's) personal relations was in the petitioner's possession. He said Mr. Pradeep Sharma's house was raided by the police for the video. At this, Justice Alam asked counsel, “How do you say that raids in your house were in connection with the search for the video? The search could be in connection with the cases also. It is a different matter that nothing was found in the searches.” Justice Lodha asked counsel: “You firstprima facie show that there is a bias against you.” Initially, the court was not inclined to entertain the petition, saying the petitioner should approach the Gujarat High Court. However, Mr. Gonsalves insisted that since two very high constitutional functionaries, the Chief Minister and the State, were involved, he did not want to approach the High Court. (Hindu, 13/05/2011) Godhra riots: SIT may question suspended IAS office r The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Kutch on Wednesday permitted the Supreme-Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing some of the massacres during the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat, to question the suspended IAS officer of the State cadre, Pradeep Sharma, in connection with its investigation. The SIT was likely to question Mr. Sharma in the Bhuj jail on May 24. Permission for questioning Mr. Sharma — who was arrested in connection with an alleged land scam in Kutch when he

was the District Collector in 2001 — was sought by the SIT on receiving a letter from the IAS officer last week claiming that he had information about Chief Minister Narendra Modi's anti-minority stance during the riot and would give details if summoned by the SIT. Mr. Sharma, in an April 25 letter to SIT chairman R.K. Raghavan, had claimed that during the riots he had received a call from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) asking him to advise his brother and IPS officer Kuldeep Sharma to “abstain from taking any pro-active measures in favour of the minorities.” Pradeep Sharma then was posted in Jamnagar as the Municipal Commissioner while Kuldeep Sharma was the Inspector General of Police, Ahmedabad range. In his letter, Mr. Sharma had told Mr. Raghavan that he would “reveal” the name of the person in the CMO who had called him, as well as the exact nature of the conversation, if allowed to depose before the SIT. The court, however, did not accept his bail plea in this connection but permitted the SIT to question Mr. Sharma in the Bhuj jail. The Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) for the Dipda Darwaja massacre case in Visnagar in Mehsana district, P.R. Agarwal, has sought Mr. Raghavan's permission to retire from the case, alleging that the judge presiding over the fast-track court holding the trial in the case was not prepared to listen to his arguments. The senior advocate and the SPP in the case and his assistant Hansa Jain wrote a letter to Mr. Raghavan stating that the judge “seemed to be in a great hurry” to conclude the trial and was cutting short his arguments without any reason. The hearing in the case, in which 11 members of the minority were killed, has reached almost the concluding stages as examinations of the witnesses were completed and the advocates were giving summations of the case. The Dipda Darwaja advocate is the fourth SPP requesting for permission to quit the post, mostly on the grounds of “lack of co-operation” from the judges presiding over the case hearings. Earlier, the public prosecutors of Gulberg Society, Naroda Gam and the Ode massacre cases had to be changed because they prematurely bowed out of office. (Hindu, 19/05/2011) CBI to probe cash flow during Babri demolition NEW DELHI: The CBI will probe the 'cash flow' that went into the conspiracy to demolish Babri masjid in December 1992 and also look into roles of at least 10 more people in the planning and execution, even as the agency has in-principle decided not to file any fresh case on the basis of the Liberhan Commission's findings. The decision was taken during a meeting between officials of the CBI and home ministry last week when the agency expressed its inability to file any fresh case in absence of 'evidence'. It, however, agreed to look into details of some incidents as pointed out by the commission, admitting that the effort may lead it to those who had financed the conspiracy. "We will have to examine what action canbe taken against people who collected money or transferred money and whether the money was accounted for or not," said a CBI official. Though the agency had earlier asked the Income Tax department to provide details of the cash flow, the trail went cold when the department expressed its inability to dig out old records. "The I-T department has said they will check the records all over again and this has raised hopes of some leads," the CBI official said. The home ministry, which handed over the commission's report to the CBI in November 2009, is also learnt to have agreed on the agency's point that there was a need to investigate the money trail used for demolition of the disputed structure and who was given what responsibility during the demolition. The agency has indicated that it has some details of the roles of at least 10 persons for their involvement at one stage or the other. These 10 will be in addition to those who had already been chargesheeted by CBI like L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, Sadhvi Rithambhara, Ashok Singhal and Giriraj Kishore. The commission, which submitted its report after nearly 17 years of its constitution, indicted 68 people including senior BJP leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani for demolition of the disputed structure. It had also recommended fresh investigations into their roles. The report, besides terming Vajpayee as a pseudo-secularist, had found all of them culpable for communal discord. The CBI analysed the Liberhan report for almost one-and-a-half years and told the ministry that it has not found any fresh evidence on role of persons named by the panel but agreed to further probe the 'cash trail'. (TOI, 23/05/2011) Shah told me not to reveal truth, Bhatt tells panel The former Gujarat Minister of State for Home, Amit Shah, had asked the senior IPS officer, Sanjiv Bhatt, “not to reveal the truth” before the Supreme Court – appointed Special Investigating Team probing into some of the massacres during the 2002 communal riots in the State, according to Mr. Bhatt. Mr. Bhatt, who created a flutter by submitting an affidavit before the Supreme Court attributing some anti-minority statements to the Chief Minister Narendra Modi, told the G. T. Nanavati – Akshay Mehta judicial inquiry commission here on Monday that on being summoned by the SIT in November, 2009, for questioning, he was “approached” by Mr. Shah who tried to influence him not to tell the truth to the investigating agency. Mr. Bhatt refused to disclose the details of his deposition before the SIT stating that it was for the commission to secure the copies of his deposition from the SIT's records, but said Mr. Shah did try to

influence him to hide the true facts from the agency. His apparent reference was to the details about what transpired at the meeting convened by Mr. Modi on the night of February 27, 2002, in which the Chief Minister had reportedly “directed” the top police officers to “allow the Hindus to vent their anger” and said that the Muslims “required to be taught a lesson” in the aftermath of the Godhra train carnage the same day. The State government apparently was worried that the truth about the alleged official complicity in the riots would come out if he revealed the truth before the SIT. Mr. Bhatt, however, denied that Mr. Shah had in any way issued “threats” against revealing the “truth” before the SIT. Mr. Shah has since been arrested by the police in connection with the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case and was currently on conditional bail but, under orders of the Supreme Court, was required to stay out of Gujarat till his bail application was finally disposed of. The cross-examination of Mr. Bhatt was resumed by the commission which remained incomplete last week for want of some evidence. On Monday, Mr. Bhatt was cross-examined by B. M. Mangokia, the advocate for the Islamic Relief committee, which was also a party to the commission's proceedings, and the State government pleader. S. B. Vakil. (Hindu, 24/05/2011) Godhra riots: Gujarat government slandering me, say s Sanjiv Bhatt IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt today requested the Nanavati commission to defer his deposition till he gets legal support, alleging that he was being subjected to a "slander campaign" by the Gujarat government. The panel consisting of retired Justice GT Nanavati and Justice Akshay Mehta, however, rejected Bhatt's application saying it cannot defer the proceedings in the middle. The commission also told the state government that questions it had posed before Bhatt yesterday, with regard to allegations of atrocity and misuse of TADA against him when he was posted in Jamnagar in 1990, was not concerned with purpose for which the IPS officer was called. When the proceedings began today, Bhatt objected to the line of questioning and alleged that "it was a slander campaign against him for filing affidavit in the Supreme Court." Bhatt, in an affidavit filed in the SC last month, had claimed that he was present in the meeting called by Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi on the night of February 27, 2002, where Modi instructed his officers to allow Hindus "to vent out their anger" during the clashes and he wanted Muslims to be "taught a lesson". Bhatt further alleged the cross-examination by the state government counsel SB Vakil was in entirely different directions dealing with scandalous details based on half truth. And for thispurpose, Bhatt has sought time from the commission to get legal advice as he would not be in a position to reply to questions of the state government. Though the commission rejected Bhatt's application, it asked the state government to prepare a list of cases during Bhatt's previous postings, on which they would like to ask questions about. Once the list would be provided, Bhatt would prepare himself for questioning to be held after in couple of days. The state government counsel Vakil, however, maintained Bhatt's deposition were not credible and he was capable of concocting things to any extent to prove his point in accusing another person. While arguing on his application that he had filed on May 16 seeking direction from the commission, to various agencies, to provide him with information from State Control Room (SCR) that he had requested for, Bhatt claimed the state government had not provided the panel with all the relevant data/records regarding the 2002 riots. Bhatt had filed the application when he had deposed for the first time before the panel seeking direction for state DGP, ADGP State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) and Supreme Court-appointed special investigation team (SIT), to provide him with records from the SCR for period of February 27, 2002 to September 17, 2002. The IPS officer alleged only 5 per cent of the data from the SCR (during the 2002 riots) was provided to the commission. He further said only those records which would show government in good light were given to the panel. With regard to affidavits of various police officers before the commissions, Bhatt claimed the officers were made to depose by the government about what was convenient to them. Bhatt had also alleged there have been attempts to destroy the SCR records. He said if all the records are brought before the commission, truth about what happened and why it happened during 2002 riots would be revealed. The commission was of the opinion that Bhatt had asked for too large amount of data. So it asked the officer to amend his application and ask for specific records for particular dates to prove his point. Bhatt's deposition is likely to continue tomorrow. (DNA, 25/05/2011) Mahant held for slapping Agnivesh In an unsavoury incident, the human rights activist, Swami Agnivesh, who was accompanying the anti-corruption bill crusader, Anna Hazare, to a visit to Gujarat on Thursday, was slapped by a Mahant. The incident occurred before the start of a public meeting to be addressed by Mr. Hazare. While meeting people, Swami Agnivesh tried to greet Mahant Nityanand Das, the chief of a temple near Nadiad, while the latter slapped him. The Mahant, who was arrested by the police, told journalists before leaving the venue that his anger against Swami Agnivesh was for his comments about the holy Amarnath shrine of Lord Shiva. Swami Agnivesh, on the sidelines of a recent peace conference in Srinagar, had allegedly

commented that the ice lingam of Amarnath was “artificially made,” and that the annual “Amarnath yatra” was a “religious deception.” The Mahant had earlier announced a “reward” of Rs. 51,000 for anyone who would dare to hurl a shoe at Swami Agnivesh in public. He said he had nothing against Mr. Hazare and totally supported his crusade against corruption, “but I cannot take the Swami's comments against a holy shrine of the Hindus.” Human right activists strongly condemned the incident. “We condemn the attack on Swami Agnivesh.” Said Father Cedric Prakash, a human right activist and convener of Prashant, a voluntary organisation. (Hindu, 27/05/2011) RSS orders: Join Ramdev Lila The Congress-led UPA is on bended knee trying to placate Swami Ramdev in the run-up to his fast but it’s the Sangh Parivar, specifically the RSS, that could hold the cards. On May 27, eight days before the scheduled start of the fast on June 4, a written circular, signed by RSS general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi, went out to provincial organisers. The note specifically asked them to instruct swayamsevaks to support and participate in Ramdev’s programme — those who could not go to New Delhi would participate at the district level, was the message. When contacted, Ram Madhav, member of the RSS’s national executive, said: “The Sangh has asked its swayamsevaks to participate in and support this fight against corruption in Delhi and in the districts.” By all accounts, the Baba the UPA government now seeks to so strenuously placate is backed by the RSS in ways that the other satyagraha led by Anna Hazare wasn’t. The imprint of the RSS was clear in the first week of April at Jantar Mantar, be it in the conspicuous use of a portrait of Bharat Mata as stage prop, or the formal attendance marked by a team of RSS office-bearers on Day 4 of Anna’s fast. It isn’t incidental that among the first chroniclers of Anna’s experiments in Ralegan Siddhi was one written by the RSS’s H V Seshadri. But, according to sources, cracks soon appeared in the cosy relationship because of RSS “reservations” about those who flocked to Anna’s side from the other side of the ideological fence. The RSS was uncomfortable with friends of Anna like Swami Agnivesh, who is seen as sympathetic to the “Maoist cause” and others like Mallika Sarabhai and Medha Patkar, who were quick to join issue with Hazare over his certificate to Narendra Modi. In the RSS’s view, with Ramdev at the helm, the danger of the “ultra-Left” flocking to the “anti-corruption crusade” is significantly diminished. While the RSS professes “good relations” with all senior swamis and godmen, its relationship with Ramdev is special. There have been markers, from both sides. Then RSS sarsanghchalak K S Sudarshan was the chief guest at the inauguration of the Patanjali Yogpeeth founded by the yoga guru in 2006. Ramdev was present at the conclusion of the RSS’s four-month-long Gau-Gram Yatra at Nagpur last year. A potential blip in the relationship was sorted out more recently. Ramdev’s proclamation of intent to float a separate political party last year had worried the RSS. According to sangh sources, the yoga guru had approached the RSS top echelons for support to the yet-to-be-formed party. Sources said a small team of RSS seniors discussed the matter of a separate political party by Ramdev at the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha, the highest body for policy formulation and decision-making, held at Puttur in Karnataka from March 11 to 13 this year. There was a difference of opinion on the issue — one section of the RSS was of the view that the Sangh must support the new party when it is formed. The BJP, according to this argument, had fallen short of its role of political vehicle for the Sangh worldview and ideology. But the dominant view, that the Sangh would be better off repairing the outfit in hand rather than backing a new one, prevailed. This view emphasised the need for unity of Hindutva forces and the necessity of preventing a division in their shared support base. The RSS message was delivered to Ramdev — that the Sangh would support his aandolan, but would be forced to withdraw the open support of its cadres if the yoga guru insisted on launching a separate political outfit. According to sources, it played a key role in Ramdev’s recent reticence on the political party issue that he had talked up with much fanfare only a year ago. Today, a key interface between the RSS and Ramdev is provided by K N Govindacharya, who once bridged the distance between the RSS and BJP. The RSS pracharak who was drafted in the BJP and served as a powerful general secretary and ideologue till he distanced himself from the party in 2000, is once again taking centrestage. “I have been actively associated with Ramdev’s programmes since two to three years,” he said. Most recently, Govindacharya participated in Ramdev’s Bharat Swabhiman yatra in Goa and Nagpur. On Ramdev’s impending fast, he says: “When elected representatives fail to act as custodians of the people’s trust, society won’t sit idle... we need an opposition to corruption outside of the arena of power politics”. (IE, 03/06/2011) RSS admits supporting Baba Ramdev, slams Centre for crackdown Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Monday night lashed at the Centre for its midnight crackdown on protesters, including women and children, at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, while admitting that it "extended" support to yoga guru Baba Ramdev's agitation. "The RSS was not behind the stir launched by Ramdev seeking repatriation of the black money stashed illegally in foreign banks but have extended all support to

it (agitation)," RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said while addressing the outfit's workers at Reshimbagh ground here. He said that the RSS in its Puttur (Kerala) meeting had adopted a resolution to extend all support to Baba Ramdev. "RSS cannot remain a mute spectator to the social revolution taking place against corruption and black money. Therefore, it has asked its cadres to join the agitation," Bhagwat said. In any case without even asking, the swayamsevaks themselves are inculcated with a sense of responsibility to join such agitations which are of prime national interest, he said. "What provoked the government to come down heavily on the followers of Baba Ramdev at Ramlila ground when they were simply agitating to stop corruption in high-places and unearthing of the black money?" Bhagwat asked, adding that the agitations of Baba Ramdev and Anna Hazare be viewed above the party politics. The RSS chief, while condemning the midnight swoop and the events unfolded aftermath, questioned the Centre's "intention" in not holding further talks with the Yoga guru. "(The) government should not stop the dialogue and the process must continue," he said, adding that when no one is opposed to the issues raised by the two social activists then where does the problem lie in holding a dialogue. Some people have described it (the eviction of Ramdev and his supporters) as "Jalianwala Bagh"-like attack and for some it was a recall of the era of Emergency, he said at the concluding function of the annual third year camp of RSS workers here. Talking about the black money stashed in foreign banks, Bhagwat said it certainly belonged to the people in the higher strata of the society. It is not that a poor man has collected his money and deposited in the Swiss bank. The RSS chief also questioned legality of the proposed Anti Communal Riots Bill being drafted by the National Advisory Council (NAC), saying that the very existence of the NAC was unconstitutional. Bhagwat, while expressing concern over instances of conversions, said the Tirupati Tirumala Devsthan area in Andhra Pradesh has witnessed sudden spurt in the number of conversions to Christianity. Chief guest on the occasion, Dr Ganga Raju criticised the "mis-management"of funds of big temples, particularly the Tirupati shrine in Andhra Pradesh, by the politicians. "Crores of rupees are being donated by the devotees and there is a need for proper utilisation of funds collected there," Gangaraju said demanding that the practise of conversion by allurement be stopped forthwith. Meanwhile, Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamkoti Peetham, Jayendra Saraswati, told the gathering that RSS was doing a yeoman's service in building nation and developing good human beings. (IE, 07/06/2011) Should Sanjiv Bhatt be made witness in riots case? The justice Nanavati and Mehta commission will on Wednesday decide on the crucial issue whether IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt should be treated as a witness or not. The commission will also decide on an application of renowned danseuse Mallika Sarabhai seeking to conduct cross examination of Bhatt. The state government and activist group Jan Sangharsh Manch (JSM) have already sought go ahead for Bhatt's cross-examination. The commission, which is inquiring into the 2002 Godhra riots, had halted the cross examination of Bhatt after the Jamiat Ulema-e Hind (JUH) and Bhatt himself objected to the conduct his cross examination by different parties including state government. They also wanted to strike down all proceedings related to Bhatt on May 16, 23 and 24. Senior counsel Krishnakant Vakharia, on behalf of JUH and Bhatt, on May 25, had moved different pleas that Bhatt shall not be subject to cross examination as he was not summoned as 'witness' and the current cross examination was contrary to provisions of the Commission of Inquiry Act. After hearing the plea, the commission halted the cross examination and reserved its judgment on the issue for June 8. Bhatt, in his plea said, "I'm neither being cross examined by this commission under the provisions of section 4(a) of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952, nor is the commission receiving evidence from me on affidavit under the provisions of section 4(c) of the Act. It would be improper to permit the continuance of cross examination by parties whom no such legal right accrues under the Act, especially when my affidavit in reference is pending before the Supreme Court." The development comes after the state government tried to expose Bhatt's 'controversial career record' by asking him a flurry of uncomfortable questions. Senior counsel SB Vakil, who appeared for the state, questioned him regarding controversies and legal cases lodged against him. Bhatt in his affidavit before the Supreme Court claimed that Modi had 'allowed Hindus to vent their anger' and wanted 'Muslims to be taught a lesson',in the 2002 riots.The commission had summoned him after he claimed to have attended a meeting held at the chief minister's house on February 27, 2002, after the Sabarmati carnage. (DNA, 09/06/2011) ‘Truth lies somewhere else in Godhra carnage’ IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt, on Wednesday, insisted before the Nanavati commission that it should look into the report of the state Intelligence Bureau (IB) in connection with the Sabarmati Express train carnage at Godhra on February, 27, 2002. During an informal discussion with Justice GT Nanavati, Bhatt said, the commission should look into IB reports prepared in March, 2002 as 'truth lies somewhere else — between

the theory of pre-planned conspiracy and accidental fire’’. The discussion started after Bhatt's questioning about Terms of Reference (ToR) of the commission related to the Godhra train carnage case stating that as per the terms of reference, it was presumed that the Godhra train burning incident was not an accident. Bhatt, when he was deputy commissioner of IB in 2002, had prepared a report about the Sabarmati train carnage and submitted it to the state IB. Earlier, during his cross-examination, he requested the commission to call upon that report. Earlier, the UC Banerjee committee set up by the railway ministry to look into the matter had stated that the fire in S6 coach of Sabarmati carnage was caused by an accident. But the Nanavati commission, in 2009, concluded that the Sabarmati Express carnage was a pre-planned conspiracy. The findings of the inquiry commission were also upheld as the Special court looking into the Sabarmati carnage arrived at the same judgment this year. The conversation between the cop and justice Nanavati took place after the commission delivered its order rejecting Bhatt's plea to stall his cross examination. The talk happened while the written order of the commission was being awaited. Justice Nanavati, who heads the commission tried to explain that he was reluctant for the job and how this is a mammoth task for the commission. "I was reluctant to take up this job at that time (2002)," he said, during a discussion on the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the commission. Nanavati said that initially it had been decided that a sitting Supreme Court judge would head the commission, but no one was available, so government settled for a retired judge. "There were only two retired judges at that time -Justice Majmudar, and me. Majmudar was already entrusted with an assignment related to Narmada by the Supreme Court," he added. Nanavati said he was living in Delhi in2002 and was busy with some other assignment. He further said that he always knew that he would face criticism in the new job. The judge further said, "This is not a small task. There are more than 2,000 incidents to be examined and there are 4,000 complaints." (DNA, 09/06/2011) Don't issue statements on wealth, BJP tells Ramdev Apparently worried that an inquiry into various business enterprises owned by Baba Ramdev could have an adverse political fallout on the campaign on corruption jointly led by the Opposition and civil society, the Bharatiya Janata Party has advised the yoga exponent not to issue statements related to his wealth or other financial transactions. Party spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy criticised Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for his statement in Kolkata charging the BJP with fomenting trouble across the country. For the Congress party, he noted, all those speaking about corruption were destabilising the polity and part of some BJP-RSS led strategy. Earlier, it was Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh who had called Baba Ramdev a “cheat” and a “thug.” Now senior leader Mukherjee had joined the tirade, he said, although he was one of the Ministers who had received the Baba at the Delhi airport on June 1. It was the Congress which stood “isolated” on the issue of corruption. Mr. Rudy said the Congress had no credibility and, therefore, no authority or right to conduct an inquiry into the financial transactions or businesses of Baba Ramdev. The party's advice to the Baba was: “Do not make any statements or give any clarifications on allegations related to your wealth and businesses. Do not answer any queries. Your devotees and the people have faith in you,” Mr. Rudy said. He did not respond when asked why the party demanded and expected the government to hold inquiries into corruption charges levelled against a Suresh Kalmadi or an A. Raja when it was of the view that it had no business to do so in the case of Baba Ramdev. Separately and privately, some BJP leaders expressed satisfaction that the Baba had ended his fast. “The anti-corruption movement had been hijacked from us. Now that Ramdev's fast is over, the BJP's campaign will become more effective, politically.” On allegations made in the draft CAG report that Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Limited in its KG basin explorations had possibly inflated its gas production costs and under-estimated profits, leading to cheating of the government with which it was to share profits, Mr. Rudy said, “I have not studied the allegations made and cannot respond.” (Hindu, 14/06/2011) US nationals told to quit India for 'conversion bid ' KOCHI: Three American women, including one aged 15, who arrived on tourist visas about a fortnight ago have been asked to leave the country following complaints by Hindu organizations that they were part of a religious conversion drive in Alappuzha district. "We have not received any evidence to indicate the three women were engaged in conversion-related activities. However, they were about to attend religious prayer sessions. Their tourist visa does not allow them to attend any meeting, including prayer sessions. We were not clear about their intentions. That is why we asked them to leave the country, and they agreed," said SP Asok Kumar. The three along with local pastors were about to organise prayer sessions. Hindu organisations launched a protest alleging the women were trying to convert the poor people by offering inducements. The area has a predominant Hindu and Muslim population with only a sprinkling of recent converts to Christianity. (TOI, 15/06/2011)

We, followers of Hindutva, never hide our ideology, says Uddhav Thackeray In the light of the Shiv Sena's newly formed alliance with the Republican Party of India (RPI), its executive president Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday refuted the casteist tag given to his party. Addressing party workers and leaders on the occasion of the 45th Foundation Day of the Sena, he slammed the ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party alliance in the State for “remembering Dalits only at the time of elections.” RPI leader Ramdas Athavale, who joined the Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance, was present. He assured the Sena of a strong backing from his party. Mr. Thackeray said the Congress-NCP alliance had shown disrespect to Mr. Athavale. The Sena, unlike the Congress and the NCP wore no masks. “Are we casteist? We are followers of Hindutva. We never hide our ideology. When we say we follow Hindutva, we are called casteist. However, they [the ruling alliance] only remember Dalits when elections are around the corner.” What NCP president Sharad Pawar had given to Mr. Athavale, with whom he had had a long alliance, Mr. Thackeray asked. He said witnesses in courts should be made to take an oath on the Constitution, than on holy texts. He assured Mr. Athavale that the Sena would not disappoint him. He expressed the hope that the alliance with the RPI would be permanent. The alliance would not be for political power, but to fulfil the long-standing dream of his grandfather PrabodhankarThackeray. Maharashtra was leaderless and with the alliance with the RPI, the Sena would not rest till the government was toppled. Sena leader Manohar Joshi urged party workers to go to Dalit bastis and work shoulder-to-shoulder with RPI workers. Referring to the David Headley case, Mr. Thackeray said, “There are some in Maharashtra who do not understand what Bal Thackeray did for the State. However, Pakistan knows what the Sena chief is. International powers, they know his formidable strength.” Mr. Thackeray's son Aditya Thackeray, leader of the party's youth wing, was also present. Referring to the renaming of the Marathwada University after Dr. Ambedkar, Mr. Athavale said the Sena was not behind the burning of Dalit homes. He said Mr. Bal Thackeray did not opposed the renaming, but had, in fact, suggested inserting the word ‘Marathwada.' He accused the Congress-NCP of sidelining him after the elections. (Hindu, 20/06/2011) “Communal forces behind Hazare, Ramdev agitation” Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Mullappally Ramachandran said on Sunday “communal and reactionary forces like the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh are behind the agitation by civil society leaders Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev, in the name of fighting corruption.” Talking to journalists here, he said: “These leaders are trying to create a pre-emergency situation, as in the early 1970s, by threatening a mass agitation that resulted in the proclamation of the Emergency in 1975.” The Minister said the leaders were challenging the Constitution and the law of the land. “They want to sabotage the Constitution and parliamentary democracy in a bid to destabilise the country.” They are dictating terms to the government and want to bypass Parliament for bringing the Lokpal Bill, which the government is determined to present in the next session of Parliament, he said. Mr. Ramachandran said that for Anna Hazare, who claims to be a true Gandhian, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was a role model, though Mr. Modi's stand against minorities had been criticised by all secular and progressive forces. He criticised the Communist Party of India (Marxist) for supporting the agitation led by Mr. Hazare. He said the Congress had taken strong steps against corruption, whether it was the 2G spectrum scam, the Adarsh scandal or the Commonwealth Games. The party never hesitated to take action against its own leaders like Suresh Kalmadi. In the Adarsh scam, the party's Maharashtra Chief Minister was removed and a decision was taken to probe the case. Mr. Ramachandran said the Centre would order a CBI inquiry into the lottery scandal in Kerala once it got the notification by the State government requesting such an inquiry. (Hindu, 20/06/2011) NIA files charge sheet in Samjhauta case Nearly a year after taking up the probe into the Samjhauta Express blasts case, the National Investigation Agency on Monday filed a charge sheet in the Special Court, NIA, at Panchkula, Haryana, against five accused persons. The accused are Naba Kumar Sarkar alias Swami Asimanand, Sunil Joshi (now dead), Lokesh Sharma, Sandeep Dange and Ramchandra Kalasangra alias Ramji. The blasts on the Attari Express, also known as the Samjhauta Express, near Panipat, on February 18, 2007, and the consequent fire in the coaches killed 68 passengers and injured 12 others. Not only Indian civilians and government officials, but also a large number of Pakistani nationals were killed and injured. A bi-weekly train that runs on Wednesdays and Sundays between Delhi and Attari in India and Lahore in Pakistan, the Samjhauta Express has played a key role in improving people-to-people contacts. The initial investigation was carried out by the Railway Police and the Haryana Police; on July 26 last year, the Union Home Ministry handed over the probe to the NIA, which registered the case on July 29. NIA sleuths fanned out to several

parts of the country to unravel the conspiracy. Numerous witnesses and suspects were examined and material evidence was collected. The investigation, conducted over almost one year, established that the entire conspiracy was hatched between 2005 and 2007 by Swami Asimanand, Sunil Joshi and his associates such as Ramji, Sandeep Dange, Lokesh Sharma and others at different places in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and other States. “Investigation further brought out that Swami Asimanand was quite upset with the Jehadi/terrorist attacks on temples — Akshardham (Gujarat), Raghunath Mandir (Jammu) and Sankat Mochan Mandir (Varanasi). He used to ‘give vent' to his feelings while [holding] discussions with Sunil Joshi and his associates. Over a period of time, they developed a deep [sense] of vengeance for not only the Jehadi terrorists, but unfortunately against an entire minority community as such,” the charge sheet said. “As a result, Swami Asimanand propounded a bomb ka badla bomb [bomb for bomb] theory. The Samjhauta Express was particularly chosen, as most of its passengers are Pakistani citizens. He not only provided financial and logistical support to the terror group which executed this dastardly act but also played a vital role in instigating and motivating his associates to undertake thisterrorist act,” it said. Sandeep Dange, Ramji, Lokesh Sharma and others, acting under the leadership of Sunil Joshi, were instrumental in procuring the raw materials for building Improvised Explosive Devices and getting them fabricated and planted. (Hindu, 21/06/2011) Aseemanand wanted special group to plant bomb PANCHKULA: Main accused in the Samjhauta Express blasts Swami Aseemanand wanted to form a special group to plant bombs on the train. While it was decided to have three groups, Aseemanand pitched for a fourth group, which Sunil Joshi, another key accused now dead, did not agree to. This was revealed in the chargesheet filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Aseemanand on Monday. The blast took place on February 18, 2007, killing 38 people, mostly Pakistanis. NIA said in the chargesheet that in order to execute the conspiracy, Sunil Joshi had formed three groups and he had also briefed Aseemanand and others about the method. According to Joshi, Group-1 was to have white collared people who would help in motivating youth for the missions and provide shelter to field workers. Group-2 would have members who could procure raw material for fabricating bombs and Group-3 with people who would fabricate the Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and plant them at separate areas. NIA claims that Aseemanand wanted to form a fourth group and wanted to divide the work of the third group. Aseemanand wanted that third group should fabricate the bombs and fourth group would plant those bombs in the train. The NIA chargesheet stated that after finishing the briefing about three groups, Aseemanand had asked Sunil Joshi: "par Manoj (Sunil Joshi) bomb lagane ke liye chauthe group ki jaroorat nahi hai kya?" But Sunil Joshi said he had already thought about it and he was of the firm belief that the third group, which would make bomb, should plant it too, because of the technicality involved in the fabrication of an IED. Sunil Joshi further added that all these groups would not have any link among themselves. He suggested these groups would be in direct touch with him and no one from one group should even make attempts to know the particulars of the members of other groups. Sunil futher clarified that: "Swami Ji aap aur Bharat Bhai jaise log pehle group ke sadasye hain." After this, the meeting was concluded. (TOI, 22/06/2011) Sanjiv Bhatt asked to pay Rs.1 lakh to Gujarat trea sury The controversial Gujarat cadre IPS officer, Sanjiv Bhatt, who had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court accusing Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi of an anti-minority stance during the 2002 communal riots, will now have to pay Rs.1 lakh to the State government treasury within a month. The government has decided to recover from Mr. Bhatt Rs.1 lakh as compensation due to a Rajasthan-based advocate, Sumer Singh Rajpurohit, as “directed” by the National Human Rights Commission, for an alleged false case against him in 1996, an official spokesman of the government said here on Tuesday. The amount would be recovered from Mr. Bhatt within a month, the spokesman said. Mr. Bhatt, who was the Banaskantha District Superintendent of Police in 1996, was claimed to have falsely implicated Mr. Rajpurohit under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS), allegedly with the motive of getting a rented premises vacated by him. According to the spokesman, on a complaint filed by Mr. Rajpurohit in 1996, a criminal case was registered against Mr. Bhatt and a charge sheet filed in the court of the Special Judge, NDPS Act. As per the charge sheet, Mr. Rajpurohit was the tenant of the sister of R.R. Jain, then a sitting judge of the Gujarat High Court. To get the tenant to vacate the premises, Mr. Bhatt allegedly planted, with the help of his subordinates, more than a kg of narcotic drugs in a hotel room in Palanpur, district headquarters of Banaskantha, and showed the room to be “occupied” by Mr. Rajpurohit. The latter, at the time, was actually in Pali. On the instruction of Mr. Bhatt, Mr. Rajpurohit was allegedly “abducted” from Pali by the Banaskantha police on the night of May 3, 1996, and brought to Palanpur, where he was threatened that he would be booked under the NDPS Act if he failed to vacate the premises. Under

pressure, the advocate agreed. Mr. Rajpurohit was remanded for seven days but five days later, Mr. Bhatt ordered his release on the grounds that he could not be “identified” in the Test Identification Parade. Petitions were also filed in the Rajasthan High Court for quashing the criminal complaints filed in the case, but were dismissed. A criminal complaint against Mr. Bhatt is pending in the Gujarat High Court. A complaint was also filed before the NHRC against Mr. Bhatt and others by the then secretary of the Pali Bar Association, while the Gujarat Vigilance Commission, recommended, in July 2002 and October 2006, Mr. Bhatt's suspension for “professional misconduct.” The NHRC also, in its report in September 2010 considered it a case of “serious human rights violation” in view of the fact that the provisions under which Mr. Rajpurohit was falsely implicated could have fetched him 10 years of imprisonment, and ordered the Gujarat government to pay him a compensation of Rs.1 lakh, the spokesman said. (Hindu, 29/06/2011) VHP issues warning to women joining New Delhi SlutW alk Right-wingers the Vishwa Hindu Parishad have warned that 'India will not tolerate' women intending to wear skimpy clothing and march in the country's proposed first 'SlutWalk'. 'SlutWalks', which have become a global phenomenon to protest sexual violence, sees scantily attired women march to challenge the mindset that victims of sexual assault should be blamed for the crimes against them. A spokesman for the group said: "India will not tolerate anything that crosses the limits of our culture. "In any case, India already offers women a lot of respect so I am unclear about the purpose of this event." The march, scheduled to take place in New Delhi, has already been postponed once from earlier this month and a new date has not been confirmed. Leering and harassment are a daily menace for women in the capital and a woman is raped on average every 18 hours, according to the latest police figures. A government-backed UN survey last year added that about 85 per cent of Delhi's women are perpetually scared of being sexually harassed. Although organisers have changed the name to a tamer-sounding 'Besharmi Morcha' (Shameless Front) and asked women to wear their everyday attire, the VHP warned participants against donning western-style clothing. "They will not be welcome if they march wearing western clothes, Indian society will not accept it," the VHP spokesman said. 'SlutWalk' was first held in Toronto this year after a police officer caused outrage by stating during a speech to university students that women should avoid 'dressing like sluts' in order not to be victimised. The global protest soon spread to more than 60 cities where women joined in huge numbers. (AA, 29/06/2011) All records of 2002 Godhra riots destroyed in 2007: Gujarat govt counsel The telephone call records, registers of officers' movement and vehicle log books of the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) pertaining to the period of 2002 communal riots were destroyed in 2007, the Gujarat government said today. SB Vakil, Government Counsel in the Nanavati Commission, probing the post-Godhra riots, told mediapersons after the questioning of IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt that as per Government rules the records are destroyed after five years. "As per general government rules the telephone call records, vehicle log book and the officer's movement diary are destroyed after a certain period," Vakil said. He said as far as the SIB records for 2002 (when Sabarmati Express train fire at Godhra and subsequent riots took place) were concerned, they were destroyed in 2007. "Bhatt knows that the records are not available and despite that he is asking for them," Vakil noted. Bhatt had given an application to the commission in May, seeking direction to the Government and SIB to provide him records and documents pertaining to 2002 riots period. The Government Counsel said Bhatt, who was DCP (SIB) in 2002, knows the rule that such records are destroyed after a certain period. In spite of that he is asking for such records through various direct and indirect representations. Earlier, there were heated arguments between Bhatt, who has made serious allegations against Chief Minister Narendra Modi in connection with the riots, and Vakil during the senior IPS officer's questioning before the two-member probe panel. (DNA, 29/06/2011) Legal experts question destruction of papers relati ng to 2002 communal riots The legal experts in Gujarat are shocked and surprised over the State government's claim of having destroyed certain documents related to the 2002 communal riots in the State. “It cannot be a standard procedure. You cannot destroy the relevant documents when the G. T. Nanavati – Akshay Mehta Judicial Enquiry Commission probing into the Godhra train carnage and the post-Godhra communal riots in the State is yet to submit its final report,” noted advocate, Mukul Sinha, who represent the riot victims before the Commission said. According to him, the responsibility of deciding the “relevance of a document” was left to the prosecution, which was the State government in the case of the Nanavati – Mehta commission, and it could not have overlooked the relevance of the telephone call register, police vehicle log books and the police movement diary for the Enquiry Commission to be destroyed before the probe panel completed its task. “The State government is telling a lie that the documents have been destroyed as per the

standard procedure,” Hiralal Gupta, the advocate for the Congress before the commission, alleged. He agreed that a rule existed to destroy “irrelevant police documents” after five years as claimed by the State government pleader before the Commission, S. B. Vakil, but the documents in question were not such “irrelevant documents” to be destroyed taking recourse to the “standard procedure.” “The government is deliberately trying to hide the truth about Chief Minister Narendra Modi's “instructions” to the police to go soft on the Hindus during the 2002 communal riots for which it is now claiming that the records have been destroyed,” Mr. Gupta said. Mr. Vakil told journalists on the sideline of the Commission session that several documents of 2002, particularly the telephone call register, the police vehicle long book and the officers' movement diaries, had been destroyed in 2007 as per the “standard procedure” to clear files more than five years old. He also alleged that the controversial State cadre IPS officer, Sanjiv Bhatt, filed the affidavit in the Supreme Court attributing “anti-minority” statements to Mr. Modi and claiming it to be his “personal knowledge” so late this year only because he knew that the documents relating to 2002 no longer existed and his claims and allegations could not be verified. Mr. Vakil had also put the question to Mr. Bhatt during his cross-examinations as being a former Deputy Commissioner in the State Intelligence Bureau whether he was aware that the IB documents had been destroyed in 2007. Mr. Bhatt, however, said he was not aware of it and said it was the duty of the State government to preserve the relevant documents when the Commission was still seized of the task and different aspects of the communal riots were also being investigated under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court. He also pointed out that on his own he never disclosed the “classified secrets” he was aware of as an IB officer, but presented the facts before the Supreme Court–appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) only after summoned by it and filed the affidavit before the apex court much later. State Director General of Police Chittaranjan Singh when asked said, “everything has been done as per the laid out law and nothing has been done in violation of the legal provision.” Asked about the justification of the destruction of the documents of such controversial period, he chose not to comment. But the same State government which was now claiming that some of the documents related to the 2002 communal riots had been destroyed, had told Mr. Bhatt last month that the documents he had asked for could not be provided to him under the secrecy law because these were “classified documents.” The government never claimed in its latter that the documents did not exist as per the “standard procedure” to destroy the documents after five years. Among the documents sought by Mr. Bhatt and denied by the State government pertaining to the 2002 riots included incoming and outgoing telephone records registers of the State control room, duty register of state control room, staff attendance register of the State control room, movement diary of the state DGP and IGP, logbook of the official vehicle used by the DG and IGP, Vehicle logbook of the State Control Room (SCR), all dispatch books of the SCR, record of Secret Service Fund Disbursement to the State Intelligence Bureau, alert messages sent out by SCR, intelligence report received by the DG and IGP from all agencies including state intelligence bureau. The Congress advocate also filed an application before the Commission seeking its “direction” to the government to submit a similar set of documents but for a limited period of February 27 to March 9, 2002. While the Commission was yet to take a decision on issuing such a directive, Mr. Gupta said the State government so far had not informed him that the documents he had sought for did not exist. “The State government does not want to submit the documents before the XCommission because it knows that the telephone register, vehicle log book and movement diary will prove that Mr Bhatt was actually called to attend the controversial meeting at the Chief Minister's residence on the night of February 27 and that he actually travelled in the DGP's car with his own car following him to the CM's residence. This alone will establish his claim of being personally present at the meeting and take cognisance of his assertion that Mr. Modi did “direct” the police to “allow the Hindus to vent out their anger” as claimed by him in the affidavit before the Supreme Court,” Mr. Gupta said. (Hindu, 01/07/2011) Manch seeks clarification on ‘destruction' of recor ds The Jan Sangharsh Manch, which represents the victims of the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat, has filed an application before the G.T. Nanavati-Akshay Mehta Judicial Inquiry Commission to direct the State government to clarify on the specific documents reportedly “destroyed” in 2007 as per the “standard procedure.” The application was filed before the commission here on Monday on behalf of Manch convener Amrish Patel. Mr. Patel demanded that the probe panel direct the Home Secretary to file an affidavit on the records of the State Intelligence Department for the period February 27 to May 31, 2002 so destroyed. The application was filed following claims last week by the State government Pleader before the commission, S.B. Vakil, that some of the records particularly the telephone register, the police vehicle log books and officers' movement diaries of the period were destroyed in 2007. He claimed that this was part of the “standard procedure” followed by the Police Department to clear documents more than five years old. Mr. Vakil also said the controversial State cadre IPS officer, Sanjiv Bhatt, had filed the

affidavit before the Supreme Court in April, accusing Chief Minister Narendra Modi of making anti-minority statements during the riots, “knowing fully well that the records of that period have been destroyed and his claim cannot be verified.” While Mr. Bhatt denied any knowledge about the destruction of the records, the claim created a furore among the legal experts and human rights activists. The State government hasso far not issued any clarification or denial about Mr. Vakil's claims despite the fact that the Nanavati-Mehta Commission is yet to complete its task and several of the gruesome massacres during the riots had also been investigated by a Special Investigation Team under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court. A local newspaper, however, on Sunday quoted a “Home Department release,” which was also picked up by a news agency, in which the State government is claimed to have stated that it had “preserved all the records related to 2002 riots and they will be submitted to the inquiry commission as and when required.” It also claimed that some “classified records were destroyed routinely in accordance with the 1992 notification of the State Director General of Police as part of the “official maintenance.” The incumbent Director General of Police, Chittaranjan Singh, had also claimed that “everything has been done as per the laid-out law and nothing has been done in violation of the legal provisions.” He, however, was silent when asked about the justification for destroying records of such a controversial period and particularly when investigations into the incidents were still on. In view of the contradictions in Mr. Vakil's claims and the Home Department release, the Manch demanded that the commission direct the State government to give the name of the officer, who had ordered the destruction of the records and the reasons for doing so. It also demanded the government produce a certificate of actual destruction. The application also wanted the commission to direct the government to specify whether any document or record of the DGP's office and the State control room and the offices of the Police Commissioners of Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot, and their respective city control rooms for the period between February 27 and May 31, 2002, had actually been destroyed. It also wanted the government to produce or permit inspection of the vehicle log books and telephone registers of the then DGP, K. Chakravarthi, the Additional DGP, G.C. Raigar, the Additional Inspector General of Police, O.P. Mathur, the Ahmedabad Police Commissioner, P.C. Pande, Mr. Bhatt, who was the then Deputy Commissioner in the State Intelligence Bureau, and some other police officers for the period. (Hindu, 05/07/2011) Gujarat asked to file report on ‘destroyed records' The G.T. Nanavati-Akshay Mehta Judicial Enquiry Commission probing the post-Godhra communal riots, on Wednesday directed the Gujarat government to file a report within 10 days on riot-related intelligence department records, which are said to have been destroyed. The directive was issued by the Commission on an application by the Jan Sangharsh Manch, a voluntary organisation that represents the riot victims before the Commission, following claims by State government pleader S.B. Vakil that some of the intelligence department records on the 2002 communal riots were destroyed in 2007 as per “standard procedure.” The Commission, which was hearing the Manch application, directed the Additional Director-General of Police (Intelligence) to file a report within 10 days detailing specific records of the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB), which were destroyed and those which were still available. The Commission said orders on the Manch application would be issued after the ADGP filed his report. Mr. Vakil created a flutter last week by claiming before the media that some of the documents, particularly relating to the SIB's telephone registers, the police vehicle log books and officers' movement diaries covering the 2002 riots, were no longer available as they were destroyed in 2007 following the “standard procedure.” The Manch moved the application before the Commission on Monday seeking directions to the State government to clarify whether the SIB records had been destroyed. Stating that “the documents in controversy can have a direct bearing on the reference pending before the Commission for enquiry,” the Manch pleaded that the Home Secretary be directed to file an affidavit stating which specific records were destroyed covering the period February 27-May 31, 2002. It also sought fixation of responsibility on the officer who gave the orders to destroy the documents and the reasons for doing so. “The government should also state and produce the certificate of actual destruction of the documents so destroyed,” the Manch demanded. It also wanted to know whether documents or records of the office of DGP and the State control room as well as the offices of Police Commissioners of Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot and their city control rooms for the same period were also among those destroyed. The Manch sought a directive to the State government either to produce the necessary records or permit inspection of all the log books of the vehicles used by DGP K. Chakravarthi, ADGP G.C. Raigad, the then IGP, O.P. Mathur, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner P.C. Pande, the then Deputy Commissioner of the Intelligence Bureau, Sanjiv Bhatt, and some other police officers. (Hindu, 07/07/2011) IPS Bhatt on sticky wicket Controversial IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, whose questioning before the Nanavati-Mehta Commission

concluded here on Saturday, has more trouble ahead of him, with a former constable retracting his statement to the Special Investigation Team (SIT). Head Constable Karansinh Panth, who was an Assistant Intelligence Officer in 2002, was claimed by Bhatt as a witness to his visit to the Chief Minister’s residence on February 27, 2002. Bhatt had claimed that Panth had accompanied him to the Chief Minister’s residence from the Police Bhawan and then also returned. Panth had corroborated this during his deposition to the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) on April 5, 2011. But the former policeman has now retracted his statement to the SIT and said he was not in Gandhinagar on February 27, 2002. In an affidavit filed before the SIT, Panth has said that he had gone to Mumbai on February 25 and returned to a relative’s place on February 27. He had joined duty at Gandhinagar only of February 28, 2002, Panth said in the affidavit, a copy of which was given to the Nanavati-Mehta Commission on Saturday. Panth alleged in the affidavit that the SIT officials had threatened him during his questioning on April 5 this year. But, during his questioning by State Government Counsel Sharad Vakil, Bhatt insisted that Panth had overstayed in office on February 27 and worked overnight due to the exigency of the situation. Panth was even given a reward of Rs 500/- for overstaying in office on that night, Bhatt told the Commission. Panth had last month lodged a complaint against Bhatt in a local police station stating that the IPS officer had threatened him to make him a sign a false affidavit regarding his presence at the residence of the Chief Minister of February 27, 2002. (Pioneer, 11/07/2011) BJP: Digvijaya’s RSS charge bid to change agenda (2 6) Pune/New Delhi: A group of people affiliated to the RSS is preparing to file a court case against Congress leader Digvijaya Singh for his allegations that the RSS has been making bomb factories. On Sunday, Singh had accused the RSS of making bombs and also alleged that role of the right wing organisation in the recent serial blasts in Mumbai cannot be ruled out. Singh’s statements against the RSS had apparently resulted in a clash between Congress and BJP activists in Ujjain. Upset with his allegations, a group of RSS swayamsevaks, led by a senior RSS member Bhikuji alias Dada Idate (65), have come together to file a case of defamation and spreading rumours causing tensions in society. Idate is based in Dapoli in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. Associated with the RSS for about 50 years, Idate was a karyavah for Maharashtra for 16 years, Bauddhik Pramukh of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa for 11 years and is currently the national convenor of Samajik Samrasta Manch. He said: “Singh’s allegation that the RSS is making bomb factories is baseless. Singh has made such statements several times in the past. It seems he has a hobby of making statements against the RSS and Hindus. Being a RSS swayamsevak, I would be filing a court case against Singh in a couple of days at Dapoli court...We believe Singh makes statements as per the instructions of Congress high command. Our discussion is on with legal experts to see if we can make Congress president a party in the case.” (Indian Express 19/7/11) Read Gita in school or leave India: Karnataka educa tion minister (26) Kolar, July 20: Karnataka education minister Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri has said that it the duty of every Indian to respect sacred Hindu text, Bhagavad Gita, else they should leave the country. "The Bhagavad Gita is like the Sun. I think that it is the duty of every Indian to respect the Bhagvad Gita like they respect other elements surrounding them. I strongly feel that if someone does not respect it, they have no place in India. They should leave the country and settle abroad," said Kageri. Rebuking the strong statement issued by the minister, the state opposition and chief of Janata Dal-Secular, H D Deve Gowda said India is a secular country. "It (India) is a secular country. Kageri should read the Constitution 100 times to understand this. It is a secular country. Every religion has got it's own protection. One cannot teach these fellows; they have abruptly come to power because of the misdeeds done by Congress," said Gowda. Earlier on July 9, Kageri issued a circular proposing that Bhagavad Gita should be taught to schoolchildren at least for an hour on a daily basis. The circular has been challenged by the Karnataka State Minorities Educational Institutions Managements Federation, which has filed a petition in the state high court.(Central Chronicle 22/7/11) Norwegian mass killer's manifesto hails Hindutva (2 6) Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik hailed India's Hindu nationalist movement as a key ally in a global struggle to bring down democratic regimes across the world. ‘2080: A European declaration of independence' lays out a road map for a future organisation, the Justiciar Knights, to wage a campaign that will graduate from acts of terrorism to a global war involving weapons of mass destruction — aimed at bringing down what Breivik calls the “cultural Marxist” order. India figures in a remarkable 102 pages of the sprawling 1,518-page manifesto. Breivik's manifesto says his Justiciar Knights “support the Sanatana Dharma movements and Indian nationalists in general.” In section 3.158 of the manifesto, he explains that

Hindu nationalists “are suffering from the same persecution by the Indian cultural Marxists as their European cousins.” The United Progressive Alliance government, he goes on, “relies on appeasing Muslims and, very sadly, proselytising Christian missionaries who illegally convert low caste Hindus with lies and fear, alongside Communists who want total destruction of the Hindu faith and culture.” Even though Hindus who are living abroad “get an eagle's view of what's happening in India, Indian Hindu residents don't see it being in the scene.” Breivik's manifesto applauds Hindu groups who “do not tolerate the current injustice and often riot and attack Muslims when things get out of control,” but says, “this behaviour is nonetheless counterproductive.” “Instead of attacking the Muslims, they should target the category A and B traitors in India and consolidate military cells and actively seek the overthrow of the cultural Marxist government.” “It is essential that the European and Indian resistance movements learn from each other and cooperate as much as possible,” he concludes. “Our goals are more or less identical.” Breivik lists the websites of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the National Volunteers' Organisation, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad as resources for further information.The manifesto pledges military support “to the nationalists in the Indian civil war and in the deportation of all Muslims from India.” This is part of a larger campaign to “overthrow of all western European multiculturalist governments” and evict “U.S. military personnel on European soil.”India is one of several countries — including Russia, the Philippines, China and Thailand — where Breivik hopes his successors will fight. He uses the work of historians K.S. Lal and Shrinandan Vyas to point to the threat posed by Islam to Europe, saying their work has established that millions of Hindus were killed in a genocide during 1000-1525 AD. N.S. Rajaram, another historian, is quoted as saying India's “political class have been so debilitating that they continue to live in a state of constant fear.” Breivik's manifesto envisages that this future organisation would hand out a “multi-cultural force medal,” which would be awarded for “military cooperation with nationalist Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish and/or atheist forces (non-European) on Hindu, Buddhist or Jewish territory. These efforts must be directed against Jihadi or cultural Marxist forces, personnel or interests.” The medals would include a “Liberation of India Service Medal,” which would be awarded for “assisting Indian nationalist forces to drive out Islam from Indian territory.” Breivik's Indian-made combat badges, revealed by The Hindu as having been contracted to a workshop in Varanasi, were the first in this series of battle decorations. His manifesto acknowledges that lives will be lost in the war, and calls for the organisation to “provide and subsidise a standard edition of the Justiciar Knight tombstone” for those who fell in battle. Since a “European tombstone carver, preferably specialised in traditional tombstone architecture, is likely to charge more than 5000-10000 Euro in order to create the stone,” Breivik suggested that “producers in low-cost countries should be contacted for the task of creating one or multiple stones in the future.” He acknowledged that this “might sound hypocritical considering the fact that cultural conservatives in general oppose Indian or Chinese membership in [the] WTO and the fact that we generally prefer in-sourcing as many industries as possible. However, conserving our funds is a central part of our struggle.” Even though Breivik's Knights would fight shoulder to shoulder with Hindu nationalists, his vision for their rights in a post-revolutionary Europe is limited. The manifesto envisages the creation of a “servant class,” made up of non-Muslim individuals from Bangladesh, Pakistan and India. “During their stay,” the manifesto envisages, “they will work 12 hours a day for the duration of their contracts (6 or 12 months) and are then flown back to their homelands.” “These individuals,” it goes on, “will live in segregated communities in pre-defined areas of each major city.” (The Hindu 26/7/11) Drop move to introduce Communal Violence Bill in Pa rliament: Vishwa Hindu Parishad (26) New Delhi, Jul 25 : The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) today demanded the Central government to drop the move to introduce in Parliament the proposed Prevention of Communal and Violence Bill. "The Bill is anti-Hindu. It is against the international principles of law and is draconian in nature. It must be scrapped before reaching Parliament otherwise we will raise a nationwide movement to compel the UPA government not to play with the sentiments, safety and security of the Hindus," VHP International Secretary General Pravin Togadia said here. He was addressing VHP activists, who were protesing against the Bill at the historic Jantar Mantar. Dr Togadia alleged that the Bill, prepared by the National Advisory Council (NAC), is a black bill. The VHP claimed that the Bill was an effort by the Congress-led UPA government to "appease" the minority communities at the "cost of majority" and it was also "against the interest of the Hindus" and a "threat to national integration". The Hindu group will also approach Parliamentarians and seek the support of all political parties soon. It will start a mass awareness campaign across the nation against the Bill. (New Kerala 26/7/11) VHP criticises Kashmiri separatists meeting with Kh ar (26) Jammu: Expressing resentment over the meeting of Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar with

Kashmiri separatists in Delhi, VHP today demanded that the Central government clarify why the meeting was allowed to take place. "Those who are preaching anti-India ideology, burning the tricolour and raising pro-Pakistan slogans openly have been able to meet Khar in New Delhi soon after her arrival from Pakistan. It has shocked the people of the country and the Centre is the culprit in this issue," VHP state chief Ramakant Dubey told reporters here. The meeting has raised a major security concern for the people of the country and the Centre should clarify whether they were in the know of it or not, he said. "We express resentment over the behaviour of Pakistan's Foreign Affairs Minister for meeting separatists on the soil of India. India should protest with them over the issue", Dubey said. The Pakistani Foreign Minister, who is in the national capital to hold talks with External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, met delegations led by separatist Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and moderate Hurriyat chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq at the Pakistan High Commission within hours of her arrival yesterday. (Pioneer 28/7/11) VHP will launch stir against prevention of communal and targeted violence bill (26) Nagpur, August 01, 2011: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad would strongly oppose the proposed prevention of communal and targeted violence bill, 2011 and claimed that it would only target the Hindus. Senior VHP leader Pravin Togadia on Monday said that the proposed law, if adopted, would make it constitutionally accepted that only Hindus cause riots and that Muslims, Christians and other minority communities would never be held responsible for riots. He alleged that the proposed bill was a "conspiracy" of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and others to enact an anti-Hindu law. It was primarily because the definition of the term "group", which is the backbone of this draft bill that is made in such a manner that the majority, that is the Hindus, will be at the receiving end, he said. Tagodia said that VHP will launch a massive countrywide agitation to oppose the bill. "We will meet all the MPs, including those of the Congress and caution them about the dangerous pitfalls," he added. The VHP leader said that the bill was finalised by the National Advisory Council, headed by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and other "anti-Hindu members". If the government tries to pass the bill, it would embarrass the Congress and its president Sonia Gandhi on the lines of Shah Bano episode during the Rajiv Gandhi era, he pointed out. Togadia was here to begin a Hindu Helpline service in the country to unite the Hindus. The Hindu Helpline will extend all necessary helps to Hindu in distress for health, travel, religion, culture and problems with government machinery."This will work as 24-hour system and network for felicitation across the country and extend necessary help to needy Hindus accordingly," he informed. According to him, around 100 full¬time district convenors and 25,000 volunteers are working for the helpline. “While travelling or even otherwise, we wish that there should be someone reliable around to help. Sometimes there may a suddennatural calamity or a personal health problem or an accident. In such emergencies, the helpline will play a role of a reliable friend of Hindus,” he narrated. The Helpline call centre will hear the needy and pass on the immediate message to the volunteer at the location where the caller has a problem within 30 seconds. “The needy will get the help within half an hour,” he further informed. (Hindustan Times 1/8/11) Communal Violence Bill Discriminatory: VHP (26) Allahabad, Aug 2 (PTI) | Vishwa Hindu Parishad today described the proposed Communal Violence Bill, which is likely to be introduced in the ongoing session of Parliament, as "dangerous and discriminatory". "The proposed Communal Violence Bill is dangerous and discriminatory. It is based on the assumption that all communal strife is initiated by Hindus and that only the Muslims and the Christians are at the receiving end. "The bill calls for strong punishment to those Hindus who are found guilty of whipping up communal passions but exempts Muslims and Christians from prosecution even if they are found involved in rape, loot and arson," VHP international president Ashok Singhal claimed before reporters here. He claimed that once the bill became a law, "it would lead to a flurry of bogus litigations against Hindus." He also criticised the government for the police action against Yoga guru Ramdev at the Ramlila ground in Delhi "which was tantamount to insult of millions of Hindus world over." He also warned the Government against "meddling with treasures recently unearthed at the Padmanabhaswamy temple at Thiruvananthapuram and Sathya Sai Baba's ashram in Andhra Pradesh." (Outlook 3/8/11) Singhal warns of movement against 'anti-Hindu' bill (26) VARANASI: Denouncing the proposed Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill 2011, national president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Ashok Singhal said the anti-Hindu bill was unacceptable. He said the only course open was to start a big movement to stop it from becoming a law. Talking to media persons on Monday, Singhal accused UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi of trying to execute hidden agenda in the country. "Frustrated with the fast declining credibility of the UPA government at the Centre, Sonia Gandhi has been trying to get the bill enacted as a law," he claimed. Describing the bill as dangerous and discriminatory, he said the bill, "which is yet to be

tabled in the Parliament, presumes that only Hindus are the aggressors," he said. "The bill also conspires to take the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes out of the ambit of the Hindu society," he said. Thus, he said the bill was against the basic tenets of the Constitution. It would damage the federal polity and create an imbalance in the inter-community relationship of the country." He also said the treasures found recently at the Padmanabhaswamy Temple at Thiruvananthapuram and Yajur Temple of Sri Sathya Sai Baba should be declared as 'Bhagwan's treasure' and should not be touched by any government. Replying to a query regarding prevailing corruption, Singhal said Anna Hazare should seek help from Sant Samaj to fight against corruption and bring a good Jan Lokpal Bill. (Times of India 9/8/11) College disallows girl from wearing head scarf (26) Mangalore: A college here has denied permission to a 17-year-old Hadia to cover her head with the dupatta of her uniform, under the pretext of “maintaining uniformity”. Ms. Hadia said that she was eager to study but was “extremely uncomfortable” sitting in the class with her head uncovered, and her forearms bare. She is a II PU student at Jain Pre-University College in Moodbidri, Mangalore taluk. The college has a uniform of pink salwar, white kameez, and a dupatta. “I feel embarrassed to go (without covering my head and without full sleeves) in front of everyone. I have covered (my head) from the time I was small,” she said. She said that she managed the previous year, but she simply could not get used to not wearing the dupatta around her head. She said a month after she joined the college last year, college authorities announced during the assembly that students would not be allowed to cover their heads, although all three girls who did so, wrapped the dupatta of the uniform in a way that covered their hair and neck, and falls across their chest. After the announcement was made, she said she did not go to college for a month because she was denied permission to cover her head. However, she decided to go to college withouther head covered to answer her examinations and completed the year. She and her relatives made several requests to the college authorities to allow her to cover her hair with the dupatta of the uniform, but to no avail. Hina, Ms. Hadia's mother, said her daughter was not violating the norms of the uniform.Her mother's friend Humaira Khatoon said they had approached even the district administration and the Education Department. Director of the Department of Pre-University Education Rashmi V. Mahesh said the department had no views on the subject. She said if a student complained that the “freedom of dress” was being “proscribed”, then the department would look into it. “Freedom of dress should be left to the student,” Ms. Mahesh said. Correspondent of the partially aided college, Pratap Kumar, said: “There should be uniformity inside the classroom” and that the college would not permit students to cover their heads with a dupatta inside the class. In August 2009, SVS College in Bantwal taluk had banned students from wearing the burqa, and even suspended Aysha Ashmin who was a first year B.Com student for wearing a burqa. She then approached the Deputy Commissioner and later, the Syndicate of Mangalore University passed a resolution permitting students to wear a head scarf that did not cover their face fully in the college. In March the same year, Hindutva outfits had enforced a ban on students wearing the burqa at a government college in Sullia taluk. (The Hindu 11/8/11) Congress, Left slam Gujarat action against cops (26 ) New Delhi, Aug 11 : The Congress and the Left parties Thursday condemned the Gujarat government's action of suspending two police officials, who provided evidence against Chief Minister Narendra Modi about the handling of the 2002 communal riots. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that the suspensions of two senior police officers - Rahul Sharma and Sanjiv Bhatt - were isolated cases and did not affect the governance or the democratic institutions. Accusing the state government of manipulating the system for protecting those responsible for the riots, the Congress said that justice could not be done to Gujarat riot victims until all cases related to the riots were shifted out of the state. "The entire machinery, including the law officers, have colluded to subvert the process of law in Gujarat," Congress spokeperson Manish Tewari told reporters here. "All riot related cases should be transferred out of the state (Gujarat) because only cases out of the influence of the Gujarat government have fructified in results," he said. After the Gujarat cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Sanjiv Bhatt was suspended for making allegations related to the riots against Modi, another senior Gujarat police officer, Rahul Sharma, was hauled up for passing on, without official permission, information to a panel probing the carnage. Tewari alleged that the Gujarat government was taking action against police officers because the latest revelations were pointing finger at Modi. "It is no secret why action has been taken against the police officers, it is because the fire has reached (Chief Minister Narendra) Modi's doors," Tewari said. Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D. Raja said Gujarat riots could not have happened without the connivance of the state government. "The matter has gone to the Supreme Court...Investigations are on in several cases and several others are pending. The officials revealing anything against the government are targeted," Raja added. Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi told reporters that the action against

police officials were individual cases. (New Kerala 12/8/11) Saffron terror: NIA seeks remand of Col Purohit (26 ) New Delhi, August 16, 2011: In a move that could be linked to possible questioning of senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Indresh Kumar, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has moved court for custodial interrogation of Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit. Purohit, who is in judicial custody, is an accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. According to NIA sources, Purohit had made claims before some witnesseses about Indresh Kumar and his alleged role in Malegaon (September 2006), Samjhauta Express (February 2007), Mecca Masjid (May 2007) Ajmer Sharif (October 2007), Malegaon and Modasa (September 2008) cases. “Purohit's questioning is important as we want to check the veracity of his claims before examining Indresh,” said a source in the NIA. The NIA believes Purohit can also shed some light on the conspiracy behind the murder of Sunil Joshi, a Hindu extremist murdered in December 2007. Indresh Kumar was questioned by the CBI while investigating the Mecca Masjid case. Though, the NIA has mentioned Indresh Kumar as the financer of Sunil Joshi, the terror kingpin, in the chargesheet filed in the Samjhauta Express case, he was not named as an accused. “Purohit was under investigation by the Maharashtra ATS and CBI for long. But nothing was found against Indresh Kumar. This is an act of desperation on part of the investigating agencies and moreover a political use of criminal prosecution,” said Aman Lekhi, counsel for Indresh Kumar. According to sources, if the special NIA court in Mumbai permits Purohit's questioning, investigators will bring him here for his thorough questioning. (Hindustan Times 16/8/11) Bajrang Dal activists attack partygoers (26) One person was grievously injured and several others sustained minor injuries as they were assaulted allegedly by Bajrang Dal activists who barged into a private party here early on Sunday. Around 25 people were present at the party organised at the Maharani Farmhouse here at Someshwar on Saturday night. Caretaker Dayanand Poojary and his wife were asleep on the upper floor while the party was held on the lower floor. One of the assault victims, Shekar (name changed), said he saw two persons leaving the house 30 minutes after the party began. Within minutes, the farmhouse was surrounded by 30-40 people, who came armed with bottles. Confusion prevailed as the Bajrang Dal activists — sporting saffron shawls and their faces covered with saffron scarves — began to attack all those present inside and damaged property. They did not even spare the caretaker and his wife, said Sudhir (name changed). Suprit (name changed) said: “They would ask us our names. After hearing the name of Syed [name changed] they attacked him severely.” City convener of the Bajrang Dal Sharan Pumpwell said: “We got a message that a party was on and drugs were being used. Our boys went to question them … a fight happened.” He claimed that drugs were found there. Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said the activists had “no business” to assault the partygoers. The police found “no evidence of drugs” at the spot. They arrested 6 persons. (The Hindu 16/8/11) RSS' Coordination Meet begins (26) Ujjain, MP, Aug 17 : Amidst the maelstrom caused by social activist Anna Hazare's anti-corruption campaign, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's three-day All India Coordination Meeting commenced in this ancient temple town today in the presence of Sarsanghchalak Mohan Rao Bhagwat and other leaders. Bharatiya Janata Party President Nitin Gadkari and leader Ravi Shankar Prasad were notable absentees and it is believed that the political situation created by the Hazare factor kept the BJP chief busy elsewhere. Mr Gadkari is expected to arrive tomorrow. Sources said that a discussion was conducted on the campaign's fallout. "Greater emphasis should be on the social changes effected through the medium of the RSS and its affiliates and what more may be accomplished in this direction," felt Mr Bhagwat. "The proposed Bill to prevent and punish communal violence is actually an attempt by the Centre to target pro-Hindu organisations," RSS bigwig Ram Madhav told UNI over telephone. (New Kerala 18/8/11) Top leaders of RSS converge in Ujjain to take stock of Anna Hazare anti-corruption campaign (26) NEW DELHI: Top leaders of the RSS and its affiliates, such as the BJP, ABVP, BMS and the VHP, have converged in the holy city of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh to take stock of the situation developing in the country in the wake of the anti-corruption campaign launched by Anna Hazare. The coordination-cum-brainstorming session, which began on August 17 and will culminate on Saturday, had been planned a long time back, and, even though it is being described as a "routine" affair by Sangh insiders, it has assumed importance in view of the fast-changing scenario, triggered by Anna's agitation. While RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, other office-bearers of the organisation and representatives of affiliates reached Ujjain

on the inaugural day, BJP president Nitin Gadkari landed there on Thursday. BJP Parliamentary PartyChairperson LK Advani, Leaders of the Opposition in the two Houses of Parliament, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, landed at the venue on Friday. "The Sangh will take cognizance of the entire situation. In its own way, it will do whatever it can in support of the campaign kicked off by the Gandhian," said a top Sangh leader. The RSS, officially, has already declared its backing to the anti-corruption campaign. "Even though we are not supporting it organisationally, we are offering our moral backing. Swayamsewaks are free to join the agitation," the leader said. The RSS and the BJP are keeping a close watch on the situation as it unfolds across the country. Sensing a growing popular outrage against the Manmohan Singh government over the crackdown on Anna and his team on August 16, the BJP, in fact, took the lead in stalling Parliament proceedings over the Delhi Police action, making it clear that it would not allow the two Houses to resume their functioning unless Prime Minister Manmohan Singh came out with a statement on the treatment meted out to the Gandhian. There is anxiety within the Sangh parivar, including the BJP, over the manner in which the campaign pans out across the country. There is realisation that there is acute resentment among the people over the Congress-led UPA government's failure to rein in corruption, and the mishandling of the situation. Wary of being seen as an accomplice, the BJP brass took pains to reject the prime minister's description of the agitation as a "Parliament Versus Civil Society" standoff. (The Economic Times 21/8/11) Anna must detach from political power working behin d him: Ahmed Bukhari (26) New Delhi, Aug 22 : Emphasising that corruption cannot be removed only by making laws, the Imam of Delhi''s Jama Masjid, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, on Monday said social activist Anna Hazare must detach himself from the political power working behind him. "Anna Hazare must detach from the political power working behind him. He praised Narendra Modi sometimes back who is accused of massacre in Gujarat," Bukhari told mediapersons here. Bukhari further asked if the 74-year-old social activist is secular, then why has he not included any Muslims in his group. "If Anna Hazare is secular then why he has not included any Muslim in his committee members," said Bukhari, while criticizing the anti-corruption crusader. Asserting that Islam is against slogans like Vande Matram and Bharat Mata ki Jai, Bukhari said: "You cannot pray a nation in Islam. If few Muslims are participating in Hazare demonstration this does not represent the 25 crore Muslims in this country." Bukhari also recalled that not too long ago, Hazare had praised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the man accused of massacring Muslims in his state in 2002. He also said that the few Muslims participating in Hazare''s agitation against the government did not mean that they were representatives of the 25 crore Muslims in India. Bukhari further said communalism should be a priority because it is a bigger threat to the nation and not corruption. "There is no mention of communalism, which is a bigger threat. Communalism should be a priority and corruption comes second in this list," he said. (New Kerala 22/8/11) Vande Mataram not an issue for Muslims (26) Bangalore | Agency: DNA: Delhis’ Shahi Imam may have appealed to Muslims to stay away from Anna Hazare and his anti corruption brigade, but they are not deterred by his views. The Shahi Imam, Ahmed Bukhari, had said that Hazare and his supporters have isolated Muslims through their movement and that the war cry of Vande Mataram and Bharat Matha Ki Jai are against the tenets of Islam. “We respect the Imam, but he is not an authority that we have to strictly adhere to,” said Ahmed Danish, a lead supporter of the movement at Freedom Park in Bangalore. “It is my choice whether or not to say Vande Mataram while protesting. I choose not to say it. Just because you say Vande Mataram or you are in a crowd of people who say it does not make you an RSS activist,” he said. Meanwhile, prominent maulanas and Islamic scholars of UP also reacted strongly to Bukhari’s statement. Leading Sunni cleric Maulana Abul Irfan Mian Firangi Mahli and well known Shia scholar and cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawaad said that since Hazare was not forcing Vande Mataram on anyone, there was nothing wrong if Muslims joined the campaign launched by the social activist. “The issue is not about Vande Mataram but corruption. I seeabsolutely no reason why Muslims should be dissuaded from joining this campaign when we all know how corruption is eating into our system,” Maulana Firangi Mahli said. (DNA 23/8/11) ‘Take action against assailants of cattle traders' (26) Udupi: The members of Udupi district unit of Karnataka Komu Sauharda Vedike staged a dharna in front of the District Police Office here on Thursday demanding immediate arrest of those who allegedly assaulted three men who were transporting a cow and a calf at Kanajar village under Hiriyadka police station limits last week. K.M. Umarabba, Ibrahim, and Ranjit had purchased the cow and calf from Jagadish Shetty of Kanajar for Rs. 3,000. The three were attacked by about 20 activists allegedly linked to an organisation, affiliated to the Sangh Parivar. Instead of being sympathetic to the poor cattle trader

and his two assistants, the Hiriyadka police were planning to slap a case against Mr. Ibrahim for not having taken permission from the police, veterinary and regional transport departments, to transport the cow and a calf. The police stations and the representatives of the ruling government in the coastal region were biased. It was surprising that the Opposition Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) had not come in support of the three victims. Both the Opposition parties were in a state of slumber, he said. Vedike's district unit vice-president K. Phaniraj and Dalit Sangharsha Samiti district unit convenor Jayan Malpe also spoke. (The Hindu 26/8/11) RSS supports Anna's stir, to mobilise people agains t graft (26) Agartala, Aug 27: Backing the stir by Anna Hazare against corruption, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Saturday slammed the "uncalled for arrogance" by the government to the activist's demands and demanded an effective Lokpal at the earliest. "The RSS has, through a resolution passed at its national meet at Puttur in Karnataka in March this year, exhorted its Swayamsevaks to fully support all the initiatives in the country against corruptions in all forms," RSS leader Ram Madhav told reporters here. "The government and some leaders of UPA (United Progressive Alliance) have demonstrated uncalled for arrogance in addressing the issues raised by Hazare. The RSS condemns this attitude and wants an effective Lokpal at the earliest," he added. "While the proposed Lokpal addresses one major dimensions of the problem of corruptions, there are several other dimensions to it like the influence of black money and short-cut methods to get the works done," said Madhav, who is now on a tour to the northeastern states. He said that the RSS has launched a country-wide campaign to educate the people against fraudulent acts and to make India a corruption free country, clean society and political situation. He also said the RSS will undertake a determined fight against the proposed communal violence bill, and has been asking MPs of all political parties to reject the proposed Communal and Targeted Violence (Prevention) Bill 2011 when it is brought in parliament. "The National Advisory Council (NAC) headed by the Congress president Sonia Gandhi had drafted the dangerous and draconian bill that is explicitly biased against the majority Hindu communities," he alleged. "Through the bill it attempts to widen the gulf and acrimony between communities and thus it would be a fodder for anti-national and anti-Hindu forces," he said, adding: "The bill aimed at only to punish the people belonging to Hindu after the any incident of communal violence." He said the RSS has set up over 5,000 "Ekal Vidyalaya" (single teacher school) in seven northeastern states to provide education among the tribal, backward and children living in far-flung areas. The RSS also runs several projects for the tribals, uneducated and backward people and people living in the remote and hilly areas of the northeasteen region, he added. The projects include, running of free hostels, health care and medical centres, "Banabasi Kalyan Ashram" (farmhouse for the forest dwellers) and mini artisan training centres. (New Kerala 27/8/11) BJP, RSS disagree over 2014 poll strategy (26) NEW DELHI: Most BJP leaders do not seem to agree with party chief Nitin Gadkari's view that the saffron outfit can face the next national election without projecting a "face" for the prime ministerial post. The BJP chief has offered his comments earlier this month but differences have emerged, with senior party leaders making their apprehensions known at a Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) brainstorming sessionheld at Ujjain between August 17 and 21. Although Gadkari's thinking is in line with the RSS leadership's views, BJP leaders feel that not projecting a leader will be politically disastrous. Leaders, including L K Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, are believed to have expressed their views to the Sangh leadership at Ujjain. Gadkari's comments had appeared a few days earlier. Some in the party also feel that not announcing a leader will allow the BJP's rivals to speculate on infighting and the possible "hidden" agenda with relation to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi. Besides, leaving the leadership question open is not a sound strategy. With the Congress-led UPA government under fire on many counts, the main Opposition and the Sangh feel the need to prepare for parliamentary elections. Gadkari has sought to charge the party machinery by saying that "elections could take place anytime, the government seems to be on the brink". In this backdrop, the RSS meeting discussed the issue of leadership for the coming parliamentary polls. The RSS formulation of counting on bank of leaders and an agenda of good governance and ideology did not convince senior BJP leaders who felt this would see the initiative slip out of the party's hands. Advani, Jaitley and Swaraj were all of the opinion that "people put faith in a leader and not just a party". Therefore, the senior leaders asked the Sangh to begin the process of looking for its "face" for the national elections. The altered BJP-RSS equations and an uneven pecking order make it necessary for the party to get the RSS on board. Earlier, BJP had a fair degree of autonomy in projecting its leaders. This was also because its affairs were dominated by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-Advani duo. Advani drew on the experience of the UP polls way back in 1969, when the Jan Sangh was hardly a force, to argue that it had named Vajpayee as the chief ministerial candidate against Congress

(I)'s Kamalapati Tripathi. While Tripathi won, the five cornered contest saw Mulayam Singh Yadav, Charan Singh and S B Gupta for Congress (O) also in the fray. The RSS had even then not been keen on a leadership projection, but it was clearly needed. (Times of India 1/9/11) RSS seeks support of Tripura Chief Minister against CTV bill (26) Agartala, Aug 31:Veteran RSS leader Ram Madhav has met Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and urged him to oppose the Communal and Targeted Violence (CTV) (Justice and Reparation) Bill 2011 drafted by the National Advisory Council (NAC) headed by Sonia Gandhi. Talking to media today Madhav said the drafted bill had been opposed by several political parties including the RSS on the ground of its inherent infirmities and unconstitutional provisions and they were campaigning against the bill. While talking to Mr Sarkar yesterday, the RSS leader referred to the bill's various provisions claiming it would destroy India’s fragile communal harmony and said Mr Sarkar had responded positively and assured that he would study the bill when it would be put forward by the Centre and then take appropriate stand. He apprehended, ''If the bill is passed, India’s federal structure would be destroyed as this bill is based on the dangerous assumption that the majority community is always the perpetrator and the minority always the victim; moreover, this bill would enable the Centre to ride roughshod over state governments and invoke draconian Articles 355 and 356 of the constitution.'' Taking advantage of the bill, the terrorists and the anti-Indian elements could create anarchy by provoking communal violence, Madhav said, adding the provisions of the bill clearly showed that the Centre did not have faith in police, Army or the Bureaucracy and the tribunal that would be formed as part of the implementing process could ride roughshod over the entire administrative machinery. This bill would be a disaster. (New Kerala 1/9/11) Thillankery twin murder: 19 CPM men get bail (26) KOCHI: Nineteen of the 24 CPM activists sentenced to life term imprisonment by a lower court for attacking RSS supporters returning from a funeral and killing two of them by hurling a bomb were let off on bail by the Kerala high Court on Friday. In one of the largest number of convictions for political murder in the State, a court in Thalassery had sentenced 24 of the 25 activists accused in the case to life term imprisonment in April this year. According to police, 23-year-old Shihab and 72-year-old Ammu Amma died when the jeep in which they were returning from the funeral of Uthaman, an RSS worker killed by CPM workers a day before at Iritti, was attacked by a gang of CPM activists. Shihab was the driver of thejeep. A division bench consisting of Justice V Ramkumar and Justice PQ Barkath Ali granted bails to the accused after their counsel P Vijayabhanu questioned the lower court verdict citing that even though they were proved to be involved in unlawful assembly, it is not proved that they were in possession of any weapons. Those who were granted bail are Puthiyapurayil Manoj of Chavassery near Naduvand, Meethalepurayil Jayarajan of Chavassery, Aniyeri Balakrishnan of Chavassery, Manoli Dileep of Kolar, Puthiyaprayil Byju of Chavassery, AK Raveendran of Chavassery, Chennipparambath Pramod of Chavassery, K Arun Kumar of Payambachal, KV Mahesh of Thillankerry,Kalam Veettil Sreedharan of Chavassery, Chalil Prakashan of Thalassery, AK Pradeesh of Chavassery, Chooriyil Rajan of Thillenkery, AK Pradeepan of Chavassery, K Ravindran of Thalassery, K Ravindran alias Ambu Ravi of Thalassery, K Rajeevan of Valandyparambu, Chennipparambath Chandran of Chavassery, AK Praveen of Chavassery, and Kooli Vinod of Chavassery. (Times of India 3/9/11) Lucknow University says no to RSS leader's talk on graft (26) LUCKNOW: Students of Lucknow staged a sit-in outside the Lucknow University on Sunday evening after the university administration summarily withdrew permission to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader Ram Madhav for holding a lecture session on 'Corruption, movements and the role of youth'. Madhav, who was supposed to conduct the session in the university's Malviya Hall at 7pm on Sunday, arrived outside the university gates after students began to stage protests and raised slogans against LU vice chancellor. Madhav said, "It is good for the movement against corruption when it faces resistance from governments; it allows us to raise our voices louder and be heard by many more people.'' This was the second time the university has turned down a request for holding sessions that encourage youth to stand up against graft. Earlier, on April 26, the university administration had disallowed Anna Hazare from holding a similar session in Malviya hall on the grounds that the event might lead to a breakdown in law and order on the campus. Student leader Rakesh Tripathi said the university administration had not given them any ''official intimation'' regarding the cancellation. "Till now, we have not got any word from the university on why permission was denied. The policemen on duty have assured us some official word will come; however, no one has spoken yet,'' he said. The students had sought the vice-chancellor Prof MK Mishra's permission on August 29 for holding the lecture. The same was marked to the LU superintendent of works (SW). Students said Rs 2,000 was paid for two hours immediately and the permission was given.

On September 2, the students requested university authorities to change the time from 2 pm (scheduled earlier) to 7 pm. On this, SW sought the proctor's advice in written. Replying to the same, proctor Prof UD Mishra wrote, "As per the confidential information received, the university will not be able to provide enough security. The proposal should be reconsidered." Acting quickly, the V-C told the authorities to heed to the proctor's decision. Reacting to this, Madhav said: "The Lucknow university V-C has taken this decision on Central government's directives. Till now, it was only political leaders and bureaucrats who were involved in corruption. This incidenct clearly reflects that even educational institutions are not left behind in the corruption race.'' Meanwhile, the protesting students raised slogans of 'Vande Matram' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and waved the Tricolour. Though there was a minor disruption in traffic on the University Road, the sit-in remained peaceful.(Times of India 5/9/11) Jammu: Anna a mask for RSS: Digvijay (26) Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Monday alleged that social activist Anna Hazare was a “mask for the RSS like yoga guru Ramdev” and was being used to divert attention from the arrest of Sangh members in terror cases. The Lokpal issue, Mr. Singh told journalists here, was raked up “to divert the attention of the people from the arrests of various RSS activists in connection with terrorism and others in corruption cases.” “They [BJP and RSS] formulated this plan. First they made Baba Ramdev as its mask and them Anna,” he alleged. The Congress general secretary said, “I respect Mr. Anna Hazare as he is a Gandhian but, unfortunately, he is surrounded by the wrong people.” On his allegation against Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal, he said, “Mr. Kejriwal is still a government employee. The government has not acceptedhis resignation. He is still an officer of the Indian Revenue Service [IRS].” “Has a government employee got the right to open campaigning? Has he got the right to collect donation? If 40 lakh employees cannot do it, how can he [Kejriwal] do it?,” Mr. Singh said. He said the government “has respected Team Anna and invited the members to the drafting committee but it was the Opposition which had a problem with them, not us.” Meanwhile Mr. Hazare told journalists in Ralegan Siddhi that the RSS was not involved in his anti-corruption movement. He said the Congress general secretary should be admitted to a hospital for levelling such an allegation. “I have said this earlier also that people like Mr. Singh should be put in ‘Yeravada', [a well-known place in Pune housing a government mental hospital],” Mr. Hazare said. He said he was determined to continue his fight for the passage of a strong Lokpal Bill in Parliament to curb corruption in the country. Mr. Hazare said Mr. Kejriwal was a “clean man” being targeted by the government. (The Hindu 6/9/11) Government planned to crush my agitation: Hazare (2 6) Pune: Anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare on Tuesday said the Union government had planned to crush his agitation, by putting him under house arrest in his village Ralegan Siddhi, right after he came out of Tihar Jail. Mr. Hazare said the Centre had also kept an Air Force plane ready at the Delhi airport. Addressing visitors in Ralegan Siddhi, Mr. Hazare said: “The idea was to airlift me from Delhi airport, where an Air Force flight was waiting, to Pune. From Pune, they would send me to Ralegan Siddhi, where I would not have been allowed to go anywhere.” He called the government's plan a part of a “betrayal.” The Delhi Police had arrested Mr. Hazare on August 16, hours before his slated hunger strike for the Jan Lokpal Bill at the JP Park. Within hours, the police withdrew the charges against Mr. Hazare, who however refused to leave the jail premises demanding unconditional permission to fast on the Ramlila grounds. The activist earlier alleged that his arrest was planned at the Home Ministry level, even as the government denied the charge. Commenting on Parliament members allegedly taking money for vote during the confidence motion, Mr. Hazare said they should be “hanged.” “If anyone in the Assembly or Parliament takes money for asking questions or casting votes, there should be stringent punishment for them. In fact I feel they should be hanged.” Mr. Hazare refuted charges levelled by Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh that Mr. Hazare was a “mask for the RSS.” Mr. Singh said in Jammu that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party used Baba Ramdev and Anna Hazare as their mask, to divert people's attention from the arrests of RSS activists in terrorism and corruption cases. Reacting to Mr. Singh's comments, Mr. Hazare said, “Those who are making allegations should first produce evidence.” (The Hindu 7/9/11) Communal Violence Bill will divide citizens: BJP (2 6) New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party is opposed to the proposed Communal Violence Bill that was one of the main items on the agenda of the National Integration Council meeting held here on Saturday. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj told journalists later that her party raised two main objections: the Bill would allow the Centre to tread into the area of public order that was the sole prerogative of the States; and it sought to divide citizens into two categories: the majority and the minority

in each State. Elaborating on the second point, Ms. Swaraj said the BJP did not agree that the majority — Hindus in most States — should be painted as villains and culprits and the minority community as the oppressed and the terrorised. She pointed out that for some time now, there had not been a major communal riot. In such a scenario, making this issue a major point on the NIC's agenda did not serve any purpose. It would have been much more useful to focus on terrorism and the Naxal violence. Ms. Swaraj questioned the utility of the NIC meeting once in several years. Instead, she said, it should be held every year. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has also separately called its front organisations to stop the Bill from becoming law. It has described the draft as “dangerous.” (The Hindu 11/9/11) ‘Santosh Hegde headed lawyers' wing of RSS' (26) Mangalore: The former judge of the Supreme Court and former Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde was the State president of the lawyer's wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, C.S. Dwarkanath, the former Chairperson of the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission claimed here on Saturday. Mr. Dwarkanath said Mr. Hegde was the former State president of the Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad, the lawyer's wing of the RSS. “His mind worked for the Lokayukta, but his heart works for the RSS,” Mr. Dwarkanath said. He was speaking during a seminar organised on corruption organised jointly by the Sahamatha Forum, the Social Justice Forum, and the Democratic Youth Federation of India. Mr. Dwarkanath said a closer look needs to be taken at the members of Team Anna who were being called “civil society”. It was in this context that he said that Mr. Hegde was the former State president of the lawyer's wing of the sangh. He said one need not go to Switzerland to bring back black money. Calling religious institutions as “Indian Swiss Banks”, he said that money should be recovered from religious institutions first. (The Hindu 11/9/11) BJP hails Supreme Court's decision in Gujarat riots case (26) New Delhi, Sep.12 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has welcomed Monday''s Supreme Court''s decision to direct a Gujarat trial court to examine the alleged role of Chief Minister Narendra Modi and other officials during the 2002 communal riots in the state. BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said: "The Supreme Court''s decision is very important and I feel that the decision taken has been made under the law. People who are anti-Modi can be disappointed with the decision but justice can only function under law. And that is why the Supreme Court''s judgment is viewed as logical under law." Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court today refused to pass any order on the petition alleging inaction on the part of Modi to contain the 2002 riots after the Godhra carnage. The bench presided by Justice D K Jain, Justice P Sathasivam and Justice Aftab Alam noted that in case the magistrate decides to drop proceedings against Modi and others, he has to hear the plea of slain MP Ehsan Jafri''s widow Zakia Jafri, who had filed a complaint against the Gujarat Chief Minister. A Gujarat trial court would monitor both the reports of SIT (Special Investigation Team) and the amicus curae, which incidentally differs from the observations of the SIT. "For the last ten years, some forces are purposely trying to taint Narendra Modi and his government. But, every time they have failed and today''s judgment is also a jolt to them," added Javadekar. In 2008, Zakia Jafri, widow of Ehsan Jafri had knocked at the doors of the apex court alleging that Modi and other politicians ensured that the riot victims did not receive any kind of help. In February 2002, a rioting mob, allegedly affiliated to right-wing Hindu groups, attacked the Gulbarg society in Ahmedabad, killing 69 people, including Ehsan Jafri, who was set ablaze in his own house. Meanwhile, India''s ruling Congress party also termed the Supreme Court''s judgment as one that is in tune with the law and hoped the trial court would hasten in complying with the apex court''s directive. "We should all respect the judgment of the Supreme Court and I should also say that the court has not given any clean chit to Narendra Modi and they have sent the report to the lower court and the lower court will look into it and then give its suggestions," said Rashid Alvi, Congress party spokesperson. The Congress leader also said that justice would prevail sooner or later and quipped to say the crimes committed by Narendra Modi can''t be eclipsed or washed away. "Definitely justice should be given and I hope that they will get justice. It is difficult to wipe or remove the taint from Modi''s forehead," added Alvi. The Supreme Court, in April 2009, ordered a probe by the federal investigation agency, the CBI, into the alleged inaction by law enforcing authorities, including the state chief, which led to the massacre. The riots took place after a train with Hindu devotees was set on fire in Godhra Railway Station, which had set off some of the country''s worst communal riots since independence in 1947. The Sabarmati Express was carrying Hindu devotees returning from the site of the Babri mosque in Ayodhya. More than 2,500 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in the subsequent riots in Gujarat. Critics say Modi and his party, the BJP, which rules Gujarat, did little to stop the violent aftermath of Godhra incident. (New Kerala 12/9/11) Centre seeks information on right-wing group (26)

MUMBAI: The Centre has sought more information from the Maharashtra government on the right-wing Hindu organization, Sanatan Sanstha, said home minister RR Patil on Monday. "Early this year, the Maharashtra government sent a proposal to the Union government, recommending that they ban the Hindu outfit for its alleged involvement in terror activities. Four days back, the state government received a letter from the Centre asking for more details on this subject. In a couple of days, we will forward the necessary details to the Central government," Patil said. When asked whether there are more Hindu terror groups on the state's list, Patil said, "Terrorism does not have any religion and we do not have any such list. The government will take action against any individual or group found guilty of being involved in unlawful activities."(Times of India 13/9/11) ‘Hindu groups intent on attacks’ (26) Washington: The recent developments have shown that militant Hindu nationalist groups are intent on launching domestic terrorist attacks, a US congressional report has said. “Even more recent are overt signs that India is home to militant Hindu nationalist groups intent on launching domestic terrorist attacks. In September 2008, seven people were killed by two bomb blasts in Maharashtra’s Malegaon, a hotbed of Hindu-Muslim communal strife,” said Congressional Research Service (CRS) in its latest report on India. The 94-page report was released by the CRS, independent and bipartisan wing of the US Congress prepares periodic reports on issues of interest to the US lawmakers, on Septem-ber 1, a copy of which made public by the Federation of American Scientists on Tuesday. By the year’s end, the police had arrested nine members of a “Hindu terrorist cell” in connection with the bombing, including an active Army lieutenant colonel and a Hindu nun with links to the main Opposition BJP, the CRS said. “Thus did ‘Hindu terrorism’ became a new and highly controversial phrase in India’s national dialogue, the CRS report said, adding never before in the country’s history had the phrase been so widely used and the development had major and continuing effects on India’s national psyche. “In late 2010, Hindutva extremist Swami Aseemanand confessed to involvement in a number of terrorist attacks previously blamed on Islamist militants, including the 2006 bombing of a Muslim cemetery in Malegaon that killed 37 people and the 2007 bombing of the trans-border Samjhauta Express, a train linking Delhi and Lahore, Pakistan, that killed 68 people, most of them Pakistani civilians,” CRS said. Also, there is a dangerous growth of indigenous Islamist terrorism in India despite New Delhi’s reluctance to openly acknowledge it, a Congressional report has said, adding leading such group is Indian Mujahideen. — PTI (Asian Age 15/9/11) Narendra Modi under fire from RSS for ‘individualis m’ (26) New Delhi: As Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi’s muchhyped fast ended on Monday, a slighted RSS accused him of 'excessive individualism'. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is seething as Modi apparently ignored its advice and took only a section of the BJP’s top leadership into confidence ahead of his fast. Ignoring the Sangh’s counsel, Modi claimed on Monday that his three-day 'Sadbhavana Mission' had 'united India', and added he would now 'fast in every district of Gujarat'. Modi said: “My fast ends, but the mission begins.” The RSS top brass had told Modi that his earlier strategy of not reacting to criticism over the riots suited him better, sources said. The RSS leaders, who met him during the fast, had expressed displeasure over his 'sounding so apologetic' over the post-Godhra violence in Gujarat in 2002. The sources added that Modi, who is rapidly emerging as the BJP’s most visible face for the 2014 general election, however, continued to ignore the Sangh’s advice. (Asian Age 20/9/11) RSS denies being behind Anna, Ramdev's movements Amritsar | Agency: PTI: Alleging that those in power had tried to divert attention from real isssue by claiming that RSS was behind the movements by Anna Hazare and Ramdev, the saffron outfit today said its workers had supported the activists just as other ordinary people of the country. "The impromptusupport that common people have offered to social reformers like Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev is the direct result of their frustration," RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav said here. Delivering a lecture, he said, "The people in power have behaved in a predictable fashion. In an attempt to pass the buck and divert the attention of people from real issue, they started to blame RSS for these movements." "RSS workers supported Anna and Baba Ramdev just as other ordinary people of the country," said, adding that the workers will also support LK Advani during his upcoming Rathyatra. He said that political corruption needed to be investigated at all levels beginning from the top and thus a strong Lokpal was the need of the hour. Batting for inclusion of Prime Minister in the ambit of Lokpal, Madhav said, "as a member of the cabinet the prime minister was just first among equals and thus like any other minister the office of PM naturally fell within framework of Lokpal." On electoral reforms, he said the two key issues of provision of right to recall the elected representative and government funding of the elections needed to

be debated and could go a long way in checking corruption during and after elections. He also said that unlike in western democracies where elected representatives were all powerful in the House and on par with common man outside it, in India members of parliament or state assemblies enjoyed little political freedom and were bound party whips. "This whip system in parliamentary democracy also needs to be debated," he said, adding political reforms are needed to address atmosphere of gloom in the country. (DNA 25/9/11) Probe ordered into communal clashes in Uttarakhand (26) DEHRA DUN, October 4, 2011: Uttarakhand Chief Minister B.C. Khanduri on Monday ordered a high-level inquiry into the communal clashes that broke out at Rudrapur in Udham Singh Nagar district. The death toll reached four with two more persons succumbing to their injuries in the past 24 hours. The situation was reported tense but under control. Curfew was imposed on Sunday to quell violence in the area where mobs torched six shops and scores of vehicles. The Chief Minister, who air-dashed to the area, ordered a high-level probe by Ajay Singh Nabiyal, Divisional Commisioner, Pauri (Garhwal), into the incidents in Bhadaipura mohalla. Mr. Nabiyal will give a report by October 11. Earlier in the day, Mr. Khanduri visited the violence-hit areas and ordered the officials to give a detailed report within a week at a high level review meeting at Kashipur. The meeting was attended by Kumaon Commissioner Kunal Sharma and DIG, Kumaon, Amit Sinha. The Chief Minister has announced an ex gratia of Rs. 1 lakh to the next of kin of those killed. “Innocent people were killed through an act of cowardice and the law enforcement agencies will soon track down the mischief-mongers and bring them to justice,” Mr. Khanduri said adding that no one would be allowed to disturb the communal harmony. Inspector General of Police R. S. Meena said effective steps helped in normalising the situation and people's confidence restored through flag marches. He appreciated the efforts put in by District Magistrate B.V. R. Purushottam and Senior Superintendent of Police G.S. Martolia for meeting community elders and seeking support. Curfew would continue for some time as a precautionary measure, Mr. Meena said. Harbhajan Singh Cheema, Uttarakhand State president of the Akali Dal (Badal) deploring the act, wanted the people of this rich agriculture and industrial belt to forget the damage done — “Please forget the losses and get back to work with increased vigour, love and compassion so that the revenue generation goes up at all levels.” (The Hindu 4/10/11) Bihar Opposition to closely watch Advani's yatra (2 6) Patna, October 5, 2011: Bihar's principal Opposition — the Rashtriya Janata Dal-Lok Jan Shakti Party combine — will be keeping an Argus-eye on Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani's anti-corruption ‘Jan Chetna Yatra' due to commence from Sitab Diara in the State's Saran district on October 11. Addressing journalists here on Tuesday, LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan said that while his party would not like to offer any immediate comment, it would be closely watching Mr. Advani's rally for any whiff of communal disturbance. The past days have seen both the LJP and the RJD issue stiff warnings to the BJP leadership in the event of Mr. Advani's anti-corruption campaign acquiring a communal hue. Mr. Paswan questioned Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's secular credentials as the latter had agreed to flag offMr. Advani's campaign by waving a green flag. The site and date of the rally have so been chosen so as to coincide with Jaya Prakash Narayan's birth anniversary. He recalled Mr. Advani's detention by Mr. Prasad during his 1990 Ram Rath Yatra in the State's Samastipur district. Mr. Paswan criticised Mr. Kumar for his “failure” to bring senior officers to book in the Forbesganj firing incident. Four members, including a pregnant woman and an infant, were killed in the police firing at Bhajanpura village on June 3. Accusing Mr. Kumar of harbouring “secular pretensions,” the LJP chief said the Bihar government ought to have taken action on the lines initiated by Ashok Gehlot's Congress-led government in Rajasthan in the recent Gopalgarh firing incident. “Mr. Gehlot's government suspended the Bharatpur Collector and the Superintendent of Police following the Meo-Gujjar clashes, which left 10 people dead… but our Chief Minister [Nitish Kumar] has not even bothered to transfer the SP of Araria,” said Mr. Paswan. (The Hindu 5/10/11) India needs to regain its leading position in Asia: RSS chief (26) NAGPUR: Expressing grave concern over the Chinese aggression, intrusion into Indian borders and its close ties with Pakistan, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has called for India to be more pro-active and regain its leading position in Asia. "There is need to influence international diplomatic dialogue more effectively to garner global support for ourselves," he said. Addressing the swayamsevaks at the customary Vijayadashmi function on Thursday, Bhagwat said: "China has in recent times shown its intensions to expand its influence in the Asian continent. Its soldiers have entered Leh and Ladakh and demolished our bunkers. China has threatened Indian ships exploring oil in South China Sea. It has forged links with

terror outfits in north-east India. "At the same time China has entered into Gilgit-Baltistan north of Jammu and Kashmir where boundaries of six-nations meet. Its close ties have emboldened Pakistan to threaten the US," said Bhagwat. "In 1962 we have been victims of China's shrewd and crafty war tactics. We have to remain vigilant against China and build necessary infrastructure on the borders and not let our military preparedness to wither away," he stressed. He also wanted to re-build ties with Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as these nations looked towards India for leadership support. The RSS chief's speech also dwelt on issues like situation in Kashmir, problems of the North-East, terrorism, economic policy, anti-corruption movement and the proposed communal and targeted violence Bill. Admitting that the RSS actively participated in Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement he said : "We actively participate in such agitations which are in the interest of the nation and people in particular." "It was credible people who led the movement and the frustrating conditions exploded into massive support for the recent success of this agitation," he said and ridiculed those who objected to chanting of "Vande Mataram" and "Bharatmata Ki Jai" from the dharna site in Delhi during the agitation. "Rejecting symbols of patriotism such as Vande Mataram and Bharatmata Ki Jai to gain cheap popularity can never be tolerated in any national movement," he said. According to him, the return of the black money from foreign banks, effective legislation against corruption and its implementation without any outside interference and influence and bringing the Prime Minister and other top functionaries within the ambit of the anti-graft law have become issues which give vent to the feelings of the people. "The government had to cave in to the popular pressure but total success is still not in sight. We will have to bring fundamental changes in the very system that breeds in corruption. For this the administrative system will have to be made more transparent and responsible to the needs of the common people," he stressed. Bhagwat also lashed out at the Congress-led UPA government for the proposed communal and targeted violence bill and dubbed it as anti-constitutional and anti-democracy. "The proposed legislation seeks to destroy the sense of national unity and divide people. This legislation represents a total negation of our national interests," he said and alleged that it was an attempt to clamp a permanent emergency on the people of the country through backdoor. According to him, the proposed bill would destroy the communal harmony in the country. The very draft of the bill had made it clear that there was anti-national conspiratorial mentality working at the back of these efforts, he charged and urged all the parliamentarians to oppose the bill. "Even after several states rejected it , the prime minister has said that it would be reframed and is notready to scrap the anti-national Bill," said Bhagwat. He also slammed the UPA government for failure to check prices of essential commodities. (Times of India 6/10/11) RSS chief slams government over revised poverty lin e row (26) Nagpur, Oct.6 : Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief, Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday criticized the UPA Government on the revised poverty line row. Addressing RSS workers here after its cadres had worshipped arms and ammunitions as part of a special annual ritual related to Dussehra, Bhagwat said the level of poverty was increasing day by day, while on the other hand, the government was showing apathy towards poor people. "Will 26 rupees and 32 rupees define the level of poverty? The planning commission people should come out of the parliament and each person should be given rupees 32 and asked to spend a day using it in a normal city. The situation is such that they are ridiculing poor people and on the other hand, the level of poverty is increasing and we are still confused in defining poverty," said Bhagwat. The Planning Commission on Monday had stopped a controversial rate of 32 rupees a day being used as a benchmark for access to anti-poverty programmes. The Commission's affidavit in the Supreme Court, claiming that per capita expenditure of rupees 32 in urban areas and rupees 25 in rural areas was enough to sustain oneself, had sparked row. Talking about the Communal Violence Bill, Bhagwat said this bill would end goodwill among people and create differences among the citizens. "Constitution demands to prove national integrity and considers everyone with equality. But this (Communal Violence Bill) law divides the people of this country into two. Out of the two, one should be considered as the culprit. People in majority should always be considered as the culprits and the minorities are innocents," said Bhagwat. The Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Regulations) Bill 2011, seeks to protect various groups from communal riots. It has proposed to define the victim groups as 'religious and linguistic minority, in any state in India, or Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes'. Meanwhile, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi also worshipped weapons in Ahmedabad. 'Dussehra' marks the triumph of good over evil. According to Hindu mythology, on this day, Lord Ram beheaded Ravana for abducting his wife Sita. (New Kerala 6/10/11) Hindutva terror is making its presence felt: Book ( 26) New Delhi, Oct 9 (PTI): A book by a Left-oriented writer claims that Hindutva terror has emerged and says a Himalayan task awaits the investigating agencies which are yet to nab any of the masterminds ''despite

ample evidence''. The book titled "Godse's Children - Hindutva Terror in India", written by Subhash Gatade, alleges that the blast in an RSS activist's house in Nanded, Maharashtra, had brought to the fore the systematic manner in which people associated with it and allied groups were engaged in making and storing explosives, imparting arms training and planning to bomb minorities as part of the mission to establish "Hindu Rashtra" in India. It was on April 6, 2006 when Nanded witnessed a blast at the house of Laxman Rajkondwar, a long time RSS activist, killing his son and another Sangh activist, it says. Five years later, investigating agencies are in the know of involvement of Hindutva supremacists in dozens of blasts like Malegaon and Samjhauta Express," it says. The role of international linkages and networks of different Hindutva formations in collecting funds, mobilising resources and supporting the cause has added further ferocity to this project, says the author, who has extensively written on issues of communalism and Dalit emancipation. The book has a chapter "First terrorist of Independent India" which details how Nathuram Godse and his accomplices carried out the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. The author, however, makes it clear that "this does not mean we are absolving the jihadi terrorists of the criminal acts they are engaged in nor we consider them less dangerous for the furtherance of peace, justice and progress in today's world". Gatade laments that the "great tragedy of our times is that all such extremisms and fanaticisms feed on each other". "A focus on the Hindutva terrorism should not be considered as one being soft towards a phenomenon towards jihadi terrorism or other faith based terrorisms, may it be Khalistani desperadoes or Buddhist monks doubling up as Sinhala supremacists or Christian Phalangists or Zionist terrorists...", he writes. He says till recently, when the phenomenon ofHindutva terror had not made its presence felt with its nationwide network and overseas contacts, blaming any terrorist act in any part of the country on jihadi groups "was the rule". He contends that looking back, one finds the formations of the Hindutva right were moving on from "terror of riot" to "terror of bomb", but the change in the stratagem remained unregistered and unnoticed by the government agencies and the civil society. "Biased investigation and a communalised police force have created a situation where hundreds of innocent Muslim youths are still languishing in jails in different parts of the country on trumped up charges of terrorism," he alleges. Besides, he says "another disturbing aspect" of the whole situation is that terrorist acts by Hindutva groups receive a "kid-glove treatment" by both the security agencies and the media. Gatade feels that the ruling dispensation at the Centre led by the Congress does not seem to have a "collective realisation" about the danger posed by the majoritarian terrorism before the secular polity. "This is evident in the half-hearted attempts to take the investigations into such cases to their logical culmination," he argues. (Deccan Herald 9/10/11) Not a single RSS worker approached me: Hazare (26) New Delhi: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's statement that it was part of Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement has snowballed into a controversy with the Gandhian dismissing the claim and the Congress saying Mr. Hazare's claim of being non-partisan had been falsified. Mr. Hazare told reporters: “Not a single RSS worker met me or approached me. How are they saying this? I don't know.” He was reacting to remarks RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had made at a Dussehra rally in Nagpur that its volunteers “are already active in all movements against corruption without craving for their own position and credit.” Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh said Mr. Bhagwat's Dussehra speech “vindicated” his conviction that “the campaigns of Baba Ramdev and Anna Hazare have been planned, engineered and organised by the RSS.” Taking a jibe at Mr. Hazare for his previous reactions to such remarks of his, Mr. Singh said: “Whenever I say that Anna's campaign was run by the RSS, he tells me that I should go to the mental asylum. Now after Mohan Bhagwat's assertions, I want to ask Anna do I still need to go to an asylum?” The senior Congress leader said Mr. Hazare should now ‘sever' the RSS from his agitation since Mr. Bhagwat had already “admitted” it. At the All India Congress Committee briefing, party spokesperson Manish Tewari echoed similar views. “What is evident need not to be evidenced,” he said, when asked about Mr. Bhagwat's statements.The Congress reaction comes on the heels of the Gandhian's announcement of his plans to campaign against the party in the Hissar Lok Sabha by-election. Mr. Tewari, however, downplayed the issue saying that the Congress fought all elections with gusto and accepted the people's verdict with grace. “We will try our best to win the trust of the people,” he said. Mr. Bhagwat lashed out at the government for attempting to crush the anti-corruption movement and condemned the reported police brutality on the supporters of Baba Ramdev at Ramlila Maidan in June. Mr. Hazare has asked people not to vote for the Congress saying it had failed to bring about the Jan Lokpal Bill. — PTI (The Hindu 10/10/11) Congress terms Advani's 'Jan Chetna Yatra' a gimmic k (26) New Delhi, Oct 11 : Stating that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lal Krishna Advani was desperate to become the Prime Minister of the country, Congress leader Ashwani Kumar on Tuesday termed his 'Jan

Chetna Yatra' a gimmick. Ashwani Kumar also reminded Advani that his last 'Rath Yatra' divided the country on communal lines. "What else can be expected from Advani Ji? His only aim in life is to become the Prime Minister. With all due respect I want to inform him that no matter how many 'Rath Yatras' you undertake, the people of this country know you very well now. On the issue of corruption, the only party, which is seriously tackling it, is the Congress," said Kumar. "So, I want to tell Advani Ji that he should not try to mislead the people of this nation. I would respectfully tell him that your first 'Rath Yatra' divided this country and created a communal atmosphere. So, today please spare the countrymen," he added.Advani began his 38-day 'Jan Chetna Yatra' from Bihar's Sitabdiara village to take on the UPA Government on the corruption issue and press for return of black money stashed away abroad. Advani's much-hypedjourney is going to encompass 23 states, four Union Territories, which will include 100 districts and 7600 kilometres. The yatra will see Advani boarding 14 special aircraft and six helicopters. He has to visit a total of 46 places across the country. The 38-day long yatra will conclude in Delhi on November 20 in the form of a massive rally. However, many political parties have claimed that Advani's procession was motivated by the upcoming general elections to be held in 2014. Advani had organised a similar yatra in the 1990's, to mobilise support towards building a temple dedicated to Lord Rama in Ayodhya. In 2004, he had taken out another chariot procession to reiterate the demand to build the Lord Rama temple in Ayodhya. (New Kerala 11/10/11) Former PM Devegowda condemns attack on Prashant Bhu shan (26) New Delhi, Oct 12 : Former Prime Minister H.D. Devegowda on Wednesday condemned the dastardly attack on Supreme Court lawyer and Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan within the premises of the Supreme Court. "I am extremely shocked to learn about the dastardly attack on legal luminary and eminent civil society activist allegedly by Sangh Parivar goons in his Supreme Court chambers today. The attack on Shri Bhushan, who has sacrificed immensely for the cause of the society and the nation, is an act of cowardice, which all right thinking people should condemn in the strongest possible terms," said Devegowda. "It is indeed a sad day for democracy that a handful of anti-social elements dared to assault a champion of constitutional rights in the premises of the highest court of the land, the Supreme Court itself. While everyone has a right to differ, the attempts to muzzle or silence "uncomfortable" voices is unacceptable and has to be dealt with sternly, if we have to protect and preserve our democratic rights and values," he added. Devegowda, who is the National President of Janata Dal (Secular), further said that he had earlier staged a protest at Mahatma Gandhi's memorial Rajghat and demanded a ban on 'Sri Rama Sene' in the wake of the serial attacks on Christians and churches in Karnataka following the assumption of office by the BJP Government. "I had even staged a 'Dharna' in front of Mahatma Gandhi's Samadhi at Rajghat and demanded a ban on 'Sri Rama Sene' (which has claimed responsibility for the attack on Shri Bhushan) in the wake of the serial attacks on Christians and churches in Karnataka following the assumption of office by the BJP Government," said Devegowda. "I wish to assure Shri Prashant Bhushan that the Janata Dal (Secular) shall stand as a rock behind him and shall oppose tooth and nail such fascist, communal and anti-democratic forces. I also demand that the Government of India ban forthwith such groups which pose a threat to India's secular fabric, unity and integrity and democratic system," he added. Bhushan was beaten up by two youth suspected to be from Sriram Sena in his Supreme Court lawyers'' chambers today evening as they were upset with his stand on Jammu and Kashmir. He was pulled out of the chair, slapped, dragged and repeatedly punched. The youths had entered his office claiming that they had an appointment with Bhushan, a prominent Team Anna member who is in the forefront of the fight for a strong Lokpal. A case has been registered and one person has been arrested. (New Kerala 12/10/11) Bajrang Dal to protest over withdrawal of troops fr om Valley (26) Jammu, Oct 13:Bajrang Dal today said en mass protests would be held at all district headquarters of Jammu and Kashmir, if troops would be withdrawn from sensitive areas of Kashmir. ''It is unfortunate that on one hand Army Chief and the Union Defence Minister A K Antony have said that militants are waiting across the line to sneak into the Indian Territory but despite that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is demanding removal of AFSPA from various locations in Kashmir,'' Neeraj Doneria, Bajrang Dal convener, told reporters at a press conference here this afternoon. Mr Doneria said, ''Removal of AFSPA will give a boost to the militancy in the state and will create disturbances.'' The Bajrang Dal leader, however, alleged that to appease separatists’ ideology, the Chief Minister was reiterating his demand of withdrawal of troops from the Valley. As per figures, 55,000 civilians and 10,000 army personnel have been killed in 22 years of militancy and over 5 lakh people have migrated so far from different parts of militancy affectedareas. ''The government should rethink its decision on AFSPA and give more teeth to the Armed Forces. If they fail to do so, Bajrang Dal will be forced to demonstrate across the state,'' he added. (New

Kerala 14/10/11) Historians protest as Delhi University purges Ramay ana essay from syllabus (26) The essay had attracted ire of Hindutva activists because it talks about 300 different versions of the epic. Most academicians at Delhi University are feeling betrayed by their own fraternity, the reason — the Academic Council's recent decision to drop from the history syllabus a celebrated essay by the late scholar and linguist A. K. Ramanujan on the Ramayana, despite intense opposition from the history department. The essay, “Three Hundred Ramayanas: Five examples and three thoughts on translations,” which forms part of the B.A. History (Honours) course, had attracted the ire of Hindutva activists because it talks about 300 different versions of the Ramayana that abound in our country and beyond. And when the decision to scrap the course was put to vote at the Academic Council meeting this past Sunday, only nine of the 120 members present dissented. “This is definitely not an academic decision but a glaring example of an academic institution succumbing to pressure from the Right wing. The council has severely compromised on its standards and has conveyed to our students the message that only the ideology that is supported by the majority will be accepted,” said AC member Rakesh Kumar, who was one among the nine to express a dissenting opinion against scrapping of the essay. His opinion is echoed by the present department head, Prof. R.C. Thakran. “This essay is rich in academic content and there have been two resolutions in the past in which the history department unanimously agreed that as far as history as a subject is concerned, this piece is important for our students. But the resolution of the AC is binding and we cannot really do anything further about this.” A writ petition had been filed in the High Court on the grounds that the essay hurt religious sentiments. The matter was then taken up by the Supreme Court, which directed the university to seek the opinion of experts and place it before the Academic Council. “The names of the expert team were kept confidential, three of the four members were happy with the essay but the fourth member expressed an opinion that second year students may find it difficult. Nothing religiously offensive was found by these experts,” said Prof. Renu Bala, another dissenting AC member. “There was no need to even ask for a vote. The essay should have been kept on its academic merit. Our culture is diverse and so are our legends. We give these students the right to vote when they turn 18, so why not the right to think,” she asked. In 2008, activists from the BJP-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad barged into the history department to protest the teaching of the Ramanujan text and vandalised the place, forcing the then department head, Prof. S.Z.H. Jafri, to hide in his own office. “What is the value of my opinion? When the Academic Council has passed this resolution, the history department has no choice,” he rued. Meanwhile, academics are incensed with the manner in which the essay was scrapped. “They had no regard for the report of the expert committee, the history department's views or the arguments put forth by the dissenting members. The Vice-Chancellor just told the AC that the essay should be deleted in the interests of the university and they voted in his favour. This decision conveys to our students that there is no space for dissenting voices,” said Executive Council member, Abha Dev Habib, who had, as an Academic Council member in 2008, been among those who had supported the continuation of the essay despite the controversy surrounding it. “We are disappointed with the Vice-Chancellor, who despite being an academic has indulged in such a regressive act. By removing such texts, a sort of fascism is being encouraged, no educationist will be happy with such a decision.” University officials, however, state that the entire matter is a non-issue and that the whole matter was taken up for hearing by the AC only because they had to provide an answer to the Supreme Court. “The essay says things like Ravana was Sita's father and that Rama and Sita were siblings, so obviously we don't want to teach such things to our students,” said a university official not wishing to be named. Historians and writers ridicule this argument. “It is a matter of deep shame for all of us that A.K. Ramanujan's great essay on the Ramayana is banned by the Central University of Delhi,” Kannada writer U.R. Ananthamurthy told The Hindu . “Even the most orthodox of our scholars who admire Valmiki'sRamayana are still aware of many versions of the Ramayana that exist along with it. Even Valmiki's Ramayana has different readings in the country.” Kannada writer Chandrashekhar Kambar, the winner of this year's Jnanpith award, said: “The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are texts which have been re-created many times over by several cultures in India and outside. Intolerance shown towards a scholarly study of these versions should be condemned by the entire academic fraternity.” Prof. Ananthamurthy added: “India has always made a distinction between Shruti, Smriti and Purana. There are different Shrutis for different believers, which remain mostly unchanged like the Vedas, the Koran and other scriptures. On the other hand, Smritis and Puranas are dynamic and change with time and culture. And great poets like Bhasa took the liberty of resolving the entire problem of Mahabharata without a war. It is strange that religious beliefs and practices are being commercialised and vulgarised in the modern world. We have given up the celebration of diversities of beliefs that our ancestors practiced. The banning of Ramanujan's essay on the Ramayana is an insult to the imagination of the Jains, Buddhists and

several folk practices.” (The Hindu 15/10/11) Sangh Parivar leaders divided on Yeddyurappa issue (26) BANGALORE, October 17, 2011: The Sangh Parivar, known to present a united front in public, appears to have divided on the arrest of the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa. Vishvesha Tirtha Swami of Pejawar Math, Udupi, told The Hindu: “The courts in the country have become very active. This should instil fear in the hearts of corrupt politicians. This is a good sign for the common people and bad news for corrupt politicians.” The former MLC and senior RSS leader K. Narahari, however, said that Mr. Yeddyurappa had become a “victim of vested interest groups”, though adding a caveat. “Those in power should have unquestionable integrity and the corrupt should be punished.” Another RSS strongman from coastal Karnataka Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat said: “I have known Mr. Yeddyurappa for long and I have a lot of respect for the work he has done in the grassroots both as an RSS worker and as a BJP leader. But today, the situation is such that it is tough to gauge a politician's integrity.” He also sought to distance himself from Mr. Yeddyurappa and said: “Ours is strictly a social service and nation-building organisation. It has nothing to do with politicians or politics.” M.B. Puranik, convener of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad for Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu districts, and Kasaragod said: “Many people in the coastal districts are unhappy as they feel that Mr. Yeddyurappa has been made a scapegoat.” The views of Sharan Pumpwell — widely regarded as Mr. Puranik's protégé, principal accused in the September 2008 church attacks and senior Bajrang Dal leader in-charge of five districts — differed from his mentor. “This verdict shows that the law is the same for everybody. It has restored the faith of people in the judiciary,” he said. (The Hindu 17/10/11) Three hundred Ramayanas, three opinions, one veto ( 26) NEW DELHI: Delhi University's Academic Council seems to have relied on the opinion of one expert, conveniently ignoring the collective opinion of another three, in its controversial decision to drop A. K. Ramanujan's celebrated essay on the Ramayana from its history syllabus. An expert committee comprising four acclaimed historians, whose names have not been revealed, had been formed at the direction of the Supreme Court following a writ petition by some Right-wing groups complaining that the essay hurt their religious sentiments. The expert committee then placed before the AC its report which ostensibly resulted in scrapping of the essay. The essay, “Three hundred Ramayanas: Five examples and three thoughts on translations”, was quoted by the AC as inappropriate to form a subject of history, given its religious theme. However, expert A noted: “The recommended readings from the essay is very appropriate as it critically and objectively traces out the developments in historical perspective with great vision and unassailable scholarship…I see nothing objectionable, repeat nothing objectionable, in this scholarly essay on Ramayana by Ramanujan.” The essay was also quoted as being religiously offensive to the Hindu community, to which expert B said: “Recently I came across a pamphlet describing the objections by people who claim to be the spokesmen of the Hindu communities in India. They are silly and superficial and really expose the ignorance of the authors regarding their own unique heritage.” The essay was also termed offensive and an attempt to discredit Valmiki's Ramayana, to which expert B observed: “No sanctity or special privilege can be attached to any version. Keeping in mind the description of the South Indian as vanaras with long tails or rakshasas with huge ugly animal shapes, the miracle weapons and supernatural feats of heroes, no sane person can consider the Ramayana as a work of history…Indian scholarship has always regarded Valmiki's Ramayana as Adikavya (the earliest poem) and the poet is by definition completely free in his world of imagination... apare kavya samsare kavireva prajapati – the poet is the supreme creator in the boundless world of poetry.” His thoughts are echoed by expert C who said: “By all accounts there is no single version of the Ramayana. Many writers, poets, dramatists and scholars have interpreted the story in their different ways. In fact, if the story had been static and did not hold the potential of re-narration, perhaps it would not have survived over 2,000 years.” Expert B goes on to state that “the recent trend among advocates of Hindutva to consider this work as being composed of actual historical data is deplorable.” However, the opinion of expert D who termed the Indian psyche incapable of handling different versions of the Ramayana seems to have convinced the AC to scrap the essay. “Epic personalities are divine characters and showing them in bad light is not easily tolerated,” he noted. Expert D also observed: “Although these (other versions of the Ramayana) are literary pieces, they are bound to affect the sensibilities of impressionable minds. If the teacher explains the background of these versions, students may be convinced, but I doubt college teachers are well-equipped to handle the situation which is likely to become more difficult in the case of a non-Hindu teacher.” (The Hindu 20/10/11) RSS to campaign against ‘Communal Violence Bill' (2 6)

HYDERABAD, October 21, 2011: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will take up an awareness campaign, ‘Jan Jagaran Abhiyan', against the proposed Communal Violence Bill from November 5 to 15. Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Paschimandhra Pradesh Sanghchalak of RSS T.V. Deshmukh stated that the activists of the organisation would go door-to-door explaining people about the adverse effects of the Bill proposed by the Centre. They would also address small meetings on the issue. Further, the RSS was planning to collect signatures of elected representatives against the proposed Bill. The decision to run the campaign was taken at the national executive meeting of the RSS held at Gorakhpur from October 14 to 16. The meetg had extensively debated the proposed legislations and adopted a resolution to create awareness among people against it. The executive meeting expressed concern over the attitude of the Centre towards growing tensions along the country's frontiers, rising incidents of encouragement to separatism and terrorism from across the borders, emerging challenges across aerial and oceanic borders and increasing threats in the international seas and outer space, particularly from countries such as China and Pakistan. (The Hindu 21/10/11) Gang targets Mangalore minority schools (26) Mangalore: Windows and a grotto of St Theresa at a school in the heart of the city were broken by a stone-pelting gang on early Sunday morning. This is the seventh such attack on minority institutions here since 2008. The attackers came on two motorcycles around 4.30 am and began pelting stones at the windows of St Theresa School and the grotto of St Theresa there. They fled when the night watchman raised alarm. The school management has lodged a complaint with Kadri police station. They also sought their protection for the school. Rose Celine, secretary of Bethany Education Trust that runs the institution, said the school was targeted in 2008 and 2009 also. “Those behind Sunday’s attack and the organisations that supported them should be punished so that they do not commit such acts henceforth. The grotto of our guiding angel, St Theresa, has been attacked and it was an attempt to commit sacrilege,” she said. In a related incident, the attackers threw stones at Padua high school building at Yeyyadi, damaging its window panes. They pelted stones at a grotto too but since it was a little far, the stones did not reach the target. Police commissioner Samantha Kumar Singh said they had started a crackdown on the suspected elements. The current wave of attacks comes days ahead of LK Advani’s rath yatra entering Mangalore. Sources in the BJP said the attacks were engineered to create communal situation and to force Advani to skip Mangalore. Sri Rama Sene’s district chief Kumar Malemar said their groups were not involved in the incidents and he learnt about the attacks only in the evening. Bajrang Dal chief Jagadish Shenva also disassociated his organisation from the incident. “Had our groups been involved, we would have owned it up, like we did before,” he said. (DNA 23/10/11) Yeddyurappa episode ‘embarrasses' RSS (26) BANGALORE, October 23, 2011: Breaking its silence on the developments in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Saturday candidly admitted that it was embarrassed by the episode of the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa's arrest on corruption charges and other Ministers, including Home Minister, facing serious charges. “We are also pained that these leaders' personal conduct did not meet the expectations of people,” RSS national joint general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said at a press conference here. He made it clear that the RSS had advised Mr. Yeddyurappa as and when required right from the days when he was the Deputy Chief Minister. When asked if the fact that Mr. Yeddyurappa did not go by their advice was an indication that the RSS did not have control over its own members, Mr. Hosabale gave an example of a classroom: “This is like a classroom where a teacher teaches all students uniformly. But students' performance in exam varies. While one gets 65 marks, another gets only 35. The student getting 35 marks cannot blame the teacher for his poor performance.” Terming corruption as “virus”, he said the RSS would not defend anyone accused of graft. Those facing corruption charges should not try to escape from law. He said people would take up a clean-up act if awareness was created among them about the issue. When asked if the RSS would advise Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda to drop the Ministers facing charges, he said: “We do not advise the party. We only advise our swayamsevaks. We will not interfere in the party mechanism, its day-to-day affairs and government administration.” To a query on what the RSS expects the new BJP dispensation in Karnataka to do, he said: “Our expectation is that of people. The conduct and behaviour of leaders at the personal level, party level and government level should be towards meeting the expectations of people.” When asked to judge the performance of the BJP Government, he said that BJP leaders had failed to conduct themselves in the manner befitting the expectations of people. “But the Government was not lagging behind in terms of development.” He said the RSS national executive which met at Gorakhpur last week had decided to launch a campaign next year seeking a ban on China-made goods, to protect the Indian economy. It had also resolved to urge the Centre to initiate

measures to safeguard the nation's borders. (The Hindu 23/10/11) Call for law to curb hate campaigns (26) MYSORE, November 2, 2011: The All-India Christian Council, a forum for human rights and freedom of faith, has alleged that BJP leader L.K. Advani's anti-corruption yatra through the State was meant to sow the seeds of communal hatred for electoral gain. In a release on Monday, the council cautioned people of the State against attempts by the Sangh Parivar and its political allies to communalise the situation. The release, quoting the council's secretary general John Dayal and State leaders Kumaraswamy and Anand Kumar, said communalism was as much an evil as corruption. It called for strong laws to curb hate campaigns and activities that targeted minorities and marginalised communities. The council also took exception to an article by Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy, which came under flak for promoting hatred against minorities. It welcomed the Communal Violence Prevention Bill. “The Bill must ensure that officers guilty of inaction are punished for dereliction of duty,” the release added. The council organised a conference of “persecuted pastors”, which dwelt on the “theology of persecution”, media awareness and women's response to persecution. (The Hindu 2/11/11) Transportation of cattle triggers tension (26) Kolar, November 5, 2011: An attempt by activists of pro-Hindutva organisations to stop transportation of cattle triggered tension in Kolar on Friday. Activists of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Yuva Morcha and Bajrang Dal stopped a vehicle that was transporting a dozen cattle near Doom Light Circle in the town. About a dozen cattle, reportedly purchased at Bangarpet sandy market by some minority community people in Kolar, were being transported to the town. The activists stopped the vehicle and allegedly beat up its driver and insisted that the cows be sent to the goshala. The Town Police rushed to the spot and soon after when the news spread that the vehicle transporting cattle was to the police station, a large number of people from the Muslim community gathered at the police station demanding the release of the vehicle. Kolar CMC member Salauddinbabu and the former CMC president V. Prakash helped resolve the issue. (The Hindu 5/11/11) Church attack accused in police custody (26) MANGALORE, November 7, 2011: The city police have been granted custody of the accused in Thursday's attack on St. Alphonsa's Catholic Church. Commissioner of Police Seemant Kumar Singh said that the accused Shibu of Jallidgudde had been remanded in police custody till November 8. A priest and students living on the church premises had nabbed the accused when he tried to flee and handed him over to the police. The police said the man was in inebriated and had not been able to question him, necessitating a request for police custody. Referring to reports in the media about the “involvement of a nun” in the incident, Mr. Singh said the police had not given any comment on the issue. St. Alphonsa's Catholic Church on Saturday described the report as far from truth, and said that the person accused of ransacking the church was not having a relationship with a “nun” in the church. The church said that it “strongly condemned” such allegations. Quoting a report in an evening daily, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad told a press conference on Saturday that it “suspected that there was some immoral activity going on in the church involving a nun.” When a journalist pointed out that no nun lived in church, VHP vice-president Jagadish Shenava said that it could not be said for sure whether or not a nun was present in the church. His statements were based on newspaper reports. Church officials on Friday said that no nun lived in the church. The VHP denied the involvement of any Hindutva group in the attack, even though church officials did not blame rightwing groups for Thursday's attack. Mr. Shenava said on Saturday that people had been calling them and asking if they had anything to do with the attack. Asked why they had not called a press conference after the recent attack on St. Theresa's School, Mr. Shenava said that the incident involving the school “had been closed” as it was known that “drunk miscreants” had thrown stones. However, in the present case, people blamed the rightwing groups for the attack. (The Hindu 7/11/11) Hinduism spreads in Ghana, reaches Togo (26) ACCRA: From just two dozen people in the mid 1970s to 3,000 families now, Hinduism is spreading in Ghana and has also made its way into neighbouring Togo. Hindu worship began to grow in Ghana after African spiritual leader, Essel ji, was initiated by Swami Krishnanda ji Saraswati into the Holy Order of Renunciation in 1976, said Kwesi Anamoah, national president of the African Hindu Temple here. "Today, there are 2,000 to 3,000 families worshipping all over the country which is a big increase from the 24 people who participated in the first-ever training camp in 1976 to become disciples," Anamoah said. "We have not achieved this through the winning of souls as other religions do, but have attracted people into

the practice of Hinduism simply by the lives we lead," he said, adding: "Our lives shine in the community to attract people." Christians form nearly 70 percent of the 24 million population of Ghana while the population of six million in Togo includes nearly 30 percent Christians and 20 percent Muslims. Anamoah said that the practice of Hinduism as a religion and its unique philosophy is helping to change the lives of those who have accepted the faith. He said the first ever Hindu monastery has been built in Ghana and it is from here that Hinduism is spreading. "We do not evangelise like other faiths do, but we have attracted people because they see how we live our lives as Hindus and come to make enquiries and then find their way into our folds," Anamoah added. He said the monastery annually holds six weeks' training for those interested to become devotees. "It is a religion that cannot be explained in simple terms...we do not go into the streets to talk to people; rather, they are invited to come and understand." Anamoah said perceptions about the religion have changed with time. "We have also been able to change initial perception that Hindu worshipping was cultural enslavement...," he added. (Times of India 7/11/11) Togadia calls for death sentence for conversion (26 ) AHMEDABAD, November 9, 2011: Vishwa Hindu Parishad international general secretary Pravin Togadia has sought death sentence to those who attempt to convert Hindus to other religions. Dr. Togadia was addressing the concluding session of a three-day Akhil Bharatiya Dharmaprasar Karykarta Sammelan on Monday. VHP workers from all over the country took part in it. The sammelan was held close to Pirana Dargah, on the outskirts of the city, sending the police into a tizzy, particularly because it coincided with Bakrid. The convention, however, ended peacefully, with the trustees of the Pirana Dargah contributing Rs 1.11 lakh to the VHP for assistance towards schools, hospitals and other humanitarian aid being run by the Parishad. Incidentally, the Pirana dargah is run by a Trust that has both Hindus and Muslims as members. Its present chief is Nanakdasji Maharaj, a Hindu. While anti-conversion measures were a priority, re-converting the Hindus converted to Islam or Christianity was a bigger priority. Large-scale conversion of Hindus to other religions was being carried out only because of the “appeasement politics” of all major political parties, he said. Dr. Togadia had a dig at Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Without referring to Mr. Modi's recent controversy when he was offered Muslim headgears during his “Sadbhavana Mission” fast here and again in Navsari, Dr. Togadia said of late it had become a “fashion” for him (Mr. Modi) to hobnob with the minorities and offer them “sumptuous biriyanis as being done to Mumbai attack convict Ajmal Kasab.” Narayan Sai, son of the controversial self-styled “Godman” Asaram Bapu, felt that Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists should be considered part of the Hindu religion for, “their line of thinking is no different from that of Hindus” except for some rituals. (The Hindu 9/11/11) Activists slam VHP leader over remarks (26) Mumbai: The All-India Christian Council along with film-maker Mahesh Bhatt and activist Tushar Gandhi have condemned Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Praveen Togadia's threat against the country's minorities. "Does the VHP intend to Talibanize India?" All-India Christian Council president Abraham Mathai asked. The Catholic Secular Forum (CSF) has criticized Swami Agnivesh's reported comments on conversions in the past. CSF general secretary Joseph Dias said Swami Agnivesh's letter had particularly hurt the community since he had been striving to maintain the secular fabric of the nation and stridently opposing the Hindutva stance. (Times of India 11/11/11) RSS to launch campaign against Communal Violence Pr evention Bill (26) Sangareddy: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will campaign against the proposed Communal Violence Prevention Bill. The Bill is expected to be introduced in the coming session of Parliament. As part of that the campaign, letters will be addressed to Lok Sabha members by people of their respective constituencies. Addressing a media conference here on Thursday, RSS Vibhag pracharak N. Shiva Kumar, Dharma Jagaran in-charge P. Suveer, VHP district president Ramdas and Dattatreya Chowhan said that the Bill would harm the interests of the nation and the majority Hindu community would suffer if the bill was passed. “The campaign is being held from November 5 to 20 to create awareness among the people and also to impress upon Members of Parliament the need to oppose the Bill keeping in view the national interests instead of bowing to vote bank politics. People will write to their elected members about this,” they said. (The Hindu 11/11/11) Kulkunda cattle fair mired in controversy (26) MANGALORE: The hoary tradition of the Kulkunda cattle fair near Subrahmanya, held from more than 300 years, may be in jeopardy next year with Bajrang Dal planning to approach the court to stop the fair, accusing that it was more becoming slaughter house supply chain than helping farmers. Both Vishwa Hindu Parishat and Bajrang Dal have urged Dakshina Kannada district administration to ban the fair. The

fair is on from Thursday till November 15, a far cry from a month long affair earlier. The fair has its own religious significance. It is said after Asura king Tarakasura was slain by Lord Shiva, cow dung was used to clean Mother Earth. Other significance is that `Rathotsava' at Kukke Subrahmanya only starts after the cattle land at the Kulkunda fair from the Malnad region. Dal convener Sharan Pumpwell says that with farming on the wane, the Kulkunda fair is being misused by some people and cattle is being transported inhumanly and illegally to slaughter houses in Kerala. On Thursday also Dal members created a ruckus at the fair finally relenting after tehsildar and police officials agreeing that the sold cattle will be transported according to norms. A committee formed by Subrahmanya Gram Panchayat is conducting the fair this year. Former vice president of Subrahmanya Gram Panchayat Balakrishna Maril refutes the allegation of Dal saying that from the past four years they have taken precaution that the cattle do not land in slaughter houses. "We check credentials of the buyer through RTC, ID proof etc so that only genuine farmers buy them," he said. Venting his anger over Dal, he questions what right do they have to interfere in a historic fair? "Why do we need their permission? Just because their government is in power they cannot harass us without reason," he says asserting there is no proof whatsoever that cattle taken from here are slaughtered. Panchayat Development Officer Yashwant says the finest breed of cattle like oxen, buffalo calf are brought to the fair from Hassan, Somwarpet, Madikeri from early days for farmers in this region. "Of course the agricultural lands are disappearing, so is the number of cattle brought to the fair," he says indicating that eight decades back 80,000 cattle heads used to be brought here. Now it is a little above thousand. (Times of India 11/11/11) Six Hindu Vahini activists arrested for string of a ttacks (26) Hyderabad, November 13, 2011: Police on Sunday arrested six activists of Hindu Vahini holding them responsible for the string of attacks at different places in city five days ago. The accused had planned the attacks targeting members of a particular community believing that the latter resorted to cow slaughtering during the recently held Bakrid, the investigators said in a press release. The arrested, S. Sadanand, 27, electrician, Shakthi Vinod, 24, car driver, K. Unni Krishna, 23, junior artiste, Pabha Bhargav, 21, degree student, S.V. Santosh, 22, fashion technology student, and P. Kalyan, 26, job seeker, were remanded in judicial custody. They assembled at Baghlingampally park on the night of November 8 and set out for the attacks on two-wheelers from Tilaknagar crossroads carrying knives and iron rods. They first stabbed Md. Omer Farooqi at Harraspenta graveyard in Nimboliadda with a knife while he was riding a bike along with his friend. Irshad Hussain became the second victim when they attacked him with a rod at Narayanaguda. The accused targeted Syed Meraj and Syed Mustaq Ali near Baghlingampally after intercepting the Tata Ace vehicle they were travelling in. A little after midnight, they Azam Pasha and Idris Ansari at Balamrai and sped away on the bike. Three hours later, they attacked one more person, Aziz at Centre Point hotel in Bowenpally. Sadanand was arrested in communal attack case in Moula Ali in April, 2010. Police stepped up security at all communally sensitive places in the city following the spree of assaults by ‘unidentified persons’. Demonstrations held by some parties the next day demanding arrest of the accused mounted pressure on the police in clueless case. However, description of the accused given by the victims helped them narrow down on suspects and finally the accused were caught by the Commissioner’s Task Force sleuths on Sunday. (The Hindu 13/11/11) Madhya Pradesh to include Gita in school curriculum (26) Indore, November 15, 2011: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has said that Bhagwad Gita will be included in school curriculum. “Teaching Gita is no crime and the government would include it in the educational curriculum,” he said addressing a function organised by the RSS-backed Saraswati Vidya Pratishthan here. Claiming that English has been over-emphasised compared with other subjects, he said his government's priority was to “correct” the curriculum and promote Hindi. He also said most of the government work is done in Hindi and the State would not hesitate to encourage any good work done for promoting Hindi. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ajay Singh accused Mr. Chauhan of trying to implement the Sangh Parivar agenda. In a statement, Mr. Singh said the Chief Minister's views on introducing Gita in schools were not those of the people living here. Just like his counterpart in Gujarat, Mr. Chauhan also believed in doing drama for communal harmony but his real mentality was that of a “fascist”, he alleged. – PTI (The Hindu 15/11/11) Anti-communal violence bill termed draconian (26) Bangalore: The protest against the proposed anti-communal violence legislation, to be tabled in the winter session of Parliament, has reached the coastal region of the state. Those opposing the proposal here have given a call to defeat the ‘draconian’ legislation. A congregation of 30,000 people from all over the coastal districts called upon MPs to reject the legislation. Though an apolitical platform, the protest rally

held on Wednesday also had participation from a number of Hindu organisations under the banner of Hindu Hitarakshana Vedike. “It is nothing but a move to beat the majority to submission while allowing the minorities to go one up on the majority communities,” Padmaprasad Hegde, a senior advocate, said. “The proposed legislation gives protection to minorities in the law, while it depicts the majority as criminals,” Muniyappa, the leader of Dharma Jagaran’s Karnataka provincial unit, said. “In case a minority community individual charges anybody, even falsely, with violence against minority verbal, physical and psychological, the accused will have no defence,” Dr K Prabhakar Bhat, a leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, said. Former Karnataka high court judge MF Saldanha said he does not see any communal attributes in the legislation. “It is basically against violence, whoever whips up a communal riot or flare-up will be punished.” said justice Saldanha. (DNA 25/11/11) Protest against religious festival turns violent (2 6) HUBLI, November 26, 2011: On Thursday, Hindutva activists protested against the organisers for holding the festival on Chelli Ground, which belongs to the Railways, without taking permission of the authorities concerned. However, the police permitted the organisers to conduct the festival at the venue on Friday evening after a large number of Christians, who had gathered for the three-day event, resorted to road blockade to vent their ire at the police and the Government. They began the protest soon after members of the VHP and the Bajrang Dal staged a protest. Christians alleged that vested interests were trying to stop the festival which was being held as part of Christmas celebrations. An emotional speech by a woman that the festival would be conducted even if they were killed, led to commotion. Police Commissioner K. Ramachandra Rao intervened and allowed the function to be held for the day after holding discussions with Railway authorities. However, as the festival began two hours behind schedule at 7.30 p.m., Hindutva activists assembled at Ambedkar Circle and began a protest. Soon, the protest turned violent and the activists started pelting stones at two public transport buses. They also tore posters and banners of the festival. There was chaos as traffic came to a standstill. Tyres were burnt at three junctions. Soon, the protesters grew in number and there were reports of posters of the festival being torn at other localities. The protesters alleged that the Police Commissioner was acting like an “agent of Christians”, and wanted the event to be stopped immediately. A few RSS functionaries also joined the protest and demanded that the event be stopped. Around 10.30 p.m., the protest shifted to the premises of the Suburban Police Station. (The Hindu 26/11/11) Commission Kudankulam project: VHP (26) Tirupur, November 29, 2011: Demanding speedy commissioning of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP), the Vishwa Hindu Parishad staged a demonstration in the city on Monday. VHP divisional secretary (Tirupur, Erode and Namakkal districts) G. Nachimuthu termed the protests going against the plant as that carried out by forces with vested interests. “A good chunk of people organising various agitations against the plant are representing non-governmental organisations which were obtaining funds from foreign nations and most of them come from a particular religion. These people, thus, are showing loyalty to the foreign nations which wanted to stall the progress of India as commissioning of KNPP could help reduce the power deficit significantly,” he said. He alleged that agitations against the plant in that region itself look ‘funded' by some outside forces as was evident from the fact that many poor people were taking part in it for the last 100 days without going for work. “At a time when genuine organisations are finding it difficult to raise funds for one-day agitation how come the activists were able to stage such a prolonged struggle,” he quipped. The VHP activists ridiculed the allegations that people in the vicinity could get contracted by cancer owing to radiation coming from the plant. “KNPP has got unprecedented salient security features. No one near Kalpakkam is getting cancer. Moreover, cancer is highly common in the society even in areas where there are no power plants,” they said. They wanted the Centre to drop the proposed prevention of communal violence bill. (The Hindu 29/11/11) Rss magazine in schools: Mantri defends move (26) Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh Assembly was emphatically told by the state school education minister Archana Chitnis on Wednesday that the children’s magazine Devputra is being distributed in state government-run schools under the policy to inculcate values and to educate the students about every religion. Devputra is a publication said to be closely associated with the RSS and its philosophy. The education minister was participating in the debate on the no-confidence motion against the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government, which commenced on Monday. Throwing light on the secular credentials of the state government, Ms Chitnis said that earlier there were only 443 government aided “madrasas”, but now their number has gone up to 1,237. Earlier, 750 madrasa teachers were receiving financial aid, whereas now their number is 1,924, she told the House. (Asian Age 1/12/11)

Withdrawal of Bill on communal violence demanded (2 6) NEW DELHI, December 6, 2011: Alleging that the proposed “Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill, 2011” is against the tenets of secularism and targets a specific community, members of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti organised a protest at Jantar Mantar here on Monday. The Right-wing organisation called for withdrawal of the Bill and submitted a memorandum to President Pratibha Patil seeking her intervention. “The Bill is aimed at creating a wedge between communities, almost analogous to the divide and rule that was followed by the British pre-Independence. The Bill is against the grain of this country and it is questionable who does it protect or favour,” said Vivek, a member of the HJS. Describing the proposed Bill as “draconian”, the HJS wants to engage with larger audiences to explain how the provisions of the draft will “further divide communities and target specific faiths.” “There are provisions in the Bill that will have ramifications for the whole country. It is not good for any community and even those communities that it claims will stand to be protected should realise that it is not good for any one,” said Suresh Munjal, another member. Members of the HJS also expressed concern about the “people chosen to draft the Bill”. “It is shameful that the National Advisory Council forced the Prime Minister to push for the presentation of the Bill and ensure it becomes a law. The Prime Minister too called a meeting of all State Chief Ministers, urging them to give their assent,” Mr. Munjal said. “On one hand the Government objects to the non inclusion of elected members for drafting the Jan Lokpal Bill, on the other it has no problems with NAC drafting a Bill, where there is just one elected representative,” pointed out Mr. Vivek. “The Prime Minister had issued a statement saying that the Bill will be redrafted, but we do not want that. We want the Bill completely withdrawn. In its current form, it overturns the judicial system and shifts the blame on to the majority community, which will also have the onus of having to prove themselves not guilty, instead of the prosecution to prove them guilty,” he added. The HJS members also criticised the provisions regarding compensation to victims and said the formula used to work out the compensation package to victims is also flawed. (The Hindu 6/12/11) Muslims, Want Reservation? Convert to Hinduism: VHP (26) Dehradun: Hitting out at Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid for his statement on providing reservation to Muslims within the OBC quota, VHP today said it would launch a nationwide agitation against the Centre's proposed move. "The Central government's proposal is not acceptable at any cost because the Constitution does not allow religion- based reservation," VHP's international general secretary Praveen Togadia told reporters here. In a significant move ahead of Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, Khurshid on December 1 had said the government would soon take a decision on providing six per cent reservation for "backward Muslims" by including them in the 27 per cent OBC quota and a proposal in this regard would soon come up before Cabinet. VHP leaders from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have converged in Rishikesh and the final strategy for the nationwide agitation on the issue would be taken soon, he said. Togadia said the Andhra Pradesh government and Aligarh Muslim University had also made similar attempts in the past but their decisions were struck down by the High Courts concerned. Moreover, the VHP leader said, the basis of reservation under OBC is caste and Islam does not believe in casteism. "If the Muslims accept reservation under OBC, it would also mean that they are accepting caste system like Hindus and in that case, the Muslims should embrace the Hindu religion by renouncing Islam," Togadia said. Referring to reservation for Christians, he said, the VHP demands to exclude Christians from Scheduled Tribe category under which they are getting reservation. (Outlook 6/12/11) Lucknow: Record evidence on daily basis in Babri ca se: High Court (26) The Allahabad High Court on Thursday directed the recording of evidence on a day-to-day basis by a Rae Bareli court in the Babri Masjid demolition case. Justices Shree Narain Shukla and Surendra Vikram Singh Rathore of the Lucknow Bench of the High Court gave the direction while disposing of a petition by VHP leader Vishnu Hari Dalmiya, who is among the eight accused in the case. Mr. Dalmiya had challenged the July 22 order of the Rae Bareli district and sessions court, asking the trial court to fix at least 10 days in a month for hearing the case. Besides Mr. Dalmiya, the accused include BJP leaders L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti and Hindutva activist Sadhvi Rithambara. The Bench felt this was a fit case in which the court must exercise its inherent powers and issue necessary direction to the trial court to ensure speedy disposal of the matter. The judges said, “When any prosecution witness is in attendance in the court, then his examination-in-chief, cross-examination or re-examination, if any, shall be recorded by the trial court on a day-to-day basis until its conclusion.” Mr. Dalmiya had termed the sessions court order bad in the eyes of law, claiming that the judge did not have the jurisdiction to give the direction. He contended that some of defence lawyers were coming from far off places and faced problems attending the hearings on the basis of the sessions court order. Justices Shukla and Rathore

said, “The case shall not be adjourned unless the witness himself is not in a position to depose on any particular date or there is some situation beyond the control of defence, which makes the proceedings impossible. Such an adjournment shall not be granted without recording the reasons in writing.” The court noted, “It is also directed that if any counsel, representing the accused persons, has any difficulty in attending the court on a particular date, then he shall ensure handing over the brief to some other advocate, so that the trial may not be disturbed.” The judges said, “Whenever witnesses in attendance are examined and cross-examined, then the next date shall be fixed for the evidence of other witnesses, which shall not be later than seven days from the date on which the evidence of the last witness was concluded.” (The Hindu 9/12/11) VHP supports Anna, 'but only as patriots' (26) Kochi: Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) today gave its support to anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare's campaign against corruption but said it was involved in the movement "only as patriots". "Anna Hazare's movement against corruption is very good and VHP is part of the movement not as VHP or RSS, but as 'Rashtra Bhaktas (patriots),'" VHP president Ashok Singhal told reporters. Mr Singhal is in Kochi in connection with the three-day VHP trustee board meeting which begins from December 16. Describing the proposed Prevention of Communal and Targetted violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) 2011 Bill as "unconstitutional," Mr Singhal alleged the Centre's aim of introducing the bill was to "annihilate the Hindus and divide the Hindu society". "It is against the Constitution and federal structure and it overrides the authority of the state," he said. He also favoured a new dam being built at Mullaperiyar and said the Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments should come together to find an amicable solution to the issue. "This should not have become an issue at all," Mr Singhal said, adding that the Union government should have found a solution to it long ago. The VHP was also against the Tehri dam as it was in the seismic area and if earthquakes took place, the whole of state of Uttar Pradesh would be "wiped off," he said. (NDTV 13/12/11) Proposed Bill draconian, says Singhal (26) KOCHI, December 14, 2011: Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Ashok Singhal has said that the proposed Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence Bill, 2011, is draconian and will cause communal divide. Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, he said the VHP would launch a movement against the proposed Bill. He alleged that the Bill was drafted by the National Advisory Committee with an eye on minority votes. He said the Bill proposed sorting out the culprits of communal violence on the basis of majority and minority communities. Such a compartmentalisation would lead to further polarisation. Culprits of communal violence of the minority community had been kept out of the purview of conviction. (The Hindu 14/12/11) Bajrang Dal and DSS activists clash (26) Hassan, December 14, 2011: Five people, including an assistant sub-inspector and a journalist, were injured in a clash between members of the Bajrang Dal and the Dalit Sangharsh Samiti at Aldur in Chikmagalur taluk on Tuesday. The altercation began during a procession taken out by the Bajrang Dal to mark an Aldur bandh. The organisation had called for the bandh in protest against the decision of the gram panchayat to install a statue of B.R. Ambedkar at a circle where the Bajrang Dal had hoisted a Bhagawa Dhwaja. According to Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar Vikash, the police lathi-charged the crowd, and 23 people were taken into custody. “Both groups threw stones at each other, during which many were injured, including a police officer and a journalist. A few other police officers suffered minor injuries,” he said. “The situation is under control. Sufficient police personnel have been deployed,” he added. (The Hindu 14/12/11) Ban orders in Aldur after clashes (26) CHIKMAGALUR, December 15, 2011: Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Cr.PC have been imposed in Aldur in Chikmagalur district which witnessed clashes between activists of the Bajrang Dal and the Dalit Sangarsh Samiti on Tuesday. Vikaas Kumar Vikash, Superintendent of Police, told presspersons here on Wednesday that two platoons of the KSRP and four platoons of the District Armed Reserve had been stationed at Aldur. As many as 110 police personnel, including two deputy superintendents of police, two circle police inspectors, seven police sub-inspectors, five assistant sub-inspectors, 20 head constables and 71 police constables have been deployed. He said 12 police personnel, including a circle police inspector, a police sub-inspector and an assistant sub-inspector, were injured in stone-throwing during the clashes. Sixteen activists of the Bajrang Dal and nine belonging to the DSS had been arrested in connection with the incident. They had been sent to jails in Mysore and

Shimoga, he said. Seven cases have been registered. He said four KSRTC buses were damaged in the stone-throwing — two at Aldur and two on the outskirts near Yelagudige and Thoranamavu. He said the situation in Aldur was now peaceful. (The Hindu 15/12/11) BJP holds demonstration in front of Bowenpally PS ( 26) HYDERABAD, December 16, 2011: Nearly 300 activists of Bharatiya Janata Party, led by their leaders Bandaru Dattatreya and MLA G. Kishan Reddy, staged a demonstration before Bowenpally police station on Thursday alleging that the city police were illegally detaining some of them in false cases. Mr. Dattatreya charged that Hyderabad police had picked up 60 Bajrang Dal and BJP workers in past two days and were subjecting them to torture without explaining in what cases they were arrested. While the Bowenpally police detained seven members, nine more were detained in Central Crime Station. “If they are involved in any case, arrest them and produce in court. In these cases, the police are violating rules by not producing those arrested in court even after 24 hours,” he said. Mr. Reddy alleged police were targeting BJP and Bajrang Dal activists, ‘taking sides with a political party having strong base in old city. Demonstrations continued when reports last came in. (The Hindu 16/12/11) VHP goes for major revamp (26) KOCHI: : In a major revamp aimed at further strengthening the organisation, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Sunday went for an organisational makeover.Raghav Reddy of Hyderabad unit has been chosen as the new international president while Praveen Togadia has been elevated as the international working president. Meanwhile, Champat Rai of Delhi wing has been made international general secretary. Ashok Chowgule of Mumbai unit was chosen as the working president (VHP external), while Dinesh Chandra of Delhi unit became the organisational general secretary. It has been decided that existing international president Ashok Singhal and S Vedantam will guide the organisation as advisers. The decisions were made at the three-day meet of the VHP which concluded here on Sunday. The VHP said in statement that the changes have been implemented with immediate effect. The VHP governing council and the Trustee Board passed a resolution against reservations to Muslims and Christians. “The VHP plans to take a global and nation-wide public awareness campaign and democratic agitation in case the government makes any move towards either giving part of OBC/SC/ST/NT quota to Muslims or Christians or gives reservations to Muslims by constitutional amendments,” the statement said.Announcing the decisions, Togadia said, “The VHP governing council aims at enhancing the efforts of total Hindu protection and well-being.” (NIE 19/12/11) Veteran VHP leader Ashok Singhal replaced as VHP In t.president (26) Veteran Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Ashok Singhal has been replaced as the International President of the organisation while its General Secretary Pravin Togadia was given a greater responsibility. Infusing young blood, the VHP board of trustees at their three-day meeting here chose Raghav Reddy and Togadia as the new International President and International Working President respectively. Champat Rai of Delhi was made International General Secretary, Ashok Chowgule of Mumbai unit chosen as the Working President (VHP External) while Dinesh Chandra of Delhi made the organisational general secretary, a VHP statement said today after the end of the meeting yesterday. Singhal, who was International President for more than two decades, and S Vedantam would now guide the organisation as advisers, the statement said. The VHP said it was planning to hold statewide public awareness campaign if the Government plays "minority bank politics" by giving part of OBC/SC/ST quota to muslims or christians through any constitutional amendment. (Indian Express 20/12/11) Uproar in Parliament over move to ban Gita in Russi a (26) New Delhi Parliamentarians across party lines created uproar in the Lok Sabha over a move by a Siberian court to ban the Bhagwad Gita. The Government assured the House that it will make its stand clear on the issue today. “We will not tolerate any move to insult Lord Krishna,” said RJD chief Lalu Prasad. A case, which has been going on in the Tomsk court since June, seeks a ban on a Russian translation of the “Bhagavad Gita As It Is” written by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the ISKCON. The House had to be adjourned twice till 4 pm due to the ruckus created by members of Shiv Sena, BJP, RJD, BSP, Samajwadi Party. They also sought an immediate intervention by the government. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said that the Government had taken note of the development. External Affairs Minister S M Krishna will make a statement in the House on Tuesday. Indians in Moscow, numbering about 15,000, and followers of the ISKCON religious movement in Russia have appealed to the Indian government to intervene diplomatically to resolve the issue in favour of the scripture, an important part of Mahabharata written by sage Ved Vyas. (Mumbai Mirror

21/12/11) Ban spread of non-Hindu religions at Srisailam: VHP (26) KURNOOL, December 23, 2011: VHP International president G. Raghava Reddy has urged the government to stop propagation of non-Hindu religions near Srisailam temple. Talking to reporters here on Thursday, he said the government had given house sites to the weaker sections near the Srisailam temple. Under the garb of the poor, some people allegedly secured house sites and established their bases. He said Christmas celebrations were planned in the precincts of the temple, which would be opposed. Also, he felt that the employees belonging to non-Hindu sects should not be employed with the Endowments Department. Mr. Reddy urged the centre to intervene in the dispute over the move to ban the Bhagavad Gita in Russia saying the spirit of the scripture was not properly understood. He said the governments should take immediate steps to check spread of terrorism and religious conversions. (The Hindu 23/12/11) VHP denounces sub-quota for minorities (26) NEW DELHI, December 25, 2011: The “religious affairs” arm of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, has denounced the 4.5 per cent sub-quota for backward class minorities within the overall 27 per cent reservation for the backward classes. It has also not kept secret its intention to use this to the hilt in the upcoming Assembly elections. In a statement issued here on Friday, International Working President of the VHP Pravin Togadia said “all Hindus must stand united as ONE irrespective of caste, region, language etc. against such a dangerous move that can wipe out Hindus and democracy from Bharat.” The VHP warned that “those who demand, propagate and give reservations to Muslims and Christians will have to face the democratic wrath of the majority Hindus in the upcoming elections.” Mr. Togadia demanded that cases of “treason” be registered against all those who support religion-based reservation which was unconstitutional. The agitation that the VHP is planning has been named “Hindu Roti and Shiksha Bachao Andolan.” The message is that the 4.5 per cent share to the minorities in the 27 per cent OBC quota will deny the majority community the right to food (roti) and education (shiksha). Going way ahead of the political arm of the RSS, the Bharatiya Janata Party, Mr. Togadia has said the backward classes of minorities “should be immediately removed from the OBC lists” of States in which they are included. The BJP's articulated view has been that backward classes among the minorities have been listed in the OBC lists and can benefit from this. They would not be given a separate quota. He rejected the “unfounded” reports of the Ranganath Misra Commission that suggested 10 per cent reservation for minorities and the Rajendra Sachar Committee report which highlighted the gross under-representation of minorities in government jobs and documented their social and educational backwardness. The BJP has conceded that the sub-quota for minorities will be an issue in the election but it has not yet talked about using the plank to create a divide. (The Hindu 25/12/11) RSS cadres take out impressive rally (26) TIRUPATI, December 25, 2011: Cadres belonging to the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak (RSS) have taken out an impressive rally ‘Patha Sanchalan' through the main streets of Tirupati on Saturday. As the RSS activists, including several young boys, clad in their traditional ‘khakhi and white' uniform and black cap marched through the streets of the city with a band party leading from the front amid splendid pageantry, passers-by watched them with keen interest. The rally which set out from the TTD's Srinivasam Complex culminated at the TUDA's Indira Maidan where after falling in the cadres performed their drill much to the delight of the invitees. Later, the leaders explained the significance of the event and recalled the services of the organisation in preserving and promoting the spirit of patriotism, cultural nationalism and the rich values and heritage of the country. (The Hindu 25/12/11) ‘Centre provoking us' (26) Mumbai, December 26, 2011: Denying reports that Anna Hazare had close connections with the late Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader Nanaji Deshmukh, key Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said the allegation was part of the Congress' “tactics” to divert attention from the Lokpal Bill. A section of the media reported on Sunday that the social activist was closely associated with Deshmukh, a Sangh pracharak. “The Congress government is targeting Anna unnecessarily by spreading such rumours. Even the former President, Abdul Kalam, and Congress leader Digvijay Singh have been photographed with Deshmukh,” Mr. Kejriwal said, addressing the media on the MMRDA grounds in suburban Mumbai, where Mr. Hazare will observe fast from December 27. “What is the mistake of Anna Hazare? That he is raising his voice against corruption? He has got medals from the Army,” Mr. Kejriwal said, adding a wrong message was being spread about the anti-corruption crusader. Hitting out at the

UPA government, Mr. Kejriwal said: “The government is provoking us by saying Anna is an RSS agent.” He alleged that the Central Bureau of Investigation was formed only to help and protect the government, and that it was not an agency meant to end corruption. “The CBI is under the government's thumb. Whenever the government wants support from someone, they put CBI after them. Take the example of Mayawati and Mulayam Singh. The CBI should be taken out of the government,” Mr. Kejriwal said, adding that even in the 2G scam, the agency did not initiate any action until orders came from the Supreme Court. — PTI (The Hindu 26/12/11)