By IANS,

Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala Chief Minister Tuesday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to sort out the woes of Keralites and other Indians in Kuwait following changes in labour laws.

"A minimum of three months be given to our citizens who do not have
proper documents in Kuwait to get them rectified," the chief minister said in a letter to the prime minister.

"Also, there should be no ban on those who leave Kuwait if they seek jobs in other Middle East countries," he said.

Chandy wrote the letter after reports surfaced that labour laws were being tightened and a dozen Keralites were deported last week from Kuwait and put on a flight to Delhi.

By TwoCircles.net Special Correspondent,

Lucknow/New Delhi: The state cabinet meeting chaired by CM Akhilesh Yadav accepted the Nimesh Commission report on Tuesday. The Nimesh commission report is related to the arresting of terror suspect Khalid Mujahid and Tariq Qasmi in 2007. Justice R D Nimesh had submitted its report to the state government on 31 August 2012. Both Khalid and Tariq were accused in serial blasts which occurred in 2007.

There were demands from victim's family and other social organisations to make Nimesh Commission report public. The demand intensified after the death of Khalid Mujahid in police custody on May 18 when he was returning from court appearance at Faizabad to Lucknow.

L-R: Hakeem Tarique Qasmi and Khalid Mujahid

“The state cabinet has accepted the Nimesh Commission report. It will help us in taking up the case of innocent persons. Now we will table it in the state assembly along with the action taken report,” Akhilesh Yadav stated.

Rihai Manch (Forum for the Release of Innocent Muslims imprisoned in the name of Terrorism) is on indefinite dharna for 14 days now outside the UP Assembly demanding arrest of police officers involved in Khalid Mujahid's murder, issuing the RD Nimesh commission report, and the immediate release of innocent Muslim youth imprisoned in the name of terrorism.

Chairman of the Rihai Manch, Advocate Mohammad Shoaib said that the way the cabinet has half heartedly accepted the Nimesh Commission Report only reveals how government is not serious about taking actions. He pointed out that the Manch had already made public the report in March, and what they now expect is that government takes actions. He reminded that the ruling Samjwadi Party had made poll promises of taking releasing innocent Muslim youths languishing in jails for years.

Muslim clerics have welcomed the step taken by the CM Akhilesh Yadav. “It is a good step. We have been demanding it since many years that Nimesh commission report should be made public. Now the first step towards it has been taken. We will appreciate if the Action Taken Report is also presented. We hope CM Akhilesh Yadav will do it soon,” Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahli, Imam of Aishbagh Eidgah stated.

Imam, Tile Wali Masjid, Maulana Fazlur Rehman Waizi Nadwi too welcomed the decision of the state government. “It shows that state government is sincere on its promise for releasing the innocent youths. Till date not a single commission report has been made public. Akhilesh Yadav has taken the first step. His intentions should not be doubted and Muslims should support the efforts of the state government,” he stated.

Md Farhat Miyan, the Sajjadanasheen of Dada Miyan Ki Mazar too welcomed the step by Akhilesh Yadav government. “It is good the Nimesh Commission report has been placed before the cabinet and it has been accepted. CM Akhilesh Yadav has taken bold step. I am hopeful that action taken report will also be submitted soon,” Farhat Miyan stated.

Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind General Secretary Maulana Mahmmood Madani has termed the move though late, but a good step in the right direction. “Now it is the right time to present report with its full perspective and early actions be taken against errant officials,’’ he added.

On the contrary, Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) termed it as another appeasement act by Akhilesh Yadav government. “It was with them since August last year. It has been done now under pressure from Khalid's family members. It is a clear case of Muslim appeasement policy by the state government,” Vijay Bahadur Pathak, the state spokesperson of BJP stated.

Flaying BJP and other communal elements which sharply condemned Akhilesh Kumar for accepting report, JUH general secretary Maulana Madani asked the Akhilesh Government not to bow down to such anti people forces and continue his march towards justice.

Khalid Mujahid along with Tariq Qasmi was arrested by Special Task Force (STF) on 20 December 2007 from Barabanki. Huge explosives were also shown as recovered from his possession. STF claimed that they were Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami operatives and were involved in the serial blasts which occurred in Gorakhpur, Faizabad and Lucknow.

However, under pressure from the families and civil society groups the then BSP government had constituted the RD Nimesh Commission to probe the allegations of falsely implicating them. After several extensions, the report was finally submitted in August 2012.

Although the government has not yet made the report public, on 18 March, 2013 Rihai Manch, had leaked the report, which had raised fingers over STF's claim about the place of arrest.

Khalid had died under mysterious circumstances on his way back from Faizabad near Ram Sanehi Ghat last Saturday. He was declared brought dead by the doctors at district hospital in Barabanki. Later, on the complain of his uncle Zahir Alam Falahi, a case was registered against 42 police officers including former DGP Vikram Singh, ADG Brijlal and others who were on duty during the time of Khalid's arrest.

By IANS,

New Delhi : Accusing the Congress-led UPA government of "destroying institutions,", BJP leader Arun Jaitley Tuesday said that the cost of its "Modi-phobia" would be paid by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) in the case of the alleged killing of Ishrat Jahan.

In an article on the party's website Tuesday, Jaitley said there were news reports that the CBI has been interrogating senior officers of the IB in the case of alleged killing of Jahan.

"The cost of the Modi-phobia will now be paid by the IB. Its senior officials will be grilled. They will be asked details of their intelligence collection methodologies. They could be questioned on the legalities of the means deployed by them to collect intelligence," Jaitley said.

Jaitley, the leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, questioned the evidence in cases instituted against BJP leaders.

"In all these cases, political leaders targeted were released on bail. Regimes are not immortal. I hope one day a commission of inquiry will investigate the functioning of the CBI, its politicisation and all these above cases," he said.

Jaitley said media reports and court documents reveal that the IB had received information that a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) module was active in western India in 2004 to assassinate Gujarat Chief Minister Narender Modi.

He said that the IB had alerted Gujarat Police in accordance with its practice.

"It can be safely presumed that the central intelligence agency was a part of the operation in which the four activists of the module were intercepted and killed in an encounter with the police and security agencies," Jaitley said.

Jaitley said a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Gujarat High Court by Jahan's mother. In its affidavit, the government of India strongly contested the petition.

Jaitley said Pakistani American terrorist David Headley, a mastermind of 26/11 carnage at Mumbai, is believed to have told his interrogators that Jahan was a key LeT operative.

He said LeT, in its mouth-piece 'Ghazwa Times', had admitted to Jahan being an LeT activist and paid homage to her martyrdom but later disowned its statement.

He said IB would be asked by the CBI about authenticity of the intelligence and motives could be attributed to it.

"Only Pakistan and LeT would have the last laugh. The myopic political regime in Delhi has not realised the significance of destroying institutions. Harass the Gujarat government even if it means destroying India's security apparatus, the object of the Congress party is clear," Jaitley said.

"The introduction of the name of the former Home Minister of Gujarat in two cases was based on negligible evidence. When the director of prosecution commented upon inadequacy of the evidence the file noting shows that the senior CBI officials commented that the addition of Amit Shah as an accused was necessary if CBI was to reach the chief Minister," he said.

By Shaik Zakeer Hussain, TwoCircles.net,

Chennai: Eighteen year old Mohammad Ashiq has scored a cool 1,124 in his JEE-Main exam to secure an appearance for the second level and is glaringly hopeful that he would make through this one as well.

Born to an architect father and a mother who is a professor of electronics, Mohammad Ashiq was diagnoised with Kyphoscoliosis at birth. The disorder left him with an abnormal curvature of the spine for the rest of his life, affecting his physical movements, especially his legs.

Mohammad Ashiq

The JEE Advanced entrance exam for students aspiring, to join the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) was concluded only last Sunday. Of the 1.27 lakh candidates who appeared for the gruelling test, Chennai’s Mohammad Ashiq was one of them.

And it’s not just academics that interest him though; young Ashiq is also a huge cricket fan. However, as much as he enjoys the game and other activities, his participation in them is limited.

His parents went from Neurologists to Arco neurologists and back and forth but to no avail.

“The first couple of days were difficult, however, when we realized there is nothing that can be done, we slowly came to terms to the fact” says his father, Jamal Moideen.

Getting admission in school was difficult too, as most of them would reject them telling, the boy needs a special school. But the reluctant parents were single-minded that their kid should go to a general school and thankfully found one in nearby Velammal, Chennai.

“The first two years in kindergarten were crucial, as we were worried about him, but Ashiq loved to go to school and when his classmates used to go play during the PT hours, he used sit back in his class and did not throw any tantrums,” he adds.

Though disabled physically, Ashiq has ambitions that touches the sky. Ask him what he wants to be, pat comes the reply, that he wants to be an Aeronautical engineer and wants to join NASA.

I asked his father, if he or his wife had influenced their son to pursue this field, to which he replied, “Ever since his childhood he was fascinated by the celestial bodies that he saw in the Planetarium and that led him in the direction he is headed towards.”

His determination only increased when his school rejected him to visit NASA, as part of its outdoor program.

Hope and perseverance are still the key essentials to success. And just when you think it isn’t, you meet someone like Mohammad Ashiq whose strength in the face of adversity makes it seem all too plausible.

By Tanvir Salim, TwoCircles.net,

In the long struggle for the freedom of India, there are many stories which fell through the cracks, and the saga of Momin Conference is one amongst them. Momin Conference represented the voice of the oppressed and the down trodden amongst the Muslim masses. It was the party of the artisans and craftsmen, people who were in the lower rung of the Muslim society. They were at the receiving end from the British Empire, as well as from the fellow Muslims. The East India Company in quest to sell its products from Manchester and Liverpool was determined to destroy the Indian garment industry; as a result, the ones who were the backbone of this industry were feeling the wrath. Since the Muslim society in Asian subcontinent is divided on Ashraf-Arzal caste lines, they were also the victims of the oppression which was meted to them by the so called upper caste Muslims. There was an urgent need for these beleaguered and down trodden people to unite and fight for their rights, which they did.

Momin Conference was formed in 1925 and actively participated in the freedom struggle along with the Congress party, and was instrumental in opposing the doctrine of Muslim League that “all” Muslims in India subscribed to the Two Nation Theory, which unfortunately resulted in the partition of the country. Momin Conference provided the foot shoulders to the Congress party lock horns with Muslim League, which was mainly a party of the noble and rich of the Indian Muslim society.

A rare group photograph, taken during the session of the Momin Conference in Gorakhpur in 1939

Momin Conference’s journey started from Calcutta and was mainly confined to the North India, where Annual Sessions were held in places like Allahabad, Delhi, Lahore, Gaya, Kanpur, Gorakhpur and Patna. The defining moment for Momin Conference was its Ninth Session, which was held in 1948 in Patna, under the guidance of Janab Abdul Qayyum Ansari. In this conference, Momin Conference decided to rescind its political inspirations in favor of the Congress party. After this, couples of session were held in New Delhi in 1976 and 1985, which were presided by the Prime Ministers, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. Later, since the purpose was served, the movement fizzled out. There were umpteen attempts made to give it a fresh lease, but they were not successful.

For more information about this movement, one is referred to “Momin Conference ki Dastavezi Tareekh”, edited by Ashfaq Husain Ansari and was released at National Conference of Social Justice, held at V.P. House, Rafi Marg in New Delhi on 30th September 2000, in the presence of Shri Subash Yadav, Deputy Chief Minister Madhya Pradesh government, and prominent Parliamentarian, Shri Charanjeet Yadav.

……………

(Tanvir Salim is a US based Nuclear Engineer, who is presently in India and can be reached at www.tanvirsalim.com )

By IANS,

Lucknow : Six young men who had, by mistake, occupied a coach reserved for army personnel were thrown off a moving train by soldiers in Uttar Pradesh, police said Wednesday.

The incident occurred on board the Avadh Assam Express near Moradabad, about 340 km from the state capital, late Tuesday.

While five of the young men sustained minor injuries, one - Imtiaz Ali - suffered severe head injuries.

The youngsters told police that they rushed into the train as it was about to leave and unknowingly boarded a coach meant exclusively for army soldiers. By the time they realised they were in the wrong coach, the train had pulled out of the station.

The injured youth said the soldiers refused to heed their pleas that they would get off at the next station, and thew them out of the moving train, one by one.

The injured were identified as Imtiaz Ali, Guddu, Rauf, Pankaj, Patvai and Ravi.

No case has yet been registered against the errant soldiers.

A police official said the injured youth did not want to press further action, fearing even more trouble.

By IANS,

New Delhi : Terrorist violence in Jammu and Kashmir in 2012 was the lowest in two decades, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said here Wednesday while stressing that the government's strategy was working.

Stating that terror related violence in the volatile state had come down by one-third, the prime minister said: “In fact, terrorist violence parameters in 2012 have been the lowest since the upsurge in terrorist activities two decades ago.”

“Our strategy to prevent cross-border infiltration by militants and our intelligence based counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir have resulted in a decline in the level of terrorist violence by about one-third in 2012 as compared to 2011,” he said at the chief ministers conference on internal security.

He said record inflow of tourists and pilgrims during 2012 was testimony to the improved security situation in the state.

The chief ministers' conference was told that the implementation of several infrastructure projects in Jammu and Kashmir were progressing well and the Himayat and
Udaan schemes that were aimed at providing additional gainful employment to the youth had also achieved a fair measure of success.

The prime minister described the decline in terror violence and the implementation of developmental schemes as “welcome developments”.

By IANS,

New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday urged all chief ministers to firmly deal with communal forces as communal harmony was critical for the growth and prosperity of the country.

Addressing chief ministers at the conference on internal security, he said the impact of increasing incidents of communal and sectarian violence required their special attention.

Pointing to the “increase in number and intensity of incidents of communal and sectarian violence during 2012 as compared to the previous year”, he said: “I am sure that all of us agree that maintenance of communal harmony in our country is critical for our continued growth and prosperity.

“It is absolutely imperative that we deal very firmly with communal forces of all types,” he said.

“Simultaneously, we also need to recognise and address the special needs of minorities and weaker sections of our society, particularly Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.”

By IANS,

New Delhi : Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi ignored his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar Wednesday at the Chief Ministers' Conference called here to deal with Maoist violence.

Modi walked past Nitish Kumar, who was talking to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and BJP leader Raman Singh, when he arrived at the venue Wednesday morning.

The two leaders have been at loggerheads in the past. While Modi has been projecting himself as the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) prime ministerial nominee for 2014 polls, Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Nitish Kumar has opposed the idea, saying a person with a secular image should instead be nominated.

The two parties are partners in the National Democratic Alliance and run a coalition government in Bihar.

The JD-U is opposed to Modi, who was at the helm during the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat.

By IANS,

Srinagar : Dozens of school children here Wednesday staged a peaceful protest against fake drugs in Jammu and Kashmir.

Carrying banners and placards saying "Fake drugs kill!", children from schools marched through the city centre Lal Chowk and other markets in the state's summer capital.

“We have carried out many protests and marches against fake drugs. But today’s protest is expected to shake the conscience of the society," said Saleem Ibn Sultan, who organised the children's protest.

“Sub-standard and fake drugs are being supplied at government-run hospitals in Srinagar and Jammu. This should not go unpardoned," he said.

Two months ago, the media reported that life-saving antibiotics being sold to patients at some government hospitals were fake.

The drugs had been purchased by a committee of experts appointed by the government in 2010. Two ministers of the Congress in the Omar Abdullah-led coalition blamed each other for the scam.

By TCN News,

New Delhi: Mission Bhartiyam, a Delhi based social organization has launched a website that aims to be a “repertoire of information on contemporary movements in India.”

The website is dedicated to the civil society in India and is called Activism India. Activism India will be a one-stop portal that will provide the basic, background information, will track the developments in the movements and will also present perspectives (articles) on major movements in India.

URL: http://www.activismindia.com/

By IANS,

New Delhi : Chief ministers of parties not belonging to the ruling dispensation at the centre expressed strong reservations Wednesday over the proposed National Counter Terrorism Centre. Some Congress chief ministers too expressed concern.

Chief ministers said they feared the move would violate the principle of federalism. Some Congress-ruled states too shared this concern.

The NCTC is proposed as a federal anti-terror agency. The proposal for its setting up came in the wake of the Nov 26, 2008 terrorist strike in Mumbai.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said: "On the NCTC, I think the new draft circulated has taken into consideration some of the concerns raised by the states. However, even on the new draft, some concerns remain. We have strong reservations about the proposed structure and functioning of the NCTC."

He said: "The proposed structure of the NCTC is not in congruence with the principles of federalism and the clear division of powers between the union and the states as envisaged under the constitution, as it essentially creates a federal police, a concept totally alien to our country."

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar stuck to the apprehensions he had expressed on the NCTC last year.

"I had expressed serious apprehensions about the structure, powers and functions of the proposed NCTC. The draft order still suffers from several serious flaws," he said at the chief minister's meet on internal security here.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said: "The state government fully appreciates the need for an effective mechanism for sharing of intelligence by the centre and the states. However, the state government had expressed opposition to the manner in which the Ministry of Home Affairs had sought to set up the NCTC."

While some Congress chief ministers welcomed the proposed anti-terror agency, saying it was needed in the present context, they also sought clarity on the “operational efficacy” and “respective roles” of the centre and the state in case of joint operations.

“We support the NCTC as an important step in the right direction. The proposed draft requires further examination to understand the implications of these provisions on operational efficacy and clarity of respective roles in such joint operations,” Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said.

“There is a need to carefully calibrate the roles, responsibilities and powers of the proposed agency without adversely affecting the federal character of the constitution or undermining the powers of the state government in any way,” said Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, while supporting the NCTC.

Agreeing about the relevance of “data- and intelligence-sharing and planning anti-terrorist activities”, Karnataka Chief Minister K. Siddaramaiah said: “Some safeguards are necessary before setting up the NCTC so that they are not given unbridled powers to encroach upon the states’ domain.”

However, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy described NCTC as a “well planned initiative to counter terrorism.”

By IANS,

Agartala : The Tripura government Wednesday reduced the area under which a stringent law that gives sweeping powers to paramilitary troopers could be deployed, a top official said.

The Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 (AFSPA) was first enforced in 40 of the 70 police station areas in Tripura in February 1997, when terrorism was its peak in this northeastern state.

"With the improvement of the law and order situation, and with militancy being largely controlled, the AFSPA can now be enforced in 32 police station areas instead of 40," Tripura Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar Panda told reporters.

According to the official, of the 32 police station areas, the AFSPA would be effective fully in 25 police station areas, and partly in seven.

The state cabinet headed by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, after considering the reports of the director general of police, Tuesday decided on the partial withdrawal of the controversial AFSPA.

Panda said: "From now onwards, vehicles can ply through the national highway (NH-44) up to 8 p.m. instead of earlier 6 p.m. However, patrolling of the security forces along the national highway would continue till 8 p.m."

In view of the terrorism and attacks on the vehicles by the separatist outfits, plying of vehicles have been restricted on National Highway 44, the lifeline of Tripura, linking it with the rest of the country through southern Assam.

"Though four-and-a-half-decade-old terrorism has been tamed in Tripura, the Left Front government is averse to taking any chances for some more time," a senior police official told IANS, responding the demands for the total withdrawal of AFSPA.

The Act provides unlimited powers to the security forces to shoot at sight, arrest anybody without a warrant, and carry out searches without hindrance.

It also insulates the security forces from legal processes for any action undertaken under the act.

Local rights groups and political parties, especially the tribal-based Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT), describe the Act as "draconian" and want it repealed.

"Innocent people are victimised by the security forces in the name of anti-insurgency operations," said Nagendra Jamatia, former minister and a senior leader of the INPT, an electoral ally of the opposition Congress.

"Demand for repealing the AFSPA was one of the issues in our movement against the Left Front government," Jamatia told IANS.

According to the leaders of INPT and other tribal-based parties, several hundred tribal youth have been either detained or arrested under the AFSPA over the years.

Besides Tripura, the AFSPA is also in force in Manipur (excluding the Imphal Municipal Council area), Assam and Nagaland, and in the Tirap and Changlang districts of Arunachal Pradesh.

Human rights activist Irom Chanu Sharmila of Manipur has been on an indefinite hunger strike for 13 years, demanding withdrawal of the act.

Tripura's two militant outfits - National Liberation Front of Tripura and the All Tripura Tiger Force - both banned by the Indian authorities, have set up their bases in Bangladesh and get support from other separatist outfits of the northeast. They have been demanding the secession of Tripura from India.

By IANS,

New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday urged the chief ministers to set aside their political and ideological divides and collectively fight terrorism, communal violence and Left-wing extremism.

"I also believe that time has now come to view the challenges of terrorism, communal violence and Left-wing extremism in a holistic manner," the prime minister said at the Chief Ministers' Conference on internal security here.

"I think each one of us needs to be completely objective in our approach to these issues, acting in national interest, rising above narrow political and ideological divides," he said.

He said capacity building and modernisation of police forces were essential for meeting the emerging challenges to internal security.

"I would appeal to all political parties and all sections of society to work together to find effective ways and means of meeting these grave challenges," the prime minister told the chief ministers.

Manmohan Singh asked the conference to "explore how we can achieve even better coordination between the centre and states".

Having underlined need for collective assault on the extremism of all hues, the prime minister stressed on the indispensability of modernisation of police forces.

"Capacity building and modernization of state police forces are absolutely essential for meeting the emerging challenges to internal security, which range from terrorism to urban policing," the prime minister said, adding that the centre remained committed to supporting states on the issue.

The conference was told that the scheme for modernisation of police forces has been extended for five years with a total outlay of about Rs.12,000 crore.

An amount of Rs.433 crore has been additionally provided for Mega City Policing in the six cities of Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.

By TCN News,

Aligarh: A four-member delegation of Thamasat University, Bangkok, Thailand today visited the Aligarh Muslim University and met the Vice Chancellor, Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Zameer Uddin Shah and other functionaries of the University to foster a collaborative project to facilitate about 20 Thai students to study for a semester at the Aligarh Muslim University.

Pridi Banomayong International College (PBIC) has developed a Bachelor Degree Programme in Indian Studies to enhance their profound learning about India and the collaborative arrangement with AMU will be to help the students of this programme to get acquainted with the Indian society and the prevailing educational system in AMU.

Thai Delegation with AMU Vice Chancellor and Pro-Vice Chancellor

Dr. Jaran Maluleem, Head of Indian Studies Programme said that Thai government would provide full financial support to the Aligarh Muslim University to provide residential and educational facilities to the Thai students. He said that this project will start in January 2016 and twenty Thai students will attend this special course, which seeks to provide knowledge of Indian Economy, Indian Arts, Indian Cultures and Religions of India.

AMU Vice Chancellor, general Shah assured the delegation that AMU would provide all possible support. He said that an International Hostel will be ready to provide better accommodation facilities to these students.

AMU has also decided to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Thammasat University to carry educational programmes of mutual interest and benefit.

AMU Pro-Vice Chancellor, Brigadier (Retd.) S. Ahmad Ali, Dean, Faculty of Arts, Prof. Ahsan Jazbi, Dean, Faculty of Theology, Prof. Saud Alam Qasmi, Prof. Arif Hameed, Prof. Nazim Ali, Prof. Seema Javed, Prof. Abdul Wahab and Prof. M. E. A. Zuberi were present in the meeting.

The delegation also paid rich tributes to the founder of the University, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan at his tomb and visited the historical building of the University.

By TCN News,

New Delhi: The Welfare Party of India has extended its “whole hearted support” to the order of the Chief Information Commissioner to bring the political parties under the ambit of the RTI Act.

Party general secretary Dr SQR Ilyas in a statement said that the political parties must view the CIC order from a democratic perspective and angle. He clarified that lack of interaction and transparency has led to lose of faith of people with the political establishment. With the order the CIC, Parties will henceforth be compelled to be more accountable to people and principles of the country.

Dr. Ilyas said that members of the legislative bodies and ministers are decided by the parties and these members are bound to hold fast to the orders of their political masters. As the parties exert major role in drafting vital policies that affect the nation, its wealth and the people, they (the people) have a right to know about the parties, their functioning and the sources of their resources.

He reminded the political parties that it is their moral and democratic obligation to correct the conviction of the citizens that the parties conceal much and reveal little. Lack of transparency and scrutiny has led to the accumulation of funds in monstrous volume with the parties.

Dr. Ilyas said that his party being formed as an alternative to the present corrupt, communal and opportunist political outfits and is a value-based political platform supported the CIC stand and added that reforms were needed to cleanse the present decaying and degenerating political culture.

By TCN News,

New Delhi: National President of the Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), Ashfaq Ahmed Shareef met the Union Minister of State, Human Resource Development (HRD), Mr. Shashi Tharoor and discussed SIO’s national activities in the field of education, students and campus activism.

During the meet, the minister appreciated and congratulated SIO for its contribution in the field of student activism and educational issues.

He was the chief guest at the commemoration and book release ceremony of Asghar Ali Engineer in India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi. SIO’s National Secretary, Sharique Ansar was also present.

[Photo Courtesy: sio-india.org]

By IANS,

New Delhi : Taking a dig at his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi on the issue of the National Counter Terrorism Centre e (NCTC), Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda Wednesday said national security should not be subjected to a "partisan approach".

Supporting the central government's move to set up the NCTC, Hooda speaking at the Chief Ministers' Conference on internal security here, Hooda said: "I wish my friend Mr Narendra Modi had appreciated this; because national security cannot and should not be a subject matter of partisan approach."

Modi was sitting close to him when Hooda made the remark.

Urging states to unanimously support the NCTC, Hooda said this was a "strategic instrument of our national effort to defeat terrorism. It is reflective of our commitment to safeguard and protect our country".

"The revised draft of the MHA (ministry of home affairs) on NCTC has taken care of the concerns and the apprehensions of the states and envisages the states as equal functional partners in the battle against terrorism," Hooda said.

By IANS,

New Delhi : A Delhi Court Wednesday acquitted Congress legislator Mateen Ahmed and his associate Jameer Ahmed, who had challenged their three-year jail term awarded for rioting.

Mateen Ahmed, the legislator from Seelampur, and Jameer Ahmed, an ex-councillor, were convicted and sent to jail by a magisterial court for rioting and obstructing government officials closing down polluting industries in 2001.

Additional Sessions Judge Rakesh Kumar set aside the judgement of a magisterial court passed in January this year and acquitted both the men.

They approached the sessions court challenging the order of a magistrate, saying it would bar them from contesting the next elections.

By IANS,

New Delhi : Jharkhand Governor Syed Ahmed Wednesday favoured a mechanism like the proposed National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) for a coordinated centre-state approach towards tackling terror.

In his address to the chief minister's meet on internal security here, Ahmed said: "In the context of terrorism and internal security, it would be our considered view that some mechanism like the NCTC is urgently required...."

"On our part, we have already established the Subsidiary Multi Agency Centre as part of the intelligence coordination infrastructure," he said.

"Similarly, the Cyber Defence Research Centre has been set up under the special branch to give teeth to cyber surveillance and analysis apart from protecting our cyber infrastructure from external threats," he said.

"We propose to set up the ATS (Anti-terrorist squad) within the purview of the CID (criminal investigation department) which already handles organised crime and terrorism," he said.

"Although Jharkhand has not had any non-naxal (anti-Maoist) terrorist incidents, it has nevertheless had incidents of harbouring of certain terrorist elements by relatives and acquaintances of terrorist elements who were active in other parts of the country."

Talking about policing, he said a clear thrust had been given for women's safety and security and innovations like anti-eve teasing (anti-molestation) cells had been started.