Round The States

New Delhi, 18 March 2009

Lt. Gen Sinha Speaks Out

MUFTI’S KASHMIR GAME EXPOSED

By Insaf

Sensational disclosures have been made by Lt. Gen S.K. Sinha (Retd) as the former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and, earlier, of Assam providing a new insight into the political games being played in the two strategic states. Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, PDP Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, he says, “was virtually acting as the political wing of the separatists.” Mufti, he adds, “wanted joint control over Kashmiri by India and Pakistan, dual currency in Kashmir and demilitarization of Kashmir”. Gen Sinha was totally opposed to these measures, leading to “a state of cold war between the Raj Bhawan and the State Government while the Mufti was the Chief Minister.” There was a sea change when Ghulam Nabi Azad took over as the Congress Chief Minister and the Gen had “most cordial relations” with him. However, Mufti and his PDP thereafter started playing “a very negative role with its Ministers even boycotting Cabinet meetings on issues like demilitarization”. Eventually, he stabbed the Congress in the back and the Azad Government fell.

The disclosures have been made by Gen Sinha in his book entitled: “Guarding India’s Integrity --- A Proactive Governor Speaks.” The book was released by L.K. Advani, BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate at India International Centre on Monday last. Also included in the book at length is the case of Assam and the continuing problem of illegal migration from Bangladesh. Like his illustrious predecessor, B.K. Nehru, Gen Sinha laments that unlike the previous generation of Congressmen, who valued national interest more than party interests, the new generation of Congressmen thinks and works otherwise, jeopardizing national security for the sake of “vote bank politics” (securing support of Muslims and illegal migrants). More than a crore of Bangladeshis have migrated into India, according to Gen Sinha, who, in his time, submitted a 42-page printed report to the President on the problem. This included a 14-point plan to detect and deport illegal Bangladeshi migrants and put an end to the traitorous influx through stern laws and identity cards and protect the integrity of India.

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Pilibhit’s Gandhi Hits Headlines

Little known Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh is making headlines. Its BJP candidate and Maneka and Sanjay Gandhi’s son, Varun, is in the limelight for the wrong reasons. In fact, he is in serious trouble, both with the Election Commission and his party. Tuesday last the police registered a criminal case against him on the directions of the EC for allegedly delivering “inflammatory speeches with communal overtones”. During his campaign earlier this month, Varun is reported to have said: “This is not the (Congress symbol) hand. This is the hand of the lotus. It will cut the throat of the… (derogatory reference to Muslims) after elections…Varun Gandhi will cut..cut that hand…Jai Shri Ram ”. “These people have scary names…Karimmullah, Mazharullah…if you ever encounter them at night you will be scared…” “Go to your villages and give the call that all Hindus must unite to save this area from becoming Pakistan…”

The case filed against Varun is under Section 153 A and 188 of the IPC, besides Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act. Under these Sections promoting enmity between different groups on various grounds including religion, is punishable with imprisonment up to three years. Worse, the offence is non-bailable. With the heat on him from all sides—the Congress, the BJP Muslim leaders and the media, a rattled Varun made a Press statement, wherein he stated that “...the video tapes are doctored…it is neither my voice nor language… In the event that any feelings have been hurt, I deeply and sincerely apologise to any that may have taken offence where none was meant.” This, however, will not bring an end to the controversy, which has led to a slanging match between the Congress and BJP about who is more communal and who is genuinely secular.        

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Independents Launch Parties

Who says Independent candidates have little chance of winning elections? Jharkhand may well prove it otherwise. The State is witnessing a new trend where Independents are now launching their own parties—as in the Jharkhand Party, Navjivan Sangharsh Morcha and Jharkhand Janadhikar Manch. Not without reason. The past three years show that Independents have not only won, but managed to call the shots, i.e. become ministers. In the 2005 Assembly polls, the NDA (BJP and JD-U) won 36 seats, and the UPA (Congress, JMM and RJD) won 33. The magic number of 41 to form the government in the 81-member Assembly was made up by the Independents. First they supported the UPA to form a government led by Independent MLA Madhu Kota and even became ministers. However, when JMM chief Shibhu Soren withdrew support forcing Koda to resign, they joined in supporting the latter and were duly rewarded with ministerial berths. They enjoyed their positions till the government fell after Soren quit as Chief Minister, forcing President’s rule in the State. With 14 seats in the Lok Sabha from the State and the main parties unable to reach a seat-sharing agreement, will the Independents make a national debut?

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Ragging Cases In Himachal & Andhra 

Himachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh are under the Supreme Court’s scanner for being grossly casual in stopping ragging in educational institutions. On Monday last, the two States Chief Secretaries were asked by the apex court to provide details of the steps taken so far to its two earlier orders, wherein registration of FIRs was to be made mandatory against seniors who had indulged in ragging. That was two years ago. Sadly, little has been done. Amaan Kachroo, a 19-year-old student died in a ragging incident by his seniors at the Dr Rajendra Prasad medical college, Tanda, (Kangra) last week.

In Andhra, a girl student was asked by her seniors to do a strip dance at the government Agriculture Medical College in Guntur. She later attempted suicide. This has provoked the Supreme Court to warn: “The time has come to cut off financial aid to institutions where ragging continues”. It has further asked the health departments of both the States to furnish details of the action taken against the two colleges. While it awaits the reports, the Himachal Government has launched damage control by announcing that it will promulgate an ordinance to check ragging soon. However, the irony is that State had passed one such Ordinance, in 1992 too. Shockingly, however, it was neither revalidated nor replaced by a legislative enactment in the past 17 years!

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Delhi, Jaipur Out From IPL List

The country’s two biggest events---general election to the Lok Sabha and IPL’s cricket matches cannot go hand-in-hand. This has been made amply clear by a number of State governments to the organizers of the Indian Premier League this past week. Thus far, Delhi, Jaipur and Vishakhapatnam have been dropped as hosts from IPL’s latest schedule. Their respective State governments made it known that they would not be able to provide the requisite security for any of the 18 matches they were slated to host, as the dates clashed with the polls. While the IPL is slated from April 10 to May 24, the Lok Sabha poll is scheduled from April 16 to May 16. Other than Tamil Nadu, which is scheduled to host the matches in Chennai after the polling, Karnataka says it can manage four of the six matches. West Bengal and Punjab were willing to host provided they were not required to release State police personnel for poll duty. But the Home Ministry cannot afford to oblige. It needs to ensure that the Election Commission gets the requisite number -- 900-1000 companies of security forces for the polls. ---INFA

 (Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)