Round The States
New Delhi, 21 November 2013
Modi In Stalking
Net
CONGRESS DEMANDS
ANSWERS
By Insaf
The snooping and stalking case of a young woman in August
2009 involving BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate “Saheb” Narendra Modi exposed
by social network investigative sites Cobranet and Gulail gets curiouser and
curiouser. Resulting in a war of words between the Congress and BJP. Sensing an
opportunity to nail Modi and his close aide ex State Home Minister Amit Shah,
the Congress is correct in questioning why three branches of the police, Crime
branch, Anti-Terrorist squad and the Intelligence Bureau were used for “illegal
surveillance” in the name of “monitoring” nee providing security to a young
woman on the verbal request of the girl’s father to Chief Minister Modi and
demanded an inquiry by a sitting Supreme Court judge. The BJP avers that it did
so as it was duty bound to protect a young woman and trashed allegations as the handiwork of the
Congress’s "dirty tricks wing".
However, it leaves many questions unanswered. The Telegraph Act does not allow ‘monitoring’
of a common citizen on a parent’s verbal hearsay. Two, the State needs to
answer if the lady is vital to the State’s security interest, a terrorist or a
security threat. With accusations flying thick and fast between arch rivals
Congress and BJP, the truth is still a long way off.
* * * *
Karnataka ATMs To
Shut Down?
In this busy season of crime against women, Karnataka earns
the ignominious distinction of being the latest State wherein a 44-year-old
woman was brutally attacked inside an ATM on Tuesday night. Ironically, the
savage attack came a day after the Prime Minister launched the Bharatiya Mahila
Bank predominantly for women. Most scandalously, the dastardly attack brought
to the fore the brutal reality that over 600 of the city’s 2580 ATMs are sans
security guards. Moreover, it emphasis the banks inability to completely
security their premises. vulnerability A
shocked State Administration has demanded the banks to get their act together
and provide suitable security else pull down the shutters of its ATMs’.
Predictably, private banks cry foul as it is not mandatory for them to post
security guards at every ATM location. Also they wonder why a large part of the
State Police is deployed for VIP security instead of providing security for
cash transfer operations and patrols. In fact, some banks have removed ATMs in the
hinterland after threats of loot and robbery. Clearly, this incident highlights
once again the plight of the women in the increasing deteriorating law and order state in the
nation whereby it is inherent for the Government to secure the aam aadmi and his
money.
* * * *
Congress-CPI-PPP
Pact
Wonders never cease. After an ugly break-up with the Left
Parties in 2008 over the Indo-US nuclear deal, the Congress used the
non-Congress secular unity conclave in Delhi
last month to bring about a thaw in ties. Resulting in the Party busy stitching
up an alliance with one ‘red’ faction, CPI and Chief Minister Badal’s estranged
nephew-ex Finance Minister Manpreet Badal’s Punjab Peoples Party for the 2014
Lok Sabha polls. Its calculus is simple:
One, in a four-cornered contest between the ruling Akali-BJP combine, Congress,
CPI and PPP with votes being divided, the Congress could lose. Given that the CPI has a comfortable base in Punjab and the fledgling PPP netted 9% votes in its debut
during last year’s Assembly poll, despite Badal losing. Together the trio could
beat the SAD-BJP combine. Thus, the Congress has agreed to back the CPI in the
Faridkot Lok Sabha constituency presently held by the Akali Dal and both
Parties are hooting for the PPP in Bathinda, a seat represented by Manpreet’s
cousin and Dy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal’s wife. It is hoping the CPI-PP
would reciprocate by leaving the remaining 11 Lok Sabha seats for the Congress.
It remains to be seen if the Grand Dame will emerge successful in increasing
its Parliamentary tally from the present 6 out of 13 seats. Pertinent also is
whether the CPM which hardly has a presence in Punjab
would agree to its younger sibling playing footsie with the Congress.
* * * *
Kerala’s New
Airport A Pipedream
A spanking new international airport in Kerala continues to
be mired in controversies, thanks to local leaders. Shockingly, after the
Rs2000 crore Aranmula project was cleared by the Union Environment Ministry,
the State politicians bandied together opposing it on the fallacious plea that
it would lead to environmental damage of the Western Ghats,
the site where the airport is to be built. Both the CPM and Congress have shot
down the proposal on the grounds that it would destroy agricultural land. The BJP
too which hardly has a presence in the State, too dittoes its rivals stand.
Further, even as the Centre wants implementation of the Kasturirangan report
which after studying the ecological impact has permitted mining and quarrying
in 63 per cent of the Western Ghats, various
Parties local units cry foul. Clearly, Keralites will have to wait beyond 2015
before a new airport comes up.
* * * *
Crime & Money
In Poll Season
Actions speak louder than words seems to be our politicians
dictum. Even as Parties tom-tom denying tickets to criminals in the five
Assembly polls, a cursory glance at Madhya Pradesh turns this proposition on
its head. Most scandalously, out of 686 candidates in the poll fray over 206
are law-breakers facing charges of murder, kidnapping and crime against women.
Notably, the Congress tops the list with 91 (40%) of its 228 candidates
followed by BJP’s 61. Even the BSP which has a marginal presence in the State
accounts for 24 per cent of its candidates listed as criminals. Alongside, it’s raining money during
elections. Underscored by the seizure of over Rs.16 crores by the Election
Commission in the five poll-bound States, Rajasthan (7.13 crores), Madhya
Pradesh Rs. 5.69 crore, Chhattisgarh, Rs.3.86 crore and the rest from Delhi and Mizoram. The EC
also netted Rs.1.30 crores from a Tamil Nadu Assembly constituency Yercaud
bye-poll. Indeed, not much has changed. Welcome to the C+M club: Crime and
money makes the poll mare run!
* * * *
Bangalore, Chennai Most Corrupt
Believe it or not. India’s IT capital Bangalore and
professional Chennai are the country’s two most corrupt cities according to an
anti-corruption website Janaagraha. Whereby both have been accused of paying
bribes totaling Rs.23 crores. Chennaiites lead the way by voluntary disclosing
that they paid a cumulative over Rs.7 crore in the last three years to bribe
government officials to get water, sewerage and electricity connection
alongwith land documents. Bangalorites paid the balance Rs.16 crores. Till date
22,378 people "confessed" to greasing palms totaling Rs. 58 crores.
India’s business capital Mumbai tailed at number three (Rs.7 crores) followed
by Delhi (4.4 crore) and Hyderabad (Rs.2.89 crore). Significantly, 20 bribe
experiences are reported daily across the country. What next?---INFA
(Copyright, India News and Feature
Alliance)
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