BJP inducts pub attacker Muthalik but dumps him within hours

NEW DELHI/HUBLI: BJP was on Sunday left red-faced as it inducted Pramod Muthalik, the controversial chief of Sri Rama Sene linked with the attack on women at a pub in Mangalore in 2009, only to dump him within hours after opposition from within and severe flak from other parties.

Muthalik, who is facing some 45 cases including those relating to promoting enmity between two communities, was welcomed into the party fold in the presence of Karnataka party president Prahalad Joshi, former chief minister Jagadish Shettar and former deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa at a function in Hubli.

But as Congress and other parties latched on the issue to attack BJP and rumblings began within the saffron party, BJP president Rajnath Singh directed Joshi to rescind the move.

Party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said in Delhi the central leadership was not consulted on the decision and has disapproved of it. "It had instructed the state party to reject the membership of Muthalik."

Soon after the party chief's call, Joshi said the decision allowing entry of Muthalik has been set aside.

"Due to various reasons, induction of Pramod Muthalik has been set aside under central party direction by the state president Prahlad Joshi," said a statement issued by the party's Karnataka unit.

Asked about the confusion, Joshi said the decision to induct Muthalik into the party was taken at the state level.

51-year-old Muthalik had shot into limelight after activists of his right-wing outfit had barged into the pub in Mangalore in 2009 and assaulted youngsters — women and men — after accusing them of behaving in an "obscene manner".

Muthalik, who was arrested after the incident, had apologized for the violence but claimed that their actions were "aimed at protecting the women". The then Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa had said Sri Ram Sene had "nothing to do" with BJP or the Sangh parivar.

Congress slammed BJP's move to induct Muthalik saying that its leaders, including Sushma Swaraj have been talking about women's empowerment but their party was now "glaringly opposing women's emancipation" and had been exposed.

Party leader Ambika Soni said people should send a firm message in the coming election that "any party which honours, appeases people who publicly violate the self-respect and dignity of women are not going to be tolerated".

"You can see this is height of opportunism and I think that women across the country should take a very decisive call on this."

BJP leader and Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar also asked the party leadership to reconsider the decision to induct Muthalik.

Parrikar, who was in Nagpur to campaign for the BJP, said that he had conveyed his opposition to the BJP's national leadership.

"I have said he should not be (taken into BJP) and his membership should be quashed," he said.

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, a known RSS baiter, hit out at the Sangh Parivar and renewed his allegations of its links with terrorism.

"There have been people responsible for all acts of terrorism done by Hindus. All this is now become apparent. People will have to choose whether the country is to remain united or divided.

"BJP is part of this conspiracy, (or else) why would they admit leader of Sri Ram Sene. Why would Suhsma Swaraj and others go and plead to the PM not to put Sadhvi Pragya behind bars," he said.

CPM leader Brinda Karat lashed out at BJP and described Muthalik as a "criminal who led a mob to attack women".

"The Modi wave is to get criminal, corrupt people into the party. That is why Jaswant Singh is raising questions. The message being given is that don't trust BJP as far as women's rights are concerned," she said.

Muthalik has had a love-hate relation with BJP, which was evident when the saffron party had accused him of misusing Modi's name for raising funds. He joined RSS in 1975 and Shiv Sena in 2005, but left the latter in 2006.

This is the first time he is officially being associated with the party.

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Mayawati asks tribals and dalits to change government, not religion

BHUBANESWAR: BSP supremo Mayawati on Sunday slammed religious conversion and asked members of weaker sections, dalits and tribals to change the government instead of their religions.

"I understand that people from BJP and RSS visit remote areas of Odisha and persuade adivasis and dalits to go for reconversion in order to change their living standards. I am telling you not to change religion, but governments both in the state and the Centre," Mayawati told a public meeting.

Stating that about 50% of Odisha's population comprised tribals and dalits, Mayawati said there had been no development of poor people even 65 years after Independence. She also highlighted the plights of poor people among the upper caste communities.

Blaming the economic policies of both Congress led UPA government and previous BJP led NDA regime at the Centre, she said "while a huge amount of black money is stashed in foreign banks neither Congress nor BJP had made any effort to bring it back."

"If the black money is brought back, most of the problems faced by the poor, dalits and tribals would be over for all time to come. But, those in power don't take such step," she said.

Holding poverty and unemployment responsible for the growth of left wing extremism, Mayawati said the Maoist menace would certainly come down if the government took steps to uplift the poor members of the society.

She said Odisha remained poor and backward for ages due to faulty policies of successive governments in the state and the Centre. "We will fulfill Odisha's demand of a special category State status if voted to power in Centre," Mayawati said.

"We have reduced poverty in Uttar Pradesh and distributed unutilized government land to landless people. Same can be done in Odisha and elsewhere," she said.

Appealing to people to vote for BSP candidates in the ensuing twin polls, Mayawati said "we do not have alliance with anyone in the state. BSP has put candidates in all the 21 Lok Sabha and 147 assembly segments of Odisha."

On the thin attendance in her first public meeting here, Mayawati said she was happy that poor people attended the BSP rally. "We do not bring people by bus or train to show fake strength. I am happy that so many people attended the meeting despite scorching heat," she said.

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Modi requests supporters not to use ‘Har har Modi’ slogan

AHMEDABAD: As Hindu seers and opposition parties objected to 'Har har Modi' slogan, Narendra Modi on Sunday asked his supporters not to use it.

"Some enthusiastic supporters have been using the slogan 'Har har Modi'. I respect their enthusiasm, but request them not to use this slogan in the future," Modi said on Twitter.

Shankaracharya of Dwarka Peeth, Swaroopanand Saraswati was the latest to be offended by the slogan and registered a strong protest with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, asking him to stop such 'vyakti puja' (eulogizing of an individual).

The Shankaracharya was unhappy over the traditional chant 'Har har Mahadev' which is raised to hail Lord Shiva being 'modified' into 'Har har Modi', to spruce up Modi's campaign.

Political parties like Samajwadi Party and Congress had also protested against the BJP's slogan 'Har hr Modi, gar gar Modi' saying that it disrespected Lord Shiva.

Union mnister Salman Khurshid also strongly opposed the slogan and requested the Election Commission to take cognizance of it.

"After learning about it, I called up Bhagwat yesterday and asked him to stop such slogans, which is an insult to Lord Shiva," Swaroopanand told PTI today.

"I told him that converting 'Har har Mahadev' into 'Har har Modi' must be stopped. Instead of worshipping god, it is an attempt to worship a particular human being, which is against the Hindu religion," Swaroopanand said.

The seer said that he was flooded with phonecalls from devotees, who were "deeply hurt" by such sloganeering.

"In his reply, Bhagwat claimed that the RSS has always been against personality worship. He also claimed that such chanting is done due to over enthusiasm by some supporters, and it is not BJP's intentional effort," Swaroopanand said.

However, when Swami Swaroopanand was contacted after Modi's latest tweet requesting his supporters not to use the slogan, his disciple Brahmvidyanand told PTI over the phone that, "Maharaj ji will welcome Modi's move," also clarifying that the seer would not want to make any comment.

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Only 120 winning candidates secured 50% or more of total votes polled in 2009 Lok Sabha elections: Report

CHENNAI: The Lok Sabha elections are carried out using the first-past-the-post electoral system. Under this system, the candidate securing the majority votes of the total votes polled is declared elected, irrespective of percentage of total votes polled or the total number of eligible voters.

According to an official report, in the general elections 2009, out of 543 Lok Sabha seats, 120 seats were won by the candidates who secured 50% or more of the total votes polled in their respective constituencies. This meant that on remaining 423 seats (nearly 78 % of total 543 seats), the winning candidates could not secure 50% of total votes polled.

Out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, half of the seats were won by candidates securing 50% or more of the total votes polled, number-wise the highest among all states.

Rajasthan had 15 such winners out of 25 Lok Sabha seats, which meant every third out of five successful candidates from the state got 50% or more of the votes polled. Not far behind was Maharashtra, where 10 successful contestants got 50% or more of total votes polled.

Uttar Pradesh though came fourth with nine such winners, percentage wise only one out of ten successful candidates got victory with this margin, given the total number of Lok Sabha seats in the state is 80.

Following Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Kerala both had eight winners who got 50% or more of the total votes. Out of 42 seats in Andhra Pradesh, only one winner could get as many votes to win with such margin.

Amid states with ten or more Lok Sabha seats, Jharkhand was the only state where none of the winners could get 50% or more of total votes polled. Apart from Jharkhand, states/ UTs like Goa, Manipur, Meghalaya, Uttarakhand, Andaman and Nicobar, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Puducherry had no winners who could get as many votes. In Delhi, six out of seven MPs won with 50% or more votes.

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As West seeks to isolate Russia, India says nothing doing

All attempts to isolate Russia over Ukraine will be counterproductive, India has concluded ahead of a crucial upcoming Brics meeting over the issue this week on the sidelines of Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) in The Hague.

The Brics meeting is likely to be followed by a joint statement mentioning Ukraine. TOI has learnt that the government has arrived at 3 definitive conclusions as it is called out to explain where it stands on an issue which has ignited fears of a return to the cold war days.

First, it has decided that the international community needs Russia's support in handling international issues like Afghanistan, Iran and Syria and that a cold war-like situation will help nobody. The situation in Afghanistan is of particular concern to India as it looks to "like minded" countries in the region to negate any adverse impact of the international forces pullout this year.

Second, there can't be any military solution to issue and that even sanctions would not work as effective instruments of persuasion if they don't come under the UN umbrella.

Third, as India continues to abide by its traditional position of respecting territorial integrity of all countries, it wants Moscow to explore the possibility of a constructive dialogue for finding a political solution which will protect the legitimate interests of all countries.

India will be represented at the NSS by foreign minister Salman Khurshid. China will be represented by President Xi Jinping and Russia by Khurshid's counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has already thanked PM Manmohan Singh for being supportive of Moscow even as he faced allegations of ``land grab'' from the US over Crimea annexation. With India now expanding further on its display of what it describes as an understanding of Russia's strategic interests in Ukraine, Putin is sure to feel even more pleased with the Indian stand.

The government finds it ironic that those who were together in dealing with a very difficult situation in Syria are now pitted against each other over Ukraine. It believes that another prolonged global standoff will be disastrous for international security and economy.

The Brics meeting will follow another important meeting in the Hague between President Obama and Xi on Monday. Obama is meeting Xi to wean China away from Moscow at a time when ties between the 2 neighbours are growing rapidly.

Indian officials are closely looking at the outcome of this meeting as so far Beijing has done a great job of sitting on the fence and allowing both sides to interpret its actions favourably. While Putin has thanked China for looking at the situation in Crimea taking into account the "full historical and political context", the US has pointed to Beijing's abstention from a UNSC vote against the Crimea referendum as a proof of Russia's isolation over the issue.

Russia has been quick to claim support from China and India at a time when the US are threatening to impose stricter sanctions with German Chancellor Angela Merkel declaring that the Russia headed G8 did not even exist now. While the EU and US have denounced the Crimea referendum as illegal, India had refrained from making any direct comment on it even as it talks about its "consistent" respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The Brics meet will be watched with a lot of interest by the international community as the other 2 members, Brazil and South Africa, too have not yet clearly spelt out their position. Brazil, in fact, is said to be worried about offending Russia as it doesn't want to jeopardize the Brics summit meet scheduled in Brazil later this year. Brazil is sending its Vice-President Michel Temer to the Hague and South Africa will be represented by minister of international relations and cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.

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 Alok Sanjar is BJP candidate from Bhopal

NEW DELHI: After BJP veteran L K Advani decided to contest from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat and quit his claim from Bhopal, BJP on Saturday decided to field Alok Sanjar, the state office in charge of the party from there.

The Bhopal seat was vacated after senior party leader from the state Kailash Joshi quit in favour of Advani. Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Uma Bharti, who has been nominated by the party to contest from Jhansi Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh, is also reported to have staked her claim for the seat.

In the list released by the party, former minister Laxmi Narayan Yadav was fielded from the Sagar Lok Sabha seat and another former minister Nagendra Singh from the Khajuraho constituency.

District president from Mandsour, Sudhir Gupta has been given the party ticket from the Mandsour Lok Sabha seat.

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TMC will emerge as third largest party after LS polls: Mamata

KOLKATA: Confident that her party would emerge as the "third largest" after Lok Sabha elections, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee did not rule out a TMC-led government at the Centre while dismissing the possibility of supporting BJP and Congress.

"Our party will emerge as the third largest party after the Lok Sabha polls. Electoral reform will be our first priority if a TMC-led government is formed at the Centre," she said while releasing two party manifestos for the state and for the nation.

Banerjee said, "We stand at the crossroads of history, when the nation is demanding a political change and governance."

Stating that both Congress and BJP had lost credibility, she said, "Corruption has been rampant in the UPA-2 government, while BJP has been repeatedly held responsible for riots and communal strife."

TMC believes that an independent, honest and grassroot based federal front would serve the diverse aspirations of a united India, the West Bengal chief minister said.

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Chidamabram hits back at Jaya, says she is ignorant

PUDUKOTTAI (TN): In a blistering counter attack against Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa a day after she questioned his victory in last polls and slammed his economic policies, Union finance minister P Chidambaram accused her of making 'sweeping charges' ignorant of cases pending against herself.

The senior Congress leader also dismissed the charge that he was shying from contesting the April 24 elections and took a potshot at Jayalalithaa's style of campaigning (hopping by choppers) saying she was not aware of the ground realities.

"It is nothing but ignorance, when Jayalalithaa, who has a long history of dragging the case pending against her, talks about me," he said addressing election meetings in Tirumayyam and others places in support of his son Karthi Chidambaram, fielded in Sivaganga constituency held by him.

Referring to Jayalalithaa's poser that AIADMK would not accept his victory from Sivaganga in 2009 and as to why he did not accept for a recounting in last polls, he said: "This is the time for me to reveal status of my (election) case. The case was filed in 2009.

"The petitioner (losing AIADMK candidate) in the case is the first witness, and he should have been examined as the first witness on January 31, 2013. However he did not turn up during trial examination, leading to ten adjournments."

He did not turn up for cross examination and the case had to be adjourned eight times.

"The Intelligence Wing of the state government probably did not bring this to Jayalalithaa's notice," Chidambaram said seeking to turn the tables.

"The chief minister is making such sweeping charges forgetting cases pending against herself," he said recalling the TANSI case and the one related to filing of nominations from four constituencies.

Accusing Jayalalitha of "dragging" her disproportionate wealth case in a Bangalore court for 17 years on various grounds, he said even the special public prosecutor had been fined (for delaying the trial).

Chidambaram, however, requested the voters to forgive Jayalalithaa for her sweeping charges against him.

"I know Jayalalithaa knows what is going on the in the state. But her speech writer is not aware. She always flies or hops. And for a person who is taking the air route..there is no chance to know what is happening in the ground," he said.

Taking a swipe the AIADMK chief for using helicopters to move around, he said she could be the one chief Minister "whose feet has not touched the Tamil Nadu soil. Compare her to late Kamaraj, who visited every nook and corner by foot".

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Mewat school gives wings to Muslim girls’ dreams

MEWAT: As Mewat gets ready to decide its future ahead in the upcoming general elections, girls from the Muslim community seem to be have already found the key to the backward region's future.

In a district with a high percentage of school dropouts, mostly girls, and where parents are not keen to educate their daughters, Udaan — an all-girls residential school — has provided several school dropouts and never-been-to-school girls from the community a chance to pursue their education and achieve their goals.

Part of the Mewat Rural Education Programme, the school, set up in collaboration between SRF Foundation and CARE India in 2011, is run in partnership with the department of elementary education and Sarva Siksha Abhiyan of the Haryana government.

Basmeena Khan, 14, a resident of the district's Rehna village, aspires to become a badminton player one day. Never having been to a school, her life has changed since she enrolled in Udaan. Among the 78 students from 19 Mewat villages to complete the school's 11-month bridge course this year, Basmeena learnt to read and write, besides getting acquainted with the game of badminton after she joined Udaan.

"As a child I could only read and write Urdu, the language I learnt at the village mosque. I knew nothing about Hindi, English or Mathematics until last year," said Basmeena.

Asked about her dream of becoming a professional tennis player, the girl's eyes gleam with confidence. "I want to be like Saina Nehwal," Basmeena said, who never misses anything on the badminton champion in Hindi newspapers.

Mewat has a high dropout rate of 74% (in Class VI). The district has about 1.6 lakh students studying in Class V (2012-13), 26% in Class VI, whereas a meager 3% (4,926) in Class X, as per the district website.

Hafiz Khan, convenor of NGO Mewat Rights Watch, said, "Even if a girl joins school, she is forced to drop out after Class V as most parents hesitate to let their daughters go out after they attain adolescence." The idea of opening a school like Udaan was not received warmly and was questioned by almost everyone involved in the project, from government authorities to ground-level volunteers.

It took time to assure parents that the school will not contradict the local customs and religion. "Girls can wear the hijab. They are made to read namaz and learn Urdu. Many gradually got convinced and allowed their girls to enroll," said Rakesh, project manager, SRF Foundation.

Farmeena Khan, mother of an Udaan student Suhana, said she was initially skeptical of an all-girls residential school in Mewat but now she doesn't have any qualms about sending her daughter, who wants to be a doctor, here. "I was not sure whether to send my 9-year-old daughter to the school as she had always stayed with us. Eventually we agreed thinking it will open a window of opportunity for her," said the proud mother.

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Yasin Bhatkal’s aide assaulted by jail inmate inside Tihar jail

NEW DELHI: Indian Mujahideen (IM) co-founder Yasin Bhatkal's aide Fasih Mahmood, deported from Saudi Arabia in 2012 for his alleged involvement in terror acts, has been allegedly assaulted by a jail inmate inside the high security Tihar jail.

Tihar jail authorities said one of the inmates, Simran, who is an accused in a murder case and has been lodged in jail number two, assaulted Fasih last evening in which he sustained injury on his leg.

Fasih was brought before a Delhi court today on a wheel chair in connection with the case of setting up of an alleged illegal arms factory here where he told the judge about the incident.

Additional Sessions Judge Daya Prakash has asked the Tihar jail authorities to submit a detailed report before it in the matter.

During the hearing, his counsel pleaded before the court that Fasih be treated in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

The court asked the police to take him to the AIIMS for further treatment.

Fasih, along with Bhatkal and several other members of the banned terror outfit, is an accused in the case in which a supplementary charge sheet was recently filed against Bhatkal and one of his close aide Asadullah Akhtar.

The special cell of Delhi Police had alleged that a huge quantity of arms and ammunition were recovered from the illegal arms factory located in Meer Vihar area here.

Meanwhile, the jail authorities said that after Simran had assaulted Fasih, the accused was taken to the DDU hospital for medical check up.

"Fasih was assaulted by Simran last evening over some issue. He was taken to DDU Hospital later," Tihar jail spokesperson Sunil Gupta said

He said Fasih was brought back to the jail yesterday itself after the check up and he has been lodged in the jail number two.

Police had claimed that Bhatkal, Akhtar and others, including Fasih, were part of the conspiracy to carry out terror strikes in the country.

Fasih, a mechanical engineer by profession, is allegedly one of the key members of the IM's dreaded Darbhanga module which had carried out various terror strikes in the country since 2008.

He was alleged to be the "motivator" for driving the youth to join the IM. Fasih was chargesheeted for the offences under the Indian Penal Code, the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

Fasih was deported from Saudi Arabia and was arrested at the IGI Airport here on October 22, 2012. He was detained in Saudi Arabia in May 2012.

He is accused of being involved in the 2010 blast in Bangalore's Chinaswamy stadium and Jama Masjid shootout case, along with several other suspected operatives of IM.

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