Assam Congress MLA-Victim Of Love Jihad Filed Complaint Against Muslim Husband

(SentinelAssam)



The Police today detained Jacky Zakir, the second husband of the controversial MLA from Borkhola Dr Rumi Nath based on her complaint against him.The sources said that Dr Rumi Nath filed a complaint with Silchar Sadar police station against her husband Jacky Zakir today, alleging that she has been harassed both mentally and physically by her husband. Based on the complaint, Silchar Police detained Jacky Zakir from Mashimpur in Cachar district.

It can be recollected here that Rumi Nath secretly married Jacky Zakir on April 13 by embracing Islam without divorcing her first husband Rakesh Kumar Singh. After refusing of her marriage for many days, on May, 2012, Borkhola MLA Rumi Nath dramatically confessed to her second marriage with Jacky Zakir and after which a sensation sparked in the entire valley. The people came out to the streets and condemned her act. Her effigies were burnt across the valley.

Moreover, on May 13, 2012, she visited the historic Hindu temple of Nrimata in her constituency with her first husband Rakesh Singh and their two–year–old baby Hriddhi on her lap to offer prayers to the God and the Goddess, concealing her conversion and marriage. When the electorates came to know about it, they accused her of defiling the temple and hurting the religious sentiments and feelings of Hindus.

After that, on June 29, when Rumi and Jacky went to Karimganj and decided to stay in a hotel, a strong mob soon gathered outside. Many of them made their entry inside and broke open the door of the room where both were taking rest after dinner. Both Rumi and Jacky became the target of mob fury. Rumi and Jacky was beaten, thrashed and battered. The blows and kicks that followed from the infuriated people caused severe injuries to them. Rumi Nath by then had fainted.

All their prayers to the mob failed to pacify them. All this went on for long 45 minutes. Later, Rumi was admitted to Silchar Medical College and Hospital for the treatment and then she was taken to Guwahati for the better treatment. The Rumi–Jacky episode became the centre stage of discussions for almost three months. Dr Rumi Nath was first elected to the Assembly in 2006 on a BJP ticket from Borkhola and later joined the Congress and retained the seat for the second consecutive term in 2011.

Modi's BJP Eating Up Mamata And Left Vote Share in Bengal

(TOI)

KOLKATA: By the time electioneering for the 16th Lok Sabha polls draws to a close on May 10, Narendra Modi would have finished his sixth tour of West Bengal. Even in the unlikeliest of places, BJP has sniffed blood. From Alipur Duar amid the lush green tea plantations of the Dooars in the north to the shores of the Bay of Bengal in the south, the Lotus blossoms unmistakably as the 'X' factor, surprising and shocking all other contenders in a state habitually polarized between various shades of the Left and the two avatars of Congress.

Hamstrung by a rickety organization and bereft of credible leadership, BJP in West Bengal has always had a marginal political existence, never enjoying more than 5-6 % of popular votes in any election. It won two parliamentary seats in the 1999 Lok Sabha polls in alliance with Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, a feat the party could not repeat in any of the succeeding elections. The party's vote share soared close to 12% in the 1991 elections when the excitement and frenzy of the Ayodhya movement and Advani's Rath Yatra swayed a sizeable number of voters in this partitioned state. But the party, despite an unprecedented windfall, drew a blank. Then, BJP hit its usual nadir every time it chose to go it alone.

This time round, too, it is not a case of 'ghar ghar Modi' in Bengal; no pollster has given the party more than one seat. Yet, all pollsters predict that BJP's popular vote share might reach an alltime high, shooting up to more than 15-16 %, giving the party a credible toehold in the state for the first time. This would also mean the emergence of BJP as the third largest political force in Bengal, relegating Congress almost to the oblivion. If BJP comes to power in the Centre and Modi becomes the Prime Minister, the party may legitimately hope to add to its ranks enough supporters to be able to play a critical role in the state assembly elections due exactly after two years. West Bengal politics seems poised for a paradigm shift, that would see new equations and alignments dovetailing a new, resurgent, yet an hitherto-unknown player.

None of BJP's three major contenders, TMC, the Left and Congress, took this possible scenario into account while preparing their electoral strategy in the state. Least of all Mamata Banerjee, who took the gamble of fielding her own party candidates in all the 42 constituencies in the state, breaking away from the old tradition of allying with either Congress or the NDA. The BJP's central leadership sent feelers and persistent overtures believing Mamata to be their old and natural ally as she was opposed to both Congress and the Left.

In his first election rally in the state, held audaciously but successfully at Kolkata's historic Brigade Parade Grounds, Modi offered Didi the proverbial 'Dilli ka laddu' while Rajnath Singh in an outrageously placatory note almost assured her that BJP would concede to her long pending demand of a moratorium on the state's accumulated loans.

Yet, Didi refused to bite the bullet keeping in mind the importance of minority votes and the disastrous impact an alliance with the BJP would have on her battle prospects for the state in 2016. She could hardly imagine , like all others in the state, that the shadow of Modi would continue to lengthen as days rolled by to upset her poll plans and calculations. Today, in every election meeting she launches a frontal attack against BJP, taking pot shots at Modi by calling him 'dangar mukh' , the face of a ghastly riot.

Modi too returns the fire shedding past inhibitions and hope. Mamata based her calculations on the party's stunning performance at the panchayat polls held less than a year ago when TMC garnered more than 43% of popular votes in rural areas. Even a minor erosion, she thought, would not create any major difference to her prospects of sweeping virtually every corner of the state barring the three districts of Murshidabad, Malda and North Dinajpore , counting for only six seats, where Congress still manages to hold its own. The spectre of Modi and his repeated sojourns to the state with successful and heavily attended rallies seem to haunt 'Didi' more than the effects of the Saradha scam.

Modi may or may not emerge as a spoilsport only for Mamata and her party. There are visible signs in many places of Left supporters leaning towards BJP, and buying the party's argument for the need of a stable and effective government at the Centre. A section of Bengali refugees and tribals, for long tried and tested supporters of the Left, may now find the new option more viable and acceptable. Many among them now want to give Modi a chance just for the fun of inviting change. Their new refrain: Ebar chupchap fule chhap, kintu chhotor badole baro ful (This time round too we will opt for the flower, but for the bigger one — or Lotus).

Modi wave crashes into Amritsar, sweeps away PM’s brother

Amritsar: This was probably the grand show – of power, strength and mass support - that Arun Jaitly had been eagerly waiting for. If he wins from Amritsar, he will owe it to Narendra Modi, who after a whirlwind rally in Varanasi, didn’t disappoint Jaitley and his supporters in Amritsar on Friday evening. And of course the cherry on top, was when the prime minister’s step-brother Daljeet Singh Kohli joined the BJP with a warm hug from Modi on the dais in the presence of Jaitley and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. That must have come as a major embarrassment for Manmohan Singh who had only yesterday denied in Guwahati that there was any Modi wave in the country, little realising that it was sweeping his own family away. As Modi hugged Kohli, party workers let out almost a victory cry of “Ab ki baar, Modi sarkaar.

(FirstPost)


It was an outright Modi affair in Amritsar. Along with the love, support and assurance from his followers and voters, Modi didn’t forget to take away home-made Amritsari cuisines away with him. The dinner pack that was delivered to him at the airport reportedly had Amritsari chole-kulche, chane bhature, yellow daal, chapati, Amritsari pulao, paneer butter masala, Amritsari lassi, rasgulla and phirni. “I got a call in the morning from Ahmedabad about this and got it cooked at home. Earlier also, when Modi ji visited here, he ensured to have these dishes at my place,” said BJP’s state general secretary Tarun Chugh, who is considered close to Modi. “We share a cordial relation at family level and he enjoys Amritsari cuisines,” he added. Apart from feeding the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, the city of the Golden Temple offered a rousing welcome to Modi when his convoy reached Ranjit Avenue from the airport. The venue wore a bridal look with BJP banners, flags and festoons flying high, and the atmosphere charged up with slogans hailing Modi. For the people of Amritsar it was a grand show. A crowd of nearly 50,000 people gathered at the venue. Amidst high-security, the SAD-BJP workers left no stone unturned to give a Modi stamp to the meeting, making it a grand gala affair. “For us it's a first-of-its kind in the City and the gathering proves the immense popularity and trust that Modi enjoys among masses. Even PM’s brother couldn’t keep himself away from Modi ji’s charisma,” a BJP worker from neighbouring tehsil Dhariwal said. Donning a yellow turban (saafa), with a black half jacket over a high collared full-sleeved white kurta, Modi resembled a traditional Sikh. Striking an emotional chord with the people of Amritsar who had eagerly been waiting to hear him since 4pm, Modi said, “Punajb ki jawani agar nahi bachi, to Hindustan ki jawani nahi bachegi" (If we can’t protect the youth of Punjab, the youth of India can’t be saved) This received massive applause from the crowds. “We now need a PM, who can display strong conviction like Modi. After a long time we’re able to see a ray of hope in him, who will be able to take tough decisions for our country,” said a group of youth, who had come from Batala to attend the meeting. The euphoria surrounding Modi’s arrival could also be seen during the day at several places across the city, especially among the young BJP workers, who were raising slogans while moving in open jeeps with party flags. A group of people savouring jalebi and gulab jaamun at a shop in Katra Ahluwalia – one of the oldest bazaars in Amritsar said, “We can’t let the UPA come to power again. The need of the hour is to have a strong leader at the Centre, who can’t take the country on the path of development, rather than indulging only in corruption.” “Nothing can be said right now as the contest between Jaitley and Amarinder would be a tough one and majority of voters are silent. Even if we want Modi to become the PM, BJP’s allying with the Akali Dal may dent the former’s winning prospect,” said Dharmendra Chourasia, a Pan shop owner at Hall Bazaar. On way back home from the Modi’s meet, the unanimous opinion was that Modi’s visit would definitely give Jaitley an edge over his Congress opponent, Captain Amarinder Singh. “This ‘maharaja’ tag of Amarinder creates a distance between him and the voters, and moreover before casting vote a voter should consider what the 10-year of the UPA government has given us – corruption, scams and a silent PM. The need of the hour is development that would ensure growth not only of India but Punjab as well,” said 65-year old Harish Mahajan, a city businessman, who had come to listen to Modi. The statement of Daljeet Singh Kohli -“I’ll accept whatever responsibility will be given to me by the party. My family is with me. The PM wasn’t given full authority to run the government”- was another feather in the cap of Narendra Modi in Amritsar.

Marathi IAS Officer Attacked By Militants In Souht Garo Hills-Meghalaya

Marathi IAS officer Chinmay Ghotamare,who is serving as DC South Garo Hills in Meghalaya state attacked by militants near Sibbari near Bangladesh border.He is safe but his driver and bodyguard sustained bullet injuries. This is second attempt on his life after Jan 17 attack on him near South Garo Hills HQ Baghmara. He is from Nagpur.


A senior IAS official in Meghalaya had a narrow escape when unidentified militants attacked him, a police official said Friday.

Chinmay P. Gotmare, the district magistrate of South Garo Hills, was attacked Thursday night at Sibbari, bordering Bangladesh, Meghalaya police chief Peter Hanaman told IANS.

Gotmare's driver and bodyguard sustained bullet injuries and were admitted to a hospital, he added.


"The district police are still investigating to ascertain which (militant) group carried out the Thursday attack," he said, adding security personnel have been combing the area to nab the attackers.

This is the second attempt on Gotmare's life. Suspected Garo National Liberation Army militants had Jan 17 fired at his vehicle in Adugre, six km from Baghmara.

Gotmare has sought clarification from the government about scaling down his security cover.


"How come the so called 'dacoits' are so daring to directly shoot at my vehicle when it is conspicuous by the beacon and the name plate on it," he asked.

Shazia Ilmi asks Muslims to be ‘Communal’ and vote for AAP

( News Bharati English)



New Delhi, April 23: Just ahead of the crucial fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections, a video has surfaced wherein Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Shazia Ilmi is seen making appeal to Muslims to be Communal and Vote for AAP.
“Muslims ought to be communal this time. Kejriwal is our man. Muslims should think of the community and vote for him,” Shazia is seen saying in the video which is getting viral on the social media.
Interestingly, though AAP has made a meek attempt to distance itself from her remarks and senior party leader Manish Sisodiya has said, “She should not have said it”, Ilmi has shown no regret about it. She was seen defending her remarks by saying that she meant to make fun of ‘all this Secular-Communal terminology.’
"Muslims are very secular. Muslims ought to be more communal. (They) do not vote for their own. (AAP leader) Arvind Kejriwal is your own. I say, it is enough of secularism," Ilmi, who contested the Lok Sabha polls from Ghaziabad earlier in the month, is seen saying in the video.
"Here helping the Congress win, there someone else. Please do not be so secular. Muslims are secular. They will continue to vote for others. Other parties don't do such things?" she said.
It is a short 1.19 minute video clip where Ilmi is seen talking to Muslims. The video, believed to be shot in Mumbai, where she had gone for campaigning for AAP's South Mumbai candidate Mira Sanyal, shows Ilmi talking with her head covered with a dupatta. Mumbai goes to polls on April 24.

Ilmi, a member of AAP's national executive, is seen further saying, "agree, this is controversial, but this is important" in reaction to a person sitting next to her who said "we are afraid, we have to vote".
The clip ends with Ilmi saying, "Kaam badal dijiye … lado aur jito (change the work. Fight and win)."
Ilmi has said, while defending her comments, that, "Communal means 'of the community', not in a hateful manner. What I was telling them is not to be a political slave to a party. Not to live in fear."
"It was more of a sarcastic comment, play of words," she added.
While speaking to television channela, Ilmi has not denied the contents of the video. But, said she does not remember where she said it as she had attended several meetings.
"I haven't said anything wrong. Congress has done nothing for us all these years," she told the news channel.
She also said, "This is my interpretation of secular versus communal."
Manish Sisodia, AAP spokesperson, said: "It is wrong. She should not have said it. The party does not believe in this."
On its twitter account, Ms Ilmi's party clarified, "AAP does not believe in this kind of politics nor does it endorse it."
Ahead of the Delhi assembly elections in 2013, when Ilmi had contested for the MLA seat from RK Puram, her name was embroiled in an alleged sting operation showing her and several other AAP candidates asking for donation in lieu of favours.
In a video posted on YouTube, Shazia Ilmi, a top leader of Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), is seen urging Muslim leaders, "I'm saying Muslims are very secular. Muslims need to be communal. A Muslim isn't communal - doesn't vote for his own. Arvind Kejriwal is one of you. You are too ... don't be this secular. Look after your own homes (interests)."
In recent weeks, the national election has seen politicians using religion to court voters and making remarks designed to polarize votes, with the powerful Election Commission reacting swiftly. Azam Khan, a minister in Uttar Pradesh, has been banned from campaigning after a hate speech. BJP leader, Giriraj Singh, has been told today he cannot campaign in Bihar and Jharkhand for stating recently that critics of Narendra Modi will have to go to Pakistan after the BJP is elected.

Supriya Sule Harvested Gold From Her Farm

With 10 acre farm in Baramati Supriya Sule (Sharad Pawar,s daughter) has claimed to be a farmer and her profession as farming.

In 2009 Election Returns she had shown her Agricultural Income from this land to be Rs 52 crores.

In the recent 2014 Election Returns the Agricultural Income from the same piece of land has been shown to be Rs 113 crores.

It is a mystery to all farmers (except the inner coterie of the minister) how she could earn such a huge amount from such a small piece of farm.

She should reveal her secret so that thousands of farmers who are on the verge of committing suicide will be able to live and prosper.

Of course no prizes for guessing what this is all about!!

Togadia Issued Legal Notices to Indian Express and TimeNow

LEGAL NOTICE

TO WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN & TO ALL PUBLIC COMMUNICATORS, GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS & SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS As advised by & on behalf of my client Dr. Pravinbhai Mohanlal Togadia, age 57 yrs, I S. D. Jani Advocate 12, Shivshakti complex, High court Road, Bhavnagar, Gujarat  India do hereby state as under.

1.          That the report about a misinformed incident in Gujarat as appeared in an English newspaper Times of India dated April 21, 2014 which per our information, has appeared in the said news paper’s almost all India editions under varied headlines, is false, malafide & mischievous.

2.          That significantly, on the same day, i.e. today i.e. April 21, 2014 in yet another English newspaper namely Indian Express dated a completely different report has suddenly appeared which is about a misinformed description of an incident in Uttar Pradesh village in dist Pratapgadh.

3.          That it also is noticed that a heated debate has begun on yet another English TV channel namely Times Now on the said misinformed mischievous report as mentioned in the said Times of India.

4.          That the entire sequence of events as mentioned in the above 1, 2 & 3 clearly show that there is a bigger conspiracy against my client not only to defame him in public life but also to put his life & the lives of his family members & of the people associated with the organizations he is associated with in danger.

5.          That my client happens to be an International Working President of VHP i.e. Vishwa Hindu Parishad with Head Office in Delhi. The said organization is known to be caring for Hindu Well-being & welfare.

6.          That my client has been provided with the security of the Z+ level by the concerned governments to protect him from physical attacks on his life.

7.          That under the rules of the above said security level, the travel, stay & other details of the secured person are supposed to be kept confidential by the concerned authorities who provide the security to ensure that no pre-planned attacks take place on the secured person.

8.          That my client was travelling at night around 11 pm from Bhavnagar City ,Gujarat on April 19, 2014 for a night stay at the house of Mr. Bhavin S. Jani  the town Bhavnagar.

9.          That while travelling my client was told by one of the security men that a large group was protesting on the route because know that Togadia were to travel from this route.

10.        That my client as mentioned above was traveling at night, asked the security man as to how did the group know of the route which was supposed to be confidential per the security rules. The concerned person did not reply.

11.        That after reaching the night stay place i.e. the house of Mr. Bhavin S. Jani again my client was informed that the same group that was protesting for some reason wanted to meet him. Although tired by the day’s hectic work of introducing the free medical service to all in India, my client agreed to meet the said group for 5 minutes.

12.        That then the group of around 1000 people came to give my client a memorandum & presentation about how their houses were purchased under force & duress by some people.

13.        That the said group also informed my client that they stayed in an area in Bhavnagar before & even there their houses were forcibly purchased & that they moved to another area where there were temples & that even the new place they are being hounded to sell their houses to another group.

14.        That hearing their plea, as a law abiding citizen, my client advised them to follow the legal process of writing to the local administration, the concerned state government & approach the court if they felt that they are being forced into any selling of their houses.

15.        That my client also informed that there had been a ‘Disturbed Area Act’ existing in some places in Gujarat which was enacted by the earlier Government & that the said group may find out if the said act was applicable to them in the said matter.

16.        That we wish to state here emphatically that there was nothing socially or legally wrong in the above advice given by my client to the said group as mentioned above.

17.        That after one full day of this incident & with no provocation whatsoever, to our distress & surprise, we found the malicious report about our client in the English newspaper namely Times of India dated April 21, 2014.

18.        That the said report as mentioned in above 17 gives a completely false story intended to malign my client socially & also putting his life in danger.

19.        That the timing of the other media reports such as in Indian Express front page which are totally unrelated of the misinformed incident of 2012, popping up on the same day i.e. April 21, 2014 mentioning my client’s name in a malicious way & then media debates followed by these reports are a definite conspiracy of planted stories by the vested interest parties against my client.

20.        That we hereby deny any such malicious reporting by all the media as mentioned above & demand the immediate CBI enquiry into the matter as mentioned hereunder:
(a) That who, how, to whom & why disclosed the security information such as travel route, stay place & so on, which is supposed to be kept confidential for the Z+ category
(b) That who all were involved in tracking the movement of my client during his travel & disclosing to the public in general even without verifying with my client whether he knew the said people.
(c) That who arranged the said Times of India reporter to be at the secured route late at night without any information to & permission from my client despite the Z+ security.
(d) That who managed the same say simultaneous appearance of reports in two different English newspapers all India i.e. the misinformed, false & malicious reports of 2012 & 2014 that is a night before.

21.        That my client while denying of speaking of any inflammatory words as mentioned in the said Times of India report under different headlines all India as filed from Gujarat, demands a CBI investigation into the larger conspiracy of putting his life under threat by disclosing his security travel route & place of stay to general public.

22.        That my client now fears that this is a larger conspiracy in the General Elections time to draw benefit in votes at the cost of his freedom & his life. That my client also fears that the said orchestrated malafide, mischievous & malicious reporting of unrelated misinformed incidents in different media has been aimed at targeting his public & social life as well as the lives of my client, his family members & the people in the organizations with which my client is associated with.

23.        That the above suspicion is strengthened with the fact that for the past 3 months my client has been travelling extensively in India to introduce the Free Medical service for the poor & needy patients. That the regional media had been mentioning the same as but the said English media has not been mentioning the positive medical service however, the same Times of India, Indian Express & Times Now have simultaneously targeted my client on the misinformed unrelated incidents in a criminally defamatory, malicious & mischievous ways. That this proves that there has been a completely political conspiracy behind such ill-reporting about my client with the intention to harm his reputation, image & life and then to draw political mileage out of all this

24.        That once again while denying the concocted reporting in the above said & if so in any other media as false, malicious & malafide, we state here that such criminal conspiracy against my client may cause danger to my client’s life & reputation & that in such circumstances the entire criminal, financial, social & technical liability will be of the concerned Governments, its authorities, its various departments & all the people including the said media & all public communicators who have been involved in such a criminal activity against my client as conspirators.

25.        That we urge the Hon. Supreme Court to take note of the probable lethal attack on my client’s life, reputation & also lives of his family members as well as the people associated with the organizations to which he offers his services.

26.        That we urge all the public communicators to immediately refrain from spreading malafide, false, criminally defamatory & dangerous stories against my client & putting him in life threat, failing which my client will be free to take further legal steps as stipulated under all prevalent laws & Acts.

Place: Bhavnagar ,Gujarat

Date : April 21, 2014                                                                                                      (S. D. Jani)

Copy to:

1) The Hon, Supreme Court, New Delhi                                                                         Advocate

2) The Chief Minister, Gujarat

3) The Union Home Minister, India

Omar Abdullah Accepts There Is Modi wave

(IndiaToday)


Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah lashed out at the Uttar Pradesh government for bringing sedition charges against Kashmiri students of a Meerut college who were expelled for cheering for the Pakistan cricket team.
Speaking at the session 'New Generation, New Poltics: Kashmir Looks Ahead' on the second day of the 13th India Today Conclave on Saturday, Abdullah said, "On the contrary, when our people go to Pakistan and they find their people cheering for our team, we actually feel good."

Maintaining that the issue should have been left at the expulsion and the government should not have brought sedition charges against the 68 students, Abdullah said, "My worry is that the BJP will now be using it as a poll issue. Those 67 Kashmiri students would now be used as pawn in the hands of politicians."

Sixty-eight Kashmiri students of Meerut's Swami Vivekanand Subharti University were charged with treason and sedition for cheering Pakistan's victory against India during the March 2 Asia Cup tie. The students' support for Pakistan had led to a clash in the university's hostel accompanied by violence. Catch all the live action here

Indian or Kashmiri?

Abdullah wondered why only Kashmiris and not people from any other state had to prove their patriotism.

"Why is it that when you come from J&K, you are asked if you are Indian or Kashmiri. Why? UP CM Akhilesh Yadav is not asked a similar question."

"My father kept telling people that he was an Indian. I asked him why he did that. He told me that he was advised by a former J&K Governor BK Nehru. I don't feel that need now."

NDA or UPA?

Ruling out the possibility of his party's return to NDA, Abdullah said, "We were part of NDA because of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. We don't see anybody in the BJP coming even close to him. National Conference will not go back to NDA."

Asked what advise he would like to extend to Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Abdullah said, "We certainly talk politics among us. But I am not among his advisors. But if I have to, my advice to him would be to not back off after that one interview with one TV channel."

On Narendra Modi wave

Asked if he saw any Narendra Modi 'wave' in the country, the J&K CM said, "I think we are overusing the term 'wave'. There is an effect. We saw it ourselves during his rally in Jammu. His rally there drew more crowds than we had expected."

Abdullah said, "That effect has invigorated his party cadre. But that is not a wave. A wave is something what former PM Rajiv Gandhi had in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi's assassination in 1984."

AFSPA has to go

On the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act, the J&K CM said that a legal cover should not misused as impunity.

While maintaining that the Armed Forces would definitely need a legal cover, he said the draconian part of the law has to go.

On relationship with Pakistan, he said, "I don't think India's ties with Pakistan is centered on Kashmir. It's the other way round. From our point of view, there are a host of other issues that need to be resolved other than Kashmir."

Abdullah said he would like to do more in terms of tourism, job creation, to ensure the return of Kashmiri Pandits and that more progress is made on (removal of) AFSPA, if he is re-elected. The Assembly elections in J&K are due towards the end of this year.

On the issue of ensuring that Kashmiri Pandits are back in the Valley, he said, "We have brought back 2,000 Kashmir Pandits. They are working in different sectors and living within the Valley. Though it is a very small number, but it is a beginning. We hope to do more on this front."

Maulana Mehmood Madani defends Modi over refusal to wear a skull cap

(DailyMail)

After drawing flak from many sections over his refusal to wear a skull cap, the BJP's PM candidate Narendra Modi finally has someone from the Muslim community on his side.
Muslim cleric Maulana Mehmood Madani said that Modi should not wear the cap for symbolic purposes, as many politicians have been using the symbolic act to make a fool of Muslims.
"If you ask me to put a tilak, I won't agree…not at all. And that doesn't make me a bad person. I can be bad on accounts my action only. It has been our bad experience that symbolic acts have been done but real problems have not been solved.

"I don't find not wearing skull cap as bad. I say that those who wear the cap fool Muslims. I want to tell them with folded hands not to make a fool of us. He should not wear the skull cap. Nobody should. It is only a symbolic thing and I don't want symbolism. I want work," Madani said at Aaj Tak's Seedhi Baat programme.
Describing riots as national issues, Madani said that looking at loss from the prism of communities is unfortunate.
"If he (Modi) is guilty then he should be punished," he said.
Madani said: "We have doubts on his abilities. If people make him the PM even after opposition then responsibility will be on him to treat everyone as equal. He would see everyone as equal and won't destroy the country on the basis of religion and caste," he said.
Madani maintained that people have an image of Modi not being secular.

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"There is a view about him that he is not secular. It may be wrong but that is the view and I also agree with the view. The identity attached to him is that of destruction. If he talks about development and succeeds in implementing then he will be worthy of praise. It is good that he is appearing secular and not saying a single communal word but that is the strength of this country. Khuda kare ki dil badal gaya ho. It will be a good thing," he said.
Madani said that the idea of India is strong and no matter who comes to power and who goes out, nobody can break India as majority of Indians are secular.
"Whether he becomes PM or not will be decided after elections but if attempts are being made to create a fear perception then it is not right. I don't agree that there is a fear perception. People may be trying to do so but this country is powerful and it has the strength of non-violence. It has brotherhood and large heartedness," he said.
Reacting to Bharatiya Janata Party leader Giriraj Singh's statement that critics of Modi should go to Pakistan, Madani said that Singh is best suited for Pakistan and Afghanistan.
"He should be sent to Pakistan. India will not accept such leaders," he said.
Madani also made light of the comments by Samajwadi Party leader Azam Singh and said that there can be a good side to it.
"There is a conspiracy under which Muslims are being disconnected with the land by enemies from inside and outside. There can be a good side to that comment. If anyone looks at our country with bad eyes Muslims will remove the eyes," he said.

Arun Jaitley's Appreciated Robert Vadra For Getting Space in WSJ

(ZeeNews)

New Delhi: BJP leader Arun Jaitley Saturday attacked Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra for his rise in the real estate business.

Taking a swipe at Vadra in his blog, Jaitley wrote: "Congratulations to Robert Vadra. He has made it to the Wall Street Journal. The Vadra business model requires the research paper to be prepared by a key business analyst."

He was referring to a write-up in The Wall Street Journal which raised questions of his meteoric rise in the real estate sector.

"Start a business without any investment. Investment will flow as loans and advances which is a synonym for political equity.



"Use these loans to buy property at fraction of the market cost. Many people are willing to sell property for an inadequate consideration, accumulate a land and a property bank with the patronage of the state," it added.

"Sell off some properties and repay back the original loan. The rest is all yours with no liabilities. So far this business model has raised only eyebrows. It is time it raises serious questions. That is what the Wall Street Journal has done," he said.

Arun Jaitley's Appreciated Robert Vadra For Getting Space in WSJ

(ZeeNews)

New Delhi: BJP leader Arun Jaitley Saturday attacked Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra for his rise in the real estate business.

Taking a swipe at Vadra in his blog, Jaitley wrote: "Congratulations to Robert Vadra. He has made it to the Wall Street Journal. The Vadra business model requires the research paper to be prepared by a key business analyst."

He was referring to a write-up in The Wall Street Journal which raised questions of his meteoric rise in the real estate sector.

"Start a business without any investment. Investment will flow as loans and advances which is a synonym for political equity.



"Use these loans to buy property at fraction of the market cost. Many people are willing to sell property for an inadequate consideration, accumulate a land and a property bank with the patronage of the state," it added.

"Sell off some properties and repay back the original loan. The rest is all yours with no liabilities. So far this business model has raised only eyebrows. It is time it raises serious questions. That is what the Wall Street Journal has done," he said.

Record Polling in UP's Muslim Areas may Spell Trouble for BJP

(NewIndianExpress)




As 11 Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh went to the polls registering a 63 percent turnout on Thursday, record voting in the Muslim-dominated Rohailkhand region could spell doom for the BJP’s dream of winning maximum seats.

Polling in the second phase saw a drop by three percent from the first phase but was high when compared to the 2009 turnout. The record polling was, however, marred by the self-immolation of a youth whose name was not in the voters’ list, and a few stray incidents of violence. If the Hindu-Muslim divide sparked off by the 2013 riots could explain the high turnout in western parts of the state, Rohailkhand didn’t have any such tense atmosphere despite the attempts by BJP leader Amit Shah and SP leader Mohammad Azam Khan to whip up communal sentiments. The Election Commission has barred both leaders from campaigning in the state.

In the 2009 elections, the SP was leading in the region with four seats. The Congress got three seats while the BSP got two seats. The RLD and BJP got one seat each.

The BJP is worried that Muslim votes might be polarised in favour of one party -- the SP, Congress or the BSP.

Rohailkhand is the region where the SP had won maximum seats in the 2012 Assembly elections and if it is able to retain the support of the Muslims who feel disenchanted with the party since the Muzaffarnagar communal riots, the Congress will not be able to hold its three seats and the BSP will also not be well placed.

Rohailkhand witnessed a multi-cornered fight among the BJP, Congress, SP, BSP and the RLD, unlike in the first phase of polls where the main fight was among the BJP, RLD and the BSP  while the SP didn’t have a solid support base here. And Maneka Gandhi (Pilibhit), SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadavs’ brother Dharmendra Yadav (Badaun) are among those whose fate was sealed in the second phase.

Rahul Toffee and Balloon Cartoons Has Flooded The Internet

Rahul Toffee Cartoon

Har Haath Gubbara-Har Haath Toffee

http://www.newsbharati.com/

Cartoon-Rahul-Arnab Interview

'Toffee', 'balloon' have caught Rahul's fancy, smirks Narendra Modi

(NDTV)

Hazaribagh: Hitting back at Rahul Gandhi for dubbing Gujarat development model as a 'toffee model', Narendra Modi today compared the Congress Vice President with children and said the word 'toffee' has caught his fancy after he repeatedly spoke about 'balloon'.

Addressing a rally here, Mr Modi said he thought serious issues would be discussed in this election and the galaxy of BJP leaders including L K Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Yashwant Sinha, Arun Jaitley and Murli Manohar Joshi were speaking on various subjects.

"But on the other side, there is a player whose mind doesn't move away from childishness. Such an important election about the country's future but for ten days, a word that gripped him was 'balloon'. For ten days he kept repeating it. However, children don't stick to a toy for too long and now he has caught the word 'toffee'.

"Now you tell me what to do. I am not of an age where I can play with balloons," Mr Modi said in a clear dig at Rahul Gandhi who yesterday dubbed the Gujarat model of development as 'toffee' model contending that land was given to few industrialists at throwaway prices.

He said it was for the people to decide whether or not they wanted those who play with balloons and crave for toffees.

The BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate said that as a child who sold tea, he had not got toffees but had his sights set on trophies.

On the contents in the book 'The Accidental Prime Minister' authored by former media adviser to the PM Sanjaya Baru, Mr Modi said, "The reaction of the daughter of the prime minister that trust should not have been broken itself speaks the truth because she did not deny the contents of the book." ('Huge violation of trust': PM's daughter on Sanjaya Baru's book)

Referring to the underground fire in the coal belt for decades, Mr Modi claimed that the country was losing energy because of non-utilisation of advanced technology to control it.

Priyanka Gandhi drinks too much alcohol and has a bad name, says Subramanian Swamy

(Mid-Day)

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has ridiculed Priyanka Gandhi's chances against Narendra Modi even if she had contested the elections from Varanasi, alleging that she was " an alcoholic" and had a bad reputation  

New Delhi: Commenting on reports of Congress President Sonia Gandhi's daughter Priyanka Gandhi's willingness to contest elections from Varanasi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Monday said that Gandhi would have been thrashed if she had done so as she drinks too much alcohol and has a bad name.
"They saved her. She would have got a thrashing. She is very unpopular, she drinks too much alcohol and she has a bad name, her husband has a bad name," said Swamy.
Priyanka Gandhi and her husband Robert Vadra
Priyanka Gandhi and her husband Robert Vadra. Pic/AFP
On Sunday, Swamy had called Gandhi an ungrateful daughter for going to see the prisoners in jail who assassinated her own father. He also said that it was Priyanka and not Varun Gandhi who has gone astray and had added that the former and her party were not able to digest the latter’s success.
On Saturday, while accompanying Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi at Amethi while filing nomination papers, Priyanka had said that Varun Gandhi has chosen a wrong path and needed to be led in the right direction.
Later, the BJP said it wished Priyanka Gandhi had contested against Modi as the country needed the "myth" around her to be "exploded" and slammed Congress as just "a crowd around a family" which sees no other option but her after Rahul Gandhi did not click.
BJP leader Arun Jaitley said the situation was akin to what happened in 1977 polls as the family charisma has faded away and economic populism did not work.
"But a party which is merely a crowd around a family probably felt that the current leader in the family has not clicked. The real solution to the problem is to make Congress a more structured party.
"The Congress party solution is, if one incumbent in the family fails, the alternative can only be another member of the family...I had almost predicted this. I only wish that the desperate solution of Varanasi had been actually implemented. The country now needs the myth of the other family member also to be exploded," Jaitley said in an article.
His remarks came even as the Gandhi scion denied having any intentions of contesting elections, trashing reports that she wanted to challenge Modi for the Lok Sabha seat from Varanasi and was stopped by the party high command.
She said it is a "personal" decision not to contest and that her family would "wholeheartedly support" her if she ever wanted to.
- See more at: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/priyanka-gandhi-is-an-alcoholic-claims-subramanian-swamy/15229056#sthash.IkMgJzXr.dpuf

Modi ‘wave’ at India TV Studio, Editorial Director resigns in protest

(TwoCircles)

New Delhi: Qamar Waheed Naqvi, Editorial Director of India TV has resigned in, purportedly in protest of a “staged interview,” with the BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in Rajat Sharma’s famous programme “Aap Ki Adalat.”

Naqvi had joined IndiaTV recently after his long stint with the AajTak, where he had earned the respect for being enigmatic, behind-the-scenes father figure over the years.

IndiaTV’s interview of the Gujarat CM has become the butt of joke on social media after his epic ‘interview’ with Madhu Kishwar’s on NewsX.

The interview was sort of ‘hero-worshipping,’ and was conducted amidst chant of ‘Modi-Modi’ and ‘Bharat Maata Ki Jai.’ Although reference to the 2002 riots were made in passing, as also his tall claims on development, but not on one issue was cross-questioned. He was simply allowed to have his ways.

Rajat Sharma asked him about a tweet of Omar Abdullah where he had said that Modi accepts turban and other head-gears in other states, but not when a Muslim clergy offers him a cap. In reply among chants of ‘Bharat Mata’ and ‘Modi-Modi,’ Gujarat CM turned philosophic and said that he respects all religions and cultures although follows his own alone and that he does not believe in the politics of symbolism, but wants to see “Quran in one hand and Computer in other” of Muslim students.

Sharma did not even bother to ask him why the same parameters were not applied when accepting turbans or other similar head-gears in Punjab, Assam, Manipur, etc. Or does Mr Modi think that Muslim cap is ‘foreign’ unlike other ‘native’ traditions.

In fact while introducing Modi and giving his background, the celebratory ‘background’ talks how he started as a tea-vendor and rose on to power and how he is attacked by top politicians in opposition, but had no reference to the 2002 Gujarat riot.

The ceremonial ending of programme where 'people's judge,' author and academician Pushpesh Pant, passes his judgment was even problematic, when he talks about the 'clean chit' given to him by various courts and SIT, as the interview was not at all focused on the subject. He went on to suggest to Modi that “people will question him for next five years and beyond” for his work as prime minister. He has already accepted that Modi is going to be the PM.

How can Rahul be disturbed by Modi's marriage when many Cong men have 'illicit relationships'? Jaitley says

(TOI)

AMRITSAR: Accusing Rahul Gandhi of breaching the unstated code of Indian politics by making Narendra Modi's marriage a political issue, Arun Jaitley on Saturday launched a no holds barred counter-attack, saying how can Gandhi be disturbed by a disclosure of a "legitimate" relationship when "many" of his partymen have "illicit" relationships.

"Indian politics has an unstated code of conduct. Ordinarily, we don't drag families and ladies into controversy. Rahul Gandhi is guilty of breaching that code.

The BJP leader also apparently took a personal jibe at Gandhi, saying he must remember that the disturbed matrimonial relationship of a former Prime Minister was never a political issue and and added that Gandhi had shown his "immaturity and desperation" by raking up the issue of Modi's marriage.

"He must remember that the disturbed matrimonial relationship of a former Indian Prime Minister was never a political issue.

"Devoid of serious political issues and understanding of those issues, Rahul Gandhi has reflected his immaturity and desperation by making the 'Modi marriage' as a political issue," Jaitley said in an article.

"How many current senior Congressmen are in illicit relationships and yet have paraded their wives only for photo opportunities during nominations. Surely if people have a right to know about the "legal" relationship of Modi, they also have a right to know about the illicit relationships of Congressmen. The latter is more relevant for people's right to know about the ethics of their candidates," he said.

Coming out in support of Narendra Modi for making a "truthful" disclosure, he asked since when has declaration of a lawful relationship, whether acted upon or not, become a political issue?

Jaitley later said, "There are many people who are in illicit relationship in politics in Rahul Gandhi's party.... Has he asked them to make a disclosure of their relationships. So if he is not doing all that, how is he disturbed that Modi has made a disclosure of a legitimate relationship. People then also have a right to know about the illicit relationships."

Jaitley questioned why Rahul Gandhi has not been able to click as a leader acceptable to the country and said all Congressmen must reflect upon this.

"Rahul's communication skills are at best modest. Let alone the average common citizen, his ability to inspire even the Congress cadre is questionable. His understanding of economy is a suspect. But latest desperation that he has displayed makes one wonder whether his level of discourse can at all be prime ministerial," he said.

The BJP leader lauded Modi for his disclosures on his marriage saying this fact is sufficiently in public domain that Narendra Modi and his "wife" were made to solemnise a marriage as young children and they never lived together.

"Modi dedicated himself to spiritual and political activities. The lady lived with her parents, and worked as school teacher. By all accounts, the comments of lady have been extremely dignified," he said.

Jaitley said the requirement of filing an affidavit with the nomination form was directed by the Supreme Court as a part of the voter's right to know facts even about the private lives of their candidates.

"Since the marriage was never acted upon in accordance with the requirements of the then law, Narendra Modi was earlier leaving the column regarding the name and assets of his spouse blank," he said.

Amit Shah set for bigger role if BJP wins

(The Hindu)

He is dubbed a modern-day Chanakya and master strategist

If the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is a one-man army leading his party’s in-your-face, aggressive and expensive blitzkrieg for the 2014 general election, his most trusted lieutenant Amit Shah finds himself battling two FIRs and Election Commission notice for his alleged hate speech in western Uttar Pradesh.

Is there a method in the madness of wily Shah? Senior party leaders see it as a well-crafted poll strategy. While Mr. Modi would seek votes on the plank of development, security and good governance, Amit Shah would keep the hardline Hindutva plank alive by invoking epithets like Hindu pride, injustice and revenge.

The shrewd political strategist that he is, Mr. Shah knows that his hard-line rhetoric would help BJP consolidate its vote in an already surcharged election season in the State. The former Gujarat Home Minister has deliberately been handpicked by Mr. Modi to tailor the party’s electoral strategy in a State which accounts for 80 seats in the Lok Sabha. Uttar Pradesh is key to Mr. Modi’s mission of 272 plus seats to put a BJP-led NDA government in the saddle after May 16.

Dubbed a modern-day Chanakya and master strategist, Mr. Shah’s rapidly growing influence and stature in the party has catapulted him to the top echelons of the party. His influence can be gauged by the fact that the party’s top brass sprung into action to defend him within hours of the two FIRs being registered against him and a reply to the notice was also quickly sent to the Election Commission. A low-profile Gujarat State leader of the party in 1997, Mr. Shah won an Assembly by-election against all odds and kept away from limelight.

“He has been a humble, soft-spoken person who has firmly kept his feet on the ground. Though he is not a good orator, he is a good organiser and does not get drawn into power-play,” a party functionary said in Ahmedabad. He was handpicked by Mr. Modi who started imparting the skills of micro-management of political and electoral affairs. Party insiders say that Mr. Shah quietly worked in the cooperative sector in Gujarat and began establishing the BJP’s presence there. His arrest in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case resulted in temporary halt to his political career but relief came in the form of bail from the Supreme Court though with some riders.

His guru Narendra Bhai’s brilliant “event management” and organisational skills were acknowledged by the BJP patriarch L. K. Advani himself last week at the time of his filing his nomination papers from Gandhinagar. Mr. Modi groomed his protégé on the same lines and stationed him in U.P. last year, recognising that the road from Ahmedabad’s “Dilli Darwaza” to the national Capital’s “Dilli Durbar” passes through Lucknow.

Party leaders point out that some of the hard and controversial decisions in U.P. were taken by the BJP top brass on the basis of Mr. Shah’s key inputs — be it shifting of party veteran Murli Manohar Joshi from Varanasi to Kanpur, making Lalji Tandon vacate his Lucknow seat for party chief Rajnath Singh and sending Kalraj Mishra to Deoria in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Charting out Mr. Modi’s meetings and rallies in U.P. to working out booth-level strategy in the State, it was Mr. Shah who decided to take up the issue of Mr. Modi’s flight delay in Delhi and Bareilly with the Election Commission. Party leaders say that his electoral management skills were in full play in the past two Gujarat Assembly elections.

He was also campaign in-charge of Mr. Advani’s Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency in 2009.