Jayanthi Natarajan's Letter to Sonia Gandhi

Jayanti Natarajan Says She Was Remote Controlled By Rahul

Hon’ble Smt. Sonia Gandhi,

President, Indian National Congress

November 5, 2014

Madam, I write to you with a very heavy heart. Over the last 11 months, I have suffered the most excruciating mental agony, and have been continuously attacked, wrongly vilified and defamed in the media, and exposed to every possible humiliation in public life. As I write today, more than 30 years of my loyal, faithful, and dedicated service to our party stand destroyed and in shambles around me. My entire career is ruined, and above all, the sacred and venerable legacy of my family, which served our nation and party with immense distinction, and patriotism stands in danger of being tarnished. As you are aware, I am a fourth generation Congress worker.

Three generations before me, fought for the independence of our country from the British, and spent many long years in jail, along with other stalwarts of the freedom movement. After independence, my family served the country and the Congress party with great dedication, and my grandfather who was the last Congress Chief Minister of the State, my aunt who was a selfless social worker, have etched the name of my family in the annals of our history as patriots and nationalists.

I myself have served the Congress party from 1984, have been a four time MP, and a former Minister of State, without a single blemish on my reputation, in terms of integrity in public life, and my loyalty to my party and my country. Thirty years later, for no fault of mine, I find that my own small work, and the glorious legacy of my family stand ruined. I am still unable to understand what I have done wrong, or what crime I have committed to have been treated like this in the party I have faithfully served so long. I want to categorically state that I have always been a loyal, sincere dedicated party worker, implicitly obeying the orders of my leaders. I have always carried out any task assigned to me with sincerity and dedication, and have never been guilty of any wrongdoing of any kind, in my public and personal life.

In these circumstances, the disaster which happened to me on the December 20, 2013, was a thunderbolt, which hit me from the blue and destroyed my life. Until now, I have been unable to understand what was wrongdoing was committed by me to suddenly receive what was virtually a sentence of death.

I want to place on record, that from December 20, 2013, until now, I have still not been told by you, why I was asked to resign from the Council of Ministers, nor have I ever been asked or given an opportunity to explain, if indeed I had committed any wrongdoing. On the other hand, the then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh wrote a letter to me, accepting my resignation, in which he praised the excellent work I had done as Minister, and what he termed my valuable contribution as Minister.

In these circumstances, it was clearly not the Prime Minister nor my work in Government, which led to my ouster as Minister. Thus it still baffles me, why I was humiliated so brutally.

To recall the sequence of events, I would like to record, that I was carrying out my duties as Minister of State (I/C) Environment and Forests in the routine course, when suddenly that day on December 20, 2013, the then PM, Dr. Manmohan Singh summoned me to his office. When I entered he stood up from his chair, looking tense and grim, and uttered these exact words. He said “Jayanthi, I have been told by Congress President, that your services are required for party work.” I was puzzled, and I said, “Yes Sir. So what should I do?” He replied, “She wants you to resign.” I was shocked and said, “Resign Sir? But when?” He replied “Today.” I once again asked him if this was what the Congress president wished. He answered in the affirmative. Unsuspecting, and trusting you totally, I did not utter a single word, but smiled at him and said I would comply with the wishes of the Congress President.

I was so guile free, that I honestly believed that you wanted me to work for the party, and that it was an honour to be so chosen. I did not for a second at that time, imagine the consequences of resigning just 100 days before the elections were due, and what would lie in store for me in the future. I trusted you with my life, and even more importantly, with my reputation, my career and the legacy of my family.

Thereafter, I asked for time to meet you. However, I was told that I could talk to you on the telephone. During our conversation I repeated what the Prime Minister told me, and you reiterated that I should resign and do Party work. Within half an hour of meeting the then Prime Minister, I sent in my letter of resignation, stating that I would like to resign from the office of Minister, due to my desire to devote myself to party work, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. As mentioned earlier, Dr. Singh immediately accepted my resignation, and in that letter profusely lauded my contribution to the government.

The next day my resignation was headlines in the media, and all the initial reports correctly reported that I had stepped down for party work. By the afternoon, to my shock, I received information that persons from the office of Shri Rahul Gandhi were calling the media and planting stories that my resignation was NOT for party work.

My sources were impeccable, and I felt unease. Thereafter, the media was flooded with negative stories about me. The same day, namely, the day after I resigned, Shri Rahul Gandhi addressed a FICCI meeting of industrialists, where he made uncomplimentary references to delays in environmental clearances, and the adverse effects upon the economy, and assured the corporate world, that the party and government would henceforth ensure that there would be no delays, and bottlenecks for industry. After being alerted by the media, I saw the entire speech on YouTube. It was then that some in the media questioned me if I had been asked to resign immediately, to enable Shri Rahul Gandhi to address FICCI and the corporate world with the news of my resignation in the background.

An assurance was sought to be given to the corporate world that they need no longer worry about environmental clearance delays and that bottlenecks would be removed, although throughout my very brief tenure, I strictly followed the laws and rules and tried to protect the environment, in keeping with the legacy of Smt. Indira Gandhi and Shri Rajiv Gandhi, who first brought in the Environment Protection Act. Since I had only followed this line of our party, I could not understand why I had been asked to resign within half an hour on the previous day, especially since I had never been told of any issues prior to December 20, 2013. Some analysts speculated that I might be projected as the focal point for the perceived failure of the economy at that time.

What followed was a hysterical vicious false and motivated campaign against me, in the media, orchestrated entirely by particular chosen individuals in the party. There was not a single word of truth in what was said, nor was there a single concrete fact.

I was never a bottleneck, nor was I ever responsible for unwarranted delays in major projects, and I can prove this at any time. I was shattered by the attack upon me, and bewildered. I wrote a passionate message to Shri Rahul Gandhi, about my removal as Minister, and his speech, at FICCI, and asked him what wrongdoing I had committed to warrant this treatment. I said, that I should have been asked for an explanation, IF I had done anything wrong, as even a murderer has his say in court, and here I don’t even know what, if any wrong doing was committed by me. I told him that my family legacy and my name would be forever ruined, and all I had done was my duty. I asked him to tell me, what wrong I had committed. I asked for time to meet him. He replied that he was “running a little busy” at that time, but that he would meet me a little later.

Despite several requests, that day never came. Not till this minute. I took a break of 10 days, and went to my sister’s home to recover.

When I returned, in the first week of January 2014, I was given an appointment to meet you. During our meeting, I explained my agony to you, over the attack which had been unleashed upon me and asked what I had done wrong. You replied that the elections were coming up and I was required for party work. I told you that the media was keen I should speak to them in view of the huge speculation over my resignation, but you specifically told me not to meet the media. From that day until now, I have honoured that word. But from that day until now, I have neither been given party work, nor have I been given an opportunity to meet you, despite several requests.

In fact, later in January, I was again shocked and distressed to receive a telephone call from Ajay Maken, Head of Congress Media cell. He informed me, that my name was being removed from the list of party spokespersons, that the decision was taken “at the highest level” and other work would be assigned to me. I have served as party spokesperson for over 10 long years during very difficult times. I have defended the party day and night, 24 hours a day despite huge domestic problems, including my mother suffering from a brain tumour, and ultimately dying after suffering for 3 long years, during which I not only served as her principal caregiver, but also constantly travelled to Delhi to serve as party spokesperson, without even being a MP.

My sacrifices, more importantly the sacrifices made by my family, my parents, and husband, were all for the cause of the Congress party. I was given an opportunity to serve as Minister for just over two years, but served the party day and night, for the last 30 odd years. Throughout, there has never been a blemish upon my reputation.

In fact apart from hundreds of others, Dr. Manmohan Singh and you have several times praised me for my work as spokesperson for the party. I only mentioned this to point out my track record was perfect, and in ten long years I have not made even one mistake as spokesperson. It was therefore clearly a deliberate decision to remove me from the list of spokespersons, and for reasons which are still unknown to me.

I also feel that I have been pressurised and used to lead issues which I considered wrong. An instance: While I was still a Minister, an important matter which has caused me great agitation is the fact that I was called upon to attack the present Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on what is referred to in the media as ‘Snoopgate.’

Despite the fact that I initially refused, because I thought that the party should attack Shri Modi on policy and governance and not drag an unknown woman into a controversy, Shri Ajay Maken telephoned me on November 16, 2013, while I was on tour and asked me to come to Delhi immediately to address a press conference on the issue. I expressed my disinclination to do this, and refused the assignment, mentioning that I was a Minister at that time, and this should not be taken as the point of view of Government. I suggested perhaps an Official Spokesperson should do the Press Conference, if so desired. Shri Maken told me once again, that this was a decision taken at “the highest level” and that I had no choice in the matter. After the press conference throughout the controversy which followed I was told by Shri Maken to fiercely attack Shri Modi, on TV channels and during debates, although I was otherwise never fielded in the media after appointment as Minister.

During my tenure as Minister, it was the clear and specific policy of the party, to take all steps to protect the environment, and carry forward the legacy of Smt. Indira Gandhi and Shri Rajiv Gandhi, to preserve the environment, and keep a balance between environment and industry. As Chairperson NAC, you have written several letters to me regarding projects in the Environment Ministry, and protection of tribal rights, and I have always kept you briefed that due care was being taken by me to protect the environment. I received specific requests [which used to be directives for us] from Shri Rahul Gandhi and his office forwarding environmental concerns in some important areas and I took care to honour those “requests.” Shri Rahul Gandhi went in person to Niyamgiri Hills in Odisha, and publicly declared to the Dongria Kondh tribals that he would be their “sipahi” and would not allow their interests to suffer at the hands of mining giant Vedanta. His views in the matter were conveyed to me by his office, and I took great care to ensure that the interests of the tribals were protected and rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta despite tremendous pressure from my colleagues in cabinet, and huge criticism from industry for what was described as “stalling” a Rs. 30,000 crore investment from Vedanta.

Fortunately, my decision was upheld by the Supreme Court. The same happened in the case of the Adani projects, where I faced tremendous criticism from within the cabinet and outside, for stalling investment at a time when the country was going through a difficult time in terms of the economy. The complaints of the local fisherfolk and NGOs of environmental violations in the Adani case were forwarded to me by Shri Rahul Gandhi’s office, and I was told to liaise with Shri Dipak Babaria in the matter. Occasionally, I apprised Shri Rahul Gandhi of steps I had taken, and he responded positively. In fact you have yourself conveyed your concern in this regard in letters written to me. In several cases including the stalled GVK power project regarding the Dhari Devi temple in Himachal Pradesh, the Lavasa project in Maharashtra, the Nirma cement plant in Gujarat and in several other cases I was given specific input, to make my decision. Apart from this Shri Pulok Chatterji, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister was in constant touch with me, and officers of the Ministry in guiding the decisions to be taken by the Ministry at that time.

So in my decision making I have factored in the party line despite all criticisms against me and therefore several decisions of mine were expressly overruled by the Prime Minister.

My object in pointing out the above to you is to bring to your notice that, in several cases the party high command had very strong views regarding environmental violations. This was the reason that I repeatedly challenged my colleagues in cabinet, thus bringing down upon my own head the anger and wrath of the entire cabinet, and also the entire corporate world. Still, I soldiered on doing my duty. This is the reason why I am so stunned and shocked that in the end, I was removed as Minister just 100 days before elections although I had committed no wrong doing, and none was pointed out to me, in fact the then Prime Minister praised my work, while accepting my resignation. Thereafter, although I repeatedly sought clarification, as to what wrong doing I was guilty of to have been so brutally humiliated, and further humiliated by being removed as Spokesperson, no answer was given to me. Despite my repeated attempts to meet Shri Rahul Gandhi and you, no appointment was given to me. Dr. Manmohan Singh, and you, both assured me at the time of making me resign that my services were required for party work. No other explanation has been given to me till date.

After my removal as Minister, there was widespread news coverage in the Kerala media that my removal was because I had notified the order on protection of the Western Ghats, the Kasturirangan Committee report, on December 19, 2013, (just one day before my removal) which had been bitterly opposed some sections of society in Kerala, who felt that this order would adversely affect their economic interests, and had expressed their opposition to the Prime Minister and to you. Nevertheless, in the interest of protecting the environment, and pursuant to orders of court, I took that important decision.

My successor Shri Moily, put my orders on hold. A few days before I was removed as Minister, I needed to review the Adani file for some legal issues. When I sent for the file, I was told that it was “missing.” After considerable search, my officials “found” it, apparently in the washroom of the computer section, the very day on which I had been asking to resign. Clearly some officials in my then Ministry did not want to send that file back to me, for unknown reasons.

Surely you were aware that removing a Minister just one hundred days before Lok Sabha elections without any wrongdoing being even alleged against her, and on the contrary, the Prime Minister lauding my work in writing, would have devastating effects upon me, my career, everything I have worked for over 30 years, and above all the patriotic legacy of my family?

Yet this was done to me. I am a mere cog in the wheel, a helpless loyal Congress worker. Just as could be predicted, my reputation, my career and my life now lie in shreds around me. And I have committed no wrong.

Significantly, if indeed I had been guilty of wrongdoing, I would have been happy to have been given a chance to defend myself, and I would have emerged pure and transparent and victorious.

This opportunity was not given to me, I was simply told I was required for party work, but not used for it also making me feel that that was a euphemism to get me to resign.

Over the last 11 months I have undergone untold mental and physical agony, as a result of this incident. I have major health issues due to my tension and humiliation over the treatment meted out to me, and my future looks bleak. More importantly, I need to save the legacy of my family or children and my future generations will not forgive me.

You may wonder why I write to you now, which I have decided to do after 4 months of prayer and contemplation. I wish to record that I tried several times to meet Shri Rahul Gandhi and you, but was not given an appointment. During our last meeting, and only meeting after my resignation, you instructed me to avoid the media. Until today I have followed your instructions. Just two days ago, Shri Vasan left the Congress and formed his own party. It was only on the day before Shri Vasan left, that I received my first ever communication from AICC in the form of a telephone call from Shri Motilal Vora, who wanted to know what my stand was regarding Shri Vasan, and what my future course of action would be.

Until Shri Vasan left, nobody even spoke to me. This was the reason that people began to speculate that I had become a scapegoat for the economic problems of the UPA government. However, whatever is said now, the damage to my reputation has been complete and devastating. And future generations of my family will not forgive me if I do not set the record straight. I have therefore chosen this time to write to you. I am doing it after four months of prayers and contemplation and coming to the conclusion that I need to write to you the truth which you know as much as I do.

While there is considerable churning going on in the party now, my own problems however are far deeper, and are both in relation to the party in general, and how I have been treated.

Madam, most respectfully, I request you to kindly let me know at least now, what wrongdoing I am alleged to have committed to be subject to such repeated humiliation. If indeed I am alleged to have done anything wrong, I do not understand the reason why this was not placed before me, and why I was not given an opportunity to defend myself for 11 long months. I am sure you will understand how important it is for me to protect my reputation and that of my family. Without a single word being said I have been humiliated for 11 months. I would be grateful if you would be so gracious as to at least understand my anguish.

– Jayanthi Natarajan

source:thehindu.com

Two terrorists held, police probe terror links

2 suspected terrorists involved in Burdwan blast held in Delhi-Noida border

Abdul Aziz

Rakatulla

Two terrorists have been nabbed in Noida. According to reports both the anti-nationals were held on December 19. While one of the terrorists is said to be a Bangladeshi national, another is from Uttar Pradesh.

In the wake of more more terrorists hiding in Delhi, NCR regions, the police are carrying out searches in Delhi, Noida.

The operation was executed jointly by Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal ATS teams and the IB. However, the West Bengal Police has taken the custody of the two terror suspects.
Two terrorists have been nabbed in Noida. One of the terrorist is said to be a Bangladeshi national.
NIA sources have said that more than 50 terror modules are operating from West Bengal.

The NIA had visited West Bengal in October and had given the list of terrorists. The arrested terrorists were being grilled by the RAW and the IB. During interrogation, their laptop has revealed a plot to bomb many cities in India. Meanwhile, the Home Ministry has ordered quick response teams be kept on standby.

More details are awaited.

The Iraq Crisis In 11 Photos

Iraq crisis - the great unravelling: US and Iran need to work together fast, as the barbarians are at the gate

ISIL (also known as ISIS) rapidly consolidated their wins, capturing many cities in northern Iraq. Shown here is their territory on June 16.

They claim to have executed 1700 Iraqi soldiers, but this has not been confirmed.

Soon after capturing Mosul, ISIL released graphic pictures showing them executing Iraqi soldiers.

The present crisis was sparked when ISIL attacked and rapidly took control of the Mosul in early June. Mosul is the second largest city in Iraq, and is predominantly Sunni.

ISIL imposes harsh laws on areas they control, including restrictions on women, association, speech, and a ban of alcohol and cigarettes. Their punishments include cutting off hands and beheadings. Fighters are shown here stomping on confiscated cigarettes.

Syria, where bloodthirsty al Qaeda offshoot the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) gained many of their men, resources and skills during the civil war. They formally declared themselves in April 2013, but have roots in al Qaeda in Iraq - and now they're back there in a big way

Pawan Kalyan terrific speech at Jana Sena party launch

Pawan Kalyan Terrific Speech at Jana Sena Party Launch

Pawan Kalyan terrific speech at Jana Sena music launch. This inspiring speech lasts for 2 hours. Pawan Kalyan has spoken with commitment, emotion and wit. a rare quality thats required for a revolutionary leader!

AAP-BJP Workers' Clash: Police Name Ashutosh in FIR

Gujarat police detained AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal for all of half-an-hour in Radhanpur town, halting his four-day tour of the state to expose Narendra Modi's claim of model state. It triggered massive AAP protests outside BJP offices and violent clashes between their cadres.

Actor Sivaji Emotional Speech on AP State Bifurcation

Watch Actor Sivaji express his views about bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. He questions the Government & the politicians

Bin Laden report raises awkward questions about Pakistan

Leaked Bin Laden report raises awkward questions about Pakistani security apparatus

 that Osama bin Laden wore a cowboy hat to evade detection from U.S. satellites while walking in his compound and that he narrowly escaped capture when his car was pulled over for speeding – the real force of the Abbottabad commission report is in its blunt critique of the Pakistani government and military establishment. The investigation, which was commissioned by the previous Pakistani government and completed more than six months ago, is scathing in its criticism of how the world’s most-wanted fugitive was able to evade detection for nine years in Pakistan. On Tuesday morning – just 12 hours after the leaked 337-page report was published online by Al Jazeera English – Pakistani news organizations and TV channels focused on allegations of ineptitude.

Ordinary Pakistanis, who have long-complained about incompetence within government and the military, will find the report by retired Pakistani judge Javed Iqbal unusually candid. “It’s breathtakingly depressing,” said Mosharraf Zaidi, political columnist and former foreign policy adviser to the foreign minister in the previous government.

“The report in and of itself is a great crystallization of all the things not working in Pakistan,” added Mr. Zaidi, referring to Pakistan’s intelligence gathering, the police and justice system and the absence of a coherent counter-terrorism strategy. The report talks about “collective failures” and “gross incompetence” of politicians and security agencies that allowed the Al Qaeda leader to live in Pakistan after escaping Afghanistan.

“How the entire neighbourhood, local officials, police and security and intelligence officials all missed the size, the strange shape, the barbed wire, the lack of cars and visitors…over a period of nearly six years beggars belief,” reads an excerpt of the report, referring to the Abbottabad compound where Bin Laden stayed before a U.S.-led operation resulted in his killing. The report also described the U.S. operation as an “act of war” and says the U.S. behaved like a “criminal thug.”

But, as the report continues, the country would have been spared the humiliation and embarrassment of the U.S.-led operation in Pakistan had government, police and military officers done their job.

“It is a glaring testimony to the collective incompetence and negligence, at the very least, of the security and intelligence community in the Abbottabad area,” read another section of the report. On Tuesday, there was no official reaction from the new civilian government, which took over last month. The Pakistan army was still formulating a response. A key question for Pakistan’s establishment will be who leaked the report – which had not yet been officially released.

Pakistani political parties, including the ruling party of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, are set to meet on Friday for an all-party gathering to reach a consensus on a counter-terrorism strategy. Political analyst Mosharraf Zaidi is skeptical that any meaningful reforms will emerge from the Abbottabad report. But he thinks the report will have a positive impact because it makes very plain to ordinary Pakistanis that, in fact, Osama bin Laden was in Pakistan for nine years and that a U.S.-led mission resulted in his death in Pakistan.

“This debunks a bunch of conspiracy theories about [Bin Laden],” said Mr. Zaidi. Here are some of the other memorable report details to have emerged from 200 sources and interviews, including surviving family members of the Bin Laden family: Concerned about U.S. satellite surveillance, Osama bin Laden wore a cowboy hat during walks in his compound.

A clean-shaven Bin Laden was a passenger in a car travelling in Swat Valley when police pulled over the car for speeding. One of Bin Laden’s aides was able to settle the matter and, once again, the fugitive escaped.
One of Bin Laden’s surviving wives told the commandant of the nearby Pakistan Military Academy – the country’s version West Point – who arrived at the compound after U.S. forces had left: “Now you come, when everything over!” The head of Pakistan army, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, who is set to retire later this year, ordered that the U.S. helicopters be shot down. But by then, the Blackhawk helicopters had already returned to Afghanistan.

While there are gaps in Bin Laden’s exact locations during his time in Pakistan, the report states that he lived in Pakistan’s tribal agencies, Peshawar, Swat, Haripur and finally Abbottabad – and that when he arrived in Swat, he was accompanied by a driver and an unidentified man “wearing police uniform.” The report also delivers a sharp criticism against the country’s intelligence agency – long believed by Western capitals to have been helping Bin Laden – stating that the Pakistani intelligence community should have been able to find and infiltrate Bin Laden’s network while he was in Pakistan. “Although the possibility of some degree of connivance inside or outside the government cannot be entirely discounted, no individual can be identified as guilty of connivance,” said the report.

Fodder scam: SC stays trial court from delivering verdict

In an interim relief to former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, the Supreme Court on Tuesday restrained a special CBI court in Jharkhand from pronouncing its verdict on July 15, in a fodder case involving the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief. A bench headed by Justice P. Sathasivam agreed to hear Mr. Yadav’s plea alleging that the special CBI judge P.K. Singh is biased against him as the judge is a relative of P.K. Shahi, the Education Minister in the Nitish Kumar government.

The bench said that the issue raised by Mr. Yadav “requires our examination whether the allegation is correct or not” and issued notice to CBI which is the prosecuting agency in the case. It said, “If CBI says there is no bias then we would dismiss the petition.” The bench granted two weeks time to CBI and the State of Jharkhand to respond on Mr. Yadav’s petition and posted the matter for hearing on July 23.

Senior advocate Ram Jethmalani, appearing for the RJD chief, said that there is apprehension of bias as the judge is related to a minister in the government of Nitish Kumar, “who is his (Yadav’s) biggest political enemy.” Mr. Yadav approached the apex court after the Jharkhand High Court, on July 1, dismissed his plea to transfer the case to another special CBI court from that of Special CBI Judge P.K. Singh. The case pertains to alleged fraudulent withdrawal of Rs. 37.7 crore from Chaibasa Treasury in the 1990s.

Rajnath Singh for external security threat

Rajnath Singh for comprehensive action plan to tackle internal, external security threat

Rajnath Singh, who was commenting on the multiple blasts in Bodh Gaya, said if the Centre had prior information about the threat to the temple provided by the security agencies then it has certainly failed to prevent a security lapse. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Rajnath Singh on Sunday lashed at the ruling Congress Party for not having any comprehensive plan to tackle internal and external security threat.comprehensive plan to tackle internal and external security threat.

Rajnath Singh, who was commenting on the multiple blasts in Bodh Gaya, said if the Centre had prior information about the threat to the temple provided by the security agencies then it has certainly failed to prevent a security lapse. "It's not just a question of internal security, but also a matter of external security crisis which is aggravating by each passing day in this country. To meet the crisis situation, the government needs a comprehensive action plan, but this government is yet to come up with something to tackle the situation," said Singh.

" Every day we hear news of a bomb blast or innocent people being killed in the country," he added. Eight serial explosions rocked the internationally renowned temple town of Bodhgaya, including four in the Mahabodhi Temple complex, injuring two monks in the blasts suspected to be engineered by some terrorist organisation.

While four blasts took place inside the Mahabodhi Temple complex, three occurred in Karmapa monastery, one each near the 80-ft Buddha statue and at the bus stand near bypass. The blasts took place between 5:30 to 5:58 am. An alert has been issued in the entire state with additional security forces being deployed at all religious places.

5 injured in multiple blasts at Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya

Five people including two tourists were injured in a serial blast near Mahabodhi temple complex at Bodh Gaya 110 km from Patna on Sunday morning.

According to Gaya police, the blasts took place in quick succession between 5.30 am and 6 am in the temple complex and near Mahabodhi tree.
Senior police officers, including DIG of Magadh range, have reached the world heritage site-Mahabodhi temple. Forenscic experts from Patna too have rushed. Mahabodhi temple had been on the hit list of the terrorists and IB had sent an alert last week. Two Tibetan pilgrims who have been injured are admitted in AM College at Gaya, police said. CRPF personnel and fire tenders have been rushed to the spot.

MP Finance Minister Raghavji Resign

MP finance minister Raghavji resigns over allegations of sodomy on domestic help

The 79-year-old minister submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who forwarded it to state Governor Ram Naresh Yadav for acceptance Madhya Pradesh Finance Minister Raghavji on Friday resigned from his post after an obscene CD purportedly featuring him surfaced and a police complaint by his servant alleging that he was being sexually exploited by the Minister. The 79-year-old minister submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who forwarded it to state Governor Ram Naresh Yadav for acceptance, official sources said.

Chouhan is learnt to have asked Raghavji to resign after an obscene CD purportedly featuring him surfaced and the minister's servant filed a police complaint yesterday against him alleging that he was being sexually exploited. Raghavji had set a record by presenting the state budget for 10 years in succession from 2004 to 2013. The sources said that Chouhan has asked Water Resources Minister Jayant Malaiyya to look after the finance portfolio.

Describing the incident as unfortunate, Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly Ajay Singh said that in politics "moral corruption" was a much worse thing than corruption.

JD-U terms Ishrat Jahan as 'Bihar's daughter'

The CBI, which filed a chargesheet in the case, contended that the encounter was a joint operation between Gujarat Police and Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau, SIB.

Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Ali Anwar on Friday termed Ishrat Jahan as 'Bihar's daughter' and pledged to get justice for her. "Ishrat Jahan was a daughter of Bihar and people from Bihar believe in fighting for truth. She will get justice; we will get it for her, " Anwar said.

"The CBI has agreed that it was a fake encounter. May it be Narendra Modi or Amit shah, public perception is the main thing , they may dodge law and escape but cannot fool people of the country. I personally believe that Narendra Modi and Amit shah were involved in this case," he added. According to reports, Ishrat Jahan's grandfather Wali Mohammad belonged to Khagaul area near Patna. Her father Mohammad Shamim had married Shamima Qausar of Jamalpur in Bihar. They later moved to Maharashtra.

The CBI, which filed a chargesheet in the case, contended that the encounter was a joint operation between Gujarat Police and Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau, SIB. The investigating agency further said that commitment of offences have been established against ADGP PP Pandey, suspended police officers DG Vanzara, GL Singhal, Tarun Barot, NK Amin, Anaju Chaudhary and JG Parmar.

The CBI also said that investigation is on against Special Director of the Intelligence Bureau Rajinder Kumar and four officers of the agency. According to the chargesheet, Ishrat Jahan was not a terrorist, but the three others killed along with her had alleged terror links. No political leader has been named in the CBI chargesheet. Ishrat Jahan, a 19-year-old college girl from Mumbai, was killed in an encounter along with three others on the outskirts of Ahmedabad in 2004.

Advani attends crucial BJP meet with Modi

Advani attends crucial BJP meet with Modi, opposes him over re-inducting Yeddyurappa

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders LK Advani and Narendra Modi on Thursday came face to face at a meeting of the party Parliamentary Board to strategise on the elections for Lok Sabha, in a significant interaction coming less than a month after the patriarch's revolt of Modi's elevation.
Just as dust settled over the controversy on Narendra Modi's elevation as the BJP's campaign panel chief, fresh differences have emerged between the Gujarat chief minister and party patriarch L.K. Advani. This time the issue is about the return of former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa into the party.

Sources told Headlines Today that Modi and his camp have been favour re-induction of Yeddyurappa since they feel his party's (KJP) 10 per cent vote share in Karnataka can swing the BJP's fortunes in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Sources said BJP's Karnataka in-charge Thawar Chand Gehlot is also in favour of Yeddyurappa's return to the party. Moreover, Modi also has the backing of Yeddyurappa's supporters.

However, the Advani camp is opposed to the tainted leader's return to the BJP. Party sources said Advani is strongly opposed to Yeddyurappa's return and would prefer a loss in the election to a tainted politics. According to sources, Advani feels Yeddyurappa's return would hurt its plank on corruption and that he wants to rebuild the party's Karnataka unit with fresh faces.

However, sources indicated that Modi was likely to call for Yeddyurappa's return despite Advani's veto. This is not the first face-off between Modi and Advani. The two locked horns over Sanjay Joshi's removal, then over the venue for Advani's Jan Swabhiman Yatra and the most recent one was the face-off over Modi's elevation to the top the post of BJP's poll panel chief.

Yeddyurappa had to resign as Karnataka chief minister in July 2011 after the Lokayukta report on illegal mining indicted him following which a spate of corruption and land de-notification cases were filed against him. Yeddyurappa quit the BJP in December 2012 and floated his Karnataka Janatha Paksha (KJP). The BJP was swept away by the anti-incumbency as the Congress secured 121 seats in assembly election earlier this year. Though the KJP secured only six seats, its 10 per cent vote share ensured the decimation of the BJP.

China general warns India

Don't provoke us, China general warns India

Ahead of Antony visit, PLA commander flays troop deployment Hours before defence minister AK Antony was to land in Beijing on Thursday, a Chinese General warned India against stirring up a “new trouble” in a long-running border dispute. Leading a high-level delegation, Antony left for a four-day official visit to China to discuss issues of defence co-operation between the two countries.

According to agency reports, Major General Luo Yuan, deputy-director general of the world military research department at a PLA academy, told reporters that increasing military deployment at the border will stir up new trouble. “The Indian side should not provoke new problems and increase the military deployment at the border areas and start new trouble,” General Luo said. Only last month, India cleared the army’s proposal worth Rs 81,000 crore to have a full-fledged Mountain Strike Corp for the eastern sector.

Raising of a dedicated Mountain Strike Corp will be finally cleared after a nod from the Cabinet Committee on security. Besides, the army is also seeking infrastructure at eastern border to upgrade swiftly to enable it to operate effectively in the difficult terrain along the over 4000 km boundary with China. Apart from Strike Corps, the army has also plans to raise two independent infantry brigade and two independent armoured brigade to counter Chinese offensive capabilities.

Apart from army, the navy is also strengthening its offensive capability all its nuclear submarine would be set for eastern sea bed. Indian navy is already patrolling south china sea to protect country’s interest. Agency reports quoted Luo as saying: “India is the only country in the world that says that it is developing its military power because of China’s military threat... So I believe that India should be very cautious in what it does and what it says.”

In the absence of clear demarcation of border and both sides having a difference of perception at the Line of Actual Control, incidents of incursions keep happening regularly. Issues are primarily tackled at military level by various exercises like banner drill and flag meetings at local commanders level.

Recently, there was a flare up in the Ladakh sector after the Chinese People Liberation Army entered 18 kilometres into India and set up a tented post in the Daulat Beig Oldie sector. A three-week stand-off ensued and was resolved after talks between local military leaders and a withdrawal of troops from both sides. Luo, however, played down the Chinese incursion, saying that “this issue is triggered by media and media sometime overstate the problem. “We hope both sides keep patience and cool mind to solve this problem,” he said.

Antony’s visit, on which he is accompanied by top military commanders, coincides with a trip to China by Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif. “There is still problem of 90,000 sq km of territory still occupied by the Indian side. These are the problems left over from history and we should look at it with cool head,” General Luo said while talking to foreign correspondents. — With agency inputs

CBI files chargesheet, says Ishrat Jahan encounter was 'fake'

The CBI has filed its first chargesheet in the Ishrat Jahan 'fake encounter' case on Wednesday in Gujarat high court. Ishrat Jahan and three others were killed by Gujarat police nine years ago. In its chargesheet, the agency accused cops DG Vanzara, Tarun Barot, JR Parmar, NK Amin accused of murder, conspiracy and destruction of evidence. The CBI also said that Ishrat Jahan was not a terrorist, but the three others killed along with her in a fake encounter on the outskirts of Ahmedabad nine years ago had alleged terror links, the CBI has concluded in its chargesheet filed before the court.

The CBI has said the three — Pranesh Pillai alias Javed Shaikh, Amjad Ali Rana and Zeeshan Johar — were allegedly planning attacks in Ahmedabad. It added Pranesh was using Ishrat, a Mumbai college student, as a shield to escape detection. The four were killed in cold blood "The three men were in touch with a Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba handler, Muzammil. The three were identified as terror suspects by the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau during telephone interceptions. They were planning to unleash terror attacks in Ahmedabad, but Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi was not their target," said a CBI official.

The Gujarat police crime branch had claimed the four had come to the state as part of the LeT's plan to kill Modi. CBI investigations have revealed that Ishrat and Pranesh were on their second visit to Gujarat when they were caught at Vasad in Vadodara. The CBI chargesheet includes statements of nine police officers, who were part of the staged encounter. The statements, recorded under section 164 of CrPC in a Mumbai court, prove sequence of events in the case.

A crime branch official has revealed in his statement that weapons planted on the four — an AK 47 and two 9 mm pistols — after the encounter were sourced from the IB office in Gujarat. CBI also has evidence to prove the involvement of IB joint director Rajinder Kumar in this case. A crime branch official has revealed that Kumar, along with Gujarat IPS officers DG Vanzara and PP Pandey, came to Arham Farm outside the city to question Rana.

At Kotarpur waterworks, where the encounter was staged, crime branch officers had fought with each other when a police inspector and a commando refused to fire at the four. Two of their colleagues then snatched their weapons and fired at them.

Bolivian president's plane forced to land in Austria over suspicions that Edward Snowden might be on board

Bolivia said President Evo Morales' plane was diverted on a flight from Russia and forced to land in Austria over suspicions that Edward Snowden might be on board, as several countries spurned the former U.S. spy agency contractor's asylum requests.

France and Portugal abruptly cancelled air permits for Morales' plane, forcing the unscheduled stopover in Vienna. There was no evidence that Snowden, wanted by Washington for espionage after divulging classified details of US phone and Internet surveillance, had left the transit area of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport.

An Austrian Foreign Ministry official said rumours that Snowden was on the plane were untrue. The diversion of Morale's plane on Tuesday was another strange turn in the 30-year-old American's cat-and-mouse game with the United States. Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca blamed it on "unfounded suspicions that Mr. Snowden was on the plane. "We don't know who invented this lie," Choquehuanca said.

"We want to express our displeasure because this has put the president's life at risk." Bolivia is among more than a dozen countries where Snowden has sought asylum and Morales, who was attending an energy conference in Russia this week, has said he would consider granting the American refuge if requested. Bolivian Defence Minister Ruben Saavedra said the U.S. State Department may have been behind the decisions to not allow Morales' plane to land in Portugal or fly over French air space.

However, he said later that France and Portugal had reconsidered and had agreed to allow Morales' plane to overfly both countries, but Italy and Spain had now refused to allow the plane to enter their air space. "Two countries have changed their positions, first France and now Portugal," said Saavedra. "We will patiently seek to resolve the negative position taken by Italy and Spain, according to international norms."

Snowden's options seem only to have narrowed since he arrived in Moscow from Hong Kong on June 23 with no valid travel documents, after the United States revoked his passport. U.S. President Barack Obama has warned that an offer of asylum from a country would carry serious costs. A prolonged stay in Russia seemed out of the question. A spokesman for President Vladimir Putin said Snowden had withdrawn his request for asylum after the Russian leader said he should stop "harming our American partners." Moscow is unwilling to send Snowden to the United States, a move that could make it look weak, and it has no extradition treaty with Washington.

But it also does not want to damage ties with the United States over a man for whom Putin, a former KGB spy, has little sympathy. Five countries have rejected granting Snowden asylum, seven have said they would consider a request if made on their soil, and eight said they had either not made a decision or not received a request.

Among the few countries that could still take him is Venezuela, part of an alliance of leftist governments in Latin America, which said it was time to stop berating a man who has "done something very important for humanity". "He deserves the world's protection," President Nicolas Maduro told Reuters during a visit to Moscow for a meeting of gas exporting countries. "He has a right to protection because the United States in its actions is persecuting him ... Why are they persecuting him? What has he done? Did he launch a missile and kill someone? Did he rig a bomb and kill someone? No. He is preventing war." Maduro said he would consider an asylum application.He later had talks with Putin but neither leader said whether they had discussed Snowden. However, Russian news agencies Interfax and RIA reported on Tuesday night that the Venezuelan president was leaving Moscow for Belarus without Snowden.

'MISTAKE'
The American's request for safety in Ecuador, which has sheltered the founder of anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks Julian Assange in its London embassy, no longer looks promising. Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa has said he could not consider an asylum request from Snowden unless he was on their territory. Correa has said giving Snowden a temporary travel pass to fly to Moscow from Hong Kong was "a mistake on our part". Norway said he was unlikely to get asylum there, Brazil ruled out even answering his request and Poland has said it would not give a "positive recommendation" to any application.

Finland, Spain, Ireland and Austria said he had to be in their countries to make a request, while India said "we see no reason" to accept his petition. France said it had not received a request and China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said she had no information on Snowden's asylum request. At a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Brunei, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said he had raised Snowden "from our point of view" despite the affair not being in their domain. "Russia has never extradited anyone, is not extraditing anyone and will not extradite anyone," Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters.

Officials in Russia said, however, that an embassy car would be considered foreign territory if another country picked him up and offered him asylum.

Maoist rebels kill five policemen in Jharkhand

 A group of more than 50 Maoist guerrillas ambushed a police patrol in eastern India on Tuesday, killing the district police chief and four others, officials said. The rebels opened fire on vehicles carrying police Superintendent Amarjeet Balihar in the Dumka district of Jharkhand, an impoverished and densely forested state home to a large Maoist movement. “Five policemen including police Superintendent Amarjeet Balihar were killed in the Maoist attack,” Rajeev Kumar, the director general of police, told AFP by phone from the state capital Ranchi. “Two persons are seriously injured,” he added.

More than 50 Maoists were involved in the attack on the police convoy which was returning from a security meeting nearby. Last month about 100 of the leftwing guerrillas opened fire on a passenger train in the adjacent state of Bihar, killing one police officer and two passengers. In May they killed 24 people including the top local leaders of the country’s governing Congress party during an ambush in the central state of Chhattisgarh.

The revolutionaries, described by the Indian government as the country’s most serious internal security threat, have waged a decades-long fierce battle across central and eastern states to overthrow local and national authorities. The rebels say they are fighting for the rights of the poor and landless farmers in India. 

Youth arrested for posting morphed picture of Sonia Gandhi on Facebook

Morphed picture of Sonia Gandhi posted on Facebook, case registered

Sehgal had filed the complaint yesterday and had also approached the police commissioner online on the matter. A youth, claiming to be a BJP activist, was today booked here for allegedly posting an objectionable picture of Congress President Sonia Gandhi on a social networking website. A case was registered here against Sandeep Bhalla under Section 66A of the Information Technology Act on the complaint of local Congress leader Sanjay Sehgal, police said.

Sehgal had filed the complaint yesterday and had also approached the police commissioner online on the matter. "We have filed a complaint to the police regarding the uploading of the picture by Bhalla on Facebook and other such photographs posted by BJP activists. "We have also sent a morphed picture of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi to the police which was uploaded by another BJP activist," said Sehgal.

Meanwhile, BJP state president Kamal Sharma said Bhalla was not a member of the party. "Bhalla is not a member of the party. He is just a supporter of the party. Despite that, we have asked the Jalandhar district unit to investigate the matter. BJP respects women and such incidents would not be tolerated," he said.

Ishrat Jahan encounter: CBI to file chargesheet today

Two slain associates of Mumbai girl Ishrat Jahan had links with Kashmir secessionist groups, said the CBI, contradicting the version put out by the Gujarat police. "The chargesheet will be filed (before a special CBI court) on Wednesday in Ahmedabad. It will primarily deal with the encounter and those who have executed it," an official who is part of the investigating team said, adding "IPS officials DG Vanzara, GL Singhal and PP Pande, who is absconding, will be charged for kidnapping, illegal confinement, murder and destruction of evidence in the case involving the murders of four persons".

Ishrat and her three associates were gunned down on the outskirts of Ahmedabad in June 2004 by the Gujarat police, which said they were Lashkar-e-Taiba members on a mission to kill chief minister Narendra Modi. "The probe has revealed that two of the four - Amjad Ali Rana and Zeeshan Johar - were associated with secessionists groups in Kashmir." The agency has also established there was some connection between Javed Sheikh, another associate, and Rana. "Javed Sheikh was a petty criminal involved in smuggling and counterfeit currency." Ishrat used to work with Javed and had travelled with him to Uttar Pradesh.

A status report on the case will be placed before the Gujarat high court on July 4. The agency may not implicate Intelligence Bureau (IB) special director Rajinder Kumar in the first chargesheet but is likely to throw some light on his role in organising the prior custody of the deceased and also sending a false intelligence alert meant to facilitate the staged killings. However, the probe has indicated that an IB informer had tracked their movements before the killing. "The IB was getting information on them through one of its informers before the alleged encounter took place," a CBI source said.

Why the Ishrat Jahan case has no non-toxic ending

Even nine years after the Ishrat Jahan encounter killing, it’s proving dizzyingly difficult to keep pace with the many curious goings-on in the case.

If the tug-of-war between the CBI and the Intelligence Bureau over the investigating agency’s decision to name IB special director Rajendra Kumar in the charge-sheet in the 2004 killing was not sensational enough, the latest turn of the screw – in the form of a move by the Home Affairs Ministry to slow down the CBI effort – validates the sneaking suspicion that powerful forces are at work to muddy the waters for political ends.

The Home Affairs Ministry is  now sending out the message that the CBI will have to seek sanction under Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedures for the prosecution of Rajendra Kumar since he is a “public servant”. (More details here and here and here.) That Section, which relates to the prosecution of judges and public servants, says: “When any person who is or was a judge or magistrate or a public servant not removable from his office save by or with the sanction of the Government is accused of any offence alleged to have been committed by him while acting or purporting to act in the discharge of his official duty, no Court shall take cognizance of such offence except with the previous sanction”  (Full text here.)

CBI officials, who are preparing to file a charge-sheet later this week, claim, on the other hand, that on the basis of the “evidence” that they have, they don’t really require the sanction of the Home Affairs Ministry. Rajendra Kumar will likely be charged with playing a crucial role in generating the intelligence input that led to the killing of Ishrat Jahan and four others in an alleged encounter on the outskirts of Ahmedabad in June 2004.

The intelligence inputs had claimed that Ishrat Jahan and the others were coming to Ahmedabad to assassinate Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, but the CBI is seeking to establish that the encounter was faked, and that Ishrat Jahan and the others were in the custody of State police officials at the time of the killing.

Late last week, documents purported to have been secured from the CBI (the details of which were published in Tehelka magazine and aired on NDTV) claimed even more sensationally that the ‘encounter’ killings had the prior approval of  top political leaders – in particular two men who were identified only as safed dhadi (white beard) and kali dhadi (black beard). Those cryptic allusions to facial hair were widely interpreted as pointing to Modi and his then Minister of State for Home Amit Shah.

The weight of what appears to be hearsay evidence in this case will be tested in the courts, but the selective leaks of crucial prosecution strategy and claimed evidence validates the suspicion that the intention in this case is not limited to securing justice but to make a political roadshow of the trial.

As columnist Ashok Malik observes, the evidence cited – one accused-turned-witness-turned-would-be approver, having allegedly heard another person refer to two people with beards then concluding that the reference was to Gujarat’s chief minister and home minister Amit Shah at the time – is scarcely compelling.  ”If courts began pronouncing judgments on such hearsay and allegedly overheard loose talk, three-fourths of Parliament members would have been behind bars by now.”

That such a high-profile case centred around an alleged assassination attempt on the Chief Minister of a State, involving alleged operatives of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, should have dragged on for so many years without being brought to fruition, and still see driblets of politically sensitive information being leaked by the investigating agency, points to the political stakes that are riding on it. The latest move by the Home Affairs Ministry to get the CBI to abide by the procedural requirement of seeking government sanction for Rajendra Kumar’s prosecution is just the latest piece of the jigsaw puzzle to fall in place.

But whichever way the case turns, there are absolutely no circumstances in which it will have a happy ending. If the CBI’s claim is established and upheld by the court- and it is a big if –  it would mean that the Chief Minister of a State was complicit in a fake encounter killing. Even given the many egregious earlier instances of fake encounter killings in other States with the express orders of the top   political leadership, such a denouement would represent a perversion of power politics where there is utter disdain for due process of law (particularly if it is established that the alleged terrorists were in police custody).

But even the other possibility – that the encounter wasn’t faked – opens up another disquieting line of thought: that the CBI is being used in perverse ways to “fix” a political adversary through foul means. As Malik points out, the issue goes beyond merely a battle between the CBI and the IB or even the prospects of individual officers. “The manner in which a major assassination attempt against a top political leader is sought to be mocked and dismissed – despite the LeT embracing Ishrat Jahan and her accomplices s its ‘martyrs’ in the days following their killing – speaks of an unconscionable irresponsibility. That the Congress, which has lost two Prime Ministers to assassination, can resort to such methods makes it all the more unfortunate.” Whichever way the case proceeds from here on, it is hard to escape a toxic ending to the narrative.