by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
New Delhi : Amnesty International on Saturday castigated the Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh for doing little to ensure justice and rehabilitation for the survivors of the 2013 Muzaffarnagar communal violence.
On the fifth anniversary of the deadly riots in Muzaffarnagar district that claimed at least 60 lives and displaced over 50,000 people, the Amnesty International India blamed the state government’s apathy for seven gang-rape survivors still awaiting justice and the displaced continuing to look for rehabilitation.
“The Uttar Pradesh government has forgotten the riot survivors of Muzaffarnagar and Shamli. The state has done very little to redress the injustice they have faced. The government’s attempt at rehabilitation and compensation has been woefully inadequate”, said Asmita Basu, Programmes Director, Amnesty International India.
She said justice remained elusive for the seven gangrape survivors who have received little assistance from authorities to rebuild their lives and livelihoods.
“There has not been even one conviction in any of the seven cases so far. In 2016, one of the survivors died during childbirth,” she said.
Quoting one of the survivors, a mother of five, Amnesty International India said the victims have lost all hope of getting justice and are now hoping for survival of their families.
“Their rapists are out in the open for years now. Women are scared to pursue their cases and they cannot be blamed for this. There are media reports of compromises being made and of money being offered and accepted by many of the seven families. We need to understand the realities in which these women have survived all these years. They are scared and have lost all faith in the system,” said Rehana Adeeb, an activist working with the survivors.
THe rights body said an overwhelming majority of families in resettlement colonies lack access to basic services like clean drinking water and drainage facilities.
“The Uttar Pradesh government’s callous treatment of Muzaffarnagar and Shamli riot survivors is a breach of its commitment to uphold basic constitutional values. The riot survivors have been forced to live in a vicious cycle of poverty and discrimination. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister must ensure that the voices of the survivors are heard immediately and justice is delayed no further”, added Basu.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News
Lucknow : A man was beaten to death by a mob in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, early on Thursday on suspicion of stealing their cattle, police said.
Superintendent of Police Abhinandan Singh said three persons have been arrested.
The victim was identified as Shahrukh Khan (20), who worked as a tailor in Dubai and had come home for Eid.
The incident happened in Bholapur Hindoliya village where more than 50 persons attacked four young men when they found them in their cattle yard. The youths were thrashed by the mob and handed over to the police later.
The villagers have filed an FIR against Shahrukh and two others, alleging cattle theft.
Police say there were three persons in all who were involved in the theft of buffaloes from the cattle yard of a local Gajendra Pal. When they along with other neighbours Virendra, Khempal and Mukesh Kumar started a hunt for the missing buffaloes, they spotted these four young men trying to cross the Nakatiya river.
The other two alleged thieves Pappu and Abid of the Thiriya Nijawat Khan village knew how to swim and fled while Shahrukh was stranded on the banks.
Villagers attacked him and beat before handing him over to the police.
He was admitted to the district hospital around 7:30 am where he died in front of his family members and relatives. The post-mortem report has revealed that the 20-year-old died of internal injuries inflicted primarily to the liver and kidneys.
The victim’s family members have refuted charges of theft and informed the police that Shahrukh had gone out late night after receiving a phone call rom one of his local friends.
“The police informed us later about the incident. We found him in the district hospital,” a family member said.
There have since been two FIRs: one from Gajendra Pal, who alleged that his buffaloes were being stolen; and the other by family members against two dozen persons accusing them of mob lynching.
Western and central UP have witnessed a few similar cases of mob lynching sparked by cattle theft.
Anand Kumar, Additional Director General of Police (ADG, Law and Order) told IANS that he had sought a report on the incident. “I am awaiting details” he added.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
By Mohit Dubey,
Lucknow : Will the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in the run-up to the 2019 general elections, ride on the name of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who died on Thursday after a prolonged illness aged 93?
Vajpayee death has lead to a widespread appreciation of the time when he ruled as the “moderate” face of BJP. The indication that the party may choose to ride on his shoulders comes from a few decisions taken by the government in Uttar Pradesh.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that “special works” would be initiated in places that were linked to the three-time Prime Minister’s life span. Developmental projects and public welfare schemes are likely to be announced by the state government soon for Vajpayee’s native village Bateshwar, the DAV college in Kanpur where he studied, his ‘karmabhoomi’ Lucknow which sent him to the Lok Sabha for five terms and Balrampur, from where he was elected a Lok Sabha MP for the first time.
“Vajpayee-ji was etched in ‘kan-kan'(every speck) of the state”, and it would only be befitting for the party, which he nurtured from nowhere to become the biggest political entity in the world, to “do a lot of activity in his memory,” says State general secretary, Govind Narayan Shukla.
It was not without reason that within minutes of his mortal remains being consigned to the flames at the Smriti Sthal in New Delhi, UP’s chief minister’s Office released the list of rivers and districts where the ashes of the former Prime Minister would be immersed. There is also a likelihood that Vajpayee’s ashes would be taken around towns and major cities of the state before the final rituals are conducted.
“We will do all that’s within our rights to ensure that Atalji’s good work and development is revived in public memory,” says a senior BJP party functionary who did not want to be named.
Sources say that dates were being worked out to ensure that the roll out of events, memorials and projects was timed keeping in mind the forthcoming general elections.
Party strategists say that other than the ‘asthi-kalash yatras’ (the urn carrying processions) in all the 80 Lok Sabha seats and 350 assembly constituencies of the state, all publicity literature of both the government and the ruling party would have detailed mention of the various works done by the Vajpayee government. This would include works like the Golden Quadrilateral road project, the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojna, the Pokhran blasts and the many steps taken for welfare of farmers and army personnel.
The party organization is also learnt to be readying a road map of cultural activities keeping at the centre of its strategy that Vajpayee was a renowned poet. ‘Kavi Sammelans’, symposiums and musical evenings are also being discussed to entertain voters and keep his memory alive.
Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be at the epicenter of campaigning in 2019, as he seeks a second term, memories of Vajpayee — statesman, poet and prime minister — is likely to be used as an electioneering plank to match, if not better, its 2014 score of 71 out of 80 parliamentary seats from the state.
(Mohit Dubey can be contacted at mohit.d@ians.in)
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
Mumbai : Four days after busting a terror plot involving some Hindu right-wing activists in Palghar, the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) has found a mini arms making unit and is now probing their links in Uttar Pradesh and Assam, official sources said on Monday.
On Friday, the ATS created a sensation by claiming to have unearthed a terror plot targeting Mumbai, Pune, Satara and Solapur ahead of Independence Day celebrations and the upcoming Bakri Eid festival.
In the ATS swoop, three right-wing activists were arrested – Vaibhav Raut, 40, Sharad Kalaskar, 25, both from Nala Sopara in Palghar, and Sudhanav Gondhalekar, 39, from Pune.
Over a dozen other associates or suspects have been interrogated to ascertain their connections in other parts of the state or outside and certain email exchanges between the accused with references to Uttar Pradesh and Assam shall be probed.
Continuing the raids and probe over the weekend in Palghar, around 60 km north of Mumbai, the ATS has found a mini arms production unit and seized at least five country-made pistols, three incomplete pistols, 11 cartridges of 9 mm pistols and 30 cartridges of 7.65 mm pistols, springs, triggers and other material.
In the Pune raids, the ATS seized a laptop, six hard disks, five pendrives, nine mobiles and many SIM cards, a WiFI dongle, scores of documents and papers, besides a car and a motorcycle.
During the raids in Palghar on Friday, the ATS seized 20 crude bombs and material that could be used to make at least two-to-four dozen more bombs.
The seizures included 22 non-electronic detonators, 1,500 gm of explosive powder, wire bundles, resistors, transistors, 10 batteries of six volts each and a connector, multimeters, switches and circuits, connectors, gelatin sticks, two bottles marked as ‘poison’, diagrams and literature, all of which have been sent for forensic analysis.
While Raut is described as a prominent ‘gau-rakshak’ and linked with Hindu Janjagran Samiti, Gondhalekar is connected with the Shri Shivpratisthan, spearheaded by the controversial 85-year-old Sambhaji Bhide alias Bhide Guruji.
Charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, the trio was produced before a Mumbai Sessions Court and presently remanded to police custody till August 18.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News
Lucknow : The Uttar Pradesh Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission has asked the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) to explain why there is no provision for reservation in admission for the SC/ST community in the university.
Observing that the AMU is not a minority institution, the panel issued the notice to it, seeking a response by August 8.
Talking to reporters in the state capital, Chairman of the panel and former DGP of state Brij Lal said that in the notice issued by him, he has asked the varsity officials to explain why the SC/ST people have been deprived of the reservation facilities when the Constitution mandates it.
“The Supreme Court has not yet passed any order in which AMU was prevented to provide reservation benefits. The AMU is like any other central university set up under a central Act and runs on its funds. It has to give due reservation to the SC/ST,” he said.
Brij Lal also said that in case of the AMU authorities’ failure to respond within the stipulated time, the Commission will, under its powers, issue summons in pursuance of its earlier notice.
He also said that way back in 1989, the University court had passed a resolution to provide 50 per cent reservation to Muslims in admission and sent the same to the President, who is also the Visitor of the university.
The President in its reply had said providing 50 per cent reservation to Muslims is unconstitutional. The high court also termed it unconstitutional and said that the AMU is not a minority institution.
“In light of the high court and the Supreme Court decisions, it is established that AMU is not a minority institution,” Brij Lal said.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader and National Commission for Scheduled Castes Chairman Ramshankar Katheria had on Tuesday asked the varsity officials to explain its stand on the reservations.
—IANS
