We will continue to press 'hard' on Pak terror: Clinton

We can't tolerate safe havens for terror in India prompted by Pakistan : Hillary Clinton

NEW DELHI || Tue Jul 19 2011, 16:43 hrs  || iFACT AGENCIES: The US used an Indian forum to deliver a stern message to Pakistan, reminding it of its obligation to punish the 26/11 masterminds, but also acknowledged that there were limits to what it could do to goad Islamabad to take action against the perpetrators of the ghastly 2008 terror attacks on Mumbai. 

"We cannot tolerate a safe haven for terrorists anywhere," US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said at a joint press conference with foreign minister S M Krishna. 

Ms Clinton, who is visiting India barely a week after the triple blasts in Mumbai, opened the over-two-and-a-half-hour-long talks with external affairs minister Mr SM Krishna by expressing “sympathy and outrage over” the 13 July attack that killed 20 people and injured over 130. “We are allies in the fight against violent extremist networks,” she said. Ms Clinton held the second strategic dialogue with Mr Krishna and the two sides discussed a number of bilateral and global issues. Most importantly, the situation in Afghanistan and the terror infrastructure in Pakistan were discussed. 

While stating that the USA saw Pakistan as a key ally in the fight against terror, Ms Clinton said Pakistan has “a special obligation” to bring the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks to justice and stressed that the USA can’t tolerate “safe haven for terrorists anywhere”. “Perpetrators need to be brought to justice. We have urged Pakistan to do so. We continue to press Pakistan as far as possible. There is a limit to what the USA and India can do,” Ms Clinton said, while welcoming the revived peace process between India and Pakistan. Clearly stating the US position that talks between India and Pakistan are a step in the right direction, she said: “We think this is the most promising approach to encourage both sides to build more confidence between them and work to implement the kinds of steps that will demonstrate the improved atmosphere that is so necessary for us to deal with the underlying problem of terrorism.” 

India and the USA agreed to intensify their counter-terror cooperation and to resolve the ‘remaining issues’ to enable full civilian cooperation between them.  She did come out in support of India’s membership of elite nuclear clubs like the NSG, the Australia Group, the Wassenaar Arrangement and the Missile Technology Control Regime that control the global flow of atomic equipment and fuel.
On another key issue of Indo-US civil nuclear agreement, Clinton said the US was "fully" committed to the pact with India but asked it to ratify the UN convention on nuclear damages and bring its domestic liability regime in line with international norms.

She also made it very clear that there were "issues" which required to be resolved by the two sides in the civil nuclear field. But she did not go into the specifics.

She also allayed fears that the recent Nuclear Suppliers Group decision to strengthen guidelines on transfer of Enrichment and Reprocessing Technology (ENR) will impact on the Indo-US deal, saying the 46-nation grouping's move should not be construed as detracting from the "unique impact and importance" of the pact between India and the US.

Govt. is not serious enough for Lokpal Bill. Don't try to make Lokpal as Jokepal : Anna Hazare.

Draft Lokpal Bill a joke, Anna tells Manmohan

U Anand Kumar || Express News Service || Last Updated : 19 Jul 2011 08:12:43 AM IST

NEW DELHI: Terming the government’s draft Lokpal Bill as a joke played on the nation, social activist Anna Hazare on Monday informed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about his decision to go on an indefinite fast from August 16 unless the government introduces an effective Lokpal Bill in Parliament by Independence Day.

In a three-page letter to the Prime Minister, Hazare said the government has to take steps against corruption. Pointing out the deficiencies in the government’s Lokpal Bill, he said the government should not present a Bill in Parliament without addressing those issues. Hazare demanded that the Jan Lokpal Bill be brought in Parliament for discussion. He said, “We want our version to be introduced in Parliament. If you send a weak bill, what will you discuss?” 

Listing the scams which came to light recently such as the Adarsh scam, Commonwealth Games scam, Taj corridor scam and cash-for-vote scam, Hazare said none of these will come under the ambit of the Lokpal.

He said the scope of the draft is so confined that it does not address corruption faced by the common man. Hazare dared the government to crush his agitation as it did in the case of Baba Ramdev and said his team is ready to make bigger sacrifices.

“It is our constitutional right to protest, so when the government says it will crush our andolan like Ramdev’s, it is not right. We are ready to get arrested and be beaten up but we have had enough of corruption,” Hazare said.
Courtesy : Express News Service.This is published in the National interest and under citizen's responsibility for awareness generation programme. 

Fast Caveat : Anna to move SC to check the Govt. hostility in Anti corruption Movements.

Hazare to move Supreme Court against any Ramlila ground-like crackdown from August 16th Fast.
PTI / Sunday, July 17, 2011 18:16 IST || DNA.


Citing the police crackdown on Ramdev and his supporters at Ramlila Ground in Delhi, activist Anna Hazare today said he will approach the Supreme Court seeking its intervention to ensure that the government does "not suppress" his fast on Lokpal issue beginning August 16.

"Government said we will suppress the agitation of Anna Hazare as had been done in the case of Ramdev. Is this democracy or autocracy? You cannot suppress.... That is why we will go to the Supreme Court tomorrow," Hazare said.Holding that the Constitution has given right to every citizen to protest democratically, the anti-corruption activist said he will launch his indefinite fast here from August 16 as announced."The Constitution has given right to every citizen to lodge a protest. We will launch the agitation from August 16," he said.The exercise to work out an agreed draft of the Lokpal Bill between the government and Hazare-led civil society had ended in failure last month after which Hazare had announced that he will go ahead with his August fast.

Hazare has been demanding that the prime minister be brought under the ambit of Lokpal which has been opposed by the government.After nine meetings spread over two months, the joint drafting committee of the two sides concluded its deliberations on a note of disagreement with the government asserting that it could not allow creation of a parallel structure which would be "answerable to nobody".An all-party meet on Lokpal earlier this month had agreed that a "strong and effective" bill should be brought in the Monsoon session of Parliament with consensus that supremacy of Parliament and established procedures be maintained.Police had carried out a crackdown on Ramdev and his supporters, who were agitating against corruption and blackmoney, at Ramlila ground on June 4 night, lobbing tear gas shells. Ramdev was bundled out of Delhi.
Courtesy : PTI & DNA.This is published in the National interest and under citizen's responsibility for awareness generation programme. 

ISLAMIC TERRORISTS STRIKE MUMBAI AGAIN, AT LEAST 21 KILLED, OVER 141 INJURED.

[Times of India  updates at TNN | Jul 14, 2011, 02.35am IST] No other city in the world has been the tragic target of as many serial terror attacks and bombings as Mumbai, which went through the agony in1993, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008 and now July 13, 2011. On Wednesday evening, three serial bomb blasts in the span of ten minutes ripped through three of the busiest hubs in the city—Zaveri Bazar, Opera House and Dadar—at rush hour, killing 21 people and injuring 141.

The first explosion was at 6.54pm at Zaveri Bazaar, followed by another at Opera House a minute later. The third explosion was at 7.06pm outside Kabutarkhana, a few metres from the western side of Dadar railway station. This is the third terror attack at Zaveri Bazaar.

Thanks to NDTV.

MUMBAI Jul 13, 2011 at 19-50 hrs IST :   Islamists attacked Mumbai again to challenge Hindu majority in India. Most Hindus are victims uncared as usual. Three near-simultaneous explosions rocked Mumbai at rush-hour on Wednesday, killing at least 17 people in what the government said appeared to be another terrorist strike in the city hit by a major attack nearly three years ago as 26/11. Three blasts occurred in Zaveri Bazar, Dadar and Charni Roadareas this evening, killing at least 17 and injuring more than 100 people.

Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said the latest attack killed 17 people, and home minister P Chidambaram said the toll was likely to rise. Television footage showed dozens of police officials, several of them armed, at the sites of the explosion and at least one car with its windows shattered. A photograph showed victims of a blast at the Zaveri Bazaar crowding into the back of a cargo truck to be taken to a hospital. Because of the close timing of the string of explosions, “we infer that this was a coordinated attack by terrorists,” home minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said.

The terror strike coincided with the birthday of Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman in 26/11, who turned 24 today. Kasab has been sentenced to death by a trial court.

Home Minister P Chidambaram had indicated that at least 10 people have been killed, but Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan raised that to 13, which itself was raised subsequently to 17.

After initially refusing to take a stand, Home Ministry has now described the blasts in Mumbai as serial bomb blasts.

Improvised explosive devices (IED) were used by the terrorists, says the Home Ministry.

Indian Mujahedin has emerged as the group most likely behind the terror strikes.

Read details and exclusive in Hindu Digest.
Watch exclusive video footage in World Hindu Unity.
Courtesy : All related sources.This is published in the National interest and under citizen's responsibility for awareness generation programme. 

Chidambaram to blame for midnight swoop. SC pulls up Delhi Police for Ramdev crackdown

Apex court questions Delhi Police on Ramdev crackdown

New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) ::  The Supreme Court Monday asked Delhi Police to explain their behaviour and the need to use teargas and baton-charge in a closed enclosure when people were sleeping during yoga guru Baba Ramdev’s protest gathering at the Ramlila Ground here last month.

The apex court bench of Justice B.S. Chauhan and Justice Swatanter Kumar said there were documents and DVDs to show that yoga exercises were undertaken at the camp, and if that was so, what was the justification for police to resort to baton-charge.

Delhi Police chief B.K. Gupta, in an affidavit to the apex court, had said that the permission to use the Ramlila Ground was given for a yoga camp and not for any other purpose.

The court said that it would consider Ramdev’s plea to issue notice to union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on the grounds that the decision to use force against him and his followers at the anti-graft protest was not taken by Delhi Police June 4 but it was taken much earlier at the political level.

Senior counsel Ram Jethmalani, appearing for Ramdev, referred to a press release issued by the home ministry and an interview by Chidambaram to Doordarshan in support of his contention that the decision to use force was taken much earlier.

The case would next be heard July 25.

Jethmalani referred to the ministry’s press release June 8 in which Chidambaram said that ‘a decision was taken’ that Baba Ramdev would not be allowed to organise any protest fast or undertake any fast-unto-death at Ramlila Ground and that if he persisted in his efforts to do so he would be ‘directed to remove himself from Delhi’.

The senior counsel said that the minister nearly repeated the same words in his interview with Doordarshan on that day.

Jethmalani said the minister’s comment was nothing but a strong arm tactic of the government and an attempt to gag any protest against corruption.

He wondered how could there be a decision to extern the yoga guru from Delhi.

Jethmalani described the government’s decision and action as ‘murder of democracy in the country’.

He said that Baba Ramdev had the lawful permission to hold dharna and satyagraha.

Delhi Police’s senior counsel Harish Salve said that he was given the permission to hold dharna and satyagraha only at Jantar Mantar.

When Jethmalani pressed for the issuance of a notice to Chidambaram, the court said ‘let them file a rejoinder to your affidavit and at that stage we will consider your prayer to issue notice’.

The court was informed that Delhi’s chief secretary did not file an affidavit on the matter because he was abroad when police evicted the yoga guru.

The judges said that there must have been someone looking after his responsibilities in his absence and ordered that an affidavit should be filed stating what was the need for using force to disperse the gathering.

• Related reading ::  Chidambaram to blame for midnight swoop, Ramdev tells Supreme Court - India - DNA
• Court glare on force on ‘sleeping men’
• SC pulls up Delhi Police for Ramdev crackdown | Supreme Court | Ramdev | The New Indian Express
• SC pulls up Delhi Police for Ramdev crackdown 

Courtesy : All related sources. This is published in the National interest and under citizen's responsibility for awareness generation programme. 

Let come Bullets, I will not step down from Fast for 'Strong Lokpal': Anna

Hazare flays UPA, says ‘willing to face bullets’ for agitation

PTI || MUMBAI || JULY 9, 2011

Lashing out at the government for criticising civil society activists, Gandhian Anna Hazare on Saturday vowed to continue with the proposed August 16 agitation despite “threats” to “crush” it, saying he was willing “to face bullets and not just lathis.”

Pointing that laws like Right to Information were enacted because of the pressure of civil society, Hazare said, “If this (pressure on Government over Lokpal) amounts to blackmail, I am willing to resort to blackmail through out my life.”

Dismissing criticism by Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal on the role of civil society activists on the Lokpal Bill issue, he reminded the Congress-led government at the Centre that it was late Rajiv Gandhi who sought their opinion while enacting the 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments for ushering in Panchayati Raj system in the country.

“Rajiv Gandhi wrote letters to over five lakh village heads all over the country, saying his government plans to bring in constitutional amendments regarding Panchayati Raj.

He sought views of the civil society in bringing the landmark legislation,” he told reporters after inaugurating the office of `India Against Corruption’ in South Mumbai here.

Mr. Hazare said his agitation from August 16 in support of a strong Lokpal will herald the “second independence movement”. “I appeal to people to switch off their lights from 8 PM to 9 PM on that day and take to the streets shouting slogans demanding an end to corruption.” Read details in=> The Hindu

Courtesy : The Hindu. This is published in the National interest and under citizen's responsibility. 

INDIA - US dialogue on Counter-Terror Cooperation.

Counter-terror cooperation with India high priority: U.S.

PTI || WASHINGTON, || JULY 9, 2011 

President Barack Obama with 

Indian External Affairs MInister S.M. Krishna 

and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

during a India-U.S. strategic dialogue in Washington
Photo : AP

Ahead of the crucial Indo-U.S. strategic dialogue, the Obama administration has said that counter-terrorism cooperation with India is a “very high priority” for it as it would help prevent Mumbai-type attacks in future.

“I do not see any limits on our counter-terrorism cooperation with India,” Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake told reporters during a web-chat hosted by the U.S. State Department on Friday.

“This is a very high priority for the United States to look with our Indian friends to ensure they have the best system possible to prevent future terrorist attacks such as the terrible attack that occurred in Mumbai in November 2008,” he said.

His remarks came ahead of the key visit of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to India on July 19 and 20 for the Strategic Dialogue between the two countries.

He said one of the hallmarks of India-U.S. cooperation over the last several years has been the increase in their counter-terrorism cooperation. “We are looking to build on that,” he underlined.

The two countries, he said, just had a very successful Homeland Security Dialogue that was chaired and led by Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano who went to New Delhi in May to meet Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram.

“They had very successful meetings on a wide range of new collaborative arrangement to expand on homeland security cooperation and counter-terrorism cooperation,” Blake said.

“We do not in any way try to hyphenate that with Pakistan or with any other country. We do it on its own merit. We attach a very high priority,” he said. Read full report in=> THE HINDU.


Courtesy : The Hindu. This is published in the National interest and under citizen's responsibility.