New Delhi: Hitting out at the Centre for declaring 12 districts of his state as ‘disturbed’ under AFSPA without any consultation, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Nabam Tuki today said such a move was nothing but attack on the federal structure in the country.

“There was no discussion, no consultation. It was an unilateral decision by the central government to declare 12 districts as disturbed area. All these districts are completely peaceful,” he told PTI here.

The Congress leader was reacting to the NDA government’s decision to declare all districts of Arunachal Pradesh bordering Assam as “disturbed areas” under the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) due to “heightened militant activity” there.

Under the order, which will be in force for a year, security forces will have sweeping powers in all these 12 of 19 districts of the state.

“This is nothing but direct attack on the federal structure of the country,” Tuki said.

He said three districts — Tirap, Changlang and Longding — have the problems of militancy but rest of the nine districts were completely peaceful.

He rubbished the Centre’s contention that six banned militant groups like NDFB, NSCN and ULFA have their presence in some of the areas and they use the state as a safe haven.

“We completely disagree with the Centre’s contention. Arunachal Pradesh has been the most peaceful state in the northeastern region with no history of home grown insurgency,” he said.

Tuki had met Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday and urged him to review the decision.

“There are protests in my state. People in Arunachal Pradesh are angry with the decision,” he said.

In its notification, the Home Ministry said it has found that the law and order situation in all districts of Arunachal Pradesh bordering Assam has continued to be a “matter of concern due to violent incident by underground outfits”.
PTI

New Delhi: Manipur is wooing investors for its upcoming textile park in the suburbs of state capital Imphal, highlighting its strategic location advantage as a gateway to South East Asia.

Although the state has faced law and order issues, the Manipur government is assuring investors safety and security as it tries to create much-needed jobs for the unemployed.

The state’s efforts to woo investors come amid the Centre’s increasing focus on the country’s eastern region. Besides, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been emphasising that Indian businesses should focus on increasing trade with the South East Asian nations.

“We have been asking investors to come and see for themselves the opportunities at the textile park in Imphal. Manipur is India’s gateway to South East Asia,” Manipur Minister of Commerce and Industry Govindas Konthoujam told PTI in an interview here.

“Considering how India has intensified its focus on the neighbouring countries with a change from ‘Look East’ to ‘Act East’ policy, it is the right time to invest there,” he said.

Already some companies, including Mumbai-based Etco Denim, Triveni Rayons, Narmada Polyfab and Fairdeal Textile Park (all from Surat), have expressed interest to set up units in the upcoming textile park at Lamboikhongnangkhong in Imphal.

“They will soon come to Manipur to do a feasibility study and we will provide support to them to invest there,” said Konthoujam.

Acknowledging the problems in the state, he said: “Some key concerns among the investors are safety and security of their investments and availability of power supply. We have assured them that we will take care of these issues.”

He said special purpose vehicle would be formed for setting up units at the textile park with Centre providing support of 80 per cent of the investment required and the private investor contributing 10 per cent, while the state’s share of 10 per cent would come in the form of land provided for setting up manufacturing unit at the park.

Expressing confidence that the state’s textile park will be a success, the minister said: “Already we have acquired 70 acres of land and we are trying to get another 60 acres more so that the park has a size of at least 130 acres.”

Konthoujam said already the union Ministry of Textiles has launched an apparel and garment making centre in Manipur with a project cost of Rs 18.18 crore as well as a Power-loom Estate with a project cost of Rs 13.05 crore.

He said investing in the state was necessary “not only from the economic point of view to provide jobs to the unemployed educated youths of the state but also on a wider perspective of national integration”.
PTI

Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader and Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut has stirred a hornet’s nest by his article in party’s mouthpiece, Saamana, in which he has written that Muslims’ voting rights should be withdrawn to put an end to vote bank politics.

The Sena leader has also called All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leaders, Asaduddin and Akbaruddin Owaisi, a threat to the nation.

“Balasaheb had once said to withdraw Muslims voting rights. Owaisi brothers are doing politics of Muslim votes. They are threat to the nation,” wrote Raut.

When asked about his opinion in Saamana, Raut told ANI: “Even after independence, the politics over vote-bank does not seem to end,” adding, “Country once faced partition on the basis of religion. After that, we thought things would settle and Hindu and Muslim would be one. However, that did not happen. The Muslim population continued to grow and new Muslim leaders emerged.”

He also said that such type of politics over Muslim vote bank did not yield any positive results for either the Muslim community or the country.

Meanwhile, slamming the Shiv Sena for its statement, the Congress demanded serious action against it.

“It is unconstitutional, it calls for serious action. Motive is to communalise the whole atmosphere,” Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit told ANI.

Earlier, while hitting out at AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for demanding reservation for Muslims in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena had said that if the minority leader wants his demands to be met on religious grounds, then he should go to Pakistan and try his antics there.

Terming Owaisi’s speeches “hateful”, the Sena said that the Devendra Fadnavis government should file a case against him and start legal proceedings.

“(Asaduddin) Owaisi is insisting that Muslims should get reservation akin to the Marathas. Such insistence had caused the separation of Pakistan from India. Hatred for Hindus compelled a section of Muslims to take control over Pakistan. Hence Owaisi may try and get his demands based on religious grounds fulfilled in Pakistan,” said an edit piece in the Sena mouthpiece, ‘Saamana’.

It added that the minority community will have to respect India as their motherland.

They (minority community) will have to respect the Uniform Civil Code and stop demanding the continuation of Article 370 for Kashmir. Asking for reservations while continuing with religious rants will not work,” it said.

“Owaisi says ‘Muslims have suffered a lot and hence I speak up for them’. But will he give a count of the sufferings of Hindus due to the terrorist activities of extremist Muslims? If extremists start communal violence and terrorist activities after listening to his speeches… Owaisi’s speeches should be termed as hateful and action should be taken against him,” the Sena said.

Addressing a public gathering in Nagpur on Saturday night, Owaisi, the 45-year-old Lok Sabha MP from Hyderabad, had demanded reservation for backward Muslims in government jobs and educational institutes in Maharashtra.

Claiming that “injustice” has been done to Muslims in Maharashtra, Owaisi had blamed the more than 50 years of Congress rule at the Centre and the Congress-NCP and Shiv Sena -BJP governments in the state for the prevailing backwardness of minority community members.

PTI

Nagpur: Republican Party of India (A), an ally of the BJP-led coalition in the state, is against the blanket ban on beef in Maharashtra and will soon take up the issue with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, party chief Ramdas Athawale said today.

The RPI (A) is opposed to such a ban which has created problems with regard to the aged animals and for beef-eaters across the state,” Athawale told reporters here today.

Though the RPI (A) is part of the BJP-led alliance in the state, it is not in favour of such a ban, he said.

Athawale said his party respects the sentiments of cow worshippers, but the ban is unjust.

The government should not ban killing of undesired cows who are aged and not milking. There should be some age criteria for animals to be kept out of the purview of slaughtering, he said.

The farmers who have such aged animals will find it difficult to feed them. Moreover, there will be scarcity for the leather industry in future and “shoe-less days are ahead,” Athawale said.

Responding to a question, Athawale said it is not only Muslims but also non-Muslims who are beef-sellers in the state.

The new Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act bans slaughter of bulls and bullocks.

The ban has sparked protests from political and cultural outfits, alleging it amounted to encroachment on individual choices and eating habits of large sections of people, especially the minority communities.

On the issue of Land Acquisition Bill, he said the government should provide adequate compensation to farmers whose land is acquired.

Athwale said the government should disburse the land, acquired during ‘Bhoodan movement’ by late Acharya Vinoba Bhave, to the landless people who are estimated to be around 35 crores in the country.

The government should ensure that the farmers whose land is acquired are paid adequate compensation and they should be fully satisfied with it.

Meanwhile, Athawale said his party has voiced concerns over the setting up of a nuclear power plant at Jaitapur.

“During UPA rule also we opposed the Jaitapur nuclear plant and on this issue, we are with Shiv Sena,” he said.

The Shiv Sena has been opposing the Jaitapur nuclear power plant, being planned in the Ratnagiri district, around 400 kms from Mumbai.

Senior BJP leader late Gopinath Munde too had opposed the Jaitapur nuclear plant, Athawale claimed.

Citing fatal accidents at nuclear power plants across the world, including in Japan two years back, he said the next generation is going to be affected by the radiations from it.
PTI

A 20-year-old British tourist has alleged that a taxi driver outraged her modesty at a hotel here, the police said today.

In the FIR filed with Brahampuri Police station, the victim alleged that Saleem Khan allegedly outraged her modesty during a dinner at a hotel on April 10.

35-year-old Khan was arrested yesterday and produced before a vacation judge of a local court who sent him to central jail, Brahampuri SHO, Sugan Singh Rathore, said.

The accused has been booked under section 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of IPC, the SHO said.

Saleem, who hails from Karauli district of Rajasthan, brought the foreign tourist in his taxi from Delhi to Jaipur on the night of April 9.

Unable to bear the damage caused to his crops by unseasonal rains, a 35-year-old farmer allegedly committed suicide at a village in the district, police said on Sunday.

Rains lashed the district on Saturday evening when Shivaji Anna Sul (35), a farmer from Wadgaonkar Tanpure village in Karjat tehsil, about 40 kms away from Ahmednagar, was working at his horticulture farm, Karjat police station inspector Pratap Ingle said.

The crops in his farm were damaged in the outpour which lasted for an hour, he said. Dejected after seeing the damage, Shivaji went home and committed suicide on Saturday night by consuming pesticide, he said.

He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son, police added.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a money laundering case against a close associate of Union Minister Gen. (retd) VK Singh over alleged financial irregularities in the supply of defence items.

The criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Shambhu Prasad Singh and others has been registered by the agency on the basis of a 2014 CBI FIR, sources said.

The case pertains to alleged corruption by unknown officials of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and private firms in connection with the supply of high-altitude tents to a covert unit of the intelligence agency.

A firm owned by Shambhu Prasad and his family members is alleged to have taken illegal bank loans to qualify for the bid for supply of tents or pre-fabricated dwellings for troops in high-altitude areas.

Sources said that Shambhu Prasad has for long been associated with former army chief Singh, who is now the Minister of State for External Affairs.

“The case has been registered against Shambhu Prasad and a few others who were earlier booked by CBI. The accused will soon be issued notices,” sources said.

They said that ED has identified some movable and immovable assets of the accused and these could be attached under PMLA laws after investigations and recording of statements.

Earlier, CBI had registered a case against Sai Baba Builders and Consultants and its three directors — Shyam Sunder Bhatter, JPN Singh and Manjari, Shambhu Prasad’s wife.

The CBI case was registered last year under IPC sections related to cheating and forgery and under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

“It has been alleged that wrongful favour was shown by the officials of the SFF (Special Frontier Force) and Cabinet Secretariat in the matter of the preparation of the tender, procurement, supply and installation of the pre-fabricated shelters for SFF troops during the period 2009-13 which were purchased from the company,” CBI said.

Panama City (AFP) – Hillary Clinton would make a fine US president, Barack Obama told reporters Saturday, on the eve of the expected launch of her candidacy for the Democratic Party’s nod in 2016.
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Obama beat Clinton — who is vying to become the first woman president of the United States — for their party’s nomination in 2008 after a grueling campaign. He then won re-election four years later.

“She was a formidable candidate in 2008. She was a great supporter of mine in the general election. She was an outstanding secretary of state. She is my friend,” Obama said at a regional summit in Panama.

“I think she would be an excellent president.”

Several US media reports, citing sources in Clinton’s campaign team, said the 67-year-old was likely to announce her candidacy for the Democratic nomination on Sunday.

The former first lady is expected to be the clear Democratic frontrunner in the race to succeed Obama.
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US President Barack Obama speaks during a press conference …
US President Barack Obama speaks during a press conference at the Summit of the Americas on April 11 …

The wife of former president Bill Clinton leads opinion polls among Democrats, some 60 percent of whom say they would vote for her in the primaries, according to the website RealClearPolitics.

Two other potential candidates — Senator Elizabeth Warren and Vice President Joe Biden — have not yet said they intend to run.

On the Republican side, Senators Rand Paul and Ted Cruz have already thrown their hats into the ring, with more candidates likely to follow — including Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida, brother to president George W. Bush and son of president George H.W. Bush.

A series of polls this year have consistently placed Clinton ahead of every one of her potential Republican challengers, although the gap has narrowed in recent weeks.

A bid to appear humble may have helped dispel doubts about Clinton raised in recent weeks, after it was revealed that she used a private email account for her work when she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013.

Detailed examinations of donations from foreign states and businesses to the Clinton Foundation when she was secretary of state have also raised questions about potential conflicts of interest

India has the “right” to be in the UN Security Council and the days of “begging” for it are gone, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, as he pitched for a permanent seat in the powerful world body.

Also Read: Modi slams UPA govt, says Coal blocks given away like you give handkerchiefs

Addressing a congregation of NRIs here before winding up his four-day tour of France, Modi last night said India had made lot of sacrifices for world peace since World War I and even after the UN was founded.

It has been the largest contributor to the peacekeeping forces across the world, he said.

“Still, India continues to yearn for a (permanent) seat in the UN Security Council. I urge the world, it is time to respect the peacekeeping efforts. It is the right of the sentiments of Mahatma Gandhi and Gautam Buddha. Those days are gone when India had to beg. Now our nation wants its right,” he told the gathering of about 3,000 Indians amid chants of “Modi, Modi”.

“There is hardly any other country which has such moral authority as the land of Mahatma Gandhi and Buddha. I hope that when the United Nations celebrates its 70th anniversary (this year), it will especially think about this,” the Prime Minister said.

India has been pitching for a permanent seat in the expanded membership of the UNSC, arguing that the existing body does not truly reflect the contemporary world realities.

To buttress his point, Modi referred to his visit earlier in the day to a war memorial in Lille region of France set up as a tribute to about 10,000 Indians who got martyred while fighting alongside France in World War I.

Modi said he wanted to send out a message to the world to realise that Indians have been ready to sacrifice their lives for peace since as long as one century.

“I want the world to know that 14 lakh Indians put their lives at risk by participating in the World War I…Who were they fighting for? Not for India or expansion of India …Thousands of years of India’s history is testimony to the fact that it has never indulged in aggression,” Modi said.

“Indian soldiers fought shoulder-to-shoulder with France…They fought for somebody else,” he added.

“Sometimes, history is forgotten. Those who forget history will lose their right to write one,” he said, adding that, “India is known for its sacrifices…One can fight for oneself, but to die for others is different.”

India along with Brazil, Germany and Japan have formed the G4 grouping to press for speedy UNSC reforms and their inclusion in the powerful organ of the world body.

The government is working to bring traditional medicines such as Ayurveda, unani, siddha and homeopathy (AYUSH) into the mainstream and doctors practising these streams are being engaged to address the shortage of medical practitioners in rural areas.

NEW DELHI: The government is working to bring traditional medicines such as Ayurveda, unani, siddha and homeopathy (AYUSH) into the mainstream and doctors practicing these streams are being engaged to address the shortage of medical practitioners in rural areas.

“Main streaming of AYUSH is one of the core strategies in National Rural Health Mission which seeks to provide accessible, affordable and quality healthcare to the rural population. Under National Health Mission (NHM)/ National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), engagement of Ayurveda Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) doctors/ paramedics is being supported, provided they are co-located with existing District Hospitals (DHs), Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs)…,” AYUSH Minister of State Shri Shripad Yesso Naik told Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

He also said the government is trying to train AYUSH doctors to address the shortage of skilled health care personnel in the rural areas.