(5 Nov) Guwahati: With Assembly polls only a few months away, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi favours a realignemnt of political forces, including the AIUDF, to fight the BJP on a single platform. Cautious about the difficult possibility of bringing the parties like CPI, CPI-M, AIUDF and Bodoland People’s Front together, he says it should not be viewed as a poll alliance but a grouping of forces joining hands to tackle communalism. “There is no such possibility (of an alliance) but I appeal to all political forces like the CPI, CPI-M, BPF and even the

AIUDF to join hands against divisive forces trying to create trouble in the country,” Gogoi told PTI interview. BJP had emerged the largest winner in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections winning 7 seats out of 14 in Assam. AIUDF, led by perfume baron Badaruddin Azmal, which espouses the causes of mainly Muslim minorities, won two seats in lower Assam and one seat in Barak valley in the last year’s Lok Sabha elections. “This should not be viewed as a poll alliance but is aimed at tackling communalism which is destroying the secular fabric of the country,” he said. Gogoi, however, said such a possibility is “very thin” but he will continue to try to bring all forces against communalism together. “Modi’s popularity is fast waning and the results of assembly elections in different states even during the party’s honeymoon period is (going to be) an indication that people are losing their faith in him,” he said. Gogoi said the “aggressive manner” in which Modi campaigned in Bihar clearly indicates that the party is facing tough time and is not at all confident about its prospects even though they are in power at the Centre and had won huge mandate in the last Lok Sabha polls in the state,” he said. Besides, it had lost in Uttarakhand and had failed to get a majority in Maharashtra. In Assam, the BJP has very “bleak prospects as it has no base and there is no credible leader,” he said.

“BJP is importing leaders from all other parties like the Congress, AGP, student organisations like the AASU and even militants having NIA cases pending against them have joined hands with them,” he said. The Congress prospects were “very good” and he was sure the party would form the next government after the assembly polls scheduled next year, Gogoi said. Gogoi alleged that contrary to BJP government’s claim of ushering in development, the situation in the North East has deteriorated. “There is no cooperation by the BJP government though Modi and his Ministers are good to me and continue to give me assurances but they do nothing,” he said. The BJP government at the Centre has withdrawn the special category status to the North Eastern states and has not even “released the funds due to us”. “They are good to me personally but I want result. I do not want anything personally but what I want them to be good to the people of Assam and work in their interest,” Gogoi added.

Nov) Yangon: Myanmar’s democracy heroine Aung San Suu Kyi today vowed to run the government if her opposition party wins this Sunday’s landmark election, despite being barred from the presidency. The former junta-ruled country goes to the polls on Sunday in elections which could see the army’s decades-long grip on power substantially loosened. Suu Kyi has towered over Myanmar’s politics after a decades-long struggle for democracy and her party is expected to make major gains at Sunday’s polls if the vote is free and fair. Yet under the military-scripted constitution, the 70-year- old is barred from running for the presidency by a clause believed to have been written specifically to thwart her bid for the country’s top office.

But in bullish remarks to international media ahead of Sunday’s vote she vowed to be “above the president” in the event of a victory by her National League for Democracy (NLD) party. “I will run the government and we will have a president who will work in accordance with the policies of the NLD,” she told reporters gathered on the lawn of her Yangon home, the same mansion she was confined to during years of house arrest by the former generals. Her path to the presidency is blocked by a charter clause outlawing those with foreign-born offspring taking the top post. Her two sons have British passports – their late father was a British academic. Many hope Sunday’s election will be the country’s freest and fairest for a generation but concerns abound in a country with a long history of the army stifling democracy.

Polls in 1990 swept by the NLD were ignored by the military, while a 2010 election was boycotted by Suu Kyi’s opposition over fraud fears. Reforms by the military since then have seen a quasi-civilian government take charge and guide sweeping changes leading to this weekend’s election. But Suu Kyi struck a note of caution over the election, expressing reservations over the willingness of election officials to tackle allegations of irregularities so far. Asked how vigilant she was to the possibility of fraud she said: “If it looks too suspicious then I think we will have to make a fuss about it.”But she added it was important for her party to run a government of “national reconciliation” if the NLD wins. The party’s main rival is the incumbent Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) which is led by former general Thein Sein and stacked with ex-military cadres.

Thomas Buergenthal, former judge at the International Court of Justice, said that former Vice President Dick Cheney could possibly be tried as a war criminal before the International Criminal Court (ICC), reported RawStory.

“Some of us have long thought that Cheney and a number of CIA agents who did what they did in those so-called black holes should appear before the ICC,” said Buergenthal. “We [Americans] could have tried them ourselves. I voted for Obama, but I think he made a great mistake when he decided not to instigate legal proceedings against some of these people.”

Buergenthal mentioned that he didn’t know if former British Prime Minister Tony Blair could face war crimes. Knowing that Cheney was the real ringleader behind the Iraq War, Buergenthal said George W. Bush was “insignificant.” He describes Bush as an “ignorant person” with mommy and daddy issues.

Dick Cheney going before an international tribunal for war crimes would be perfect. Cheney deserves be to be tried for wrongfully creating a war on false pretences.

“The hate, violence and petty mindedness is being unleashed as part of a pre-determined plan,” said Sonia Gandhi. (PTI Photo) In an attempt to seize the ongoing protest by writers, artists and filmmakers who have returned prestigious awards expressing their anger over rising intolerance in the country, Congress President Sonia Gandhi will lead a delegation of her party to meet President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday.

Sonia along with son and party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi and senior party leaders will meet President Mukherjee in the evening to discuss the “current political situation”. Also read: According to Congress insiders, Sonia is expected to talk to the President about the growing concern over intolerance and urge him to advice the government to act firmly. Speaking during a function in New Delhi on Saturday, Sonia expressed her concern over rising intolerance in the country. “Organisations and people of a particular ideology are spreading it to divide people. We are under no illusion that it is an accident. The hate, violence and petty mindedness is being unleashed as part of a pre-determined plan. We will not allow such a diabolical design to succeed. It will shake country’s foundations. We are ready to fight the battle,” Sonia had said. Also read: In the past, President Pranab Mukherjee has also spoken over the issue.

“The core values of diversity, tolerance and plurality of Indian civilisation must be kept in mind and cannot be allowed to be wasted,” he had said in the backdrop of the Dadri lynching incident. “These core civilisation values keep us together over the centuries. Many ancient civilisations have fallen. Despite aggression after aggression our civilisation has survived because of our core civilisation values. If we keep those core values in mind, nothing can prevent our democracy from moving ahead,” the President added. Also read:
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PATNA: Voting will be held in 55 seats tomorrow in the penultimate phase of Bihar election, with stakes high for BJP as it had along with its then ally JD(U) bagged majority of seats in last Assembly polls. BJP had won 26 out of 55 seats spread across seven districts of Muzaffarpur, East Champaran, West Champaran, Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Gopalganj and Siwan in 2010 Assembly polls. Its then ally JD(U) had emerged victorious in 24. RJD had won 2 seats and Independents 3. But the scenario has changed this time. From the grand secular alliance camp, RJD has now fielded candidates in 26 constituencies followed by JD(U) in 21 and Congress 8. From NDA on the other hand, BJP fielded its nominees in 42 seats in this phase, LJP in 5 and Hindustanti Awam Morcha and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) in 4 seats each.

A total of 1,46,93,294 electorate will be able to cast vote on 14,139 polling stations on November 1 to elect their representatives from 776 candidates of which 57 are women. On the basis of assessment of security situation, polling will be held from 7 AM to 5 PM in 43 constituencies, while it will be shortened by one hour in 8 seats and voting would end at 3 PM in four seats, Additional Chief Electoral Officer R Lakshamanan said. He put the number of polling stations in LWE (Left Wing Extremist) affected areas at 3043. Altogether 1163 companies (each comprising 100 personnel) of Central Paramilitary Force and state police will be posted to ensure free and fair elections. A total of 38 motor boats will be pressed into services for riverine patrolling tomorrow. Balloting has already completed on 131 seats in the earlier three rounds. After completion of fourth phase, voting would be over in 186 seats. The last phase of polling is scheduled on November 5 on the remaining 57 seats. Counting of votes is on November 8. The fourth phase saw high voltage campaigning with both BJP-led NDA and JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance accusing each other of trying to polarise voters on communal lines. “If BJP loses Bihar elections even by chance, though victory or defeat will happen in Patna, there will be bursting of firecrackers in Pakistan,” BJP chief Amit Shah had said at a rally at Raxual in East Champaran district on Thursday, three days before the fourth phase polling. Rivals JD(U), Congress and RJD saw the comment as an attempt to communalise voters for the next two rounds on 112 seats and approached the Election Commission.

Acting on the complaint, the state Election Office has sought report from District Magistrate of East Champaran and West Champaran on the remark. Lalu Prasad slammed Shah linking the controversy with the pride of the state alleging the remark was an affront on the citizens of Bihar particularly backwards, EBCs, dalits and minorities who are “firmly rooting” for secular alliance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed two rallies at Gopalganj and Muzaffarpur before the campaign ended last evening. Continuing with his earlier attack on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad, the PM again alluded to the alleged “sinister plan” of Nitish and Lalu to carve out 5 per cent quota from OBC, SC and ST to give to a particular community. Prominent personalities whose fate would be decided in this phase are senior minister Ramai Ram (Bochaha, SC seat), Ranju Geeta (Bajpatti) and Manoj Kushwaha (Kudni). Lakshamanan said 191 arms/weapons, 56 explosives, 595 cartridges and 17 bombs were seized. A total of Rs 5.32 crore of unaccounted cash and 1,58,246 litres of illegal liquor valued at Rs 2.90 crore were seized, he said.

New Delhi, Oct 27 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday criticized Delhi Police, saying it had no business to enter Kerala House. “I strongly condemn Delhi Police raid on Kerala House. I agree with Kerala Chief Minister (Oommen Chandy) that Kerala House is a government establishment and not a private hotel,” Kejriwal tweeted. “Delhi Police had no business to enter Kerala House. It is an attack on (federal) structure. Delhi Police is acting like BJP Sena,” the Aam Aadmi Party leader added. A Kerala House official told IANS that beef curry based on buffalo meat was removed from its menu after police entered the government guest house following a complaint by a little known Hindu group on Monday.

PM Narendra Modi addressing a rally in Buxar.(Photo: ANI) Continuing his tirade against Bihar Chief Minister Nitsh Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called the former chief minister a ‘virus’ which has affected Nitish’s ‘computer’. Also Read | Second Green Revolution will come from Bihar, says PM at Buxar rally Addressing a poll rally in Buxar, 133km from state capital Patna, Modi said that Nitish Kumar has promised to give computers to the youth but he should first arrange for electricity.
“Nitishji said he will distribute computers to the youth. What will they do with it without electricity. Moreover, your computer has been affected by Lalu virus,” Modi said to a huge applause from the crowd. Attacking Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Modi said Congress ruled Bihar for 35 years but did nothing for the state. “Soniaji, Congress ruled Bihar for 35 years, are you not accountable? But they come here and ask for a report from me,” Modi

24 Oct) New Delhi, Oct.24 (ANI): Janata Dal (United) leader K.C Tyagi on Saturday condemned the statement of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who referred to the death of a 15-year-old Dalit boy as a case of suicide, and maintained that Haryana has the highest rate of crime and atrocities against Dalits. “Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has turned the act of atrocities against Dalits into a case of suicide. Haryana is currently the hub of atrocities against ‘Harijans’. I highly condemn the statement of Khattar,” Tyagi told ANI here. Khattar had said that the death of a 15-year-old Dalit boy accused of stealing a pigeon in Gohana is a case of suicide. “No interrogation is going on. The family came to the police station with a complaint and went back home after the matter was resolved,” Khattar told media. The family however has claimed that, Govind, died in police custody and that the police had demanded money for his release. The Haryana Government has

(24 Oct) Uttar Pradesh PWD Minister Azam Khan addresses a function (Photo: PTI) Rampur: Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan today held mobile phones responsible for rape of minors saying misuse of these gadgets by the younger generation has led to an alarming rise in such cases. He also demanded that the Centre should take steps to divert the attention of the younger generation towards constructive activities. “Two-and-a-half-year olds getting raped, why? It’s because of mobile phones. Even in villages people can download things,” he said in an apparent reference to the alleged rape of a two-and-a-half-year-old girl in Delhi last week. “Rape cases have increased due to misuse of mobile phones by the younger generation. They watch dirty films on the mobile phones,” he claimed, adding, “these films show objectionable things.” His remark drew sharp criticism with former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeting, “Of course because rape & depravity didn’t exist