R-Day parade: NDA states' floats go for harmony theme

R-Day parade: NDA states' floats go for harmony theme

NEW DELHI: Whether it was Narendra Modi's Gujarat or Nitish Kumar's Bihar, the themes for the tableaux of NDA-ruled states hogged the attention during the Republic Day parade here on Wednesday.

The message of "peace and communal harmony" ran as the common thread in the themes displayed by the states, making many to wonder whether it was just a mere coincidence.

The Narendra Modi government took time off with its pet pursuit of flaunting growth figures to choose a tableau based on Lord Buddha's message of peace and tolerance. The pride of place given to the chant of "Budham saranam gacchhami" naturally led some to suspect whether it was par for Modi's attempt to shed the "communal" tag. Especially because Gujarat was not among the centres of Buddhism when the faith flourished in India.

Asked about the choice, Modi told TOI, "Violence and terror has become a global menace. If we want to see a better India we need peace first. We always try to maintain peace in our state, but we are struggling for the nation as Gujarat is a part of this Akhand Bharat."

The thought almost echoed what Bihar CM had to say as to why the state chose to showcase the shrine of the 16th century Sufi saint Sharfuddin Yahiya Maneri on the Rajpath. The JD(U) leader, who ensured that Modi didn't get to campaign in Bihar, told TOI, "Hazrat Maneri syombolises the spirit of religious tolerance, peace and education. He is the real representative of what has been the ethos of Bihar through centuries," adding, "our tableau celebrated the message of peace and accommodation that sufis like Hazrat Maneri and others have spread."

Doubts that there could be a pattern to the Republic Day offerings of the NDA states could have only been strengthened by Karnataka. The BJP-ruled state --reputed for its IT prowess -- chose to display its Muslim artisans known for their Bidri work. The motif is named after its place of origin -- Bidar district -- and the art form had travelled from Persia in the 11th century during the time of Sultan Ahmed Shah. It fused with local art forms to give rise to a craft that is largely practised by Muslim artisans. CM B S Yeddyurappa told TOI, "We want to say the state is proud of its art and artisans, supports it workers, its poor, irrespective of their caste and community."

His officials spoke in the same vein. "Art for integrity, promotion of secular and cultural heritage of Karnataka through fine arts," they explained.

BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh had traditional tribal motifs -- known as Bag print on textiles -- on show. Originating from cave paintings in the state, Bag prints trace their origin to Dhar district, and Muslim artisans are the mainstay for it. State officials said, "the idea behind the tableau was to take the state's heritage to the national and international level."

Gujarat dream business destination for

Gujarat dream business destination for entrepreneurs: Advani

NEW DELHI: Showering praises on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for making the state a dream destination for entrepreneurs , senior BJP leader L K Advani today said the national scenario was "really depressing".

Advani said "the achievements" in Gujarat have a lot to do with Modi's "astounding success" in making the state's administration effectively curb red tape and corruption.

"On the national level, the scene is really depressing," he said in his blog referring to a recent report titled "India slips to No 87 in Transparency Corruption Index" and incidents of corruption hitting the nation.

"Our country has come to be known all over the world as among the most corrupt countries of the world," he said in the blog written in the context of Republic Day.

Advani also referred to the issue of food inflation and fuel price hike that has caused "extreme distress and depression" to the people.

"In contrast one feels proud to hear the reports that have been coming from Gujarat lately," the veteran BJP leader said.

He said that Modi could successfully attract entrepreneurs, Indian as well as foreign "very naturally" to Gujarat.

"Since 2003, every alternate year, Gujarat has been holding a Vibrant Gujarat programme. Four programmes have been held till now-in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009.

"This year's Vibrant Gujarat attracted 101 countries, and about 1400 foreign delegates. MoUs worth 21 billion dollars, that is, roughly, one third of India's GDP were signed in two days flat," Advani wrote in his blog.

SIT findings ensure Narendra Modi can’t shake off riot taint

NEW DELHI: In a serious blow to Narendra Modi's reputation as an able administrator, the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) has indicted him on over a dozen counts for his alleged complicity in the Gujarat riots of 2002.

The confidential report of the SIT, which has been reproduced extensively by Tehelka magazine, has upheld much of the complaint lodged against Modi and his administration by Zakia Jafri, widow of former Congress MP Ahsan Jafri who had been killed during the riots.

The SIT submitted its 600-page report to the Supreme Court in May 2010 after it had, among other things, questioned Modi for 10 hours. Its damaging observations against Modi are despite the SIT's admission that several witnesses had declined to testify for what was merely a preliminary enquiry and not a criminal investigation under the law.

Key findings of the inquiry done by former CBI officer A K Malhotra under the supervision of SIT chairman K Raghavan are as follows:

* "The chief minister had tried to water down the seriousness of the situation at Gulbarg Society, Naroda Patia and other places by saying that every action has an equal and opposite reaction," Malhotra reported. "His implied justification of the killings of innocent members of the minority community, read together with an absence of a strong condemnation of the violence that followed Godhra, suggest a partisan stance at a critical juncture when the state had been badly disturbed by communal violence." Raghavan added that Modi's statements were "sweeping and offensive coming as it did from a chief minister, that too at a critical time when Hindu-Muslim tempers were running high."

* The report said that Modi's 'controversial' move to place two senior ministers — Ashok Bhatt and I K Jadeja — in the Ahmedabad city police control room and the Gujarat state police control room during the riots with "no definite charter" fuelled the speculation that they "had been placed to interfere in police work and give wrongful decisions to the field officers."

* The report affirmed that police officers who took a neutral stand during the riots and prevented massacres had been transferred by the Gujarat government to insignificant postings in a highly 'questionable' manner.

* "The Gujarat government has reportedly destroyed the police wireless communication of the period pertaining to the riots," SIT said, adding, "'No records, documentations or minutes of the crucial law and order meetings held by the government during the riots had been preserved."

* The report said Modi displayed a "discriminatory attitude by not visiting the riot-affected areas in Ahmedabad where a large number of Muslims were killed, though he went to Godhra on the same day, travelling almost 300km on a single day."

* According to the report, the Gujarat government did not take any steps to stop the illegal bandh called by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad on February 28, 2002. On the contrary the BJP had also supported the bandh.

* The SIT report also pointed out that the police administration did not impose curfew in Naroda and Meghani Nagar (Ahmedabad city) until 12 and 2pm respectively on 28.02.02 although the situation had by then severely deteriorated at both those places.

* The SIT discovered that the state police had carried out shoddy investigations in the Naroda Patia and Gulbarg Society massacre cases and deliberately overlooked the cellphone records of Sangh Parivar members and BJP leaders involved in the riots.

* The SIT has also found evidence against the then minister of state for home Gordhan Zadafia (who was reporting directly to Modi) and top police officers such as M K Tandon and P B Gondia for their alleged complicity in the riots.

* SIT confirmed that the government appointed VHP and RSS-affiliated advocates as public prosecutors in sensitive riot cases. The report states: "It appears that the political affiliation of the advocates did weigh with the government for the appointment of public prosecutors."

Modi blows own trumpet, heaps sarcasm on state

NAGPUR: Hindutva poster boy Narendra Modi on Friday portrayed Gujarat to be a virtually a state within the state as he trumpeted the achievements of his reign while taking swipes at Maharashtra and the Centre.


"Have you heard of a treaty between a country and a province of another country. Certainly not, but it happened in Gujarat. Powerful economies like Canada and Japan have partnered with Gujarat in its economic ventures. This has led to an investment commitment of almost Rs 21,00,000 crore through the Vibrant Gujarat summit. Heads of states and ministers from 109 countries gathered at Gujarat for it. Does it happen in Delhi," he asked. Modi was addressing a function in city to mark the golden jubilee year of formation of Gujarat organised by the local Gujarati community.


Attempting to project Gujarat as larger than country, he said even India had reached 50 years of its independence but the event went unnoticed while celebrations of Gujarat's 50th year seem to be surpassing all records. Speaking in Gujarati, Modi used the typical Amdvadadi jargon to take swipes at the Centre and other Congress-ruled states.


He said "mey badha booch band karee karee deedha che, chowkidar banee ne baitho choo ke koi Panjo nahin mari sake," (I have corked all the holes, so that no 'hand' can dare to grab the treasure), a clear reference to keeping Congress at bay from his state. He did not spare even Mahatma Gandhi. "Giving is in Gujarati culture, we have learnt from Gandhiji to give away everything, (indirect reference to conceding to the demand of Pakistan)," he said.


He quickly added that even Sardar Patel, the Gujarati ideal appropriated by BJP, had the same quality of being generous. The comment came as he said that Gujarat had now become a power surplus state and was supplying electricity to Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.


Taking at a dig at Maharashtra from which Gujarat was carved out, he asserted his state had left the big brother far behind. "Does anyone have a health card in your state? In my state every farmer has a health card for his soil. We have cataract and dental treatment camps for cattle, you must be having it for humans in your state," he said condescendingly.


"When it was formed, all Gujarat had was a registan (desert) and Pakistan beyond that. Look now the very dry state has clocked a 9.6% agriculture growth while the country is still half way to the 4% target set a couple decades ago," said Modi to an applause. He said after the green revolution in the farms and white revolution with Amul, now its time to colour Gujarat with saffron and complete the tricolour. Saffron stands for energy, Modi pointed out even as the audience chanted BJP!


"Every village in Gujarat has uninterrupted power supply and a few minutes of power cuts make headlines saying darkness in Modi's land. I am sure here it makes news when there is a short period of power supply after days of darkness," he said ridiculing the load-shedding that persists in Maharashtra.


Modi exhorted the local Gujaratis to donate generously for his dream project of erecting a statue of Sardar Patel that would be double the size of Statue of Liberty. It would be called the Statue of Unity. "Eh to janta na Sardar hata nake koi sarkari sardar (Patel was a Sardar of masses and not a government-anointed Sardar)," Modi said in one last sarcastic comment about Centre.

Ishrat case: Local police rebuff crime branch's claim

AHMEDABAD: Statements of local police posted at different police stations in the city in 2004 might nail the crime branch which killed Ishrat Jahan and three others branding them as Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists out to kill chief minister Narendra Modi.

The probe by the Gujarat high court appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) examined nearly 50 police personnel of various ranks who were posted in police stations situated between Narol and Kotarpur. They were asked specific questions about deployment of crime branch personnel for 'nakabandi' (checkposts) on June 15, 2004 when Ishrat and three others were killed in a shoot-out. The crime branch had said earlier that they had received an intelligence tip off about LeT fidayeen targeting the chief minister. The crime branch's version said that the terrorists entered in the city from Narol and were intercepted near Kotarpur waterworks. Officials involved in the operation claimed that 26 policemen were deployed for nakabandi after they got intelligence inputs that the terrorists were approaching the city.


The agency questioned 50-odd policemen on night duty that day including some assistant and deputy commissioners, but none of them confirmed seeing crime branch officials at checkposts to identify and stop the terrorists.


The crime branch FIR in the Ishrat Jahan encounter case says that joint commissioner of crime branch, PP Pandey, received secret information that LeT operatives had entered Gujarat to kill the chief minister. He alerted the crime branch, which took position at various spots to stop the militants. Finally an encounter took place when they reached Kotarpur area.


The first investigation carried out by crime branch officer Parixita Gurjar concluded that the claims were true. The Pota court, however rejected her proposal to close the case. The high court set up an SIT, but in the meantime an inquiry report by judicial officer SP Tamang dubbed it a fake encounter and disrupted the progress of the probe due to various litigations. Last year, the high court again constituted an SIT, and one of three officers of the SIT, Satish Verma told the court that more that sufficient evidence has been gathered to book the cops involved in the shoot-out.