Naxalite attack in Chhattisgarh

The Naxal movement has been one of the biggest threats to the elections for quite some time now. The threat is spread right from the Nepal border to Tamil Nadu. This time the Centre has intervened and stepped up its efforts to avoid Naxal attacks during the elections. Fact is that police could do little in the last elections to stop the Naxal attacks. Keeping this in mind, the para military forces and armed forces have been engaged to take up the task.

This time election as a whole seems to be the target of the Naxalites. The incessant series of attacks by Naxalites just before elections in Chhattisgarh and Bihar killing fifteen security personnel and one civilian on March 4, 2014 in Sukma district of south Chhattisgarh, the same area where a Maoist ambush had killed 27 people last May and the recent attack of plundering the petrol pump of BJP MLA Ram Surat Rai in Ahiapur police station area on march 13, 2014 is enough to prove it.

The incident at Chhattisgarh took place when a joint team of the CRPF and the police, about 50 personnel divided into two platoons, were moving from Tongpal village to Jeeram Ghati. The team was engaged in an area domination exercise to sanitise the area for troop movements and also to provide security to road construction workers. About 100 Maoists surrounded them and opened fire. Sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in Delhi said an alert had been sounded last month in view of the Lok Sabha elections. While in Bihar, the Naxalites mercilessly beat up the petrol pump staff before vandalising the petrol pump and setting it on fire. And after plundering the petrol pump, the Maoists went to Rai”s residence in Bocha police station area and opened fire besides hurling bombs. A case has been registered in the Ahiapur police station as well as in the Bocha police station against them.

Anil Kamboj, former IG (BSF), said the Naxalities never wants the elections to happen and they do their best to scare the candidates and the voters just to hinder the process of it. They make a deal with the candidates of the particular state and ask them for huge amount of money in exchange of peace. He added “Usually in these types of attacks Standing Procedural Order (SOPs) are not followed properly making the situation worse. Earlier the terror of Naxalites was not as much as compared to the present situation. Now the Naxalities attacks the security forces intentionally which gears up for the elections making the leadership fail.

Chronology of Naxal attacks in the country in the past two years:

October 18, 2012: Six CRPF men killed and eight personnel, including a deputy commandant, were injured in landmine blasts and gun battle between the cops in Gaya district.

May 25, 2013: 25 Congress leaders including former state minister Mahendra Karma and Chhattisgarh Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel killed in a Naxal attack in Darbha valley in Chhattisgarh.

July 2, 2013: Five policemen including Superintendent of Police of Pakur killed in an attack in Dumka, Jharkhand.

February 28, 2014: Six police personnel, including a SHO, killed in Maoist attack in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh.

—Heena Nanda

Battle for Ballots

Rahul to face legal action for anti-RSS remarks, tries to emulate Kejriwal in Gujarat

Anti-RSS remarks of Rahul Gandhi created uproar in the political circles. While BJP called for taking back the allegations, Congress leader Kapil Sibbal tried to justify it. RSS has filed a complaint with Karnataka electoral authorities for his “malicious remarks”, saying it violated the model code of conduct. “We have filed the complaint with the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer against Rahul Gandhi for his malicious remarks that RSS people had shot Mahatma Gandhi dead,” RSS Sah Sampark Pramukh Ram Madhav told reporters in Bengaluru.

Meanwhile a defamation case is in a court at Lakhimpur Khiri district Court by Adv Shanu Shukla, who is also state convener of the organisation ‘People for Legal Aid’ argued in his petition that various investigative agencies and Kapoor Commission investigating Mahatma Gandhi Assassination case have cleared RSS from any association with killing. “His statement had hurt the feelings and sentiments of those like me, who have deep faith in RSS,” Shukla said, adding that various inquiries and commissions have found no role of RSS in Mahatma Gandhi’s killing.

Meanwhile, addressing a rally at Balasinor in Kheda district of Gujarat, Rahul Gandhi tried to emulate Kejriwal by questioning Gujarat model of development. Another controversy is created by his comparison of the state Chief Minister with that of Hitler. Gandhi said in an indirect reference to Modi: “Hitler was the biggest arrogant who thought people had no wisdom and there was no need to listen to them. He thought he had all the knowledge himself. Similarly, there is a leader today in India who says ‘I have done this, I have done that’ and behaves arrogantly. A leader should not be arrogant.” After strong indications of losing ground and Rahul Gandhi unable to catch imagination of the youth, these controversies are keeping him alive in media.

Kejriwal opts for uncivil disobedience, blames media for Modi Wave

In a consecutive second week, AAP and its leaders Kejriwal opted for ‘uncivil’ ways of campaigning. While kicking of his election campaign in the financial capital of India, Kejriwal and his supporters broke laws after laws and created inconvenience for the fast moving Mumbaikars.

First of all, they unlawfully assembled outside the domestic airport here which was “in violation of the order duly promulgated by police that more than five persons cannot assemble in a place without police permission”.

Another complaint is filed against the auto rickshaw driver who ferried Kejriwal to Andheri suburban station. Unruly scene took place at the Churchgate station, where AAP supporters created traffic jams and broke metal detectors.

This is the second consecutive incidence of violent actions by AAP supporters in the last two weeks. They also opted the same means by making violent protests outside Delhi BJP office during Kejriwal’s visit to Gujarat and his detention by Gujarat Police over violation of model code of conduct.

A fresh controversy is kicked off with Kejriwal alleging that the whole media is “sold” and “heavy amounts” have been paid to promote BJP”s Prime Ministerial nominee Narendra Modi. As AAP has nominated maximum candidates with media background and gained momentum through the same media, his remarks came under attack from Congress, BJP and CPI.—Bureau Report

US visa policy succumbs to Modi Wave

Last month meet of the US Ambassador Nancy Powell with the BJP”s Prime Ministerial candidate Shri Narendra Modi ended a decade-long US boycott of the Gujarat Chief Minister over the 2002 riots in his State.

US Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal said in a television interview that Washington was ready to do business with Modi, the front runner ahead of the April-May General election who is best placed to form a coalition government.

On the whole issue OP Gupta, Former US Ambassador, said to Organiser that the US Government is a pragmatic Government which adjusts his policies according to ground realities and therefore this change reflect the increasing popularity of Shri Narendra Modi across the India and all over the world. Shri Narendra modi and BJP hold the view that there is wider scope for increasing bilateral co-operating between India and the US and therefore the US is adjusting itself to this reality.

Senior party leader Arun Jaitley said last month that the US boycott had not been based on any evidence or court verdict but on “excessive propaganda”.

On other hand, A Federal Judge dismissed charges against Devyani Khobragade on March 12 whose arrest and strip search spurred an international flap. This is a diplomatic win for India and it welcomed the dismissal full-heartedly. Back to back incidents of the US Ambassador meet with BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Shri Narendra Modi and dismissal of Khobragade is being seen as a positive sign for the Indo-US relation.

Khobragade”s arrest and subsequent strip-search provoked a vociferation in India, setting off reprisals against US diplomat. After being indicted, Khobragade complied with a department of state order to leave the US. The Indian Government then asked Washington to withdraw a diplomat from the US embassy in New Delhi. The dispute led to the postponement of trips by US officials and business executives to India. But now the moves have been made to get relations between the India and US.

A Federal prosecutor ventured into the tense relationship between the US and India in December, defending the arrest and strip search of Khobragade when she was held on visa charges and saying she was treated very well, even given coffee and offered food while detained.

—Bureau Report