<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Congress 'Hand' in UPA miseries </b>
Pioneer.com
Sanjay K Jha | New Delhi
The first year was laden with prospects. The second year spelt dangerous slump. The promise of big economic strides, radical welfare measures and a credible administration evaporated all of a sudden and stepped in political intrigues, scandals and strategic blunders.
<b>The second year doubtless took Manmohan Singh Government on a journey downhill and, what is worse, it happened despite a booming economy and landmark achievements like the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. And it is the Congress party, neither the ruling allies nor the Opposition, which is primarily responsible for this tragic turnaround</b>.
<b>What blotted the copybook of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in the second year are the Iraqi oil-for-food scandal, Supreme Court's negative verdict on the Bihar Assembly dissolution, controversy over Quattrocchi decision and finally the quota storm. Even Congress leaders won't blame L K Advani or Prakash Karat for these mishaps. They were ruthlessly planned and executed by the Congressmen and that's the most worrying aspect of the second year in office.</b>
<b>Apart from hurting the image of the Government, certain developments even eroded the authority of the Prime Minister. Be it Natwar Singh's brazen defiance, Mani Shankar Aiyar's ego-trip or Arjun Singh's quota crush, every story looked like a commentary of the Prime Minister's diminishing control. Insiders know Sonia Gandhi didn't pray for this and took care to maintain a healthy relation with Manmohan Singh but the very existence of dual power centres - a fact of life in this ruling dispensation - encouraged these maverick characters to play their own little games</b>.
While the effects of other misadventures might have died down, what Arjun Singh has managed with his irresponsible posturing on reservations for the OBC will haunt the Congress for a long time. The urban middle class, a gift to the Congress by Manmohan Singh in the first year, has walked out of its lap in the second year. The Government could have explained the petrol price hike and other inflationary burden on this section of the society but extension of quota ambit is one thing they hate most.
On the other hand, backward classes too would vent their anger on the Congress for the dithering on what was indicated initially by Arjun Singh in the wake of the constitutional amendment. The OBCs, never part of the Congress vote-bank, won't have changed their loyalty even if the Government toed Arjun Singh's line.
The Congress, with its elitist leadership, can't match those who are products of caste politics. It looked like developing a national voter who was above caste and religion by setting the development agenda on top of everything in the first year, it faltered badly in the second.
The Congress has reasons to worry as the decline came even as neither the Prime Minister nor the party president performed badly. While Sonia Gandhi salvaged her pride in the fag end of the year by turning the office-of-profit row to her advantage, Manmohan Singh's grit and determination in handling the Iran issue and the energy deal with the United States raised his stature both within and outside India. By mustering the courage to clearly pronounce that a nuclear Iran was not in India's interests, he demonstrated the courage to free India's foreign policy from the clutches of domestic compulsions.
In fact, Manmohan Singh's performance should be assessed only in the context of constraints within which he works. In addition to being the first Congress Prime Minister heading such a diverse coalition, he wasn't allowed to form the Cabinet himself, doesn't enjoy full governmental authority and has scarcely any say in political matters. It is to his credit that no UPA ally has raised fingers at him so far and he has even succeeded in keeping the volatile Left in control up to a great extent. Given the sharp differences on economic and foreign policies, the strife with the Left has been managed remarkably well.
<b>There has been no major scandal either and had Natwar Singh been dealt with firmly from the word go, even Volcker report wouldn't have caused so much damage. </b>With better political management and greater communication skills, the Government could have minimised damages on these fronts. But the real area of concern is agrarian distress, worsened by rising prices of essential commodities.
The loud talk of giving rural India a new deal hasn't materialised so far. <b>Despite substantial increase in investments in agriculture and reduction of farm loan interests to 7 %, suicides have not come down at all. This, coupled with rising prices of commodities and petrol, make an alarmist scenario. As if these are not enough, wild swings in stock market have come as a new shock. The Government would certainly have dreamt of a better beginning of its third year in office</b>.
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Spurned driver in MMS revenge
Teacher drugged and filmed nudeÂ
OUR CORRESPONDENT
Barasat, May 22: A driver hired to ferry a teacher to her school drugged her, took pictures of her in the nude on a cellphone and sent them to her prospective groomâs family because she had spurned his proposal.
Nurul Islam, 32, the driver, and his alleged associate Riyajul Haque, who co-owns a car dealership, were arrested yes-terday in Madhyamgram, North 24-Parganas.
Police had tracked down the phone from which the photographs had been MMSed.
The 27-year-old womanâs wedding, scheduled next month, has been called off by the groomâs family.
âWe arrested Nurul and Riyajul on the basis of a complaint lodged by the woman. The mobile phone with which the photographs were taken has been seized,â said Praveen Kumar, the North 24-Parganas superintendent of police.
Piyali Ghosh (name changed), the daughter of a district intelligence branch inspector posted in South 24-Parganas, teaches in an English-medium school at Madhyamgram and had been travelling to and from it in the hired car since February.
âThe car was hired from an agency belonging to one Bablu Ghosh, who engaged Nurul. He developed a crush on Piyali and wanted to marry her. Nurul was rudely refused when he proposed marriage in early April. But Piyali continued to go to school in cars driven by Nurul,â said a Barasat police station officer.
Piyali had reported Nurulâs proposal to her father, who warned him against making any further move and told him that her marriage had been fixed.
An investigating officer said: âNurul carefully planned his revenge and roped in friend Riyajul, the co-owner of a two-wheeler and car shop in Madhyamgram.â
On May 13, Nurul arrived with Riyajul to drive Piyali to her school.
Piyali was drugged in the car, but she cannot recall how.
The district police chief said: âWe will have to grill the duo for details, but they have confessed to their crime.â
The two took an unconscious Piyali to a house in Madhyamgram and even âapplied make-up and lipstick to deck her up like a fashion modelâ.
When she regained consciousness about an hour later, she was fully clothed, but a little dizzy. âNurul told her that she had lost consciousness all of a sudden and that they had to sprinkle water on her face to help her regain her senses,â an officer said.
Neither Piyali nor her family suspected any foul play until her future father-in-law, a retired government employee, received the pictures on his mobile phone.
Piyaliâs father Sudhin (name changed) took her to the police station immediately.
An investigating officer, wiser after the crime, said Sudhin should not have allowed Nurul to continue in the job after the marriage proposal.
<b>Mahajan's secy Maitra dead, son Rahul in ICU</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> Pramod Mahajan's secretary Vivek Maitra has passed away while Rahul Mahajan has been admitted to Delhi's Apollo hospital due to suspected food poisoning.
Both, Rahul and Vivek had reportedly consumed some food in Indore, soon after which they developed complications.
Maitra was declared dead on arrival while Rahul was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Gopinath Munde, who had immediately flown to Delhi, said <b>Rahul was in a serious but stable condition.</b>
<b>Foul play has not been ruled out</b>, especially since the hospital authorities refused to confirm the cause of Vivek's death.
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Very sad tragic.
What is happenning in the Mahajan household? Did Pramod piss-off someone very badly that his entire family is being terminated? This is too much of a coincidence. This is like every member of the Kennedy family dying in freak accidents. And how quick were the police to rule-off foul play. Fratricide and now food poisoning???
<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+Jun 1 2006, 11:55 PM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ Jun 1 2006, 11:55 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Mahajan's secy Maitra dead, son Rahul in ICU</b><!--QuoteBegin--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> Pramod Mahajan's secretary Vivek Maitra has passed away while Rahul Mahajan has been admitted to Delhi's Apollo hospital due to suspected food poisoning.
Both, Rahul and Vivek had reportedly consumed some food in Indore, soon after which they developed complications.
Maitra was declared dead on arrival while Rahul was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Gopinath Munde, who had immediately flown to Delhi, said <b>Rahul was in a serious but stable condition.</b>
<b>Foul play has not been ruled out</b>, especially since the hospital authorities refused to confirm the cause of Vivek's death.
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Very sad tragic.
[right][snapback]52009[/snapback][/right]
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->What is happenning in the Mahajan household? Did Pramod piss-off someone very badly that his entire family is being terminated? This is too much of a coincidence. This is like every member of the Kennedy family dying in freak accidents. And how quick were the police to rule-off foul play. Fratricide and now food poisoning???
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According to Hindu custom, till ashes are not visarjit, person who had performed last rites should abstain from alcohol and Tamasic food. Person had to maintain strict diet.
What he was doing was just reverse? Bad Karma.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>First Pramod, now Maitra: Who's behind the murders? </b>
Navin Upadhyay | New Delhi
The death of Bibek Maitra in mysterious circumstances points to a well-planned murder and has added a new dimension to the killing of his mentor Pramod Mahajan last month. All of a sudden, Pramod's death at the hands of his brother Praveen Mahajan has begun to look like a part of a conspiracy going beyond sibling enmity. Â
Even as the police investigate the motive behind the suspected poisoning of Maitra and Rahul Mahajan, there are telltale signs of a common thread, which if proved true, could point to the involvement of a mastermind behind the murder of Pramod Mahajan and now his trusted personal secretary.
There is a remarkable degree of similarity in the way Pramod Mahajan and Bibek Maitra have met their deaths. First, there is an attempt to make the two deaths look like open-and-shut cases, with very little to investigate. The family angle figures prominently in both the cases.
In the first case, Mahajan died at the hands of his brother, and in the second case, his son and friends are being made to look like being responsible for Maitra's death. In both cases confusion is being confounded with theories of 'personal' weaknesses being bandied about.
There is another angle which needs to be probed. While Pramod Mahajan's brother Praveen murdered his brother and then went on a vilifying spree, in the case of Maitra's death, the suspects similarly appear to vilify the victim.
<b>What is baffling is the fact the three suspects approached a television channel to record their statement to publicise and establish Maitra and Rahul Mahajan's own culpability, before surrendering to the police. Once again, there is an attempt to make it a case that needs no further probe.
The true story behind a 'sulking' Praveen Mahajan gunning down his high profile brother for no apparent reason other than being ignored, has seemed suspect from day one. The way a lawyer suddenly appeared on the scene to plead his client's insanity and save him from the gallows does not rule out the possibility of someone trying to bail out Praveen Mahajan as a part of a deal.
After Maitra's death, the suspicion has grown. Maitra was undoubtedly one person who was privy to Mahajan's various political operations and transactions related to raising funds for his party. His death is bound to benefit "someone or the other", which could be a strong motive for the twin-murder plot.</b>
There is no definite clue to establish the conspiracy theory, but the circumstances strongly point to such a possibility.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Where are the missing men? </b>
Pramod Kumar Singh | New Delhi
Bibek Maitra dead, Rahul Mahajan on ventilator ---- Three unidentified persons roar around unchallenged in an unregistered swanky sports car in the country's most protected area. They enter 7 Safdarjung Road bunglow, allotted to the late Pramod Mahajan. The Prime Minister's official residence, 7 Race Course is a stone's throw from Mahajan's house. They gain entry into the house reportedly invited by Bibek Maitra, the personal secretary of the late BJP leader. Maoitra and Rahul Mahajan, were reportedly waiting for them in the drawing room. Â
It is around 12.30 am on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday when they entered Mahajan's official bunglow in Lutyens' highly protected zone. Two of the persons move out of the house using the same car and return again with another person at around two am. At around 2.45 am, the mysterious visitors leave the house.
Two household helps Anil and Ganesh then go into the drawing room and find Rahul and Bibek frothing from their mouths. Panicky, they inform Sudhanshu Mittal, a Delhi-based businessman, considered close to the Mahajan family and rush Rahul and Bibek to Apollo Hospital. Bibek is declared dead on examination while Rahul is wheeled into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Interestingly, Rahul and Bibek were slated to fly to Guwahati on Friday to immerse the ashes of the late Pramod Mahajan into the Brahmaputra river.
The shocking incident in the high security zone of New Delhi district has left many unanswered questions. Who were the people who came to Mahajan's house on the invitation of Bibek? Anil, Ganesh and Shankar, the three trusted household members in their statements to Tughlak Road Police said that they had never seen those persons before and were not aware of their identity. They did say that Bibek and Rahul had returned at around 11.30 pm and they heard Bibek explaining the route to the visitors.
A senior Delhi Police official involved in the inquest said that it was amply clear that the visitors had come to Mahajan's house for the first time. Bibek even went to the main entrance to receive them. A servant told the police that a fourth visitor later joined them, and handed over a small packet to Bibek.
Who were they and what was the purpose of their visit remains unanswered as the investigators are yet to ascertain their identity. Spot inspection carried telltale signs that they all indulged in a drinking session. There was another twist to the intrigue when investigators found a sachet from Bibek's pocket which was a white powdery substance. Was it cocaine or some other substance? Cops were non-committal over the issue. Forensic experts at Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology in AIIMS led by its head Dr TD Dogra conducted a post-mortem examination on Bibek's body. Sources at AIIMS told the Pioneer that the forensic experts were trying to determine the exact cause that led to the death. The officials were not sure if it was a confirmed case of drug overdose.
Sources further added that the police will be sending viscera for examination to ascertain the exact nature of the substance which caused the death of Bibek and worsened Rahul's health.
In a related but significant development, the blood report of Rahul was found to be positive indicating no trace of drug. The police are carrying out further tests to know if there was a possibility of spiking the drink with poison.
Meanwhile investigators are hoping that Rahul Mahajan comes out of his ordeal and tells them about the four mystery visitors. What needs to be examined is that did they come in a sports car without registration number. Was there a deliberate attempt by those who plotted this conspiracy to plant a red herring in the case?
Investigations have revealed many calls were made on Bibek's cell phone but all the calls were made from private numbers. That means that the persons behind this had come with ulterior motives and tried to make sure that the police never reached them. To add to the puzzle there were nine calls made to Bibek's mobile by Rahul while the servants told Delhi Police officers that Rahul and Bibek had returned together. Then who made those calls on Rahul's mobile?
<b>On the Night of June: 1</b>
8.30 pm: Rahul Mahajan and Bibek Maitra drink champagne at 7, Safdarjung Road
10.45 pm: Bibek goes out of the house as he expects visitors
11.00 pm: Three people arrive in a swanky sports car without a number plate. Bibek receives them at the gate
11.45 am: Two of the visitors leave the house
12.30 am: The two come back, this time accompanied by a another person
2.45 am: The four inform servants that Bibek and Rahul are unwell and their condition is deteriorating
3.15 am: Ganesh and Anil, two servants take Rahul and Bibek to Apollo hospital in two separate cars. Bibek Maitra is declared brought dead. Sudhanshu Mittal gets Rahul admitted after he is informed by the servants
5.00 am: Tughlak Road Police receive a call from the Sarita Vihar police station after hospital authorities inform them
5.30 am: Senior cops and crime teams reach 7, Safdarjung Road bungalow. The crime scene is found disturbed
9.30 am: First health bulletin is released
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Lot of speculation but whatsoever, it was a bad judgment of family and private secretary. After death of close one, why they let son alone for last rituals?
Private Secretaryâs actions are questionable?
I hope others will learn lesson, never trust your aides and never let your kids near boot lickers.
<b>Traces of poison found in Maitraâs blood: AIIMS </b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Poisoning due to intake of thallium compounds can cause vomiting, alopecia, neurologic and psychic symptoms, (ataxia, restlessness, delirium, hallucinations, semicoma, blindness). It causes damaging effects on the nervous system, lungs, heart, liver, and kidneys. Thallium is commonly found in ant, rat, and roach poisons. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<b>Rahul was poisoned: Gopinath Munde</b> <!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Talking to reporters soon after Apollo came out with a statement saying that there was no cocaine or heroin in Rahulâs urine sample, Munde said, âMedia started blaming Rahul for drug abuse, but I didnât say a word then. He is my nephew and I know that he doesnât do drugs.â
âHe seems to have been poisoned. There seems to be a conspiracy behind the incident,â he added.
âBut even now I donât want to rush matters. Police must conduct an impartial probe and come out with the truth. Even if it is found that he took cocaine and heroin, even then the truth must come out in front of the people,â Munde said<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<b>Sahil surrenders, claims he is innocent </b>
This is interesting all lawyered up and came out in front of TV.
Why police are allowing them to talk to TV camera?
This srinagar angle is dangerous.
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<b>Cops pick up 'main' peddler: </b>
<b>Delhi Police picked up suspected drug peddler Siddharth Nath from Vasant Vihar late in the night</b>. He is allegedly the man from whom Sahil bought the cocaine that was found at Mahajan's residence. A joint team New Delhi District and Special Cell conducted raids at an office in Priya complex and detained Nath on the basis of information given by Zaroo in Srinagar. Reports suggest that Nath is the son of a highly-placed Government officer. In another late bight development, police filed a case against Zaroo under the Narcotics Act for consumption of drugs and another of destruction of evidence against "unknown persons".
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<b>Those spoilt brats of the rave circuit </b>
Vijaita Singh | New Delhi
Tishay Khanna, Rahul Malhotra and Karan Ahuja are spoilt rich brats from the W Block of the posh Greater Kailash Part 1 in South Delhi.
The police say the trio often frequented rave parties hosted in farmhouses and other posh areas of the Capital.
...................
<b>Cops pick up 'main' peddler: </b>
<b>Delhi Police picked up suspected drug peddler Siddharth Nath from Vasant Vihar late in the night</b>. He is allegedly the man from whom Sahil bought the cocaine that was found at Mahajan's residence. A joint team New Delhi District and Special Cell conducted raids at an office in Priya complex and detained Nath on the basis of information given by Zaroo in Srinagar. Reports suggest that Nath is the son of a highly-placed Government officer. In another late bight development, police filed a case against Zaroo under the Narcotics Act for consumption of drugs and another of destruction of evidence against "unknown persons".
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Foul play in Rahul case: Mumbai cop</b>
<i>Top cop coordinating with Delhi police says investigations point towards a premeditated act, and that the drug packet bought by Maitra had been already marked</i>
S HUSSAIN ZAIDI
<b>A top-ranking officer of the Mumbai police told this newspaper that rather than a case of accident, the death of Pramod Mahajan's secretary Vivek Maitra and the illness of his son Rahul was the result of a premeditated act.</b>
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the officer who has been collaborating with Delhi police on investigation into the June 1 incident, said that the drug packet to be delivered to Maitra and Mahajan had been marked beforehand and that 21-year-old St Xavier's student Sahil Zaroo who admitted to buying the drug at Maitra's behest was a mere conduit.
Independent investigation also revealed that less than a week before his death Vivek Maitra who was locked in a financial dispute had threatened a powerful lobby with a tell-all press conference.
Contradicting the drug overdose theory, the Mumbai cop said: <span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>"The cocktail of drug and champagne is termed as duet in the swish set and is rampant. The DCP from Delhi who is coordinating with me has said that if this were the cause of Maitra's death, half of Delhi's party circuit would be dead,"</span> he added.
Aslam Goni the lawyer of Maitra and Mahajan's friend Sahil Zaroo who was arrested in Srinagar on Saturday afternoon told this newspaper that Maitra had called a drug peddler named Rajendra from 7 Safdarjung Road and asked him to hand over the packet, believed to be cocaine, to Zaroo. "Sahil was not aware of the content of the packet, that's for the cops to investigate," Goni told this reporter on phone from Srinagar.
Zaroo, who befriended Maitra in Mumbai, was given Rs 15,000 to handover to the dealer in exchange for the packet.
According to the Mumbai police officer, habitual drug users have a regular peddler to ensure safety and possibly "whoever finally handed over the packet to Zaroo was well aware of his connections with Maitra and could have passed on a tampered-with consignment," says the officer.
"If a person is habituated to one particular poison he may not show the same symptoms even if they slightly exceed consumption," says MY Yeolekar, dean of Sion hospital, "But if they change the substance it may lead to symptoms identical (being delirious, cardiac problems and breathlessness) to those who are not generally habituated to it or in a classic case of overdose," he added.
If true, this would bear out the Mahajan family's claim of foul play. Rahul Mahajan's uncle Gopinath Munde in fact met Home Minister Shivraj Patil at 1 pm on Saturday to request a probe into the conspiracy angle.
While a case has been registered under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act against "unknown persons" in Delhi, it is learnt that sleuths from Narcotics Control Bureau will be questioning Rahul Mahajan today and that may lead to some light on one of the most mysterious stories in recent times.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
All ministers, well connected press journalist and Embassy staff must be sweating now.
I'm from Brazil and I'm looking for India's original constitution, without the amendments. I'm gathering a few original constitutions from around the world, and I'm having some trouble to find the indian, so I'm wondering if any of you could help me out.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>3,500 return to Sanatana Dharma</b>
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3,500 return to their roots (FOC)Â
OVER 3,500 people returned home at several home-coming ceremonies held in defferent parts of the country.<b> At a function held in Badaun (Uttar Pradesh) over 3,500 people returned home</b>. They had adopted Christianity about two decades back. They were welcomed by Shri Dilip Singh Judev, former Union Minister and Shri Gopikrishan Kayal, centeral Trustee of VHP by washing their feet. The home-coming ceremony was organised at G.B. Pant college of Kachhala under the banner of Dharma Jagaran Samiti. After a yajna, all the people were provided a garland and a janeu each.
The other function was held in Ranchi by Sarana Samiti <b>on May 25 in which 50 people belonging to 14 families returned to their roots.</b> Shri Dilip Singh Judev washed their feet and welcomed them in Hinduism. Another home-coming ceremony was held in Jaunpur (Uttar Pradesh)<b> on May 31 in which 26 people belonging to six families returned home</b>. Shri Gopikrishan Kayal pointed out that <b>another home-coming ceremony is scheduled in the month of June in Badaun in which over 25,000 people are expected to return home</b>.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Coalition or arm-twisting? </b> link
Arun Nehru |
The tragedy for the Mahajan family continues as Mr Rahul Mahajan is in custody and his father's secretary Bibek Maitra is dead. We are looking at a very complicated situation, and passing a judgement at this stage would be premature. <b>There are many unanswered questions and it would be interesting to see what the investigative teams have to say about the conflicting medical views of the Apollo Hospital and AIIMS</b>.
Also, <b>the fact, that three of the young men present that fateful day, Rahul Malhotra, Trishay Khanna and Karan Ahuja have not been subjected to any medical tests, interrogations, or arrested on the basis of details of the cover up operation by which Harish Sharma and a servant were arrested, is questionable.</b> However, the media is pursuing the story relentlessly and under the constant glare of cameras it would be very difficult to suppress facts.
Rahul Mahajan is clearly in trouble and so are many others whose life style and drug usage has been highlighted by the media. <b>Clever lawyers will find loopholes in the law, quite obvious from television interviews given which seem 'negated'. There is understandably something wrong with the law that enables habitual offenders to get away in the name of 'technicalities'.</b>
The NDPS act is full of loopholes and it is indeed sad that drug usage and peddling are rarely punished with the severity they deserve. <b>In a high profile case of this nature it would be interesting to see if the law of the land is let to prevail once the issue no longer enjoys front-page coverage</b>.
We have seen the tragedy associated with several such cases in the past - Jessica Lall, Nitish Katara, Priyadarshini Muttoo, the Uphaar disaster to name a few - where deliberate loopholes are created during interrogation and the collection of evidence is delayed so that matters remain unsolved, raising grave doubts about whether those who suffer shall get justice or not.
The Rahul Mahajan case brings to light many a case, which has gone into the 'cold storage'. But perhaps those who 'suppressed' these cases may be compelled to revive them once the media digs into the past
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Hindus refused to embrace Buddhism</b>
16 June, 2006 by pravakta
In the meeting held on behalf of Maharashtra Vaidu Community, a resolution was passed unanimously that Vaidu community has been living as Hindus and henceforth will live only as Hindus. This was announced by Shri Ramesh Varngate, the District-President and Shri Govind Shirke, the Secretary of the Organization through a press release. <b>Shri Mane had made an appeal to the nomadic to adopt Buddhism</b>. A meeting was therefore, held to discuss the issue at Shri Durgamata Temple. Including the office bearers, about 125 persons attended the meeting. After discussions on the conversion issue, it was decided to oppose any move to convert to other religion. It was also decided that the opinion expressed by Shri Mane does not need serious consideration. The Vaidus are born as Hindus and will even die as Hindus. The Vaidu community therefore, can not ever think of leaving Hinduism. In fact, it was appealed to the members of the Vaidu community not to convert to Buddhism.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<b>Amarnath lingam was tampered with: Shrine board chief</b> <!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Jammu/Srinagar, June 19: In a fresh twist to the controversy surrounding the `shivlingam` in the holy cave of Amarnath, the chief executive of the Shrine Board admitted that it was "tampered" with even as religious leaders and the Saffron Brigade demanded that the truth be made public.
"We received some complaints that some people had brought some snow and put on top of the usual Shivling. We don`t defend that but this is something which has happened in the past," Arun Kumar, Chief Executive of the Shree Amarnath Shrine Board and Principal Secretary to the Jammu and Kashmir Governor said.
Acknowledging that the board received a complaint in this regard on June 7, he told a private news channel, "There were some dirt marks. We cleared all that. We raised the grid to almost five feet. We put a lock. Our people are out there so that no further tampering takes place."
He, however, was quick to add, "Our belief is that the Shivlingam has naturally formed howsoever small it maybe."
Board`s Chairman and State Governor S K Sinha asserted "There is no artificial lingam there."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Muslims may have tried to destroy it, and some people must have tried to fix it.
or create a controversy so that Hindu lose faith on pilgrimage.
I was trying to find a blogger group, all i find is most of the blogger group project shitty Leftist rhetoric as "educated opinion". (most of them have South Asia, Pakistan, Aryans etc.,)
Please inform any Desi blog group that projects "Hindu" Opinion. I tried that Blogs link on top of this Discussion forum, nothing seems to happen...!! If there is one such blog group/portal please inform. And if not, I sincerely suggest start a blogs portal that portrays decent Hindu view as educated opinion.
I am posting here because i did not find any relevant topic to do so....
Naidu was a politician of different kind that Andhra ever had. He steered the politics of the State on the economic development platform , though many may disagree with his approach and level of success. But for sure he did put Hyderabad on the global map , perhaps pushed the visibility of Vizag , initiated hundreds of schemes to enable transparency in governance and did make the other politicians think more about development. In a press meet in New York in the year 1999, he stated that the elections in the future have to be fought only around the economic issues, and to a question from the Press on will he not loose out if some one else does more and smarter development of the State, he responded, as a true poiltician " I'll be delighted to loose the election as long as someone can deliver more economic value to the people of AP" !!
Being a very complex State to manage, he perhaps took the right approach of rising above the caste and religion oriented politics. It is an entirely different matter on why TDP lost the battle in 2004 elections.
But fortunately for Naidu, the current CM is opening all the doors. The mis adventure of Christian activists at Tirumala alone is good enough to whip the emotions of millions of Telugu Hindus , besides millions of Hindus across the country. Add to this the incidences at Warangal, the Christian goondas smashing the Prasads complex in Hyderabad ( for sure no one can attack Prasads without the active suppoort of the local Police!) and many more instances of Christian upperhand being reported across the State can easily be converted in to a battle line drawn as Christians Vs Telugu. For a State that has gone through so many turmoil, yet has managed to catch up with the benchmark of Gujarat and Maharashtra, it will be extremely sad to see the State Govt giving freehand to Christian fanatics to destroy the goodwill and the climate built for attracting investments in to the State.
