Amartya Sen in Zee News

Amartya Sen says Modi government ousted him from Nalanda University

Last Updated: Tuesday, July 7, 2015 - 11:43
Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Months after he withdrew his candidature as chancellor of Nalanda University, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has now said that the Narendra Modi-led government wants to seize direct control over academic institutions.
Sen has candidly written about his exit from Nalanda University in a 4,000-word essay, which will be published in August issue of the New York Review of Books.

Ahead of the publication of the essay, Sen talked to a newspaper and hit out at the government for "extraordinarily large" interference in academia.

In an interview to Times of India, the Nobel laureate also expressed his worries about cut in budgets for health and education.

"I have never been anti-industry but no country can become an industrial giant with an uneducated and unhealthy labour force," Sen said.

Talking to the daily, Sen said: "I was certainly ousted from Nalanda”.

"Some members of the Board, especially the foreign members were keen on carrying on the battle for me but I stepped aside as I did not want to be an ineffective leader. The government may have held up finances or statues had I continued."

"Nalanda not a one off incident. Nothing in this scale of interference has happened before. Every institution where the government has a formal role is being converted into where the government has a substantive role."

Sen further noted that the government refused to ratify the director's appointment at the TIFR. Also, A Sethumadhavan was asked to resign as the Chairman of National Book Trust and an RSS ideologue was appointed instead, added Sen.

Dr Lokesh Chandra, who was appointed as the new president of Indian Council for Cultural Relations last year, believes that PM Modi was a greater personality that Mahatma Gandhi, said Sen.

Yellapragada Sudershan Rao, the current Chairperson of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), has not done any historical research and instead is someone who has written an article saying the caste system was wrongly blamed for being exploitative when it did a lot of good for India, claimed Sen.

"The Delhi IIT Director, Raghunath Shevgaonkar resigned, the IIT Bombay Board chairman, Anil Kakodkar, expressed that he could not help the government in anything in the future, for the IIMs they have introduced a bill where instead of having indirect power of withholding the signature which they did in my case or they did in Trivedi's case, now they would directly like to appoint the director. That's the new bill. Instead of having effective power, this becomes direct control."

Taking on the government for failing to understand that a market economy needs successful public services, Sen said: "India spends 1.2 percent of GDP on public healthcare, China spends 3 percent. Now even that 1.2 has been cut to 1 percent. There is confusion in India is wanting high growth rates like China but overlooking that China has improved public services dramatically. It has pretty much guaranteed healthcare for all, they have everyone in school, they have complete coverage. That has been the Asian pattern of development. You do it together: market economy and the state's role. The market economy needs a complentarity with the public services."

He further described NDA's Land Acquisition Bill as "comprehensively wrong".

What has gone wrong with this government is the fundamental understanding that human beings are at the centre of development, Sen said.

Notably, Sen on February 20 withdrew his candidature as chancellor of Nalanda University, alleging that the government does not want him to continue to head the prestigious multi-country initiative.

Sen, whose term as chancellor ends in July, was unanimously picked by the Nalanda University governing board at its last meeting January 13-14 this year.

He will be replaced by George Yeo, former foreign minister of Singapore.

First Published: Tuesday, July 7, 2015 - 11:43

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                  UPSC Civil Services Exam 2014 Results Declared, Women Grab Top Four Spots 

           

   Of the top five candidates, four are women - Ira Sehgal (1), Renu Raj (2), Nidhi Gupta (3) and Vandana Rao (4).
Updated: July 04, 2015 16:27 IST

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Obama & Ramadhan 2015

The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
June 22, 2015

Remarks by the President at the 2015 Iftar Dinner

East Room

9:00 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Welcome to the White House. Now, I know that these are the longest days of the year, which is why I’m so glad that they put the first course down right away. (Laughter.) I know you’re hungry, and I promise to be brief.

I want to thank the members of our diplomatic corps who are here today, as well as our members of Congress, and all those serving across government who are joining us. And I especially want to recognize all the inspiring young people who are here today, many of whom I’ve put at my table. To all of you, and to Muslim Americans across the country -- Ramadan Kareem.

Our annual White House Iftar recognizes the sacredness of Ramadan to more than 1.5 billion Muslims around the world. It’s a time when Muslims recommit themselves to their faith, following days of discipline with nights of gratitude for the gifts that God bestows. It’s a time of spiritual renewal and a reminder of one’s duty to our fellow man -- to serve one another and lift up the less fortunate. The Quran teaches that God’s children should tread gently upon the earth and, when confronted by ignorance, reply “peace.” In honoring these familiar values together -- of peace and charity and forgiveness -- we affirm that, whatever our faith, we’re all one family.

Our Iftar is also a reminder of the freedoms that bind us together as Americans, including the freedom of religion -- that inviolable right to practice our faiths freely. That’s what Samantha Elauf represents. She was determined to defend the right to wear a hijab and to have the same opportunities as everybody else. She went all the way to the Supreme Court -- which I didn’t do at her age. (Laughter.) And she won. (Applause.) So, Samantha, we’re very proud of you.

When our values are threatened, we come together as one nation. When three young Muslim Americans were brutally murdered in Chapel Hill earlier this year, Americans of all faiths rallied around that community. And obviously, tonight, our prayers remain with Charleston and Mother Emanuel church. As Americans, we insist that nobody should be targeted because of who they are, or what they look like, who they love, how they worship. We stand united against these hateful acts.

These are the freedoms and the ideals, and the values that we uphold. And it’s more important than ever, because around the world and here at home, there are those who seek to divide us by religion or race or sect. Here in America, many people personally don’t know someone who is Muslim. They mostly hear about Muslims in the news -- and that can obviously lead to a very distorted impression.

We saw this play out recently at a mosque in Arizona. A group of protestors gathered outside with offensive signs against Islam and Muslims. And then the mosque’s leaders invited them inside to share in the evening prayer. One demonstrator, who accepted the invitation later, described how the experience changed him; how he finally saw the Muslim American community for what it is -- peaceful and welcoming. That’s what can happen when we stop yelling and start listening. That’s why it’s so important always to lift up the stories and voices of proud Americans who are contributing to our country every day. And we have a lot of inspiring Americans here today.

They’re Muslim Americans like Ziad Ahmed. As a Bangladeshi-American growing up in New Jersey, he saw early on that there was not enough understanding in the world. So two years ago, he founded Redefy, a website to push back against harmful stereotypes by encouraging teens like him -- he’s only 16; I think our youngest guest tonight -- to share their stories. (Applause.) Because, in Ziad’s words, “ignorance can be defeated through education.” He wants to do his part to make sure that “Muslims can be equal members of society and still hold onto their faith and identity.” So we’re very proud of you, Ziad.

They’re Muslim Americans like Munira Khalif. And Munira is the daughter of Somali immigrants; she started an organization to support girls’ education in East Africa. She just graduated from high school in Minnesota, and she’s already lobbied Congress to pass the Girls Count Act so that girls in the developing world are documented at birth -- a bill I was proud to sign into law last week. She’s even spoken at the United Nations. I was also not doing this at her age. (Laughter and applause.) This fall, Munira is heading to Harvard to continue her education in public service -- which was a tough choice, because of course she was accepted to all the Ivy League schools she applied to. But we are very, very proud of you, and I know your community is as well.

They’re Muslim Americans like Batoul Abuharb, who was born in a refugee camp in Gaza, and when she was an infant her family moved to Houston. After graduating from Rice University, she spent a summer in Gaza working with the U.N. health clinic. After seeing people line up whenever new stocks of vaccines arrived, she started Dunia Health to improve the distribution of vaccines and tell families when to come in -- all over text message. They’ve started with Palestinian refugees in Jordan, but the program has been so successful that the U.N. is looking to expand Dunia’s work to more countries across the Middle East. Batoul, we’re very proud of you. Congratulations. (Applause.)

So, Ziad, Munira, Batoul -- they all talk about how much they value the opportunities they’ve had to succeed here in the United States. And they also remind us that our obligations to care for one another extend beyond our immediate communities, beyond our borders. So tonight, we keep in our prayers those who are suffering around the world, including those marking Ramadan in areas of conflict and deprivation and hunger. The people of Iraq and Syria as they push back on the barbarity of ISIL. The people of Yemen and Libya, who are seeking an end to ongoing violence and instability. Those fleeing war and hardship in boats across the Mediterranean. The people of Gaza, still recovering from last year’s conflict. The Rohingya in Myanmar, including migrants at sea, whose human rights must be upheld.

We’re proud, by the way, to have Wai Wai Nu with us tonight -- a former political prisoner who’s working on human rights issues for the Rohingya and equal rights for women. So we’re glad to have you here with us tonight. (Applause.)

So these challenges around the world and here at home demand the very qualities you summon every day during Ramadan: sacrifice, discipline, patience. A resilience that says we don’t simply endure, but we overcome. Together, we can overcome ignorance and prejudice. Together, we will overcome conflict and injustice -- not just with words, but with deeds. With what a hero of mine, the civil rights icon John Lewis, calls using our feet -- getting out in the real world to organize and to create the change that we seek. That’s what so many of you do every single day. And that’s what we have to continue to do together, here in America and around the world. As the Quran teaches, let us answer with “Peace.”

May God bless you all. Have a wonderful Ramadan. And get back to dinner. (Laughter.) Thank you very much. (Applause.)

66A & 21 PETITIONS

Section 66A: 21 individuals whose petitions changed the system

By: Express News Service | Updated: March 25, 2015 12:00 pm

How they fought, what they wrote — the men and women whose petitions and posts on social media led to the supreme court order striking down section 66A of IT Act.

Palghar posts

Shaheen Dhada & Rinu Srinivasan of Palghar were at the centre of the first petition — by Shreya Singhal. When Mumbai saw a shutdown following Bal Thackeray’s death in 2012, Shaheen posted on Facebook, “Every day thousands of people die. But still the world moves on… Just due to one politician dead. A natural death. Every one goes crazy… Respect is earned not given out, definitely not forced. Today Mumbai shuts down due to fear not due to respect.” Rinu, who “liked” the post, commented: “Everyone know it’s done because of fear!!! We agree that he has done a lot of good things. also we respect him, it doesn’t make sense to shut down everything! Respect can be shown in many other ways!” Detained for 10 days, they were first charged under IPC for spreading hatred and then under Section 66A of the IT Act. While happy with Tuesday’s verdict, Rinu said, “While using digital space, one needs to ensure their actions don’t hurt others.” Shaheen’s uncle A G Dahada said, “The girls went through immense trauma but justice has been done.”
Shreya Singhal, 24, a Delhi-based law student, was the first to challenge the law in court after the arrest of Shaheen Dhada and Rinu Srinivasan of Palghar in 2012. Shreya contended Section 66A goes against the right to free speech as enshrined in India’s Constitution. Her PIL cited the twin arrests as evidence that the law, though meant to protect citizens from defamation, can be used to restrict freedom of expression. She described the two-and-a-half years she spent in the courtroom as a first-hand lesson. Singhal, who is not on Twitter, will be a fifth-generation lawyer from her family and has said she filed the PIL when her mother encouraged her to do so to channel her anger over the arrest of Dhada and Srinivasan.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, independent Rajya Sabha MP, filed a PIL in 2013 arguing that Section 66A is unconstitutional because in the name of securing the Internet and in the name of preventing abuse of the Internet, government and government bureaucrats were overreaching and trespassing on the constitutional right of free speech. On Tuesday, he said, “By repealing Section 66 A, India is now ready for a technological leap, which the government’s laudable Digital India program shall foster.” He tweeted: “#sec66a victory: It takes a #PIL to undo the damage that #UPA caused by passing #ITACTAmendments in 7 minutes flat! #freespeechwins” and “#section66a struck downn!! VICTORY!!!! my petition in supreme court upheld!! #transformindia.”

Faisal fariooqui, one of the petitioners, is founder-CEO of MouthShut.com, a user-generated content and consumer review website. He had challenged section 66A. “This verdict will lead to a transformation of the Indian economy into that of a digital economy. Now people have the freedom to post online,” he said. He explains why he filed the petition: “This rule hit us. We started getting legal notices — more than 800. In April 2013, we filed the writ petition and challenged the content removal aspect.” About the possibility of hate posts with Section 66A struck down, he said: “Most good websites have terms and services… Nobody would like to host libellous content.”
Ambikesh Mahapatra, a Jadavpur University professor, was among the petitioners. Mahapatra and his neighbour Subrata Sengupta were arrested for circulating a cartoon that mocked West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in 2012. The cartoon, based on a scene from Satyajit Ray’s Sonar Kella, showed Mamata pointing at the logo of Indian Railways and telling Mukul Roy: ‘See Mukul, Sonar Kella.” Roy points to Dinesh Trivedi and exclaims: “That’s an evil man!!!” Mamata says: “Evil man, vanish!”
Aseem Trivedi, the other cartoonist arrested under 66A in 2012, too was among the petitioners. Mumbai police arrested him for cartoons, shared on social media, that mocked Parliament and corruption in high places. One cartoon depicted Parliament as a giant commode and showed in the national emblem wolves rather than lions, with the words “Bhrashtameva jayate” instead of “Satyameva jayate”. Also charged with sedition, Trivedi refused to accept bail until that charge was dropped. On March 18 this year, the court said that even strongly worded comments used to show disapproval of the government’s actions will not amount to sedition if they do not instigate public to resort to violence.
A Class XI student of Bareilly was arrested by Rampur police in March, after he allegedly posted a Facebook comment that was attributed to UP minister Azam Khan. The post quotes Azam as having made a communal comment. The boy’s was another case that Shreya Singhal took up. He was booked under the IT Act’s Section 66A as well as IPC sections relating to promoting enmity and inciting communal tension. Later, he got bail.

12 people & a crossword

Eleven students of Sree Krishna College, Thrissur, as well as their principal were accused under IT Act Section 66A and nine of them were arrested in June 2014. Their case was the subject of a petition by Anoop M K, one among the bunch that the Supreme Court had taken up. Their online magazine Name was found to have used “objectionable and unsavoury” language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi — in the form of a clue to a crossword puzzle. It used Modi’s nickname NaMo as the crossword clue, for which the purported solution was an invective. They were also accused of defaming Oommen Chandy, Rahul Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor as well as spiritual leader Mata Amrithanandamayi. The students, who belonged to the SFI, were later released on bail. The complaints, their friends alleged, were lodged by ABVP and KSU activists.

Taslima Nasreen too filed a petition against 66A. In November 2013, one Hasan Raza Khan Noori Miyan lodged an FIR in Bareilly accusing the Bangladeshi author of hurting religious sentiments of the Muslim community via social media. “In India, criminals who issue fatwas (edict) against women don’t get punished,” read one tweet. “Since independence, Indian politicians have been seeking help of clerics who don’t respect human rights,free speech and the Constitution,” read another tweet. A third went, “Indians shd speak up against fanatics who vitiate society & push it backward & politicians who encourage them. Else, it’s bad news for democracy.” The police this year filed a closure report; the court went on to acqui Taslima.

Tamil Nadu: Twitter Ravi vs Karti
In October 2012, Ravi Srinivasan, owner of a small plastic manufacturing unit in Pondicherry put a post on Twitter saying that P Chidambaram’s son Karti had amassed more wealth than Robert Vadra. This would make him “Twitter Ravi”. “I put up that post after reading media reports about the wealth of Chidambaram. By that evening, Karti had sent a complaint from the US by fax message to Pondicherry police,” Ravi says. “I had no personal or political agenda. The next day, around 5 am, police arrested me under Section 66A from my home near Pondicherry town. I only had 16 followers on Twitter then,” adds Srinivasan, who now has more than 2,000 followers. “Although I got out on bail the same evening, I am still fighting the case. I have already spent more than Rs 40,000 on this legal battle,” says Srinivasan, father of two daughters in their twenties, as he welcomes the court order.

Maharashtra: Palghar, cartoonist and more
Besides Palghar girls Shaheen Dhada and Rinu Srinivasan and Kanpur cartoonist Aseem Trivedi (arrested by Mumbai police), another prominent case in Mumbai involved two Air Indian employees, Mayank Mohan Sharma and K V J Rao, who were arrested in November 2012 for uploading content against the PM and allegedly insulting the national flag. They were kept in custody for 12 days before being granted bail. In Pune, the cyber cell in 2012 arrested Amit Chandrakant Jadhav, 27, of Mumbai for allegedly uploading a doctored image of Ajit Pawar on Facebook. The same year, following attacks on people from the Northeast, the cyber cell arrested Mumbai-based teacher Sharif Ahmed Bashir Siddiqui for allegedly uploading a provocative video on YouTube.

Karnataka: Wrong arrest and obscenities
Last May, Bangalore police arrested MBA student Syed Vaqas, 23, following a complaint by social activist Jayanth Tinaikar, who accused Vaqas of circulating a WhatsApp message supposedly showing Narendra Modi’s “funeral” with the words “Ab ki bar antim sanskar”. He was released after police found he was innocent. Many of the cases in Karnataka relate to obscene remarks. Last July, Bangalore police arrested Vishnu R Bhat, 45, a newspaper columnist with right-wing leanings, for posting a obscene comment on the Facebook wall of a rationalist, Prabha N Belavangala, after she had questioned the need for pujas and religious ceremonies while inaugurating government projects. He later got bail. In November, Bangalore police arrested two persons for posting obscene comments on the Facebook page of a woman. Also, farmer Sanath Palapaddi and insurance agent Santosh were arrested for abusive and obscene posts questioning the virtues of a young woman on her Facebook page. They too got bail.

Orissa: Sexual references on Facebook posts
Last July, Dilip Kumar Panda, 25, of Puri was arrested by Rourkela police after a man lodged a complaint that his wife’s photographs were published on a Facebook page, ‘Find Odia Sex Partner’. The police claimed to have found that the creator was Panda, an IT expert, who is now on bail. In August, Orissa’s cyber crime cell arrested Rajaram Biswal, 28, a computer applications graduate, for posting obscene photos of a woman on Facebook after opening an account in her name. She had rejected his proposals; he remains in jail. In September, the cell arrested Panchu Pan, 36 and based in Bangalore, for allegedly posting morphed nude photos of a college student in in Cuttack. The girl had never met him. He is yet to be chargesheeted.

Gujarat: Lok Sabha candidate and a husband’s girlfriend
Roshan Shah, 40, an NRI who contested the Lok Sabha elections as an independent from Ahmedabad, was booked by the Ahmedabad crime branch under 66A after he posted a comment on Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel on Facebook. The case is still being probed. In January, Harpreet Kaur, 20, and from Rohtak, was arrested on a complaint that he had posted posted abusive language and obscene pictures on the Facebook account of a woman. “Harpreet was the girlfriend of the woman’s husband,” says V J Rathod, police inspector (cyber crime). Harpreet is on bail. Surat police arrested Raju Chunilal Shah, 38, and Manojkumar Shah, 25, (they later got bail) for allegedly posting a photoshopped picture of a Muslim place of worship, which apparently caused communal tension in Olpad town.

Mizoram: Father and son in Battle with CM
In 2013, residential-school owner K Chhawnthuama allegedly sent “malicious SMS” to Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla and was arrested, though not under Section 66A. This month, his son was arrested for a Facebook post in which he said he would “tie up the CM and drag him around on the street” after the CM took a swipe at his father saying he “uses his deceased wife to make money”, referring to a marble tomb the school owner built and which has become a tourist attraction. Other arrests include that of a 19-year-old for Facebook posts blaming a doctor for causing the death of patients, an Aizawl resident for sending a girl’s “dirty pictures and offensive messages” through WhatsApp, a 33-year-old woman for circulating the names and photos of four juveniles in conflict with the law, and a 22-year-old woman for spreading false news about a gangrape and murder.

Andhra: Hudhud fan
“I love you hudhud. You are teaching a lesson to all those who betrayed by battering them. Love nature’s fury,” posted C Rahul Reddy, a law student and YSR Congress Party, apparently a reaction to YSR Jaganmohan Reddy’s mother loss from Vizag. He was arrested. In 2013, civil rights activists Vindyala Jaya was arrested for an online post about a Congress MLA from Chirala, saying he was involved in child trafficking, and land and sand mafia.

Chandigarh: 75 cases under 66A, including against Satinder Singh and Jasbir Singh for a WhatsApp message mocking Dera Saccha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

West Bengal: Around 100 cases in last one year.

Chhattisgarh: Youth Congress leader Rais Khan arrested for Facebook posts about Hindu gods, journalists Rajkumar Soni and Narayan Sharma booked for defamatory articles.

Jharkhand: 13 cases in 2013, 23 in 2014 and five in 2015.

AK quits AAP Convenor 4.3.2015

Arvind Kejriwal quits as AAP national convenor, says he is overburdened with work
Last Updated: Wednesday, March 4, 2015 - 12:49 zee news
Zee Media Bureau/Ritesh K Srivastava

New Delhi: Amid growing internal rift, the 21-member national executive of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is scheduled to meet on Wednesday where the fate of party's two dissident leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav is likely to be decided.

Here are the Live Updates:
I believe that we are like a new born baby & learning to walk, in that circumstance there are times when there is imbalance: Yogendra Yadav
Politics is a huge journey, what seems problematic is actually an opportunity: Yadav
Arvind offered to resign from convenor's post earlier & everyone opposed it: Yogendra Yadav
AAP National Executive to decide on Kejriwal's resignation
Kejriwal has sent a letter to AAP National Executive in this regard, claims he is too busy with work in Delhi
Arvind Kejriwal quits as AAP national convenor
All issues will be resolved today, says Kumar Vishwas of AAP
There should be no effect of all this on Delhi because this is their time to deliver: Vijay Goel, BJP
AAP leader Ashish Khetan regrets commenting on the Bhushans in public

I shd not have commented about Bhushans in public. We've fought for many public causes together & will hopefully continue to work as a team
You will know everything after 2 pm, says Mann
We will keep our stand in the national executive meeting: Mann
Everyone in the party has right to express their opinion: Bhagwant Mann
Ours is a democratic party,issues are resolved with discussions: Bhagwant Mann
The real fight is about Raj Sabha, everyone is fighting for themselves: Prabhat Jha (BJP)
AAP should concentrate on fulfilling promises made to people of Delhi: BJP 's Satish Upadhyay
People have to think about what promises AAP came in with & what is happening: Satish Upadhyay, BJP
Yogendra Yadav & Prashant Bhushan will be asked to put forth their clarification before National Executive meeting today, claim AAP sources
We need Arvind Kejriwal, he is an icon of hope: Yogendra Yadav
It is only through these tests of fire, we shall come out and say yes we are different: Yogendra
There are always issues and difficulties: Yogendra Yadav
No political party, family or office can say all is well, says Yadav
All I want to say is, na todenge na chhodenge, sudhaarenge, khud bhi sudhrenge: Yadav
If not in PAC,will continue to work, says Yogendra
Issue is ensuring greater say of AAP volunteers, after all it's their party:Yogendra
Who should be a PAC member not an issue, says Yadav
We represent hope, those hopes will not be dashed, says Yogendra Yadav
We have a huge mandate, this is a moment to work with large heartedness: Yogendra Yadav
Leaving a post doesn't mean I'll leave party: Yogendra Yadav
If I am not capable enough to be in PAC, I should be removed: Yogendra Yadav
If I have violated discipline, action should be taken: Yogendra Yadav
If I have done anything wrong, I should be punished for that: Yogendra Yadav
These hopes cannot go in vain, you will hear good news in the evening: Yogendra Yadav
AAP was born out of hopes and aspirations of people: Yadav
I don't go to temple, don't worship but hope something good will come out of today's meeting, says Yogendra Yadav, AAP
This is a new day and new beginning: Ashish Khetan
AAP will become stronger after today's meet, says Ashish Khetan
Arvind Kejriwal won't attend today's meet
Decision on Yogendra Yadav, Prashant Bhushan likely to be taken
21-member AAP national executive set to meet at 2 pm today

Also read: Yogendra Yadav hopeful of AAP national executive meet yielding 'good news'
The story s far

The ugly strife that has gripped Delhi's barely month-old ruling party may see the duo of AAP leaders out of its top body today.

AAP sources said that the majority in the 21-member National Executive, favoured ousting Bhushan, a leading Supreme Court lawyer and an AAP founder, and political pundit Yadav from the nine-member, decision-making Political Affairs Committee (PAC)

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AAP to decide fate of Yogendra, Prashant at national executive meet today



The decision, if carried out, would mean that Bhushan and Yadav would cease to be decision makers in a party that is sure to expand its wings in the country once it cements its foundation in Delhi.

And if Bhushan and Yadav take their ouster from the PAC as a slight, they could exit from the Aam Aadmi Party, which stormed to power in the capital Delhi only a month ago sweeping 67 of the 70 assembly seats.

"The majority is determined to act against Yadav and Bhushan," a high-level AAP source told IANS. "Most feel that they have brought a bad name to the AAP by talking about the lack of so-called internal democracy in the party.

"It is clear they are ganging up against Kejriwal, who has virtually destroyed his own health rebuilding the party from scratch over the past one year," the source added.

The source admitted that a small section in the party, including in the National Executive, was in favour of not doing anything that could lead to the possible exit of Bhushan and Yadav from the AAP.

The AAP meanwhile announced that Kejriwal, who is not expected to attend today's National Executive meeting, will fly to Bengaluru today for 10 days of naturopathy treatment for his high sugar levels.

"I am deeply hurt and pained by what is going on in the party. This is betrayal of trust that (the people of) Delhi reposed in us," the AAP chief tweeted, adding he won't allow "people's trust to be broken".

"I refuse to be drawn in this ugly battle. Will concentrate only on Delhi's governance," he added. I am deeply hurt and pained by what is going on in the party, tweets Kejriwal

Kejriwal's comments appeared to indicate he was distancing himself from his known supporters who have threatened to act tough against Bhushan and Yadav. On Tuesday, Prashant Bhushan's father Shanti Bhushan, also a leading lawyer, urged his son, Yadav and Kejriwal to "stick together".

"Kejriwal should continue as all-India convenor. Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav must support him.

"That's the best for the party, and such a stand will achieve the goals for which the party was set up. There should be no rift," said Shanti Bhushan, who himself has made critical comments against Kejriwal earlier.

Yadav said on Tuesday: "I and Prashant Bhushan had raised voice for internal democracy in the party. There is nothing wrong in that. I will see if action happens against me."

Yadav is being accused by a section of the AAP of trying to oust Kejriwal as its national convenor. AAP leaders appealing for peace deny this. The AAP said that Kejriwal's sugar level was above 300. "So he has decided to opt for naturopathy."

In Kejriwal's absence, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia will officiate as chief minister. Kejriwal, who became chief minister of Delhi a second time last month, has been a long-time diabetic.

Officials in Bengaluru said Kejriwal will be admitted to the Jindal Naturecure Institute on the outskirts of the city Thursday. The institute, spread over 10 acres of lush greenery, provides relief, prevention and cure of specific diseases through a non-invasive, drugless therapy.

king saudia arabia

Saudi Arabia's King

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz dies, Prince Salman new ruler AFP, Riyadh | Updated: Jan 23, 2015 11:16 IST Hindustan Times Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, who spent almost a decade on the throne of the world's largest oil exporter, died on Friday and was replaced by Crown Prince Salman, the royal court said. The late monarch's half brother Moqren was named as the new Crown Prince, according to the statement. "With great sadness and mourning His Royal Highness Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, and all members of the family and the nation, express condolences for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, passed away at exactly 1:00am (2200 GMT) this morning, Friday," an announcer said on state television, after a recitation from the Koran. Abdullah will be buried later Friday following afternoon prayers, and citizens would be invited to pledge allegiance to the new monarch and crown prince at the royal palace, the statement said. King Abdullah, believed to be around 90 years old, was hospitalised on December 31 for checks. The royal court announced two days later that he had pneumonia and was breathing with the aid of a tube. Abdullah came to the throne in 2005 but had been a powerful figure in the kingdom for a decade before that after King Fahd suffered a stroke in 1995. In recent years, Abdullah's advanced age and poor health have raised concerns about the future leadership of the largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Abdullah's half-brother Salman, 79, became crown prince in June 2012 following the death of Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz. Salman has been representing the king at most recent public events because of Abdullah's ailing health. In March 2014, King Abdullah named another half-brother, Prince Moqren, as a second crown prince, in an unprecedented move aimed at smoothing succession hurdles. Moqren, a former air force officer born in 1945, is the youngest son of King Abdul Aziz al-Saud, the founder of Saudi Arabia. The throne has systematically passed from one of his sons to another, brothers and half-brothers. But many of Abdul Aziz's sons are old or have died. Abdullah's former crown princes Sultan and Nayef died in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Unstained by the profligacy tainting many of the Saudi rulers, Abdullah was hugely popular with his subjects, cherishing the traditional desert life of the Bedouin. He pushed the kingdom's economic development and oversaw its accession to the World Trade Organization, while challenging conservatives with moves such as including women in the Shura Council, an advisory body. Copyright © 2015 HT Media Limited.

maulana yaseen akhtar misbahi

Delhi Police apologises, releases Jamia Nagar Imam after much furore DDN Correspondent Posted on 21 Jan, 2015 at 09:03:PM IST Delhi Police finally released Imam Yaseen Akhtar Misbahi of Jamia Nagar after huge protests outside the police station and apologised for the incident. It may be noted here that the Imam is 85 years old and was arrested for a book he had written in 2003 in which there was a reference to the word 'Jihad' that too was mentioned with the caution that Jihad should be taken up only after consulting one's conscience. The whole situation had gotten really tense and volatile after the old Imam was picked up by the police for questioning. Large scale protests against the Imam's arrest were led by Okhla's Aam Aadmi Party leader Amanatullah Khan which played a big part in his subsequent release. Also it is with the efforts of AAP's Amanatullah Khan that the situation could be diffused without any untoward incident. Khan spoke to locals and persuaded them to maintain calm. The elderly Imam remained in police custody for about four hours, after which he says that the police asked him whether he has helped any terrorists. He added that all this has been done at the behest of BJP and there are some local Congress leaders involved as well. If this is true then it is really sad that politics has stooped to such low levels. TwoCircles.net Delivering news, not profit Sufi Imam picked up by Delhi police; released after furor Submitted by TwoCircles.net on 21 January 2015 - 8:36pm By M Reyaz, TwoCircles.net, New Delhi: Delhi police special cell on Wednesday picked up a renowned Sufi Imam from Jamia Nagar area for what they claimed to be “questioning” in connection with one of his books. Supporters along with local political leaders gheroed the police station demanding apology. The Maulana was later released. Maulana Yaseen Akhtar Misbahi, who runs the prestigious Darul Kalam madrassa and is also the founder of the Qadri mosque, was picked up from the mosque’s office at Zakir Nagar in Jamia area at around 3 pm, locals said. Almost touching 80, the veteran Barelvi teacher, could not even walk on his own and needs support. The police claimed to have picked him up for a recent English translation of his original Urdu book ’24 Ayat Ka Qurani Mafhoom’ – loosely translated as ‘The Real Meaning of 24 verses of Quran related to Jihad’. Among several of his book, Misbahi, who had been an Urdu journalist in the past, had also written ‘RSS Ke Agende’. As soon as the people from the locality came to know about the incident, they started gathering at the Jamia Nagar police station. Congress’ Asif Mohammad Khan, the sitting MLA from the area, and Amanatullah Khan, the Aam Aadmi Party’s candidate select for the upcoming Delhi assembly elections, too reached there. The gathering of about 200 people started sloganeering demanding the SHO to apologise. At around 7 pm, one of the police officials came out and announced that the Maulana was taken only for questioning and that he was returning only to be delayed because of traffic due to the crowd in front of the police station. He finally reached the area around 8 pm. Meanwhile, the SHO too had apologised to the people. Amanatullah Khan claimed police had not followed any laid down procedure before picking up the Maulana. The police have tightened security in view of the forthcoming visit of the US President Barak Obama next week and also ahead of the Delhi assembly elections on February 7. Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in April - May 2014, two youth from the locality were similarly picked up.

Arvind Panagariya NITI

Honoured to be Appointed by PM Narendra Modi to NITI Aayog: Arvind Panagariya All India | Press Trust of India | Updated: January 06, 2015 13:00 IST New York: Indian-American economist Arvind Panagariya has said that he is "honoured" to be appointed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the first Vice Chairman of the newly created NITI Aayog, which replaces the 65-year-old Planning Commission. "I am honoured by this appointment, and I look forward to working with Prime Minister Modi and policymakers across India," Mr Panagariya was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Columbia University in New York yesterday. Mr Panagariya is the professor of economics and the Jagdish Bhagwati Professor of Indian Political Economy in the Department of International and Public Affairs. He will take a leave of absence from Columbia to accept his position at the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog. Related Arvind Panagariya: A Free-Market Economist and Supporter of Gujarat Model Columbia Economist Arvind Panagariya To Run PM Modi's Policy Panel Arvind Panagariya, PM Modi's New Planning Panel Chief The 62-year-old professor said he expects to continue to engage with Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) "when such opportunities arise" and will resume his work at the School when his assignment is completed. In his new cabinet position, Mr Panagariya will work closely with Modi, who will serve as chair of the renamed institution. Officials envision NITI Aayog as a government "think tank" that will provide strategic and technical advising on key issues. Mr Panagariya, who has been a strong supporter of PM Modi's Gujarat model of development, had said some months ago that he wants the BJP government's first budget to boost capital spending even at the risk of a higher fiscal deficit. He has earlier worked with various international bodies like World Bank, IMF and Asian Development Bank (ADB). Holding a PhD degree in Economics from Princeton University, Mr Panagariya has also worked for the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in various capacities. During an address at Columbia in September last year on what the PM Modi government must do to transform the Indian economy, he had said a replacement for the Planning Commission must be "lean and thin" and had termed as "brave" the decision by PM Modi to do away with the 1950-dated institution. Mr Panagariya had suggested that PM Modi should put in "as lean and thin a team" for the Commission's replacement with 10-12 people and "lots of resources so that they can draw on the experts as necessary" and then periodically that team should meet with the Prime Minister and Finance Minister. SIPA Dean Merit Janow congratulated Mr Panagariya on his new role and said his global perspective and broad experience would serve him well as the Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog. Story First Published: January 06, 2015 12:54 IST

mock drill

After skull cap row, Gujarat police makes dummy 'terrorists' shout 'Islam Zindabad' Friday, 2 January 2015 - 9:15am IST | Place: Gujarat | Agency: PTI A video of police mock drill showing dummy militants shouting pro-Islamic slogan emerged on Thursday in Gujarat, a day after controversy erupted over men, playing the part of terrorists, being made to wear skullcaps in a similar exercise in Surat. Reacting to the Surat episode that came to light yesterday, Chief Minister Anandi Patel admitted it as a "mistake" to show people posing as terrorists in the drill in skullcaps. The latest video is of another anti-terror mock drill at Narmada dam site in Kevadia area of Narmada district. It shows policemen holding two dummy terrorists who were shouting "take our lives, if you want. Islam Zindabad (long live Islam)". When contacted by PTI, Narmada Superintendent of Police Jaypalsinh Rathore said an inquiry will be conducted into the issue. "I came to know about this incident (of projecting terrorists as Muslims) through media. If such an incident has happened, we will conduct an inquiry and take necessary actions against those responsible," he said. "The mock drill was a routine police exercise which was conducted a week ago in Kevadia area," Rathore added. As the Surat episode generated controversy and invited criticism from several quarters, including from the chief of Gujarat BJP Minority Cell, Patel told a TV channel it is wrong to link religion with terrorism. "It's wrong to link religion with terrorism. The issue has been resolved and the matter should be put to rest now. The mistake has been rectified," she said. The anti-terror drills were conducted ahead of the two high-profile events being held in the state - Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (January 7 to 9) and Vibrant Gujarat Investors Summit (January 11 to 13) - both in Gandhinagar.