Lashkar fomenting trouble in J-K: Chidambaram

Edited by Naved Khan Wednesday, June 30, 2010 9:31 PM 0 comments


New Delhi: The Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was fomenting trouble in the Kashmir Valley where 11 civilians have died in firing by security forces on protesting mobs in the last month.
"The anti-national forces are linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba," Chidambaram told reporters, when asked ifthe elements he had blamed Tuesday for inciting agitation in the Valley were from Pakistan. He said the LeT was active in the north Kashmir Sopore town, the worst hit by violent street protests.
"Two militants were killed in an operation on June 25 in Krankshivan colony of Sopore. The LeT is active there," he said.
At the same time both the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir government have instructed the security forces to exercise maximum restraint against the stone pelting mobs.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, after attending a high-level meeting on Kashmir violence convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, told mediapersons here on Wednesday that the security forces have been instructed to follow maximum restraint against stone pelting protesters in the Valley.
The Centre is committed to helping the state government in maintaining peace, he added. But at the same time we will support the state government, Chidambaram made clear.
The minister appreciated Omar Abdullah's statement Tuesday. Omar had defended that the action of the security forces and appealed to the parents to restraint their children from indulging in violence.
The minister is hopeful that the situation will improve in next few days and the Amarnath yatra will go on peacefully. Chidambaram said the Centre has asked the state chief minister to visit the affected area and ensure that curfew is enforced in the violence-hit areas.
The CRPF will assist the state police in improving law and order situation. Reiterating instructions to the CRPF for restraint, Chidambaram said, "Curfew must be enforced. The CRPF must assist state police in enforcing curfew. We are committed to providing adequate force for the Amarnath yatra."
Chidambaram, who was supposed to visit Srinagar on Thursday, made clear he is not going there immediately but will consider once situation improves.
The prime minister had convened the meeting to discuss the tense situation in the Valley which has been witnessing a series of protests following killing of two civilians in police firing in Sopore recently. Kashmir has seen unrest for last four days. The meeting was attended by Chidambaram and senior officials of his ministry, the Prime Minister's Office and from security agencies.
Kashmir has been on the boil due to protests over killings of youth in alleged CRPF firing.
Naxal ambush in Chhatisgarh
The Home minister said deploying central forces in the Naxal-hit areas is decided by state governments. "These are very difficult areas. One can expect that the Naxals will attack these areas," he spoke on the recent ambush that killed 26 CRPF jawans in Chhatisgarh on Tuesday.
"Para-military must be deployed only for operative purposes. Lapses will be known only after inquiry is completed," he added.

Nepal PM resigns to end political deadlock

Edited by Naved Khan 6:48 PM 0 comments


Kathmandu: Nepal's Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has announced his resignation, bowing to pressure from the Opposition Maoists who have been demanding his ouster in parliament and on the streets.
Nepal said in a televised speech on Wednesday that he decided to resign to end the political deadlock and help the peace process that ended years of insurgency in the Himalayan nation. The former Communist rebels have been protesting for months to demand his resignation and a new national government headed by them.

Fight over Fernandes' legacy turns ugly

Edited by Naved Khan 6:43 PM 0 comments


New Delhi: The battle for former defence minister George Fernandes does not seem to end. There was high drama outside Fernandes' residence at No. 3 Krishna Menon Marg house in New Delhi on Wednesday with his close aide Jaya Jaitley alleging that she was being denied entry into the house tocollect her belongings by Fernandes' wife Leila Kabir Fernandes.
Jaya was accompanied by Fernandes' brothers, Michael and Richard, who alleged that they were being prevented from meeting the former defence minister and collecting their belongings. Jaya claimed that all the furniture at his No. 3 Krishna Menon Marg house belonged to her and she should be allowed to take them away. "Even servants are being allowed to take away their belongings. They are not allowing George Fernandes' brothers and my staff to enter the house. How can we take out the furniture?" said Jaya. She also claimed that Leila was against her entry into the house. Jaya has now decided to barge into his house to collect the furniture.
However, Leila denied that she had stopped anyone from entering Fernandes' residence.
"There is no question of denying access to anyone. She (Jaya Jaitley) is free to go and collect her stuff from the house. Who denied access to them? In a letter written by myself to Jaya I mentioned that she is free to collect her stuff but I got no response from her. My primary concern is George's health. I wish the matter will be sorted out very soon," Leila told CNN-IBN.
Michael and Richard Fernandes also staged a dharna outside his house after the police and house caretaker SD Singh reportedly denied them entry into the house.
"On earlier occasions George was abducted from his house. We came here to take some old photographs which are a single copy. When we came the gates were closed. The police and those inside the compound have been instructed not to let us in by the present caretaker who quotes Leila. The police have asked us to go to court," said Michael.
"We have been coming here for 20 years but the caretaker now says we have to get permission from the court to enter the premises," added Richard.
Both brothers accompanied by Jaya Jaitley had come to Fernandes' residence to collect books, furniture and paintings which they claimed belonged to them.
Over a dozen policemen were deployed near the residence after the arguments and heated exchange with the caretaker,. Police, however, refused to comment on the issue.
The 80-year-old former defence minister is critically ill and has been suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He is now living with his wife at a private house in south Delhi.
His Rajya Sabha membership ends on July 7 and his wife is vacating his official bungalow where he lived for over 20 years, this week.
Richard and Michael have been fighting a legal battle with his wife for custody of the ailing former defence minister. They had on June 9 approached the Delhi High Court for early disposal of the case in view of Fernandes' deteriorating condition.

CRPF outmatched by Maoists again

Edited by Naved Khan 6:42 PM 0 comments


Raipur: The Chhattisgarh Police and experts on guerilla warfare are blaming the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for repeatedly falling victim to the Maoists.
Police officials speaking on the condition of anonymity say that the CRPF personnel are not only poorly trained to operate in jungle terrain but are also reluctant to take on the well-entrenched Maoists. On top of it, the sources say, the CRPF personnel have failed to follow intelligence inputs while launching operations deep in the impregnable forests of Bastar region.
"A majority of the CRPF men here are exhausted as they have been dumped in this Maoist nerve centre from other conflict zones such as Kashmir without being given any rest," a senior officer and counter-insurgency expert told IANS.
The harsh comments came a day after 26 CRPF personnel and two policemen were massacred by Maoists in Narayanpur district, in the worst such Maoist attack after 36 people were killed in a bus bombing in May.
"They (CRPF) are ill-trained and ill-equipped and have mentally given up. If the government wants to turn the heat on the Maoists, it must quickly phase out these exhausted CRPF battalions from Chhattisgarh and bring in battalions that have experience of battling insurgency in jungle terrain, such as the Naga and Mizo battalions," the expert said.
A police officer who has served in Maoist bastions for a long period said: "Keeping the demoralized CRPF is hurting everyone. This includes the government and strategists and above all the local policemen who want to fight and die as war heroes.
"The big problem in Chhattisgarh now is a big gap in coordination between the CRPF and state police. The CRPF men refuse to use even specific intelligence inputs while going on operations. They floutstandard operating procedures such as sneaking into landmine zones without clearing the areas of explosives," the officer said.
A police officer in Bastar region said 14 CRPF battalions were now deployed in the state. Thirteen were based in Bastar in the south and one battalion was in the northern district of Surguja bordering Jharkhand.
"No matter how many meetings the top officials hold in Raipur and New Delhi, the fact is that only a new and sensible war policy in Chhattisgarh can save the jawans and prevent needless deaths," said another officer in Jagdalpur, headquarters of the Bastar region.
The 40,000 sq km Bastar region, made up of five districts - Narayanpur, Bastar, Kanker, Bijapur and Dantewada - has been the nervecentre of Maoist guerrillas in India since the late 1980s.
Chhattisgarh's police chief Vishwa Ranjan claims that Maoists have mined up to 25,000 sq km area of Bastar's total 40,000 sq km terrain.
Anil Vibhakar, a Raipur-based analyst on Maoist issue, said: "The government is fighting a losing battle in Chhattisgarh. The forces have been sent to the forests only to die. If a new policy is not adopted urgently, we will only hear news of more killings from Bastar."

Villa's goal takes Spain to WC quarterfinals

Edited by Naved Khan 8:53 AM 1 comments


Cape Town: David Villa finished off a move of Spanish perfection to finally break down Portugal's defensive wall on Tuesday and give the European champions a 1-0 win and spot in the World Cup quarterfinals.
Villa scored his fourth goal of the tournament in the 63rd minute, while Cristiano Ronaldo again failed to inspire Portugal. A trademark Spanish passing move found Andres Iniesta in the center. He flicked the ball through to Xavi Hernandez, who backheeled to Villa charging in on the left.
The Barcelona-bound striker saw his first shot blocked by Portugal goalkeeper Eduardo, but on the rebound, he coolly slotted home with his right foot.
Portugal's only defensive weakness had been on its right flank, where Ricardo Costa struggled. He was sent off for elbowing Joan Capdevila in the 89th minute, stifling a late Portuguese drive.
Spain will now play Paraguay in the quarterfinals on Saturday at Ellis Park.
Exactly two years after Spain ended a 44-year drought by winning the European Championship, the team stayed on course to become the first European titlist to add the World Cup since West Germany did it in 1974.
Spain was about teamwork, and it showed from the start. Fernando Torres and Villa immediately moved down the left, looking to exploit Portugal's weakness on right back. Within the first seven minutes, Eduardo had to make three quality saves to keep Portugal in the game on angled shots from Spain's two strikers.
Yet strangely enough, Spain did not continue to pound Portugal's weak right side and instead settled for the intricate passing game through the center it has become famous for.
Once Portugal's defense settled, it proved why it has one of the best in the world, conceding only one goal in its last 12 matches. It clogged play in the center and Spain got frustrated to the extent that it was reduced to long-range attempts Gerard Pique.
Portugal's problem was that Ronaldo was yet again off form. Right before the opening whistle, he looked up at the night sky and started pleading with his arms outstretched, almost begging to finally make his mark on a huge game.
The heavens didn't respond.

Naxals strike, kill 26 CRPF men in Chhattisgarh

Edited by Naved Khan 8:53 AM 0 comments


Raipur: In yet another deadly attack by the Maoists, 26 paramilitary troopers were killed on Tuesday in Chhattisgarh's restive Bastar region, officials said.
About a dozen personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were also injured in the attack in Narayanpur district, state Home minister Nankiram Kanwar said. "A CRPF contingent of over 70 men was ambushed by the Maoists in a forested stretch in Narayanpur," an official at the police headquarters here said.
In New Delhi, Union Home Secretary G K Pillai told reporters that the Maoists had ambushed a "road opening party" of the CRPF. He said all others in the CRPF party of 63 had been accounted for and had returned to their camp.
The incident took place just three kilometers from a CRPF camp, some 400 km south of state capital Raipur.
The bodies of the slain troopers are being brought to Narayanpur town, the district headquarters. "The injured are being shifted to the district hospital and the Bastar district hospital," said Director General ofPolice Vishwa Ranjan.
Police sources said the incident took place at around 3.30 p.m. when a joint team of the CRPF and the Special Task Force (STF) of the state police were on their way for a search operation.
The rebels ambushed the group, leading to a fierce gunfight that lasted for over three hours. Though additional reinforcements were rushed to the spot, rescue and evacuation of the injured took time as movement of security personnel is difficult after sunset in view of the possibility of further attacks by the Maoists.
Some of the injured have been airlifted to the district hospital while a team of doctors have been stationed at Maharani Hospital at Jagdalpur to provide immediate medical attention.
Major Naxal attacks in 2010
Feb 15: 24 police killed in West Midnapore, West Bengal
Apr 4: 11 killed and 10 injured in Koraput, Orissa
April 6: 76 jawans killed in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh
May 8: 8 CRPF jawans killed in Chhattisgarh
May 17: 15 SPOs killed in Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh

Dead Naxals carried like animals, NHRC objects

Edited by Naved Khan Tuesday, June 29, 2010 9:28 PM 0 comments


New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission has issued a notice to the Union Home Ministry following media reports showing the inhumane manner in which the bodies of Naxals were being carried by security men.
CNN-IBN had shown pictures of eight Naxals including three women who were carried like hunted animals, with their hands and feet tied to bamboo polls. At the time, the Home Minister had slammed the CRPF and state police for such treatment meted out to the Naxals following an encounter in a forest in West Bengal's West Midnapore district. The NHRC is seeking a factual report from the Home Ministry and says that if the pictures are indeed authentic, it raises serious questions of human rights violations.
The Commission has sought a reply from the Secretary of Home Ministry within a month, ie by July 27, on the issue, an NHRC statement said here Tuesday. The Commission observed that the report, if true, raises a serious issue of violation of human rights of the victims.
"The photos were published June 18 and it was alleged that they were taken following an anti-Naxal operation in West Midnapore, West Bengal. The report, if true, raises a serious issue of violation of human rights of the victims," the NHRC said in a statement.
In a major success, security forces had gunned down 12 Maoists, including three women, in a fierce encounter in Ranja forest of Salboni in West Midnapore on June 16, almost a year after anti-Naxal operations were launched in the district in West Bengal.

Paraguay, Japan 0-0 at half time

Edited by Naved Khan 9:07 PM 0 comments


Pretoria: Paraguay and Japan have reached half time of their World Cup second-round match at 0-0.
After a cautious opening, Paraguay forward Lucas Barrios neatly sidestepped the last defender in the 20th minute and tried to flick the ball in with the outside of his right boot. Goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima got down well to block. Japan then went close in the 22nd when Daisuke Matsui's 25-meter (yard) shot hit the crossbar.
Paraguay's Roque Santa Cruz shot wide under no pressure from inside the area in the 29th before Japan's Keisuke Honda shot wide from outside the area in the 40th following a quick break.
Lineups:
Paraguay: Justo Villar, Claudio Morel, Carlos Bonet, Paulo Da Silva, Antolin Alcaraz, Nestor Ortigoza, Enrique Vera, Christian Riveros, Roque Santa Cruz, Lucas Barrios, Edgar Benitez.
Japan: Eiji Kawashima, Yuichi Komano, Yuto Nagatomo, Yuji Nakazawa, Marcus Tulio Tanaka, Yuki Abe, Daisuke Matsui, Yasuhito Endo, Makoto Hasebe, Yoshito Okubo, Keisuke Honda.

Apologetic Blatter to re-think technology

Edited by Naved Khan 3:36 PM 0 comments


Johannesburg: FIFA president Sepp Blatter apologised on Tuesday for the refereeing mistakes that have blighted the World Cup and promised to look again at introducing goalline technology.
"It is obvious that after the experiences so far at this World Cup it would be a nonsense not to re-open the file on goalline technology," Blatter said at a briefing with selected media on Tuesday. "I deplore when you see the evident referees' mistakes. It has not been a five-star game for referees. I am distressed by the evident referees' mistakes. I have expressed my apologies."
The issue came the fore after two important decisions at World Cup matches in South Africa on Sunday were shown by instant replays to be incorrect.
First a shot from England midfielder Frank Lampard that clattered against Germany's crossbar and bounced down well over the line when England, chasing a comeback, were 2-1 down.
Germany, clearly rattled at the time, went on to win the second round match 4-1.
In the later game, Mexico had been enjoying the better of the game against Argentina when Carlos Tevezopened the scoring from a clearly offside position, setting Diego Maradona's side on their way to a 3-1 win.
"I have apologised to the two delegations," Blatter said. (Editing by Michael Holden)

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