LONDON: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange today said he would "soon" leave the Ecuadorian embassy here after being holed up at the mission for nearly two years, amid reports that he has developed life-threatening ailments that require hospitalisation.

The 49-year-old Australian national, who is reportedly battling heart defect and chronic lung condition, refused to elaborate on the timeframe as he addressed journalists alongside Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino at the embassy in Knightsbridge, central London.

Widespread reports have suggested that the anti-secrecy campaigner needs hospital treatment for the health problems.

"There has been two years of great uncertainty and a lack of legal protection. This situation must come to an end. Two years is simply too long ... we continue to offer him our protection," said Patino.

"It is time to free Julian Assange. It is time for his human rights to finally be respected," he added.

Patino would meet with British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond in the next few weeks to discuss ways to resolve the situation.

Assange, whose website WikiLeaks published classified US military and diplomatic documents embarrassing the US government, has been living inside the Ecuadorian embassy building, since being granted diplomatic asylum by the Latin American nation in August 2012.

He is under continuance surveillance and will be arrested if he leaves the building. Scotland Yard officers have been stationed outside the building round-the-clock for two years now.

Assange had initially anticipated a diplomatic solution to his problems would be reached within a couple of months. But that did not happen.

The whistleblower has been investigated by US authorities since WikiLeaks published leaked military and diplomatic documents in 2010.

He also faces an arrest warrant in Sweden over allegations that he sexually assaulted two women. He denies the allegations.

Australia-born Assange fears that from Sweden he will be extradited to the US, where he could face 35 years in prison for publishing classified documents related to the Pentagon's activities in Iraq and Afghanistan on WikiLeaks. — PTI

MUMBAI: Stoking yet another controversy, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday said India is a Hindu nation and Hindutva is its identity.

“Hindustan is a Hindu nation … Hindutva is the identity of our nation and it (Hinduism) can incorporate others (religions) in itself,” he said.

Last week, Bhagwat had said in Cuttack, “The cultural identity of all Indians is Hindutva and the present inhabitants of the country are descendants of this great culture.”

If inhabitants of England are English, Germany are Germans and USA are Americans, then why all inhabitants of Hindustan are not known as Hindus, he had posed.

Bhagwat was in Mumbai today on the occasion of Krishna Janamashtami to attend the inauguration programme of the golden jubilee celebrations of the VHP, that was founded in Mumbai on August 29-30, 1964.

He said the goal of the VHP in the coming five years would be to ensure equality among the Hindus of the nation.

“For the next five years we have to work with the aim of bringing equality among all the Hindus in the country. All Hindus should be drinking water at one place, should be praying at one place and after their death, their bodies should be burnt at the same place,” he said. — PTI

NEW DELHI: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat today came under attack from political parties, including the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, for his controversial remarks that India is a Hindu nation and Hindutva is its identity.

Coming down heavily on Bhagwat, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh, in a series of tweets, described the RSS chief as "Hitler" and said the Sangh should stop "fooling" innocent people by using religion in politics.

"I thought we had one Hitler in making but it seems now we have Two ! God save India !," Singh, also a known detractor of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, tweeted.

A day after the RSS chief made controversial remarks in Mumbai, Singh asked, "A question to Mohan Bhagwat — Is Hindutva a religious identity? What is its relationship with Sanatan Dharma? Is a person who believes in Islam, Christianity, Sikh Budhism, Jainism or any other religion also a Hindu? Would Mohan Bhagwatji pl clarify?" Wondering "does word Hindu or Hindutava figure in any of our Veda, Upanishad, Gita, Puran or any other of our religious scripture?, Singh also tweeted.

"RSS should stop fooling the innocent people by using religion in politics. We are proud of our Sanatan Dharm and its tolerance towards others," he said.

Hitting out at Bhagwat, Samajwadi Party accused the Sangh of practising politics of "hatred and separatism." "They use such words and language to fan social tension," SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said.

Referring to various controversial statements from Union Ministers and leaders of the BJP and the VHP, Congress leader Manish Tewari alleged that there was a "concerted efforts" to polarise the country on religious lines.

"... it is very evident that with the active connivance of the Central government, there is an attempt of religious polarisation ... the cultural identity of India is not of a monolithic state. India is not Pakistan," he said.

Bhagwat, who was in Mumbai yesterday to attend golden jubilee celebrations of the VHP, had said, "Hindustan is a Hindu nation ... Hindutva is the identity of our nation and it (Hinduism) can incorporate others (religions) in itself". — PTI

Pak troops violate ceasefire yet again, target 20 border posts

JAMMU: In a major ceasefire violation that lasted throughout the night, Pakistani troops resorted to heavy mortar shelling and fired with automatic weapons at 20 Border Out Posts and civilian areas along the International Border in Jammu sector, leaving a villager injured.

"Pakistan Rangers armed with heavy weaponry resorted to heavy mortar shelling and firing of automatic weapons on 15 to 20 Border Out Posts (BoPs) in Arnia and R.S. Pura sub-sectors in Jammu district around 2130 hours last night", a BSF officer said here today.

The BSF troops responded with equal caliber weapons to Pakistan's firing which resulted in intermittent exchanges of fire, which stopped around 0630 hours today, the officer said.

An elderly villager identified as Attar Singh of Treva hamlet was injured in the mortar shelling, he said.

There were reports that Pakistani Rangers also fired 82-mm mortars on BoPs and some civilian areas in Arnia and R.S. Pura.

Most of the borderline in R.S. Pura and Arnia was shelled by the Pakistani Rangers throughout the night, making it the biggest ceasefire violation this year.

The cross-border firing comes ahead of the August 25 Foreign Secretary talks between India and Pakistan.

This is the 11th ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along LoC and IB in Jammu region during the past 10 days and the 12th in August this year.

Pakistani troops had yesterday violated the ceasefire twice by resorting to heavily firing with automatic and small arms along Arnia sub-sector in International Border and Hamirpur sub-sector in Jammu and Poonch districts.

On August 14, Pakistani troops had resorted to unprovoked small arms and automatic weapons firing on Indian posts along LoC in Hamirpur sector of Poonch district. Besides this, there were two other violations of ceasefire in Balakote (Mendhar) and Hamirpur sectors in Poonch on August 14.

On August 13, Pakistani troops had resorted to firing by small arms and automatic weapons on forward posts along LoC in Bhimbher Gali sector of Poonch district, in which one jawan was injured.

On August 12, Pakistani Rangers resorted to heavy firing with mortar shells, small arms and automatic weapons on five BoPs and civilian areas along the IB in Arnia-R S Pura areas in Jammu district.

Two BSF jawans were among four persons injured on August 11, when Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by firing with small arms, automatic weapons and mortar shells on 10 border out posts and civilian areas along the International Border in Arnia and RS Pura belts of Jammu district.

On August 10, Pakistani troops had violated ceasefire by targeting Indian forward posts with small arms and automatic weapons along the Line of Control in Mendhar sector of Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting Indian forces to retaliate.

Pakistani troops had violated the ceasefire on August 8 by resorting to firing on Indian Posts along LoC in Bhimbher Gali sector of Poonch district. On August 5, there was a ceasefire violation along the LoC in Poonch. — PTI

NEW DELHI: India’s beleaguered cricketers have come under sharp criticism from former players who called for coach Duncan Fletcher’s immediate ouster while questioning Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s captaincy in the Test series against England that culminated with an innings and 244 runs annihilation at the Oval.

The players were critical of Fletcher’s role in the embarassing defeat, saying his contribution was “zero” and it was high time that he be replaced.

“What was Fletcher doing after we won the Lord’s Test on a difficult pitch? This is where he lacked imagination in keeping the lead. Yes, I think Fletcher has to go,” said former captain Ajit Wadekar. 

India’s woeful performances touched a new low as they succumbed to their heaviest Test defeat in 40 years in a match that got over well inside three days, gifting away the series to England 3-1.

Regarding Dhoni, Wadekar said, “He changed his technique and batted well. But why he did not change his tactics as captain foxes me. For example not keeping a third man where half the runs were scored. Also in team selection, (Ravichandran) Ashwin should have played from the first Test. Wonder why he did not.”

Former batting great Gundappa Viswanath felt Dhoni often hopes for a miracle to bail his team out of difficult situations.

“I’m not happy with his keeping and captaincy, he’s got his own mind. He always keeps repeating that. He always expects a miracle. Miracles cannot happen all the time. It happens once in a blue moon,” Viswanath told PTI.

Ex-spinner Erapalli Prassana said, “I am categorically saying that Fletcher’s contribution to the team was a big zero.”

Another former captain Kris Srikkanth too felt the same about the under-fire coach.

“Fletcher has not contributed anything for the team.”

Former middle-order batsman Chandu Borde, who led India in one Test, criticised the technique of the current lot.

“I am surprised these youngsters did not change their technique which a player like (Alastair) Cook did after England’s defeat at Lord’s by standing a few feet outside the crease to counter Bhuvaneshwar Kumar’s swing bowling.

“What can a player do if you don’t implement what is told to you. He cannot bat for you. Their confidence got low as the series progressed, bogged down by failures.”

Former player Anshuman Gaekwad too, was critical of Fletcher.

“I’ve been a coach in the past and a coach must look into this and rectify. I don’t know what’s wrong. If the coach is telling them it’s not working, then probably the boys are not listening. If that is the case, then what’s the point of having a coach there?

“You can take a horse to the water but cannot make him drink. Ultimately the players have to perform. I agree he has to be blamed but batsmen are to be blamed equally for the series,” Gaekwad said.

Ashok Malhotra felt Dhini’s shelf life as Test captain has expired.

“He’s wonderful in shorter formats of ODI and T20s but there’s a lot to be desired as far as Tests are concerned. He doesn’t have a Plan A, B or C in place. He’s very close minded as far as Test cricket is concerned. Ganguly definitely was much better, he enjoyed Test captaincy, he took pride in his performance.”

Malhotra said Fletcher had enough as coach of the Indian team.

“I don’t think he’s good as a coach whatever the Indian player might say. He does not say anything, he does not speak to the media. The records speak for himself. We should have looked beyond him after we lost eight consecutive matches overseas to England and Australia.

“He survived thanks to Dhoni and other senior members but it’s time for him to make a statement. He’s so technically savvy, he should have improved the likes of Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara and Gautam Gambhir. But he did not do much.

Ex-opener W V Raman said, “Dhoni as a batsman did not put a foot wrong. Okay, he might have made couple of strange choices as far as the final eleven is concerned. What you expect of Dhoni when the batsmen fail to fire and so many chances are put down. Dhoni cannot do anything under such circumstances.”

Wadekar though felt that there is no replacement for Dhoni at the moment.

“I will retain Dhoni as captain for Tests as I don’t see anyone who can take over at the moment. (Virat) Kohli’s confidence has been dented severely. He should be allowed to regain his confidence in a few home rubbers and then made captain for Tests while Dhoni can be retained as captain for ODI and T20 formats in which he’s good.

“But as wicket keeper he should stop innovating like he did -- standing three feet behind to spin bowlers. His leg side keeping is very good, even while diving. But he fumbles on the off side.”

Srikkanth said the Indian cricketers lacked the willingness to fight it out.

“It’s highly disappointing. I do not think the players were inexperienced as people have been commenting. We have seven eight players who have lost of experience. I think it is lack of willingness to fight and required determination was missing in them.”

Vishwanath said the players did not show character.

“The whole Indian team is collapsing. It’s the same group of cricketers who did well. If you talk about us we came back winning (Lord’s, June, 1986) after collapsing for 42 (Lord’s, June, 1974) but these people did not show any character to bounce back.

“They just vanished which is an understatement. It cannot happen like this. They’re losing matches after matches inside three days. They have stunned the Indian cricket. Having brought glory, we know what Indian cricket is all about. I’m really worried about the Indian cricket team,” Vishwanath said.

As far as Fletcher was concerned, he said, “We have to forget about the foreign coach. If we’re not doing well in foreign countries then what’s the point in keeping a foreign coach?

“Our boys are good enough but we have to do minor adjustments in technique. I don’t know what’s the coach is doing. He keeps only mum.”

“It’s not that he’s here for nothing. The board is paying and he’s getting his pay cheque every month and he’s happy. We don’t want that kind of happiness. He should perform what he’s supposed to do. But we’re being vanquished in similar manner, series after series.”

Vishwanath said the time hasn’t come yet to remove Dhoni from captaincy.

“We cannot remove MS now, he’s the right and experienced man to lead up front. If not MS then who will captain the side? Virat cannot lead now.”

Borde pointed out Indian batsmen’s lack of footwork in seaming conditions and against a good attack.

“Their footwork was lacking to counter the swing. They largely tried to play from the crease. The body language was also down with repeated failures. I was surprised by Moeen Ali taking so many wickets. How did he get 19 wickets against Indians who are good at playing spin as they are reared on spinning tracks. It was shocking.”

Prasanna called the debacle a disappointing sight.

“It is sad to witness and experience a debacle like this. I was also involved in the 42-all out tour. Nevertheless, we got back and created a tremendous impact on people in the cricketing world. But after having had that sort of a reputation, a debacle like this presently is highly disappointing and is an unfortunate sight.”

Raman said the Indian team lacked instinct.

“I think the side lacked the instinct and were put off by the opposition attack without realising that they could come back in to the game. You must have a healthy respect for the opponent but you should back yourself at the same time. What had perhaps happened was the balance in mental issue could have been bit better and were too worried about as to how they are going to handle the opposition attack.

“If you look at our boys, they have the abilities but obviously they lacked self confidence. By and large, their batting lapses once again affected their minds on the field too. That was the reason that so many catches were dropped,” Raman said.

Malhotra, too, was scathing in his criticism.

The way they have played I think they have embarrassed themselves. I think by means of only only foreign tours we can improve our standard. We have to bring in more and more young Indian players who’re knocking at the doors. This young brigade has not been able to do much.

“The way forward I see is by means of conducting more India A away tours. Maybe some players should play only Test and county cricket. — PTI

LONDON: India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni hinted at stepping down as the captain following his team’s 1-3 Test series loss to England.

India lost The Oval Test by an innings and 244 runs here on Sunday, triggering questions over Dhoni’s future as the India captain. 

Asked if he has taken the team as far as he could, Dhoni said: “Maybe, yes.”

“You’ll have to wait and watch. If I’m strong enough or not strong enough, you’ll have to wait and get the news,” Dhoni was quoted as saying by BBC Test Match Special.

Dhoni, 33, took over the Test team in 2008 after leading India to an emphatic win in the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007. He has led the team in 58 Tests with a record 27 wins.

Under Dhoni, India topped the world Test rankings from late 2009 until the summer of 2011, a period in which he also led the team to victory in the World Cup.

But India’s slide started with surrendering their No.1 Test rankings with a 4-0 whitewash in England in 2011.

In the current series, India took a 1-0 lead by winning the Lord’s Test. But from then on things worsened for the visitors, who suffered three consecutive losses, including two innings defeats. They failed 200 in five consecutive attempts that ended with them being bowled out for 94 inside 30 overs at The Oval here Sunday.

“The last three Tests, we were not up to the mark,” said Dhoni, who has scored 4,808 runs in 88 Tests. “We never competed. Today’s batting was a reflection of a loss of confidence. It’s disappointing.”

“Right from the start, our batsmen haven’t performed -- it was the lower order. Later on in the series, when the lower order didn’t perform, we saw there wasn’t enough runs on the board,” said Dhoni.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar also blasted the team for the tame surrender.

“I don’t know what to say. What can you say? You can get angry, say harsh things, but what good will it do? If you do not want to be playing Test cricket for India, quit. Just play limited-overs cricket. You should not be embarrassing your country like that,” said Gavaskar.

India’s last five Test series:

July-August 2014: England (away) — lost 3-1 (5 Tests)

February 2014: New Zealand (away) — lost 1-0 (2 Tests)

December 2013: South Africa (away) — lost 1-0 (2 Tests)

November 2013: West Indies (home) — won 2-0 (2 Tests)

February-March 2013: Australia (home) — won 4-0 (4 Tests) — IANS

Jayawardene ends glorious Test career on a high

Colombo: Mahela Jayawardene ended his 17-year Test career on a victorious note today as Sri Lanka won the second and final Test against Pakistan by 105 runs to sweep the series 2-0.

The 37-year-old, who had retired from Twenty20 internationals after Sri Lanka's title-winning campaign in the World T20 in April, will now play only one-day cricket heading into next year's World Cup.

Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse was among the 4,000 home fans who turned up at Colombo's Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) to bid goodbye to one of modern cricket's great batsmen.

The elegant right-hander is one of only five batsmen to score more than 11,000 runs in both Test and one-day cricket — the others being Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and team-mate Kumar Sangakkara.

Jayawardene finished with 11,814 runs in 149 Tests with 34 centuries, but his average dropped from 50.02 to 49.84 after making four and 54 in his final Test at the SSC.

He was lifted onto the shoulders of his team-mates as the entire squad did a victory lap of the ground. On his return to the pavilion, Jayawardene was hugged warmly by Rajapakse and other dignitaries.

It was at the SSC that Jayawardene scored a monumental 374 during a world-record partnership of 624 with Sangakkara (287) against a South African attack that included Dale Steyn and Makhya Ntini in 2006.

His 2,921 runs in 27 Tests at the SSC are the most by any batsman at a single ground. He averaged 74.89 at the SSC with 11 centuries and 50 half-centuries.

Jayawardene looked good to continue for a few more years after making a fluent 165 against Hashim Amla's South African team at the SSC last month.

He followed that with 59 in the first innings of the first Test against Pakistan in Galle, where he took on the unfamiliar role of an opener in the second knock as Sri Lanka beat fading light and approaching rain to win with 4.4 overs to spare.

Jayawardene was also a shrewd captain while leading Sri Lanka in 38 Tests in two phases, the first from 2006 to 2009 and then again for a year in 2012.

Under his leadership, Sri Lanka won 18 Tests, lost 12 and drew eight. As captain, he averaged 59.11 with the bat with 14 centuries.

One of the sharpest fielders close to the wicket, Jayawardene's 205 Test catches are second only to Indian Rahul Dravid's tally of 210 by a fielder other than a wicket-keeper. — AFP

Afghan Sikhs search for clues over British stowaways

KABUL: A Sikh leader in Afghanistan said today that he was trying to contact families over reports that 35 stowaways found in a shipping container in Britain were from the tiny, persecuted community.

Staff at Tilbury Docks near London discovered one dead man in his 40s, and 34 other people alive, after hearing banging and screaming from inside the container yesterday.

British police said the survivors, including 13 children, were Afghan Sikhs.

"I didn't know of this until the news reports emerged and I am trying to contact families who may be involved," Rawel Singh, a prominent leader of Afghanistan's Sikh community, told AFP.

"I am urgently seeking more information." Singh, vice-president of the Hindu and Sikh Council of Afghanistan, said only a few thousand Sikhs remained in Afghanistan, a sharp drop from before the civil war in the 1990s.

Many of those remaining complain of brutal persecution in a Muslim-majority country that has been ravaged by decades of war.

"Our rights are trampled and we are treated badly by the Afghan people," Singh said.

"We are discriminated against, our children cannot attend school, and our land has been stolen. Therefore, many Sikhs are forced to flee Afghanistan." Afghan's Sikhs and Hindus often live in the same communities in Kabul, Jalalabad and Kandahar, working as labourers or in the clothes and traditional medicine businesses, said Singh.

He said most Sikhs who had recently left Afghanistan headed for Australia and Russia rather than Britain.

All 34 survivors from the shipping container were taken to nearby hospitals to be treated for hypothermia and dehydration.

Four peorsons are still in hospital, and the local Sikh community has been helping care for the survivors.

"Officers and colleagues from the Border Force will be speaking to them via interpreters so we can piece together what happened," said Superintendent Trevor Roe of the local Essex Police. AFP