The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	I don’t need a visa to visit India, claims Rushdie Vandana Shukla/TNS Chandigarh, January 10 In the poll season, even a Booker of Bookers award winning author can be used as fodder for political gains. Or, at least an attempt can be made to do so. It is a different matter that most of those demanding cancellation of Salman Rushdie’s visa for his India visit to participate in the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) may have never read ‘ The Satanic Verses’, the book that has been the cause of over two-decade long controversy, re-ignited this time for a myopic political game. In 1989, when Ayatollah Khomeini, an Iranian leader, had issued a fatwa ( death sentence) on Rushdie over his controversial book ‘The Satanic Verses’, it was told, even he had not read the book. The fatwa was withdrawn by the government of Iran in 1998, which should have made the issue a forgotten history. But, in the obscure political landscape of UP, where 17 per cent Muslims form a big vote bank, Deoband chief, Maulana Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani’s demand that Rushdie should be denied visa, received an apt response from the author, who never disappoints his detractors. The writer tweeted, “my Indian visit, for the record, I don’t need a visa.” The Deoband chief said he had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi to cancel Rushdie’s visa, adding a threat, “In case of no response from the UPA government, the Darul-Uloom Deoband will take appropriate action.” Whatever the appropriate action may be, the producer of JLF, Sanjoy Roy, remained unfazed. He said, “Salman Rushdie has attended several literary events and forums in India in recent years. The JLF provides a space for free speech in India's best democratic traditions, we are a plural society, and it is imperative that we continue to allow avenues for unfettered literary expression.” Sanjoy has reasons to be confident. He has witnessed the popularity Rushdie enjoys across lines. If only the protesters knew, the same Rushdie had kept his audience glued over couple of hours in the open lawns of Diggi Palace in 2007, where the JLF is organised every year. Though the protests are also a sad reminder of the fate of Harud, the first ever literature festival planned for Kashmir Valley in September 2011, which had to be cancelled because rumours were spread that Rushdie was going to be a guest. Rushdie is scheduled to address a literary session, “Midnight`s Children” named after his landmark Man Booker Prize winning 1981 novel, anchored by noted writer Hari Kunzru on Jan 21, he will also participate in a group discussion, “Inglish, Amlish, Hinglish: The Chutneyfication of English”, featuring Rita Kothari, Tarun Tejpal and Ira Pande on Jan 23 at Diggi Palace, Jaipur. The recent row * Deoband chief Maulana Mufti Abul Qasim Nomani on Monday demanded that controversial author Salman Rushdie should be denied visa to visit India for the Jaipur litfest * The Deoband chief said he had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi to cancel Rushdie's visa. He had warned that in case of no response from the UPA government, the Darul-Uloom Deoband will take appropriate action Govt unlikely to stop Salman NEW DELHI: Controversial author Salman Rushdie is unlikely to be stopped by the government from travelling to India as he holds a Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card that entitles him to visit the country without visa. "He had travelled to India in the past using PIO card. We have never stopped him. We have no intention to stop any PIO card holder to travel to his or her home country in future either," a source said. — PTI
	No common MBBS entrance this year Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 10 The unwillingness of several state governments to participate in the proposed common MBBS entrance exam this year has resulted in its deferment until 2013, days after the Centre told the Supreme Court that it was unprepared to conduct the exam on May 13, 2012, as earlier committed. The Medical Council of India Board of Governors met here on Monday to advance the test until 2013 and amended its November 2010 notification in which it had talked of conducting two exams from the 2012 academic session -- National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for admission to all MBBS courses and the NEET for admission to all PG courses. The MCI decision comes in view of the developments of December 16 when the Supreme Court refused to pass any orders on a petition by the Health Ministry seeking deferment of NEET-UG. The apex court, while rapping the Centre for the delay, refused to get drawn into the issue and said it would not like to be a party to any decision. After the apex court let the government withdraw its application, the Health Ministry decided to amend the November 2010 MCI notification to indicate that the proposed single MBBS entrance exam will not be held this year. The MCI had recently announced May 13, 2012 as the date for NEET-UG but it has now decided to advance the test by a year.
	Muslim quota promise Khurshid, wife get EC notice New Delhi/Lucknow, Jan 10 Holding prima facie his promise of nine per cent sub quota for backward Muslims as a “serious violation” of model code of conduct, the Election Commission today slapped show-cause notice on Law Minister Salman Khurshid, asking why action should not be taken against him. The EC notice capped a day of raging controversy over his comments in Farrukhabad, where his wife Louise is contesting as a Congress candidate for the Assembly polls, after which the BJP met Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi and demanded action against him. A show-cause notice was separately served on Louise by poll authorities, asking her to explain why action should not be taken against her. In its complaint, the BJP alleged that Khurshid had violated the election code with his promise as UP has a sizeable population of minorities, especially Muslims, who were being wooed by the Congress ahead of the upcoming polls. Khurshid has been asked to send his response to the commission before 5 pm on January 12. The EC notice said the announcement of such promise is "prima facie a serious violation" of the provisions of the model code. In case Khurshid failed to respond within the stipulated time, the commission said it would be assumed that he has nothing to say in the matter and action as deemed fit would be initiated against him without any further notice. — PTI
	Bhatta-Parsaul rapes NHRC sets deadline for UP to submit report Aditi Tandon/TNS New Delhi, January 10 The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has set the deadline of January 16 for the Uttar Pradesh Government to submit its report on the alleged rape of women in Bhatta, Parsaul villages and issued summons to the state Chief Secretary to appear personally before it in case of another failure at submission. The state government has been evading response on the matter ever since the NHRC in July last sent it a copy of its interim findings into the incident. For six months now, the commission has been sending reminders to the state for its comments on the interim findings so that the commission can take a final view on the matter and pass an order in the case that caught the national imagination. Top sources in the commission said the UP Chief Secretary had been given time up to January 16 to send a response, failing which the summons against him would become operational. In the event of failure to submit a reply, the Chief Secretary would have to make a personal appearance before the commission to explain the inordinate delay and also put on record the official version of what happened in the twin villages earlier last year when anti-land acquisition protests engulfed it, leading to alleged police atrocities. The NHRC interim report (on the violence meted out by policemen on duty in Bhatta and Parsaul during the protests) does not conclusively establish that rapes had taken place, it is reliably learnt. This interim inquiry was conducted by the police team at the disposal of the commission which says these findings are only interim and not final. The National Commission for Women (NCW), on the other hand, confirmed rapes of at least four women during its investigations. One of these women gave a statement to the NCW team. “We have looked at the statement of the woman who alleged rape by the policemen on duty in the villages. The state government can no longer deny the occurrence of violence considering one of the commissions of the Government of India has extended proof that such a thing has happened. That is why we need to see what the state government says on record,” the NHRC sources said. The commission, however, apprehends that the state Chief Secretary could again duck the issue, citing engagements on account of the forthcoming elections in the state. “We have given ample chances to the state government. This time, we would like to hear from them. It is after all a long-standing issue and our interim report has been on the hold for six months. A final view can only be taken once the state takes a position on the issue,” officials in the commission said.
	Electoral Battle Royale Congress, BJP zero in on ‘OBC sub-quota’ Faraz Ahmad/TNS New Delhi, January 10 Even as the BJP sprang to the defence of the backwards against Congress leader and Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid offering 9 per cent sub-quota within the OBC quota of 27.5 per cent, to the Muslims, the party has its own plans to split the OBC and SC/ST quota. BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi led his party delegation to the Election Commission today, protesting against Salman’s speech and seeking action against him. Naqvi later declared, “The Congress is trying to create communal tension in Uttar Pradesh and the country by trying to divide people on caste and communal lines.” “We will not allow anyone to snatch the rights of OBCs,” the BJP announced. He also indicated that by making this fresh announcement, the Congress has made the minority reservation a big issue, and the BJP has no choice but to react to it and mobilise public support against this attempt to “rob the OBCs of their hard-earned right.” “The BJP will never allow such a conspiracy against the OBCs to succeed,” the senior leader from UP declared, projecting his party as the real champion of the OBCs. Party sources indicated that the BJP is currently finalising a vision document in which it would emulate the model of Bihar Chief Minister and fellow NDA leader Nitish Kumar, that talks of splitting the OBC quota into OBC and MBC quota and SC quota into that for Dalits and Maha Dalits. Sources said the BJP may not issue a manifesto this time. Instead, a reference to this may be made in the vision document. Insiders pointed out that such a move helped Nitish Kumar consolidate the upper caste votes for the BJP-JD (U) alliance. The BJP is making simultaneous attempts to consolidate both the upper caste and the OBC vote. To woo the OBCs, the BJP will harp on the Congress offer of reservation for Muslims and has asked, among others, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to campaign in the OBC-majority districts. Uma Bharti is already focusing on the OBCs in her campaign. Rajnath Singh, Kalraj Mishra and Surya Pratap Shahi are currently busy appealing to the upper caste to return to BJP’s support. But to convince them further of BJP’s sincere designs to introduce the Maha Dalit and MBC quota, the BJP has requested Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi to join the UP campaign.
	AIIMS paper leak: 7-day remand for accused New Delhi, January 10 Five youths, including a doctor and an MBBS student, arrested for allegedly leaking postgraduate medical entrance test papers and helping some candidates by providing answers over mobile phone and bluetooth, were today remanded in police custody for seven days by a Delhi court. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Amit Bansal remanded the accused to police custody till January 17 saying their custodial interrogation is required to unearth the entire conspiracy. "The allegations against the accused persons are that they, under a criminal conspiracy, leaked and tried to crack the entrance examination of AIIMS. The seizure memos of the electronic items and the question paper is also on record. — PTI
	Bihar hamlet decks up to welcome its daughter — Trinidad PM Sanjay Singh/TNS Patna, January 10 Bhelupur, a non-descript, dark hamlet in Bihar’s Buxar district, is euphoric these days. And why wouldn’t it be. The occasion is grand and the stakes, high. Bhelpur, the native village of Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Kamla Persad Bissessar, is trying its every bit to roll out the red carpet for the VVIP who would be visiting the place tomorrow. Ever since the villagers got to know about her visit, they have gone into overdrive, making arrangements for the special occasion. Preparations are on to make special ‘Litti-Chokha’, ‘Chura-Dahi’ and ‘Lai-Tilkut’ — all ethnic Bihari cuisine — which would be offered to the visiting dignitary. “The district administration is getting two helipads made at the village where the Indian Air Force choppers carrying Persad and her entourage will land. The government is also providing security to the VVIP during her two-hour stay at the village. The rest of the things are being taken care of by the villagers themselves,” circle officer of Itarhi block, Bharat Bhushan, under whose jurisdiction the village comes, told The Tribune. The villager doesn’t have any power and its residents were hopeful of getting electricity connections but that didn’t happen. However, the villagers are not complaining and have put their heart and soul into renovating the lanes through which the delegation will pass. As the Trinidad PM does not know Hindi or Bhojpuri, the dialect spoken by the people of her ancestral land, she will be accompanied by a team of expert interpreters and translators. Ramlakhan Mishra, the eldest member of her ancestral family in the village, said the villagers had collected money to present her a silver crown. Persad, who is in India in connection with Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, which concluded yesterday at Jaipur, would also be asked to plant five variety of trees on her ancestral land. The villagers also plan to present her a chunk of soil from the village that she would carry back home. The Trinidad PM had commissioned her country’s top genealogist to trace her roots and it took him years of hard work to zero down on the humble family of Ram Lakhan Mishra’s descendents here. According to genealogist’s findings, it was Ram Lakhan Mishra who left Bhelupur to board the ship named ‘Volga’ from Calcutta port (now Kolkata) on July 18, 1889 as a Girmitiya labourer to work in the Caribbeans. Of the 555 passengers on board, 18 died during the three-month long journey. Mishra survived the trip and landed on the island on October 21, 1889 and made it his home. He was unmarried when he reached Trinidad and Tobago, then a British colony. Subsequently, after he settled there, he married a local girl. His son named Chauranji Persad got married to Sumitra Persad and gave birth to Lilraj Persad who became owner of an oil company there and his daughter Kamla was sworn in as the first women PM of Trinidad &Tobago on May 26, 2010. She was the Attorney Journal of her country before being elected to Parliament from Siparia in 1991.
	Age issue: No ill-feeling, says Army Chief New Delhi, January 10 Indian Army Chief General VK Singh today chose to down play the controversy surrounding his age saying “there was no ill-feeling” and went on to term it as “personal matter that had no connection with the organisation (The Army)”. He remained non-committal on whether or not he will move court to seek redressal on the matter. When asked by reporters if he had kept the option open on approaching court to settle the dispute over his year of birth, said “It is a personal issue and I desist from making any public comment on it.” He was talking to reporters on the sidelines of his visit to a NCC camp here today. The question was asked in the context of the Defence Ministry rejecting his statutory complaint for not treating May 10, 1951 as his year of birth as against May 10, 1950. Asked if ill-feeling between him and the Ministry were over, Gen Singh said, “When there were no ill-feeling at any point of time (on the age issue), how can they be now". — TNS
	Delhi court gives bail to ‘spy’ Madhuri Gupta New Delhi, January 10 Suspended diplomat Madhuri Gupta, arrested for allegedly passing information to Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI, was today granted bail by a Delhi court on the grounds that her alleged offences entail a maximum of three-year jail term while she has already been in jail for over 20 months. “Considering the fact that the accused has been charged for the offences punishable under Section 3 (1) part II and section 5 of the Official Secrets Act read with Section 120-B o f the IPC attracting a maximum punishment of three years and she has already been in custody for more than 20 months, accused Madhuri Gupta is admitted on bail,” Additional Sessions Judge Pawan Kumar Jain said. Gupta was released on bail on a personal bond of Rs 25,000 with a surety of the same amount. The court also directed her not to leave Delhi without its permission. — PTI
	Rahul’s UP vision document, poll manifesto soon Vibha Sharma/TNS New Delhi, January 10 Putting Rahul Gandhi's promises for Uttar Pradesh on paper, the Congress is preparing to come out with a Vision 2020 document that will unveil the long-term plan of how the party, if voted to power, will put the most populous state of the country on the fast track to development. To be released simultaneously in 10 cities along with the election manifesto, most likely next week, the document is understood to be carrying the party scion's guarantee to voters that "you give the Congress UP and it will give you development". Summing up all that the Congress would do if it comes to power, sources said law and justice, development and rights were the key words in the UP road map for the next 10 years, promising education, infrastructure, health and sanitation facilities, power, industry and employment. The document has been prepared after a research by Rahul's UP election team following consultations with Planning Commission officials and inputs from experts on areas that need to be specifically targeted. Putting employment generation among the top priorities of the party, the blueprint talks about setting up skill development centres to generate employment for thousands of youngsters every year. It is also believed to have promised to tackle atrocities on women with the help of additional women police force, special police stations and amendments in laws. The document that promises to change the "tasveer" and "taqdeer" of one of the largest states, has a special corner for development of Bundelkhand, a key interest area of Rahul, and Poorvanchal and social uplift of minorities and backward classes.
	Jagan faces protests from Telangana activists Suresh Dharur/TNS Hyderabad, January 10 In his first political outing in the volatile Telangana region after floating his own party, the YSR Congress President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy today faced sporadic protests from statehood supporters. The pro-Telangana activists tried to attack Jagan’s convoy in Medak district and at some places, burnt tyres and tried to block the roads. Police rounded up several activists as a precautionary measure and prevented a possible showdown. Jagan’s foray into Telangana, ostensibly to undertake a 48-hour fast at Armoor town in Nizamabad district, demanding justice for the farmers, assumes significance in the backdrop of an aggressive campaign by pro-Telangana activists to prevent the entry of leaders from other regions unless they declare unequivocal support for the statehood cause. Though Jagan faced some protests at a few places on his way to the hunger strike camp in the Telangana heartland, these were not as aggressive as the ones seen during the recent tour of the Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu in Warangal district. The relatively subdued protests were not entirely surprising in view of the reports that Jagan had struck a tacit understanding with Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), a dominant political force in the region.
	Passport office dismisses forgery charges against Kumble Shubhadeep Choudhury/TNS Bangalore, January 10 The claim of the former husband of cricketer Anil Kumble’s wife Kumar V Jahgirdar that the leg-spinner had forged his signatures on Jahgirdar’s minor daughter Aaruni’s passport renewal application form was today dismissed by the regional passport office in Bangalore. The Karnataka High Court had, on Friday, served a notice on the Bangalore police commissioner for not registering an FIR against Anil Kumble in the impersonation and forgery case. Justice S Abdul Naseer directed the police commissioner to explain by next week why an FIR should not be registered against Kumble, who had been accused of forging the signature of petitioner Kumar V Jahgirdar in an application for renewing the passport of the latter’s minor daughter Aaruni Kumar Jahgirdar in April 2011. Kumble married Jahgirdar’s wife Chetana Ramtheertha in 1999 after Kumar and Chetana legally separated. The Supreme Court upheld the family court’s ruling granting joint custody of Aaruni to Kumar and Chetana while maintaining Kumar’s right over the 17-year-old daughter as her natural father and legal guardian. Jahgirdar came to know that his ex-wife had applied for renewal of Aaruni’s passport (which expired in 2009). As per rules, a declaration has to be made by the father in the case of a minor for passport renewal. According to Jahgirdar, in Aaruni’s application, while his name was mentioned as her father, Kumble had impersonated him and signed the document. Jahgirdar filed a complaint with the Bharatinagar police on December 26 and then brought the issue to the notice of the city police commissioner on December 29. The police did nothing, thus prompting Jahgirdar to knock at the door of the court. A senior official at the passport office here said, “Kumble did not impersonate anyone. He gave his own signature in Aaruni’s application renewal form.”