The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Mixed Signals
All eyes on Modi’s next move
Manas Dasgupta

Ahmedabad, December 22
With the elections to the state Assembly over, Gujarat and the country will watch with intense interest the next move by Chief Minister Narendra Modi as it could have a bearing on the next parliamentary elections.

Though lately Modi has been talking of “serving” Gujarat for the “next five years”, sources close to him indicated that the state unit of the BJP is gearing up for his move to the national political stage before the next parliamentary elections.

Sources said the issue was discussed at an informal meeting of party leaders held in Modi’s presence a day before the Assembly election results were declared on Thursday.

Sources said it was also discussed that to assume national stature, Modi should contest the parliamentary elections from a seat outside Gujarat.

In this context, the possibility of his moving to Lucknow, the seat that the former Prime Minister and BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee represented in the past, was also considered.

Modi, however, was sceptical about the problems that the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh might create for him if he decided to contest from Lucknow, though he was relatively confident of securing popular support from the voters in the constituency.

The major problem would be in preparing well in advance as Modi will not leave Gujarat unless he is certain of his national party projecting him as the prime ministerial candidate.

Being a complex issue with a number of aspirants within the BJP and the NDA waiting in the wings, the national leadership may be forced to delay a final decision - leaving little time for Modi to make preparations to contest the parliamentary elections outside the state.

Within Gujarat, he, however, will be free to opt for any of the 26 seats in the state with very little or almost nil chance of being rejected.

His “thanksgiving” address to party workers soon after the electoral victory was a clear indication of his national aspirations. He not only chose to deliver the address in Hindi instead of Gujarati, but also repeatedly said his victory was the “victory of the people from Jammu and Kashmir to Kerala who aspire for development.”

In a tone clearly different from his addresses after the victory in the previous two elections, Modi said the people of Gujarat “by embracing development have sent a clear message to the people of the country that good economy can also be good politics.”

Modi has also quickly changed gear after the din of the electioneering was over. After the year-long acrimonious attacks on the Congress and the party-led UPA government at the Centre blaming it for all the ills facing the state, Modi was back to his old and time-tested “development plank.”

He said he intended to take Gujarat to new heights of development and complete his “unfinished works in the next five years.”

Though it sounded contradictory to his national aspirations, sources close to Modi said the Chief Minister was only trying to convince the audience that even if he shifted to Delhi, his successor in the state would not deviate from his chosen path of development.

Confined to Gujarat...

Narendra Modi has talked of “serving” Gujarat for the “next five years” and of taking the state to new heights of development and of completing his “unfinished works in the next five years”

...or moving to Centre

But he also said that Gujarat “by embracing development has sent a message to the nation that good economy can also be good politics.” He termed his win as the “victory of the people from J&K to Kerala”

Manipur shuts down after actress molested in public

Imphal, December 22
Protests turned violent as police burst tear gas shells to disperse agitated locals during the first day of the indefinite statewide bandh called by a film body demanding the arrest of an NSCN-IM ultra who allegedly molested a Manipuri film actress at a public function.

Sources said supporters of the strike, called by the Manipur Film Forum (MFF), pelted stones at plying vehicles defying the bandh and damaged a police van in Imphal.

Burning of tyres and blocking of roads were reported from many places in East and West Imphal districts, sources said, adding that bandh supporters were also not allowing people to come out from their homes.

Life in Manipur was crippled as all shops, markets, business and entertainment houses remained closed while transport services were cancelled.

The decision to call the bandh was taken last evening because the Chief Minister and state leaders had not taken concrete steps to arrest self-styled Lt Col of National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) Livingstone Anal, who molested film actress Momoka in public view while she was compering a song competition at Chandel district on December 18, a MFF spokesman said.

Livingstone also opened fire at two artists who tried to rescue Momoka but the bullets missed, according to a MFF memorandum submitted to the state government.

Various major social organisations, including United Committee Manipur, All Manipur United Clubs Organisations and several other women organisations, have extended their support to the indefinite bandh.

Attendance in both Central and state government offices was affected as buses remained off the road, official sources said, adding, precautionary measures were taken by deploying forces at various strategic locations to prevent any untoward incident.

Police said they are taking steps to prevent any communal clashes and forces have been deployed at various places including the tribal-settled areas in valley.

Official sources said some people were injured when police lathicharged demonstrators, including artists, who came to meet the chief minister to submit a memorandum on the issue last evening.

Manipur Home Minister Gaikhangam said the government has already instructed police to arrest the NSCN-IM ultra, Livingstone, and book him as per provisions of the law.

Livingstone, a relative of the sitting MLA from Chandel Assembly constituency, is reportedly hiding in nearby jungle, official reports said. — PTI

Woman gangraped in Tripura

Agartala, December 22
A housewife was stripped naked, gangraped and battered in full public glare in Tripura, police said Saturday.

"A 37-year-old woman was gang-raped at Bishalgarh in western Tripura Wednesday night. After the rape, the women was stripped naked, brutally beaten up and then tied to a tree," a police official told reporters here.

Based on the victim's complaint, police immediately swung into action and arrested seven people. However, three more accused, including the main one, are on the run.

The police said the accused dragged the house wife from her home and took turns to rape her before many people, including women. But no one dared to come forward to save the mother of a five-year-old. The role of the husband is also being probed, the police official said.

Tripura Woman's Commission chairperson Purnima Roy strongly condemned the atrocious incident and asked the police to take stern action against the culprits. — IANS

All-India Conference of Commissioners of Police
Commissionerate system better for policing, say top officers
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 22
The first All-India Conference of Commissioners of Police today recommended implementation of the police commissionerate system in all big cities in the country, besides replacing the colonial police Act with the new one.

Top police officers from 45 police commissionerates also unanimously resolved to urge the government for the implementation of Padamanabhaiah committee and Soli Sorabji Committee’s recommendations on the police commissionerate system. The move came on the concluding day of the two-day conference here today.

The recommendations, which would be forwarded to the Union Government for consideration, also urged to empower the commissioners with the powers and duties of the district and executive magistrates as per the CrPC and the State Police Act.

They resolved that the criteria for the judging the efficacy of a system should be based on the better service delivery, citizen satisfaction, improved public order and better incidence response. They also recommended that the commissioners should be appointed from ranks not below of the DG/ADG/IG/DIG. They recommended formation of special units such as traffic, crime, economic offences, cyber crime, security and armed service and counter terrorism as per the requirement under a commissionerate system.

They recommended separation of maintenance of law and order from the investigation wing, besides bifurcating crime branch with two wings, including detection of crime branch and prevention of crime branch.

The senior police officials sought proportionate increase in the strength of sub-inspectors at each police station as per the BPRD norms in order to increase the efficacy of the police commissionerate system. They also resolved to implement effective beat system to maintain contact with citizens which would also help in controlling the petty crimes.

Eight policemen suspended
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 22
Three constables — Kailash, Ashok and Sandeep — of the Hauz Khas police station were suspended today as they didn’t attend a call made in regard to the incident of a robbery of a man named as Ramadhar, said Rajan Bhagat, spokesperson of the Delhi Police. Ramadhar was allegedly picked up as a passenger by the six gang rape accused in their white coloured bus on Sunday and was robbed of his money and mobile phone. He was then dumped near IIT-Delhi.

The accused then took the bus to the Munirka bus stand, where the 23-year-old woman and her male friend boarded it. The woman was thereafter allegedly gang raped by the accused and her friend was beaten up.

Earlier, sub-inspector Rajeshwar, head constable Inder Pal and constables Jagmal, Pardeep and Chottelal of the Connaught Place police station were suspended this morning for dereliction of duty. Yesterday, Union Home Secretary RK Singh visited Connaught Place. At a park located there he saw some men who were intoxicated. He informed the Connaught Place police station, but the staff allegedly didn’t perform their duty. They were thereafter suspended.

BRIEFLY

Khunti (Jharkhand)
Five ‘extortionists’ lynched: Five men of an alleged extortion gang were lynched by villagers of Manhu in the district on Saturday. They came to the area at around 10 am when they were cornered by villagers and beaten to death with sharp weapons and stones. All of them had FIRs against them in connection with murder and extortion. — PTI

Union minister Sriprakash Jaiswal and actress Nagma at the ‘World Confluence of Humanity, Power and Spirituality’ in Kolkata on Saturday. PTI

Bangalore
Miss India robbery case: Pradeep from Bihar and Ajaykumar Paswan from UP, who had robbed the house of a former Miss India of valuables worth Rs 25 lakh on November 14, have been arrested, the police said on Saturday. They had been recruited as cooks by the woman at her house. Taking advantage of the situation as the woman stayed alone, they bound her hands with a rope and fled with the loot. — PTI

Aligarh
No hike in fees at AMU: The Aligarh Muslim University authorities have announced that there would be no hike in tuition fees and hostel charges this year. “We were compelled to issue this clarification because certain vested interests are trying to spread rumours of a drastic fee hike,” spokesman of the varsity Rahat Abrar said. — PTI

Los Angeles
‘Barfi!’ out of Oscar race: Ranbir Kapoor-Priyanka Chopra starrer 'Barfi!' is out of the Oscar race after it failed to qualify for the next voting round in the best foreign film category, according to the Academy. The film was India's entry to the Oscars this year. — PTI

Students take part in an awareness campaign against human trafficking in Kolkata on Saturday.

Puri
Sand Santas on Puri beach: With Christmas just two days away, 500 sand Santa Clauses appeared on the Puri beach. "Generally Santa Clause brings gifts to home for children but these Santas will spread messages for ‘Saving the Earth’,” eminent sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik said. — PTI

Panna
Leopard found dead: A male leopard aged about two years was found dead in Panna National Park on Saturday. "The leopard was found in Gagau Umrao Van area on Saturday. We found two wounds below its stomach and one on the side," Area Director R Srinivasa Murti said. — PTI

Rameswaram
Pamban Bridge to be renovated: The famous Pamban Road Bridge, constructed across the sea connecting the Rameswaram Island with main land, is to be renovated at a cost of Rs 15.5 crore. The renovation of the 2.5-km long bridge built in 1987 would be started next month. — PTI