The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

CBI govt’s hatchet: Bengal ex-Guv
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 15
Former Governor of West Bengal Gopalkrishna Gandhi today termed the CBI as the hatchet for the government of the day and questioned why the agency was outside the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

Delivering the 15th DP Kohli memorial lecture here today, Gopalkrishna Gandhi was candid as he accused the Ambanis, India’s top industrial house, of controlling resources. DP Kohli, an Indian police officer, is a former CBI director.

Gopalkrishna Gandhi, in his lecture titled “Eclipse at Noon: Shadows over India’s Conscience”, said, “The CBI is seen as the government’s hatchet rather than honesty’s ally. Politicians would want the CBI to be their hatchet. After all, the politician in office wants to use all the options of power available to him.”

Saying that post RTI, India was an altogether different India, he questioned the need to keep the CBI outside the ambit of the RTI.

He said, “The CBI is about investigations into corruption and certain crimes. It is not a security or intelligence agency. To remove it from the purview of the RTI altogether is un-transparent, unwise and ultimately harmful to the CBI’s future.”

He said the government’s apprehension is that an autonomous CBI could become a reckless CBI. In this apprehension, all political incumbents of office are on the same page. It is feared that a director of a totally autonomous CBI could become an independent centre of power, a demi-god with a moral whip.

“Unfortunately but predictably, successive governments have been reluctant to sanction that order of autonomy. The politician, especially the politician in office, would want to continue to employ various methods to intimidate or influence CBI officials and would therefore be guilty of diluting the CBI independence,” Gopalkrishna Gandhi, who now heads the Shimla-based Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), warned.

Our democracy is large, vibrant, but is also deeply flawed. Money is at our democracy’s throat. “Money can abduct, assault. It can finance hurt, it can fund harm. It can injure and manage to look injured. It can purchase death. But who is to check the collapse of true, far-sighted leadership?” he said.

In what seemed like a veiled attack on the BJP, he said “There is a great frenzy astir, a frenzy to bring to India’s helm, the reign of an ethnic majority, of a sectarian bigotry, of a denominational autocracy. And all in the name, the very specious name, of strength.”

Sections of the media have become trumpeters of what they see as the coming change. We had heard of paid news. But this is free advertising, he said.

Gopalkrishna Gandhi, who is a former IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, lampooned the Ambanis saying “Reliance is a parallel state. I do not know of any country where one single firm exercises such power so brazenly, over the natural resources, financial resources, professional resources and ultimately, over human resources as the company of the Ambanis.”

BJP slams Rahul over his 'toffee' jibe at Gujarat model

New Delhi, April 15
In a sharp attack on Rahul Gandhi over his criticism of "Gujarat model", the BJP today asked him to explain under what model his brother-in-law Robert Vadra was given huge tracts of land at throwaway prices and unqualified companies were given 2G spectrum and coal licences.

Taunting the Congress vice-president, the party said he should do his homework before alleging that 45,000 acres of land were given to industrialists in Gujarat by the Narendra Modi government for Rs 1 per metre.

BJP's PM candidate Narendra Modi addresses an election campaign rally in Dhanbad on Tuesday. PTI

"The land was given not by Modi but Shankarsinh Vaghela government supported by the Congress. Rahul Gandhi should do some homework before making such allegations... This is an attempt to defame the Gujarat Government and Modi and confuse the people," party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

Vadra, he alleged, had links with a private company given land near Rashtrapati Bhawan and Rahul Gandhi should explain it. Gandhi had accused the BJP prime ministerial candidate of giving away land to select industrialists at throwaway prices.

He had also dubbed the Gujarat model promoted by Modi as a "toffee model", saying it has benefited one industrialist, ignoring the interests of the farmers and the poor.

"Has such land been acquired or purchased or a change of land use made and what is the formula for it? Rahul should also explain as to why a large chunk of land in the vicinity of Rashtrapati Bhawan has been alloted to a private company having links with his brother-in-law," said Javadekar. Raking up 2G and coal block allocation issues, the BJP leader said, "Rahul Gandhi must answer now as to why ineligible companies were given 2G spectrum licences, and coal blocks and how such these companies were alloted licences,” he said.

Cong V-P must do his homework: Javadekar

* The party said he should do his homework before alleging that 45,000 acres of land were given to industrialists in Gujarat by the Narendra Modi government for Rs 1 per metre

* BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said: "The land was given not by Modi but Shankarsinh Vaghela government supported by the Congress. This is an attempt to defame the Gujarat Government and Modi and confuse the people

	CBI sets up special unit to probe sports fraud New Delhi, April 15 To check 'fixing' in sports, the CBI has set up a dedicated 'Sport Integrity Unit' to look into cases of fraud, including betting in any sporting event. "The stated objectives of this Sport Integrity Unit include investigating and inquiring into matters related to sports fraud, combating malpractices in sports and coordinating with sports federations and law enforcement agencies," CBI director Ranjit Sinha said on Tuesday. Currently, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Australian Federal Police and certain European countries have specialized units to check sports fraud. The CBI had held discussions with officials of the ICC and Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) before setting up the unit. Sinha said the CBI will also be actively engaging with Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports so that a law to deal with corruption in sports is put in place at the earliest. — PTI
	Gen JJ Singh rubbishes Baru’s claim on Siachen Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 15 Former Indian Army Chief General Joginder Jaswant Singh (retd) today rubbished the claims of Sanjaya Baru on pulling back Indian troops from Siachen Glacier. Baru, who was Media Adviser to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh between 2004 and 2008, in his book “The Accidental Prime Minister: The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh” released recently criticised the former Army Chief for his stand on Siachen. The retired General today said “what Baru has written is rubbish, it is more out of vested interest to make his book sensational. He had no idea what transpired at meetings among the PM, defence minister, national security adviser and myself”. Baru was never part of these meetings which were strictly on a “need to know basis”. “For Baru to cast aspersions on military leadership is unacceptable with his (level of) knowledge of the Siachen issue. He is not aware how military advice is sought and analysed and this definitely was not part of his duties,” the former Army Chief said. “I had advised the PM on what is a well-elucidated stand of the Indian Army: There is no question of withdrawal of troops till Pakistan accepts and authenticates the existing Indian troop position and the Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) on maps and also on ground”, General JJ Singh said and added this was the stated policy of the Army. This was exactly the advice given by my predecessors and also my successors. General Singh was Chief between February 2005 and September 2007. “Only if Pakistan agreed to this would, the next phase kick in”, he added.
	BSP MP gets interim bail in rape case New Delhi, April 15 BSP MP Dhananjay Singh, facing trial for allegedly repeatedly raping a woman between July 2005 and March 2009, was today granted interim bail till May 20 by a Delhi court. Additional Sessions Judge Sarita Birbal granted bail to Singh on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and a surety bond of like amount. The Supreme Court had on April 9 granted temporary bail to Singh, who along with his wife Jagriti Singh, is accused of killing their maid, to file his nomination from Jaunpur Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh. The sessions court, in its order, said that the complainant, a railway employee, has not supported the case of the prosecution and she had deposed that Singh had “neither committed rape nor threatened her”. It also said that the other prosecution witnesses, who are yet to be examined, were either doctors or police officials and it was not the case of the prosecution that these witnesses may be influenced by the accused. — PTI
	PM's daughter accuses Baru of violating trust New Delhi, April 15 Terming Sanjaya Baru's controversial account of his days in the PMO as "nothing but a stab in the back", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's daughter has accused him of "violating" the PM's trust while branding the book as an "unethical", "mischievous" exercise. Manmohan Singh's daughter Upinder Singh, who teaches history at Delhi University, said Baru has pieced together "gossip" and unverified quotes, including some of her father's, and used them as statements of fact. In an interview to The Indian Express, she also questioned the timing of the PM's former media adviser's book, which has hit the stands amid the General Election much to the embarrassment of the PMO and the ruling Congress, and said it could not be described as an "objective" book. "It is an audacious account with so-called quotes, of even the Prime Minister, which have been recorded as facts. “Reported speech has been used as direct speech. Is this ethical?" she was quoted as saying by the newspaper today. Questioning some of Baru's claims in the book, 'The Accidental Prime Minister: The making and unmaking of Manmohan Singh', she said he was never part of the decision-making process in the PMO. "He is holding forth and projecting himself in the centre of events which is not true and he had no access to files. It is not as if he was the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. So what are the sources he has used? I spot an element of self-promotion in these assertions," she said. She said she was not speaking on behalf of the PM but added that "we are extremely angry at the exaggerated level of access the author has ascribed to himself". — PTI
	Vice-Admiral Dhowan tipped to be Naval Chief Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 15 Almost 50-days after Indian Navy Chief Admiral DK Joshi quit, the government has moved the file to appoint his successor. Vice-Admiral RK Dhowan may be the next Navy Chief as the Ministry of Defence has reportedly recommended his name to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Admiral DK Joshi quit on February 26 following an accident on board INS Sindhuratna off the cost of Mumbai. Two Navy men were killed in the incident. Vice-Admiral Dhowan, who was made the acting Navy Chief after Joshi's exit, is in the race for the top post along with Western Navy Commander Shekhar Sinha and Eastern Commander Anil Chopra. Vice-Admiral Sinha is the senior-most among the three, but he may be left out because majority of the 14 mishaps, including two major submarine accidents, took place under his command during the past 10 months. Top sources confirmed the file was awaiting clearance from the Prime Minister-headed appointments committee of cabinet (ACC). "The name of acting Navy Chief, Vice-Admiral Robin Dhowan, has been suggested," they say. The Prime Minister has to take the final decision. If appointed, Vice-Admiral Dhowan will have a tenure of 25 months as the Chief of Naval Staff (till May 31, 2016). Had Admiral Joshi, who had 15-month service left, not resigned, Vice-Admiral Dhowan would have retired on May 31, 2014. Service Chiefs retire at 62 years of age, while Vice-Admirals retire at 60. The sudden resignation by Admiral Joshi effected a change in the line of succession in the Navy. Had he retired as per schedule (in August 2015), Southern Navy Commander Vice-Admiral Satish Soni would have become the next Chief.
	Kumar Vishwas files papers from Amethi Amethi, April 15 Aam Aadmi Party nominee from Amethi Kumar Vishwas today declared his assets about Rs four crore in an affidavit filed along with his nomination papers for the Lok Sabha polls. Kumar has declared assets including that of his wife Manju Sharma. As per the affidavit, while gross total value of Kumar's movable assets is more than Rs 1.28 crore, that of his wife is more than Rs 56 lakh. The current market value of his immovable properties, including two residential flats in Rishikesh and Vasundhara in Ghaziabad is around Rs 1.29 crore, while that of his wife is Rs 65.07 lakh, which includes agricultural land. The 44-year-old poet-turned-politician has mentioned lecturer as his occupation. He has liabilities of Rs 6.73 lakh against him. The PhD scholar has declared cash in hand of Rs 1.75 lakh. His wife Manju Sharma has Rs 1.1 lakh cash in hand. He holds four bank accounts and a fixed deposit of Rs 2 lakh. Kumar is in the fray along with BJP's Smriti Irani and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi from Amethi constituency which goes to poll on May 7. — PTI
	UP doctor beaten to death for protesting eve-teasing Meerut, April 15 A 42-year-old doctor has been mercilessly beaten to death allegedly by three youths, after the victim had protested harassing of his daughter by the accused in the district's Inchauli area, the police said today. According to an FIR filed by his relatives, victim Indresh Parashar was attacked last night by the three accused when he was returning from his clinic. The trio -- Nishu, Rahul and Mayank assaulted him with metal rods, sticks and clubs, the police said. Parashar ran to a nearby gymnasium to save his life but the assailants got hold of him there as well and beat him within an inch of his life and escaped thereafter, they said. The police later reached the spot and took the grievously injured victim to a nearby nursing home where the doctors declared him dead. One of the accused Nishu has been arrested and hunt is on for the remaining two, the police said. The assailants were sons of the victims' neighbour Ashwini Sharma in Ganganagar and used to often harass Parashar's daughter. The doctor then yesterday went to Sharma'a house and complained about the three, following which he was attacked, the complaint said. — PTI Had complained against attackers * Dr Indresh Parashar was attacked on Monday night by three persons accused when he was returning from his clinic * The assailants were sons of the victims' neighbour Ashwini Sharma in Ganganagar and used to often harass Parashar's daughter * The doctor then yesterday went to Sharma'a house and complained about the three, following which he was attacked, the complaint said
	Maoist threat: Security up in 3 C’garh segments Raipur, April 15 Security has been stepped up in three poll-bound Maoist infested constituencies of Kanker, Rajnandgaon and Mahasamund in Chhattisgarh amid inputs that the Red rebels may foment trouble in these sensitive areas on April 17, when voting be held there during the second phase of Lok Sabha elections. Intelligence Bureau sources said around 500 cadres of PLGA (Peoples’ Liberation Guerrilla Army)- a military wing of the banned CPI (Maoist)- have been mobilised in these areas to create disturbances in the electoral process. "We were already having inputs of Maoists’ plan to obstruct electoral process in the conflict zone. But after the recent attacks on security forces and polling parties in the Bastar Lok Sabha constituency, we are more cautious," an IB official told said, pleading anonymity. There is input on mobilisation of large number of military Dalam cadres from adjoining Gadchiroli (Maoist-hit area of Maharashtra) to Kanker and Rajnandgaon, and from Odisha to Mahasamund following which security forces have been told to be extra alert, he said. “They may target polling personnel and security forces now in these regions,” he said. Besides, these cadres have been visiting many villages in their stronghold in Rajnandgaon, Kanker and Mahsamund Lok Sabha seats since past few days, putting up posters and asking people not to cast votes in the coming elections, he said. Police authorities concerned have also been directed to step up patrolling in these areas. Several other general instructions are also issued to them as a precautionary measure, the IB official said. According to Additional Director General of Police (Naxal Operation) RK Vij, after receiving inputs on movement of Maoists on the inter-state border region of Rajnandgaon, Kanker and Mahasamund, police personnel have been asked to remain alert and intensify patrolling. — PTI Lurking danger * IB sources said around 500 cadres of PLGA (Peoples' Liberation Guerrilla Army) — a military wing of the banned CPI (Maoist) — have been mobilised in these areas to create disturbances in the electoral process * “We were already having inputs of Maoists' plan to obstruct electoral process in the conflict zone”, said an official * There is input on mobilisation of large number of military Dalam cadres from adjoining Gadchiroli (Maoist-hit area of Maharashtra) to Kanker and Rajnandgaon, and from Odisha to Mahasamund following which security forces have been told to be extra alert, he said
	NHRC seeks report on RTI activist’s suicide Pune, April 15 The National Human Rights Commission has demanded a report from the Maharashtra Government on the suicide of an RTI activist who had alleged that harassment by officials had driven him to end his life. RTI activist, Vilas D Baravkar (53) was found hanging March 25 at his residence in Chakan, 33 km from Pune. The police also recovered a suicide note on a stamp paper alleging that around four dozen prominent politicians, serving and retired bureaucrats and police officials were harassing him since long, driving him to take the extreme step. On March 24, Baravkar had visited the office of the Khed tehsildar for some work and returned home in the evening. He then sent away his bodyguard Suresh Jadhav and wrote a two-page suicide note on Rs 100 stamp paper. The NHRC issued notice to the Maharashtra Chief Secretary and Director General of police for a report on the incident within a fortnight. — IANS
	Campaigning for first phase LS polls in Bengal ends Darjeeling, April 15 The campaign drums fell silent Tuesday for the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal, covering the four constituencies of Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling that go to the hustings on Thursday. Canvassing in the four constituencies came to end at 6 pm after weeks of hectic meetings, rallies, road shows, foot marches and street corner gatherings as the candidates went all out to woo the voters. Political bigwigs like BJP prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee among others raised the poll pitch. Bollywood actor Mithun Chakraborty and reigning Bengali film hero Dev alias Dipak Adhikari also hit the campaign trail for the Trinamool. As many as 6,023,258 electors, including 2,900,024 female voters will exercise their franchise in the first phase. IANS
	Sonia's first poll rally in Telangana today Hyderabad, April 15 Congress president Sonia Gandhi will address an election rally at Karimnagar in Telangana tomorrow, her first public meeting in the region after the passage of Statehood Bill in February. The rally is likely to take place in the evening, Congress sources said here. The meeting is crucial for Congress leaders in Telangana as they bank on Gandhi's campaign to boost the morale of cadres and ward off competition from regional heavyweight TRS and TDP-BJP combine. — PTI