Vote as per conscience: UP govt employees to MPs on quota bill

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh government employees protesting against a bill to provide reservation in promotion to SCs/STs in government jobs on Sunday appealed all Rajya Sabha members to vote as per their conscience.

Claiming support of Aam Aadmi Party of Arvind Kejariwal, President of Sarvjan Hitay Samiti Shailendra Dubey told reporters that the committee has send SMSes and e-mails to Rajya Sabha MPs urging them not to get the constitutional amendment bill passed in the Upper House.

He said in case a political party does not issue notice to its members to vote in favour of the bill, they should vote as per their conscience.

Dubey said that spokesman of Aam Aadmi Party Manish Sisodia has send an e-mail extending support to the agitation against reservation in promotion.

He said the committee has organised a strike on the day of voting on the bill tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Arakshan Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, the organisation supporting reservation, in its emergent meeting demanded that offices closed by anti-reservation employees should be opened amidst tight security.

Convenor of the organisation Awadhesh Kumar Verma said it has been decided that pro-reservation staff would work for additional four hours.

He said the organisation has asked all political parties to support the bill.

Political parties exploiting SC/ST reservation issue: Kejriwal

New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday criticised political parties for exploiting the issue of reservation in promotions in government jobs and putting their partisan interests above national interests.

"Instead of taking a principled stand on this question, the Congress has dithered and allowed itself to be blackmailed while the BJP has maintained a strategic silence. Parties like the BSP and the SP have merely acted as pressure groups on behalf of one caste group or another," AAP spokesperson Manish Sisodia said in a statement.

This is one more instance of how political establishment puts its partisan interests above national interests, he added.

AAP takes exception to the cynical manner in which the issue of reservation in promotions in government jobs is being exploited by various political parties to pit one section of society against another, Sisodia said.

The party said the basic rationale of the reservation system was to extend genuine equality of opportunity to those sections of society that have suffered systematic deprivation, discrimination and disadvantage and are therefore under- represented at the top echelons of society.

"This can be extended to promotions as and where there is evidence of systematic discrimination in promotions that do not follow seniority rule. Otherwise, there is no need for reservations in promotion," Sisodia said.

He said mechanical use of reservations in promotion often creates an anomalous situation. Those who are recruited against reserved category tend to get faster promotion than the rest and become senior to their batch-mates from the General category for no special reason.

"This creates unnecessary heartburn and a sense of injustice, which is not in keeping with the spirit of the system of reservations. That is why the Supreme Court has, while upholding job reservations for the SC, ST and the OBCs, rejected the idea of mechanical reservations in promotions," he said.

Cartoonist Trivedi ends fast on Kejriwal's urging

New Delhi: Cartoonist Aseem Trivedi, who was recently arrested under sedition charges as well as Sec 66A of the Information Technology Act for his controversial cartoons on Saturday ended his eight-day fast demanding immediate scrapping of the "unconstitutional" law.

Trivedi, who was on a fast for the past eight days at Jantar Mantar here, ended the protest after Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal requested him not to waste his life and rather work towards "uprooting this government".

Trivedi and his colleague Alok Dikshit ended their agitation after Kejriwal gave them a glass of juice at the protest site.

Kejriwal's presence at the fast site is significant because Trivedi had earlier opposed the activist's entry into politics.

However, Trivedi today said he feels the move was right.

"We tried a lot to put forth our point in front of the government but they didn't listen to us. The country needs a political option," he said.

Alleging that the Government has turned a deaf ear towards people, Kejriwal said the only way left is to shunt it out.

"The youth of this country are fighting for their freedom of expression. Section 66A of the IT Act is totally unconstitutional and youth have been wrongly arrested under this law. At least, the government could have listened to them," Kejriwal said.

Noting that the government did not talk to them when they launched a fast in August, Kejriwal asked youngsters "not to waste their lives like this." "Our motive should rather be to throw out this government and we should work unanimously in that direction," he said.

Trivedi insisted that there was a need to repeal the Act and alleged that the government was behaving like "Taliban".

"We were following the Gandhian way of revolt but nobody paid heed to us. I don't think we need such representatives who don't listen to people," Trivedi, who was arrested in September under sedition charges for his cartoons, said.

Kejriwal alleged that Trivedi and Dikshit were not allowed to meet Telecom and IT Minister Kapil Sibal, and the duo were arrested.

Attempt to murder case against Louise Khurshid

Zeenews Bureau

Lucknow: A member of Arvind Kejriwal’s newly launched Aam Admi Party (AAP) has filed a case of loot, dacoity and attempt to murder against Louise Khurshid, wife of External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, reports said on Friday.

The case has been filed by Vivek Yadav, who is the district president of AAP, in Mainpuri district.

IN his complaint that was filed yesterday, Yadav alleged that when Louise Khurshid, visited Mainpuri town on Wednesday to inaugurate an eye check-up camp, AAP activists showed her black flags.

Irked over the protest by the AAP activists, Louise’s car tried to run over Yadav and his colleague. Yadav then lodged a complaint against 10 other Congress workers and supporters.

However, a counter FIR was filed against Yadav by district Congress president Prakash Pradhan.

Senior Superintendent of Police Shalabh Mathur informed reporters that a case was registered on Wednesday night and a follow-up action was being taken.

"We have sought the video recording of the event where the alleged happenings took place. Appropriate action will be taken after studying the recording," he was quoted as saying by the IBN news channel.

Arvind Kejriwal dreaming that I'll support him: Anna Hazare

New Delhi: Defending his flip flop on Arvind Kejriwal, activist Anna Hazare on Tuesday said he had to change his views on his former aide as times changed and felt that there will be "more trouble" if he explains the reason.

"It is because of the times. I will tell the reason for this change when the time comes...If I say the reason, it will create more trouble," Hazare told reporters here.

He was responding to questions on his frequent change of stand on Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Hazare had earlier said he will support Kejriwal and honest candidates from his party but had last week said his former aide had become "greedy" for power and he would not even vote for them.

When pointed out that Kejriwal feels that Hazare will return when he knows that he is on right path, he shot back, "He is dreaming. What can I say on that?"

He said he never had the intention to enter politics and he does not want to say more on Kejriwal.

"I have never told anybody to vote for this person or that party. If I had belief in politics, I would have stood for elections much earlier," he said.

Announcing his future plans, he said he will go on another agitation if a strong Lokpal Bill is not passed in Parliament. "I am studying the Bill in Rajya Sabha. If it is not strong, we will organise another movement before 2014 elections," he said.

Talking about his proposed nation-wide tour which will start from Pune on January 30 next year, Hazare said he has to awaken people as Parliament was not upholding Constitution.

"This Lok Sabha is not upholding the Constitution. We will have to awaken people. The divide between poor and rich is widening. The time has come to dissolve this Lok Sabha," he said.

He said new office of his movement will be inaugurated on January 12, the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanda, in Ralegan Siddhi where he will try to gather around 1,000 youths, who will take a pledge that they will work for bringing change in the country.

No idea why Anna Hazare changed stand: Arvind Kejriwal

Mumbai: After Anna Hazare said he would not vote for the newly-launched Aam Aadmi Party, its leader Arvind Kejriwal was on Monday at a loss to explain what had made the anti-corruption crusader change his mind.

"Earlier, he had supported our party. But I don't know what happened in two days. He did not remain with us. If we have erred, we are ready to rectify our mistakes," Kejriwal said.

He was talking to reporters after addressing a farmers' rally with independent MP Raju Shetty in Sangli district of western Maharashtra.

"Anna is our moral strength. He would always exert pressure for our good work. I hope he comes with us in future," Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal said AAP has pledged to work for fair pricing of farm products of farmers and "we are deeply concerned over the violent response to farmers' protests".

Over 15,000 farmers joined their rally on foot and vehicles. Kejriwal and Shetty paid their tributes to the families of two farmers Kundalik Kokate and Chandrakant Nalwade who were killed on November 12 during the protest demanding fair price for sugarcane.

Kejriwal said AAP would stand for their cause and fair pricing for farmers was a burning issue across the nation.

Farmers had collected Rs 17 lakh for the families of the deceased farmers, Shetty said. The amount was presented to the two families at the rally today.

Kejriwal paid tributes to the deceased farmers and said "they were martyrs of the second fight for independence".

He said it was shocking that the government was not even willing to pay even the cost of production to farmers and the only reason was that most of the sugar mills were owned by politicians and were "looting" the farmers.

Arvind Kejriwal's party joins protest by Bhopal gas tragedy victims

New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party on Monday joined a protest by Bhopal gas tragedy victims near the Prime Minister's office and alleged the government's agenda of wooing foreign investments is acting as a deterrent in ensuring justice for those affected.

The party's chief spokesperson Manish Sisodia took part in the protest on the 28th anniversary of the gas tragedy and said if voted to power, the party will make a law which will put guilty corporations and their officials responsible for the tragedy behind the bars.

"I think the push for attracting foreign investments is acting as a deterrent in taking strong action against the accused comapany and the politicians," Sisodia told reporters.

The Bhopal gas tragedy in December 1984, the world's worst industrial disaster, killed thousands of people, with several lakhs still suffering from the lethal consequences of the gas leak.

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The protesters demanded Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention to punish the guilty corporations and their officials and adequately compensate all victims.

The victims, who have been fighting for the last two decades to ensure justice, say they feel "betrayed".

"I lost my two brothers to this gas tragedy. We have been betrayed by succesive governments. The present government seems to be more engrossed in attrcating investments than ensuring us justice. We are yet to receive proper compensation," said Moolchand, a 70-year-old victim.

The organisations representing the gas victims claimed they had met Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Chairman of the Group of Ministers on Bhopal, in July but the meeting yeilded no results.

"We had met Chidambaram who said he will look into the matter. But till now, there are no results. We have written 13- 14 letters to the government and want the PM to intervene", said Satinath Sarangi, the activist who spearheads the movement seeking justice for gas tragedy victims.

Kejriwal holds rally at Roha, hits out at Maharashtra govt

Mumbai/Roha: Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal Sunday said the White Paper on irrigation, brought out by the Maharashtra government, was "an attempt to absolve NCP leader Ajit Pawar of all the corruption charges against him".

Addressing a well-attended rally at Roha in neighbouring Raigad district, his first public meeting after formation of AAP, Kejriwal said his party will bring out a "black paper" on the irrigation scam in Maharashtra, in which the entire government was involved.

"For AAP, the real 'VIP' is Aam Aadmi and he will enter the poll fray," he said, asking people not to touch his feet or garland him, for "these are the ways of Congress and BJP leaders".

Saying his party aimed at changing the course of politics in the country, he said, "Since the party's inception, we have not allowed politicians to rest in peace. Everyone is scared and wants to know if they figure in our list of exposes. All are thieves, else why should they get scared?"

Calling BJP president Nitin Gadkari as power-hungry, he said government didn't return farmers in Nagpur district their acquired lands.

When Gadkari demanded land, he got it immediately. "Farmers have not even got the dam water (land was acquired for a dam)," he added.

He also reiterated his allegations regarding the dealings of Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Kejriwal also reiterated the allegations against industrialists Anil Ambani and Mukesh Ambani, daring them to sue him for defamation.

PWP leader Jayant Patil and farmers' leader, Lok Sabha MP Raju Shetty shared the dais with Kejriwal. AAP leader Prashant Bhushan was also present.

Roha, an NCP stronghold, is the assembly constituency of Water Resources Minister Sunil Tatkare.

Arvind Kejriwal launches AAP in Maharashtra, vows to expose irrigation scam

Mumbai/Roha: Civil activist Arvind Kejriwal launched his Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Maharashtra chapter Sunday with a rally from Mumbai to Roha in Raigad district.

Led by Kejriwal, the 110-km rally took on issues that are plaguing farmers, tribals, fishermen, labourers and the poor.

During the three-hour rally, Kejriwal lashed out at the Maharashtra government over the irrigation scam and sought support for AAP.

"Issues faced by farmers are important and should be dealt with. The country's biggest irrigation scam has taken place here (in Maharashtra). Farmers are being deprived of their lands and now water," Kejriwal told mediapersons in Roha.

He said AAP's first rally in the state was to address farmers' issues and that they should stand up for their rights.

"Unless all political parties are thrown out, farmers' demands will not be met unless a common man's party acts in the matter. Farmers will not be given their rights unless they are a part of the system," he said.

Kejriwal was accompanied by Prashant Bhushan, Mayank Gandhi, Anjali Damania and other activists in the rally which took the participants three hours in buses and cars to reach Roha, 110 km from Mumbai.

Kejriwal said he would also release a "black paper on irrigation" as against the white paper released by the government, which gave a clean chit to NCP leader and former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in allegations of irregularities worth Rs.20,000 crore in irrigation projects in the state. Pawar was also irrigation minister during 1999-2009.

Roha is the hometown and stronghold of current Irrigation Minister Sunil Tatkare, who is also allegedly involved in financial irregularities in irrigation projects.

Anna Hazare to campaign only for Arvind Kejriwal's party

Bhubaneswar: Social activist Anna Hazare on Saturday said he will campaign only for candidates put up by Arvind Kejriwal and ruled out the possibility of supporting people from other parties.

"I will campaign only for Kejriwal's candidates," Hazare told reporters here. "There may be good people in other parties but who has the control?"

Criticising other political parties for indulging in politics in the name of caste and communities, the 75-year-old activist also accused them of practicing unfair means to collect donations.

He said other political parties collected huge donations from vested interests and corporates but break them into amounts less than Rs 20,000 to hide the identities of the don rs.

He also accused political parties of being controlled by individuals.

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"I know Kejriwal. He has not done anything for himself. He is doing everything for the country," Hazare said, reiterating that he will however examine the candidates and back them only the deserving ones.

"I will check them. If they are found to be good, if they are proper candidates, I will campaign for those candidates," he said.

The India Against Corruption founder is on a three-day Odisha visit since Thursday. He addressed students, farmers and others.

AAP demands 20 pc quota for poor in Delhi private

Ghaziabad: Alleging that Congress-led Delhi government is snatching the rights of the poor, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today demanded that quota for poor students in private schools operating from land provided by government be kept at 20 per cent rather than the proposed 15 per cent.

Gopal Rai, the spokesperson of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party, alleged that the Delhi government has "cleverly" chalked out a plan in benefit of private schools.

"They initially came up with a provision of 20 per cent seats for poor people in private schools for whom government had provided land at concession rates. But now by lowering the limit to 15 per cent, they are favouring private schools," he said.

Rai said "AAP will take up the issue along with other agendas of the party like rising prices and corruption in the coming days."

The newly-formed AAP is targeting Delhi government on various issues as it is mulling running for the Assembly polls coming up next year.

AAP had cited a notice dated January 25, 2007, where Delhi government had ordered all the 394 private recognised schools in the capital that have been allotted land at concessional rates by government agencies to reserve 20 per cent seats for students from economically weaker sections (EWS).

However, they alleged, according to the new proposal, which will be presented before Delhi High court, the quota will be applicable to admissions made from class II to XII, but limited to 15 per cent.

AAP National Executive member Ashok Agarwal alleged that the Delhi government cancelled their earlier order by stating that RTE supersedes it.

Asked about reports that former Maharashtra Minister Ajit Pawar is likely to get a clean chit in irrigation scam, Rai said, "This is a system which promotes the corrupt. They will give clean chit to the likes of Pawar and Robert Vadra, while tainted ministers like Salman Khurshid is promoted."

Team Kejriwal reaches out to UP honour killing victim's wife

A delegation from activist Arvind Kejriwal's newly-floated Aam Admi Party on Thursday met Mehwish, wife of Abdul Hakim who was shot dead here in an alleged case of honour killing.

The 10-member team, led by party member Sanjay Singh, expressed disappointment over "collapse" of law and order machinery in the country, particularly in Uttar Pradesh.

Singh accused the police of trying to cover up such incidents by not properly pursuing the cases, thus helping offenders to get off the hook.

Assuring every possible assistance to Mehwish, he said the team will put pressure on the state and Central governments to ensure that Hakim's widow gets justice.

Mehwish and Hakim had appeared in Bollywood actor Aamir Khan's show Satyamev Jayate, where the couple had spoken about the threat to them from her family members for getting married against their wishes.

Conditional support to Kejriwal's party, says Anna

Bhubaneswar: Social activist Anna Hazare Thursday said he may campaign for the newly formed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) if right candidates were put up in the election by its founder Arvind Kejriwal.

Referring to a telephonic conservation recently Kejriwal had with him, Anna said: "I told him to select good people."

"I will examine the candidates. If they are found to be good, if they are proper candidates, I will campaign for those candidates," he said, addressing a public meeting in Odisha capital Bhubaneswar.

The 75-year-old anti-corruption crusader also said the ways of him and Kejriwal are different but the aim is one.

Describing the movement launched by him as another freedom movement, the veteran activist also said the youths must prepare to sacrifice for the nation.

Obsderving that the task ahead as not easy, Hazare said: "You must be prepared for 15-20 years".

Hazare on a three-day visit here was given a grand welcome by thousands of India Against Corruption (IAC) activists on his arrival at the Biju Patnaik Airport here.

He was escorted from the airport to the state guest house and then to the meeting venue by a motorcycle procession.

"He is scheduled to address farmers Saturday in the coastal town of Jagatsinghpur, about 100 km from here. He is also scheduled to interact with students of a private engineering college in Bhubaneswar," IAC's national core committee member Akshay Kumar said.

Kejriwal's party prepares ‘Black Paper’ on irrigation in Maha

Mumbai: In response to the White Paper on irrigation over the past decade prepared by Maharashtra's Water Resources Department, the Aam Aadmi Party has prepared an exhaustive "Black Paper" on the issue.

It would be released by Arvind Kejriwal at Roha on December 2 in Raigad district, political stronghold of irrigation minister Sunil Tatkare.

"The Black Paper has been prepared after studying and analysing data from various sources such as Water Resources Department, Central Water Commission, Directorate of Economics & Statistics, Government of Maharashtra and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development.

"The findings show that the WRD's tall claims about the area brought under irrigation are manipulative and entirely contradictory," a party release said here on Thursday.

"This Black Paper exposes the farcical exercise of the WRD's White Paper and proves how bogus an attempt of face-saving it is, largely on account of coalition political compulsions," it said.

The black paper illustrates what a genuine white paper on irrigation over the past decade should have ideally been like and the issues that really ought to have been addressed, it said.

It illustrates that the figures relating to the area brought under irrigation, as claimed in the white paper, is a blatant attempt to mislead everyone since the fact that this increase in area brought under irrigation is a result of irrigation due to wells, bore wells, drip irrigation, lift irrigation and not just due to dams and canals for which the WRD has made huge expenditure, the release said.

The most important aspect of the Black Paper is its exposing the modus operandi of how the irrigation scam was perpetuated by the politician-bureaucrat-contractor nexus, it said.

A public rally is scheduled to be held at Roha on December 2 to launch the Maharashtra chapter of the Aam Aadmi Party, it said.

AAP considering to contest MP Assembly polls next year

Bhopal: Social activist-turned politician Arvind Kejriwal's newly formed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is considering to field its candidates in the next year's Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh.

The matter to contest the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections scheduled to be held in November 2013 was discussed at a meeting in New Delhi recently," AAP state committee member Sharad Singh Kumbre said here on Wednesday.

"The AAP has already formed its state committee and all 45 district-level committees in Madhya Pradesh, Kumbre said.

The state committee has eight members and they have been given different works for strengthening the party.

In the coming days, we will make party's block-level committees and set a target of enrolling 8-9 members at the grassroot level in every village of the state, he said.

The main issues that the AAP will raise for the elections include corruption, development, crime against women, apart from law and order situation, he said.