Thursday, September 25, 2014

My TWEETS of today: Ghulam Muhammed

  https://twitter.com/GhulamMuhammed?lang=en

My TWEETS of today:


Ghulam Muhammed: U.S. court issues summons against Modi - By Narayan Lakshman - Suhasini Haider - THE HINDU... http://ghulammuhammed.blogspot.com/2014/09/us-court-issues-summons-against-modi-by.html?spref=tw 


Shiv Sena has to confront the neo-Mughals to save its homeland. Fortunately there is most fertile ground for Shiv Sena to claim the state.


Shiv Sena has to realise that BJP capturing center, can't leave Maharashtra in the hands of locals. Unlike BJP/RSS, SS is not idealist.


How can the world differentiate between violence unleashed by US/UK/France/Israel at much greater scale than that by ISIS and Al Qaida?

U.S. court issues summons against Modi - By Narayan Lakshman -Suhasini Haidar - THE HINDU, CHENNAI, INDIA



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U.S. court issues summons against Modi


    By Narayan Lakshman -Suhasini Haidar
     
Comment   ·   print   ·   T  T  
 
 
U.S. federal law first gives federal courts jurisdiction to hear lawsuits filed by U.S. residents for acts committed in violation of international law outside the U.S. Photo: R.V. Moorthy
The Hindu U.S. federal law first gives federal courts jurisdiction to hear lawsuits filed by U.S. residents for acts committed in violation of international law outside the U.S. Photo: R.V. Moorthy

Even before he touched down on U.S. soil after a nine-year visa ban, a federal court in New York has issued summons against the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his role in presiding over the anti-Muslim pogrom in Gujarat during 2002 when he was Chief Minister of the state.
 The lawsuit, filed by the American Justice Center (AJC), a non-profit human rights organisation identified among the plaintiffs “two survivors of the horrific and organised violence of Gujarat 2002”, and called for a response from Mr. Modi based on the Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) and the Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA).

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, whose law firm represents the plaintiffs, explained via email to The Hindu that the summons issued by the Federal Court of Southern District of New York requires Mr. Modi to respond within 21 days after it is served.

The summons document, which also alludes to the 21-day deadline, notes that if the Prime Minster fails to answer the attached complaint, “Judgement by default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint,” adding that Mr. Modi was expected to file his answer or motion with the court.

Specifically the twenty-eight page complaint filed was said to seek compensatory and punitive damages and “charges PM Modi with committing crimes against humanity, extra-judicial killings, torture and inflicting mental and physical trauma on the victims, mostly from the Muslim community”.

Mr. Pannun further noted that the “default judgement”, which in other cases has been entered against defendants in their absence, would be a “declaration from Federal Court that 2002 killing of Muslims was ‘Genocide’ as per US and international law”, and possibly grant compensatory and punitive damages for the riot victims.

According to a statement by the plaintiffs the ATCA, also known as Alien Tort Statute (ATS), is a U.S. federal law first adopted in 1789 that gives federal courts jurisdiction to hear lawsuits filed by U.S. residents for acts committed in violation of international law outside the US.

Commenting on the summons issued by the John Bradley, a Director at the AJC said, “The Tort Case against Prime Minister Modi is an unequivocal message to human rights abusers everywhere… Time and place and the trappings of power will not be an impediment to justice”.

The AJC is scheduled to hold press conference on September 26 to clarify the implications of the lawsuit filed in terms of the legal path ahead in the survivors’ quest for justice, according to a statement the organisation issued.

Maharashtra politicians seek mandate over messages, get voter list apps - Times of India, Mumbai


 https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3441003027486211979#editor/target=post;postID=4757153206665669094

Maharashtra politicians seek mandate over messages, get voter list apps



MUMBAI: The wrangling over seats has delayed most parties' candidate lists, but Vidhan Sabha hopefuls are already hard at work, roping in technology to make up for time. As the wait for party approvals drags on, some candidates have hit social media and messaging platforms to gauge support. Other politicians, certain of their candidature, are using mobile apps to scan voter lists and plan their campaigns.

In fact, local software companies have won over several Maharashtra politicians, like Ajit Pawar, Nawab Malik and Ram Kadam, with mobile apps that promise a smooth run of this election.

The apps allow users to download voter lists for specific constituencies, do searches based on gender or location and send messages to select voters. Though some campaign managers are sceptical about these apps, politicians are not taking chances with tales of how technology won the recent Lok Sabha elections still doing the rounds. "If you don't adopt technology, you will become outdated na?" says Malik, the NCP spokesperson and MLA from Anushakti Nagar. He says his Voter List of Anushakti Nagar app has received a good response.

Jiten Gajaria, convener of the BJP's social media cell, says apps can be used to fine-tune data. "If somebody has moved house or got married after the LS elections, I can revise my data so that campaign material reaches all," he says.


The technology, available even during the LS polls, seems to have taken off in Maharashtra now. Pune-based Tushar Nikam's KTech Beans Software has 49 apps under the Rajyog brand. "I expect 100 more projects after tickets are finalised. Many are waiting before investing," says Nikam, whose mobile app costs Rs 25,000, while a desktop version is available for Rs 50,000. However, some politicians say such packages are priced upwards of Rs 1 lakh. Nikam says bickering over seats won't have an impact as workers can use these apps even on the last day. He adds downloads will pick up 10-15 days before polling when campaigning is at its peak. "When voters come to booths, workers can enter details have a final tally from each booth at the end of the day," he says.

"It takes time to make people adopt a system. Unless your workers are committed, how will you put these apps to good use?" says Dilip Chalil, head of the Congress's IT and social media. A campaign manager claims the profusion of apps is directly proportional to politicians' gullibility. "Many think apps are the same as social media and businessmen are making a packet out of this," says the manager.

But tech-savvy politicians would disagree. Panvel MLA Prashant Thakur, who joined the BJP on Tuesday, earlier sent out bulk SMSes to people in his constituency. "Do you think Prashant Thakur should fight this election? If yes, then give a missed call on...," the SMS said.

Vinod Shekhar, a Congress aspirant from Colaba, too sent bulk messages and voice mails to voters in his constituency asking if they support his candidature. "This election we have very less time for canvassing," he told TOI. Krishna Hegde, a Congress incumbent from Vile Parle says he sought people's mandate through his Facebook account. "Candidates will not get much time for campaigns so they are adopting such measures," says a PR consultant who handles social media drives for politicians.

BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said, "While taking up such campaigns one should remember they are also encroaching upon people's privacy. BJP and many other parties have done such campaigns in the past but at times people rejected such practices through their mandate," he said.

Not sure PM meant what he said about Muslims: Asaduddin Owaisi - Interview by Zeeshan Shaikh - The Indian Express, Mumbai

The Indian Express, Mumbai



Not sure PM meant what he said about Muslims: Asaduddin Owaisi

Written by Zeeshan Shaikh | Mumbai | Posted: September 25, 2014 2:54 am

Asaduddin Owaisi is the president of the Hyderabad-centred All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, which is contesting the elections in Maharashtra. Visiting Mumbai, he spoke about his party’s poll prospects and Muslims in India.

How many seats is the MIM planning to contest? Are you open to alliances?
 
We have not yet decided on the number of seats. We are definitely looking at striking an alliance with Dalit and OBC groups. The MIM is in Maharashtra for the long haul. The party will henceforth contest elections at all levels in the state.

What issues will you take up?

The most important issue is the political dis-empowerment of Muslims, and secondly, the socio-economic indicators of the community. From 1962 to 2009, there have been 3,108 MLAs elected in Maharashtra, of whom 119 were Muslims. With their proportion in the population, the number should have been 286. The political representation of Muslims is only 3.8 per cent. Report after report, from that of the Planning Commission to those of state-appointed committees such as the Rahman Committee, have pointed out the piteous conditions of Muslims. You also have a high incidence of communal conflicts. Innocent Muslims are illegally being put in jail. We plan to raise all these issues. The aim of the MIM is to work with all minorities who face these problems, including Dalits and OBCs.

Some Muslim intellectuals have said your entry will polarise society and malign Muslims’ image.

First of all, inclusive politics was never practised in Maharashtra by either the Congress-NCP or the Shiv Sena-BJP. I want to question people who attack me, why has not a single Muslim MP been elected from Maharashtra? Why has the Srikrishna Commission report never been implemented in the state? The population of Muslims in Maharashtra and Telangana is the same. Telangana has set aside Rs 1.000 crore for minorities; in Maharashtra it is only Rs 368 crore and it has not been spent. The Centre had identified four districts of Maharashtra under the Minority Multi-sectoral Development Plan. The implementation of these funds is less than 5 per cent in Parbhani and Washim. Now if we raise such issues, we are deemed to be communal. It has become very easy to blame Muslims for all the ills of the country.

How do you view Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement about Muslims living and dying for the country?

For the last 10 years, every prime minister who has gone to the United States has been forced to say this. When Manmohan Singh went he too made a statement about Indian Muslims. My question is, if the prime minister feels the way he does, why are his party men sending out such varying signals by attacking Muslims? Why are there still so many Muslims languishing in Gujarat’s jails? Muslims have never indulged in anti-national activities. When you look at Kashmir militancy, which was at its peak in the 1990s, not a single Muslim from other states joined it. I have my doubts about the prime minister’s statement. I am not sure whether he really meant what he said. I don’t know if this is a late realisation by the PM, or a statement made due to international compulsions.

There are reports of a lot of Muslim youths going to Iraq and Syria to join ISIS.

ISIS is one of the most evil entities. The MIM as well as senior clerics of Hyderabad have repeatedly been making statements condemning ISIS. I would tell the youth who are thinking of joining such evil entities that they should take part in the struggle to address the huge problems that the Muslim community in India faces. They should struggle to eradicate poverty. They should take part in the democratic process to take on communal forces.

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