Kejriwal is blaming others for his own mistakes
On January 19, the Election Commission communicated to the President of India that 20 MLAs of Aam Aadmi Party should be disqualified for holding office of profit by being parliamentary secretaries to cabinet ministers in the Delhi government. Acting on this advice, the President disqualified all the 20 MLAs. The party legislators will now approach the Delhi High Court to challenge the President’s notification. The new Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat has said that the AAP MLAs could have sought oral hearing before the EC, but they did not.
Therein lies the problem. Whenever AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal loses elections, he blames it on electronic voting machines. When his colleagues are charged in criminal cases, he blames Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ‘witchhunting’. Now that his party’s 20 MLAs have been disqualified, his party is levelling charges against the Constitutional authorities like the EC and the office of the President of India. Kejriwal forgets that he had 10 months in hand to place his arguments before the EC, but he did not use this option.
It now seems clear that neither Kejriwal nor his party leaders know how to run a government or an assembly. Because of their mistakes, 20 MLAs lost their seats. And now, the sword hangs on 27 other AAP MLAs in Delhi. Kejriwal clearly seems to be heading for a lot of trouble.
Click Here to Watch Video | Get connected on Twitter & Facebook
My appeal to Karni Sena: watch Padmaavat movie first, then decide
The Supreme Court on Thursday invoked the Right to Freedom of Speech & Expression granted in the Constitution, and ordered the state governments of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh to lift the ban on screening of the movie ‘Padmaavat’. The bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra reminded the state governments of their obligation to protect the fundamental right granted in the Constitution by ensuring law and order.
I have two points to make here. One, the country is run by rule of law. The Central Board of Film Certification is the competent authority to decide whether a particular film is meant for public viewing or not. If the CBFC clears a film, and the state governments impose ban on its screening in the name of maintaining law and order, then this is not a right step. If outfits like Karni Sena threaten to carry out violence at cinema theatres and intimidate cinemahall owners and audience, then it is not acceptable.
Two, I had seen the movie exactly two months ago, on November 17, and I had then clearly aid that the Rajput community will feel proud once it views the character of Rani Padmaavati in totality. There is not a single scene which shows Padmaavati with Sultan Alauddin Khilji. There is nothing in the film which goes against Rajput pride.
The Supreme Court on Thursday also said that the movie was shown to historians and other representatives of society, before it was granted certificate, and there was no need to protest. My view is that, if the state governments bow before the will of a handful of people bent on creating unrest, then it will send a wrong message. It will set a wrong precedent.
I again appeal to Karni Sena to watch the movie first and then air their opinion. I am confident that the Rajputs who will watch the film, will come out of the cinemahalls, with their heads held high, and those who are presently abusing the director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, will hug him with respect.
Click Here to Watch Video | Get connected on Twitter & Facebook
The mystery behind seizure of Rs 97 cr demonetized notes
The recent seizure of Rs 97 crore demonetized currency notes in Kanpur by UP police and NIA raises several questions. Since the currency notes are no more legal tender and are worthless pieces of paper, why were these currency notes kept hidden? UP police says, the currency notes were seized from a locked house and “negotiators” who promised to get these exchanged were arrested. Sixteen persons, including a builder and a professor, have been arrested and Income Tax officials have been informed.
One theory that is being floated is that the demonetized notes might have been kept for exchange through the Nepal, Bhutan routes, but the Reserve Bank of India clarified that demonetized currency notes were no more legal tender in those two neighbouring countries too.
Another theory was forwarded that several rural cooperative banks were yet to deposit demonetized notes with RBI, but Finance Ministry officials ruled out any such possibility. UP police officials have decided to seek the help of RBI to decide about what to do with the seized notes. RBI officials say that the demonetized notes are now nothing but worthless pieces of paper. The question that remained unanswered is: then why were these demonetized notes kept hidden? Any logical answer can come only after interrogation of those who have been taken into custody after the seizure of these notes.
Click Here to Watch Video | Get connected on Twitter & Facebook
Withdrawal of Haj subsidy is a right step
The government of India had been giving air travel subsidy for Haj pilgrims since 1954. On Tuesday, after a gap of 64 years, the government decided to fully withdraw the subsidy and the money saved would be spent on education of Muslim students. There has been persistent demand from sections of society to remove the subsidy completely. The Supreme Court had, in 2012, asked the government to completely phase out Haj subsidy. On the face of it, the subsidy was not benefiting Haj pilgrims, but the airlines, who were getting the subsidy directly from the government. Muslim clerics, the ulema and Haj pilgrims understand this, but leaders like Azam Khan are looking for political motive behind this decision. The withdrawal of subsidy is a step in the right direction and there is no need to politicize the issue.
Use of louspeakers at religious places in UP
The Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to remove all unauthorized loudspeakers from religious and all other public places by January 20, following which surveys are being carried out by district authorities. Managements of such religious places are being asked to obtain permission from authorities by January 15, failing which loudspeakers and other sound equipment will be removed by the deadline set by the court.
This is undoubtedly a Herculean task and the time given to enforce the order is limited. According to rough estimates, there are nearly 3.5 lakh religious places where loudspeakers are being used. These are spread in almost three lakh villages, and the task of enforcing it as truly a gigantic one. In Lucknow, police went to most of the temples and mosques on Thursday and spoke to priests and moulvis. It is reassuring that priests and moulvis are fully cooperating with local authorities, and there seems to be no scope for politicking because the order has come from the High Court, which is a welcome step.
Terrorists in Kashmir are using armour-piercing steel bullets
The year-end attack by Jaish-e-Muhammad terrorists on a CRPF camp in Kashmir’s Pulwama, in which five jawans were martyred, revealed that the attackers had used armour-piercing steel bullets. The bulletproof jackets worn by our jawans could not stop these bullets. This is a worrying revelation. Terrorists are changing their strategy regularly in Kashmir. They are adopting different methods to attack our forces. Our forces too change their strategy whenever required. Our jawans are brave and are ready to face any challenge, but the worrying aspect is that terrorists, of late, have been using weapons and ammunition that were supplied by the US to the Pakistani army to fight Taliban terrorists on their soil. These weapons and ammunition have now reached terrorists in the Valley. It is now time for the United States to not only shut off all monetary aid to Pakistan, but also stop military supplies to our hostile neighbour.
Click Here to Watch Video | Get connected on Twitter & Facebook
Modernization of madrasas
UP Shia Central Waqf Board chairman Wasim Rizvi has written to the Prime Minister and state chief minister to abolish the UP Board of Madrasa Education and all other madrasa boards in the country, and bring all madrasas under the affiliation of Central or state education boards. In his letter, Rizvi has alleged that most of the madrasas are being run by Muslim clerics, who are imparting “misplaced and misconceived” religious education to Muslim children, depriving them of the opportunity to be part of “nationbuilding”. Citing instances, Rizvi has said, in the last 70 years of independence, only a handful of Muslims who have studied in madrasas could clear the civil services exams, and they could do so only after opting for modern education. “The number of terrorists coming out of madrasas is much higher”, he claims.
I disagree with his view that madrasas breed terrorists. Madrasas are set up to impart religious education, which is okay, but modern education in madrasas is also necessary. If modern education is imparted in madrasas, Muslim children can build a brighter future for themselves. In states like Rajasthan, UP and MP, computers have been installed in madrasas, and most of the subjects covered by CBSE or state boards are being taught. Other states should also follow this.
As far as brainwashing young men with extremist views is concerned, a terrorist can be motivated anywhere, and not necessarily inside a madrasa. The Aligarh Muslim University imparts the best of modern education, but a PhD scholar of that university suddenly becomes a terrorist and takes up the gun in Kashmir. The suggestion to close down all madrasas is therefore impractical, but all madrasas should be modernized.
Why an AMU PhD scholar became a militant?
This is a curious case of a PhD scholar from Aligarh Muslim University, Mannan Bashir Wani, who went to Kashmir and took up the gun to become a Hizbul Mujahideen militant. The militant outfit on Tuesday confirmed that Wani has joined its ranks. The AMU acted swiftly and expelled the student before ordering an internal inquiry. Wani’s colleagues in the university still can’t believe why he became a militant. His family in the valley is worried about his future. His parents are praying for his early return to the mainstream. Photographs of Wani carrying an AK-47 rifle have gone viral on social media. It is true that many young men in the Valley took to the guns at the instigation of terrorists, but most of them returned to their families, after their parents appealed to them through videos. It is the responsibility of parents in the Valley to appeal to such misguided youths, because terrorism is a blind alley. Pakistan has become a safe haven for terrorists, and this has been admitted by no less than the CIA chief Mike Pompeo.
Why Kejriwal gave a rude jolt to Kumar Vishwas?
Kumar Vishwas appeared in my show Aap Ki Adalat this weekend and his replies to my questions clearly showed that he was hurt badly because of the treatment meted out to him by the Aam Aadmi Party leadership. He narrated how the Congress candidate Sushil Gupta against whom he campaigned during Delhi assembly polls was defeated by the electorate, but the same person managed to wangle a Rajya Sabha ticket from AAP. Kumar Vishwas also narrated how, in the national interest, he had opposed Arvind Kejriwal for questioning the Indian army’s surgical strike. Vishwas revealed how during the last seven months he was being consistently sidelined by the party leadership.
Listening to Kumar Vishwas’ replies, it appears to me that the moral values and democratic ideals for which Arvind Kejriwal and his supporters had fought, have vanished somewhere in the darkness. Most of the frontline colleagues who had led the movement with Kejriwal have now left him, and Vishwas seem to be the last one in the link.
The very act of nominating N D Gupta and Sushil Gupta to Rajya Sabha, bypassing Kumar Vishwas, clearly underlines the fact that, for Kejriwal, personal relations or political morality do not matter. Kejriwal and his coterie will have to face the political loss for giving tickets to these two worthies, and this would surely hurt all those who had viewed Kejriwal as a symbol of clean, alternative politics in India.
Why is Pakistan not granting consular access to Jadhav?
On Thursday, Pakistan circulated a video of Kulbhushan Jadhav in which he “thanked” Pakistan for letting him meet his mother and wife on December 25. In the video, which had many cuts implying that it was doctored, Jadhav was shown as saying that he had not been tortured in custody and that he saw an Indian diplomat yelling at his mother and wife. The External Affairs ministry in Delhi dismissed this video as “propagandistic exercise” which “simply carries no credibility”. The ministry said, “the absurdity of a captive under duress certifying his own welfare while mouthing allegations of his captors clearly merits no comment”.
My question is very simple: if Pakistan believes in humanitarian approach, why doesn’t it allow Jadhav to have consular access from India? India has requested consular access 23 times from Pakistan, but was declined. It is plain common sense – how can a convicted prisoner whom the Pakistani authorities are in a hurry to execute, praise his captors and blame his own country? Nobody will believe this. One should also understand the compulsions which Jadhav is facing while in custody of his enemies. One should understand under what pressure Jadhav is being forced to appear in confessional videos. One should sympathize with him for going through such ordeals.
Why Maharashtra CM Fadnavis acted with restraint ?
On Wednesday, Maharashtra police acted with utmost restraint when Dalit protesters went on rampage to enforce statewide bandh. It is true that caste violence in Maharashtra never erupted before in this manner when Maratha and Dalits came face-to-face. There seems to be some conspiracy at work behind this violence, but the restraint exercised by police is commendable. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis chose not to commit the mistake done by his counterpart in neighbouring Gujarat, where police took action against Dalits, and this gave rise to emergence of local Dalit leaders. Fadnavis learnt the lesson, and he asked the police force to exercise utmost restraint. Congress and other opposition leaders were waiting to take political advantage, had there been a major conflagration, but they were disappointed.
Electoral bonds for political parties is a welcome step
The Centre has notified issue of interest-free electoral bonds for political parties who wish to take donations during elections. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has taken this welcome step to ensure transparency in political donations. All political parties should welcome this step, because there seems to be a popular perception that most of the political parties take huge amounts of black money from vested interests during elections. In the last 70 years of independence, political parties had been taking donations from corporates and individuals, and most of the money was unaccounted. With the launch of electoral bonds, KYC (know your customer) details will have to be filled up by the donor, they the individual or company may prefer to remain anonymous. This step will go a long way towards ensuring a clean, free and fair election.