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Political Notes |
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Naxalites target multi-national companies
Senior members of the CPI (Maoists) Central Committee have said that they would be stepping up activities against big companies including multinational companies which are being set up by what they called forcibly displacing people. Speaking to a group of reporters in remote locations near the Indo-Nepal border, the Committee member said they intend to target police armouries to arm tribals along the socalled Red Corridor, running from Nepal to Southern India.
Sounding a warning against multi-national companies that have signed MoUs with the Jharkhand Government and pledged investments, the spokesman said their outfit would act strongly against them. “Multinational companies are eyeing to plunder the rich mineral resource of the state. Local people have the right over jal (water), jungle (forest) and zamin (land), and will go to any extent to stop its loot by these companies. central committee members Azad said., adding the “war” would now be taken to a “higher stage.”
The Maoists second-in-command, Pravin, admitted that Naxalites have weapons of Pakistani and Chinese make. He also said that they have learned new warfare tacits from purged commanders of Sri Lanka’s LTTE.
Quota Bill for educational institutions coming this week
The controversial Constitution Amendment Bill to reserve seats for socially and educationally backward classes apart from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in private unaided educational institutions other than those run by minority communities will be introduced in the Lok Sabha tomorrow, December 20. The Government says that it will also move for its passage before the end of the Winter Session on December 23.
The Union Cabinet took the decision on Thursday, a day after the Government deferred the Bill’s introduction in the Lok Sabha amidst reservations from various quarters. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi said no change has been made in the Bill.
The BJP and the CPI(M) have expressed reservations on the Bill. The BJP is opposed to minority institutions being kept out of the purview of the Constitution Amendment. The CPI(M) has also expressed its apprehensions on the issue.
Meanwhile, the All India Milli Conference at its meeting in Jaipur has demanded job quotas for Muslims. It said the social, economic and educational condition of Muslims is worse than that of dalits.
Supreme Court restores Election Petition against Punjab CM
The Supreme Court has directed the Punjab and Haryana High Court to hear afresh a petition challenging the election of Punjab Chief Minister Amrinder Singh to the State Assembly. The petition challenged his election on the ground that two senior civil and police officers of the state had actively campaigned for him.
“We hold that the High Court was wrong in dismissing the election petition on the ground that material facts had not been set out in it and the petition did not disclose a cause of action. The order passed by the High Court, therefore, deserves to be quashed and set aside,” a Bench of Chief Justice Y.K. Sabharwal, Justice C.K. Thakker and Justice P.K. Balasubramanyam said.
Gujarat riots case : 11 get life term
A fast track court in Gujarat has sentenced eleven men to life imprisonment for hacking and burning to death Muslims of their village during the post-Godhra riots. Three others got ten years in another case from the same village. This is the fourth 2002 riot case from the Panchmahals district which has resulted in a conviction in the last two months. The Panchmahals had seen the worst riots in the aftermath of the February 27, 2002 burning of the Sabarmati Express at Godhra that left 57 Kar Sevaks dead.
Babri Masjid demolition : Liberhan Commission’s term extended
The Centre has extended by another three months the tenure of the Justice Liberhan Commission probing the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. The Commission has now been asked to submit its report on or before March 31 next year. The Commission was set up on December 16, 1992. During the last 13 years of hearing, the Commission had held nearly 350 sittings and examined 101 witnesses . During its sitting earlier this month, the Commission gave the last opportunity to the Centre to file its written submissions by December 30.
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