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Political Notes

	October 08, 2007

Internal security situation a cause of concern : PM



Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that the internal security situation continues to remain a cause of concern. Speaking at the concluding session of the DGPs/IGPs conference in New Delhi on October 4, he called for paying equal attention to the concerns of ordinary citizens while combating the challenge of terrorism, Naxalism and separatist violence.



Dr. Manmohan Singh said there is a need to go beyond conven¬tional responses to tackle terrorist threats. He said the security problems of the North East and Jammu and Kashmir have many dimensions, unique to these regions. He said the police should reach out to citizens and address their needs and expecta¬tions.



The Prime Minister told police chiefs of Naxal affected states to redouble their efforts in controlling Naxalism and cited Andhra Pradesh as a success story in handling the problem. He also called for a debate on the issue of classifying certain crimes with inter-state and trans-national dimensions as federal crimes.



Referring to recent cases of vigilante justice in Vaishali and Bhagalpur, Dr. Manmohan Singh said some of these could be due to personal frustration, but they could also be the result of dissatisfaction with the functioning of the law enforcement and justice system. He said such incidents reinforce the need for police to do its job in a manner that basics of law enforcement are catered to in a fair, humane, honest and competent manner.



Inaugurating the two-day conference, Home Minister Shivraj Patil said on Oct. 3 that intelligence agencies of the states were not strong amd adequate enough to meet the challenge of terrorism. He said the police forces should strengthen and modernise their intelligence network. Patil said politicians, police and religious places are on top of the hitlist of terror¬ists.



There are reports that the Centre is drawing up a blueprint to wage a war against Naxalites. It is likely to be finalised by the month end.





Supreme Court warns Tamil Nadu Govt. against not implementing its orders



A piquant situation arose on Monday, Oct. 1, when a Supreme Court judge orally observed that if it was found that the DMK Government in Tamil Nadu had not implemented the Sept. 30 court order to stop the bandh in the state, the Court would recommend its dismissal tot he President of India. Justice B.N. Agrawal made the observation after the All India Anna DMK counsel con¬tended that the state government had failed to obey the court direction issued the previous day. However, legal experts say, oral observations made during the course of hearing have no relevance in law.



In Chennai, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi asserted the same day that is Oct. 1, that there was no breakdown of the constitu¬tional machinery in the state. He said the Government followed the order of the Supreme Court restraining the DMK and its allies from going ahead with the bandh in letter and in spirit. He said there was no case against the observance of a fast by him and other leaders of the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA).



Reacting to the developments, the Central Government ruled out any action against the DMK government in Tamil Nadu. Replying to questions by newspersons, Information and Broadcasting Min¬ister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi said the DMK is part of the UPA government. He said the Chief Minister going on a fast was not a violation of the court order.



However, observers say that despite the DMK and allied parties saying that they were not observing a bandh, life in the state virtually came to a standstill as schools and colleges remained closed and markets and cinemas did not open till the evening on Oct. 1. Most Government buses did not leave the depots though the DPA had called off the bandh.



Several political parties, especially the Left, have de¬scribed the apex court’s observation about the situation in Tamil Nadu as ‘astonishing and shocking.’ Leaders of Left par¬ties said that it is a democratic right of the people to protest and it cannot be fettered.





Former MP sentenced to death



A court in Bihar has sentenced former MP, Anand Mohan, and two other politicians to be hanged to death for inciting a mob to kill a district magistrate in 1994. Anand Mohan’s wife, Lovely Anand, also a former Member of Parliament, was given life impris¬onment along with a sitting MLA, Munna Shukla and two other politicians. The court which had held them guilty on Oct. 1 pronounced the sentence on Oct. 3.



This is the first time that a former MP has been handed the death sentence.



Gopal Ganj district magistrate G. Krishnaiah, an IAS offic¬er, was dragged out of his car, beaten and shot by a mob accom¬panying the cortege of slain gangster Chottan Shukla. Anand Mohan, his wife and the others sentenced were found guilty of inciting the mob.



Observers say that the death sentence to Anand Mohan has come as a warning sign for several other Indian politicians with criminal record. Among those facing trial in different courts in Bihar are Pappu Yadav (RJD MP), Rajen Tiwary (former MLA), Sur¬ajbhan Singh (LJP MP), and Sunil Pandey (ruling party MLA), all gangsters-turned-politicians.