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Political Notes

	November 26, 2007

Taslima Nasreen shifted from Kolkata to Jaipur to NCR



Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, who has fallen foul of Islamic fundamentalists was escorted out of Kolkata by police, a day after rioting engulfed the eastern metropolitan city because of pent up Muslim anger on the Nandigram incidents and also what they consider Nasreen’s going against Islamic tenets and scanda¬lising the prophet. First she reached the Rajasthan capital, Jaipur, on Nov. 22. When the Rajasthan Government also washed its hands off looking after her security, she has reportedly been taken to a hide out in the national capital region (NCR). She was barely able to spend one night at Jaipur before she was forced to leave the pink city.



Police and intelligence officials are reportedly keeping her at a secret location under heavy protection in view of the per¬ception of threats to her safety and security as a Muslim body All India Milli Council threatened to hold demonstrations if the writer was kept in Rajasthan.



Speaking to a journalist on phone from Jaipur, Taslima Nasreen said, “I have no place to go. India is my home and I would like to keep living in this country till I die. Here in this country, I have got the love and sympathy of the people for which I am grateful.



Taslima Nasreen’s visa which was renewed by the Government of India in August this year, expires on Feb. 17, 2008.



She said, “as for my works, never have I written anything against the Islam religion. They are all about the sad plight of women in our society.”



Before she was taken out of Kolkata, state CPI(M) secretary Biman Bose asked her to quit Kolkata in the interests of peace, but later insisted that he had not meant it that way. He said later he was tired when he spoke to mediapersons initially and did not mean to show the Bangladeshi author the door.



The BJP has demanded that the Government should grant citi¬zenship to Taslima Nasreen, or she should be given a permanent resident’s visa.



Supreme Court okays CBI probe into Noida landscam



The Supreme Court has asked the CBI to go ahead with a probe into the 2005 Noida Land Scam involving politicians, bureaucrats, judges and journalists during the Mulayam Singh Yadav gover¬nment’s rule. A bench headed by Justice H.K. Sema passed the order after the Mayawati Government said it wanted the matter to be thoroughly investigated. There were allegations that in a draw of lots for plots held by the Noida Authority on July 2, 2005, most of the allottees were politicians, bureaucrats, judges etc. The politicians declared successful in the draw of lots included Munni Devi, Rewri Raman Singh, Rashid Masood, Jai Pra¬kash (Samajwadi Party), wife of a Minister in Mulayam’s govern¬ment and Ashok Pradhan (BJP) among others. The name of former Chief Justice of India, Y.K. Sabharwal’s daughter-in-law also figured in the list of successful allottees.





Chinese troops intruding into Arunachal Pradesh



The BJP has accused the Government of not responding to the continued incursions by Chinese troops into Arunachal Pradesh. BJP leader Arun Shourie described the Chinese intrusions into Arunachal Pradesh as the gravest challenge other than Bangladeshi infiltration in the last twenty-five years. BJP Members of Parliament Tapir Gao and Kiren Rijuju also spoke of the recent destruction of Buddha statute in the Tawang region by the Chinese Army.



A Congress member of the Rajya Sabha from Arunachal Pradesh Nabam Rebia speaking in the House on Nov. 21 alleged that the Indian Army did not act against the intruding Chinese troops when they destroyed the Buddha statute on Oct. 30. He demanded that the Centre should make its position clear on the issue. He said there were lot of incursions into the Indian territory from China.



Since the matter was raised during the Zero hour, there was no government response. However, in a written response to a question on the same subject, Defence Minister A.K. Antony had earlier said that the incursions were on account of differing perceptions between New Delhi and Beijing on the line of actual control.





Ronen Sen let off with a warning



Privileges Committees of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have decided to let off India’s Ambassador to the United States Ronen Sen for his “headless chicken” remarks about the opponents of the Indo-US nuclear deal.



The Lok Sabha Privileges Committee recommended that the matter be treated as closed, but it rapped him for the headless chickens remarks. The committee reminded the Ambassador that “discretion in speech is more important than eloquence.”



The Privileges Committee of the Rajya Sabha decided to let off Ronen Sen with a note of caution for his comments. The Ambassador was warned that this lapse on his part should not occur again and he should be more restrained in the use of lan¬guage.