‘Will back Akhilesh as netaji’s son, not as CM’
Amar Singh cautions chief minister against backbiters; hits out at Ramgopal Yadav for ‘threatening’ comments made by him earlier
NEW DELHI: Portrayed as the architect of the ongoing crisis within the Samajwadi Party by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, Amar Singh broke his silence on Thursday and said he was ready to “sacrifice” himself if it can help resolve the feud.
He also hit out at expelled SP leader Ramgopal Yadav for “threatening” him, saying if anything happens to him, the blame would lie on the party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav’s cousin.
“Sacrifice me. I am ready, if (my) sacrifice can solve the problem,” he said here.
Reaching out to Akhilesh, he said the young leader should not go by what “backbiters” say. “Let Mulayam Singh say that I have said anything against Akhilesh...there is a new breed of people who are with the CM as he is in power. I am, was, and would remain with Akhilesh, the son of Mulayam Singh, not the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh... Mulayam is not only Akhilesh’s father, but also the father of Samajwadi Party,” Singh said.
The veteran politician said he was blamed even when Akhilesh replaced Shivpal Yadav as party’s state unit chief. He said when Akhilesh’s family was opposing his plans to marry Dimple, “I was the one who stood by him, but today I am hurt by his words. There is no photo of his wedding in which this ‘power broker’ is not there,” he said, expressing disappointment over the chief minister’s remarks.
Responding to a poser on a claim by Ramgopal that no one can guarantee Singh’s safety if he made any statement against the former, Singh said it was an open “threat” and he would seek protection from the Union home minister. Some Christian groups allegedly distribute pamphlets and a few Hindu students are said to be running a daily ‘shakha’ (meeting of the local unit) at IIT-B.
Mukherjee, who found out about these activities through some student mentors, said extreme religiosity could distract students from academics. “The students might not be studying and reading religious texts instead,” he said, adding that the institute is trying to reduce students’ overall involvement in extra-curricular activities.
While accepting that preaching one’s belief is a constitutional right, he said, “I don’t have problem with a discourse, but proselytising with the intention of converting someone is different. In a hostel, some constitutional rights have to be given up for the sake of discipline,” he said.
The decision has not gone down well with some students who believe that these activities are harmless. They point out that only a small group of students is involved in religious activities in a campus that is buzzing with all kinds of extra-curricular activities. “IIT students are not robots. Just because they stay in a hostel, doesn’t mean they study for 24 hours a day. Some may go for movies, others may partake in religious activities,” said an Mtech student.
A PHD student said the impact of such activities on academics can’t be generalised. “Some students become more focused in their study as religion keeps them away from useless activities. On the contrary, many students, who are involved in festivals such as Mood Indigo, lose out on academics,” he said.
However, some students agreed with the step taken by the institute. “We don’t know what these external groups are putting the students through,” said Shreeyash Menon, an editor of Insight.
Others suggested that grouped religious activities may lead to conflicts at the premier institute. “Unlike JNU, IIT-B is a technical institute. One should refrain from these activities to preserve its prestige,” said another PHD student. told to curb noise pollution and not to leave any loophole. Beat marshals will increase the frequency of their rounds on the streets mostly after 10 pm, the end of deadline.
“Each police station has been given one decibel meter and they will be used for measuring noise levels. A time limit has also been fixed for bursting firecrackers,” said an officer.
While the time limit for bursting of crackers will be 10pm on all the days of Diwali, it will be extended until midnight only for Laxmi Puja, officials said.
“The Bombay high court has also issued certain guidelines pertaining to Diwali and the use of crackers. We will follow all the orders that have been issued,” added Dudhe. “In the state also, we don’t have a clear mandate, we have 123 seats, they have 63 seats. People want us to work together and we are doing that. The Sena is not a partner out of compulsion. If it was any other party it would have been a compulsion,’’ said Fadnavis.
While the chief minister made it clear that even if the alliance did not work for the BMC, there would be no trouble at the state level, he was hesitant to comment on the possibility of contesting elections solo.
“You look at our history of 25 years. There have been many cases where we have not partnered in local elections like Pune, Nasik and Nagpur, but we have in Mumbai. But I can’t talk about a post- poll alliance in the BMC now. If all goes well, we want the alliance,’’ he said.
On the patriotism debate visa-vis the issue of entertaining Pakistani artists, the chief minister made a nuanced but clear stance. “Personally, I think an artist is an artist, but public sentiment is against entertaining Pakistani films and artists. As a government, we cannot ban any film. We have a certain responsibility… I am the custodian of the Constitution, irrespective of my feelings. And that is the difference between Pakistan and India. We have democracy, and they don’t have it,’’ he said.
Fadnavis said while he would not like to preach patriotism to anyone, for him as the chief minister, it was about working transparently and efficiently for the greater good.
By late evening, there was an indication that practicality was likely to win over ego tussles between the saffron allies. Both the parties announced an alliance for the upcoming municipal council polls to be held in the state from October to December this year.
The picture is not all rosy with even Fadnavis not resisting a jibe against the BJP’S allyturned-rival. When asked about the Sena’s continued role as opponents in successive sessions of the state legislature, he said, “You are a ruling party and you still want to play role of opposition. That is not a good signal for the public at large, that’s a loss for the party. It’s for them [Sena] to decide, we have no problem.’’ “The directors of the Tata Sons board had repeatedly raised queries and concerns on certain business issues, and the Trustees of the Tata Trusts were increasingly getting concerned with the growing trust deficit with Mr. Mistry, but these were not being addressed.”
Though sent to journalists, the statement said the group did not want a public spat.
Earlier in the day, the companies Mistry’s email named as mired in losses defend themselves. They had to -- the stock market has shaved Rs. 40,000 crore off the combined value of the top 10 Tata companies since news broke of Mistry’s ouster on Monday.
Tata Power and Tata Steel told the stock exchanges – BSE and NSE had sought clarifications on Wednesday -- they had followed the guidelines. Tata Steel denied Mistry’s statement it faced impairments of $10 billion. Indian Hotels said its finances were approved unanimously, including by then chairman Mistry.
Tata Sons made the point that Mistry was not new to the working of the group, nor to its culture and ways. He joined the Tata Sons board in 2006. He was appointed deputy chairman in November 2011, and chairman on December 28, 2012.
“He would be fully familiar with the culture, ethos, governance structure, financial and operational imperatives of the Tata Group as well as various group companies,” said the statement, refuting Mistry’s claim he had been sacked without notice. “The record, as and when made public, will prove things to the contrary.”
Mistry’s representatives did not respond to Tata Sons’ statement. The few lawyers who agreed to speak on the matter appeared to side with the Tata group. “The only consequence I see,” said Hemant Sahai, who runs his own corporate law firm, “is a Sebi investigation into the allegations.
“In my opinion there was nothing illegal in the removal of Cyrus Mistry. Probably, it could have been done in a different manner. But he has just been removed as chairman and not as a director. He continues to be on board of companies.”
Former attorney general Biswajit Bhattacharya said Mistry should have expressed his concerns before his sacking, not after. “The foreign secretary also strongly conveyed to the Pak high commissioner that the Pak high commission must ensure that none of its members indulge in activities inimical to India…” external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.
Akhtar was detained at the Delhi zoo on Wednesday while accepting documents about deployment of the Border Security Force in Rajasthan and Gujarat from two Indians, who were arrested, Delhi Police said
Akhtar, who has been with the high commission for three years was released after he invoked dip lomatic immunity, Delhi Police joint commissioner Ravindra Yadav said.
Police identified the arrested men as Maulana Ramzan Khan and Subhash Jangir, residents of Naguar in Rajasthan.
Late in the evening, the third member of the alleged spy ring Shoaib Nagaur was detained at the Jodhpur and was being brought to Delhi. Police said they were watching Akhtar for six months. “The Pakistan high commission official was the king pin. The module was active for one-and-a-half years,” Yadav said
Akhtar recruited Khan (50) a teacher in a Nagaur mosque school, and Jangir (37) a vegetable vendor, and sought information about Rajasthan and neigbouring Gujarat, both states share land and maritime boundaries with Pakistan.
The men also had names of serving and retried BSF men and Akhtar might have honey trapped personnel, Yadav said.
Akhtar initially insisted he was a Delhi man but later admit ted he was with the Pakistan high commission. “He stated that he had joined the Baloch Regiment of the Pakistan army in 1997 and came on deputation to the Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) in 2013,” Swarup said.
Basit lodged a protest with Jaishankar over “detention and manhandling of Pakistan high commission staffer”.
Pakistan foreign office, too, took strong exception to the expulsion “This act clearly reflects Indian actions to shrink diplomatic space for the working of Pakistan high commission,” it said. Tensions between the two countries have soared after a group of suspected Pakistani militants attacked an army camp in Kashmir’s Uri in September and killed 19 soldiers A few days later, the Indian Army crossed the line of control and hit militants preparing to enter India from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir