Warrant against Kejri for tweet on Modi’s qualifications
A court in Assam has issued an arrest warrant against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal after he failed to appear before it in a defamation case over his tweet on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s education qualifications. The bailable warrant is the latest in a series of troubles that the Aam Aadmi Party leader finds himself in over his utterances. He is being tried for defamation in a Delhi court in a case filed by finance minister Arun Jaitley.
On Monday, judicial magistrate Naba Kumar Deka Baruah in Diphu in Karbi Anglong district issued the warrant against the AAP chief after a no-show on April 7.
“Modiji 12 pass hain. Uske baad ki degree farzi hai (Modi is only 12th pass and all other succeeding degrees are fake),” Kejriwal tweeted on December 15.
A few days later, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council member Surjo Rongphar, who is also with the BJP, filed a case against Kejriwal, accusing him of making defamatory remarks.
Kejriwal’s lawyer Gurpreet Singh Uppal said the chief minister was busy with the April 23 Delhi civic elections and it was not possible for him to be present in person in the court.
“On perusal of records, it reveals that the accused (Kejriwal) has not appeared before the court on the earlier occasion on January 30, too, availing adjournment for two months. Considering this, the petition of Gurpreet Singh Uppal is rejected,” the court said.
Kejriwal has been demanding Modi’s college and university certificates be made public, alleging that PM had furnished wrong information about his education.
The Prime Minister Office and government have denied the charge. The case will now be heard on May 8.
The Congress, however, used the warrant to ask Modi why he was so “secretive” about his education. “Don’t People of India have a right to know educational qualification of their Prime Minister? What is so secret about it,” party leader Digvijaya Singh tweeted on Tuesday.
But teachers are worried if this will delay the introduction of a new syllabus and textbooks for Classes 8 and 10 scheduled for next year. “We support the move to change the study panels, but the department should appoint new members soon so that it doesn’t affect the timetable,” said Uday Nare, senior teacher, Hansraj Morarji Public School, Andheri.
Members of the existing panels said errors occur because they are under tremendous pressure to bring out the books. “Many people don’t understand the enormity of writing identical textbooks in two languages ,” said Ivan John, professor of sociology at Sophia College for Women and member of the current board of studies or Abhyas Mandal, John said once the board of studies appoints authors for the book, they are expected to submit handwritten manuscripts of the entire book, which are then typewritten. Often, writers only get a year or two to write the book. India would need to decline by 20%, to maintain per-person mortality (measure of number of deaths in the population) at 2010 levels
The study concluded that ambient air pollution contributed substantially to the global burden of disease in 2015, which increased over the past 25 years, due to population ageing, changes in non-communicable disease rates, and increasing air pollution in low-income and middle-income countries.
“Modest reductions in burden will occur in the most polluted countries unless PM2.5 values are decreased substantially, but there is potential for substantial health benefits from exposure reduction,” read the study.
The report said the N ward (Ghatkopar) has the most number, at 2.86 lakh trees; P North (Malad) comes second with 2.84 lakh trees. Wards B and C (Masjid, Bhindi Bazar, Kalbadevi and Marine Lines) had the fewest trees, at 7,816 and 5,756 respectively.
The BMC has been conducting the current tree census since 2014. This is the first time that it has used the global positioning system and geographical information system to count trees across the city.
The civic body has spent more than Rs2 crore for this project. So far, the census has also found around 250 new species of trees in the city.
According to the BMC, there are 29 lakh trees in the city, excluding Aarey Colony. The civic officials said about 95% of the work was completed and the compilation of figures from only six wards is remaining. “We are not aware of the data given by the NGO, but so far, 29 lakh trees have been counted, and another 4.8 lakh trees are in Aarey Colony,” said a senior civic officer.
Abhijeet Chawan, a tree authority committee member, said, “I will not get into the rise in the number of trees, as the census is yet to be completed. But the BMC should take extra measures to increase the ratio, by taking strict action if transplanted trees don’t survive and also increase transplantation.” it is expected that both countries will identify new products under the “Make in India” programme
Later, Swaraj told the Rajya Sabha the Indian high commis sion in Pakistan was told three hours after the verdict that New Delhi could be given conditiona consular access to Jadhav pro vided New Delhi accepted Paki stan’s position on the case. She said foreign secretary S Jais hankar has already conveyed India’s position to the Pakistan high commissioner.
The minister also said she was in touch with Jadhav’s parents
“We are extending our fullest support to them in this difficult situation. A strong sense of soli darity expressed by the House will give them more courage at this time,” she said.
“Kulbhushan Yadav is not just the son of his parents but he is the son of entire India. And to save this Hindustan ka beta, we will not only appeal in the Supreme Court or appoint a good lawyer, but will also talk to the President, if needed.
“We will try to save him in whichever way possible.”
In Pakistan, defence minister Asif refuted India’s assertion that the sentence was premedi tated murder. He told the upper house of Parliament that the law of the land was applied and the trial of the alleged spy went on for three months.
“We have done absolutely nothing that’s against the rules and regulations, but there is pre meditated murder going on even today in Kashmir,” Asif told the senators.
The Pakistani media largely welcomed the death sentence against Jadhav.
“Certain questions can only be answered by him. His pres ence is necessary,” said an ED officer privy to the investiga tion.
Sources in the agency said Naik’s overseas properties were also under ED’S scanner. The ED has alleged Naik established dummy companies in India and abroad “for the diversion of funds”.
The probe gathered momen tum with the arrest of Aamir Gazdar, a close confidante o Naik.
“Gazdar played a pivotal role in acquiring and disposing of the cash. Dummy companies were used to camouflage the diversion of funds received by Naik through his illegal activities and provocative speeches,” alleged ED.
The central agency said Gaz dar was the director of at least six companies established by Naik two of which are in England while the remaining are in Mum bai.
The transactions between Gazdar and Naik are also under the agency’s lens.
The ED alleged Gazdar would file IT returns in the name of his wife and children.
“Naik conducted transactions involving large sums through Gazdar, without leaving a trail o where the money came from or what it was used for. The cash was collected and disbursed to employees and officials of the IRF trust,” the agency has alleged.
The agency has s far recorded the statements of Naik’s siblings — his sister Nailah Noorani and brother Mohammad Abdu Karim Naik.
The two said they were una ware of Zakir Naik’s financia dealings.