1. Gujarat Alert: No Pak Militants Killed, ATM Thieves Caused False Alarm
There were no terrorists in Gujarat, at least according to a report in the Hindustan Times. Yes, Pakistan’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Naseer Khan Janjua did tell Ajit Doval that terrorists had infiltrated the state on 5 March. High-value targets in the state, as well as other major cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, were placed on high alert. Nine men fled from two guesthouses in Bhuj and were suspected of being the terrorists in question.
By 15 March, the media was quoting high-level Home Ministry sources who said that “3 of the 10 terrorists had been killed”. Now, if the report is to be believed, these men were not terrorists from across the border, but ATM thieves from Jharkhand.
“A team of Kutch police visited Pakur district and investigations have so far revealed that they were ATM thieves. Their modus operandi was to hijack the entire ATM machine and then use a gas cutter to recover money,” Gujarat border range inspector General AK Jadeja told Hindustan Times on Wednesday. Jadeja said following confirmation of their identities by Jharkhand police, prima facie it was ruled out that they were the suspected 10 militants who had entered Gujarat to carry out a 26/11-like attack. Bhuj police said all nine were also arrested by Arnala police of Palgarh district in September 2015 in connection with ATM theft.Report in the Hindustan Times
Security and intelligence forces remain on high alert based on Janjua’s input. However, how the information about the three terrorists being killed spread, and more importantly, the veracity of that claim needs to be further investigated.
2. Umar’s Sister Speaks Up: My Brother Is Not Anti-National
Sara, Umar Khalid’s 12-year-old sister has insisted that her brother is not ‘anti-national’ in a video shot at JNU campus on Tuesday. Sara was at the varsity to join the ‘Azadi’ March demanding the release of her brother and Anirban Bhattacharya.
I am here because I want sedition charges to be dropped from people who have been falsely labelled as anti-national. The charges should be dropped. It is clear that they are not anti-nationals. All the videos are doctored and Umar Khalid is not visible in any of the videos in which “anti-India” slogans have been raised. This proves they are not anti-nationals.Sara, Umat Khalid’s sister
You can read more in The Indian Express.
3. As Foes Turn Friends, Euphoria Around Trinamool Dulls
The Congress-Left Front tactical alliance should give Mamata Banerjee serious cause for worry, according to The Hindu. In south Bengal, a Trinamool Congress bastion, Mamata has been relying on a divided Hindu vote and a unified Muslim vote in her favour. The alliance will certainly hit her there. While the TMC remains the favourite, the social and political calculations that worked in the last election may not be as effective now.
There is also another factor that could give the Left a glimmer of hope – a surprise victory in a local, but significant election some time ago that could serve as a template for their comeback run.
Trinamool’s confidence hit a roadblock with the re-emergence of CPI(M) leader Ashok Bhattacharya. Mr. Bhattacharya delivered a completely unexpected victory last April to capture the Siliguri Municipal Corporation, the second largest civic body after the Kolkata Corporation… “Ashok Bhattacharya’s ‘Siliguri Model’ is getting discussed often in Delhi and we are discussing it with some of our friends in the Left ... it is exciting!” exclaimed former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh in one of his private visits to Kolkata.Report in The Hindu
4. NDA’s Aadhaar Bill Stronger Than UPA’s on Privacy: Nandan Nilekani
The man who built the Aadhaar system for the UPA government heaped high praise on the BJP-led government’s version of the law. Nilekani said that the privacy measures in this version are as good as they can be.
In fact, this (the Bill on privacy) is stronger than the original Bill. The Bill has a very robust privacy protection beyond what any other legislation has ever provided in India. It is as good as it gets.Nandan Nilekani to The Indian Express
Under the new law, biometric data captured will be used only for Aadhaar enrollment and verification purposes. The only exceptions will be for national security, and even such an exception will be valid only for six months.
In any country, national security concerns provide for authorities to access any system. The question is whether anyone will misuse it. The Aadhaar Bill has enough safeguards, and its privacy constraints are stronger than the previous Bill. It is a big leap forward in the quality of legislation India has seen.Nandan Nilekani to The Indian Express
5. Shah’s Social Media Rider Has UP Ticket Hopefuls Chasing 25K Dream
UP Assembly hopefuls from the BJP need 25,000 Twitter and/or Facebook followers and they need them soon. According to a report in The Times of India, BJP president Amit Shah told party members gunning for a ticket that their social media presence would be an important factor in determining their suitability. And apparently 25k followers or likes is the magic number.
Party’s state president Laxmikant Bajpai has just 10,000 followers on Twitter while Muzaffarnagar riots-accused Shamli MLA Suresh Rana has 12,856 followers on Facebook. BJP MP from Meerut Rajendra Agarwal, too, has 13,957 likes, while Kunwar Bhartendra Singh, party’s Bijnor MP, does not have a fan page on his Facebook account and has just 2,986 friends. He is not active on Twitter. A few of them expressed doubts if this was the real measure of a leader’s strength. “The real parameter of a leader’s popularity is gauged by the work he does in his area and not how many followers he has on social media. Besides, a leader serves all sections of society, and not all of them are on social media platforms,” a member said.Report in The Times of India
6. Now It’s Congress: Bharat Mata Ki Jai or Else...
Two weeks ago, Rahul Gandhi spoke in Parliament about how the national flag was being used to divide Indians. Now, his own party joined hands with the Shiv Sena and the BJP to suspend AIMIM MLA Waris Pathan from the Maharashtra State Assembly for refusing to say “Bharat Mata ki jai”.
In fact, Congress MLAs seemed more belligerent than their BJP counterparts.
At one point, cabinet minister and BJP leader Eknath Khadse said an apology from the AIMIM MLA would do but he was shouted down by Congress members who sought suspension of Pathan and were immediately backed by the NCP, BJP and Shiv Sena. The Leader of Opposition and Congress MLA Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said: “If anybody insults national sentiments, it cannot be tolerated. I demand strong action against the member for insulting the country.”Report in The Indian Express
7. Islamic State Bogey Now Weapon for Vengeance
The threat of ISIS is being used by people to settle personal scores and waste the time of police and security agencies.
The Maharashtra ATS and Mumbai police have, in the last eight months, received around 300 such bogus complaints, including one against an 80-year-old imam. All the victims of these hoax calls were released after verification, but the incidents have traumatised the families who had to suffer for weeks before they got a clean chit.Report in The Times of India
Anything from an old grudge to something as minor as a parking dispute can lead people to make fake complaints. However, given the stigma associated with such an accusation, the consequences can be very real.
Soon after his family rejected a prospective bride for him, software engineer Shahid Kamal, set to board a flight from Mumbai, was apprehended by the Mumbai crime branch to probe his “nexus” with ISIS.Report in The Times of India
8. Maldives-Wary PM Modi to Steer Clear of Amal Clooney
Amal Clooney is coming to India, but PM Modi and the government are avoiding the human rights lawyer, according to a report in The Telegraph. Officially, Amal is visiting for a media conclave, but she plans to lobby the government on behalf of her client, the former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed. Amal, who is married to actor George Clooney, wants the Indian government to put pressure on the Maldives to drop the terrorism charges against her client.
British PM James Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel met Amal Clooney, but PM Modi must forego that pleasure due to foreign policy compulsions.
India, while keen to nudge the Maldives away from its current political crisis – and to help Nasheed – also wants to stay friendly with the current government in Male, and is desperate to avoid any public appearance of lobbying with Amal. “It’s a tricky and complicated situation for India,” M Samatha, research fellow and Maldives expert at the New Delhi-based Indian Council for World Affairs, told this newspaper. “Strategically, the Maldives is very important and India has to deal with its government. But Nasheed’s conviction remains a festering sore that won’t just go away.”Report in The Telegraph
9. Shaktiman Is a Rare Horse, and There Is More Than One Reason for It
Shaktiman was doing her job – preventing a crowd from moving forward – when BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi attacked her. There’s good news. The beautiful white mare is likely to recover from her injuries and may even run again.
However, not all of the equine population in India are as lucky, according to The Indian Express.
Despite the declining numbers, the state does not seem keen to ensure their care. Under The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, anyone who beats, kicks, over-rides, over-drives, over-loads, tortures or otherwise ill-treats any animal can get away by paying a fine of between Rs 10-50. The proposal to increase the penalty for mistreatment of animals has been pending for well over half a decade now. In the case of the assault on Shaktiman, however, BJP MLA Joshi has been booked under IPC Section 429 (killing, maiming or rendering useless animals of value including a horse), which attracts up to five years in jail.Article in The Indian Express
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