CURRENT AFFAIRS
22 March 2021
NATIONAL NEWS:
A) Mumbai Police ex-chief Julio Ribeiro can probe allegations against Maharashtra Home Minister, says Sharad Pawar.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Sunday said the charges against senior NCP leader and Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, made by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, are ‘serious’ and any decision regarding him will be taken by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Pawar, however, questioned the timing of the allegations levelled by Singh. On Saturday, in an email letter to Chief Minister Thackeray, Singh had alleged that the Home Minister had asked police officers, including the suspended officer, Sachin Vaze, to collect ₹100 crore every month from bars and hotels in the city. Pointing out that the allegations were made after Singh was removed as police chief over the ‘lapses’ in the probe into the security threat outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence, Antilia, Pawar suggested an in-depth probe by former Mumbai top cop, Julio Ribeiro, whose credibility is beyond questioning. He also claimed that Sachin Vaze, who remained suspended for over 16 years for his role in a custodial death case, was reinstated by Singh last year and neither the Chief Minister nor the State Home Minister was responsible for it. The NCP chief told reporters at his official residence in Delhi that Param Bir Singh did meet him but it was only when his transfer orders were about to be issued by the Maharashtra government. The episode has led to tensions in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government as the Shiv Sena leadership is reported to be against Deshkmukh’s continuance as a minister. Pawar is learnt to have convened a meeting of party leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and State NCP chief Jayant Patil to discuss the issue. The NCP supremo also said the party must hear out Deshmukh, who has categorically denied all the allegations, before taking a final decision. There were allegations that he had directed the police to collect ₹100 crore. There is no information on actual transaction of money. No Information on any money being transferred to the Home Minister, he pointed out. The central leadership of the Congress party, the third partner in the MVA alliance, decided to adopt a ‘wait and watch approach’. Party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said the All India Congress Committee’s (AICC) Maharashtra in-charge, H.K, Patil, will speak on the issue soon.
B) West Bengal Assembly Elections | BJP manifesto promises CAA implementation.
The BJP on Sunday promised implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), reservation of 33% for women in government jobs, and allocation of ₹18,000 pending to 75 lakh farmers under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi in its manifesto for the West Bengal Assembly polls. Releasing the party’s manifesto titled ‘Sonar Bangla Sonkolpo Potro 2021’, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the manifesto is a vision of realising the party’s slogan of ‘Sonar Bangla (Golden Bengal)’. Along with 33% reservation for women in government jobs, the BJP promised free education for girls from kindergarden to post-graduation, free rides for women in public transport, and conditional cash transfer to school-going girls in Class VI,IX, XI and XII. The Trinamool Congress has a conditional cash transfer scheme for school-going girls called Kanyashree Scheme, which has received international acclaim. Shah promised the implementation of CAA in the first Cabinet meeting of the BJP government in West Bengal. The BJP had promised implementation of CAA in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, and the Bill was passed in the Parliament the same year. During the run-up to the election campaign, the BJP leadership, including Shah, have maintained that the rules for the CAA were being framed and the Act will be implemented after the vaccination for Covid-19 is completed. The refugees who have come to the State as early as 70 years ago are still awaiting their rights. We will implement CAA in the first Cabinet of the BJP government. Under the CM Refugee Welfare scheme ₹10,000 will be given to each of the refugee families for the next five years, Shah said. CAA is an emotive issue for Matuas, Hindu refugees who migrated from Bangladesh. Matuas can influence electoral results in 40 out of the 294 seats in West Bengal.
C) Allahabad High Court to consider transfer of Hathras gang-rape and murder case.
Responding to an affidavit filed by the elder brother of the Hathras gang-rape and murder victim to stay the trial proceedings in view of the real and grave risk of a miscarriage of justice after he and his counsel were allegedly threatened in the courtroom of the Special Judge (SC/ST), Hathras, on March 5, the Allahabad High Court has asked the District Judge, Hathras, and the Inspector General Central Reserve Police Force to look into the allegations and submit a report within 15 days. After that, the two-judge Bench of Justices Rajan Roy and Jaspreet Singh said on Friday that it would consider whether trial in question before the Special Judge (SC/ST), Hathras is required to be stayed and is to be transferred elsewhere in the exercise of powers under Section 407 of CrPc. Policemen cremated the body of a 19-year-old Dalit gang rape victim in the early hours of September 30, 2020 in U.P.’s Hathras district. The affidavit submitted by the victim’s brother on March 18 said that on March 5, when he, accompanied by his wife, and counsel Seema Kushawaha, went to the Special Court of B.D. Bharti to record prosecution evidence, an advocate named Tarun Hari Sharma stormed into the courtroom and charged towards him and his counsel, shouting and issuing threats. Sharma seemed to be under the influence of alcohol and he said that Kushwaha could not represent the victim’s family. The affidavit further said a large mob, including lawyers, gathered inside the courtroom in order to threaten and intimidate the complainant and his counsel. On account of fear for their life and security, the affidavit said, the prosecution witness could not depose properly. When the proceedings resumed, the affidavit stated, another advocate, Hari Sharma, who is said to be the father of Tarun Hari Sharma, entered the courtroom and issued threats. After this, the affidavit said, the Presiding Judge was forced to stop the proceedings, ask police personnel present in the court to provide security cover within court premises, and direct the Station House Officer (SHO), Kotwali to provide safe and secure passage to Kushwaha.
D) Two PDP leaders resign from party.
Two PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) leaders including Khursheed Alam, who was named in the party’s political affairs committee last week, resigned from the party on Sunday. Alam, a former trade union leader who joined PDP after retiring from government service, said he has resigned from the party as it lacked any vision. Asked about his future course of action, he said he will make an announcement about it in due course. Alam, who rose through the ranks in the Consumer Affairs Department, was a surprise induction in the PDP as it tried to strengthen its base in Srinagar City. Another PDP leader Yasir Reshi, who had rebelled against party president Mehbooba Mufti two years ago, said he has also sent his resignation formally. Reshi, who hails from Bandipora district in north Kashmir, said he will consult his workers and well-wishers before deciding on his future course.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
A) India, Pakistan, China to participate in SCO joint anti-terrorism exercise this year.
India, Pakistan, China and other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will hold a joint anti-terrorism exercise this year, the eight-member bloc said. The decision to hold the joint exercise, ‘Pabbi-Antiterror-2021’, was announced during the 36th meeting of the Council of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on March 18. At the meeting, representatives of the SCO member states also approved the draft program of cooperation for 2022-2024 to counter terrorism, separatism and extremism. Decisions have been made to improve cooperation between the competent authorities of the SCO member states in identifying and suppressing channels that finance terrorist activities, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported, quoting a RATS statement. Delegations of the competent authorities of India, Kazakhstan, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and the RATS Executive Committee attended the meeting, Xinhua reported. RATS, headquartered in Tashkent, is a permanent organ of the SCO which serves to promote cooperation of member states against terrorism, separatism and extremism. The SCO is an economic and security bloc in which India and Pakistan were admitted as full members in 2017. Its founding members included China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The next meeting of the Council of the RATS SCO is scheduled to be held in September in Uzbekistan.
B) Myanmar border shut amid strains over refugee crisis.
Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga held a virtual meeting on Sunday with Foreign Minister of Myanmar Zin Mar Aung amid the ongoing military crackdown following the February coup, even as India sealed all entry points along the border with the southeast Asian neighbour and is closely monitoring them to prevent any Myanmar national from entering the country. Had a fruitful meeting [online] this morning with Zin Mar Aung, Hon’ble Foreign Minister, Myanmar. Our thoughts and prayers are with Myanmar in these trying times, Mr. Zoramthanga said on Twitter. He had earlier written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging intervention so that political refugees from Myanmar are given asylum and food and shelter in the country. The tussle between the Centre and the State on the issue has created a tough time for New Delhi and security agencies in handling the situation on the ground, multiple officials said. In the letter dated March 18, Mr. Zoramthanga said the people residing on both sides have close linkages. India cannot turn a blind eye to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in front of us in our own backyard, the Chief Minister said. The letter comes after a series of exchanges between the State and the Central governments over the handling of the refugees. Stating that the whole of Myanmar is in turmoil and innocent hapless citizens are being persecuted by the military regime, who are supposed to be their guardians and protectors, Mr. Zoramthanga said the Myanmar area bordering Mizoram is inhibited by Chin communities, who are ethnically our brethren with whom we have been having close contacts throughout all these years even before India became independent. Following the February 1 coup when the Myanmar military overthrew the democratically elected government, around 300 Myanmarese nationals, including many policemen, have crossed into India and sought refuge.
