Saturday, October 29, 2011

[ZESTCaste] Support Jai Bhim Network, Hungary

 

Few days' back, as I wrote on the Jai Bhim Network (Hungary) and new church law prohibiting Jai Bhim Network from its activities. Jai Bhim Network has launched new website http://www.refuge.hu/ to appeal Buddhists, well-wishers and guards of freedom around the world to support Jai Bhim Network, Hungary.
Please visit the link http://www.refuge.hu/ and support Jai Bhim Network.
 






From: Pardeep <pardeepattri@yahoo.co.in>
To: "BuddhistCircle@yahoogroups.com" <BuddhistCircle@yahoogroups.com>; burma <bhantent@gmail.com>; BUDUSARANA <BUDUSARANA@LAKEHOUSE.LK>; "ATHULA@ATT.NET" <ATHULA@ATT.NET>; Maha Bodhi Society Chennai <mbschennai@yahoo.com>; lake house <sachitra@gmail.com>; ven vinayarakkhita <vinayarakkhita@yahoo.co.in>; sandeep <sandeepkom@yahoo.com>; Dr. K. Jamanadas <kjmndas@gmail.com>; "MINGKONGZHANG@YAHOO.COM" <MINGKONGZHANG@YAHOO.COM>; IL <mahinda5@yahoo.com>; P.P. Lakshman <pplakshman08@gmail.com>; "DAYAHEWAPATHI@YAHOO.CA" <DAYAHEWAPATHI@YAHOO.CA>
Cc: Bhikkhuni <tathaaloka@msn.com>; bo khinmaung <bokhinmaung@yahoo.co.uk>; "derdak.tibor@gmail.com" <derdak.tibor@gmail.com>; "derdak@ambedkar.hu" <derdak@ambedkar.hu>; "humanhorizons@yahoogroups.co.uk" <humanhorizons@yahoogroups.co.uk>; "dhamma_voice@yahoogroups.com" <dhamma_voice@yahoogroups.com>; "MulnivasiBahujanWorld@yahoogroups.com" <MulnivasiBahujanWorld@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, 24 October 2011 8:24 PM
Subject: Re: [The Buddhist Circle] HUNGARY BAN BUDDHISM

Jai Bhim friends,

It's true that Hungarian government has brought such a unlawful law (famously known as church law). I've written about this at this link http://drambedkarbooks.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/church-law-and-the-future-of-jai-bhim-network-in-hungary/

Please read above article and support Jai Bhim Network in Hungary, without your support future of Jai Bhim Network is dark! 

Thank you.

Best Regards
 







From: Desappriya jayasuriya <ceylontjaya@yahoo.com>
To: burma <bhantent@gmail.com>; BUDUSARANA <BUDUSARANA@LAKEHOUSE.LK>; "ATHULA@ATT.NET" <ATHULA@ATT.NET>; afgan <aryabuddha@yahoogroups.com>; "bodhisatva_group@yahoogroups.com" <bodhisatva_group@yahoogroups.com>; Maha Bodhi Society Chennai <mbschennai@yahoo.com>; lake house <sachitra@gmail.com>; ven vinayarakkhita <vinayarakkhita@yahoo.co.in>; sandeep <sandeepkom@yahoo.com>; Dr. K. Jamanadas <kjmndas@gmail.com>; "MINGKONGZHANG@YAHOO.COM" <MINGKONGZHANG@YAHOO.COM>; IL <mahinda5@yahoo.com>; IL <mahinda5@yahoo.com>; P.P. Lakshman <pplakshman08@gmail.com>; dalit <buddhistcircle@yahoogroups.com>; "DAYAHEWAPATHI@YAHOO.CA" <DAYAHEWAPATHI@YAHOO.CA>
Cc: Bhikkhuni <tathaaloka@msn.com>; bo khinmaung <bokhinmaung@yahoo.co.uk>
Sent: Monday, 24 October 2011 12:47 AM
Subject: [The Buddhist Circle] HUNGARY BAN BUDDHISM

 
Religious recognition restricted

The Hungarian parliament has passed "Europe's most restrictive religion law", says the head of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy, Joseph K Grieboski, who took part in the discussions. The evangelical communities condemned "the greatest discrimination against evangelical Christians since the fall of communism". Buddhists, Muslims, Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses will not be recognised either.

Fourteen congregations will be accredited, securing them financial advantages.

This article originally appeared in Le Monde




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[ZESTCaste] Story of dalit rape victim: Police, SC commission none help

 

Dear friends,

Advocate Uttam Gautam is telling us story of a dalit woman who was gang raped in
2010. When she went to police they did not do anything on the case. She went to
SC/ST commission. When they took up the case the investigation came to same
police officers. In the mean time her husband left her. Two of her children were
kidnapped by the rapists. But she did not relent. She now lives in a small house
alone but there seems to be no end to her fight. For more Mr Gautam can be
reached at 09721813108

http://www.cgnetswara.org/index.php?id=8139

You can also listen to this post after leaving a missed call on 080 4113 7280.
You can also record your own messages/songs the same way using your phone as
this user has done
Regards
CGnet Swara moderators team

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[ZESTCaste] Statue Park Maya's desperate bid to woo the Dalits (Dipankar Gupta)

 

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/mayawati-up-politics-dalit-park-in-noida/1/157533.html

Dipankar Gupta New Delhi, October 26, 2011 | UPDATED 11:58 IST
Statue Park Maya's desperate bid to woo the Dalits

In Hindu Vedantic tradition, Maya is illusion; Maya is the futility of
worldly possessions; Maya is transitory. But Mayawati, the Chief
Minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP), is none of the above. She is rich,
real, and tough; and now she is also cast in bronze.

But does she have the political smarts? Or is she a single minded
egotist lucky to be at the right place at the right time? Or, is her
time running out? Does she not know that she is a much more divisive
and controversial figure now than what she was in 2007?

These questions resonate a lot more today especially as elections in
UP are round the corner. Given that, what sense did it make for her to
inaugurate the Dalit Park in Noida earlier this month? A walk in this
park is far from ordinary, but will displays of this kind help her win
the Chief Minister's position yet again?

Obviously, even her supporters must wonder why she had to splurge Rs.
685 crores on this extravaganza. It is equal to 32 per cent of the
state's education budget, 15 per cent of its agricultural budget and
roughly 14 per cent of the amount allocated for women and child
development. Why then did she do this? A death wish? Or a one shot
chance at survival?

2007

Mayawati's electorate today is vastly different from what she faced in
2007. At that time, many saw in her an antidote to the Yadav swagger
that had grown and thrived during Mulayam Singh's rule. Dominant
agrarian communities, like Jats and Gujars, felt threatened by the way
Yadavs were flaunting their muscles and knuckles in rural UP.

The Yadav factor also worked to swing many urban Brahmans and
Merchants to Mayawati's side, though for different reasons. In their
reckoning, Yadavs got a lift in securing public sector jobs because
Mulayam Singh's government championed, and extended, Reservations to
Other Backward Classes (or, OBCs).

Further, during the 2007 campaign, Mayawati gave the impression that
she was willing to add to the Reserved quota the category of the poor,
regardless of their caste background. The urban communities saw this
as a sure fire way of winging the OBCs and retaining some of their
hold, especially in white collar occupations.

So from different ends, huge numbers, in both rural and urban UP, had
reason to wish Mayawati to power. The Yadavs clearly did not want her
in 2007 which is why in places where they dominate, like Mainpuri,
Firozabad, Etah and Kannauj, Mayawati did not fare well at all. There
is no reason either why Yadavs should change their minds this time
around.

But Jats and Gujars of West UP, who voted for Mayawati in 2007, have
every reason to change their minds. Mayawati's land acquisition drive
has cut them deeply where it hurts the most. Much of this drama may
have happened in west UP, but its message was not lost in transit. All
across UP, it has chilled the spines of small owner proprietors and it
has certainly put their guard up against her.

The urban castes too are unhappy for Mayawati's assurance of a caste
blind Reservation has not progressed an inch during her five year long
tenure. They were just promises, promises. Very recently she made a
statement reaffirming her intention of going ahead with her
Reservation reforms, but nobody is taking her seriously this time.

Strategy

If Mayawati were to now call off her statue erection spree it would
not endear her to the rural Jats or Gujars, or the urban castes. It is
too late for that. Their minds are already made up for reasons that
have little to do with Mayawati's bombast. Her best bet now is to wow
Dalits to such a pitch that, come election time, they think of nothing
else but salvaged pride.

Some commentators argue that when Mayawati brings on the bling, or
wears diamonds on her birthday, there are whoops of joy from her
admiring Dalit votaries. In their view, those who live in hovels
cannot admire another who also lives in one, no matter how public
spirited that person might be. Mayawati owns some of the best
properties in Delhi and she loves to display her addresses, if only to
upset the local elite. What counts most is to cock a snook at the
established classes, and if that takes distilled bad taste, so be it.

For many, Mayawati's excesses, from her personal lifestyle to her
egotistic projects, may look like a difficult bullet to dodge. But her
close supporters are quick on the offensive. They retaliate by
pointing to how corporate bigwigs and other political parties behave.
For example, Mukesh Ambani's home in Mumbai is valued at a billion US
dollars, about eight times the amount spent on the Dalit Park. Also
what about acres and acres of land on Yamuna's right bank in Delhi
dedicated to the memorials of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty?

Prospects

But will statue making do the job? In 2007 she lost Dalit dominated
areas in Sitapur, Rae Bareilly and Bara Banki. She cannot afford that
luxury in 2012. True, she has created a cult around her and made some
people very sensitive to her mood swings. That assures her of loyal
sycophants, but what about the ordinary Dalit voters?

This is Mayawati's fourth stint as Chief Minister, albeit this being
the first time she has lasted the full term. Her political presence
over the years has not done her state much good. India is poor, but UP
is poorer. Its Infant Mortality Rate and poverty status are only
slightly better than Odisha, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. It is also
fourth from the bottom in terms of India's Human Development Index.

Mayawati had full five years this time, but UP's ranking remained
where it was when she started. This must definitely disappoint her
Dalit supporters, most of whom are not just poor, but on the margin of
survival. Identity claims are good if they bring better food, health
and education. On their own they lose steam quickly or, at best, stay
located among the elite of that community.

Yet, from the looks of it, Mayawati is chancing her future on
razzle-dazzle and not performance. This will probably be her undoing
in the next election.

- The writer is a former professor of Jawaharlal Nehru University Dalits

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/mayawati-up-politics-dalit-park-in-noida/1/157533.html

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[ZESTCaste] Mayawati Complains to PM Against Jairam

 

http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=120421

Friday, October 28, 2011 3:40:12 PM (IST)
Mayawati Complains to PM Against Jairam

Lucknow, Oct 28 (IANS): Chief Minister Mayawati Friday shot off a
letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, complaining against union
Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh who has alleged large scale
irregularities in the execution of the rural jobs scheme in Uttar
Pradesh.

Saying that Ramesh lacked understanding of fiscal federalism, she
sought to draw Singh's attention to the minister's bid to generalise
information on projects inplemented under the Mahatma Gandhi National
Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) that he had gathered from
a Chitrakoot-based NGO.

"It was strange that the union minister chose to draw his conclusions
on the basis of feedback limited to just seven districts in a state
which has as many as 75 districts," state cabinet secretary Shashank
Shekhar Singh said reading out the letter at a press conference here
on behalf of Mayawati.

"Even with reference to the seven districts mentioned in the union
minister's letter, the chief minister has clarified that departmental
proceedings have already been initiated against six chief development
officers (CDOs), seven project directors, 28 block development
officers (BDO) and more than 40 field level officials."

Singh said: "These include 27 Class I officers, 38 Class II officers
and 69 Class III employees together with 236 field level smaller
functionaries. As many as 71 FIRs have been lodged with the police in
all cases of financial irregularities and a sum of Rs.54 lakh has been
recovered from the culprits while proceedings for further recovery of
Rs.1.31 crore are under way."

Ramesh had sent a letter to Mayawati Monday regarding the
implementation of MGNREGS.

Reacting sharply to Ramesh's threat to stop funds to Uttar Pradesh,
Mayawati stated in her letter: "It only highlights his lack of
understanding of fiscal federalism inherent in our constitution."

She has urged the prime minister to "apprise the union minister of
centre-state fiscal arrangements provided in the constitution so that
he could realise that the funds released to the state for various
schemes such as MGNREGS are not a largesse bestowed by the centre but
a firm part of the revenue sharing mechanism under our federal
system." She accused Ramesh of having a "colonial hangover".

Vehemently refuting Ramesh's charge of "substandard work", she hit out
at him adding: "It is quite obvious that Jairam Ramesh has a
preconceived agenda and has arrived at conclusions without taking
cognisance of the various steps taken by my government for ensuring an
effective implementation of the said scheme".

Mayawati has further sought to point out that Uttar Pradesh was among
the first few states in the country "to not only enhance the minimum
wage with effect from 2008 but to also build a system of payment of
wages only through banks or post-offices, only with a view to
preventing any pilferage".

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[ZESTCaste] Dalits boycott peace meeting in Siddapura

 

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/200600/dalits-boycott-peace-meeting-siddapura.html

Dalits boycott peace meeting in Siddapura
Konanuru (Hassan Dist), Oct 26, DHNS:

Dalits boycotted a peace meeting convened by the deputy commissioner
in connection with the social ostracisation at Siddapura village here
on Wednesday.

When Dalit families heard that a meeting had been convened, they
boycotted as they complained that officials had come to the village
after more than one month of the incident.

Nine Dalit families had been ostracised recently when they refused to
carry out work ordered by the upper caste communities.

A team comprising deputy commissioner K G Jagadish, superintendent of
police Amit Singh, Dy SP P Parashuram, Sakleshpur assistant
commissioner Pallavi Akurathi, social welfare officer Kanthaiah,
in-charge tahsildhar Ayesha Parveen and others had arrived at the
village.

However, a letter was sent to the deputy commissioner stating that the
latter had failed to visit the village despite knowing about Dalit
families being ostracised.

Demanding the suspension of CPI Kumaraswamy they said 17 accused are
yet to be arrested. The deputy commissioner said he was ready to
convene a meeting in Hassan at any time to listen to the grievances of
Dalits and take necessary action.­

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[ZESTCaste] Mayawati rejects MNREGA scam charge, slams Centre

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Mayawati-rejects-MNREGA-scam-charge-slams-Centre/articleshow/10519166.cms

Mayawati rejects MNREGA scam charge, slams Centre
Ashish Tripathi, TNN | Oct 28, 2011, 04.31PM IST

LUCKNOW: Describing union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh's
letter citing a huge scam in implementation of schemes under National
Rural Employment Guarantee (NREGA) as "politically motivated and
misleading", UP chief minister and BSP supremo Mayawati hit back at
the Central government.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, she not only described
the allegations as a bundle of lies but has also reminded that Jairam
Ramesh is trying to undermine the federal structure of the country by
interfering in the state's domain. Mayawati said that state government
has ordered economic offence wing of the state police to probe the
irregularities and asked Prime Minister to intervene for release of
funds under MNREGA to carry out schemes for poor.

Later, addressing a press conference, UP cabinet secretary Shashank
Manohar, while speaking on behalf of the chief minister, raised doubts
over central government's intentions over the timing of the letter
saying that the state government received government's letter on
October 24, whereas the information was already published in the
media.

Shekhar also said that UP has been on the top for three continuous
years for successfully implementing MNREGA schemes.

Commenting on Jairam's demand of ordering a Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged corrupt practices in the
NREGA in the districts of Balrampur, Gonda, Mahoba, Sonebhadra, Sant
Kabir Nagar, Mirzapur and Kushinagar, the cabinet secretary said "as
far as the letter is concerned no specific allegations have been
mentioned it's just a general letter."

He also said that the state quality monitor has been looking after the
schemes and it's role has already been appreciated.

Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh had on October 25 asked the
Uttar Pradesh government to order a CBI probe into alleged
misappropriation of funds under the rural job guarantee scheme in some
districts. The UP government must pave the way for the CBI probe if it
has nothing to hide, he stated in the letter. He also said that the
annual budget of MNREGA scheme in UP had increased to over Rs 5,000
crore and the performance of scheme in the state was poor in
comparison to other states. He warned the state government that
funding for the scheme may have to be stopped, but said his ministry
would not resort to any such decision, though it had the powers to do
so, as it would lead to unnecessarily punishing the poor for a crime
they had not committed.

In response, Mayawati has overlooked Jairam Ramesh and written
directly to the Prime Minister.

In her letter she states: "Mr Prime Minister, I wish to bring to your
notice, the utter disregard of propriety shown by the union minister
for rural development has attempted to score political points by
alleging misuse of funds received by the UP, under the MGNREGA scheme.
Interestingly, the letter was released to the media, much before my
office received it, further confirming the intentions of the Minister.
It would be appropriate if the minister is apprised of the Centre
State Fiscal Arrangements provided in our constitution. He would then
realize, that funds released to the state for various schemes such as
MGNREGA area not a largesse bestowed by the centre but form a part of
the revenue sharing mechanism under our Federal System."

Maya, further, states " It is quite obvious that Jairam Ramesh has a
preconceived agenda and has arrived at conclusions without taking any
cognizance of the various steps taken by my Government for ensuring an
effective implementation of the said scheme. I would like to bring to
your notice measures undertaken by the UP government in pursuance of
my clear directives to ensure that schemes like MGNREGA are properly
implemented. UP has been a pioneer in the implementation of MGNREGA.
The progress of the last three years in implementing this scheme has
clearly placed UP in the top performing bracket, way above most other
states. I am attaching a chart summarizing the key performance
indicators available on the website of the union rural development
ministry. The achievement of the state in terms of household coverage,
employment generation and expenditure incurred is clearly evident."

Mayawati alo writes, "UP was among the first state to have enhanced
the minimum wages and from 2008 onwards, all wage payments to job card
holders are made through bank/post office accounts. About three
fourths of the program funds are spent through the Gram Panchayats. As
regards the baseless allegation of the minister regarding inaction on
the National Level Monitors (NLM) reports, I would like to inform you
that 67 reports have been received since the inception of this scheme
till date. Detailed Action Taken Reports (ATRs) on 49 NLM reports have
already been submitted to the ministry of union rural development.
Actions with respect to the remaining NLM reports are in progress at
various levels. As of now, actions such as, suspensions and
disciplinary proceedings have been taken against 27 Class I officials,
38 Class II officials and 69 Class III officials along with 236 field
level functionaries. Seventy one FIRs have been lodged in cases of
financial irregularities. An amount of Rs. 53.97 lakh has been
recovered and recovery proceedings are under progress for Rs. 131
lakh."

UP chief minister has also clarified in the letter "In so far as the 7
districts mentioned in the letter are concerned, departmental
proceedings have been initiated against 6 chief development officers
(additional program coordinator), 7 project directors /district
development officers (joint district program coordinator), 28 block
development officers (program officers) and more than 40 field level
officials. Apart from this, actions against a superintending engineer,
a divisional forest official, four executive engineers, there
assistant engineers. 16 junior engineers and 28 gram pradhans have
been initiated. Proceedings against two district magistrates (district
program coordinator) is pending consideration."

Slamming Jairam Ramesh, Mayawti states in the letter "Ironically,
minister's letter has appreciated the state government's initiative in
appointing State Quality Monitors (SQM) with impeccable integrity for
ensuring proper program monitoring especially with respect to field
level implementation. It would be pertinent to mention here, that just
a few months back, the union minister of rural development had sent a
high level committee under chairmanship of Pradeep Bhargava for field
inspections. The committee after undertaking extensive field
inspections, appreciated the various initiatives and efforts made by
state government".

Mayawati also attached an extract of the central committee's report
with her letter and said that Jairam Ramesh had deliberately sought to
generalize his subjective impressions formed during his interactions
with one NGO which is working in Chitrakoot.

"Furthermore, he has tried to make sweeping generalizations from
certain findings with respect to only seven districts, conveniently
forgetting that the State of UP has 75 districts. The reference of the
minister in respect of withholding the release under MGNREGA only
highlights his utter lack of understanding of the fiscal federalism
inherent in our Constitution. He seems to think that Central grants
for sponsored programs are discretion discretion he bestows on states;
distinct signs of a colonial hangover. The minister has shown a
blatant disregard of the 'Rules of Business" by drawing parallels with
the NRHM investigations, which has no connection, whatsoever, with his
Ministry. He suggests a CBI inquiry, as if the state government does
not have its own agencies," she said.

Mayawati also stated, "We have taken appropriate actions in the past
and I am taking due cognizance of the Minister's letter. I have also
directed the Economic Offences Wing of the state police to undertake
expeditious investigations into the alleged irregularities and bring
to task those responsible. The state has already spent more than sixty
percent of the funds available and has sent proposals for release of
the second tranche along with all the necessary certificates. I would,
therefore, request you to intervene in this matter and ensure the
timely release of funds so as to facilitate the continued
implementation of the scheme. The centre and state should stand
together to secure the legal livelihood entitlements of all the needy
households."

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[ZESTCaste] As graft charges surge, Maya wonders whom to field in 2012

http://www.tehelka.com/story_main50.asp?filename=Ne051111graft_charges.asp

From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 8, Issue 44, Dated 05 Nov 2011
CURRENT AFFAIRS

UP LOKAYUKTA

As graft charges surge, Maya wonders whom to field in 2012

Many MLAs have been indicted by the courts or by the Lokayukta,
reports Virendra Nath Bhatt

Heavy workload Lokayukta Justice Mehrotra's office has been flooded
with complaints

Photo: Pramod Adhikari

LOKAYUKTA OF Uttar Pradesh Justice (retd) NK Mehrotra is perhaps the
most overburdened ombudsman in India. His office is flooded with
complaints of corruption, particularly amassing of assets and landgrab
by ministers of the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party, MLAs and other ruling
party leaders. Many complainants prefer to remain anonymous, fearing
reprisals by goons of the ruling party.
Mayawati

Tough times Mayawati is having to bow to the anti-graft mood of voters
all over the country

How Mayawati sweetened the sugar mill deal for a liquor don

Will Lokayukta report take down CM?

Maya needs to walk about
ANANT KUMAR MISRA

Anant Kumar Mishra
Kanpur

Inducted as health minister without being elected, he resigned on
'moral grounds' after three doctors died
AVADHPAL

Avadhpal Singh Yadav
Etah

Son of a ganglord, he was politically useful as he hailed from the
Yadav heartland but is now out in the cold
BABU SINGH KUSHWAHA

Babu Singh Kushwaha
Bundelkhand

Mayawati's private secretary for over a decade, he handled health and
mining till the NRHM scam
BADSHAH SINGH

Badshah Singh
Mahoba

He debuted in 1991 on a ticket given by BJP's Uma Bharti, now he faces
half-a-dozen criminal charges
RAJESH TRIPATHI

Rajesh Tripathi
Gorakhpur

An NGO controlled by him was indicted for extortions at a crematorium
but he will still contest
Rangnath_Mishra

Rangnath Mishra
Auraiya

The Lokayukta recommended a detailed probe by the CBI into his Rs 200
crore wealth

Asked to explain the surge in complaints, Mehrotra says, "There are
several reasons for that: the Right to Information Act, subsequent
rise in awareness among the masses and media coverage. Last but not
least is the prompt action taken by Mayawati on my reports against her
ministers. All this has emboldened the people to speak up against
corruption in areas affecting their daily lives."

One such complaint said a minister, who hails from a humble
background, today owns assets worth several hundred crores. Another
minister has purchased several hundred acres in the name of his
servants, family members and other associates, while one minister is
said to have acquired huge assets in Maharashtra and a big farmhouse
in his home district.

In October, Chief Minister Mayawati asked three ministers to resign
following the report of the Lokayukta indicting them. Now Mehrotra is
examining complaints against other ministers, but is reluctant to
reveal names. "I am conducting preliminary inquiries. In some cases, I
have asked for filing of the complaint in the prescribed format and
also putting allegations on affidavit,'' said the Lokayukta.

Even UP Director General of Police Brij Lal is under a cloud — he is
accused of misappropriating over Rs 1,200 crore collected by deducting
Rs 25 per month from the salaries of over 3.87 lakh police personnel.
The complainant, a police constable who has since been dismissed from
service, alleges there is no trace of the funds collected in this way
for the welfare of police personnel.

Mayawati has had no choice but to deny tickets to tainted party MLAs
for the 2012 Assembly polls in the hope of stemming the tide of
surging anti-incumbency. Ironically, when she rode the crest of a
similar wave against the then Mulayam Singh Yadav government in May
2007, Mayawati promised to end the 'goonda raj' of the Samajwadi Party
regime and put its top leaders behind bars.

It was much more than the magical formula of Dalit-Muslim-Brahmin that
earned the BSP supremo her landslide victory in the 2007 Assembly
polls. Behind her winning social engineering concept was the might of
over 132 handpicked ganglords from the UP badlands. The electorate
sent 70 of them to the Assembly, giving Mayawati one of her best wins.
Many were rewarded with Cabinet berths and top posts at state bodies.
But the honeymoon did not last and soon the strongmen — or Bahubalis,
as they are called in the local dialect — started giving everyone a
headache.

Several MLAs indulged in brazen acts of violation of the law while
Mayawati herself seemed preoccupied, indulging her obsession with
parks, statues and memorials of Dalit icons. But then their names
cropped up in murder cases. Shekhar Tewari was convicted for life by a
sessions court in the murder of the executive engineer of Auraiya in
December 2008. BSP minister Anand Sen Yadav was also convicted by the
Faizabad sessions court in a murder case. Jamuna Prasad, another
minister, was sacked in 2008 after his name figured in the murder of a
police constable in Gorakhpur district.

So far, eight ministers have been sacked. Those most recently shown
the door after their indictment by the Lokayukta are Rangnath Mishra,
Badshah Singh and Avadhpal Singh Yadav. In December last year,
minister of state Rajesh Tripathi was removed after his indictment by
the Lokayukta over extortion from a crematorium in Gorakhpur district.
Rural Development Minister Daddu Prasad was accused of sexual
exploitation of women in his home district Banda. The personal
assistant of the minister has been arrested while Mayawati has given a
clean chit to the minister.

The Lokayukta has complaints against as many as four ministers —
Finance Minister Lalji Verma, Energy Minister Ramveer Upadhaya,
Horticulture Minister Narayan Singh and minister of state Ratan Lal
Ahirwar — on counts of corruption filed by individuals and political
parties.

Mayawati has so far denied tickets to 29 sitting MLAs, including four
ministers, eight of them from the Scheduled Castes. (The BSP has 223
MLAs in the Assembly after four were disqualified for defecting to
other parties.) Unlike other parties, the BSP does not formally
announce its candidates or the changes in its list — such changes are
usually made public at the local level by district and zonal
coordinators of the party. Sources said more changes are likely in the
coming days. "Party coordinators are still collecting ground-level
information on the winning potential of sitting MLAs and the party
chief Mayawati is in direct touch with them," said a party leader.

"Although the ministers, who have been sacked, met our national
president Mayawati and claimed that they had been targeted by their
political rivals, she decided to remove them till the charges are
proved wrong," says Swami Prasad Maurya, state president of the BSP.

"The CM had also ordered a vigilance inquiry against Badshah Singh and
Awadh Pal Singh Yadav," says Maurya. "Yadav was removed from the post
of dairy development and animal husbandry minister last month after
the Lokayukta found him guilty of misusing department funds and
favouring his son. He was also alleged to have grabbed gram sabha
land.''

The ministers sacked on the report of the Lokayukta are obviously
jittery and term the ombudsman report as hasty and one-sided. "The
Lokayukta took cognisance of the complaint by a tainted MLA of the
Samajwadi Party, Vijay Mishra, against me and Rakesh Dhar Tripathi. He
is our political rival and his complaint was politically motivated,''
says Rangnath Mishra, former minister for secondary education, adding,
"The SP MLA is still in jail."

The Lokayukta says these charges are untenable, as "It's the stock
reply of every minister that the complainant is a criminal, a tainted
person, or a political rival. It's beyond my jurisdiction to examine
the conduct and the character of the complainant since he/she is not a
public servant. My job is to examine the conduct of the public servant
against whom charges of misconduct and corruption have been levelled.

Here are some of the tainted leaders:

Rangnath Mishra
Mishra, minister for secondary education, was found guilty of amassing
assets disproportionate to his known sources of income to the tune of
Rs 200 crore. The Lokayukta recommended a detailed investigation by
the CBI. Five-time MLA from Auraiya Assembly seat in Sant Ravidas
Nagar district, he was twice elected to the Assembly on a BJP ticket,
and was a minister in BJP regimes led by Ram Prakash Gupta and Rajnath
Singh. Mayawati has denied him a ticket for the 2012 Assembly polls.

Badshah Singh
A confidant of Uma Bharti, Badshah Singh was elected to the Assembly
for the first time in 1991 on a BJP ticket. A muscleman of Mahoba in
Bundelkhand, the sacked minister has over half-a-dozen criminal cases
against him. The Lokayukta report has charged him with grabbing gram
sabha land.

The minister besides having huge stakes in contract business in PWD,
irrigation and other engineering departments, has huge assets in
neighbouring Panna district of Madhya Pradesh. Badshah Singh has also
been denied the BSP ticket for 2012 Assembly polls. Mayawati has
ordered an inquiry by the state vigilance department against the
sacked minister.

Mayawati has so far denied tickets to 29 sitting MLAs, only eight of
whom are Scheduled Castes

Avadhpal Singh Yadav
Son of the former MLA and notorious ganglord of Etah district, Laturi
Singh, Yadav was minister for animal husbandry and dairy development.
Interestingly, he was a Cabinet minister in the first Mayawatiled
government in 1995 and 12 years later in 2007, was made minister of
state with independent charge. He was politically useful for the BSP
since he comes from the Yadav heartland of western UP, considered the
stronghold of the Samajwadi Party. He was sacked after his indictment
by the Lokayukta on charges of financial irregularities. At the behest
of the minister, his son was given the contract of construction of
veterinary hospitals in Etah and other places in the state. The
minister was also accused of running a bootlegging racket in the
district. He too has been denied the BSP ticket for 2012 polls.

Rajesh Tripathi
First elected to the Assembly in 2007 on a BSP ticket, Rajesh
Tripathi, minister of state for homoeopathy, a greenhorn in politics,
was indicted by the Lokayukta for alleged extortions by the NGO
controlled by the minister. The NGO runs a crematorium on the banks of
the Saryu river in Gorakhpur district. The Lokayukta had said in his
inquiry report that either the minister should resign from the NGO or
leave the ministry. Mayawati chose to sack him from the council of
ministers. Tripathi has, however, been lucky to get the party ticket
for the 2012 assembly polls.

Mayawati had vowed to end the goonda raj of the Samajwadi Party but
relied on the same kind of strongmen

Anant Kumar Mishra
A native of Kanpur, formerly with the BJP, he switched sides ahead of
the 2007 polls. He did not contest the 2007 Assembly polls, yet he was
inducted as health minister thanks to his proximity to Satish Chandra
Mishra, Rajya Sabha MP and Brahmin mascot of the BSP, who had
spearheaded the campaign ahead of the 2007 Assembly polls to bring
Brahmins into the BSP fold and later became Mayawati's righthand man.
Later, in August 2007, Anant Mishra contested the election from
Farrukhabad and won. Known to be one of the most notorious ministers
the health department has seen in the past five decades, Mishra will
be remembered for his ruthlessness for extortion and garnering
kickbacks in all the deals of purchase of equipment, medicine and
transfer and postings of doctors. He was said to be involved in a
running battle with Babu Singh Kushwaha, minister for family welfare,
over sharing the spoils from NRHM (National Rural Health Mission)
funds. He had to resign after the murder of two chief medical officers
and later the death of deputy CMO Dr YS Sachan. Mayawati claimed that
he has resigned on moral grounds in April this year. With the CBI
probing the NRHM scam and death of three doctors, Mishra is said to be
busy in pilgrimage, visiting holy places of all faiths, perhaps hoping
God can change his luck.

Babu Singh Kushwaha
A native of Bundelkhand belonging to a numerically significant OBC
caste and confidant of BSP national president, Kushwaha has worked as
private secretary to Mayawati for over a decade. As a member of the
State Legislative Council, he never contested the Assembly election
and was the key man in the innermost circle of political persons
looking after the important affairs of the party. Kushwaha resigned
along with Anant Mishra on 'moral grounds' in April. Besides the
family welfare department, he looked after the key portfolio of
minerals and mining. It was Kushwaha who looked after the
'contribution' from owners of stone-crushing factories, stone mine
lease-holders and contractors for Yamuna sand in Bundelkhand region.
Kushwaha had to resign once he became a hot potato for Mayawati after
the death of Dr Sachan. UP government claimed that he had committed
suicide but the CBI investing the case has established that Dr Sachan
was murdered.

virendranathbhatt@gmail.com


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[ZESTCaste] Pot calling the kettle black: BJP on Cong-BSP war of words

 

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/pot-calling-the-kettle-black-bjp-on-congbsp-war-of-words/878902.html

Pot calling the kettle black: BJP on Cong-BSP war of words
PTI | 06:10 PM,Oct 28,2011

New Delhi, Oct 28 (PTI) BJP today took potshots both at the UPA
government at the Centre and the BSP government in Uttar Pradesh for
alleged corruption in use of MNREGA funds saying the "pot was calling
the kettle black". "In Mayawati's regime, it is mayhem as far as the
administration is concerned and it's a bigger mayhem as far as
corruption is concerned but it is the pot calling the kettle black,"
BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said. Rudy was commenting on UP
Chief Minister Mayawati's letter to the Prime Minister in which she
said the allegations by Union Minister Jairam Ramesh of misuse of
MNREGA funds in the state were politically motivated. "The central
government has already been charged with enormous corruption, they are
charging the state government, they are no better," Rudy told
reporters here. "But having said whether it is the Mayawati government
in Uttar Pradesh or for that matter the Congress-led government at
Centre, they are equally responsible and should apportion the blame as
far as corruption is concerned," he added. "The Comptroller and
Auditor General has also said that MNREGA is suspect and there are a
lot of cases and facts have been found where there has been a lot of
misappropriation of MNREGA funds,"Rudy added. "It is a matter of
concern as it it affects the poor people. BJP has expressed its
concern over misuse of MNREGA funds both at the Centre and the
misgovernance and the loot at the state's level as well,"Rudy further
said.

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