Congress Party accuses Gujarat Govt. of tampering into Godhra riots probe

New Delhi/Gandhinagar, Aug 11 : In light of another senior police officer of the Gujarat cadre being hauled up for indiscipline, Congress Party on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi Government of trying to tamper into the investigations related to the 2002 Godhra riots."The decision by the Gujarat government to charge sheet another police official re-emphasises that the state government is making all efforts to keep the findings of the Gujarat riots, a secret," said Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari."We again demand that judicial procedure regarding matters pertaining to the riots should be carried out from outside Gujarat without any interference from the Gujarat government," he added.Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) maintained that the Gujarat Government is allowing the law to take its own course."Will any state should tolerate gross indiscipline, issue is of discipline not of politics. The Supreme Court is hearing every case so it will take proper decision but you do not allow indiscipline to creep in this way," said BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar.According to media reports, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DGP) Rahul Sharma has been served with a chargesheet that accuses him of indiscipline during the investigation into the Godhra riots.Sources told television channels like TIMES NOW and NDTV that Sharma is to be chargesheeted under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly passing on crucial information about the post Godhra riots to Nanavati Commission and the Special Investigation Team.Sharma told the SIT that phone records in the Naroda Patia case were destroyed.Sharma is the second Indian Police Service (IPS) officer to be targetted for indiscipline in Gujarat, the first being Sanjiv Bhatt, a 1988 batch IPS officer, who was suspended on Monday by the state Home Department in exercise of powers conferred by Rule 3(1) of All India Services (Discipline and Appeals) Rules, 1969.Bhatt's lawyer claimed that his,client's suspension by the state government was due to a petition filed by him in the Supreme Court and he is weighing legal options to challenge the action.In his 19-page supplementary affidavit filed before the Supreme Court last week, Bhatt alleged someone in the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing post-Godhra riot cases was leaking sensitive details related to investigations conducted by it to Additional Advocate General Tushar Mehta.Bhatt had earlier accused Modi of misusing the state machinery during post-Godhra riots and of asking cops to ignore calls for help from Muslims during the riots. Bhatt alleged in the affidavit before the apex court that he had seen e-mails from SIT probing the riots cases in the personal mail account of Mehta. Mehta,on his part, lodged a complaint with the state cyber cell last Friday accusing Bhatt of hacking his e-mails ==================================================

Telangana employees reject invitation for talks

Hyderabad, Aug 11 : Government employees in Telangana Thursday rejected the Andhra Pradesh government's invitation for talks over their proposed indefinite strike from Aug 17 to demand creation of separate state and resolution of service-related issues.The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Telangana employees, teachers and gazetted officers took the decision at its meeting to discuss the invitation by the cabinet sub-committee.JAC leaders said that since the government had not accepted their preconditions, they would not hold any talks with the cabinet sub-committee.The JAC wants the government to withdraw orders invoking the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) in various departments and also call back para-military and police forces deployed in government offices.The committee's leaders said the government was trying to intimidate them in the name of talks and hence they would not participate. They had boycotted a meeting last week with the five-member cabinet sub-committee. The JAC comprises several unions of employees.Meanwhile, the political JAC which is spearheading the Telangana movement has clarified that the strike would not be postponed. JAC spokesman denied reports that the employees were planning to defer the protest to next month in view of Ramzan festivities and the coming Ganesh Chaturthi.

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Y S Jagan to resume Odarpu Yatra from Aug 15

Vijayawada, Aug 11: Y S R Congress party President and Kadapa MP Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy will resume his Odarpu Yatra to console the bereaved families from August 15 Addressing a press conference here today, Y S R Congress party State Committee member Sridhar Reddy said Jagan would tour Krishna district for 15 days.He said Jagan would console the bereaved families in the city on August 28, 29 and 30. He would also unveil the statues of former Chief Minister and his father Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. Jagan was taking Odarpu Yatra to console the bereaved families whose loved ones allegedly committed suicides as they were unable to bear the sudden tragic death of then Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy in helicopter crash. Dismissing allegations that Jagan had amassed huge wealth by unfair and illegal means, he said he had earned money through his business. Expressing confidence in the courts, the State Committee member said Jagan would be exonerated from the charges.Taking a dig at the CBI, Mr Reddy alleged that the CBI had become a 'puppet' in the hands of the ruling party and he did not believe that the agency would act in unbiased manner in the investigation on Y S Jagan's properties.Former MLAs Jaleel Khan, Saminenu Udaybanu and former Mayor Tadi Sekhunthala were also present in the conference.

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