Stop Aid to Sri Lanka : USA

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that this is not an appropriate time to talk about International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) $2 billion loan to Sri Lanka.

After Britain, the US is the second country which appears to be opposing the massive loan from the IMF to Sri Lanka, which is currently under consideration.

“This is a very troubling humanitarian crisis, and we have been focused on it and trying to convince both sides to cease their hostilities. We have also raised questions about the IMF loan at this time,” Clinton told the State Department reporters.

“We think that it is not an appropriate time to consider that until there is a resolution of this conflict. And that’s what we’re focused on trying to help bring about,” Clinton said.

She was addressing a joint press conference with visiting Malaysian foreign minister Y.B. Datuk Anifah bin Haji Aman.

Observing that the US has been very clear in its statements — the most recent one by the President — that there needs to be a cessation of the hostilities and humanitarian relief to be provided to the people who are trapped in the fighting.

“We’ve called on both sides to cease their hostilities. And we’ve asked that both sides permit humanitarian relief to be delivered, and at the very least, a high-level humanitarian mission to make an assessment of what relief is necessary,” Clinton said.

Obama 'saddened' by Lankan humanitarian crisis !!!

It is unprecedented in the history of United States-Sri Lanka relations that a US President goes out on the South Lawn of the White House to make remarks expressing his deep concern over the humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka and berates both the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Sri Lankan government for their actions that have led to tens of thousands of innocent civilians being caught up in the cross-fire.

But that's exactly what President Barack Obama did on Wednesday when he said, "We have a humanitarian crisis that's taking place in Sri Lanka, and I've been increasingly saddened by the desperate news in recent days."

"Tens of thousands of innocent civilians are trapped between the warring government forces and the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka with no means of escape, little access to food, water, shelter and medicine. This has led to widespread suffering and the loss of hundreds if not thousands of lives," Obama added.

Obama warned, "Without urgent action, this humanitarian crisis could turn into a catastrophe," and implored that "now is the time, I believe, to put aside some of the political issues that are involved and to put the lives of the men and women and children who are innocently caught in the crossfire, to put them first."

Thus, he exhorted the "Tamil Tigers to lay down their arms and let civilians go," and condemned the LTTE's "forced recruitment of civilians and their use of civilians as human shields," describing it as "deplorable."

"These tactics will only serve to alienate all those who carry them out," he said.
Obama also called on the Sri Lankan government "to take several steps to alleviate this humanitarian crisis," and listed a laundry list of actions the government should take to assuage this grave situation.

"First, the government should stop the indiscriminate shelling that has taken hundreds of innocent lives, including several hospitals, and the government should live up to its commitment to not use heavy weapons in the conflict zone," Obama said.

"Second, the government should give United Nations humanitarian teams access to the civilians who are trapped between the warring parties so they can receive the immediate assistance necessary to save lives," Obama also said.

"Third, the Lankan government should also allow UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross access to nearly 1,90,000 displaced people within Sri Lanka so that they can receive additional support that they need," Obama added.

The US President said that "the United States stands ready to work with the international community to support the people of Sri Lanka in this time of suffering. I don't believe that we can delay. Now is the time for all of us to work together to avert further humanitarian suffering."
Obama asserted that "going forward Sri Lanka must seek a peace that is secure and lasting, and grounded in respect for all of its citizens," and reiterated that "more civilian casualties and inadequate care for those caught in resettlement camps will only make it more difficult to achieve the peace that the people of Sri Lanka deserve."

The US President remarks followed a day after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and visiting British Secretary David Miliband met at the State Department, where the situation in Sri Lanka was a major agenda item. In their discussions and at the end of their meeting they issued a joint statement on the humanitarian situation in the island nation expressing "their profound concern about the humanitarian crisis in northern Sri Lanka caused by the ongoing hostilities."

Much of the their joint statement was reflected in Obama remarks and sources acknowledged that Clinton had urged the President to reiterate these concerns from the bully pulpit of the White House so that both the Tigers and the Sri Lankans "would get the message loud and clear."

Obama's remarks also came two days after several hundred expatriate Tamils from all across the US held a day-long demonstration on Lafayette Park, opposite the White House and implored Obama to send US forces to stop the Sri Lankan government troops from indiscriminately killing innocent Tamil civilians.

A spokesman for the protestors, Elias Jeyarajah declared, "This is pure and simply genocide. We are asking the Obama administration to intervene to save the Tamils of Sri Lanka by sending its army there."

He said the Sri Lankan government of President Mahinda Rajapakse ,"has abdicated its responsibility to protect its Tamil citizens."

Breach of Rules of Natural Justice: High Court Panel !!!

The Uttar Pradesh government had no "sufficient cause" to detain BJP's Varun Gandhi under the National Security Act (NSA), a high court panel has stated, citing a flawed detention order and "breach of rules of natural justice".

The High Court Advisory Board that has to approve every detention under NSA has given a stinging rebuttal of the poor investigation and shabbily prepared chargesheet against Varun Gandhi, who is the Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate in Pilibhit and was slapped with NSA for his allegedly incendiary campaign speeches.

The NSA was revoked on May 8 following the recommendation of the judicial panel, which gave a 13-page confidential report signed by its three members - it is headed by Justice Pradeep Kant and comprises two retired high court judges S.N. Sahai and P.K. Sareen.

Stating that there was "no sufficient cause" for detention of Varun Gandhi under NSA, the report stated: "The detention order stands vitiated due to non-application of mind and breach of rules of natural justice and acting fairly on the part of the detaining authority..."

The panel, the ultimate statutory authority on the NSA, expressed surprise that the concerned authorities had overlooked and ignored fundamental principles of natural justice while dealing with the case and wondered how the FIR (first information report) could have been lodged at the behest of the district magistrate who had also issued the formal NSA order.

"The district magistrate has used his own FIRs and allegations made therein for the purpose of arriving at his subjective satisfaction in this case. This raises a question of bias and legal malafides. It is a settled rule of natural justice that no person can be judge in his own cause."

Pointing to another flaw, it said: "The detaining authority has also overlooked the fact that the detenu had already been admitted to jail at 2.30 p.m. on March 28,2009, while the alleged incident of violence took place at the jail gates at 2.45 p.m., which was evident from the contents of the FIR itself. There was also no allegation of any role of the detenu in the said incident."

Varun Gandhi was arrested March 28, but charged with provisions under the stringent NSA the next day as his arrest came amid violence by his supporters who clashed with police. He was initially lodged in Pilibhit jail but moved to Etah jail for security reasons.

The report also questions the role of the district magistrate with respect to the hate speech delivered by Varun Gandhi in Pilibhit's Barkhera constituency on March 7.
Referring to a CD showing Varun Gandhi making the inflammatory speeches, the report said it was not produced before the "detention authority, nor has the same been furnished to the detenu".

"The detention order thus stands vitiated on account of the failure to place the CD for consideration..."

According to legal experts, Varun Gandhi would not have been let off had the state police carried out its task properly.

"The top bosses of the police and home department were solely responsible for letting Varun go scot free. After all, the whole case was being monitored by people at the highest level where they needed to have done a foolproof job," former state advocate general Virendra Bhatia told IANS.

Suspecting a political conspiracy, Varun Gandhi's key opponent and Pilibhit's Congress nominee V.M. Singh added: "The poorly drafted NSA case against Varun Gandhi was more than proof to establish an underhand deal between the BJP and the BSP..."

"The Mayawati administration's idea must have been to first make Varun a Hindutva hero and then try to woo Muslims for the BSP by claiming how firm her administration had been in dealing with an anti-Muslim insolent brat and at the same time preparing a weak case so as to get him easy reprieve," he added.

Battle of ballots in Tamil Nadu tomorrow !!!

An estimated 41.3 million voters, including 20.6 million women, are expected to cast their ballots tomorrow to decide the fate of 824 candidates contesting for the 39 Lok Sabha constituencies in Tamil Nadu.

Polling would be held from 0700 to 1700 hrs in 52,175 booths across the State.
The Election Commission had identified 4,043 as hyper-sensitive and 16,938 as sensitive and installed 15,424 cameras in these stations to ensure free and fair polling.

As many as 7,115 Micro Observers would be deputed in the hyper-sensitive and sensitive booths. Paramilitary forces would also be deployed in hyper-sensitive booths.
In all, one lakh personnel, including about 13,000 paramilitary forces (133 companies), would be deployed on security duty to ensure free and fair polling.

Besides, 58,257 State police personnel, 20,000 ex-servicemen, 8,000 Home Guards and 1,000 retired police personnel would be deployed on security duty.

Among those who would be testing their electoral fortunes in the single phase polls in the State include Union Ministers P Chidambaram (Sivaganga), E V K S Elangovan (Erode), T R Baalu (Sriperumbudur), A Raja (Nilgiris-R), Manishankar Aiyar (Mayiladuthurai), S S Palanimanickam (Thanjavur) and R Velu (Arakkonam).

Also in the fray were former Union Ministers Dayanidhi Maran (Central Chennai), Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M Karunanidhi's son M K Azhagiri (Madurai), who is making his electoral debut, former Union Minister A K Moorthy (Sriperumbudur), TNCC president K V Thangkabalu (Salem), former TNCC president M Krishnasamy (Aarni), MDMK General Secretary Vaiko (Virudhunagar), VCK Leader Thol Thirumavalavan (Chidambaram-R), CPI State Secretary D Pandian (North Chennai) and BJP State president L Ganesan (South Chennai).

Tough Job ahead for the President !!!

With the elections widely expected to lead to a hung parliament, all eyes will be on President Pratibha Patil who will decide who to invite to form a government after the votes get counted May 16.

"The president will have a most crucial role in such a fluid situation," senior advocate and constitutional expert Anil Dewan said.

K K Venugopal, another leading constitutional expert and lawyer, said: "The safest and most prudent rule for the president will be to first invite either the single largest party, though a minority, or a pre-poll alliance with the largest number of MPs to form the government."

Waitl till Afzal Guru's turn comes for hanging: Rahul

With the BJP often attacking the UPA government on alleged delay in executing Parliament attack death row convict Afzal Guru, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today said he will be hanged when his turn comes.

"The Parliament attack accused is twenty second on the list (those who are to be hanged for various crimes). There is a huge line and there are others before him. When his number (turn) comes, he will be hanged," Gandhi told`an election rally here this evening.

The 38-year-old Nehru-Gandhi scion defended the UPA government's policies on tackling terrorism and lashed out at BJP, which accuses Congress of being inept in handling the scourge, for bowing before the terrorists.

"Whose creation is Afzal Guru? Who sent him (to carry out terror act)? It was Masood Azhar, the top terrorist who was in jail but was released by BJP-led NDA government," he said.

Azam Khan is an Anti-Party Element : Mulayam

After maintaining studied silence on the Amar Singh-Azam Khan spat that brought the bitter infighting within the Samajwadi Party (SP) to the fore, party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav Saturday said "Khan was weakening the roots of our party".

At an rally here, the SP chief trained his guns at his one-time closest lieutenant Khan for Friday declaring war against Amar Singh, the party general secretary and Mulayam's Man Friday.

"Azam Khan was weakening the roots of our party and what he has been doing clearly falls in the caregory of anti-party activity," Mulayam Singh told the rally at Swar town, about 30 km from the Rampur district headquarters.

Mulayam Singh's open attack on Khan made it amply evident that he had eventually made up his choice between his two close lieutenants. He also made no secret of his decision to side with Amar Singh, who Friday issued yet another veiled threat to quit the party if Khan was allowed to go scot free.

Speaking about the candidature of film actress-turned-politician Jaya Prada, which is at the root of the virtual street fight betwen Khan and Amar Singh, the SP chief said: "What Azam Khan seems to overlook is the fact that Jaya Prada had been awarded the party ticket by me, and that too, after Azam Khan himself recommended her name."

"I wonder if some kind of jealousy was at the root of the ongoing trouble because the fact remains that Azam Khan was earlier all for Jaya, for whom he had campaigned aggressively during the last elections, when she won from here."

Much of Mulayam Singh's 40-minute address was devoted to the bitter Amar-Azam feud.
"I never speak so long at any election rally but because I need to apprise people of many facts, I was compelled to make such a long speech," he said.

Amar Singh, however, kept himself away from Rampur on a day when Mulayam Singh campaigned here.

However, Jaya Prada went about harping on the beaten track - highlighting how pained she was on account of Khan's tirade against her.

"I have always regarded him as an elder brother," she maintained, adding: "I am really agonised to find that the hand to which I gave my bouquet was throwing brickbats at me."

Mulayam Singh's open tirade against Khan gave rise to speculation that Khan may exit the SP to join the Congress.

The proximity between Khan and the Congress became visible for the first time when Congress nominee Begum Noor Bano, with whom Khan could not see eye to eye until not very long ago, called on the latter's hospitalised supporters, who were allegedly beaten up by Amar Singh's men in a recent clash.