Voice of Bihar

The global meltdown has taken a heavy toll on Indian techies in the US. Three weeks after another techie Karthik Rajaram killed his family before shooting himself, 42-year-old Software Programmer Lakshminivasa Rao Nerusu, killed his wife and two children before fleeing from the spot. The incident occurred at Wharton Court in Novi area, 20 km from Detroit.

The victims were identified as Jayalakshmi Nerusu (37), her daughter Tejasvi (14) and son Siva (12). Lakshminivasa reportedly caused grievous injuries on the head and neck areas of the victims. The US police have launched a massive manhunt to nab Lakshminivasa. According to sources, Lakshminivasa had lost his job a few days ago and was on a state of depression. He originally belongs to Andhra Pradesh.

The Maharashtra government has sent a preliminary report to the Home Ministry confirming that the man hailing from Uttar Pradesh was beaten to death on the train.

Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil has said his government is taking all possible steps to check the violence and will take stern action against the offenders.

Maharashtra government has announced a compensation of Rs two lakh for the family of Dharamdev Rai, a UP labourer beaten to death on Mumbai local train.

Twelve people have been detained for questioning in connection with the labourer’s killing. Railway police have begun probe into the case. They have said that some of the assailants were speaking in Marathi. Maharashtra DGP has sent a report to the Centre on the case.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has asked the Centre for a probe into the killing of Rai.

The post mortem report of the UP youth, who was beaten to death on Mumbai local train, shows he died of injuries to the liver.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil has spoken to Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Deputy Chief Minister on migrant’s death.

“We are taking all possible steps to check the violence. Violence on train falls under Railway police and stern action is being taken against the offenders. It is very difficult to check stray incidents of violence. We are in touch with Centre on Maharashtra violence,” said Vilasrao Deshmukh, Chief Minister, Maharashtra.

“We’ve registered a case of murder and are conducting an investigation. We take full responsibility of the safety of UP, Bihar migrants in Mumbai, ” said RR Patil, Deputy Chief Minister, Maharashtra told NDTV.

Earlier, Rai, a young man from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh died after he was severely beaten on a suburban train in Badlapur in Maharashtra. He was on his way home to Gorakhpur for Diwali.

Three of his friends who were travelling with him were also beaten. They rushed Dharamdev to a hospital where he was declared dead.

“If the government here wants, please help us move out of Maharashtra today itself. We don’t want to live here. How will you then earn a living? I will do something at home. Nobody dies of hunger in UP. I have passed Intermediate, couldn’t get a job there, so came here for a private job. I earn Rs 5,000 a month and if I don’t get a new job, I will do farming,” said Brahmadev Rai, brother of Dharmadev Rai.

One of the victim’s friends has claimed they were attacked by a group of Marathi speaking youth who abused them for taking up jobs in Mumbai.

“We were four of us. We took the train from Khopoli. Some people boarded the train on the way and started asking us questions, then they started abusing and beating us. They said why do you come to Mumbai for jobs? We kept saying we are going home for Diwali and we apologised but they paid little heed to it. My friend fell unconscious. As the train slowed down they jumped off. Police asked us to get off at Badlapur and we were brought to Dubey Hospital. But my friend was declared brought dead,” said Shivkumar Verma, one of the victims who was beaten up.

On its part, the BJP has blamed the Congress for propping up Raj Thackeray whose campaign against north Indians have led to the lynching.

Maharashtra’s Deshmukh government is facing tremendous pressure to act against Maharashtra Navnirman chief Raj Thackeray and clear the air on killing of a Bihar boy in firing by police.

The Union Cabinet discussed the killings of north Indians in Maharashtra on Thursday night after ally Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party insisted on a discussion.

The Cabinet told Home Minister Shivraj Patil to convey to Maharashtra Chief Minister that there was near unanimity in the Cabinet over the two demands.

It also made it clear that MNS leader Raj Thackeray should be arrested under National Security Act.

The Law Minister backed the demand for a judicial probe into the death of Rahul Raj — the boy who attempted hijacking a bus at gun point.

He also said that Rahul Raj’s killing has turned into a police versus public matter.

And as the UPA allies asked for action, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh informed the Cabinet that he had written a strong worded letter to Maharashtra CM.

During the meeting, the Home Minister said he had sent three advisory to Maharashtra government but the UPA allies were not convinced.

However, ministers from Maharashtra like Sharad Pawar, Praful Patel and Antulay skipped the meet.

GUWAHATI: The toll in the serial blasts in Assam rose to 77 on Friday with 11 more

people succumbing to their injuries overnight.

Principal secretary (home) and official spokesman Subhas Das said eight people died in Guwahati, which now alone accounts for 41 deaths.

Three others succumbed to their injuries in Barpeta taking the toll there to 15.

The number of deaths in Kokrajhar remained at 21, he said.

In the deadliest terror attacks in Assam, near- simultaneous blasts had ripped through Guwahati, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon and Barpeta on Thursday, killing 66 people and injuring about 470 others.

Meanwhile, curfew has been clamped in worst blast-hit area of Ganeshguri, adjacent to the capital complex at Dispur, here as protesters went on a rampage forcing police to fire in the air.

The protesters had gathered near a flyover – a few metres from the blast site, shouting slogans against the government’s alleged failure to provide security to the common people.

Deputy commissioner Prateek Hajela said the protesters, turned violent and went on a rampage attacking the security personnel deployed in the area.

The police first resorted to lathicharge to disperse the protesters but later fired in the air, Hajela said.

Ganeshguri had witnessed protests soon after the blasts on Thursday with the mob torching a police vehicle, a fire tender and two ambulances.

They had also tried to storm the secretariat carrying two charred bodies in a push cart.

The entry and exit road to the area has been sealed since the blasts and only a few vehicles were plying on the Ganeshguri flyover, which connects the Guwahati-Shillong road.

All shops and commercial establishments have remained closed in the area since morning. Attendance in the offices was also thin. Frequency of public transport operations dropped significantly in the morning hours.

BJP leader L K Advani visited the blast site near the deputy commissioner’s office where he faced a group of angry lawyers who shouted slogans ‘Advani go back’.

He also visited the Guwahati Medical College Hospital and met the injured in the blast.

All examinations scheduled under the Gauhati University and State Education Board of Assam (SEBA) have been cancelled till further directive.

Opposition Asom Gana Parishad observed a ‘Black Day’ today with its leaders and cadres sporting black badges.

Lawyers of both High Court and Sessions Court in Guwahati abstained from work and held protests outside the court premises.

Bangladesh-based HuJI militants along with other jehadi outfits are suspected to be behind the explosions. Although ULFA has denied its involvement in the terror attacks, police do not rule out the hand of ULFA behind the serial blasts with help from HuJI or jehadi elements.

Of the six blasts in Guwahati, RDX was used in two of the explosions, chief minister Tarun Gogoi has said, adding a special task force has been set up to unearth the conspiracy behind the blasts.

Assam has witnessed massive ethnic violence since early 1980s and ULFA-sponsored insurgency but this is the first time that a terror attack in the form of serial blasts rocked the state in such a magnitude.

MNS Chief Raj Thackeray held a press conference to speak out his mind on the controversies surrounding his party and North Indians in Maharashtra. Raj Thackeray alleged that nobody raised the issue when Biharis were killed in Assam. But some politicians from Bihar “with vested interest” are targeting him, when Biharis were attacked in Mumbai and Maharashtra.

Raj made it clear that he won’t tolerate migrants not knowing Marathi, but decided against politicising “Chhath Puja” or any other festivals. “MNS won’t stop Chhath (Chhat) Puja. There is no question of violence on Chhath (Chhat) Puja”, said Raj Thackeray. People can celebrate all festivals including Chhath Puja without any fear, said Raj. Raj asked why no probe was ordered when Biharis were killed in Assam.

“Bihar politicians have ganged up on this issue and they are targeting me. Ironically, Maharashtra politicians are united on this issue, which is creating confusion in the state. Nobody wants violence, but it is being imposed. I won’t issue any statement, which may lead to violence”, said Raj Thackeray.

Under attack for his campaign against north Indians, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Friday softened his stand on Chhat puja, saying that he was not opposed to the festival being celebrated in Maharashtra but warned against it being used as a show of political strength.

“I have never opposed Chhat Puja but only spoke against political ‘tamasha’ (stunt) associated with it. People from Bihar who live here can perform the religious rituals according to the customs. My party has never opposed it,” he told media persons in Mumbai.

The MNS chief, whose detention under National Security Act has been demanded by some Union ministers in the wake of attacks on north Indians in Maharashtra, warned that he would not tolerate disregard of the Marathi speaking people in the state.

The Chhat festival will be celebrated on November 4.

Thackeray also asked his supporters to exercise restraint and accused the media of distorting his views and spreading falsehood.

Justifying the killing of a youth who had hijacked a bus in Mumbai, he said the police action was ‘proper’ as no one knew from which state the youth came from.

“What if he had shot some commuters, then you people would have taken the police to task,” he said.

Thackeray also downplayed the killing of a youth in a suburban train during a brawl with a group of youngsters.

“Even the Railway police are saying that there has been no involvement of any political party,” he said.

Besides, he recalled that in an incident sometime back, four Marathi youths where thrown out on tracks by a group of people from other states. “But no one said a word about the incident,” he said.

Thackeray criticised the Maharashtra government and Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh for withdrawing his security and termed the move as ‘political vendetta’.

“I had not asked for security in the first place. But, now it has been withdrawn which is clearly political vendetta. The government keeps changing and even I will have a chance tomorrow,” he said.

“There is a state-level committee, which decides on security according to threat perception and not on the number of cases against the person. After the Babri mosque demolition in 1992, security of political leaders against whom cases had been registered was also increased,” he said.

Thackeray also ridiculed demands to book him under the NSA.

“When Lalu (Prasad) was the chief minister of Bihar, there were 1,200 murders. But, there was no demand to book him under NSA. When Biharis were killed in Assam, there was no uproar,” he said.

“A Goan minister opposed starting of Goa-Bihar railway by saying that the state did not want more beggars. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit also spoke against people of Bihar and UP. But, only when Raj Thackeray speaks, there is a nationwide uproar and Prime Minister has to intervene.”

Lashing out at Deshmukh, Thackeray said he had no expectations from him.

“What can you expect from people whose political survival is at the mercy of Delhi,” he asked.

The MNS chief also said that he would not allow anybody to harm ‘Marathi identity’.

“Political rivals who do not see eye-to-eye on several issues come together. But, it is also very unfortunate that 48 MPs from Maharashtra are mute spectators,” he said, referring to the delegation of Bihar politicians meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

In a shocking development, Match Referee Chris Broad (England) banned in-form batsman Gautam Gambhir for one test match for his on-field spat with Shane Watson during the ongoing test match in Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi. To add insult to injury, Broad imposed a fine of just 10% of match fee on Shane Watson, although he started the altercation and provoked Gambhir to fall into the trap. He was not even reprimanded.

Match referee Chris Broad (England) favoured Kangaroos while hearing the on-field spat between Gautam Gambhir and Shane Watson. While Chris Broad imposed a fine of 10% of his match fee on Shane Watson, he went on to ban in-form Gautam Gambhir for one test match, who has been tormenting the Australians in the series by his brilliant batting display. The one test match ban means Gambhir won’t be playing in the fourth test match in Nagpur.

Gambhir has already scored one double century, one century and two half centuries in this series. It is shocking that Watson was let off with a mild punishment, even though he started the fight and provoked Gambhir to get into the brawl. It could be an “error of judgement” on the part of Chris Broad or “intentional”. It’s an irony that Indian and Pakistani players are always punished harder than Australians and English players. The Australian players always start the fight, but get away with mild punishment because of these umpires and referees who are always biased in favour of Australians.

It is not immediately known what course of action BCCI will take on this matter. The public sentiment has turned against the Australians and white match officials. Leading Indian cricketers have condemned the ban on Gambhir and ridiculed the 10% match fee fine on Shane Watson. Ironically, Zaheer Khan was fined 50% of his match fee during the Mohali Test for the same offence.

The issue is likely to be snowballed into a major controversy, thanks to irresponsible and biased hearing of a match referee. While nobody gives Gambhir a clean chit, there is no doubt that punishment meted out to him is harsh as compared to that of Shane Watson. In addition, the match referee should have pulled up the Kangaroos for provoking Indian players without any reason. Dear Aussies, play well to win. Sledging and dirty tactics of provocation won’t help you to win against the formidable Indian side. You are no longer World Champion, admit it or not….