Monday, April 26, 2010

[ZESTCaste] 4 arrested for sacrificing Dalit

 

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/national/4-arrested-sacrificing-dalit-368

4 arrested for sacrificing Dalit

April 22nd, 2010
PTI
Four exorcists have been arrested for allegedly murdering a Dalit
youth at Mirzapur village in Saharanpur district, police said.

30-year-old Rajbir was strangulated to death by the accused on
Thursday, police said, adding his body was later found with his hands
and legs tied up with a rope.

Four exorcist Mahipal, Norati, Dharambir and Mahendri have been
arrested in this connection.

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[ZESTCaste] Nepal: Musahars, too poor to go to school

 

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Musahars%2C+too+poor+to+go+to+school+&NewsID=241175

Musahars, too poor to go to school
Last Updated : 2010-04-26 12:27 AM
The Himalayan Times - Saved Articles(s)

Rambabau Yadav

SIRAHA: Despite government campaigns to increase enrolment rate in
schools, children in this Musahar village in Siraha have always been
deprived of education.

The Musahar village in Siraha-9 is just next to the District Education
Office, the government mechanism in the district responsible for
leading the enrolment campaign. But still, nearly 123 children of
school-going age from 60 families have never been to a school.

According to Chalitar Sadaya, a local, there is no one in the entire
village that has passed fifth grade. "Everyone who goes to the
District Education Office can see this Musahar village, but no one has
shown interest in educating children of this community," he said.

Ten-year-old local Dharmendra Kumar Sadaya said he was never told by
anyone about the school enrolment campaign. He said, "We spend the
whole day guarding the house, looking after younger siblings and
goats."

Bouka Sada, another local, said though many people have asked him why
he did not send his children to school, no one ever asked him about
the problems he faces in sending the children to school. He said, "We
are poor and cannot afford to buy books, copies and other necessary
materials for school-going children."

The Musahar community in the district headquarters is just an example. The

government mechanism

has also failed to bring

children from other dalit communities in the district to school. In another

Musahar village of Lalpur-1, too, more than 100 children have been
deprived of education. And so is the case with more than 150 children
in the Musahar village of

Aurahi-8.

Kapleshwor Sadaya of Rishikul Sadaya Kalyan Samaj said that almost all
the people from Musahar community were landless and forced to labour
for very little daily wages so they were

unable to send their children to school.

He said, "The government thinks that constructing a school in the
local community is an all-time remedy, but it hardly assesses the
capacity of locals to send their children to school."

He also said that almost all the children from the 358 Musahar villages in the

district are deprived of education. He claimed, "The government should take

responsibility for educating children from the Musahar community, then only

will its enrolment campaign succeed,"

According to a survey of Dalit Janakalyan Yuba Club, Lahan, only four
per cent of the 75,000 Musahars in the district are literate. Only
five persons from the Musahar community are college graduates. And,
above all, 95 per cent of Musahar are landless in the district.

Tularam Tamang, head teacher of Shramik Primary School, Asanpur, said
that only five per cent of the

children enrolled during

the campaign were from

the Musahar community and most of them quit

before completing primary level.

Amit Bishwokarma, a local dalit rights activist, demanded a new plan
from the government level to include all dalit children in mainstream
education.

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[ZESTCaste] Haryana village appeals to Dalit families to return home

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/haryana-village-appeals-to-dalit-families-to-return-home_100354320.html

Haryana village appeals to Dalit families to return home

April 26th, 2010 - 10:04 pm ICT by IANS -
Hisar (Haryana), April 26 (IANS) Residents of a Haryana village Monday
made an appeal to Dalit families, who had fled after clashes and arson
attack, to return home.
Nearly 20 families of Valmiki community in Mirchpur village fled after
an arson attack April 21. At least 15 houses were damaged and a
70-year-old Dalit man and his 18-year-old physically challenged
daughter were burnt alive.

"An appeal has been made at the all-community leaders' meeting of
Mirchpur village that was held here. It was attended by additional
deputy commissioner of Hisar and prominent personalities of the area,"
a government spokesperson said.

"Community leaders have observed that the whole incident and migration
of Valmiki families is highly disgraceful and regretful. They have
requested the families to immediately return to the village."

Police have arrested 25 people for the attack and said it resulted
from an old enmity between the two communities.


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[ZESTCaste] C'garh community leaders ask migrant Dalits to return

 

http://www.ptinews.com/news/627482_C-garh-community-leaders-ask-migrant-Dalits-to-return

C'garh community leaders ask migrant Dalits to return

STAFF WRITER 20:58 HRS IST
Chandigarh, Apr 26 (PTI) With the recent violence against Dalits in a
Haryana village triggering their exodus from there, community leaders
today appealed to them to return to their homes.

The appeal was made at the all-community leaders' meeting of Mirchpur
village held at Hisar today and presided over by Additional Deputy
Commissioner Ashok Kumar Garg, an official release said here.

A physically challenged girl was burnt alive and her father received
serious burn injuries when some persons set afire houses belonging to
Dalits at Mirchpur in Hisar district on April 21.

Terming the whole incident as "highly disgraceful and regretful", the
community leaders requested the Dalit families that have migrated from
the village to return to their homes.

The meeting put emphasis on setting up 'Sadbhavna Samitis' at the
village level so that recurrence of such incidents could be averted.

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[ZESTCaste] Dalit colony ‘removed' from panchayat jurisdiction

http://beta.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article397566.ece

Published: April 15, 2010 02:03 IST | Updated: April 15, 2010 02:03
IST VIRUDHUNAGAR, April 15, 2010

Dalit colony 'removed' from panchayat jurisdiction
S. Sundar

Complaints of water and other benefits being denied to them

Fourteen group houses constructed for Dalit families nine years back
have been 'removed' from a panchayat jurisdiction.

At a public hearing on violence against Dalits organised at
Aruppukottai on Wednesday, one of the beneficiaries narrated how the
families of Ambedkar Colony were denied development works.

The Suklampatti panchayat had passed resolution in December 2007 that
the 14 houses were outside the panchayat jurisdiction and hence no tax
could be collected from them. "Since we were not paying the tax, we
are denied drinking water, road facility and other government
benefits," said Jeyaraman.

Deposing before a panel of jurists, comprising Perambur MLA K.
Mahendran, State convenor of Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Act
P. Sampath, High Court lawyer U. Nirmalarani, executive director of an
NGO, Evidence, A. Kathir, and former Chief Judicial Magistrate S.
Muthuraj, he said the Suklampatti panchayat had collected property tax
till 2006-07.

Replying to a petition under the Right to Information Act, the
Aruppukottai Revenue Divisional Officer, had confirmed in March 2008
that the colony came under the Suklampatti panchayat.

Mr. Jeyaraman alleged that the panchayat president, a caste Hindu, had
deliberately 'removed' the Dalits from the village to check the number
of Dalit votes in the local body.

Mr. Kathir said this kind of practice of untouchability was so novel
that the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act had no provision to deal
with it. "It is an attempt to destroy the identity [of a section of
the society]."

Mr. Mahendran said the panchayat president should be removed by the
Collector for his "discriminatory" action.

Ms. Nirmalarani said though the panel of jurists came to give their
opinion on the cases, it turned out to be a "learning" session.

Mr. Sampath said that if no proper action was taken in the case, the
Dalits would occupy the office of the Special Tahsildar, who had
allotted them the houses.

In another case, it was alleged that Aruppukottai municipal officials
had discriminated Dalit sanitary workers from caste Hindu sanitary
workers, who were given works which were not in keeping with the
nature of the job. They worked in the office as messengers. Besides,
they were given "out of turn" promotion as maistry, overlooking the
seniority of Dalit workers. Two of them who objected to it were
transferred out of Aruppukottai. Before they could come back to
Aruppukottai municipality, the promotion orders were issued. The
member of the jury flayed the "peace meetings" conducted by the
officials, which rendered no justice to the Dalits in cases of
violence against them. "It is only a katta panchayat," Mr. Kathir
said. The role of judiciary in dealing with cases of violence against
Dalits was also not satisfactory, he said.


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[ZESTCaste] Nepal: Dalit chairman to return CA allowance

 

http://www.peoplesreview.com.np/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4065:dalit-chairman-to-return-ca-allowance&catid=1:daily-update&Itemid=50

Dalit chairman to return CA allowance

Friday, 23 April 2010 10:51 Yam Kc
Kathmandu, 23 April: Nepal Dalit Janajati Party chairman and
Constituent Assembly member Bisendra Paswan has said that the CA
members should return the allowances if constitution was not drafted
on 28 May, reports Rahasya weekly.

Inaugurating the party's first Banke District Convention Paswan said
that if the new constitution was not drafted by 28 May his party would
made a formal decision and he including the party's CA members would
return the allowances.

He warned that the new constitution would be boycotted if it was not
in the interest of all the sectors. He said that he was ready to
sacrifice CA for establishing the right of the Dalit and indigenous
people.

He demanded a separate state for Dalit and Muslims if state can be
provided to minorities as Tamang, Gurung and Limbu.

People's News/Uttam Shrestha

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[ZESTCaste] Why No Dalit Personal Law?

http://www.countercurrents.org/sharan250410.htm

Why No Dalit Personal Law?

By Prabhat Sharan

25 April, 2010
The Verdict Weekly

Generations have grown up in the pale of society with their death
cries disappearing in the dark penumbra of a moonless sky. Like
disemboweled creatures, they have been shunned, exploited,
discriminated, disparaged, despised and humiliated.

And for centuries their wails and howls have been mingling helplessly
with the swirling dust motes inside their fusty and musty cracked
thatched walls of huts dotting the fringes of towns and villages.

Call them Sudra, Chandala, Nisada, Antya, Bahya, Antyaynis, Harijan,
Dalit or down-trodden. Call them by any name the fact is that people
of these communities cut out like cancer by the Indian societal
structures are yet to see the elusive white clear moonlight of justice
bathing their lives.

The emancipation movement ignited two centuries ago has now become a
wheel trapped in a morass, spinning and digging deeper, throwing out
muck but not inching forward. The movement has reached an impasse and
people continue to live and die in the void of dark shadows of the
society.

Recently in a seminar "Modernity, Tradition and Resistance in South
Asia," organized by Mumbai University, during an informal talk, a
radical sociologist, Dr. Neshat Quaiser from Jamia Millia Islamia
Central University, raised a startling proposition and a query.

Dr. Quaiser's proposition was that since Dalit community has always
been outside the realm of Hindu fold and the Brahmanical structure,
Dalits should have their own Personal Law since they have an
independent identity. The very fact by allotted a lower order in the
Brahmanical varna structure, Sudra had nothing to do with losing any
kind of caste identity.

"Why till date has there been no demand for Dalit Personal Law? There
are no two opinions over the fact that Dalit for ages have been
exploited and oppressed by Hindu Brahmanical structures as well by the
succeeding ruling class and communities- be it Muslims or Christians.
They have been tortured by everyone, but surprisingly neither Dalit
politicians, nor activists, nor intellectuals, nor intelligentsia
class, from community, itself in recent times have ever bothered to
raise the issue of Dalit Personal Law.

Dr.Quaiser's argument is that since Dalit community is outside the
realm of Hindu fold as they are not a part of the Hindu varna system,
Dalit should have their own Personal Law and their emancipation,
self-esteem and self-respect lies in asserting their independence away
from the Hindu fold and not by tinkering or seeking social reforms by
being inside the Hindu system.

Noted historian Ram Sharan Sharma, in his classic work "Sudras in
Ancient India-A social history of the lower order down to
circa.A.D.600," tracing the exodus to the Indian sub-continent in
pre-Vedic era states that early literature does not show that there
was any class division as the society was still in the pastoral stage.

Similarly, sociologist Narendra Nath Bhattacharyya mentions, "The
genuinely earlier portions of the RgVeda knew neither
caste-distinction nor contempt for empirical knowledge and it's
functioning in different spheres of life. Far from being looked down
upon that Tvastr, the craftsman, was raised to the status of a
powerful deity. The making of the world was conceived in terms of wood
craft, done as if by a carpenter's or joiner's skill. Subsequently,
however, this attitude was not maintained which may be illustrated
with reference to what happened to the fate of the Asvins, the
master-physicians, whose position was lowered and right of drinking
Soma in the assembly of gods denied. Material Sciences came to be
known as avidya or false knowledge. " (Indian Puberty Rites-pp75,
Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers, New Delhi-Second Revised Ed:1980.)

According to Sharma, "It appears just as the common European world
'slave' and Sanskrit 'dasa' were derived from the names of conquered
peoples, so also the word Sudra was derived from a conquered tribe of
that name. There is no doubt that Sudra existed as a tribe in the 4th
century B.C, for Diodoros records the advance of Alexander against a
tribe called Sodrai who occupied modern Sind. (Sudras in Ancient
India-pp34, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, Reprint :Delhi 2002.)

Sharma further points out that Sudras appear as a tribe in the
earliest part of the Atharva Veda and "all these peoples seem to have
been inhabitants of north-western India where in Mahabharata, the
Sudra tribe is described as living with the Abhiras…the occurrence of
the term Sudra in what is regarded as the earliest and the most
characteristic part of the Atharva Veda should be understood not in
the sense of varna, but in that of a tribe." (ibid-pp36.)

In fact, Sharma points out that Sudras also had their own gods, some
Aryans others non-Aryans. Thus, "Brahmanical statement in the stories
of creation that Sudras did not have any gods does not represent the
correct position…the Brahmanical legends show a deliberate attempt to
deprive the Sudra of the right to worship and sacrifice which he
formerly shared with his Aryan fellowmen, or enjoyed independently as
a member of aboriginal tribes." (Ibid-pp83)

Marxist philosopher Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya in "Lokayata-A Study in
Ancient Indian Materialism," quotes Manu the most vociferous
anti-Sudra describing "Ganapati as the deity of the depressed class,
the Sudra." (Lokayata-pp131, People's Publishing House, New Delhi,
Eighth Edition:2006.)

And this view of distancing Sudra tribe from the priestly class
started emerging towards the end of Rg Vedic period when the pre-class
society starting moving from pastoral society to agrarian society
which required labourers.

The need of the labour led to spinning of religion and ideology so as
to regularize the system of labour supply. "A clear line was drawn
between mental and manual labour. The denial of Vedic education to the
Sudra implied that he was condemned to physical labour…and this was
justified on the basis of mythical origin from the feet of the
creator. (Sudras in Ancient India-pp316.)

The Sudra community which had by then an amalgamation of several
tribes also incorporated slaves or dasas. In, "Slavery in Ancient
India," Dev Raj Chanana delineates the emergence of the practice of
untouchability after the inclusion of tribes like Chandala and slave
or dasas, whereby "the duty of a Sudra whether slave or not (he could
be a free person,) to undertake all the dirty jobs that a slave had to
do." (Slavery in Ancient India-pp116 People's Publishing House, New
Delhi, Third Reprint:2008.)

Almost everybody then who was anti-Brahmin were, termed as Sudra. Thus
Jains, Buddhists and Ajivkas all were termed- or in Brahmanical
literature "condemned"- as Sudra. Buddhism which had the strongest
influence was confined to artisan Sudra.

But almost all the reforming religious movements of Buddhism, Jainism,
Saivism and Vaisnavism never questioned the Karma theory which acted
as pivotal doctrine to the Brahmanical social stratification order.

The religious reforming movements merely contained social discontent
and according to Sharma, "By promising religious equality in places of
other forms of equality they helped to reconcile the lower orders to
the existing social system. The spirit of protest against social
inequities which marked these movements in earlier stages withered
away in course of time and they identified themselves with the
essentials of the varna organization." (Sudras in Ancient
India-pp326.)

The point here is not to carry out an in-depth research on the origins
or the conditions that led to the emergence of the inhuman practices
of the ruling societies in the Indian sub-continent, but to emphasize
the fact that the communities tribals and non-tribals clubbed together
and termed as Dalit, had nothing to do with the brahmanical societal
code which have been deliberately imposed on them so as to gain a
permanent servitude from them.

Ironically, the scenario has not changed much even today for these
exploited and oppressed communities. To reduce it to one causative
factor would be erroneous but then causes for any effect tend to be
inter-connected, having a common string running across them.

According to Dalit activist and Ambedkarite, Rahul Gade, the sub-human
condition and the dehumanization of millions of people living in
broken crucibles with fractured lives and torn dreams of a simple
life, is primarily due to the short-sighted political and economic
gains of the Dalit political leaders, activists, intelligentsia and
pro-Dalit Intellectuals who just want to work within the caste system
and want to be a "part of the Hindu system itself."

Gade holds Dalit elites responsible for the failure of emancipation
movement, stating "it seems some elite Dalits in unwary upbeat mood
perhaps for self-serving reason naively aim to reform the Hindu
religion."

Moreover, Gade further says Dalit intellectuals for some reason refuse
to overcome the "Dalit obsession leading them to emphasize from every
platform their Dalit identity in a negative way." This negative and
low-esteem emotive facet offers no solace to the oppressed community
and in fact has only increased the distance between elites and the
masses.

Social action theorist, Dr. Vivek P.S from Mumbai University's
Sociology Department also concedes the growing frustration of the
masses vis-à-vis the elites. "Not all scholars but a section of
intelligentsia and intellectuals deem it as a statement of style to
keep on harping emotive aspects in every form of analysis of caste
oppression."

Dr. Vivek who had also spent several years organizing Safai Kamgar
(Sweepers and Scavengers) in Mumbai points out that the refusal to
consider the class-interest-analysis has also furthered their
alienation from the masses. And being over-focussed on emotive
aspects, they hardly bother about the economic interests and its
ramifications while analysing any given issue pertaining to Dalits.
Though not significant in numbers, the section is certainly powerful
in Indian polity and research academia and they have become a kind of
Dalit Brahmin looking down upon the oppressed masses- using their pain
and sufferings for narrow gains."

Grass-root Dalit activist and journalist, Raj Jagtap goes further in
condemning not only Dalit political leaders but also intellectuals who
parrot Dr. B.R.Ambedkar at the drop of hat. Dr. Ambedkar sincerely
believed that in every country, "the intellectual class is the most
influential class," and thus Dalit intellectuals were expected "to
carry the torch of liberty. But what is happening is totally
different."

"In my interaction I have found that like politicians a group of
pro-Dalit and Dalit intellectuals have formed a coterie and behave
like shopkeepers out to sell wares comprising pain, woes and tears.
Though not all of them, but a majority of them want oppression to
continue so that shops will keep on running… and that is one of the
reasons that they want to remain in the Hindu fold, forgetting that
Babasaheb (Dr.B.R.Ambedkar) had made it very clear that the object of
emancipation movement had nothing to do with Hindu social reform. It
is a sad thing to see a mad scramble is on to paint a bright future
and ironically not many of them want the bright future to condense in
the present," Jagtap points out.

The point of this article is to rake up a healthy debate so that a
path forward can be chalked out for the millions of oppressed toilers
waiting for the elusive cool clear white light of justice and equality
to erase the blisters scarring their lives.

Prabhat Sharan is a Senior Journalist with interest in social, working
class, wild-life conservation, philosophical and literary studies. He
can be contacted at sharanprabhat@gmail.com


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[ZESTCaste] Ambedkar statue unveiled in High Court

http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/ambedkar-statue-unveiled-in-high-court/168300.html

Ambedkar statue unveiled in High Court

Express News ServiceFirst Published : 26 Apr 2010 04:17:00 AM ISTLast Updated :

CHENNAI: A life size statue of Dr B R Ambedkar, the architect of the
Constitution, was unveiled on Sunday by Chief Justice of India K G
Balakrishnan on the Madras High Court premises.


In his address at the statue opening function here, Balakrishnan said
appointing more judges and having more courts were the only way out to
lower the number of pending cases. "The Madras High Court has proved
this by reducing pendency by 20,000 cases in a short time." As regards
gender justice, he said the apex court had always upheld laws that
honoured gender justice.

Supreme Court judge Sathasivam said the Madras High Court had a great
history and a hoary past and is respected for its landmark judgments,
especially in matters related to property.

Citing Manuneethi Cholan's unbiased justice delivery system, Union Law
Minister Veerappa Moily said a judge should be unbiased in delivering
justice 'without thinking of his own community or tribe' when he sits
on the dais.


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[ZESTCaste] Khap fear has rattled Dalits fleeing Haryana villages

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Khap-fear-has-rattled-Dalits-fleeing-Haryana-villages/articleshow/5857591.cms

Khap fear has rattled Dalits fleeing Haryana villages
TNN, Apr 1, 2010, 03.22am IST

HISAR/BHIWANI: The fear of khap looms large over Haryana with 40
members of the Dalit (Valmiki) community at Mirchpur village in Hisar
district — where two people were burnt alive by Jats last week —
fleeing their homes, rattled by khap support of Jat violence against
them.

Their fears were compounded on Sunday when, in a khap meeting in Jind,
300 khap representatives called for intensifying the agitation against
the Hindu Marriage Act that prevents marriages between same gotras and
villages.

Bhiwani, too, has seen exodus of 150 Dalit families who have migrated
from Ladhanpur village fearing backlash from Rajputs in the wake of
rivalry between the two groups over entry into a village. The incident
had led to the murder of an upper caste youth.

Cops say the Rajput youth was beaten to death by Dalits after an
altercation turned violent in the village on March 19. Cases have been
registered against 20 Dalit youth. Dalits are fleeing the village,
saying that cops were acting on the instructions of the upper caste,
with the support of the khaps.

Last week, members of the upper caste attacked Dalit families in
Mirchpur after an altercation over the barking of a dog.

On Sunday the khaps, in no mood to give up their demand of amendment
in the Hindu Marriage Act, resolved to take a final decision on May 2
at a Mahapanchayat at Pai-Karora village, where the slain couple Manoj
and Babli lived.

Five people were awarded life sentence by a Haryana court, which has
made the khaps see red.


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[ZESTCaste] Meet opposes govt's move to acquire mutts, temples

 

http://www.ptinews.com/news/626534_Meet-opposes-govt-s-move-to-acquire-mutts--temples

Meet opposes govt's move to acquire mutts, temples

STAFF WRITER 15:40 HRS IST
Nashik, Apr 26 (PTI) The two-day All India Bahubhashik Brahmin
Sammelan has strongly opposed the government's move to take over
managing bodies of mutts and temples into its purview and urged it to
refrain from such step immediately.

Shrikrishna Maharaj Sinnakar, the convention president, urged the
government to return lands, acquired under Urban Land Ceiling Act, as
not only Brahmins, but people belonging to other castes had also
suffered losses.

Lakhs of participants vowed their support to government's act of not
to carry sex-determination tests and killing of female foetus, newly
born baby girls.

Various personalities, including Swadhyay Parivar chief Dhanashree
Didi, Kailash Mutt chief Swami Sanvidanand Maharaj, Shrikant
Deshpande, Moreshwarshastri Ghaisas attended the convention.

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[ZESTCaste] Did Congress strike a deal with Mayawati?

 

http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/did-congress-strike-a-deal-with-mayawati-20841.php

Did Congress strike a deal with Mayawati?

NDTV Correspondent, Saturday April 24, 2010, New Delhi

Will Mayawati give the UPA greater confidence when it faces a cut
motion in Parliament?

Sources in the BSP told NDTV that its 21 MPs in Lok Sabha will most
likely abstain from voting.

This means the half way mark will go down from 272. This would be a
relief for the government that has a slender majority of 276 MPs.

So is this part of a tacit deal given the strained ties between
Mayawati and the Congress-led UPA?

On Friday, the CBI told Supreme Court it would consider a
representation by Mayawati to close a disproportionate assets case
against her because of favourable orders by tax authorities.

"It is entirely for the court to decide. Now the matter is not with
me," said Ashwani Kumar, Director, CBI.

The CBI move comes a day after the Centre told the court that
Mayawati's controversial park in Noida was not in a reserved park
area.

But that's not the only sign of a thaw in relations. On Thursday, the
PM gave an audience to a BSP delegation that wanted the Centre to
expedite the proposed airport at Greater Noida.

All this the Opposition says points to Mayawati-Congress deal.

"It's not surprising for this government to do this kind of wheeling
dealing. But we would appeal to all parties to take a political stand
on the cut motion and the demand for fuel hike rollback," said Sitaram
Yechury, CPM Leader.

All the Congress says is that the finance Bill will go through.

"All I have to say is that we will have the finance bill through there
is no question of being defensive about it or trying to justify and
explain it. How and which way I not here to reveal strategies," said
Abhishek Manu Singhvi, National Spokesperson, Congress.

The Congress may not give it away but it surely is banking on both
friends and foes to shore up its numbers.

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