Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi took on RSS, blaming the outfit for assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. He also ridiculed senior BJP leaders for claiming credit for introducing computers in India.

“RSS people killed Gandhiji and today their people (BJP) talk of him…They opposed Sardar Patel and Gandhiji,” Rahul said while addressing a public rally in Bhiwandi.

The Congress leader attributed technological advancement in the country to late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and technocrat Sam Pitroda.

“When it comes to computers, it was Rajiv Gandhi, Sam Pitroda and other young leaders, (who brought it in India),” Rahul said.

He said, then the most senior opposition leader in Parliament had questioned saying why was Rajiv Gandhi talking about computers.

“They had said India doesn’t need computers as it would snatch away jobs. Look what happened, computers have changed India. After 10 years, the same leaders said it was they who gave computers and telecom to India.”

“Similarly, after five-ten years, they will say NREGA and RTI were their creation,” Rahul said. The Congress Vice President also wondered how it was possible for the opposition (BJP) to do in three months what Congress has done in 60 years.

“The opposition says what Congress has done in 60 years; they will do in three months. How is this possible,” he asked.

Underlining the need to empower women, Rahul said, “there are 50 per cent women in the country but a proportionate number is not seen in state legislature and Parliament.”

The rally was Rahul’s last public function during his two-day Maharashtra tour which began yesterday. Earlier, he had an informal meeting with editors in Mumbai.

Rahul said it was the labour of poor that has taken the country forward and no single individual can take the credit for development.

“Poor people have taken this country forward. If we have to take the country forward, we will have to listen to them and take them together. All, including Adivasis, should reap the fruits of development.

Whatever we (Congress) have done is after factoring in your views,” Rahul told the public meeting. Reiterating that Congress was the party of poor people, he said that Congress was not just an organisation but it is an ideology.

“Congress was born in this State. Our ideology is over 1,000 years old. Our ideology is inspired from Bhagwad Geeta… Shivaji (the Maratha king) used to talk about it. (Samrat) Ashok and (Mahatma) Gandhi had also spoken about it,” the Congress vice-president said.

“Congress has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Our ideology cannot be erased so easily,” he said.

Rahul accused the opposition of playing “divisive” politics in the name of religion. “Wherever the opposition goes they provoke fight between different religions…Hindus with Muslims and Muslims with Hindus…Between different castes and different regions,” he added.

Rahul said his party had always emphasised on “inclusive development” as its growth agenda.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met representatives of the fishing community who put forth various demands pertaining to their business like need for a separate ministry, farming status for fisheries and more subsidies on diesel.

In a 40-minute interaction held at Versova fishing village which falls in Mumbai North West parliamentary constituency of CWC member Gurudas Kamat, fishing community representatives highlighted their demands and expressed fear that with land costs in Mumbai spiralling, builders were eyeing sprawling fish markets.

“We want to know on whose side are you?” they asked the Congress leader. “I will always be with you,” Rahul replied adding that he had come to meet them and understand their views and not give a speech.

Supporting the demand for a separate fisheries ministry, he said that it was a good suggestion. When Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan intervened to say that there is budgetary provision of about Rs. 1,600 crore for the animal husbandry ministry, under which the fisheries department falls, one of the locals said all agriculture ministers the state has seen are not from the coastal region and do not understand the nitty gritties of fishing business.

“They have no information of the sea. Like farmers, we do not get compensation, if there is drought (poor cache of fish in the sea),” another speaker pointed out.

There was also a demand for expansion of the Sasoon Docks in South Mumbai. Another local highlighted the need for loans from nationalised banks at low interest rate. “Fishing is not a 12-month business. We need alternative jobs for livelihood,” said one speaker.

Another speaker said in coastal areas, various companies are given permissions in the name of tourism and it has created discomfort among the fisherfolk.

“There has to be a proper policy in favour of the fishing community,” he demanded. Rahul told the gathering that like fishermen even the farmers feel a lot needs to be done for them.

“In the last ten years, the central government has worked to lay a solid foundation for sections of the society so that they feel secure,” he said.

He said the fishing community needs representation in the Legislative Assemblies and Parliament to get their voice heard.

The Bombay High Court asked Maharashtra government to expedite the process to fill up vacancies in the Police Complaints Authority, set up at the state and district level, and make it functional.

A division bench of Justices N H Patil and Anuja Prabhudesai was hearing a public interest litigation by one Makarand Mahadik seeking implementation of a 2006 Supreme Court order directing all states to constitute a police complaints authority to redress grievance of citizens about abuse of power by police including that of corruption and negligence.

According to the petition, a government resolution (GR) has also been issued directing for constitution of the authority but no further steps have been taken.

Additional public prosecutor Aruna Kamat-Pai informed the court that on February 1, an ordinance was passed making amendments in the Maharashtra Police Act and setting up of the Police Complaints Authority.

“Appointments to the panel and other steps towards its set up will be done shortly,” she said.

“You (state government) cannot simply say an ordinance has been issued. The main question is when will the authority start functioning? When will you fill up the vacancies and make the panel functional? The state has to take effective steps towards arranging infrastructure and appointing officers and other staff in the authority,” the court said.

The court has posted the petition for hearing after four weeks.

Two days after the arrest a thief for the murder of software professional Esther Anuhya, an officer from Mumbai Police met her father in Andhra Pradesh and apprised him about the probe.

Anuhya’s father S J S Prasad, however, appeared unconvinced by sequence of events narrated by police after the arrest of Chandrabhan Sanap (28), a history-sheeter who allegedly murdered the 23-year-old techie after attempting to rape her in early January.

A Crime Branch Inspector met Prasad at Machilipatnam in Krishna district this afternoon. During the hour-long meeting, the Inspector gave details about the case and how they zeroed in on Sanap, a taxi driver from Nashik who once worked as a porter in Kurla station from where Anuhya went missing, police said.
Prasad was not convinced by certain claims made by the police, who said Anuhya went with Sanap after he offered to drop her at hostel in suburban Andheri in early hours of January 5 following her arrival from AP by train.

“I still can’t believe my daughter went with an unknown person when he offered to drop her at Andheri for Rs. 300 and that too on a bike. She was very protective about herself,” said Prasad.

He suspected that more than one person might have been involved in the crime.
Anuhya’s decomposed body was found off the Eastern Express Highway in Bhandup on January 16 and Sanap was nabbed a few days ago. Sanap was spotted with Anuhya in a CCTV footage at the Kurla railway terminus.

The 23-year-old was employed as assistant system engineer with IT major TCS in suburban Goregaon.

According to the police, Sanap banged Anuhya’s head to the ground and strangled her with a stole when she tried to resist sexual assault.

In response to a habeas corpus petition filed by a woman whose one-day-old baby boy went missing from the Wadia Hospital here in 2012, the Bombay High Court transferred the case to Mumbai Crime Branch.

The division bench headed by Justice P V Hardas asked the Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) to assign the case to a senior officer of the Crime Branch, unit 4.

The case was earlier being probed by Bhoiwada police.

The child went missing from the hospital on October 25, 2012, from the maternity ward when his mother, Jasmin Devdas Naik, was away.

Eye witnesses said that an unknown woman was seen leaving the ward with the boy in her arms.

As the police failed to trace the child, Naik moved the High Court, seeking probe by a senior officer of the crime branch.

Police told the court that despite best efforts, the child as well as the woman remained untraceable.

The High Court observed that this was a serious matter and local police had enough opportunity to find the child, but they failed, hence the court had no other option but to transfer the case to the Crime Branch.