Agnivesh says attack was planned, Minister calls him fraud
Ranchi, July 18: Social activist Swami Agnivesh on Wednesday alleged that the brutal attack on him in Jharkhand was "pre-planned" and sought a judicial probe into it while a state Minister dubbed him a "fraud".
"The attack on me was pre-planned," Agnivesh told the media here. "The Pakur district administration was given information regarding my programme. But no security was provided by them.
"If the state government wants to probe the incident, then it should order a judicial probe so that the culprits can be punished," he said.
Congress leader and former Union Minister Subodh Kant Sahay and former Chief Minister and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik leader Babulal Marandi were present at the press meet.
Agnivesh said he had no hope that the Jharkhand or central government would probe the incident.
"People arrested in the incident were released. This indicates the mindset of the government. The BJP and RSS people are defaming the name of Lord Ram. Our Hindu religion does not preach violence."
Although the attack on Tuesday on Agnivesh was captured on camera, none of the attackers, who are believed to be right wing Hindu activists, have been prosecuted.
Agnivesh said the condition of tribals and Dalits was "very bad" in the country.
"I have launched a programme to protect the tribal rights. Around 25,000 tribals were expected to attend the programme but more than one lakh came. Despite such large gathering, no security arrangement was made. This indicates that the government wanted to eliminate me."
After activists shouting "Jai Shri Ram" slogans thrashed Agnivesh as he stepped out of his hotel, he had to be taken to a hospital with injuries.
On Wednesday, Jharkhand Urban Development Minister C.P. Singh said that Swami Agnivesh "is a fraud" and he conspired to get himself attacked.
"Agnivesh is a fraud. I know him for the last 40 years. No Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) worker was involved in the thrashing. He conspired to get himself thrashed," Singh told the media.
He alleged that Agnivesh used foreign funding to create unrest in the country.
The Jharkhand Assembly on Wednesday witnessed disruption over the attack on Agnivesh. The opposition members were angry with Singh for calling Agnivesh a "fraud" and "dalal".
Leader of Opposition Hemant Soren said: "The incident has taken place at the instruction of the state government. The government had prior information regarding the thrashing by BJYM workers."
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Neelkanth Singh Munda tried to calm the opposition by saying that Chief Minister Raghubar Das had ordered a probe. "Such an incident should have not have taken place."
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
