Odisha MLA, Italian Kidnap: Govt Offers Release of 27 Prisoners

A day before the deadline 5 April set by the maoists, the Odisha government has offered to release 27 maoist prisoners from its jails in exchange for the abducted BJD MLA Jhina Hikaka as well as Italian Bosusco Paolo.

Shortly after a crucial cabinet meeting, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said in assembly, "Considering the safety of Jhina Hikaka, the young MLA of Laxmipur, it has been decided by the state government to facilitate the release of 15 members of the Chasi Muliya Adivasi Sangha and eight Left-wing extremists in Koraput and Malkangiri jails." Eight Maoists and 15 activists of the Sangha are being offered for a swap for Hikaka's freedom while four Maoists will be freed for the safe passage of Paolo.

The Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee of CPI (Maoist) had demanded the release of all "political prisoners" (around 70) in jails of Koraput and Malkangiri districts for Hikaka's release. The state's offer to free eight Maoists came hours after the government resumed talks with Maoist-named mediators B D Sharma and Dandapani Mohanty for freeing Paolo, who was kidnapped along with his compatriot Claudio Colangelo on March 14. While Colangelo was released on March 25, Paolo has been held captive by the insurgents for nearly three weeks. The names of the prisoners to be released will be announced today.
 

Modi Is Not Our PM: Owaisi

MIM is a recognized state political party based in the Indian state of Telangana, with its head office in the old city of Hyderabad, which has its roots in the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen founded in 1927. Unlike most of the regional and national level parties, MIM party leaders ‘fight’ only for the well-being of Muslims, whereas no other party has such communal feelings. In their each and every speech, MIM leaders speak only about Muslims. If these leaders are here to fight for Muslims, then why there are no development works are happening in old city area for decades. Akbaruddin Owaisi faced criticism for making hate remarks on Narendra Modi and Hindus. Recently, his elder brother Asaduddin Owaisi made some notorious annotations. In a one-on-one debate between BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra and Asaduddin Owaisi on the topic of demonetization in a popular Hindi channel, the former left no stone unturned in exposing the latter’s communal designs. Owaisi claimed how most of the Muslim community still remains unbanked and that demonetization has caused severe inconvenience to Muslims. He even went on to say that ATM’s in Muslim-dominated areas weren’t fed enough money. He indirectly alleged that the Modi government hadn’t done anything for Muslims. Even after being pressurized Owaisi didn’t call Narendra Modi as his Prime Minister. He went on said, “Your Prime Minister…” On the other hand, Sambit spoke wisely and called Owaisi a leader of small stature because he talked only of Muslims. He said that no area was Muslim or Hindu and that all areas belonged to India. Owaisi was constantly quoting an RBI report, to which Sambit challenged him to show where the RBI had used the word ‘Muslim’. Sambit even said that if a Muslim leader speaks of Muslims it’s not an issue, but the moment a VHP leader speaks of Hindus people go crazy accusing them of imposing the Hindutva ideology. The most amazing of his counters was to Owaisi’s claims of Muslims not having been brought into the banking system. Sambit said that when banks or ATMs are to be opened in Muslim areas leaders like Owaisi shout that banking is un-Islamic and that Muslims should refrain from it! This video of debate between Sambit Patra and Asaduddin Owaisi is going viral in social media.