New ERA AS Modi Sweeps to Power
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SUBSCRIPTION SATURDAY, MAY 17, 2014 RAJAB 18, 1435 AH No: 16168 Egyptians in Iran recruiting Qatar summer Kuwait vote Afghans to World Cup a in election4 fight in 7Syria ‘mistake’48 New era as Modi Max 40º 150 Fils sweeps to power Min 23º India’s Gandhi dynasty loses its allure VADODARA: Hindu nationalist leader Narendra Modi said yesterday he would work for the good of all Indians in his maiden address as the country’s prime minister-elect, hours after his opposition party scored a resounding general election win. The dramatic victory by Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was the first time a single party has won a majority in India’s parliament for three decades. Yet he is a polarizing figure, who supporters say will revive the country’s slowing economy but critics believe has Hindu suprema- cist views that could alienate minorities including the sizeable Muslim community. Celebratory fire crackers were set off across broad swathes of the subcontinent, from the financial capital Mumbai in the west to the tropical east and Modi’s sun-baked home state of Gujarat. Thousands of people dressed in saffron orange, the party’s offi- cial color and a shade associated with Hinduism, packed into the main square of Vadodara, Modi’s constituency and a city in Gujarat. A music troupe sang patriotic songs as people filled the streets and waved orange scarves from rooftops. “I want to tell my fellow Indians that in letter and spirit I will take all Indians with me,” the usually stern Modi said, flashing broad smiles throughout his address and wearing a checked beige and white tunic. “This is our aim, and I will not leave any stone unturned.” His comments appeared to be aimed at quelling concerns among India’s Muslims, numbering some 175 million, that he would be biased against them. Many Muslims still mistrust Modi due to an outbreak of religious violence on his watch as chief minister of VADODARA: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) support- Gujarat in 2002 that left at least 1,000 people dead. He has not fully ers cheer during a public rally by BJP prime minis- explained why he was unable to stop the violence, although a terial candidate Narendra Modi (inset) after his vic- Supreme Court inquiry found no evidence to prosecute him. tory in Vadodara yesterday. — AFP Some Muslims seem to have put the past behind them, however, with the BJP set to win in half of the Indian constituencies that are home to large Muslim minorities. The BJP had won or was leading in 282 seats in India’s lower house of parliament, over the 272-seat mark needed for a majority, election commission data at 1630 GMT GCC states urged to free showed. An alliance led by the party was ahead in 339 seats, televi- sion channel NDTV said. Sonia Gandhi, president of the beleaguered ruling Congress party, British Prime Minister David Cameron and Prisoners of Conscience Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif all congratulated Modi on his win. India’s election commission is due to release final results. KUWAIT: A Gulf rights group has called said the numbers are based on data basic rights, including a ban on travel, Drummers and elephants for the release of thousands of Prisoners compiled by Gulf rights activists, inter- after they were released. Modi also struck a conciliatory tone toward political rivals, and of Conscience in the oil-rich Gulf states national organizations and rights Last October, rights group Amnesty said he would work with opposition parties. The BJP will not need as it marked what it called Gulf groups. International accused Saudi Arabia of allies to form a government, but it will have to call on outside sup- Detainees Day to highlight their plight. The overwhelming majority of the “arbitrary arrests and detention, unfair port to pass laws in the upper house, where it only has around one The Gulf monarchies do not allow politi- prisoners are held in Saudi Arabia fol- trials, torture and other ill-treatment fifth of seats. “The election period is over and it is time to put the cal parties and criticism of rulers can lowed by Bahrain, Rasheed said. over the past four years.” This March, it heat and dust behind,” Modi said yesterday. “I hope I will get the easily land someone in jail. “We call for Rasheed said his group has arranged said “prisoners of conscience” in support of everyone, including my opponents.” On the leafy main the release of prisoners and detainees with a number of lawyers from Europe Bahrain were still behind bars three road outside the BJP’s national office in New Delhi, drummers in who have been put behind bars for sim- and the United States to form a legal years after a month-long Shiite-led leopard-print robes, circus performers on stilts and painted ele- ply expressing their opinion,” Anwar Al- team to visit prisons in Gulf states when uprising was crashed by security forces. phants performed for hundreds of cheering and dancing revelers. Rasheed, head of the Gulf Forum for governments allow it. The detainees And this week, it said prominent UAE Rows of fire crackers were set off and colored powder filled the Civil Societies, said Thursday night. include doctors, teachers, writers, par- human rights lawyer Mohammed Al- air. Celebrations also took place in India’s financial capital Mumbai, Rasheed said there are “between liamentarians, activists, politicians and Roken, was in solitary confinement and where BJP flags were mounted on toy aeroplanes, and in Gujarat’s 30,000 and 40,000 opinion prisoners others, according to the group. Rasheed risks torture. Roken was one of 69 peo- state capital Gandhinagar, where crowds swarmed around Modi’s and detainees,” in the six-nation Gulf even spoke of cases in which prisoners ple jailed for 15 years last July for plot- car after he visited his mother’s house in a working class neighbor- Cooperation Council, which groups have remained in jail even after serving ting to overthrow the regime. A total of hood. “Modi is a great personality. Once you hear him speak, you are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi their terms. In other instances, he said 94 people were tried, 13 of them drawn to him,” said Surendra Tadi, a 34-year-old electrical engineer Arabia and United Arab Emirates. He people have been stripped of their women. — AFP who had left his home in Noida, a satellite city of Delhi, at 6.30 a.m. to travel to the party’s headquarters. — Reuters (See Page 11) LOCAL SATURDAY, MAY 17, 2014 KUWAIT: Firemen rescue a four-member family from their house in Hitteen area after a fire broke out in the building. Assailants strike in Sulaibiya again KD1,100 in cash, KD700 worth recharge cards taken away By Hanan Al-Saadoun Mubarak Al-Kabeer police stations about their two missing daugh- broke out in their house in Hitteen area, said security sources. The ters aged 19 and 17, said security sources. Two missing cases were fire started on the second floor of the building trapping the family, KUWAIT: Four unidentified robbers reportedly assaulted the cashier filed. including a senior citizen. of a Sulaibiya supermarket after spraying fire extinguisher foam on his face and took away the whole cash box containing KD 1100 and Pigeons stolen Citizen found dead KD 700 worth of mobile phone recharge cards, said security sources. A citizen reported that an unidentified robber had stolen 30 A 60-year-old citizen was found dead at his Abdali farm, said The cashier said that the robbers were wearing face masks and car- homing pigeons from his house roof, said security sources noting security sources. The man’s body was found by his nephew. Initial ried large stick and knives in their hands. that the man estimated the value of the pigeons at KD 6,000 each. medical examination showed that the man’s blood sugar was high, his eyes were widely open with secretions coming out of his mouth. Missing girls Four rescued from fire His clothes were found completely. Further forensic examinations Two Kuwaiti parents filed two reports at Um Al-Haiman and Firemen recently rescued a four-member family when a fire are underway to determine the cause of the death. Police bust robbery gang in capital governorate Thief flees country with stolen passport KUWAIT: A citizen and a bedoon were arrested recently on Thief flees country where he had a fight with his wife that extended out of suspicion of being responsible for 11 robberies in the capital A thief stole a fancy vehicle and made use of the owner’s their hotel room into the corridors disturbing other guests, governorate through which they managed to loot KD civil ID and passport to leave the country through said security sources. The man was completely out of con- 130,000, said security sources. Following a recent jewelry Nuwaiseeb land border exit, said security sources. The car trol and that he was taken for further tests. robbery, detectives managed to get the license number of owner reported that his car was stolen from his building’s the robbers’ escape car from surveillance cameras. On arrest- parking lot and the police found out that the thief had Drugs racket busted ing the owner of the car, who was a citizen, the police found already left the country making use of the passport that was Two Asians were recently arrested with possession of that he possessed drugs and weapons. The first suspect con- inside the car.