Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07NEWDELHI1977
2007-04-25 13:24:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:  

DELHI DIARY, APRIL 20-25

Tags:  PREL PGOV CVIS KCRM KDEM PHUM SOCI PTER MOPS 
pdf how-to read a cable
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ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 251324Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5145
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6040
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 3486
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1998
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 4881
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 4520
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 6803
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 001977 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV CVIS KCRM KDEM PHUM SOCI PTER MOPS
MARR, BT, IN
SUBJECT: DELHI DIARY, APRIL 20-25

REF: 06 NEW DELHI 6886

Classified By: PolCouns Ted Osius for Reasons 1.4 (B,D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 001977

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV CVIS KCRM KDEM PHUM SOCI PTER MOPS
MARR, BT, IN
SUBJECT: DELHI DIARY, APRIL 20-25

REF: 06 NEW DELHI 6886

Classified By: PolCouns Ted Osius for Reasons 1.4 (B,D)


1. (U) Below is a compilation of political highlights from
Embassy New Delhi for April 20-25, 2007 that did not feature
in our other reporting, including:

-- Mid-Election Scandal Could Shake Up Politics
-- Bhutan,s Voters Elect "Yellow" in Mock Polls
-- Another Bomb Found and Defused in Bhutan
-- India Holds Joint Naval Exercises with Russia
-- Supreme Court Bars OBC Quotas, UPA Objects

Mid-Election Scandal Could Shake Up Politics
--------------


2. (SBU) The April 19 arrest of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)
Member of Parliament (MP) Babubhai Katara at the New Delhi
International Airport for alien smuggling has unearthed what
appears to be a pervasive pattern of criminal behavior
involving numerous Parliamentarians and a nation-wide
smuggling ring. During his interrogation, Katara revealed
that he had been involved in the racket since 1993 and
provided the names of several accomplices. When picked up by
police, Katara's partners in crime claimed that other MPs
were also involved, including one from the BJP and another
from the Bahujan Samajwadi Party. Saying that the
revelations were just "the tip of the iceberg," Congress
official Manish Tiwari claimed that "at least eight more" BJP
MPs were involved in "human trafficking." Congress leaders
pledge to raise the issue when the budget session of
Parliament resumes on April 26. UPA Science and Technology
Minister, Kapil Sibal, ridiculed the BJP for its alleged
hypocrisy, saying "is this the pride the Gujarat Chief
Minister (Narendra Modi) talks of?" Sibal claimed that the
smuggling racket was part of a pattern of criminal behavior

by Hindutva MPs from the BJP (Note: Katara, in addition to
being an MP, is a high-ranking official in the Vishwa Hindu
Parishad - VHP, which is known for preaching Hindu morality.
End note.) Sibal claimed that Gangaram Koli, another BJP
MP, was involved in human trafficking to the Netherlands in

1998. Police have seized twelve passports from Katara's
residence, and have called four more MPs in for investigation
(one from the BJP and three from the BSP). The advent of
round-the-clock TV news channels has provided a ready
audience for the airing of politicians' dirty linen. The
media coverage, ongoing police investigation, and the
expected uproar in Parliament all but guarantee that this
scandal will have legs, especially if more MPs are arrested.


3. (C) Comment: This could not have come at a worse time
for the BJP, which is in the midst of a hotly contested
Legislative Assembly campaign in Uttar Pradesh, while its
government in Gujarat faces the voters in December. Congress
will take maximum advantage of this opportunity to score some
points against the resurgent BJP. End comment.

Bhutan,s Voters Elect "Yellow" in Mock Polls
--------------


4. (U) Preparing for its 2008 national elections, Bhutan held
mock elections April 21, attracting 125,338 out of 246,146
registered voters (out of approximately 375,000 eligible
voters). According to the Election Commission website, the
Yellow "Party" trounced the competition, and will face the
Red "Party" in runoff elections May 28. The Election
Commission acknowledged some glitches in the transmission of
results from remote, mountainous regions, as well as lack of
identification cards for several voters at one district.
Still, the relatively smooth proceedings contrast sharply
with other elections in the region.

Another Bomb Found and Defused in Bhutan
--------------


5. (SBU) Another bomb was found in the Bhutanese border town

NEW DELHI 00001977 002 OF 002


of Phuentsholing on April 23 and safely neutralized by
police, Kuensel reported. Police found a handwritten note
claiming responsibility on behalf of two organizations: the
Bhutan Tiger Force and the Bhutan Revolutionary Youth
Organization. This is the fourth bomb incident reported
since October 2006.
Timeline:
-- October 2006: Two bombs found and safely defused in
Phuentsholing.
-- December 2006: A bomb exploded in Phuentsholing, wounding
four.
-- March 2007: An IED found and safely defused in a roadside
culvert on the road between Pasakh and Tala.
-- April 23, 2007: Bomb found on the railings of a culvert
bridge 2km outside of Phuentsholing and defused.

India Holds Joint Naval Exercises with Russia
--------------


6. (U) India and Russia began the three-day joint naval
exercise &Indra 20078 in the Sea of Japan on April 24.
This is the third such joint exercise since 2003. According
to the Russian Ria Novosti news agency, the Indian flotilla
is comprised of three missile destroyers, a missile corvette
and a tanker, while the Russians are coming loaded for bear
(peacock?) with two large anti-submarine ships, a missile
boat, a diesel submarine, a group of mine-sweepers, a tanker,
two tug-boats, two KA-27 Helix helicopters, an IL-38 maritime
patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft. The live-fire
exercise will include air defense and anti-submarine warfare
maneuvers, as well as operations to enforce the law of the
sea and counter piracy, terrorism, and drug smuggling, the
Russian press added.


7. (U) In September, the two countries will initialize phase
two of Indra 2007 with ground operations in Pskov in
North-West Russia. Indian paratroopers will operate on
Russian soil for the first time for these live-fire
paratrooper games.

Supreme Court Bars OBC Quotas, UPA Objects
--------------


8. (U) On April 23, the Supreme Court (SC) rejected a
Government of India appeal to allow Other Backward Castes
(OBC) reservations in government higher education
institutions to proceed. The following day, it back-tracked
and confirmed that it would re-examine the issue on May 8.
The continued uncertainty surrounding implementation of the
law leaves universities in the lurch on admission decisions
for the upcoming academic year, which begins on July 1.
Central universities, however, do not start their admissions
process until the beginning of May. Indian Institutes of
Management and Technology (IIMS, IITS) are facing a tighter
crunch since their admissions process is extensive, including
separate tests, interviews, and counseling sessions. They
initially said they could not wait beyond April 21 to make
their admissions announcements. Should the SC allow OBC
reservations to proceed, central universities could still
admit the new OBC applicants on time, while the IIMs and IITs
will be left scrambling to abide by the law. (see reftel)


9. (C) Comment: Congress hoped the reservations would be
welcomed by the increasingly powerful OBCs, but the
legislation has become a political nightmare that has
needlessly stirred up the higher caste students (many of whom
will now be attracted to the BJP),while winning little
support from the OBCs. Congress is already under attack from
the BJP and other opposition parties for alleged incompetence
and mismanagement. This badly conceived measure will
reinforce that impression and undercut popular support for
the party. End Comment.
KAESTNER