The Indian Panorama

Tag: BJP

  • BJP president election Gadkari out, Rajnath in

    BJP president election Gadkari out, Rajnath in

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Rajnath Singh was on January 23 unanimously elected the new president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), succeeding Nitin Gadkari who decided against a second term till he was cleared of alleged corruption charges.

    Rajnath Singh will serve his term from 2013 to 2015, and lead the party in the 2014 general elections. A resolution supporting Rajnath Singh as the BJP chief was unanimously adopted by the parliamentary board of the party, after which he filed his nomination papers. The returning officer announced that 17 other nominations were also filed in Rajnath Singh’s favour. Rajnath Singh has previously been the president of the party from 2005 to 2009. He first became the party president in December 2005, following the resignation of L.K. Advani. He was re-elected in November 2006 unanimously and was succeeded by Nitin Gadkari in 2009.

    He also served as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh from October 2000 to March 2002. Rajnath Singh’s name was zeroed upon for the post of party president Tuesday evening, following Income Tax ‘surveys’ of around nine locations connected to alleged financial wrongdoing by a company linked to Gadkari. According to informed sources, several senior leaders, including BJP veteran L.K. Advani, had reservations on Gadkari getting a second term in view of allegations surrounding the Purti group linked to him. Gadkari, meanwhile, said he voluntarily backed out from going for a second term as he wanted his name cleared of the allegations.

  • SGPC To Participate In The Kumbh Mela

    SGPC To Participate In The Kumbh Mela

    CHANDIGARH (TIP): Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee – the mini parliament of Sikhs – has decided to participate in the Kumbh Mela for the first time, inviting criticism from various quarters, according to a report published in January 13 edition of Times of India. While the decision has apparently been taken at the behest of the top bosses of Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), which heads a coalition government in Punjab with the BJP, the SGPC is projecting it as an opportunity to make the Hindus from far-off places aware of Sikhism and the sacrifices made by the Sikh Gurus and the community. The committee has started shortlisting Sikh literature in Hindi that will be available at the mela.

    The decision had been taken at a meeting of the executive committee of SGPC a few days ago. Sources said there was some opposition to the proposal to participate in the Kumbh Mela, the largest gathering of Hindus, when SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar tabled it in the executive meeting. Many members pointed out that the mela had no significance in Sikhism and participation in the religious gathering would send out a wrong signal, especially about the independent identity of the Sikhs.

    Finally, it was decided to put up a stall of literature published by SGPC at the mela. When asked about the reason for the move, SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar said it provided a large target audience for making people aware about Sikhism. He said SGPC would also hold a photo and literature exhibition and organize a langar. SGPC secretary Dalmegh Singh has been sent to Allahabad to coordinate with the authorities. Makkar said he has issued directives to SGPC staff for short-listing the books that give an insight into Sikh history and to make these available in Hindi in good numbers. Slamming the SGPC’s decision, All India Sikh Students Federation president Karnail Singh Peermohammad said this has been done at the behest of RSS and is against the ideals propounded by the first Sikh master, Guru Nanak, and other gurus. “We respect everyone’s beliefs, but participating in the mela does not have any religious importance in Sikhism,” he added.

  • Union Cabinet Recommends President’s Rule In Jharkhand

    Union Cabinet Recommends President’s Rule In Jharkhand

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The government on January 17 decided to recommend to President Pranab Mukherjee to impose central rule in Jharkhand, where chief minister Arjun Munda has resigned after his government was reduced to a minority. The Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, discussed the report of Jharkhand Governor Syed Ahmed who has favoured imposition of President’s rule while keeping the 82- member state Assembly in suspended animation. The Cabinet decided to accept the governor’s recommendation and refer the matter to the President for necessary action, a minister, who attended the meeting, said.

    The governor’s recommendation was made in his second report to the Centre on the political situation in the wake of Munda’s resignation. The chief minister had sought dissolution of the Assembly after ally Jharkhand Mukti Morcha withdrew support to his government. Jharkhand, which was created in 2000, has been placed under President’s rule twice. The present political instability erupted on January 8 when BJP’s ruling coalition partner JMM, in a letter to the governor, formally withdrew its support to the 28-monthold government pushing it into a minority. In the Assembly, BJP and JMM have 18 members each. The Munda government had the support of six members of All Jharkhand Students’ Union, two of JD (U), two independents and one nominated member who has voting right in a trial of strength. Opposition Congress has a total of 13 members, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha(P)11 and RJD 5 in the assembly. CPI-ML(L), Marxist Coordination Party, Jharkhand Party (Ekka), Jharkhand Janadhikar Manch and Jai Bharat Samta Party have one member each besides.

  • India Rejects Pakistan demand for UN probe

    India Rejects Pakistan demand for UN probe

    NEW DELHI (TIP): India has rejected Pakistan’s demand that the UN be asked to probe allegations that Pakistani troops killed and beheaded two Indian soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir as Indian political parties called for “tough” action against Pakistan. “That (Pakistan’s) demand is rejected out of hand. We will not internationalize the issue nor go to the United Nations,” Finance Minister P. Chidambaram told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

    He said the cabinet committee on security was briefed about the January 8 killings near the Line of Control (LoC). “Our report is that the Indian forces did not violate the ceasefire (in place in LoC since 203),” he said. In Islamabad, Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar reiterated the demand for a third party enquiry into ceasefire violations on the LoC. Khar, addressing a news conference, said Islamabad abides by the 2003 ceasefire. She added that Pakistan has also contacted UN Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to probe the killing of one of its soldiers Jan 6 in alleged firing by Indian troops. She had a day ago denied the killing of Indian soldiers was a “tit-for-tat” reaction.

    According to Radio Pakistan, a Pakistani soldier was killed when “Indian troops resorted to unprovoked firing at Tatta Pani Sector in Kotli on January 10”. Hamid Mir of Geo TV said in a tweet: ‘Tatta Pani sector of Kashmir became another battlefield, one Pakistani soldier Havaldar Mohyudin martyred by Indian shelling.’ Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said the heightened border tensions will not to come in the way of a liberalized visa agreement between India and Pakistan. ‘The visa agreement (inked last year) will be carried out as scheduled, there is no rethink on it,’ Shinde told reporters. National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon noted that ceasefire violations by Pakistan on the LoC had increased last year. ‘There has been an increase in ceasefire violations by Pakistan and in infiltration attempts in 2012 over 2011.’ The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party said it would organize nation-wide protests Friday over the killings of the two soldiers. ‘People are very angry over this matter,’ BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitaraman said, adding: ‘We hold the Pakistan government and army accountable for breaking the ceasefire.’ ‘We should give proof, name and shame Pakistan for having done this… we can’t afford to have our goodwill misused,’ she added.

    BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said the party would support the UPA government if it takes ‘tough’ decisions against Pakistan for the killings. Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray demanded that India should ‘take revenge’ against Pakistan for the brutal killing of the two soldiers.

    Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati asked the government to take ‘strong action’ to ensure that such brutalities are not repeated and that India-Pakistan relations did not suffer. The US has asked India and Pakistan to talk to each other to improve relations. ‘We’re urging both sides to take steps to end the violence.

    We continue to strongly support any efforts to improve relations between the two countries,’ State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told reporters in Washington. The UNMOGIP has asked India and Pakistan to respect the ceasefire and de-escalate tensions. The UNMOGIP said it has received an official complaint from the Pakistan Army to probe the Jan 6 killing of a Pakistani soldier. But Martin Nesirky, spokesman for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said no official complaint had been from India or Pakistan on the second ‘alleged incident’ of Jan 8 for a probe.

    Indian Army sources have denied a media report linking the current border skirmishes to an elderly Kashmiri woman crossing into Pakistani Kashmir to be with her children. The sources also denied the Indian Army had transgressed the LoC on Jan 6, and said soldiers had only carried out ‘controlled retaliation’ in response to a ceasefire violation by Pakistan.

  • Asaram Says Rape Victim Should Have ‘Begged’, Gets Flak

    Asaram Says Rape Victim Should Have ‘Begged’, Gets Flak

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Spiritual leader Asaram Bapu was reported as saying that the Delhi gang-rape victim should have called her culprits brothers and recited the Saraswati mantra, provoking both the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP to lash out at the comments as disturbing and condemnable. Asaram Bapu reportedly said “the victim is as guilty as her rapists” and that she should have “begged” in front of the culprits. “She should have called the culprits brothers and begged before them to stop. This could have saved her dignity and life. Can one hand clap? I don’t think so,” CNNIBN quoted Asaram Bapu as saying in a Jaipur-datelined report.

    “Had she recited the Saraswati mantra, she would not have boarded any bus after watching a movie with her boyfriend,” he added. The comment was slammed by India’s two main parties, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “Such comments should be condemned as much as possible,” Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said. He was backed by party colleague Rashid Alvi who said: “Political leaders, including religious leaders, must give serious thought before they speak out.” BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said the comments were “regrettable and deeply disturbing and painful”. “We expect Asaram Bapuji to kindly introspect, reflect and withdraw the statement,” Prasad said.

    “I am sure he knows in the Hindu chintan (thought), woman of the country have been accorded a place of pride and dignity. Similarly in our constitution also, there is a clear provision of granting a status of equality to a woman and no discrimination. In this case, for him to make a statement in relation to a crime which has shocked the conscience of the country… Sorry, it is not acceptable,” he said. The 23-year-old woman was gangraped in a moving bus on the night of December 16, and brutally beaten. She succumbed to her injuries on December 29 in a Singapore hospital.

  • The World Is Not The Same Without Them

    The World Is Not The Same Without Them

    With legendary musicians- Mehdi Hassan, Pandit RaviShankar, actors- Rajesh Khanna, Dara Singh, AK Hangal,Joy Mukerjee, filmmaker Yash Chopra and ace comedianJaspal Bhatti transcending to heaven, the world of artsand entertainment was left bereaved. Hindi Cinema lostits first superstar Rajesh Khanna and actor-wrestler DaraSingh to prolonged illness, while Hangal succumbed to oldage. Yash Chopra breathed his last after contractingdengue, a few days after celebrating his 80th birthday.

    BAL THACKERAY: THE TIGER IS DEAD
    Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray passed away onNovember 17. Lakhs of mourners joined the Shiv Senafounder’s grieving family to bid him a tearful farewell. Asevident during several times in his life, the Thackerayphenomenon was in evidence once again in death as hebrought Mumbai to a complete halt.

    VILASRAO DESHMUKH: MASS LEADERDIES
    A mass leader, Union minister Vilarao Deshmukh wasgiven a tearful adieu by tens of thousands of grievingpeople at his native village from where he began hispolitical journey as an obscure sarpanch four decadesago.

    IK GUJRAL PASSES AWAY
    Former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral passedaway on November 30. He was 92. Gujral, who wasadmitted to the hospital on November 19 with a lunginfection, had been on dialysis for over a year. The PrimeMinister of the country for the year between 1997 and1998, he is best known for his ‘Gujral Doctrine’ thatproposed closer ties with India and her neighbours.

    PONTY CHADHA MURDERED
    Ponty Chadha was shot dead on November 17 in acontroversial shootout with brother Hardeep. The moversand shakers of politics, business and tinsel town paidtheir last respects to the liquor baron – It was the finalvalidation of Ponty’s massive clout and the larger-thanlifepersona he created single-handedly.

    YASH CHOPRA: KING OF ROMANCE NO MORE
    Noted director, screenwriter and producer YashChopra passed away at the age of 80. In a career spanningfive decades,Indian cinema’s ‘king of romance’ neverfailed to amaze the audience with his movies. His deathhas left a void in the industry which will never be filled.Chopra is also remembered for making the careers ofmany Bollywood actors, including Amitabh Bachchanand Shah Rukh Khan

    PANDIT RAVI SHANKAR: SITARMAESTRO DIESLegendary musician Pandit Ravi Shankar passed awayon December 12 at the age of 92. The sitar maestroenjoyed worldwide popularity and was known for his indepthunderstanding of various styles and schools of music.

    JASPAL BHATTI DIES IN ROAD ACCIDENT
    Noted comedian and filmmaker Jaspal Bhatti, 57, diedin a road accident near Shahkot in the early hours onOctober 25, 2012. Bhatti along with his son Jasraj whowas on the wheel, and two others was coming toJalandhar from Bathinda for the promotion of his newfilm ‘Power Cut’ when the car hit a tree on the roadside.

    RAJESH KHANNA: A SUPERSTARPASSES AWAY
    Actor Rajesh Khanna passed away after a prolonged illness in Mumbai on July 18. The first superstar ofIndian film industry, he gave many memorable hits likeAnand, Kati Patang, Aradhana, Amar Prem, Safar,Bawarchi etc.

    THE WORLD IS NOT THESAME WITHOUT THEMDR VERGHESE KURIEN: INDIA’SMILKMAN NO MORE
    Dr Verghese Kurien did not like drinking milk, but asfather of the White Revolution, he made India into anation of milk drinkers . Often called India’s best knownmilkman, Kurien passed away on September 9. In the sixdecades he spent in Anand, he ensured India istransformed from a milk-deficient country into one ofthe world’s biggest milk producers.DARA SINGHThe original action hero of Indian cinema, Dara Singhpassed away on July 12, 2012. He was keeping unwell for along time. His most popular role was of Hanuman in theepic TV series Ramayan.

    MEHDI HASSAN
    The popular Pakistani singer and Ghazal maestroMehdi Hassan passed away on June 13, 2012. Thecelebrated singer had also lent his voice to many songs inIndian films.

    JOY MUKHEJEE
    Yesteryear actor Joy Mukhejee known for his romanticroles in films like Love in Tokyo, Shagird, Ek BarMuskurado and Phir Wahi Dil Laaya Hoon passed awayon March 9, 2012. Mukherjee’s neice Kajol attended hisfuneral.

    ACHALA SACHDEV
    Senior actress Achala Sachdev, popularly known as the’Zohra Jabeen’ of Bollywood (after her popular song ‘AeMeri Zohra Jabeen’ in Waqt) passed away on April 30,2012.Former Union Minister K C Pant, an eminent publicfigure and an able administrator, passed away at the ageof 81. He had served under late Prime Ministers IndiraGandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and switched to BJP in the late1990s. The son of Govind Ballabh Pant, a former UttarPradesh Chief Minister and Union Minister under latePrime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Pant held theportfolios of Defence, Finance, Energy and Steel amongothers. Pant also played the role of negotiator during theseparate Telangana agitation in the 1970s and wasinstrumental in reaching of an agreement called `MulkiRules` that gave prominence to recruitment of locals andended the agitation.

  • 2012-The Year That Was

    2012-The Year That Was

    THE RISE OF ARVIND KEJRIWAL
    Activist-turned-politician Arvind Kejriwal launchedhis party ‘Aam Aadmi Party’ this December. AAP’sdeclared manifesto to provide – for the first time in 65years of independence – a totally graft-free government.Crucially, none of the party’s agenda spells out howreforms, essential to a middle class seeking jobs andgrowth, can be harnessed for the best possible socioeconomicdevelopment.

    ANNA HAZARE-ARVIND KEJRIWAL PARTWAYS; AAP LAUNCHED
    While Gandhian Anna Hazare captured theimagination of the nation in 2011 by taking on thegovernment over the Jan Lokpal Bill issue bill,Team Anna hogged the limelight in 2012 due to itsbreakup. Anna and his key members, ArvindKejriwal, Kiran Bedi, Prashant Bhushan and otherscame back one last time in August this year toprotest at Jantar Mantar. However, the responseboth by the general public and the government wastepid.Subsequently, Team Anna promised to provide a’political alternative’ to the nation but soon after thisthe veteran social activist announced that his teamwas being disbanded. Whereas Anna was of theopinion that they should remain outside the systemto fight the system, ex-IRS officer Kejriwal felt that tochange the system one had to embark on the politicalcourse. With diametrically opposite views, a split wasinevitable.Finally on November 26, Arvind Kejriwal and his teamformed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the presence ofthousands of supporters. Kejriwal was appointed thenational convener, Pankaj Gupta the national secretaryand Krishna Kanth the national treasurer.

    CABINET RESHUFFLE
    Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s “last reshuffle” ofhis ministerial team on October 28, before the 2014general elections, carried the first unmistakable stamp ofRahul Gandhi’s ascendancy in the Congress party. Thechanges appeared to mark the beginning of anothergenerational shift in the 127-year-old party. The reshuffleis also an effort to put the party in battle mode for the2014 polls.

    COALGATE
    At Rs 1.86 lakh crore, the coal mining scam is beingbilled as the ‘mother of all scams’. The scandalconcerning the government’s allocation of the nation’scoal deposits to public sector entities (PSEs) and privatecompanies led to repeated disruptions in Parliament withthe opposition even gunning for Prime MinisterManmohan Singh’s resignation. Meanwhile, the UPA’smanagers have hit out at the CAG and rebutted hischarges.

    PRANAB MUKHERJEE DONSPRESIDENT’S HAT
    The ‘Chanakya’ of Indian politics, Pranab Mukherjee,took over as the 13th President of India on July 25, 2012.Mukherjee wasn’t in the race initially to succeed PratibhaPatil at Raisina Hill. However, on June 15 this year his namewas announced as UPA’s Presidential candidate. VicePresident Hamid Ansari was among the other candidatesthe Congress mulled. However, the coming together of thetwo ‘M’s Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mamata Banerjee andtheir decision to name Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,former president APJ Abdul Kalam and former Lok Sabhaspeaker Somnath Chhatterjee as their Presidential choicesupset Congress’ plan. Mulayam Singh later broke ranks withMamata Banerjee and decided to go with the UPA candidateamid voices growing in favour of Pranab Mukherjee. TheBSP and several other parties also lent their support toPranabda, including JD(U) and Shiv Sena of the oppositionNational Democratic Alliance. Later, Mamata swallowed hersense of humiliation and decided to back the UPA candidatelater. Later in the year, the Supreme Court dismissed thepetition of PA Sangma, the Presidential candidate of theNDA, who had challenged Pranab’s election as presidentclaiming the former finance minister held an office of profit(chairman of the Indian statistical institute) on the day hefiled the nomination papers for the Presidential Elections.Mukherjee had rejected the allegations.

    BHARTIYA JANATA PARTY’S CUP OFWOES
    While the Congress-led UPA government at the Centrewas bogged down by issues of price rise, inflation andcoalgate, the main Opposition, the BJP had its owntroubles to deal with. The party saw its nationalpresident Nitin Gadkari embroiled in a major scandalwhich has almost rendered his second term as the party’schief untenable. After dubious funding was suspected inGadkari’s Purti Power and Sugar Ltd, the governmentdecided to probe the allegations.Gadkari faced more trouble after its Rajya Sabha MPRam Jethmalani took everyone by surprise by demandinghis resignation over the slew of allegations of corruptionagainst him. This after the maverick lawyer had openlypitched for Narendra Modi as BJP’s prime ministerialcandidate. BJP’s parliamentary board subsequentlysuspended Jethmalani from party’s primary membershipbut not before the damage was done.The BJP found its southern bastion breached afterformer chief minister BS Yeddyurappa launched theKarnataka Janata Party (KJP).

    TROUBLESOME YEAR FOR UPAGOVERNMENT
    The year 2012 would be remembered as one of the mostdifficult years for the Congress-led UPA government (in fact,the entire tenure of the UPA-2 has been mired incontroversies over corruption scams, policy paralysis etc).After keeping it in cold storage for long, the UPAgovernment re-launched a bid to bring in 51% foreign directinvestment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, amid accusations ofpolicy paralysis in the government. Though the governmentthis time modified the policy and allowed the states to taketheir decision on allowing FDI in multi-brand retail,Mamata Banerjee quit anyway. She has been one of the mostvocal voices against FDI in retail, saying the decision willhurt farmers and small retailers. The decision also led tomajor uproar in Parliament’s Winter Session and had to beput to vote. The UPA triumphed in both the Houses, thanksto direct and indirect support from the BSP and SP.However, the two allies who support the UPA from outsidegot involved in a fierce battle in the Rajya Sabha over theQuota in Promotions Bill. While BSP chief Mayawati forcedthe government to table the Bill in the Upper House, the SPwarned it would not let the House function if the Bill wastabled.During the year, the tussle between the Comptroller andAuditor General (CAG) of India and the UPA governmentcontinued, mainly over the report on the coal blocksallocation. After pegging the 2G scam presumptive loss at amassive Rs 1.76 lakh crore, the coal blocks allocation scam,which came to be popularly known as Coalgate, waspresumed to have caused a loss of Rs 1.86 lakh crore by theCAG. Since the coal blocks were mainly allotted during theperiod when PM Manmohan Singh held the coal portfolio,he too came under the direct attack of the Opposition. Whilethe government denied any scam and refuted the loss figure,an inter-ministerial panel which reviewed the allocationsdid recommend scrapping of several allotments both toprivate players and PSUs, over various reasons includingfavouritism and delay in execution of projects. PMManmohan Singh also came under attack from theinternational media, after the prestigious TIME magazinedubbed him as an underachiever over the policy paralysisthat was bogging his government. The major pro-economicreforms that the UPA government initiated in the later partof the year were seen as a move to rebut those allegations.In the middle of the year, the northeastern state of Assam,mainly Kokrajhar, witnessed fierce clashes between theethnic Bodos and the immigrant Bengali-speaking Muslims.The clashes started on the issue of land encroachment andled to nearly 100 deaths. Nearly five lakh people weredisplaced in the violence that raged during July-Septemberperiod.While the clashes were quelled following deploymentof the Army and Central paramilitary forces, Novemberalso reported fresh violence and deaths.

  • Delhi Gang Rape Case The Beginning Of A Change In The Mindset— A Revolution

    Delhi Gang Rape Case The Beginning Of A Change In The Mindset— A Revolution

    A female physiotherapy intern was beaten and gang raped in Delhi on 16 December 2012, and died thirteen days later while undergoing emergency treatment in Singapore for brain and gastrointestinal damage from the assault. After watching a film in South Delhi in the early evening, she and a male companion boarded a bus being driven as a “joyride”, thinking it was a public bus.[2] The only other passengers were five men who were friends of the driver, who then assaulted the pair. She was taken to Safdarjang Hospital, received multiple surgeries, and was placed on mechanical ventilation. On 26 December, she was moved to Singapore for further treatment, where she died on 29 December. As of 21 December 2012, six men, including the bus driver, have been arrested. The incident has generated international coverage and was condemned by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, who called on the Government of India and the Government of Delhi “to do everything in their power to take up radical reforms, ensure justice and reach out with robust public services to make women’s lives more safe and secure”. Public protests took place in Delhi, where thousands of protesters clashed with security forces. Similar protests took place in major cities throughout the country.

    Incident

    The victims, a 23-year-old female physiotherapy intern and her male friend, were on their way home after watching a film in Saket in South Delhi. They boarded a chartered bus at Munirka for Dwarka that was being driven by joyriders at about 9:30 pm. The minor among the accused had called for passengers telling them that it was going towards their destination. The woman’s friend became suspicious when the bus deviated from its normal route and its doors were shut. When he objected, the group of six men already on board taunted the couple, asking what they were doing alone at such a late hour. When the victim’s friend tried to intervene, he was beaten, gagged and knocked unconscious with an iron rod. The men dragged the woman to the rear of the bus, beating her with the rod and raping her while the bus driver continued to drive.

    Medical reports later suggested that the woman suffered serious injuries to her abdomen, intestines and genitals due to the assault, and doctors say that the damage indicates that a blunt object (suspected to be the iron rod) may have been used for penetration. That rod was later described by police as being a rusted, L-shaped implement of the type used with a wheel jack. After the beatings and rape ended, the gang threw the two from the moving bus. Then the accused allegedly tried to drive the bus over the woman but she was pulled aside in the nick of time by her male friend. One of the perpetrators later cleaned the vehicle.

    Police impounded it the next day.[8][9] As she was pinned down and raped, the young woman put up a fight but was hopelessly outnumbered. She bit three of the men assaulting her. The bite marks on the three accused men are likely to be part of the Delhi Police’s evidence in their chargesheet. The woman and her companion were found by a passerby on the road, partially clothed and unconscious, around 11 pm. The passerby phoned the Delhi Police, who took the couple to a hospital, where the female victim was given emergency treatment and placed on mechanical ventilation. The victim was found with only 5% of her intestines left inside of her. A doctor at the hospital later said that the “rod was inserted into her and it was pulled out with so much force that the act brought out her intestines also. That is probably the only thing that explains such severe damage to her intestines.”

    Victims

    The female victim was born and raised in Delhi while her parents were from a small village in the Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh. Her father, who sold his agricultural land to educate her, works for a private company in Delhi. Pseudonyms have been used for her, including Jyoti (light), Jagruti (awareness), Amanat (after the Indian TV soap opera Amanat), Nirbhaya (fearless one), and Damini (after the 1993 Hindi film Damini), although some media commentators have raised questions on the judgement of using pseudonyms for her. The male victim is 28 years old, from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, and lives in Ber Sarai, New Delhi.

    Delhi police registered a criminal case against the editor of a Delhi based tabloid for disclosing the identity of the rape victim, as such disclosure is an offence under section 228(A) of Indian Penal Code. Shashi Tharoor, union minister, suggested that if parents have no objection, the identity of the victim may be made public, with a view to showing respect for the victim’s courageous response by naming future laws after her, but Tharoor’s remark created controversy.

    Treatment and death of rape victim
    On 19 December 2012, the damaged intestines of the victim were resected due to risk of gangrene, and she received intravenous nutrition and medication. On 21 December 2012, the government appointed a committee of physicians to ensure she received the best medical care. By 25 December 2012, she remained intubated, on life support and in critical condition. Doctors stated that the internal bleeding had been controlled to an extent, but her increased bilirubin level (suggesting hepatic dysfunction or hemolysis) was a “serious cause of concern”. At a cabinet meeting chaired by Manmohan Singh on 26 December, the decision was made to fly her to Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore for further care. Mount Elizabeth is a multi-organ transplant specialty hospital. The decision to move the patient while she was still in critical condition has been criticised for being purely political. Doctors have questioned the need to transfer an ICU patient for organ transplants that were not scheduled for weeks or even months later. Government sources indicate that the Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit, was personally behind the decision. Hours earlier, Union Minister P. Chidambaram had stated that the woman was not in a condition to move.

    Some reports suggest that the decision to shift was taken when it was already clear that she would not survive the next 48 hours. During the six-hour flight by airambulance to Singapore, at 30,000 feet, the victim suddenly went into a near collapse. Her blood pressure dipped alarmingly, and doctors on the flight had to create an arterial line to stabilize her. That the doctors were able to perform this procedure in-flight was considered a medical feat.[30] However, the victim never regained consciousness in Singapore. On 28 December 2012, at 11 am (IST), her condition was “extremely critical” and the Chief Executive Officer of the Mount Elizabeth Hospital said that the woman suffered brain damage, pneumonia, abdominal infection, and that she was “fighting for her life.”Her condition continued to deteriorate, and she died at 4:45 am on 29 December, Singapore Standard Time (2:15 am, 29 December, IST; 8:45 pm, 28 December, UTC). Her body was cremated on 30 December at Delhi under high police security. The government denied access to the media and the public. The “fortification” of Delhi was criticised by many, including the main opposition party of India.

    Alleged perpetrators
    Police found and arrested some of suspects within 24 hours. From highway CCTV recordings, a description of the bus, a white privately operated charter bus with a name written on it, and details of the windows, blinds, and seats could be seen. Going to the bus stand where the victims boarded it, other operators identified it as being contracted by a south Delhi private school. They then traced it and found its driver, Ram Singh.

    Police had sketches of the assailants with the help of the male victim, and used a cell phone stolen from the pair to find one of them. Six men have been arrested in connection with the incident: Ram Singh, the bus driver, and his brother, Mukesh Singh, were both arrested in Rajasthan; Vinay Sharma, an assistant gym instructor, was arrested in Delhi, as was Pawan Gupta, a fruit seller; Muhammad Afroz aka Raju, a minor, and native of Uttar Pradesh was arrested by the police at Anand Vihar terminal in Delhi; and Akshay Thakur, a man who had gone from Bihar to Delhi seeking work, was arrested in Aurangabad in Bihar.

    The group had been eating and drinking together and “having a party” earlier that day. Raju had only met the others that day. Although the charter bus which Ram Singh drove on weekdays was not permitted to pick up public passengers or even to operate in Delhi because of its tinted windows, they decided to take it out “to have some fun”. With Mukesh Singh driving, they first picked up a carpenter who was charged Rs. 10 for a ticket and then robbed of Rs. 8,000 and dropped in South Delhi.[40] They then turned back and a half hour later, picked up the couple who were charged Rs. 10 each. Ram Singh was presented before the Metropolitan Magistrate on 18 December 2012. Mukesh Singh, who was placed in Tihar Jail after his arrest, was assaulted by other inmates and was kept in solitary confinement for his own protection.

    Ram and Mukesh Singh are from Ravi Dass Camp, a slum in South Delhi. Ram Singh suffers from a substantial disability in his right arm, sustained after a bus accident for which he had sought compensation. He refused to participate in an identification process. Shortly after the attacks, Gupta said he accepted his guilt and should be hanged

    Prosecution
    The male victim testified in court on 19 December. The female victim recorded her statement with a sub-divisional magistrate at the Safdarjung Hospital on 21 December 2012, in the presence of the Deputy Commissioner of police. The five adults accused will face murder charges and other charges under the Indian Penal Code. The juvenile suspect, Raju, may be subject to a separate legal process as a minor but Delhi Police are testing a bone marrow sample to determine his actual age. The police promised to file the charge sheet within one week, following public outrage and demand for a speedy trial and prosecution. At the suggestion of the Delhi Chief Minister, the Delhi High Court approved the creation of five fast-track courts to try rape and sexual assault cases.

    On 21 December 2012, the government promised to file the charge sheet “quickly” and seek the maximum penalty of life imprisonment for the perpetrators. The Union Parliament’s Standing Committee on Home Affairs met on 27 December 2012 to discuss the issue, and Union Home Secretary R. K. Singh and Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar were summoned to appear. The first of the five approved fast track courts was inaugurated on 2 January 2013 by Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir in Saket court complex in South Delhi. The fast track court will conduct the trial of the accused in gang rape. On 21 December 2012, the Delhi High Court reprimanded the Delhi police for being “evasive” in a probe status report providing details of officers on patrol duty in the area covered by the bus route. A further court hearing on the matter is scheduled for 9 January 2013.

    The following day, the Delhi Police initiated action against three Hauz Khas police station personnel for alleged inaction on an alleged robbery of the bus on which the gang rape and assault occurred. Just before the gang rape, the accused had robbed a carpenter, Ramadhar, after picking him up in their area. On 24 December 2012, two Assistant Commissioners of Police were suspended for failing to prevent the gang rape incident. On 29 December 2012, following the death of the victim, the accused were charged with murder by the police. Senior lawyer Dayan Krishnan has been appointed as the special public prosecutor and Delhi police is hoping to file the charge sheet by January 3, 2013.

    Public protests
    Public protests took place in New Delhi on 21 December 2012 at India Gate and Raisina Hill, the latter being the location of both the Parliament of India and Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the President of India. Thousands of protesters clashed with police, overturned cars, and battled Rapid Action Force units. Demonstrators were lathi charged, shot with water cannons and tear gas shells, and arrested.

    Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and former Army chief General Vijay Kumar Singh were among demonstrators who clashed with Delhi Police at Jantar Mantar. Police claimed that peaceful protests had been “hijacked” by hooligans and political activists. Similar protests have occurred throughout the country. More than 600 women belonging to various organisations demonstrated in Bangalore.

    Thousands of people silently marched in Kolkata. Protests have occurred online as well on the social networking sites Facebook and WhatsApp, with users replacing their profile images with a black dot symbol. Tens of thousands have signed an online petition protesting the incident.

    The Delhi Police has been accused of using excessive force against the protestors, causing more outrage. The Hindustan Times reported that 375 tear gas canisters were used at India Gate and elsewhere in Delhi to disperse the crowds. During a public protest, a policeman named Subhash Tomar collapsed and later died in hospital. Two witnesses claimed that Tomar collapsed without being hit by any protesters, while a third disputed this. Hospital doctors and the post-mortem gave contradictory reports: he died due to cardiac arrest, but it is not known if the heart attack was caused by blunt-force injuries that he suffered to his chest and neck. Some experts state that his chest injuries may have been a side effect of the administration of CPR.

    After the victim’s death
    Following the death of the victim on 29 December, large numbers of people staged protests near Jantar Mantar, New Delhi on 30 December. There were minor clashes between some groups of protesters and the police, the police then shifted some protesters from the spot. Certain group of protesters also observed one day hunger strike at Jantar Mantar. All roads leading to India Gate were closed by police and such areas where protesters gathered during previous week were out of bounds to public. Some of the protesters drew graffiti and slogans on papers spread on road, condemning the incident, demanding stricter laws and speedy judgement. The main opposition party of India, the BJP, renewed its demand for a special parliament session to discuss the case and to adopt stricter laws on crime against women. After the woman’s death, protests were staged all over India, including Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Mumbai, etc.

    Many of the mourners carried candles, wore black dress and some pasted black cloth across their mouths. New year celebrations were scaled down to a large extent with the Indian armed forces, some clubs & hotels in Delhi cancelling their new year parties.

    Social context
    Segregation against women as well as Eve-teasing and rape are some issues threatening women in India. There are people who believe that though Indian law provides protection to women, certain local law enforcement personnel are reportedly negligent, downplay complaints and blame the victims for their clothing or imagination, and pressure victims of rapes, which can discourage registration of legal complaints. Cases of harassment and rape by police are cited. In cases of some registered legal complaints, lack of follow-up by suitable inquiries resulted in “do not prosecute”, which can further discourage rape reports by victims.

    This social context has been denounced as a cause for the widespread protests in India, with requests for police, societal, and legal reforms. Protestors also cited the sex crime rate statistics in New Delhi, which are among the highest among Indian cities; 92 percent of those accused of rape are known to their victims, and more than half are under the age of 25.

  • Govt, BJP Spar Over Grant Of Visa To Miandad

    Govt, BJP Spar Over Grant Of Visa To Miandad

    NEW DELHI (tip): The government and main Opposition BJP — backed by ally Shiv Sena — sparred over the Union home ministry’s decision to grant visa to former Pakistani cricket captain Javed Miandad, who has family ties with the UN-designated global terrorist Dawood Ibrahim. Miandad’s son Junaid is married to Mahrukh, daughter of Dawood, who is wanted in India in connection with the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case. Foreign minister Salman Khurshid defended the decision, saying the visa was granted by the MHA while following the right procedures. “It is a decision taken by the ministry of home affairs and the government.

    What are the circumstances, what is considered when an approval is given… what goes into it, is an internal government matter,” Khurshid told reporters in Bangalore. He was responding to a question about the opposition to the grant of visa to Miandad, an official of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), for the India- Pakistan ODI to be played here on January 6. Due to Miandad’s family ties with Dawood, India’s most wanted terrorist, there had been reports before a series in 2005 that any requests for a visa by Miandad could be turned down by the Indian government. “It is the job of MHA.

    They have taken a decision. No Pakistani visa gets cleared without MHA clearance. Inputs from all agencies are taken into consideration. It is an internal procedure,” Khurshid said. On Shiv Sena’s objections over grant of visa, he said, “Opposition only questions. Proper procedures have been gone through in this. Any law of prudence which had to be followed, it was followed, I am sure law will take care”. Criticizing the government’s decision, BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, “This country loves the game of cricket but does not love terrorists. Dawood has been the mastermind of several terror acts. Pakistan has refused to hand him over to India despite several efforts. India should not allow any relative of Dawood to come to India”.

    BJP maintained that Islamabad should hand over Dawood before Miandad is allowed to visit India. “Pakistan today is a factory of terror and manufactures terrorists who work against India,” Naqvi said. BJP MP Kirti Azad, who had played for India, asked why the government had allowed Miandad to visit the country after seven years when Indian government had refused to give him visa since 2005. “Will Dawood Ibrahim’s relative come and the Indian government question him?…..giving him visa and playing cricket, how do they think it will improve relations?” Azad asked.

    Shiv Sena, which had opposed renewing of cricketing ties with Pakistan, said the whole country should condemn the move. “He’s a relative of Dawood and you lay out a red carpet for him…. The whole country should oppose it. Pakistan has spread terrorism whether it is in Delhi, Mumbai or Kashmir,” Sena MP Sanjay Raut said. “He is a well known cricketer. His visa application papers were in order and valid and that is why the government has decided to give him visa,” the minister of state for home R P N Singh told reporters on January 3. When asked if Miandad was not on India’s “negative list”, Singh said “no, nothing like that”. “He was given visa when his visa papers were found valid,” he said.

  • Tougher Rape Laws: Shinde Wants Parties To Pitch In

    Tougher Rape Laws: Shinde Wants Parties To Pitch In

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Two days after the death of the 23-year-old Delhi gang-rape victim, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde has sent letters to all political parties inviting suggestions on the issue of amending laws pertaining to rape. At present, anti-rape laws are seen to be lax with very low conviction rates. According to the National Crimes Record Bureau, there were 22,171 reported cases of rapes in the country in 2010. The conviction rate in these cases stood at just 26.6 per cent. In the same year, 40,613 molestation cases were reported with 29.7 per cent convictions. The maximum punishment for rape under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code is life term. But those convicted are often let off after serving only a few months or years. Moreover, proving the offence of rape in courts is a traumatic experience for victims. One suggestion being considered by the government is having fast-track courts with fixed periods for such trials.

    Bjp too wants chemical Castration for rapists
    The BJP on December 31 suggested maximum punishment to the accused in rape cases– either death penalty or chemical castration. “There should be maximum punishment to the rapists, death penalty or emasculation (chemical castration of the rapist),” senior BJP leader Venkiah Naidu told reporters here. His suggestions come close on the heels of the Congress proposing castration for rapists.

  • Digvijaya Gets Bail In Gadkari’s Defamation Case

    Digvijaya Gets Bail In Gadkari’s Defamation Case

    NEW DELHI (TIP): A Delhi court Friday granted bail to Congress leader Digvijaya Singh in a defamation case filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Nitin Gadkari. Metropolitan Magistrate (MM) Sudesh Kumar asked Digvijaya Singh to furnish a surety of Rs.50,000. The Congress leader, who was present in the court, sought a copy of the CD produced as evidence against him. The court had earlier issued summons to Digvijaya Singh to appear before the court. The matter would be heard next Jan 31, 2013. The court’s order came on the defamation complaint filed by Gadkari Oct 1. Gadkari said in his complaint that the Congress leader dragged his name into alleged irregularities in the allocation of coal blocks. The BJP leader recorded his statement in the court that he was “not responsible for any coal block allocation to anybody”.

  • Gujarat Election Results 2012: How Congress Lost The Plot

    Gujarat Election Results 2012: How Congress Lost The Plot

    AHMEDABAD (TIP): The Congress went hammer and tongs about the issue of uneven development in Gujarat, handling of the draught situation in the state, malnutrition and water problems. They hoped to come back to power on the premise that Narendra Modi has ‘lost the plot’. But it seems the Congress is living in its own world away from reality. In one of the most bizarre post election results comment ever, Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram said the BJP may form a government in Gujarat but ‘the real winner’ in the state is the Congress. The Congress may have very marginally improved in these elections but it is more of a consolation prize and not really a ‘win’. This statement itself smacks of a defeatist attitude.

    The Congress party has always been accused of complacency. And these polls were no different. Any state elections and the Congress relies on the Gandhi family to exhort voters to vote for them – this without trying to strengthen its cadre base or backing a strong regional leader. For a party which has been out of power in Gujarat for years now, the Congress needs to be worried. Not only because it has no known face to counter Modi but also because its traditional vote bank like the dalits and the tribals are said to have voted for Modi in comparatively large number.

    And it goes without saying that the Congress cannot hope of coming back to power in Gujarat if does not make inroads amongst the urban voters, Modi’s strongest votebank. What could be worse for the Congress is that its state president Arjun Modhwadia, seeking third consecutive term from Porbandar constituency, was defeated by his BJP rival Babu Bokhiria by a margin of 17,146 votes. Remember Modhwadia had spearheaded a sustained and aggressive campaign against the BJP.

    Also the Congress needs to get over its short term syndrome and think of a long term solution if it is serious about getting back the regional space that it has lost. Come to think of it, going into the elections many of the candidates that the Congress fielded were ex-VHP men and disgruntled Modi detractors. To make matters worse the party was besieged by infighting and chaos in ticket distribution, which saw the defection of former deputy chief minister Narhari Amin from the Congress. One of the factors that Congress was hoping to benefit from was the breakaway of former BJP strongman, Keshubhai Patel from the party. However, it was not to be. Rather than relying on extraneous factors, the party will have to create its own base.

    Imagine a party which projects itself as the messiah of the minorities and the Muslims was scared of uttering a single word about those areas in Gujarat where the benefits of development may not have percolated down to the Muslims. A party which offered sops like cheap housing for low income groups cannot ever come back to power in Gujarat if it goes to the polls bereft of new ideas. If Modi said that these elections were about ‘pro-incumbency’ then he was right. The Congress almost played in to the hands of Modi by being extra careful in the run up to the polls. While Modi blamed the UPA-led government at the Centre for all its ills and publicly criticized Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, the Congress leaders were hesitant to take on Modi and attack him on his weak points.

  • Virbhadra Steers Cong To Power In Himachal

    Virbhadra Steers Cong To Power In Himachal

    SHIMLA (TIP): The verdict is out and theCongress under the leadership of VirbhadraSingh on December 20 wrested power inHimachal Pradesh by getting an absolutemajority in the state Assembly.The Congress has won 36 out of the total68 seats, while the ruling BJP has managedto get only 26. Others have won six seats.Congress veteran and five-time chiefminister Virbhadra Singh, who led theparty’s campaign in the state, was elected bya record margin of 20,000 votes.”We are forming the next government,” hetriumphantly told the media.Earlier, state Chief Minister and BJPleader PK Dhumal on December 20 concededdefeat and said “we need to analyse whatwent wrong.”Congress’ gamble of dispatchingVirbhadra Singh to Himachal Pradesh tolead the Assembly Elections campaign haspaid off. The Congress veteran was sent tothe hilly state at a time when he was facingcorruption charges against him, but theelection results show that Virbhdara stillholds his fort in his home town.

    ‘Sonia to decide on CM candidate’
    After winning the elections Virbhadrasaid that he had put in his “best efforts” inthe polls and it was for Sonia Gandhi todecide the party’s chief minister.”I had been given the brief to bring theparty back to power and for that I had put inmy best efforts. It is for our national leaderSonia Gandhi to decide who will become theChief Minister,” Singh said while speakingto reporters.

    BJP accepts defeat
    BJP leader PK Dhumal won from theHamirpur seat defeating his nearestCongress rival Narinder Thakur by a marginof over 9,500 votes.Reacting to election debacle, Dhumalfurther underlined the “need to analyse whatwent wrong”. “The voters form the kind ofgovernment that they want, and best wishesto the new government,” Dhumal said.Senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar said theparty accepted the poll verdict.”We accept the verdict. All people in theBJP had fought elections together. The peopledid not vote for us,” Shanta Kumar, a formerHimachal Pradesh chief minister, toldreporters.

    Leaders who won and lost
    The four independents who won theelections are: Congress rebel KirneshJung from Paonta Sahib, Balbir SinghVerma (Chopal) as well as BJP rebelsPawan Kajal (Kangra) and Rajinder Singh(Sujanpur).

    Congress candidate Rakesh Kalia wonGagret seat in Una district defeatingSushil Kalia (BJP).

    BJP has won Shillai seat of Sirmaurdistrict where its candidate Baldev Tomardefeated Congress’ HarshvardhanChauhan

    Congress candidate Sohan Lal Thakur haswon Sundernagar seat.

    Congress leader Vidya won Theog.

    BJP leader Dr Rajiv Bindal bagged Nahanseat.

    Congres leader Kishori Lal won Baijnathseat.

    Congress’s Asha Kumari won Dalhousie.

    Congress’ Sudhir Sharma won fromDharamshala.

    BJP’s Rikhiram Kaundal won fromJhanduta.

    Congress’ Brij Bihari Lal Butail wonPalampur.

    BJP’s Bikram Singh Jaryal won fromAryal Bhattiyat.

    Congress’ G S Bali won from Nagrota.

    BJP’s Govind Singh Thakur won fromManali.

    BJP’s Gulab Singh Thakur baggedJogindernagar seat.

    BJP’s Ishwar Dass Dhiman won fromBhoranj.

    Congress’ Kaul Singh won from Darang.BJP’s Ravinder Singh won from Dehra.

    BJP’s Satpal Singh Satti won from Una.

    Congress’ Sushir Sharma won fromDharamshala.

    Congress’ Sujan Singh Pathania won fromFatehpur.

    BJP’s Suresh Bhardwaj won from Shimla.

    Nearly 75 percent of the 4.6 millionelectorate voted on November 4. Officialssaid the state received only 2,800 postalballots.

    In 2007, the BJP won 41 seats, theCongress 23, the Bahujan Samaj Party oneseat and independents three seats.

  • Don’t expect Modi to be BJP’s next PM candidate: Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar

    Don’t expect Modi to be BJP’s next PM candidate: Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar

    It is a fantastic achievement that he has won the third election in a row with an increased majority and higher vote share. Does this mean that he is the next prime ministerial candidate? I am afraid, absolutely no. Do not just look at the result in Gujarat, look at the result in Himachal. Narendra Modi went to campaign for the party in Himachal Pradesh. In Himachal Pradesh, you had a party which had been doing about 8% GDP growth, good social indicators, doing quite well. Modi went and campaigned out there and it was a complete flop show.

    Earlier this year, there were state elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand where Modi was asked to campaign. He refused to do it. He was busy with Sadbhavana Programme. So we do not know what impact Modi would have done. However, while the BJP did badly in Uttar Pradesh, it won along with the Akali Dal in Punjab and it only lost in Uttarakhand. Overall, it was not a bad performance of the BJP, minus Modi. Now that has to be compared with what the performance of Himachal Pradesh with Modi was and that was a total flop show. So I would say the big thing that comes out is that the moment Mr Modi goes outside Gujarat, his midas touch disappears and if this is the case, what are his credentials as a national leader?

  • Think Local, Act Local

    Think Local, Act Local

    NEW DELHI (TIP): At an age when mostmen’s thoughts turn to retirement,Himachal Pradesh Congress chiefVirbhadra Singh has been in overdrive,working the crowds in his state over thesepast few weeks. Covering as many as 60 ofthe state’s 68 assembly constituencies, the80-year-old Congress veteran has deliveredthe state to the Congress with a comfortable36 seats with the incumbent BJP getting 26.If there are any lessons to be learnt fromthis for the Congress, it is the need tonurture strong regional leaders. Mr Singhhas been chief minister of the state fivetimes and it is said that no one knows thestate and its people quite as well as him. So,it was a gamble that paid off for theCongress.

    His opponents had hoped that theallegations of corruption against himwould eat into the Congress’s vote share.But what the BJP did not seem to factor inis that many in its own state leadership arenot considered pure as the driven snow. Itwas around the same time that chargeswere being levelled against Mr Singh thatBJP president Nitin Gadkari came under acloud for alleged corruption. So, in effect,the BJP’s attempt to tarnish Mr Singh’simage did not work.The Congress’s decision to hand overcharge of the campaign to Mr Singh servedto galvanise the party. It was this which hasenabled this victory in the state. TheCongress failed in Gujarat preciselybecause it did not have a strong state leaderto take on Narendra Modi.

    The victory inHimachal should perhaps serve as a wakeupcall for the Congress. It has to allowstrong local leaders to flourish and managethings rather than have to follow dictatesfrom the high command. It is always a pluspoint if the local leader is seen to have thesupport of the central leadership, but he orshe should be allowed a certain degree ofautonomy.Singh was given a free hand and he usedhis experience and reach to wrest the statefrom the BJP. The fact that Mr Singh is aformer raja also probably worked in hisfavour in a state which though highlydeveloped still retains many feudalcharacteristics. For the Congress, which isno doubt smarting from its defeat inGujarat, this win in Himachal willcertainly lift its spirits a bit.

    How BJP aimed at Virbhadra, shot itself
    The outcome of the assembly polls in bothHimachal Pradesh and Gujarat is onexpected lines, and demonstrates beyondany doubt that it is on account of two verystrong regional leaders. It can be safelyassumed that while Narendra Modi’sleadership helped the BJP score animpressive win in Gujarat, Virbhadra Singhwas the one who led the Congress to victoryin Himachal.Significantly, the tirade of corruptionlaunched by the BJP against Virbhadra inHimachal backfired essentially because thepeople were not convinced that the five-timechief minister was guilty. In fact, they sawbigger corruption in the government ofoutgoing chief minister Prem KumarDhumal, and allegations of financialirregularities against BJP chief NitinGadkari made things very difficult for thesaffron brigade.

    In addition, Virbhadra — who was alsobeing targeted by an ineffective section inhis own party — spearheaded the Congresscampaign and addressed meetings in asmany as 60 out of 68 assembly segments. Hisdetractors were thoroughly exposed whenparty nominees themselves requested him toaddress rallies in their areas. No other stateleader was as much in demand, and some ofthem could not even get out of theirconstituencies — given the tight positionthey found themselves in.During his campaign, Virbhadra did notshift focus from the Dhumal government’salleged wrongdoings, and used his vastexperience — extending over 50 years inpublic life — to touch a chord in every partof the state. While doing so, he energisedparty workers and simultaneously put theBJP on the defensive.

    He exploited the riftwithin the BJP, between Dhumal and ShantaKumar, to his advantage and was able toconvince the electorate that the presentgovernment was robbing the state of itsresources and amassing wealth outside. Asfar as the common people were concerned,they responded positively primarily becausethey felt that this could be the last time hewas leading the campaign.It is virtually certain that Virbhadra willbe made chief minister for the sixth time,even though he has left it on Sonia Gandhi.The party probably realises the importanceof a strong regional leader, and thisunderstanding may also extend to otherstates too.The Himachal victory is Virbhadra’sChristmas and New Year gift to his party.

  • Victory Raises Modi’s PM Candidature Prospects

    Victory Raises Modi’s PM Candidature Prospects

    After Modi’s massive victory in Gujarat, some party leaders have said Modi should now be projected as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Narendra Modi’s third successive victory in the Gujarat assembly polls is expected to pitch him for a more prominent role in the BJP, possibly as head of its campaign for the next general elections, while some party leaders even expressed their preference for him to be projected as the prime ministerial candidate. Modi’s victory, almost on the same scale as in 2007 polls, came as a morale booster for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which lost the electoral battle in Himachal Pradesh. Some party leaders said Modi should now be projected as the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate.

    BJP MP Tarun Vijay said Modi “is the best suitable candidate” for the post of prime minister on the basis of his performance. Another MP, Smriti Irani said that Modi would be her candidate for the country’s top post on the strength of his governance in Gujarat. BJP sources now say Modi would be given a prominent role to galvanise the party rank and file for the next Lok Sabha elections. ‘He is likely to be appointed chief of the party’s campaign for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls,’ a party leader saids on the condition of anonymity. The appointment could take place in January next year. Modi’s victory has come at a crucial time for the BJP as it has to decide its next party chief over the coming few weeks.

    Nitin Gadkari, who has been party president since December 2009, has faced controversy over alleged financial wrongdoing by a company linked to him and there have been suggestions from some party leaders against giving him a second term. The BJP had kept a final decision on its next president pending in anticipation of results of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh and is now expected to take a call on the issue. With Modi having emerged as one of BJP’s powerful leaders, his views are likely to matter on crucial issues facing the party. Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said Modi was a very senior leader in the BJP and extremely popular with the party rank and file. ‘His views matter… taken very seriously in BJP,’ Jaitley told a news channel.

    Senior journalist S. Nihal Singh said Modi was expected to win Gujarat and the question was how well he does. ‘After an impressive victory, at least a section will push for him to be prime ministerial candidate,’ Nihal Singh said. ‘I think he (Modi) is a very ambitious man. That is what he wants,’ he said but added that it will increase complications within the BJP as there were other aspirants too for the post. Nihal Singh added there were apprehensions about Modi’s ‘divisive persona whether 2002 or otherwise’ and the BJP would have to take a call on how it will impact its prospects. He said there was doubt about Muslims voting for Modi and the community vote can influence outcome on several seats in states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

    ‘That is another problem for BJP.’ Janata Dal-United, an ally of the BJP, is not in favour of Modi being projected as a prime ministerial candidate. BJP sources said the party was unlikely to project a prime ministerial candidate before the Lok Sabha polls but Modi’s expected appointment as chief of the campaign committee would send the right message to the party rank and file without upsetting any of the allies. ‘We can tell the allies that a decision on prime ministerial candidate will be taken after the Lok Sabha elections,’ said a party leader, requesting not to be named. He said Modi’s appointment as campaign committee chief would make it a battle between him and Rahul Gandhi, who is heading Congress’s coordination committee for the next Lok Sabha polls. Nisar-ul-Haq of Jamia Millia Islamia’s political science department, however, said that Modi was unlikely to be effective outside Gujarat and added he would not be projected as prime ministerial candidate.

  • Sonia Makes A Point On Promotion Quota Bill, LK Advani Denied Say

    Sonia Makes A Point On Promotion Quota Bill, LK Advani Denied Say

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s firminsistence that the quota in promotions bill be consideredon Thursday led to repeated adjournments in the LokSabha as the opposition’s expectations that Houseproceedings will end by noon did not materialize.Determined to signal Congress’s commitment to the bill,Sonia stayed put in the Lok Sabha through the day, herfront row seat a focus for animated discussions involvingsenior ministers and MPs.

    She made it plain that the partymust press for the bill’s passage.Even during breaks in proceedings, the Congress chiefwas seen in the Central Hall of Parliament with a retinueof MPs as her refusal to give the green signal to Congressfloor managers meant the House kept meeting at shortintervals amid protests by Samajwadi Party and BJP MPs.Sonia seemed to have anticipated BSP leader Mayawati’scharge that the government had engaged in a farce. “If thegovernment wanted to get the bill passed, it could have,”Mayawati alleged. The BSP chief even came to the LokSabha visitors’ gallery to watch the House.With BJP MPs also entering the well later in the day,Congress was quick to point out that the main Opposition’ssupport for the bill is insincere.

    BJP MPs feel their stancewas politically beneficial, but some wondered if the partythat banks on upper caste support could translate it intovotes.Sonia’s tough stance saw BJP veteran L K Advani beingdenied an opportunity to make an intervention. Advanirose to make a point with a copy of the Constitution inhand as Congress’s dalit leader P L Punia was speaking.Punia refused to yield and no senior minister intervenedas Congress MPs clearly sensed Sonia’s unyielding mood.This led to the open revolt against the bill among BJP MPs- blessed by senior leaders – spilling into the well of theHouse.

  • Quota bill stuck in Lok Sabha

    Quota bill stuck in Lok Sabha

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Repeated adjournments and disruptions on December 20 marred the proceedings in the Lok Sabha, which was adjourned sine die later in the day, with the bill to provide reservation for the SCs and STs in government job promotions, getting blocked by BJP and Samajwadi Party members. The bill, supported vigorously by Mayawati’s BSP, got through the Rajya Sabha on Monday amid protests and walk-out by the SP. Minutes before the month-long winter session ended, Speaker Meira Kumar regretted that her efforts to get the bill through did not succeed.

    On Wednesday, the House witnessed high drama and scuffles as a SP member snatched a copy of the bill from Minister of State V. Narayansamy, even as Congress president Sonia Gandhi, amid jostling, tried in vain to retrieve it. On the last day, the House was adjourned repeatedly, what with the pandemonium created by the SP and the BJP. As soon as Mr. Narayansamy moved the Constitution (117th Amendment) Bill, 2012, SP members rushed to the well, raising slogans.

  • RAPE – OUTRAGE – RAPE: This Vicious Cycle Must End

    RAPE – OUTRAGE – RAPE: This Vicious Cycle Must End

    The outrage that the Delhi gangrape has triggered across the country seems to be unprecedented.We haven’t seen such a display of truthful emotions in the Indian parliament for a long time,while people are spontaneously coming out on to streets demanding action. Last time we have seen anything like this,where people were visibly angry against the establishment, was when thousands joined Anna Hazare at Ram Lila.

    People wanted immediate action against an endemic problem and both the Congress and the BJP appeared to be a bit rattled. Many of us thought, justifiably, that Anna Hazare’s movement was the tipping point we had been waiting for. Every ingredient for change seemed to be in perfect measure. Still, it failed.

    The Congress, the BJP, Laloo Yadavs and Mayawatis of the country effectively played out their strategy to cool off the anger and push the issue out of their limited sight. Corruption is on the back-burner now. Unfortunately, the genuine outrage and the intense grief over a young girl’s unimaginable suffering at the hands of a gang of reckless rowdies,who felt totally safe from the police and the government while dismembering her life on Delhi’s public funded roads, will also pass. Unless there is another incident sooner or later.

    What is most likely to happen in this case is fast-track action against the accused. Even without any further media and public pressure, they will most likely be tried by a fast-track court and sentenced in record time. A lot of us will feel less angry and vindicated, and that will close the conversation. But what will remain unresolved, will be the fundamental issue: safety of women in Delhi. The helplines and hotlines meant for their safety will continue to be faulty as Firstpost noted immediately after the incident, inefficient and derelict police will continue to be incapable of preventing violence against women, and our sick men will continue to flash their organs, molest, rape and kill women unmindful or unfearful of the law,whether there is death penalty or chemical castration.

    A very annoying case of pessimism? Why do I dare say this? Because that is what our collective life experiences tell us with unfailing accuracy – the many cases that we have witnessed in the last several years, and how the nation recoiled and then gone back to its pathetic ways. The first such case I can remember is the sensational murder of two kids in 1978 – Sanjay and Geeta Chopra – who were picked up by culprits in south Delhi.

    The girl was raped and both of them were killed. Even without satellite channels and the current profusion of media, the murder outraged and pained the country. Sitting in the southern most tip of the country,we wept as teenagers personalizing the pain the kids would have gone through.

    I remember how middle class parents across India were mortally worried about their children’s safety as they went to school. There were discussions on safety and security of people, policing, capital punishment and so on. Even by the standards of the seventies, the trial and sentencing were fast. The culprits were hanged to death in 1982.

    If Delhi wanted to change, it could have changed in 1978 itself, 34 years ago. Even if it had set off a systemic change that takes time to work, Delhi would have been safe by now. Let me fast-forward to the present. The next case in my memory is what makes me more pessimistic. It happened just about a year ago in Kerala, and is very similar to the Delhi incident in terms of the macabre details and public reaction of anger and emotions. Sowmya, a young girl,working in a mobile shop in Kochi, was on her way home by an evening passenger train.

    After a particular station, she was alone in her compartment and a disabled, puny beggar pounced on her. She ran through the compartment screaming for help; at least one man in the adjacent compartment heard her cries, but preferred not to stop the train because he wanted to get home early. The beggar-criminal overpowered her and threw her out of the train, during which she suffered serious head injuries, and carried her half-dead body to a bush and raped her. Leaving her bleeding and unconscious, the man got back to his routine of jumping from compartment to compartment begging. She later died in the hospital even as the entire state prayed for her. The incident outraged the state. It exceeded saturation coverage in Kerala’s crowded media-space.

    As in the case of the Delhi incident, the discussions and questions ranged from police and railway inaction, poor investigation and conviction rates, and safety of women in trains. In this case, since it happened in a train, the media didn’t look at the larger context of safety of women in public transport. The man had a name: Govindachamy. He was Tamil, a migrant beggar,who apparently had links with criminals who operated out of trains. Reportedly, he was a serial offender and was in jail in Tamil Nadu.

    A leading Malayalam newspaper did a psycho-social analysis of the man, after visiting his place of origin in Tamil Nadu and investigating his family and social backgrounds. He seemed to be a perfect sociopath, conditioned to be a criminal by his family, and even had a criminal record. But, right under the nose of the Kerala and Railway police, he operated in the most used public transport system in the state. The incident happened in February 2011.Women politicians, poets and activists genuinely cried for the victims and the politicians both demanded and assured action to ensure safety of women in trains. “Not another Sowmya in the state,” was their refrain. Govindachamy got a fast-track trial and he was sentenced to death in record time.

    For his crime in February, he got the noose in November. End of story. What happened to safety of women in the trains? Practically nothing. Immediately after the incident and several months later, TV channel reporters boarded passenger trains and showed that they were still unsafe for women. Lonely compartments, unlit and scary railway stations, ladies compartments that were attached at the far end of trains and no security forces – every element of risk that made Soumya a sitting duck was still the same.Women passengers said that they were scared to travel by these trains, but had no other option. What happened to the politicians who demanded and promised action? What happened to the government assurances? What happened to all the poetry and tears? The story is forgotten now. After a year of outrage and pain, everything is back to square one.

    Women continue to travel in fear of a lurking criminal somewhere. The Railways haven’t been able to even prevent suspicious men moving across train compartments as beggars. I am afraid the same might happen in Delhi too. Because as a nation,we are a failure. While only a social transformation and fear/respect for law alone will be able make lasting changes,we need preventive and rapid-response systems in place.

    Such systems should ensure that incidents like the gangrape rarely happens. For that we need all government-arms working in unison (multi-sectoral action), to be in a constant vigil and permanent readiness 24/7, year after year. It needs commitment, money, machines and people, without or without public outrage. Remember,when former prime minister Indira Gandhi was shot, she had to be taken to the hospital in the backseat of a car because the driver of her dedicated ambulance was out having tea.

  • BJP Retains Gujarat, Loses Himachal

    BJP Retains Gujarat, Loses Himachal

    NEW YORK (TIP): The recent polls for Legislative Assemblies in Gujarat and Himachal have mauled BJP and shown the party’s declining power. While the party managed to retain power in Gujarat, it has been routed in Himachal where it gained only 26 against the Congress that captured 36 seats in a house of 68. In 2007 elections BJP had won 41 out of 68 seats and formed the government, with Prem Kumar Dhumal as the Chief Minister. The much touted Modi magic failed to work in Gujarat where the party returned to power with 2 seats short of 2007 tally of 117. Modi enthusiasts had been speaking about a landslide for BJP (Modi) in Gujarat. They referred to ABP News-Nielsen Exit Poll that predicted landslide victory for Modi.

    Narendra Modi-led BJP in Gujarat is yet again set to trample the Congress party in the upcoming Assembly polls. ABP News-Nielsen Exit Poll has found that BJP will bag a landslide majority of 126 seats in the 182- member Assembly, a gain of nine seats since 2007. That did not happen. Instead Modi folded with just 115 seats. The ABP News-Nielsen Exit Poll predicted loss of seats for Congress. “The Congress which won 59 seats in the 2007 polls, is seen to win only 50 seats this time around, a loss of only nine seats compared to the last state elections However, the poll proved wrong here too. Congress won from 61 constituencies, adding 2 seats to its 2007 tally of 59 seats. Although BJP registered a victory, five of its ministers fell by the wayside.

    Those who lost included Agriculture Minister Dileep Sanghani (Amreli), Health Minister Jaynarayan Vyas (Siddhpur), Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Fakirbhai Vaghela (Vadgam), Minister of State for Forest and Environment Kiritsinh Rana (Limbdi) and Minister of State for Agriculture Kanubhai Bhalala (Visavadar). In Himachal, Prem… Kumar Dhumal barely retained his seat, with a margin of just 9500 votes.

  • Gujarat Witnesses 68% Voting in First Phase

    Gujarat Witnesses 68% Voting in First Phase

    AHMEDABAD (TIP): The hype around Gujarat elections 2012 had drawn an impressive voters turnout on December 13 in the first phase of elections—across Saurashtra and South Gujarat. Till 6 pm on December 13 the election commission was informed of an average 68 per cent polling across the state. However, voting was boycotted by two villages in Mota Gujariya in Bhesan taluka in Visavadar . In Dhulkot village in the same constituency only one voter turned up for voting. The reason for the apathy was the neglect of the state government on developmental projects in the two villages.

    In south Gujarat polling in districts Bharuch witnessed 67.6% polling, Narmada (71.8%), Surat (64% ), Tapi witnessed the highest polling with 72.99%, while neighboring Navsari district saw 72% polling. The tribal district of Dangs saw 63% polling, nearby Valsad district saw 67%, In Saurashtra region where heavyweights from the BJP, Congress and the Gujarat Parivartan Party are fightinga pitched battle , voter turn out was alao impressive. In Junagadh district for instance there was 65% polling , Rajkot district saw 63% , Amreli 62:3%, Porbandar district witnessed 57% polling , Jamnagr and Surendragar witnessed 65% polling whereas Bhavnagr district saw 63% polling and Ahmedabad rural saw 62:5 % polling.

  • Rahul Keeps Heat on Modi

    Rahul Keeps Heat on Modi

    PALANPUR (TIP): Continuing his veiled attack on chief minister Narendra Modi, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi said only one man is shining in Gujarat while others have been rendered insignificant. Unperturbed by Modi’s attacks on him, the Congress leader told a public rally in Palanpur that the youth is being suppressed in Gujarat . “You are being told that only one person is working and taking the state forward while in reality you are the ones sweating it out. According to him, all others are not doing anything,” he said.

    Rahul pointed that a good leader is the one who listens to the people he represents and makes their desires his goals. “But, here the common man’s voice is not being heard. It is being suppressed,” he said. The scion of the Gandhi family raised the issue of RTI and its implementation in the state. “In Gujarat people do not get replies to RTI applications as there is only one man who receives these applications and decides on the replies .”

    Raising the issue of appointment of a Lokayukta in the state again, he said the BJP was not interested in addressing corruption and is not allowing the Lok Pal bill to be passed in Parliament. He also attacked the Modi-led government for cutting short the days of assembly proceedings. He said the state has made history by letting the assembly function for just 32 days a year, and those who opposed this were expelled from the house. Rahul also lauded the entrepreneurial skills of the youth of Gujarat and said that they are even contributing to the economy of Belgium and making that country prosperous. He said the diamond business has thrived in the state since the days of their forefathers and not because of one man.

  • Yeddyurappa Plays Hardball with BJP

    Yeddyurappa Plays Hardball with BJP

    MYSORE (TIP): Former CM B S Yeddyurappa on December 13 put the BJP government on notice indicating that he could try and destabilize it. Though he made know that his unhappiness with Jagadish Shettar government, he stopped short of saying he will bring it down. “The administration has collapsed in the state. If I allow the situation to continue, I’ll be doing injustice to the people,” the KJP chief said indicating his political strategy, which he will finalize holding consultation with ministers supporting him during the weekend.

    When pressed, he said: This is a coalition government and I’ll have to consult the ministers and MLAs supporting me and decide. I’ll ask them what they want me to do. Yeddyurappa reiterated his demand for the dissolution of the assembly arguing Shettar has lost majority but ruled out pulling the plug on the government by asking 14 MLAs who attended the KJP’s Haveri meet supporting him resign. Why? “That is a political strategy.” He asked Shettar to order a comprehensive probe into mining activities since 2000 and denied that he was involved in illegal mining.

    According to him, prominent personalities in Karnataka including Jnanapith awardee U R Ananthamurthy, writers Chandrashekar Patil and Ham Pa Nagarajaiah and entrepreneur Mohandas Pai have extended their support to his new political venture. They have told me that they could not support him when he was in BJP. Now they want me to be more secular, he argued announcing state-wide tour starting from Basava Kalyan in Decemebr end. The KJP chief defended denotification of land arguing that the CM has powers to do so. When asked bout the CAG report on land denofication tabled in the assembly that has indicted him, he said: The CM is empowered to denotify land acquired for public purpose. Why are they targeting me alone?

  • Former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral Passes Away at 92

    Former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral Passes Away at 92

    Govt declares 7-day national mourning | Prez, PM, top leaders express grief
    NEW DELHI (TIP): Former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral, who headed a Congress-supported coalition government in 1997-98, died at a hospital in Gurgaon November 30 afternoon following a brief illness. He was 92. Gujral was hospitalized on November 19 after a lung infection. He had been put on ventilator as his condition had deteriorated. He had been on dialysis for a year. Gujral is survived by his sons, Naresh, an Akali Dal MP in Rajya Sabha, and Vishal, two grand-daughters and a grandson. His brother is noted artist Satish Gujral and he has three sisters. His wife Shiela had died last year. Gujral’s body was taken from hospital to his official residence, 5 Janpath, where it will be kept for the public to pay their respects till noon.

    The Government has declared a seven-day state mourning throughout India and cancelled all functions till December 6. Gujral was born to Avtar Narain and Pushpa Gujral at Jhelum in undivided Punjab on December 4, 1919. He belonged to a family of freedom fighters and participated in the freedom struggle. Educated at DAV College, Hailey College of Commerce and Forman Christian College, Lahore (Pakistan), Gujral was sworn in as the 12th Prime Minister of India on April 21, 1997. Known for his Left-leaning yet liberal ways, Gujral was very close to Indira Gandhi at one point of time. He became a member of the Rajya Sabha in April 1964 and was part of the “powerful coterie” around Indira that helped her become Prime Minister in 1966 following Lal Bahadur Shastri’s death.

    He became the Information and Broadcasting Minister in 1975 during the time of permit-quota raj when the I&B Minister could virtually control the supply of newsprint. Television, other than Doordarshan, was non-existent. Gujral was tasked to manage the much-criticized job of press censorship during Emergency. Before becoming PM, Gujral was External Affairs and Water Resources Minister. He also served as India’s Ambassador to the USSR. He was a Rajya Sabha member twice between 1964 and 1976 and a member of the Lok Sabha from 1989 to 1991. With Lalu Prasad’s help, he became a member of Rajya Sabha in 1992 after his election from Patna Lok Sabha constituency was countermanded. He was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1998 from Jalandhar as an Independent with Akali Dal’s help.

    The equation between the Gujral family and Akalis changed forever. PS Badal was so happy at the militancy-period loan waiver given by Gujral as PM that it blossomed into a personal friendship. During his tenure as PM, Gujral recommended President’s Rule in UP in 1997, which the then President KR Narayanan refused to sign. He propounded the “Gujral Doctrine” of five principles for maintaining good relations with the neighboring countries. That became the hallmark of his policy with countries in South Asia, especially Pakistan.

    Tributes
    I personally have lost a friend of long standing, whose wisdom, idealism and deep concern for social equity left a reat impression on me and whose counsel and opinion I often sought and valued greatly. – Manmohan Singh,Prime Minister

    Ability, sagacity and deep understanding of national and international affairs coupled with genuine warmth made him widely admired and respected. – Sonia Gandhi,Congress president

    Gujral was a versatile politician and a thinker who served the nation in various capacities with utmost dedication and sincerity. – Nitin Gadkari, BJP president

    Gujral was a good administrator who strove for the uplift of the poor. My heartfelt sympathies to his family members. – Shivraj V Patil, UT Administrator

    Gujral was a seasoned parliamentarian. My heartfelt sympathies to the members of the bereaved family. – Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Haryana CM

    Gujral’s demise is a great loss for the country. The void created by his death will be difficult to fill. – Vijay Bahuguna, Uttarakhand CM

    He was a nice human being, a gentleman to the core and a good friend. He was the PM when I was given peerage in 1996. He called me up to congratulate me and suggested that I be called ‘Lord Paul of Jalandhar’ as he knew I was born in
    Jalandhar. – Lord Swraj Paul

    Gujral was a real statesman who took active part in the Indian Freedom Struggle and was imprisoned for taking part in the Quit India Movement. His contribution as PM and External Affairs Minister will always be remembered. – PK Dhumal, Himachal Pradesh CM

    He was a veteran statesman who served the nation with distinction as Ambassador to the USSR, as a Union Minister and
    finally as the Prime Minister. – Pawan Kumar Bansal, Union Minister of Railways

    Gujral was an eminent statesman, a distinguished parliamentarian and above all, a great human being. – Farooq Abdullah, Union Minister for Renewable Energy

    Gujral was a true son of the soil as he was instrumental in waiving the longpending debt of Punjab during his stint as
    Prime Minister. He had deep regard and passion for Punjabi culture, language and literature. He was a true votary of Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiat.

  • Former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral passes away at 92

    Former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral passes away at 92

    Former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral passes away at 92

    Govt declares 7-day national mourning Prez, PM, top leaders express grief

     

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral, who headed a Congress-supported coalition government in 1997-98, died at a hospital in Gurgaon November 30 afternoon following a brief illness. He was 92.

    Gujral was hospitalized on November 19 after a lung infection. He had been put on ventilator as his condition had deteriorated. He had been on dialysis for a year.

    Gujral is survived by his sons, Naresh, an Akali Dal MP in Rajya Sabha, and Vishal, two grand-daughters and a grandson. His brother is noted artist Satish Gujral and he has three sisters. His wife Shiela had died last year.
    Gujral’s body was taken from hospital to his official residence, 5 Janpath, where it will be kept for the public to pay their respects till noon. The Government has declared a seven-day state mourning throughout India and cancelled all functions till December 6.

    Gujral was born to Avtar Narain and Pushpa Gujral at Jhelum in undivided Punjab on December 4, 1919. He belonged to a family of freedom fighters and participated in the freedom struggle. Educated at DAV College, Hailey College of Commerce and Forman Christian College, Lahore (Pakistan), Gujral was sworn in as the 12th Prime Minister of India on April 21, 1997.

    Known for his Left-leaning yet liberal ways, Gujral was very close to Indira Gandhi at one point of time. He became a member of the Rajya Sabha in April 1964 and was part of the “powerful coterie” around Indira that helped her become Prime Minister in 1966 following Lal Bahadur Shastri’s death.

    He became the Information and Broadcasting Minister in 1975 during the time of permit-quota raj when the I&B Minister could virtually control the supply of newsprint. Television, other than Doordarshan, was non-existent. Gujral was tasked to manage the much-criticized job of press censorship during Emergency.

    Before becoming PM, Gujral was External Affairs and Water Resources Minister. He also served as India’s Ambassador to the USSR. He was a Rajya Sabha member twice between 1964 and 1976 and a member of the Lok Sabha from 1989 to 1991. With Lalu Prasad’s help, he became a member of Rajya Sabha in 1992 after his election from Patna Lok Sabha constituency was countermanded.

    He was re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 1998 from Jalandhar as an Independent with Akali Dal’s help. The equation between the Gujral family and Akalis changed forever. PS Badal was so happy at the militancy-period loan waiver given by Gujral as PM that it blossomed into a personal friendship.
    During his tenure as PM, Gujral recommended President’s Rule in UP in 1997, which the then President KR Narayanan refused to sign. He propounded the “Gujral Doctrine” of five principles for maintaining good relations with the neighboring countries. That became the hallmark of his policy with countries in South Asia, especially Pakistan.

    Tributes

    I personally have lost a friend of long standing, whose wisdom, idealism and deep concern for social equity left a great impression on me and whose counsel and opinion I often sought and valued greatly.
    — Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister

    Ability, sagacity and deep understanding of national and international affairs coupled with genuine warmth made him widely admired and respected.
    — Sonia Gandhi, Congress president

    Gujral was a versatile politician and a thinker who served the nation in various capacities with utmost dedication and sincerity.
    — Nitin Gadkari, BJP president

    Gujral was a good administrator who strove for the uplift of the poor. My heartfelt sympathies to his family members.
    — Shivraj V Patil, UT Administrator

    Gujral was a seasoned parliamentarian. My heartfelt sympathies to the members of the bereaved family.
    — Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Haryana CM

    Gujral was an eminent statesman, a distinguished parliamentarian and above all, a great human being.
    — Farooq Abdullah, Union Minister for Renewable Energy

    Gujral’s demise is a great loss for the country. The void created by his death will be difficult to fill.
    — Vijay Bahuguna, Uttarakhand CM

    He was a nice human being, a gentleman to the core and a good friend. He was the PM when I was given peerage in 1996.
    He called me up to congratulate me and suggested that I be called ‘Lord Paul of Jalandhar’ as he knew I was born in Jalandhar.
    — Lord Swraj Paul

    Gujral was a real statesman who took active part in the Indian Freedom Struggle and was imprisoned for taking part in the Quit India Movement. His contribution as PM and External Affairs Minister will always be remembered.
    — PK Dhumal, Himachal Pradesh CM

    He was a veteran statesman who served the nation with distinction as Ambassador to the USSR, as a Union Minister and finally as the Prime Minister.
    — Pawan Kumar Bansal, Union Minister of Railways

    Gujral was a true son of the soil as he was instrumental in waiving the long-pending debt of Punjab during his stint as Prime Minister. He had deep regard and passion for Punjabi culture, language and literature. He was a true votary of Punjab, Punjabi and Punjabiat.