The Indian Panorama

Tag: Jayalalithaa

  • Congress lowest: Times Now poll

    Congress lowest: Times Now poll

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The BJP could reach its highest tally ever and the Congress its lowest point, giving the NDA the best chance of forming the government after the Lok Sabha polls, though well short of a majority. That’s the big picture emerging from the Times Now-CVoter national projection poll released on February 13. The poll projected that the BJP would win 202 seats if the elections were held now and its allies another 25, giving the NDA 227 seats in the 543-member LS.

    The Congress, in sharp contrast, would sink to just 89 and even with 12 seats from its allies the UPA would barely cross the 100 mark, it predicted. With “others” likely to win 215 seats and many of them having joined hands with the BJP in the past, that would be very good news for those rooting for Narendra Modi as prime minister. In terms of vote shares, the NDA is estimated to win 36%, the UPA 22% and others 42%. AAP, whose performance in its first LS polls will be closely watched, is projected to win a total of seven seats, four of them from outside Delhi.

    It’s vote share, the poll suggests would be about 8%, which would be larger than the vote share of any party other than the Congress or BJP in any recent LS election. Among the parties currently not aligned to either the Congress or the BJP parties, the AIADMK and the Left – which are in an alliance — are projected to win 27 seats each, the Trinamool Congress 24, the BSP 21 and SP 20. The decline in the Congress tally from 206 in 2009 to just 89 in the latest poll is a result of a pan-India collapse, with few exceptions. In Andhra Pradesh, the state that gave the Congress its biggest chunk of MPs (33) last time, the party is projected to win a mere six seats.

    Similarly, Uttar Pradesh could see just four Congress MPs against 21 last time and Rajasthan four against 20. States that are seen as bucking this trend are Karnataka – 14 against six – Chhattisgarh (three against one) and Orissa (seven against six). In contrast, the BJP’s tally is seen to be rising in virtually all the states where it is a serious contender barring the three exceptions already mentioned. The saffron party’s biggest gains are projected to come from Uttar Pradesh – 34 against 10 – Rajasthan (21 against four) and Bihar (21 against 12).

    Combined with more modest gains in other states, including those where it did well even last time, these are expected to raise the BJP’s tally by 86 seats from the 116 it won in 2009. Among the others, significant gainers are the AIADMK, up from nine to 27; YSR Congress, from nil to 13; RJD, from four to 12; and TRS, from two to 10. The biggest losers, the poll predicts, are likely to be the JD(U), down from 20 to just five; DMK, from 18 to five; and NCP, from nine to five. AAP’s seven seats, according to the poll, will include three from Delhi and one each from Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka and the union territories.

    FOLLOWING IS THE STATE-WISE PREDICTION FOR THE LOK SABHA ELECTIONS
    ANDHRA PRADESH (42):     Cong-6, BJP- 2, TDP-10, TRS-10, YSR-13, OTH- 1
    ARUNACHAL PRADESH (2): Cong-1, BJP-1
    ASSAM (14): Cong- 7, BJP-5, AUDP- 1, AGP- 0, BPF- 1, OTH-0
    BIHAR (40): Cong- 1, BJP-21, JD(U)- 5, RJD- 12, LJP- 1, OTH- 0
    CHHATISGARH (11): Cong- 3, BJP- 8, OTH- 0
    DELHI (7): Cong- 0, BJP- 4, AAP- 3, OTH-0 Goa (2); Cong- 1, BJP- 1, OTH- 0
    GUJARAT (26): Cong- 4, BJP- 22, OTH-0
    HARYANA (10): Cong- 1, BJP, 6, INLD- 1, AAP- 1, HJC- 1, OTH-O
    HIMACHAL PRADESH (4): Cong- 1, BJP- 3, OTH-0
    JAMMU AND KASHMIR (6): Cong- 1, BJP- 2, NC-1, PDP-2, OTH-0
    JHARKHAND (14): Cong- 1, BJP- 8, JMM-2, JVM- 2, OTH- 0
    KARNATAKA (28): Cong- 14, BJP- 11, JD(S)- 2, AAP- 1, OTH-0
    KERALA (20): Cong- 7, BJP- 1, LEFT- 9, IUMC- 2, KC (M)- 1, OTH-0
    MADHYA PRADESH (29): Cong-5, BJP- 24, BSP- 0, OTH-0
    MAHARASTRA (48): Cong-8, BJP- 15, NCP- 5, SS- 15, MNS-1, OTH-4
    MANIPUR (2): Cong-1, BJP-1
    MEGHALAYA (2): Cong- 1, NCP- 0 , NPP- 1, OTH-0
    MIZORAM (1): Cong- 1, OTH-0
    NAGALAND (1): Cong- 0, NPF- 1, OTH-0
    ODISHA (21): Cong- 7, BJP- 2, BJD- 12, CPI- 0, OTH-0
    PUNJAB (13): Cong- 6, BJP-2, SAD- 5, OTH-0
    RAJASTHAN (25): Cong-4, BJP- 21, OTH-0
    SIKKIM (1): Cong- 0, SDF- 1, OTH-0
    TAMIL NADU (39): Cong-1, DMK- 5, AIADMK- 27, LEFT-2, MDMK- 1, OTH-0
    TRIPURA (2): Cong- 0, CPI (M)- 2, OTH-0
    UTTAR PRADESH (80): Cong- 4, BJP- 34, SP- 20, BSP- 21, RLD- 1, OTH-0
    UTTARAKHAND (5): Cong-0, BJP-5
    WEST BENGAL (42): Cong- 2, BJP- 1, TMC- 24, LEFT- 14, SUCI-0, OTH-1

  • Anna Hazare may back Mamata as PM

    Anna Hazare may back Mamata as PM

    NEW DELHI (TIP): In a new partnership, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee might be endorsed by anticorruption crusader Anna Hazare as a likely prime ministerial candidate or leader of a non-Congress, non-BJP front.

    Hazare’s move is seen as a response to Trinamool Congress agreeing to support his economic agenda that the Maharashtra-based leader had written about in a letter to the Bengal CM. Hazare had highlighted a 17-point agenda that includes village centric social and economic initiatives and proposals like more vocational education and tough laws against corruption.

    In response, Trinamool leader Mukul Roy wrote to Hazare stating that many issues relating to village-based industry, transparency in land acquisition and schemes for minorities had already been taken up by Mamata. But Roy was fulsome in his praise of Hazare’s efforts to clean up public life and sought the ant-corruption crusader’s guidance in combatin g graft in public life.

    “We would like to congratulate you on your relentless efforts to bring utmost transparency in public life which our leader Mamata Banerjee had always believed in,” he said. Trinamool’s endorsement of Hazare’s agenda and his guidance is expected to see the Gandhian return the compliment by Mamata as a candidate who fits the bill as India’s future leader.

    A likely endorsement as PM by Hazare will add weight to the chief minister’s credentials as a possible leader of a non- BJP and non-Congress front, putting her on the same pedestal as other claimants to a third front leadership position. Along with regional leaders like AIADMK chief J Jayalalitha, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, BSP’s Mayawati, the Trinamool boss is seen as a likely gainer in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls. She is seen to be better placed in comparison to other regional stalwarts like Mulayam Singh Yadav and Nitish Kumar. “We wish you all success in your current initiative in projecting the ideals to political parties and striving to achieve success in ensuring transparency in public life,” Roy wrote.

  • JAYA TO STAND TRIAL IN INCOME TAX CASE

    JAYA TO STAND TRIAL IN INCOME TAX CASE

    NEW DELHI (TIP): In a major setback to Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, the Supreme Court rejected her appeal against prosecution by the Income Tax department for not having filed tax returns between 1991 and 1994.

    The apex court verdict now paves the way for prosecution against Jayalalithaa who will now stand trial in Tamil Nadu. The court has also ordered the trial be completed within 4 months.

    In 1996-1997, Income Tax authorities had field criminal cases against Jayalalithaa and her associate N Sasikala for not having filed tax returns for the assessment year 1993-94. Jaya’s contention that she had not filed returns as she did not have any taxable income during that year and that there was no tax evasion was rejected by the Income Tax department, which argued that filing of tax returns was mandatory.

  • 11 MPs willing to lobby for oil major for money

    11 MPs willing to lobby for oil major for money

    A Cobrapost investigation exposes 11 MPs who were willing to write letters of recommendation to promote a fictitious oil exploration company for money

    NEW DELHI (TIP):
    An investigative website, in an expose, has revealed names of 11 Members of Parliament who were allegedly willing to take money for writing letters of recommendation for a fictitious foreign oil major. The Cobrapost investigation, panning over a year, exposed 11 MPs from within the Congress, BJP, BSP, JDU and AIADMK willing to issue letters of recommendation to promote a fictitious Australian oil exploration company in exchange for fees ranging between Rs 50,000 to Rs 50 lakh. Six of these MPs even wrote the letters for a fee. Codenamed Operation Falcon Claw, the expose claimed that the MPs were not only willing to write recommendation letters but also lobby with the Union Ministry of Petroleum for a foreign company to help it secure oil exploration and rigging rights in the Northeast.

    In all 11 MPs from the Congress Party, the BJP, the JDU, AIADMK and BSP are on camera willing to help the company set up shop in India. However, none of them bothered to check the antecedents of the company or check if the company was real. What they hankered after was money, quoting as low as Rs. 50,000 to a mind-boggling Rs 50 lakh as the price for a letter of recommendation, delivered all in cash; one MP even had the audacity to demand his fee is delivered through a hawala operator. The parliamentarians who stand exposed are K Sugumar and C Rajendran from AIADMK; Lalu Bhai Patel, Ravindra Kumar Pandey and Hari Manjhi from BJP; Vishwa Mohan Kumar, Maheshwar Hazari and Bhudeo Chaudhary from JDU; Khiladi Lal Bairwa and Vikrambhai Arjanbhai from Congress; and Kaiser Jahan from BSP. Six MPs gave letters of recommendation in favour of Mediterranean Oil Inc. for a sum ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000.

    Others won’t settle for less than Rs 5 lakh for a single letter, and in one case an MP quoted a ridiculously high price for a single letter, at Rs 50 lakh. Apart from issuing letters of recommendation, some of these Lok Sabha MPs were ready to walk an extra mile to help with lobbying at the highest level of the Petroleum Ministry. Some would even offer to rope in a bunch of five MPs for the job. When Cobrapost reporter, for instance, suggested Lalu Bhai Patel to pursue our case with the ministry, the BJP MP from Daman and Diu said, “Haan bhai (Yes, brother)!” We paid him Rs. 50, 000 for a recommendation letter, as he also agreed to lobby for us. His fellow party leader Hari Manjhi from Gaya, Bihar, would come along for lobbying with the oil ministry: “Jayenge … chalenge (Will go … will come along).”

    Similarly, Maheshwar Hazari, the JDU MP from Samastipur, Bihar, would reassure us: “Jab tak hain tab tak aapki company ki madad karenge … yahan se lekar mantralay tak, jahan tak kahiyega (Will help your company till my term lasts … from this level up to the ministry, wherever you ask).” Hazari would bring along a group of five MPs for lobbying with the ministry. We had to pay him Rs. 5 lakh for each MP. Jasmir Ansari, the MLA Husband of BSP MP Kaiser Jahan, goes a step ahead to say: “ … tumhara ye jo project hai poora kara denge … Sonia se kehke … kisi se bhi keh ke … toh kisse hum baat karein (… we will see your project through … by talking to Sonia or somebody else … then whom should we talk to [in your company]).” He would charge Rs. 5 lakh for three letters, one from his MP wife, and two from other MPs.

    Only a few parliamentarians played it safe by keeping the deal as much discrete as they could help. They wouldn’t enter into direct negotiations with the party or talk money, and raised their brows if the Cobrapost reporter talked money. For instance, while AIADMK MP from Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, K. Sugumar was “Ok” with money talk, his fellow party MP from South Chennai C. Rajendran would have none of it. After paying his staff Rs. 50,000 for a recommendation letter, when we managed to tell Lalu Bhai (BJP) about the payment, he shot back: “Mujhe nahin … ye baat mujhe nahin bolna (Not me … don’t tell me this thing).” Assuming a fake identity, Cobrapost reporter representing the fake foreign oil company, the Mediterranean Oil Inc. of Queensland, Australia, approached these parliamentarians.

    Introducing him as a consultant working for Mediterranean Oil Inc. entrusted with the onerous task of rallying support from MPs across the political spectrum for its oil exploration bid in the Northeast, pegging the project at Rs. 1000 crore, he requested the MPs he met to write a recommendation letter.

  • Ex-LTTE men lay down arms to join poll battle

    Ex-LTTE men lay down arms to join poll battle

    JAFFNA (TIP): Ananthi Sasitharan, a candidate in the September 21 elections to the Northern Province council in Sri Lanka, is a teacher by profession. She is also the wife of an LTTE militant – one of those officially “missing” after the end of the conflict in 2009. A mother of three, Ananthi has been fielded by the Tamil National Alliance, widely tipped to win the first provincial elections in 25 years in the war-torn region. Among those contesting the polls are former LTTE members who have laid down arms and relatives of tigers killed in the ethnic war. Their participation in the electoral process signals a sense of reconciliation among sections of the Tamil population and a willingness to engage with the Rajapaksa regime in its bid to usher in democracy in warravaged areas. Ananthi, who is contesting from Jaffna district, said she represents the war widows and the families of those who have gone missing. “We are contesting the election to prove to the international community that the Tamils are with us. We may have been defeated in our armed struggle. We will not be defeated in this political struggle,” she told TOI.

    Ananthi claimed she was targeted twice in the past few days during the election campaign. She claims to have personally seen Sri Lankan armymen taking away her husband, Ezhilan alias Sasitharan, a leader of the LTTE’s political wing, at the end of the war in May 2009. Mukilan Pushparajah, a former LTTE cadre who is contesting from Kilinochchi district, said former members of the militant organization are not ready for another armed struggle. “We have been struggling in our day-to-day life. No one is ready for any other struggle now. Meeting our daily expenses is a big issue for many of the people here. We need political strength,” he told TOI over phone from Kilinochchi. He said his father Pushparajah was with LTTE for more than two decades. Mukilan said seven former LTTE members have been fielded in Kilinochchi district alone by his party Democratic United Alliance (DUA). “For getting benefits for our people we have to negotiate with the government. We need political power for that,” he said. Interestingly, his party is contesting on AIADMK’s ‘two leaves’ symbol. They have been using AIADMK founder and former chief minister M G Ramachandran’s photo in their campaign. Another DUA candidate in Kilinochchi, Balachandran Balaramanan, said he was with the LTTE for more than 10 years. He said his party has fielded candidates in all five districts in Northern Province. But TNA sees a government conspiracy in fielding of candidates by DUA, which it says is being funded by the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. “No DUA candidate was with the LTTE. The government funded them and fielded them against TNA candidates to split our votes,” said TNA spokesperson and MP Suresh Premachandran

  • Landmark Land Acquisition Bill gets LS nod

    Landmark Land Acquisition Bill gets LS nod

    NEW DELHI (TIP): After Food Security Bill, the pathbreaking Land Acquisition Bill that aims to give a fair deal to farmers for their land for industrial use was passed by the Lok Sabha on August 29 giving a push to Sonia Gandhi’s another pet project ahead of General Elections. The key land legislation of the UPA championed by Rahul Gandhi was approved by an overwhelming majority after an acrimonious debate. The Bill, which seeks to provide just and fair compensation to farmers while also ensuring that no land can be aquired forcibly, will replace the archaic Act of 1894, “The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill, 2012” stipulates mandatory consent of at least 70 per cent for acquiring land for Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects and 80 per cent for acquiring land for private companies. Both the Food Security Bill, that was passed on Monday, and the Land Acqusition Bill, will now have to be passed by the Rajya Sabha. The bill proposes compensation that is up to four times the market value in rural areas and two times the market value in urban areas. It was passed with 216 votes in favour and 19 against. Left parties, AIADMK and BJD members staged a walkout.

    Trinamool Congress voted against the bill while main Opposition BJP as also SP and BSP supported the legislation. “There will be no forceful acquisition of land under this law. This legislation will provide lawful right of the farmers over their land and no right of forceful acquisition to government,” Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said while winding up the day-long discussion on the Bill. Asserting that the new law will address “historical injustice”, the minister said this law is being enacted under the Concurrent list and the states can bring their own law on the subject without derogating from the central law. Sonia and Home Minister and Leader of the House Sushilkumar Shinde, apparently unwell, did not participate in the voting as they left when amendments were being moved. The National Advisory Council(NAC) headed by the Congress President had given a vigorous push for the land bill. India Inc has expressed fears that the land reforms could push up property purchase costs making industrial projects financially unviable while the Food Security Bill will have a deleterious effect on public finances. 381 amendments were moved to the bill, of which 166 were official ones. Of the Opposition amendments, some were withdrawn and others defeated during voting.

  • 12 MPs suspended after ruckus in LS over Telangana

    12 MPs suspended after ruckus in LS over Telangana

    12 MPs suspended after ruckus in LS over Telangana NEW DELHI (TIP): Daily disruptions since Parliament’s monsoon session began on August 5 finally led to the suspension of eight Congress MPs in Lok Sabha – the House was treated to the unprecedented sight of ruling party members being named – along with four TDP MPs. A move to take similar action against MPs protesting the Telangana decision in RajyaSabha was held back as deputy chairperson P JKurien sought the consent of opposition parties, most of whom refused to back the proposal.

    The din prevented Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from making a statement on missingCoalgate files as demanded by the opposition led by BJP. In Lok Sabha, Speaker Meira Kumar read out names of the MPs, holding them guilty of “grave disorder” before adjourning proceedings till Saturday morning. The MPs remained in the House till around 4.30 pm when the vacated the premises. Most Parliament watchers could not recall an instance where ruling party MPs were suspended in such circumstances. “I cannot remember such an event. It is quite unprecedented,” said A Surya Prakash, author of ‘What Ails Indian Parliament’. The Speaker’s action followed a meeting in her chamber where the government suggested that it will not press a motion seeking suspension of the MPs as Kumar could initiate disciplinary proceedings from the chair.

    Interestingly, when finance minister P Chidambaram specifically asked party leaders if they consented with such a course of action, regional parties like BJD, AIADMK, DMK and Shiv Senarefused to voice their views. The regional outfits said they were not required to concur in advance, a stance driven by reluctance to endorse a tough option that they apprehend might be used against them in the future. BJP leaders, on the other hand, indicated that they would not walk out of the House if the Speaker were to announce a decision on the agitating MPs, resolving a major roadblock for the government. Of the 12suspended MPs, Nimalla Kristappa, Modugula Venugopala Reddy, Konakalla Narayan Rao and Nirmalalli Sivaprasad are from the TDP. Savarshri A Sai Prathap, Anantha Venkatrami Reddy, L Raja Gopal, Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy, V Aruna Kumar, G V Harsha Kumar, Bapi Raju Kanumuru and Sabbam Hari belong to the Congress.

    The decision to exclude 12 MPs from five sittings of the House – effectively the rest of the session – is a fairly desperate measure for the government that has been at its wits end to ensure passage of bills like food security and pension reforms. Instances of friction between parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath and the opposition have added to the deadlock. Nath said he was hopeful that the food security bill will be discussed on Monday. On Saturday, some relatively less important legislation is slated for discussion. Rajya Sabha, meanwhile, was adjourned for the day amid an uproar over Telangana. Deputy chairman P J Kurien threatened to act against two TDP MPs “for holding the House to ransom” but could not do so as AIADMK and TMC opposed the move. Kurien referred to BJP in particular when he said those who wanted the PM’s reply on missing Coalgate files were not supporting action against errant members. Kurien said he would invoke rule 225 and ask for the support of the House on it. Amid noisy scenes, the coal minister made a statement on the missing Coalgate files. But uproar for united Andhra continued, forcing the chair to adjourn the House for the day.

  • Food Bill tabled in Lok Sabha amid objections

    Food Bill tabled in Lok Sabha amid objections

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The much talked about, ambitious and historical bill to replace the National Food Security Ordinance 2013 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday amid strong objections raised by the AIADMK and the DMK. Introducing the bill, even as Seemandhra members created an uproar over Telangana and BJP members raised slogans on the killing of jawans in Kashmir, Minister of State for Food and Public Distribution K.V. Thomas claimed the “National Food Security Bill 2013” did not infringe on the States’ rights.

    “It protects the Constitution…there is nothing against the federal system. This Bill will enable the people to get food as the right. This is the first time in the world, food is given as the right.” Earlier, the Minister withdrew a similar bill that was introduced in 2011 and which was later sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee. He said many proposals made by the committee were included in the ordinance replacement bill.

    AIADMK floor leader M. Thambidurai said the bill in its present form was against the federal setup. It was actually a “food insecurity Bill.” It “is against the principles of the Constitution…interfering in the functioning of the State governments.” The Centre had unilaterally and hastily promulgated the ordinance. “Though the bill claims to provide food security to all, there are several flaws in the bill which have created serious apprehensions and raised the spectre of food insecurity for Tamil Nadu

  • Not In The Race For Prime Minister : RAJNATH SINGH

    Not In The Race For Prime Minister : RAJNATH SINGH

    NEW YORK (TIP): The Bharatiya Janata Party President Rajnath Singh on Saturday, July 20, categorically denied that he is in the race for Prime Minister of India if BJP returns to power at the Center. “I am more interested in getting the BJP back into power in Center and packing off the corruption-ridden bad governance of the Congress in my tenure as President of the party,” he said addressing a news conference of Indian-American media at Hotel Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan.

    On the question of party president not being projected as Prime Ministerial candidate in the Lok Sabha elections, he said it is not necessary that the two positions be placed in the hands of one person. “It’s not necessary that party president should also be a crowd puller and a prime ministerial candidate. I have an assignment to do for my party. I have a job to deliver – that is victory of the party in the 2014 elections.”

    “Seven months before the elections, I have nominated Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as chairman of the party campaign committee. What is unusual in that? We have nominated Modi like other parties do and why read between lines. I have named him as campaign head in view of his image, popularity and commitment to the party,” he said. He said Modi is certainly the most popular and the tallest leader of India.

    He is a crowd puller not only in Gujarat but also in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar – from North to South, East to West. He is one single leader with a national appeal. His popularity will help the party in the elections. On the issue of visa rejection issue of Narendra Modi, he said he would take up the issue with the US lawmakers in Washington.

    “I will appeal to the US government to clear the US visa to the Gujarat Chief Minister.” People of India have now realized that BJP is the only solution after comparing the performance-oriented BJP led NDA Government and corruption-ridden inefficient Congress UPA dispensation, he said. The performances of several BJP-ruled states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh are there for the people to see and if these states can provide 24 hour power supply, clean and efficient government, fillip to industries compared to poor performance of many Congressruled State governments what would people prefer? People have made up their mind, he said.

    Detailing steps taken by the BJP to face the national elections in 2014, he said the party had brought changes in organizational level by forming polling booth committees in every booth. “We have formed a committee consisting of 10 to 15 party men at grassroots level to strengthen the organization at village level,” he said Congress ruled for 10 long years at national level and what are their achievements other than wholesale corruption and compromise in national and international security, he asked.

    Indian voters are now realized that when the Center can’t guarantee growth rate of five percent or less, the growth rate in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are approximately 10 percent. No one can fool Indian voters any more, he said. On the recent debacle of the party in Karnataka and setbacks in other states, the BJP President said assembly elections and municipal elections are different from parliament elections where people vote for a stable government.

    Voters are intelligent enough to compare the two governments and Congress will be out of power soon. They have ruled for 10 long years and now its time to give them rest, he said “We are confident that the failure of the Congress government will help BJP return to power in the center. Any political party that aspires to come to power should give good governance and satisfy the needs of the people.

    If they fail in this front, they will be out of power.” There is wholesale failure on economic front, compromise on internal and external security and diplomatic fronts as well. People are demanding a change very badly. If people want any change, the only choice is BJP who can provide an alternative to this government, he said. On allies deserting the party, he said BJP will try to get a clear majority in Lok Sabha polls but at the same time will not forget its allies – old and new.

    “Despite a clear majority in sight, we want our allies to participate in the government at the center. Now we have Shiv Sena and Shiromani Akali Dal and may get some nearer to the elections. There is also a possibility of post poll alliance with like minded parties if there is a need,” he said. In the coming Lok Sabha elections, Congress will be routed in Andhra Pradesh due to its ambiguity on Telengana issue.

    The BJP is the only national party that favors separate Telengana and it was passed as a resolution in our national executive committee meeting, he said. There is no ambiguity in the BJP unlike the Congress camp in the matter and BJP is in favor of Telengana. But it’s not in favor of bifurcation of UP and other states as Telengana issue is a totally different one. On the question of poll promises, he said BJP would rather go in for developmental debate than Ram Janma Bhoomi issue. “Ram temple was not a major poll issue anytime.

    It was at best a national issue but not an election issue,” he added. BJP government will consider instituting an inquiry commission to go into the corruption and scandals of the Congress government and will provide transparent and honest government with people’s interest as uppermost, he said. Ananth Kumar, party general secretary and chairman of Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee who is accompanying Rajnath Singh on the US tour, said the four member BJP delegation will meet members of the US Senate and House Representatives from both sides of the aisle – Democratic Party and the Republicans especially members of the Congressional Caucus of Indians and Indian Americans at the Capitol Hill.

    Ananth Kumar said Rajnath’s visit to the US is a two track outreach program – to outreach the Indian Diaspora to assess the mood of three million Indian-Americans across the nation who occupy important and powerful positions besides being opinion makers; and to meet with India Caucus Congressmen to impress on them that a change is sweeping in India on the heels of Lok Sabha elections.

    The other two members of the delegation are Dr. Sudhanshu Trivedi, party spokesman and advisor to the BJP President and Vijay Jolly, BJP national convener for Overseas Affairs and a former Delhi MLA. Jolly said the visit was to re-connect the Party President with the Indian-American Diaspora that plays a leading role in fostering friendship between the two countries. “We want to work closely with Non Resident Indians.” BJP – both as a government and party – will work with mainstream American and Indian-American business community on economic and investment matters.

    clearly is of the view that India and the US have a close correlation in internal and external security and they are strategic partners being natural allies, he said. Jolly said the Overseas Friends of BJP in the US has over 7000 members across the US and project a positive image of the party among Indian-Americans and policy makers. The Foreign Affairs Committee of the party will address the concerns of Indian Diaspora and include in them in the BJP parivar by assigning a major role in the ensuing elections.

    Rajnath Singh said it was NDA government under Vajpayee that gave voting rights to Non-Resident Indians and introduced Overseas Citizens Card (OCI) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) card. It was under Vajpayee’s leadership that the first Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was held in 2003 in New Delhi to bring all the Non- Resident and Diaspora Indians to work for the welfare of India. “All these were made possible due to the visionary leadership of Vajpayee and only the BJP has done a lot for NRIs and PIOs.”

    On the spate of killing of Hindu and BJP leaders in Tamil Nadu, he said he would appeal to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to give protection to party leaders. “I appeal to Jayalalithaa to help stop the killing of Hindu and BJP leaders in Tamil Nadu. We will try to build pressure on state government so that it takes it seriously to put an end to such killings.”

  • President Pushes For Food, Land Bills

    President Pushes For Food, Land Bills

    NEW DELHI (TIP): President Pranab Mukherjee kickedoff the budget session of Parliament with a long list ofachievements of UPA-2 and reiterated its commitment tofood security and land acquisition, giving the first glimpseof the Congress’s 2014 election manifesto.Mukherjee’s first address to the joint sitting of the twoHouses was tailor-made to help the ruling party try andrecoup the recent drop in ratings while baiting key socialgroups like farmers, rural poor, women and the middleclasses in a poll-packed year.

    The listing of future promises and claimsof past work were, however, marred byvociferous sloganeering by Dravidianparties protesting Sri Lankan atrocitiesagainst Tamils. DMK and AIADMK heldplacards and demanded that India voteagainst the island nation at the UN. TheMPs from Telangana too raised their petstatehood issue, the invocation of emotiveissues pointing to in-house challenges forUPA in its bid to secure political turfs.Though the president underlined thetough economic situation, he painted a rosyscenario on food stocks and the agriculturefront. “My government is committed toenacting the National Food Security Bill,”he said.

    The other key UPA promise of landacquisition bill too figured prominently,with the president adding, “I am confidentthat the law will be enacted.”The mention of the bills that form part ofCongress chief Sonia Gandhi’s pro-poorfarmerbouquet reflects the time constraintfor the party to fulfill manifesto promises.It is believed that the budget session may bethe last window for Congress if it has tocarry the message of its initiatives to thepeople.While the monsoon session will beanother such opening, it carries the risk ofblockade by rivals to deprive Congress ofbragging rights ahead of polls.The very idea to have a peaceful budgetsession prompted Congress to drop the anteon home minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s”Hindu terror” remark.

    Importantly, Mukherjee also talked aboutthe clutch of anti-graft bills and the lawsand ordinance to make women safe, post-Nirbhaya. The mention of the plan forconcessional credit for handloom sector tobenefit 10 lakh handloom weavers flaggedthe Congress outreach to the minoritycommunity.Rivals as well as allies dismissed theaddress as not amounting to much. BJPspokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said thepresident’s address was merely a “grocerylist” of what the government did for thewhole year and did not give any futurepicture. SP leader Ramgopal Yadav said,”The speech was hopeless, there wasnothing in it.”

  • Kejriwal’s Party To Launch Its Own News Channel

    Kejriwal’s Party To Launch Its Own News Channel

    Channel will fight for the rights of common man
    NEW DELHI (TIP): Social activist Arvind Kejriwal’sAam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced its decision tolaunch its own news channel to focus on common issuesand propagate the party ideology.A decision to this effect was taken by the fledglingparty’s executive.To start with, the party will use the YouTubeplatform to upload three hour-hour news capsules. Afull-fledged channel would go on the air by the end ofthis year to coincide with state assembly elections inDelhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.The Aam Aadmi Party launched in October last yearis expected to make its electoral debut in these stateelections before contesting the next year’s generalelections.

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    Former television journalist Shazia Ilmi, who isclosely associated with AAP, would head the channel.According to Manoj Sisodia, a close confidante ofKejriwal, the channel would focus on news concerningthe common man and provide them a platform to fightfor their rights. The channel would in all probability benamed after the party.Political parties, particularly down south are knownto run news channels. Tamil Nadu chief minister JJayalalithaa’s All India Anna Dravida MunnetraKazhagam (AIADMK) runs Jaya TV, Kalaignar TV isassociated with her arch-rival M. Karunanidhi’sDravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

    In neighbouringKerala, the Congress party runs Jaihind channel whilethe Left Front runs Kairali TV.The need to launch its own television channel wasfelt after Kejriwal, who broke away with anticorruptioncrusader Anna Hazare to enter into politics,felt several news channels had started avoidingfollowing deformation suit filed on behalf ofindustrialist and richest Indian Mukesh Ambani afterthey telecast in November live a press conference ofKejriwal in which he accused Ambani-owned RelianceIndustries Limited of being involved in several corruptpractices, particularly in the fields of petroleum andnatural gas.

    Kejriwal recently reacted by daring Ambani to takehim to court since he addressed the press conferenceand termed the deformation notice as attempt tobrowbeat privately-owned news channels.It is not yet clear if the information and broadcastingministry, which had laid down guidelines to denypolitical parties access to television channels, wouldissue the necessary clearance for launch of theproposed channel.

  • How can lawbreakers make anti-rape laws: Verma panel

    How can lawbreakers make anti-rape laws: Verma panel

    NEW DELHI (TIP): How can a Parliament comprising persons with criminal record pass an effective criminal law amendment reform? The Justice JS Verma committee has asked the government this vital question in its report on the anti-rape law. As many as 17 per cent MPs of the current Lok Sabha face heinous offence charges, including crimes against women; two MPs — Semmalai S (AIADMK) and Adhikari Suvendu (TMC) — have stated on oath to the Election Commission that they have been charged with cruelty (IPC 498 A) and use of force on a woman with the intent of outraging her modesty (354 IPC), respectively. In 2009 LS polls, political parties had fielded six candidates who admitted to charges of rape and 34 who admitted to various crimes against women like molestation.

    Analysing the trend of unabated fielding of tainted candidates by political parties, the Verma committee has now demanded accountability of politicians and sought a comprehensive law on the internal working of political parties which should filter candidates before fielding them. The panel has mooted amendments to the current Representation of People’s Act 1951 to say that a candidate would be disqualified from election contest once a court takes cognisance of his crime and not essentially once he is convicted for a serious offence (the case presently). “Barring people with criminal records from entering politics would be the easiest way to cleanse lawmaking bodies of the present day malady.

    A Parliament which consists of people with criminal records is unlikely to pass any effective Criminal Law Amendment reform because there is a distinct conflict of interest. We hope MPs chargesheeted for criminal offences of a heinous nature demit offices. We can only appeal,” the committee has said. To cleanse the system, it has recommended the adoption of UK Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act-2000 in India and laid down its implementation to enforce the following principles — criteria for admission to a political party; ensuring its internal democracy and code of conduct and refusal by parties to field candidates with criminal history.

    In the absence of these checks, tainted candidates are blatantly entering the legislatures and Parliament. Political parties fielded 27 candidates charged with rape in different Assembly elections during the past five years; six of them won. Three belong to the Samajwadi Party; one each to the BSP; the BJP and the TDP. Over the past 10 years, 20% people elected to various state assemblies and Lok Sabha are such who have been either charged with or convicted for heinous offences, including rape. The Verma panel further discovered another anomaly in the current laws. Though the RP Act requires MPs/MLAs to give affidavits to the EC declaring charges framed against them in heinous offences, it doesn’t give EC the power to verify these affidavits. On receipt of false information, a returning officer is allowed to simply file a complaint to the magistrate for prosecuting the MP/MLA under Section 125 A of the RP Act which prescribes a punishment.

    UN takes note of Delhi gang rape
    Invoking the brutal Delhi gang rape, Executive Director of UN Women Michelle Bachelet said the public outrage over the incident has echoed worldover and stressed that “this senseless violence” must be condemned and perpetrators brought to justice.

  • Two MPs, 6 Legislators Face Rape Charges: Reports

    Two MPs, 6 Legislators Face Rape Charges: Reports

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Two sitting MPsand six sitting legislators in differentstates were fielded by their partiesdespite cases of crimes againstwomen pending against them, a thinktank said on Thursday, four days aftera 23-year-old medical student wasgangraped in Delhi. Data compiled byAssociation for Democratic Reforms(ADR) showed that parties like theCongress, Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP), Samajwadi Party (SP) andBahujan Samaj Party (BSP) gavetickets to candidates with charges ofrape and other atrocities againstwomen in different states.

    Referring to affidavits filed bylawmakers ahead of their election,ADR said MPs S Semmalai of theAIADMK from Salem constituency inTamil Nadu and Suvendu Adhikari ofthe Trinamool Congress from Tamlukconstituency in West Bengal declaredthat they were facing charges ofcruelty and intent to outrage awoman’s modesty. There were sixlegislators across state assemblieswith rape charges against them, itsaid. Another 36 legislators declaredthat they were facing charges such asassault and molestation, it said.The think tank said that out of thesix legislators with rape cases, threewere from Uttar Pradesh andmembers of the SP.

    They are:Sribhagwan Sharma, Anoop Sandaand Manoj Kumar Paras. The threeother legislators facing rape chargeswere: Mohd Aleem Khan of the BJPin Uttar Pradesh, Jethabhai G Ahirof the BJP in Gujarat andKandikunta Venkata Prasad of theTelugu Desam Party in AndhraPradesh.Of the 36 legislators, who declaredin their affidavits that they werefacing charges of crimes againstwomen, six were from the Congress,five from the BJP and three from theSP, ADR said. Uttar Pradesh has themaximum number of legislators(eight) who declared in their affidavitsthat they were facing charges ofcrimes against women, followed byOdisha and West Bengal with sevenlawmakers each.The think tank said 27 candidateswith rape charges contested differentstate elections in the past five years.

  • Parliament disrupted for 13th day on coal issue

    Parliament disrupted for 13th day on coal issue

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Parliament was disrupted even on the last day of the Monsoon Session on September 7 with BJP members insisting on their demand for resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the issue of coal block allocation. Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned till noon after opposition triggered ruckus on the issue. This was for the 13th consecutive day that Parliament was adjourned without transacting any significant business amid stormy scenes over coal block allocation and some other issues. AIADMK members were in the Well waving copies of a newspaper carrying reports of Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s alleged involvement in a land grab case. DMK members were protesting against the upcoming visit of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to India. In the Lok Sabha, BJP members trooped to the Well as soon as Speaker Meira Kumar took up the Question Hour. They raised slogans demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister. The House plunged into turmoil as AIADMK and DMK members also joined the BJP members and raised different issues.

    The Speaker adjourned the proceedings till noon within a minute of convening the House. In the Rajya Sabha, soon after Chairman Hamid Ansari announced the retirement of Secretary General V K Agnihotri, BJP members raised slogans against the government on the alleged coal scam. Some SP and AIADMK members too were up on their feet but could not be heard in the din. As the slogan shouting members were unrelenting, Ansari adjourned the House till noon. Earlier, the House appreciated Agnihotri, a 1968-batch IAS officer, for “devotion” and “dedication” towards his duties

  • Seven parties protest disruption, want coal allocations probed

    Seven parties protest disruption, want coal allocations probed

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Upset with the BJP’s repeated disruption of Parliament over coal blocks issue, seven political parties on Aug 30 came together in protest against the BJP and also decided to press for a judicial inquiry into the allocation of coal blocks. To underscore the sullen mood, these parties including, the SP, the Left and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), decided to stage a sit-in in front of Parliament tomorrow to demand a judicial inquiry by a Supreme Court judge and cancellation of the allocation.

    After the attempt to forge unity among opposition parties failed to materialise on Monday, leaders of the Left parties convinced the SP chief to convene a meeting of non-UPA, non- NDA parties that made headway today. Party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP), Basudeb Acharia (CPM), Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI) and N Nageswara Rao (TDP), said all parties were keen that an inquiry be held into the issue, the guilty punished and Parliament get going. Attempts are on to rope in the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK).

    Meanwhile, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat described Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement in Parliament as a “brazen attempt to defend an indefensible policy”. He also criticised the BJP for its hypocrisy in disrupting Parliament demanding resignation of the PM. “It (the BJP) had pioneered the captive coal block route. It brought the coal privatisation Bill in Parliament. The NDA government had deregulated coal pricing and taken a series of steps to weaken Coal India Limited (CIL),” he said. On the suggestion to switch over to competitive bidding, Karat felt the move would lead to private monopoly and formation of cartels with public utilities and state-run corporations unable to compete.