He said till now, Youth Congress quietly heard whatever saffron leaders said about Rahul or the PM or Sonia Gandhi, but not anymore. “Now, if Sushma Swaraj says something baseless, we will go to her office to tell her she is wrong”.

The intent marks a break from a prolonged period for Rahul Gandhi initiated “democratization” of youth outfits which coincided with the insiders say “the most peaceful period in their history”.

Party men were astonished as the outfit this month registered protests the activities in West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh while storming the BJP headquarters in the Lutyens’ Delhi.

The modest beginning has raised hope in Congress that the party can still bank upon the youth cadre to supplement its political troubles.

Youth Congress and NSUI were traditionally the “fighting arms” of the parent party, specializing in street battles for several years. The zealousness often led to lumped behavior but seen as par of the course.

Youth’s complete disappearance was setback for Congressmen, especially for the last two turbulent years when youth of BJP and BJP Sr. repeatedly laid siege to the Government over corruption and security issues. Party leaders lamented that the frontal outfits had lost focus to “democratization”.

The sense of weariness was read in Congress, the Chief Sonia Gandhi last month addressing a gathering of NSUI said “Why should we allow our opponents to get away with propagating negative impressions” and this was seen as a cue from the leadership.

Satav said the process of transformation slowed things down but it would be back to normal soon. “BJP was lying all this and we were not answering back. We will not resort to hooliganism but we will tell the truth, visiting to their office, again and again,” he uttered, adding, “We will come forward whenever it is needed”.

The IYC President Rajiv Satav claimed “democratization” had changed the organization with “performance” replacing nepotism as the tool of assessment. “Earlier, whoever was close to the IYC chief would move up, others would languish. Now, there is performance evaluation of all office-bearers”.

Coming from a party which is close to many Bollywood stars including the Amitabh Bachchan clan, Yadav’s loose remarks have left the film bugs and actors-turned-politicians fuming.

Ramgopal was addressing a Muslim gathering in Etawah this week when he spoke about the increasing cases of crime against women that film actresses these days are more responsible for spreading vulgarity in the society as compared to the bar dancers. Though the Congress Government in Maharashtra has banned dance bars, there is no word on the obscenity in films and the advertising industry, Ramgopal said while criticizing the Maharashtra Government for showing double standards.

“Thousands of bar dancers who were in the profession to earn their bread and butter have been rendered jobless and struggling to spare two square meals a day for themselves and their families,” he added, “But nobody questions the film actresses, who charge up to Rs five crore to perform a five-minute item song” he said.

The CPI(M) also accused the Congress-led coalition of “match-fixing” with the principal Opposition BJP to disrupt Parliament proceedings.

“The UPA, which started four years ago, is not the UPA today. It doesn’t have a majority in Parliament.

On the fourth anniversary of UPA-II, BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley said they would limit their critique to the second innings of the Congress-led coalition, which has witnessed “mindboggling” scams that hit the common man the hardest.

“UPA-II has seen more corruption than UPA-I. There have been mindboggling scams which were not seen by any previous government,” Swaraj told a press conference here with Jaitley.

Noting that coalition politics was the order of the day, Swaraj said such governments require “special leadership qualities”.

“Manmohan Singh is the Prime Minister but neither a leader of the country nor the leader of his own party. Singh’s colleagues sit with him in the Cabinet and look towards the UPA Chairperson (Sonia Gandhi) for directions. Such split leadership is the biggest failure of UPA,” she said.

Echoing Swaraj, Jaitley said, “UPA has devalued the Prime Minister’s post. Singh’s Cabinet colleagues look towards UPA chairperson for policy directions and somewhere else for future leadership.”

At the same time, the BJP leaders parried questions on Narendra Modi’s projection as NDA’s Prime Ministerial candidate by a section within the party.

“Whether we will have a (Prime Ministerial) face or not and if we decide to have a face, who it will be, these issues will be decided by the BJP Parliamentary Board in consultation with NDA partners,” Swaraj said.

Jaitley said UPA’s fourth anniversary was being celebrated in an environment of “gloom, pessimism, cynicism and negativism”.

The government’s tenure came in for close scrutiny at the BJP’s Parliamentary Board meeting which was attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for the first time since being made a member of the highest decision-making body on March 31.

As part of its strategy in run up to the next Lok Sabha polls, it was decided that week-long agitational programmes will be undertaken across the country from next Monday to highlight the “failures” of the UPA government which completes nine years tomorrow.

Modi, who is being projected by some in BJP as its Prime Ministerial candidate, pushed for greater use of social media to reach out more effectively to the people, especially the youth.

“We discussed the nine years of UPA rule. This government has failed on all fronts be it price rise, internal and external security or the economic situation. BJP will launch a jail bharo (court arrest) programme from May 27 to June 2,” the Board’s Secretary Ananth Kumar told reporters.

The top brass also discussed the Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Jharkhand to be held later this year.

This was the first meeting of the Board after Singh allocated responsibilities to BJP office-bearers on May 19.

The Parliamentary Board also discussed issues related to the upcoming meetings of BJP National office-bearers and executive to be held in Goa from June 7 to 9, Kumar said.

The party is likely to pass two resolutions in the National Executive Meeting. The political resolution would discuss the political situation prevailing in the country and the threat to safety and security. An Economic resolution on the issue of price rise and other issues will also be moved.

New Delhi: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi met senior BJP  leader LK Advani and termed the meeting as “wonderful”.

Modi, who is in New Delhi to attend the BJP Parliamentary Board meeting ahead of the party’s National Executive meeting in Goa on June 8 and 9, also met former BJP president Nitin Gadkari at his residence.

“In Delhi today. Had a wonderful meeting with Advaniji on arrival at Delhi. Now heading to meet Nitin Gadkariji,” Modi said on Twitter after his 40-minute meeting with Advani.

The party’s Parliamentary Board, the top decision making body of BJP, which is headed by Advani, will meet today to discuss the forthcoming BJP National Executive and National Council meeting at Goa.

Modi was recently inducted as a member of the Parliamentary Board by party president Rajnath Singh.

With the temperature at a sweltering 45.3 degrees, the rally was scheduled at 4 pm where a  shamiana gave shade to the over 20,000 people, a good number of them women, in attendance were there to witness the presence of the leader. The only two people who mattered on the stage were Singh and Modi. The speeches were short,  while the applause for Modi was not overwhelming, it was warm and welcoming.

The Chief Minister wrapped up his address quickly and handed over the mike to Modi.
The show was all stolen by Modi. The Gujarat CM declared how Chhattisgarh under the “able rule” of Raman Singh had become the fastest growing State in the country and told the locals that their CM had made an impact in Delhi, so much so that his food security act has become a model for the Centre’s pending food security bill and his handling of the Maoist issue was recognized by Prime Minister Manmohan Sigh himself.

Modi then moved on to Congress-bashing, which seemed to connect in a State where BJP and Congress are the two principal poles.

The tech-savvy Gujarat CM came to know that Rahul Gandhi had just spoken about improvement in the education sector in Kerala and had given credit to the Congress Government in the State. He mentioned it at the rally without naming Rahul. “Congress in Kerala is taking credit for improving education levels in Kerala but Congress is not responsible for it,” he said, passing on the credit to a Hindu religious guru.

With Chhattisgarh having several coal mines, Modi was quick to bring in the Coalgate scam. “Soon, banks will have to open lockers to store coal, for even coal is being looted by the Congress at the Centre, so your coal has to be kept in bank lockers,” he said.

“They (Centre) say they have given you pajamas, but they are stealing the strings,” he said, apparently responding to Congress leader Digvijay Singh who had said the Centre had given the pajamas and the State was only putting the string to it, about central schemes being implemented in Chhattisgarh.

“Raman Singh has the courage to face people and find out from them whether his efforts have worked on the ground, but does the Prime Minister has that courage to go to the people asking for an appraisal on himself… No, they have only looted. I am challenging the PM to stand beside Raman Singh and ask for an evaluation”, Modi said.

“At the very least, India must stay away from the CHOGM to be held in Colombo and, thereby, exert pressure on Sri Lanka to do justice by its hapless, much exploited Tamil Minorities”, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Her letter to Singh came soon after a meeting of the DMK Executive, chaired by its chief M Karunanidhi, asked New Delhi to boycott the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to reflect the sentiments of Tamils worldover and to keep up the democratic spirits.

When some countries had decided against attending CHOGM, “India without any hesitation should announce its decision about boycott immediately,” the DMK meeting said in a resolution.

“…Any high level participation or engagement from the Indian side in the CHOGM will not only embolden the Sri Lankan regime but also incense public opinion and sentiment in Tamil Nadu on this very sensitive issue even further”, Jayalalithaa said in her strongly-worded letter.

The proposed CHOGM in Colombo was another opportune occasion for India to ratchet up further pressure on Sri Lanka to ensure that accountability was established under an international framework for the “war crimes and genocide committed in the closing stages of the civil war and the ongoing gross human rights abuses”, she said.

“As an emerging great power and an aspirant for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, India has a duty to ensure that the values of democracy and respect for human rights are upheld anywhere in the world and in particular in its neighbourhood”, she said.

Jayalalithaa said India should ask for shifting of the venue to another country and “if India takes this diplomatic initiative there is likely to be broad based support amongst member countries of the Commonwealth”.

Students, advocates and some other pro-Tamil outfits have been observing protests and fast in the state over the past few days in support of the Lankan Tamils.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, himself a senior JD(U) leader, did not reply when reporters sought his comments while he was leaving the Assembly.

Devesh Chandra Thakur, another senior JD(U) leader and a close confidante of the CM told reporters outside Assembly, “Patel is an MP, so is Sharad Yadavji and parliamentarians meet each other in the Parliament very often. So what’s new in this?”

“They have met more than a dozen times…what’s big in this?” Thakur, an MLC, wondered.

Senior JD(U) leader Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, considered number three in the Bihar government after the CM and Deputy CM S K Modi, denied that anything was cooking between the Congress and the JD(U).

“Where is the growing closeness with Congress visible? The Prime Minister is from the Congress and the CM met him with demand for special category status,” Chaudhary told reporters.

Ties between NDA partners JD(U) and BJP were strong in Bihar, he said adding in a lighter vein, if the media persistently asked this question there was a chance of a wedge been created.

Another senior minister Narendra Singh also dismissed any cracks in the relationship between NDA partners in Bihar or any talks with the Congress. Speculations about the Congress reaching out to Nitish Kumar has been triggered by the positive vibes when he met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia earlier this week, demanding special category status for Bihar.

Kumar gave ammunition to speculation about strife between longstanding NDA allies, by yesterday saying that none knew about the future.

The government fielded three senior ministers – P Chidambaram, Kamal Nath and Manish Tewari — before the media to insist that DMK’s demands were in the process of being considered and wondered why the ally changed its position after promising to reconsider its decision to withdraw support. The UPA’s second biggest constituent with 18 Lok Sabha MPs quit the alliance yesterday.

With questions being raised about the stability of the government,  Kamal Nath, the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, firmly said, “We are not a lame duck government.”

“The government is neither lame nor is it a duck. We are absolutely stable. No political party has come out to challenge our majority,” he said.

Stating that India wanted the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to adopt a “strong” resolution on Sri Lanka, Chidambaram said India will move amendments to the draft to send a “resolute message” to that country on alleged human rights violations of Tamils and “goad” it to have an independent inquiry, a key demand of the DMK.

The Finance Minister also dismissed allegations that India had sought dilution of the strongly-worded resolution by the US, saying it was an absolute “canard”.

He said DMK’s other demand for a resolution to be adopted by Parliament on Sri Lankan Tamils issue was also in the process of consultations with other parties.

Chidambaram claimed that the DMK was aware of the government’s position on the issue but had changed its position between the night of March 18 and morning of March 19.

“We are not aware of the reasons why the DMK changed its position between the night of March 18 and the morning of March 19,” Chidambaram said, while noting that DMK supremo M Karunanidhi had said the party would reconsider decision to withdraw support if Parliament adopts a resolution before the end of current sittings on March 22.

At the same time, the three ministers asserted that there was no threat to the government despite DMK’s pull out.

“Just because one ally pulled out, the government has not become weak… There is no political instability or political uncertainty… Nobody has questioned our stability except for few voices in the media,” Chidambaram said.

Asked whether the government will test its stability by going in for Confidence Motion, the ministers rejected any such possibility. “The question does not arise as we have the majority,” Chidambaram said.

Rejecting the impression that the UPA is now weaker and “on more crutches”, Chidambaram said, “We are in the government. It is our duty to steer the ship through the maelstorm and our hands are firmly on the wheel.”

After DMK pullout, speculation has mounted that the UPA will be vulnerable to pressures from its crucial outside supporters SP(22) and BSP(21) who together account for 43 seats.

Reiterating that there should be “no doubt” about the government’s stability or any “worry”, Kamal Nath said it will continue with its policy decisions.

“We are absolutely, absolutely stable. If there is any test, it is on the floor of the House. But no political party has challenged the stability of the government,” he said.

With the DMK pullout, the strength of the UPA in the Lok Sabha has been reduced to 224 but it enjoyed the support of 281 MPs that included those of outside supporting parties. The Lok Sabha has 539 MPs at present as four seats are vacant. The half-way mark is 27

Asked whether the Congress would try to rope in some other parties, Nath said in politics, doors are always open.

Referring to DMK’s demands, Chidambaram said the government had begun the process of formulating amendments to the draft resolution before the UNHRC.

“The amendments were finalised yesterday,” he said, adding India’s Permanent Representative to the UNHRC is in Delhi and he will be given “suitable instructions to move the amendments” at the UN meet.

He rejected reports that India was diluting the resolution, terming it as a “canard”.

“India’s position has always been and remains that the UNHRC should adopt a strong resolution that would send a resolute message to Sri Lanka and goad Sri Lanka to accept an independent and credible investigation,” Chidambaram said.

Talking to reporters separately, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said the government is stable.

“We are considering what will be our next step with regards to the demands raised by DMK. But notwithstanding that, the government is perfectly stable and there is no problem at all,” he said.

The Minister said the government is discussing the issue of the type of resolution and whether there should be one at all.

In reply to a poser on the stand on BJP, he said it was upto the Opposition party to support it. “We will decide our stand and they will decide on theirs,” he said.

]]> http://www.jaintv.com/2013/03/20/politics/dmk-pullout-govt-lame-duck-ministers/feed/ 0 http://www.jaintv.com/2013/02/23/politics/jpc-witness-raja-speaker/ http://www.jaintv.com/2013/02/23/politics/jpc-witness-raja-speaker/#comments Sat, 23 Feb 2013 10:50:59 +0000 Admin http://www.jaintv.com/?p=35046 New Delhi: Blamed for a number of issues in the 2G scam, former Telecom Minister A Raja wants to appear before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) as a witness to tell his side of story.

Raja’s request to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar comes days after Attorney General G E Vahanvati blamed him for various issues before the JPC.

He has also been blamed for the 2G scam by other witnesses before the special CBI court.

“The Secretary-General strongly condemns the indiscriminate attacks against civilians which occurred in the Indian city of Hyderabad,” said a statement issued by the office of the UN Secretary General yesterday.

“He extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government and people of India,” the statement said.

]]> http://www.jaintv.com/2013/02/22/politics/secretary-general-condemns-hyderabad-attack/feed/ 0 http://www.jaintv.com/2013/02/22/politics/hyderabad-blasts-rock-parliament/ http://www.jaintv.com/2013/02/22/politics/hyderabad-blasts-rock-parliament/#comments Fri, 22 Feb 2013 07:33:28 +0000 Admin http://www.jaintv.com/?p=35016 New Delhi: The twin blasts in Hyderabad rocked both Houses of Parliament today with opposition members attacking the government for alleged lapses in matters of internal security.
As soon as the Lok Sabha met, Speaker Meira Kumar made an obituary reference to the victims of the blasts in which several persons were killed and a large number injured.
“The House unequivocally condemns this barbaric and cowardly act of terrorism,” Kumar said.

Sinha alleged that the government was bringing in food security bill at a time when seventy million tonne food grains were not yet released to the market to check food inflation.

Addressing the media here, he claimed that tabling the food security bill would further escalate the inflation.

“I am meeting all the people. Checking from them what they are feeling. I am talking to them. I am trying to understand what they would like. I am quite excited about it,” he said.

“As I am speaking to all the people in the Congress party, I am finding a tremendous talent there. And it is just a question of aligning it and getting on with it,” Gandhi told reporters outside Parliament House.

He was reacting to a question on whether there are any changes on the cards in the AICC and about his ongoing meeting with the party members and leaders.

The Congress leader said he was “checking from them what they are feeling” and also “just familiarising” himself.

“I am just familiarising myself a little bit,” Gandhi said.

Gandhi was appointed as Congress vice-president during its ‘chintan shivir’ in Jaipur on January 19.

He formally took over his position in the AICC on January 23. Soon after he had interactions with party general secretaries and secretaries, spread over three days, followed by meeting with chief ministers, state unit chiefs and legislative party leaders where they had “free and frank” discussions on the various issues plaguing the outfit.

Principal Secretry (Home) R M Srivastava said that Home Secretary Rakesh and ADG Law and Order Arun Kumar will probe the violence.

However, a possible confrontation between government and BJP over Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s “Hindu terror” remark was averted on the eve of the session as he expressed regret and the main opposition welcomed it.

Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj had demanded that Shinde withdraw his comments and tender an apology, failing which the party would boycott him. The three-month long session will begin with the customary address by President Pranab Mukherjee to the joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.

The session has a heavy legislative agenda, including getting Parliament nod to three ordinances, introduction of as many as 16 bills, consideration and passage of 35 bills.

The Railway Budget will be presented on February 26, the Economic Survey the next day and the General Budget on February 28. NDA, which held a strategy session here this evening, said it wanted Parliament to function smoothly and would make all efforts in this regard.

However, it said there were lot of “challenges” before the which needed to be raised in Parliament with “full strength”. NDA convenor Sharad Yadav listed these issues as the helicopter scam, other corruption cases, inflation, farmers plight due to drought in Maharashtra and hailstorm in Madhya Pradesh and ordinance on stronger anti-rape laws.

The main opposition’s aggressive posturing came even after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other ministers said the government was ready for discussion on any issue and hoped all parties will join hands to find productive, constructive solutions to the formidable challenges facing the nation.

On the helicopter scam which the NDA would be raising on Friday, the government said it is ready for any kind of probe.

With an aim of ensuring a smooth sail of the Budget session, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar held a meeting with leaders of all political parties today.

After the meeting, the Prime Minister said he hoped that all political parties will join hands to find productive, constructive solutions to the formidable challenges facing the nation.

“Parliament is the forum for discussions or dialogue and all parties have an obligation to ensure that parliament runs smoothly. I am hopeful and confident that this session is going to be a fruitful session,” he told reporters.

Noting that all parties have an obligation to ensure that Parliament runs smoothly, Singh said, “I am hopeful and confident that this is going to be a fruitful session.”

Swaraj said parties want discussion on several issues including VVIP chopper scam, Indo-Pak ties in the backdrop of beheading of two Indian soldiers, situation in Maldives, attempts by China to encircle India, severe drought in Maharashtra and plight of farmers due to hailstorm in Madhya Pradesh as also the burden of rising prices on the common man.

Hours later, NDA convenor Sharad Yadav said, “There are several challenges facing the country. The helicopter scam will certainly be raised. Some other scams were left halfway. We will try to raise them too.”

On the controversial chopper deal, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said the government is willing for any type of inquiry for which there was a political consensus.

“I have told all political parties that the government is willing to have any type of inquiry for which there is political consensus on the helicopter issue because this is not just an issue concerning corruption. This is an investigation carried out overseas which is a slur on India,” Nath said.

Referring to court verdicts against enforcing strikes, Banerjee said, “It is my humble request to the Election Commission that political parties which call bandhs should be banned”.

“We have been able to restore work culture of this state. In terms of work culture we are leading the nation right now,” she claimed.

After making a round of the metropolis to see the situation for herself, Banerjee told reporters, “The strike call has been rejected by the people. I congratulate them for it”.

“Most shops and markets are open in the city and the state. There is 100 per cent attendance in most government departments except a few which recorded 97-98 per cent,” she said.

Banerjee said though she was opposed to various polices of the central government, including issues against which the strike was called, she would not allow strikes in Bengal as it caused huge financial loss for the debt-ridden state.

“We were the first political party to oppose FDI in retail and the petrol price hike. We even came out of the UPA due to our opposition to these policies. But we don’t support strikes because a strike means both economic loss and wastage of mandays,” the chief minister said.

Banerjee announced that private buses and taxis which were on the roads defying the strike call would be suitably rewarded.

Banerjee, however, lost her cool when told that life in the state was partially affected as many shops and markets remained closed and the majority of buses and taxis were off the road.

“You are from which house? You belong to a particular media house that is why you are asking such questions. Please go and check those markets,” she retorted.

It also sought to mollify the BJP, which is incensed over Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s “Hindu terror” remarks, saying it would try to sort out the issue through dialogue.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj demanded that Mr. Shinde withdraw his remarks and apologise so as to ensure smooth functioning of the House.

Taking an aggressive stance at the all-party meeting convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, Ms Swaraj said that if the BJP was training terrorists, as alleged by Mr. Shinde, then she should cease to be the Leader of the Opposition and BJP members should not be allowed in Parliament.

“As custodian of the House, we seek your protection as the Home Minister, who is also Leader of the House, has alleged that BJP is running terror camps,” she told the Speaker during the meeting.

“If we are doing so, then I have no right to be Leader of Opposition and BJP members should not be allowed to sit in the House. We should be probed. But first resolve this matter,” Ms. Swaraj said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hoped that the session would see “productive and constructive debate leading to agreed solutions” to many national problems.

Noting that all parties have an obligation to ensure that Parliament runs smoothly, Dr. Singh said, “I am hopeful and confident that this is going to be a fruitful session.”

He expressed the hope that at a juncture when the country is facing many economic challenges, all political parties would join hands for productive and constructive solutions.

Ms. Swaraj said political parties want discussion on several issues including VVIP chopper scam, Indo-Pak ties in the backdrop of beheading of two Indian soldiers, situation in Maldives, attempts by China to encircle India, severe drought in Maharashtra and plight of farmers due to hailstorm in Madhya Pradesh as also the burden of rising prices on the common man.

]]> http://www.jaintv.com/2013/02/20/politics/bjp-takes-aggressive-stance-all-party-meet/feed/ 0 http://www.jaintv.com/2013/02/20/politics/three-month-long-budget-session-stormy-affair/ http://www.jaintv.com/2013/02/20/politics/three-month-long-budget-session-stormy-affair/#comments Wed, 20 Feb 2013 08:24:50 +0000 Admin http://www.jaintv.com/?p=34933 New Delhi: The controversial VVIP chopper scam is set to turn the three-month-long Budget session of Parliament beginning tomorrow into a troubled affair for the government with the Opposition raring for an attack eyeing the Lok Sabha polls which are not far away.

The Left and the Right have been targeting the Congress-led coalition on a variety of issues, including the chopper deal allegedly involving Rs 362 crore kickbacks from an Italian company Finmeccanica and price rise.

Hopes of an early enactment of key legislations like strengthening of anti-rape laws, land acquisition bill and Lokpal bill have receded with some opposition parties objecting to the proposed measures in their present form.

The two-day strike called by the central trade unions has set the tone for the session with the unions upset over the government’s “inaction” on the issue of price rise and alleged violation of labour laws.

There are numerous issues which include safety of women, killing of Indian soldiers by Pakistani troops on the Line of Control, increase in prices of diesel and petrol, hike in rail fare, the issue of separate Telangana and the alleged scam in the ambitious farm loan waiver scheme.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said the government was ready to discuss all issues.

The session begins tomorrow with the address of President Pranab Mukherjee to the joint sitting of Parliament. The Railway Budget is scheduled to be presented on February 26, and the economic survey will be tabled the next day.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram will present the General Budget on February 28.

The BJP top brass has also decided to strongly protest against Leader of the House in Lok Sabha Sushilkumar Shinde till he tenders an apology for his Hindu terror remark against the principal opposition.

However, the party will not force adjournments of the two Houses on this issue.

Congress is also going to face problem over the demand for the removal of Rajya Sabha Deputy chairman P J Kurien in the wake of fresh revelations in the Suryanelli rape case. Kurien has time and again claimed innocence and has rejected the demand for his resignation.

Government has already said it was not averse to a JPC on the chopper deal with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath saying, “We are open for a Joint Parliamentary Committee if this satisfies everybody.”

Nath insisted that the government was “neither afraid nor hesitant” on discussion on any issue during the three-month long Budget Session of Parliament beginning Thursday.

At a meeting of chief whips convened by Nath yesterday, political parties had conveyed that they intend to raise issues including the chopper deal, hanging of Afzal Guru, price rise, land acquisition, food security, during the session.

Ahead of the session, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has appealed to everyone to allow Parliament to function smoothly.

“I am not presuming anything,” she had said when asked whether she was apprehending disruptions during the session.

“I will appeal to parties to let the House run. I will appeal to members not to resort to lung power,” she had said.

The session has a heavy legislative agenda, including getting Parliament nod to three ordinances, introduction of as many as 16 bills, consideration and passage of 35 bills.

These include the national food security bill, the criminal law amendment bill, reservation for SC/STs in promotion bill and a bill aimed at prevention and prohibition of sexual harassment of women at work place. Besides, 13 items related to financial business, including discussions on General and Railway budgets, and budget for Jharkhand which is under President’s Rule.

The enactment of key legislations like strengthening of anti-rape laws, land acquisition bill and Lokpal bill is likely to be delayed.

The argument of some parties was that if measures like criminal law amendment ordinance were passed hastily without giving much thought to the implications of the provisions, it would create havoc. Similar was their reasoning with the other key legislations, including the land acquisition bill.

There were also differences on the Lokpal bill despite the measure going through a standing committee and a select committee with some political parties opposing and wanting it to go through some more scrutiny.

There were also differences over the Food Security Bill, the Land Acquisition, Relief and Rehabilitation Bill, the Women’s Reservation Bill and the bill to provide reservation in promotion for SC/STs.

“Political parties are not a homogeneous lot. Concerns of one party may be a red rag for other parties,” Nath had said.

This means that the session having 34 sittings spread over two parts could mainly deal with the financial business due to lack of consensus and the heat generated over a variety of issues.

Besides discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President for his Address, Parliament will also take up a discussion on the Statutory Resolution seeking approval of imposition of President’s rule in Jharkhand.

Though the candidature of dissident Mohammad Amin Bhat was rejected during scrutiny of nomination papers, the sitting Congress MLC’s decision to go ahead without the party’s approval is suggestive of deep fissures in the party ranks.

“I will do my duty. I am now getting ready for the Parliament session. We will explain everything to Parliament.

We have nothing to hide. Our hands are very clean,” Antony told reporters on being asked whether he would resign.

“Starting of international flights from Bhopal would help those desirous of going abroad and also aid in increasing business,” Joshi said at a meeting of the Airport Advisory Committee last evening.

Apart from international flights, direct flights to places like Bangalore and Jaipur should also be allowed from the city, the MP from Bhopal demanded.

Airlines should work out modalities to start direct flights from Bhopal to other big cities in the country, he said.

Facilities at the airport should be improved to allow landing of large aircrafts at the airport, he said.

The BSP, BJP and Congress are ready to corner the ruling party alleging that though the financial year is coming to a close the government has spent only around 50 per cent of the Rs 2 lakh crore sanctioned in 2012-13.

“In a posting on the website of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on February 14, a reference was made in Point 32 from the Director of Income Tax that kickbacks were paid to middlemen in the chopper deal.

“After accepting this, the government is now trying to find out who were paid bribes. The name of family members of a former Union minister and a close associate of a Congress vice-president are coming up,” BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy told reporters.

He insisted that the Congress should come out with a clarification on these allegations.

“We will raise this issue strongly in Parliament,” Rudy said.

When asked if the BJP wanted the Rs 3,600 crore deal to be scrapped, the BJP MP said it is “inconsequential” and the main issue is to find out who were paid the kickbacks.

BJP also attacked Defence Minister AK Antony.

“This is a monumental scam in which kickbacks of Rs3,600 crore were paid. Antony is now giving several orders and statements and is struggling to keep his Mr Clean image. But the fact remains that he has been Defence Minister since October 24, 2006,” Rudy said.

The main opposition claimed that prosecutors in Italy have pointed out that bribes of Rs3,600 crore were paid and the beneficiaries include people in India.

Rudy said when BJP MP Prakash Javadekar had posed a question to Antony in Rajya Sabha in December, the minister had maintained that there is no proof of any kickbacks.

“The government had then given a clean chit to the deal. It is now in a hurry to cancel the deal, but the fact remains that they are guilty and it is still not known who are the beneficiaries,” Rudy said.

BJP also made light of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statements on the chopper deal.

“There is no importance of the views expressed by the Prime Minister. He says these people are innocent though a probe is on in Italy. He had earlier signed papers related to the Coalgate, but said there is no scam. The PM is in a laughable situation,” Rudy said. He maintained that the government has “collapsed”.

“This is the beginning of the end of this government. This government is tainted. We want complete revelations on the chopper deal,” Rudy said.

“Even before the ink had dried up after signing the hike in prices of diesel recently, the Centre is increasing the price of petrol by Rs 1.50 and diesel by 45 paise…it amounts to betraying the poor and middle classes.

The alleged gag on local media in the state was highlighted by Press Council of India in a report recently.

CPI-ML(L) leader Kumar Parvez in a statement said the protesters will burn the CM’s effigy near Patna railway station.

Government Chief Whip Pravat Tripathy took the lead and slammed both Congress and BJP while initiating a debate on motion of thanks on the Governor’s address to the assembly.

The main opposition also demanded that the helicopter deal should be reviewed and the supply of the remaining nine choppers should be stopped till all doubts are cleared.

“This deal raises a serious question. There was one gentleman Ottavio Quattrochhi from Italy who was involved in the Bofors scam. Several attempts were made to protect him. This helicopter company is also from Italy. Was this a factor in no probe being done in the matter for the past one year?” BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

Though BJP did not spell out its strategy on the issue, Prasad said the party will raise this matter strongly inside and outside Parliament.

“I see the making of a second Bofors in this scam. The government has not been able to explain why it was silent for one year on this issue despite the details being available in the public domain,” Prasad said.

He came down heavily on defence minister AK Antony, saying he should have called the Italian Ambassador to discuss the reports of financial irregularities in the Augusta Westland VVIP chopper deal. “Why did Antony not write to the Italian defence minister or send a delegation to Italy to get more details?” Prasad said.

BJP demanded that the Rs. 3,500 Crore deal be reviewed and the supply of the remaining nine of the 12 choppers be stopped till the issue is probed thoroughly.

The name was formally announced by SP national general secretary and spokesman Ram Gopal Yadav in a statement here.

The party also named Bal Kumar Patel and Radhey Mohan Singh as its candidate from Mirzapur and Ghazipur Lok Sabha seats respectively.

Raju, who was born in Kanpur, later shifted to Mumbai.

Headed by Defence Minister A K Antony, the sub-group on pre-poll alliances, at its first meeting here, deliberated on the current political situation and the way forward for the party in the context on the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Agitated DMK members were on their feet opposing Local Administration Minister KP Munusamy’s remarks against their party chief M Karunanidhi on the Lankan Tamils issue.

As protesters opposed to his visit clashed with police outside the Shri Ram College of Commerce here, he sought to commend the Gujarat model of governance to the rest of the country.

Modi, who is being projected by some BJP leaders as a Prime Ministerial candidate, contended that there was a sense of despondency all over the country and exuded confidence that the situation can be changed.

“There is a sense of despondency in the country. People feel nothing would change here. All are thieves, everything they do is waste. People consider it a curse to be born in India. They want to leave the country soon after completing their studies,” Modi said delivering the Shri Ram Memorial Oration.

His extempore speech was telecast live by news channels.

“But my thought is different. I am Chief Minister for a fourth term and based on my experience, with the same law, same Constitution, same rules and regulations, same officers, same people, same files, we can move forward. We can do a lot. I am confident that we can change things,” he said.

“This nation is being ruined by vote bank politics. This nation requires development politics. If we switch to politics of development, we will soon be in a position to bring about lasting change and progress,” Modi said.

Outside the college, students carrying placards like ‘Killer Modi’, ‘Go Back Modi’ opposed the invitation by the College to Modi. They tried to break the police cordon and were baton-charged.

“It is not so easy that the issue will be solved in one day. The mention of Gorkhaland in the GTA agreement itself was a mistake. This compromise was not right,” Bhattacharjee told a Bengali news channel referring to the GTA Accord where the Gorkhaland demand finds mention.

“The hills are a bordering area. You have to understand the issues of Lepchas, Buddhists, plains and hills to solve it. We want the matter to be solved. We would never be happy if there is a problem in hills,” said Bhattacharjee.

His comments came in the wake of demands for Gorkhaland that greeted Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during her recent visit to the hills.

“We don’t break so easily. Our political ties with the people have not been snapped, rather we are regaining lost ground in the state,” Bhattacharjee, a former West Bengal chief minister said.

“We were not politically wiped out after the last assembly polls. We secured 1.95 crore votes compared to 2.30 crore votes polled by the Trinamool Congress and those who lost faith in us have started realising the difference between the two regimes.

The CPI(M) has been able to gradually regain ground it lost to the Trinamool Congress in last assembly elections in West Bengal, and the ensuing panchayat polls would be a pointer to this, party politburo member Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee claimed today.

“We don’t break so easily. Our political ties with the people have not been snapped, rather we are regaining lost ground in the state,” Bhattacharjee, a former West Bengal chief minister said.

“We were not politically wiped out after the last assembly polls. We secured 1.95 crore votes compared to 2.30 crore votes polled by the Trinamool Congress and those who lost faith in us have started realising the difference between the two regimes.

The party said it will bring up this issue in Parliament in the forthcoming Budget Session and boycott of Shinde is one of the proposals it is “seriously thinking about”.

BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi told reporters here that Shinde had insulted “the nation, its tradition and its culture” by alleging that RSS and BJP were involved in training terrorists. He maintained that his remarks had benefited Pakistan-based terror groups like JuD and LeT.

“What was the need for Shinde to make these remarks at the Congress Chintan Shivir (in Jaipur)?…This only means that it was a well-thought out strategy of Congress… This is a ploy to deflect attention from his failure to improve internal security, ensure peace and secure the borders,” Joshi said.

The BJP leader cited the resolution of the Committee on Sanctions of the UN Security Council passed in June 2009 that Arif Qasmani, chief coordinator of LeT, had funded the Samjhauta blast and Al Qaeda had provided the manpower.

Joshi said that Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik had stated in January 2010 that Pakistani terrorists were hired for the blast.

“You (Shinde) have insulted the entire nation and culture and tradition of this nation…Congress will have to answer (these questions) and will have to face the consequences,” Joshi said.

“The new party president will be decided in eight days,” senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde told reporters here.

Munde said he is not in the race to become the new state unit chief. “I will be a part of selecting the president. I will lead the party in 2014 state assembly elections,” he said.

“BJP will take a call on Prime Ministership and putting up a candidate at an appropriate time. And the appropriate body is the Central Parliamentary Board,” he told reporters here.

“If she (Banerjee) is opposing then it will only expose her stand on the policies of working class. It shows that she is against their interests. The Constitution gives us this right. How can she take that away? She has no right to do that,” said Yechury at a sidelines of a rally.

Banerjee had said that she is against the strike as it leads to loss of man-days and financial loss.

Trade unions CITU, INTUC, AITUC, BMS and Left-backed banking sector unions have jointly called the country-wide general strike on February 20 and 21, opposing financial sector reforms and allowing FDI in retail.

The strike, Yechury said, will send out a strong message against the anti-people policies of the Centre.

Asked about the difference of opinion about the strike call, he said, “We as a party support this strike call. Now the decision of calling the strike is taken by trade unions. We don’t interfere in that.”

West Bengal Leader of Opposition and CPI(M) Politburo member Surya Kanta Mishra too lashed out at Banerjee for her stand on strike and alleged she herself has been calling state government-sponsored strikes in the state in the name of government holidays.

“When we call a strike she opposes it. She says that such strikes lead to loss of mandays. But what about those strikes that are sponsored by this government in the name of state government holidays? Doesn’t the state lose financially during those holidays?”

Mishra also mocked Banerjee’s announcement of holidays as a process to save electricity bills of government offices.

“We all know that state is going through a tough phase. So she has started giving away holidays so that power bills of those days can be saved,” he quipped.

“I want to humbly appeal to the BJP workers and leaders that there should be no statement from them on who will the candidate for the prime minister’s post. As I have said earlier, the BJP convention is that any decision on the chief ministerial or prime ministerial candidate is taken by the Central Parliamentary Board,” he told reporters.

Singh’s comments come in the wake of demands from BJP leaders like Ram Jethmalani and Yashwant Sinha that Modi should be the party’s PM candidate. Other leaders have also reacted in the media to the debate leading to spilling out of the differences over the issue within the NDA.

“Whether to speak, who will speak or not speak, what he will say (on such an issue) is all decided by the Central Parliamentary Board. So if any question is asked by the media, then all leaders should say that a final decision on the issue will be taken by the Central Parliamentary Board,” he said.

Singh had issued a similar directive earlier but it seems to have had little impact on the BJP leaders.

“I am making this appeal as our leaders usually behave within the prescribed limits and such comments hurt everybody. I am not going to make this appeal that I am making, again,” he said.

The stern warning has come against the backdrop of JD-U openly opposing Modi’s candidature and ally Shiv Sena expressing support for Sushma Swaraj for the post of prime minister.

BJP is said to be under pressure from Sangh Parivar affiliates like VHP to declare Modi as the PM candidate but the party’s top brass is reportedly divided on the issue.

After giving a patient hearing to the AICC Secretaries narrating their woes, the Amethi MP, whose Lok Sabha bioprofile describes him “strategy consultant” by profession, remarked that no one appeared happy about the state of affairs in the organisation and “we have to rectify” the situation.

“No one appears happy about the system as they feel it is unfair and that there are no rules and regulations and, therefore, there is uncertainty and we have to rectify the situation”, Gandhi was quoted as saying by party leaders during the two-hour-long meeting with AICC office bearers.

Gandhi yesterday began his first formal interaction with AICC office bearers as Vice President which saw lot of fireworks, blame game and complaints of oneupmanship.

The young leader today said that he would go into depth of issues raised by the leaders and work to set things right.

An office bearer said that Gandhi suggested that he was for “drastic and lasting changes”.

He said that the primary task right now would be to face the immediate elections in various states including Karnataka and try to rectify the overall problems after that.

Gandhi made these remarks after an AICC Secretary lamented “lack of coordination” in the party and the growing confusion as “no one is knowing what the other is doing”. Besides, the Secretary said that there was no coordination between government and organisation as the party is not taken into confidence before making appointments on official committees. With several office bearers yet to get a chance to have their say, he will be meeting them again on Monday.

Ngurdingliana, son of veteran Congress leader and former state assembly Speaker Dr H. Thansanga had contested unsuccessfully in 2008 from the same constituency.

Bharadwaj’s next home production hit a roadblock after actress Kangana Ranaut walked out of the project citing date issues. The makers are now left without a female actor to star alongside leading lady Madhuri.

“I have been approached for a role in ‘Dedh Ishqiya’.

In his first reaction to the sentencing of the 52-year- old Pakistan-American terrorist, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said New Delhi is “disappointed” since “we wanted him to be tried here in India”.

Lagadapati Rajagopal alleged that TDP had changed its stand on the Telangana issue twice and now it has written to the Union Home Minister that it had no objection if Andhra Pradesh is bifurcated.

The anointment of the 42-year-old leader nine years after he entered politics was formalised at the meeting of the party’s highest policy making body, the Congress Working Committee (CWC), which unanimously adopted a resolution for this moved by Defence Minister A.K.Antony.

The decision ends prolonged speculation about a bigger role for Rahul, so far one of the 11 general secretaries of the Congress. The speculation focussed on the possibility of his being made Working President or Secretary General of the party.

It was clear that the party has stopped short of naming Rahul either as its face in the 2014 polls or as its Prime Ministerial candidate, obviously, giving itself time to see how the political scenario pans out in the run up to the polls.

Janardhan Dwivedi, chief spokesperson of the party, who made the much-awaited announcement, told reporters as to what will be Rahul’s role in the next election or whether he will lead the election campaign will be decided later.

“Any election or campaign related decisions will be taken at a later stage,” Mr.Dwivedi said after the CWC meeting held on the sidelines of the two-day Chintan Shivir (brainstorming conclave).

“This decision will greatly strengthen the party and the hands of the Congress President. The Congress is a pan-India party which is the only unifying force that unites all sections.

“In Rahul Gandhi the party has its most effective and most accepted young leader reflecting the feelings of millions of Congress workers,” Mr.Dwivedi said.

Rahul becomes the third Vice President of the party in its recent history – the earlier ones being Arjun Singh under Rajiv Gandhi and Jitendra Prasada under Sitaram Kesri.

Kamlapati Tripathi was the Working President during the tenure of Indira Gandhi.

The second term MP from Amethi is expected to make his address at the AICC session on Sunday, which will begin with Sonia Gandhi’s speech.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and a number of senior ministers and leaders are expected to speak before the AICC adopts its ‘Jaipur Declaration’ covering political, economic and other issues.

Dwivedi said at the CWC meeting, Mr.Antony had been proposing Rahul’s name as Vice President for a long time. Congress workers have been making the demand and the media was also speculating that he should be given an important post.

“So that’s why I propose that Shri Rahul Gandhi be made Vice President. The whole CWC supported this by thumping of desks. After their support, the Congress President gave her consent and thereafter Rahul Gandhi accepted the post,” he said quoting Mr.Antony.

Rahul’s appointment comes 16 months ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and at a time when BJP appears to be zeroing in on Narendra Modi as its Prime Ministerial candidate.

He was made the Congress General Secretary by party chief Sonia Gandhi on Sept 24, 2007, over three years after he entered politics by becoming the party MP from Amethi, a seat represented by Rajiv Gandhi.

He was given the charge of Indian Youth Congress and the National Students Union of India which he sought to democratise by holding regular elections.

The remarks by Mr.Dwivedi on a later-day decision about whether Rahul would be the party’s face in the campaign are significant as they come in the backdrop of speculation that the elections could be a Rahul vs Modi tussle.

Mr.Dwivedi, who is also AICC media department chief, said, Congress offers a unique blend of youth and experience

The refrain of the Congress chief as also several leaders at the Shivir was that there was need to bring a young leadership to connect with the changing demographic profile of the country when the majority was below the age of 45.

For the last two days, there has been a chorus of demands from ministers and leaders that Rahul should be entrusted with a larger role.

Celebrations erupted outside the venue even before the formal announcement of Rahul’s new role in the party with jubilant workers bursting crackers and raising slogans hailing the young leader.

The elevation of Mr.Gandhi could lead to major changes in the party. Indications to this effect were given by party General Secretary Digvijay Singh who said that, generally, when a new leader comes, he brings in his team.

He, however, hastened to add that even if Rahul accepts a predominant role in the organisation, he will also be part of the team headed by the party chief Sonia Gandhi.

Mr.Singh has worked closely with Rahul being in charge General Secretary of the party affairs in Uttar Pradesh.

He said that Congress has seen several young leaders as its chief like Maulana Azad and Jawahar Lal Nehru.

He, however, dismissed suggestions that the party would go for a quota in ticket distribution for those under 45 years to be in tune with India’s changing democratic profile.

Singh said that there was no need for quota and the young would be automatically given preference in ticket distribution in the changed scenario, adding that women also would get a better deal.

Party sources said that the star Congress campaigner spoke to the girls on her visit to Sonia Gandhi’s parliamentary constituency of Rae Bareli after stopping her convoy at the Civil Lines crossing on her way from Fursatganj airport this morning.

The students complained about the lack of security for women and the poor law and order situation.

They also informed her about centrally-funded development projects in the constituency being executed allegedly in violation of norms.

Party sources said Priyanka assured the girls that she would look into their concerns.

Priyanka is to hold a closed-door meeting with party workers at the Bhuemau guesthouse before leaving for New Delhi in the evening, sources added.

BSP supremo Mayawati also said that the UPA could dissolve the Lok Sabha after the Budget session as it has realised that running the government was not feasible.

“Like petrol, the government has deregulated diesel from its control and has allowed oil companies to hike prices from time to time. This is a saddening and anti-people decision which will hurt the poor, the middle income group and farmers in the coming days,” she told a press conference.

She said the decision to increase the LPG cylinder cap from six to nine was not sufficient.

“People should get at least 12 cylinders per annum to make the decision sensible and justified. We want the government to reconsider both its decisions,” she said.

She alleged that the hike in rail fares and diesel prices shows that the Congress-led government’s election symbol – hand – “was not with the poor but with the rich and capitalists.”

In a word of “advice” for the Congress, Mayawati said the ruling party should introspect on issues of public interest, law and order and matters related to country’s borders at its ongoing ‘chintan shivir’ at Jaipur.

In reply to a question, she said the government was taking major decisions before the Budget session as it wanted to avoid Parliament.

She also claimed that she had heard that the government was aware that it was becoming “weak” and running it was “no more feasible”.

“There is information that this could be the last Budget session of the government. They may announce some incentives for the common man and later it is possible that they may dissolve the Lok Sabha,” she said.

“We are giving them (UPA) a full chance to do wonders now. We will expose them during the Lok Sabha elections,” she said.

“Sonia Gandhi has time to go to Assam and wipe tears of Bangladeshi infiltrators, but she does not have time to meet mother and wife of martyr Hemraj,” Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray said.

“Disinvestment of 12.5 per cent of Nalco is a step towards privatisation,” senior party leader A B Bardhan told reporters quoting a resolution approved at CPI’s two-day National Executive meeting here.

“How can Left parties accept TMC in their proposed arrangement? TMC is totally opposed to our scheme of things,” CPI veteran A B Bardhan told reporters after the party’s two-day National Executive meeting ended here.

“BJP would not enter into an alliance with anyone for the Lok Sabha polls in UP…. We are no more ready to face betrayal from anyone,” state unit president of BJP Laxmikant Bajpai said here.

Water Resources Minister Harish Rawat is learnt to have briefed the Congress Core Group, which includes the prime minister and party chief Sonia Gandhi, that it is legally binding for the government to notify the award.

Speaking at a programme here, former Finance Minister and BJP MP Yashwant Sinha said, “WalMart and others shall come on their own risk. BJP reserves the right to reopen the UPA government’s decision, when it comes to power at the centre.

“The Tamil Nadu Government can hike bus fares, cannot the Centre revise rail fares?” party chief M. Karunanidhi asked.

He was responding to reporters’ queries on TNCC president B.S. Gnanadesikan defending the rail fare increase announced on January 9, saying only that would allow the Railway Ministry implement modernisation efforts and Sixth Pay Commission recommendations for its staff among others, besides seeking alternatives if any.

“I say the same thing said by him,” Karunanidhi said, but added he had not condemned the revision of fares and that he had only opposed any hike that would affect the poor.

“I did not say it is right. I had said DMK would not support any hike that will affect the poor,” he said when asked whether he justified the hike affecting the middle class.

He said he agreed with Gnanadesikan’s observation that rail fares are cheaper than bus fares in Tamil Nadu.

Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal had on January 9 announced an across-the-board hike in passenger rail fares with an aim to net around Rs 6,600 crore.

Asked if DMK would stage a protest against fuel price hike and rail fare increase, Karunanidhi said: “We issue statements and letters condemning them and demand for their rollback.”

To a question on the Cauvery crisis, he said the Centre had the ‘job’ of verifying Karnataka’s claim of not having sufficient water to release to Tamil Nadu.

“I request they do that and take action,” he added.

“There is no justification for casting such a huge burden on the people when presentation of the railway budget is just a few weeks away”, CPI(M) state Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan told a press meet here.

Senior Party leader Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has been nominated to officiate as HPCC president till a permanent appointment is made for the post, AICC General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi said in a press release.

Party spokesperson P C Chacko rued that at a time when the whole nation is outraged over this heinous crime, these “so-called spiritual leaders” are “aggravating the problem” with such utterances, which no civilised society can endorse.

Condemning the killing of seven CRPF personnel in a gun battle with Maoist guerrillas in Latehar district of Jharkhand yesterday, the main opposition charged it is “a grim reminder of the failure of the Congress-led UPA Government”.

“The Centre has failed to put in place a fool-proof, unified strategy along with the states affected by the Naxal violence to prevent such attacks,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

“The Naxals are challenging the very idea of India… Yet the policy, strategy and intention of the UPA government is suspect,” he added.

BJP alleged Maoists are attacking the sovereignty of the country and yet the government is dithering in fighting them and treating it as a state issue though ten states are affected by it.

The party maintained that BJP-ruled states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh have been working hard to contain the menace by broad-basing developmental activities so that youths get viable employment and thus do not take up arms or join the ranks of Naxals.

“But lack of adequate support and political will on the part of the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre are the major reasons for repeated incidents of Naxal attacks targeted at police and para-military personnel,” Javadekar said.

Dwelling on the huge loan burden of over Rs 2 lakh crore left behind by the previous CPI(M)-led Left Front government, Banerjee told a public meeting in junglemahal, “We will wait.

“If our request for granting a three-year moratorium on interest payment and a debt restructuring plan as sought by the state government is not allowed, we will take our movement to Delhi,” Banerjee, said.

“The Centre has taken away our right to take loans. But allowed the previous Left Front government to rampantly borrow and build up a debt burden,” she said.

“The state wants its dues. We want it so that we can work for the people. People of Bengal will not tolerate this for long,” she said.

Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress chief, made the comments days after raising the issue on January three at the Science Congress here in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying “Please give us more. Please look at Bengal. If Bengal is developed, then India is developed.”

Speaking at a party programme, BJP General Secretary Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “Such behaviour from the police is unacceptable. This is an attack on the freedom of the press,” he said.

“The past ten months of the SP government have turned out very bad and problematic in all matters and at every stage, especially in crime control and law and order. People have now lost all their faith in government,” Mayawati told reporters.

“We will soon implement the Supreme Court judgement on Lokayukta,” state Law Minister Bhupindersinh Chudasama said here.

“The Supreme Court has accepted Gujarat government’s contention that Governor has to act as per the advice of the Council of Ministers,” he added.

“The country witnessed corruption, scams, increase in crime and price rise throughout the last calender year. People also witnessed lack of leadership, indecisiveness and faced Congress’ arrogance,” BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said.

Modi became Chief Minister for the first time on October 1, 2001 and subsequently in 2002 and 2007.

Modi drove to Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar this morning and submitted his resignation and that of his council of ministers to Governor Kamla Beniwal following constitution of the new House.

He said though the SP is isolated on this issue in Parliament, it enjoys wide support from the people outside. Asked if SP is under CBI pressure to support the government, Singh said, “We have accepted in the past that CBI is used to exert pressure. CBI is misused by the government.” On a sarcastic note, Singh said, “It appears there is no corruption in the Congress and all corruption is in other parties. CBI is there only to probe against Lalu Prasad, Mulayam Singh and M Karunanidhi.” He alleged that though Congress leaders committed financial anomalies in the Commonwealth Games projects and the Prime Minister promised to take action against those found guilty, no action has been taken.

Asked why SP raised the issue of Muslim reservation in the Rajya Sabha today, Singh said, “The Sachar Committee recommendations had to be raised in Parliament sometime. The Chair should have given us more time and not adjourned the House in a hurry.”

Veteran BJP leader L K Advani exercised his franchise at a polling booth in Shahpur area here. Earlier in the day, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitely and Modi had cast their vote.

During the two-day visit, Priyanka, who reached here last night, would be holding meetings with party workers at Bhuemau guest house, party sources said.

This is her second visit to Rae Bareli within a span of one month.

Earlier, she had held meetings with party workers during her two-day visit here on November 8 and November 9.

The issue triggered an uproar in the House in the morning with SP members rushing into the Well leading to its adjournment for 30 minutes during Question Hour.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Deputy Leader of BJP Ravishankar Prasad asked why the government “failed” to tell Malik that Allahabad High Court has already given its verdict and those claiming it to be a mosque have been unable to prove it.

This triggered an angry reaction from Sabir Ali, a member of BJP ally JD(U), who trooped into the Well.

Malik, during his visit here, had said nobody wants to see the recurrence of incidents like Mumbai blasts, Samjhauta blasts or Babri Masjid issue. Later, however, he denied comparing the demolition of the shrine to the Mumbai attacks, adding that he had been “misunderstood”.

“What Rehman Malik said was unwarranted, unprovoked. We strongly condemn it. I want to ask the Home Minister why Malik was allowed to come if his visit toIndiawas with an agenda. Why the government did not respond to all this strongly? Home Minister should reply,” Prasad said in presence of Shinde.

Prasad also took objection to Malik’s remarks dismissing India’s evidence against Saeed in 26/11 attacks and that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Abu Jundal was an operative of an elite Indian intelligence agency.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla said the minister will make a statement on the issue.

“After coming out from the polling booth, the Chief Minister addressed the crowd outside and by showing the ‘V’ sign he appealed the voters to make victorious the BJP candidate,” alleged advocate and Congress unit’s legal cell member Vijay Kanara, who filed the complaint with the EC authorities.

At about 9.45 AM when Modi exercised his franchise by casting vote atNishanHigh Schoolin Ranip area in the city, scores of supporters and party workers were present there.

Congress has also alleged that Modi had come there with a big convoy and scores of party workers and also addressed them after he came out of the polling booth.

“He is not a candidate from the area where he cast his ballot and appealing for victory of BJP candidate is a clear violation of model code of conduct and EC should immediately take action against him,” said Kanara.

In Ranip, Modi expressed confidence of winning the Assembly elections and forming the next BJP government.

“I thank all the voters. In this election, people ofGujaratwill make a hat-trick by giving a third term to us. The people of the state will once again vote BJP to power…The sentiments of people here is giving you a clear indication of that,” Modi told reporters there.

The visiting Pakistani minister created a flutter yesterday when he equated 26/11 Mumbai attacks to the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya.

“Neither the Prime Minister has responded to my questions on Sir Creek issue nor has the Congress party….You have kept the people ofIndiain dark on this issue..” Modi said addressing election rallies at different places on the last day of the campaigning here for the final phase of polls slated December 17.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Wednesday had dismissed as “untrue” Modi’s claim that the Indian government was planning to hand over Sir Creek toPakistan.

He accused UPA of lacking courage to stand up to Pakistani interior minister Rehman Malik’s remarks alluding Mumbai attacks to Babri demolition.

“The Union government inDelhiis so weak that Malik comes toIndiaand states authoritatively that the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack is similar to the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition. The Babri Masjid demolition is an internal matter ofIndia. If the Indian government had guts, it should have asked the visiting delegation fromPakistanto say sorry for its comments,” Modi said while addressing an election rally at Prantij here.

Dismissing Congress’ allegation that he has raked up the Sir Creek issue to drive political mileage duringGujaratelections, Modi said, “If the Congress party feels that I have raked up this issue to get more votes, then postpone this elections. Let the polls be held after six months. Elections will come and go. But, I am more concerned about the security of the country”.

He attacked Congress president Sonia Gandhi for doubting his “patriotism”.

“I am the son of this soil. I was born and grown up here and fought on this soil. I don’t require your certificate of nationalism,” he said referring to Sonia Gandhi.

Taking a dig at AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi for invoking Mahatma Gandhi during one of his poll rallies in the state recently, Modi reiterated that “I am fully confident that Rahul will fulfil Mahatma Gandhiji’s dream of disbanding the Congress after independence”.

“Why did Modi keep quiet on Sir Creek issue when the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had discussed it with the then Pakistani president Parvez Musharraf in 2004?,” the information and broadcasting minister said at a press conference in Vadodara.

“Modi was chief minister in 2004 when this issue was discussed. He remained silent on Sir Creek for the last eight years and has raised the issue now ahead of the second phase of polling in 95 assembly seats, falling under the Kutch, north Gujarat and centralGujarat, due on Dec 17,” he said.

The strip of water that is disputed betweenIndiaandPakistanfalls in the marshlands of theRann of Kutch.

The issue was raised by Modi, who on Wednesday shot off a letter as a “common man” to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, demanding that the disputed Sir Creek should not be handed over to the neighbouring country. The PMO had strongly rebutted the charge by saying the allegations were “baseless” and “mischievous”.

Addressing an election rally here last Thursday, Modi had clarified that he raised the issue keeping in mind the scheduled arrival of Pakistani interior minister Rehman Malik in the country on December 14 when both the countries are likely to reach an agreement.

“Today is 15th December and no such agreement has taken place on the issue between the two countries, which makes it clear that it was imaginary conspiracy of Modi’s mind…He is trying to mislead people of the country including 6 crore people of Gujarat”, Tiwari alleged.

“Common man dreams are not looked at…it is just one man’s dream that prevails in the state and who is doing politics of anger,” Gandhi said without naming Modi.

“What’s the problem here….this one man who claims to run Gujaratand having changed the entire state is full of anger….and with anger the state cannot progress ahead,” Gandhi said, while addressing a rally here ahead of the second phase of polling on December 17.

The Amethi MP said it was “love of the people” that could help the state progress and not anger. “This state can only progress ahead with love….a path shown by Mahatma Gandhiji…this is what I wanted to tell you..,” Gandhi said asking people to vote for a change.

“Two out of four people who mattered the most to me in my life were snatched away by terrorists…When my grandmother and father died, I had a lot of angst in me…,” he said.

“What anger does… it makes a person blind…I was like a blind man…but when I kept the anger aside I started seeing things clearly…I don’t have one bit of anger today in me..” he asserted comparing himself with the BJP strongman.

Responding to Sonia’s charges, Modi took a jibe at the Congress Chief, asking her to do her “homework” before coming to the state for election campaign. He accused her of trying to mislead the people.

In an attempt to connect with the voters, Gandhi also spoke briefly in Gujarati making an appeal to them to return the Congress candidates with huge margins. Campaigning for the second phase of the Assembly polls on Monday ends tomorrow.

Gandhi charged that Central funds were misused by theGujaratgovernment to harp on false development claims and “fake image building”.

Without taking Modi’s name, Sonia, while addressing a poll rally in Kalol town ofGandhinagardistrict, said, “Our UPA government for agriculture development, water harvesting…And for other such type of schemes has made large funds available to them…Which is the right ofGujaratalso”.

“But, those funds are mis-utilised here to trumpet false claims of development and for your fake image building,” Gandhi said targeting Modi.

She said UPA government provided 50 percent more funds toGujaratthan the BJP-led NDA government.

“To benefit some special people and businessmen, all these schemes were used for them. Common man is not getting any benefit,” the Congress leader alleged.

She also alleged that the issue of Sir Creek was being raised for “political interest” and asserted that her government will not allow anyone to play with the unity of nation at any cost.

Modi has been raising the issue of Sir Creek in each public meeting that he has been addressing in the state in the last two days.

“They are trying to incite the people by taking up the issue of borders of our country, national unity and integrity…Which is also against our party…Whose leaders like Indira Gandhiji and Rajiv Gandhiji, for national unity and integrity had laid down their lives,” Gandhi said.

“We at any cost…At any cost will not allow anyone to play with the unity of nation,” she asserted.

“As far as I know, you understand everything and can clearly differentiate between truth and lies…And you will not fall prey into BJP’s net,” Gandhi said.

Modi responded to Gandhi’s charges through Twitter and also at a rally in Anand.

“Sonia Gandhi came toGujarattoday but today also she came without doing her homework. Spreading lies and trying to mislead the people,” he said.

On Gandhi’s comments that the UPA has given more money toGujaratthat the BJP-led NDA, Modi said, “Do not resort to such lies and mislead the nation. Gujarat gets Rs 8,000 crore per year less as compared to what it was getting during Atal Bihari Vajpayee?s NDA Government.”

Modi refuted Sonia’s charges that he was trying to instigate the people by raising border security concerns thrugh the Sir Creek issue.

The BJP leader said the issue was important for the state.

 Trouble started just before the Constitution (117th Amendment) Bill, 2012 was moved by Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy for consideration and passing, for the third time in the last four days.

“An average 38 per cent polling has been recorded till 1 PM,” Additional Chief Electoral officer Ashok Manek said.

Till 11 AM, voter turn out on the 87 constituencies was a moderate 18 per cent, but in the following two hours, it increased to 38 per cent.

Even after noon, long queues were seen outside many polling booths as people were still coming to exercise their franchise.

In places like Kutiyana where Kandhal Jadeja, son of ‘God Mother’ Santokhben, is contesting on Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ticket, 36 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 11 AM and officials were expecting a higher percentage of voting.

There were reports from some polling booths in Viramgam constituency, Sanand andSuratof malfunctioning of EVMs. Many people also complained that their names were missing from the electoral rolls.

The constituencies where polling started include 48 in seven districts of Saurashtra, 35 seats in seven districts of southGujaratand four seats in Ahmedabad district.

There is enormous human resource potential in the country andIndiadoes not need foreign investment in the sector, Singh said.

“Real tribute would be only if the Home Minister assures the House today that we have paid tributes to the martyrs but their families and country will get relief only when he (Guru) would be hanged.

“If they fix a date (for hanging Guru) and announce it today, this would be the real tribute to these martyrs,” the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said inside Parliament House complex.

She was talking to reporters soon after paying homage to the nine martyrs of the 2001 Parliament attack.

Swaraj said every year the country pays homage to these martyrs. “But one question is still unanswered that the attacker who has been twice or thrice sentenced to death by the Supreme Court, why has he not been hanged so far?”

She said after the hanging of 26/11 Mumbai terror convict Ajmal Kasab, “hope has increased that the government will show courage to do what it has not done so far.”

Minister of State for Home R.P.N. Singh criticized Swaraj for making the demand, saying the occasion should not be politicised.

“We have just paid tributes to those martyrs. I think it is extremely unfortunate that the moment we get away from there, we get into politics… I think to politicise this thing on every December 13, is not paying real homage to martyrs of this country,” he said.

Singh said matters related to hanging convicts are not dealt by Parliament and are handled by the courts.

“There is a process that has been explained by Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. He has said the file is lying with him and he will look at it and make notings after the Parliament session,” he said.

Party spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain accused the government of showing “leniency” on the issue of hanging Guru.

“BJP wants to know that if Ajmal Kasab was hanged, then why there is delay in hanging Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru…Why is the government showing leniency in hanging him.

This is deplorable and an embarrassment for the country,” he told reporters outside Parliament House.

He alleged that Congress was politicising the issue when there is “little opposition from any quarter” on the issue of hanging the convict.

On a Congress leader opposing the execution of Guru, he said the party “demands his hanging irrespective of any names”. He alleged Congress was looking at the issue “through the prism of religion”.

“It is said there has been good urban development inBihar… It looks good from outside, but the truth is that money is not being spent on urban development inBihar. It is unable to utilise central funds,” Minister of State for Urban Development Deepa Dasmunsi said in the Lok Sabha.

She said in the transport sector, the Centre has approved purchase of several buses for use inPatna, but not a single bus has been procured.

Dasmunsi saidBiharis the least urbanised state in the country and criticised the government for not carrying out reforms in urban development.

Quoting from a recent report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), she said the state had taken up eight projects under the scheme and had not submitted utilisation certificates for any of them.

“The ministry is ready to release funds as supplementary support from the Centre, but if the state does not submit utilisation certificates, we cannot release the second installment,” she said to queries from Jagadanand Singh (RJD). RJD’s arch-rival JD(U) runs a coalition government inBihar.

She praised UP, where Samajwadi Party is in power, for carrying out reforms in urban development.

Of the 33 projects sanctioned for Uttar Pradesh, all the four installments of central assistance have been released for 18 projects.

Mayawati, agitated over delay in consideration of a bill for providing quota for SCs/STs in government job promotions, targeted Ansari over disorder in the House for several days.

“We want the Rajya Sabha to run smoothly. Rajya Sabha is a place for debate so that one can convey his views in the House. Government has to take initiative to resolve the deadlock in the House,” BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said outside Parliament when asked about SP chief Mayawati’s outburst in the Upper House.

Mayawati today shocked the Rajya Sabha by telling Chairman Hamid Ansari that he is “not seen” in the House in the afternoon after which the House is not allowed to function.

Prasad said, “Both SP and BSP are supporters of the government. While one is extending direct support, another is giving it indirectly. There is a serious divide between two allies (SP and BSP) of the government. Let the Congress party manage it, we want Rajya Sabha to function.”

“I am not ready to listen to anything. We have seen in the last few days that every day the House is not allowed to function after 12pm. It is your responsibility to ensure that it functions. Who will ensure that it functions,” she told the Chair from the Well as also from her seat.

“You are not seen here after 12pm… What kind of House is this? You have to take decision that what has to be done for this (ensuring the functioning of the House),” the BSP chief said.

She was protesting against the frequent disruption over a Bill for providing reservation in promotion to SC/STs in government jobs, an issue that has seen the party at loggerheads with the Samajwadi Party, its arch detractor in UP politics.

The protest by the BSP on the quota issue saw the House being adjourned twice before lunch.

Mayawati’s remarks left the House stunned. The Chairman told her that she was a senior leader and should allow the House to function. He said it was the responsibility of everyone to let the House function.

But, BSP members were unrelenting.

Mayawati’s outburst came at 11.30pm when minister Anand Sharma was replying to a query on the plight of weavers in Uttar Pradesh.

The BSP supremo, along with her party colleagues, came into House and started speaking even before taking her seat.

As the chairman tried to pacify Mayawati and asked her to allow the Question Hour to proceed, the BSP chief went into the Well with her party members continuing with her verbal attack.

Mayawati’s remarks came on a day when the chairman has called a meeting of the Rules Committee of the Rajya Sabha anguished over frequent disruptions of the question hour.

BSP also charged BJP with deliberately stalling the proceedings in the Rajya Sabha and accused SP of acting at its behest to stall the bill.

“We will see for two-three days more.

The party activists, led by its senior leader Avinash Rai Khanna, held a dharna to highlight the negligence in providing basic rights, including human rights to the refugees of all categories by the central and state governments.

“It is most unfortunate that people, who during and after partition, came to Jammu and though being citizens of India, cannot exercise their vote, don’t have their own roof over head and cant seek employment in the government,” Khanna said.

“Instead of formulating special schemes and packages for the rehabilitation and settlement of these people, the government’s deliberate action of not doing anything is gross violation of human rights,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, the party state president Shamsher Singh Manhas said that it seems that the state and central government are “biased” against the refugees who have suffered on account of their uprooting in 1947, 1965, 1971, 1989 and so on.

The Congress spokesperson P C Chacko appeared confident about UPA-III with the party planning to go for both ties ups before and after the polls in a big way.

To a specific question whether Gandhi will be projected as the Prime Ministerial candidate in the polls, he said that issue will come up after the elections and it was for party MPs to decide.

He also added that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be the helm till 2014.

“This has no relation. He is the Prime Minister. This government will continue till 2014. He is the Prime Minister till 2014,” Chacko said when asked about Manmohan Singh’s fate if Rahul is to be projected in the next elections.

To a query on what will be the role Congress President Sonia Gandhi after Rahul takes up a party position, he said.

“she is the President now. She will be the patron. She will be the supreme leader of the party“.

Chacko said that Rahul has agreed to assume more responsibilities following “overwhelming” demand by the party men.

“The party is overwhelmingly in favour of Rahul Gandhi taking a larger responsibility. He was not very willing. Now he has agreed to it. He will lead UPA’s election campaign for 2014,” he said.

Addressing a public meeting in Vadodara, the Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had said yesterday “Congress is clear on the suitability and capability of party general secretary Rahul Gandhi for the post of Prime Minister. Senior and young party leaders have been projecting him for this post”.

“According to news reports, wrong-doings (hera-pheri) are going on (inGujarat). We have known about CAG reports (talking about corruption). There is largescale corruption inGujarat,” she told an election rally here.

“Congress is clear on the suitability and capability of party general secretary Rahul Gandhi for the post of Prime Minister. Senior and young party leaders have been projecting him for this post,” Shinde had said yesterday.

The Left also attacked SP accusing it of opportunism and BSP’s “dubious” position on the issue.

“The debate in both Houses of Parliament revealed that an overwhelming number of political parties representing a clear majority of MPs are not in favour of allowing FDI in retail trade. This reflects the views of the majority of the people of the country,” CPI(M) Politburo said in a statement.

It also blamed Samajwadi Party and BSP for helping the government in getting the motion defeated, despite their opposition to the FDI move.

“Despite the opposition, the government was able to maneouvre to get the motion against FDI in retail trade defeated. This was possible due to the opportunism of SP and dubious position adopted by BSP. Both these parties spoke out against FDI in retail trade but acted in a manner to help the government succeed,” the Politburo said after a two-day meeting here.

Maintaining that UPA government’s decision to allow foreign supermarket chains in retail trade has met with “widespread opposition from all sections of the people throughout the country”, it said that in Parliament, after refusing to accept a debate and vote on the issue, the government had to finally accede to the demand.

The “strong opposition” in Parliament and the “actual minority status” of the government on the issue should be used to intensify the struggle against the entry of Wal-Mart and other supermarket chains into India”, CPI(M) said, adding it would continue the campaign to mobilise public opinion to prevent the entry of the foreign supermarket chains.

CPI National Secretary D Raja said the government “cannot claim victory as an overwhelming majority of MPs have opposed the move. “They may have won the vote by numbers but the sense of the Houses remains overwhelmingly against the government’s decision.”

Both the Houses were virtually divided, he said adding “how can the government ignore such an overwhelming opposition?”

Pawar, the nephew of NCP president and Union Minister Sharad Pawar, was sworn in at Raj Bhawan here.

Governor K Sankaranarayanan administered oath of office to Pawar in the presence of Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.

Opposition Sena-BJP members, which have denounced the move, kept away from the swearing-in ceremony.

Over 100 people had gathered outside Dikshit’s 3-Motilal Nehru Marg residence at 7 AM while Kejriwal joined them an hour later to protest demolition of their houses in Shaheenbagh near Okhla and demanded an audience with her.

“Government is unsure of its figures in the Upper House.

Both the government and its allies including those outside supporters are disrupting the House everyday,” BJP leader Arun Jaitley told reporters outside Parliament.

Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day after disruptions over quota in promotion for SC/ST in government.

]]> http://www.jaintv.com/2012/12/05/politics/bjp-accuses-govt-allowing-disruption-rajya-sabha/feed/ 0 http://www.jaintv.com/2012/11/27/politics/fdi-retail-paswan-seeks-protection-small-traders/ http://www.jaintv.com/2012/11/27/politics/fdi-retail-paswan-seeks-protection-small-traders/#comments Tue, 27 Nov 2012 12:55:31 +0000 Admin http://www.jaintv.com/?p=33523  

New Delhi: Ramvilas Paswan-led Lok Janshakti Party today supported the government’s decision to introduce FDI in multi-brand retail but insisted that the interests of small traders from Dalit and backward community be protected at all levels.

Observing that BJP’s opposition on the issue is based on petty politics, the LJP president said, “BJP is raising the issue only to take attention away from other critical matters such as corruption and development. It is an example of petty politics.

“One should not forget the situation of the UPA government falling if a discussion and voting takes place under rule 184 in Parliament accepting the demand of BJP and some other parties,” DMK Chief M Karunanidhi said, in a three-page statement as the Centre was engaged in mustering support from various political parties.

DMK’s decision comes two days after Congress emissary Ghulam Nabi Azad met Karunanidhi, in order to take the second largest UPA constituent with 18 members on board to counter opposition demand for a discussion under rules that entail voting.

“Though there may be thousands of differences still persisting on the issue and considering the consequences if the government falls at the Centre, in bitterness, the DMK has decided to support the UPA government on the issue”, Karunanidhi said.

The DMK chief said no room should be given to communal parties like BJP coming to power if there was a danger to the UPA government.

Charging BJP with raising the 2G spectrum loss at Rs 1.76 lakh crore as a “monstrously big” issue from Himalayas to Kanyakumari creating “confusion and crisis” among the people, he said “such communal forces should not come into power”.

“Considering all these factors, there is a compelling circumstances that the UPA Government should continue at the Centre”, he said.